The Phoenix Suns will start wing Josh Okogie next to Devin Booker, Bradley Beal, Kevin Durant and Jusuf Nurkic in the team's first preseason game against the Detroit Pistons at Little Caesars Arena Sunday afternoon, coach Frank Vogel said.

“I think the familiarity of last year is the first thing,” Vogel said of Okogie. “Defensive versatility. Josh is someone that I view as someone that can guard other teams' perimeter ball-handlers, point guards as well as body up with some of their big wings.

“So we have the ability to slide him from guarding four-men to guarding point guards.”

Okogie started the Suns' final 25 games of the regular season in 2022-23, his first year with the team. Okogie's defense is well-noted and something Vogel, who has three times led teams to the top defensive rating in the NBA since he became head coach of the Indiana Pacers in 2011, appreciates.

Okogie is one of just five Suns players under standard contracts (Booker, Durant, guard Damion Lee and forward Ish Wainwright) who returned from last year's roster.

“I just love tough-minded, athletic dudes that play extremely hard, play with a high motor,” Vogel said. “Those guys change games.”

The Suns have other candidates for their fifth starting spot including forwards Keita Bates-Diop and Yuta Watanabe. Those players each have the ability to shoot from three (Bates-Diop shot a career-best 39.4 percent from distance in 2022-23 and Watanabe, who played with Durant on the Brooklyn Nets, shot 44.4 percent).

The Suns' game against the Pistons will tip off at noon PT (3 p.m. ET). The game will be televised by Arizona's Family 3TV. Fans can also watch Phoenix this season through the new Suns Live app.