Nekias Duncan and Steve Jones Jr. dive into the many reasons why the 1-seed Detroit Pistons are down 3 to 1 to the 8-seed Orlando Magic. Check out the full conversation on “The Dunker Spot” and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you listen.
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Video Transcript
The magic have worked.
The magic have worked to take Jalen Duran off the table.
And Detroit has not really been able to get him back rolling the way they did in game two, the second half.
And because of that, now he is still searching late in this series.
So if you have our anchor, one of our anchors in the half court is not there.
Our defense sometimes is not there.
We’re turning the ball over.
And we also have certain issues offensively.
You’ve now put yourself in a tough position and a tough bind.
And I think you give credit to Orlando because they’re game to have this specific fight.
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Like if you look at the shot, if you look at the shot distribution, I know Jamal Kane came off and had a really great moment for Orlando, but it is those guys taking shots.
And Powell, who I think has been pretty lights out for most of the series, four for 18 in that game four.
But he wasn’t going to stop shooting.
Desmond Bain, seven of 18.
He wasn’t going to stop shooting.
Jalen Suggs was one of 13 in game four, one of 11 for three.
He was not going to stop shooting.
And so if you’re Detroit, you have to have a level of separation.
You’ve got to execute in those moments.
You’ve got to keep Orlando pushed away.
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And that’s going to require defense.
It’s going to require a whole lot of Cade Cunningham.
I think that’s the other thing.
Orlando being able to wear on Cade.
So we’re not only like the positive for Detroit was we get Duran back rolling.
Cade’s attacking matchups.
We at least have something we can sustain on.
Cade didn’t have a lot of fun in pick and roll.
They did a good job of trying to mix him off ball, get him some wide pin downs, get him some staggers, let him kind of get movement into a screen.
But it wasn’t the same force he had in those game ones and games two as he developed.
Hey, I would like to attack all of you.
You didn’t feel that in Orlando.
So now Detroit backs are against the wall.
Everything you’ve built has helped you sustain some of these tough moments, but it’s all on display.