The Detroit Pistons dropped a one-point heartbreaker to the Miami Heat in a game that will likely be a microcosm of the early season.
There was plenty to like about Detroit’s performance, as they defended well for most of the night, especially in crunch time, got a star turn from Cade Cunningham and nearly stole one on the road after being down as many as 19 points in the second half.
But there was also plenty to hate, as the Pistons turned the ball over casually (especially early on), got nothing from their two secondary guards and it feels like they gave away a game that they probably should have won even though they were shorthanded.
Close losses are still losses, so Detroit will have to find ways to win these types of games, but something did feel different last night, especially on the defensive end, where the Pistons made their share of mistakes, but competed all night, dominated the boards and had 13 blocks.
With such a young team, we can expect these types of highs and lows, especially with three rotation players sitting on the bench. There was something to love and something to hate about each player last night, but overall I am hopeful, as we saw a lot of what we needed to see to believe in this team.
Loves and hates for each Detroit Pistons player and coach
Monty Williams
Love: You could already see a big difference in the defense last night, as the Pistons were getting after it and didn’t have too many big lapses. I also like that he rewarded defense by leaving Killian Hayes in there even though he was struggling to hit shots.
Hate: That final play. It took two timeouts just to throw the ball to a well-covered Cade Cunningham a mile from the hoop. Seems like the Pistons should have gotten a better look there.
Joe Harris
Love: Harris only took two shots and they both rattled out after looking like makes. I love that he appears to be healthy and should be able to help this team weather Bojan Bogdanovic’s absence.
Hate: That Joe Harris only got two shots. If he is going to be a floor spreader, he needs a higher volume of touches, especially in a game where the Pistons had a hard time spacing in the half court. Given how Miami was draped all over Cade Cunningham on the final play, I thought they could have used Cade as a decoy and gotten Harris a look, as he appeared to be open momentarily.
Marcus Sasser
Love: His poise and ability to get a bucket. Sasser is certainly not intimidated, has great handles and looks comfortable running the offense. He was once again part of the group that started a comeback and he hit a couple of clutch shots on his way to eight points overall. I really like Sasser.
Hate: That Sasser only played 10 minutes, as it appeared he was cooking a bit in the first half but got the quick hook. If both Killian Hayes and Jaden Ivey continue to struggle, we may see Sasser getting a few more minutes.
Loves and hates for each Detroit Pistons player
Alec Burks
Love: That Burks rebounded and defended even though his shot wasn’t falling. He grabbed a couple of rebounds in traffic that helped close out possessions.
Hate: That Burks took some bad shots, including an isolation runner late in the game that was a waste of a possession. He was trying to draw a foul and didn’t, which left him in the air with nowhere to go. This was right when Cade was cooking as well, so just a bad shot by the veteran.
Marvin Bagley III
Love: That he can come in the game and get buckets. His offense settled the Pistons down in the 3rd quarter and helped get them back in the game. I actually thought Detroit should have gone to him a few more times, as Miami did not have an answer. We know MBIII’s flaws, but when he has a mind to get a bucket, he’s hard to stop. He’s also been noticeably more active on defense, which should bury James Wiseman on the bench permanently.
Hate: Not much really, as MBIII did his job as the backup center last night. Like I said, I would have liked a few more touches for him.
Jaden Ivey
Love: Yikes. That was probably the worst game Ivey has had as a professional, so there wasn’t much to love. I’d be lying if I didn’t say that we have some uncomfortable questions we need to ask about Jaden Ivey. But I am going to chalk that one up to adjusting to a new role off the bench and off the ball after spending most of last season running the show with impunity.
Hate: Ivey just looks really uncomfortable out there. He was pressing last night, couldn’t do anything offensively and just had bad body language overall. He had some defensive lapses, didn’t move without the ball and almost had as many fouls and turnovers (3 each) as points (4). I’d like to see Ivey move more without the ball, as he has a hard time blowing by people from a standstill, though he did do it once last night for a layup and foul, but the Pistons need to find ways to get him the ball while he’s already moving towards the hoop or at least isn’t facing the defender.
Loves and hates for each Detroit Pistons player
Ausar Thompson
Love: His defense is a game-changer. He blocked three shots in the first couple minutes of the game, ending with five overall. He has a little Dennis Rodman vibe to him, as he is uber-athletic and uses that to block shots and disrupt offensive players without fouling. His defense against a multitude of Heat players, including Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo was something to watch and he got blocks against both of them.
Hate: His drives into traffic. Ausar got a little ahead of himself as a playmaker last night, driving wildly into traffic for his two turnovers. He also made some really smart and quick decisions with the ball, so it’s a learning process for the rookie. As for now, I’d like to see most of his playmaking come in transition and not off the bounce in the half court.
Killian Hayes
Love: That Killian was in the game in crunch time because of his defense. Yes, he was broke from long range, which his haters gleefully pointed out all night on social media *Quick tangent* I am all for criticizing players, but the joy some of these alleged “fans” take in watching one of their own guys fail makes no sense to me. I can’t believe you’d rather watch your team lose and be “right” about a draft that took place three years ago than just cheer for a guy who is on your team. *Rant concluded* Hayes played well defensively against Jimmy Butler in crunch time and showed how you’re going to get minutes from Monty Williams, which is by defending.
Hate: God, If Killian could have just made ONE of his six 3-point attempts, the Pistons win the game. His defense will play in this rotation, but he has to be able to at least hit some of those shots.
Jalen Duren
Love: To see some rim protection from Duren, who blocked four shots and disrupted plenty more.
Hate: He lost his defensive assignment a few times and let Kevin Love sneak around him all night. First off, I respect Love’s old man game and he’s a crafty ba*****, so I’m not going to worry too much about him outsmarting a teenager several times. Overall Duren was efficient, played within himself, dominated the boards and even added four assists to his 17 points, 14 rebounds and four blocks.
Isaiah Stewart
Love: Beef Stew was the elder statesman out there for much of the night and I loved how he was communicating on defense. He made good decisions with the ball, taking the 3-pointer when it was there and attacking when it wasn’t. Mostly he just battled, gave max effort on defense, got his hands dirty and was the second-best player the Pistons had. I think Stewart answered a lot of questions last night. It wasn’t a perfect game, but you can see why coach Williams and Troy Weaver think Stewart is a culture changer.
Hate: Isaiah Stewart post ups. I am just going to say it, there is no real reason to give him the ball with his back to the basket in the post. He had a couple of nice little jump hooks in there, but those came off movement and dribble penetration. In fact, outside of Marvin Bagley III, the Pistons probably shouldn’t be running post plays for any of their bigs.
Cade Cunningham
Love: That we saw everything we wanted to see out of Cade Cunningham. It wasn’t just the points and clutch shots, it was the way he controlled the game like a 10-year vet. It’s clear he needs a secondary scoring option (they missed Bojan) as he had to do too much at times, but it was a massive performance from Cade, who was the best player on the floor for most of the night.
Hate: That Cade still has a couple of boneheaded turnovers every game. He did it twice in rapid succession in the first half when he threw a lazy, looping pass that was easily picked off and taken the other way for a bucket (five point swing) and again when he jumped before he knew what he wanted to do and tried to fire a cross court pass that had no chance of finding a Piston. Cade is too smart to keep making these types of turnovers, which are the only real flaw in his game. The good news is that he settled down in the second half and only finished the game with three turnovers overall. Just cut out the dumb ones, Cade!