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Eric Vincent: What’s good? Detroit Sports Nation we have to talk about the Detroit Pistons and Killian Hayes. I am Eric Vincent, your host here at the DSN News Desk. Thank you for being here. We appreciate your time and support. Fresh off a Detroit Pistons victory with so many headlines. We gotta get into so much to talk about. So many entertaining things happened in this game.
Let’s get right into it, man. Let’s do it. 121-101 final score against the Orlando Magic. I believe this is the second time the Detroit Pistons have now played the Magic, and it seems like the Pistons turn on their best games against the Magic, the most needed victories.
They’re able to turn around and pull against this team, a similar team in a similar place where they’re rebuilding and trying to establish their young talent.
Killian Steps Up, Ready For All Smoke Available
And before we peel into the layers of the games, before we get into the stats, and before we get into all the details of the game, something historic and monumental happened in this game, something I think that was bigger than the final score happened in this game, that I cannot stop talking about something I can’t stop replaying online.
Check on our website, Detroitsportsnation.com if you wanna see the replay of what I’m talking about. Killian Hayes was ejected for fighting today. Killian Hayes was cheap-shotted by Mortiz Wagner on a loose ball where he was running back for a ball that was thrown and over, back by Orlando. Killian is running for the ball as he crosses half-court and Wagner shoves
Killian with his hands and his arms into the Piston bench where he falls and flails into the seats. Now does Killian tuck tail and just run away and just let the Refs deal with it? No, sir. Killian steps up, ready for all smoke available. Like a waffle cook on the third shift. Killian Hayes stepped up and knocked Wagner in the back of his head like he deserved, man.
He was thrown out for it. Wagner was also thrown out for the flagrant 2, which the Refs ruled, and Hamidou Diallo was also thrown out because he pushed Wagner before Killian got to get over there and get his lump in. The debate on Killian Hayes is officially over. The conversation, the question marks, everything you may have wondered and guessed and asked about.
Killian Hayes is officially done. Killian Hayes is now a certified Detroit Piston legend no matter what. Killian is officially submitted his legacy as a worthy Detroit Piston. He stamped himself for some black forces. He’s in here with some. He has officially answered a lot of questions that Detroit Pistons fans have wanted to see.
Now, granted, I’m not advocating for fighting, I’m not advocating for violence, but we absolutely wanted to see that dog inside of Killian. In moments like these, we’ve seen it in terms of his chippiness on defense. We’ve seen him back down and play more aggressively offensively and now where he’s hustling for a loose ball.
Where this didn’t even have to happen. Wagner pushing him made no sense, and it put Killian in a place where he could have seriously been hurt. And Killian rightfully. Took his place and swung at him for some retaliation, and I’m not mad at him for that at all. Troy Weaver and Joy Casey said they want him to get Americanized and get tougher and go through and feel the development stages of the grind in the NBA.
And these are those kinds of moments where you see a different form of Killian Hayes that we’ve been seeing this season. Killian Hayes stepped up to a big, and I don’t care that it was behind him, I don’t care that he hit him in the back of the head.
If you hit me like that and pushed me where my momentum is carrying me into the bench where I coulda landed on fans or, hit myself on the bench and hurt my leg or my hip or something like that. Killian Hayes had a full license to do exactly what he did.
Now I understand why the refs, ejected him. You throw a swing or a punch at somebody, you have to go. The last thing they wanna do is have another “Malice at the Palace“. And granted, shout out to LCA. Nobody got out of their seats. Nobody went crazy. The Orlando bench came around though because. Wagner was on the Piston bench in hostile territory in the area where he was at.
It is even crazier for him to push him like that when the ball was for one, not even allowed to be obtained by an Orlando Magic at that point, you could have just let it go out of bounds, or you could have let Killian pick it up, or you could simply just not push him. How about that? You can just be a simple player and let the play go on. But you decide to push him and ignite violence.
That’s your problem. Wagner asked for all the smoke that he got and I don’t feel bad for him. Not in any way, shape or form. I’ve been told he has a history of being a dirty player at times, and you saw it come out today. But shout out to Killian Hayes for handling that like he was supposed to.
If Any Fan Base Can Appreciate What Killian Hayes Did, It’s The Detroit Sports Fan Base
If any fair base can appreciate what Killian Hayes did today, it’s the Detroit sports fan base. We’re in a home of the bad boys for Piston fans. The “Malice at the Palace” for the ’04 Detroit Pistons Ben and Rasheed and those boys. We are always down to fight and buck and stand up for what’s ours in Detroit Sports and Killian Hayes officially got stamped by standing up for his today. Man, shout up to Killian Hayes.
I’m so proud of what he did today, man, that was cool to see. It kinda helps ignite care in games like this. Because for real, these are two of the worst teams in the NBA. These kinds of things help games get a little more chippy as they did between players.
