One more thing on Cade...it is really nice having your star be such a willing passer. It makes everybody else look for the extra pass to find the open man also. The positive effect he is having on the entire team just cannot be overstated.
I am a little disappointed that Bey seems to be stuck in the 36-37% three point shooting range. You look at Kennard and he is up around 40 every season. I think Bey has the potential to be that good but he is missing just enough good looks to keep his percentages down.
No game means all that much to us but it would have been nice to play for a win in this one given the atmosphere. Would have liked to see Cade go the distance in the second half.
He's a very skilled player but I am not sure he has much tenacity on defense...which makes me think his long term role is on the bench. He needs to challenge (and block) more shots.
This is a fun game. I said it last game also but Jerami Grant is a lot more fun to watch these days. He is more engaged defensively (and making plays on that end) and is not as much of a ball hog on offense. Getting to see him as role player shows off his value a lot more than when he is supposed to be the #1 option.
Man...I hope Cade never turns into the whiner that Tatum is. In a league full of guys who like to whine, Tatum has to be one of the worst based on what I have seen this game.
I think I have a little prospect fatigue with Ivey that I don't have with Smith or Holmgren...probably because I have seen him play a lot given that he is in the Big Ten. I kind of doubt he will be a go to scoring option at the NBA level. Still, I think you have to put him #3 after Smith and Holmgren as no other wing players have his all around talent. And he probably fits the Pistons as well as any other team as we could use an elite athlete to complement Cade and Saddiq.
Jerami Grant is doing a much better job of fitting in these days. It helps a lot that Cade is the defacto alpha on the team now and Grant can just go back to playing a secondary role.
Casey wasted way too much time calling timeout. They should have just let it go...Grant had Livers wide open for a last second shot there but I am not sure if he was going to pass it or shoot it.
It looks to me like Stewart is becoming a really good defensive player. He seems to have the instincts on how to be a good help defender. Really encouraged by his progress.
Stewart with a nice game from what I saw. The Pistons continually leave him out to dry on defense and he continually did his best to try and protect the rim.
Apparently Cade is in the skills challenge. So he has been in two events this weekend. Nice to see a Piston relevant on All-Star weekend. Hope that continues in future years also.
It would be nice if we could into the All Star Break with a decent performance from Cade. Seems like every game is a poor shooting night now. Still time to turn this one around.
Weaver seems to be obsessed with 5 stars from high school who have not worked out elsewhere. Diallo, Frank Jackson, Trey Lyles, Josh Jackson, and now Marvin Bagley. I might even be missing somebody.