The Pistons are easing their young players into the rotation and that’s to be expected, James Edwards III of The Athletic writes.
Veterans Blake Griffin and Derrick Rose, both of whom sat out Monday’s game at Atlanta, played heavy minutes in the double overtime loss to Cleveland on Saturday. Lottery pick Killian Hayes sat during crunch time, while Saddiq Bey has played only six minutes. The Pistons’ other first-round pick, Isaiah Stewart, didn’t play at all in the first two games.
It’s unrealistic to expect all of the Pistons’ developmental players to log 15-plus minutes a game at this point but their playing time will increase as the season progresses, Edwards adds. Hayes and Bey started against the Hawks.
We have more on the Central Division:
- Pistons owner Tom Gores rubber-stamps new GM Troy Weaver’s roster moves, according to Rod Beard of the Detroit News. Detroit has only four holdovers on its 15-man roster and Weaver engineered trades to draft Bey and Stewart. “To get three first-round picks I think was a win for us,” Gores said. “We have to see how those young men develop, but I’d say the thing Troy did right away was he really owned this. He didn’t sit back and worry about it. He was thoughtfully aggressive, and he owned it.”
- Malcolm Brogdon wasn’t thrilled with the Pacers’ previous coach but he has been quick to praise new coach Nate Bjorkgren, Akeem Glaspie of the Indianapolis Star writes. Bjorkgren drew up the game-winning play on Sunday, a Domantas Sabonis basket against Boston. “It takes a high-IQ coach and a patient coach to draw something like that up there,” said Brogdon, who was reportedly the Indiana player who was most outspoken and displeased with Nate McMillan’s coaching style.
- Kevin Love and lottery pick Isaac Okoro are among a handful of Cavaliers players who will miss Tuesday’s game against the Knicks, Chris Fedor of the Cleveland Plain Dealer tweets. Love has a calf strain that kept him out of the team’s opener and limited him to nine minutes against Philadelphia on Sunday. Okoro will sit out for the second straight game with a foot sprain.
I think it might be time for K Love to call it a career, at this point.
Not a bad one either. Championship ring and a boat load of money
What an odd thing to say about someone who nearly averaged a double double last year
What a crap opinion. Cavs in playoffs is better.
I’d have to agree. Who needs the stress…just go to a beach. Not Cleveland
So do it. Nobody wants your advice for themselves, especially a competitor like Love who has already been held back from action for almost a year by commissioner fiat. Ignorant.
This year nba draft is so deep
Pistons has 3 good picks
Bey and Steward are good and strong
It has been 3 years. I did not know my tv package is included NBA league pass
I am watching Pistons Hawks game now
No LOVE on the court for the Cavaliers !!
He will be. He might prefer to be on a contender, but the Cavs will fit that description somewhat, probably ro16, in position to rise 21/22.