Detroit Pistons Look to Build Streak Against Milwaukee Bucks

The Detroit Pistons play the Milwaukee Bucks at Little Caesar’s Arena tonight. It was not pretty the last time these two teams met.

The Detroit Pistons look to continue playing better basketball.

A win against the Boston Celtics at home seemingly put the team back on the right path after a six-game losing streak. The Milwaukee Bucks come into LCA after an impressive win against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Expect Malcolm Brogdon and Khris Middleton to be available for game play, as they are listed as probable for Monday night’s contest.

Player to watch – Reggie Bullock

In the December 5 meeting against the Milwaukee Bucks, the Detroit Pistons had a glaring loss of depth – they were playing without Reggie Bullock in the lineup.

The Pistons shot 23.7 percent from the three-point line in that game and their inability to space the floor contributed to the second loss in their recently snapped six-game losing streak. Well, he’s back and opposite Luke Kennard on the wing to contribute to stretching the Bucks’ defense.

Keep an eye on Bullock’s defense in this game. With Khris Middleton listed as probable in Monday night’s game against the Detroit Pistons, Bullock will find himself primarily in charge of defending Milwaukee Bucks’ second leading scorer.

Middleton averages 17.4 points per game and 39.1 percent shooting from the perimeter.

Middleton takes most of his shots from deep. Bullock will need to do everything he can to make sure he continues to play poorly. Middleton is only shooting 27.9 percent from the field in December.

His finger injury likely activated his slump, but perimeter defense is key in containing the type of offensive burst Middleton is capable of.

Detroit Pistons win if…..

The Detroit Pistons can secure a win if their guards can put on a better defensive effort against Milwaukee than last time the two teams met.

Eric Bledsoe went off against Reggie Jackson and Ish Smith in their Dec. 5 contest, leaving the Bucks’ guard with 27 points and an obvious hole in the Pistons’ defense at the point.

Jackson spent most of his time chasing behind Bledsoe and once the paint collapsed around him, he exposed the Detroit Pistons on the perimeter. Jackson has to do a better job of closing off those passing lanes, especially when Bledsoe finds himself surrounded in the paint.

Another key component of the game will be the team’s ability to slow down Milwaukee’s pace.

The Bucks’ are ranked 5th in defensive rebounds and take the three-point shot at the second highest clip in the league, behind the Houston Rockets. Not only that, but they are ranked in the top-ten of the league in assists per game. Those numbers make the Bucks’ game plan pretty clear.

Get the ball and get that three-point shot up quick. Slowing Bledsoe will have a trickle down effect on the rate at which Milwaukee takes three-pointers in the game and how efficient they are beyond the perimeter.

Quick Takes

Andre Drummond will be two-feet outside of the paint pretty often throughout the game with the three-point threat Brook Lopez presents.

It will be interesting how that affects Blake Griffin’s defensive effectiveness on Giannis Antetokounmpo one-on-one.

Ish Smith is still out for the Pistons, so watch for Jose Calderon’s imprint on the game. Although the Pistons lost their last bout with the Milwaukee Bucks, Calderon was at the helm of the bench unit that promoted ball movement and added an offensive spark to the Detroit Pistons’ efforts.

Coach Dwane Casey likely wants him to score this time around (0 points on Dec. 5th).