Detroit Pistons vs Miami Heat - 3/15/2024

Game Breakdown

Pistons - 95 - 108 L

• Cade, Ivey, Fontecchio, Stew, Duren

  • May just be me but I have noticed Jarrett Jack more and more on the sideline the past couple of games

    • Walking to Monty to discuss things with him

    • Communicating defensive actions, calls, schemes from the sideline

  • Pistons run the same action as they did a couple games ago to start this one

    • They get Cade-Duren PnR on overloaded side with Fontecchio lifting 

    • Fontecchio man is the only option to tag but he is chasing him to top of the key and Duren gets wide open dunk

    • Start the 2nd half with a Stew Mid Post Isolation

      • Can’t say I agree with this

      • STEW TRANSITION quick post and score from getting great position is all I want to see

  • Have a couple bad turnovers and taken a couple really, really careless shots

    • Just unnecessary (1 from Fontecchio and 1 from Duren)

      • And now 1 from Ivey coming ATO

  • GIVING UP FT OREBs is so frustrating and this was a big moment

    • Bam transition “charge” gets reversed

    • He missed and-1 FT

    • Robinson hits a 3P of the rebound

    • Spo challenge and the OREB into 3PM is 5 point difference

  • ANOTHER BIG OREB, tie game with :50 in 2nd Quarter

    • Martin outworks EVERYONE for an OREB and Butler hits a floater

  • Honestly, was not a bad first half for the Pistons

  • Yes, Cade and Ivey turn the ball over more than you would like but the other guys have to stop turning it over as well

    • Duren (3), Sasser (3), Fontecchio (2), even Umude having 1

    • Just the example for this game, every game seems to be different combination of guys outside of Cade-Ivey

• CADE continues to throw passes into crowds when it just isn’t necessary

  • Missed shot at 8:25 is the epitome of where he is at right now with his scoring

    • Creates a driving lane and really good attempt in straight isolation vs Rozier and then absolutely miss plays the ball off the glass

    • I stand by Cade is able to get to his spots as much as you need him to but he is limited explosively at the rim and thus has to be elite finishing with angles and touch

  • 2:20 2nd Quarter again shows he has enough wiggle and change of pace to get buy a defender in a 1 on 1 situation and get to the rim (this one he finishes with left handed dunk)

  • RUN MORE MID POST ISOLATIONS FOR HIM!!!!

    • Scores the first time

    • Doubled and Fontecchio wide open C&S 3PM the second time

    • Doubled and Ivey driving lane (but blocked by Bam) the third time

  • Did not think his defensive energy was good enough tonight

    • Had been better the last couple of weeks

  • 3PA is short and flat…..

• FONTECCHIO on the ball defense probably isn’t going to be a neutral BUT he makes up for it with being very good off the ball positionally and communication 

  • AND he is going to make you earn it when defending on the ball, if you beat him it won’t be from a lack of effort

• IVEY has done a nice job through the first half of the 1st quarter attacking the defense and getting teammates good looks

  • 1:50 FIRST QUARTER IS AMAZING PROCESS!!

    • Gets a wide open C&S 3PA in transition BUT drives into the lane instead and hits Fournier in weakside corner for a C&S 3PM

  • :55 some more

    • Great off ball relocation to open passing window, SHOT FAKES and dribbles into a wide open mid range pull up

  • 7:05 2nd Quarter is AWFUL, AWFUL process

    • Transition Pull 3PA off the dribble, there is just no reason for this, at all

  • First 2 touches and attempts in the 2nd half are 3PAs

    • Get him downhill, get yourself downhill

    • Too many 3s in the 3rd quarter for me

  • Has taken almost 7 per game (20%) over his last 8 GP

    • 4 of those 8 games he has attempted 9

    • Had only attempted 9+ 3s in a game 5 times in his NBA CAREER before this stretch

• SASSER first 3PA is C&S and does not look good

  • Just does not seem like he has the same flow with these as off the dribble

  • Knocks down the 2nd one, there we go

    • Believe he went 1/5 on C&S and 3 of them didn’t look good from the moment it left his hand

  • 40% on Dribble 3PAs and 38% on C&S 3PA (via Synergy)

    • Has taken 38 more off the dribble than off the catch

    • So, he’s better off the catch then I am giving him credit for BUT I think the volume and percentage speak to what he wants to do and is more comfortable with

  • Fouls a 3PA twice 

• DUREN energy in his rim running this game was awesome

  • Got a couple really easy buckets off passes from Cade

  • Thought he had a couple nice ball screen defensive possessions as well where he didn’t overcommit to ball handler and got back to contest the lob to Bam (or at least make the pass and catch uncomfortable)

Heat

• Rozier, Butler, Robinson, Jovic, Bam

  • Robinson-Butler PnR is an interesting action to start the game

• ROBINSON does things off the bounce on the first 3 possessions of the game

  • Continues to look solid off the dribble, operates a ball screen and gets a bucket

  • Operates a ball screen and hits Bam for a lob going to his left

  • Making impactful defensive rotations

  • AND gets hot from 3 late in the 3rd (1 away from 1k)

• ROZIER has been extremely active defensively to start the game

  • His defensive activity overall for them has been good, really something they need from that position

• BUTLER being very aggressive offensively

  • Doing it with a lot of physicality

• MARTIN comes in and gets downhill and a couple buckets

  • Then takes a charge in transition

  • Does the “little things” or makes “winning plays”, however you want to say it

  • INSANE hustle under 1 minute left in the 2nd quarter to keep an OREB alive

• BAM being aggressive offensively is something I am always intrigued to see

  • OREB, 3PM, 8 foot hook/floater, Transition And-1, Short Roll jumper, attack closeout

  • Showed a lot of versatility with his scoring