AUBURN HILLS – If you’re a glass-half-full sort – and around Dwane Casey’s perpetual positivity, that’s the Pistons these days – then you’ll embrace the season-opening win over Brooklyn for everything it was while ignoring everything it wasn’t.
What it was: The Pistons winning a game on the overwhelming strength of Blake Griffin and Andre Drummond – they combined for 50 points and 28 rebounds – despite missing two starters, spotting Brooklyn an 8-0 lead and coping with foul trouble that dogged Drummond throughout the second half.
“We hit those jitters early,” Griffin said after the 103-100 win sealed by two Reggie Jackson free throws with six seconds to play and ensured when Glenn Robinson III smothered Joe Harris’ game-tying triple attempt at the buzzer.
“I was proud of the way we stayed calm, fought back in it. Ultimately, we’ve got to do a better job when we get a 13-point lead or whatever it was to just put it away and not have to have a game like that. But like we always say, we’ll take a win any way we can.”
Casey, by the way, won’t ignore everything the win wasn’t. The Pistons gave up way too many layups ��� 66 Nets point in the paint – and way too much penetration, particularly from Caris LeVert and Spencer Dinwiddie, who combined for 50 points and shot 10 of 18 apiece.
Their spacing was off, no doubt affected by the absence of starters Reggie Bullock (illness) and Stanley Johnson (toe injury), necessitating a start for rookie Bruce Brown and the use of Zach Lofton, signed to a two-way contract only on Monday.
And their late-game execution, including two shot-clock violations in the final minute and a blown defensive assignment on Brooklyn’s last possession, left vast room for improvement.
But Casey isn’t going to quibble with the result. He’ll address all of those issues before the Pistons play next – at Chicago on Saturday – but he’ll weave it together by underscoring the way his players fought through the jitters, the jolt of losing two starters and the quandary of Drummond’s foul trouble.
“It was a good win. We’ll take it,” he said. “That was the theme of this summer and this fall – bouncing back, playing through adversity. And our guys did. Down two starters. If you’d have told me Bruce Brown was going to be an opening night starter …”
Casey had to patch lineups together by the seat of his pants around the injuries and the foul trouble. He finished the first half with Jackson and Ish Smith playing together for the final eight-plus minutes and found opportunities for Brown and Robinson down the stretch for their defense.
They got to halftime tied at 51 after trailing by 12 late in the first quarter and took a 13-point lead midway through the third quarter with Griffin dominating near the rim. When Drummond went to the bench with foul trouble, Griffin protected the lead.
“Blake did an incredible job of picking up the slack while I was out of the game defensively and offensively he did a great job of being tough and taking it to the hoop and getting fouled,” said Drummond, whose 24 points and 20 rebounds were the first 20-20 game in Pistons history in a season opener. “Both of us together is quite the tandem. I really enjoy playing with him.”
Griffin finished with 26 points, eight rebounds and six assists, 15 points and six boards coming in the second half. He hit 9 of 11 at the foul line despite battling double teams every team he posted. The lead started to shrink when Casey had to give Griffin a rest late in the third quarter and the Nets took a 94-93 lead with a little less than four minutes to play.
Casey wanted Griffin posting up – he had a big physical advantage over Jared Dudley, who guarded him most of the night – but knows the spacing around Griffin must improve to take full advantage of his passing and decision making.
“It’s hard in this league to bang-bang-bang like he was doing,” Casey said. “His was 26 the hard way. We want to get more inside-out action out of that. But he did a fantastic job of posting up.”
The Pistons took only 24 3-point shots – and made only six – after averaging 41 triple attempts in the preseason.
“I thought we turned down some shots,” Griffin said. “Missing Reggie Bullock and Stanley hurts a little bit, but I think we need to work on taking the shots that are there. I think at times we were a little hesitant.”
So lots to work on. But for everything the season opener wasn’t, Dwane Casey will remind his team of what it ultimately was: a win – and reason to celebrate.