Concretely, what does that mean for Killian Hayes?

For 28 of the 30 NBA teams that are not playing the NBA Finals at the moment, the offseason has already started and the next big deadline is scheduled for July 29, date of the NBA Draft 2021. A particularly crucial deadline for the Pistons, who will have the chance to choose first and who will probably bet on the Cade Cunningham phenomenon. The latter, considered overall the best player of his vintage, should boost Detroit’s backcourt from day one.. So inevitably, one wonders what that means for the French playmaker Killian Hayes.

The situation on July 13, 2021

Before diving headfirst into this issue, it seems necessary to take stock of the current situation with the Pistons and the latest rumors surrounding the 2021 NBA Draft. By securing the top pick in the June 22 Lottery, the Michigan franchise won the jackpot. And for many, the jackpot equals Cade Cunningham. Favorite to become the first pick For months, the Oklahoma State product has been one of those XXL prospects that seem capable of changing the fate of a franchise. We are not going to give you the full profile of the man here, just click there to learn more about the very great qualities of Cade, but know that he represents the real deal as they say on the other side of the Atlantic. Combo guard of 2m03, it is able to score, shoot, pass, while being solid and versatile in defense thanks in particular to its size. With or without a ball, it can hurt. He also seems to have his head on his shoulders, and the shoulders to carry an NBA franchise in the future, one who is not afraid of big moments.

In short, we understand why he is considered THE big fish of the NBA 2021 Draft, a Draft yet rich in young talents. Jalen Green, Evan Mobley, Jalen Suggs… there are lots of people, so much so that Pistons general manager Troy Weaver does not rule out the possibility if we are to believe the latest information that we have been able to fish on The Athletic, ESPN or The Ringer. The name of Green would notably come up a lot in the discussions between the leaders of Detroit, not to mention Mobley. A transfer from first pick would not be excluded either. But ultimately, whether these hallway noises are valid or not, it would be very surprising to see Cunningham land somewhere other than the Pistons. end of July. Because if Troy Weaver – renowned for his ability to identify young talents and to make good moves in the Draft – should logically analyze all the possible scenarios with his first choice, and there are many, the talent and the “NBA” side. Ready ”by Cade are assets that we can hardly refuse. In addition, Cunningham gives the impression of wanting to wear the Detroit jersey, he who only plans one meeting for the Draft: the one with the Pistons.

And that brings us to our Killian Hayes national. During the NBA 2020 Draft, the Pistons bet on Kiki to become the “leader of the future” in Detroit. Hayes was selected with the seventh pick by the Michigan franchise, making him the highest drafted Frenchie in history. Not nothing anyway. However, his first NBA campaign was a bit complicated. Adapting to the highest level was indeed difficult for the 19-year-old leader, including a long absence due to a hip injury. It wasn’t until the end of the regular season to see Killian show himself a little more and express his talent – which is bound to be promising for the sequel – but he has generally remained in the shadow of other rookies Saddiq Bey and Isaiah Stewart, respectively in the NBA All-Rookie First and Second Team at the end of the regular season. Obviously, after only a year, it is far too early to comment on Killian Hayes’ ability to become a big league point guard, especially since it is always difficult to adapt at the top level to his. post, even more in a season truncated by injury. Kiki is now part of the Pistons Project and part of this promising nucleus that should help the Detroit franchise regain color in the future. Hayes, Bey, Stewart… without forgetting of course Jerami Grant who comes out of a season in MIP mode, that gives you interesting assets in the reconstruction. However, when you have a phenomenon like Cade Cunningham who is about to land at the casa, it can redistribute some cards, especially in the backcourt. We can therefore legitimately ask questions about the impact of an arrival of Cunningham on the role and future of Killian Hayes within the Pistons.

Cade Cunningham and Killian Hayes, what dynamic?

Scenario # 1: Creating a Killian Hayes Backcourt – Cade Cunningham

If the arrival of a Cade Cunningham seems able to overshadow Killian Hayes at first, it does not mean that the two are incompatible. On the contrary, there is a scenario in which Kiki and Cade form a promising and exciting duo on the backcourt thanks to their respective qualities, all with Saddiq Bey, Jerami Grant and Isaiah Stewart in the five. Despite the difficulties that accompanied his first season, Hayes has what it takes in his repertoire to become a real good playmaker: good passer, intelligent, with a good vision of the game and therefore able to open up opportunities for his friends, the Frenchie can very well evolve alongside a Cade who knows how to shoot in catch & shoot and who finished his university career with 40% success at 3-point. Now, obviously, if Cunningham lands in Detroit, it won’t be to play the role of JJ Redick, eh. He will often have the ball in his hands, he will create his shots while creating for others, and the attack should revolve around him a lot given the talent of the man. The number one option at the back will be Cunningham. In this configuration, the attention paid by the opposing defense to Cade could benefit Hayes, provided that the latter is more skillful at shooting (27.8% of the parking lot during his rookie season). Killian is not the type of player to go for his points one-on-one but if he can plant his outside shots, it can accelerate his progress.

