Thomas and Smacked

In an 83-92 loss to the Miami Heat that featured little offensive flow, fouls galore and 35 turnovers between the two teams there were a few bright spots for the Pistons in their first game this summer at the Thomas and Mack Arena.

The playas:

Austin Daye...DNP


DaJuan Summers...20 pts. 3 rbs.

I get the feeling DaJuan is playing just good enough to get himself traded. He is definitely at his best going to the basket where his size and strength allow him to draw fouls (7-8 FT). Steve Smith referred to him as a "tweener". I'm not sure why. DaJuan's a small forward, there's no hint of power forward in his game. He doesn't post up. His rebound numbers are marginal and he shoots a lot of threes. He shot a respectable 6-13 but had more turnovers (5) than rebounds.

Jonas Jerebko...DNP

Greg Monroe...20 pts. 6 rbs. 2 blks. 1 stl.

Greg needed this game. He showed his versatility in his shot selection with face-up jumpers, a turn-around jumper in the short corner, dunks, lay-ups and hook shots. He slowed down when he got the ball, tried to read the defense and make the appropriate move. He scored 20 and looked capable of more, but with many of the Pistons' point guards trying to showcase their skills in an effort to make an NBA roster he was missed on some pick-and-rolls and poor post entry passes. I don't know if the coaches are telling him to hound the ball 30 feet from the basket but he is recovering to his man too slow resulting in fouls and dunks for the opposition around the basket. He also has a bad habit of reaching when attempting to block or disrupt a shot. Instead of holding his arms straight up he lowers in a half-contest-half-shot-block move that always results in a foul. Greg needs a repeat performance or better next game and I think he'll get it. He seems to be settling down and getting more comfortable with the NBA game.

Terrico White...11 pts. 3 rbs 1 ast. 1 blk. 2 stls.

The Pistons' coaches wanted Terrico to be more aggressive this game and he was for spurts but at times I found myself wondering if he was still on the floor. His stat line looks pretty good and, again, he only committed one turnover but he shot 2-7 from the field and 1-4 from range after averaging 65% shooting from the field and 60% from range through the first three games. He had only one assist but he played almost exclusively at two guard. He still looks like a great second round value.

Other Notables:

Mac Koshwal...4 pts. 6 rbs. 1 ast. 3 stls.

Mac continues his roll as garbage man, cleaning up the boards and getting his hands in the passing lanes for steals. I am curious to see if he can put up similar numbers against tougher competition. He could be a great spot minutes, energy guy for a Pistons team that needs to add toughness.

Marquez Haynes...10 pts. 3 rbs. 2 asts. 1 blk.

Marquez was trying to play himself onto on NBA squad, flying all over the court, trying to dunk the ball over Miami's center. He was trying to get over-looked by shooting 2-8 from the field, 1-5 from range and dribbling out the shot clock on one possession. Shot an efficient 5-6 from the free-throw line and showcased his hustle.

Elijah Millsap..8 pts. 4 rbs. 1 ast.

Showed that he could shoot the jumper, which is important when you are trying to be successful in the NBA as a 6'6" guard-forward. He had a nice little crossover-dribble-to-jump-shot from about 20 feet out that showed he can do more than run the floor and get put-backs.

Deja 2

The Pistons scored 89 points for the second game in a row but unlike the previous game this affair was a blow out as the Pistons defense held the Warriors to 69 points. Got a great look at Greg Monroe as the Pistons fed him a steady diet of post feeds in the second half.

The playas:

Austin Daye...20 pts. 5 rbs. 4 asts. 3 blks.

Austin wasn't quite the sharpshooter he was against the Lakers but still managed to lead all scorers with 20. At 6'11" he has a remarkable ability to create his own shot and when he spots up for the corner three it's lights out. He continues to be the Pistons go-to-guy on the offensive end, deservedly so, but he seemed to force the issue a bit tonight. His free throw shooting was off (2-5) but overall another encouraging performance.

DaJuan Summers...18 pts. 7 rbs. 1 stl

Loved DaJuan tonight. He wasn't just hanging around on the perimeter. He was in the mix underneath and hauled down 7 rebounds, even managing to out rebound Austin. Continues to knock down jumpers and slash to the basket for lay-ups and fouls. He was much more assertive this game. I would still love to see him take a couple guys down into the block and exploit his strength but I thought tonight he really showed his value at the 3 position.

Jonas Jerebko...11 pts. 7 rbs. 1 ast. 1 stl.

I thought Jonas looked better tonight and he nearly got that double-double I was hoping for. His offense is still pretty raw, but defensively he was better. He needs to stop taking that half-charge where you think he is going to take a charge but ends up stepping into the guy driving at him and then bouncing back about five feet with his hands in the air. That's never gonna go your way, Jonas. Never. Close-out, hedge the guy, take the charge, block the shot or at least contest, but please no more half-charges.

Greg Monroe...11 pts. 8 rbs. 3 asts. 2 stls.

Saw a good sampling of what Greg can do tonight and, again, I was encouraged. He led the team in rebounding, ran the floor, contested shots and made some nice passes. His free throw shooting was poor, and after seeing the squeaker dunk he threw down tonight on Brown no one should ever mention his name in the same sentence as David Robinson again. He definitely needs to get stronger, but look at the guys shoulders, he's got the frame. He just needs time. I thought his wind looked better tonight and was impressed the way he was getting up the floor. Nice improvement from Game 1.

Terrico White...7 pts. 3 rbs. 1 ast. 1 stl.

Terrico looks comfortable with the ball in his hands and his jump shot is miles ahead of where Rodney Stuckey's was (is?)particularly from range. He's going to help the Pistons, but in what capacity? Can he play point? I mean, he can bring the ball up, but 1 assist in 25 minutes is not very reassuring. Still, he has a smooth shot, athleticism and never looks like he is rattled or in a rush. He is looking more and more like a steal at 36. I would love to see that assist number rise next game.

Others

Koshwal: Not a walking turnover this game. 9 points, 6 boards and some toughness down low. Also, the dunk of the night. Nice game.

Sosa: Looked tough and quick. 6 points, 5 assists and 1 turnover. Also, the lay-up of the night.

Millsap: Led the team in steals (3) and ran the floor hard. Impressed with his hustle and all round play.