Phoenix Suns basketball is officially back as of Monday evening. 

Year two of the Jordan Ott era tips off at 4:00 P.M. MST in a road game against the defending number one seed in the Eastern Conference in the Detroit Pistons

Follow a brief preview of the game below, including a key Detroit storyline.

This is the first time that the expected starting unit of Devin Booker-Jalen Green-Dillon Brooks-Miles Bridges-Oso Ighodaro takes shape.

This group possesses a unique blend of athleticism, shotmaking ability, and versatility as playmakers, however questions still remain. 

The most pressing questions rest in four of five players within the lineup being ball-dominant offensive weapons. It will be fascinating to see how shot distribution, ball movement, and off-ball play transpire with Bridges in this lineup for the first time. 

Defense is also a question, as Booker and Green are average defenders at best within the system. Will Brooks and Bridges co-exist in an effective manner? Will Ighodaro show strides as a rebounder?

There are many reasons to find intrigue, and this is the first example of how it may translate.

Pistons center Jalen Duren ended an offseason-long holdout on the open market by agreeing to a five-year contract to stay in Detroit last week. 

The 2026 All-Star is questionable for the contest, but it shouldn't be counted on that he actually suits up. 

Suns fans should hope that the Memphis alum does take the court. Duren would serve as an immediate foil to both Ighodaro and second-year center Khaman Maluach.

While reserve center Paul Reed is a quality reserve, he simply would not provide the same tests that Duren will.

Another year of experience for the 41-year-old Ott should result in more comfortability from the Coach of the Year contender. 

A lot of Phoenix's future hinges on how internal development transpires, but Ott must also manage a volume-heavy starting unit while also juggling placing an emphasis on throwing the under-25 players into the rotation. 

One of the major questions is built around how the head coach manages the losses of elite three-point marksmen in Grayson Allen and Royce O'Neale. Expect an early statement to be made in this department via free agent acquisition Luke Kennard, as well as the Suns' group of shot creators in the starting lineup.