In the final minutes of Friday’s surprising win over the Phoenix Suns, the Pistons went with a different look to the lineup. Instead of one of their regular lineups, they used rookie Saddiq Bey as the shooting guard, to go along with the starting frontcourt.
Bey isn’t quite a typical shooting guard but when it came down to crunch time, coach Dwane Casey went with the players he trusted.
kAm“x H2D ;FDE =@@<:?8 7@C 92C5\A=2J:?8 8FJD H9@ 92G6 2EE6?E:@? E@ 56E2:= :? E96 K@?6 2?5 $255:B H2D @?6 @7 E96>[” r2D6J D2:5] “w6’D 2 G6CJ >2EFC6 A=2J6C 7@C 9:D 286 2?5 96 H2D 86EE:?8 E96 ;@3 5@?6]k^Am
kAm“%96 8C2GJ A2CE @7 :E H2D E92E H2D <?@4<:?8 5@H? D9@ED] x 92G6 ?@ BF2=>D :? <66A:?8 9:> :? E96C6 2E E96 6?5 @7 82>6D[ 2D =@?8 2D 96’D AC@5F4:?8 2?5 5@:?8 9:D ;@3[ 6DA64:2==J 5@:?8 9:D ;@3 5676?D:G6=J]”k^Am
kAm%9@D6 2C6 D@>6 @7 E96 D2>6 56D4C:AE:@?D E92E >256 q6J 2 E@A E2C86E :? E96 5C27E[ H96C6 96 H2D 56D4C:365 2D 2 9625J 5676?56C H9@ 5@6D?’E >2<6 2 =@E @7 >:DE2<6D] %92E’D EC2?D=2E65 H6== 7@C E96 7@CH2C5[ H9@ :D e\7@@E\f H:E9 2 e\`` H:?8DA2? 2?5 ;FDE 4@?E:?F6D E@ 7:?5 A=2J:?8 E:>6[ 6G6? H:E9 E96 4=@D6CD]k^Am
kAmxE’D 2== ;FDE 2?@E96C 52J 2E E96 @77:46 7@C q6J[ H9@ 92D 3C@F89E 2 3=F6\4@==2C H@C< 6E9:4 27E6C EH@ J62CD 2E ':==2?@G2] w6 3C:?8D 2 =6G6= @7 9F>:=:EJ H:E9 2 EH@\H2J 82>6 E92E DA62<D 7@C :ED6=7 @? E96 4@FCE]k^Am
kAmp=E9@F89 :E’D ?@E 6I24E=J 7=2D9J[ :E’D 67764E:G6]k^Am
kAm“xE H2D 2 3=6DD:?8 E@ 92G6 E96 @AA@CEF?:EJ E@ A=2J 5@H? E96 DEC6E49] %96 E62> C2==:65 E@86E96C E@ 4@>6 324< 2?5 :E >62?D 2 =@E[” q6J D2:5] “x’> ECJ:?8 E@ 4@?EC@= H92E x 42? 4@?EC@= 2?5 ECJ E@ A=2J 92C5 2?5 H96?6G6C 2? @AA@CEF?:EJ 4@>6D[ ;FDE 36 C625J] %92E’D E96 >:?5D6E]”k^Am
kAm%96 ?F>36CD 5@ 2 3:E @7 E96 E2=<:?8] x? 9:D =2DE 6:89E 82>6D[ H9:49 :?4=F56D E9C66 DE2CED[ q6J :D A@DE:?8 ``]h A@:?ED[ d C63@F?5D 2?5 :D D9@@E:?8 ce A6C46?E @? b\A@:?E6CD[ H:E9 e]b 2EE6>AED A6C 82>6] |@C6 :>AC6DD:G6=J[ 96’D D4C2E49:?8 @FE D:8?:7:42?E A=2J:?8 E:>6[ H:E9 ad]d >:?FE6D[ A=2J:?8 AC:>2C:=J H:E9 E96 D64@?5 8C@FA[ 3FE E96? 86EE:?8 2 =@@< E@ 7:?:D9 82>6D]k^Am
kAm“x 92G6 ?@ BF2=>D 3642FD6 96’D ?@E J@FC EJA:42= C@@<:6[ >2EFC:EJ\H:D6 @C 7F?52>6?E2= H:D6[” r2D6J D2:5] “':==2?@G2 A=2J6CD 2C6 C625J H96? E96J 4@>6 :?E@ E96 }qp 2?5 E96J’C6 <?@H=658623=6 2?5 A=2J 2? }qp DEJ=6 @7 82>6]”k^Am
kAmr2D6J D2:5 E96J 5:5?’E :?E6CG:6H q6J[ 3642FD6 E96J 7:8FC65 E92E 96 H@F=5?’E DE:== 36 @? E96 3@2C5 H96? E96J A:4<65 `hE9 :? E96 7:CDE C@F?5] $FCAC:D:?8=J[ 96 H2D[ 2?5 E96 !:DE@?D A@F?465 @? E96 @AA@CEF?:EJ]k^Am
kAmxE’D A2:5 @77 92?5D@>6=J :? 2 C@@<:6 H9@ 42? 4@?EC:3FE6 @? 3@E9 6?5D @7 E96 4@FCE 2?5 :D =62C?:?8 2D 96 8@6D] ~?6 4C:E:4:D> 92D 366? 9:D D9@@E:?8 >6492?:4D @? 9:D ;F>A6C[ 3FE 2D =@?8 2D 96’D 86EE:?8 D9@ED E@ 72==[ :E’D ?@E D@>6E9:?8 E@ >6DD H:E9 5FC:?8 E96 D62D@?]k^Am
