The PRE Report - January 11, 2010

Key Matchup

Wallace 35 4.6 9.4 1.7 .474 Games PPG RPG APG FG% 35 10.8 12.2 2.3 .492 Noah A dearth of defensive rebounding has contributed mightily to the Pistons’ losing streak. On Saturday the Sixers had a 33-22 advantage in defensive boards, thanks in part to a game-high nine total rebounds from 6-foot-11 center Samuel Dalembert. “We don’t have a tall, tall team,” observed Pistons coach John Kuester, who recently supplanted 7-footer Kwame Brown in the rotation with six-foot-11 Chris Wilcox, an average rebounder who had one board in 13 minutes Saturday. “A lot of teams have length and we don’t have as much length, and that’s where Dalembert hurt us in certain phases,” Kuester said. “We just got to outhustle people – that’s plain and simple, from a defensive standpoint.” Teams don’t come much lengthier than Chicago, which boasts a better version of Dalembert – 6-foot-11 Joakim Noah – and three more long-armed forwards who average at least six rebounds – Luol Deng, Taj Gibson and Tyrus Thomas. (The Pistons have only one, former Bull Ben Wallace.) The Bulls average a league-high 45.1 rebounds per game. Noah has been particularly troublesome for Detroit. He had 15 points and a season-high 21 rebounds in the New Year’s Eve meeting – helping the Bulls outrebound the Pistons by a 49-33 margin. Noah, who averaged 10.0 points and 10.0 rebounds against the Pistons in 2008-09, had seven points and 14 rebounds in the Dec. 2 meeting. Kuester will look to Wallace to cut into Noah’s rebounding feast. Wallace, at 6-foot-9, has never let his stature as one of the NBA’s shorter starting centers prevent him from getting the job done, even now at 35 years old. “That guy’s playing hard,” Kuester said Saturday. “We need everybody to play with that type of consistency and play with that type of energy.” His effort notwithstanding, Wallace has nine rebounds (three defensive) in his last 62 minutes, his weakest board production over any two-game stretch this season. “Most of this has been on me,” said Wallace, taking the blame for Detroit’s recent lackluster efforts. “I haven’t been playing the way I know I’m capable of playing.”

The Bulls (15-20) already have defeated the Pistons twice – first on Dec. 2 (their only victory in a 10-game span) and again on Dec. 31 (part of a season-best four-game winning streak). The 98-87 victory on New Year’s Eve is one of three road wins for the Bulls, who followed it with three losses before defeating Minnesota on Saturday.

The Pistons’ inability to score 90 points in either contest against a defense that allows 97.4 points is troublesome, as is this: If they don’t win tonight, Tuesday’s game at Washington will mark the one-month anniversary of their last victory, Dec. 12 against Golden State.

Ben Gordon says the Pistons (11-24) need to stay positive to avoid compounding their struggles.

“If guys are out there frustrated, second-guessing themselves, not playing with confidence, it can definitely affect your performance,” said Gordon, who is back on the injury report after tweaking a thigh muscle Saturday night.

Gordon has yet to face the Bulls without playing through some level of discomfort. He rushed back from a sprained ankle to play Dec. 2, ultimately costing himself several more weeks. Gordon was still getting into shape when he scored 21 points on Dec. 31.

“Honestly, I haven’t thought about that,” Gordon said of facing his former team while he and the Pistons are struggling. “Having a 12-game losing streak is tough enough no matter where you’re playing at.”

The Pistons have lost seven straight visits to the United Center, where the Bulls are 12-7.

Media reports had Bulls head coach Vinny Del Negro with one foot out the door on New Year’s Eve, but Del Negro has stayed put, and the decision to insert guard Kirk Hinrich in the lineup for John Salmons has paid immediate dividends.

Hinrich scored a season-high 20 points to go with eight assists in the 110-96 home win over Minnesota. In his last five games, Hinrich has averaged 14.0 points, 5.8 assists, 3.2 rebounds and 1.6 steals. Chicago is 5-3 (.625) with Hinrich as a starter – versus 10-17 (.370) with Salmons.

Salmons has enjoyed playing the Pistons nonetheless. A 40-percent shooter, Salmons is shooting 59.1 percent from the field against Detroit, including 5-of-8 from downtown. He scored 17 and 22 points, respectively – well above his 13.1 points per game.

Salmons has tripled in 12 straight games for the Bulls, who lead the NBA in 3-point shooting percentage (.450) over their last 10 games. That’s a dangerous predicament for the Pistons, who may be without as many as three of their best perimeter defenders.

Will Bynum (left ankle) is out and has yet to start running as part of his rehab while Tayshaun Prince (left knee) and Rodney Stuckey (right knee) both missed the second half of Saturday’s loss to the Sixers. Prince is a game-time decision while Stuckey is adamant he will play despite not being able to finish the last two games. Stuckey has averaged 19.5 points, 6.0 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 2.0 steals against Chicago this season.