The Detroit Pistons were unable to produce a victory against the New York Knicks yesterday, but rookie point guard Ebuka Okorie proved that he can produce at a high level even when his shot isn’t falling
On Monday, the Detroit Pistons dropped to 1-2 in the Summer League after a 86-75 loss to the New York Knicks, but the contest can be viewed through a developmental lens even if the team did not produce the result they’d hoped for. For rookie point guard Ebuka Okorie, the Summer League is about adjusting to the pace and physicality of NBA basketball, and that is something that the former Stanford guard can accomplish in a win or a loss.
In terms of his outlook on the 11-point defeat, Okorie already seems to have the mentality necessary to adapt to professional hoops.
“Really just trying to play through mistakes,” Okorie said after the game. “I work really hard on my game, so just playing through mistakes, trusting my work and that’s really it.”
In his third Summer League matchup, Okorie posted 14 points, six rebounds, four assists, one steal and one block, so the rookie found a way to remain productive even if his shot was not falling to the degree that he hoped for as a result of the Knicks’ physical defense at the point-of-attack.
”Even when my shot’s not falling, I feel like I impact the game in many different ways, whether it’s on defense, creating for others,” Okorie said. “But at the same time, just having the trust in yourself to not lose confidence in whatever it is. Even if it’s not falling at the time, just trusting that eventually it will fall.”
For the Pistons, playing winning basketball means contributing to the success of the squad as a whole, which Okorie did by crashing the glass and hitting his running mates for open looks when they present themselves. So, there were a number of positive aspects that the first-round pick can hang his hat on after facing a New York squad that was stingy and physical at the point-of-attack when stopping the ball.
“I pride myself on just making the right plays every time whether it’s scoring for myself or for others, so I have no problem finding my teammates for open looks,” Okorie said.
In terms of his teammates, second-year guard Chaz Lanier had another prolific shooting performance from long-range, scoring 24 points with an 8-for-12 mark from three-point range. That perimeter scoring effort comes one day after Lanier led the Pistons in scoring against the Cleveland Cavaliers with another strong showing from downtown to the tune of 25 points and 7-for-12 from distance.
“He’s all about the right stuff, playing the right away, shoots the ball really well and just competes on both ends of the floor, so it’s really great to have someone like that that’s really just playing for the right reasons,” Okorie said.
Having a more experienced player like Lanier alongside Okorie has obviously been beneficial for the youngster during his initial taste of Summer League ball, especially considering the Tennessee product went through a similar learning curve just one year ago. Lanier has continued to work on his outside shot ever since competing in this same tournament a year ago, and the dividends are evident given his production over the last two games.
Next up, the Pistons will have a day off to rest up before facing the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday, July 15.
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