Detroit Pistons

The night before the 2022 NBA draft, Troy Weaver received a call from Detroit Pistons owner Tom Gores. He had some advice for his general manager.

The play of their two rookies is a big reason why. Duren initially wasn’t expected to have a big role for the Pistons this early into the season, but injuries have thrust him into the limelight. He may already be the best rebounder on Detroit’s roster. He’s 18, but he looks ready for the NBA. Ivey may already be one of the NBA’s most dangerous transition players, thanks to his top-end speed. It’s too early to say if the opener foretold the type of season the Pistons are in store for, but the rookie duo passed their first test. When the floor is open, defenses can do little to prevent him from attacking. Their basketball talent and everything else, they have the makings of something very special. Ivey finished with 19 points on 8-for-15 shooting and four assists, and Duren added 14 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks in just under 22 minutes off of the bench. Ivey and Duren were considered to be two of the best athletes in their class, and they produced numerous highlights Wednesday. The front office had both players ranked very highly on their draft board, and with Gores’ blessing, they made out like bandits on draft night. These moments will be inflection points for the restoration.”

Tom Gores said Dwane Casey and Troy Weaver have his full support as they aim to restore the franchise back to its winning ways.

"The thing about our team is they have the character to actually go through pain — and we’re going to go through a lot, no doubt. These guys have the character to go through it, so, of course, I expect (growing pains)." "I have tremendous confidence and I’m a very optimistic person, but these guys are showing it on the floor." "You have to have growing pains. Gores watched the Pistons' rookie first-round picks provide immediate contributions, as rookie guard Jaden Ivey shined in his debut and rookie center Jalen Duren added 14 points and 10 rebounds. He's said repeatedly that he doesn't want them to use being young as an excuse not to compete on a nightly basis.

From the day he became Pistons owner 11 years ago, Tom Gores was determined to assemble a basketball team that would inspire Detroit and the surrou...

“I actually have to tell everybody else (to be patient),” he said. “They have athleticism – incredible – but they work hard,” Gores said. “He’s done it in a way that he’s been aggressive in terms of making moves, but he’s also very thorough. Gores joined the rest of the sellout crowd in thrilling to the exploits of Pistons rookies Jaden Ivey and Jalen Duren, whose splashy debuts were critical components of the opening win. They have the makings of something very special.” “I’m an optimistic person, but I think this team has the makings of something special.

For the first time, fans got a glimpse of Jaden Ivey, the Pistons' new electrifying guard, and Jalen Duren, who became the youngest player in Pistons history to ...

Pick-and-rolls were run in attempts to get lobs to Duren, or to deliver the ball en route to him getting downhill. This palpable energy infected the rest of the roster from start to finish. If last night was a sign of things to come, expect them to jump into the top ten this season.

Rookie Jalen Duren also had a double-double with 14 points, 11 rebounds and three assists. Last summer's No. 1 overall pick, Paolo Banchero, led all scorers ...

After missing their first 10 from behind-the-arc, they made 5 of 9 attempts in the second quarter and 8 of 14 in the third. The team struggled to find a rhythm, to say the least. Wednesday highlighted why the Pistons were eager to acquire him, as he led the team with 24 points and hit six of his 10 3-point attempts. He scored 10 points in the period, and his second 3-pointer of the night with 5:35 on the clock extended the lead to 73-68. Orlando’s start to the game was unsustainably hot; they shot 57.9% in the first quarter but finished shooting 48.8% with 18 turnovers. [When the Pistons traded for Bogdanovic in September](https://www.freep.com/story/sports/nba/pistons/2022/09/22/detroit-pistons-bojan-bogdanovic-nba-trade-utah-jazz/69511444007/), it was already clear what they’d be getting. He scored 22 of his 24 points in the second and third quarters, helping Detroit take control of a game that nearly escaped them early. A late 3-point play with 4:06 to play in the game extended the lead to five once again. Ivey got downhill with ease throughout the night, and did most of his damage in the third quarter. He had a strong preseason, grabbing double-digit rebounds in all three of his appearances. Bojan Bogdanovic led the Pistons with 24 points, rookie Jaden Ivey scored 19 points and dished four assists, and Cade Cunningham tallied a double-double with 18 points and 10 rebounds. Duren might’ve been the biggest surprise of the night.

