Miami Heat: What to expect from the streaking Detroit Pistons

The Miami Heat will host the streaking Detroit Pistons on Wednesday in a matchup with major playoff implications for both teams.

The Miami Heat will look to get back in the win column on Wednesday when they host the Detroit Pistons. The Heat are coming off a blowout loss against the Toronto Raptors and the Pistons were similarly handled in their last outing by the Brooklyn Nets, so this is a big game for both teams.

The Pistons are currently in seventh with a 34-32 record, just a half game behind the sixth-seed Nets. They’ve been on a tear since February 1st, a 16-game stretch in which they have had the NBA’s best offensive rating at a remarkable 114.1 points per 100 possessions, and they have had the third-best net rating, outscoring their opponents by 7.1 points per 100 possessions.

This is thanks largely to a resurgence from Reggie Jackson and Andre Drummond, and Luke Kennard coming into his own for perhaps the first time in his young career. While Blake Griffin has been his usual spectacular self, his numbers and energy level have dipped somewhat over this stretch, possibly due to the fatigue of having dragged his team kicking and screaming for the first three-and-a-half months of the season.

With Jackson back in form, the Pistons run a heavy load of pick-and-rolls with him and Drummond, and many of Drummond’s wasteful post-ups have been replaced with rolls and cuts to the basket. When Drummond does post up, he’s doing so with deep position, where he’s next to unstoppable.

The Pistons are catching the Miami Heat at a bad time, when some of their characteristic defensive discipline and tendencies are eluding them. The Heat are coming off back-to-back games in which they set and re-set their franchise record for 3-pointers allowed, first by the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday and then against the Toronto Raptors on Sunday.

Whether this was a result of a lack of cohesion thanks to a rotation in flux or the Heat failing to properly implement their zone defense, thus being unable to prevent opponents from shooting 3s from the corners with impunity, the Heat can’t afford to be lax on the perimeter against one of the NBA’s hottest shooting teams.

Since February 1st the Pistons have taken the 10th-most 3-pointers in the league at 35.6 per game, and they are shooting an NBA-best 40.4 percent from long range. Their most recent addition, Wayne Ellington, who signed with the Pistons after being bought out by the Heat, got off to a slow start with his new team but he’s lethal from anywhere and everywhere behind the arc.

The Heat will likely start Bam Adebayo at center as they have the past seven games, but Hassan Whiteside figures to get a heavy load in order to try to keep control of Andre Drummond.

Kelly Olynyk has a reputation of being something of a Piston killer, so the Heat will need him to hold his own against Blake Griffin. If the Heat are able to win the battle of the bigs, they should fare well against the visiting Detroit Pistons.

Detroit Pistons projected starters

• Point guard, Reggie Jackson
• Shooting guard, Bruce Brown
• Small forward, Wayne Ellington
• Power forward, Blake Griffin
• Center, Andre Drummond

Miami Heat projected starters

• Point guard, Justise Winslow
• Shooting guard, Dion Waiters
• Small forward, Josh Richardson
• Power forward, Kelly Olynyk
• Center, Bam Adebayo

The Pistons and Heat will tip off at 7:30 PM Eastern.