Pistons encouraging win comes with a warning sign

The Detroit Pistons got off to a great start in the second round, winning game one behind a strong team effort that included just about everyone. 

There were encouraging signs for the Pistons other than just the W, as I thought four guys had their best game of the playoffs in Daniss Jenkins, Jalen Duren, Duncan Robinson and head coach JB Bickerstaff. 

Daniss Jenkins had a solid all-around game in which he took care of the ball and was a reliable outlet for Cade Cunningham. Jenkins brought the ball up the floor for much of the night and took some of the burden off Cade, which is crucial. Jenkins was also a monster on the boards, collecting seven rebounds, three of them on the offensive end, all of which seemed to come at crucial times. 

Duren didn’t score much, but he did everything else well, dominating the boards, getting Jarrett Allen in foul trouble and protecting the rim. His rebounding was a big difference in this game, as the Pistons started to falter on the boards whenever he was out. 

Duncan Robinson had a breakout game going 5-of-8 from 3-point range but also kept the Cavs honest by attacking the close outs a few times for floaters and runners. He held his own on defense, which is all you can ask of Robinson, and he got the crowed fired up a few times, raising the level of competitiveness. 

JB Bickerstaff had his best game of the playoffs, and I thought he soundly out-coached his rival Kenny Atkinson. Bickerstaff found ways to use Ausar Thompson creatively on offense, which I felt was key and came up with a defensive game plan that stifled the Cavs for most of the game. I loved the way JB had the Pistons picking them up beyond half court to force their offense to slow down, a strategy that really worked, as the Cavs were forced into some tough shots with the shot clock expiring. 

But it wasn’t all roses for the Pistons, who should be concerned about how close the game was after they had a nearly perfect first half. 

The Pistons played a good game, but the Cavaliers didn’t, which is worrying 

A lot of things went right for the Pistons in game one, yet the Cavaliers were able to tie the game in the second half, which is concerning. 

The Cavs didn’t play well and coughed up 20 turnovers, which was the difference in the game, as they out-shot the Pistons both in and outside the arc. 

Jarrett Allen got into early foul trouble and was limited to 18 minutes. Harden and Mitchell were a combined 5-of-17 from long range, and Harden turned the ball over seven times. 

If you are the Cavaliers, you have to feel pretty good about having it as close as it was in the second half. The Pistons were able to eventually pull away, and it never felt like it was out of their control, but if that game had been in Cleveland, it might have been a different story. 

The Pistons have to build on what went right but also look at the times they struggled and figure out how to avoid those lulls where the Cavs were able to put together runs. 

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