Detroit Pistons glaring need for defensive improvement made clear by Phoenix Suns

The Detroit Pistons played well Sunday in their preseason opener. They also played poorly. It depends on which quarter they're judged by.

They appeared to be heading toward a long day after falling behind the Phoenix Suns by 20 points in the opening period. An energetic second quarter brought them within striking distance — 11 points at halftime. The deficit then ballooned to 26 late in the third before the Pistons forced overtime with a spirited fourth-quarter run.

The Pistons eventually fell to the Suns, 130-126 at Little Caesars Arena in their first of four preseason contests. Like many preseason games, it's tough to put much stock into the final score. Fourteen players logged minutes for the Pistons — 10 in the first quarter alone, as coach Monty Williams wanted to get a good look at his roster — and both teams allowed end-of-bench players to finish the fourth quarter and play the entirety of overtime.

Marvin Bagley III and Ausar Thompson were the only two likely rotation players to close out the game for the Pistons. Their tying run, which saw them outscore the Suns by 20 points in the fourth, was led by two players on Exhibit 10 contracts — Stanley Umude and Michigan alumnus Zavier Simpson — and two-way forward Jared Rhoden.

But there's one clear takeaway from the game: The Pistons have a ways to go to accomplish their goal of improved defense. They trailed the Suns 14-2 less than four minutes into the first quarter, and by 17 points at the end of the period. Another cold start to the second half opened an even bigger deficit that they had to crawl out of. There were positives, but defense was at the front of Williams' mind after the game.

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"Obviously, look at the defense in the first and third, that’s what I told our guys," he said. "Our starting unit has to come out with a lot more force and competition to start, on both ends. I thought Phoenix was running script offense and getting to their spots and doing whatever they wanted. I didn’t think we got in their way until late in the first. And then when we subbed and brought guys that just scrapped, you can see the game changing. We started the same way out of halftime. That was my impression of the game without looking at the film. I just didn’t feel us to start the first or the third."

Williams went with a starting lineup of Thompson, Cade Cunningham, Alec Burks, Isaiah Stewart and Jalen Duren. That quintet includes several capable defenders, but Phoenix still made 17 of 20 shots in the first quarter. The Suns' superstar trio of Bradley Beal, Devin Booker and Kevin Durant didn't appear in the second half as Phoenix nearly ran away with a blowout win against Detroit's key players.

Bagley was the Pistons' unexpected savior. He didn't appear in the first half, as James Wiseman got the nod as the team's third big. But a right ankle injury forced Duren to miss the second half, opening the door for Bagley to check in midway through the third. He was absurdly productive, finishing with a game-high 25 points on 10-for-14 shooting and seven rebounds in 22 minutes.

Williams said Bagley exemplified the tone the Pistons need to set, as his defensive communication helped the Pistons improve on that end after a poor start. He also contested Saben Lee's late miss on a would-be winning layup attempt. Phoenix shot 32.6% in the second half after scorching the Pistons early.

"Changed the game," Williams said of Bagley. "He just came in and played with a great deal in force. I thought his dives were productive. He wasn’t putting the ball down in traffic. And then defensively, I thought he did a much better job calling out screening actions, which helped our guards out.

"I was really pleased, not just with the production, but for him to sit over there most of the game and then come in and have an effect says a lot about his mindset and discipline to stay locked in. That’s really tough for a guy that’s been in the league and done what he’s done. Guys like that will be rewarded for sure because we gotta compete and defend. Guys that do that are going to be rewarded."

THE GAME: Ausar Thompson shows he belongs in Pistons preseason OT loss to Suns, 130-126

Thompson and Umude also deserve credit; Umude hit two 3-pointers late in the fourth and Thompson tied the game at 126 with a corner 3 with just over 7 seconds left.

The Pistons will have an opportunity to clean up their mistakes on Thursday, when they face the Oklahoma City Thunder in Montreal. Williams said he'll play with different lineup combinations during preseason. Perhaps Bagley earned a bigger role after his energetic performance. Maybe guard Jaden Ivey, who came off of the bench on Sunday, will get an opportunity to start.

There's still much to learn about this Pistons team. Their loss on Sunday gave them direction on where they need to grow the most.

"That’s obviously unacceptable, you’re not going to win games starting like that," Cunningham said afterward. "I saw a lot of good things. Still have the same confidence as far as the season, I think we’re going to have a great year. We learned a lot from this game, I think there’s a lot to take from it. I'm just excited to build off it."

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 need for defensive improvement made clear by Suns