The Detroit Pistons debuted some of their new roster last night in a competitive loss to the LA Clippers.
It was still a loss, but the Pistons put forth a solid effort with a revamped team featuring three new players (there are still three more to come) who had never played together before.
The Pistons dominated the middle of the game and took a 13-point lead. It took a cold 4th quarter from the Pistons and some help from the referees for one of the best teams in the Western Conference to eke out a win over Detroit. I'm marking that as progress.
*Side rant: The NBA needs to take a hard look at how games are officiated when it comes to veteran star players vs. younger guys. It's always been this way to a degree. Stars are going to get calls and older players have more established reputations and relationships with the refs, so it's human nature. But when one team has 26 free throws and the other has seven, something is not right, especially when the team with fewer free throws spent a lot of time in the paint drawing contact. The Pistons were at the rim all night, outscoring the Clippers 68 to 34 in the paint and there was a LOT of uncalled contact, while LA went foul hunting in the 4th and repeatedly got to the line. The Pistons missed a lot of open shots in the 4th and made some bad turnovers but this game was lost at the line. Rant over.
Even though they lost, I already liked a lot of what I saw from the Detroit Pistons in the first game after their roster reset.
Things I liked about the new Detroit Pistons
Simone Fontecchio
Fontecchio dropped 20 points and nine rebounds in his Pistons debut, showing he can do more than just catch and shoot in the process. His quickness and length on defense was a noticeable change and his offensive game is more dynamic than people might think. As he gets more familiar with his teammates, he's going to be a weapon.
If he can give the Pistons a good chunk of Bojan Bogdanovic's offense while providing much better defense, then this will be a net gain for Detroit.
The Pistons looked longer and faster
Detroit had more bounce and speed last night than they have all season. They were getting into their sets faster and Fontecchio and Troy Brown Jr. were big upgrades defensively from Bojan Bogdanovic and Alec Burks. No offense to those guys, but Detroit looked more like the team we were expecting this season: Young, fast, getting after it on defense (especially Ausar Thompson) and pushing in transition with 28 fast break points, double what they average on the season.
Cade Cunningham played good defense
Cunningham can be a plus defender but it's all about energy and effort. The Pistons ran a less heliocentric offense and Cade didn't have to do everything, which led to more energy and effort on the defensive end. He was making life difficult for Paul George at times even though PG did end up with 33 points. It took him 24 shots to get them and Cade forced him into some tough shots. More of this, please.
Cade Cunningham stepped up in the 4th quarter
Cunningham has taken plenty of heat for his clutch-time play this season, and though his 4th quarter wasn't perfect, he was pretty much the only Piston who could make a shot. He stayed after it and kept the game close.
Jaden Ivey is becoming a star
It's exciting to watch a young player make a leap right before your eyes, but that is what is happening with Jaden Ivey, who has been amazing of late. He started the game by hitting his 12th straight 3-point shot (over three games) and when that shot is falling, his electric speed is even more effective. Ivey is averaging 26.4 points, 4.6 rebounds and 3.8 assists over his last five games and looked more like the primary scoring threat last night with Cunningham acting as facilitator. I love this dynamic and it fits their skill sets. With more shooting and dynamic offensive options around the two guards, the Pistons backcourt of the future is looking the part.
It's only been one game, so I don't want to get ahead of myself, as the Detroit Pistons still have plenty to show before we can declare their trade deadline acquisitions a success, but they looked much more like the team we thought we'd see this season and it was one of their better, more entertaining games even though they lost.
With Quentin Grimes still to join, the Pistons could take a big leap defensively (it's amazing what a few wings who are even moderate defenders can do), and if they continue their hot shooting (taking away the 4th quarter last night), this team could start to make the kind of leap we were expecting from the beginning.
I'm Homer #1, so take this all with a grain of salt the size of the Rocky Mountains, but I am more optimistic than I have been since back in October when the Pistons won two in a row.