Players chosen midway through the first round of the NBA draft rarely stand out immediately in the first two seasons of their careers. But Detroit Pistons As a rookie, the striker Sadeq Bey exceeded expectations.
Bey averaged 12.2 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.4 assists during his junior campaign and was named to the All-Rookie First Team. He led all rookies with 175 3-point shots.
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During his second season, Bay improved across the board. He showed more variety in his game, and evolved into more than just a 3D player. His numbers benefited too, averaging 16.2 points, 5.4 rebounds and 2.8 assists. It’s also improved from 0.2 steals a game to 0.9.
With Jerami Grant leaving for Portland, Bay is likely to become Duane Casey’s second attacking option behind Kid Cunningham. With a bigger role, he could be in line for breakout season. Bey averaged 19.1 points in 34 games without Grant last season.
“Honest, he’s someone who didn’t get a break,” Casey said. “He’s one of those guys that reminds me of Dirk Nowitzki. We used to put a lock in the gym to keep him out of the gym. He’s a basketball junkie.”
Bay scored 51 points against the Orlando Magic on March 17, making 10 three-pointers. But he also had five trips and a cut in the cup that night. Last season, Bey showed that he has a lot of variety in his game. He also played six matches averaging at least 30 points.
Pai loves to play the role of a villain, and his favorite is the Joker.
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“Being on the road, I feel like the world is against me.” “I’ve felt all my life that being on the road gives me another advantage and just focus on being with your team,” Bay said.
The notable improvement was his recoil ability. Bay Force played forward a lot this past season while Grant was out with a thumb injury. Bay has played seven games with over 10 rebounds, including 17 rebounds on January 1 against the San Antonio Spurs. In the same match, Bey hit the match-winning ball on two Tottenham defenders, finishing the match with 21 points and three assists and stealing twice in 47 minutes.
Bai also improved as a passerby. Bey’s assist jumped from 7.6% as a rookie to 13.8% last season. Its turnover increased from 8.2% to 7.5% for each glass cleaning company.
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Even during the summer months, Bey works hours every day to perfect his craft. His work ethic is unmatched, although coaches wouldn’t mind if he took it a little easy.
“This was definitely recommended by the coaching staff,” Bey said after the last game of the season. “It’s actually a tough battle for me every summer. If a few days of my vacation go by, I want to go to the gym. I have to find that balance. I love to play basketball. Just fun playing basketball, not just league NBA, but fun playing basketball. It’s my favorite hobby.”
Perhaps the final hurdle for Pai is consistency. He scored 31 points in a 77% of 3 shooting against the Cleveland Cavaliers on January 30, but in the next game he scored just seven points in a 16% shootout of 3 against the New Orleans Pelicans. This has been a recurring theme throughout the season. Great shooting performance, then the next night he couldn’t find his shot.
If Bey could become a more consistent shooter, he wouldn’t have to worry about being a Joker. He may develop into the perfect Robin for the Pistons next season and beyond.
Free Press sports writer Omari Sankova II contributed to this report. Anthony Schulte, a rookie student at Lake Orion High School, is an intern at Free Press this summer.