Since Jan. 3, the Cleveland Cavaliers are tied for the best record in the NBA and have the league’s best net rating. In that span, they are the only franchise other than the Boston Celtics to hold a top-5 rating in both offense and defense. They are, as the kids like to say but probably don’t actually say anymore, a problem.
In other words, the Detroit Pistons, a team that has been more competitive since jettisoning most of the dead weight on its roster, is going to have its hands full as it looks to win its second consecutive game.
It’s still very much the Donovan Mitchell show in Cleveland, with the star guard nearly doubling his next closest teammate in shots. His 28 points per game since Jan. 3 ranks eighth in the NBA. What might be most surprising is who is second on the team in attempts in that span—Jarrett Allen. Allen is shooting better than 60% and averaging 17.6 points per game. He’s also averaging 11.7 rebounds and 1.4 blocks. All those Allen superlatives seem to have come marginally at the expense of Evan Mobley.
The 2020 Draft still looks like it is going to net out as an awesome class, but for some reason people all around the NBA love to minimize the top players whether it’s Cade Cunningham, Mobley, or Scottie Barnes. It’s wild how effective all those players are, how much they project to be difference-makers in very unique and important ways, and also somehow still get called disappointments. I’ll take 16, 10 and All-NBA level defense from my 22-year-old big man any day of the week.
Game Vitals
When: 7 p.m. ET
Where: Little Caesars Arena, Detroit, Michigan
Watch: Bally Sports Detroit
Odds: Pistons +8.5
Projected Lineups
Detroit Pistons (9-49)
Cade Cunningham, Jaden Ivey, Ausar Thompson, Isaiah Stewart, Jalen Duren
Cleveland Cavaliers (38-20)
Darius Garland, Donovan Mitchell, Max Strus, Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen