Detroit Pistons vs Washington Wizards Postgame Show
Hey guys, welcome to Pistons Talk podcastame show. Just got done watching the Detroit Pistons versus the Washington Wizards preseason finale. Have a lot of quarter notes I want to go over. Um, something new that we are doing this year, you guys, is after we’re done with the quarter notes, we have a Q&A segment. If you guys want to drop questions in the live chat, if you’re watching live on YouTube right now, go ahead. But if you want to join the podcast with me, if you want to come up here, um maybe you have something you want to talk about, maybe you want to just come up here and just talk about this Pistons win. I have a link pinned at the top of this podcast, this live stream. If you’re watching on YouTube right now, click the link and after we’re done with these quarter notes, we go into the question and answer segment. Um, I will allow you guys to come on in if you want to. If not, no pressure. You just want to drop a a question um in the live chat right now. You’re more than welcome. But let’s get into today’s postgame show. So, starters, Kade Cunningham, Duncan Robinson, Assar Thompson, Tobias Harris, Jaylen Duran. I was wrong. I didn’t think we’re going to see Tobias or Cade um at all just because usually you’re sitting your starters in the fourth preseason game, but JB, uh put these guys out. And I think a a really big reason for that was the Jade Ivy news, which we’ll probably get into at some point um of this podcast. But I think that’s probably going to be your opening night starting lineup. Kade, Duncan, Assar, Tobias, Duran. Um because I think it makes the most sense spacing wise to have Duncan and Tobias surrounding Kade out there. Uh but Kade looked great. this whole preeason he’s just looked like he’s in peak physical condition. Um he was scoring at all three levels. One of his first points I I’m not even like exaggerating. Like it was a crazy reverse layup. Uh I’m pretty sure the NBA socials posted it on Instagram and Twitter if you guys want to check that out. Like it was just a crazy acrobatic finish by Cade. Uh, but he looked really aggressive out there and it was really cool to see um Kade just be aggressive, you know, looking to score. Jaylen Duran looked great as well. He looks like he’s in a really good shape. He had 10 points and three rebounds in six minutes. He finished with 20 points um in this one. JD looked great. The lob connection with him and Kate Cunningham still there. They led the NBA last season in lobs. they were the best lop duo. Um, and that chemistry is just always going to be there. Kade’s always looking to throw him lobs and you know, Kade had a doubledigit assistant. I believe he had he finished with 12. Uh, if I’m looking at the box score right now, yeah, 12 12 assists, 16 points for Kate Cunningham. So, you know, your your starting point guard and your starting center look great. Um, and that’s good to see, you know, going into the season next week. for six days away uh until the Pistons do open their season on the road against the Chicago Bulls. One player uh that I’ve just been impressed with, it’s not even the preseason. I I told you guys in the summer league, uh this this kid is too good to be on a two-way contract. I’ve been telling you guys that for a very long time. Dis Jenkins came in, brought energy, and I I I just love what I’m seeing out of him. I I think there’s a real shot and a real opportunity for him to get some playing time with the Pistons, um I I I really do. Now, whether that’s him staying on a two-way and, you know, still playing with the Detroit Pistons or whether that’s converting his two-way contract into a standard contract and making the the 15-man roster. I don’t really know what direction Tan and the Detroit Pistons are going to go, but Dis Jenkins to me has just been such a bright spot, not only in these preseason games, but in summer league. And um I’m pretty sure he had a good training camp uh because JB played him quite a bit going into the second quarter. Oh, the Pistons had a 2918 lead if you guys care. Uh going into the second quarter, um Donis was leading the second unit. Uh they they were just kind of leading with energy and I I really like that about them. Washington did push to the pace late in the second quarter, made some stops. our transition defense was really bad in the second quarter. Um, and it it’s kind of been a thing where it’s preeason, you know, some of these guys um aren’t trying as hard. Uh, but overall, I think that’s something they do need to clean up just, you know, throughout the