Toronto Raptors (7-13) @ Detroit Pistons (9-8) Wednesday 8th December 7.30 Eastern Time Detroit Previous Game Raptors 86 @ Nets 88 Pistons 101 @ Mavs 85 Streaks Raptors: Lost 4 Pistons:Won 2 Head Coaches vs. Sam Mitchell/Larry Brown Probable Starters vs Rafer Alston/Chauncey Billups vs Vince Carter/Rip Hamilton vs Jalen Rose/Tayshaun Prince vs. Chris Bosh/Rasheed Wallace vs Loren Woods/Ben Wallace 6th Men vs Donyell Marshall/Antonio Mcdyess Players to Watch vs. Chris Bosh/Rasheed Wallace Keys to the Game <u>Toronto Raptors:</u> <ul> [*]Guard Hamilton and Billups inside and outside. They are the main go two scorers for this team and If you can shut them down you will have a decent chance at winning the game [*]Get as many fastbreak buckets as they can. There's no easy way of scoring on the Pistons so getting on the break and not allowing their defense to set up is key [*]Get Bosh the ball and attack the big Pistons frontline, get the Wallace's in foul trouble and try to at least make It a tough night for them both. [*]Vince Carter must get it going early otherwise the Raptors will really struggle. The trade talks continue to go on in Toronto and VC seems to be more interested in where he will end up rather than doing his job with the Raptors. Tayshaun Prince will again be asked to shut him down.[/list] <u>Detroit Pistons:</u> <ul> [*]Guard and try and shut down Vince Carter [*]Don't turn the ball over, don't allow any easy fast break points. Thats the only real way Toronto can get easy points against this Piston defense which seems to be back to his best after a very rocky start. [*]Dominate the boards with the Piston big men Ben Wallace, Rasheed Wallace, Antonio Mcdyess and Elden Campbell. If Dice isn't good to go then Campbell like he did on monday night will go in there and do a soild job on both ends. [*]Get good bench scoring, the bench played very well on monday @ Dallas with Elden Campbell producing 11, Hunter with 9 and Carlos Delfino adding 5 points and 5 rebounds. They will again need to get production when they enter the game [*]Play for the full 48 minutes and don't slack off by expecting an easy win, that happened last time these teams met and the Pistons are coming off back to back blowout wins including taking the red hot Spurs very close at the SBS center, mainly due to defense. Which finally appears to be back.[/list] Game Thoughts The Pistons head into this game on a 2 game winning streak after blowing out the Mavs in Dallas 101-85, which made It a farely successful texas triangle road trip. Winning @ Houston and @ Dallas while only losing by 3 points in San Antonio. With Ben Wallace back the Pistons defense is starting to become back to what It was last year, the Pistons are only giving up roughly 80 points per game in their last 5. A big improve after giving up 97 a game early on in the season. The Pistons have a much easier schedule coming up. Where a big winning streak is not out of the question. The Raptors on the other hand are going in a different direction to the Pistons, after a great start they have lost 12 out of their last 15 games and have slipped to 7-13 overall. They have lost 4 straight games. The Raptors beat the Pistons in the 2nd game of the season but It's unlikely they will manage to pull It off this time. The Pistons are 5-1 at the palace even with key guys missing this year, they have remained strong at home. Expect that to continue on wednesday night, I would expect anything over a 10+ victory for the Pistons which will get them two games above 500 and a sign of the world champions actually playing like the world champions that they are.
Pistons should win this one. The Raptors are obviously having problems, especially Vince. Trade rumors are floating everywhere...and I'm thinking this game won't be a good one for VC, especially if Prince gets assigned to him late in the game.
People underestimate the Raps too much. I'm not saying they will win, but I don't think it will be a blowout.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Bobcats:</div><div class="quote_post">People underestimate the Raps too much. I'm not saying they will win, but I don't think it will be a blowout.</div> Well Raptors are 7-13, coming off a loss to the Nets..Pistons meanwhile are coming off two road blowout wins and this game is at the palace. Anything other than a 10+ win would be a dissapointment. So the odds are against Toronto.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting realdealbneal:</div><div class="quote_post">Pistons should win this one. The Raptors are obviously having problems, especially Vince. Trade rumors are floating everywhere...and I'm thinking this game won't be a good one for VC, especially if Prince gets assigned to him late in the game.</div> Vince hasn't really been struggling, he's been their best player offensively and defensively during this roadtrip. <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Well Raptors are 7-13, coming off a loss to the Nets..Pistons meanwhile are coming off two road blowout wins and this game is at the palace. Anything other than a 10+ win would be a dissapointment. So the odds are against Toronto.</div> I don't believe the Raptors record tells much. They've done very well against elite teams, and have lost by a margain of just over 4 PPG! This road trip has been brutal, back to back and alls, and raps missing last second game breaking shots on layups, with no calls and all. I can see them bouncing back. The Raps should be ready for this game, however they need to box out the wallaces. Woods will have to be key again.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting AllNet:</div><div class="quote_post">Well Raptors are 7-13, coming off a loss to the Nets..Pistons meanwhile are coming off two road blowout wins and this game is at the palace. Anything other than a 10+ win would be a dissapointment. So the odds are against Toronto.</div> Having the hardest schedule in the NBA doesn't help your record. The Raps can compete with pretty much anyone in the league.
