DETROIT — On Saturday afternoon on a courtroom about 650 miles south of Little Caesars Enviornment in downtown Detroit, a lanky 18-year-old energy ahead from Maine put up 42 factors, six rebounds and 7 assists in a win for Duke over visiting Notre Dame to set the freshman scoring report within the Atlantic Coast Convention.
Some good basketball gamers have come out of the ACC, Michael Jordan being one.
It takes so much for a participant who has been projected to be the primary participant taken within the 2025 NBA Draft to exceed expectations, however obliterating freshman data at a storied program like Duke (New Orleans Pelicans star Zion Williamson had the earlier high mark with 35 factors) is a technique for Cooper Flagg to do it.
Again in snowy Detroit the place the Pistons and the Toronto Raptors — two groups at numerous phases of the rebuilding course of — have been taking part in on Saturday evening, Flagg’s efficiency had been famous.
RJ Barrett, who had among the best freshman seasons in Duke historical past (with a private better of 33 factors in two completely different video games) earlier than being taken No. 3 general within the 2019 draft, merely nodded in acknowledgement on the freshman’s feat. The Raptors guard/ahead had labored out with Flagg this previous summer season at Montverde Academy, their shared highschool alma mater in Florida. “He’s stable,” he mentioned. “He simply does all the pieces properly.”
Detroit Pistons basic supervisor Trajan Langdon, one other Duke alum, laughed after I requested him it was his freshman scoring report Flagg had damaged. “My greatest was 23,” he mentioned.
An off-the-cuff survey of Raptors coaches and employees in attendance revealed that they too had been paying consideration. “He’s the sort of man who could possibly be distinction maker straight away,” one mentioned.
For the Raptors, Flagg represents hope, and the likelihood — presuming the lottery balls fall the suitable manner in June — {that a} season with exponentially extra losses than wins will ship a grand prize in the long run.
However a extra practical path to enchancment is one represented by the Pistons, who’ve been to rebuilding hell and will solely now rising on the opposite facet: a number of years of distress resulting in some faint indicators of hope.
They have been on show Saturday evening as Detroit outlasted the Raptors down the stretch to pocket a 123-114 win. The sport was tight all through, with 16 lead modifications and 10 ties.
The distinction got here within the ultimate 5 minutes when the Raptors went over 4 minutes with no discipline objective, surrendering a 12-3 run to the Pistons within the course of. Going 4-of-11 from the free-throw line within the fourth and 18-of-27 for the sport additionally did not assist. In any other case, there have been loads of encouraging indicators — capturing 16-of-38 from three (42 per cent), committing simply 12 turnovers, and getting 38 factors on 14-of-18 capturing (7-of-8 from three) from the bench trio of rookie Jamal Shead (10 factors, 5 assists, two steals) and veterans Chris Boucher (14 factors, all within the first half) and Bruce Brown (14 factors, three assists, two steals). However the Raptors nonetheless fell quick, dropping their fifth straight recreation and for the 16th time in 17 video games to fall to 8-31 on the season.
The Pistons gained for the ninth time of their final 11 begins and at the moment are 20-19 for the season and in eighth place within the Jap Convention, only a game-and-a-half out of fourth and having residence courtroom within the first spherical, as inconceivable as that appears.
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Keep in mind, it was simply over 12 months in the past when the Raptors have been in Detroit having kicked off their rebuild by buying and selling OG Anunoby, Valuable Achiuwa and Malachi Flynn to the New York Knicks for Immanuel Quickley and Barrett. The Raptors arrived in Detroit short-handed and have become the group that ended the Pistons’ 28-game dropping streak.
The message from Detroit now’s that even when issues are unhealthy, they don’t essentially keep unhealthy. Nobody was predicting this this type of progress for Detroit when the season began, not to mention after they have been 3-35 on this present day a 12 months in the past.
