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This time last year, many Pistons fans were having sweet draft night dreams of a lucky pick that brought Anthony Davis to Detroit. Fast forward to today, and the Pistons are feeling pretty good about how things turned out with their 2012 lottery pick. While the Pistons will be without the recovering Andre Drummond tonight, they're still riding the high that resulted from the recent trade that brought Jose Calderon tonight. With Calderon and Greg Monroe forming an impressive tandem, the Pistons look to add their third win in a row tonight against the Pelicans.
The Situation:
Beyond Anthony Davis, the Hornets have put together a pretty impressive set of pieces in their young lineup. 3rd year guard General Greivis Vazques leads the NBA in assists, Robin Lopez has been a nice shot-blocking force next to Davis, Al Farouq Aminu has been a budget-conscious chap's Josh Smith and then... Austin Rivers ruins everything.
He's like Austin Daye, except that he can't even kinda play basketball.
Keys to the Game:
Moose/Calderon Pick and Rolls: The early returns on this pairing has been incredible, it's great to see Monroe getting fed in the right places. What's more, the Hornets are quite weak at pick-and-roll defense...
Push the Pace: Another positive reward for the Prince trade has paid off well, as everyone is getting involved in pushing the tempo. What's more, the Hornets are quite weak at transition defense...
Defend the Above: The Hornets are quite apt in the pick-and-roll and transition game themselves on offense, and these are precisely the kind of areas Detroit needs to focus on tonight.
Question of the Game:
When was the last time you looked at the schedule and thought, "Oh, man that sucks, there isn't a game tonight." I've been doing that lately. I haven't done that in years. How about you?