- Detroit Pistons (2-1) vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (2-1)
- When: Monday, 30 October 2023 at 7:00pm CST
- Where: Paycom Center, Oklahoma City, OK
- Offensive Rating – Detroit: 111.8 (11th) / OKC: 108.3 (17th)
- Defensive Rating – Detroit: 102.7 (6th) / OKC: 112.7 (19th)
- Net Rating – Detroit: 9.1 (6th) / OKC: -4.4 (20th)
The Set-Up
Humble Pie. They say it’s good for you from time to time, but honestly, it tastes like shit. Sometimes the taste lingers for days. Luckily for the Thunder, they get to cleanse their palette of that disgusting Denver game with another game a little over 24 hours later. Thunder fans (and possibly even the Thunder players) were maybe feeling themselves a bit too much after that 2-0 start. But, alas, the highs and lows are usually not reality. The truth usually lies in the middle. And when you look at it from that context, our start to the season begins to make sense.
Now we find ourselves going against these upstarts called the Detroit Pistons. Where Detroit is now is where the Thunder were last season. Chockful of hope and young players out to prove their mettle in the NBA. The return of Cade Cunningham has galvanized this Pistons squad and players like Ausar Thompson and Jalen Duren have played better than their age and experience would suggest. The Pistons will be coming into this game looking to make a statement against a team that is on par with them on the rebuilding timeline. The Thunder will be looking to get the taste of that Denver defeat out of their mouth.
Injury Report
OKC
- Jaylin Williams (hamstring)
- Kenrich Williams (back)
Detroit
- Bojan Bogdanovic (calf)
- Monte Morris (quad)
- Isaiah Livers (ankle)
A Couple Big Things
- SGA – It’s been a while since Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was held to single digits in a game. The last time was March 9th, 2022 when he was held to 8 points on 2-15 shooting against Minnesota. About two months prior, he was also to 8 points on 2-14 shooting against Denver. Here’s the thing: for as great as SGA is, some days you don’t have it. Scorers score. Shooters shoot. It’s just sometimes, that defense that is hell-bent on stopping you is sometimes good enough to get it done for a night. I fully expect a bounce back game from SGA tonight.
- Duren vs. Chet – Jalen Duran has come out this season with a point to prove and he’s doing it in grand fashion. In three games, the Detroit big man is averaging 18 points, 15 boards, 4 assists, and 2.7 blocks. The last time these two large human beings met was in the quarterfinals of the 2022 NCAA Tournament. Both players played to about a draw (Duren had 7 points and 7 boards and Chet finished with 9 points and 9 boards), but Chet’s team came out victorious. They play different styles, which should make for a good match-up.
- Defense to Offense – The Pistons lead the league in Turnover % (the percentage of possessions that end in a turnover) and are 29th in total turnovers at 19.3 a game. Nearly 20% of their possessions end in a turnover. If the Thunder want to find a quick way to infuse their offense, it’s by creating transition opportunities from turnovers.
- Rebounding – While turnovers are an issue for the Pistons, rebounding is not. They lead the league in Offensive Rebound % and Total Rebound %. The Pistons have a lot of size on their team and use that in this facet of the game. While the bigs stick out (Duren, Isaiah Stewart, James Wiseman, and Marvin Bagley), Cunningham and Thompson are big for their positions and help out on the glass also. Limiting 2nd chance opportunities could be very important for the Thunder in this game.