AT 
Date: Saturday, November 1st, 2008
Time: 7:30pm (EST)
T.V Outlet: Comcast SportsNet, NBA League Pass
Radio Outlet: ESPN 980
The Palace of Auburn Hills, Detroit (MI)
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Starting Lineup - Washington Wizards
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PG: Antonio Daniels
SG: DeShawn Stevenson
SF: Caron Butler
PF: Antawn Jamison
C : Etan Thomas
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Starting Lineup - Detroit Pistons
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PG: Chauncey Billups
SG: Richard Hamilton
SF: Tayshaun Prince
PF: Amir Johnson
C : Rasheed Wallace
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Miller's Match-up of the Night
Tayshaun Prince is widely regarded as one of the premier lock-down defenders at the small forward position. With his wide wing-span and lanky form, he can alter shots that the average player can't get to. Caron Butler, on the other hand, is an offense-first player who likes to stick to the mid-range game as his shot of choice. He'll occasionally back his defender down and attempt a fade-away, as well as a strong drive to the hoop, but these are few and far between. Can Tough Juice create enough space to get his shot off with consistency? Will he be more accurate against the Pistons than he was against the Nets? Can he check his opposing small forward who, albeit less talented, can score well within Detroits methodical offense? Only time will tell.
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Three Keys to a Wizards Win
1. Dictate the Tempo - It seems that, with our current starting lineup and bench, we should be slightly faster than last season (noting the subtraction of Haywood). Because of this, I think a run and gun style is best suited for our team. We can't let the Pistons trap us into a slow-tempo game where defense reigns supreme.
2. Guard the Perimeter - This could really be a key to every Wizards game but specifically this one since the Pistons starting lineup is comprised of 4 players who can stroke the 3 with relative consistency (Billups, Hamilton, Prince and Wallace).
3. Establish Set-Rotations - Let players know exactly what's expected of them. Most notably - the minutes they should expect and when to expect them. It is of my belief that players play better when they know what's expected from the coaching staff.
