Marcus Morris played the role of discarded player with a chip on his shoulder against his former team perfectly when the Detroit Pistons visited the Phoenix Suns on November 6. Morris dropped 20 points as the Pistons cruised to a 100-92 win. He'll look for a repeat performance against a Suns squad desperate for a successful road trip.
Game Vitals
Where: The Palace of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills, MI
When: Wednesday, December 2, 2015 at 7:30 PM EST
Watch: Fox Sports Detroit
Game Analysis
The Pistons have had a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde thing going on so far this season. It's impossible to tell what personality will show up on a given night. After surviving the Houston Rockets comeback attempt on Monday night, Detroit moved back to .500.
When they faced the Phoenix Suns earlier this season, the Pistons kicked off a brutal Western Conference road trip that turned them from early season darlings to a middle-of-the-pack squad. The Suns have a tough stint east of the Mississippi River, playing 6 road games in 9 days. But the Suns at least have the benefit of a lesser conference for their loop.
They're needing a successful trip though, as they entered it on a four-game losing streak. They dispatched the Toronto Raptors to open the road trip, but lost last night against the Brooklyn Nets.
One thing to keep in mind is that Tyson Chandler has been hobbled with a hamstring injury as of late, missing the past two games. Without Chandler, Phoenix becomes awfully weak in the middle. Which could mean a huge night for Andre Drummond and Aron Baynes.
Players to watch
Detroit Pistons: Marcus Morris
While the Pistons erratic play has closely followed Reggie Jackson's, Marcus has also been a weather vane for the team. Hopefully he still has a bone to pick with his former team.
Phoenix Suns: T.J. Warren
The Suns boast the league's fastest pace and 3rd highest scoring offense. Warren has quietly been becoming the Suns dynamic weapon off the bench. With the offensive issues on the Pistons second unit, Warren is the x-factor for Phoenix.
Last time we met
November 6, 2015 - Pistons 100, Suns 92
Reggie Jackson scored 9 points in the final two minutes to squash a final run by the Phoenix Suns after they had closed the Pistons lead to just three points. Detroit took care of things on the defensive end, holding Phoenix to just 47 percent true shooting for the game.
Lineup prediction
Pistons: Jackson, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Morris, Ersan Ilyasova, Drummond
Suns: Eric Bledsoe, Brandon Knight, P.J. Tucker, Markieff Morris, Chandler
Injuries/out
Pistons: Jodie Meeks, Brandon Jennings
Suns: None
Community question
A few weeks ago SB Nation's Tom Ziller ranked the Phoenix backcourt of Bledsoe and Knight as the third best young backcourt in the league, well ahead of the Jackson/Caldwell-Pope duo of the Pistons (who checked in at 7). Which would you vote as the superior young pairing?