Ten games into the 2019-20 season, the Detroit Pistons sit at a very unexciting 4-6, good for 9th place in the Eastern Conference. With Blake Griffin set to make his season debut on Monday night against the Timberwolves, it seems like the perfect time to check in on how they’ve fared without him, and several other key players. It’s time for a sports writing exercise as old as time…time to hand out some grades! Here is the Detroit Pistons 10 game report card.

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Andre Drummond

If you know me, or read my Detroit Pistons season preview, you know my stance on Drummond: I think he’s one of the most overrated players in the NBA. That being said, he kicked off the season with perhaps the best game of his career in their 119-110 win over the Pacers. 

32 PTS | 23 REB | 4 BLK | 3 STL

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My biggest complaint about Drummond is that he often has numbers that jump off the page, but not off the screen. That wasn’t the case in this one, as he looked motivated and energized throughout. Since the game 1 explosion, he has largely looked like the usual Drummond, so it seems like that performance falls somewhere on the spectrum between “blip on the radar” and “sign of sustained growth”.

He still picks up dumb fouls going for steals or pointlessly hip checking the ball handler at midcourt (WHY???), which leads to him being subbed for foul trouble. He still ranks 6th in the NBA in minutes per game, but with the thin roster right now, he simply can’t be forcing his way out of games unless he is making smart defensive plays on the ball. He also turns the ball over by pretending to be a point guard after a defensive rebound, which has been an ongoing issue for years. This has typically fallen under the “keeping him engaged” umbrella, where it’s just a part of his game that you accept, taking the good with the bad. Hopefully, Blake puts a stop to that nonsense once he returns to the lineup.

I noted in my season preview that Drummond’s individual rebounding prowess (18 RPG) doesn’t translate to team success, in terms of wins and losses or even in this particular area. Even with Drummond lapping the field in rebounds this season, the Pistons rank 29th in team rebounding this season (51.0). This is not Drummond’s fault, as his teammates need to do a better job supplementing their own boards, but it is a reflection on his value being inflated. 

That being said, Drummond has done his part to keep this depleted squad competitive. He is on pace to shatter his career highs in PTS, REB, BLK and FT% (and TOs).

Yes, that was me being nice to Andre Drummond.

Grade: B

Luke Kennard

The man some said could be a breakout candidate appears to be doing just that. He also hit the ground running this season, dropping 30 in the game 1 win over Indiana (and doing so in just 28 minutes). Kennard has been much more aggressive this season, which his coaches have been looking for since his rookie season. He has scored in double figures in all but one game and has scored at least 24 points four times.

The added aggression has not come at the expense of his efficiency either, as he is shooting above his career clip from the field, as well as from 3. He is also chipping in 4.3 assists per game, against just 1.7 turnovers. Non-existent defensive numbers (0.2 BLK+STL) and a 3 point disappearing act against Toronto are the only thing keeping him from a perfect grade here.

Keep reaching for the stars, kid.

Grade: A-

Tony Snell

I really liked this pickup when he was acquired via trade in the offseason, as he fits the 3 and D mold that fits many modern NBA role players are cut from. He hasn’t disappointed, averaging just under 10 points per game on the back of his highest career 3% (.444). He doesn’t take bad shots, a huge feather in the cap for a teammate of Andre Drummond and Reggie Jackson.

Firmly entrenched as the starting SF, he has been the “there when you need him” glue guy that the Pistons coveted. His near 5:1 assist to turnover ratio makes him a guy that doesn’t hurt you anywhere when he is on the court.

I can Snell a good deal a mile away.

Grade: B+

Bruce Brown

Thrust into a starting PG role in the absence of Reggie Jackson, Derrick Rose, and Tim Frazier, Brown responded with the best game of his career against the Nets. 

22 PTS | 7 AST | 0 TO

He continues to struggle offensively, shooting below 40% from the field and below 30% from 3. But in the 4 games since taking over the starting PG duties, Brown has averaged 6 assists, 2 steals, and nearly a block per game. He has also somehow cut down on his turnovers in that same span, despite the increased usage. He will return to being more of a defensive role player upon the return of Rose and/or Frazier (or even Griffin), but his surprise breakout performance against Brooklyn alone gives him a passing grade.

Grade: C+

Markeiff Morris

Operating as the starting PF in the absence of Griffin, Morris has been a steady presence for the Pistons in the early going. He is averaging 12 points per game on his highest FG% since 17-18 (.469), and the highest 3% of his career (.375). He hasn’t really had a breakout game, only cracking 20 points once, but has chipped in at least 7 points in every game but one.

Now the bad news…

He doesn’t move the needle defensively, and has failed to record a block in seven straight games. This isn’t a strength of his game, by any means. But not stumbling into a block or two every once in a while can be at least partially attributed to effort and a lack of aggression on the defensive end. 

