Saddiq Bey Is Blossoming In Front of Our Eyes
Photo by: Aaron Gash/AP
From the recent Saddiq Bey explosion to bad coaching from Steve Nash, here is everything I noticed from last night around the association.
Saddiq Bey Is Finding That Sophomore Magic
Saddiq Bey started 2022 quietly. After an All-Rookie campaign, the Villanova product was set up for a big 2022. His shooting and versatility made him a perfect candidate for a sophomore breakout. It took a bit, but that breakout has arrived with force.
The Pistons were asking Bey to do a lot more with the ball. He struggled in that role, not being great in pick-and-rolls. After being a spot-up shooter for the majority of last season, Bey wasn’t nearly as effective in this new one.
Bey didn’t exactly start to get better when Jerami Grant exited with an injury. Instead, over the past few games where the Pistons have needed production from anywhere possible, Bey has been awesome.
His shooting stroke has returned. He’s getting to the rim, drawing fouls, and playing like how we expected him to be this season. Over the past nine games, Bey has been on a tear.
25.0 points – 8.6 rebounds – 38% 3-PT – 62% TS
Bey added another great game to his belt last night. He nailed eight threes, helping snap the Bucks’ five-game winning streak. Bey has been on a tear, but let’s go deeper into the numbers to see just how he’s been doing that;
What Is Different About Saddiq Bey’s Last Nine Games?
- More Drives
For the season, Bey is averaging 5.5 drives per game. Over these last nine games, that number is 8.4, which is a 52% increase. Bey has been driving the ball more, which leads to more scoring opportunities.
Bey’s 19/20 mark from the free-throw line from drives is a testament to his aggressiveness. He’s only averaging 3.0 FTA this season, but that number has been rising.
With Bey driving the ball more, it’s giving him so many more avenues to score the ball. Let’s see if he can keep up this aggressiveness for the season.
- Shooting Better
Sometimes, simply getting out of a shooting slump is just what a player needs to get going. That has been true for Bey, who has taken a step back from his rookie season in terms of outside shooting.
He’s shooting just 35% on his catch-and-shoot threes for the season. Last season, he shot 40% on such shots. The last nine games have been a revisit to his rookie season.
Bey has been shooting 44% on C&S shoot 3’s, shooting nearly 7 of them per game on this stretch. After struggling to hit these shots all year, Bey has found the range.
- Bey In The Post?
One final thing about how well Saddiq Bey has been playing. He’s gotten just 55 post-ups for the entire season. That’s now a low number, but for someone as physical as Bey, it’s surprising.
Like all things over the past nine games, Bey has been getting in the post more. He’s received 23 post-ups in the last nine games (2.6 per game).
Now, it’s not like Bey is anything special in the post. He’s shooting just 36% from the field for the year and has more turnovers than assists. But, I like this development.
The Pistons using Bey in different ways to see what they have is a fine idea. Expanding his game as someone who could be the face of the rebuild is probably the best thing to do right now.
Is This Sustainable?
I don’t think shooting 44% on catch-and-shoot threes is sustainable, but Bey can continue to be aggressive. I think that’s been the bottom line with all this newfound success.
Continuing to drive the ball more, draw fouls, all of that stuff is sustainable. I’m hoping that even when Jerami Grant comes back, Bey continues to play like this, even if it’s on fewer touches.
Bey’s sophomore breakout is blossoming right in front of our eyes. Let’s see how far he can take it.
Steve Nash Is Stupid
The Nets got thoroughly outplayed by the Grizzlies last night. That in itself isn’t the bad part about what I saw from the Nets. The bad part was the rotations, a reoccurring topic with this team.
The Nets were struggling on offense. With Kevin Durant off his mark, the Nets were shooting just 40% from the field entering the 4th quarter. Nash waived the white flag in the fourth, playing the end of the Nets’ bench. Here’s how played big minutes in the 4th;
- Jevon Carter
- Day’Ron Sharpe (R)
- Cam Thomas (R)
- Bruce Brown
Those four guys all played 9+ minutes in the 4th quarter. They also showed the first bit of life Brooklyn had all night. They outscored the Grizzlies by 9 points in the 4th, making the final score look a little less worse.
My problem with this is that these four guys hardly played outside those garbage time minutes. Aside from Bruce Brown, guys like Cam Thomas and Jevon Carter were sitting on the bench.
Cam Thomas is a great scorer, a spark plug who would have helped a floundering Nets offense in the 3rd. Jevon Carter might not be great, but he’s a 37% career 3-PT shooter.
Instead of trying to stop the bleeding with new guys, Nash continued to role out DeAndre’ Bembry, James Johnson, and Blake Griffin. That’s not the way to stop the bleeding. None of those guys offer the spark that Carter and Thomas do.
The Nets depth isn’t great to begin with, but it’s worse than ever at this moment. When the Nets get healthier, the problem will be eased, but for now, Nash has to change things up if it’s not working.
Stop rolling out the veterans when some of the younger guys can make a difference. My one somewhat positive from this game is that maybe, just maybe, Nash liked what he saw from the other guys in the 4th quarter and will play them more in the future.
It’s a pipe dream, but that’s where we’re at with Steve Nash running things.
Portland Trail Blazers (136-131 W)
After a catastrophic December, the Blazers started off the New Year on the right foot. If you like offense, then this game had plenty of it. Even without Dame & CJ, my Blazers had no problems putting the ball in the basketball.
For the first time this season, four players scored 20+ points. Anfernee Simons, a day after losing his grandfather to cancer, dropped a career-high 43 points. Powell, Nurkic, and Nassir Little were the other Blazers to score 20+ points. The offense looked great, torching a lackluster Hawks defensive unit.
Portland couldn’t stop the Hawks and vice versa. While Trae Young had a historic outing (56 points / 14 assists), Portland played well enough to win. The defense is a lost cause at this point, but it was good to see the offense flowing again.
The frontcourt continues to be awesome. Outside of RoCo, things are going well down low. Nance, Nurkic, and Little were all great in this game on both ends. The frontcourt has been the one bright spot with this team.
False Hope Alert
After experiencing the hardest schedule in the NBA, things get easier for Portland. Getting healthier could mean a run at the play-in game. It’s likely a pipe dream to think this can happen, but you never know.
If Dame’s abdomen can stay together and CJ can return to the floor, this team will be playing teams closer to their level. Even with how bad the defense has been, the season may not be completely dead.
Again, it’s a pipe dream to believe this team will be anything other than mediocre, but one can dream.
Kyle Kuzma Is Right Where He Needs To Be
After a turbulent stint with the Lakers, Kyle Kuzma is where he needs to be. With the Lakers, Kuzma was always the scapegoat for LA’s shortcomings. Although he improved greatly during his tenure, becoming more of a team player, that didn’t matter.
He was unceremoniously shipped off to DC this offseason. It’s been the best possible thing for his career. In Washington, along with more outcasts, Kuzma is playing the best basketball of his career. His heart and hustle on both ends is being rewarded.
He’s a primary option on a team currently slated in the play-in tournament. He’s a tenacious rebounder, a clutch performer, and owner of the Charlotte Hornets.
36 points – 14 rebounds – 6 assists – (6/11 3-PT) – +5 plus/minus
Kuzma played one of the best games of his career last night. This cross-court pass to Davis Bertans in the first quarter impressed me the most. Lakers Kuzma wouldn’t have made this play. Wizards Kuzma can and will.
From his clutch gene to his persona, Kyle Kuzma has fit perfectly in Washington. He’s proving the point that a change in scenery can completely change a player’s trajectory.
What Are Your Thoughts From Last Night’s Games? Leave A Comment Down Below!
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