Pistons at Knicks, 4.08.09

Matchup: Detroit Pistons (37-40) at New York Knicks (30-48)
Spread: Pistons -3.5
My Pick: Pistons by 2

Three reasons the Pistons will win:

1. No Excuses. The Pistons had two days off, should have a fully healthy roster, and will face a bad basketball team. A loss tonight would be unacceptable.
2. Midlevel Starters. The Knicks handed Chris Duhon and Jared Jefferies contracts worth the midlevel exception. Both are capable backups who play sturdy defense but struggle to score. Unfortunatley for the Knicks, both are starting as the team rebuilds. (Edit: Apparently Jefferies lost his starting spot after failing to score in his last start.)
3. Giving Up. The Knicks have lost 11 of 13 and appear to have packed it in for the year. The good news for Michigan natives is that, partially as a result, two players with local ties may have a chance to score their first NBA points tonight. Former Wolverine Courtney Sims and Detroit Renaissance alum Joe Crawford should both be on the active roster tonight.

Three reasons the Pistons will lose:

1. RFAs. Once again, soon-to-be restricted free agents Nate Robinson and David Lee are easily the best players on this team. When the Knicks won at the Palace four weeks ago, Robinson torched the Pistons for 30 points while Lee chipped in 16 points and 18 rebounds.
2. Letdown Game. Sunday’s game against Charlotte was hugely important. It wouldn’t be a shock if the Pistons need to return to the brink of the lottery before they exert full effort again.
3. No Swagger. Rasheed Wallace says the Pistons’ “swagger will come with the playoffs.” (Freep Article) Apparently fans will have to suffer through five more games of swagger-less basketball

Update:
Final Score: Detroit 113, New York 86
Notes:

• There’s bad defense, there’s horrible defense, and then there’s what the Knicks played in the first half. The Pistons – who average roughly 23 points per quarter – scored 21 points in the first 5:44.
• Every Piston starter had at least eight points before halftime.
• The logic behind the “seven-seconds-or-less” offense is that teams should be able to find a high-percentage shot before a defense is fully set. The Knicks ignored the “high-percentage” part of the equation.
• The Knicks committed just five turnovers, but some of the shots they took were about as bad as turnovers.
• Wilson Chandler shot the ball nicely, but he was brutal defensively.
• Several Pistons played well, but RIP Hamilton and Antonio McDyess stood out. Rodney Stuckey, Rasheed Wallace, and Kwame Brown also had very nice games.
• The Pistons won the rebounding battle 57-33.