The Detroit Pistons have a few difficult matchups on the docket this week
As the Detroit Pistons embark on their final 27-game stretch of the regular season, the Eastern Conference’s top squad is about to take part in a brief cross-conference battle with a pair of title contenders at Little Caesars Arena over the next two games before traveling to Cleveland on Friday.
In short, the Pistons’ matchups against the San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder could foreshadow a potential NBA Finals meeting depending on which teams take care of business over the next two-plus months. But more than that, the next two games could provide a look into the power structure of the NBA over the next half decade with each franchise boasting a young superstar surrounded by key role players.
On Monday, the Pistons will host the Spurs for their first trip to LCA this season and the first meeting between the two squads overall. This season, the Spurs hold a 40-16 record, which slots Victor Wembanyama’s team in second place of the Western Conference. The Spurs, much like the Pistons, are one of three teams this season to win 40 games before losing 20 games, which is the line of demarcation for title challengers according to legendary NBA coach Phil Jackson.
With Wembanyama adding a level of dynamism that is uncoachable to his team, the Spurs present the biggest matchup problem in the league, quite literally. Wemby is averaging 24.3 points, 11.2 rebounds and 2.7 blocks per game this season, and the Spurs have surrounded the big man with quality rotation members to compliment his unique skill set in De’Aaron Fox, Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper. Together, the Spurs will challenge the Pistons in specific areas, such as rebounding and scoring in the paint, that Detroit has dominated all season long, so the low-post struggle could be the decisive in-game battle to watch. As a unit, the Spurs rank No. 3 in the NBA for rebounding and defensive rating, so the Pistons will need to prepare to face a stylistic team that mirrors many of Detroit’s own strengths.
Fortunately for the Pistons, All-Star center Jalen Duren returned from his two-game suspension last time out against the Chicago Bulls, and JD wasted no time in reintroducing himself back into the starting lineup with 26 points and 13 rebounds against their Central Division rivals. However, Detroit will enter their tilts against the Spurs, Thunder and Cavs without the services of Isaiah Stewart since the defensive enforcer is still serving out the rest of his disciplinary time away from the court.
But even without Beef Stew, the Pistons are confident in their ability to take down the West’s top two teams, but Detroit will need to play with urgency from the jump in each contest, which is an element that head coach J.B. Bickerstaff is still working through with his players.
“They always respond,” Bickerstaff said after defeating the Bulls. “It’s just a matter of holding ourselves to the standard every single night. Sometimes I get emotional and let my emotions get the best of me, understanding where we are and where I’m trying to get the guys to be, but consistently night in night out, they’ve done it. So my frustration is for me to work on and trusting them like I do that they’re going to turn it, but just trying to get them to turn it a little bit quicker if possible.”
In the playoffs, Bickerstaff knows that the margin for error decreases even further, so the Pistons will need to bring the best version of their game each night. And after spending over one and a half seasons in Detroit, Bickerstaff knows what this group is truly capable of, and that’s why he works so hard to bring the best version of the Pistons out of themselves.
Speaking of that perceived best version, though, the Pistons will face a shorthanded Thunder team after their matchup with San Antonio. At the moment, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is still recovering from an abdominal strain, so the the MVP candidate is slated to miss Wednesday's game against Detroit.
Despite SGA's absence, the Thunder have more than kept it together lately with a 4-1 record over their last five games, so Oklahoma City still should present a good test for the Pistons later in the week.
As for the Pistons' final weekday obligation, the Cleveland Cavaliers have a 36-22 record at the moment, which puts them 7.5 games behind Detroit for second place in the Central Division.
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