The Pistons are 1-1 in exhibition play. They beat Phoenix, then lost 114-108 in Washington after falling behind 40-20 in the first quarter on 7-for-24 shooting. They rallied in the second half, but even in October, a 20-point first-quarter hole is a bad look for a team with real expectations.
Most of Minnesota's report is planned rest, not real injuries. Ball, Edwards, Gobert, Kuminga, McDaniels and Ayo Dosunmu all sat Saturday against Miami. The one long-term absence is Donte DiVincenzo, who is out with an Achilles injury and has said he's confident he'll return at some point this season. Minnesota also visits the Knicks on October 12 before this game. How many minutes the starters play at Madison Square Garden will decide how much of them Detroit sees 2 days later.
The Pacers game showed why preseason scores need an asterisk. Edwards scored 19 in the first half, and the regulars took a 65-61 lead into the break. Then the reserves took over and Minnesota lost 123-112. Expect the same here: the first 24 minutes tell you about the teams, and the last 24 tell you about the bench.
What to watch: whether Duren and Cunningham are both active, how Gobert and Duren handle each other inside if both play, and whether the Ball-Edwards pairing keeps sharing the ball against a Detroit defense that will compete harder than Milwaukee's did. Tipoff is 7:00 PM CT.