Granted their schedule has not been easy but they are so up and down and their form has been terrible even with a tougher schedule. To me they overacheived to start the year while some teams didn't take them seriously enough. If the Pistons do that again they will be in trouble, If they don't however then the Pistons should be able to have a double fiqure win. Obviously If Mcdyess is still out then the Wallace's will need to stay out of foul trouble. These are the kind of games the Pistons can't afford to drop.
Ther has most definitely been an underestimation(is that a real word?) of the Raptors, but given their performance of late, IMO it's a coin toss in what they will do. I would like to see Bosh get some goodthings going, and Loren Woods to come up big like he did einour early games. Hopefully VC can keep up his game, but its gonna be the Pistons for this one. There is no way they are gonna fall to 0-2 against he Raptors for this season. I'm calling Pistons by 10 +. Raptors stick close to it like they have of late, but cannot close out the game. Vince and Jalen get traded after the game.
Pistons by 3. I think the Raptors will actually be leading going into the third quarter, but as usual, will not be able to hold off a fourth quarter surge by the Pistons.
-I can't see Jalen keeping up with Rip and chasing him off screens, he doesn't have enough quickness to do so, thus I forsee Moe playing a lot of minutes late in the game, specially if his offence is clicking. - Instead of trying to outjump the opposition's frontcourt, Loren, Chris and Donyell have to PUT a body on people and box out. If we do so, we'll have a good night on the glass. - JR should look into posting up Hamilton, Hunter or Billups. He's stronger and longer than any of them. - Look for Big Ben to have a career night on the glass. - Good luck Tayshaun! I predict a Raptors victory with a margin of 10+.
Bookmarker I'm using open the odds for Pistons to win by 10 and above at 1.87 (Pistons -9.5 1.87, Raptors +9.5 1.87). Raptors play poorly on the road, Pistons is playing at home, and having all the players available, the Pistons will win by 12 at least.
<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post"> - Look for Big Ben to have a career night on the glass. - Good luck Tayshaun! I predict a Raptors victory with a margin of 10+. </div> I agree with the first point, don't know what the second point refers to and the 3rd point is as unlikely as the Bobcats winning a championship this year...(well maybe not that unlikely) The Raptors will hang tough for a while but as always, the home team will prevail by the rallying home crowd and all. Eventually, the Raptors will find themselves in a hole in which they will slow dig into but in the end the Pistons will prevail by 8.
great win. Ben showed why he's the MVP of this team. gritty play after gritty play. key steals, blocks, and rebounds. hey, he scored 16 points too
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting AllNet:</div><div class="quote_post">Well Raptors are 7-13, coming off a loss to the Nets..Pistons meanwhile are coming off two road blowout wins and this game is at the palace. Anything other than a 10+ win would be a dissapointment. So the odds are against Toronto.</div> Wow, than that win must have been a big dissapointment. Only 90-86.
i dont think this win is a disappointment i would rather the pistons win 99-98 rather then 120-85 because it will show them wat they need to do and wat to do to win those close hard fought battles, i love OT games because it shows them how to win wen you only have one chance left. Its sorta like a 2 minute drill in football so i like this win for the Pistons
What a terrible 4th quarter chokejob, what the hell was Larry doing by playing Darko and Hunter so much in the 4th? clearly he thought the game was over. Chauncey barely played in that 4th quarter and by the time every member of the starting 5 were in, the Pistons were down. They came back purely because of Ben, he was excellent all night. Offensively and defensively. I thought Carlos Delfino looked real good and you can the potenial this kid has, other than that there's nothing much more that's postive. You wouldn't think there is any a bad win but this was tonight, to struggle with a team without VC for the 2nd half is a big dissapointment. Had they not slacked off and left the main guys on they would never of blew the 13 point lead. Obviously Mcdyess's offense and rebounding was missed off the bench but the Pistons still have by far more of a talented to of pulled this off much easily than they did. This game was a big dissapointment after the way they played in texas. Oh well, a win is a win I guess. Atlanta up next on friday.
