The Detroit Pistons suffered their first loss of the season. Going up against a hungry, desperate Knicks team that was coming into the game with a 0-3 record, the Pistons struggled offensively. Despite a hot start and building a double-digit lead in the first half, Detroit couldn't maintain the momentum. When the Knicks turned it on after halftime, the Pistons had no response.
Whenever you shoot 9/37 from three and score 97 points, it suggests that there were plenty of disappointing performances. Who were some of the duds, and who was the bright spot on the Pistons on Tuesday night?
Ausar Thompson
This was a frustrating performance by Thompson that reminded Pistons fans of the downside risk of the contract the front office gave him this offseason. It was a type of game that we have unfortunately seen from Thompson too often.
Because of foul trouble and offensive problems, Thompson was limited to only 25 minutes. He was the starter who played the least on either team. No matter how great a defender you are and how much impact you make when you are out there, if you are only on the court for half of the game, it's just not that valuable.
Thompson had a horrendous airball on his lone three-point attempt. He was 1/3 from the charity stripe. He had four turnovers to only two assists and ended up fouling out. He is still the best perimeter defender in the league, but the lack of improvement in a lot of other areas was on full display on Tuesday.
Ron Holland
Talk about a frustrating lack of improvement. Holland had the most Ron Holland game imaginable. He would play excellent defense on Jalen Brunson for long stretches, only to commit an asinine foul at the end of the possession. He had excellent lockdown possessions on defense, but also made silly mistakes to frustrate JB Bickerstaff.
There is a reason Holland only played 12 minutes, despite being +3 in his minutes. He airballed an open three and was largely ineffective offensively once again. It's getting difficult to point to anything in Holland's game that has significantly improved from last season.
Tolu Smith
Even with Jalen Duren sidelined and Paul Reed in foul trouble, Tolu Smith could barely see the court on Tuesday. Instead, Bickerstaff went with John Collins at center for long stretches.
What is the point of having a third-string center on the roster if he isn't going to play when the starting center is injured? In the brief moments Bickerstaff had Smith out there, things went shockingly bad. Smith had four fouls in six minutes, and the Pistons lost those minutes by 18 points.
He clearly and understandably doesn't have Bickerstaff's trust, so why even keep him around?
Winner: Paul Reed
The only bright spot in this game for the Pistons was Paul Reed. We have grown accustomed to Reed stepping up in moments of need, and Tuesday night was another example. He was a beast on the boards, was effective scoring the ball inside the paint, and made a ton of plays on both ends of the floor.
In his 26 minutes, Reed went for 22 points, nine rebounds, three assists, two steals, and a block on 9/12 shooting from the field. He was a team-best +7.
Reed is in his contract year. Performances like this could get him paid like a starting-caliber center next summer. Despite the loss, this was a big win for Reed for that reason alone.
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