Category: Detroit Pistons Blog

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Pistons rookie Killian Hayes will miss extended time with hip injury

Evaluation on Detroit Pistons rookie guard Killian Hayes’ right hip injury led by Head Team Physician Dr. Bill Motzouros in consultation with Dr. Bryan Kelly in New York and Dr. James Roseneck in Cleveland indicates the origin as a subluxation that will be treated with rest and rehabilitation.

Hayes will be re-evaluated in eight weeks and further updates will be provided as appropriate.

According to the Detroit Free Press, “Hayes, the Pistons’ seventh overall draft pick last fall, suffered the injury Jan. 4, during a road game against the Milwaukee Bucks. He fell to the ground while trying to make a defensive play in transition and immediately was in pain, grabbing at his hip.”

Pistons rookie Saddiq Bey worth keeping an eye on

Pistons rookie Saddiq Bey is worth keeping an eye on. Via the Detroit News:

In the final minutes of Friday’s surprising win over the Phoenix Suns, the Pistons went with a different look to the lineup. Instead of one of their regular lineups, they used rookie Saddiq Bey as the shooting guard, to go along with the starting frontcourt.

Bey isn’t quite a typical shooting guard but when it came down to crunch time, coach Dwane Casey went with the players he trusted.

“I was just looking for hard-playing guys who have attention to detail in the zone and Saddiq was one of them,” Casey said…

In his last eight games, which includes three starts, Bey is posting 11.9 points, 5 rebounds and is shooting 46% on 3-pointers, with 6.3 attempts per game. More impressively, he’s scratching out significant playing time, with 25.5 minutes, playing primarily with the second group, but then getting a look to finish games.

The Pistons are just 2-8 so far this season, and being led in scoring by Jerami Grant at 25.1 points per game, Derrick Rose and Blake Griffin each at 13.9 PPG, Josh Jackson at 12.5 PPG, and Bey at 10.6 PPG.

Pistons forward Sekou Doumbouya receiving limited minutes so far this season

There have been limited minutes available so far this season for young Pistons forward Sekou Doumbouya. Via the Detroit News:

In the early part of the season, much of the attention has been focused on the Pistons’ three first-round picks and their development.

What might be getting lost in the shuffle is how their other two young players are doing. Sekou Doumbouya is one of the biggest question marks, playing 13 minutes in the opener and less than 10 minutes in the next three games.

On one hand, Doumbouya’s versatility is a benefit, in that he can play either of the forward positions — and in a pinch, can slide over to center.

The Pistons are deepest at forward, which makes it hard to find minutes for Doumbouya. It’s also where two of their best players, Blake Griffin and Jerami Grant, occupy the starting spots.

The three leading scorers on the Pistons through four games are forwards: Grant at 22.8 points per game, Josh Jackson at 17.3 PPG, and Griffini at 16.3 PPG.

Pistons rookie Killian Hayes off to quiet start

Never judge rookies based on the first few weeks of their NBA career. Or even the first few months, usually. That said, here’s the Detroit Free Press on Pistons lottery pick Killian Hayes:

Through four games, Hayes is averaging 5.0 points and 3.5 assists. He has more assists (14) and turnovers (10) and is already a reliable defender.

But he’s shooting just 27.6% so far. NBA defenders are longer and more athletic than the opponents he faced in Germany and France, and he’s still adjusting. To compensate, many of his shot attempts have come from the short midrange area, and he has made just one trip to the free-throw line through four games…

There have already been positive strides forward. He had seven points (3 of 6 from the floor), seven assists and just one turnover in the second half of Monday’s loss to the Atlanta Hawks and helped the Pistons cut a 24-point deficit to five in the fourth quarter. It was his best stretch of basketball yet in his young NBA career.

The Pistons are 0-4 so far this season. They face the Celtics tomorrow.

Pistons sign guard Frank Jackson to two-way contract

The Detroit Pistons have signed guard Frank Jackson to a two-way contract.

Jackson, 6-3, 205, has appeared in 120 career NBA games (18 starts), with the New Orleans Pelicans and averaged 7.2 points, 1.8 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 16.4 minutes per game. He’s appeared in four G League games with the Texas Legends and averaged 26.8 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.8 assists.

Jackson was drafted 31st overall in the 2017 NBA Draft by the Charlotte Hornets and his draft rights were traded to New Orleans. Collegiately, he played one season at Duke in 2016-17 and averaged 10.9 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game.

Rapper Big Sean named Creative Director of Innovation for Detroit Pistons

The Detroit Pistons today announced that rap star and Detroit-native Big Sean will become the organization’s Creative Director of Innovation.