For the long-term health of the franchise, I love where the Pistons are a lot more today than where I felt they were a year ago. Adding talent like Jaden Ivey ...

Stewart to become a perimeter threat, and Bey to be a more consistent shot-maker. But it doesn’t mean they are on the wrong path, it just means they’re a little further than their destination than originally believed. There is also a chance they are a lot smarter than I am, and they have a clear vision of how this team will succeed, and how it will come up short. They could have a solid understanding of how the ledger looks at the end of the season, and it’ll be much more positive than my rather gloomy prediction. The Pistons as a franchise will field on of the league’s youngest rosters, and I’d be hard-pressed to expect any franchise to see more impactful minutes from the 24-and-younger set. This team lost Jerami Grant, and it was the right move, but his ability to score in a variety of ways and to provide that steadying veteran presence to an often-overmatched young team will be difficult to replace. Bojan Bogdanovic can shoot the heck out of the ball, but you can’t give it to him and ask him to make something out of nothing. In our [season preview](https://www.detroitbadboys.com/2022/10/14/23403577/detroit-pistons-season-preview-best-case-worst-case), I was slightly more charitable and predicted a 26-win record. [NBA season predictions](https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/2023-nba-predictions/), and they have Detroit pegged at 23-59 with the second-worst record in the league. When I look at the talent of this team, its abundant reliant on its youth, and the weaknesses its opponents will be able to exploit, I see ... Adding talent like Jaden Ivey and Jalen Duren is important as the team considers what it needs to surround its cornerstone player, Cade Cunningham. There has been some momentum toward pegging Detroit as a team that can flirt with a play-in game and perhaps even a playoff berth.

The Jazz and Spurs both traded away key players in an effort to go young and the Rockets are already there, though I think they could be frisky offensively this ...

Even though a 14 percent chance (at best) isn’t great, it is higher than Detroit’s chances of making the playoffs, so why not be bad for one more season for a chance to land a transformative player? The article breaks down the “locks” for tanktathon 2022 which include the Jazz, Spurs and Rockets. “The Hornets may lose their No.

Underdog NBA: "Updated lineup alert: Magic will start Suggs, Ross, Franz Wagner, Banchero, Carter Jr. on Wednesday." ...

Cade Cunningham was the first overall pick out of Oklahoma State by the Pistons in 2021, and Palo Banchero was the first overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft out of Duke by the Magic. Jalen Suggs will replace him in the starting lineup. #MagicTogether"

It's the first time Detroit has been above .500 since 2019. Ivey scored 19 points, showcasing his quick first step and knocking down a pair of 3s. Duren's 14 ...

Then Duren entered the chat and the game completely flipped. He worked off screens to force switches and then use his quick first step to blow by his defender. The starters were playing tight, they were sloppy with the ball, and they were letting Orlando’s length dictate the game on both ends. Despite missing his first two treys of the game, Stewart hoisted without hesitation and splashed the basket that iced the game. Duren’s 14 points and 11 rebounds and became the youngest Piston ever to record a double-double. The superlatives for the Pistons don’t stop with the rookies as just about every player had a moment in front of a rocking Little Caesars Arena crowd.

Detroit — If there's anything to take away from the Pistons' first game of the 2022-23 campaign, regardless of the score, it's the team's resilience.

Later in the game, he rose for a dunk on Magic center Mo Bamba. With three of their frontcourt players at 6-foot-10, that size made it hard for the Pistons to drive into the paint and even harder to shoot over. Casey revealed the final play was drawn up for Cunningham to call his own number to try and score inside. The other, he drew two defenders and found Stewart for a two-handed dunk. Orlando went on a 16-0 run to put an end to any momentum Detroit had until Bey scored a floater to stop the bleeding. "It was huge for him, for his confidence," Casey said in regard to Stewart.

The Orlando Magic open their season against the Detroit Pistons in a battle between two of the most promising young teams in the league.

