Phoenix will debut its new center, Nick Richards, against the surging Pistons.
Who: Phoenix Suns (20-20) @ Detroit Pistons (21-20)
When: 2:00 pm Arizona Time
Where: Little Caesars Arena, Detroit, Michigan
Watch: AZFamily, Suns Live
Listen: KMVP 98.7
The Suns will look to win their first game in the Nick Richards era on Saturday against the Pistons. The game will tip off at 2 p.m. Arizona time, four hours before Devin Booker and Kevin Durant must jog over to Ford Field to watch their respective favorite NFL teams (Lions for Booker, Commanders for KD) in the playoffs.
Richards is not listed on the injury report. He was traded to the Suns on Wednesday for former forward Josh Okogie and three second-round picks. In case you missed it, Bright Side covered Richards’ trade extensively.
The Suns, who are 10th in the Westerm Conference standings, are only three games back of the number five seed. But they will have to play much better down the stretch of this game than they did on Thursday when Washington scored 40 fourth-quarter points and nearly erased a 21-point, fourth-quarter hole.
Probable Starters
Injury Report
Suns
Bradley Beal — DOUBTFUL (Ankle)
Jusuf Nurkić — OUT (Illness)
Pistons
Jaden Ivey — OUT (Fibula)
Uniform Matchup
What to Watch For
Nick Richards’ Debut
Richards is someone the Suns have coveted. At 7-feet, he has a great skill set that will benefit this Suns team.
According to Arizona Sports’ John Gambadoro, Richards is expected to start once he is acclimated.
Will Devin Booker continue his recent hot streak?
Booker is more than excited to watch his Lions, but Suns fans are eager to see SG1 continue his recent offensive play. He is averaging 32.5 points. 7.3 assists and 4.5 rebounds, along with 1.8 steals. He is shooting 50.4%, including 38.3% from three.
Can the Suns take care of business in a non-stressful manner?
Just like the last game, the Suns need to come out hot. Detroit is a team that is young, and Cade Cunningham looks like one of the best point guards in the NBA. This is an early tip in an East Coast city, so the Suns need to bring the energy and sustain it for 48 minutes.
Key to a Suns Win
The Pistons are playing hot basketball, and they are a terrific rebounding team. Richards needs to find a way to compete on the glass, and I don’t expect he will be on the bench much if he makes an impact. As always, the Suns need to play with pace and not turn the basketball over. The Pistons rank fifth in the NBA in fastbreak points per game (17.6).
Prediction
I like how Richards’ fit projects to this Suns team. However, as many players say, continuity is key. Expect the Suns to put up a good first half before Detroit pulls away.
Pistons 113, Suns 96