Detroit Pistons: 3 big preseason tests vs. the New York Knicks

The Detroit Pistons will tip off their preseason tonight at 7:00 PM ET against the New York Knicks in Madison Square Garden.

The game is nationally televised on TNT, so fans will get their first look at the young Pistons in their quest to climb the standings of the Eastern Conference.

Like the Pistons, the Knicks have added a few pieces (most notably guard Jalen Brunson) that they hope will get them back in the playoffs, but these two teams could definitely be battling each other in the standings this season.

We’re not likely to see a full game from any of the regulars, as both teams will be trying to avoid injuries, but we’ll get an early sense of rotations and where certain players stand on the roster. The first few preseason games are often played by guys who won’t actually be on the team, so we’ll get a good look at some fringe rotation players and guys who will end up in the G-League.

The Pistons have some big questions coming out of training camp and will get some early tests tonight against the Knicks for both the regulars and reserves.

Detroit Pistons’ Test #1: Can Buddy Boeheim defend enough to stay in the league?

Some of the most interesting battles will be fought on the fringes of the rotation, as guys like Buddy Boeheim and Braxton Key fight for possible roster spots and to keep their two-way deals.

The Detroit Pistons need shooting and Boeheim can shoot, but he has looked woeful on defense in his brief appearances so far, so it’s fair to ask if he’ll ever be able to defend enough to stay in the league.

The Pistons are hoping he’s at least good enough to be hidden within a team defense, and that maybe they’ll have their own Duncan Robinson someday, but if Boeheim is just a traffic cone, he may end up losing his two-way contract to a better athlete who can defend.

Test #2: Can Isaiah Stewart and Marvin Bagley III handle and exploit a big center?

The Detroit Pistons added some size at the center position this offseason when they traded for former Knick Nerlens Noel and added Jalen Duren in the NBA Draft. But Noel won’t be playing tonight and Duren will likely be coming off the bench, so it will be up to either Isaiah Stewart or Marvin Bagley III to try and stop Mitchell Robinson.

Robinson isn’t much of an offensive threat, but he’s a big, traditional center who is a legit 7-footer who blocks shots and grabbed 4.1 offensive rebounds per game last season. Can Beef Stew and MBIII keep him off the offensive glass or will the Knicks be able to exploit their size advantage?

On the other side, can Stewart and Bagley III exploit Mitchell by making him step out on the perimeter or try to defend in space? Can they take advantage of their quickness in the pick-and-roll and force Mitchell to switch onto guards? This is an early test but an important one, as it will give us a glimpse of how the Detroit Pistons plan to play their centers against bigger teams, as the Knicks outsize them in the front court.

Test #3: Can the Detroit Pistons get out and run against a bigger team?

The current Knicks’ roster under Tom Thibodeau will look to establish their half court defense. The Knicks were 29th in pace last season, while the Pistons were 13th. Both teams have added some speedy players who like to push the pace, but will Detroit be able to take advantage?

They should have a speed advantage at both guard spots and at power forward, so can Detroit exploit this by pushing in transition, looking for early buckets and not allowing the Knicks to set up their half court defense? Bojan Bogdanovic will have a tough matchup against Julius Randle on defense, but he should also be able to beat Randle back and get some early 3-point shots in transition.

This clash of styles will offer us an early look at how the Pistons plan to match up against bigger teams and whether they can exploit some of those matchups on offense by playing faster and looking to score earlier in the shot clock.