Preseason Preview: Short-Handed Pistons Visit a Rolling Timberwolves Team

Minnesota's preseason momentum and Detroit's uncertain star availability tilt this one toward the home side.

DET @ MIN Oct 15, 2026 at 12:00 AM UTC

Nobody should read too much into a preseason game at Target Center, and the rotations will show it. Minutes will be managed on both sides, and the final score matters far less than which players get on the floor. Still, the two teams arrive in different places. Minnesota is 3-1 in the preseason, while Detroit is 1-1 after a 114-108 loss to the Wizards.

The biggest question is on the Detroit side. Cade Cunningham is listed as questionable for rest, and he sat out the loss to Washington. Jalen Duren is also uncertain. If both are out, the Pistons lose their primary playmaker and a key interior presence, which would leave them leaning on depth and young rotation players against a Minnesota team that has been in a better rhythm.

Minnesota has its own availability issues. Jonathan Kuminga (rest) and Terrence Shannon Jr. (undisclosed) are questionable, and Donte DiVincenzo is out with an Achilles injury. Those absences thin the wing rotation. But the Wolves' offense has a clear organizing structure, with Anthony Edwards and LaMelo Ball leading the way. Edwards scored 26 points in the sources' recent preseason reference, and he gives Minnesota a dependable first option even if the supporting cast shifts. The Wolves also come off a 122-104 win over the Knicks, which suggests the offense is humming early.

Neither team has anything riding on this in the NBA Cup, since Detroit is in East Group A and Minnesota is in West Group B. That keeps the stakes low and the focus on evaluation. I expect Minnesota's top-end scoring and better recent form to outweigh its absences, especially if Detroit is without its two most important players. Look for the Wolves to pull away in the second half as the rotations get deeper.

Prediction: Timberwolves 112, Pistons 104.

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