Game Recap/Notes: Game #8. Pistons 98 - Sixers 109. (1-7)
The Pistons competed with the Sixers most of the night.
The Pistons finally busted out of their shooting woes from deep and found some offensive potency, and while they did manage to stick close for much of the game, their execution failed them down the stretch.
Cade Cunningham:
The long-ball is still not there. Despite, ironically, hitting his first three with a end of shot clock heave from nearly the logo, he went just 1-7 from deep and 4-17 from deep. However he did manage to get to the line a bunch, shooting 9-10 from the line for a final line of 18 points on 22 shot equivalents, which isn’t good but is a step up from his first couple of outings. He also had 10 rebounds for his first double-double as well as 4 assists (and should’ve had more) for a game that was very nice to see.
Most noticeably, he had several takes where he penetrated the paint and caused issues for the defense. One possession in particular, he straight up froze Matisse Thybulle (an excellent defender) and drove to the paint and finished over Joel Embiid. Those are the sorts of plays that, even if some of the numbers look a bit ugly, we are looking for from Cade. The type of plays that other dudes don’t just show up and accomplish.
In addition, he was much better on defense tonight after looking totally lost last time out. Overall, after looking slow and out of place previously, he suddenly looked like a young stud who just wasn’t getting his deep shot to fall. Highly encouraging game.
Killian Hayes:
The Belief-O-Meter continues to tick upwards. 10 points on 8 shots (2-3 from deep), 4 rebounds, 2 assists, and being a general terror on defense. Hayes has started to show real confidence not just in his own game but where he belongs on the floor. He isn’t hunting step-back threes, or aimlessly dribbling on the perimeter while defenders sag off of him. When defenders sag too far off he calmly takes a three or tries to force the issue by trying to speed by them. He’s still got to show he can get all the way to the cup, almost all of his drives still end in floaters, but he’s getting by that first guy with some consistency now which is huge.
Also worth mentioning that at the open of the game when the Pistons had their best stretch of the season, we saw the power of Cade and Killian on the floor together. Having two huge ball-handlers who are high-level passers/playmakers is an awesome thing to have and it will only grow as time goes on.
Saddiq Bey:
I’m not sure what to say. Bey, who made hey as a rookie by being the most trigger happy player to put on a Pistons uniform in recent memory, looks almost timid and unsure of his place. Almost as though the arrival of Cunningham and with Hayes finding himself, Saddiq is not sure how to operate. Shot just 1-5 from deep, 7 points on 9 shots. He did have 4 assists at least. I know I didn’t do my normal season previews, but a big thing to watch for was that someone was going to be the odd-man out of the Pistons’ top 4 guys (Killian, Cade, Grant, Bey). Both Killian and Cade see themselves as high-level ball-handlers who the offense runs through, but Saddiq and Grant were the guys who had that last season. You can distribute large numbers of possessions between three guys, but not four. I don’t know that Saddiq will stay the odd-man-out, especially if he can keep on some of the shot creation he’s shown early on, but he definitely has to figure out how to exist in a space where he isn’t handling the ball at all.
Also, not time to panic, too early for that, but it’s time to officially be a bit worried about Bey’s long ball. He shot a ton last season but one season does not a complete sample size make, in addition, the 38% from deep stands out on the stat sheet but last season the league as a whole shot over 37% from deep. He obviously won’t shoot 26% all season, but he could well fall into being just a solid shooter as opposed to elite and that will make a big difference for his overall outlook.
Jerami Grant:
Busted out of the slump. 27 points on 23 equivalents, was red-hot out of the gate, slowed down in the second half and had a couple of brutal possessions late, but was still very good on the whole. He could definitely stand to get a little less ball-dominant and ball-stopping in crunch time. Still great to see him get on track, him getting rolling makes the team imminently more watchable and will help keep some pressure off of Cade.
Isaiah Stewart:
6 points and 7 rebounds, had an awesome play where he dusted Embiid on his way to a dunk. Embiid didn’t have a good game the other way, although I have to be honest I’m not sure how much Stew had to do with that. Embiid seemed out of it the whole night (the Sixers are on the second half of a back to back and 3rd game in 4 nights) and was clearly in his own head about the lack of calls for him. Still, Stew has to get at least some credit for doing enough to make sure Embiid stayed in a funk most of the night, even if Embiid started to drain jumpers over him later in the game.
Kelly Olynyk:
11 points on 10 shots. I feel like people just kinda know what Olynyk is. He hit some shots which was nice, was terrible on defense.
Trey Lyles:
Previously the hottest Piston, 0-4 tonight with his only two points coming at the line. Didn’t make an impact on the game.
Cory Joseph:
Hot doo doo.
Frank Jackson:
Finally got some shots to fall and boy did he need that. 8 points on 6 shots, 2-4 from deep. I’m not totally sure what he is long-term, but great to see him get something going tonight, if he can fully find his shot back it would help the team greatly.
Josh Jackson:
7 points on 4 shots. Did the whole Josh Jackson thing of missing some easy shots but also hit an insane one.
General:
Tough to finally find some shooting and still fail to break 100 points and lose by double-digits. But Cade looked much better and Killian continues to find his footing which is actually what matters.
What do you think? How do you feel about Cade’s game?
Programming note: With it being a back-to-back I can’t guarantee there will be a preview of tomorrow’s game, also have some stuff I may be doing with wife tomorrow night so recap may be delayed. We will see though.