Detroit Pistons key to the Playoffs? Playing defense

The Detroit Pistons have only nine games left to clinch the Playoffs, but with the other teams in the fight coming near, their best weapon is defense.

Here we are. Nine games left, 7th seed, 37-36 record, a deceptive schedule and 5 other teams that can take away your spot. That’s what’s ahead for the Detroit Pistons in the remaining schedule of the 2018/2019 season.

So far, I guess we can say the Pistons have met their expectation. The 6th or 7th seed is what we all expected from them at the beginning of the season, but right now; and as my Site Expert Ku Khahil wrote, is not about seeding, it’s about making the Playoffs.

As far as we all know, the Pistons still depend on themselves to make the post season; but the tricky schedule ahead and the late miracles happening to our closest competitors (Charlotte Hornets buzzer beater from half court, Brooklyn Nets coming back from a 27 point deficit, Miami Heat and Dwyane Wade winning 9 of their last 12), are really starting to grow an uncomfortably worry on my Pistons fan heart.

Pistons remaining schedule includes the Denver Nuggets, Portland Trailblazers, Indiana Pacers (twice) and Oklahoma City Thunder, plus some pivotal games against the Orlando Magic and the Charlotte Hornets, and two *winnable* games against the Memphis Grizzlies and New York Knicks.

That’s five games against plus .500 teams, two against teams directly involved in the fight to get a spot in the East and two against teams eliminated from Playoff contention. The once called *easy* schedule, is now a turbulent one.

The main reason of my concerns is the team’s defensive effort (or lack thereof).

Since mid-February until last week the Pistons were one of the top teams in Def. net Rating, and defending the three point shot, but something’s been missing. How can you allow a team like the Cleveland Cavaliers to shoot 58% from the floor and 50% from long distance? Then the Blazers 54% from the field and 45% from three and the Warriors 62% from the field and 52% from three, Warriors highest percentages of the month.

Yeah, they’re the Warriors but you gotta try your best to stop them and, I believe that was THE main reason of that loss on Sunday. The team showed heart to get back from 20 points down and make it a 7 point loss, but it was all offense.

No defensive effort was shown that day, and if Blake Griffin, your All-Star forward and leader gives you zero defense, the rest of the team will follow his example. Plain and simple.

We, as Detroit Pistons fans know for sure that every time this franchise has had some kind of success is because of defense. Because that’s how Pistons basketball is played, is leaving it all on the court, exposing your body to charges, fighting for every loose ball, for every rebound. Block or try to block shots, double teaming the best player of the opposing team and locking him down, help defense, winning games because of the defense and a, “you can’t score on me” attitude.

That’s Pistons basketball and it annoys me when I see the team trying to be Warriors 2.0. Every team is trying that, but we are not like the others.

I love seeing Andre Drummond passing the Detroit Pistons greats in rebounds, but we know he can give us more, Reggie Jackson please give us defense, and please, please Blake; set the example and play defense for more than 3 minutes a game.

Don’t get me wrong, I love my team, these players and the coach; but when you know the team can be much much better than it is right now, you gotta demand that from your top 3 guys, and the rest of the team will follow.

Nine games.

Nine games for a successful season or nine games for another failed wasted season. I personally think the Detroit Pistons have great chances to make it without depending on the other teams results, and that my friends, is with defense.

And remember, the goal is a Playoff spot, not the seeding.

Go Pistons!