The Detroit Pistons will host the Philadelphia 76ers tonight in a battle of the two best teams in the Eastern Conference.
The 76ers are off to a 7-1 start, and the Pistons are right behind them at 6-1, and both teams have done it despite having early injuries.
It’s strange to say this so early in the season, but the team the Pistons beat in game three is not the same one they will face tonight, and the same goes for the 76ers when it comes to the Pistons.
Pistons and 76ers injuries make this a different game
In the first meeting, in which the Pistons won 106-93, both teams were down players, with the Pistons missing both Jalen Duren and Ausar Thompson and the 76ers without Joel Embiid and VJ Edgecombe, which is probably a wash in terms of impact.
The Pistons also lost sharpshooter Isaiah Joe just four minutes into the game and will still be missing him and Duren tonight.
The 76ers will have Embiid and Edgecombe back, so the front court of Paul Reed and John Collins will be tested. Defending Embiid is a tall task for either of them, so they have to make his life miserable by running the floor hard and moving around on offense to make him work.
The Pistons should be putting Embiid into every pick and roll and forcing him to defend the perimeter, which he struggles to do now that his mobility is limited.
The 76ers didn’t have to deal with Ausar Thompson last time, which presents a new challenge for them, as the Pistons can move him around between Tyrese Maxey and Jaylen Brown as needed.
Both teams will have new faces and new challenges, and fortunately, it’s the Pistons that are better equipped for it.
The Pistons are deeper than the 76ers
Having Embiid healthy is vitally important for the 76ers, as they don’t really have anyone else at center. The Pistons, on the other hand, barely lose anything with Paul Reed on the floor.
Same with Isaiah Joe, as Detroit has kept rolling without him, and he hadn’t really heated up yet anyway.
Even shorthanded, the Pistons are the deeper team, so if they can get into the Philly bench for big minutes by wearing down Embiid or getting him into foul trouble, they will have an advantage.
This is something Philly will have to deal with all season, which is why we’ve seen them be very careful with both LeBron and Embiid so far.
Whichever team better handles the changes tonight will be the winner and will take the early bragging rights in the East.
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