Second game of the NBA Cup tournament for Toronto tonight and the Detroit Pistons will be riding into Scotiabank arena looking to get their second win in their NBA Cup group. The injury bug is still ravaging Toronto but this game will be one of their best chances to pick up a win this season. Detroit has been a more competitive basketball team this season compared to last season where they were the laughingstocks of the NBA. After some veteran additions to their team such as Tobias Harris and Tim Hardaway Jr. and just contributions from their young guys, their team has actually been winning games.
At the forefront of their offense is Cade Cunningham and he has been playing at a level that has elevated Detroit. Cunningham is averaging 23.8 points per game which is a career high, 8.5 assists per game, which is a career high, and he’s also shooting 36 percent from three which is also a career high, all this to say, Cunningham is having a remarkable season on offense. Even with some growth from their lead-guard, Detroit’s offense still ranks 22nd in the league coming into this game, and while that is an improvement from their spot last season, it isn’t outstanding. A priority for Toronto’s defense will have to be containing Cunningham, as Detroit does not have many creators that can create for the team like Cunningham.
Cunningham is averaging 11.2 pick n’ roll possessions as the ball handler per game so the pick n’ roll coverage will have to be sharp tonight. He’s huge and plays with pace, so it’s possible that Davion Mitchell’s aggressive defence won’t bother him too much. Furthermore, Cunningham’s mid range scoring is very effective, so Jakob Poeltl or whoever is the big in the coverage will have to step up higher on the ball screens, and the screen navigation from the backcourt will have to be on point as well. Detroit will be without Tim Hardaway Jr. tonight who is shooting 45 percent from three, so that will allow Toronto to comfortably help off and muck up Detroit’s actions.
On the other hand, Detroit is ranked 13th in defense and their size is a large reason why. Jalen Duren is the man in the middle for them and his leaping ability and length make scoring around the basket on him a somewhat arduous task. Once again Toronto will need Gradey Dick’s excellent scoring and movement to juice the offense, and will yet again need RJ Barrett to be the lead playmaker and also generate points out of his drives. Toronto has had many guys step up this season, and with injuries still ravaging them they will need players like Ochai Agbaji and Mitchell to step up tonight. Although Barrett has faltered in recent games, this can be a game where he can get back on track against one of the easier opponents that Toronto will have.
Broadcast Info
Tip-Off: 7:00 p.m. ET
Television: SN
Radio: Sportsnet 590
Raptors Lineup (projected)
PG: Davion Mitchell
SG: Gradey Dick
SF: Ochai Agbaji
PF: RJ Barrett
C: Jakob Poeltl
Pistons Lineup (projected)
PG: Cade Cunningham
SG: Malik Beasley
SF: Ron Holland II
PF: Tobias Harris
C: Jalen Duren
Injury Report (Not official)
Pistons
Tim Hardaway Jr.(Head) – Out
Simone Fontecchio(Toe) – Out
Jaden Ivey(Toe) – Out
Raptors
Immanuel Quickley (Elbow sprain) – Out
Garrett Temple (Back) – Doubtful
Scottie Barnes (Orbital fracture) – Out
Ja’Kobe Walter (AC joint sprain) – Out
Kelly Olynyk (Back) – Out
Bruce Brown Jr. (Knee) – Out
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