Andrew Buller-Russ
Despite making three top 10 picks in each of the past three seasons, the Detroit Pistons seem to be saying that’s just not good enough to provide a spark in Motor City. We’ve seen Saddiq Bey and Cade Cunningham make the All-Rookie team in 2020 and 2021, and Jaden Ivey may be well on his way to doing the same at the end of 2022.
But the problem is, it just hasn’t translated to wins on the court.
Of course, the Pistons get a bit of a break this season, as Cunningham is dealing with a stress fracture in his shin. There’s even been talk of the second-year pro shutting it down for the season as the Pistons embrace a tanking effort.
With Detroit sitting in last place of the Eastern Conference, maybe leaning more toward development isn’t such a bad idea for the rest of the year.
If so, we could even see the Pistons start trading some of their veterans, such as sharpshooter Bojan Bogdanovic, who’s averaging north of 20 points per game. Yet, interestingly enough, Detroit may be considering selling low on one of their younger talents as well.
Saddiq Bey’s decline could lead to trade
According to Yahoo’s Jake Fischer, teams around the NBA are keeping tabs on Bey’s situation with the Pistons. According to Fischer, the Pistons have taken calls on the talented yet struggling scorer, but he alludes to Detroit wanting more time to evaluate the former first-round pick.
Especially considering head coach Dwane Casey even went so far as to remove the third-year wing from the starting lineup. While that benching was only temporary, as Bey has worked his way back in the starting five, it indicates that maybe a change of scenery could be well-received.
Entering the year, Bey was seen as a breakout candidate after his scoring improved, while his shooting splits took a hit a season ago. Only 17 games into the year, and Bey hasn’t been able to show any growth.
While the 23-year-old is shooting a career-high 91.8% from the free throw line, Bey’s effective field goal percentage, his scoring, rebounding, and assist numbers are all down from a year ago.
- Saddiq Bey stats in 2022: 14.7 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 1.6 APG, 40.8 FG%, 29 3PT%
If the Pistons decide a trade is best, they’d be selling low on the 19th pick from the 2020 NBA Draft. Even if Bey doesn’t bounce back to his previous form, where he averaged 16.1 PPG last year, or when he shot 38% from distance as a rookie, several teams will likely have interest in the former Villanova star.
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