FAST BREAKDOWN
Three quick observations from Wednesday night’s 114-107 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder at Little Caesars Arena
WOOD SURGING – Christian Wood’s strong second half continues – he scored a career-high 29 points, hitting 12 of 15 shots, adding 10 rebounds– as he situates himself for a healthy payday when free agency opens on June 30. Wood led a Pistons surge from 16 points down that saw them take a 103-102 lead with 4:27 left, but Oklahoma City got a big triple from Danilo Gallinari with 21 seconds left for a four-point lead that held up. Wood’s big night will tick up his already impressive numbers since he took on a more prominent role. Since Jan. 22, Wood came into Wednesday’s game averaging 17.8 points and 7.9 rebounds in 28 minutes a game while shooting 52.5 percent overall and 37.9 percent from the 3-point arc. Wood has played primarily at power forward of late after spending most of his time at center prior to the trade of Andre Drummond and the buyout of Markieff Morris. Over the past four games, Wood has started at power forward next to John Henson at center, then shifted to center when Henson checks out for Sekou Doumbouya. His flexibility will give the Pistons options in filling out their frontcourt – assuming they’re able to retain Wood in free agency. If Wood finishes out the season on the same plane he’s reached while assuming an expanded role, he’ll likely find a robust market awaiting him.
ON POINT – Having quality point guards isn’t just about creating points; it’s also about avoiding chaos. Dwane Casey envies the three point guards he considers NBA starters that Oklahoma City features and he especially envied them on a night the Pistons had only Brandon Knight who’s played appreciable minutes as an NBA point guard – and he’s a player Casey considers more of a combo guard. The Pistons scored 64 points in Wednesday’s first half, yet trailed by five points in large measure because they committed 11 turnovers that the Thunder converted into 20 points. Knight held up as well as anyone could have hoped in his 38 minutes – he finished with 18 points and seven assists against just two turnovers – but not having another point guard to play alongside of him meant others were asked to play unfamiliar roles. Oklahoma City keeps two of its point guards on the floor at virtually all times and wound up scoring 58 points in the paint Those three point guards Casey considers NBA starters – future Hall of Famer Chris Paul, Shea Gilgeous-Alexander and Dennis Schroder – combined for 65 points. Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 27 points on 12 of 15 shooting, Schroder had 23 points and nine assists off the bench and Paul 16 points and six assists.
WAIVER HELP – The Pistons can only hope their most recent waiver claim works out as well as their last. Jordan McRae was added to the roster a few hours before tipoff on Wednesday night when the Pistons put in a claim after Denver waived McRae, a four-year veteran who was a second-round draft choice in 2014. McRae’s strength is his scoring – “people you talk to, he’s a professional scorer,” Dwane Casey said – and that was reflected in his play with Washington this season, where he averaged 12.8 points and 22.6 minutes over 29 games. McRae finished with15 points and three assists, earning Casey’s trust enough that he was on the floor with the game on the line in the final five minutes. He scored 10 points in nine minutes in the second quarter, hitting all three of his shots, one a 3-pointer, while drawing three shooting fouls. McRae was sent to Denver at the trade deadline for point guard Shabazz Napier and waived by the Nuggets after appearing in four games. Pistons fans with good memories might recall that in the 2015-16 regular-season finale at Cleveland – with both teams resting their starters ahead of their playoff series that started four days later – McRae scored 36 points to lead a Cavaliers win. Casey said he sees McRae as more of a wing who can help at point guard “in a pinch,” though McRae has played point guard over his career. And the most recent Pistons waiver claim? Christian Wood.