NBA Draft: Grading every first-round pick after rookie year
PG. Detroit Pistons. Killian Hayes. 7. player. 64.
NBA Draft: Grading every first-round pick after rookie year: 7. Killian Hayes
Stats:
- 6.8 points
- 5.3 assists
For some rookies, they are either drafted onto a team with great players which takes away from their playing time or they are forced to sit on the bench behind a player on a squad who is attempting to make a playoff push. In the case of Killian Hayes, he walked into the ideal situation with the Detroit Pistons.
The Motor City hasn’t been relevant in NBA circles for well over a decade. So, with another poor season set to take place before the ball was even rolled onto the court, Hayes was given plenty of opportunities to show what he could do. Unfortunately for him, he simply wasn’t able to take full advantage.
Despite playing the ninth-most minutes per game compared to the rest of his draft class, Hayes only managed to average 6.8 points per game which ranked 21st amongst his peers. No matter where he shot the ball, Hayes simply couldn’t get it to drop. He scored on only 35.3 percent of his shots from the field and 27.8 percent from three-point land. If his season wasn’t already a disaster, Hayes missed eight weeks on the sidelines with a torn right labrum.
All in all, year one for Hayes was far from a success.
Grade: D