The only thing you can do when you suffer a bad loss is put it behind you and move on, which is what the Detroit Pistons will try to do tonight against the OKC Thunder.
The Pistons dropped one to the lowly Wizards they would like to have back, but the present is all that matters and they have a tough challenge tonight against the best team in the Western Conference led by MVP frontrunner Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
SGA Is leading the league in scoring behind otherworldly efficiency, shooting 52 percent from the floor, 37 from long range and 90 percent from the line. He’s also a foul merchant (something Cade is aspiring to) who shoots nearly nine free throws per game, so the Pistons have to try and corral SGA without fouling or it will be a long night.
I’m sure the Pistons will throw a lot of bodies at Gilgeous-Alexander, including Cade Cunningham, who has been hearing MVP chants of his own of late.
Cunningham winning an MVP is not as crazy as you might think. Which player would you rather have?
Player A: 25.9 points, 9.3 assists, 6 rebounds and a steal on 46/35/86 shooting splits
or
Player B: 24.9 points, 5.9 assists, 5 rebounds and 1.3 steals on 45/30/81 shooting splits?
I’m sure all of you chose A, as the numbers are clearly superior.
If you are curious, Player A is Cade Cunningham this season and Player B are SGA’s stats from his 4th season.
In other words, Cunningham is absolutely that guy and we will see him in MVP discussions soon, as he is already putting up better stats than SGA was at his age.
Cunningham will get his chance to prove it tonight, but who else is going to be on the floor?
Pistons injuries vs. OKC Thunder: Is Chet Holmgren playing tonight?
There’s nothing new on the injury report for the Pistons, although they did update Jaden Ivey’s status on Thursday. He’s now doing stationary shooting drills and will be evaluated in another four weeks, leaving the door slightly ajar for a return if the Pistons make the playoffs.
Detroit is catching a break tonight, as both Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren have been ruled out and Aaron Wiggins is listed as questionable.
But OKC is the deepest team in the league and just keeps coming at you with quality, so they have players to fill in and make this a tough night for the Pistons. Even without Williams and Holmgren, this is a very good team.
How to watch Pistons vs. Thunder
There are many streaming options for those without cable, including Amazon Prime, but the game will be televised on FanDuel Sports Network Detroit or you can listen on 97.1 FM The Ticket.