preseason transition and close out. Uh, being a little bit more aggressive when the other team is shooting a three-point shot, just being more aggressive with those closeouts. But Pistons do uh go into half with a 57- 51 lead. And coming out of halftime, Washington was still really hot. Believe it or not, they actually came back and had a one-point lead for about two seconds, believe it or not. Um and then Kade started scoring. Duncan Robinson was hitting some threes, getting in the rhythm. Jaylen Dur had a really nice dribble handoff, bounce pass that he likes to do. Hit Duncan in stride. Uh it was a really nice play. Bench unit came in around the 2:30 mark with Donis, Chaz, Ron, Javvante, and Paul Reid. And they they played a majority of the second half. And they finished the third quarter going on a 29-9 run and the score was 93- 79 going into the fourth. Nothing really to note with the fourth quarter outside of Kobe Jones. Uh one of the Pistons two-way guys. Uh if you guys aren’t familiar with him, it was his second preseason game. Uh we were told that he had an ankle injury on media day from Tjan Langden, but you know, he was diving for loose balls. Had a really tough three-point shot late in the fourth quarter, late in the fourth quarter. I’m really intrigued with him. Don’t really know if he’s going to make the active roster. I I would assume not. He’s probably going to be a staple with the Motor City Crews, but it’s good to see him out there, get an opportunity to get his shine. You know, he still had Bobby Clipman out there. area Smith, Bryce Williams, uh you know, guys that uh in the preseason did get some clock, didn’t get like as much clock as the starters did in the first and second quarter, but it was good to see them get an opportunity. Uh I am going to open up the show to questions, comments, if you do want to come and join the podcast, the link is in the comments. All you got to do is click it and I will allow you to come on the show and if there’s a topic you want to talk about, you’re more than welcome. Or if you just want to drop a comment in the comment section uh about tonight’s game or maybe it’s the Jade Navy news that did just happen, you guys are more than welcome to. I do see some comments uh from Devon. Um just showing love. I don’t know why I’m tired. It’s 10 o’clock at night, Devon. I mean, I’m exhausted. I’m actually drinking coffee to stay up to do these postgame shows. I drink a lot of coffee uh during basketball season to stay up for these postgame shows. Uh full transparency, when we do West Coast trips, I’m not even exaggerating, I’m I’m probably drinking two pots of coffee just to stay up. Uh I I get kind of crazy. I kind of get nervous with all the caffeine that I do uh intake during basketball season, but it’s worth it, you know, staying up late, doing these postgame shows for you guys. Uh, got another com comment from Devon saying, uh, I hate Jade Ivy is still hurt. Cole Anthony changed his career. Yeah, that that dive on his leg breaking his Fibia sucked. It really did. I really felt he was starting to turn a corner, getting more consistent offensively. Defensively, I felt like he was still making strides. But the news today, I I think was very surprising. Not so much that he’s injured, but I I think the reason why the news was just kind of like we’re like, “Oh, wow. he’s going to be out four weeks is because we got told dayto day and then you know JB comes out with the media today saying like progressively it just got worse from training camp to that first preseason game against against Memphis which I don’t know if that irritated it you know saw him limping off the court after the first quarter but you know he will be re-evaluated in four weeks so we’re just going to have to wait and see what does happen there hopefully you know within four weeks the rehab does uh good But I I’m really interested to see who steps up in Jaden Ivy’s absence. Like Duncan’s obviously going to be in the starting lineup. Carris Lever will probably get more opportunities. Marcus Sasser mentioned on the broadcast that he’s actually dealing um with some tightness in his hip, so I don’t know whether or not he’s going to be ready for opening night uh Wednesday against the Chicago Bulls next week. But I think there will be a lot of opportunities uh for people to step up. Chaz Laneir, I don’t know how much clock he’ll get, but I mean with, you know, having your starting shooting guard out there, I think there’ll be more opportunities for guys like that. And then also this the backup point guard situation is al also interesting