Almost everything went wrong for the Detroit Pistons in their disappointing home loss to the Orlando Magic in Game 1. This sets up a must-win game for the Pistons on Wednesday.
To avoid a disaster and a 0-2 hole, Pistons head coach J.B. Bickerstaff must make a few important changes. Here's a look at three line-up adjustments he must make if Detroit is going to exact some revenge on Orlando before it's too late.
3 Changes Pistons Need in Game 2
1. Give Ausar Thompson a Chance vs. Paolo Banchero
The Pistons deployed their Defensive Player of the Year finalist on Desmond Bane in Game 1. That strategy proved effective in slowing Bane down individually, but the Magic still scored the ball effectively. Paolo Banchero was able to create an advantage over Tobias Harris for most of the night, and when he has it going, Orlando looks much better offensively.
Bickerstaff has to try something different in Game 2. He has largely shied away from using Thompson on bigger, more physical players, but he may have no choice against the Magic. Guarding Banchero with Thompson would also allow Thompson to sag off him when he is off the ball, disrupting the Magic's offense.
2. Get Jalen Duren Involved Early
Duren had one of the worst games of his career on Sunday, taking only four shots. The Magic did a good job packing the paint and crowding him to make sure he didn't get the ball in advantageous positions. His teammates also missed Duren on a few occasions with bad passes or poor decisions.
At the same time, it's also on Duren to find a way to be more effective. Whether it's through offensive rebounding or seals in the post, Duren has to put himself in positions to succeed.
Still, the Pistons have to be intentional about getting Duren the ball. Expect Detroit to feed its All-Star center early and often to get him going.
3. Reduce Daniss Jenkins' Minutes
The Pistons looked for the right lineup combinations in Game 1 and ended up playing 11 players in the rotation. Daniss Jenkins played the most off the bench with 22 minutes, but struggled significantly. He went 1-of-7 from the field, including 1-of-6 from three, for six points and two assists. The Pistons lost his minutes by 11 points.
Why Bickerstaff went with Jenkins is understandable. The Pistons were struggling to create offensively. Duncan Robinson was a liability defensively, and Thompson was a liability on the other end. On paper, Jenkins could have seemed like a better option. In reality, however, Jenkins wasn't effective on either end of the floor.
He will still have a place in this series. When Cade Cunningham is on the bench, Jenkins should still be the primary creator. When Cunningham is on the court, however, Jenkins doesn't offer enough off-ball ability and defensive intensity to play significantly more than players like Javonte Green and Kevin Huerter.
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