The Trade Partners

This week we bring you a match up between two playoff hopefuls who traded big names in the summer. The Pistons and the Wizards were both looking for better fits with the team when they swapped Klay Thompson and Kyrie Irving, but with the big injury to Klay, we’re only going to see one of those players today and for this season. Don’t fret though, both teams have started well and are in the playoff hunt in the wildly competitive East!

The Wizards:

The Wizards have started the season 5-3 and Kyrie Irving has been electric pacing the team with 32 points a game. Irving’s arrival has meant the Wizards could play Ben Simmons at PF which has him running at elite defensive numbers due to being (probably) the fastest PF in the league. His lack of outside shot isn’t a problem here, despite the league going for a shooting big in a lot of cases, and he’s been causing havoc defensively. This week the Wiz are without Ben though so will have to make some on the fly adjustments as he joins Dario Saric, their other favoured PF, on the shelf. It will be a good test of the depth for the Wizards and their progress for the season!

The Pistons:

The Pistons have surprised going with a 5-1 start with only a loss to the elite Nets team to their name. It’s been a surprise because you don’t lightly lose a player of Klay Thompson’s ability and then open the season on a 5-0 streak! Luckily, Klay is the only guy that is out currently (worth noting) and the team looks to have a really nice balance even without him. Their young core has been fantastic and shows no signs of slowing down as we watch the emergence of Jerami Grant who they acquired via S&T in the offseason for the departing Christian Wood, who just went down with a possible long term injury also. Right now, you’d have to say the Pistons look legit though and should be in the conversation come the playoffs.

The Projected Match-Ups:

C: Willie Cauley-Stein  Vs  Deandre Ayton  

WCS has started every game this year and been a solid unit down low. 8 points, 10 rebounds and 2 blocks is a nice anchor and he’s pretty low usage which helps with guys like Kyrie around. Expect him to just be the defensive guy in the background trying to haul in rebounds. Ayton however will be a force on both ends as he’s developing into a monster. 16 points, 15 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals and 2 blocks makes for an imposing all round stat line on 65% shooting and 95% from the line. Ayton should eat WCS for breakfast you would think and get all he wants.

PF: JaKarr Sampson  Vs  Jerami Grant

In the wake of Ben Simmons sitting out, the starting role falls to JaKarr, all be it for only 12 minutes projected. He’s played in only 3 games at 8 minutes a game and has averages of 0.7 points and 2 rebounds…which you’d expect to be about his range again in this role. There doesn’t appear to be much reason to start him here, and Jerami Grant is going to get all he wants on this match up too. He’s averaging a double double, all be it with tempered offensive numbers, but JaKarr wont bother him in the slightest and maybe this will be a coming out party of sorts?

SF: Evan Fournier  Vs  Marcus Morris

Fournier is quietly having a stellar season averaging 18 points on 48% shooting, 58% from deep and 96% from the line. He’s always been a shooter, but his lack of vert and athleticism has meant he’s had to settle for more contested shots than you would like which has led to lower shooting percentages. Morris on the opposing side is very similar to Evan. The stat line is nearly the same with 18 points a game also on slightly worse efficiency at 43/50/96. Marcus’ defence is his let down too though, despite his better athleticism, so both guys are probably going to eat as well as each other.

SG: Landry Shamet  Vs  Terence Davis  

Shamet has earned the floor spacing 2 guard spot this season and has been a solid provider for the Wiz at 11 points and 2 triples a game. The spacing in Washington is heavily proportionate to guys like Landry and as long as the opposing guard isn’t an elite offensive guy, that works fine. Davis isn’t that guy luckily for Washington. He started last week but only averaged 7 points on 29% shooting. He shot it 50% from deep and 100% from the line though. Davis plays a nice secondary ball handler to Ja however and that wil be his role going forward. This match up is more due to fit with the better guys on the team and neither will influence the result directly too much.

PG: Kyrie Irving  Vs  Ja Morant  

Kyrie hasn’t missed a game yet, and he’s in the upper echelon of scorers with 32 a night. How is a blistering 58/55/92 shooting spread also, with 5 triples made per game? He’s running a NET 23.5 currently so he’s the difference for the Wizards. Ja’s numbers are looking great in his 2^nd year at 19 points, 6 assists, but somehow he has a -13.9 NET 48 where his team is apparently FAR better while he’s off the court? Quite possibly, this might be a blow out factor. At any rate, the most points are going to come from this match up of master versus apprentice as Irving was the mentor to Ja last year.

Bench V Bench:

Aaron Holiday, Robert Williams, Langston Galloway, JaeSean Tate, Garrett Temple, Chandler Hutchison
Vs
Derrick Favors, Hamidou Diallo, Bruce Brown, Elfrid Payton, Bryn Forbes, Cole Anthony

The benches look to both be a nice blend of future and now but the Pistons get the nod for depth with the likes of Favors and Payton. The minute distribution is greater amongst the Wiz, but that’s also due to injuries. The Pistons bench should win out.

Head to Head Prediction:

I’m now 0-2 on predicting my GOTW winners so maybe I’m the kiss of death? I think the Wizards are going to sorely miss Simmons this week as the Pistons are a very talented all round team and are at minus-Klay full strength. I think the Pistons keep rolling.

Pistons by 11.

-          Kyrie. The only way I envision the Wizards winning when you have such a balanced attack on the Pistons side of the ball is to see Kyrie go Super Saiyan and drop 60…yes, 60. No one in Detroit averages more than 20 which is great and the better “team” often wins, but Kyrie is an Xfactor.