The LA Clippers will be headed to the Motor City on Friday to take on the Detroit Pistons. Both of these teams have had their fair share of struggles this year, and while it is a non-conference match up, both teams need a win desperately to stay relevant.
The years of Detroit's grinding defense are gone, and it seems they have adopted a new strategy of scoring, and scoring big. When this team gets on a roll they are hard to stop. Some night they have trouble finding that rhythm however. With Ben Wallace out, the rest of this team needs to step up in a big way, and Rodney Stucky's 17.0 points per game simply won't cut it against an LA team that is fighting to stay relevant. Detroit is a team deep in the midst of rebuilding, however they need to show some kind of fire, and drive to prove that those efforts are headed in the right direction.
Detroit is coming off of a huge win against the Hawks, and need to start building some momentum right now to keep their heads above water. No one is expecting a playoff run out of Detroit, people are expecting some signs of life that have been sorely lacking as of late.
For the Clippers it has got to be hard being that other team in LA. Especially when they have been playing such poor ball. This is yet another team that is still in rebuilding mode, but it makes one wonder how long they can stay there. After four straight losses the Clippers look like a team on the verge of complete collapse, and it makes one wonder what exactly needs to change to get this team winning again.
Eric Gordon, Baron Davis, and Blake Griffin all play top notch ball, but these three just do not seem to be gelling together. In a division that features both the Lakers, and the Sun this kind of play is simply unacceptable. While the Clippers have shown some signs of at least being competitive lately, they still haven't had any kind of break out performance.
That could change when they take on the Pistons, who are prone to implosion. The Clippers know how to put points up on the board, and if they can keep running up the score, they might be able to cause Detroit to wither under the assault. This is going to be a game of offense vs. offense, with both teams going full steam ahead. The first one to blink is going to lose.
The key to winning is the same for both teams, stay hard, stay fast, and don't let moral falter. If either team lets up their assault this one will be over. Both teams are struggling to get on track, and this is a huge game for just that reason. Both teams are coming up on difficult stretches of the season, and a win here could change the entire momentum of their seasons.