The Detroit Pistons are coming into tonight’s game off their worst loss of the season. Luckily they have the struggling Washington Wizards at home.
The day after Christmas will highlight game one of a three-game regular-season series between the Detroit Pistons and the Washington Wizards.
Neither team has met expectations this season with the Pistons steadily cooling off after a hot start and the Wizards’ peaking before reaching their potential – or at least what everyone assumes that cohesive, winning level is for Washington.
John Wall’s contract is hard for any general manager to excuse, especially on his own roster. One of Washington’s biggest off-season acquisitions, Dwight Howard, is rehabbing after spinal surgery.
The Detroit Pistons are 3.5 games ahead of the Washington Wizards in eastern conference standings with a four-game road trip trailing Wednesday night’s match-up.
The Pistons are on a two-game losing streak and will look to re-establish the energy and defense that put them in the conversation with the east’s elite.
Why Detroit should win this game
The Detroit Pistons have not been too good at much this season. The three-point shooting is streaky and after a hot start, the Pistons find themselves clawing for a seed at the bottom of the eastern conference. They’re currently seated at the 8th seed and a half game behind the Miami Heat.
However, their ability to rebound is unquestionable. Andre Drummond is the league’s number one rebounder (15.5 rebounds per) and will be bullying Markieff Morris and Thomas Bryant in the paint to continue feeding that stat line.
The Wizards, on the other hand, are 28th in the league in rebounding (40.4 rebounds per) and 30th in defensive rebound percentage.
Bryant has been increasingly impressive for the Wizards. However, Bryant and Morris are not the answer to Washington’s rebounding futility.
Ian Mahinmi has not been a factor in recent weeks for Washington and the lack of depth and length at the center position will turn the paint into a feeding ground for the Detroit Pistons.
No rebounds? No running? Those are the keys to the Wizards’ game.
John Wall has never been an efficient three-point shooter and earned his $170 million extension by sprinting in space and finishing around the rim.
With Otto Porter out again for Wednesday night’s game against the Detroit Pistons, the Wizards are missing a perimeter threat and another volume scorer. Bradley Beal has carried the team before, but if Washington cannot get out in transition, it allows a player like Stanley Johnson – Detroit’s best wing defender – to settle in defensively and make those shots harder to drop for the Wizards’ premier scorer.
The Detroit Pistons have the upper hand in this matchup.
And then there’s Blake Griffin.
Griffin has put out an all-star resume this season as he has been asked to steam-line Detroit’s offensive game plan. He is averaging a career-high 25.3 points per game and posting a 35.6 percent three-point shooting percentage.
Not to mention, Washington stumbles into a road contest in LCA with a road record of 4-15 on the season.
The Detroit Pistons have a prime opportunity on their hands to throttle a team that has no business winning this game and start on the path of becoming a serious team in the eastern conference. If they take advantage is another matter at hand.