He is also turning the ball over at a career-high clip (2.5). His plus-minus on the season sits at -61. Clearly, there is room for improvement here. Maybe they should’ve pulled a switcheroo and abducted Marcus when they played the Knicks. New York is 2-8, they wouldn’t have even cared.

Grade: C-

Derrick Rose

I liked the Derrick Rose signing more and more leading up to the start of the regular season, and he wasted no time showing everyone why. The guy simply is a game-changer when he is on the court. My biggest question for Rose heading into the season (besides health) was whether or not his career-high 3% from last season was sustainable. Maybe he questioned it too, and just decided he was going to attack the basket all season. He is averaging nearly 21 PPG on a career-high FG% (.562), almost exclusively from mid-close range. His 6.3 assists per game are his highest since 2011-12. Turnovers have been an issue (3.8), but that will likely regress closer to his career average (2.7). The good thing is, he realizes this issue and is working to correct it. Self-awareness is a powerful tool.

Then he goes all D-Rose and gets hurt. It’s a minor injury, as he’s been day-to-day with a hamstring strain, missing the past four games. The timing couldn’t have been worse, overlapping with Griffin’s injury, as well as the rest of the PG unit, leaving the team severely short-handed. The positive spin here is that it has forced some bench players into increased roles early in the season, which could pay dividends down the road. I personally can’t wait to see a healthy Rose and Griffin active, though their minutes will likely be staggered to maximize their usage.

Derrick Rose is proving he is, by a mile, the best guard on this team.

Grade: A-

Langston Galloway

This guy is on the team for one reason: come off the bench and hit some 3s. There really isn’t much point in judging any other part of his game.

He has been doin’ his job, and doin’ it well.

He is shooting over 42% on 4 three-point attempts per game. That’ll do just fine. If there is any criticism, it’s that he should only be shooting 3s. His percentage from 2 (39%) is actually lower than it is from 3. Oddly enough, he has done that before over an entire season (2016-17). 

Strange but true.

Grade: B

Christian Wood

The backup big man made a lot of noise in the preseason and squeaked his way onto the team. His energy and aggressiveness bring a different element that has been missing in Detroit for years. He has been seeing significant minutes since the third game of the season, and has responded with some strong evidence that he should be the backup PF to Blake Griffin. He has per-36 minute averages of 19 PPG and nearly 10 REB and 2 BLK. He is shooting 61% from the field and over 57% from 3. That is clearly unsustainable, but nonetheless impressive.

Since there are only so many big man minutes to go around, once Griffin returns someone will have to be the odd man out. In my opinion, Wood needs to be on the court over Thon Maker. Though Maker is a center by trade and offers greater length (7’0″ vs. 6’10”), Wood is a much more physical presence, and offers more upside right now.

Would you be good if we saw more Wood? I would. Understood?

Grade: A

Thon Maker

I’m not always right. I liked this guy in Milwaukee, and was really happy he was the return piece in the Stanley Johnson trade last season. Nearly a year later, I think I’ve seen enough.

A seven-footer with the wingspan of Slender Man who relies too much on his broke ass three-point shot (.278). No thanks. Get in the weight room, then get in the paint.

Grade: F

The rest of dem boyz

The following players have played less than 100 minutes on the season, so their grade will have to wait until the next marking period.

Reggie Jackson – He went down in the second game of the season, and is out for the next few weeks with a back injury. I’ve been hard on him over the years, and pulled no punches in my season preview. They got off to their classic slow starts in his two games, a staple of the Jackson era. I’m anxious to see how the Pistons look when he is the only injured player, as that could validate what I’ve been saying for years: This guy needs to go. Somehow, someway.

Tim Frazier – Signed to be the third-string PG, yet found himself starting by game 3 due to the Jackson injury. Not exactly how you draw it up. His starting gig lasted four games before going down with his own injury. He could be back Monday.

Svi Mykhailiuk – The player the Pistons received in the Reggie Bullock trade last season (along with a 2nd rd pick) looks like he could be turning into a nice little piece. He has hit 7 threes in his five games at a 50% clip. Minutes will be hard to come by when this team is at full strength, but Svi has put some nice tape together for future reference. 

Overall grade: C

Entering the season we knew this team would only go as far as Blake Griffin could take them. We also knew he was going to miss the first five games, at minimum. 

What we didn’t know is that five games would turn into ten, and that a slew of other injuries would soon follow. When Blake Griffin and Derrick Rose are two of your five best players, you know it’s only a matter of time before you need to glue your team back together. We are just ten games into the season, and those two have missed 14 combined.

That being said, 4-6 seems like a totally reasonable spot to be at given the adversity this team has dealt with so far. They should be near full-strength sooner than later, and two key questions appear to have already been answered:

Luke Kennard is taking the next step

Derrick Rose is better than Reggie Jackson. Like, a lot.

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