The Detroit Pistons dropped their 18th straight decision Wednesday night in what has become an all-too-familiar 4th quarter collapse.
Up two going into the fourth, the young and struggling Pistons squad looked to snap an ugly run. So far, the run’s been heavily mired by turnovers, cold shooting, and confusing rotations. Unfortunately, those issues continued to plague this team as they watched the game slip through their fingers as the 4th quarter progressed.
Allowing 52% from the field while committing 16 turnovers (somehow below their second-worst in the league 17.1 turnovers per game), Detroit couldn’t find the execution necessary to close out what looked to be a close game. Grizzlies guard Desmond Bane‘s 49 point offensive masterclass proved to be too much. He nearly equaling the 55 point collective output of Bojan Bogdanovic, Jalen Duren, and Cade Cunningham.
Bogdanovic shows his worth in return
And while Bane dwarfed Detroit’s best players, it doesn’t take away from what has been a strong start for Bojan Bogdanovic since his injury-delayed debut. Bogdanovic has displayed his shooting prowess from the outset. He went 8-15 last night, including a 4-8 performance from the three point line.
But beyond his expected offensive contributions, Bojan’s leadership is being felt and seen across the organization. The Pistons young lineups can at times struggle with a loss of focus. The late game turnovers bely that very issue. But head coach Monty Williams has noticed Bojan’s impact on the players and the game:
Unfortunately, the Detroit’s streak continues, and the leadership and judgments of Williams himself may be more in question than anyone.
Pistons rotations continue to baffle
Part of Detroit’s current issues can almost certainly be attributed to strange rotation and minutes decisions by Monty Williams. Most notably, Williams seems uncertain about Jaden Ivey and how (or when) to utilize the sparkplug second year guard.
Fans and pundits alike have become more and more vocal of the rotational decisions of Williams as the losing streak has continued. The decreased minutes of rookie defensive sensation Ausar Thompson are a puzzler, especially as the much-maligned Killian Hayes continues to pull starter duties and minutes. Even more confusing, Williams has now kept Ivey benched for the entire 1st quarter multiple games, allowing a strong and much needed scorer to remain cold on the pine through the 1st intermission.
In Williams’ defense, he seems to be aware of his misuse of Ivey and the current problems with minutes distribution:
Time will tell if these are simply words to placate or an actual understanding from Williams that major changes need to be made. Between the lack of Ivey and Thompson and a less-than-inspiring run from Detroit’s bench, Williams has his hands full breaking through the funk of this season-opening stink.
