Raptors at Detroit Pistons: Preview & 3 keys to victory

Can the Raptors sustain their recent fine play against the contending Pistons? A lot depends on one player.

The Toronto Raptors may face a rebounding Pistons squad in Detroit tonight without DeMar DeRozan. His health status as of this moment is not clear, since the “flu-like symptoms” which hobbled him against Cleveland on Friday night persist. With that important caveat in mind, we’ll take a stab at previewing this game.

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The Pistons are doing everything humanly possible to duck into the playoffs. They last participated in the post-season in 2008-09, a long sojourn in the wildnerness for a proud franchise. The Pistons were on a 5-game slide when they surprised the Cavaliers in Cleveland a week ago, and have won their last two against much less impressive competition.

Feb 8, 2016; Auburn Hills, MI, USA; Toronto Raptors guard Kyle Lowry (7) drives to the basket against Detroit Pistons guard Reggie Jackson (1) during the second quarter at The Palace of Auburn Hills. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports /

Tobias Harris, who arrived in a trade from Orlando, has been inserted into the starting lineup with positive results. He’s averaged more than 18 points in his four games to date. Why the Magic couldn’t make more effective use of this fellow is beyond me. Tobias is tall and lean, a solid shooter and mobile defender. Let’s hope DeMar is healthy; he’ll need to be. The other forward is Marcus Morris, the quieter twin of Markieff, who’s an effective if not spectacular contributor. At centre, long and wide Andre Drummond lurks. He leads the NBA with 49 double-double games, but has always struck me as something of an underachiever. Regardless, he’ll be a load for either Jonas Valanciunas or Bismack Biyombo to cover. We can (not) look forward to a bunch of hacks on the unfortunate Andre, who ranks fourth in free-throws attempted, and up the track in free-throws made. Want a quick comparison? Our man DeMar has 15 more attempts this season…and 232 more makes.

Detroit’s backcourt has turned into a serious weapon for the Pistons. Reggie Jackson at the point has averaged almost 25 points during their mini-streak. This young man can move; he might be faster than John Wall. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope has taken the Terrence Ross path of slow ascension. I doubt he’ll ever be a star, but he’s consistent with his scoring, and his secondary stats are more than passable.

So how is that a team that features five starters averaging double figures in scoring is one lousy game above .500? Their bench, which wasn’t any great shakes to begin with, has been wracked with injuries. Steve Blake, a 35-year-old point guard, played almost 17 minutes last night in Milwaukee, with no points. Their second unit had 18 points total; every starter played a minimum of 31 minutes. I suppose Reggie Bullock, a youthful swingman, and Aron Baynes, their backup centre, are the best of the bunch. Darrun Hilliard, a rookie small forward, has a future.

The Raptors proved against the Cavaliers they can beat anyone, even when a star is hobbled with illness. They should be able to handle the Pistons if they…:

…only foul Drummond. This plea particularly affects JV and Biz, who can afford perhaps 3 fouls each against Drummond, but few on anyone else. We can’t play small ball against this team.
…make them work on D. This game would be perfect for a healthy DeMar, because he could probe for weakness while dribbling until late in the shot clock repeatedly. The Pistons will tire themselves out. Watch for a big fourth quarter by the Raptors.
…bash their bench. This game should be a tonic for Patrick Patterson. Can TRoss get into the twenties, grab some rebounds and in general act like the spark he’s so capable of being?

Keep it going, guys. Toronto 100-Detroit 96.

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