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Pistons vs Knicks pregame notes
By InsideHoops.comFebruary 5, 2019
6:39 p.m. ET
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The Detroit Pistons (23-29) visit the New York Knicks (10-42) in Madison Square tonight, February 5, 2019.Big picture for the Pistons: Do Blake Griffin and Andre Drummond have enough help?
Big picture for the Knicks: Welcome Dennis Smith Jr. and friends, as the team looks towards the future.
Knicks pregame notes:
The massive franchise-changing recent Knicks trade: The New York Knicks acquired guard Dennis Smith Jr., center DeAndre Jordan, guard/forward Wesley Matthews and two future first round draft picks from Dallas in exchange for forward Kristaps Porzingis, and guards Tim Hardaway Jr., Trey Burke and Courtney Lee.
Dennis Smith Jr. bio: 6-3, 195-pounds, is averaging 12.9 points, 4.3 assists and 3.0 rebounds over 28.4 minutes in 32 games (all starts) for Dallas this season. The Fayetteville, NC-native earned All-Rookie second team honors after averaging 15.2 points, 5.2 assists and 3.8 rebounds over 29.7 minutes in 69 games (all starts) last season. He ranked third among rookies in assists, fifth among rookies in scoring, sixth in steals and seventh in minutes. His 106 three-pointers were the most by a Mavericks rookie in franchise history and he became the fourth youngest player in NBA history to record a triple double on Dec. 29, 2017. He represented the Mavericks in the Rising Stars game at All-Star Weekend last February in Los Angeles, CA. He was originally selected by Dallas with the ninth overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft.
More on Smith Jr.: LAST GAME: Recorded eight points, six assists and three rebounds over 26 minutes in his first game as a Knick on 2/3/19 vs. MEM. • In his last game w/ Dallas, Smith Jr. recorded his second career triple double w/ 13 points, a career-high-tying 10 rebounds and a career-high 15 assists at NYK on 1/30/19.
The other Knicks we're most closely watching tonight:
Kevin Knox:
LAST GAME: Posted a team best 17 points and two rebounds over 35 minutes on 2/3/19 vs. MEM.
• Ranks sixth in 3PT FGM (fourth in the EAST), seventh in scoring (third in the EAST) and eighth in rebounds (fourth in the EAST) in the NBA among rookies.
• Registered 29 double-digit scoring performances, including eight 20-point games & one 30-point performance this season.
More on Knox: Over the last four games, Kevin Knox is averaging 18.5 points and 3.8 rebounds.
DeAndre Jordan:
• LAST GAME: Recorded 12 points, 12 rebounds and two assists over 29 minutes in his first game as a Knick on 2/3/19 vs. MEM.
• Posted a double-double in his Knick debut (Vonleh posted a double-double in his Knick debut earlier this season).
• Ranks second in the NBA in rebounds (13.7), second in FG% (64.5%), and 11th in double-doubles.
Pistons pregame notes:
It's mostly been the Griffin and Drummond show this season. That's who we're focused on.
Griffin was named an NBA All-Star for the sixth time in his career after being selected as reserve for the 2019 All-Star Game in Charlotte on Feb. 17. Griffin was an All-Star in five-straight seasons from 2010 to 2015, and it is his first selection as a member of the Detroit Pistons. He is averaging a career-best 26.0 points per game and leads the Pistons in assists (5.3 apg) with a career-best 121 makes from 3-point range.
Drummond recorded the 2,430th offensive rebound of his career in the third quarter versus Dallas on Jan. 31, passing Bill Laimbeer (2,429) for the most offensive rebounds all-time in Pistons history. Drummond leads the NBA in offensive boards since entering the NBA in 2012-13.
Griffin has continued to put together streaks and tally records that haven’t been reached in Detroit history since Jerry Stackhouse in the early 2000’s. Some of these include:
- Griffin’s 26.0 points per game is highest average for any Piston since Stackhouse (29.8 ppg) in 2000-01.
- Griffin is the first Piston since Stackhouse to record multiple streaks of at least three games with 30-plus points in a single season.
- First since Stackhouse to have multiple streaks in a season of at least five games with 25-plus points.
- Griffin’s 18 games with 30 or more points are the most in a single season since Stackhouse in 2000-01.
- Griffin’s 20 games with at least 20 points/five rebounds/five assists passed Stackhouse’s 19 such games in 2001-02 – his most ever as Piston.
- Griffin is the first Piston since Stackhouse with multiple 40+ point games in a season.
Enjoy the game.
Inside Hoops Detroit Pistons vs New York Knicks in Madison Square Garden on February 5, 2019