In this role, Big Sean will provide creative counsel and strategic guidance on a variety of Pistons off-the-court initiatives, including team merchandise design, in-game experience, co-branded community, and social responsibility activation, and more.

To kick off the partnership, Big Sean has added his Don Life logo to the Pistons practice jersey.

“Sean is an accomplished artist, philanthropist and entrepreneur. Having spent time with him and his family I know how deeply he cares about the city of Detroit,” said Pistons Owner Tom Gores. “We share a common desire to use the power of sports and entertainment to improve our community and make a positive impact on people’s lives. I’m excited to see what we can do working together.”

“It’s a dream come true and a real honor to get to work with the iconic Detroit Pistons,” said Big Sean. “I grew up in the city, which naturally made me a fan of the Bad Boys. I would later have a Grant Hill poster on my wall and then, against all odds, would watch the ’04 Pistons go on to win the Championship, inspiring the whole city of Detroit. I look forward to creatively finding new ways to contribute to their legacy and continue their dedication to the community through sports, art, and, of course, music.”

Central to the partnership, the Pistons and the Sean Anderson Foundation will work together and engage Detroiters through future community initiatives and programming.

The six-time Grammy nominee will also curate music for Pistons in-game entertainment, including halftime performances and DJ playlists.

Additionally, Big Sean will participate in creative sessions and spearhead collaborations with the Pistons design team to launch custom merchandise line extensions.

Pistons exercise contract option on Sekou Doumbouya

The Detroit Pistons have exercised its third-year team option on the contract of forward Sekou Doumbouya through the 2021-22 NBA season.

Doumbouya, 6-9 230, was selected 15th overall by the Pistons in the 2019 NBA Draft. In 38 career games (19 starts), he’s averaged 6.4 points and 3.1 rebounds in 19.8 minutes per game. In his 19 starts last season, he averaged 9.3 points and 4.3 rebounds in 25.0 minutes per game.

Pistons waive Dzanan Musa

The Detroit Pistons have waived forward Dzanan Musa.

The Pistons acquired Musa on November 19, 2020 from the Brooklyn Nets. He played in one preseason game and tallied one rebound and one assist in 12 minutes of play.

NBA preseason ended yesterday. Teams around the league are trimming their rosters down through Monday, in time for the start of the regular season on Tuesday.

Pistons waive LiAngelo Ball, Louis King and Anthony Lamb

The Detroit Pistons have waived guard LiAngelo Ball and forwards Louis King and Anthony Lamb.

King played on a two-way contract with the Pistons last season while Lamb and Ball were signed on December 3, 2020.

Ball, King and Lamb did not play in the first Pistons preseason game on Friday, but King and Lamb did get a few minute of action on Sunday.

Per the Detroit News, “King’s departure is somewhat surprising because he was one of the Pistons’ two-way contracts last season. A 6-foot-7 forward, King played in 10 games last season and averaged 2 points, 1 rebound and shot 36% on 3-pointers.”

Ball’s two brothers, Lonzo and LaMelo, are both in the NBA. But LiAngelo has been considered a longshot to make the league.

On the Detroit Pistons preseason opening night scene

The Pistons went above and beyond in their quest to make their first home preseason game feel as regular as possible in the wake of coronavirus-related restrictions. The team hosted the Knicks Friday on NBA preseason opening night, and will host them again today. Here’s the Detroit Free Press on what the preseason opening night scene was like in Detroit:

After walking into an NBA arena for the first time in nine months Friday, the most surprising aspect wasn’t the new COVID-19 protocols for team personnel and media, or the absence of fans in the arena — those were anticipated changes the rest of the sports world has already embraced.

What stood out was the loudness, and pervasiveness, of the music. The Detroit Pistons tipped off their preseason slate Friday, and it was their first live basketball game since their 2019-20 season ended March 11. Throughout the entire game and in the time leading up to it, Little Caesars Arena played the usual mix of top-40 rap hits and stadium classics.

I, like much of the rest of the world, have been working from home and avoiding loud, public environments since mid-March. I’m not sure I had heard or even thought of “Yeah!” by Usher during the nine months leading into the game. But hearing it while the Pistons played the New York Knicks made me realize how much I missed those environments.

It was one of multiple steps the Pistons took to create something resembling a normal game day environment. John Mason, their long-tenured public address announcer, did his usual pregame introduction routine. Cheerleaders still danced in the stands. Fake crowd noise reacted after every made and missed shot. Eventually, it all melded into something resembling a basketball game in a normal year.