DETROIT -- When Detroit Pistons center Thon Maker steps onto the court, every moment and every play counts. That’s why he attacks with 100 percent of his effort every single time.

As his playing time increased in the wake of Andre Drummond’s trade to the Cleveland Cavaliers, Maker looked at this as his chance to step up. To him, it showed that Pistons coaches trusted him to make plays on the court. It meant that all of his work was starting to pay off.

On game days, Maker has gone to the Pistons practice facility at 10 a.m. to work on his shot, as well as his movements, finishing at the rim and rebounding. Then he’ll attend the team walk-throughs later in the afternoon for another chance to improve. Then after home games, he’ll hit the weight room, even if he got a session in after practice.

Getting those sessions in, allows him to get into a routine that will help him to keep an eye on his weight. It also helps him sleep at night especially after tough losses. So when the Pistons fell to the Charlotte Hornets on Monday night, Maker hit the racks to help get some energy out.

“It helps me sleep at night like sometimes after a loss like that I can’t fall asleep. I’ll end up re-watching the game, or watch a lot of my other games as well,” Maker said. “So I try to get all my energy out of my system in the weight room after each game as well. It’s a good chance for me to get stronger, and then also I feel better going to sleep after that.”

That energy has served the 22-year-old well, though, as he’s seen an increase in minutes in the last three games, despite getting three of his teeth knocked out. He’s averaging 29 minutes and has put up 12.7 points, 7.3 rebounds and 1.7 blocks while shooting 55.6 percent in the field and netting 33.3 percent of his threes.

He also recorded his third double-double this season and his second in three games.

“It means the work that I put in is working,” Maker said at practice on Tuesday afternoon. “And it also means that I could be trusted with my opportunities. You know lately, I’ve been given the chance to play.”

So with more opportunities available on the court, Maker will continue to attack everything with the same intensity. He said it doesn’t matter if the team is up by 20 points or down by 20 points. Playing hard is the mindset his coaches instilled in him from a young age.

“For me, I go hard in every single possession,” Maker said. “If I mess up, I mess up going 100 miles an hour, and try to make up for it at 100 miles an hour. And some guys, they mess up they have their head down, or you know they complain about (it) or find somebody else to point fingers to. But for me, I take responsibility and find a way to make up for it.”

That attitude is something that coach Dwane Casey has been looking for when his team plays.

“He has an elite motor and those are the hustle plays you look on film and those are the plays that tell you playing hard wasn’t an issue,” Casey said. "He made a mistake, OK, guess what you got to go down and make up for it and he did. He did it in the last game, too, went full court and blocked a shot. "

Casey has always seen Maker carry that intensity in everything he does on the court. Casey believes that it will carry the four-year veteran far.

“A long time. That’s an NBA skill – great person, good guy, will lay it on the line for the team, a team-first guy. He does a lot of the good things you want your team to have.”

Rose and Mykhailiuk expected back soon

As Maker continues improving with each opportunity, Derrick Rose continues making strides toward a return. Casey did not provide a definitive date and said that the team would evaluate the two following practice. Both are listed as probable for Wednesday’s game at Orlando (7 p.m. Fox Sports Detroit), the final contest before the All-Star break.

Rose has missed the last four games and has been scratched from a total of 11. A groin injury sidelined him after one half against Denver earlier this month. But his absence has been attributed to a left hip/adductor strain.

Mykhailiuk has missed the last four games with a right hip strain. He also is set to participate in the NBA’s Rising Stars Challenge on Friday night.