The Detroit Pistons won their preseason finale against the Raptors’ backups, but the win was only part of the news.
Ausar Thompson looked smooth making plays, including a nasty crossover early in the game where he took it to the rack aggressively and finished through the foul.
He hit a couple of mid-range jumpers (going 5-of-5) overall and had Pistons fans dreaming of what is to come if he plays like this consistently, though he does have to cut down the fouls.
Cade Cunningham and Isaiah Joe found their 3-point shots, and the Pistons looked mostly ready to go for the opener on Tuesday.
But perhaps the biggest buzz came in the final nine minutes of the game, as rookie Ebuka Okorie dazzled with his offense and set JB Bickerstaff up for a tough decision.
It’s Daniss Jenkins’ job to lose but Ebuka Okorie is making his case
We can’t make too much of mop-up duty in a preseason game, but Okorie showed off his complete offensive bag and why it’s going to be difficult for head coach JB Bickerstaff to keep him on the bench.
Okorie flashed his handles, which might already be the best on the team, using hesitation moves to get to the rack, pull up for a mid-range jumper and even hit a 3-ball off the bounce. You can watch his highlights here.
He set up Isaiah Joe for a cross-court pass which led to an open 3-pointer and got to the line six times for a total of 14 points in just nine minutes.
I have to say, Okorie looks better than I expected after his performance in Summer League, and he provides something the Pistons need, which is a guy who can get a bucket without any help. For a rookie, Okorie is poised and patient with the ball, and already very good at getting defenders to open their hips and lose their position.
Okorie has at least shown that he can put up points in a hurry, so while I don’t expect him to be in the rotation right away, it’s only a matter of time.
Daniss Jenkins will likely start the season as the backup point guard, and it will be his job to lose. Jenkins didn’t shoot the ball particularly well in the preseason with a larger focus on trying to set up his teammates, which he did again last night, tallying five assists in just 17 minutes.
Jenkins is also the better defender of the two, though Okorie has been better than expected in that department, especially when it comes to getting deflections and being a pest on the ball.
But Jenkins will feel the pressure to produce early, as Okorie is on his heels, and coach Bickerstaff won’t hesitate to go to him if Jenkins struggles.
It’s a good problem for the Pistons to have, as they need all of the creation they can get, so we may see both of their backup points guards in the rotation sooner than expected.
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