If I told you that the Pistons would be 28-10 and the Suns would be 24-16 when they met for the first time this season, you would think that I am crazy. That is the reality of this matchup as two of the NBA’s most pleasant surprises face off for the first time this season.
Obviously, the Suns have Devin Booker, but if you talked to anybody in the league, most would tell you that this was going to be a transition season for the Suns as they moved on from the Bradley Beal and Kevin Durant debacles that ended
in them missing the playoffs last season.
For the Pistons, many thought they could build off of what they did last season, but I don’t think even the most optimistic supporters of the team saw them as the 1 seed in the East with a 4-plus game lead as we approach the Trade Deadline in a few weeks.
Both of these teams are examples of the value of depth and playing hard as opposed to having a team full of Superstars, and it should be a fun matchup.
Game Vitals
Where: Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, MI
When: Thursday, January 15 at 7 pm EST
Watch: Fan Duel Sports Network Detroit (for now)
Odds: Pistons (-6.5)
Analysis
The Pistons have had 4 days to stew on their loss to the Clippers on Saturday, as they blew a double-digit 4th quarter lead with 4 regular rotation players out. Losing that game isn’t all that shocking given how the Clippers have played recently and the fact the Pistons were short-handed, but it was mainly how it was lost that is disappointing. The Pistons were plagued by turnovers in the 4th quarter as they were unable to run any productive offense down the stretch without Cade Cunningham.
Lucky for the Pistons and unlucky for the Suns, Cade Cunningham is no longer on the injury report so he should play. Jalen Duren, Tobias Harris, and Isaiah Stewart are all probable, so if one or two of them play the Pistons will be back to mostly full-strength.
The Pistons depth has been tested a lot this season and has always been up for the task, but it will be nice to face a surprisingly good Suns team at mostly full health.
The Suns are led by Devin Booker obviously, but the biggest reason for their above-expectations start to the season has been the play of Dillon Brooks. He was the smaller headline piece of the Kevin Durant trade, but he is averaging career-highs pretty much across the board. He sports averages of 21.3 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 1.7 assists, but most importantly he is doing it on much better efficiency for his standards with a 46/35/84 shooting line. He also brings his usual solid defense and toughness.
The biggest surprise for the Suns has been the emergence of Collin Gillespie. The biggest issue with the Suns during the post-Chris Paul era has been the lack of a true point guard. They have tried Devin Booker there and signed some veterans that could not provide the level of play they needed. Gillespie has been able to stabilize the point guard position a bit and allow Devin Booker to focus on what he does best, which is scoring and being a secondary creator on offense.
I wouldn’t call the Suns as deep as the Pistons, as there are very few teams in the NBA that are, but they do have solid depth with players like Grayson Allen, Jordan Goodwin, and Ryan Dunn. The fact that the Suns were able to pretty much overhaul their roster in one offseason into at least a mid-tier contender in the West is nothing short of impressive. That is even without their top 10 pick, Khaman Maluach, barely playing.
I normally don’t talk about the coaching matchup in games, but this game features two of the leaders in the clubhouse for Coach of the Year with JB Bickerstaff for the Pistons and Jordan Ott for the Suns. It was viewed as a bit of a weird hire since Ott has connections to Michigan State and Suns’ owner Mat Ishbia, but all indications are that they made the right hire. You really don’t think that coaching matters until you see a team like the Pistons turn things around so quick after hiring JB Bickerstaff and then seeing the same thing with the Phoenix Suns.
The Suns were not “bad” last season, but anybody that watched them knew they were a heavily flawed team and you saw that by them not making the playoffs. They are probably still a little flawed in terms of being a top-tier contender, but they definitely have more staying power and that has a lot to due with the job Ott has done this year.
Devin Booker is on the injury report as questionable with an ankle injury, which could be a huge development for the Pistons. Just like the Pistons are with Cade Cunningham, the Suns rely a lot on Devin Booker to make the tough shots and create the tough offense for him, so if he does not play it will make this game much easier for the Pistons. I wouldn’t look past the Suns though, they play hard just like the Pistons do and that can lead to teams staying in the game regardless of who they have playing.
The Pistons have had a few days to rest and get healthy, so hopefully they can come out re-engaged and cruise their way to a win to get them back on track.
Lineups
Detroit Pistons (28-10): Cade Cunningham, Duncan Robinison, Ausar Thompson, Tobias Harris, Jalen Duren
Phoenix Suns (24-16): Collin Gillespie, Devin Booker, Dillon Brooks, Royce O’Neale, Mark Williams
Question of the Day
Should Tobias Harris be a starter upon his return from injury or should the Pistons start Isaiah Stewart?
