2008/2009 NBA Regular Season
27-21	@	27-21
February 8th, 2009, 6:00 PM MST / 8:00 PM EST
ESPN, MY 45, 620 KTAR
Probable starters:
Steve Nash	PG	A. Iverson
Jason Richardson	SG	R. Stuckey
Grant Hill	SF	T. Prince
Player to named later	PF	A. Johnson
Shaquille O'Neal	C	R. Wallace
Official Suns Game Notes

When the Suns beat the Pistons in early November we were still talking about Amare MVP. We were also facing a Pistons team before after the Billups - Iverson and before JRich - Bell/Diaw trades.

To give you even more of an idea of how things have changed since then, I found this in the post game comments:

Terry Porter during the post game comments was super cool...I really like this coach!!

I loved what D’Antoni brought to the Suns, the style, the fun watching it, but on the sideline, he often looked stupid…Porter, he’s got charisma and charm, I think he’s going to help players on this team that D’Antoni couldn’t.

It was one of the top three Suns wins this season and came on the second night of a back to back where the Pistons fought hard to beat the Lakers. Fortunately, the Pistons had to battle through over time to beat the Bucks last night. I have a feeling though that the up and down Pistons are going to be more focused on the beating they received in Phoenix and will bring their Muscle Car Game.

This is THE game to enter to win the 2 all access passes to Amare's All Star Party Series. Regardless of what you think of Amare, just consider the party opportunities and the chance to see something worthy of The Dirty.com

Keys to the Car (that's a reference to Detroit being known as Motor City for all those international readers)

• Rasheed is often a very tough match up for Amare. He D's him up as well as anyone and can pull Amare away from the paint or abuse him in the post with that turn around fade away (when it's falling)
  
• Fortunately, this version of the Pistons are forced to play Wallace at the Center and will have to put a much smaller Amir Johnson or Tayshaun Prince on Amare. Tay is a great defender of course and his activity bothers Amare but that leaves Wallace on Shaq where the Suns can go early to try and take Sheed out of the game with foul trouble.
• This is a perfect example of the difference between saying "don't go to Shaq too often b/c it takes the other guys out of their rythym" and the reality that you have The Big Deisel with a favorable matchup and it makes sense to use him
• Because of the Suns size up front we will likely see a lot of McDyess and Wallace together and hopefully my favorite player of all time - Kwaaaaameeee!!
• Amare is promising (again) to bring his Second Half Gorilla Tzu Sun game:

• "Every season since my rookie, after All-Star break, my game goes up a notch because we're closer to the playoffs and buckling down and focusing in."That's how it was last year before we acquired big fella (Shaquille O'Neal). Then we got big fella and I stayed consistent with that. It's not going to change this year."

• In the back court the Suns will have their hands full with AI and Stuckey. These two guys can flat out score and Nash and JRich will have their hands full for sure. Off the bench you get Barbosa and Rip Hamilton.
  
• All 6 guards that are going to play in this game are very very good. In theory this should be an exiting matchup. 
• Coro sums up the similarities of both teams very well:

The Suns face a team Sunday that is going through a similar struggle after years of success. The Pistons are adjusting to a trade that sent away a core piece (Chauncey Billups) and brought in an overwhelming star (Allen Iverson). They hired a new coach, Michael Curry, a Pistons assistant last year who was tabbed over then-lead assistant and current Suns coach Terry Porter. Detroit has underachieved with the same 27-21 record as Phoenix.

• On paper these two team match up very well and it will come down as it often does with these squads to effort and desire.
  
• The team that wants it more will win...I have no idea who that will be.
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