The Detroit Pistons host the Philadelphia 76ers in their eighth game of the season. The winner will be the sole holder of the top seed in the Eastern Conference. Unfortunately, the Pistons are at an injury disadvantage ahead of the 7 pm EST tip-off.
Jalen Duren will miss his sixth straight game of the season after suffering a right hamstring strain on October 23rd against the Heat. It was announced that he would be re-evaluated in two weeks, so we should hear an update over the next couple of days.
Jalen Duren, Isaiah Joe Still Out, But Sixers Fully Healthy vs. Pistons
In addition to Duren, Isaiah Joe's absence continues. After his nasty fall against the Sixers in the third game of the season, Joe has been out with a hip contusion. Given that he has been listed as questionable in the following few games, it's rather surprising that he hasn't made his return yet.
Earlier in the week, head coach JB Bickerstaff addressed Joe's injury and said, "When you take those falls, you never know how long it will take to come back."
Joe has been participating in shootarounds, but was ruled out a day in advance for the Sixers game. Whether that says anything about his injury or return timeline is unclear.
In Duren's absence, Paul Reed will continue to start and play as many minutes as he can handle. John Collins will play some small-ball center, and Tolu Smith will likely get limited minutes off the bench.
Without Joe, it will be Kevin Huerter and Daniss Jenkins who will continue to get an extended run. The Pistons have been shooting the ball very well and getting contributions from the bench, so Joe's absence hasn't been felt.
The Sixers, on the other hand, are near full health. Other than Ariel Hukporti, who will be out for the season with an Achilles tear, and Dominick Barlow, who has a low back stress reaction, Philadelphia is fully healthy. This means that it will be one of the rare occasions when Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe, LeBron James, Jaylen Brown, and Joel Embiid are all available in the same game.
In the previous game between these two teams, the Pistons were missing Duren and Ausar Thompson. The Sixers were playing without Embiid and Edgecombe. Detroit had emerged victorious in Philly, but things will be different this time around. The Sixers will be extra motivated to get one over their East rivals and will try to make the most of having all of their best players healthy.
As difficult as it sounds for the Pistons, this will be an excellent opportunity for them to send a message to the rest of the league. Given that they don't play again until Sunday, the Pistons will push as hard as they can. Get your popcorn ready.
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