The last-place Detroit Pistons have endured a rough season that just got worse. Killian Hayes, the No. 7 overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, will be out indefinitely after the rookie suffered a labral tear in his right hip, the team announced Wednesday. Hayes got injured during Detroit's loss to the Milwaukee Bucks on Monday when he fell awkwardly after trying to get back on defense in transition after being stripped by Jrue Holiday:
Oh no. Killian Hayes is down and holding his thigh. Had a bit of an awkward fall trying to defend this fast break. #Pistons pic.twitter.com/CUGGCDOL2O
— Jonathan Deutsch (@JonathanD_TV) January 5, 2021
Hayes left the game in the third quarter and didn't return as the Pistons announced he suffered a right hip injury. He was scheduled to have an MRI on Tuesday, and was listed as doubtful for Detroit's game on Wednesday against the Bucks. While Hayes was down on the ground being tended to by team trainers, video appeared to show him saying that he felt a "pop." After the game, head coach Dwane Casey told reporters they thought it was a hip flexor, but they weren't sure.
Hayes started all seven games for Detroit as its point guard, and was averaging 4.6 points and 3.6 assists. While his raw numbers weren't eye-popping, Hayes was showing great promise early in his rookie season, and with him expected to miss a chunk of time, it will only slow down his progress. For the Pistons, this is a significant blow for a team that has had an abysmal 1-6 start to the season, putting them at the bottom of the standings not just in the Eastern Conference, but in the entire league. With Hayes now expected to be out, the Pistons will likely turn to backup guard Derrick Rose to fill in for him in the starting lineup.
Rose is averaging 16.2 points, 6.2 assists and 2.5 rebounds off the bench for Detroit, leading the team in assists and ranking second in points per game. While Rose has played phenomenally off the bench for Detroit last year and the start of this season, he can easily be plugged into the starting lineup and make an even bigger impact. Last season, in the 14 games Rose started, he averaged 17.9 points, 5.5 assists and 2.5 rebounds. There's no question Rose can step into the starting lineup. However, Detroit has been grooming Hayes to be its point guard for the future, and losing him so early into his rookie season is a significant loss.
