Detroit Pistons at Miami Heat

·Fri Oct 23·8:00 PM ET·NBA League Pass·Miami, FL

By JR·2 min read

Pistons(1-0)

Heat(0-0)

Friday 10/238:00 PM

TLDR: Detroit spent its season opener digging out of a 22-point hole against Boston. Next up is a trip to South Beach to see what Miami looks like with Giannis Antetokounmpo in a Heat jersey.

SAT 10/24, SAT OCT 24, 8:00 PMNBA League Pass

Pistons

(1-0)

Heat

(0-0)

Detroit comes in off a 22-point comeback over Boston, while Miami debuts a rebuilt, Giannis-led roster against Minnesota on Wednesday, before this game. The matchup hinges on whether the Pistons' shooting holds up against the Antetokounmpo-Adebayo frontcourt, and whether Miami's new pieces have found their spacing in the half court yet. No betting board is posted for this game yet.

Detroit Pistons

Won second half vs Boston 76-55
Cunningham and Duren each scored 22 in the opener
Robinson 5-for-9 from three as a floor-spacer
Opened 4-of-22 from three against Boston
Trailed by 22 before waking up
Prince's availability unsettled after personal absence

Miami Heat

Giannis-Adebayo frontcourt built to wall off the paint
League's most transition-heavy offense last season
Deep shooting group around the two bigs
Half-court spacing unproven with two non-shooting bigs
Rebuilt rotation has played 0 games together
Goldin's ankle thins frontcourt depth behind Adebayo

The Pistons opened the year by taking a punch and throwing a bigger one back. They trailed Boston 72-50 in the third quarter, then won the second half 76-55 and spoiled Paul George's Celtics debut 121-113. Cade Cunningham and Jalen Duren had 22 points each. Cunningham added 8 assists, and Duren shot 8-of-13 and grabbed 9 rebounds. Duncan Robinson scored 21, and the threes finally started falling: a 4-of-22 start from deep became a 15-of-40 finish.

Miami still has to play its first game. The Heat host Minnesota on Wednesday in Antetokounmpo's official debut, so by Friday they'll have 1 real game behind them and plenty for Detroit's staff to study. The roster has been rebuilt around Giannis and Bam Adebayo, with Klay Thompson, Andrew Wiggins, Bobby Portis and Tim Hardaway Jr. also new. The projected starting group puts Davion Mitchell at the point next to Thompson, Wiggins, Giannis and Bam. Nobody on Miami's side has a betting board yet either, so for now the only thing to read is the roster.

Detroit's biggest test is the frontcourt. The Pistons beat Boston by controlling the glass, and Duren did a lot of the damage around the rim. Now he faces Giannis and Adebayo, a pairing NBA.com called an elite defensive frontcourt in its preview. The same preview flagged the catch: neither big is a consistent perimeter shooter, so Miami's half-court offense might clog up while everyone figures out where to stand.

That puts the pressure on Detroit's shooters. The Pistons climbed out of the Boston hole because Robinson went 5-for-9 from three, and he and Javonte Green combined for 40 points. If Detroit starts 4-of-22 from deep again, it's a different story against a defense built to protect the paint. Miami also led the league in transition frequency last season, so those long misses could turn into Heat fast breaks the other way.

Neither injury list matters much yet. Taurean Prince missed the opener for personal reasons, and his status for Friday hasn't been settled. On Miami's side, Vladislav Goldin is dealing with a right ankle sprain, but he's on a two-way deal and likely plays only if Adebayo goes down. The more useful thing to watch is Wednesday. However Miami's first night with Giannis goes, the Pistons will get film on it before tipoff at 8:00 PM ET on Friday, October 23.

Detroit Pistons at Miami Heat

Live Odds