Wayne Ellington was the last piece Troy Weaver added to the puzzle during a frenzied November week when he infused the Pistons with 11 new players, but it seemed likely even then that he’d carve out a meaningful role given his history with Dwane Casey, the weapon his 3-point shot represents and the needs of a roster short on proven shooters.
Just how big a role Ellington had cemented for himself over the season’s first six weeks was sharply evident in their Friday loss at Phoenix. The Pistons fell behind by 17 points in a first half in which they got up plenty of triples – 21, in fact – but made precious few: three. That was a routine quarter for Ellington during a January when he made better than 50 percent of his 3-point tries.
They were bumping along at 5 of 32 from the arc in the fourth quarter and yet – somehow, some way – were still in the game, trailing by 11 with seven minutes to go – testament to the fight they’ve displayed all season. And then, in the span of 30 seconds, the weight of the 3-point shot in today’s NBA was graphically illustrated. Around a Pistons turnover, the Suns bagged a pair of 3-pointers – a 32-footer from Devin Booker to beat the shot clock and another from Chris Paul. Just like that, it was a 17-point game.
“That’s one of the most lethal weapons you can have is 3-point shooting,” Casey said after the 109-92 loss. “Very evident tonight. Our lack of scoring, defensively (we were) affected. (Without Ellington’s) ability to shoot the three, spacing, it shrunk the floor.”
The Pistons wound up shooting poorly from just about everywhere – 37 percent overall, 19 percent from three and 61 percent from the foul line. The Pistons got up six more shots than Phoenix and 12 more free throws, turning the ball over nine times less, but the old saying – “it’s a make or miss league” – proved fatally accurate.
“It’s tough, for sure,” rookie Saddiq Bey, who started in Ellington’s place, said of trying to figure a way to win when the ball refuses to go through the rim. “We’ll take the shots we take when it’s open. We’ve got to control on the defensive end. That’s why defense is so important.”
Bey played a strong all-around game, spending much of the first half holding Phoenix All-Star Booker to four points, but his final line would have been all the more impressive if he’d been able to hit more than 2 of 8 from the arc. As it was, Bey gave the Pistons 14 points, four rebounds, two assists, a steal and a blocked shot in 26 minutes and was the only starter to finish in the black in plus/minus at plus-3.
Bey wasn’t the only one among Casey’s trove of young players to leave a positive impression. In a season the Pistons have devoted to a significant degree to the development of the nine players 23 or younger on their roster, they can take from Phoenix another encouraging chapter in Isaiah Stewart’s growth.
Stewart put up his second career double-double – 10 points, 10 rebounds, two blocks in 24 minutes – but the most revealing part of his night might have come in the fourth quarter when future Hall of Famer Paul smelled blood in the water when Stewart wound up guarding him in a switch.
Twice Paul probed to get past Stewart, twice he was rebuffed. The first time Paul backed it out to start anew. The second time, cut off by the 6-foot-9 rookie, he lost his dribble and turned the ball over.
“He’s growing defensively,” Casey said of the 19-year-old. “Being able to switch on a guy like Paul – crafty guy. He got him once on a pump fake, but that was it. He did a good job of moving his feet. Switching one through five, that’s what you need from a big.”
“Coming in, one of the biggest knocks on my game people had, they didn’t think I could defend point guards when I’m in that switch,” Stewart said. “That’s what’s on my mind. I just try to make it hard and do everything I can on the defensive end to help my team.”
But a lot of pressure gets put on your defense when your offense sputters the way it did on Friday. For all the ways to analyze this loss, it keeps coming back to the difficulty of winning games on nights the ball doesn’t drop. Even as Casey extolled Bey’s contributions, he couldn’t escape that thought.
“Saddiq is a strong kid. He’s an excellent defender, moves his feet well,” Casey said. “I thought he turned down some threes that he needs to take. His rhythm is a little off with his 3-point shooting, but he’s growing. Rookie, just coming out of college, competing against a guy like Booker and Paul. But he’s growing right before our eyes. Unfortunately, we’re still on the wrong side of the scoreboard at the end.”