The Detroit Pistons lost their first preseason game to the Phoenix Suns, though the final score looked closer than the reality.
The Suns eviscerated the Pistons’ defense early, making over 80 percent of their shots in the first quarter, so we didn’t immediately see the defensive improvements that Mony Williams has been stressing.
The defense did pick up later in the game, but the Pistons’ starters did little to stop the Suns’ big three of Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal, which you would expect considering they are three of the best scorers in the NBA.
Preseason is the time of wild overreactions, and I saw plenty of them last night, as there are some fans whose loyalty seems to be tested on every play.
But I’ll offer my overreactions to the canon, some of which will become legit concerns and reasons to be optimistic.
The Pistons still can’t defend!
The Suns shot 85 percent in the first quarter, but only 35 percent the rest of the way, so the Pistons’ defense did improve. Part of this is that the Suns put their big three on the bench, but the Pistons also dialed up their intensity in the second and fourth quarters.
You also just have to tip your hat sometimes, as many of the shots the Suns hit early on were not easy attempts and there was at least a Piston nearby. Ausar Thompson had a few nice stands against Booker and Detroit was at least able to slow the Suns down.
There was plenty to improve upon, especially when it came to big men switching on the perimeter, but there were also some things to build upon, especially the defense we saw in the second quarter.
This is going to be a work in progress all season, so expect these kinds of inconsistent defensive efforts early on.
Ausar Thompson may end up being the Pistons’ best player!
Ok, so it’s way too early for that, but I will say that Thompson is one of those guys who just looks different out there. He stands out immediately, which is a great sign for a rookie.
He racked up 12 points, 10 rebounds and six assists in 39 minutes and was everywhere on defense. He’s an underrated playmaker, as we saw on some nice dishes to Jalen Duren, and even though Thompson didn’t get a lot of attempts, he knocked down the game-tying three with the clock running down, which showed a lot of poise.
Thompson can legitimately defend 1-4, is the Pistons’ best athlete and shows a lot of awareness for a guy who hasn’t even played a regular-season game. He was the real standout last night and it’s possible we’ll see him start from day one, especially if Bojan Bogdanovic is still injured.
I am all in on Ausar Thompson; he’s going to be a difference maker on both ends.
Isaiah Stewart is not a starting power forward!
Again, too early to tell on this one, but the early returns were not promising. Beef Stew did play decent defense at times, especially when he was matched up against other bigs. He ended with three blocks and was really acting as the quarterback on defense at times.
But he also had trouble switching on the perimeter, picking up two early fouls when he closed out recklessly and fouled jump shooters, giving the Suns free points.
And he looked very uncomfortable on offense. He’s still bobbling the ball a lot of the time, which turned open looks into contested shots. Though he shot 50 percent overall, he was only one of six from 3-point range, and some of the misses were total bricks.
I’m not giving up on Beef Stew, as he does a lot things well, but you have to wonder if his shooting will ever be enough to attract defenders and whether he can handle smaller players on the perimeter without fouling.
A healthy Marvin Bagley III is miles better than James Wiseman!
This may not be an overreaction.
MBIII entered the game last night and promptly caught two lobs for easy dunks and just kept going from there. He finished the game with 25 points and was the biggest reason the Pistons were able to come back late in the game.
It should be noted that he did most of this against the Suns’ deep bench, including the helpless Bol Bol, but Bagley III showed what he can do well, which is score at a high rate around the rim. Monty Williams also gave him credit for being vocal on defense, though MBIII certainly had some lapses in that area.
But they were nothing compared to James Wiseman, who just looked completely lost on both ends. Wiseman turned the ball over pretty much every time he touched it, as he is a black hole on offense from which the ball does not emerge. Three times he tried to back guys down in the post, got doubled and gave up the ball, which is the exact opposite of the quick ball movement Monty Williams promotes in his offense.
Bagley III is a limited player with flaws, but at least he makes quick decisions with the ball, moves assertively towards the basket and tries to finish with authority.
I’m still not sure what James Wiseman can do. It was hard to watch that last night and not come away with the idea that MBIII should be the backup center. Bagley III looked pissed that this is even a discussion and reminded people that he is a force on offense when he’s healthy.
Killian Hayes will have a spot in the rotation!
Killian Hayes was a big part of the Pistons’ comeback, finishing with 13 points, seven assists and five steals.
Hayes was aggressive going to the hoop and had a couple of nice finishes. He was a menace on defense and showed that he can defend up on the wing, which will be important in his quest to earn minutes.
He looked way more poised than Marcus Sasser and if Hayes continues to defend at that level, he will challenge Monte Morris for the backup point guard role or force head coach Monty Williams to carve out a new one for him.
I especially enjoyed the minutes Killian played with Ausar Thompson, as the two of them have the size to cover a lot of area on the perimeter and Hayes found him on cuts with some nifty passes.
Hayes showed everything you wanted from him last night, and I hope he keeps it up, as I’d love to see him make an impact off the bench and rejuvenate his career.
Cade Cunningham is still inefficient!
After a summer of listening to Cade Cunningham propaganda, I was ready for him to come out and drop a 50-point triple-double in his first game back.
Obviously, I’m kidding, but expectations are high for Cade coming into this season, as the Pistons’ hope of ever being good rests on him becoming a star.
He looked rusty last night, had a hard time getting into the flow of the game, and finished shooting just 5-of-15. The worrying part is that he was leaving everything short at the rim, which has been a problem for him so far his career.
I was hoping his surgically-repaired shin would turn some of those misses into buckets, but he was still leaving everything short.
He did have a stretch in the second half where he was the best player on the floor, so ultimately I am not concerned about Cade, but it would be nice to see him finish more of those bunnies around the rim.