There were some positives to take away from the Detroit Pistons’ lackluster loss to the Pacers last night.
The Pistons played one of their worst games of the season and were still in with a chance with four minutes left in the game. Unfortunately, they ran out of gas and the Pacers continued to fend them off every time the Detroit started to make a run, credit to Indiana.
It also wasn’t catastrophic for the standings, as there are six teams in the Eastern Conference within two games of each other, so there will be shuffling after nearly every game.
I’m not making excuses but the Pistons just didn’t have it last night, which happens sometimes, even to the best teams. They have to take their “L” and move on, but there were things they must learn from this experience.
You can’t sleepwalk into games
The Pistons have a bad habit of getting down in the 1st and 2nd quarters and then using furious comebacks in the 3rd and 4th to edge out a win. This may make for exciting games, but it’s not sustainable for good teams.
You can’t constantly live on the margins, and that starts with coming out with energy and focus in the first half, not waiting until you are down by 15-20 points to turn it on.
I call them the “cough syrup” Pistons, who sometimes look like everyone had a dose before coming out, as they are a step slow, look detached from the action emotionally and generally go through the motions like they aren’t quite there.
Coach JB Bickerstaff has to find a way to get his team to come out with the same focus and intensity that they regularly have in the second half.
Detroit has been particularly bad in the 2nd quarter, where they have a –1.7 net margin that is 28th in the NBA. To compare, their +1.1 margin in the 4th quarter is 7th overall in the NBA.
When the pressure is high, you have to tighten up
The Pacers came out with playoff-like defensive intensity last night and the Pistons weren’t ready for it.
They committed 19 turnovers, 13 of them in the 1st half and didn’t match Indiana’s intensity. You can’t throw lazy passes or be loose with your handle when the defensive pressure is high, as those are turnovers every time.
It also allows the other team to establish their aggression, which usually leads to them getting favorable whistles.
Not to mention that turnovers are rally killers that suck the life out of the team. Take for example the end of the 1st half. The Pistons had cut the lead to four before Tobias Harris turned the ball over egregiously on three possessions in rapid succession.
Two of them were completely unforced, as he just lost control of the ball as if he had just handled a stick of butter.
Indiana capitalized and within a minute the lead had ballooned up to 15 and was 13 at the half. This happened just about every time the Pistons cut the lead down to a workable number.
Every time the Pistons made a run, the Pacers turned up the defensive pressure and Detroit responded with loopy passes, allowing their pockets to be picked without much resistance.
If the Pistons really fancy themselves a playoff contender, this is the atmosphere and intensity they are going to face. They have to match it with focus, crisp passing and good decisions under pressure.
Someone other than Cade Cunningham has to make plays
Last night was the first night that I thought the Pistons really missed Jaden Ivey, as they needed someone other than Cade Cunningham to make plays.
Indiana threw double and triple teams at Cade every time he got near the ball, clearly daring anyone else to beat them. We know guys like Tim Hardaway Jr. and Malik Beasley can hit shots (though Beasley was awful last night) but who is going to make plays?
This one is first on coach Bickerstaff, who has to find ways to free Cunningham and take advantage when the other teams double him, as the Pacers just gave the rest of the league a blueprint for how to beat the Pistons.
He tried moving Cunningham off the ball, which did have some success in the 2nd half and made it more difficult for them to double.
This is also on Trajan Langdon, who had to have watched that last night and know that his star needs help. Cunningham can’t do this on his own, but right now, the Pistons don’t have anyone who can regularly make plays with the ball.
Ausar Thompson did have a few nice takes last night, but his handles are still very loose and he hasn’t shown that ability consistently, especially considering teams are willing to back off him and dare him to shoot.
Langdon is not going to make a rash move based on one game, nor should he, but this won’t be the last time Cunningham faces a defense focused on stopping him, so if the Pistons want to keep their heads above water during this tough stretch of the schedule, he may have to make a move for a secondary playmaker.
It was a disappointing effort for such a big game, but one the Pistons have to learn from and not repeat if they want to be a playoff team and not just a heart-warming underdog story.