The Detroit Pistons are two games into their preseason, with a young starting core, and there are still some things to fine-tune before their Oct. 20 regular-season opener.
One player looking to figure things out quickly is second-year guard Killian Hayes.
The young point guard received plenty of praise from his teammates and head coach Dwane Casey throughout training camp for his improved approach to the game. They frequently lauded his aggressiveness and improved pace, but fans had to wait before they got the chance to see him.
He made his preseason debut on Monday after an ankle injury delayed his return to the court from the offseason. But Hayes, like many of his teammates, still has a few things to figure out following the 127-92 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies.
Within the first two minutes of the game, Hayes got into foul trouble while guarding point guard Ja Morant. First, he was called for making contact with Morant, who was moving toward a screen set by Steven Adams. He then got called for his second foul after trailing Morant on a screen. Morant, the 2019 Rookie of the Year, put up a jump shot as Hayes made contact.
Haye’s second foul, along with two fouls from Isaiah Stewart, forced the Pistons to turn to their bench early. As a result, it delayed Hayes’ ability to settle into a rhythm.
“The fouls, you go against one of the quickest guys in the league,” Casey said. “That was the evidence. But again, you got to cut him some slack. He’s been out. Just the conditioning factor. Can’t just miss that many days in a row and then bounce back in and be game-ready. That’s the good thing about having a couple more exhibition games, give him an opportunity to get out and compete and get some reps under his belt.”
Despite the early foul trouble, Hayes showed he could find his feel for the game, finishing with six points, two rebounds, two assists and two steals. He had just two turnovers, which was something he struggled with last season.
Hayes showed that with time to find his feet he can play aggressively. He showed little fear in taking shots or getting to the rim. In the fourth quarter, he used a screen set by Luka Garza to drive into the paint and finished with a floating layup through contact and drew the foul. He then made the free throw to complete the three-point play.
The second-year guard has found sparks time and time again, but his next step is to light a consistent flame. He’ll need to do so soon, especially with the anticipated return of Cade Cunningham in the coming weeks.
“He was aggressive, which was good,” Cory Joseph said. “We’ll see if he continues to be aggressive and not let his confidence waver. We’re all behind him, and then just continuing to grow and keep continuing to get better. As long as his confidence doesn’t waver, that’s all we can ask from him. I think he’s a great player. He’s had some tough breaks in his career. It’s only his second year with injuries and whatnot, so still getting a feel for it.”
Pistons out of sorts against Grizzlies
Hayes wasn’t the only player to have a hard time settling down Monday. The team couldn’t get into a rhythm long enough to string together a run to keep pace with Memphis’ fast-paced offense.
Detroit ended the first half with 13 turnovers, which the Grizzlies turned into 15 points. By the end of the game, the Pistons added 10 more, which Memphis turned into 12 more points.
The Grizzlies’ defense was relentless, trapping the Pistons in the corner several times and forcing them to leave their feet. On top of that, the Pistons were slow to get back into transition allowing 28 fast break points.
“Well, we’ve talked about turnovers and taking care of the ball,” Casey said. “That was our biggest thing, and it was everybody. It wasn’t just one person. It was the entire team. When we take care of the ball, good things happen. We’ve been really talking about that, so that was disappointing.”
Then there was rebounding. Like Detroit’s first preseason game, the team had trouble on the boards. The Grizzlies outrebounded the Pistons 54-37 and secured 21 second-chance points off of 13 offensive rebounds.
“Then the rebounding, they just beat us to a lot of 50-50 balls,” Casey said. “We were just standing in the mud. So, again, we’ve got to stand for a fight, hustle, grit, and we did not exemplify (that). "
Pistons miss Bey’s presence
Detroit has yet another injury after second-year forward Saddiq Bey exited the game after playing 14 minutes. He didn’t play in the second half after rolling his left ankle.
He joins Cunningham, Hayes and Frank Jackson, who have all missed time due to ankle injuries. While Hayes and Jackson have made their returns, Cunningham has yet to make his debut.
So, another injury comes as a blow as the Pistons continue to build chemistry and camaraderie among their ranks.
Casey has looked to keep the team’s more experienced second unit intact but Bey’s absence could force the team to bump one their other wings into the starting unit.
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