The Detroit Pistons are in the national spotlight tonight as they look to snap a four game skid, taking on the Golden State Warriors at home in Little Caesars Arena.
I remember the day fondly. I had made the trek up from Miami (my former home) to watch my Detroit Pistons take on the reigning champion Golden State Warriors back home at the Palace.
While it was a cold, chilly night in Auburn Hills, the Golden State Warriors were anything but. Losing only three times leading up to the January matchup, the Warrior being considered heavy favorites was an understatement
The game was star-studded as well. Both boxing legend, Floyd Mayweather, and I were in attendance, in addition to a sold-out 21,000 packed arena. All eyes were on Detroit.
It also was a special occasion. Esteemed member of the “Goin’ to Work” Pistons squad from 2004, Ben Wallace, had his jersey retired at halftime and the ceremonious “GONG” from Big Ben filled the arena in tandem with Mason’s iconic introduction as his name and number were lifted to the rafters.
After jumping out to a 65-49 lead at halftime, the inevitable expected for the Pistons. It wasn’t uncommon for the Warriors to allow opposing teams to jump out to halftime leads, as they could easily hit a barrage of jumpers from beyond the arc and seemingly be within striking distance by a blink of an eye.
Nobody in the arena expected the Pistons to win. Nobody watching at home expected the Pistons to win. They were playing a historic team. In fact, one that will go down as the greatest regular season team in NBA history.
However, there were ten men who believed in the Pistons and those were the ten men wearing the red, white, and blue that night.
Summoning the talents of members of the 2004 squad, the Pistons managed to hold off the seemingly unending barrage that Stephen Curry provided that night, and the Pistons managed to parlay that win into a playoff berth that season – something that had not been achieved for nearly a decade.
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Flash forward to 2017: The Pistons are once again on national television against the Golden State Warriors.
The circumstances are a bit different now, though. The Pistons currently sit at the four spot in the Eastern Conference and the Golden State Warriors are without star guard and noted Pistons-killer, Stephen Curry.
After losing four straight on the road, the Pistons have a chance to make a statement in front of a national crowd.
Defeating the Golden State Warriors will not be easy, but it will define the 2017 Pistons’ identity going forward.
Is this team a contender or a pretender? Losing four straight has many thinking the latter, but optimism still remains for many in the 313.
The Pistons still sport a top 10 in the Eastern Conference net rating and have the ability to shoot from three effectively with the 6th best three point percentage in the nation.
Game starts at 7:00 EST on ESPN. The opportunity is golden and ready for the taking.
Stat of the Day:
Detroit Pistons Gameday Stat:
— Sham (@shamshammgod) December 8, 2017
The Golden State Warriors currently rank 26th in turnovers.
Meanwhile, the Detroit Pistons currently rank 6th in forcing turnovers.#DetroitBasketball