Detroit Pistons' sleep deprivation after road trip not good for 'the health of the game'

MIAMI — Luke Kennard played nearly 40 minutes Monday night.

After the six-point loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves at Little Caesars Arena, he showered and dressed.

There was no time to tarry; the Pistons were scheduled to take off from Detroit Metropolitan Airport at 11 p.m., headed for Miami — which would allow for an acceptable bedtime before playing the Heat on Tuesday night.

But the snowstorm — which dumped nearly 10 inches of snow and brought frigid temperatures — forced the plane to get de-iced.

The Pistons were last in line and after a long delay, the plane departed shortly before 3 a.m.

The Pistons landed in Miami after 5 a.m. and didn’t get to their hotels until after 6 a.m.

“Probably 6:30 or 7,” Kennard recalled, when asked what time he got to bed, following the Pistons’ 117-108 loss to the Heat.

The Pistons — minus Blake Griffin and Derrick Rose for injury rests — played like they were still in bed for most of the first half, falling behind by 29 points.

They found their legs in the second half, cutting the deficit to eight with 2:15 left, but the hole was too deep.

The slow start left Pistons coach Dwane Casey fuming; 37 points in the first half represents a franchise low this season.

But he also criticized an NBA schedule that forced the Pistons (4-8) to fly from the Midwest to the southern tip of Florida on a back-to-back.

“We were still flying, I think,” Casey said in referencing the slow start. “That’s no excuse — Miami did a good job of getting up into us — but we have to fight through adversity. …”

But?

“There’s no way an NBA team should be leaving at 2 or 3 o’clock in the morning to get on a flight. That’s not good for the player’s health, the health of the game or whatever it is. Weather situations happen, but we got to plan for that.”

The science of sleep

Casey’s comments come across as excuse-making from a coach with a losing record.

But the Pistons are the only team in the league to play 12 games at this point of the season, and the two-day break last weekend was the first time they didn’t play a game at least every other day since the season began Oct. 17 at Indiana.

The comment hints at Casey's frustration.

The steady pace the first few weeks is probably a factor in the medical staff’s decision to be cautious with Griffin and Rose, who both have extensive injury histories.

Studies hypothesize sleep deprivation — combined with air travel — can negatively affect  recovery and lead to injuries.

The team tried to cope, but the late arrival disrupted the day.

Kennard said he awoke about 11:15 a.m. to let some natural light into his hotel room.

He received treatment and took a walk to get some fresh air and a little Florida warmth.

Then it was time for a 4:30 walk-through.

Everything was basically pushed back by four hours to give the players some sleep time.

“(The training staff) gave us an opportunity to rest, to get our recovery in before we met,” Kennard said. “They’re looking out for us. That’s their job.”

“They’ve done a great job so far.”

Slumbering team

A drowsy team took the floor and the results were predictable.

The Heat knew the Pistons’ predicament and went for the kill shot early.

Kelly Olynyk made a 30-footer late in the second quarter and the Heat lead swelled to 55-26.

The Pistons trailed at halftime, 59-37. Kennard and Langston Galloway were scoreless in the first half and a combined 0-for-14 from the field, the main culprits in the team's shooting woes. Kennard got hot in the second half, scoring 22 points.

 It wasn’t enough as the Pistons dropped their third straight. They didn’t use lack of sleep as an excuse; they just answered questions truthfully.

“It’s part of the job, but it’s tough,” Thon Maker said. “It’s tough on your body and it’s tough on your mind, but you find a way to adjust and play through it.

“Whatever adversity you go through on the court, you got to play through it.”

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