Detroit Pistons head to Brooklyn for the first time this season
By Ash Vanclay
The Detroit Pistons head to Brooklyn to take on the Nets coming off the back of a disappointing and winnable game in New Orleans against the Pelicans.
The Detroit Pistons now 21-18 really need to start piecing wins together if they want to try to ensure that they stay in the top half of the Eastern Conference standings and avoid the dogfight for the lower seeds. This is the first time the Detroit Pistons meet the Brooklyn Nets and it is at an intriguing time, with both teams missing key players. Brooklyn have a net rating of -2.9 on the season, however since Reggie Jackson went down Detroit have a net rating of – 6.2.
The likely starters are:
Detroit: Ish Smith, Avery Bradley, Reggie Bullock, Tobias Harris, Andre Drummond
Brooklyn: Spencer Dinwiddie, Caris LeVert, Joe Harris, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, Tyler Zeller
The Detroit Pistons will still be without Jon Leuer (ankle) and Reggie Jackson (ankle). While in good news Stan Van Gundy has indicated that Stanley Johnson is likely to play.
The Brooklyn Nets will without D’Angelo Russell (knee), DeMarre Carroll (knee) and Jeremy Lin (knee). While in better news Allan Crabbe (sore left shin) is available but is unlikely to play, and Nik Stauskas is also available to play.
Key Matchups:
Drummond vs Zeller
Drummond holds the physical edge in this matchup and he will need to use that size and power to ensure that he dominates his opponent. If Drummond can establish himself deep inside early, Detroit will be in good stead to come out with the win. I can foresee a big game for the big guy here with Brooklyn being forced to play a little small.
The Point Guard battle
The Point Guard battle will be an interesting one here. Spencer Dinwiddie has been on a tear lately and has been playing well, and at 6’6 he holds a massive size advantage over Ish Smith. It will be interesting to see how Ish deals with that and how he uses his speed and craftiness on the offensive side of the floor.