Detroit Pistons vs Atlanta Hawks - 4/3/2024

Game Breakdown

Pistons - 113 - 121 L

• Sasser, Ivey, Brown Jr. Evbuomwan, Duren

  • Not a bad action to open the game that gets Sasser a wide open shot in the mid range

    • ESPECIALLY, if this was designed for Cade who we thought was going to start less than 60 minutes ago

  • I continue to like a lot of the set actions Monty and staff run ATO, start of games, etc.

  • Extremely unenergetic start for the team

    • This is a really, really bad start (down 4-13 but it looks even worse so far)

    • They are somehow still in this game in the 1st

      • Honestly, partly because they have done decent on Murray (who definitely has it going here as the 1st half progressed)

    • They even get this game tied late in the 1st quarter AND to be fair (because I criticize the rotations) it was largely while the all 2nd unit was on the court (Brown Jr. + 2nd unit)

      • TO right after I type this that leads to open C&S 3PM and the Hawks go up 5

    • They do a great job fighting back into the game throughout middle portion of the 1st half and then give it away to end the half

  • 3 TURNOVERS ON SIMPLE BALL MOVEMENT PASSES OR HANDOFFS

    • This isn’t high level read stuff or trying to make a play, straight up careless and it’s been from all 3 of Ivey, Sasser and Duren

    • Make a GREAT Defensive play (Ivey and Metu with active hands in ball screen defense) and then just turn it over in transition that in turn becomes transition dunk for Johnson

• DUREN has a nice downhill drive and finish on Capela

  • I think at some point it would be interesting to know how beneficial him doing this is

    • How many times does he score (or create for teammates) vs turnovers and missed shots

    • Does get another one to go that is and-one

  • 1 pass mid range jumper is not a FGA I am super interested in him taking right now

    • The argument would be that it’s end of the year so might as well let him try some things out

    • I guess if there is a game to try all of this stuff, this is the one, but I feel like he is trying too much here in the 1st half

  • I get Metu some love (below) but honestly, Duren has been the most productive player BY FAR early in the game

  • Man, the passing just isn’t what I thought it would be (even in year 2, maybe expectations were just too high by me)

• IVEY just not intense enough off the ball and gives up a lob to Johnson

  • 9:10 1st is a good process from Ivey as he turns down a shot to attack rim and find Sasser in backside corner (missed)

    • Has a couple other of these that are about the only positives

  • Everything else has been pretty rough

    • I love that he draws foul but that can’t be what he is looking for every time

    • Pretty bad 1st half in terms of a couple questionable 3PAs and then hasn’t been able to convert anything at the rim

    • Proceeds to throw an AWFUL pass and TO right after I type this

  • These attempts to start the 2nd half have not been what you want to see to respond after the rough 1st half

  • HAS to find the touch at the rim like he had to start the season

    • Crazy thing is it is still better than his rookie season

    • Awful attempt at the start of the 2nd quarter

      • I want him attacking more than anyone but you have to have a plan and that DOES NOT always mean actually shooting the ball

  • ABSOLUTELY not making an excuse for his performance for this one BUT I do think this shows that he simply is not a primary guy….

    • He is only going to be at his best (if he gets there) playing off of true stars (ie. Cade, if it’s on this team)

    • Gets a QUICK sub (for normal rotation) to start the 2nd half and I don’t blame Monty one bit

  • Fans, and the organization, can definitely use this as a game to highlight a lot of their concerns with him 

    • Honest question, how much weight can you put into a game this late in the season with the personnel that was playing? But we have seen him struggling for awhile now also….

    • Personally, I don’t expect him to do what Cade does (we know Cade is a different tier of player) but you would like to see a better performance than this

  • I will give him this….he was up cheering just like everyone else at the end of the game when Flynn hit 50

***Feel like this is a good time to mention that ALL OF THESE game breakdowns are just my thoughts and analysis about individual games as I watch them and don’t necessarily reflect my overarching thoughts on players (example, just because I have a lot of critiques for a specific game doesn’t mean I have completely “flipped” on a player)***

• EVBUOMWAN is taking the Murray matchup tonight

• SASSER misses his first couple of open C&S 3PAs

  • I highlight these because ultimately they are the ones I am most worried about him making based on the role I foresee (may not be the same role the organization has planned)

    • Makes a couple in the 2nd half, albeit with a tad hesitation on both

  • Hits the step back 3 to start the 2nd half and he just seems SO MUCH more comfortable on these attempts

  • Has a really nice defensive rotation and steal that leads to and-1 for Wiseman

• METU has honestly looked like the best Piston on the court through 6-7 minutes….which is a little bit sad

• FLYNN comes in and immediately scores 4 points

  • Make that 6…and now 8

    • Knocks down another mid range jumper

  • He is finding ways to get himself to the FT line

  • AND THEN A 3PM and the foul

    • He has been flat out scoring the ball here in the 1st half

  • Now he attacks in the ball screen and gets a layup (I believe he has 17! Halfway through the 2nd quarter)

  • Getting rewards with an early rotation to start the 2nd half

    • And is taking FULL advantage of the opportunity

    • Getting to the paint WHENEVER he wants

    • HE CAN’T MISS!!!!

    • He’s actually being impactful on the boards as well

  • THIS HAS FLAT OUT TURNED INTO THE MALACHI FLYNN SHOW FOR THE PISTONS!

    • Blaha “HE IS the difference between getting blown out and having a chance”

    • And it’s a meaningful game here in the 4th all of a sudden

      • Isn’t just doing it in some 20 point blowout in the 2nd half against subs

    • 50 BALL!!!!

  • He has turned down some 3s to move the ball or attack and get to the FT line and I love seeing him do that

    • At times I think he gets a little too aggressive with the jump shots

  • Makes a great defensive play but also has a bad TO and takes a bad shot in transition (maybe was trying to get a 2 for 1 but it was SUPER early for that)

• WISEMAN with a great 2nd effort with 11:00 in the 2nd quarter

  • Has to REALLY help on a ball screen and passer hits roll man but he follows the pass and gets a block from behind (aided by the low man rotation from Brown Jr.)

  • Tough, physical drive through contact and the finish

• BROWN JR. with a highlight putback, didn’t have that on my bingo card for this game

Hawks

• Murray, Bogdanovic, Johnson, Hunter, Capela

  • LOVE the baseline drive and weakside hammer that they ran to start the 2nd Half to get Hunter a wide open corner C&S 3PM

• JOHNSON athleticism and vertical pop is on full display early in the game

  • Hits some big shots late in the game

• HUNTER mid range has been PURE in the 1st quarter

  • Goodness, the jump shot looks GOOOOD tonight

  • WOW!!! He was awesome

• BUFKIN is a player I LOVED in the 2023 NBA Draft

  • Really interested to see what he looks like in this game

  • Knocks down a shit (misses another), has an awesome pass along the baseline with a great read of the defense

  • Floater finish

  • Smooth looking step back jump shot

  • All of this is why I was so enamored with him during last draft cycle

  • Even makes a defensive play on a PnR pass to Wiseman

• MURRAY making some ridiculously tough shots

  • 3rd in the NBA in points created since March 1st

  • His stat line wasn’t awesome (3P% and TOs) but I thought he had a really good game

• CAPELA been awesome rebounding and protecting the rim

  • The touch around the rim is a little rough

• MATTHEWS can absolutely shoot that thing