The Detroit Pistons are looking to build on the momentum from their season opener win over the Boston Celtics when they head to Miami to take on the new-look Heat. After sending a message to the league that they are still a force to be reckoned with despite not making significant additions like their Eastern Conference rivals, the Pistons hope to improve to 2-0 by defeating yet another title hopeful.
Fortunately for them, they will be fully healthy. In their injury report before the game, the Pistons only have Taurean Prince listed as probable for personal reasons. The veteran forward had missed the season opener for the same reason, but he is trending in the right direction, as he was upgraded from questionable to probable.
Healthy Pistons have the depth advantage over the Heat in Game 2 of the season
Assuming that Prince will be ready to go, the Pistons will have all 15 players on their roster available for the 8 pm tipoff. The three two-way players, Elijah Harkless, Isaac Jones, and Ugonna Onyenso, however, will not be available. Given the depth of the Pistons, they don't really need them right now, but their time will surely come.
Miami is similarly healthy. They had a few reserves sidelined for their season opener against the Timberwolves, but Myron Gardner, Vladislav Goldin, and Dru Smith are all listed as available on the injury report. Smith should be back in the rotation as a backup guard, but the other two are unlikely to be in the rotation.
This sets up a fascinating matchup between two teams hoping to make deep postseason runs. The Heat, bolstered by the Giannis Antetokounmpo addition, lost their first game against Minnesota. So, they will be looking to bounce back with a win over the Pistons.
Antetokounmpo has historically found a lot of success going up against the Pistons. In fact, he is a whopping 28-1 in his last 29 games against the Pistons, including the playoffs. But this is a different Pistons team, and the Heat don't have the talent and depth Detroit has as things stand now.
JB Bickerstaff deployed an 11-man rotation against the Celtics. But Ron Holland only played three minutes. Whether this changes with Prince now available remains to be seen. With Ebuka Okorie also a healthy scratch in the season opener, Bickerstaff has a lot of alternatives. Against a top-heavy Heat team that unsustainably relies on Bam Adebayo and Antetokounmpo, this will be Detroit's biggest advantage.
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