Pistons vs. Pacers Preview: Detroit can officially put last season behind them, starting with the season opener against Indy

The Detroit Pistons start their season tonight against the Indiana Pacers, and if the team truly wants to build on the positive momentum of a productive offseason and promising preseason, a win tonight isn't entirely necessary, but it would be a big help.

Tonight's home game is the Pistons' most profitable of a pretty brutal six-game start to the season. To be clear, the Pacers are no pushovers. They were a playoff team last year and will likely be a playoff team again this season. However, between tonight and November 3rd, the Pistons play the Pacers, Cavs, Celtics, Heat, Sixers and Knicks. An 0-6 start isn't out of the question, but a win tonight will at least ease the inevitable anxiety that can come with an early season losing streak – as Pistons fans know all too well.

Game Vitalities

When: 7pm ET
Where: Little Caesars Arena, Detroit, Michigan
Regard: FanDuel Sports Detroit
Opportunities: Piston +5

analysis

The opening for the Pistons is Indiana's porous defense. The Pacers ranked just 25th in defensive efficiency last season, including last in opponent field goal percentage and opponent free throw attempts. They know they're a bad team, and instead of denying it, they just try to rely on what they're good at to the point where it overwhelms their defensive deficiencies and their opponent.

The Pacers' bread and butter is a lightning-fast style of play and a productive offense. They run the floor and take a lot of shots, and they do it without turning the ball over. That's because they have guards they trust – Tyrese Haliburton and Aaron Nembhard – and a forward in Pascal Siakim who can serve as a primary offensive weapon and secondary playmaker.

It's time for the Pistons to put all of their new 3-point shooting skills to the test. The Pacers forego open looks and let you run the floor with them. If the Pistons were to win this game, it would be because Tobias Harris won his duel with Siakim, Malik Beasley (or using one or more productive three-point players) consistently scored from distance, and Cade Cunningham was able to take advantage of all that space to become a dynamic playmaker being the one who finds his teammates for easy opportunities.

This is also a real chance for JB Bickerstaff to show the impact he was able to make on his team, even if it will only be game #1. It's too hard to literally slow down the Pacers, but if he can keep up with them, the combination of speed and an aggressive, intelligent and communicative defense allows players to turn some of their defense into offense on multiple occasions. It feels like a great game where the team that blocks the most passes wins.

That being said, I'm particularly excited to see what Ron Holland accomplishes in his first professional game, as it's likely to be an up-and-down affair. I imagine the young winger will have limited playing time, but I wouldn't discount his ability to do something exciting in that time.

Planned lineup

Detroit Pistons (0-0)

Cade Cunningham, Jaden Ivey, Tim Hardaway Jr., Tobias Harris, Jalen Duren

Indiana Pacers (0-0)

Tyrese Haliburton, Andrew Nembhard, Aaron Nesmith, Pascal Siakim, Myles Turner

Question of the game

Who will be the Detroit Pistons' biggest bright spot in Game 1?