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The revamped San Antonio Spurs will face a very young Detroit Pistons team at the posh Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan. It is a matchup of teams looking to improve from their respective dismal seasons while also developing their talented core of players.
While the Spurs have already won their first preseason game after beating the undermanned Utah Jazz, Dwane Casey will lead the charge of a youthful Pistons team that is yet to see action in the preseason.
Look for both teams, particularly the Detroit Pistons, to experiment with different lineups to have a clearer picture of what could happen in the regular season.
Match Details
Fixture – San Antonio Spurs vs Detroit Pistons | NBA Pre-Season 2021-22
Date & Time – Wednesday, October 6th, 2021; 7:00 PM ET (Thursday, October 7th, 4:30 AM IST).
Venue – Little Caesars Arena, Detroit, MI
San Antonio Spurs Preview
The San Antonio Spurs are coming into the 2021-22 season without an established All-Star for a very long time. After the loss of DeMar DeRozan and LaMarcus Aldridge, it will be up to budding stars like Dejounte Murray and Derrick White to lead the Silver and Black.
Pop could give more minutes to Luka Samanic and Doug McDermott in the power forward spot for roster depth. If the San Antonio Spurs want to add more assets for a rebuild, Thaddeus Young and Al-Farouq Aminu could be valuable trade pieces.
The San Antonio Spurs again surprised everyone during the 2021 Draft by getting the very young and talented Josh Primo out of Alabama. He could yet be another gem in the rough that the Spurs front office uncovered.
Primo was great in the Summer League and led the team in scoring against the Jazz with an impressive 7/8 shooting.
Key Player - Dejounte Murray
Without Derrick White for most of last season, the San Antonio Spurs relied on Dejounte Murray to carry out playmaking and scoring duties for the team. Murray has not disappointed and if he can build on last year’s success, he could be at the forefront of the Spurs' new era of basketball.
Murray had career highs in scoring, rebounds and assists last year. Without DDR and LMA, the San Antonio Spurs may put more scoring load on Murray’s shoulders. It’ll be interesting to see how he handles his new role.
Against the Detroit Pistons, he will take every chance to spread the offense, so the new San Antonio Spurs can acclimate themselves quicker and better in a new system. On the other side of the ball, his All-NBA defense will try to pressure and stifle the Pistons’ 21-year old point guard, Killian Hayes.
San Antonio Spurs Predicted Lineup
G – Dejounte Murray, G – Derrick White, F – Doug McDermott, F – Keldon Johnson, C – Jakob Poeltl
Detroit Pistons Preview
The young Detroit Pistons last year just got younger in the upcoming 2021-22 NBA season after drafting four rookies, including the No. 1 overall pick, Cade Cunningham. There will be clear growing pains, especially since the Pistons will have to compete and grow in a stacked Eastern Conference.
To say that the potential is enormous for this Detroit Pistons team is underselling its true value. In addition to the highly-touted Cunningham, who is out with a sprained ankle, Detroit also nabbed the near-consensus College Player of the Year, Luka Garza. Killian Hayes, Saddiq Bey and Isaiah Stewart are only going to get better with more experience.
The Detroit Pistons will just have to stick with their plans and see how it works in the upcoming season. Despite the uncertainties, the team has vowed to play with energy and passion to compensate for their inexperience. This is going to be an exciting season for Motor City fans.
Key Player - Jerami Grant
Only a few players made strides in their development better than Jerami Grant. With Blake Griffin traded to the Nets, Grant was undoubtedly the leader of the Detroit Pistons. From a pedestrian 12 points and 1.2 assists per game while in Denver, he bumped his averages to 22.3 PPG and 2.8 APG on top of a career-high 84.5 FT%.
Jerami Grant is going to be the most experienced and probably still the best player in this Detroit Pistons team. How the young talent develops around him will be the most riveting part of Detroit’s season.
Detroit Pistons Predicted Lineup
G – Killian Hayes, G – Josh Jackson, F – Saddiq Bey, F – Jerami Grant, C – Kelly Olynyk
Spurs vs Pistons Match Prediction
The Detroit Pistons will be trying to get the rust out of the way and introduce rookies to the speed and physicality of the NBA. Without Cade Cunningham and Isaiah Stewart, it will be a tough one for the home team against the San Antonio Spurs.
Jerami Grant is expected to play only a few minutes to give more opportunities to guys like Garza and Bey.
The San Antonio Spurs, in their first preseason game, looked sharp, fast and energetic. It could be an exciting up-and-down contest that will lean towards Gregg Popovich’s wards. If the Silver and Black stay close to form, it’ll be San Antonio by a comfortable margin.
Where to watch the Spurs vs Pistons game?
Bally Sports Detroit airs the San Antonio Spurs vs Detroit Pistons match live locally, while fans can also watch the game on the NBA League Pass.
Also check out: Complete NBA Preseason TV Schedule for 2021
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