If you asked random Pistons fans on the street about Killian Hayes, you would get a mixed bag of responses. Some see the potential for him to be that Goran Dragic-esque player, while others would call him a bust, marking Troy Weaver's first miss of his time as a GM. Regardless of what side of the coin you fall, it is quite apparent this year is truly a make-or-break year for Hayes. With that comes the question of what does he need to do to break through during this upcoming season? We will look at a couple of areas of improvement that people should be looking for in Hayes.
1. Assertiveness In Scoring
Hayes has a problem that has plagued many guards of his prototype, which is a lack of assertiveness in scoring. He can make plays for his teammates any day, but he seems to be hesitant when it comes to putting the ball on the floor and making a play for himself. When he does, it ends up looking quite unnatural. Examples of this include his step-back 3 that he hasn’t quite figured out yet or his left hand floater that he tries to bank in with varying levels of success. To an extent, I think it would be a good idea to put Hayes in more isolation type settings so he can work on his scoring craft. Even if it is at a lower efficiency, scoring is something that Hayes can’t shy away from if he truly wants to stay in the league.
2. Improved Spot-Up Shooting
Another area that comes with scoring is spot-up shooting. When the Pistons selected Cade Cunningham in the 2021 NBA Draft, it all but cemented the fact that Hayes would need to find a way to play off the ball. However, this past season it was clear that his shot still needed some work as he converted only 29.4% of catch and shoot opportunities last year. This would often force Dwane Casey to play Cory Joseph at the two instead of Hayes just to add more shooting. With the arrival of Jaden Ivey, Hayes will likely need to improve his spot-up shooting if he wants to play significant minutes next year, otherwise he will likely find himself with the second unit at best, which leads us into the next point…
3. Lead the Second Unit Consistently
One of the bright spots of Hayes' sophomore season was that when he came off the bench, he would lead the team on runs that would keep the Pistons in the game. If Hayes is not going to take the scoring leap that fans and coaches are hoping for, the least he can do is be the floor general for the bench. We saw him do this towards the end of last year, but it was a short sample size. While a backup point guard isn’t what fans were hoping for when he was drafted seventh overall in the 2020 NBA Draft, it at least allows him to find a niche role that he can excel at.
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