The Detroit Pistons will take on the San Antonio Spurs in the second game of a back-to-back on the road in Texas.
They lost the last one to the Dallas Mavericks with the veterans logging heavy minutes, so hopefully we will see a reverse of that against the Spurs and the young guys will get some more run.
The Spurs are coming off a blowout loss to the Miami Heat and will be trying to get back on track against the Eastern Conference’s worst team. The Spurs have been struggling of late and are clinging onto the 10th spot in the Western Conference, hoping to make the play-in tournament.
The Detroit Pistons aren’t expected to win this one and could use a few more losses for the tank, but there are some interesting matchups to keep an eye on.
Here are three that I look forward to seeing when the Pistons take on the Spurs.
Detroit Pistons vs. San Antonio Spurs: Jerami Grant vs. DeMar DeRozan
Even though Jerami Grant and DeRozan won’t be matched up the entire game, they should spend a good deal of time going head-to-head.
This feels like an old school matchup, as both players are tough veterans who get after it on both ends and know how to score from all over the place.
DeRozan and Grant are two of the more underrated players in the NBA, as Grant’s improvement has largely gone unnoticed outside of Detroit and DeRozan keeps being told his “style” doesn’t fit the modern game even though he continues to thrive.
DeRozan has shown some evolution this season, becoming more of a playmaker, and is averaging a career-high 7.1 assists per game, something that Grant could improve upon himself.
It should be an entertaining matchup of two veterans with chips on their shoulders.
Detroit Pistons vs. San Antonio Spurs: Killian Hayes vs. Dejounte Murray
Dejounte Murray is a talented young point guard who will be a good test for Killian Hayes.
Hayes has looked like a new player since returning from injury and should get plenty of run after sitting out against the Mavericks.
Hayes passing has been special since he returned, but what I am most excited about is his defense, which has been smothering on the perimeter at times.
Hayes has shown quick hands and the ability to get into the passing lanes for steals. He is also very good at staying in front of sometimes quicker guards and keeping them from getting to the rim.
That will be a challenge tonight against Murray, who is very quick, so it will be a test for Hayes to keep him from living in the paint.
But Hayes does have a size advantage, as he will against most point guards, so he should be able to get into the lane himself and it would be nice to see him bully Murray around a bit and initiate the offense from in the paint.
This should be a good test for Hayes and one I am looking forward to, as Murray is symbolic of the types of guards who could give him trouble.
Detroit Pistons vs. San Antonio Spurs: Frank Jackson vs. Patty Mills
I wrote about Frank Jackson recently, comparing his ability to score in bunches off the bench to Jason Terry, one of the greatest sixth men of all time.
Jackson obviously has a long way to go before he can be considered half as good as Terry but he has some of the traits of a guy who could be instant offense off the bench.
Jackson also compares to a guy like Patty Mills, who has made a nice living for himself playing that role off the bench for the Spurs.
Mills can still score in bunches and is actually having his best season at age 32 for the San Antonio Spurs, so if Jackson could have that type of success and longevity the Pistons will be ecstatic.
Like Mills, Jackson has been averaging double-digits over his last 20 games, when he has carved out a consistent role for himself as a combo guard off the Pistons’ bench.
Both players come in with energy and play at 100 percent all of the time, so this should be a fun bench matchup to watch tonight.
Can Jackson get the best of Mills? It will be a good test to see how he matches up against a veteran who has been essentially playing the same role for the last decade.