This is an easy way for a team like the Detroit Pistons to get easy 3-point shots. [Pistons 110, Magic 103](https://orlandomagicdaily.com/2021/10/30/orlando-magic-still-seeking-reduce-zero-lineups/) in Detroit on Oct. 3; [Magic 119, Pistons 103](https://orlandomagicdaily.com/2022/01/28/orlando-magic-begin-put-lessons-together/) in Orlando on Jan. This was a point of emphasis and a struggle throughout the preseason. These teams are going to make their share of mistakes and their share of miscues. He debuted against the Magic and scored in double figures in only three of his first six games. He was hurt at the beginning of the season and missed the first four games. In the preseason, neither team fared a whole lot better. For now, the Magic seem a bit more unified and on fire. The Magic ended their preseason with two of their better overall performances winning home games against the Memphis Grizzlies and Cleveland Cavaliers to finish 4-1. But they still have to make their pieces fit together and get on the same page. Or it could just be the randomness of the first game.

The Pistons tip off the 2022-23 season at home tonight in a matchup featuring the NBA's most recent No. 1 overall picks, Cade Cunningham and Paolo Banchero.

[that level](https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10051998-pistons-cade-cunningham-an-all-star-level-player-says-teammate-marvin-bagley-iii) by his peers. At 21 years old, his perseverance after two disappointing seasons — his first due to injury — seems sincere and could become a testament to his maturity. [spraining his knee](https://www.freep.com/story/sports/nba/pistons/2022/10/16/detroit-pistons-marvin-bagley-iii-avoid-knee-serious-injury/69566772007/)during the preseason. 🇫🇷 Will Killian Hayes make the leap? Being more aggressive and efficient — he shot just 31.4% from three last season — while limiting turnovers could make Cunningham's sophomore campaign one to remember [analysts saying](https://www.freep.com/story/sports/nba/pistons/2022/06/24/detroit-pistons-nba-draft-grades-jaden-ivey-jalen-duren/7721403001/) Detroit won this summer's draft.

Killian Hayes might be just 21 years old, but his Pistons' future is already at risk unless he can improve his shooting.

That would mean that Hayes has some capable veteran shooters to play off of in Alec Burks, Joseph and a decent helping of Bojan Bogdanovic. Hayes is also surely the most likely to see his minutes cut in favor of some veteran consistency on the floor. Ivey is an elite athlete, and so he can be cutting to the rim and finishing dunks. But the sad reality is, Hayes is on borrowed time in Detroit, and he has this season to cement his status as any part of the Pistons’ future. Hayes would be most effective in a running lineup featuring healthy doses of rookie Jaden Ivey and Jalen Duren. The Pistons ranked fourth in wide-open 3s but shot just 35.5%, which ranked second to last. There is no better perimeter option to hound players at the top of the key than Hayes. It’s not where it needs to be, but the shot looks better, he did it at high volume (5 attempts per game), and looked all around more aggressive and in attack mode in the warm up to the season. That is the fourth-worst mark in the first two seasons of a career (minimum, 1,000 minutes played). You should never write off a young prospect in the NBA with the size, strength and gifts of Hayes, and while he’s entering his third season, he has only played 2,300 minutes. The absence of all three of those have resulted in a true shooting percentage of 44.9% for Hayes. Through two injury-marred NBA season, Killian Hayes has shown himself to be a plus defender with quality court vision and the ability to find teammates for open looks.

The Pistons still have last year's No. 1 overall draft pick, Cade Cunningham. With his ability to create his own shots and knock down three-pointers, he has ...

There are high hopes and beliefs that this team is destined to do great things in the future — the beginning of Bad Boys 2.0. He opens the floor for other teammates by being a great lob threat and mid range shooter with the ability to score well in the post. Duren is another centerpiece that will contribute to the Pistons growth this season and play big on the defensive end. The 6-foot-11 power forward/center is the youngest player in the NBA. Ivey is the most explosive and athletic player in his draft class. The Pistons are a young team on the rise set to give opposing teams keen competition.

Second-year guard Jalen Suggs replaced Cole Anthony in the Orlando Magic's starting lineup.

Detroit Pistons game time, TV channel info, radio, score, live updates and analysis as they play the Orlando Magic in an NBA regular season opener.

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Detroit needed this. All of it. At this moment. More specifically, on this night.

“Whatever happens — we win tonight, they win tonight — that isn’t going to determine who the Magic are, who the Pistons are.” Most importantly, though, they needed to do this in front of their fans, the ones most pained by the last 15 years of mediocrity, the ones who want to believe that, this time, something actually is coming. They needed to do all of this in front of their owner, Tom Gores, who needed real convincing three years ago to take a rebuilding route of this extreme.