ORLANDO — With just under 10 minutes to play in the third quarter, Franz Wagner caught the ball on the left wing with his back to Tim Hardaway Jr. The Orlando Magic forward took a few escape dribbles before backing Hardaway into the post and getting off a turnaround jumper over his right shoulder.
It was a heavily contested shot. Not only did Hardaway play him closely, but Jaden Ivey came flying in from Wagner’s right at the last second. But Wagner is 6-foot-10 and feeling good after his game winner beat the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday. Neither Hardaway, who is 6-foot-5 nor Ivey, who jumps out of the gym but is just 6-foot-4, even mattered to Wagner on the shot.
Wagner finished with 30 points, nine rebounds and eight assists. Playing without Cade Cunningham, the Detroit Pistons figured to need a solid defensive performance to win in Orlando. But even without Paolo Banchero, the Magic had enough offensive firepower. Detroit couldn’t stop Orlando’s second-best player.
post work @franzboogie pic.twitter.com/Qf8c66xDrZ
— Orlando Magic (@OrlandoMagic) November 24, 2024
Saturday’s 111-100 loss to the Magic was the 10th time this season the Pistons have allowed an opposing player to score at least 30 points. Only Indiana and Chicago have given up more.
Wagner’s dominant performance highlights one of the biggest holes Detroit needs to fill in its climb to respectability: an elite defender. The Pistons don’t have many options for an extinguisher when an opponent is on a heater. It’s not just one type of player either. From Giannis Antetokounmpo’s 59 to Trae Young’s 35. From Tyler Herro’s 40 to Anthony Davis’ 38.
Detroit’s defense is vulnerable at multiple positions.
That’s why the continued development of second-year wing Ausar Thompson, who was available for the first time this season in the loss, is vital. As a rookie he showed flashes of being a legitimate perimeter disruptor, among other defensive strengths.
Thompson returned after an issue with blood clots ended his rookie season early and sidelined him for the team’s first 17 games.
In a failed effort to maintain his poker face, Detroit coach J.B. Bickerstaff all but announced before the game that Thompson would be available. Bickerstaff deemed him “questionable.” Thompson ended up not playing. Considering he logged a DNP on Saturday, one can likely expect Thompson to see the floor in limited minutes on Monday against the Toronto Raptors.
The Pistons could have used Thompson’s length, athleticism and acumen against Wagner on Saturday.
“Yeah, there’s a confidence there that you can see,” Bickerstaff said of Wagner after the game. “You know, there is a swag to him. The talent has obviously always been there but when you mix that talent with belief, you know, it makes it tough as an opponent to deal with. But (it) shows the time he puts into his game.
“He cares about winning, he plays the game the right way — he plays it selflessly. So, I think, again it’s just growth and confidence but he’s a heck of a player.”
Malik Beasley, known for his 3-point accuracy, started on Wagner and he’s 6-foot-4 just like Ivey. And at no point did Wagner see a double-team Saturday. The Pistons’ coaching staff has mainly been determining defensive assignments based on matchups, rather than rightfully using Thompson as a one-size-fits-all defender for perimeter threats.
Detroit is in the top half of the league defensively, ranking 14th in defensive rating with a 112.1 entering Sunday. But the Pistons are dead last in steals, averaging only 5.8 per game. Hawks guard Dyson Daniels averaged 5.8 by himself over a five-game stretch. Detroit is, however, ninth in the association in blocks at 5.6. Teams are averaging 37.1 percent from long range against the Pistons, registering 24th in the league.
The best defensive lineup Detroit has had this season is Tobias Harris, Isaiah Stewart — who had five blocked shots in Saturday’s loss — Ivey, Simone Fontecchio and rookie Ron Holland II. Those five boast a 25 defensive rating, though the sample size is incredibly small at just one game.
“I didn’t think we did a great job tonight as a whole group defensively,” Harris reflected in the locker room. “We let them get too many easy baskets and get on the glass to get second chance points.”
When Thompson returns to the rotation, it’ll likely mean reduced minutes for Wendell Moore Jr., Holland and Fontecchio. Thompson has been working with Detroit shooting coach Fred Vinson to improve his jumper which led him to an 18.6 3-point percentage.
Ausar Thompson working with shooting coach Fred Vinson. No timetable for his return yet. pic.twitter.com/hNKT290orh
— Hunter Patterson (@HuntPatterson_) November 20, 2024
Moore isn’t much of a scorer while Holland attacks the basket well and Fontecchio is a 3-point marksman, though Fontecchio is shooting just 35.1 percent from 3.
The Moore, Fontecchio and Holland trio combine to average 16.4 points. I don’t imagine Thompson averaging those 16.4 points, but between his athleticism, work ethic and potentially improved outside shot, he could provide more value with a reliable jump shot.
Plus, Thompson will allow the Pistons offense to play more above the rim, and he likes to push the pace. He averaged 1.7 fast break points per game last season, which may not sound like much, but he averaged just 8.8 points per game. So, those 1.7 points accounted for roughly 20 percent of his total scoring. There shouldn’t be much drop-off at all swapping Thompson in for those three players.
Thompson as a rookie was a focal point of the defense — which finished 25th in defensive rating in the NBA last season. Thompson led Detroit in total blocks and steals as a rookie who played just 63 games and only started 38 of those. He also had a 0.6 defensive BPM, which measures the difference in points allowed per 100 possessions when a player is on the court compared to when they are not. And that was all on a 14-win team.
Of course, last season, Detroit gave up at least 30 points 50 times. Thompson should surely aid in this defensive problem, but it is going to take more than just Thompson’s return.
(Photo of Franz Wagner shooting the ball against Wendell Moore Jr.: Mike Watters / Imagn Images)
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