March Madness games are in full swing, so we only have one game to dive into tonight. Rather than simply re-hashing the game, we’ll break it down and take a look at each team’s future. Both the Magic and Pistons are in prime position to capture a premium lottery pick in the upcoming NBA Draft, so we’ll examine team need, pending free agents and potential prospects who might be of particular interest to these two rebuilding franchises.
Game Recap: Pistons 134, Magic 120
These two teams are locked into a three-way race for the NBA’s worst record, and Orlando overtook Detroit on Thursday following the Pistons’ victory. Detroit now sits at 19-51 and is 1.5 games ahead of Orlando and 2.0 games ahead of Houston. At 18-53, the Magic are 0.5 games ahead of Houston (17-52).
Detroit provided plenty of useful fantasy options in this one, while Orlando… not so much. The star of the evening was Saddiq Bey who put on a masterclass in scoring with his career-high 51 points and 10 triples. He finished the contest with nine boards, four assists and three steals with just one turnover. Hopefully, he wasn’t sitting on your bench, as this was a week-winning (or championship-winning) performance.
Killian Hayes went out in the first quarter due to a head injury, and Saben Lee stepped up with 12 points, seven dimes and three steals. Detroit was without Cade Cunningham, Hamidou Diallo and Jerami Grant, and it’s unclear when any of the three will return.
Both of Detroit’s big men went for double-doubles. Marvin Bagley started his fourth game for the Pistons, and he’s now averaged 16.3 points and 9.0 boards in those games. Unfortunately for fantasy managers, he doesn’t offer much beyond points, rebounds and FG%, but he’s been a top-125 guy over the last two weeks. You should pick him up off the waiver wire. Isaiah Stewart’s 16/10 was his first double-double since Feb. 11 after a down stretch and three missed games.
Markelle Fultz put up 11 points, five rebounds, five assists and six turnovers in 18 minutes. He’s made the most of limited opportunities but is only worth rostering in deep leagues. RJ Hampton had another stinker and hit just 3-of-11 shots with little else in the box score. He’s not worth holding anymore. Franz Wagner scored 26 points and hit both of his 3-point attempts with five boards, two assists and a block. It was his best scoring output in eight games and one of his best of the season. Despite a stretch of so-so efforts, he’s a top-100 player on the season. Mo Bamba posted a double-double and benefited from the absences of Wendell Carter Jr and Chuma Okeke.
Team Needs
Pistons
Rebounding
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Pistons rank dead last in rebound percentage at 47.9% and 27th in total rebounds at 43.0 per game
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Isaiah Stewart has taken a small step forward as a rebounder this season, but he’s only 6’8, and the Pistons are still in need of size. The future is not Marvin Bagley or Kelly Olynyk
Shooting
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Pistons rank 27th in the NBA in made three-pointers per game at just 11.1 and 29th in three-point percentage at a paltry 32.6
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Dead-last in effective FG% at just 48.9
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Franchise cornerstones Cade Cunningham and Saddiq Bey are inefficient scorers
Defense
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Pistons are 23rd in points per game allowed at 112.3
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Pistons are 27th in opponent rebounds per game at 55.5
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Detroit allows 113.2 points per 100 possessions (24th)
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Detroit allows 49 paint point per game (22nd)
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Detroit allows 16.9 points off turnovers (26th)
Magic
Three-point shooting
Defense
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Orlando ranks 22nd in points allowed at 112.2
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Orlando allows 54.9 rebounds per contest (25th)
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Magic rank 25th in rebound rate at 48.8%
Free Agents and Trade Pieces
Detroit
Rodney McGruder – UFA
Marvin Bagley – RFA
Cory Joseph – Player Option
Frank Jackson – RFA
Jerami Grant – potential trade target
The Pistons aren’t in danger of losing any key pieces of their current rebuild, but it will be interesting to track what Detroit does with Marvin Bagley and Jerami Grant. Detroit can extend a qualifying offer of $14.8M to Bagley, but it’s unclear if the team views him as part of the rebuild after trading for him mid-season.
Grant was shopped prior to this year’s trade deadline, but no deal was completed. He’ll enter the final year of his 3-year, $60M deal after two solid seasons operating as a primary scoring option and become an unrestricted free agent in 2023 if he’s not traded or signed to a new deal with the Pistons. It makes sense for the team to deal him rather than letting him walk for nothing.
Orlando
Gary Harris – UFA
Mo Bamba – RFA
The Magic won’t see much turnover in the free-agent department, and it’s unlikely the team makes any significant trades after 2021’s fire sale that saw Nikola Vucevic, Evan Fournier and Aaron Gordon dealt for younger players who better fit the team’s future plans. With franchise players such as Franz Wagner, Wendell Carter, Jalen Suggs and Jonathan Isaac locked in for the upcoming campaign, Orlando should focus on signing quality free agents and drafting another star.
Notable Draft Picks Still on the Roster
Orlando
Detroit
Top Prospects
Both teams are in a position to take the best available player on draft night, but if each lands a top-3 selection, the obvious choices are Chet Holmgren and Jabari Smith in a tier of their own with Paola Banchero not far behind. If either team falls outside the top-3, there are plenty of other options that could make an immediate impact. Let’s take a look at them.
Chet Holmgren: At seven feet tall, the Zags’ big man can take guys off the dribble and use his incredible length on both ends of the court. He’s shooting 41.2% from beyond the arc and has pulled down 9.6 boards while blocking 3.6 shots per game this season. He would help both teams in a variety of ways.
Jabari Smith: At 6-10, 220, Smith is a long and athletic forward who has a pretty shot from beyond the arc and excels when he gets downhill with a head of steam. He’s excellent in the paint and effective in getting to the basket, using his length and athleticism to score, rebound and disrupt opponents on defense.
Outside the top-3:
Jaden Ivey: Ivey loves to get to the rim, and he’s absolutely thrilling to watch when he drives to the basket. His athleticism and creative scoring bring a crowd to its feet, just like Ja Morant in Memphis. Ivey can get teammates involved, but his greatest strength is his scoring.
Keegan Murray: The 6’8 sophomore from Iowa has averaged 23.6 points and 8.6 boards while shooting 40.2% from downtown this season.
Benedict Mathurin: Mathurin is a human highlight reel thanks to his tremendous leaping ability and posterizing dunks. He doesn’t shy away from getting to the basket in traffic or going up for a rebound and outworking bigger players. He’s shot 38.9% from beyond the arc in two college seasons.
Jalen Duren: Duren is a prototypical big man who uses his strength and length to alter shots as an elite rim protector and rebounder. He’s averaged 11.5 rebounds, 3.5 blocks and 1.2 steals this season.
Walker Kessler: Kessler is a looming figure in the paint who’s averaging a ridiculous 4.5 blocks per game this season to go with 8.2 rebounds. The SEC DPOY would be a nice fit with either team.
Others: AJ Griffin, TyTy Washington, Johnny Davis
