Washington Wizards: Key Matchups Against Detroit

The 5-4 Washington Wizards will take on the 7-5 Detroit Pistons Saturday night at The Palace of Auburn Hills. After getting off to a 5-2 start, the Pistons dropped four in a row during a tough Western Conference road trip. The Wizards have been up and down throughout their first nine games, but have found their stride the past couple of games.

Both teams look to earn their third straight win in Saturday night’s battle. The Wizards won last year’s season series 2-1.

This game will feature a couple of intriguing matchups at the point guard and center position. Reggie Jackson and Andre Drummond have been rolling on all cylinders so far this season, and no one can seem to stop them. The pick-and-roll sets between the two have been almost impossible to guard.

Some teams have even taken the approach to start a smaller player on Drummond to make it easier to make the switch more fluid.

Reggie Jackson vs John Wall

Wall has had proven success against Detroit throughout his career. In 14 games against the Pistons, he is averaging 20.4 points, 9.3 assists, and 3.4 rebounds per game. This Detroit team is different from those in the past years. The Pistons currently rank fifth in total defense in the NBA, allowing just 96.4 points per game.

On the other hand, it will be a tough task to contain the uptempo offense of the Wizards, who have scored 100 or more points in six of their nine games.

Reggie Jackson’s numbers against the Wizards aren’t quite as impressive as Wall’s, but the years that he played backup point guard in Oklahoma City could attest for that. This season, Jackson is impressing everyone in the league averaging 20.4 points, 5.6 assists, and 4.6 rebounds.

Since the injury to Brandon Jennings (ruptured Achilles) last season, Jackson has taken advantage and likely won the starting position for the future in Detroit. He will look to continue to prove his worth Saturday night against one of the best point guards in the NBA.

Both guards work most effectively out of pick-and-roll sets. It can be safe to assume that countless numbers of ball screens will be present and who ever utilizes them better will give their team the edge. Wall and Marcin Gortat have been a handful to guard in the pick-and-roll due to Wall’s lightning quickness when attacking the big man.

On the season, 15 percent (third on the team) of Wall’s passes have been made to Gortat for a field goal percentage of 45.2. In the new fast-paced offense, Wall is passing more to the wing players including Bradley Beal and Otto Porter. Many of those passes are still coming after Wall receives a screen from Gortat to make the defense commit as he kicks out to the shooters for open three’s.

Jackson is passing to Drummond 15.9 percent of the time for a field goal percentage of 58.3. Drummond’s size and strength once he catches the ball is overwhelming to pretty much any player in the league. The Pistons will hope the Wizards play similar defense as seen here:

Marcin Gortat vs Andre Drummond

You could make a realistic argument that aside from Stephen Curry‘s ridiculousness, Drummond would win the MVP award if it had to be chosen today. He has been posting unbelievable numbers night in and night out, including three games with at least 20 points and 20 rebounds.

Friday night against he Minnesota Timberwolves, Drummond was contained to just four points and four rebounds in the first half. The 6’11” big man dominated the second half and was able to lift his team to victory as he finished with yet another double-double (his 12th) of 21 points and 11 rebounds.

You can expect another double-double from Drummond Saturday night, but the Wizards will have to focus on limiting his offensive rebounds if they plan on leaving Detroit with a win.

On the other side, Gortat has been struggling in comparison to recent years statistically. He is still putting up respectable averages of 10.9 points and 7.8 rebounds, but early on, Gortat had been struggling controlling the glass. Head coach Randy Wittman addressed the media stating his disappointment with Gortat’s efforts rebounding.

Since Wittman’s comments, Gortat has answered with a better production including a nine-rebound game against the Bucks and 10-rebound game against the Magic. In past matchups, Gortat has done well against Drummond, averaging 18 points and 13.3 rebounds.

Next: 25 Best Players to Play for the Washington Wizards

Though it will be a daunting task considering the level Drummond is playing on this season, it will be a great opportunity for Gortat to prove he can match up against the best rebounder in the league.