AZ Family (PHOENIX) — Another thrilling preseason game between the Phoenix Suns and Detroit Pistons will take place hundreds of miles away!
The Suns will now play their fifth preseason game on October 8 at Michigan State University’s Breslin Center versus the Pistons.
This will be the Suns’ first trip to East Lansing, and it will be Detroit’s first preseason game in Breslin Center in 24 years.
As a former Spartan, Suns and Mercury owner Mat Ishbia has additional personal importance for the game. Ishbia played four years for the Spartan men’s basketball team and was a member of the squad that won the NCAA Championship in 2000.
“This is a full circle moment and an incredibly special experience—from being a walk-on on the national championship team at Michigan State to now being able to bring the Phoenix Suns to play at Breslin Center,” Ishbia said in a statement.
“MSU and Coach Izzo have had an enormous influence on my life and profession. Without Coach Izzo’s guidance, I would not be the owner of the Phoenix Suns and Phoenix Mercury as well as where I am now. I’m eager to unite the Phoenix Suns with the Spartan community.
Grateful for the opportunity to have the Phoenix Suns play the Detroit Pistons on Michigan State’s campus! With the positive impact Coach Izzo has made on my life and East Lansing being so close to Devin Booker’s hometown, it was a no-brainer to bring our team here to have this… pic.twitter.com/Mf7iU0ag6D
— Mat Ishbia (@Mishbia15) September 4, 2024
Ishbia and fellow Spartan alumni Tom Gores, the owner of the Detroit Pistons, will also be reuniting!
Arizona time is 4 p.m. tip-off.
Every preseason game will be available to view on Suns Live and televised on Arizona’s Family.
The Big Man of the Pistons Has a Notable Physical Change.
For the Detroit Pistons, the last few seasons haven’t exactly gone as planned.
Many believed they would eventually become like the Philadelphia 76ers, relying on their own method to bring them back to prominence.
But the Pistons haven’t been able to settle into a routine and haven’t advanced past the 2018–19 campaign.
They do have some young players, like Jalen Duren, who might give them confidence in the future.
In his second campaign, Duren had some promising moments last year. Based on a recent picture, it appears that he will have even more of an influence in 2024.
Duren has bulked up during the offseason and doesn’t seem like someone to fool with, as Courtside Buzz recently demonstrated on X.
Detroit Pistons big man Jalen Duren looks MASSIVE heading into year 3! 💪
Duren averaged 13.8 PPG & 11.6 RPG on 62 FG% in 29.1 MPG for Detroit in 2023-24.
What do you expect from Duren next season? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/i29Ua207PO
— Courtside Buzz (@CourtsideBuzzX) September 4, 2024
Being this big, Duren could easily outmuscle opponents in the post and make it hard for them to guard him or go past him when he’s the one playing defense.
They know very well that it takes more than one player to turn the Pistons around.
But since Duren is moving in the right way, it may be a sign of where his colleagues are headed.
In 2024–2025, the Pistons may have a new look; they are a team that is hungry and prepared to improve.
Will the Motor City-based team embark on a new venture in the forthcoming season?
Or will they close off another unsatisfactory year with the hope of greater fortune in the seasons to follow?
