1:00 pm ET
Memphis: 16-48 (4-27 road)
Margin: -6.4 ppg (-6.7 last 25%)
Last 10:1-9
Pistons: 33-31 (17-16 home)
Margin: -0.4 (-1.6 last 25%)
Last 10:6-4
Oppo research
The Memphis Grizzlies are a case study in what happens when you allow non-NBA talent to play for even a few minutes. Most of the Grizzlies rotation players are actually pretty solid. Rudy Gay, OJ Mayo, Marc Gasol, Hakim Warrick, Mike Conley, and even Darko and D-Miles are approximately average offensive players.
And yet, the team ranks second to last in offensive efficiency. Why? Because the Grizzlies inexplicably distribute minutes to Greg Buckner, Marko Jaric, and Quinton Ross. Throw in rookie Darrell Arthur (who, at twenty, probably deserves a shot to develop) and you have 60+ minutes per game of absolutely horrendous basketball. I don't wanna hear about their defense, cause it's not like these guys are turning the team around on that end, either.
Unfortunately, Buckner is sitting out for this one, so we are facing a slightly tougher team today. That said, there is no excuse for losing to a 4-27 road team. If the Pistons are going to maintain their present playoff seeding, these games have to be gimmes.
The Drama:
Can we still boo Darko? Boo Darko!
Keys for Detroit
Force Mayo to take bad shots:OJ Mayo has been crippled by poor shot selection, which means that if Detroit can lead him to bad spots on the floor, he'll take the shot anyway.
Take it to Warrick: One of the reasons Hakim Warrick can't get more burn is because he is a poor defensive matchup for bigger fours. If he gets posterized, he gets yanked, and Darrell Arthur comes back in. That's exactly what we want to see.
4th quarter execution: For crying out loud...
Question of the Game
Why are we playing at 1 pm when the game isn't nationally televised?