Raptors-Pistons: The First Big Test

On Wednesday night at the ACC, the Toronto Raptors face off against one of their primary competitors for a playoff spot this April.

During the offseason, the Detroit Pistons rebuilt the key components of their roster in an attempt to become relevant once again in the postseason.

Not everyone is convinced that the Pistons have made all the right moves and Wednesday night’s tilt versus the Raptors is the first head-to-head meeting with one of the half dozen teams that they will competing with for one of the last four playoff spots.

The Toronto Raptors have gotten off to a disappointing start to the season, from the high of beating Cleveland in their home opener to the low of losing two straight high-scoring contests they could have won.

As expected, Toronto’s strength has been the ability to score as they’ve averaged 108 points per contest. However, the Raptors have been surrendering an average of 110 points and questions about their ability to defend are abound.

Similarly, the Pistons won their opener on the road against the Grizzlies, but then dropped their home opener and the following road game against teams not expected to make the playoffs.

The biggest issue for the Pistons is an apparent inability to score as they’ve averaged just 88 points per game over their first three games. The Pistons' defense has held their opponents to just 87 points on average, but after playing the Grizzlies, Thunder, and Bucks, it’s hard to praise the defensive effort just yet.

Detroit faced their first high-powered team of the season at home Tuesday night versus the Orlando Magic. If Detroit’s defense played like they did against Milwaukee on Halloween, it would have been a huge blow out!

But Detroit came out strong (or lucky?), holding the Magic to just 80 points as Dwight Howard fouled out in just 16 minutes and the hot-shooting Magic went 37 percent from the field. Without their big man to attract defenders, the Magic's vaunted outside shooting went cold.

Detroit still couldn't score, but 85 points were enough for the win on Tuesday. 

There is likely something about the law of averaging catching up to the Magic as well.  Second-year power forward Ryan Anderson went just 1-for-11 from beyond the arc following his unexpected 5-for-8 performance in Toronto.

Coming into Toronto on Wednesday night after playing the Magic puts the Pistons at a significant disadvantage. A tired team that relies on a hustling defense and doesn’t score much will have their hands full against a high-scoring team like the Raptors.

Richard Hamilton sprained his right ankle on October 28 and will not play on Wednesday. 

The Detroit Free Press reports that Tayshaun Prince’s 439 consecutive games started streak ended Tuesday night because of a lower back strain. He will not play Wednesday in Toronto or Friday in Orlando.

The starting lineups for the teams compare as follows:

Point Guard

At just 23-years-old, Rodney Stuckey is the Pistons’ 6′5″, 205-lb. third-year starting point guard. Last season, he averaged 13.4 points and 4.9 assists.

Still developing his game, Stuckey was recently accused of trying to beat the Thunder by himself resulting in a 21-point, two-assist night for the young point guard in a loss.

Against the Magic, Stuckey had a strong 20-point, nine-rebound, three-assist night.

Jose Calderon is the Toronto Raptors' 28-year-old five-year veteran point guard who averaged 12.8 points and 8.9 assists last season.

Calderon has struggled with his shooting in the first three games, going 1-7 from three and averaging just 10 points and 6.7 assists, but don’t expect Calderon’s shooting woes to last long.

Advantage: Raptors.

Shooting Guard

Filling in ably for the injured Richard Hamilton has been the high-scoring five-year veteran, Ben Gordon. In the first four contests, Ben Gordon has averaged 24 points, proving he hasn’t forgotten how to score.

Offensively skilled but under-sized at 6′3″, Gordon will be a tough cover defensively for any opponent.

The Raptors have handed the starting assignment for shooting guard to the rookie DeMar DeRozan. DeRozan has performed well in just over 20 minutes per night, averaging 7.3 points and an under-appreciated 4.3 rebounds.

It would be unfair to expect DeRozan to lock down Gordon for any length of time. But DeRozan does have a significant size advantage at 6′7” and hopefully can make Gordon’s outside shooting difficult.

Advantage: Pistons.

Small Forward

This is another matchup of a veteran versus a rookie.

The long, tall, and athletic Tayshaun Prince is out. Starting is the rookie from Sweden, Jonas Jerebko. The 6′10″, 230-lb. Jerebko has previous experience in Europe and played for Sweden’s national team.

Prior to Tuesday, Jerebko had played for six minutes in one NBA game. Tuesday night, Jerebko had zero points and five boards in 25 minutes.

The Raptors' nine-year veteran small forward Hedo Turkoglu has been playing better each game out with his new teammates and against the Magic, had 19 points, four rebounds, and three assists.

At 6′10″, Turkoglu will not be over-matched by Jerebko's size. Hedo has surprised fans defensively by accumulating five blocks already this season.

Advantage: Raptors.

Power Forward

Former Toronto Raptor and Milwaukee Buck Charlie Villanueva is entering his fifth NBA season. At 6′11″ and 230 lbs., Villanueva is best known for his outside jump shot and inconsistent effort.

In Detroit, Charlie has gotten off to a particularly poor start, averaging just 9.8 points and five boards in only 25 minutes of play. Unfortunately for the Raptors, Villanueva seems inspired by every trip back to the ACC.

Toronto’s All-Star, Chris Bosh, is off to a monster start to the season. The 6′10″ forward is estimated at 240 to 250 lbs. this season and has been throwing his new weight around. In the first three games, Bosh has averaged 31 points and 14.7 rebounds.

Against the Pistons' big men, expect Bosh to have another monster game.

Advantage: Raptors.

Center

The Pistons are thin at the center position, resulting in the 35-year-old Ben Wallace assuming the starter’s responsibility.

An under-sized career defensive center known for blocks and rebounds, last season Wallace had the lowest numbers of his 13-year career since his rookie year. At 2.9 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks, Wallace’s impact on the floor has greatly diminished since he was last in Detroit.

Wallace has gotten off to a better start in Detroit, averaging 10.3 rebounds, 1.5 blocks, and 1.5 steals in his first four games.

The Raptors' 24-year-old Andrea Bargnani, at 7′ tall, has more than a three-inch height advantage over Wallace. And with an effective outside jump shot, Wallace will be challenged to defend the more skilled Bargnani.

Andrea Bargnani has started the season averaging 22 points and shooting 62 percent from three. Plus, Wallace offers Bargnani little to worry about on the defensive end of the floor. Wallace could be in for a long night.

Advantage: Raptors.

While the Pistons match up well against the Raptors' guards and wings, the loss of Rasheed Wallace leaves them with suspect defense and inconsistent offense from their big men.

Plus, after playing the Orlando Magic the night before, the Pistons come into Toronto at a significant disadvantage.

This is an important early season test for the Raptors, and one they should easily beat.  Concerns about early season jitters and team cohesion apply equally to both teams. The Raptors have everything in their favor on Wednesday.

No excuses, the Raptors need to establish their superiority on home court against a direct competitor for a playoff spot in April.