The Detroit Pistons are 2-0. On the road against another fellow Eastern Conference contender, the Pistons cruised to an easy 128-111 victory. The offense looked dynamic, the shooting was much improved, and newcomer John Collins finally looked like the player the Pistons thought they were getting.
What makes the win more impressive is the fact that the Pistons lost Jalen Duren and Ausar Thompson mid-game. Duren exited the game in the middle of the second quarter with a hamstring injury. Thompson limped to the locker room in the third quarter after spraining his ankle trying to stop an Andrew Wiggins drive.
The bench stepped up, and the Pistons' depth proved to be elite once again. Even without two of their three best players, the Pistons can still hold their own and grind out wins.
Jalen Duren & Ausar Thompson injuries can slow down the Pistons' momentum
Unfortunately, there may be some cause for concern going forward. Any time a player leaves a game with a muscle injury, it's safe to assume that they will miss at least a few games. Duren's hamstring issue could be especially tricky, as those types of injuries can linger. Thompson's injury didn't look terrible compared to some ankle sprains, but those are usually best evaluated the next day.
After the game, head coach JB Bickerstaff refused to provide an update on either player. But one must assume that they will not be ready for Detroit's next game, Sunday's clash in Philadelphia against the Sixers.
In Duren's absence, Paul Reed stepped up. He played 16 minutes in the second half and put up 12 points and seven rebounds. He finished the game with 19 and 11 on 8/11 shooting from the field, including 2/2 from downtown. He will start and play as many minutes as he can handle if Duren misses time. Tolu Smith will get an extended run as the backup center if that's the case.
If Thompson is sidelined, Ron Holland will likely be the primary beneficiary. After a dud in the season opener when he played only three minutes, the third-year player was back in his usual rotation role. He played 22 minutes, albeit some of it in garbage time. Kevin Huerter and Daniss Jenkins also benefited from more playing time after Thompson went down.
The Pistons continue to have a tough schedule, with the next two games coming against the Sixers and the Knicks. Without Duren and Thompson, it's difficult to imagine them winning both of those games, but given the impressive depth and resilience of this team, nothing should be ruled out.
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