Detroit Pistons Guard Killian Hayes Is Finally Turning Heads

The first two seasons of Killian Hayes’ career didn’t go exactly as planned. The Frenchman, selected seventh overall in the 2020 draft, routinely struggled with the speed of the NBA game. Good games were few, and far in-between, which surely couldn’t have helped his confidence any.

This season, however, Hayes looks more comfortable on the court. He’s seemingly adjusted to the fact that he won’t ever become a blow-by point guard, who can get to the rim off pure explosion whenever he wants. Instead, he’s leaning into the skills that he does have, such as his court vision and shooting.

Over the past seven games, Hayes is putting in quality production in the absence of Cade Cunningham. 14.6 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 7.9 assists per game, committing just 1.9 turnovers in the process, while hitting over 47% of his shots, including over 38% of his three-pointers.

The percentages are extra encouraging, as that’s been an area where the now 21-year-old has historically struggled. Even this year, he started off hitting just 17.3% of his shots over his first nine games. At the time, the jury was ready to render a verdict on his future in the league, but somehow he grabbed hold of some consistency.

So, what is Hayes doing differently?

For one thing, there’s an obvious change in effort. That sounds like an oversimplification, but he’s flat out playing harder. On offense, he’s getting into sets quicker, he’s probing the defense a lot more while maintaining his dribble, and he’s balancing court vision with a willingness to pull up on opponents when he feels he has a shot.

Defensively, he’s also more active. At 6’5, Hayes is beginning to understand that his size can affect opponents who go at him, and he’s putting his chest into guys more than ever. He’s also playing passing lanes more effectively now, picking off steals and getting transition buckets.

The passing is the biggest key, though. He’s finding teammates on rolls, when they pop out behind the line, and even when they’re across the court open. For a guy who has shown elements of timidity in the past, Hayes now seems confident in making virtually every pass out there.

That said, while Hayes reads the court well, he’s not necessarily as creative a passer as the best playmakers around. He mostly gets teammates involved by making meat and potato plays, like finding shooters coming off screens, and hitting a roller as soon as the help defense rotates. It’s simple basketball, but that doesn’t make it any less fruitful.

When shooting the ball, it seems Hayes has developed a slight fade to his shot when pulling up against taller defenders. He’s historically struggled gaining separation from agile defenders, but the combination of crossovers, step-backs, and the ability to fade has allowed him to find those crucial extra inches in getting off quality looks.

Make no mistake, however, Hayes is also working harder for his looks than ever before, which comes back to the effort part from earlier. He now seems to understand the game won’t always come to him, and he has to make things happen on his own accord.

For the Pistons, this development is good news. Cunningham remains out, and there is currently no timetable for his return. Having a playmaker who can help set up the rest of the roster is highly necessary, and so far Hayes has been up to the task.

It’s still early in his transformation, so we’ll see how he fares for the rest of the season, but the youngster seems to have found something. Let’s just hope it’s sustainable.

Unless noted otherwise, all stats via NBA.com, PBPStats, Cleaning the Glass or Basketball-Reference. All salary information via Spotrac. All odds via FanDuel Sportsbook.