You need to win the gimmie games in the NBA, and the Detroit Pistons dropped their third game to a team eyeing Cooper Flagg or Dylan Harper. Add that Utah Jazz loss to the same boat as the crushing Charlotte Hornets defeats.
Detroit needed to stop the now 6-20 Jazz when the next four games come on a West Coast road trip against three playoff teams and a dangerous Sacramento Kings team.
The road trip begins Saturday in the Valley vs the Devin Booker-less Phoenix Suns. The Suns are still worthy foes without their eventual All-Time leading scorer, as they have another weapon even better than Book.