The Cleveland Cavaliers have recorded two straight blowout victories after the All-Star break, the latest coming in a 101-83 win over the Knicks on Sunday. The Detroit Pistons are also on a two-game winning streak with wins over the Bulls and Wizards.
Projected Starting Lineups
Cleveland Cavaliers (35-22)
G Kyrie Irving – 21.7 ppg, 5.3 apg
G J.R. Smith – 13.0 ppg, 3.0 rpg
F LeBron James – 25.8 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 7.3 apg
F Kevin Love – 16.8 ppg, 10.4 rpg
C Timofey Mozgov– 10.4 ppg, 8.2 rpg
Detroit Pistons (23-33)
G Reggie Jackson –17.0 ppg, 5.0 apg
G Kentavious Caldwell-Pope – 12.3 ppg, 3.1 apg
F Caron Butler – 5.9 ppg, 2.8 rpg
F Greg Monroe – 15.4 ppg, 10.4 rpg
C Andre Drummond – 12.8 ppg, 13.0 rpg
What to watch for:
Reggie Jackson vs. Kyrie Irving
The Pistons made a big trade at the deadline to bring in Reggie Jackson from Oklahoma City, who wanted a chance to start. He was solid in his debut with Detroit, scoring 17 points and dishing out five assists while going up against John Wall and the Wizards. Now he gets another chance to show the Pistons that he can be a top notch point guard against one of the best in the game right now. Whoever wins this matchup will give their team an edge.
Who can control the post?
Greg Monroe and Andre Drummond are one of the best low post duos in the league, but Kevin Love and Timofey Mozgov have also shown they can dominate down low. Whichever group can control the glass and score on the block will let their team control the game, and probably lead to a win.
Prediction: Cavs win 109-104
Detroit stepped up their play after getting rid of Josh Smith, and they've taken their game up to another level with Reggie Jackson. However, the Cavs are playing as well as anyone in the league and they'll win a close game.
Be sure to follow our Cavs insider @brauf33 on Twitter and follow our Cleveland Cavaliers page for all the latest news!
Back to the Cleveland Cavaliers Newsfeed