Teams used to detest facing the Detroit Pistons because they were a proud and illustrious team. You had the Bad Boys Pistons, who intimidated opponents with their physical defense and were led by Isiah Thomas, Bill Laimbeer, Dennis Rodman, Rick Mahorn, and John Salley. The Pistons of the 2000s, with players like Chauncey Billups, Rip Hamilton, Tayshaun Prince, Ben Wallace, and Rasheed Wallace, were equally exceptional on defense and exuded a similar air of confidence.
But over the past ten years, poor draft selections, disastrous free agency signings, and an all-around incapacity to make and follow a plan have made the team a regular fixture at the bottom of the standings. And this season hasn’t been any different.
Indeed, even for a Pistons team that has experienced many lows lately, the 23–24 season thus far may mark a new low. Following the Pistons’ humiliating 133-107 loss to the Lakers last night, their current losing streak stands at 15, a new franchise high. In order to put things in perspective, the Detroit Lions of the NFL have won 10 games this year, while the Pistons (2-16) have only won nine.
As a supporter of the Knicks who lived through some historically terrible times, I would be lying if I claimed not to have some small amount of sympathy. We are all aware of how depressing an 82-game season can be, with virtually no chance of finishing above.500. Every game feels like Groundhog’s Day—a repeat of humiliation and annoyance, oscillating between narrow defeats and 30-point routs.
Fortunately for all of us, though, those times are in the past and the Knicks are now a very strong team. Though they aren’t a top team or a serious contender right now, those days of detesting game nights and trying to have the worst record in the league are long gone.
After defeating the Hornets 115-91, New York enters the game with a 10-7 record; if they win again tonight, it will make their record 9-3 in their previous 12 games. Having said that, I would be lying if I claimed the team is as strong or convincing as their track record suggests. Despite having just finished a horrific 25-point, 20-rebound game, Julius Randle has been wildly inconsistent this season. RJ Barrett has struggled in his last few games from the field and has yet to regain his early-season form.
Overall, Quentin Grimes’ season has not lived up to expectations. With the exception of his most recent game, Josh Hart has appeared disoriented in his new position. Furthermore, Donte DiVincenzo hasn’t made the offensive impact that many had hoped and anticipated. Despite all of that, they still have trouble winning against elite teams.
There’s nothing the team can do about that last part tonight. Their opponent tonight is about as bad as it gets, and they are limited to playing the players on the schedule. However, they can keep demonstrating that they are capable of defeating more formidable opponents without descending to their level. Fans would feel more confident moving forward if they saw another strong performance from Randle or Jalen Bunson in addition to Immanuel Quickley’s typical 15+ points, Barrett, Hart, Grimes, and DiVincenzo continuing to find some rhythm.
Projected Starters
Detroit Pistons
- Cade Cunningham G
- Jaden Ivey G
- Ausar Thompson F
- Isaiah Stewart F
- Jalen Duren C
New York Knicks
- Jalen Brunson G
- Quentin Grimes G
- RJ Barrett F
- Julius Randle F
- Mitchell Robinson C
Prediction
Even though they are awful, the Pistons could be entertaining to watch tonight. They have the promising prospect Cade Cunningham, and the other players on the team have intriguing connections to the Knicks. They have Jalen Duren, who the Knicks traded, Jaden Ivey, and Killian Hayes, two players the Knicks were reportedly interested in drafting. They also have former Knicks Alec Burks and Kevin Knox on their roster. Bojan Bogdanovic, who has been mentioned as a possible trade target for New York, may also be making his season debut. It should be entertaining to see the young talent and the former Knicks play in the Garden again. However, that is only assuming the Knicks handle their business as they should.
New York should win handily because Detroit is playing on the road, is in the midst of a historic losing streak, and is playing the second half of a back-to-back. However, it also implies that this is the ideal trap game. It would undoubtedly be the most Knicks thing ever to lose to a Pistons team in the middle of the worst losing streak in the franchise’s history. We’ve seen this Knicks team struggle to come out focused and energized against teams they should dominate more often than we’d like. Nevertheless, the Knicks continue to be overwhelming favorites. The Knicks should win easily even though their team may not be flawless or attractive. They are simply too talented and deep to fall short against the Pistons.
As he did in the previous game, I anticipate Brunson to play a more facilitator role and attempt to get Randle going. Randle scored 42 points in his previous meeting with the Pistons. He should have a huge game, in my opinion, and Quickley and Hart should both have excellent games off the bench once more. With a decisive victory of 125-105, the Knicks deny the Pistons, who owe the Knicks their second round pick in 2024, their 16th consecutive defeat.
Game Details
Who: New York Knicks vs Detroit Pistons
When: 7:30 pm EST, Thursday, Nov. 30
Where: Madison Square Garden, Manhattan, NYC
Watch: MSG Network, Bally Sports Detroit, NBALP