Now in the final month of the regular season, the Detroit Pistons are looking to bounce back from a tough 11-point road loss to the Toronto Raptors over the weekend, and their first game back is against a badly struggling Washington Wizards outfit on the second leg of a back-to-back. 

Leading into tonight’s 7 pm tip-off, Pistons guard Cade Cunningham has an opportunity to build on a string of impactful performances after scoring 33 points against the Raptors and dishing out 15 assists versus the Memphis Grizzlies before that. Cunningham has found different ways to remain productive when teams send double teams in his direction of late, and the All-Star point guard has even worked to absorb that pressure in a fashion that opens up his teammates for quality looks.

Along those lines, fourth-year center Jalen Duren has been a primary beneficiary of Cunningham’s playmaking instincts, and the All-Star big man logged another 20-point double-double over the weekend. Together, Duren and Cunningham have formed one of the most productive pick and roll combinations in the NBA, but teams are catching onto the Pistons’ offensive priorities, so it will be interesting to see how the Wizards attempt to shut down Detroit’s primary action type. 

From a league-wide perspective, the Wizards are in perhaps the most perilous position on an active 12-game losing streak with a batch of injured players watching their team’s downfall from the bench. In their most recent game, the Wizards gave up 64 first half points to the Warriors last night and were never able to climb back in the game. Kristaps Porzingis had a 30-point effort for Golden State off the bench, and the Western Conference squad logged a 125-117 win without an active Steph Curry on the night. 

For the Wizards, both Trae Young and Bilal Coulibaly scored 21 points on 7-for-10 shooting from the field, and Will Riley equalled their output with 21 points of his own in the balanced Washington attack. However, the Wizards did not receive much help from the bench (29 points), which is usually a strong suit for a Washington squad that ranks No. 2 in the NBA for bench scoring. 

From a team standpoint, the Wizards are most effective from the second level and currently stand No. 4 in both pull-up points per game (25.4) and percentage of points from the mid-range (8.7). So, the Pistons will have to be cognizant of the Wizards’ penchant to kick the ball inside and use that second level space to get their shots up. 

On the Pistons’ side of the equation, Isaiah Stewart is going to miss tonight’s game as the forceful defensive presence continues to nurse a left calf strain. But apart from Beef Stew’s absence, the Pistons are relatively healthy for a team entering their 68th game of the season. 

The Wizards cannot say the same. At the moment, Washington is prepared to enter tonight’s Eastern Conference matchup without Anthony Davis (finger), Alex Sarr (hamstring), Kyshawn George (left UCL tear). So, the Wizards will have a shorthanded team to work with as they look to snap their double-digit losing streak against the top team in the East, but crazier games have been played across the association. 

During the Pistons’ road game up in Toronto, the Raptors were able to victimize Detroit’s big men in the paint without Stewart in the lineup. Duren in particular was caught out of position on multiple occasions, and Jakob Poeltl relentlessly swarmed the offensive boards to generate extra possessions for his squad. 

Given Duren's subpar defensive showing against Toronto, the All-Star center's numbers have trended towards dangerous territory in the Pistons' losses this season. According to Dynatyze, JD has a 117.4 defensive rating when Detroit loses, which includes a staggeringly poor 147.1 showing against the Miami Heat earlier this month. 

With Stewart out of the lineup, the Pistons will need to rely on Duren to remain stout in the low post for the time being. Paul Reed is expected to chip in with those defensive responsibilities, but Duren's influence in the paint will be even more crucial for the Pistons moving forward. 

Though he’s still working himself into rhythm with his new teammates, Young is still a dangerous shooter who creates quality looks for those surrounding him at a high level. Washington might not have much to play for, but Young looks motivated to fit in with the Wizards, and he’s embraced the short time he’s spent with his new squad. 

Against the Warriors last night, Young suffered a leg injury after colliding with a Golden State player, and the longtime vet went to the locker room for treatment. According to ESPN, Young is currently listed as day-to-day with a quad injury, but it is not believed to be serious at this time. 

At this stage in his career, Young no longer needs to be the primary focal point of his team’s offense, and he’s gracefully reigned in his shooting volume to a less heliocentric level. This season, Young averages 17.7 points and 8.2 assists per game, but he’s reaching those numbers in just 25.9 minutes each night, which is on the higher end for efficient point guard play. 

For more information on the latest Detroit Pistons team or player news, follow @EricJRutter on X for continued basketball coverage. Also be sure to look up Roundtable - Michigan Men Media on Facebook for continued social media coverage of all the sporting teams in the Mitten.