Did you know that the Detroit Pistons have won four games in a row? I'll be honest: I didn't either until I started diving into my research for this game. A cynic would say their wins are over Milwaukee, New Orleans and New Jersey twice, but remember where the Wizards are in the standings right now.
Anyway, let's learn more about the Pistons.
Are they good in general?: Their four wins brought them to a sterling record of ... 8-20. So no, they're not good.
Are they good against the Wizards? They haven't played the Wizards this season.
Are they fast or slow? They're 28th in the league in pace and their half-court offense often resembles the Wizards', in that they don't have shooters. Slow and ugly is probably the best way to describe it.
Are they especially good at anything? They keep working despite their lack of talent, which often manifests itself on the offensive glass (6th in offensive rebound rate). The Wizards are a really bad defensive rebounding team, so this could be a problem.
Are they especially bad at anything? Most other things, but I'll specifically point out their lack of shooting. The only player on the Pistons shooting over 38 percent from three-point range is Ben Gordon, and he's been awful otherwise. Tayshaun Prince is there somewhere at 37.8 percent, and Rodney Stuckey and Brandon Knight are at least in the 36-percent range. Otherwise? Yikes. As us Wizards fans know well, you can't have a good offense if you don't have players who can shoot from deep.
Are there any people involved with the organization that Mike really likes? I don't think people fully grasp how good Greg Monroe has been this year. Here's a look at all big men who had a PER over 24 before the age of 22.
Are there any people involved with the organization that Mike really doesn't like? Most of the other ones, but I'm especially annoyed by Prince, if only because he used to be such a great winning piece.
Are there any players poised for a breakout? Knight has quietly been very steady during the winning streak, averaging 13.5 points and only committing a total of six turnovers. He's never going to be the elite penetrating point guard that someone like John Wall could be, but he's very capable of being a solid player who can beat you from deep and manage a game.
Are there any players the Wizards especially need to worry about? We haven't mentioned Rodney Stuckey's name yet, so this is a good place to focus on him. He's been playing off the ball more in tandem with Knight, and I think it's a role that suits him better. The Wizards can't let him get into the lane and get easy buckets.
Is their mascot cool? Hooper is an institution.
Any other random quirks: Get ready to hear a ton of stuff about how Knight replaced Wall at Kentucky when Wall went to the NBA.