Killian Hayes had a weird rookie year with the Detroit Pistons. The French point guard who went in the Lottery of the 2020 NBA Draft dealt with a hip injury that limited him to only 26 games, and when he played, he looked like most first-year point guards in the NBA. Despite having professional experience in Europe, Hayes had to learn on the fly how to deal with the speed and physicality of the NBA, which is usually a great way for rookies to struggle mightily, particularly ones who have the ball in their hands as much as Hayes did.
As such, Hayes is in Las Vegas to play during Summer League, something he didn’t get the chance to do last year. He’s had his ups-and-downs during his first time in the desert, but one extremely high moment came on Friday evening while the Pistons took on the New York Knicks and he busted out a crossover that put Knicks wing Wayne Selden in the spin cycle.
Killian Hayes crossover made the defender do a full turn
(via @NBATV)
pic.twitter.com/T5COvFgMH5— Dime (@DimeUPROXX) August 14, 2021
Filthy.
@iam_killian | @DetroitPistons pic.twitter.com/EOEbQkCeNL
— NBA Summer League (@NBASummerLeague) August 14, 2021
Summer League is always good for a few pretty good highlights, but even by that standard, watching a dude get crossed up like this is pretty impressive. Hayes had some good and some bad against the Knicks — seven points on 2-for-8 shooting with five turnovers, but he had six assists, five rebounds, one steal, and one block — in a game the Pistons won, 93-87.