What to Watch for in Brooklyn Nets vs. Pistons

The Brooklyn Nets will face off against the Detroit Pistons for the second time this season, this time on the road. The Nets fell to the Pistons 125-107 in their last matchup.

The Nets stopped the bleeding a bit in their last game against the Utah Jazz on Friday, emerging victorious with a 109-99 victory.

The Pistons defeated the Golden State Warriors 131-124 on Friday, as they've won 10 of their last 13 games.

The Nets won their first game without Michael Porter Jr. their last time out, but it came against another team meandering near the bottom of the standings.

That gave Egor Demin a golden opportunity to step up with more on-ball reps, and he didn't disappoint, as he provided 25 points on 8-of-16 shooting, 10 rebounds, and four assists. Though Demin largely inflicted his damage from downtown, he had one sweet take to the rim when he pushed the ball up court for the left-handed dunk.

While Demin could be in for another big performance, the Nets' chances of winning this game will come down to how they can get MPJ involved early and maximize his scoring chances without having him take too much air out of the ball.

The Pistons will likely have Ausar Thompson serve as the primary defender on Porter and look to keep Thompson attached to Porter at all times, especially when he's working around ball screens.

Cade Cunningham should put a ton of pressure on the Nets' interior defense, as he tends to get downhill with ease, which gives him good layup and playmaking opportunities.

Cunningham's playmaking skills should especially help Jalen Duren get easy looks inside. The Nets have struggled to contain the painted area at times this season, though they've shown some improvement in that area as the season progressed.

However, Nets coach Jordi Fernandez tends to have Nic Claxton defend at the level and guard multiple positions rather than solely anchoring the paint, which could have the unintended consequence of giving Duren more opportunities inside. Fernandez will also likely look to pressure Cunningham full court to try to take the ball out of his hands.

A lot will need to go right for the Nets to come away with a win against the top team in the Eastern Conference, but if MPJ and Demin can get hot and the Nets' defense stands tall, perhaps they could do just that.