Hornets look to rebound from losing skid as Cade Cunningham and Detroit travel to Charlotte for weekday battle

Matt Alquiza | 2 Hours Ago

Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images

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Charlotte Hornets

Injury Report

Hornets: OUT Mark Williams (Foot), Nick Richards (Ribs), DaQuan Jeffries (Hand) PROBABLE Martin (Illness)

Pistons: OUT Ausar Thompson (Illness), Bobi Klintman (Calf)

Game preview

The short-handed Charlotte Hornets are in desperate need of a bounce back. The Hornets will officially be down centers Mark Williams and Nick Richards again on Sunday, and it will take a unified effort by Charlotte's available front court options, most notably Taj Gibson, Moussa Diabate, and Grant Williams, to get off the mat against Detroit. The Pistons boast a larger-than-life front court with Jalen Duren and Isaiah Stewart patrolling the paint, causing problems for undersized fronts, like the one that Charlotte will trot out on Wednesday evening.

These two teams are in a dead heat historically. According to Hornets PR, the all-time series between the two teams is tied 64-64. Tonight's game is a historical tiebreaker, a key one for the present. Only two Eastern Conference teams boast a greater than .500 record (Boston and Cleveland), leaving a log jam of squads all within a game and a half of each other in the early jockeying for playoff position. Both teams could use a win as an early season resume booster, although it will be tough for Charlotte to pull it off with their undermanned front.

Key matchup

LaMelo Ball vs. Cade Cunningham

The point guard battle will be best on best in the Queen City on Wednesday night. The temperature of both the Hornets and the Pistons can be gauged by how hot their point guard is running. Both Ball and Cunningham have been on point in early season victories for their respective squads, and the Wednesday night matchup will be no different.

Ball ranks among the top ten of all NBA hoopers in points per game (28.6) while being only one of ten players to average greater than 25 points and five assists per game. His Wednesday night matchup Cade Cunningham just misses the subjective criteria, averaging 23.2 points and 7.4 assists per contest. The margins will be decided in the front court (where Detroit has a major advantage), but the game will truly be decided at the point guard position. It will be an uphill climb for Ball who has struggled against the Motor City squad in his young career. According to StatMuse, Ball has averaged 18.4 points, 8.5 assists and 6.1 rebounds in 11 games versus the Pistons in his career.

The past is the past, and LaMelo has been sterling in the early goings of 2024. Ball vs. Cunningham promises to be must see TV on Wednesday night.

Projected starting lineups

	Detroit Pistons	Charlotte Hornets
Point Guard	Cade Cunningham	LaMelo Ball
Shooting Guard	Jaden Ivey	Brandon Miller
Small Forward	Tim Hardaway Jr.	Josh Green
Power Forward	Tobias Harris	Miles Bridges
Center	Jalen Duren	Taj Gibson