The Detroit Pistons host the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday in the biggest game of the season so far. Teams that go up 3-2 in a series have won 83.7% of playoff series in NBA history. Needless to say, a win in Game 5 will make the Pistons heavy favorites to advance to the Conference Finals.
This will be an intense battle. The Pistons were seriously outplayed in Game 4, and a lot of things need to change for the Pistons to have a chance.
Detroit will certainly play better, and role players tend to do better at home than on the road. Yet, the margin of error is getting smaller, so the Pistons need to play harder and execute at a higher level. Once they do that, the answers to the following questions will likely determine the winner of Game 5.
1- Can Pistons survive offensively with Ausar Thompson on the floor?
Detroit's offense was a disaster when Thompson was on the court in Game 4. Through the first three quarters, the Pistons had a miserable 46.2 offensive rating when Thompson was playing.
Not only does he not get guarded out there, but he also struggles on the ball, turning it over four times in 19 minutes of action. His presence allows the Cavs to pack the paint and make things difficult on Jalen Duren and Cade Cunningham.
JB Bickerstaff has to get creative in involving him as an off-ball player, and Thompson needs to be better with the ball in his hands. Otherwise, we may end up seeing more of Caris LeVert and Ron Holland, instead.
2- Will JB Bickerstaff finally stop trusting Jalen Duren?
Despite consistent playoff struggles, Duren continues to play significant minutes and close games for the Pistons. Paul Reed has been very effective over the last two games, but he still doesn't have the trust of JB Bickerstaff.
After the Game 4 loss, Bickerstaff said, "You don't just give up on guys when they are having a hard time," when discussing his decision to play Duren down the stretch. The All-Star center is averaging 9.5 points, 7.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 2.5 turnovers on 44.1% shooting from the field in this series. Yet, he is still averaging 31.3 minutes per game.
It's time the Pistons are willing to bench Duren for long stretches. Whether this will be the case in Game 5 remains to be seen.
3- Can Pistons defend without fouling?
The free-throw discrepancy in the two games in Cleveland was a big talking point. Whether the Pistons got a rough whistle on the road is beside the point. Detroit needs to be much better at guarding without fouling.
The Cavs shot 62 free throws in their two wins. The Pistons had 20 more personal fouls than the Cavs in those two games. That is partly due to Detroit's play style. They are the more physical and aggressive side. While fouls will naturally occur, the Pistons must be smarter about not reaching in, not jumping on pump fakes, and not being tricked by Donovan Mitchell and James Harden's foul-baiting tactics.
Being able to be physical and aggressive without getting in foul trouble and sending the Cavs to the free-throw line will be a big storyline in Game 5. Regardless of how this game is officiated, however, the Pistons can't let this be a source of frustration.
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