Game Recap/Notes: Game #15. Pistons 111 - Raptors 115. (3-12)

Tough to lose a close game but we saw some good things. The Raptors are heavily injured but so are the Pistons. I will also say that while I am generally against doing all sorts of goofy jerseys, alternates with a clear connection that actually makes sense is pretty good. Like a few years ago they had black jerseys and said it was because the Oakland Raiders and the bad-boys were sort of similar and like, that’s just dumb as hell. Jerseys made for St Cecilia, and an actual Detroit hoops icon: is good.

Box Score.

Killian Hayes:

Got the start although he only played 24 minutes but generally picked up where he left off. He didn’t get a ton of shots up tonight but 6 points on 6 shots with a pair of assists and suffocating defense count as a positive for Killian. The thing I like the most is that he seems to be leaning into a comfort zone and actively trying the make the game easier for himself. He’s not trying to hit step-back threes, he isn’t trying to finish inside with big men he can’t out-jump. He’s getting into the midrange and hitting jumpers, passing, and terrorizing defensively. This version of Killian is still a far cry from what we had hoped for when he was drafted, but its a version that we can at least work with.

Jaden Ivey:

Fun game from Ivey. He got off to a slow start, largely courtesy of the bog starting lineup, but later in the game Casey just tossed out Ivey with shooters and told him to go get it. The results were a bit mixed, 21 points on 21 equivalents with 8 assists against 4 turnovers and fouling out of the game eventually. But I liked that he was really given the keys and players were put around him that gave him a real shot. Being asked to carry the offense like he was against a tough defensive team and coming out with even a decent performance is impressive for Ivey. As much as anything, a knock on him at Purdue that has been somewhat continued in his young NBA career is that he often doesn’t force things or take over games, but he absolutely went for it tonight. Combine this with the last time out against Boston, and Ivey seems more than comfortable and happy to take on a more central role in the offense with Cade out, the trick will be to get more play like this when Cade returns.

Bojan Bogdanovic:

Bit of a struggle for Bojan. 5-12 from the field and 2-8 from deep is something you can live with, but went just 6-10 from the line which was a killer. He also had 5 turnovers to cancel out his 5 assists and the 18 points. The Pistons need him to provide something and he wasn’t awful, but still a bit disappointing.

Isaiah Stewart:

Started next to Bagley. This is a terrible idea but I guess whatever the Pistons are tanking so you get to try stuff. Unfortunately the experiment was cut short as Stewart took a knock to his ankle and left after just 13 minutes of play. Hopefully he gets healthy quickly.

Marvin Bagley:

Same guy as ever. 16 points on 12 shot equivalents with some impressive interior finishes, 5 rebounds. Did not have an assist was awful defensively. The Pistons have a real problem with the fact that Stewart is so bad defensively that its a huge drag and Bagley is so bad defensively that he’s a huge drag. Provided Stewart isn’t out for long, I will say that I wouldn’t mind if we got to see Bagley as the starting center for a couple of weeks just to see what Ivey and/or Cade can do with a fully optimized offensive lineup. But Bagley clearly did not see defensive jesus while injured so what his long-term status remains questionable. Still good to see him out there and playing effectively.

Isaiah Livers:

Played 23 minutes and important ones down the stretch. Only went 1-5 from the field but got to the line a few times to get to 7 points.

Saddiq Bey:

Came off the bench but ended up playing 31 minutes. Struggled to find a meaningful groove and finished with just 9 points on 11 shot equivalents.

Jalen Duren:

Made minimal impact. 2 points and 6 boards in 19 minutes.

Alec Burks:

Another instant offense game off the bench. 15 points on 17 minutes, hit tough shots, and generally did exactly what he was brought in for. The boost he brings to the bench is obvious and he also seems like the most likely guy that the Pistons can flip in a trade for any sort of value.

Hamidou Diallo:

8 points on 5 shot equivalents in 17 minutes. Did well.

General:

I am baffled that the Pistons actually tried the Stew/Bagley combination. Replacing Saddiq with Bagley makes your defense MUCH worse, and the decrease in shooting/playmaking is a drag on the offense. Other than “we need to justify the money we gave Bagley but also don’t want to give up on Stewart because we like his effort” there isn’t any good reason. It does not make the team better now and it also makes life harder for the development of your young guards. This will be all the complaining I’ll do about it for now. Hopefully Stewart isn’t out long and we can just watch and see how it goes, maybe I’m wrong.

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