MLive.com: Detroit Pistons rookie forwards Jonas Jerebko, Austin Daye and DaJuan Summers have played well at times and struggled at others. They certainly did not have their best games Wednesday in a 94-64 loss to the Toronto Raptors.
Jerebko had 10 points and nine rebounds, but he made just 2-of-9 shots from the field. The three rookies combined to shoot 22.7 percent (5-for-22).
Daye made the most noticeable mental error when he didn't cover Marco Belinelli on an inbounds play with 0.5 seconds left in the third quarter.
"Get on him, Austin!" Kuester yelled just before the Raptors inbounded the ball to Belinelli, who buried a long 3-point shot at the buzzer.
The referees waved off the basket after reviewing it on video replay, ruling the ball did not leave Belinelli's hand before the quarter ended. But that ruling came after Kuester glared in Daye's direction as he made his way to the bench.
Kuester was asked whether it could be a matter of the rookies hitting a wall.
"It could be," Kuester said. "They've been in an environment where they've basically played one college season already, but that's no excuse. You've got to be ready to play. You've got to understand the grind of what it is to be in the NBA."
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