Last night the Detroit Pistons lost to the Chicago Bulls 89-109. It was a really bad game for the Pistons, to say the least. Nothing looked good last night, whether it was offense or defense.
No one could get it going on the offensive end. The Pistons again struggled with turnovers, turning the ball over 16 times. Andre drummond struggled with only 6 points and 14 rebounds. A very frustrated Andre even fouled out with 6 minutes to play in the game. Blake Griffin played a very painful 30 minutes and scored 16 points. It is very clear that Blake is not fully healthy on the court right now. He has no lift, quickness, and he honestly doesn’t even look like he wants to be on the court at all. Derrick Rose was the only bright spot of this game, scoring 18 points in 24 minutes of action. He, once again, received a standing ovation from his hometown crowd.
The Pistons defense virtually couldn’t stop any of the Bulls. Lauri Markkanen scored 24 points, getting fouled on multiple three point attempts. Shaq Harrison and Tomas Satoransky both put up 15 points each. Not to mention the Bulls were playing without their starting forward, Otto Porter Jr. It was a very poor effort on defense for the Pistons. They also had 4 off-days to prepare their defense for this game, and still couldn’t pull it off. Until they figure out their defensive issues, the losses will keep piling up.
What’s Next?
First off, Blake Griffin needs to get completely healthy. There is no point of having him on the court when he is in this condition. It is no help to the team, it is actually a disadvantage. Tonight, we played better when Blake was off the floor and the Derrick Rose was on. Also, hopefully Tony Snell’s injury doesn’t keep him out and extended amount of time. Hopefully after Reggie Jackson returns, the injury bug stays away from Detroit.
There are currently two sides to what this team should do. Side one, blow this team up and tank for the upcoming draft. Side two, keep plugging along with the “win now” mentality and hope the Pistons miraculously turn around. In order for that turn around to happen, it would have to be quick. The Pistons have already lost a handful of games to rebuilding teams, which isn’t very promising. Reggie Jackson is still out for another two weeks at minimum. And the rest just depends on whether the rest of the team can stay healthy for the long haul. If they were to blow it up, that would most likely mean trading Andre and/or Blake. That would ensure that the Pistons get back young assets and draft picks. Another player that could be moved before the trade deadline is Langston Galloway. He has been playing up to his contest this year, so i’m sure multiple contenders could be in the market for a pure shooter.
Below, Eli Bashi(@EliBashiNBA) uses equation/picture to display what the Pistons should do as an organization.
Pistons fans are very divided about this topic. All we can do is sit back and let the front office pull the strings and decide what to do with this struggling team. Hopefully they can turn it around because i’m not ready for a 2-5 year rebuild. The Pistons next game is Friday at home against the 4-10 Atlanta Hawks, another rebuilding team. Let’s hope for a Pistons victory.
Piston Territory 