These fixes can't wait or disaster looms for the Pistons

The Detroit Pistons were beaten at their own game last night as the Orlando Magic outhustled, outworked and outplayed them for most of the contest. The good news is that there is time to make everyone forget about last night, but the Pistons can’t waste any of it.

The other good news is that the Pistons have responded to adversity all season and I am certain that they will again, but they do have to make immediate changes against an Orlando team that matches up well with what the Pistons do best. 

The Pistons can’t sleepwalk early 

Detroit has had a bad habit in home games in the playoffs, when they have often come out flat, which sets a bad tone for the game in several ways. 

I took some flak for saying the crowd never got into it last night, with all commentors reminding me that the Pistons gave them little reason to. No kidding. My comment wasn’t a shot at the crowd, it was a shot at the team. 

The Pistons have now lost 11 straight home games in the playoffs dating back to 2009, and four in a row over the last two seasons. 

Detroit has to bring energy early and get the crowd into it to truly take advantage of their home court, which didn't happen last night. Detroit was unable to sustain a run or get over the hump, and the crowd reflected their nervous energy.  

Detroit allowed Orlando to set the tone in the first quarter, when Jalen Suggs was diving all over the floor for loose balls and chasing down players for steals on fast breaks, things the Pistons normally do. 

Detroit has to come out with energy right away and give the home crowd a reason to be loud. And no, I don’t care if anyone wears the stupid shirts. 

The Pistons have to find a way to get into the paint 

Detroit was outscored by 20 points in the paint, which has been an area of strength for them all season. 

Orlando was effective at clogging the paint and disrupting the two-man game with Cade Cunningham and Jalen Duren, and pretty much dared the Pistons to beat them with outside shots. 

Detroit has to get more than four shots from Jalen Duren, who almost had as many turnovers as shot attempts. He ran into a wall every time he got into the lane, so the Pistons have to find a way to get him involved early, as they can’t win if he gets outplayed by Wendell Carter Jr. 

The Pistons may have to use him more in the short roll and allow him to face up, which he has done successfully more often this season. Starting a little further out will also open up more lanes for Ausar Thompson’s cutting. 

But if the Magic are going to give the Pistons wide-open corner 3’s as they did for much of the night, Detroit has to make some of them. Tobias Harris went just 1-of-7 and the Magic were happy to let him fire away. If he makes a few of those corner threes, things will start to open up. 

The Pistons need to shorten their rotation 

I already wrote about Ausar Thompson’s minutes, so I won’t belabor the point, but there is no way that Daniss Jenkins should be playing almost as much as Thompson in a playoff game, no offense to Daniss. 

JB Bickerstaff can’t try to trade defense for offense when Ausar’s defense is what creates a lot of the Pistons’ offense, not to mention the offensive replacements weren’t making shots anyway. 

The Pistons just have to play like themselves, come out with energy and not let Orlando dictate what they do.  

Game one should be a wake up call that this series isn't going to be easy.

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