Game Recap/Notes: Game #16. Pistons 91 - Clippers 96. (3-13)
Programming note: Due to the super late games on back-to-back nights. The preview for tonight’s game will go up this evening. Since the game doesn’t start till 10:30 again there should still be plenty of time to read it.
Not a shocker that two of the NBA’s worst offenses would combine to play an absolute slog of a game, but man that was a slog of the game. In the end it played out a bit like the way someone who doesn’t like the NBA says all NBA games go. The Pistons had leads at points, stuck in the game, but at the end the Clippers turned it up a notch for a few possessions to put it out of reach. There is some irony to the Pistons having their best statistical defensive outing of the season in the game that Isaiah Stewart is hurt, and while I think many fans over rate Stew’s defensive impact, its a pretty concrete example of why sample-size matters.
Killian Hayes:
On the offensive end, the belief O’ meter took a hit. Hayes went just 1-8 from the field with just 5 points and 1 assist in 28 minutes of play. Getting to the line a couple of times (and going 3-4) is nice, but not exactly a banner night on the offensive end. The good news is that he was monstrous defensively, 3 steals and 2 blocks do not give full justice to the lockdown defense he played. To be clear, in today’s NBA 5 points and 1 assist are not going to cut it from your starting point guard, but the defensive prowess is at such a high level that it’s worth continuing to give him this shot.
Jaden Ivey:
Simultaneously a tough game but also another really positive game for Ivey. Tough because he went just 8-21 from the field to finish with 18 points and had 4 turnovers against his 5 assists. Just not an efficient night for Ivey. The reason it is still positive is that he, once again, seemed to recognize that it was on him in the game’s tough moments and he went for it. There were several possessions where he made plays that no one else on this roster could even dream of making, he tried to push in transition when he could, and the process was generally good. When a team is as limited as the Pistons AND it is generally a tough night for the team from deep (the Pistons shot just 6-31 from deep!) then you need your best players to try and force the issue, sometimes it doesn’t go great, but it still needs to happen.
Saddiq Bey:
Struggled to find his rhythm or get involved in the game. Finished with 11 points on 11 shots, 2-8 from deep, 8 rebounds is nice. Just an off game for Saddiq.
Bojan Bogdanovic:
Stepped up in a big way and was really the only PIstons player that had a genuinely positive offensive night. 26 points on 10-18 shooting form the field (2-4 from deep) and getting to the line for 4-5. If he hadn’t been on target tonight the Pistons likely don’t even sniff this game, and it’s also worth mentioning that he did a fairly respectable defensive job (as did Saddiq) as none of the Clipper wing players had great nights.
Marvin Bagley:
Straight booty. 4 points on 1-5 shooting, 8 boards, 2 turnovers, 3 fouls in 23 minutes. Duren ended up playing more minutes and with the way Bagley plays defense, I wouldn’t be shocked if that becomes a trend pretty quickly. On most nights Bagley is better offensively than this, but we all know Casey wants to play guys who defend.
Just a night to forget for Bagley.
Isaiah Livers:
5 points on 5 shots. Had a sick end-of-shotclock fadeaway that barely even touched the net. Played solid defense, other than the fact that both his buckets (and a free throw) came from inside the line this game was pretty much par for the course from Livers.
Kevin Knox:
Played 9 minutes for reasons that are not totally clear. Hit a three to go 1-4 from the field with 3 points. I genuinely would rather just play Braxton Key or even McGruder.
Jalen Duren:
Was the team’s best big man tonight. Played 25 minutes to put up 8 points and 9 rebounds. A short stretch where the Clippers went small was especially encouraging as the Duren overpowered them. The Clippers played Zubac 40 minutes largely because Duren overwhelmed them when he was out of the game. Suggestions that he probably should’ve played more are warranted.
Alec Burks:
6 points on 6 shots although he was just 1-6 from the field, going 4-4 from the line saved him a real tough night.
Hamidou Diallo:
5 points on 4 shots in 16 minutes. Continues to bring energy and athleticism to the bench mob which is a nice feature. It’d be nice if he didn’t clang corner threes off the side of the backboard though.
General:
Tough game but they are back at it again tonight.