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Phoenix Suns At Detroit Pistons Game Preview: Grind it Out

The Suns are coming off a disappointing loss against the Grizzlies, in which they fell apart in the second half. Will the Suns be able to bounce back tonight against the Detroit Pistons?

By Sean Sullivan
Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports

What: Phoenix Suns At Detroit Pistons

Where: The Palace of Auburn Hills - Auburn, MI

When: 5:30 p.m. (AZ)

Watch: FSAZ (Locally) , NBA League Pass

Tonight, the Phoenix Suns (21-14) will take on the Detroit Pistons (15-22) in their fourth game of this five game road trip. The Phoenix Suns are in the midst of a back-and-forth volley of wins and losses over the past five games.  The good news is they are due for a win after last night's disappointing loss to the Grizzlies in a game which they were never behind until the last 2:43 of the fourth quarter.

Meanwhile, the Detroit Pistons are coming off a win last night against the Philadelphia 76ers that finally snapped a six game losing streak.  They will be looking to continue their new-found winning ways back at home tonight against a Phoenix Suns team who is struggling a bit lately without one of their best players (Eric Bledsoe), and it's other playing with a sore ankle (Goran Dragic).  Will the Suns be able to grind out a win against a very beatable opponent on the road tonight?

Stats:

Suns:

FG 3PT FT Rebounds Misc
G M M A Pct M A Pct M A Pct Off Def Tot Ast TO Stl Blk PF PPG
Goran Dragic 32 34.8 6.7 13.7 48.7 1.3 3.5 37.2 4.5 5.6 79.9 0.7 2.2 2.9 6.0 2.6 1.3 0.2 2.3 19.2
Eric Bledsoe 24 33.5 6.3 13.0 48.6 1.2 3.3 35.0 4.2 5.3 78.9 0.4 3.8 4.3 5.8 3.3 1.5 0.3 2.5 18.0
Gerald Green 35 27.0 4.7 10.7 44.5 2.6 6.7 38.3 1.3 1.6 82.5 0.4 2.4 2.7 1.4 1.5 0.8 0.6 2.8 13.4
Markieff Morris 34 25.4 4.6 9.7 47.0 0.3 1.0 29.4 2.6 3.5 76.3 1.9 4.1 6.0 1.6 1.7 1.0 0.6 2.5 12.1
Channing Frye 35 27.3 4.4 9.7 45.0 2.2 5.2 41.5 0.7 0.9 83.9 1.0 4.5 5.5 1.1 1.1 0.8 0.9 2.9 11.7
Marcus Morris 35 22.8 3.6 8.4 43.1 1.4 3.6 38.9 1.5 1.9 76.1 1.1 3.4 4.5 1.0 1.2 0.9 0.3 2.1 10.1
Miles Plumlee 35 28.2 4.4 8.4 51.9 0.0 0.0 0.0 1.2 2.4 48.2 2.6 6.6 9.2 0.5 1.5 0.7 1.8 2.7 9.9
P.J. Tucker 35 29.8 3.1 7.7 40.3 1.0 2.3 42.5 1.8 2.3 76.5 2.1 3.5 5.6 1.8 1.3 1.3 0.3 2.3 8.9
Leandro Barbosa 2 17.5 1.5 6.5 23.1 0.0 0.5 0.0 0.5 1.0 50.0 1.0 1.5 2.5 1.5 1.0 0.5 0.5 1.5 3.5
Ish Smith 23 12.1 1.5 4.1 37.2 0.0 0.7 6.3 0.3 0.4 70.0 0.3 1.1 1.4 2.1 0.8 0.7 0.1 0.8 3.4
Archie Goodwin 32 11.0 1.3 3.4 39.8 0.1 0.8 11.5 0.5 0.8 64.0 0.3 1.4 1.8 0.4 1.0 0.4 0.3 0.8 3.3
Dionte Christmas 20 6.9 0.8 2.1 38.1 0.3 1.1 22.7 0.4 0.5 80.0 0.3 0.9 1.1 0.2 0.2 0.1 0.2 0.6 2.3
Alex Len 7 7.7 0.9 2.0 42.9 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.3 0.6 50.0 1.6 0.9 2.4 0.1 0.6 0.3 0.4 1.6 2.0
Viacheslav Kravtsov 15 3.3 0.4 0.7 60.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.2 0.4 50.0 0.5 0.4 0.9 0.1 0.4 0.0 0.1 0.5 1.0


Pistons:

