The Los Angeles Clippers play host to the Detroit Pistons at Staples Center on Sunday.

The Pistons (16-37) had some low expectations coming into the year, and those have dipped even more since then. This team has become one of the worst clubs in the NBA, and it just seems to be getting worse by the game. Jerami Grant and Mason Plumlee have missed games this week because of different ailments, leaving a thin roster completely dismantled. What makes that even more frustrating is the fact that this organization seems to be headed in the wrong direction. The best young assets on this team are Killian Hayes and Seddiq Bey, but it's becoming clear that neither of them will be any more than role players. That has fans wondering where this franchise is headed, and it's going to be a long time before they're relevant again.

The Clippers (36-18) enter this matchup, winning four straight and 10 of their last 12 games in total. That's the club we've been waiting to see all year, and it's no surprise when you see the numbers that Paul George and Kawhi Leonard are posting. We expected those two to ball out, though, but the role players have been equally as important. Rajon Rondo came in and provided a 15-point, nine-assist gem on Thursday, while Reggie Jackson dropped 26 points on Friday. That doesn't even consider Ivica Zubac, who's come in as the starting center and controlled the paint. As long as the guys around these superstars develop, this club will remain one of the most dangerous teams in the NBA.

These teams haven't played since January 2, 2020, with Los Angeles prevailing, 126-112. They actually split each of the three previous two-game season series, which followed up an 11-game winning streak by the Clippers before that.