Pistons vs. Grizzlies, 3.15.09

Matchup: Detroit Pistons (33-31) vs. Memphis Grizzlies (16-48)
Spread: Pistons -9
My Pick: Pistons by 6

Three reasons the Pistons will win:

1. The Grizzlies. Memphis has lost three times as many games as they have won. They are a bad NBA team.
2. The Grizzlies on the Road. The Grizz are 4-27 away from home. No team has fewer road wins, although Sacramento is tied.
3. The Grizzlies’ Offense. Young teams like Memphis typically struggle on the road and play poor defense. While those generalizations fit the Grizzlies, Memphis is also second to last in the NBA in offensive efficiency.
   

Three reasons the Pistons will lose:

1. Injuries. Injuries should level the playing field to some extent.
2. Poor Focus. The Pistons lost to the Knicks at home last week, so nothing is out of the question.
3. Small Ball. With Rasheed on the shelf, small ball returned with poor results in the Piston’s last game. If Curry tries this avenue again, he can expect similar results.

Update:
Final Score: Detroit 84, Memphis 89
Notes:

• The Sunday thing is getting ridiculous.
• In a battle of two of the biggest draft flops in NBA history facing their former teams, Kwame Brown and Darko Milicic... starred? When each player was drafted, the expectation was that each was the type of player capable of 18-point, 24-rebound performances. Yesterday, the two much-maligned backup centers combined for that stat line in 46 minutes of action. Both players showed the talent that had scouts drooling earlier this decade.
• As awesome as RIP’s recent assist binge has been, the production has been mitigated by far too many turnovers. Hamilton has 19 turnovers in the last three games.
• Stuckey had one of the worst games of his season. His stat line told the story: two points and four turnovers.