Detroit Pistons: Player grades at the one-month mark of the season

Grading Killian Hayes and the Detroit Pistons rookies

The Detroit Pistons came out of the 2020 NBA draft with a promising quartet of rookies, although Killian Hayes has gotten off to a rough start for more than one reason. We’ll get started on the rookies and start with Hayes himself.

Killian Hayes – Incomplete

Killian Hayes suffered a torn labrum in his seventh game of the season and will be out at least another eight weeks before he gets reevaluated, but he struggled mightily with his shot before he went down. On the plus side, he demonstrated better defensive awareness and abilities than advertised, and while he still struggles with everything to the right side of him, he remains a remarkable playmaker. He would grade poorly if we had to give him one right now, but it’s unfair to do so this early in his rookie season, especially given the bizarre difficulties this class has dealt with during this pandemic-impacted campaign.

Saddiq Bey – C+

The 19th pick of the 2020 NBA draft, Saddiq Bey has been excellent at times but he’s dealing with the fact that like Doumbouya, he gets the leftover minutes from Blake Griffin. It’s a bizarre way of doing business, but alas, that’s the deal for Bey right now. He’s an excellent shooter and more composed than your average rookie, especially one found in the latter half of the first round.

Isaiah Stewart – B

Isaiah Stewart got ejected from his first-ever PRESEASON game against the New York Knicks, and with that, he became a Detroit Piston and a Bad Boy for life. He’s an unfiltered ball of energy and a force on the offensive boards, and he has the distinction of shredding Dwight Howard’s shorts in the paint on Saturday night and then drawing a technical foul on the veteran. Stewart’s offensive game has room for improvement, but this man is a Detroit fan favorite like few others in recent years.

Incomplete – Saben Lee.