Not-Quite-Yet-New Pistons Host Bulls
By J.M. Poulard
Essentials
- Teams: Chicago Bulls (34-20) at Detroit Pistons (21-33)
- Date: February 20
- Time: 7:30 p.m.
- Television: FSD
Get in the Game
The Detroit Pistons will begin the Reggie Jackson era tonight against the Chicago Bulls…without Reggie Jackson.
Detroit acquired Jackson via a trade with the Oklahoma City Thunder, and until all players involved in the swap report to their respective teams, Jackson won’t be able to play. The Pistons believe he will be good to go by Sunday.
In the meantime, the Pistons will take on a challenging Bulls team that features perhaps the most formidable frontline in the Eastern Conference. The trio of Joakim Noah, Pau Gasol and Taj Gibson is as talented as it gets, and it’s complemented by Derrick Rose and Jimmy Butler.
Rose may not be the sheer force of nature he once was, but he’s a productive player capable of wowing crowds every now and then with vicious crossovers and punishing finishes.
That’s pertinent entering tonight’s contest because the Pistons won’t have anyone to put the clamps on him.
Brandon Jennings is out for the year with an Achilles tear and D.J. Augustin is gone courtesy of the Jackson trade. He wouldn’t have stopped Rose, but the Bulls guard would have at least spent some time chasing after Augustin, which would have put a semblance of pressure on the former league MVP.
Instead, the Pistons will trot out luminaries such as John Lucas III and Spencer Dinwiddie. It’s worth noting that Lucas III once upon a time was part of Chicago’s bench brigade and rarely shied away from pulling the trigger.
Perhaps seeing Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau and that random guy now playing his minutes – Rose – will get his competitive juices flowing. Otherwise, the contest will come down to Detroit’s big men.
The onus will be on Greg Monroe and Andre Drummond to live in the paint on both ends. That means thwarting Rose whenever he nervously gets in the lane, knocking down the likes of Butler when he drives at the basket and snatching away all of the rebounds. Oh and for good measure, the Pistons have to shut down Gasol.
If he’s scoring at an inefficient rate, Pistons coach Stan Van Gundy will surely take it, because it means that Chicago is forcing the ball into Gasol to the detriment of his teammates. The Bulls look good when they share the wealth and attack the glass, and those are areas they will look to exploit tonight.
Offensively, Detroit’s big men will have to out-Chicago Chicago. That means crashing the boards, owning the paint and setting screens that lead to open looks.
The lack of perimeter help tonight places the Pistons in a precarious position, but luckily they have the horses with the potential to carry them on a night like this one.
Will it happen? Truthfully, I’m skeptical.
Can it, though? Absolutely.
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