Pistons vs. Jazz preview: Contain Markkanen, contribute to Utah’s tank

The Detroit Pistons host the Utah Jazz tonight for their final home game of 2024 before embarking on an extended road trip to the West Coast to close out the calendar year. Upcoming away games in Detroit feature the Phoenix Suns, LA Lakers, Sacramento Kings and Denver Nuggets, all teams that will be fighting to stay afloat in a crowded, highly competitive Western Conference.

If the Pistons want to boost their own play-in/playoff odds, winning games against teams that already have their eyes on the 2025 NBA Draft will be critical. Enter the Utah Jazz, the Jazz are currently 5-20 and have lost eight of their last nine games, most of them by double digits.

Detroit narrowly beat the Miami Heat in OT earlier this week, but they have still found a real winning cadence. If Detroit can beat Utah and start the road trip with a few Ws under their belt, maybe they’ll use this newfound mojo to make a splash in the West.

Game Vitalities

When: 7:00 p.m. ET
Where: Little Caesars Arena, Detroit, MI
Regard: FanDuel Sports Network Detroit
Opportunities: Piston -4

analysis

Unlike the last two years, where the Jazz were strangely competitive for a third of the season (before finally pulling the plug to salvage a mediocre lottery pick), this year they’ve gone all-in on the tank.

They rank at or near the bottom in several key statistical categories, including offensive rating (24th), defensive rating (very last), net rating (28th), turnovers (very last) and assists-to-turnover ratio (very last). Side note; If you’re surprised that there are teams that turn the ball over more often than the Pistons, you’re not alone.

While these stats aren’t anything special, there are some players who are Strengthen That could disrupt Detroit. Utah lets it fly from three; They shoot nearly 40 attempts per game and have five rotation players (three starters) who hit the long ball at a rate of 38% or better. This game could bode well for Lauri Markkanen, who is currently averaging 18.6 points, 6.2 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game, especially if Isaiah Stewart (Detroit’s most inconsistent big man) doesn’t play after his loss on Monday night suffered a hyperextended left knee. Stewart is listed as daily alongside Tobias Harris and Jaden Ivey.

Markkanen is a matchup nightmare for most teams, but he could be extremely effective when left alone beyond the three-point line against players like Jalen Duren and Paul Reed. He’s also a mismatch compared to Detroit’s smaller forwards, so paying special attention to Markkanen and sending help when needed could be crucial if Detroit wants to finish its 2024 home slate on a positive note.

It would be great for Detroit to see if they can continue to unleash Ausar Thompson, who had his best game of the season last Monday (19 points, 9 boards, 4 steals). In the Miami game, Thompson showed his trademark menacing character on defense, being solid in transition and even knocking down a few jumpers while shooting in rhythm.

Teams will continue to not protect Thompson from deep, and they shouldn’t, but he shouldn’t let it affect his decision-making in the halfcourt. He should find himself in some advantageous matchups against Utah’s less-than-nimble frontcourt, which lacks the speed to stay in front of him should he intentionally drive to the basket.

In addition to Thompson, keep an eye on Malik Beasley, Cade Cunningham and Tim Hardaway Jr. Detroit’s best three-point shooters have combined to make eight three-pointers per game, a rate of 39%, and will face a Utah Jazz team ranked in the bottom four of the league in team three-point defense.

Planned lineups

Detroit (11-16)

Cade Cunningham, Jaden Ivey, Tim Hardaway Jr., Tobias Harris, Jalen Duren

Utah (5-20)

Collin Sexton, Keyonte George, John Collins, Lauri Markkanen, Walker Kessler

Question of the day

The end-of-game scenarios in Detroit were hard on the eyes, to say the least. Why were they so ineffective in trying to finish a game?