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Clippers vs Pistons Preview: Tough Back-to-Back
The Clippers are in a challenging part of their schedule, as they are in the third game of a long road trip against good East teams, and now play on the second night of a back-to-back against a competitive Pistons squad.
Game
Information
Where: Little Caesars Arena, Detroit, Michigan
When: 4:00 PM PT
How to Watch: FanDuel Sports SoCal, AM 570
Projected
Starting Lineups
Clippers: James Harden – Amir Coffey – Derrick Jones Jr. – Kawhi Leonard – Ivica Zubac
Pistons: Cade Cunningham – Tim Hardaway Jr. – Tobias Harris – Ausar Thompson – Jalen Duren
Injuries
Clippers: Norm Powell Questionable (Knee), Kawhi Leonard Questionable (Foot), Ben Simmons Out (Rest), Jordan Miller Out (G-League) Kai Jones Out (G-League), Cam Christie Out (G-League), Trentyn Flowers Out (G-League)
Pistons: Jaden Ivey Out (Leg), Simone Fontecchio Questionable (Hand)
The Big
Picture
The Clippers
have dropped two games in a row out of the All Star Break, both in fairly ugly
(albeit different) fashions. I’m still not too concerned. The Clippers did not
have Norm Powell for either game nor Kawhi Leonard for last night’s loss to the
Pacers – and the Clippers playing good teams on the road without two of their best
players is a recipe for a loss. That’s not even counting the Clippers still
integrating two major new pieces into the rotation in Bogdan Bogdanovic (who
has struggled so far) and Ben Simmons (an incredibly unique player and tough
fit). The losses are not good in the ultra-competitive Western Conference,
especially with several teams both below and above them surging, but enough
other teams in the West postseason picture are struggling in their own right
that the Clippers’ situation is not yet dire.
The
Antagonist
The Pistons, conversely, are riding high. Their six-game winning streak has pushed them to five games over .500 and has just about locked them into at the very least a play-in spot. The Pistons, at this point, probably have their sights set beyond just the play-in, however, as they are currently in 6th place in the East and are within shouting distance of the Pacers and Bucks for 4th and 5th. The Pistons’ formula for success this season has been simple: Cade Cunningham has ascended to stardom, the Pistons got veteran three-point shooters (Malik Beasley, Tim Hardaway Jr., and Tobias Harris) to open the floor up, and young athletes on the wing (Ausar Thompson, Ron Holland II) provide defense and transition scoring. The Pistons are a very fun watch, and compete night-in, night-out under new coach JB Bickerstaff. They have far outperformed my expectations and have established themselves as a legit up-and-comer in the Eastern Conference. The Pistons are one of the best stories in the entire NBA.
Notes
Eye on Malik: Cade Cunningham is the Piston that gets most of the team’s shine, and if it’s not him than it is usually Ausar Thompson. However, perhaps the most frustrating Piston for opposing teams is Malik Beasley, who is a one-trick player but has a damn good trick. Namely, Beasley is having one of the best three-point shooting seasons we have ever seen, launching 9.4 per game (career high) and making them at a 42% rate (also a career high). Beasley has already made a preposterous 220 threes this season, and is draining them off the catch, off movement, and even off the dribble. For reference, Norm Powell has made 151 threes this season, James Harden 145. If Beasley gets going, it truly seems like he can’t miss, and even more than Cade, he’s the guy the Clippers need to try to shut down to keep the Pistons under control.