Detroit Pistons: Progress of the two-way G-League players

The Motor City Cruise, the G-League affiliate of the Detroit Pistons, has not had a good season so far, as they are just 2-7 and near the bottom of the league.

G-League success is not really measured in wins and losses, as it is a developmental league where teams can get regular reps for players they might want in the future but who aren’t ready now.

The Pistons have two 2-way contracts on the Cruise in Braxton Key and Buddy Boeheim who could be called up at some point, especially if Detroit keeps suffering injuries.

Key has already been called to action three times for the Detroit Pistons, so he’ll be the first man up from the G-League, but is there anyone else worth a look?

Detroit Pistons G-League options: The two-way contracts

Braxton Key

Key has just played a few minutes for the Detroit Pistons this season but appeared in nine games last season as well. So far he seems to be the only player the Pistons trust to bring up, so he’ll likely be the guy they call upon if they need players.

Key has put up numbers in his four G-League games, averaging 18.5 points, 10.8 rebounds, 3.5 assists, a steal and 1.3 blocks per game. But he hasn’t shot the ball particularly well, especially from 3-point range, which is probably his best chance to make the Pistons roster.

Key is 25-years-old at this point, so hardly a young prospect and may just be a guy who can thrive in the G-League but isn’t quite good enough for an NBA roster.

Buddy Boeheim

I was never a big fan of the Buddy Boeheim two-way, as it’s hard to see him being able to defend in the NBA. There were other un-drafted free agents out there, so Boeheim is likely a waste of that spot unless he shows he can be an elite shooter.

So far that has not been the case, as Boeheim is shooting just 33 percent from long range and averaging just 7.6 points per game. The G-League is not exactly known for its defense, so the fact that Boeheim is having trouble with his 3-point shot at this level is not a promising sign.

Both of these players have plenty of time to show that they deserve a shot at the big team, but so far that hasn’t been the case.

The Detroit Pistons haven’t been able to take advantage of their G-League team, and it doesn’t appear there is anyone on deck, which is problematic for a young team that has suffered so many injuries.