Tonight the Kings took to get their second win of this road trip against a team in the Detroit Pistons that has dominated them in recent years. Josh Smith is no longer there for the Kings to make look unreasonably good but the Pistons have hilariously started to gel in light of the (star?) (small?) forward's dismissal and now look to win their fifth straight game for the first time since 2009. The game tips off at 3:00 pm on Comcast SportsNet California and KHTK 1140.
3 Things To Look For
1. The Pistons have recently been on fire from three point range. During their four-game winning streak they've connected on 43.9 percent of their attempts from deep. Jodie Meeks, who the team lost earlier in the year to injury, has gone 16 of 24 from three during that stretch. The Kings, to put it lightly, have done a poor job of defending the three in recent years. Keeping the Pistons from getting comfortable from deep will be key to the Kings pulling out the victory.
2. The Kings going small. In Minnesota on Thursday the Kings made a change to the starting lineup, inserting Derrick Williams in at the power forward position en route to him scoring 17 points on 3 of 6 shooting from deep. It was an interesting and predictable look for the team as they transition into "phase 2" predicated more on an up tempo style that calls for having a player as athletic as Williams playing one of the big man positions. The Pistons, however, are big up front, with Greg Monroe and Andre Drummond. DeMarcus has not looked the same defensively since his return from viral meningitis, so the Kings should be cautious of going small without the same of defensive anchor they had to begin the year. While it may not be a tactic they could use for most of the game, keeping it as a part of the attack plan would be a welcome embrace of Williams' ability.
3. The Pistons are 9-23. While they are on a four game winning streak and have seemingly righted their ship, this is a game the Kings should win. Especially if they have any hope of regaining their form from earlier in the season.
Pregame Limerick
Maybe, for the Kings, a streak of two.
Maybe, for the team who has been playing like poo,
Struggling to find a reason to stay alive
as the Pistons go for five.
Sorry, I'm feeling a little bit blue.
Prediction
Kings 103, Pistons 96.
Update
Omri Casspi (left knee bone contusion) - OUT
Ramon Sessions (low back strain) - OUT
Eric Moreland (season ending shoulder surgery) - SADNESS