Pistons vs. Nuggets, 3.03.09

Matchup: Detroit Pistons (29-29) vs. Denver Nuggets (39-21)
Spread: Pistons -3
My Pick: Pistons by 8

Three reasons the Pistons will win:

1. No Allen Iverson. Iverson is in Washington D.C. The game is being played in Michigan. That means lots of minutes for Rodney Stuckey and RIP Hamilton, the two best guards on the Piston roster.
2. No Carmelo Anthony. Melo has been suspended by his team for tonight’s game. Without him, the Nugget offense lacks firepower.
3. Shooting Guard Mismatch. In the past three games, RIP Hamilton has scored 80 points. His counterpart tonight, Dahntay Jones, has accumulated the same point total in his last 16 games combined.

Three reasons the Pistons will lose:

1. Chauncey Billups. The best player in tonight’s game no longer wears Piston blue.
2. Welcome Home. The first game back from a long road trip is often a major challenge for the home team.
3. Three Pointers. The Pistons have defended the three ball poorly this season. If that trend continues, Billups, J.R. Smith, and Linas Kleiza could light up the Palace.

Update:
Final Score: Detroit 100, Denver 95
Notes:

• All five Piston starters played well.
• Chauncey showed Detroit what it’s missing.
• Michael Curry deserves credit for switching Hamilton onto Billups, a move that turned around the game in the second half. The timeout he took early in the second half also seemed to have a profound effect on his players. Once again, Curry seems like a much better coach without Iverson.
• Curry was far from flawless. There was no reason to play Kwame Brown seven minutes.
• The Nuggets went on their first half run when Will Bynum and Walter Herrmann played. Bynum and Herrmann are fan favorites, but they should not be in the rotation of a good team. Bynum can't shoot; Denver simply ignored him whenever he did not have the ball. While Herrmann can shoot, he struggles with everything else.
• The Piston’s lackluster bench play showed why they could benefit from Iverson, but only if he is willing to accept limited minutes. 20-25 minutes a game would be ideal.
• Only three Nuggets scored more than six points.