No Tayshaun, no Charlie V, no Ben Wallace. That equaled no defense. The Mavericks clobbered the Pistons last night - 113-88. While the Pistons were missing three potential starters, the Mavs as well played without Shawn Marion and Josh Howard. So, it's a pretty dreadful loss all-around.
If I take the preseason wins with a grain of salt, I should do the same with the losses, right? I'll try. The Pistons actually started quite well, but the Mav veterans of Kidd, Jason Terry, Dirk, and Drew Gooden took control in the 2nd quarter. The Pistons, as usual, turned it over a ton, and that played right into Kidd's hands (literally). The Mavs shot 55% from the field, with Terry an astouding 8/10 (all long-range).
Not too many bright spots for the Pistons this time around, though I did see Austin Daye hit a few long-range 3s. The kid could prove to be a serviceable backtup to Prince. Wilcox had a few impressive put-back dunks, and Stuckey scored a ton early. Otherwise, there was little flow and shoddy defending. Way too many fouls as well. For both sides. These replacement refs are no fun at all. I watched at least 13 straight possessions with whistles - in a preseason game!
Bottom line is the Pistons have their work cut out for them. Charlie V will return this weekend from his hamstring injury. That should give the Pistons another offensive option.
In happier news, the Red Wings beat the Kings 5-2. The scoreline is a bit misleading. The Kings outplayed the Wings in the 1st period and much of the 3rd, but Osgood kept the Wings afloat. The Wings still had trouble stringing together passes and clearing their own zone (I know... I'm a broken record). YET, they did pressure the Kings in the decisive 2nd period, scoring twice. Ville Leino and Bertuzzi skated with a purpose. While neither scored, they were significantly more aggressive. The penalty kill was perfect, so there are signs of improvement.
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