Houston Rockets vs. Detroit Pistons game preview

Jalen Green and the Houston Rockets already beat Cade Cunningham and the Detroit Pistons in the Las Vegas Summer League, so it’s clear that Green is the better player and that Detroit made a mistake in take Cunningham with the number one overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft.

Do you hear how ridiculous that sounds?

One game does not mean anything in the grand scheme of an NBA career. A Summer League game means nothing. A regular season game between two lottery teams means almost nothing. Tonight should be seen as a fun showcase of the top picks in the draft as they work their way up the proverbial ladder of stardom.

The Rockets are coming off a difficult 5-game road trip in which they had chances to win multiple games and weren’t out of any game until the fourth quarter. Detroit is coming off a 4-game stretch where they played the Nets (twice), Bucks, and Sixers, who are considered (along with Miami) to be the top teams in the East when the dust of the early season settles. So with two teams having lost multiple games against good teams, both squads should be coming in looking to pick up a win.

Cunningham vs. Green is the main draw for tonight, but the Pistons also have Jerami Grant, Saddiq Bey, and former Rocket Kelly Olynyk.

Tonight is Houston’s only nationally televised game (non-NBA TV division), but is also available on AT&T if you want to hear Craig Ackerman’s play-by-play.

Tip-off is at 6:30pm CT on ESPN and AT&T SportsNet Southwest