FG 3PT FT Rebounds Misc
G M M A Pct M A Pct M A Pct Off Def Tot Ast TO Stl Blk PF PPG
Brandon Jennings 35 36.0 5.8 15.3 37.9 1.9 5.3 34.9 3.4 4.4 77.9 0.9 2.4 3.3 8.2 3.3 1.5 0.1 2.0 16.9
Josh Smith 37 35.2 6.1 15.2 39.9 1.0 3.9 24.8 2.2 3.8 59.3 1.5 5.4 6.9 3.4 2.5 1.6 1.6 2.4 15.3
Greg Monroe 37 32.8 5.9 11.6 50.8 0.0 0.0 0.0 2.8 4.4 62.8 3.1 5.8 8.9 1.9 2.2 1.0 0.5 2.5 14.6
Rodney Stuckey 29 25.3 5.0 11.1 44.6 0.4 1.2 31.4 3.2 3.9 82.3 0.6 1.5 2.1 2.1 1.8 0.9 0.2 1.9 13.5
Andre Drummond 37 32.8 5.7 9.5 59.8 0.0 0.0 0.0 1.4 3.7 37.5 5.3 7.3 12.6 0.4 1.4 1.4 1.7 3.4 12.7
Kyle Singler 37 23.5 2.9 6.1 47.6 0.8 2.4 35.2 1.8 2.2 79.3 1.1 2.3 3.4 0.6 0.8 0.4 0.5 2.4 8.4
Will Bynum 21 18.5 3.1 7.5 42.0 0.4 1.1 34.8 1.7 2.2 76.1 0.4 1.8 2.1 2.8 1.8 0.8 0.2 2.4 8.3
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope 35 24.1 2.9 7.2 39.7 1.0 2.9 34.0 0.6 0.8 72.4 0.5 1.8 2.3 0.9 0.4 1.1 0.1 2.1 7.3
Charlie Villanueva 11 9.1 1.8 4.7 38.5 0.6 2.7 23.3 0.5 0.9 60.0 0.3 1.3 1.5 0.3 0.5 0.3 0.4 0.4 4.8
Chauncey Billups 18 16.7 1.3 4.2 30.7 0.8 2.7 29.2 0.6 0.7 83.3 0.2 1.3 1.5 2.2 1.3 0.4 0.1 1.3 3.9
Jonas Jerebko 25 8.0 1.2 2.4 51.7 0.4 0.8 45.0 0.6 0.8 71.4 0.4 1.4 1.8 0.4 0.8 0.2 0.1 0.8 3.4
Josh Harrellson 27 9.4 1.3 2.6 49.3 0.4 1.0 37.0 0.1 0.1 100.0 1.0 1.1 2.1 0.5 0.2 0.2 0.5 1.1 3.1
Luigi Datome 20 7.8 1.3 3.7 35.6 0.3 1.6 19.4 0.1 0.2 50.0 0.5 0.9 1.3 0.3 0.5 0.3 0.1 0.8 3.0
Tony Mitchell 10 3.6 0.3 0.5 60.0 0.1 0.1 100.0 0.4 1.0 40.0 0.7 0.4 1.1 0.1 0.2 0.1 0.2 0.2 1.1
Peyton Siva 13 5.8 0.2 0.6 25.0 0.0 0.2 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.1 0.5 0.6 0.6 1.0 0.2 0.1 0.8 0.3


Probable Starting Line-Ups:

Suns:

G - Goran Dragic

G - Gerald Green

F - P.J. Tucker

F - Channing Frye

C - Miles Plumlee



Pistons:

G - Brandon Jennings

G - Kentavious Caldwell-Pope

F - Josh Smith

F - Greg Monroe

C - Andre Drummond

Injuries:

Suns:

Eric Bledsoe - Out (Knee)

Pistons:

None

Keys to the Game:

  • Rebounds! - The Suns are facing a big man duo in Drummond and Monroe who are averaging around 20 rebounds a night between the two of them, good for the 7th best in the league overall, and 1st in the league in offensive rebounding..  This has been a huge area of concern for the Suns who are currently 21st in the league overall, and have given up way too many second chance points because of it. The Suns will need a team effort and especially solid games from Miles Plumlee, Channing Frye, and Markieff Morris to keep the Pistons off the glass.
  • Battle of the Bigs - The Pistons have one of the best big-man tandems in the league with Andre Drummond and Greg Monroe.  Drummond is a strong/athletic beast inside and Monroe is a very skilled big man who uses his footwork and shooting from around the paint to do most of his damage.  Plumlee/Frye/Morris will have their work cut out for them on both ends of the floor in battling these two.  The Suns will also need to use effective spacing and quick passes to create opportunities at the rim.
  • Tuckered Out - Josh Smith has been on a tear for the Pistons at home lately, averaging nearly 20 points over the past five home games. However tonight he will face the Suns' best lock-down defender in P.J. Tucker.  Smith could very well be tonight's x-factor, and If P.J. can help take him out of the game, it should help the Suns secure a much needed win.
  • Catching Fire - The Suns have floundered a bit offensively without their most dynamic player in the line-up, and Goran Dragic can't do it alone.  They will need someone else to step up and have a great game tonight to help the Dragon shoulder the load offensively.

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