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Costa and Jansen have two main factors to watch for in game 2 of Pistons-Cavs.
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00:00Tonight is the night for the Pistons. Game 2 against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
00:04Two things to watch for the Pistons tonight.
00:07And they're both Cavs-centered, because I think this is all about Cleveland avoiding going down 0-2.
00:13The first thing I'm watching for tonight is Donovan Mitchell.
00:16He had 19 shots in Game 1, only one in the restricted area.
00:21If you're going to plant the seeds about getting calls,
00:25does he get them? Does he go to the basket?
00:29He's their best player. James Harden's 36 years old. He looks washed.
00:32Their best player is Donovan Mitchell. How does he rise to the moment on the road?
00:36Does he go to the basket, and does he get calls?
00:39That's the first thing I'm watching tonight.
00:41The second is on the other end. Jared Allen.
00:46He played 18 minutes in Game 1.
00:48I imagine he'll play twice that tonight.
00:51How does that impact Cleveland's defense?
00:54How does that impact Jalen Duren, who had a double-double in Game 1 of this series?
00:57So the two guys I'm looking at are Mitchell on offense, Allen on defense.
01:02Those are my two things to watch for the Pistons.
01:04And playing off of Jared Allen and the fouls, how does that affect JB's rotation?
01:10Because we didn't see any of B-Ball Paul, because the two bigs weren't in at the same time.
01:17Very often.
01:18And not impactful times or moments.
01:22Is there, because we talked, I've mentioned this, talked about it a lot.
01:26This is a JB series.
01:27We know how important it must be to him and, in turn, the players, not just in terms of winning
01:32and moving on.
01:33But how does he continue to adjust the rotation?
01:38And does more B-Ball Paul somehow, if you're going to have a couple of bigs in the game at
01:42the time,
01:43does it cut down on the time that Dennis Jenkins is in there?
01:45That was 29 minutes.
01:47That was a long time for a guy that started in the G League, two-way contract, played well,
01:52and it was all about hustle.
01:54It was about stepping up in moments where, hey, alongside Cade or instead of Cade,
02:00when Cade was out, they're not perfect, but those were quality minutes that Dennis Jenkins was able to provide.
02:09What are you guys watching for tonight?
02:112-4-8-5-3-9-97-97.
02:13Throw out the number.
02:13Remember, we can take some texts and phone calls before we get to news and Dear John and Two Grand
02:17Slam and all that good stuff.
02:18Pistons tonight, game two against the Cavs.
02:23We've mentioned how important the first five minutes, ten minutes, first quarter of all these games are.
02:30I am intently watching the intensity with which the Pistons start with because there's a lot of pressure on Cleveland.
02:39You've mentioned it.
02:40Nationally, James Harden's taken a lot of flack.
02:43They're taking a lot of flack as a team in terms of their turnovers and kind of the laissez-faire
02:48way that they're playing in their own town.
02:51And if the Pistons can come out and put them in their place early, is this possibly a team that
02:59would just go in the tank mentally, physically?
03:04It's an opportunity for them to put their foot on their throat early in this game and just let them
03:11know, you know what?
03:12Hey, what happened in game one?
03:14It's just, that's the regular.
03:16We're not going to let off the gas pedal at all.
03:20Yeah, don't let them back in this series.
03:21I keep talking about what it would mean to go up 2-0.
03:24I mean, the flip side is if Cleveland says, well, hold on, we did what Tobias said.
03:28We did that classic foot off the gas after a game seven.
03:32The Pistons guarded against it and played hard.
03:34But maybe Cleveland had the after effects of going seven.
03:38And now they come out and give you a much better shot.
03:40Right.
03:41You got to be able to withstand it because if they even this up very quickly, they make the case.
03:45We're coming home tied 1-1.
03:47Game one was a liar.
03:49Just like it was in the first round for the Pistons.
03:51And they could even say, well, we underestimated the Pistons coming out of that Orlando series.
03:56We're better than Orlando.
03:58We just thought, yeah, we'll roll out the ball.
04:00We'll be able to, through the entire length of the game, we'll make our comeback.
04:04We'll be just fine.
04:05And they start making the case, we've got home court.
04:08Yeah.
04:09So I think there's...
04:11It is immensely, immensely.
04:15It is immensely important to come out with a good start and just send the message to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
04:23What happened in game one?
04:24That's who we are.
04:26And they're trying to say, well, okay, the Pistons played their best game.
04:31Maybe that was one of our worst.
04:33So it's somewhere in the middle and we're going to be just fine.
04:35Yeah.
04:36I think that we look to what from game one will be a constant in the series and what is
04:41going to be something that fluctuates.
