It Might be Time to Worry | The Weekly Drive
The Pistons are down 2-1 to the Magic, and it has caused an identity crisis.
Good morning Pistons fans, and welcome back to another playoff edition of the Weekly Drive. We have much to discuss, so pop an antacid and let’s get into it.
Remember just a few days ago when I said the Pistons had only a little bit to be concerned about? The team responded by thrashing the Orlando Magic in Game 2, tying the series up at one game a piece. I thought that would grease the wheels, so to speak, for a continued beat down of an inferior Magic squad.
Then Saturday afternoon happened.
The Pistons couldn’t get out of their own way in Game 3, losing to Orlando 113-105. The loss hurts a little extra given they mounted a huge comeback in the fourth quarter, briefly took the lead, and then never scored again. It was an incredibly deflating game from beginning to end, and one that has rightfully caused some panic in Detroit. None larger than the sudden collapse of their All-Star center.
Where is Jalen Duren?
There was concern after Game 1 about Duren, but it was somewhat brushed over as an anomaly. The Game 2 win masked what was another bad showing. But Game 3 was rock bottom, and it was pretty bad. So much so that J.B. Bickerstaff benched him for nine minutes in the third quarter (and a few more into the fourth) because he was actively hurting the team.
Let that sink in for a moment: Detroit’s All-Star center, and second-best player this past season, was unplayable yesterday.
Duren has almost as many turnovers (8) as shots made (10) in this series. He is shooting well under 50% from the floor, and hasn’t scooped up double digit rebounds in a game yet. Orlando is crowding the paint and taking away the two-man game with Cade Cunningham, which has really hurt Detroit’s offense. Nothing seems easy for anyone, but especially Duren. It is a mix of lost confidence and a tough matchup against an opponent that doesn’t back down to physicality.
There is really no way around it: the Pistons need Duren to be better, and quickly. He has to return to form for Game 4, or this series is going to head back to Detroit for a perilous Game 5.
Rotation Fluctuation
Bickerstaff is in a tough spot. With Duren fighting off the demons, the NBA’s Coach of the Year finalist has had to find offense from somewhere else - and that has been difficult to come by. Daniss Jenkins and Caris LeVert have not provided much. Kevin Huerter and Duncan Robinson are more three-point decoy than threat. Javonte Green led the bench in minutes yesterday, and was not very effective. Isaiah Stewart has not been as impactful, and Ron Holland is out of the rotation.
That leaves Tobias Harris and Ausar Thompson as the two best running mates for Cunningham. Thompson played his best game of the series in Game 3, and Harris was integral to making the comeback late in the fourth quarter. Without those two, the Pistons would have lost by much more.
Somebody else has to step up off the bench, and Bickerstaff’s options are running dry. They need LeVert or Jenkins to start hitting some shots, or Stewart to start bullying his way to some hustle points and rebounds. Green was unplayable for the Cleveland in last year’s playoffs, and to have him lead the bench in minutes is a huge indictment on Detroit’s depth.
As it stands, Bickerstaff hasn’t pulled the right levers either. He started the fourth quarter with a lineup of Jenkins, Robinson, Thompson, Green, and Stewart. That particular group played eight (8) minutes in the regular season and had a +/- of -78.6. Needless to say it did not work yesterday either.
Identity Crisis
The long and short of it is Detroit doesn’t look like the top seed in the conference. In fact, they are lacking in nearly all of the key areas that made them the best in East during the regular season.
They are losing the rebounding battle almost routinely. Cunningham had nine turnovers, the last one a microcosm of the game itself where he tripped and lost the ball with under a minute left (which led to a Franz Wagner three). The team defense, which was among the league leaders, looks like it comes in spurts as opposed to a consistent wave. The offense is automatically stuck in the mud if the two-man game of Cunningham and Duren is stymied, which it has been.
The playoffs have a way of forcing teams out of their comfort zone, and Detroit is seeing that first hand. There doesn’t seem to be a “Plan B” when “Plan A isn’t working, and the Magic are exposing that. The Pistons do need to be better in general, but they also have to adapt to what Orlando is showing. Game 4 will be very telling where things stand with this team, one with such promise and vigor, and if they want to roll over or punch back.