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3 takeaways from the Detroit Pistons 125-113 loss to Toronto Raptors

By Richard Davisson

TORONTO, ON - OCTOBER 30: Pascal Siakam #43 of the Toronto Raptors dribbles the ball as Andre Drummond #0 and Langston Galloway #9 of the Detroit Pistons defend during the second half of an NBA game at Scotiabank Arena on October 30, 2019 in Toronto, Canada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images)
TORONTO, ON - OCTOBER 30: Pascal Siakam #43 of the Toronto Raptors dribbles the ball as Andre Drummond #0 and Langston Galloway #9 of the Detroit Pistons defend during the second half of an NBA game at Scotiabank Arena on October 30, 2019 in Toronto, Canada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images) /
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TORONTO, ON – OCTOBER 30: Kyle Lowry #7 of the Toronto Raptors dribbles the ball as Tim Frazier #12 of the Detroit Pistons defends during the second half of an NBA game at Scotiabank Arena on October 30, 2019 in Toronto, Canada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images)
TORONTO, ON – OCTOBER 30: Kyle Lowry #7 of the Toronto Raptors dribbles the ball as Tim Frazier #12 of the Detroit Pistons defends during the second half of an NBA game at Scotiabank Arena on October 30, 2019 in Toronto, Canada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images) /

1. The Pistons miss Griffin and Jackson

The Pistons have struggled to find consistent offensive contributions from the starting lineup with Blake Griffin sidelined, and Reggie Jackson’s absence has only made things worse. While Rose has performed admirably coming off the bench, he is only able to provide around 25 minutes per night. This leaves the Pistons having to allocate more than 20 minutes to Tim Frazier.

While Frazier is an upgrade from Jose Calderon from a year ago, he is a third-string point guard. The ship won’t sink like it did when Ish Smith went out last year, but having to run the offense effectively and defend against the likes of Kyle Lowry and Fred VanVleet was too much to ask.

Additionally, because the Piston’s need offense firepower with the absence of Griffin and Jackson, Dwane Casey has opted to put Kennard in with the starters over Bruce Brown. This led to Tony Snell having to guard VanVleet for large stretches of the game, while Kennard had to be placed on OG Anunoby. It didn’t help that the Raptors kept Kennard from getting into a shooting rhythm, so his playing in the starting lineup brought little to the table last night.

Consequently, the Raptors were gifted mismatches from the start and made the Pistons pay. Until Griffin and Jackson return, the Pistons will struggle with balance in their rotation and players in roles that they shouldn’t be in.

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