You need to win the gimmie games in the NBA, and the Detroit Pistons dropped their third game to a team eyeing Cooper Flagg or Dylan Harper. Add that Utah Jazz loss to the same boat as the crushing Charlotte Hornets defeats.
Detroit needed to stop the now 6-20 Jazz when the next four games come on a West Coast road trip against three playoff teams and a dangerous Sacramento Kings team.
The road trip begins Saturday in the Valley vs the Devin Booker-less Phoenix Suns. The Suns are still worthy foes without their eventual All-Time leading scorer, as they have another weapon even better than Book.
Game Vitals
When: 9:00 pm ET
Where: Footprint Center, Phoenix, Arizona
Watch: FanDuel Sports Network Detroit
Odds: Pistons +6
Analysis
The Pistons will be without Isaiah Stewart for the second straight game with a hyperextended knee. Devin Booker is missing his first game of the year, but the Suns are better suited to survive with Book sitting out than the Pistons are with Stew out.
The Suns just happen to have a 4-time scoring champ alongside Book in Kevin Durant. Durant, at 36 years old, is still the driving force of this Suns team. The Suns are 13-3 with KD in the lineup and 1-9 without him. That’s MVP-level value from the 7-foot sniper.
The Pistons don’t hold up the same way without Stew. The Jazz’s hot start mostly came from the perimeter and 3s, but having Stew out there could’ve shifted some momentum Detroit’s way with pressing up on shooters and bringing infectious energy. Jalen Duren and Stew’s minutes are nearly identical (21 minutes to 24), so you’re missing half your center punch with Stew out.
Jaden Ivey is probable to return after being sidelined in the Jazz game. His production was missed as Cade Cunningham was left as the lonesome ball handler Thursday night.
The Suns will be with one of their ball handlers, Bradley Beal. He missed two straight games with knee swelling before returning against the Pacers. Beal keeps his head down, unbothered by the trade talks surrounding his name.
We’ll probably get some Ausar Thompson on KD minutes, and it will be fun if Ausar stays out of foul trouble. Some of those fouls come with his aggression— part of it is the refs not respecting his tenacity yet. Tony Allen wasn’t getting called for stone wall fouls like Ausar is right now. He’ll earn that reputation.
The Suns allow 39% of their opponent’s shots to come from 3, so Ivey, Cunningham, Malik Beasley, Tim Hardaway Jr., and Tobias Harris will have ample opportunities to strike (not from the corners though). Ron Holland, who showed Detroit fight on Thursday, will be left open with opportunities to fire or take advantage of the space he gets.
Harris won’t have that same space but needs to pick it up. He’s averaging 10 points on 46 TS% over the last 3. The Suns aren’t your typical get-in-rhythm game, but being across a great like Durant should bring out your competitive spirit.
I know that will cause Cade to show up. During his rookie year, Cunningham had a classic duel with Durant, dropping 34 to KDs 41. Cade was matching his buckets and going straight at him.
Cade has been elite when across Durant for the most part, but his teams have yet to snag a victory. He’s looking to snap that 0-5 streak and kick this road trip off with a bang against a team trying to stay afloat in a 12-team-deep Western Conference.
Projected Lineups
Detroit (11-17)
Cade Cunningham, Jaden Ivey, Tim Hardaway Jr., Tobias Harris, Jalen Duren
Phoenix (14-12)
Tyus Jones, Bradley Beal, Royce O’Neal, Kevin Durant, Jusuf Nurkic
Question of the day:
How excited are you for these 9:00 pm/10:30 pm start times over the next four games?
