Timberwolves @ Pistons Preview Minnesota Timberwolves(28-24) @ Detroit Pistons(33-22) Feb. 20, 7:00 pm Central The Palace of Auburn Hills TV: ESPN Previous Game Kings 75 @ Timberwolves 92 Bucks 98 @ Pistons 102 Series: Minnesota leads the series 1-0. Last Meeting: Pistons 79 @ Timberwolves 80 Streaks Timberwolves: Won 4 (8-2 in last ten) Pistons: Won 1 (4-6 in last ten) Head Coaches vs. Flip Saunders vs. Larry Brown Probable Starters PG: vs. Sam Cassell vs. Chauncey Billups SG: vs. Trenton Hassell vs. Richard Hamilton SF: vs. Latrell Sprewell vs. Rasheed Wallace PF: vs. Kevin Garnett vs. Ben Wallace C: vs. Michael Olowokandi vs. Mehmet Okur 6th Men vs. Troy Hudson vs. Corliss Williamson Players to Watch vs. Garnett: 24.8 Points (.495 FG%, .762 FT%), 5.0 Assists, 14.2 Rebounds, 2.28 Blocks, 1.35 Steals Wallace: 9.7 Points (.419 FG%, .508 FT%), 1.9 Assists, 13.2 Rebounds, 3.05 Blocks, 1.84 Steals The starting lineup is more of a hope. However, whatever it will be the Wallaces will be guarding Kevin Garnett. It is still Ben's team so he gets the player to watch nod though. Ben Wallace did fairly well on Kevin Garnett in their last game, having a late game block that could have set up the win. Now that we have Rasheed Wallace doubling him along with Big Ben, Kevin Garnett will have to work hard. Injury Report Minnesota Timberwolves Ndudi Ebi Darrick Martin Detroit Pistons Tremaine Fowlkes Keys to the Game <u>Minnesota Timberwolves:</u> <ul> [*]Get Sprewell and Cassell going early (The Pistons will concentrate their main efforts on Kevin Garnett, and if the proposed starting lineup is on the court then Sprewell will be almost free to run around. These players have helped Minnesota become one of the best teams and expect them to have a large impact tonight.) [*]Guard Billups, Hamilton, and Rasheed (The Pistons have added another offensive threat with yesterday's trade. Now, the offense should run through these three players. All are good on the perimeter, except Larry Brown will ask Rasheed to try to stay inside. Minnesota will need to stop these players to have a good chance at winning.) [*]Spread the ball around (Minnesota is one of the better passing teams. They are able to spread the ball around and find the open player. Detroit plays very good defense and Minnesota will want to get some easy baskets.) [*]Rebound (Minnesota destroyed the Kings yesterday because they outrebounded them by an extreme amount. Detroit isn't going to be beaten on the glass by 20, but the Timberwolves will need to give a good effort on the boards. Ben Wallace will be going up against Kevin Garnett to try to snatch every rebound and Kevin Garnett will need to get the best of the matchup.) [/list] <u>Detroit Pistons:</u> <ul> [*]Play the perimeter (Minnesota has a lot of great shooters on their team and Detroit will have to play the perimeter so that they don't have open looks. Detroit will need to get good rotation on defense so that when they collapse on Kevin Garnett, that the other Timberwolves don't get completely open looks.) [*]Limit Garnett (The Wallaces will have a tough matchup even if they will be doubling him all game. Garnett is the MVP so far this year and the Pistons can't afford to have him have an extraordinary game. The Pistons must force his supporting cast to win, which they are capable of doing but it will be more difficult.) [*]Defend Sam Cassell (Cassell is one of the best point guards in the league and he can damage the Pistons if he is free on the offensive end. Detroit will need to play the passing lanes to try to force turnovers. Sam Cassell can hold Minnesota together at points and Detroit will need to keep him a step behind in the game.) [*]Get good production from Hamilton and Billups (These players were taking turns having good games for a while and the Pistons had a large losing streak while they were doing that. In the last game against the Bucks, both of these players went for 20 points. Pistons are very hard to beat when they both have great games because they are Detroit's main offensive threats, or at least they are partially the main threats now.) [*]Rasheed Wallace (The home crowd should give this guy a large ovation when he is announced. Pistons will want to see what they got with Rasheed immediately. Rasheed will need to have a good game and hopefully provide the Pistons with the down low threat that they require. Hopefully, Rasheed comes out and plays like he has something to prove.) [*]Play the Piston's style of basketball/Get the crowd excited (The Pistons need to get back the basics of spreading the ball around and getting open shots. The Pistons also need some smart bench play and some excellent execution on the offensive end. The Pistons are on their home court and need to get the crowd excited. Get some good plays, make some key substitutions, and pump up the crowd.) [/list] PyroManiac's Prediction Great game tonight. Pistons will want to see if they can contend with the elite in the West immediately. Expect the Pistons to come out with playoff intensity, especially after what happened in the last second loss to Minnesota. I'm sure Billups still wants some revenge, even if it wasn't Minnesota's fault. Rasheed Wallace will hopefully make his debut and it will be interesting if the Pistons go with the starting lineup described or with a Darvin Ham at SF and Rasheed Wallace at PF type lineup. Expect this to be a very fun game to watch. In the end, the Pistons will pull through. Pistons by 4.