because Jade Nivy and Caris Levert were going to kind of stagger that backup point guard. And we touched on Don Jenkins at the top of the podcast. Like, does Don Jenkins get that backup point guard nod because he’s looked really good, not only in preeason, but summer league, and he had a really productive season with the Motor City Crews. Uh, you know, being that number one option for the Cruise, being the their engine um in the G-League. But I I hate it. Uh, I’m wishing Jade Ivy well. Hopefully the rehab uh goes swimmingly and like we get a really positive update in four weeks and you know you kind of can map out when he could possibly get re-evaluated. But yeah, it it was definitely a gut punch today when I when I saw that Sham’s notification and the the article that the Pistons uh put out. Uh got a comment from Zack Yoders. Zack, appreciate you, man. Uh feel like we saw what’s going to happen without Ji. Looks like Assar will carry a lot of the play uh playmaking load. It’s a good thing he’s been getting reps. I agree. I I I I think not not having Jaden Ivy out there will create more opportunities for Assar Thompson to have more of those on ball reps. Like we were talking about this on Tuesday. Like the the point is I think some people um saw it on Tuesday. They saw it in a halfcourt setting and immediately they disliked it. They didn’t they hated it. Uh but I think everything takes time. Assart did get to kind of experiment with it last year. JB kind of experimented with putting the ball in his hands. I think this preseason we saw so much of it and I think there’s a lot of positives you can take away with it. There’s a lot of film. I’m sure Asar will actually watch. Uh, one thing about Assar from just talking to the media members and beat reporters, uh, he is watching film while his teammates are like getting dressed and they’re getting ready to leave the arena. Like I remember when I interviewed Hunter Patterson, he said the his first interaction with the Saros, he was already watching film of how to get better. Um, and you know, they have a like a long road trip like Asar watches the film. He’s just a basketball sicko in just the most genuine way I could say it. A basketball sicko isn’t an insult at all. Sarge is a gym rat and you know him being able to get more on ball reps this season I think will just be better for his development long term. Uh Red Baron, uh do you think we might have seen the last of Ivy in a Pistons uniform? No, I don’t I don’t I don’t think so. Red Baron. Um, if you listen to Tjan Langden, if you listen to JB Bigger Staff, uh, they rave about the guy. They they rave about his character. They rave about him as a basketball player. They rave about just how he’s been in the gym tirelessly this whole off season. Um, I know firsthand the organization uh really loves Jaden Ivy. The injury it is is the injury. I don’t really think it changes their standpoint of like how they value him. I know people might want to bring up the contract extensions with him and Jaylen Duran and the deadline that is coming up in around four days or so, but I I do believe that the Pistons still value Jade Ivy. It just sucks because we really haven’t seen this back court healthy. Like if you pull up the numbers, I don’t even think Kade Cunningham and Jade Ivy have played a hundred games together. And it’s it’s from injury. It’s from Cade uh missing a whole season. Jade Ivy uh dealing with the Monty Williams stuff um and then you know getting his leg taken out from under him last season with Cole Anthony. But um I I think the organization still really values Shade Ivy 100%. Um, I don’t I don’t think that that they’re so fickle where they would uh move on from like I like full transparency if you got don’t get into dialogue with certain social media groups. Like I have a Detroit Pistons Facebook group and I saw a post today saying trade Jade Ivy and I’m like bro you’re not trading Jade Ivy just because he got hurt. Like that is just so like crazy thinking. Like there’s no logic behind it. As soon as that injury like popped the timeline, I see people saying like trade him. We should have traded him. Why didn’t we trade him? It’s just like it it just kind of shows you how reactionary fans can be sometimes. And it blows my mind. We we we got to sit back, relax, and just kind of think of this team logically where they’re at. And you know, Trejan has said it himself like they’re still in evaluation mode. They want to see more out of this group. And Trejan’s front office didn’t draft any of these guys outside of Ron Holland, Bobby Clipman, and