NBA
A Culture Change: Griffin Carries Pistons to 2-0 Start
On Saturday night, the Pistons played their first road game of the season against their division rivals, the Chicago Bulls. Blake Griffin played at an All-Star level once again to secure a 2-0 start for the Pistons. Along the way, Griffin tallied 33 points along with 12 rebounds and 5 assists.
The Good
The Pistons didn’t have a problem scoring the ball. They had six players scoring in double figures. Dwane Casey’s emphasis on spreading the floor with three-point shots and attacking the rim paid dividends. The Pistons made 18 three-pointers while shooting 45% from the arc. Griffin had a monster game as the focal point of attack throughout the game. He also got the stop on Bulls scorer Zach LaVine on the final play to seal the win.
The Pistons played with good pace despite the excessive ticky tack foul calls to hold on for the win at United Center. Casey opted for a three guard lineup of Ish Smith, Jackson, and Bullock throughout the night and to close out the game. This gave Smith the chance to exploit LaVine and Parker’s poor defense to score a game-winning layup on the road.
Ish getting it done late! pic.twitter.com/6A6DmK7oJc
— NBA (@NBA) October 21, 2018
The Bad
The Bulls were scoring at will as LaVine, Justin Holiday and Cam Payne combined for 69 points. The Pistons visibly struggled to get defensive stops and Andre Drummond was in foul trouble early in the game. The Pistons struggle to get stops against this Bulls team indicates a need for defensive improvement.
This is not a sign of disrespect, however, the Bulls have been a lottery team for the past two years. In addition, they were missing both their up-and-coming star in Lauri Markkanen, and starting Point Guard Kris Dunn. Despite being short handed, they gave Detroit a fight.
A Change in System Can Be Seen
Finally, after their first week of regular season basketball, the Pistons come out with a 2-0 record and the third seed in the East. It’s evident that there is a change in the team’s system and style of play. The Pistons are showing more discipline by not letting games slip away. The key will be to maintain a high level of defensive intensity over 82 games.
A realistic expectation for the Pistons this year is to play at least one round of playoff basketball come April 2019. This can only be achieved if the Pistons get more stops moving forward.
Looking Ahead
The Pistons have a decent three-game home stand in the following week playing the Philadelphia 76ers on 10/23, the Cleveland Cavaliers on 10/25 and the Boston Celtics on 10/27.
Photo Credit
Highlight Store via Flickr
