The first four-game losing streak of the post-Rudy Gay era has officially come to an end.
Having dispatched the Boston Celtics on Saturday night to get back in the win column, the Toronto Raptors shift their attention to the much-improved Detroit Pistons Monday night.
There was plenty of drama when these teams met on Dec. 19 at The Palace of Auburn Hills. Landry Fields needed eight stiches to mend his head after a gruesome fall, and a brawl nearly broke out when Andre Drummond body checked James Johnson in retaliation for a nasty dunk.
Toronto ended up winning that game, but the Pistons have since sparked something of a Detroit Renaissance after cutting ties with the much-maligned Josh Smith. Since Smith’s release, the Pistons have won eight of nine and have looked like a much different team than the one the Raptors ran into less than a month ago.
Major Storyline 1: Bring the Windex. For the month of January, the Pistons are leading the NBA in rebounding, pulling down almost 49 per game. Toronto comes in at 19th, so the Raptors’ bigs will need to step it up while leaning on the guards to help out on the glass. The secret to Detroit’s dominance on the boards? Andre Drummond, who ranks second to DeAndre Jordan league-wide in rebounds per game (with 13.0), and first in offensive boards (4.8 per).
Major Storyline 2: Make them earn it. Drummond makes up for the boost he gives the Pistons’ rebounding numbers by dragging their free-throw percentage through the mud. Overall, Detroit is 29th in the NBA from the charity stripe, anchored (in the concrete shoes sense) by Drummond’s 41 percent—a mark that could make Shaq blush. If the Raptors find their D breaking down close to the basket, they would be wise to wrap up their opponent and make him earn the points from the line.
Major Storyline 3: Don’t play hero ball. Unlike last season (post-Gay trade), the Raptors aren’t dazzling anyone with their ball movement in 2014-15, ranking in the bottom half of the league with 21 assists per. Watching Lou Williams create for himself off the dribble was entertaining when the shots were dropping on a consistent basis, but it’s definitely time for the unselfish basketball Toronto exhibited a year ago to steal the show.
Marquee Player to Watch, Toronto: Terrence Ross. When DeMar DeRozan went down on Nov. 28, a door opened for Terrence Ross to show what kind of player he could be. The early results were positive for the former Slam Dunk Champion as he posted back-to-back 20-point performances in the first two outings sans DeRozan, but his numbers have fallen off a cliff recently. Over the past 10 games, Ross is averaging 11.6 points on just 37 percent shooting. DeRozan is expected back for Toronto’s next game, so this could be Ross’s last moment in the spotlight (for a while). We’ll see what he does with the opportunity.
Marquee Player to Watch, Detroit: Brandon Jennings. It’s no secret that Jennings is trigger-happy; the former Milwaukee Buck has managed a single-season shooting percentage above 40 percent from the floor just once in his first five years in the NBA. Since Smith’s release, though, Jennings has stepped up his game, averaging more than 20 points and seven assists a night in the month of January, and against the Brooklyn Nets on Saturday, he posted a flashy line of 20 points, 11 dimes and two steals.
Role Player Who Will Make a Difference, Toronto: James Johnson. With the Raptors in a rut, Dwane Casey mixed up the starting five, replacing Fields with Johnson. The move paid immediate dividends with the former first-round pick racking up 15 points, 10 rebounds and two blocks in 36 minutes of run. It will also be interesting to keep an eye on the dynamic between Johnson and Drummond.
Role Player Who Will Make a Difference, Detroit: Caron Butler. A two-time all-star, Butler is averaging a career-low 6.2 points per game in 2014-15. Nonetheless, he is still a valuable player for Stan Van Gundy, providing a calming veteran presence on what is otherwise a very young roster. The 34-year-old has also put up solid numbers against the Raptors over the course of his career, averaging better than 15 points in 29 games. He’s also been known to grab a cheap bucket.
Season series vs. Pistons: Raptors lead 1-0
Raptors Stats Leaders:
Points: Kyle Lowry (20.7)
Rebounds: Jonas Valanciunas (8.5)
Assists: Kyle Lowry (7.6)
Pistons Stats Leaders:
Points: Greg Monroe (14.9)
Rebounds: Andre Drummond (13.0)
Assists: Brandon Jennings (6.5)
Verdict: The Pistons look like a completely different team since cutting ties with Smith. They have taken care of business against bottom-feeders and even picked up impressive road victories in San Antonio and Dallas. Toronto will need a complete performance to come away with a ‘W’ in this one.