The Detroit Pistons’ 2023-24 NBA season has been a disaster so far. Supposedly tanking for a top pick in the upcoming NBA draft, the Pistons have the worst record in the Eastern Conference, and the entire league. A disappointing season for Motor City fans quickly turned around last night in their loss to the Atlanta Hawks as Pistons’ fans saw a sliver of hope in Malachi Flynn.
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A fourth-year guy out of San Diego State, Malachi Flynn went off against the Hawks in the Pistons’ 113-121 loss last night. Although, having the night of his career so far, Flynn gave his two cents when asked if he got to show up his former teams with tonight’s performance as a reminder of what they gave up on, along with a personal revelation.
“I would say, yeah, but more for me, it’s just for myself, to be honest. Just kinda showing myself that I can do some of things, I don’t think it’s a fluke in any way. So, I think for more, it’s just proving to myself that I belong and I can do some things here.”
.@ShamsCharania: “Does having a 50 ball in an NBA game, does that give you kind of, sticking it to the teams like Toronto, New York, that had you?”@malachiflynn: “I would say yeah, but more for me…Just kind of showing myself that I can do some of those things, I don’t think… pic.twitter.com/Fj2DrPxd0Q
— Run It Back (@RunItBackFDTV) April 4, 2024
Malachi Flynn started his career with the Toronto Raptors in 2020, as the 29th pick. Spending the first four years with the Raptors, Flynn saw a gradual decrease in the minutes he got on the floor, which automatically led to declining points per game averages. The Raptors traded away Flynn to the New York Knicks. Moving to a new city with new teammates, a different fanbase, and new leadership under a different coach, Malachi Flynn must’ve felt this was the fresh start he needed. Unfortunately, for the 6’1″ guard, NY was not his calling.
Malachi Flynn just dropped 50 POINTS off the bench
50 PTS
18-25 FG
6 REB
5 AST
5 STL pic.twitter.com/qSUz4WRe6L— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) April 4, 2024
Lucky for him, his next destination was where Flynn got the chance to show the world what he could do, something he emphasized during his interview. His 50-point game sure put a lot of teams on notice. And a humble response from the guard, during the interview, Flynn’s portfolio in the upcoming free agent market would shoot up by a huge margin.
Malachi Flynn puts himself on the map
It may not happen often, but players step onto the hardwood floor with a purpose. And this time, it was Detroit Pistons guard, Malachi Flynn. Malach Flynn’s career-high was one of those league stories, which usually don’t get their deserved attention.
After his 50-point outburst against the Atlanta Hawks tonight, Flynn has been able to surpass some well-reputed legends like Larry Bird and Allen Iverson to name a few. He is also tied for the second-most points in NBA history from a player coming off the bench with former NBA player, Nick Anderson.
Fun Fact: Malachi Flynn has a higher career-high than
Magic Johnson
Kawhi Leonard
Scottie Pippen
Chris Paul
Kevin Garnett
Shai Gilgeous-Alexanderand he got it off the bench. pic.twitter.com/iwoSTeCzod
— StatMuse (@statmuse) April 4, 2024
Hopefully, after his scoring outburst tonight, Malachi Flynn finally gets more minutes and recognition going forward, because, he’s got what it takes to at least, be given another legit chance in the NBA. Given the Pistons’ current situation, Flynn would give them hope for a bright future.