04:42Because the constant to me is Cleveland's turnovers.
04:45The thing that's going to fluctuate is fouls, free throws, officiating.
04:50You've already seen them try to plant the seeds with Donovan Mitchell's comments yesterday about, you know, maybe I got
04:55a flop or I'm not getting any calls.
04:57And it goes back to last series.
04:59Bickerstaff's message was, flops are going to get called.
05:05Like he will be...
05:06I forget the exact phrase from JB, but he wanted to make sure he countered that message and said, I
05:10think flops are an infraction.
05:12So if you start trying to do that, we'll make sure the officials are aware they can call that.
05:17Yeah.
05:17But how will it be officiated when, if and when they go to the basket more aggressively and, and on
05:22their own end, are they able to keep their bigs in the lineup to alter more shots?
05:26And that will affect something I think is going to be very important.
05:29One of the thing, one of the superpowers for the Pistons is their hustle, their effort.
05:34It's the loose balls.
05:36It's, but if you, if you start racking up some fouls early, then does it, Hey, got to pay a
05:42little more cautious.
05:43Don't want to get in foul trouble.
05:44Maybe you're not diving or you're not as aggressive as you would be because one of the, again, superpowers is
05:51offensive rebounds, second chance points, being able to dominate the boards against the bigs while they're in there.
06:00And that's something that the Pistons have.
06:02That's a, it's a trademark of these Detroit Pistons.
06:06This was the quote from JB.
06:07Donovan Mitchell is very intelligent.
06:09It's all messaging.
06:10And we understand that, but our message is flopping as a violation.
06:16It's, it's a response.
06:18How will that end up going tonight in terms of how it's officiated?
06:22Not that you can make the excuse, the refs are going to decide the game, but that you have to
06:25be able to handle those situations.
06:27No, but on the, on the flip side.
06:28Okay.
06:29It was, you know, 16 free throws to 35 free throws calves, Pistons.
06:33I don't think it flips completely.
06:35No, it's not.
06:36It's not going to be the other way around, but is it 25 and 25?
06:39Is it, is it, you know, 24 and 27?
06:42Again, we did this a little on yesterday's show, but if you want to complain about not getting free throws,
06:49you need to go to the rim.
06:52Donovan Mitchell had 19 shots, only one inside the restricted area at the rim.
06:56You don't get to bitch about officiating.
06:58If you're shooting floaters and jumpers, you're just not going to get those calls.
07:02That game, game one was not poorly refereed.
07:05You get what you earn.
07:06The Pistons went to the rack and earned free throws.
07:10If Cleveland and Donovan Mitchell specifically are committed to getting to the rack, they'll get more calls.
07:17But if they're going to sit and do little lollipop layups and little floaters, don't look at the officials to
07:22carry the day and put you at the free throw line.
07:24I think one of the key points that we made going into this is Toronto, who they, but they went
07:29seven games with a good defensive team, not as good as the Pistons.
07:34And, and everybody's looking at the turnovers that Cleveland has had, especially James Harden.
07:39Well, they're high in that category because they're playing against two really good defenses and the Pistons aren't going to
07:47stop playing defense.
07:48They're not going to stop hustling.
07:50They're not going to stop trading off screens.
07:52They're not going to stop doing the things that have made them who they are.
07:55A couple of texts, what you guys are watching for in game two.
07:58I'm watching for the Cunningham during combo.
08:00If they can get it going like they did at the end of game one, I think this will be
08:04another route.
08:05I'm also watching James Harden to see if he chokes like he did in game one.
08:09I think we could get a gentleman's sweep.
08:11Alex at a farm.
08:14I take it.
08:15I'll be watching the consistency of the Pistons defense.
08:18And he let up from them there.
08:19And I think Cleveland runs away with it.
08:22Sure.
08:23But is that something that you expect?
08:25Like even when they were struggling against Orlando, we weren't sitting there going, where is the defense?
08:33No, we were saying, boy, this is tough to watch offensively.
08:36Right.
08:36We were saying there's everybody standing in a clogged paint and nobody can get off shots and it's leading to
08:42turnovers.
08:42And that's killing them.
08:43Right.
08:44And it was even I think it was game five was like one of the hardest games to watch because
08:48both offenses were horrific.
08:50Game four.
08:51Because game five was the Apollo Cade game.
08:53That's right.
08:53Game four in Orlando was though.
08:55Yeah.
08:57I'm waiting for the continued ascension of Asar Thompson or watching for the continued ascension of Asar Thompson.
09:03I think they've unlocked a much needed aspect of his game in the offensive end late in that Orlando series,
09:07having him initiate on offense rather than having caved with the ball all the time.
