Detroit Pistons: 3 things to watch in biggest game of the season vs. Magic

Detroit Pistons: Starting lineup vs. the Magic

This is probably going to be the tankiest tank game of the season for both teams.

I am sure that the players who are in the game will try to win, so this isn’t about losing on purpose or playing badly, it’s about who is actually going to put a full team on the floor.

Both the Pistons and the Magic have numerous “injuries” that conveniently happened just as both are hoping to lose games.

The Pistons will be without Jerami Grant, Cory Joseph, Hamidou Diallo, Dennis Smith Jr., Wayne Ellington, Mason Plumlee, Jahlil Okafor, Rodney McGruder and who knows, maybe even Dwane Casey and his staff will decide to take a night off and let a fan coach the team.

The Magic will be running out a similarly suspicious group, with eight “injuries” of their own.

Both teams will be going with combinations of young players, so even though they are not going to be trying to lose, they’ll be getting after it very shorthanded.

I have to say, the league’s efforts to stop tanking have not really worked as they thought, as teams are still willing to try and lose games to stay in that bottom three. It might not be as bad as it used to be, but as long as the worst teams are rewarded with the best chances to change their franchise with a top pick, this is going to continue.

Let’s just hope that next season the Detroit Pistons are fighting for a playoff spot and not faking injuries to increase their chances of losing. It’s been fun this season, but tanking is ultimately deflating and probably somewhat humiliating for the players.