The Raptors dominated the Pistons with physicality on Sunday night and handed them another disappointing loss. Despite getting Ausar Thompson back from injury, the Pistons were lackluster on defense - especially when it came to closing out possessions with a rebound. It's representative of a larger trend for the Pistons, who have often lost the rebounding battle in recent games against good teams.
The Pistons need to get tougher on the boards
Detroit started the season very strong in their physicality. In fact, they still rank as a top-10 team in overall rebounding and have allowed the 4th fewest rebounds to their opponents. But in most of their recent losses, they are losing the possession battle. This has been true regardless of the opponents, whether it's the Raptors, Heat, Spurs or even Nets.
In Sunday's loss in Toronto, the Pistons definitely miss the interior presence of Isaiah Stewart. Stewart doesn't average a ton of rebounds on his own but he does all the little things to help his team win on the boards. But even with Stewart in recent games, the Pistons have lacked their usual toughness on defense and in the rebounding column.
Against the Raptors, this weakness was exposed by center Jakob Poeltl. He finished the game with 18 rebounds, including 9 offensive ones. It was part of a lackluster Pistons effort that led to 31 second-chance point for the Raptors and an advantage that couldn't be overcome.
The Pistons will have no shot in the playoffs without toughness
Detroit has dominated teams this season with physicality and control of the paint on both ends. It's been a hallmark of JB Bickerstaff's coaching philosophy and the strengths of this roster. But Bickerstaff's message seems to be resonating less with his players recently. The team defense and rebounding have both slipped as the Pistons have taken multiple disappointing losses.
This is terrible timing for the Pistons as they inch closer to the playoffs. Without their usual advantage in toughness and effort, the Pistons will be hard-pressed to win multiple intense series against the best teams in the league. Although they have generally done well against other top East teams such as the Celtics, Knicks and Cavs this season, any matchup can turn on its head in the playoffs.
And we all know that the Pistons will generally be at an offensive disadvantage against most top teams. They lack consistent shooting across their roster, and that makes everything harder for their top scorers. Detroit's best bet to counter that weakness has always been their physical play and defense. If those aspects don't show up, the Pistons are more likely to flame out early than achieve their postseason ambitions.