09:11All of a sudden, the floor spacing looks a little different.
09:13He reminds me of a certain wormy, crazy person that used to play here.
09:18Yeah.
09:18Travis and Westland.
09:19I'm happy he brought this up because I made a note in game one and we never even addressed it
09:24yesterday.
09:24There's just so much to talk about.
09:25Asar had three assists in the opening quarter and it's a way of them.
09:30Someone else that can bring the ball over the timeline.
09:33Cade can play but not have to carry that burden every minute he's on the floor.
09:37And Asar is a good passer if you and a good athlete.
09:39So if you get past that initial defender, you force breakdowns.
09:43Teams have to help and collapse and then he can kick and move.
09:47And all of a sudden, you have a drive and kick and everybody else around him are better shooters than
09:50Asar.
09:51So it's a nice kind of change up.
09:53And maybe we do see more of it.
09:55Yeah, I did notice more amount of time that he had the ball in his hands.
10:02Now, the issue is going to be with Asar is, hey, he's standing at the three-point line.
10:08He's not even looking for a shot.
10:10Right.
10:11And everybody's sagging off.
10:12So what do you do at that point?
10:13That's where, hey, you got to get the ball into Cade's hands.
10:17But having that opportunity is what helps set some of the things up for the Pistons.
10:24Cade will not shoot that bad.
10:25It won't keep happening.
10:27That's something to watch for game two tonight.
10:28Yeah, he had 23 points.
10:30It's the fewest points he's had in any playoff game this series.
10:34Well, there's only been one.
10:35Sorry, this postseason is what I meant.
10:37Thank you, John.
10:38Let's get to Kent.
10:39Kent, good morning.
10:41Hey, good morning.
10:42Good morning, man.
10:42Hey, you know, Detroit fans, man, Michigan fans, Detroit fans, you guys crack me up, dude.
10:49I'm listening to these dudes call this radio station the last couple days, and I get the
10:53enthusiasm, and you should be, especially after last series, where you probably should
10:57have got beat of Wagner, old Michigan dude, didn't get hurt.
11:00But regardless, in my opinion, Detroit played the best game that they can play last game
11:08one, and Cleveland didn't.
11:11Cleveland didn't play a B game for them, yet the game was still tied with five minutes
11:15to go.
11:16You know?
11:17I mean, I think everybody's looking through rose-colored glasses here.
11:21Game one is the biggest, game one is like the opening day in football.
11:27It's the most over-exaggerated game out there, because everybody starts to think their team's
11:31going to the Super Bowl, or their team stinks.
11:33Everybody thinks they're going to sweep, or their team is going to get swept.
11:37Game one, man, is a mirage, y'all.
11:39This series is going to get tough, I'm telling you.
11:43And people need to start preparing for that, because I really think this is going seven, and
11:47we'll see what happens in game seven.
11:50Yeah, it's also something that a fan of the other team would say.
11:54Well, game one doesn't mean that much.
11:55I'm not a Cleveland fan.
11:57I'm just a basketball fan.
12:00I actually like the Sixers.
12:01But I'm just tripping on this, man.
12:05I mean, everybody's calling.
12:07Gentlemen, sweet, sweet.
12:08They're so great.
12:10Detroiters, who they, we thought.
12:11What are you guys talking about?
12:13You guys watch them all season?
12:14Detroit can't shoot.
12:16These dudes can't shoot.
12:18I mean, really?
12:21Man, I'm telling you.
12:21I think you're going to get a much better effort from Cleveland, but let's not paint
12:24a picture that's not accurate.
12:27That's the Pistons' best game, and the Cavs' worst game.
12:30They shot the same percentage from the floor and from three as one another.
12:35Cade, I just got done telling you, it's the fewest points he scored in any playoff game
12:38this postseason, and that's the best game they're going to play?
12:43I don't mind a guy who calls in and says, hey, I think Cleveland's going to win.
12:47Pump the brakes.
12:47We've played multiple games in this series, and don't be calling tonight anything certain.
12:54Cool.
12:55I like that phone call.
12:56That's fair game.
12:57To say that's the best the Pistons can play, I don't agree with.
13:00To say that, Cleveland is thinking that same thing.
13:05That's the best the Pistons have.
13:07That's the worst we have.
13:08We went into it maybe a little bit laissez-faire, and everything's going to be fine.
13:13That's what you're going to get.
13:15We just had that caller.
13:16No kidding.
13:17All right, we'll get Heather's news.
13:18We'll get the two grand slam.
13:19Get Dear John later this hour.
13:20It's 97.1.
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