Detroit Pistons Preseason: Tolu Smith, Ebuka Okorie Step Up In 6-Point Overtime Loss

On Saturday night, the Detroit Pistons traveled to the nation’s capital for a preseason contest without the luxury of having either Cade Cunningham or Jalen Duren in the lineup, and their absences were felt in the team’s 114-108 overtime loss to the Washington Wizards. 

Much like in their preseason opener, the Pistons fell into a sizable double-digit hole against the Wizards and had to steadily work their way back into the game, but there were several misnomers that threw last night’s game out of whack. The three-man grouping of Ausar Thompson, John Collins and Isaiah Joe went 4-for-23 combined from the field against Washington, and that’s far below what can be expected from them during the regular season. Both Collins and Joe were 40% shooters from three-point range a year ago, so last night’s irregular effort should be considered the exception as opposed to the rule for the pair of new Pistons. 

On top of that inconsistency, both Thompson and Paul Reed fouled out during the second half, which forced Tolu Smith and Ebuka Okorie into higher-pressure roles to close the game. Daniss Jenkins had been ejected earlier in the contest for arguing with Trae Young, so the depth chart for the Pistons was thoroughly jumbled in the exhibition affair. 

“It’s a great opportunity,” Pistons head coach J.B. Bickerstaff said after the game. “That’s what the preseason is about. These guys have worked their tails off in training camp. They deserve an opportunity to get on the floor. We let them pay through a little bit of fouls because we knew the minutes weren’t going to be extended, but again, we’ve got to do a better job without fouling, don’t put ourselves in that position.”

Now, Okorie and Smith surely benefited from the valuable late-game reps, and they both acquitted themselves well in their extended run. Smith finished the game with six points and a whopping 13 rebounds (eight of which were offensive) in just 16 minutes of action, so the big man was impactful with nearly one board per minute. Using his new left-handed routine, Smith also went 2-for-2 from the free throw line, so Detroit’s second preseason game was a positive outing for the Mississippi State product. 

As for Okorie, the former Stanford floor general had another promising performance with 14 points and six assists in the six-point loss. Although the rookie did have three turnovers on the night, Okorie logged a team-high 27 minutes and was relied upon to drive the offense and initiate Detroit’s comeback for the second straight game. There were a few rookie mistakes along the way, but the first-round pick looked comfortable and in control once it became obvious that the Pistons would turn in his direction more often down the stretch. The moment never looked too big for Okorie, which is a profoundly positive indicator for how the rest of his rookie campaign will go. 

After the game, Bickerstaff addressed the Duren situation and said that the All-Star big man is still working his way back to the floor without naming a specific target for his return. In the meantime, the Pistons have three more days to prepare for another preseason tilt on the road against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday, Oct. 14 at 8 pm.