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    • The Detroit Pistons’ second unit is still struggling despite their preseason loss
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    The Detroit Pistons’ second unit is still struggling despite their preseason loss

    Caradoc Wyn Posted on

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    The Detroit Pistons finished the preseason with a strong result.

    They defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers at home 108-92 in their exhibition final on Wednesday. The Pistons (3-2) now have a week to prepare for their regular season opener against the Indiana Pacers next Wednesday.

    Simone Fontecchio had his best performance of the preseason, leading the team with 18 points and knocking down five of his 10 3-point attempts. Guard Daniss Jenkins (13 points), who was on a two-way contract, was the only other Pistons player to score in double figures. Paul Reed added six points and nine rebounds.

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    The starting five (Cade Cunningham, Jaden Ivey, Tim Hardaway Jr., Tobias Harris and Jalen Duren) only played together for eight minutes in the first quarter. Jarrett Allen led Cleveland with 19 points and eight rebounds in 26 minutes. The Cavaliers’ starters opened the second half but prevailed in the fourth period, a period the Pistons won by 10 points.

    The entire squad gets an opportunity in the final

    In keeping with the last preseason game, Bickerstaff made it a point to find playing time for all 18 players in the active squad. The only players not checked in are former two-way forward Tosan Evboumwan, who was released before the game, as well as Ausar Thompson and rookie Bobi Klintman, with the former awaiting clearance to return from a blood clot and the latter with He is struggling with a blood clot in his calf injury, which cost him the entire pre-season.

    “The guys, some of Exhibit 10, the camp guys we brought, the two-ways, they worked hard all camp,” Bickersatff said before the game. “Tonight we want to give them the opportunity to run a little and gain a few minutes. The guys who played will play too. But we want to see everyone tonight.”

    Fourteen players started the game in the first half, and the starters ended up getting the fewest minutes. Marcus Sasser, Malik Beasley, Fontecchio, Holland and Isaiah Stewart replaced the starters late in the first quarter and played most of the second quarter. Reed, Jenkins, Wendell Moore Jr. and Exhibit 10 forward Lamar Stevens also received minutes.

    Holland paced the team for 12:44 of the first half and got the second unit’s offense rolling with seven straight points in the second quarter – a 3-pointer and two drives to the rim that ended with a right-handed throw ended ends. Fontecchio also shined, scoring ten points in the second period with a four-point game and two three-pointers.

    The starters remained on the bench in the second half, which began with Sasser, Moore, Holland, Fontecchio and Reed on the field. The remaining four active players on the roster – ten new additions Tolu Smith, Javante McCoy, Dereon Seabron and Aaron Estrada – all appeared in the second half, with the latter two checking in last in the closing stages.

    The problems of the second unit remain

    The Pistons started the night hot, knocking down eight of their first nine shot attempts (with eight assists and a single turnover) to take an early 21-11 lead. The momentum began to shift in the Cavaliers’ favor before the starters checked out, and the offense collapsed when they did.

    Four of the Pistons’ six turnovers in the quarter came in the final 4:18 of the quarter, including three in the final 1:08. It helped the Cavaliers end the quarter on a 23-7 run and take control early. Turnover issues continued in the second half as the bench scored five more goals.

    Sasser has had opportunities but has not yet shown he can handle point guard responsibilities full-time. After scoring his third turnover of the night, Bickerstaff briefly replaced him for a chat before replacing him alongside Jenkins to end the first half.

    Although the turnover problems continued in the second half, Cleveland’s bench outplayed Cleveland down the stretch and won the second half by 17 points. A dunk by Stevens, followed by consecutive three-pointers from Jenkins and Estrada, increased the Pistons’ lead to 102-86 with 4:38 remaining and secured the victory.

    Bickerstaff has experimented with staggering Cunningham and Ivey to keep the offense moving when Cunningham sits. It’s unclear how Bickerstaff will optimize his rotation in the week leading up to the regular season, but it’s clear the Pistons will have playmaking issues to address with their star player on the bench.

    Contact Omari Sankofa II at [email protected]. Follow him @omarisankofa.

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    Caradoc Wyn
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