Detroit Pistons vs Sacramento Kings 2/7/2024

Game Breakdown

Pistons - 133-120 W

• Hayes, Ivey, Ausar, Muscala, Duren

  • Monty with another nice set ATO that gets Ivey downhill and just misses layup (Duren misses uncontested putback as well)

    • Start of 2nd half clears out the weakside for PnR with Duren (gets fouled)

  • How much do we have to complain to get broadcasts to STOP playing replay’s or showing the bench during live action????

  • PISTONS with a great defensive rotation mid 1st

    • Double the post trying to get Sasser off Barnes, weakside rotation, weakside rotate and Sasser “X Out” to opposite corner….simple but they weren’t effectively doing this earlier in the year

      • Possession ends with Monk Iso Pull Up 3 as shot clock is almost out (miss and DREB)

    • GUARDS hand placement in ball screen situations are showing up a little bit more to me

  • They truly have issues defending any sort of PnP Big

  • Give up a double digit mid 3rd quarter lead….how do they respond?

    • Give up back to back buckets BUT Ivey pressures rim and finishes

    • They do give up some open C&S 3PAs that Kings simply miss

    • They pressure the rim over and over and over (not always fruitful)

    • IVEY hitting some CLUTCH 3PAs and CLUTCH OREB

      • Another bucket and the stepback 3!!!

      • WHAT A PASS AND READ TO SASSER FOR THE DAGGER!! (Burks 3 is probably actual dagger)

      • JADEN IVEY TOOK THIS GAME OVER!!!

• AUSAR immediately makes one of those crazy transition hustle plays that is kind of becoming a game by game thing

  • These are going to look even MORE impactful if/when this team is playing meaningful games someday

  • ANOTHER steal and dive on the floor just a minute later (GREAT START TO THE GAME)

  • Weakside awareness where he is pointing to Ivey about being low man and seeing the rotation, love this communication

  • SLICK left hand scoop finish UNDER Sabonis

  • Does have 2 early TOs….he just can’t be a TO guy in his role right now, has to tighten that up

• DUREN gets mismatch with Huerter on first possession, would like to see him just try to go and score (bad pass TO)

  • His HAND ACTIVITY/PLACEMENT vs Ball Screens just has to get better

  • His footwork in the lane has just improved so much, truly impressive how it grew in one offseason

    • Different footworks in different situations as well, it’s not just 1 go to move

  • His off the dribble, downhill attack game seems to be real

  • He does make it sometimes but he doesn’t look fluid with the short roll floater yet, this would be something nice to see him come back next year with in his bag

• MUSCALA doesn’t move that well BUT he seems to know where to be and USUALLY finds a way to be there

  • Has an awesome weakside “pin in” screen on a Hayes drive that gets Ivey a wide open C&S 3PM

• BURKS just doing Burks things in the first quarter, tough shot maker

• IVEY honestly off to a little bit of a rough start with some bad processing at times

  • Bad FGA looking for foul, transition charge taken by Murray (1 on 3)

  • Started to get it going a bit but also picked up 3rd foul

  • BIG OREB late in the game…WINNING ON THE MARGINS

• SASSER with a 2nd quarter offensive takeover, this kid can flat out get it going

  • He LOVES that same foot, same hand floater

  • Still think he gets a little to “tunnel vision” looking to score

    • Could do without some of the no pass possessions

• HAYES has a really nice start to the game (Starter Hayes always plays better)

  • Makes his first C&S 3PA and has a beautifully timed off ball cut on Ivey drive in the 2nd AND the halftime buzzer beater!

• HARRIS attacking closeouts….i love it! It’s actually a needed bucket late in the 3rd when Kings are making their run

Kings

• Fox, Huerter, Murray, Barnes, Sabonis

  • 3rd in the NBA in 3PM this season

  • Kind of fascinated to see what they do at the Trade Deadline

• HUERTER really seems to have found his shooting stroke during the season

  • Competes defensively, this is a good player

• MONK passing always stands out to me as something he does better than I realized

  • Also watched multiple games where he actually does a nice job rotating and contesting as the low man (obviously size limitations here)

  • Was making clutch buckets down the stretch

• LYLES playing those backup 5 minutes like we saw in Detroit

  • And he is GETTING UP 3PAs but Pistons struggle with PnP bigs

  • Goodness, he is knocking down shots

    • Misses 3 ones to start the 4th quarter

• MURRAY with 4 fouls in the first half

• BARNES doing some nice work in the mid range and mid post

• SABONIS 1st in double-doubles and rebounds, 8th in paint points

  • 2nd most consecutive double-doubles in Kings Franchise History