Detroit — The Pistons continued their preseason work this week, with their first exhibition game, along with daily practices and a fan-friendly open practice on Saturday at Little Caesars Arena.
With only one game, it’s hard to make sweeping statements about how their season will go, but there are some clear improvements at certain positions and the Pistons will be more fun to watch, outside of the obviously addition of Cade Cunningham and some other moves in free agency.
Cunningham has been limited by a sprained ankle, so it’s hard to get a firm grasp on what the Pistons will look like when they open the regular season on Oct. 20 at home against the Chicago Bulls. The starting lineup has been shuffled, with Saben Lee and Rodney McGruder opening the preseason game. Killian Hayes returned for the open practice, back from a sprained ankle.
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The preseason games aren’t important for stats or the overall record, but of greater importance will be the how the groups play together and whether they’re ready for when the regular season opens in less than two weeks.
Here are some takeaways from the second week of training camp:
►The Pistons miss Cade Cunningham. It’s not exactly rocket science, because almost any team would miss having an additional playmaker and high-level 3-point shooter in the starting lineup. His ankle injury doesn’t appear to be serious, but the medical staff seems to be taking a cautious approach, not wanting to rush him back — especially at the start of the preseason — and jeopardize his availability for any part of the regular season. Casey said last week that the plan with the medical staff is to have Cunningham play at full strength in three or four practices before he plays in a game. With preseason games Monday, Wednesday and Friday this week, time is running short on Cunningham playing before the start of the regular season.
►Saddiq Bey could have a big season. After a strong rookie year, Bey has worked on his game significantly in the offseason to become more versatile offensively. Bey has shown in the preseason opener and in Saturday’s open practice that he’s improved his finishing at the rim through contact and he isn’t afraid to be active in the paint with bigger players or take advantage of mismatches against smaller players. One glaring difference from last year is that he’s operating more inside the arc than shooting 3-pointers, where he hit 38% last season. Bey said he isn’t sure whether he’ll change his game accordingly: “It depends on how the defense plays me; I’ve gotten comfortable doing either (3-point) or (2-point shots).”
►Josh Jackson has been surprisingly good. After joining the Pistons last season, Jackson has shown the ability to be a valuable asset on both ends of the court. His blend of size and athleticism on defense lets him guard even bigger small forwards, but his jump has been on offense, where he had 16 points in the preseason win over the Spurs on Wednesday. His decision-making was excellent, and he was efficient, going 6-of-12 from the field, with a pair of 3-pointers. With some positional competition for playing time, he’s making an impression on that group too. “He’s been a leader of (the wings) in camp,” coach Dwane Casey said Sunday. “It’s been great to see Josh make that leap in growth.”
►Frank Jackson will compete for playing time. Josh Jackson and Hamidou Diallo are bigger wings, but Frank Jackson returned from an ankle injury and played well at the open practice. He had a few 3-pointers and showed some surprising speed and athleticism to get to the basket and create opportunities for himself and his teammates. The depth of both Jacksons, Diallo and Cunningham will allow the Pistons to play different styles — and as they’ve shown already, the depth helps soften the blow of injuries.
►Kelly Olynyk will be fun to watch. He’s a different type of player than last year’s starter, Mason Plumlee, and with his 3-point ability, he’s shown that he can make defenses extend to guard him. More than that, Olynyk can drive to the rim and make plays for others, which will be huge with the versatility that the Pistons’ wings have shown. The possible issue is that it takes their tallest player away from the rim, so the rebounding will have to be spread around to the other positions. In the preseason opener, that was a clear issue, as the Pistons were outrebounded, 57-41, by the Spurs.
Pistons at Grizzlies
PRESEASON
►Tipoff: 8 Monday, FedExForum, Memphis, Tenn.
►TV/radio: BSD/97.1
►Outlook: The Pistons (1-0) again will be without Cade Cunningham (sprained ankle), but they will have Killian Hayes and Frank Jackson available for their first preseason road trip.
— Rod Beard