Detroit Pistons benefitting from Mike Muscala's presence after just one game

Danilo Gallinari and Mike Muscala, who the Detroit Pistons traded for on Sunday, already have a memorable travel story with their new team.

The Pistons initially planned to fly home right after Monday’s matinee in Washington, but snowy weather forced them to stay overnight and depart for Detroit in the morning. The team’s chartered flight sat on the runway for hours Monday night as it underwent de-icing after de-icing. It gave Muscala and Gallinari unexpected time to get to know their new teammates.

“We were stuck there in D.C. for quite some time, hadn’t had snow all year,” Muscala said Wednesday morning after shootaround. “It was cool, glad we made it safe.”

The 6-foot-10 big men, who were both present at the team’s morning shootaround on Wednesday, were also active for Wednesday’s game. Muscala made his Pistons debut, while Gallinari will have to wait for his. They know what they’re ultimately here to do — give their younger teammates guidance. Gallinari is 35, and Muscala is 32, making them significantly older than Detroit’s mostly-under-23 roster.

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“Just trying to help the guys out,” Gallinari said. “The older you get, this is my 16th season and I’m 35, so more likely than not my teammates are going to be younger than me. The past few years have been something I’ve been doing every season with my different teammates every season I’ve played. Just to help everybody out, be a good vet and give advice and make sure I make their path a little smoother.”

“Just bringing veteran experience, space the floor and shoot the ball,” Muscala added. “Those are the main things. I just feel grateful to still be playing and be around some good young players.”

Monty Williams envisions both new Pistons in his rotation, as well. Gallinari didn’t appear in Wednesday’s 124-117 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves at LCA, but Muscala had a pair of blocks and missed all four of his shot attempts in 14 minutes and 34 seconds. He exclusively played center, spelling Jalen Duren and Isaiah Stewart. Muscala, at least on Wednesday, supplanted James Wiseman in the rotation.

The veteran big man, despite missing his shots, was impactful nonetheless. His defensive activity was a surprise — he walled up against Minnesota’s bigs in the paint and helped the Pistons trim a double-digit deficit to three late in the third quarter.

Muscala isn’t known for his defense, but his experience and savvy stood out. He understands where to be on defense, and that alone is helpful for a young team that has struggled with execution. The Pistons believe his defensive impact will improve as he gets more comfortable. He already has the coaching staff’s trust.

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“I can’t remember the play, but he had a recovery block,” Williams said. “He was in the area and I don’t know who it was, but it was a layup. Mike came out of nowhere and blocked the shot. Those are things we think he can do for our ballclub, once he gets comfortable in our system and he understands the spacing and when he can pop, when he picks and rolls, he’ll knock down more shots.

“You can see where guys like him and even Gallo, I almost threw him out there tonight because of their size, I think those guys can help us in a number of ways. But to your point, Mike was a benefit to our team on the defensive end for sure.”

Both veterans have been strong outside shooters for their career — 38.1% for Gallinari and 37.5% for Muscala. Both have struggled this season, and Muscala missed all three of his 3-pointers in his debut. The Wolves still respected Muscala's shot, closing out on all three of his attempts.

Rookie Ausar Thompson, who scored seven points and grabbed nine rebounds in 22 minutes on Wednesday, could uniquely benefit from Muscala's presence. Thompson had an easier time finding lanes to the basket while flanked by two strong shooters in Muscala and Kevin Knox during the first half.

Thompson's shooting struggles (he's hit 13.4% of his 3s thus far) have made it tough for Williams to field good lineups around him. Having another floor-spacing big should aid immensely, and Thompson played most of his minutes with either Muscala or Stewart at center.

The Pistons had to settle for a moral victory against the Western Conference’s best team, and the NBA’s best defense. The Wolves have emerged as a true contender this season, and Detroit, two days after defeating the Wizards for their fourth win of the season, managed to trim a 17-point deficit to six late in the fourth quarter. That was after a back-and-forth first half, during which they scored 40 in the opening period for a one-point lead.

Wednesday was the official midway point of the Pistons' season, and they’re an NBA-worst 4-37. The organization’s focus has shifted, and Sunday’s trade is the first of several moves the front office will make to try to course-correct. While it was ultimately a salary cap space-clearing move, there’s also hope that adding two more veterans who can help, on and off the floor, the young core’s growth.

Muscala was a difference-maker in his first game. He, Stewart and Jaden Ivey, who tied his career-high with 34 points, were the only Pistons to finish with positive plus-minuses in a loss.

“If you look around the league at young teams, what they’ve done is surround their guys with savvy, experienced players who can still play,” Williams said. “Anytime you do that with high-level, high-character guys like Mike and Gallo, it’s going to be a benefit to your team. It’s not just the in-game stuff. You get a chance to watch how these games work, how they prepare and understand why they’ve been around so long. It’s gonna be an asset to the organization and the program.”

Contact Omari Sankofa II at osankofa@freepress.com. Follow him @omarisankofa.

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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Pistons already look better with veteran Mike Muscala on floor