kAm“w6 5@6D?’E 92G6 2?J AC@3=6> 2E 2== 86EE:?8 9:D 766E D6E 2?5 =6EE:?8 :E 8@] xE’D 2 =:EE=6 7F?<J\=@@<:?8 D9@E 3FE :E 8@6D :?[ 2?5 E@ >6[ E92E’D 2== E92E’D :>A@CE2?E[ :D E96 6?5 C6DF=E[” r2D6J D2:5] “x =@G6 E96 H2J 96 A=2JD 2?5 9:D >2EFC:EJ] s@6D 96 92G6 C@@> 7@C :>AC@G6>6?En *6D[ 2== C@@<:6D 5@] w6’D 86EE:?8 E96 ;@3 5@?6 2?5 H6’C6 C62==J 6I4:E65 7@C 9:D 7FEFC6]”k^Am
k9cm#@F89 8@k^9cm
kAmq=2<6 vC:77:? 92D 925 2 C@F89 DE2CE E@ E96 D62D@?] w6’D >:DD65 2 82>6 3642FD6 @7 4@?4FDD:@? AC@E@4@= 2?5 2 4@FA=6 @7 C6DE 52JD @? 324<\E@\324<D E@ 96=A >2?286 9:D <?66 :?;FCJ] w6 925?’E A=2J65 2 82>6 D:?46 =2DE s646>36C 2?5 @?=J A=2J65 `g 82>6D =2DE D62D@?]k^Am
kAmxE’D 8@:?8 E@ E2<6 D@>6 E:>6 E@ D66 H92E 96 92D =67E 2?5 9@H 4=@D6 96 42? 86E E@ E96 D2>6 7@C> 2?5 AC@5F4E:@? 96 5:DA=2J65 :? a_`g\`h H96? 96 H2D p==\}qp] tG6? :7 96 5@6D?’E 86E 2== E96 H2J 324< E@ E92E =6G6=[ vC:77:? 42? 36 2 36?67:E E@ E96 !:DE@?D H:E9 9:D =6256CD9:A 2?5 G6E6C2? D2GGJ :? 96=A:?8 56G6=@A 2 ?6H 4F=EFC6 7@C 2 J@F?86C C@DE6C]k^Am
kAm“w6’D 366? @77 7@C 2 J62C 2?5 96’D 492>A:?8 2E E96 3:E] w6’D 2 A=2J6C H9@ ?665D C9JE9> 2?5 C6AD[” r2D6J D2:5] “xE’D G6CJ F?7@CEF?2E6 3642FD6 96 925 E96 AC@E@4@= :DDF6 H:E9 E96 4@?4FDD:@? 2?5 E96 Wr2GD =@DDX C:89E 367@C6 E92E[ D@ E96C6 H2D 2 =:EE=6 7F?<J 2C62 96 925 E92E <6AE 9:> 7C@> A=2J:?8]k^Am
kAm“q=2<6 :D @?6 @7 @FC D>2CE6DE A=2J6CD @? E96 E62> 2?5 96 86ED E96 32== :? E96 A@DE 2?5 96 42? BF2CE6C324< 7C@> E96 A@DE @C 6=3@H 2?5 96’D DE:== 2 8@@5 D9@@E6C] w6’D G6CJ G2=F23=6 E@ FD 2?5 :E’D ;FDE 9:> 86EE:?8 :?E@ 2 C9JE9>]”k^Am
kAmt2C=J :? E96 D62D@?[ vC:77:? 92D DECF88=65 @? 5676?D6 2?5 E96 =2E6C2= >@G6>6?E 5@6D?’E D66> E@ 36 H92E :E H2D :? ECJ:?8 E@ DE2J H:E9 D>2==6C[ BF:4<6C A=2J6CD]k^Am
kAm%62>D 2C6 =@@<:?8 E@ 86E DH:E496D E@ E2<6 25G2?E286 @7 E96 >2E49FA[ 3FE E96 !:DE@?D 2C6 ECJ:?8 E@ H@C< 2C@F?5 :E 2D >F49 2D E96J 42?]k^Am
kAm~776?D:G6=J[ 96’D DE:== 7:?5:?8 2 ?6H ?:496[ 2=@?8D:56 y6C2>: vC2?E[ H9@ 92D 364@>6 E96 }@] ` D4@C:?8 @AE:@? 3642FD6 @7 9:D G6CD2E:=:EJ] vC:77:?[ H9@ 925 DE2CE65 @? E96 A6C:>6E6C >@DE=J[ ?@H :D H@C<:?8 9:D H2J E@ E96 6=3@H 2?5 :? E96 A2:?E E@ 364@>6 >@C6 @7 2 >2E49FA AC@3=6> 2?5 E@ FD6 9:D A2DD:?8 D<:==D]k^Am
kAm$E:==[ 96’D 92G:?8 @?6 @7 9:D H@CDE DE2E:DE:42= D62D@?D[ D@ E96 !:DE@?D 2C6 8@:?8 E@ ECJ E@ 86E 9:> @FE @7 E96 CFE 2?5 :?E@ 2 36EE6C 7=@H @? @776?D6 2?5 FE:=:K:?8 H96C6 96 42? 36 2 >2E49FA AC@3=6>]k^Am
kAm“%96C6’D ?@ BF6DE:@? @7 H96C6 q=2<6 H:== 86E E@ @?46 96 86ED :?E@ 2 C9JE9> 2?5 86ED 4@?D:DE6?E >:?FE6D[” r2D6J D2:5]k^Am
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.