Lowered Expectations
February 5th, 2010 | by Taylor |After breaking their five game losing streak against the New Jersey Nets Tuesday, the healthy Pistons are ready to make it two in a row at the Indiana Pacers.
The teams have had similar seasons so far, leaving them at the bottom of the Eastern Conference. Both have high expectations going forward, and it should be a great game.
Then they play the New Jersey Nets again, and should expect similar results playing at home this time.
Detroit Pistons at Indiana Pacers
The 16-31 Pistons play at the 17-32 Indiana Pacers. The Pistons are coming off of a good win against the Nets, while the Pacers have won their last game against the Raptors. They managed to score 130 points with 42 coming in the third quarter. The Pacers have been searching for their identity this season, much like the Pistons. They lost at Indiana on January 22, 105-93.
The Pacers have had a lot of younger players step up this season, but they still rely heavily on the veterans of the team. Injuries have left their roster thin during the season, including their veteran stars. This sounds a lot like the Pistons this season. Both teams can also expect a great draft pick. But that’s where the similarities end. The Pacers have been rebuilding for years and have some good, young players. They’re led by Danny Granger and Troy Murphy. When healthy, Mike Dunleavy and T.J. Ford can get in the mix too. Brandon Rush and Roy Hibbert have had great sophmore seasons thus far, and Earl Watson has stepped up to take over the point guard spot while T.J. sits. UNC great Tyler Hansborough logs minutes as well. They have a bunch of good, young players and a deep bench.
The Pistons are coming off their first win after 5 straight losses. They’re still searching for an identity and are finally getting healthy. Their light schedule this last week should leave them nice and rested for their game against the Pacers. If they can play defense, shoot the ball, and rebound well, they should win the game. Their backcourt is playing very well, although a lot of minutes, while their frontcourt is continuing to improve both statistically and in their health.
Detroit Pistons vs New Jersey Nets
The Pistons beat the Nets earlier this week 97-93. They managed to have a great second half to give the Nets their 43rd loss of the year. They won with good shooting, rebounding, and a touch of defense. They had only 8 turnovers in the game, a good sign.
The Nets bench is a wreck. Chris Douglas Robers has been demoted to the bench after starting the year red hot. He’s playing much poorer after nagging injuries. They’re working Devin Harris back from an injury, and dealing with other injuries as well. Brook Lopez is playing great, and should continue to play great this time around. This means heavy minutes for the starters, while the Pistons bench has been as deep as ever. The Pistons should dominate the Nets at home this time around.
Future Expectations
This team is ready for a run both on the court and off of it. While they won’t sniff the playoffs, they do have a prime spot in the NBA Draft. Their roster has a few players worth poaching, and they unload a lot of money this coming off season. The team is also for sale, which complicates matters even more.
Some teams that have been interested in trading this season, but not with the Pistons so far, are the Wizards, Cavaliers, Grizzlies, Suns, and the Bobcats. The Pistons roster has something for everybody. Got money problems? Great values on veteran and young players. Want to unload some contracts after this season? There are some players with expiring contracts. Interested in a high draft pick? That’s a little too far in the future, but the point is obvious. The team is in great shape for the future. The great San Antonio Spurs dynasty was started when they had an injury plagued season and landed Tim Duncan. The Pistons can have similar results. They just need to make sure not to find the next Darko Milicic.
