Game Recap/Notes: Game #1. Pistons 114 - Magic 109. (1-0)
With all of what is about to be said, it is very worthwhile to note that this banged-up version of Orlando at home is likely to be one of the worst opponents the Pistons will play this season, that said, no one likes a party pooper and there were tons of positives to take from tonight.
Cade Cunningham:
Didn’t happen out of the gate but by the end of the game Cade put to bed any concerns about his passive preseason play. The final stat-line of 18 points on 18 equivalents with 10 assists against 2 turnovers in 35 minutes of play gives an accurate view of his game. He missed a couple of makable shots that hurt his efficiency, but he facilitated well and got tough shots.
That second point is something that is worth harping on a bit. Almost all of his shot attempts were of the “tough as hell” variety in the half-court. When the game became a track meet for a stretch in the 1st half he was happy to let others take the lead, but it is pretty clear that when push comes to shove in the half-court, he is still going to be the guy doing the heavy lifting. Also to be clear, I say that as a good thing. He was totally comfortable letting other dudes get theirs while still be totally comfortable with taking many of the Pistons’ most difficult possessions for himself. Improving his scoring efficiency is important for Cunningham this season, which he didn’t accomplish tonight, but he still played well given his role. This game also pointed to the potentially lovely yin-yang aspect to the Cade/Ivey pairing. Speaking of.
Jaden Ivey:
Hard to see a better start for Ivey. 19 points on 15 shots with 4 assists against 2 turnovers with 3 steals. He fueled the Pistons for a stretch in both halves. In the first half his manic transition play got the Pistons out of an early funk and coming out of half-time he got something going in the half-court as well. It is also worth noting that he really ought to have 2 more points but he missed a dunk after an incredible move.
The defensive end was particularly good news. Lots of young players arrive in the league with scouts saying that they have the profile of a plus defender only for them to arrive and clearly have no interest in playing defense. Ivey showed a real desire on the defensive end that will serve him well.
It really was the whole package from Ivey tonight. Plus defending (even if he, along with everyone else, often got out of position), hit 2 of 4 threes, blazed in transition, and had some positive creation for himself and others in the half-court, he even made some nice cuts to the basket. The best development remains that he has had very few “wtf were you thinking” turnovers that seemed to plague him at times at Purdue.
Last note on Ivey is that if he’s in the game and someone pulls down a rebound with a chance to run they need to look for him immediately, I felt like there were a couple of missed opportunities in this game.
A brilliant start for Ivey.
Saddiq Bey:
A standout for the wrong reason. With the arrival of Ivey, someone was going to be the odd man out and tonight it was Bey. Not only did he only score 8 points but he only took 5 shots. It stood out how little he was involved in the game, going long stretches where you could’ve forgotten he was even on the floor. That said, if others are rolling that’s okay. Bey provides spacing to assist the ball-handlers and if Ivey and Cunningham start to bend defenses to the point of breaking he will be there to clean up with open threes.
Bojan Bogdanovic:
He isn’t going to shoot 6-10 from deep every night but his abilities were well on display. When he was initially signed I suggested that he may well lead the Pistons in scoring and he did just that tonight. 24 points on 17 equivalents with 6 rebounds and a pair of assists. He struggled inside the line a bit but he had a couple of easy shots that he makes most nights. In addition, his defense of Paolo/Franz was mostly passable which was nice.
We will see exactly how much Bojan has in the tank, he is getting up their in age to play 35 minutes per night while being tied for the team lead in shot attempts, but his value was on clear display. Having him on the team will continue to do wonders for Ivey and Cade while also helping with the overall integrity of the defense.
Bojan’s presence also has the benefit of pushing Saddiq Bey into a role that fits his limited skill-set better. With Bojan taking on the bulk of “high volume and high difficulty 3-point shooter” Bey shouldn’t feel as forced into creation while also getting to be a bit pickier with his threes which hopefully helps his efficiency.
Isaiah Stewart:
Played a positive game. 14 points on 10 equivalents as the Magic inexplicably fouled him continually (he shot 8 free-throws) but points are points. He did hit the game-sealing three at the end of the game which was good to see, but it is also important to note that he went 1-4 on the night with all 4 being wide-ass open. Hitting a big shot is always nice, but this game was a total confirmation that opponents are going to make him prove they need to guard him.
Jalen Duren:
Yeah Stewart had a nice game but it’s hard to leave tonight not thinking of Duren being the starter. The offensive value he provides as a roller and dunker is stark when compared to Stewart. Duren had 14 points and 11 rebounds in just 22 minutes. He did decide to go all-in on the Andre Drummond comparison by missing all 4 of his free-throws but two of those attempts were and-1s. Duren isn’t going to be terribly sound defensively but his athleticism helps him to make up for it, and giving the Pistons ball handlers an actual offensive threat in the paint makes a huge difference. My guess is that Casey will not budge on Stewart, but unless Stewart starts making opponents guard him beyond the line that decision will become increasingly frustrating.
Duren looks better than even the most optimistic could’ve hoped for.
Corey Joseph:
Played an important role in hitting 3 shots when the Pistons were struggling out of the gate.
Kevin Knox:
1-8 from the field, 1-6 from three. So he was pretty much as advertised. Knox brings nothing to the table other than a bit of shooting and if he is going to shoot that poorly then there he won’t be on the floor when the team is healthy.
Killian Hayes:
I actually liked his offensive approach in this game, he showed aggression and made some nice passes to Duren. The problem is that he still scored just 3 points on 9 shots (1-9 from the field and 0-3 from deep). The lineups he was stuck with didn’t help him out, playing him next to CoJo/Diallo/Knox/Duren isn’t exactly excellent spacing, but the dude simply has to hit shots.
On the positive, he is an absolute terror defensively. I cannot give high enough marks here. Hayes may be the best perimeter defender to put on a Pistons uniform in more than a decade.
Hamidou Diallo:
Largely uninvolved. Had one nice drive and finish but still just 2 points on 4 shots in 14 minutes. Did manage to commit 4 fouls though. Diallo will be a trick for the Pistons. He has enough ability that they should make some effort to find him a role, but he’s such a tough piece to fit in that he may still end up an odd man out.
General:
As stated at the open. Winning a close game against this Magic team isn’t anything to write home about. Still always nice to open the season with a win and the play of Ivey and Duren is a huge positive.
Even with the win tonight, it is clear that the team needs to figure out better ways to get good looks in the half-court and how to not utterly blow defensive possessions.