Killian Hayes will enter next season trying to prove he can make an impact for the Detroit Pistons.
Every tool in a team’s offensive tool kit places demands on the opposing team’s defense. Advanced statistics, often, are less about output than they are about influence.
How does a player’s skill or ability influence the game? How do preferences or deficiencies influence the game?
When players are out of position or they can’t complete the play, the defense can choose how to defend. The defense controls the game and forces the type of offense they want their opponent to play.
Killian Hayes might be the best example of this.
Detroit Pistons: Killian Hayes has weaknesses on both ends
Hayes looks less than the player he truly is because his deficiencies allow defenses to push him around. Opponents dictate the terms of play to him. He can’t play his own game against NBA talent. Opponents are too strong, too quick, and too skilled.
Hayes’ teammates on the Detroit Pistons, conversely, haven’t been skilled enough. They haven’t been able to knock down shots when he’s given them the ball. They’re out of position when he rolls off a screen or pushes the pace.
Many have said this: if Killian develops an outside shot, he’d be an NBA-level point guard.
Unfortunately, Killian’s deficiencies might be more than a lack of an outside shot. His defense depends on his individual ability. In the NBA, offenses move too quickly and players are too talented to guard individually. Strong defenders utilize their teammates as much as their physicality, hustle, length, and understanding of angles.
On-ball defense requires a defender to turn the ballhandler. Hayes can do this at a high level, but he can’t always stay in front of NBA talent. When his defender gets a step on him, Hayes often fouls rather than relying on his teammates to slide over and help.
In part, this is due to a lack of defensive awareness among his teammates. Youth and inexperience contributed to this to a certain degree. However, this also appears to happen due to habits picked up in Europe where Hayes had greater physical gifts than his opposition.
In Europe, Hayes could stay in front of his man. In the NBA, it’s more difficult and requires a team to defend the point of attack.
Something similar works against Hayes’ ball distribution. While his offensive awareness appears stronger than his defensive awareness, he appears to be reading defenses a step slow. Passing lanes close faster in the NBA than they did in Europe. Opponents have higher IQs. Often, the wild pass isn’t the smart play simply because opponents demand respect.
I believe Killian Hayes can be a solid NBA player if he adjusts to the NBA game. To do so, he may need to release notions he had about the player he was and embrace the player he is, one with great potential but deficiencies and bad habits that undermine his ability.