Betrayer

The coping narrative around Killian was that if we got Haliburton we might not have been bad enough to get Cade. I wonder if that narrative goes away this season.

G-Leaguers getting some run early in the season. Why wait until March to tank? The injury situation on this team has been ridiculous for multiple years now.

Adding to that, he's also #6 in usage across the entire NBA, just played the 84th game of his career yesterday, and is the only offensive player in most of the lineups. He definitely looks fatigued and has every right to be. Both mentally and physically.

After those first three game, the Pistons have given up 124, 110, 125, and 120. You’re not winning a lot of games giving up 120+. Tonight it was the offensive glass where they gave up over 26 second chance points to a poor rebounding team. 5 game losing streak about to go to 7 with Bucks and Sixers coming up next.

And there it is. Steph came in and all of a sudden GS is up by 6.

Killian definitely having his best game of the season on both ends. Wiseman glued to the bench in the second half. Even Monty is done with him. Cade getting free throws! Still doesn’t feel like a win is coming because I’m not sure we can keep up this scoring rate and we still aren’t really stopping GS. Also, Curry coming back in soon.

Will we ever know what this team looks like for even 20 games with their 8 top players available? The rebounding is really suffering tonight without Duren. I understand him resting because he’s looked off since the ankle roll a few games ago, but we need a competent vet for our 3rd Center.

Wow Wiseman is bad. Real bad.

Pistons are in full end-season tank form with all these injuries. Duren and Ivey both out tonight.

Duren having a really bad defensive half. Dudes are just walking past him into an open lane.

Ugh. Same starting lineup. I’m seeing the stubbornness that Suns fans complained about with Monty.

Looks like Booker and Beal are out. Didn’t help us in New Orleans when Zion and Ingram were out, but maybe this time?

Minutes aren’t gifted unless you’re a third year underperforming player shooting 27%. Also, no. He hasn’t limited Cade’s minutes. He’s looked completely gassed in the 4th quarter of the last couple games due to too many minutes down the stretch trying to make everything happen on his own. Only game with limited minutes was the one where he fouled out.

Definitely concerning. Especially when you see he only played 22 minutes even though Burks was out. Monty was using a small ball lineup with Stew at the 5, yet he chose to use Sasser, Harris, and even Umude while Ivey rode the pine. I won't lie, I would've gone with Sasser too. I've said it a few times, but I don't think he's here next season. It's feeling like a Saddiq Bey scenario or (even worse) an Ayton situation with Monty. And yea, Killian is terrible. Lots of jokes out there that Killian is our Landry Shamet who Monty apparently loved in Phoenix no matter how bad he played. He needs to be benched immediately.

Also, this was a big one because the next five games are losses: pelican, suns, warriors, bucks, sixers.

Frustrating loss. 4th quarter offense looked like Casey was back at the helm. All hero ball, no movement, no cutting, nothing. On the other end, the refs were in love with with Sharpe. They shot 33 free throws to our 11. Sure, we were playing third string players due to 4 key injuries, but you still have to beat the worst team in the league when you have a 15 pt lead in the 3rd and their star rookie leaves the game with an injury.

I'd like it to be Burks for now to get a veteran shooter in there, and also because it'll make it easier to replace him with Bogey when he comes back. But I can see the case for Ivey who projects to be a better secondary ballhandler and creator. Ausar will get the #1 perimeter assignment in the starting lineup and having Killian on the bench gives you a decent defender in the second unit when he rests. I say "decent" because in reality Killian gets way more credit than he deserves on that end. He's not an elite defender by any stretch of the imagination, it's simply one of the few things he does at an average NBA level. There are also a lot of scorers in the second unit, which works well with Killian's solid passing and lack of scoring punch. Once Morris and Bogey are back though, I'm not sure where you find minutes for Killian. You'll already have Morris, Ivey, and Burks as perimeter players off the bench (and Livers for a week or two before he gets injured again). Can't forget about Sasser either, who they moved up to get and who has played well in limited minutes. It really is time for a trade.

Jalen Duren is listed as questionable for tonight after that ankle injury he had last game. Also, it's time to change this starting backcourt: -Lineups with Cade + Ausar + Killian are -15.4 points per 100 possessions. -Lineups with Cade + Ausar + Burks/Ivey are +46 points per 100 possessions. From everything I've heard about Monty coming in, this is his big weakness. He's stubborn as hell and not big on analytics, so I'm guessing he doesn't make the obvious change that both the numbers, the eye test, and every analyst from Vecinie to Jack Kelly is calling out.

Top 5 for me. I can't put them above Harden's Clippers, KD's Suns, Kyrie's Mavs, or the Lakers.

The turnovers are definitely a problem and Cade looked like he thought it was a preseason game today. But, Monty’s not doing him any favors with the spacing in that starting lineup either. He’s getting double and triple teamed and blitzed constantly. It’s frustrating to watch, so it’s got to be even more frustrating for him.

Killian deciding it’s time to work on his game. Building OKC a new arena with all those bricks.

Defense has been real bad today. OKC just walking into the paint.

Cade was more aggressive earlier but he’s missed a lot of shots and the turned the ball over, so maybe he just checked out mentally. Not good, but it happens. Ausar injury reported as a leg cramp. Phew. on the other hand, I didn’t like Duren’s lift on that alley-oop attempt.

Good to see Duren back out there after the ankle roll. Now take him back out because this game’s over.

Happy Ivey is having a better offensive game but why is the guy who got benched for his poor defense guarding their best player?