Detroit Pistons vs Miami Heat 2019-20 season preview

Series prediction

Game 1: Nov. 12, 7:30 p.m. at American Airlines Arena
Game 2: April 3, 7 p.m. at Little Caesars Arena
Game 3: April 9, 7:30 p.m. at American Airlines Arena

Assuming everything goes according to plan (and while admittedly it almost never does, it’s fun to imagine), and injuries don’t plague either team, the Pistons should come away with at least two out of the three possible wins against Miami this season.

The one loss will likely come in the first match up at the beginning of the year – where Dwane Casey is still playing lineup-roulette and the team is still securing their identity. Consistency may be low – so expectations may be around the same.

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The final two match ups are in the second half of the season – around the time a playoff push will likely be being made. The Pistons should and likely will by this point understand the magnitude of the game and put forth the appropriate effort. These will be the games where Detroit’s role players – specifically their second unit back court Derrick Rose and Luke Kennard need to come up huge.

Prediction: Pistons win 2-1

The Heat will likely be in a similar position as Detroit in terms of playoff positioning – so it goes without say that these games will be a battle, one that neither team has any intention of losing.

Look for more key explosions off the bench from Langston Galloway or again, even Derrick Rose. These are the games where you need more than just your star players to step up, because it’s almost a playoff game within itself.

When it’s all said and done, the Detroit Pistons shouldn’t have too much of a problem with Miami.

This is the 15th preview in Piston Powered’s September series that is taking a look at how the Pistons stack up against all 29 NBA teams. Here are the previews to date.

Atlanta Hawks
Brooklyn Nets
Boston Celtics
Charlotte Hornets
Chicago Bulls
Cleveland Cavaliers
Dallas Mavericks
Denver Nuggets
Golden State Warriors
Houston Rockets
Indiana Pacers
Los Angeles Lakers
Los Angeles Clippers
Memphis Grizzlies