Detroit Pistons vs. Golden State Warriors 2019-20 season preview
By Riley Nisbet
Pistons Defense vs. Warriors Offense
The good news is that the Pistons only have one game scheduled with the Warriors after Thompson’s potential return (the first coming Jan. 20 at Golden State).
The bad news is that Steph Curry is still Steph Curry, and Russell is an All-Star who last year averaged 21.1 points and 7.0 assists per game in a breakout season.
Even without Durant and Thompson, the Warrior’s will still be an offensive threat night in and night out. The Pistons will need to be firing on all cylinders defensively if they hope to keep games within reach.
Bruce Brown showed a lot of defensive potential last season, especially as a perimeter defender. The sophomore will likely be tasked with slowing down the quicker, more mobile Russell, leaving Reggie Jackson to guard Curry.
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Jackson’s one hope against Curry is his seven-foot wingspan. Because the two are the same height, Jackson will need to pick up Curry early and keep a hand up to take away shooting space. Jackson may be a bit quicker than Curry, but Curry tends to be sneaky in his court movement – not curling off screens, but fading into corners. Jackson will need to keep a constant eye on Curry.
With multiple offensive threats, there’s little room for double-teaming or zone defenses. The Warriors have shown again and again that the smallest opening is enough for a shot.
The best chance the Pistons have to offset the Warriors backcourt is in overpowering their frontcourt. Griffin will need to use his strength to keep Green out on the perimeter. Drummond will need to use his weight advantage to keep young and undersized centers off balance and off the block. Drummond should have little problem out rebounding Looney or Cauley-Stein, which should help to limit second chance opportunities.