Chaz Laneir. Like, that’s it. He’s only drafted three guys on this active roster. The rest of these young guys are Troy Weaver draft picks. So, Tjan is still evaluating. He’s still seeing what he wants to do with this roster long term. I think the Pistons have a lot of flexibility still, especially with the trade exception that they got from the Dennis Schroeder signing trade with the Kings. Um, you have 14 million about for, you know, trade exception that you can absorb on, you know, bigger contracts. You have a guys that you sign to deals that are, you know, 15, 16, 17 million that you could, you know, dangle at the trading deadline. But we are so far away from the trading deadline, you guys. season hasn’t even started and we’re already kind of talking about like traits. Um, let’s get the season going, man, because the these fans are so die hard and I love it. Um, got a comment from Philip. Saw you last postgame show, Philip. Hope you’re doing well. Great team play tonight. I I can’t put into words, but I know something is missing. I I I can understand what you’re saying when you say, “I feel something’s missing.” This team is different from a roster construction standpoint. I think the positives I have is just Kaden Duran just looking really good shape. Especially Kate. Kate looks like he could score 30 on anyone right now. Like there’s nothing that he can’t do. Same with Duran. Duran looks like he’s in really good shape. Not saying that he wasn’t in good shape last year, but it just seems like the game has slowed way down for him and he he’s able to get lobs. he’s able to, you know, just bully people down low in the post. We we saw a little tease of a mid-range jump shot on Tuesday. So, I think there’s a lot to look forward to this season. But appreciate the comment as always, Philip. I think the Assar Thompson leap is like three and a half year thing. Not right away in year three thing. I need Marcus to get a shot though in this stretch. Yeah, I’m I’m I’m I I’m glad that uh you brought that up, Zack. I know uh yourself and me have been kind of going back and forth with the Assar Thompson talk across Twitter. I always thought the Assar draft pick was just like you’re drafting him based on what he could possibly be if you develop him correctly. And Fred Vincent has talked about it about how, you know, they’re in the gym, they’re working on free throws, they’re working on mid-range, ball handling, three-point shots. I I think it’s a thing where it’s going to take him more than one off season with Fred Vincent to be fully developed or quote unquote like unlocked like some fans have said. You have to remember this is Assar’s first full healthy offseason. Rookie year didn’t really get a full off season to work with all the coaches. Second year, blood clots, which was last year. This year was his first full summer of being able to work out, no restrictions, and working with Fred Vincent and other NBA coaches. So, I think Pistons fans see the potential in Assar, and they’re just impatient with it. It reminds me a lot of, you know, previous Detroit Pistons draft picks that didn’t pan out. And I think that that’s kind of what happens um with Pistons fans when you get into dialogue with draft picks is they just kind of get PTSD and they don’t want that draft pick to be a quote unquote bust. Uh Jay Hart, I like the fact with Assar that he can dribble drive to the basket more smoothly. uh which will help us a ton because the handle looks a lot better and that decision- making in the paint will come. I agree. I I tal I touched on this last pod with just the uh the handles look better. Uh I I saw a couple of drives where he finished with the left hand tonight. Um you saw it a couple times and I believe the first preseason game. So if he’s he’s able to finish with both his right and left hand, I think that does open up a lot. And uh having a tighter handle getting to the free throw line uh will slow games down and you can be in set defense and just disrupt the game more and get more stops and get more steals. And um I think there’s a like a like to a lot to like with the start. That was a tongue twister, but um I’m going to get to a couple more uh comments and questions. Um got one from Piston Fan 11. My favorite game was the PG Assar Philly game last year. Like our first win on national TV. So long. Points was a fun ride at Cedar Point. Yeah, that I I actually talked about this game uh with Eric Vincent a couple of weeks ago when we did our media day uh reaction and he he brought this game up and I think fans just have to understand that