The Detroit Pistons defended home court in Game 1, securing a 1-0 lead over the Cleveland Cavaliers, whose bench played one of their worst games of the postseason.
Cleveland's abysmal first quarter put them in a deep hole from the jump. Still, even after the horrendous start, the Cavs kept things close enough to make a late push in the fourth quarter, while the team received minimal contributions from key bench additions.
For the Pistons, Detroit is dealing with bench issues of their own, which makes it even more important that they get things figured out sooner rather than later, because all indications suggest that Cleveland will get their issues sorted out moving forward.
And if the Cavaliers find a way to get their bench unit back on track, J.B. Bickerstaff and the Pistons could be in for a major headache.
Cavaliers' bench unit could swing the series
Looking at the contributions from Game 1, arguably the biggest reason for the Pistons success was the lack of impact from Cleveland's bench unit.
Outside of Max Strus' 19 points, the Cavs didn't get much of a boost from their regular bench rotation.
Dennis Schroder ended the game with only 9 points on 3 for 6 shooting from the field, Jaylon Tyson finished with 0 points in 18 minutes and Keon Ellis knocked down only one of his four attempts from the floor.
For a team whose bench unit is averaging 37.5 points per game through the postseason, it's clear just how vital Kenny Atkinson's depth is to the Cavaliers' success.
Detroit may have stolen Game 1, but Bickerstaff and his staff will have to factor in the reality that eventually, Cleveland's reserves will find their rhythm, and if the Pistons can't match their impact, this series could have a major momentum swing.
Pistons bench has to figure things out for Detroit to prevail
On paper, there's absolutely no reason that Detroit's bench should be playing as poorly as it has throughout the postseason.
Caris LeVert was expected to be a key contrubutor off the bench, but he's yet to find consistency through the first couple rounds.
Isaiah Stewart and Ron Holland have struggled to provide meaningful minutes, and with the injuries continuing to pile up, the Pistons are entering a dangerous stretch that could make or break their championship dreams.
The Cavs bench is expected to turn things around, and if they do before the Pistons' reserves can, Detroit will have a hard time fending off a threat like Cleveland.
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