Can Pistons recover vs. Nets? Injuries and how to watch
Before the season started, we looked at the Detroit Pistons schedule and thought there was a good chance they would go 0-6 in the opening stretch.
They managed to win one and were in most of the others, save the last evisceration vs. the Knicks, which I am going to ignore for the sake of my own mental health.
The Pistons will have to do the same today against the Brooklyn Nets, one of the surprise teams of the early season. The Nets, who are supposed to be tanking, are currently 3-3 behind big scoring outputs from Cam Thomas, who is averaging over 28 points per game so far.
Let’s face it, until further notice, the Pistons are the easy game on the schedule and not the other way around, but this is one Detroit needs to win to show they can do more than just hang around with good teams and lose.
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Detroit has to shake off the stink from that embarrassing effort against the Knicks and get a much-needed road win against Brooklyn. If the Pistons lose this one, we may see a sharp turn from the fanbase and questions that are already being asked will be louder.
How to watch Pistons vs. Nets
Today’s game has an afternoon tip-off at 3:30 PM ET and you can watch on FanDuel Sports Network Detroit or listen on 950 AM.
NBA League Pass is available to stream if you are out of the Detroit market (great idea NBA!). Here is a full streaming guide, as there are some new options this season.
Pistons injuries vs. Nets
Detroit will still be without Ausar Thompson and Bobi Klintman, which will be particularly painful in this one.
Thompson would likely be the primary defender on Thomas if he were in there, so Detroit is going to have to find ways to slow down the Nets’ top scorer with the guard group they have.
Given how Jaden Ivey has played defensively this season, we can expect Thomas to go off. We may see more of rookie Ron Holland II, who doesn’t offer much on offense but can at least defend.
JB Bickerstaff didn’t seem happy with his team’s defensive effort against New York, so I wouldn’t be shocked to see some tinkering with the rotation.
Our old friend Bojan Bogdanovic will be out for the Nets (shocker) and Ben Simmons is questionable (no way!). They will also be missing Day’Ron Sharpe and Trendon Watford.
The primary goal has to be keeping the Nets backcourt in check, which will be a tall order given Dennis Schroder has torched the Pistons in the past. In their last three meetings, Schroder has had 31, 20 and 24 points against Detroit.
This is a gut check game for the Pistons. Are these the same old losers or can they bounce back and save the vibe around their season?
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