VS 
Where it all began...
Starting Lineups
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Without Chauncey Billups to contend with, it seems T.J. Ford's night will be easier. However, Rodney Stuckey is not a player to be taken for granted. While he is no Billups, Stuckey has the ability to surprise defenses and slice through. The second-year man is still inexperienced, however, and the veteran T.J. Ford should be able to take advantage of the matchup to regain his poise after the recent dismal five-game stretch. On defense, it is possible that Marquis will match up to Stuckey while T.J. takes Allen Iverson, due to the size matchups.
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The Allen Iverson experiment has not been doing as well as Joe Dumars has hoped. However, the Answer is not all to blame in their sub-par record as of late. The absence of Antonio McDyess has been felt, and with him back in the lineup, the Pistons are a better team. Iverson has been shooting a shade under 40% from the field since donning Motor City's blue and red, and Marquis has been white-hot, picking up some of Danny Granger's offensive slack during the last few games. Despite past performances, Marquis should work to continue proving himself while keeping the clamps on AI. History has shown that, even through tough times, the little man can somehow find a way to score, and he's a few games overdue for a 50-point explosion.
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Rip Hamilton probably misses his backcourt buddy Billups, but even though he's moved to the "3" spot and operates without two big men setting picks for him, Richard Hamilton can really fill up the points column in the box score. All he needs is a tiny bit of space. Danny Granger has been doing basically the opposite. He is not hitting the shots he needs to be, but he's also settling for too many perimeter shots when driving in is more preferrable. Against Rip Hamilton, he should either use his body to get it inside. If his offense isn't flowing, he should aid in the rebound battle. On the inside, the Pistons have Rasheed Wallace and Tayshaun Prince, while the Pacers have Rasho Nesterovic and Troy Murphy. If Granger commits to chasing down rebounds, the Pacers will have many more chances to score.
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Troy Murphy is coming off of an amazing 20-20-6 performance, his first such game. As an established rebounding force, he should be wary of the quicker, more agile Pistons big men. Tayshaun Prince is playing power forward, which may prompt O'Brien to move Troy to center, and utilize a smaller lineup. If Troy finds himself being defended by the wily Prince, he should take advantage of his strength and work the ball inside.
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Rasheed Wallace is now a Pistons constant that opens up the floor with his 3-point touch and can also dominate the inside with a variety of post moves. He also stuffs shots at an alarming clip. No one wishes to arrive in the paint and see Sheed getting ready to reject their attempt. Rasho Nesterovic doesn't need to think too much about beating Rasheed Wallace offensively. He should stick with the big man and close out on his three-point attempts. On the inside, muscling Rasheed would help. He can take it, but he might be inclined to do something that earns him the technical foul that he has a penchant for earning.
The Key Reserves
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The backcourt depth of the Pistons has been reduced, with Afflalo becoming the main reserve in that department. Jarrett Jack has been in a slump, while Brandon Rush has proved himself worthy of minutes. Jeff Foster has a sore lower back, but it didn't show against Toronto as he battled his way into a double-double. The Pistons don't have the deepest bench in the world, but they have the option of going a little bigger with a lineup of Iverson, Hamilton, Prince, McDyess, and Wallace, a formidable group by anyone's standards. The Pacers need their bench to win, no matter how well the starters are doing.
The Coaches
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The Pacers face so many former Pacers coaching the league may one day just be coached by a lot of former Pacers. Michael Curry is one such player, although his tenure was short. Nevertheless, his defensive knowledge goes hand-in-hand with the philosophy of the Pistons. Jim O'Brien will need to figure out away around the Tayshaun Prince enigma, which has perplexed the Pacers ever since Ron Artest made himself inconveniently unavailable against the same team. O'Brien may look to tweak the starting lineup to match the Pistons in size and speed, relegating Nesterovic to the bench.
Injury Report
Pistons
None
Pacers
Mike Dunleavy: Out (Sore Knee)
Travis Diener: Day-to-Day (Sore Foot)
Jeff Foster: Day-to-Day (Sore Back)
Final Points
-There pretty much is no rivalry. Only Jamaal Tinsley and Jeff Foster were around for the brawl, and Jamaal has been excommunicated and Foster is an upstanding citizen who had nothing to do with it.
-Piston can exploit the matchups, but the Pacers will have many opportunities to do the same.
-Do not be discouraged. Once hope is lost in the Palace of Auburn Hills, it's pretty much over. The crowd swallows opposing teams alive.
Tradition
Motor City, vroom vroom!
Hope you have enjoyed viewing this thread as much as I have "auditioning" tradition girls!
