Pistons vs Suns Preview: Cade Cunningham Leads Detroit to the Valley

You have to win the gimmie games in the NBA, and the Detroit Pistons dropped their third game to a team looking at Cooper Flagg or Dylan Harper. Add it Utah Jazz loss to the same boat as the defeat of the crushing Charlotte Hornets.

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.

Vital games

When: 9 p.m. ET

Where: Footprint Center, Phoenix, Arizona

Clock: FanDuel Sports Network Detroit

Odds: Stamps +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 champion along with Book in Kevin Durant. Durant, 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 a 7-foot sniper.

The stamps don’t last the same way without Stew. The Jazz’s hot start came mostly from the perimeter and 3s, but having Stew out there could have shifted some momentum for Detroit in pressuring the shooters and bringing infectious energy. Jalen Duren and Stew’s minutes are nearly identical (21 minutes to 24), so you’re missing half of your center punch with Stew out.

Jaden Ivey is likely to return after being sidelined in the Jazz game. His production was missed when Cade Cunningham was left as the lone ball handler Thursday night.

The Suns will be with one of their ball handlers, Bradley Beal. He missed two straight games with swollen knees before returning against the Pacers. Beal keeps his head down, unfazed 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 mistakes come with his aggression – part of that is the referees not respecting his tenacity yet. Tony Allen wasn’t called for stonewall mistakes like Ausar is right now. He will get that reputation.

The Suns allow 39% of their opponents’ shots to come from 3, so Ivey, Cunningham, Malik Beasley, Tim Hardaway Jr. and Tobias Harris will have ample opportunities to hit (but not from the corners). Ron Holland, who showed the Detroit game on Thursday, will be open with opportunities to shoot or take advantage of the space he is given.

Harris doesn’t want the same spot, but must pick it up. He’s averaging 10 points on 46 TS% over the last 3. The Suns aren’t your typical rhythm game, but being across a big like Durant should bring out your competitive spirit.

I know that will make Cade appear. During his rookie year, Cunningham had a classic duel with Durant, dropping 34 to KD’s 41. Cade matched his buckets and went right at him.

Cade has been elite for the most part across from Durant, but his team has yet to pick up a win. He looks to snap that 0-5 streak and kick off this road trip with a bang against a team trying to stay afloat in a deep 12-team Western Conference.

Expected 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

Today’s question:

How excited are you about these start times at 21.00/22.30 during the next four games?