The Detroit Pistons are trying to get back in the win column after dropping a very winnable game against the Golden State Warriors.
The Pistons didn’t give max effort for the entire game against Golden State, so were embarrassed by the Warriors’ backups with Stephen Curry and Draymond Green cheerleading from the bench.
It was a game that the Pistons should have won and it would have been a nice boost for a team that is in the middle of a brutal stretch of the schedule.
The Pistons made a furious comeback in the 4th quarter against the Warriors and they will need that kind of effort for 48 minutes if they are going to beat the hated Lakers at home tonight.
The Lakers have lost three in a row and look pretty mortal for a team with LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook.
Both LeBron and AD are listed as day-to-day but are expected to play tonight as the Lakers try to end their losing streak.
The Lakers are beatable and have a few weaknesses that the Pistons might be able to exploit.
Here is how Detroit can get a “W” tonight.
Detroit Pistons: Make the Lakers shoot 3-pointers
The Lakers are middle of the pack in 3-point percentage and that is really only because of two guys. Both Carmelo Anthony and Avery Bradley are shooting over 40 percent for the Lakers, with Melo hitting a blistering 44.9 percent on 6.3 attempts per game.
Other than him, the Lakers are pretty average from long range, as LeBron hits 35 percent, Westrbook 29 percent and Davis 17 percent.
The Lakers aren’t a terrible 3-point shooting team (unlike Detroit, who is dead last in the NBA) but the Pistons will have a big disadvantage in the paint, especially if Isaiah Stewart doesn’t play, so forcing the Lakers to settle for long-range shots will be key.
The Pistons need to stay in front of them and force the Lakers to shoot over the top. LA will have a big size advantage so if the Pistons can’t keep them from racking up points in the paint, this one could get ugly.
The Detroit Pistons have to get back on defense
Even though the Lakers are one of the oldest teams in the NBA, they love to run, and play with the second highest pace in the league.
The Pistons will need to sell out on the offensive boards, and focus on getting back on defense to stop the Lakers from getting easy buckets in transition.
If LeBron gets into the open court he is pretty much unstoppable, even in year 19, so the Pistons will obviously have to hit shots to force the Lakers to take it out of the net rather than grabbing rebounds and running.
The LA offense can get stagnant in the half court, so Detroit will need to make shots, get back on defense and try to slow them down.
Detroit is just 19th in pace, but they will need to push in transition to try and get some easy buckets before the Lakers can get their half court defense set.
Cade Cunningham and Killian Hayes have both been very good at grabbing defensive rebounds and then pushing the ball up the floor, so they should try to push as much as possible tonight.
This game could come down to which team can get more easy baskets in transition.
The Detroit Pistons need to win the turnover battle
Both the Pistons and Lakers have been awful when it comes to taking care of the ball this season.
Detroit is 23rd overall in the NBA in turnovers per game at 15.5 and the Lakers are even worse, averaging 16.8 turnovers per game which is 29th in the league overall.
The Lakers don’t have blazing speed on the perimeter, so the Pistons need to pressure them at all times with their guards, stay in their faces and force the Lakers to either take tough shots or put the ball on the floor.
LA certainly has the advantage when it comes to experience on the perimeter, but the Pistons have the youthful legs, so they need to fly around, pressure the ball and try to force as many turnovers as possible so they can get out and run.
The Pistons should be the faster team, especially if they have to go small tonight, so they should try and trap, pressure the ball and really get after the Lakers’ guards.
LA’s size is going to be a problem for Detroit, but if they can force the Lakers to take tough shots, get some turnovers and win the battle of fast break points, they can get a win tonight at Little Caesar’s Arena.