Detroit Pistons: One thing every player should be working on right now

Detroit Pistons: One thing every player should be working on right now

Guards

Alec Burks: Staying healthy

Burks pretty much is what he is at this point in his career, a bench scorer who isn’t terrible on defense. But he only played in 51 games this season, though his late-season injury was likely of the “tank” variety. If the Pistons were just holding him out, then there is no excuse for him not to come into next season ready to play the full 82 games.

Jaden Ivey: Defense, defense, defense

Jaden Ivey made big strides offensively this season after being thrust into the lead guard role. He really started to come on down the stretch even though he was still turning the ball over too much.

His mid-range jumper improved mightily this season, and his 34 percent from 3-point range was probably higher than most people predicted. I am certain he will continue to get better at those things.

But what will determine his ceiling as a player is whether he can become more than a parking cone on defense. Ivey did improve somewhat as the season went on, but still looked lost a lot of the time, got caught flat-footed looking around too much, and was far to easy too blow by on the perimeter.

A lot of this will come down to watching film and figuring out where his blindspots are, as Ivey has all of the physical tools to be a great defender. I do think he’ll get there, as he’s a hard worker who will put in the time to improve. There will be a time when Ivey is reading plays more effectively and using his elite athleticism to be a force on the defensive end that turns into fast break points.

Killian Hayes: Ugh

We all know what Killian Hayes needs to improve, as he was the NBA’s worst shooter this season. He obviously has to get better at every level and until that happens, it’s going to be tough for him to be in the rotation of a good team. But I’d love to see Killian just embrace what he is and lean into his defense.

He lets his offensive struggles affect him at times, so I’d love to see him just focus on being the best defensive player he can be and try to make an impact on games coming off the bench. We know he can pass and run the pick-and-roll, so if he can do that well while defending at an elite level, I’ll be happy.

Let the offense come when it does, but he needs to be able to do at least one thing at an elite level, and he didn’t this season. Backups don’t have to be able to do everything, so lean into what you already do well.

Cade Cunningham: 3-point shooting

Obviously, Cade Cunningham has to get healthy and come into the season at 100 percent, and there is every indication that is going to happen. He’s already very good in the mid-range and getting shots around the rim (though he could improve in that area), and once he starts getting a better whistle, I’m sure he’ll get his share of free throws working in the paint.

The one area of weakness in his offensive game is his 3-point shooting, where he shot just 31 percent as a rookie and just 27 percent in his 12 games this season. Teams are going to have to respect his mid-range game but until he proves he can hit the 3-point shot at a high rate, it will be easier to stop him on other areas of the floor.

Cade doesn’t have to be a 3-point chucker, but does need to hit a higher percentage. Hopefully having two healthy legs for the first time since high school will help, because if Cade starts hitting 40 percent of his 3-point shots, the league is in trouble.