The air is different when two top-five defenses collide. The Detroit Pistons have a reputation for demanding defensive excellence today and historically. That cannot be said about the Atlanta Hawks, especially in the Trae Young Hawks era (16th D is the best finish with Young). History aside, the Hawks without Young have been a premier defense with no cover points.
Atlanta and Detroit are two of the hottest teams in the association. Detroit is sizzling regardless of who plays, but reinforcements should be coming tonight against a Hawks team that’s won five straight games. Will those reinforcements be enough to help extend Detroit’s win streak to 11, even while being on the wrong end of a back-to-back?
Seeing how the Pistons handle Atlanta’s length and athleticism should be a treat. Those are advantages Atlanta has over most opponents, but Detroit isn’t lacking in the athlete department.
When: 7:30 p.m. ET
Where: State Farm Arena, Atlanta, Georgia
Watch: Fan Duel Sports Network Detroit
Odds: Pistons -1
Jalen Duren and Isaiah Stewart returned to the lineup earlier this week. Hopefully, Cade Cunningham and Ausar Thompson can be out there tonight in a big matchup.
Duren has individually passed every test this year without missing a question. Labeling him a man amongst boys doesn’t do him enough justice. The 30-point double-doubles don’t even make you double-check anymore. We’ve come to expect this All-Star-level play from Duren.
On defense, Duren is running JB Bickerstaff’s scheme with flawless execution. He’s getting to the level and consistently recovering to challenge shots at the rim. More minutes alongside Stew doesn’t hurt Duren’s defensive impact either. Duren has been known to struggle with stretch bigs throughout his career. I think some of that noise will die down with the lineups and activity Duren is playing with.
Atlanta’s Onyeka Okongwu and Kristaps Porzingis are early-season barometers Duren needs to handle. Okongwu torched rims two games ago, drilling eight 3s against the run-and-gun Utah Jazz. Okongwu has tinkered with shooting 3s for years, but maybe he’s put it all together now. He’s shooting 39% on 4.4 3-point attempts, so he’s not a leave-him-open candidate.
Porzingis entered the league as a sniper. You gameplan around his shooting. It will be a good test for Duren to continue holding up and dominating centers around the league. That’s if those Hawks bigs play; both are questionable with knee stuff.
If Ausar and Young both played tonight, this would be another opportunity for Ausar to display his outrageous versatility, matching up with the 6-foot-1 playmaker. Ausar may suit up, but Young’s knee will be reevaluated in December.
Since he’s exited the lineup, Atlanta is 7-2, 4th in defense, and 2nd in assists rate. They feel like a better team. A more complete team. Lengthy athletic wings like Dyson Daniels, Zaccharie Risacher, and Jalen Johnson covered up for Young’s defensive deficiencies. Without him, they swarm offenses with zero suspect defenders on the floor.
Offensively, Jalen Johnson is making his own All-Star bid, and Dyson Daniels is handling ball-handling duties better than expected.
They have length over Detroit regardless, but the Pistons have the bodies to go athlete for athlete if everyone laces up tonight. We know Ausar is one of the better athletes in the league. Ron Holland has to be one of the biggest energy bunnies in the league, and he has the physical profile to make a difference with said energy.
Javonte Green isn’t the traditional athlete in terms of vertical pop and speed, but his ability to accel and decel on a dime while guarding elite offensive weapons shows outstanding balance and stability. Green knocking down open 3s, teams are living with aids the Pistons’ half-court offense. He’s just a winning player.
As is Daniss Jenkins. He’s so fearless as a passer. He makes the simple reads, but Jenkins is a daredevil who will test the boundaries of passing nightly. This guy isn’t taking the conservative approach to limit his turnover numbers. He takes chances, and when it works, it’s an advantage for the Pistons.
It’s a “big” regular-season game tonight. The Pistons have momentum after clearing the cupcakes on their schedule. Good teams beat teams they’re supposed to. Atlanta might not be seen as a great team, but they’re playing as well as anybody besides the Pistons. Detroit is sending out another league-wide memo tonight. Teams better be prepared to face this smothering defense, no matter who’s in the lineup.
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Cade Cunningham, Duncan Robinson, Ausar Thompson, Isaiah Stewart, Jalen Duren
Dyson Daniels, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Zaccharie Risacher, Jalen Johnson, Onyeka Okongwu
Malik Beasley and Duncan Robinson played similar roles for this Pistons team. What’s the biggest difference you notice between their play?