yeeeeaaaah baby! it's like that feeling when you get a new car and take it for a ride for the first time
I know what you mean iamme. I love that new car smell. AllNet, I just hope that Larry Brown chooses to go big and starts this lineup. It would be very dissapointing to see: Billups Hamilton Prince R. Wallace B. Wallace It would still be good technically, but just not as exciting as having the other lineup.
People have said It would be best to play Sheed at PF and bring Okur off the bench. Purely because Sheed is much more effective on the defensive end when playing the power forward spot than playing the swingman at small forward. A Wallace/Wallace inside duo on defense could be a nightmare for other teams.
In reality, it probably would be for the best. However, wouldn't you be much more excited to see this lineup? Also, if Rasheed made the move to PF then it creates some more depth problems. Not to mention that we would never see Darko. Dumars would have to go out and find another player to get for cheap. Billups/James Hamilton/??? Prince/Ham R. Wallace/Williamson B. Wallace/Okur/Campbell I think the lineup just takes away from the possible hell that other teams would have with the Wallaces and Okur. Rasheed may be more effective on defense against a PF, but on offense it will be the same mismatch. As a team, I would be much more afraid of going against a frontcourt that has the Wallaces and a 7 footer over the Wallaces and an inconsistent Prince.
Nice to see Sheed in the lineup, it will be interesting to see if Detroit has what it takes to take down one of the top teams in the West. Despite their new look, I'm still taking T-Wolves by 8 though.
This trade immediately boosts the Pistons' bench strength. It'd be interesting to see a bench of Prince, Williamson, James, Darvin Ham and Darko tear it up. The starters would also be a marvel and I think that Sheed would have a huge game to state his worth to the Pistons. Detroit by 10 in a blowout.
I hope the game is competitive, but KG usually gets the best of Sheedy. Since it's a home opener (in a sense) I expect him to have a very good (Sheed) game. I hope you guys get revenge for the "dreaded call" in Minnesota........in the NBA FINALS.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Ming637:</div><div class="quote_post">Nice preview. Pistons by 5.</div> Hey Ming, are you going to change your banner?
Timberwolves by 3. The Pistons will keep it close for the first half and most of the second but I just think the T-Wolves will pull away in the third or earlier 4th.
I dunno - I'm still trying to figure out where our backcourt bench comes from now. Mike James and ... who? Ain't another guard on the roster. Then again, Rip's motor never stops, so maybe he's gonna start playing 48 a game.
Well, our backup SG looks to be Prince. Nobody else that is currently on the roster would work out any better.
man, this day wouldn't go by fast enough this is by far the most excited i've been for a Piston's game all season.
Pistons get screwed not once but twice by the refs. Pistons lose by 1 Billups got a triple double Sheed and James weren't allowed to play in the 2nd half, something about the paper works not going to the NBA in time I guess the NBA just doesn't want the Pistons to beat the Wolves. Weird game, very weird
