Reggie Jackson made his return to the Pistons lineup, giving Stan Van Gundy his first glimpse in the preseason of what could be his rotation to open the season. Brooklyn, on the other hand, sat veteran regulars like Jarrett Jack and Joe Johnson.
But Detroit was the one who looked over-matched. They fell behind 11 late in the first quarter and never really closed the gap.
The Pistons are banking their season on a dominant pairing in Andre Drummond and Reggie Jackson, but they didn't get that tonight. Drummond took 17 shots to accumulate just 14 points, though he did grab 11 rebounds including 5 on the offensive end. Meanwhile, Jackson was the picture of inefficiency in his debut. He scored just 7 points on 10 shots to pair with 6 assists alongside 6 turnovers.
Their supporting cast delivered reasonably well. Ersan Ilyasova bounced back from a rough game one to lead the team with 15 points and pulled down 7 rebounds, including 4 offensive boards. Stanley Johnson filled up the box score with a nice showing in his second game. Though he didn't have the same playmaking demands as he did in his debut, he contributed on the boards with 7 rebounds and defensively with a pair of blocks and steals.
Did you notice how after a miserable first preseason game out of Spencer Dinwiddie, Reggie Jackson was suddenly ready play and we got a timetable for Steve Blake? I'm sure it was just a coincidence. But Dinwiddie looked the part of a solid backup point guard, scoring 7 points and dishing 4 assists.
The defense remains a concern though. Van Gundy torched his team's D after the preseason opener and it was just as bad tonight. Perhaps even worse since it wasn't Paul George who was doing that to them, but Shane Larkin and Wayne Ellington. And that Justin Harper guy who has been showing up on the Pistons Summer League teams.
There'll be plenty of reunions on Saturday when the Pistons travel to Milwaukee looking for their first win.
ROLL CALL
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