Detroit Pistons nearly upset Golden State Warriors thanks to Stanley Umude's work

Stanley Umude’s big night started with a conversation.

Umude is one of three Detroit Pistons two-way contract players, and had appeared in five straight games prior to Golden State 's arrival at Little Caesars Arena on Monday night. But his minutes fluctuated — he played a season-high 12 against the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday but just five combined in the next two games.

Head coach Monty Williams wanted to see Umude clean up his mistakes. The day prior against the Phoenix Suns, he fouled sharpshooter Yuta Watanabe on a 3-point attempt; Watanabe made the 3 and then went to the line for a four-point play. Williams has preached discipline when defending shooters, and he hadn’t seen enough from the 24-year-old Umude.

The talk paid off — Umude stepped up big on Monday as the shorthanded Pistons battled a contender. He scored 15 points while knocking down four of his five 3-pointers, hitting big shots in the second half. And defensively, he avoided the errors that prompted the pregame lecture.

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He was a bright spot during the Pistons’ 120-109 loss, during which they were down seven rotation players —including Jalen Duren and Jaden Ivey — due to injuries. Umude and fellow two-way forward Jared Rhoden rounded out Williams’ options Monday.

“The way he called me out, or called me up before the game, it meant a lot to me because it showed that he was watching me and he cared about what I was doing, no matter what my contract situation is,” Umude said. “It meant a lot for me just going into the game with focus. It’s not even about making shots. It’s just about being ready to play, being ready to help the team in any way I can.”

Umude went 3-for-3 beyond the arc in the second half. He hit two of them back-to-back late in the third quarter — the first breaking a 74-all tie to give Detroit its first lead since the first quarter and the second extending the lead to six with 2:10 remaining in the period.

He continued rolling in the fourth, knocking down his final 3 of the night and then finishing a circus layup through contact for a free throw opportunity to give the Pistons a five-point lead with just under 10 minutes to play.

“Kudos to him,” Williams said. “I called him up before the game because he had a couple of situations in the last two games where he fouled 3-point shooters and gave up four-point plays, or gave up a 3-point shot where they got three free throws. Tonight he was more sound. He knocked down big shots, the finish at the rim was great in transition.”

Umude also nearly had one of Detroit’s biggest defensive plays, positioning himself for a charge as Dario Saric drived for a layup in the third. Saric finished the attempt through contact and went to the line, as Umude was called for a blocking foul. His feet appeared to be set and in front of the restricted line, but a replay showed his heel hovering over the line. Williams challenged the call and lost. Saric made the free throw, and Golden State took a three-point lead.

“Thought his defense was pretty good,” Williams said. “I thought that was a charge on Saric, I gotta watch that again. That really messed up my timeouts. We had to take a chance in a game like this with so many guys out. I had to take some chances. I really thought that was a good defensive possession. I thought he was in a legal guarding position.

“I just thought he was so much more under control in this game, and the shotmaking, obviously, was good. But I thought his control and disposition was pretty good.”

A South Dakota and Arkansas alumnus, Umude went undrafted in 2022 and subsequently joined the Pistons on an Exhibit-10 contract during training camp. He was then waived and spent the rest of the season with the Motor City Cruise.

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But he was able to spend more time with the parent club, signing a 10-day contract on Feb. 10 and making his debut on Feb. 15, logging two garbage-time minutes against the Boston Celtics. Until this season, it was his lone NBA action.

Umude impressed during Summer League in Las Vegas this summer and signed a two-way contract on Oct. 23. He has become a rotation player, and his performance Monday could lead more trust from the coaching staff as the Pistons wait for their health to improve.

Life can be tough as a two-way player — they often don’t know when they’ll be asked to step into a bigger role. Umude has done his part by staying ready.

“I’m blessed to be in this position, be around this group of people,” Umude said. “It’s a great group of guys. I can’t even talk about how tough it is, because it’s just so much of a blessing. I’m just so happy to be here.”

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

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Pistons stick with GS Warriors thanks to Stanley Umude's work