Pistons Have to Slow Down the Hottest Player in Basketball

Luka Dončić scored 40 points Wednesday, and at this point, that barely counts as breaking news. It was his sixth straight game with at least 35, and the Lakers beat Sacramento 116-103 while another defense spent the night trying to decide which problem they could live with.

Now it’s Detroit’s turn.

The Pistons host the Lakers at Little Caesars Arena on Nov. 8th at 6 p.m. ET on NBA TV, giving them an early chance to test an offense that’s been rolling — and to see whether their defense can make Los Angeles work for every good look.

Dončić's averaging 38.5 points, 8.1 rebounds, and eight assists this season. Cade Cunningham's at 24 points and 7.6 assists. If you haven’t been paying close attention to either team yet, that’s a pretty good reason to start now.

Los Angeles has also done a nice job surrounding Luka with useful options. Austin Reaves is averaging 23.3 points and five assists, giving the Lakers another player who can make something happen when defenses sell out to stop their best scorer.

Walker Kessler gives those guards a target near the basket and gives Los Angeles a defensive presence around their own rim. That fit matters. When Luka draws two defenders, somebody has to make the defense pay, and Kessler’s finishing has been the answer.

Detroit won 60 games last season and made it to the second round, so the Pistons are past the “nice rebuilding story” stage.

Now they’re trying to show how much farther this group can go. Beating the Lakers would be a pretty useful sign, especially if Detroit can make Los Angeles uncomfortable without asking Cunningham to solve every possession himself.

The matchup I’d watch first is Ausar Thompson against Dončić. Thompson’s one of the best defensive guards in the league. But Luka's on a roll right now. Good luck.

The more realistic goal is to make him work early, take away the easy angles, and force the ball somewhere else. Then Detroit has to deal with what comes next. Reaves attacking a defense that’s already moving around can be just as dangerous as the shot the Pistons just took away.

Cunningham creates a similar headache on the other end. He can get into the lane, keep his dribble alive, and wait for a defender to make a choice. Los Angeles has to help without losing track of the shooters standing outside.

Duncan Robinson just offered a pretty loud reminder of that. He scored 27 points and hit seven threes in Wednesday’s 112-106 loss to Philadelphia. Wandering away from him to watch Cunningham work is an expensive hobby.

Jalen Duren’s availability is still the big question. Detroit announced a two-week reevaluation window for his right hamstring strain on Oct. 25th, which puts this game around that next checkpoint. But a reevaluation doesn’t mean he’s automatically coming back. If he does play, he’d change the rebounding battle and the matchup around the rim quite a bit.

Late in the game, I think this comes down to whether Detroit can actually finish the defensive possession after forcing Luka to give the ball up. A tough pass followed by an uncontested layup is still a successful Lakers possession. The Pistons need the rotation, the contest and, most importantly, the rebound.

I’m leaning Pistons here, even without Duren. Luka’s playing well, and Reaves has been giving him another creator to work with, but that’s not quite enough for me to give Los Angeles the edge late.

All stats courtesy of NBA.com.

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