There has been a decidedly negative vibe around the Detroit Pistons this week.
I don’t know if it was the early injuries, the week between games giving people too much time to think, the paltry win total predictions or just reality setting in as the regular season rapidly approaches, but Pistons’ Twitter was on one this week.
So this edition of my preseason overreactions is only going to focus on the positive. We’re going to ignore the 20 turnovers, the copious fouls and the fact that Isaiah Stewart went 0-7 from 3-point range.
Stewart didn’t have a great night shooting, but I loved his defensive energy and he did have a few nice offensive plays, including one in the late second quarter when he attacked a hard close out, got to the rim and delivered a nifty pass to Jalen Duren for a dunk.
We have the whole rest of the season to bathe in negativity, so let’s keep these overreactions optimistic.
Cade Cunningham is back!
I was accused of overreacting for showing mild concern over Cade Cunningham missing the second preseason game with quad tendinitis. I find that ridiculous considering the context, as he is the centerpiece of the team and needs to be on the floor. So it was great to see him back out there last night looking like his old self. Cunningham has the innate ability to get into the middle of a defense, use his size to keep defenders off him and then wait for the play to develop. Cunningham had a few bunnies ratttle out early, but was running the offense effectively even though he started the game off the ball. He finished with 14/6/6 in just 22 minutes and looked a lot like the guy who dominated Team USA this summer.
There has been a cloud of doubt hovering over Cade Cunningham as fans wait patiently for him to make the star turn we’ve all been expecting. This performance will help some, though he still has to show he can do it consistently over the course of a whole season.
The Pistons can use three guards effectively!
The Detroit Pistons started the game with Cade Cunningham, Ausar Thompson and Killian Hayes with Isaiah Stewart and Jalen Duren. We’re not going to get into all of Stew’s missed shots (remember, this is all positive) but instead focus on how wide open they all were.
Sure, part of this was that OKC was daring him to shoot it, but the other part is that the Pistons were effective with dribble penetration and setting up teammates. Cunningham, Hayes and Thompson were all getting into the teeth of the defense and either finding the shooters on the perimeter or hitting the cutters going to the rim.
I really loved Cade, Ausar and Killian defensively together, as their size was making things difficult for the Thunder on the perimeter. They were also getting out on the break and making the right pass most of the time.
Now imagine that some of those three-point attempts were being taken by Bojan Bogdanovic and you can see the vision of the Pistons going small. I expect we’ll see Bojan in there as a four with this group instead of Stewart, but also with Stewart as a small-ball five to keep even more shooting on the floor. Beef Stew is going to start knocking some of those down, so the Pistons may have something using Cade, Killian and Ausar together.
Ausar Thompson is going to be a superstar!
I haven’t been as all-in on a Pistons player since I first saw Grant Hill take the court for Detroit. Yes, that even includes Cade Cunningham.
So yes, this is Homer #1 overreacting to preseason, but there is something special about Ausar Thompson.
I love his energy, and I think he’s going to will the Pistons through some of those nights when they lack it. I love, love LOVE his athleticism, which stands out even in among other NBA players.
I love that he can rack up points without having plays called for him, as he gets buckets off effort, running the floor hard and taking it hard to the rim to draw fouls. He shot eight free throws last night and knocked down six of them.
I love that he hit a couple of three-point shots, but more importantly, that he looked completely natural and comfortable doing it.
I love that he plays unselfishly, doesn’t force anything and takes the shot that comes to him and moves the ball along when it isn’t there.
He’s already the Pistons’ best defender and it’s not particularly close (he could be a top-10 in “stocks” in the NBA this season) and his energy on that end seems to be contagious.
I love the fact that he cares about rebounding and when he gets one, doesn’t waste any time going the other way.
In short, I love Ausar Thompson and can’t wait to watch him develop into a two-way star.
Marcus Sasser has made Alec Burks superfluous!
Ok, this is definitely an overreaction, but you have to like what we’ve seen from the rookie Marcus Sasser so far.
He once again led the group that made a comeback in the late third quarter and helped put it away in the 4th. Sasser finished with 17 points, six assists and four rebounds and got to the line six times, making five of them.
What has really stood out in the last two games is the rookie’s poise, as he is comfortable running the offense and finding the shooters.
It’s possible that his emergence will allow the Pistons to trade Alec Burks at some point this season and there have already been teams sniffing around.
When Sasser was drafted it appeared that Killian Hayes’ minutes were most at risk, but now I am not so sure. Coach Monty Williams has repeatedly said he’s going to reward defense and so far Hayes and Sasser have played it while also knocking down shots.
This is a good problem to have, as it could allow Detroit to make a low-level trade that helps balance their roster a bit more, as Burks is on an expiring deal and will likely be traded at some point this season.