Detroit Pistons: Bickerstaff Admits ‘That’s On Me’ After Okorie’s Limited Debut

After the Detroit Pistons were bounced out of the Eastern Conference Semifinals last May, there seemed to be two main takeaways from the team’s downfall. First, the Pistons could have used some more perimeter shooters to test the Cleveland Cavaliers in different ways after ranking just 17th in the regular season for three-point percentage. After that, Detroit would have been well served with an extra competent ball handler and playmaker to take some pressure off Cade Cunningham given all the double-teams that he faced. 

So, the Pistons set off in the offseason to address those two concerns. In the summer, President of Basketball Operations Trajan Langdon made a slew of trades to bring three accomplished three-point shooting veterans into the Motor City, but he also (temporarily) dealt away some draft capital to move up in the first-round for Ebuka Okorie. 

Going No. 17 overall to the Pistons, Okorie notably led the ACC in scoring as a true freshman at Stanford last season, but he also represented another outlet for playmaking in the Detroit backcourt moving forward. Okorie impressed during the Summer League by averaging nearly 20 points per game while showcasing the self-creation ability that made him such a desirable prospect, so the 19-year old floor general built a fair amount of hype surrounding his potential just during the offseason alone. 

Once the pre-season started, Okorie found himself in position to sink the game-winning shot against the Phoenix Suns with a clever lefty scoop shot to seal victory in Detroit’s exhibition opener. So, suffice to say the rookie point guard has created a fair amount of excitement already with a dynamic skill set that could benefit the Pistons once he cracks the rotation. 

Okorie’s opportunity finally arrived in Detroit’s third regular season matchup, which was a 106-93 win over the Philadelphia 76ers on the road. Late in the first quarter, Okorie checked into the game for a brief two-minute cameo, sunk a pair of free throws at the charity stripe then checked back out after just a minute and a half. 

“We love him,” Pistons head coach J.B. Bickerstaff said of Okorie after the game. “Obviously, he plays with a maturity and poise that’s well beyond his years, his ability to finish, get in the paint. That’s on me, I should have given him a longer run, but just working through those rotations. But we trust him to go out and be who he is and help us win.”

While Okorie’s regular season NBA debut was short-lived, the Pistons seem to have a sense of confidence in his ability to generate productive offense for the squad without sacrificing much, if any, aptitude on the defensive end as well.

Once Okorie breaks into the Detroit rotation on a regular basis, do not be surprised if he plays alongside Daniss Jenkins or Cade Cunningham even though they would all conventionally be thought of as point guards. The Pistons have become more comfortable with the idea of playing multiple playmakers simultaneously to help mitigate some turnover trouble, so Okorie fits right into the mold of a player who can create consistent offense in the Detroit backcourt.