5 Overreactions to the Pistons preseason win over the Bucks

The Detroit Pistons started their 2024-25 season on a positive note by beating the Bucks 120-87 in front of a lively crowd at Little Caesar’s Arena in the first game of the preseason.

It was a surprisingly entertaining game as the Pistons tried to show that they are no longer the doormat of the Eastern Conference. 

Both teams were without their full complement of players, as Tobias Harris and Ausar Thompson didn’t play and Giannis Antetokounmpo didn’t suit up for Milwaukee. 

DISCLAIMER: 

This is preseason. The first game of the preseason. Any reactions by nature are overreactions. With that being said, here are some things to be excited/concerned about for the Detroit Pistons. 

#1: Ron Holland II is going to win Rookie of the Year! 

Ok, let’s pump the brakes here, but Holland II was arguably the most impressive Pistons player last night against the Bucks. He led the team in minutes and his +25 on/off was the highest on the team. 

He absolutely changed the tenor of the game when he entered in the first quarter. There was a noticeable difference in defensive intensity, mostly created by Holland, who defended 1-5 and was a pest to all of them. This play is how Holland will make the rotation right of the gate: 

He hustled, he made nice plays in transition and he showed excellent awareness on offense, making the extra pass in the half-court to open 3-point shooters when he could have taken a shot himself. 

Holland only made four of 10 shots, but added five assists, six rebounds a steal and a block and looked the part of an NBA defender. He got into Damian Lillard’s grill, forced a turnover and then jawed at him, which I loved. 

Holland isn’t going to shoot his way into the rotation, he has to defend to get there and he showed how he can impact the game in myriad ways. The shooting may not be there, but when Ron Holland and Ausar Thompson are on the floor together, the other team is going to be in hell. 

Great start for the Pistons’ rookie. 

#2: Jaden Ivey has figured it out! 

He obviously has to show he can do this consistently, but you couldn’t have asked for a better start from Jaden Ivey, who led the Pistons in scoring with 22 points on six of eight shooting and seven for nine from the line. 

Ivey looked noticeably stronger and JB Bickerstaff has already figured out how to use him better than Monty Williams ever did. Almost every time Ivey touched the ball he was moving downhill towards the rim and once he gets going, he’s tough to stop. 

The Bucks had no answer for his speed. Ivey and Cunningham looked good together and Bickerstaff put them both in pick-and-roll action as the screener and ball handler at different points. 

Ivey’s shooting form looked slightly tweaked, as the ball is a little higher, a little less centered and a little less like a frog, aka the Shawn Marion form. He’s not pushing as much and it showed in the results. 

It’s only one preseason game (sorry I have to keep saying this) but Ivey was impressive and it looks like Bickerstaff has a good idea of how to use him. 

#3: Cade Cunningham still stinks at the rim! 

Cunningham did not have a good game overall, as he only made five of 13 shots, turned the ball over twice and most importantly, missed a couple of bunnies at the rim. 

I wrote in the offseason that scoring at the rim was the single most important thing Cunningham needed to improve offensively but we saw more of the same last night. Cunningham dribbled too much, got himself into trouble and then got his shot blocked at the rim once and turned it over twice. 

He did make one nice hook shot, but left two other floater/runners short. These are the shots he has to hit if he wants to get to an All-Star level, as he can get to the rim whenever he wants and is very difficult for guards to stop. 

Cade hit just 54 percent of his shots under five feet last season, and that has to improve, as does his over-dribbling. He has better offensive players around him this season and can’t dribble himself into traps like he did several times last night. Cunningham has to keep the ball moving, as the Pistons’ offense looked most impressive when everyone was touching the ball. 

It will be an adjustment for Cade, but he has to trust his teammates more and dribble less. 

#4: Tim Hardaway Jr. is the next Joe Harris! 

THJ isn’t going to be as bad as Harris, that would be impossible, but he didn’t look great last night, shooting just 1-of-7 and missing all of his 3-point shots. 

He looked a step slower, forced a couple of tough shots and had two turnovers even though he played fewer than 15 minutes. He also had a tough time getting his shot off, a problem Harris had last season when Father Time started his inevitable stranglehold. 

I’m not saying THJ will be the same, but he could end up being the salary dump who can’t/doesn’t play much for the Pistons this year, an annual tradition I hope we see the end of soon. At least Detroit got three second-round picks for THJ and unlike Harris, I am certain Hardaway Jr. will have some big games for Detroit but he looked old and rusty last night and the Pistons were –9 when he was on the floor. 

#5: Malik Beasley is the best contract in the NBA! 

It’s hard to believe that Beasley is only costing the Pistons $6 million for next season, as he looked like an impact addition. 

Maybe it was because he was fired up playing his old team, but Beasley was everywhere last night, leading by example with hustle plays and effort on defense. 

He knocked down shots, but was also a vocal mentor for the young guys. Several times I saw Beasley pushing Ron Holland into position and he took a vocal leadership role on defense. 

This is something the Pistons have been missing for the last several seasons, which is a veteran leader who can actually play. Getting yelled at by Rodney McGruder doesn’t have the same effect as a guy who is out there competing with the team. 

Beasley is going to be an impact addition and is one of the best value deals in the league right now, so expect him to be a popular name at the trade deadline given his expiring contract.