Shawn Windsor | Detroit Free Press
It’s early. Too early to determine much, no matter how often you watch Tyrese Haliburton jump passing lanes or throw no-look passes or knock down 3-pointers in crunch time.
Yes, it’s easy to imagine what the Sacramento Kings’ rookie point guard might look like in a Pistons’ uniform. And, yes, Haliburton already is making several teams regret not taking him; he was selected 12th overall, five picks after the Pistons took point guard Killian Hayes.
But, again, it’s early, and while the PTSD is palpable among part of the team’s fan base — Stanley Johnson instead of Devin Booker, Luke Kennard instead of Donovan Mitchell — lumping Hayes over Haliburton into those misses won’t do you any good.
So don’t fret.
Not yet.
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Besides, the decision might turn out just fine.
So, consider instead, that the NBA season is halfway done — the games restart Wednesday. And consider that the Pistons are ahead of schedule.
They are losing, yet developing their young players. They remain in the mix for a high pick in what looks like a stellar draft class. They compete, play hard and show a certain kind of spirit.
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And they just bought out Blake Griffin, who reportedly gave back about $13 million of the remaining $56 million on his contract. Griffin will reportedly join Kevin Durant, James Harden, Kyrie Irving and the Brooklyn Nets.
The extra cap space gives general manager Troy Weaver even more flexibility as he remakes the franchise.
Only two players remain on the roster from the former regime: Sekou Doumbouya and Svi Mykhailiuk. Both are on cheap, rookie contracts. If neither figure into Weaver’s plans after next year, he can move in a different direction rather painlessly; Mykhailiuk is a restricted free agent this summer and Doumbouya is only guaranteed one more year on this contract.
Everyone else is new. That it’s happened so quickly is stunning. Weaver, after all, wasn’t hired until last June.
You could argue he deserves executive of the year consideration for the reboot. Or at least for resetting the course and giving the franchise a chance to actually build.
Now, he will need some luck. Everyone does. As deep as this year’s draft may be, there are only a few No. 1 options each year, if any. Besides, it’s still a guess. Last year’s draft was supposed to be weak, and already it looks like it may produce a few stars, or even superstars.
And yet … it’s still too soon.
Hayes has played seven games. He averaged 21 minutes. He took a little over six shots a game.
It’s not a sample. It’s a glimpse.
Enough to see that he can defend, see the floor, change pace and direction and bend the defense.
Enough to see that his shot needs work, as well as his shot selection, and his confidence, and his sense of belonging.
Unfortunately, we haven’t seen any of that in more than two months. Meanwhile, Haliburton plays like a veteran, smooth and sure-footed, a master of off-the-ball defense, unafraid of anything.
He is a pleasure to watch. In part because he’s been overlooked because of the low-release on his jumper, his thin frame, his lack of top-shelf athleticism, and it’s enjoyable to watch players find ways to make a difference despite their scouting report.
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Hayes will get his chance, too.
And while he may not ever shoot it the way Haliburton does, his ceiling is still just as high, and that ceiling is a better fit for the Pistons, who needed a point guard.
If Hayes develops, and fellow rookies Saddiq Bey and Isaiah Stewart keep developing, we’ll remember this draft class, and Weaver’s maneuvering, for a long, long time. We’ll remember how quickly he changed the roster. How he mixed free agents with rookies. How much fun it has been to watch them, despite their 10-26 record.
So consider this on Thursday, when the second half of the season begins, and the Pistons play at Charlotte, and they keep building their competitive spirit.
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Remember that the losing helps the odds for the draft in a few months, and that there are players in it that could transform a franchise. And that all of this has happened so fast.
But remember, too, that some things still take time.
Contact Shawn Windsor: 313-222-6487 or swindsor@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @shawnwindsor.