he’s still a very young player. He’s going to make mistakes, but the Philadelphia game last year. Uh I think it was an ESPN game if I do remember correctly, as you pointed out. He looked great. He scored like eight points in like four minutes. I I think you see the flashes of what he can be and there’s this inconsistent play out of him right now and it’s frustrating because you see like at his highest peak what a star could possibly be. Um but there’s a lot to like with him. I I I I really don’t want to rag on him all season. Um, I I I try to be objective um as possible and we’ve talked so much about the preeason. Um, and just people being honest ass. It’s like it’s the preseason, guys. Like, we haven’t even had a regular season game and we’re we’re nitpicking over turnovers. We’re nitpicking over mechanics or free throws. I It’s still very very early. Uh, Red Baron, who’s been your favorite player to watch thus uh, so far this preseason? I actually got one for you that might not be um, you wouldn’t expect it. I’ve been a really big fan of Javvante Green. There’s something about him where I could see JB using him a lot this year. Um, every time he was on the court during the preseason, Red Baron, I I just like the intensity. I I like the defense. It seems like he’s just a disruptor. He’s going to get steals. He’s going to run the fast break. Um, you know, 65 with the seven foot wingspan. I was very intrigued when we signed him this summer. I was like, “Oh, that’s interesting.” Um, because I think JB is going to use a lot of line lineup combinations where it’s either going to be Assar, Ron, or you’re going to have like Assaar and Javvante or Ron and Javvante. Um, and he’s hit a couple of threes, too, which, you know, if you’re playing defense like that, and you can hit like 33 to like 35% of your threes, playing good defense, crashing the glass. Uh, yeah, like that. That guy, I think, is going to get a lot of clock. I I I really think that. Uh, Pistons fans kind of impatient, but deservedly. So, for sure. Don’t give him a pass like that, Zach. Don’t give a pass like that. They are so You should have been on some of these podcasts during the losing streak, man. Fans were crashing out. It was like a freaking therapy section every week. Um when we were on that losing streak, it was honestly crazy. Uh Zach also says, “The front office staff speaks very highly of a SAR. A lot of people in the circle believe he will be an all-star.” Yeah, I mean there there’s a lot to like with him. I mean, if he develops a jump shot, easily an all-star, easily your second most important player that you need to develop because everything else is there. The defense is elite. One of the best perimeter defenders in the NBA. Um, you know, watching him defend Jaylen Brunson in the playoffs, he was incredible. Um, just need him to get more of a, you know, consistent jump shot. um you know you know work on the work on the free throws get him like around like 70% and asking him to hit 100% if he got up to 70% like that would be huge believe he was 64% last year but I mean there there’s a lot to like with the start u Philip what I meant to say was we must figure out the consistency and understanding of each player a big missing piece even if it’s one player Malik Beasley does change how we played offense and get defended. Okay. I know you were um talking about something was a little bit off, something was missing. Okay, now I understand what you’re saying in a sense where like if you’re just comparing like a one to one like I noticed how Duncan came off a screen today and he didn’t immediately shoot it and I was like if Malik Beasley had that possession he probably he probably would would have attempted a three. Duncan was a little bit hesitant and then he passed the the the ball back out to Cade at the top of the key. I think it’s just going to be an adjustment period, you know, getting used to Duncan, getting used to Levert because it’s not Malik Beasley, it’s not Tim Hardway, it’s not Dennis Schroeder, right? Um, I honestly think that it will be a thing where they’ll get used to each other. Uh, they’ll get used to, you know, coming off screens, coming off pin downs, uh, a lot of dribble handoffs with Jaylen Duran and Isaiah Stewart. um you know, pointers are you know different ball handlers. This roster is completely different from last season. I get what you’re saying, but um I guess I just kind of have to ride with it and you know see what works, see what doesn’t. Do a couple of more questions. All right, we got to talk about the Stew and JD minutes tonight. I was