Pistons vs Pelicans preview: Great bounce back oppurtunity

Both teams have extra motivation to leave victorious

The Detroit Pistons face a similar dilemma in Sunday’s potential bounce-back game. Like Friday night, Detroit takes on an injury-riddled team that is/should be more occupied with draft positioning than winning games.

The New Orleans Pelicans aren’t getting a whiff of the Play-in tournament like the Dallas Mavericks could, so the Pels could deploy a “new” tanking strategy making waves in the NBA. Whether New Orleans tanks the game or not, it’s on the Pistons to play their game and not allow this to be a dogfight.

Game Vitals

When: 3 p.m. ET
Where: Little Caesars Arena, Detroit, Michigan
Watch: Fan Duel Sports Network Detroit
Odds: Detroit -11.5

Analysis

The loss to the Mavericks Friday night revealed a few things. One being the 2nd and 3rd stringers on injury-wrecked teams are still NBA players looking for every opportunity to establish themselves. The Pelicans may trot out the same type of hungry players Sunday afternoon.

Detroit did manhandle New Orleans less than a week ago. Zion Williamson did his typical Williamson things in that one. He dunked on Stew, got turned away by Stew multiple times, and scored 30 of their 81 total points. You’d imagine he’d be in the business for some get-back today, but he’s out with a back injury designation.

Yves Missi and the pesky Jose Alvarado are in danger of missing another game. On Detroit’s side, Malik Beasley will likely be inserted into the starting five after Tim Hardaway Jr. went down with an ankle sprain.

Beasley is averaging nearly 20 points with a 63 TS% as a starter in 14 games this year. He’s arguably the 6MOY this season, and his ability to step up as a starter and elevate his play aids his case.

His backcourt mate, Cade Cunningham, is a walking mismatch regardless (he cooked Dallas from the post), but defenders like CJ McCollum, Jordan Hawkins, and Bruce Brown are in for a long afternoon taking the Cade assignment.

Ausar Thompson’s minutes have been a topic of discussion lately. He is the best perimeter defender, but sometimes, he is a detriment when teams zone up. JB Bickerstaff sometimes elects to go away from Thompson when looking to rack up bucket after bucket in a comeback effort.

The offensive side can be dicey, but Detroit’s identity is built on Cade’s greatness and their defensive principles. Thompson and Stew are the heads of the snake when discussing those principles. Numbers are fun and can be noisy, but Detroit is better with Thompson.

The offensive struggles of late are real, but Ausar is a core piece, and learning from these moments is essential for growth. He’ll be needed in the playoffs and long beyond this year.

Projected Lineups

Detroit Pistons (39-32)

Cade Cunningham, Malik Beasley, Ausar Thompson, Tobias Harris, Jalen Duren

New Orleans Pelicans (19-52)

Jose Alvarado, CJ McCollum, Jordan Hawkins, Bruce Brown, Kelly Olynyk

Question of the Day

How should the Pistons (Bickerstaff) mitigate the impact of teams inevitably leaving Ausar Thompson wide open in the playoffs?