Pistons: Some fans overreact about Saddiq Bey and Marvin Bagley III
The Detroit Pistons won their first game against the Orlando Magic, looked good doing it, and the fanbase is as optimistic as I’ve seen it in years.
These are all good things of course, but the win also led to some way-too-early overreactions from fans who apparently think the entirety of the season will be encapsulated in one game.
Just looking at social media, there are two guys who are already under the microscopes of fans, but is this an overreaction or are they onto something?
Overreactions from fans of the Detroit Pistons
Saddiq Bey needs to be benched!
Saddiq Bey had a quiet night offensively against the Magic, scoring just eight points on five shots. He passed up a couple of open ones and didn’t have a big role in the offense even though he played 31 minutes.
But Bey played solid defense for most of the night, had some key rebounds and had a +6 net rating, so he did contribute to the win even though he didn’t score.
Nevertheless, this had some fans screaming that he needs to be benched so the Pistons can go big with Jalen Duren.
Why they are wrong
Be careful what you wish for with Duren. Yes, he had an outstanding first game, but he’s also shown the propensity to pick up cheap fouls, so thrusting him into the starting five this early could be a mistake. This would also leave the Pistons very small in the second unit without Marvin Bagley III or Nerlens Noel (who should be playing soon) out there.
Also, I am perfectly fine with Bey being the 4th scoring option on this team, as he is best used as a spot-up 3-point shooter, so the fact that he didn’t force shots was a good thing. There will be games where Bey feasts and makes a bunch of 3-point shots, but if they aren’t there, he needs to keep the ball moving as he did against Orlando.
Bey must take and make those 3-pointers when they are open (he definitely should have had a few more attempts against Orlando) but the Pistons have better options now, so he can be effective without scoring a lot.
Why they might be right
Once the Pistons are at full strength, they probably will re-visit moving Bey to the bench, as he and Bogdanovic are going to struggle against quicker wings and guards when they are both on the floor together.
Moving Bey to the bench would allow him to play more power forward, which is a better position for him defensively and would potentially put more shooting around Killian Hayes. I don’t hate the idea overall but until the Pistons are at full strength, it will be tough to move Bey to the bench.
Marvin Bagley III needs to be traded!
This didn’t take long, as one good game from Isaiah Stewart and Jalen Duren was enough to convince some people that Marvin Bagley III doesn’t really have a role with this team.
I saw several people lamenting the MBIII contract, whose ink is not even dry yet, which seems like a pretty big overreaction to one game.
Why they are wrong
The Pistons have little center depth at the moment and are one injury away from having one healthy center on the roster. Even when Nerlens Noel comes back, that would be putting a heavy burden on three centers, and again, any injury would be a killer in a long season.
We haven’t even seen how MBIII will fit into this roster and what he’ll bring to the table, so to say they shouldn’t have signed him or need to trade him is a pretty huge overreaction to one game.
Why they might be right
Just to play Devil’s Advocate here: What is Bagley III’s role on this team? Duren has the backup center role locked up right now, so is MBIII going to play power forward? Bagley III can’t shoot, so are we expecting both of these guys to be in the paint, or are we going to go with the delusion that Bagley III is a stretch four? (he’s not).
His biggest strength is his post play, as he was abysmal outside of nine feet last season, so it’s hard to say how exactly Bagley III will fit into the rotation once he and Isaiah Livers are both back. Will the Pistons go with a jumbo second unit? Can Bagley III defend power forwards on the perimeter? These are legit questions that will have to be answered, but let’s at least see how it works before we start the trade rumors about Bagley III, shall we?
I understand that this is a small portion of the fanbase that overreacts not just to individual games but to nearly every play. Five minutes into the Magic game the Pistons were the “worst team in the league” but by the end they were “turning a corner and a possible play-in team.”
It’s a long season, so while I do see some amount of merit to these overreactions, it’s way too early to start shaking things up.