Detroit Pistons vs. Washington Wizards Prediction, Preview, Picks & Odds - 2/14/2022

Time: 7 p.m. ET

Venue: Capital One Arena, Washington, DC

Where to watch: NBCSWA, BSDET 

DraftKings: Wizards -4

WynnBet: Wizards -4

Caesars: NL

Pistons: 12-44

Wizards: 25-30

Pistons: lost seven straight

Wizards: lost nine of 11

The Kristaps Porzingis era has arrived in Washington.

Or, not yet at least. He’s still injured, dealing with a knee issue, and likely won’t be playing Monday when the Wizards host the Detroit Pistons.

But this era, whether it be good or bad for the Wizards, is contingent on if Bradley Beal thinks this is the right move for the franchise going forward. Washington’s All-Star guard is out for the remainder of the season after undergoing wrist surgery, which means now is the time for the Wizards to show who they have now is worthy on sticking around.

Whenever Porzingis makes his Washington debut, that will be the first domino to fall.

The Wizards acquired the 7-foot-3 big man from the Dallas Mavericks less than an hour before Thursday’s trade deadline in exchange for point guard Spencer Dinwiddie and wing Davis Bertans.

Many have looked to this trade as the Wizards making away like bandits. They get off two bad contracts for two players underperforming what they’ve been paid, and also got a pick out of it. I can understand that logic, but I can also understand that Dallas just got two necessary pieces to surround Luka Doncic and will be playing on a competitive team that has playoff aspirations this season.

“Kristaps is an All-Star player whose unique talents will fit well within our system and allow him to impact the game for us in multiple ways,” said Wizards President and General Manager Tommy Sheppard. “He will get a fresh start with our team and provide us with the opportunity to play multiple lineups that feature size, versatility and shooting ability.”

What we also don’t know is when Porzingis will be healthy, and when he is, when can the Wizards expect to see him? Porzingis hadn’t played since Jan. 29 and missed 21games with the Mavericks before this latest knee injury; the same one he had his major procedure on when he was with the New York Knicks.

When healthy, though, Porzingis was on an All-Star pace this season. Before going down, he was averaging 20 points and eight rebounds a night. Even in November and December, Porzingis was looking like his old self averaging 21.5 points and almost 8.5 rebounds during those two months. But the inconsistencies and being in-and-out of the lineup felt it enough for the Mavericks to make this trade that sent the Unicorn out of Dallas 15-20 years sooner than Mark Cuban initially wanted.

But right now, it’s going to be Porzingis’ team in Washington with Beal out. He gets a chance to be the guy, something that he may or may not have felt he wanted to be in Dallas. But when Luka Doncic is the eater of worlds, there’s really no room for you to be the No. 2 when you can’t stay healthy.

The Wizards are not out of the playoff race by any stretch. They’re a game back of the Atlanta Hawks entering Sunday for the No. 10 seed in the East, which would be good enough for the play-in tournament. Washington is five back of the Toronto Raptors and Boston Celtics for the No. 6 seed, but not enough time to just shuttle around .500.

Especially due to their recent play. The Wizards have lost nine of their past 11 and find themselves five games below .500 after losing 123-110 to the Sacramento Kings on Saturday. With two 20-point scorers out, the onus has landed on Kyle Kuzma. He led Washington in all major offensive categories with 22 points and seven assists, while adding eight rebounds.

"We've got to do a better job defensively," said Kuzma. "They get up and down in transition, and then also they can play through Sabonis in the half court. But we've just got to tighten the screws up on that end."

That shouldn’t be an issue against a young Pistons team that has hit yet another lull in their long season. Detroit lost its seventh straight game Friday in a 141-119 loss to the Charlotte Hornets, a fourth straight game where they gave up at least 115 points, and second straight on giving up at least 130.

If there was a time to tighten screws defensively, it’s against the Pistons. Even if the Porzingis era is still a ways out, Washington can get some comfort in these wins against inferior teams. Wizards by 15

The Pistons are 74-83 as an underdog against the spread over the past three seasons.

The Pistons are 26-16 ATS after losing by 15 points or more the previous game.

The over is 26-10 following the Pistons losing at least four in a row.

The Wizards are 29-34 ATS as a favorite.

PG: Cory Joseph

SG: Cade Cunningham

SF: Saadiq Bey

PF: Jerami Grant

C: Isaiah Stewart

PG: Raul Neto

SG: Corey Kispert

SF: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope

PF: Kyle Kuzma

C: Thomas Bryant

Pistons: Marvin Bagley III (ankle, out), Frank Jackson (back, questionable)

Wizards: Bradley Beal (wrist, out), Kristaps Porzingis (knee, out), Daniel Gafford (out)

Points: Jerami Grant -- 19.0

Rebounds: Isaiah Stewart -- 8.5

Assists: Cade Cunningham -- 5.2

Points: Bradley Beal -- 23.2

Rebounds: Kyle Kuzma -- 8.7

Assists: Bradley Beal -- 6.6