Pistons-Bucks Preview
While Greg Monroe's new team continues to be a work in progress, his old one has at times shown signs of improvement since his departure.
The Detroit Pistons still have some areas to work on, however, ahead of visiting Monroe's Milwaukee Bucks on Monday night in a matchup of slumping Central Division teams.
Monroe's offseason addition was expected to further accelerate the Bucks' rise to contention in the Eastern Conference, but Milwaukee (5-8) has appeared to regress following a surprise playoff berth and 41-41 record in coach Jason Kidd's first season.
While constant lineup tinkering caused by a rash of early injuries has certainly played a part, a defense that's turned from a strength to a weakness has been the biggest factor in the Bucks' struggles.
Milwaukee is allowing 105.2 points per game on 46.4 percent shooting, ranking in the NBA's bottom tier in both categories. The problems have been pronounced during a three-game skid in which opponents have shot 53.4 percent and averaged 117.7 points.
The Bucks were particularly bad on the defensive end during the second half of Saturday's visit with Indiana, which shot 63.4 percent while scoring 68 points over the final two quarters of a 123-86 rout.
"We would miss a shot and then not get back on defense," Kidd said. "In the last two games, we played pretty well in the second half, but that didn't happen tonight."
Monroe, signed to a three-year, $50 million contract in July, has averaged 16.2 points and 9.9 rebounds - similar numbers to his five seasons in Detroit - though he's been off his game during the losing streak with 10.7 points per game on 40.0 percent shooting.
Monroe was never part of a winning season with Detroit (7-6), which enters the Bradley Center sitting above .500 but has dropped five of seven following a 5-1 start.
The Pistons have gotten strong work from a starting unit that includes former Buck Ersan Ilyasova but little from a reserve corps that's contributing a league-low 19.6 points per game. They were outscored 51-15 by Washington's bench in a 97-95 home loss Saturday in which Detroit wore down and squandered an 11-point third-quarter lead.
"We can't play the starters that many minutes - in fact we need to get their minutes down - but we didn't have an option tonight," coach Stan Van Gundy said. "Look at the plus/minus numbers, and (the starters) dominated the game, but our bench didn't do anything."
Ilyasova, traded to Detroit in June to clear cap space for Monroe, had 18 points in the loss and is averaging 14.7 over his last three. The stretch forward has been the Pistons' most effective perimeter shooter, making 45.8 percent of his 3-point attempts.
Andre Drummond has led Detroit's improvement by recording a league-leading 17.8 rebounds per game, though the standout center was denied a double-double for the first time this season with eight points against the Wizards.
"We were ready for him," Wizards center Marcin Gortat said. "We all focused on him every time, and we went at him offensively to make him tired."
Drummond averaged 17.5 points and 11.8 rebounds in Detroit's four meetings with Milwaukee last season, three of which the Bucks won by yielding 86 points or less.
The Pistons have lost three straight at the Bradley Center since a 105-98 victory on Dec. 4, 2013.