10 good things and one bad in Pistons’ win over Magic

Detroit Pistons: 10 good things, one bad in win over Orlando Magic

10. Killian Hayes being a difference maker

I thought Killian could have a big game against he Magic, and he did even though he only scored three points. He was a difference maker on defense and was the first Piston to really break down and penetrate the Magic zone early in the game. Hayes had three steals and a block to go with five assists, showing that he is pretty much good at everything except shooting. Even that wasn’t bad, as he was being aggressive with the ball, looking to take it to the rack in transition off of steals, but just had some bad luck finishing. He also got fouled a couple of times that didn’t get called, so his overall numbers could have looked a lot different. Of course I am not happy that he went 1-of-9, but his energy was infectious and he showed how he can impact the game without scoring. He can be Detroit’s Marcus Smart, a guy who changes the game with his defense and passing.

I’m trying to stay all positive today, as it has been awhile since we had anything to be positive about with this team. It will be an up and down season and there are sure to be some lows, so I am going to try to hold onto this feeling before the inevitable collapse that brings the misery brigade back into the room.

But there was one negative that really stood out.

1. Kevin Knox’s mayhem

Kevin Knox came into the game and was all over the place, turning the ball over twice in just 13 minutes and missing all but one of his eight shot attempts. He hit just 1-of-6 from 3-point range which is a problem since it is literally the only thing he is out there to do. He looked nervous and discombobulated most of the time he was out there, which was hopefully just the product of nerves. It’s possible we may see some of Braxton Key in the next game if Isaiah Livers is still out, but last night showed that Livers is going to be a key part of the bench and that Knox may be exactly who we thought he was.

Overall it was a great opening night for the Detroit Pistons, with memorable debuts in an exciting down-to-the-wire game. I think we can all agree that the additions are going to make the Pistons a more exciting team and that we can hold off (for now) on dreaming about how Victor Wembanyama might look in Detroit.