It’s been a tale of two games thus far for the Detroit Pistons, who will celebrate their home opener today with a bit of momentum following a 114-111 win in Houston on Friday night.
In a small sample size of 2.4% of the season, the Pistons appear to be building on the momentum from last season’s inspiring finish — but it’s clear this group is hungry for more.
Some early rust showed on opening night in Chicago, and perhaps that was to be expected. A sloppy start put them in too deep a hole to climb
out of, though they fought hard until the final buzzer. Against Houston, however, Detroit looked like the tougher, more composed team, showing real resilience after losing Jalen Duren early to an ejection and Isaiah Stewart late in the game to fouling out.
Scoring was mostly spread around, as Cade Cunningham led the team with 21 points. Duncan Robinson looked comfortable in his second game as a Piston, scoring 17 points and blocking three shots(!). Perhaps the most impactful performance at the end of the game came from Paul Reed, who anchored the paint defensively in the absence of their top two big men. He finished with 13 points and nine rebounds.
GAME VITALS
When: 3:30 p.m. ET
Where: Little Caesars Arena, Detroit, Michigan
Watch: Fan Duel Sports Network Detroit
Odds: Pistons -3.5
ANALYSIS
Boston has stumbled out of the gate, dropping its first two games of the season while adjusting to a revamped roster and the absence of Jayson Tatum. After squandering a late lead against Philadelphia on opening night, the Celtics came up short again Friday at Madison Square Garden, falling to the Knicks.
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This version of the Celtics looks and feels different. In an effort to duck under the second apron this offseason, Boston parted ways with Jrue Holiday, Kristaps Porziņģis, and Al Horford — three cornerstones of last year’s championship team.
Without them, the Celtics will lean heavily on Derrick White and Jaylen Brown to anchor both ends of the floor. Payton Pritchard and Sam Hauser are stepping into larger roles after serving as rotation pieces a season ago, and the addition of Anfernee Simons — acquired in the Holiday trade — should inject some offensive firepower into the lineup.
The Pistons are also navigating some roster reshuffling of their own, though their core remains firmly intact. Cade Cunningham has picked up right where he left off after an All-NBA campaign last season, looking sharp to start the year. Jalen Duren and Ausar Thompson continue to play with confidence and show steady growth, while Ron Holland and Isaiah Stewart bring a surge of energy off the bench — similar in intensity, but offering different skill sets and roles.
Duncan Robinson and Caris LeVert were new additions but will play significant roles this year if the Pistons want to maintain their own trajectory. LeVert missed the Houston game with a hamstring injury, which does not appear to be serious.
Expect a ton of shots from beyond the arc on Sunday from a team that just set an NBA record last season with 1,457 made threes.
This will be a fun matchup from an offensive club like Boston to wrestle with a young team in Detroit looking to send a message and assert their own defensive identity.
The crowd should have some impact in this game, with what should be a great atmosphere, and the first opening home game they’ve had in years, with real expectations going into the year. I think they’ll want to establish
Matchup to watch – Ausar Thompson vs. Jaylen Brown
Any time Thompson goes up against an All Star-caliber player on the wing, I get excited.
Brown will be the catalyst this season offensively for Boston and will want to assert himself in Detroit to get their first win of the year. If Thompson can stay out of foul trouble, I think he can be a thorn in Brown’s side in trying to get to the rim and finish through traffic.
On the other end of the floor, Thompson had one of his better games offensively in a Pistons uniform against Houston, finishing with 19 points and dishing four assists. This will be a good test for him as well
Projected Lineups
DETROIT PISTONS (1-1)
Cade Cunningham, Duncan Robinson, Ausar Thompson, Tobias Harris, Jalen Duren
Boston Celtics (0-2)
Payton Prichard, Jaylen Brown, Derrick White, Neemias Queta, Sam Hauser