When you have two playmakers in the backcourt, that can open up a lot of offensive possibilities. There will inevitably be a dynamic to be found between the two for it to work, but the versatility and already complete game of Cade Cunningham offers great opportunities for coach Dwane Casey, who has also often supported Killian during his rookie season. And these opportunities exist in attack but also in defense. While a Killian Hayes – Cade Cunningham backcourt won’t be the most explosive in history, it will be big in size. 1m96 for the first, 2m03 for the second (with 2m13 wingspan please), and undeniable qualities of defender for both, especially in terms of versatility. Pretty good as a base, isn’t it? We know that Killian is working a lot on his physical condition in order to be able to go the distance and weigh on both sides of the court, but we say to ourselves that these two have the means to become a very loathsome duo in the Pistons’ half. So clearly, there is something for Dwane Casey to attempt with these two.

Scenario # 2: a Killian Hayes who has a real role off the bench

Second possible scenario, the one in which Dwane Casey decides to leave the keys of the backcourt to Cade Cunningham, with a Killian Hayes who remains in a role resembling that of his rookie season but rather out of the bench. It may make sense not to associate the minutes of Cade and Kiki given that we are talking about two playmakers. Maybe that’s the way to go to maximize Hayes and Cunningham’s talent, at least initially. The ideal fit for Cunningham at the back, he’s a player who knows how to shoot to give him space while being able to find Cade when he’s playing without the ball. As said above, Hayes only fills one of the two boxes at the moment, so the Pistons manager can opt for another possibility.. It remains to be seen which one because we do not know any player from Detroit who represents the perfect profile to accompany Cunningham in the five. Hamidou Diallo? Josh Jackson? Frank Jackson? Wayne Ellington? Cory Joseph? Saben Lee? Rodney McGruder? You will agree, the list is long but no option makes you dream. And then in the lot, we have players who could leave in the offseason (Diallo and Lee are restrictive free agents, Ellington and Frank Jackson are free agents, Cory Joseph has a partially guaranteed contract, and the year 2021- 22 on McGruder’s contract is unsecured). It will be interesting to see what the Pistons do in terms of recruiting at the back. (in addition to the first pick in the 2021 Draft, the Pistons also have three second-round picks, the mid-level exception at $ 9.5 million and the biannual exception at $ 3.7 million) and how that may impact Killian Hayes .

Scenario # 3: Cade Cunningham pushes Killian Hayes out

So there, clearly, this is a scenario that will not happen immediately. After only one season, the Pistons obviously continue to believe in Killian Hayes and it is not the arrival of Cade Cunningham that will change that. At least not for the moment. On the other hand, if we look a little over the medium term, we can’t rule out the possibility of Hayes leaving the Pistons one day while Cunningham carries Detroit on his shoulders. When you pick up a prospect of Cade’s caliber, who can potentially change the trajectory of the franchise, he quickly comes to the center of the debate and many decisions are made specifically in relation to him, especially when it comes to complementarity in the field. With the very likely arrival of Cade, ambitions and expectations will inevitably go up a notch for the Pistons. We will no longer be simply on the nice rebuilding with promising youngsters as is a bit the case today in Michigan, but really in the search for the best possible formula around Cade to build a very competitive team in the years to come. Without wanting to compare Cunningham to phenomena like Luka Doncic and Zion Williamson, we can see the pressure that surrounds Dallas and New Orleans today when it comes to properly surrounding their young superstar. So if Killian’s current limits in shooting persist, if the Frenchie is having difficulty playing alongside Cunningham, if the latter needs a different kind of backcourt teammate to maximize his enormous potential, Kiki’s future may lie somewhere other than Detroit.

We are not there of course. Today, if we had to choose a scenario, we would go on the first, because we imagine that Dwane Casey and the Pistons will test the complementarity between Cade Cunningham and Killian Hayes rather quickly. The fit isn’t necessarily ideal, but that doesn’t mean it is doomed and Kiki is doomed, on the contrary. One can imagine a universe where this duo hits the mark together and helps the Pistons regain the heights of the Eastern Conference with Saddiq Bey, Jerami Grant and Isaiah Stewart.

Source texte : The Athletic, ESPN, The Ringer