In the Spurs' second victory over the Pistons, we saw them sell contact to the referees frequently. The strategy worked to perfection against the Pistons' size and physicality, as it led to foul trouble for All-Stars Cade Cunningham and Jalen Duren. Compared to their first meeting, the Spurs seemed more intent on drawing fouls against Detroit's aggressive defense - and it could be something the rest of the NBA incorporates against the Pistons too.
The Spurs dominated behind a 38-point, 16-rebound performance from Victor Wembanyama that also included 11 free throw attempts. He responded to the Pistons' physical play from their first matchup by embellishing contact to get calls from the referees. The Pistons usually get called for plenty of fouls, but found themselves especially frustrated by Wemby's whistle.
The Pistons could be hurt by their foul rate
After the double-digit loss, the Pistons didn't have many positive takeaways. But one clear area of growth is fouling superstars less. This could be an important swing factor even in a playoff series. Although referees typically allow more contact during the postseason, a savvy star player can easily hunt for fouls against the Pistons' overzealous defenders. As games progress, stars will only get better at learning how to get calls and put the Pistons in a bad spot.
Getting into foul trouble also hurts the Pistons on the court because their best players cannot play their normal minutes. It's hard for a player to have the same impact, either offensively or defensively, when they're constantly worrying about their minutes or fouls. And when it affects the very best players in Cade and Duren, it's even worse.
The Pistons lead the league in fouls per game, so it was no surprise to see them called for a lot of whistles. But Wembanyama was able to single handedly draw about 10 fouls, many of which resulted in easy free throws or put the Pistons into the bonus. Detroit's defense has been one of the best in the league this season, but their inability to adapt towards different refereeing standards is an obvious weakness that can be exploited.
Detroit's rivals will be paying attention
In last year's playoffs, the Pistons found themselves frustrated by Jalen Brunson's whistle. They are sure to face Brunson himself or another player with a similar whistle, such as James Harden, if they make a deep playoff run this season. Rather than getting overwhelmed in the moment, they need to practice improving that weakness now.
The Pistons' physicality is arguably their biggest strength as a team, but can also be a severe weakness against the wrong opponent. Now that the Spurs have exploited it in such a high-profile showdown, other NBA teams might also catch on.