Pistons vs Lakers preview: Detroit builds momentum on defensive performance

The Detroit Pistons put on a defensive masterclass in the second half in their 106-92 victory against the Brooklyn Nets, holding their opponent to just 35 points. Detroit looks to build on that defensive momentum as they face their toughest individual task to date: stopping Anthony Davis and the Los Angeles Lakers.

Game Vitals

When: 7:30 p.m. ET
Where: Little Caesars Arena, Detroit, Michigan
Watch: FanDuel Sports Network Detroit
Odds: Pistons +7.5

Analysis

I’ve never seen a LeBron James “led” team have him No. 2 on the scouting report. But here we are. Father Time is undefeated and hasn’t fully grasped James, but the passing of the torch on the Lakers roster did occur.

Anthony Davis has done more than enough to prove he’s worthy of carrying that mantle. He’s correctly the league-league scorer at 31.8 PPG, and he doesn’t seem to be slowing down.

We’ve seen AD dominate in stretches like this for the Lakers, but never a full season. JJ Redick will ensure this continues as he’s made Davis the hub of the offense and has incorporated off-ball movement principles.

Davis is making quick decisions free-throw line extended, giving the Lakers the most free-flowing offense since their 2020 Bubble run. The Lakers are currently the fourth-best offense running through Davis, as he destroys one-on-one matchups and hits cutting wings as they move off the ball.

Davis partly kills defenses by putting key defenders in foul trouble. He’s fouled on 22% of the shots he takes, which doesn’t bode well, as the best Pistons AD option has been foul-prone this year.

Detroit’s defense against the Nets in the second half was impressive. Jalen Duren cleaned up some first-half mistakes. He dropped to the paint, playing the ball handler and lob threat much better in the second half. He wasn’t trying to swat at the ball as much as he was trying to be in the right positions.

The guards displayed grit as they got over screens more frequently and stone-walled Cam Thomas and Dennis Schroder as they tried to turn the corner on screens. Thomas and Schroder came into Sunday averaging 28.2 and 22 points a game, respectively. Holding them to 17 and 7 points deserves a nod from the perimeter defenders (Ivey, Beasley, Hardaway) and Duren’s interior presence. Stats don’t always equal good defense, but we want to see Duren record these types of blocks: the timely in-the-right-position blocks that don’t feature him going out of his way and losing his assignment.

The defense Sunday was a step in the right direction. You have to factor in the level of competition, though. Brooklyn isn’t some world-beater, and fans circled this win as a must-have after the gauntlet they opened the season with. The Lakers employ arguably the GOAT and a dominant big that will look to make Duren revert to the mistakes he’s made in previous games. Even the best defenders have more than their hands full challenging AD, but Beef Stew, who’s more suited to guard Davis, has fouled so much this year.

Stew averages 18.7 minutes and has a 7.7 foul percentage in this small sample size, which ranks dead last amongst qualifying bigs. Stew’s foul percentage in the previous two years is 3.5 and 2.6%, and he played significantly more minutes in those seasons. Stew is better in these smaller stints than in a full-time starting role. Maybe these fouls are a virtue of him being fresher and willing to cause more havoc? Either way, this is something to watch, and his minutes matched up against AD will be must-see TV if you love role players antagonizing stars.

The Pistons’ backcourt has another favorable matchup, as either Cade or Ivey have physical advantages over Austin Reaves (questionable with an ankle injury) and D’Angelo Russell. We’ll see who guards Cade though, it could be LeBron.

Ivey was 1-for-7 from 3 in the last game but had some good looks at the rim, and those open shots will fall. How the defense reacts to Ivey shooting these jumpers is as important as a make-or-miss. Brooklyn was closing out to contest his 3s— which is awesome. More closeouts create more opportunities for Ivey to drive with his lethal first step, which allows the Pistons to attack more scrambling defenses.