With the Pistons losing titleholder Delon Wright due to a groin strain and the Knicks losing Elfrid Payton due to a hamstring strain, the Motown PG clash on Sunday is set.
Derrick Rose against Dennis Smith Jr. at Detroit’s Little Caesar’s Arena.
Rose and Smith were switched three weeks ago and it worked splendidly for the Knicks.
Rose, in her second consecutive game since Payton crashed, got 17 points, 11 assists and five steals in Saturday’s big win over the Pacers, taking them to 0.500 (17-17).
It has also been enlightening to the Pistons, as Detroit tries to revive Smith, the Knicks outcast. Pistons coach Dwane Casey made Smith the starting point guard four games ago and he found his mojo.
In that period, Smith averaged 12 points in 21.6 minutes and hit 50 percent – 46.7 out of 3. He averaged four assists and 1.5 steals.
“Truth be told, you never want to be too comfortable because you end up being complacent,” said Smith on the eve of the Knicks clash. “But you can definitely tell when the feeling for the game starts to come back, especially because of the situation I was coming from. I can feel my feeling coming back to me. “
Smith, who was once the centerpiece of Kristaps Porzingis’ trade, played just three starting games for the Knicks – two at the junk. So he hurt his quadriceps and never managed to get back on the court before the negotiation. Ultimately, he asked to get representatives on the G League training ground for Westchester.
It was in the Atlanta G League bubble, where Smith learned on Sunday from the Super Bowl that he was moving to Detroit. After the negotiation, Smith said at a press conference that he was “smiling all day”.
Three weeks later, Smith is still smiling.
“Much better,” said Smith when asked how his conditioning is now compared to the day of the deal. “Scream for the coaches and everyone on the team. They are always looking to work. After each game, we do post-game training – which is new to me. They take time out of the night. So, I appreciate it.
“I think I just came in and be myself in terms of my presence,” added the 23-year-old former North Carolina state guard. “I came and it’s me. I feel like I genuinely like everyone here. I feel like it’s matched. I just remain a foundation for this team and I try to lead as much as I can. “
The Pistons holds the NBA’s worst record in the East, at 9-24 – still suffering from losing their lottery pick, point guard Killian Hayes, due to a serious hip injury. Hayes may return before the end of the season.
On Friday against Sacramento, Smith threw a monster buried in traffic – something out of his college days. When he was told he hadn’t dived in a game in a year, Smith already knew.
“It’s crazy to think that a year has passed,” said Smith. “The last one was in Charlotte because it appeared in my Facebook memories. It was an energizer for the team. “
Meanwhile, the Knicks are also smiling because of the Rose-Smith transaction.
Rose, who wanted to leave Detroit to play with coach Tom Thibodeau again, was almost as advertised in nine games. He has been a leader – and playing better in defense than in his first stint at the Knicks. He has an average of 13.5 points and 4.5 assists.
Having played in Detroit just two seasons. he’s trying not to get sentimental.
“There is no thought,” said Rose of her return. “I have overcome these feelings whenever I return to Chicago. It kind of helped me to have the mentality of knowing that it’s a business and understanding that you can’t play in a way that is harmful to the team.
“This is my first time. I don’t talk about it unless someone talks about it. I try to leave it behind, just working on my job, trying to learn the guys every day and trying to make my mark on the team whenever I can, but I can’t look back. ”