shook, but I liked it. I didn’t think we’d ever see that again. Personally, I saw it for on my screen. I was like, is still play a power forward right now. Um, I know media asked JD or they asked JB. There’s so many J’s. Man, it’s it’s hard to do a podcast and not get them all confused. I know the media asked JB Bicker Staff about not having a conventional backup four, but I mean if you’re just mixing and matching Tobias Harris with Isaiah Stewart and maybe you want to play a little bit small at center, that could be a thing. But I did see that tonight. I was like, “Oh, okay. That piqued my interest a little bit because we haven’t seen too big since uh the Monty Williams year and even Dwayne Casey kind of tried it a little bit towards the end of his tenure. But I mean, Stu does have the ability to knock down three-point shots. Uh I I would just like him to shoot a little bit more. But that’s just me. I I I think he has the ability that he usually gets you six to eight points off the bench and play some pretty great defense. But yeah, I did like the Stew and JD uh minutes tonight. I don’t know how much we’ll see it during the regular season, but JB just kind of rolled the dice there for a second. I was like, “Oh, okay, cool.” Uh, Red Baron. Uh, would you sign Denwitty? He just got released. I would I would I don’t know if Spencer would want to come back. Um, you know, listening to the podcast with him talk about the Pistons, he got hazed a lot from Andre Drummond. Um he talked about, you know, the Stan Van Gundy years of, you know, veterans always taking priority just even like in the locker room getting checked out by trainers. Um if I had to guess where Spencer goes, I don’t think um it’s going to be Detroit. If I had to take a guess, uh these are the teams that I was thinking about today. I think Indiana makes sense from a standpoint of this. TJ McConnell is injured and they need a point guard. I think Spencer Denwy makes a whole lot of sense given that they’re going to just kind of have a retool year with Tyresese Hallebertton being side uh sidelined out for the entire year. I think Denwy makes a whole lot of sense there. Um I also think the Boston Celtics makes sense. I don’t think it’s going to be Detroit though. I think there’s just a lot of bad blood with how he was treated uh during his tenure. Understand? Um, and then get getting traded for a guy that wasn’t even in the league for like two, three years. I I I really don’t. Um, I I really don’t. Um, but yeah, I I I I like I wouldn’t mind it, but just from like cuz I I’ve had people that have had him on podcast before and they said when we asked him about his Detroit days, his mood changed like completely. Like he tensed up and I was like, “Oh, damn.” Like I didn’t know it was that bad. But um I I I heard stories about like the the duct tape shower story, which um it’s actually kind of funny. Uh I could tell you guys that story cuz um one of my friends used to do socials for Andre Drummond. So apparently like during a a game when Spencer was a rookie, they duct taped him to a chair and left the shower on and he was he still had like a shirt and shorts and the equipment manager and and the the janitor had to like get scissors to get him out of the chair. It was really bad. But I mean, some of the hazing uh that Andre Drummond and those guys did to Spencer. I I don’t blame him. I I feel like every time he comes to Detroit, he goes crazy. He really does. But um yeah, I’m wishing him well. I I I just don’t think it’s going to be a Detroit. I think it’d be a maybe I don’t know. I doubt he goes back to Dallas with D’Angelo Russell, even though Kyrie’s injured. It’s probably Boston or like Indiana, maybe Miami. Um I I I can’t I can’t see him. um coming back to Detroit. The fact that Charlotte waved him was even more crazy. It’s even more crazy, but uh I I I appreciate you guys uh coming on in for the last 30 minutes or so. Um we’re going to be doing another podcast this weekend uh with Shawn Murphy. So, that’s going to be a long podcast. Uh anytime Sean and I go on a podcast, uh we might have three topics, but we go down rabbit holes and it it turns into a two-hour show. But we will be doing another podcast you guys uh this Sunday uh with Sean Murphy. Should be a fun time, fun conversation with him. But hope you guys have a great rest of your weekend. Um you know, enjoy this nice weather while we can because before you know it, it’s going to be snowing. It really is. But um I I’ll catch you guys later. As always, go Pistons. Peace.
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