Motown Breakdown: Ugly Loss to Pacers Exposes Pistons Need for True PG

Buckle up Detroit, it's going to be a very long year for the Detroit Pistons, and if their opening night beatdown at the hands of the Indiana Pacers shows us anything, it's that it's not going to be pretty.

This team needs a lot of help, and the ugly showing we saw from them against Indiana was just a tip of the iceberg in regards to their problems.

What does that mean for Pistons fans though?

This is an organization that has been known more for its success and prestige than for its failures on the court. Unfortunately, the past few years do nothing to back that statement up.

Welcome to the Motown Breakdown Pistons fans. If we're going to get through this, it's going to have to be together.

I hope that this will become a constant source of news and opinion as we move forward into this season and beyond.

Look forward to the Motown Breakdown every morning after a Pistons game for all the game reaction, news and opinion that you need to get your day going as a fan of the Pistons' red white and blue.

We'll take a look at the game that was, and preview what's to come for your favorite basketball organization.

If you're a fan of Deeeeetrrrroiitttttttt baskeeeetballllllll, the Motown Breakdown is the place to be. 

Last Night: Pistons 79 Pacers 91

The score makes this game look a lot closer than what it really was. In reality, the Pistons got dominated in every facet of the game.

It's obvious the Pacers are a much better team with newly-acquired power forward David West, but it was a total team effort, as five players were in double figures, and three notched double-doubles: Roy Hibbert with 16 points and 14 rebounds, Tyler Hansbrough with 15 points and 13 rebounds, and West with 11 points and 12 rebounds.

The Pistons on the other hand were dominated in the paint 28-36 and never lead once during the game. Jonas Jerebko looked good in his first official playing action in over a year with 17 points.

Rookie Brandon Knight shot 3-of-6 from three-point range and finished his rookie debut with nine points off the bench for the Pistons, but he didn't make a shot inside the three-point line and turned the ball over four times.

Pistons' Player of the Game: Jonas Jerebko (17 PTS, 5 REB, 1 AST)

Per usual Jerebko was constantly hustling, and he looks like he can be a bit more than an energy player for the Pistons this season. He got a few good looks around the perimeter, and was a solid option in the transition game.

Piston Points:

Rookie Needs Time: It was rather obvious that Brandon Knight was a bit tense in his first game as a pro. It's going to take him some time to get used to playing in the NBA, and hopefully he can work his way into a starter;s role. Right now it looks like head coach Lawrence Frank is going to use him as the first option off the bench, and will rely on him for some perimeter scoring.

Must Get Bigger: The Pistons' frontcourt of Jerebko and Greg Monroe is still a bit small, even though both are great hustle players. Monroe only pulled down seven boards and scored eight points against the Pacers, which is disappointing for a guy that is supposed to be "the man" down low for Detroit. The Pistons were out-rebounded 53-40 and 9-18 on the offensive glass.

Ben Gordon Must Score: It's rather obvious that this team is lacking some offensive firepower. If they want to score, Ben Gordon is going to have to carry the load. His 4-of-14 shooting night and 14 total points won't cut it moving forward.

Frank The Tank:

Thoughts from Pistons coach Lawrence Frank via NBA.com:

"

"The rebounding numbers are obviously why the score was lopsided. They played smash-mouth basketball and they were the better team tonight."

"

Breakdown 

This team needs a true point guard, and I think that when all is said and done Knight will fill that role. He obviously needs some time to get acclimated to the NBA though, and Rodney Stuckey and Will Bynum will be taking some of his minutes.

Plain and simple, Stuckey is not a true point guard. He's far too active going to the rim, and he naturally looks for his own shot before facilitating the offense. Bynum is a great backup, but he's not a starter.

The Pistons gave the ball over 16 times, including five from Gordon, three from Stuckey and four from Knight.

This is obviously not a winning formula, but Knight should eventually understand his role better as he gets more time and experience.

Looking Forward: Cavaliers vs. Pistons - Wed. Dec. 28 7:30 p.m. EST

The Pistons and Cavaliers have already met twice this year in the preseason, but this will be the first time it counts. The Cavaliers took a loss to the Toronto Raptors 104-96 in their home opener, so both teams will be coming into this looking for their first win.

This matchup will be highlighted for a long time by the two rookie point guards, both who struggled in their NBA debuts. 

First overall draft pick Kyrie Irving went 2-of-12 for six points in his first official NBA appearance for Cleveland, so he will certainly be looking to bounce back against the Pistons.

Look for the Pistons to be aggressive early against Irving on defense, and they will have to find a way to slow down a Cavaliers bench that scored 51 points against the Raptors.

Overall, the Pistons have the home-court advantage and arguably the better team. Expect Knight to have a good game in his home debut, and Ben Gordon should bounce back from a poor performance. He's a streaky shooter, but I think he'll be on for the Pistons' home opener.