[Ed. Note -- I started to write the preview, but Kevin called me and said he'd take care of it. So this is his fine work. -- Packey]
Game tips at 8:00 pm ET
Detroit Pistons: 15-29 (11-12 home, -4.8 margin)
Miami Heat: 23-22 (10-11 road, +0.2 margin)
Oppo Research
If Dwyane Wade played in any other era, people would mention him among the best of all time. Unfortunately, for him, he plays in this era, and LeBron James gets all the love. Oh, and Kobe Bryant, but for some reason, I think it would be easier for fans to favor Wade over Kobe.
This season, Wade's numbers are somewhat off from his jaw-dropping 08-09 campaign. In fact, he is down in nearly every category, resulting in a lowly PER of 28, good for third in the NBA.
Wade has at least one weakness. He is a poor three point shooter. He is shooting 30% from beyond the arc, with a relatively robust 3.4 attempts per game. Detroit would do well to push that attempt number as much as possible.
Apparently, Wade's team features a plethora of other basketball players, who man the other positions and help Wade to thrive. Little is known about these men, but it is rumored that at least one of them does drugs.
The Drama
Ben Gordon is back! Limit minutes! Amazing has happened!
Keys for Detroit
Get Gordon going - At his best, he can drive the offense. Oh, and he can make a free throw or two. Let's just get the clunky jump shots out now, eh?
Feed it to Charlie V. inside - I've got a feeling I can just cut and paste this one for the rest of the season.
Keep Wade outside - Seriously, bad three point shooter, more than willing to shoot.
Question of the Game
How will Ingmar Jerebko respond to Gordon's return? Will he destroy Ben with his Swedish glare? Will he score 28 points, simply to assert his dominance?
Valuable Links
Nothing rhymes with Peninsula is Mightier.