Pistons Quotes and Notes: What Steve Scalzi Said Following Summer League Loss

Here's what Pistons assistant coach Steve Scalzi said following Detroit's Summer League opener loss to the Philadelphia 76ers.

Mar 10, 2026; Charlotte, NC, USA; Stanford Cardinal guard Ebuka Okorie (1) with the ball in the second half at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Detroit Pistons dropped their Summer League opener, losing a hard-fought 101-93 game against the Philadelphia 76ers. The Pistons were led by Isaac Jones’ 22 points and No. 17 overall pick Ebuka Okorie’s 17 points in the loss to the 76ers, both of whom stood out for Detroit.

Following the loss, Pistons assistant coach Steve Scalzi, who is coaching Detroit’s 2026 Summer League squad, spoke about the opener. Here’s everything Scalzi had to say, especially on the performance from Okorie and Jones in the loss.

What He Saw From Pistons in Summer League Loss:

“I want to see 40 minutes of Pistons hoop, and we didn’t start that way. I thought we hit it at stride to be at stretches of it. We need to see all 40 minutes of that, and we know what that’s defined by, right? We compete together with discipline, with grit, and we try to repeat that over and over until the other team gives in to it.”

Ebuka Okorie’s Performance:

“He had a nice steady pace to him. I expected some nerves, but he looked calm and still, and I love that about him. He’s got a nice way about him, and the group follows his lead as well. I think he’s obviously get comfortable as the week goes on, even more and more, and I saw that in the game today.”

Okorie’s Effectiveness in the Paint:

“Well, it’s shiftiness, and then he understands, obviously, like once the ball touches the paint, your threes, layups, offensive rebounds, like everything goes up for your team as an offense. We talk about that a lot. It’s one of the things we try to do. When we dominate the paint defensively as Detroit Pistons on the defensive end, offensively it’s just the same deal. If we touch the paint, he’s going to make everyone better, and he’s recognizing that really early, and it's something that made him the player he is to this point.”

What Clicked For Okorie in Third Quarter:

“Competitive juices, I think. These are long games. We know what NBA games are; we saw it in the Finals and other situations- 20-point swings- and we talked about that. I think it was just competitive juices. It was cool to see him make a bucket or two and get fired up.”

Isaac Jones:

“He’s relentlessly tough. He had a little bit of butter fingers in the first half where he was apologizing to me, and I was like, ‘Come on, man, there’s nothing to apologize for.” We talked about long games, and I think if we were to turn around and win this game, he would have been a huge reason why because he was getting to the rim. We were running the pick and roll for him. He’s really a capable and diverse NBA player in my opinion."