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Following their first winning road trip of the season (only 2-0, but it counts) the Cavs return home to face the 14-41 Detroit Pistons, owners of the NBA’s second worst record. The Pistons are 7-20 on the road while the Cavs are 22-6 at home. The Pistons have lost 11 of 14. Both teams were off yesterday.
These teams have played two times this season, both in November and both in Detroit with the Cavs winning 112-88 (without Garland and Mitchell) and 102-94 (without Jarrett Allen). The Pistons have been unable to solve the Cavaliers’ defense so far. The Pistons average 112 points per game both at home and on the road, so the Cavs have done a very good job defensively, holding them 18 and 24 points under their scoring average.
This time the Cavs will have all their key players and will be at home so barring a total collapse by the Cavs or a surfeit of complacency this should be an easy Dub.
The Pistons are a mix of young and old. Cade Cunningham, age 21, the #1 pick in the 2021 draft, is out for the season after averaging 20 points and 6 assists over the first 12 games. Isaiah Stewart, their 6’8” power forward, is 21. Jalen Duren, 19, a 6’11” center, was the 13th pick in this year’s draft. Jaden Ivey, 20, was the #5 pick in this year’s draft. He’s their starting point guard with Cunningham out.
So between Cunningham, Duren, Stewart, Ivey, and probably a top three pick in this year’s draft the Pistons have a talented young core to build around. They also have Saddiq Bey, 23, who is averaging 15 points per game.
At the other end of the age spectrum, their leading scorer is Bojan Bogdanovic, 33, at 21.4 points per game. The 6’7” Croatian is shooting 49% overall and 42% from deep. He is considered a prime trade asset but the Pistons want to keep him and so far he’s still a Piston.
Their other veteran starter is former Cavalier shooting guard Alec Burks, 31, who is averaging 13.2 points on 45% and 43%. With both Burks and Bogdanovic shooting 42-43% on 3’s, the Cavs need to stay in their faces on the perimeter. However, Burks is having a hiccup as he’s just 6-for-22 on 3’s his last four games - hopefully he doesn’t snap out of it tonight.
Ivey is averaging 15.2 points on 42% and 33%. Their big men, Stewart and Duren, combine for 20 points per game as their guards and wings handle most of the scoring.
The Pistons rank 26th in offensive efficiency. They are near the bottom in almost every major category, including assists per possession where they are 29th. Not a whole lot of ball sharing going on. The one thing they are very good at is drawing fouls. They rank second in free throws per possession and lead the NBA in free throws made per game at 20.8.
It’s not one guy - Bogdanovic leads the team with 5.1 free throw attempts per game. They all get to the line. The Cavs commit the 6th fewest fouls per possession so it will be interesting to see how often Detroit gets to the line.
Defensively the Pistons rank 29th in efficiency, opponents’ points per game, and points in the paint. They’re 28th in opponents’ effective field goal percentage and 28th in block percentage. Even when they force a miss they’re 25th in defensive rebound percentage. I can’t find anything they’re good at, or even average at, defensively except 3-point percentage where they are 17th.
They seem to be playing better recently. In their last six games they beat Brooklyn on the road (without Kevin Durant), and Charlotte. They lost by 3 to Houston, by 6 to Dallas, by 16 to Phoenix, and by 12 to Boston, so they have competed. They are not getting blown out. Two nights ago they trailed the Celtics by six points with seven minutes to play. The Cavs should not take the Pistons lightly. They have been very competitive in five of their last six games.
If the Cavs come out strong and focused like they have the last two games and keep applying the pressure they will have no problem. If they come out complacent and let Bogs, Burks, and Bey get hot from deep they could find themselves in a dogfight against a young, scrappy team with nothing to lose.
Congratulations to LeBron James for breaking the NBA scoring record. Just breaking Jabbar’s mark is an incredible achievement, but considering that I never saw the guy fail to pass to a teammate who had a better shot, it’s even more amazing. In fact, he’s 4th on the all-time assist list - the only player in the top 25 who isn’t a point guard.
These teams have played two times this season, both in November and both in Detroit with the Cavs winning 112-88 (without Garland and Mitchell) and 102-94 (without Jarrett Allen). The Pistons have been unable to solve the Cavaliers’ defense so far. The Pistons average 112 points per game both at home and on the road, so the Cavs have done a very good job defensively, holding them 18 and 24 points under their scoring average.
This time the Cavs will have all their key players and will be at home so barring a total collapse by the Cavs or a surfeit of complacency this should be an easy Dub.
The Pistons are a mix of young and old. Cade Cunningham, age 21, the #1 pick in the 2021 draft, is out for the season after averaging 20 points and 6 assists over the first 12 games. Isaiah Stewart, their 6’8” power forward, is 21. Jalen Duren, 19, a 6’11” center, was the 13th pick in this year’s draft. Jaden Ivey, 20, was the #5 pick in this year’s draft. He’s their starting point guard with Cunningham out.
So between Cunningham, Duren, Stewart, Ivey, and probably a top three pick in this year’s draft the Pistons have a talented young core to build around. They also have Saddiq Bey, 23, who is averaging 15 points per game.
At the other end of the age spectrum, their leading scorer is Bojan Bogdanovic, 33, at 21.4 points per game. The 6’7” Croatian is shooting 49% overall and 42% from deep. He is considered a prime trade asset but the Pistons want to keep him and so far he’s still a Piston.
Their other veteran starter is former Cavalier shooting guard Alec Burks, 31, who is averaging 13.2 points on 45% and 43%. With both Burks and Bogdanovic shooting 42-43% on 3’s, the Cavs need to stay in their faces on the perimeter. However, Burks is having a hiccup as he’s just 6-for-22 on 3’s his last four games - hopefully he doesn’t snap out of it tonight.
Ivey is averaging 15.2 points on 42% and 33%. Their big men, Stewart and Duren, combine for 20 points per game as their guards and wings handle most of the scoring.
The Pistons rank 26th in offensive efficiency. They are near the bottom in almost every major category, including assists per possession where they are 29th. Not a whole lot of ball sharing going on. The one thing they are very good at is drawing fouls. They rank second in free throws per possession and lead the NBA in free throws made per game at 20.8.
It’s not one guy - Bogdanovic leads the team with 5.1 free throw attempts per game. They all get to the line. The Cavs commit the 6th fewest fouls per possession so it will be interesting to see how often Detroit gets to the line.
Defensively the Pistons rank 29th in efficiency, opponents’ points per game, and points in the paint. They’re 28th in opponents’ effective field goal percentage and 28th in block percentage. Even when they force a miss they’re 25th in defensive rebound percentage. I can’t find anything they’re good at, or even average at, defensively except 3-point percentage where they are 17th.
They seem to be playing better recently. In their last six games they beat Brooklyn on the road (without Kevin Durant), and Charlotte. They lost by 3 to Houston, by 6 to Dallas, by 16 to Phoenix, and by 12 to Boston, so they have competed. They are not getting blown out. Two nights ago they trailed the Celtics by six points with seven minutes to play. The Cavs should not take the Pistons lightly. They have been very competitive in five of their last six games.
If the Cavs come out strong and focused like they have the last two games and keep applying the pressure they will have no problem. If they come out complacent and let Bogs, Burks, and Bey get hot from deep they could find themselves in a dogfight against a young, scrappy team with nothing to lose.
Congratulations to LeBron James for breaking the NBA scoring record. Just breaking Jabbar’s mark is an incredible achievement, but considering that I never saw the guy fail to pass to a teammate who had a better shot, it’s even more amazing. In fact, he’s 4th on the all-time assist list - the only player in the top 25 who isn’t a point guard.
