Kevin Huerter is fresh off his first 20+ point performance since the trade to the Detroit Pistons, as he had 22 on 9-of-14 shooting (4-of-7 from three) in the 129-108 win over the Pelicans on Thursday. His performance came just hours after the Bulls announced that Jaden Ivey would miss the rest of the season due to the sore left knee that has kept him sidelined since Feb. 11.
Detroit traded Ivey to Chicago for Huerter in a multi-team deal, one that didn't look all that great for the Pistons. The guard found his way out of J.B. Bickerstaff's rotation soon after he arrived, but in nine of the last 10 games he's played, he has recorded at least 20 minutes. Against New Orleans, he played 34 minutes, the most for him in almost two months.
What was most impressive about his outing against the Pelicans was the four three-pointers he made. It was the first time Huerter shot over 33% from three on at least three attempts in a game for the Pistons.
Kevin Huerter just had his best game with the Pistons
Detroit traded for the 27-year-old guard in hopes that he'd give them some outside shooting, an area in which they lack severely, but he's shooting 19.2% from deep on 3.3 attempts per game. In 16 of the games he's played, he hasn't hit a three-pointer in seven of them. The four he made were nearly half of the total number of threes (9) he hit since the trade entering the game against the Pelicans.
It was the kind of game that Pistons fans have been waiting to see from Huerter, and truthfully, one that many doubted they'd see. His shooting as of late has come at a good time (54.6% from the field in the last four games), as Detroit needs his scoring now more than ever with Cade Cunningham sidelined.
Huerter is proving that he should be in Bickerstaff's playoff rotation, not just for his scoring, but for his playmaking, too. He did have more turnovers (three) than assists (two) on Wednesday, but he's otherwise taken relatively good care of the ball for the Pistons, having 10 turnovers to 33 assists.
Hopefully, Huerter will continue to trend up with the regular season coming to a quick close. Having momentum on his side entering the postseason will give Detroit the added spark that it could use off the bench.