Pistons Honor MLK

Once again Martin Luther King day in Detroit means a good healthy dose of afternoon Pistons’ basketball. This year’s opponent – the Phoenix Suns.

Phoenix enters the game as the leagues most explosive offensive. Averaging 109.1 points per game, the Suns have used their shooting power to get off to a 31-7 start. Amare Stoudemire leads all scoring with 26.0 points per game, backed up by Steve Nash’s 10.9 assists per game.

So how does a team like Detroit stand a chance at beating a team like this? They’re only scoring 90.6 points per game, and have struggled late in games recently. They have been good with free throws, but drawing enough fouls to make a difference might be tough against a team like Phoenix.

It’s all going to have to come down to defense, consistency, and remembering how this team wins games.

The Pistons don’t need 110 points to win this game. They don’t even need 100. In fact, against defense-oriented teams, the Suns are averaging 90 points per game. To show you an even bigger impact, in these three games, their opponents have given up an average of 104 points per game, compared to their season average of 99.4 points per game – which, incidentally, is the highest in the West.

Take the Suns out of their high scoring element, and you have a very beatable team.

One of the keys to containing this offense is to shut down the passing of Steve Nash. Nash came to the Suns in off-season, and has made an immediately impact. His ball movement, key to their success, has given the Suns the final piece to their puzzle, and has helped launch them to a league best 31-7 start. Shutting down Nash will throw off their plans, and keep their scoring down to a reasonable level.

Let’s also not forget that the Pistons have a habit of taking a small vacation from the basket late in games. Friday night the Pistons led by as much as 16, and led by 10 after the third quarter. Detroit stopped scoring, and Philly took advantage, and almost won the game. The Pistons, down by four with less than two minutes to go, got help from Tayshaun Prince. After tying it back up, Prince hit key free throws, and a key shot to give the Pistons their final lead, and won the game 99-95.

If the Pistons repeat Friday’s performance today, they won’t get the chance to come back and win. Phoenix is too powerful of a scoring team to shut down for minutes at a time, and the Pistons are too weak of a scoring team to catch up in situations that require 65% shooting.

They must stick to their game with Defense, and consistent scoring. Not by running up the score, and not by matching the Suns running game. They must take care of business on the defensive end, work the ball inside, and setup plays from the corners and perimeters. Chauncey needs to take advantage of Nash’s weaker defense, and get some early three pointers.

Another part of making all this happen will rest on the shoulders of the bench. Antonio McDyess has been great backing up Wallace and Wallace. Lindsey Hunter seems to have regained his form lately, scoring 11 points on Friday with two steals and three assists. Unfortunately, that’s as deep as they’re getting right now. Delfino is out injured, and no one else is stepping up to help the Pistons out.

So let’s go back and make a list of things for the Pistons to watch out for, and take care of on the court.

Nash. Stop Nash from making a difference. Don’t let him feed guys the ball. Pressure him and force tough shots.

Defense. Remember who you are, what your team is all about. Remember what fuels wins for your team. Take care of the boards, defend the perimeter, and stop the run.

Chauncey. Take advantage of your match-up. Nash isn’t strong on defense, and you can excel tonight from the three point line and other perimeter shots. Try and work your way around him, and get some easy buckets.

Bench. McDyess, Hunter, I know your jobs have been tough this season. You are the only two regular rotation guys, and its taking toll on Hunter. Someone else may need to step up from the bench today. Dupree, Campbell, Goldwire?

Consistency. Absolutely no scoring droughts. If you want to beat a team like Phoenix, you cannot afford to stop your scoring for minutes at a time. Value each possession, and remain patient with each play. If the one set of plays isn’t working, adjust to a new set. Take advantage of the perimeter, work the boards inside, and generate second chance shots.

Five simple rules to beat Phoenix. They’re nothing new, or outrageous. In fact, they are the rules that brought the Championship back to Detroit last year, and the rules that will need to be followed if they want to beat the Suns, or defend their title again this year.