Detroit Pistons vs Boston Celtics preview

After a disappointing loss on Saturday to the suddenly surging Miami Heat, the Detroit Pistons look to get back on track against the Boston Celtics.

The Detroit Pistons face off against the Boston Celtics tonight in a battle of teams opposite of one another in the Eastern conference standings. The Celtics come into the game on a three game winning streak and are currently in second place in the eastern conference.  Conversely, the Pistons are currently on a two game losing streak and are in tied for ninth place in the Eastern conference. Let’s take a look at how these teams matchup.

The Celtics have 109.2 offensive rating which is tied for 6th in the NBA and is led by their newly named all star point guard Isaiah Thomas. Thomas is man that makes the Celtics offense go as he is averaging 29 points per game on 47 percent shooting from the field.  Thomas is also shooting 39 percent from three on eight attempts per game and is their primary playmaker.

On the other hand, the Celtics have a 106.3 defensive rating which ranks 21st in the NBA and may be a little surprising to some given the defensive reputations of some of their players like Jae Crowder, Al Horford, and Avery Bradley.  All three of those players have missed time with injuries but even with they were full strength, the Celtics have struggled defensively this season.  One reason for the Celtics poor defensive rating is they struggle to rebound the ball.  

They are 28th in the league in rebounds per game which has allowed teams to gain additional possessions (which lead can lead to additional points given up) with offensive rebounds.  Andre Drummond has the opportunity for a big day on the glass which could help the Pistons give the Pistons offense more second chance opportunities.

Comparatively, the Pistons have a 103.5 offensive rating which is 21st in the league.  Their lack of playmakers and three point shooters has really hurt the Pistons offense this season.  They’re shooting only 34 percent from three as a team this season which is tied for 26th in the NBA.

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In a league where taking more three pointers has shown to be an efficient part of an NBA offense, the Pistons are 26th in three point attempts per game with only 23 attempts per game.

Furthermore, this lack of playmaking can lead to less open shots and some of it is simply that the Pistons have a bunch of average three point shooters this year besides Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and maybe Reggie Jackson.

Defensively, the Pistons have a rating of 105.4 which ranks 14th in the NBA.  A unit that was once top five early in the season has fallen to 14th.  Kentavious Caldwell-Pope is their lone great defensive player while many of their players struggle with staying in front of their man and pick and roll coverage. They will have their hands full with Isaiah Thomas and the Celtics offensively tonight.
The game is at TD Garden in Boston and will be on TNT at 8pm.