Phoenix Suns Will Miss Multiple Players vs. Detroit Pistons Friday
After meeting at Michigan State on Tuesday for a preseason matchup, the Detroit Pistons and the Phoenix Suns are set to battle it out in Arizona on Friday night.
Once again, the Suns are expected to be without two players.
According to Duane Rankin of AZ Central, the veteran center Jusuf Nurkic and the veteran sharpshooter Grayson Allen are on pace to miss Friday’s game.
For Nurkic, he missed both of the Suns’ preseason games so far, due to a finger injury. While he’s set to be re-evaluated this week, he won’t get the nod to play against the Pistons.
Last season, the Suns added Nurkic through a trade with the Portland Trail Blazers and the Milwaukee Bucks. Phoenix acquired the veteran big man to become their top center option.
Nurkic would start 76 games for the Suns last season. He produced 11 points, 11 rebounds, and four assists throughout the year. The Bosnian big man could be ready for the start of the regular season, but he won’t get a chance to face the Pistons before then.
As for Allen, he was ruled out due to personal reasons on Tuesday. There isn’t a timeline for his return in place, but Allen will not be a part of the lineup on Friday against Detroit.
Similar to Nurkic, Allen landed in Phoenix through the three-team offseason deal between the Suns, Bucks, and the Blazers. After spending two seasons with the Milwaukee Bucks, Allen appeared in 75 games with the Suns last year.
As a starter, Allen produced 14 points per game on 50 percent shooting from the field and 46 percent shooting from three. The veteran sharpshooter marked career highs across the board throughout the season.
The Pistons and the Suns are set to tip-off at 10 PM ET. on Friday.
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