Detroit Pistons Host Golden State Warriors in Curry’s Return
By Joye Pruitt
The Detroit Pistons have a quick turnaround after beating the Chicago Bulls last night. They host the Golden State Warriors tonight at LCA.
The Detroit Pistons will host the Golden State Warriors on tonight in Little Caesar’s Arena. Let me just say, fans may have a game on their hands.
There is just one thing that may throw a wrench in the Pistons’ game plan in the second night of their back-to-back home games. Golden State’s golden goose, Stephen Curry, will be back in the lineup.
As the entire NBA has witnessed, the Warriors are just different with the long-range sniper on the floor. Different as in so much better.
The Pistons will need to be more creative than they were in Friday night’s game against the Chicago Bulls.
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Since Dwane Casey’s arrival to the Motor City, the Pistons have had a very specific offensive strategy: shoot way more threes than normal and push the pace of the game.
I wouldn’t call Detroit a run-and-gun squad, at least not yet. But, Andre Drummond will often be seen sprinting up the court with a leaner physique than he was once required to have. He and Blake Griffin will be able to take advantage of a defense missing its hybrid forward, Draymond Green.
Although the Warriors will have the three-point shooting of Curry back, the absence of Green is a blow to their defense. As of now, Golden State has a defensive rating of 111, which is 19th in the league.
This season has provided evidence that the Warriors can be knocked over and the Detroit Pistons are hot, coming off of a 19-point victory against the Bulls just last night.
There are a couple of things that the Pistons need to build off of from Friday night’s rout to send the Warriors packing with a loss.
First order of business – Stop Kevin Durant
It’s hard to find an Achilles heel in the Warriors. However, the Pistons have become better defensively throughout the season.
Still, it’s Kevin Durant. A cold-shooting night is the only thing that’s going to stop Durant. Just don’t make things easy.
The Warriors are going to shove the pick-and-roll down the Pistons’ throat. Curry will do much of the ball-handling, but for the sake of working him back into the game in regards to time, there will be a lot of screens and switches get Durant cooking.
However, players “succeed” against Durant defensively when they have length and strength on their side. The PJ Tucker-type defenders of the world. The Pistons may not have someone like that.
They do have Stanley Johnson.
Look, even Kawhi Leonard could not stop a 51-point night from Durant. No one expects Johnson to unlock the code to shutting down a top-five offensive player.
His effort on the defensive end sets the tone. There are lots of other weapons to worry about from the Warriors. But, Johnson’s speed and power makes him ideal to camp around Durant, at least every now and then.
Team defense and three-point shooting
The second key to defeating the Warriors for the Detroit Pistons will be their three-point shooting and defense. The Houston Rockets learned the hard way that one cannot out-Warrior the Warriors.
General Manager Bob Myers has assembled an arsenal of perimeter snipers that makes it impossible to keep up with in a shootout.
The Pistons will need to chase the Warriors off that line and force tough shots. Be smart, be patient and weather the storm.
The Detroit Pistons will play at a level that the Golden State Warriors will respect.
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The greater question is if their offense will put enough points on the board to make that matter.