“I imply, it is all the time powerful. It undoubtedly will get worse earlier than it will get higher,” mentioned Raptors veteran Kelly Olynyk, who was with Detroit within the 2021-22 season because the Pistons’ rebuild was starting endlessly. “My 12 months right here we weren’t nice, we had some accidents. I used to be damage for slightly bit, Jerami Grant was damage. Cade (Cunningham) was damage his rookie 12 months, and it wasn’t going properly, however we have been competing, after which (after that) it was a catastrophe for them. It was a type of issues the place, like, ‘are they ever gonna win a recreation?’ is what it felt like from engaged on the skin wanting in.
“After which now they’ve constructed it up and, guys have slightly extra expertise, they usually herald a pair extra vets who play with these youthful guys,” added Olynyk. “And, you recognize, you begin to construct that tradition again up, and that these habits up. I imply, it takes what’s that, three years, 4 years earlier than you are in a position to actually sort of put plan collectively and put one thing collectively on the ground, so … it is not going to occur in a single day. We obtained to be slightly bit affected person, however it’ll come collectively and begin to break.”
The Pistons did it partially by including a trio of working-class veterans to bolster their kids. They delivered in an enormous manner towards the Raptors as Tobias Harris, Tim Hardaway Jr. and Malik Beasley mixed to attain 77 factors on 23-of-40 capturing, together with 13-of-18 from three. Who is aware of if the three of them will have the ability to assist the Pistons be any higher than merely a playoff group, and even be round when they’re, however they’ve had an plain impression on a franchise that had performed at a 20-win tempo for 5 seasons since final qualifying for the post-season. In that context, having 20 wins by mid-January is a mini miracle.
Long run, the Pistons’ fortunes will depend upon how far fourth-year guard Cunningham can take them and who may also help him alongside the best way. They obtained unfortunate when Jaden Ivey fractured his leg final month. Ivey is their different gifted younger guard who had been having a breakout season — it was his buzzer-beater that took down the Raptors final time they have been in Detroit.
Cunningham is Detroit’s model of Scottie Barnes, although with even larger expectations given he went No. 1 within the 2021 draft, the place Barnes went fourth. Cunningham is delivering, although. He put up 23 factors and 17 assists towards the Raptors, which overshadowed his eight turnovers. He additionally did a very good job defending Barnes.
“The group that they had final 12 months, that they had loads of losses, however they fought actually onerous,” mentioned Barnes who performed highschool basketball with Cunningham at Montverde. “You may see that that they had one thing after which within the low season, made some acquisitions, obtained some extra individuals, obtained higher, they usually’re profitable video games and he’s main that.
“However (Cunningham) has all the time had that expertise. He is all the time an individual that wishes to win actually unhealthy. However even earlier than that he was taking part in good. However you recognize, all that, it will get overshadowed for those who’re not profitable basketball video games,” mentioned Barnes, who completed with 16 factors, 11 rebounds and three assists, two steals and two blocked pictures towards Detroit.
“Now they’re profitable basketball video games, individuals are beginning to see it extra, that is what he does. He is a winner, and he performs actually onerous, and he’s in a position to do all the pieces on the market: move, rebound and have the ability to attempt to rating and dominating video games on the finish of the sport.”
It is a course of, clearly. The Pistons drafted Cunningham first general in 2021, they usually’re solely nudging their nostril above .500 now. The place it goes from right here remains to be unsure. They’ve fired two coaches and a basic supervisor. You may make the argument that with out their injection of veteran function gamers, the Pistons wouldn’t be far forward of the place they have been presently a 12 months in the past.
However for now, there’s hope in Detroit and that’s an enormous enchancment from what was as a replacement the previous 4 or 5 seasons. The dropping actually made new head coach JB Bickerstaff’s job simpler. He had a receptive viewers.
“All of us undergo what we undergo, and it places us within the place the place we must be typically,” mentioned Bickerstaff. “And I believe that what they have been by means of right here, the modifications which have occurred, they needed one thing extra and one thing completely different. And there has but to be one factor that I’ve requested of them that they’ve mentioned no to. And I believe their previous experiences have opened them to that. As time goes on, we construct belief, earn one another’s respect, after which it simply will get higher and higher from there.”
The Raptors can take observe and preserve hope. And keep watch over the lanky child at Duke, who might change issues in a rush.
