The Detroit Pistons suffered their first preseason lost, a 117-111 defeat at the hands of the Milwaukee Bucks. The Pistons led by 10 points at halftime, but played mostly bench players in the third and all bench players in the fourth. That is in addition to being down several players who sat out the game for mostly precautionary reasons.
The Pistons were without starters Tobias Harris, Jalen Duren, and Jaden Ivey, and also sat new free agent acquisition Caris LeVert.
That lack of firepower didn’t slow
down Cade Cunningham, who led all scorers with 26 points. He did it in just 18 minutes of action.
The Bucks were led by AJ Green with 22 points. Since the outcome doesn’t really matter, and the Pistons were barely playing competitive basketball in the second half, I thought I would again list five quick observations about the game.
1. Cade Cunningham is that dude again
Cunningham was again clearly the best player on the floor on Thursday night (note: Giannis didn’t play). His three-ball looked good, he was able to get to the rim, and he had his mid-range and step-backs working wonders against Milwaukee defenders. He scored 26 points and added six assists, six rebounds and two steals. He also got to the line eight times. Not bad for 18 minutes of work. Cade has historically started a bit slow, and to see him so poised, locked in, and playing at such a high level has me excited for the season to begin.
2. The Pistons really want Ausar to handle the ball
Ausar Thompson had a mostly unspectatular night by his standards, but that doesn’t mean his game didn’t stand out. He scored 11 points in 20 minutes, and played solid defense, but didn’t have any highlight-reel plays. No, what made him stand out was his offensive responsibility. He brought the ball up the floor nearly every possession that saw Thompson on the floor. With Cade or without.
However, Thompson didn’t really do much with the ball. He tallied a meager one assist and was just 3-of-7 from the floor and missed five of his 10 free throws.
It felt like the game plan going in was to put the ball in Ausar’s hands and let him experience and navigate the most pressure he’s probably ever faced. It felt the team was more interested in seeing Thompson navigate close defenses starting in the backcourt and driving into the teeth of the defense and getting his shot off. He did all that in space, but there was no signal he was even close to being a true facilitator, navigating the terrain and options and putting his teammates in good spots to succed. This was more about throwing the kitchen sink at Ausar and seeing if he could survive.
3. Chazz Lanier’s shot looks for real
Chazz Lanier didn’t experience the best results against the Bucks, shooting just 2-of-7 from deep. But it wasn’t for lack of finding open spots on the floor and getting good shots off at the perimeter. No, the shots didn’t go down tonight, but they were constantly quality looks, and Lanier’s shooting form looks like it will translate to the NBA.
4. Bobi Klintman’s bulked up
The second-round draft pick of the Detroit Pistons a few years ago was stuck in the classic tweener zone. Frontcourt height but with a slight backcourt frame. Klintman had always flashed a little ability and more than enough smarts to succeed on the basketball court. However, he never had the strength. He was a too-slow small forward at best. Now, he has grown more into his body and added enough strength that he can clearly command some minutes as a power forward.
That’s good, too, because it is probably still Detroit’s weakest position. If Dannis Jenkins was the biggest unsung hero of Game 1, then clearly Lanier was the hero of game 2. He scored nine quick points in the first half with a quick, smooth perimeter stroke and the wherewithal and the strength and speed to crash the boards and put back a miss. I don’t think Klintman will get regular rotation minutes, but if the Pistons suffered some attrition through injury, it’s nice to have a player like Klintman.
5. The Pistons are going to have a really good defense
It’s preseason so of course we can put the compettion factor to the side for e minute and simply react to what we are seeing from Detroit’s defense. I for one am thrilled by what I’m seeing. It’s not so much their ability to stymie the Bucks tonight. It was more about the switching and communication I am seeing whenver the Bucks have the ball. After a rought start, the Pistons also had a really solid defensive showing for the past six or seven quarters.
The Pistons communicate effectively, can navigate a switch or a screen with ease, rally to loose balls and rebounds, and are in perfect harmony as bodies are flying everywhere. That should be no surprise for a JB Bickerstaff-coached team. It’s been a long time since the Pistons had a truly great defense, and maybe they can finally make it happen this season.
