LAS VEGAS — Killian Hayes’ reputation at the start of his rookie season was that he was a developing floor general with upside as a shot creator. He was a skilled pick-and-roll operator with soft touch on his floater and an occasional ability to drain stepback 3-pointers.
Through 26 regular season and two Summer League games, his best NBA skill is evident without the ball.
Hayes has stood out as a skilled perimeter defender for the Detroit Pistons, and it’s been the most consistent part of his toolkit as he continues to figure things out on offense. Head coach Dwane Casey praised his defensive effort often last season, and it’s been the strongest part of his game during summer league as well.
Tuesday’s 111-91 loss to the Houston Rockets was a good showcase for Hayes’ potential as a lockdown defender. He can be a pest, and knows how to use his quick hands and 6-foot-5 frame to hound opposing players.
A possession in the second quarter highlighted his skill on defense. He was matched against Jalen Green, arguably the best scorer of the 2021 NBA draft class. Green is an elite athlete who can blow by many defenders with his first step, floats in the air when he jumps and is a good ballhandler as well. He was unable to get past Hayes, who anticipated Green’s moves and eventually forced him to kick the ball back out behind the perimeter.
Hayes’ offense is a work-in-progress, but his defensive effort has been noticed by the rest of the team.
“I was telling him, I don’t see too many guards coming out of their rookie year that are better than you as far as getting through screens and just staying attached to your man,” Cade Cunningham said of Hayes. “I see his confidence on that side of the ball. I know that’s going to affect his whole overall game. I was happy with how he took the charge to want to lead and defend and take that challenge on. It’s just something that he’s going to build off of. Killian is young too. We’re all young. To see him already taking that charge, I know that’s something we’re going to need down the road.”
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Together, Hayes and Cunningham could give the Pistons a strong defensive backcourt. They’ve both been disruptive on that end of the floor in summer league. Cunningham is listed at 6-6, and has a 7-foot wingspan. He plays with a lot of effort and has been able to use his length to force turnovers and block shots.
It raises the floor for them as a duo, even as they continue to find ways to gel on offense. Hayes is 0-for-6 from the 3-point line during the summer so far, and has handled a larger share of the playmaking responsibilities when the two share the floor together.
Cunningham has been Detroit’s most impactful all-around player, but sharing the floor with either Hayes or Saben Lee at has forced the rookie to play off of the ball more than he did at Oklahoma State. He only took two shots in the fourth quarter against the Rockets, a significant change from his role as a closer in college.
The Pistons would certainly prefer that they go through their growing pains in Summer League than during the regular season. Hayes’ defense has been one of the big positives from this week, and his defense has helped to make his pairing with Cunningham a formidable one at times.
“I think Killian can really hang his hat on his defense,” said assistant coach JD DuBois, who is coaching the Pistons in Las Vegas. “I’m not sure what everybody thought of his defense coming out, but I really feel with his size, his anticipation of his hands, his defense can be a really big strength for him and our team moving forward.”
Contact Omari Sankofa II at osankofa@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @omarisankofa. The Free Press has started a new digital subscription model. Here’s how you can gain access to our most exclusive Pistons content. Read more on the Detroit Pistons and sign up for our Pistons newsletter.