The Western Conference is loaded and the Detroit Pistons have key road trips and a brutal stretch hosting contender after contender in March.
The Western Conference is going to be a bloodbath. It seems like nearly every team in the conference got better, with some of the top talent in the east jetting for the beaches of the west coast.
Even the “bad” teams won’t be that bad (except for the Suns) and every team is going to present a unique challenge for Detroit. The Pistons were 14-16 against the Western Conference last season, and they will be lucky to match that mediocrity again this year, as the West is going to be tough from top to bottom.
Parity rules the day in 2019-20 and the West is well balanced with teams that can go big or small and beat you in a variety of ways. Here’s something the Pistons need to worry about every Western Conference team.
Phoenix Suns
Robert Sarver is the worst owner in the NBA and the Suns’ fans are his hostages.
The biggest worry about the Phoenix Suns is that the Pistons eat at the wrong Filiberto’s and spend the entire game in the bathroom.
As for players, Devin Booker has had big games against the Pistons in blowouts, which is pretty much his modus operandi, so I don’t expect much from him unless the Pistons are up 20. Double-double machine DeAndre Ayton is the best player on the Suns, but Andre Drummond should be able to offset his numbers with a double-double of his own.
The biggest worry is actually former Piston Aron Baynes. Detroit doesn’t have a true backup center, so teams with depth at the five could present problems for Detroit. Baynes will look to push Thon Maker around and have a big game against his former team. Okay, so I’m reaching here, the Suns stink and Detroit should blow them out again this season, but I do miss Baynes and his man-bun.