Detroit Pistons vs. Philadelphia 76ers 2019-20 season preview
Pistons’ Defense vs. Philly’s Offense
Philly essentially switched out Reddick/Butler for Horford, so they have sacrificed shooting for playmaking, pick setting and offensive chemistry.
Philadelphia’s biggest weakness is perimeter shooting so the Pistons must force everyone not named Embiid to take shots. Detroit will need to pack the lane, dare Simmons to shoot and hope the 76ers settle for long two-point shots.
Obviously, this starts with Embiid. Drummond needs to lure Embiid into shooting three’s as much as possible, to back off him so Embiid can’t beat him off the dribble. He needs to slow the All-NBA center down or the Pistons won’t stand a chance.
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The Sixers are thin at point guard, with Burke and Raul Neto as the backups to 6-foot-10 Simmons. The Pistons need to force Simmons to shoot as much as possible, using his defender to double on Embiid and staying home if Philly tries to run pick-and-roll. They also need to punish Philly whenever one of the backups is on the floor.
In short, the Pistons have to make anyone other than Embiid beat them. Philly lost some of its offensive firepower but may be more versatile and creative with the savvy Horford. The Pistons need to force them into doing things they don’t want to do, crowd the lane and hope Philly lays enough bricks to build another city hall.