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Pistons news: Turnovers, starting lineup, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and more

The Pistons face one of the league's best defenses Tuesday night at The Palace, the Indiana Pacers. Let's get some shots links up.

By Packey
Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports

The Pistons host the Pacers tonight in what should be a good measuring stick for just how good this team is right now. Indiana's currently the NBA's best defense in terms of points allowed per game (83.7) and points in the paint (30 ppg) where the Pistons so happen to have dominated this year (56 ppg). The Pacers are also the NBA's last unbeaten team.

-- Naturally, turnovers are going to play a big role. After a closer-than-it-should've-been win against the Celtics, Maurice Cheeks expressed a concern with the team's turnovers. Billups told the media that "it's not something where you can just flip a switch..." But they're working on it. Let's hope they can take better control of the ball vs. the Pacers, but it's a tall order for a team in disorder.

-- The Pistons can force some turnovers themselves, though: They're No. 2 in the league behind OKC (20 per).

-- Cheeks has not revealed his starting lineup, but Vince Ellis in the Freep link above says to not be surprised if Brandon Jennings makes his first start alongside Rodney Stuckey. Langlois also guesses that Jennings starts, but the bigger question is who starts next to him.

-- MFMW posted yesterday that Brandon Jennings' return means Kentavious Caldwell-Pope is the odd man out for the time being. Let's hope that doesn't last long. KCP needs to let the game come to him, but once he slows it down, he should be a very productive player in the team's rotation. Cheeks has said that he could play any night, including Tuesday night against the Pacers.

-- Josh Smith and Greg Monroe are No. 1 and No. 2 in minutes per game in the NBA through three games.

-- In a post by SB Nation's Mike Prada about the secret of Philly's success (before they got creamed Monday night), there is a quick aside about how the Pistons should be using Josh Smith based off of this play.

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