Ebuka Okorie’s first Summer League game gave the Pistons plenty to build on, even if the final result didn’t go their way.
Detroit opened its 2026 NBA Summer League schedule Thursday, July 9, with a 101-93 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers at Cox Pavilion in Las Vegas. The scoreboard went against them, but the debut of No. 17 overall pick Ebuka Okorie, plus strong showings from Isaac Jones and Roddy Gayle Jr., gave the Pistons some encouraging early returns.
Okorie finished with 20 points, four assists and two steals, and he flashed the kind of all-around game Detroit wants to see from a first-round guard. Philadelphia came out intent on making life difficult for him, crowding him physically and trying to take away clean touches. That slowed him early, but once he settled in, he started getting downhill and making the Sixers pay.
His first basket came midway through the opening quarter when he beat his man straight down the lane for a layup. Not long after, he knocked down a pull-up 3-pointer off a screen from Basheer Jihad. By the end of the first period, he had five points and two assists.
After a quieter second quarter, Okorie took over for a stretch in the third. He scored seven points during a 9-0 Pistons run, starting with a pump fake that got his defender off balance before he stepped into a 3-pointer.
He then finished a right-handed up-and-under layup after gliding by a defender with a step-through, and capped the sequence with a fastbreak layup off a steal. He also picked up two steals in that span.
Known at Stanford as a score-first point guard, Okorie also made a clear effort to show his passing chops in Vegas. His fourth assist came on a Jones 3-pointer that tied the game at 83 midway through the fourth quarter.
He kept finding open teammates, even if a few potential assists slipped away when those looks didn’t get finished. The scoring translated right away, and the debut looked like a solid first step.
Jones was the most productive scorer on the floor, finishing with 22 points. He looked sharp in his third Summer League appearance, going 9-for-15 from the field and hitting a pair of 3-pointers.
The Pistons needed every bit of that efficiency as they searched for consistent offense throughout the night. Jones, a 25-year-old who played at Idaho and Washington State before reaching the NBA with the Sacramento Kings, signed with Detroit this past season and could give the team depth at power forward this year.
Gayle also gave Detroit a useful offensive jolt. The Michigan alumnus scored 10 points and showed a promising touch from deep, going 4-for-4 from the floor in 12 minutes and connecting on two 3-pointers.
That matters because 3-point shooting was the weak spot in his college profile, where he hit 30.1% of his attempts and 31.8% as a senior on low volume. One game in Las Vegas doesn’t erase those concerns, but it was a good sign.
Basheer Jihad also added 10 points for the Pistons.
Detroit’s next test comes Sunday against the Cleveland Cavaliers in a rematch of its final NBA playoff series of 2025. That game is set for 4 p.m. on Prime Video at Thomas & Mack Coliseum. Cleveland opens Summer League on Friday against the Indiana Pacers and will be led by second-round pick Meleek Thomas, the No. 34 overall selection out of Arkansas.
In Other News...
Pistons Have One Roster Decision Fans Can Already Feel Coming
Chaz Lanier entered his second season in Detroit with a clear path to prove he belonged, but that window has narrowed fast. After a limited role last year and inconsistent shooting in the chances he did get, the Pistons have only made his climb tougher by adding more perimeter help, leaving him fighting for relevance on a crowded roster.
Lanier is already 24, so the clock on his development is not exactly generous, and the pressure is even greater for a player whose value is tied so closely to making shots. He has also had to work through a shaky Summer League start from deep, and with so many guards and wings ahead of him, every practice and exhibition minute now feels like it matters for far more than just reps. [Read more 🡒]
One Rookie Just Put Pistons Fans On Notice In Vegas
Las Vegas Summer League got rolling on July 9, and the early rookie action has already started to sort out who looks ready to matter right away. Across the first wave of games, a mix of top picks and undrafted free agents put together eye-catching showings in wins over teams like Orlando, Utah, Detroit, Dallas and the Clippers, giving scouts and fans plenty to track as the 2026 class settles in.
For Pistons fans, one result stood out because it came in a 101-93 loss to Detroit and featured a rookie who stayed efficient from the floor while knocking down shots from deep without giving the ball away. It was the kind of performance that can sharpen the focus on a player fast in Vegas, even if the full identity of the one who made the biggest impression is still part of the intrigue. [Read more 🡒]