Opponent Scouting: Charlotte Hornets. (21-46)
Another game between the game’s dregs tonight as the Detroit Pistons host the Hornets at LCA at 7:00pm EST. Both teams are on one night of rest with the Pistons having lost to the Wizards while the Hornets defeated the Knicks.
The Them:
The Hornets suck. Not as much as the Pistons do but they still suck. They come in with the league’s worst offense by a significant margin and the defense is only 21st. LaMelo Ball busting his ankle to put him out the rest of the season also means that they are not just bad, but they are also a tough watch.
There are still some players here. Terry Rozier is not efficient enough on offense but he’s fearless to the point that on any given night he can burn you while also playing effective defense. Gordon Hayward is currently playing and when he isn’t hurt he’s still an effective swiss-army-knife type of wing. Kelly Oubre is very athletic and long, PJ Washington is a shooter with size, Mark Williams is a large human being at the center. Off the bench Dennis Smith Jr is a terror defensively and capable of huge offensive plays, Nick Richards is another 7-footer on the team coming from the bench, and Bryc McGowens has been really bad but he has positional size at least.
To be blunt, if you are anything but a sicko for basketball you should probably find something else to do with your night.
Matchups to watch:
Jaden Ivey vs. Being the man: Ivey has steadily gotten better at just about everything as the season has gone on. Since the all-star break he is averaging 17 points and 7 assists per game, he is bringing some real effort on defense, in general he is rounding into great form. The home stretch of this season will be hard to watch, but he is a point of optimism.
Where does Duren slot in? Supposedly Jalen Duren is going to be back on the floor tonight. With Wiseman and Bagley around it will be interesting to see exactly where everything fits together. At this point my guess is that they start Duren next to Bagley but we will see. Also it will be nice to simply have Duren back.
Bagley/Wiseman vs. The Hornets bigs: Last time out against the Hornets both of the Pistons’ athletic former 2nd overall picks pretty much had their way on the interior, a repeat would be nice.
Isaiah Livers vs. Taking this chance: The Pistons made no secret that a guy they are looking to have a big finish to the season is Livers. Since the Pistons traded Saddiq Bey Livers hasn’t been bad, but he will have to be better if he wants to cement himself into the team for next season. Given he was just a 2nd round pick this is likely the best chance he will ever have to cement a spot in the league.