Detroit Pistons: Player grades at the one-month mark of the season
By Duncan Smith
Grading Derrick Rose and the Detroit Pistons bench
With Jerami Grant and the rest of the starters out of the way, let’s dig in on the bench portion of the rotation. We’ll begin with Derrick Rose’s grade so far.
Derrick Rose – D+
Any way you cut it, Derrick Rose has not had a satisfactory follow-up to his excellent 2019-20 season. Whether it’s because he didn’t get to have his usual offseason routine or the ravages of time continuing to catch up on him, Rose has had a disappointing season. He’s been especially dreadful in the clutch where he’s shot 22.2 percent from the floor and the Pistons have a -37.7 clutch net rating in the seven games he’s played. Incidentally, they’re 1-7 in those games.
Related Story. NBA: Does the East or West have more star power?. light
Josh Jackson – B
The great reclamation project for the Detroit Pistons this season, Josh Jackson has had some real highs so far. He’s struggled a bit since returning from an ankle sprain, but he’s exceeded expectations. Jackson’s offense has been fine, but his defense has been where he’s really stood out. He’s reminded us that he was indeed a top-three pick in a loaded 2017 NBA draft class.
Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk – D+
This was supposed to be Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk’s season, but it’s largely been a flop so far. He had a nice showing Saturday night against the Philadelphia 76ers, shooting 3-of-4 from 3-point range and 4-of-6 from the field, but he’s had nine games this season where he’s scored single digits while playing 10 minutes or more. Considering perimeter scoring is his calling card, the Pistons need more from him on that front.
Sekou Doumbouya – D+
Sekou Doumbouya is a bit of an enigma, both in terms of what he can provide on the floor and how Troy Weaver and head coach Dwane Casey view his future with the organization. He’s shown flashes this season but been inconsistent, and it’s hard to know exactly how much fault to pin on him and how much to pin on how he gets used. Nonetheless, he has underachieved relative to expectations so far.
Jahlil Okafor – D
Jahlil Okafor has some offensive game, but he can’t provide a whole lot more than that. As a result, he’s largely been supplanted in the rotation by rookie Isaiah Stewart.
Incomplete – Frank Jackson, Rodney McGruder and Deividas Sirvydis.