The Detroit Pistons lost to the Philadelphia 76ers 112-106 and now sit at a record of 6 and 2. The Pistons were down by double digits for the majority of the game and may have gotten a reality check.

Cade Cunningham and Duncan Robinson led the way for the Pistons, with Robinson scoring 27 points on 8-for-12 shooting and 7-for-11 from three. Cunningham finished with 26 points, 11 assists and could have had a chance to tie the game, but Jaylen Brown of the 76ers made an incredible block.

The Pistons will now play their first West team of the year, and it is the scoring leader in the league, Luka Doncic.

1. 3-point shooting

There are three keys to the game against the Lakers and a big one will be the three-point shooting.

Duncan Robinson has been straight as an arrow so far, averaging 19 points a game, shooting 35 for 73 (47.9%) from beyond the arc. In the last game against the 76ers, outside of Robinson, the team shot 5-for-23 (22%) from downtown.

Cunningham was 1-for-9 last game, and against the Lakers, those numbers will have to be better. Daniss Jenkins was only 1-for-4 last game, and he is someone who needs to step up and knock down outside shots.

I would like to see John Collins try to shoot more three-point shots. He shot 40% from three last season, so he is someone who needs to try to shoot more from the outside.

2. Defense against Luka

This will be the most important part of the game for the Pistons. Doncic comes into this game with a historic start, averaging 38.5 points per game and 3-point shooting 43% from the 3-point line.

Thompson is an All-NBA defensive player in this league, and he proves it every time he plays, showing off his incredible athleticism on both ends of the floor. He will need not to fall for the foul baiting and just try to play straight-up defense, making Doncic work for everything.

If Thompson can at least slow Doncic down a little bit, it will give this Pistons team a great chance to win. The Pistons are still first in the NBA in defense, allowing just 102 points per game.

3. Superstar Battle

The last key to the game is the superstar battle of Cade Cunningham and Luka Doncic.

Both of these players were first-team All-NBA last season, and this is the first game these two will match up.

Cunningham will be looking to bounce back after getting blocked late against the 76ers and will look to establish himself early. Luka Doncic is just as good in the first quarter as any player in the league, but they will have a game on Friday for the NBA Cup against the Portland Trail Blazers.

This will be a good test once again for the Pistons against a premier team in the league.

The Pistons will host the Lakers on Nov. 8 at 6:00 in Little Caesars Arena.