You can see them defensively. You saw Cole Anthony, chirping a lot, Saddiq Bey talking some trash, who we’re gonna talk about in a little bit, like these kinds of games helped develop rivalries over time. And especially considering the Detroit Pistons and the Magic are on similar timelines of rebuilding with their young star pieces and the core foundation that they’re trying to set.
These kinds of things help make these games and these teams more watchable and entertaining. So, I appreciate these kinds of things. It’s not always about the xs and os of the game. Sometimes these kinds of chippy, tense moments help make these games a little bit more entertaining.
So shout out to Killian Hayes, shout out to the Pistons bench for holding it down for standing up for their teammate. They’ve done a lot of love and done a lot of riding for Killian Hayes, and I’m really appreciative of it, man. So shout out to the Detroit Pistons for what they did in that regard. Man, that was cool to see.
The Detroit Pistons Needed A Game Like This Badly
Now getting into the game itself, this was a game that the Detroit Pistons needed. Bad. They had been on a horrible slide, lost six, or seven games in a row, and the Clippers game that you just blew was disastrous. It was absolutely horrible blowing the game where you had a double-digit lead with three minutes left where the Clippers were playing their second-unit players, and you still managed to lose.
So the Detroit Pistons needed a game like this badly. Now, it wasn’t the prettiest game all around, but the Detroit Pistons got a lot of step-up performances that they needed in a huge way. A guy who’s been stepping up in a lot of these kinds of manners has been Alec Burks. He’s been one of my favorite players to watch with the Detroit Pistons all season.
32 points from him. He was 10 and 10 the whole game until he decided to chuck up a shot at the last second when the game was already decided over and the game clock was about to shut off. He chucked up a shot to close the game for no reason, and it ruined his perfect game. He ruins his perfect 10 for 10. But still a fantastic game for my man.
10, 11 for the field, six to seven from three, six, and six from the free throw line. Didn’t turn the ball over. Just a very effective and efficient player man. Like I love playing, watching his game. He is a very valuable piece to have and honestly, I’ve been saying it and I’m gonna keep saying it.
I don’t want the Detroit Pistons to get rid of him. If they make some moves to get some extra draft picks by dealing with somebody like Bojan, or they somehow swing a deal for Saddiq or whatever.
I don’t want Alec Burks included in any deals. I feel like Alec Burks is a player that the Pistons can use long-term to come off the bench with a player like Killian Hayes who’s growing and still trying to establish himself as a young scorer in the NBA.
It’s effective and helpful to have a guy like Alec Burks who’s crafty with the ball and can shoot and score from anywhere. Who can create for other teammates, who can get to the free throw line super effectively an who can play off ball.
He’s 30 years old if I’m not mistaken, so he’s that young veteran age where you know, you don’t need a bunch of babies on your team. You want guys who are seasoned. Alec Burks has been very, very key to have off of this bench. And I really don’t wanna see him go. I really hope the Detroit Pistons’ final way to hold onto him. Again, he’s on a rental deal.
Just one year after getting traded over here with Nerlens Noel, how long he’s gonna stay? I don’t know, but my fingers are crossed that the Pistons’ final way is to keep him long-term. The way he plays, the value that he brings, and his ability to close fourth quarters. Because you’ve seen a lot of games where Jaden Ivey.
Only plays a little of the fourth quarter because he gets careless with the basketball. He turns it over at times, especially in games where you want him to close out and be a little more shorthanded with the rock. So in moments like that, they bring on Alec Burkes who can get good shots.
Get to the free throw line, be productive, and not put the ball in harm’s way like your young players have been doing. I think that’s huge to have and I really wanna see them hold onto Alec Burks as long as they can. I think he’s that valuable for this team. So shout out to Alec Burks, how well he played Saddiq Bey.
We got good Saddiq today. Saddiq, he’s hot one day cold, one game. It’s just very hard to predict which Saddiq you’re gonna get, and honestly, a lot of times when we predict the worst to come, that’s been more of a story with his game. And for whatever reason, it was not the case for today.
Saddiq 28 points, eight and 16 from the field, six of 11 from three. That is the best part of that. I love that because Saddiq’s shots have been terrible all season. He looks lost when he is shooting threes now. Like he doesn’t look like the same comfortable dude, and it’s, it really gets frustrating to watch sometimes.
So it was nice to see his three ball fall six of eight from the free throw line, a plus 20 from the field. Eight rebounds to help out on the glass, really showing his versatility and his, value for the team is well off the bench. And the Detroit Pistons needed that support off the bench in a major way because they didn’t get a whole lot of consistent contribution scoring-wise in the starters.
So only 14 from Bojan. Four and 14 from the field. Didn’t shoot well from three and one to five from the long line. A lot of shots from Beef Stew. Four and 12 for 11 points, two of eight from the three-point line. I’m still not a super fan of, the high-volume shots that he’s been taking from three.
