Game preview: OKC Thunder begin 3 game road trip looking to end Detroit win streak
The OKC Thunder begins a three game eastern road trip against the Detroit Pistons who enter the match on a five game win streak.
To this point in the season the OKC Thunder have played the opposite conference teams on eight occasions. But, for a highly contested loss to the Celtics they would sport a perfect record facing the east.
Of the three teams the OKC Thunder will face during this trip by far the most difficult is the Detroit Pistons. The question is whether the Pistons are as good as their record indicates. At present, the Pistons sit in the fourth seed and are on a five game win streak which is tied with the Denver Nuggets for the second longest behind the Raptors eight game streak.
Strength of Schedule:
Diving into the Pistons performance to date offers some insight. Although they bested the Raptors and Warriors those wins came at the buzzer and with Stephen Curry just back from a lengthy injury absence. That’s not to say the Pistons aren’t a strong team with qualities on both sides of the ball.
Rather, it’s meant to offer some insight on the record itself. First of all, the Pistons have played 20 games, the fewest of all 30 teams. OKC has 21 games in hand (the second fewest) while most squads have completed 23.
Moreover, the Pistons have played the fewest games (and Charlotte) against the Western Conference (four). Whereas the Raptors who sit atop the conference play their 10th game versus the west tonight. Washington and Brooklyn have faced the west on 12 occasions. That’s a pretty big discrepancy, especially considering how the east has fared playing the west. Only four teams in the east have winning records versus the west:
- Toronto Raptors: 8-1
- Milwaukee Bucks: 7-4
- Philadelphia 76ers: 5-1
- Detroit Pistons: 3-1
The four teams Detroit played against the west were two against the Rockets which they split, Golden State and Phoenix.
Home versus Road:
The other major factor is the Pistons have played the fewest road games (8) and only one game on the west coast. This early in the season that may not seem like a big deal, but in truth, it plays a factor as squads look to get their legs and timing down at season start. Teams who endure early opposite coast road trips have to navigate recovery time and it can take a toll on the body.
Back to Back Series:
Even rest days play a huge part in how teams prepare and recover. The Pistons have played just two back to back series and none were out west.
Putting this in perspective, the Raptors who the Pistons beat have played five back to back sets, have traveled to the west coast (where they played a back to back set), have 12 road games in hand and have played nine games against the west (10 after tonight).
Detroit are .500 on the road and got swept in one of their back to back series. The teams who beat the Raptors each lost in their following games except the Pistons. However, the Pistons had a huge advantage over the Bucks, Pelicans and Celtics because they got a five day rest period after beating the Raptors.
My point is the OKC Thunder can’t take the Pistons for granted (nor any team), but I’m not completely sold this Pistons team is as strong as their record indicates. With that in mind let’s dive into the keys to winning.