He’s been efficient throughout the seasons, but I don’t wanna see him be the focal point of their offense where it’s him taking three-pointers. Like I just, I don’t like that. Jaden Ivey struggled a little bit. Again, eight points, one of seven from the field. Six boards, four assists, and three turnovers.
He is still trying to work out some, kinks and sloppy tendencies that he has with the ball at times, and that’s normal from a rookie. Again, he’s shown some highs, he’s shown some lows. I’m not gonna go too crazy on Jaden Ivey. Again, I’ve talked about how I think fans are over-scrutinizing him because a lot of the struggles that we’re seeing are normal for rookies, so I’m not gonna go too crazy about that for him.
Before Killian Hayes was ejected wasn’t really his best game, only scored five points. Only played for 15 minutes. We don’t have to deep dive too much into Killian’s game.
Jalen Duren Is Doing So Much For The Pistons
But somebody’s game that we will deep dive into is somebody that I’m falling to love with man. I love watching Jalen Duren play for this basketball team.
I’ve been preaching it. I’m gonna keep preaching it. I’m gonna keep talking about how sensational this guy is. Because every game, every week, every month that we watch this kid play, he is growing and doing more and more for this basketball team. Only had seven points but 18 rebounds. Eight on the offensive glass, 10 on the defensive glass.
This dude is absolutely sensational, man. I love watching this guy play. I love the screens he sets for this team to help get the guards open. I love his short role passing when he catches the ball from the elbow in, to get up to the paint where he is able to kick it to, perimeter shooters, or to drop it off to Bojan who’s cutting.
Or Jaden who’s cutting or Killian, who’s cutting. His passing and his vision are spectacular. He is doing so much for this team and again, I stand by him being the second most valuable Piston to this team. Because the stuff that he’s able to do when you’re front court, you’re not getting from anybody else on a night-to-night basis.
And he’s showing, I don’t care anymore. He’s showing I think, the potential to be an elite top-10 center in the NBA. Because he’s not just excelling at one thing at this point. You’re seeing the potential to do other things. You’re seeing as he gets the ball more, he’s getting more comfortable with finding different ways to score outside of just catching easy, put-backs, or dunks at the block.
He’s finding ways to get hook shots up. He’s still trying his mid-range shot whenever he gets a chance. And he’s getting more comfortable with that, and I think that’s only gonna keep growing, especially when Cade Cunningham gets back and more talent is assembled around Jalen Duren. More shooters are being assembled around him.
I think you’re only gonna see that served to be more productive for him. And the way he’s been playing has been absolutely sensational. I love watching this guy play, man, for real. Even when he doesn’t grab the offensive rebound, it seems like every single time the Detroit Pistons get a shot up and the ball is around the rim in the paint.
He’s able to tap the ball and get it out to his teammates to get them an extra opportunity at a shot. And the Detroit Pistons have not had that all season. They’ve been getting destroyed on the glass. They’ve been getting beat up in the paint with, they’re playing these small ball lineups and they had during only playing, sub 20 minutes off the bench.
Now he’s playing big boy minutes. Play 33 tonight. And he’s shown that he can handle all of it, even when he gets in foul trouble. Had five fouls tonight, but was still able to make a difference in the paint. Was still able to be the most productive player in the paint when you’re playing against the Orlando Magic team who has size all over the place with Paolo and Bol Bol, and Mo Bamba when Wagner was on the court. I mean, Franz Wagner is their shooting guard.
He’s what, 6’9″ if I’m not mistaken. Like they have a very big team in a lot of size, so this wasn’t an easy game for somebody like Jalen Duren and to be able to dominate and be the man in the paint to hold things down for this Detroit Piston team was so fun to watch. It was so fun to watch. He is growing every single time.
He has been, I think, the most fun Piston to watch consistently throughout this season. A lot of guys have had ups and downs. A lot of guys have had their low moments where they look like they can be kind of sloppy. Jalen Duren on his worst games is still making a difference. He’s still finding ways to put tomahawk dunks on his opponent’s head, still, find ways to dominate and look like a young Dwight Howard on the glass.
He looks sensational. Troy Weaver needs to take a victory lap, man. That trade-up for him. I don’t know what the Charlotte Hornets were thinking. I don’t know what the Knicks were thinking. I don’t know what any of these teams were thinking, passing on Jalen Duren, and letting him fall all the way down as far as he did in the draft. But it’s okay.
The Detroit Pistons now got the big man in the center and I cannot wait to see how this kid unfolds. Awesome game by the Pistons. 121- 101. Talk to me in the comments section. I’d love to hear from you what you think about Killian Hayes coming to the league moment. I think he finally had it in this kind of game right here, man, where you know everybody wanted to see that dog
in Killian, you saw it on full display on Mo Vagner tonight. Talk to me in the comment section. I’d love to hear your feedback on the game. What did you think about the Detroit Pistons? What did you think about Killian Hayes? Jalen Duren, the Magic. Even if you’re a Magic fan, you find your way over to this video.
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