Hornets and LaMelo Ball look to rebound versus the Detroit Pistons

The Hornets attempt to put an end to their two-game slide.

Austin Leake | Nov 21, 2024

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Charlotte Hornets

INJURY REPORT:

Hornets: PROBABLE - Miles Bridges (L Knee Soreness), Tre Mann (Low Back Soreness), OUT - Mark Williams (L Foot), Nick Richards (R Rib), Daquan Jeffries (R Hand)

Pistons: OUT - Bobi Klintman (R Calf), DOUBTFUL - Ausar Thompson (Conditioning)

Game Preview

The Hornets and Pistons both found themselves falling short in their last game. The Hornets lost to Brooklyn by one point, while the Pistons lost to the Bulls by 10. With that in mind, both teams will have something to prove as they look to get back in the lefthand side of the win-loss column.

It's still quite early, but both teams have a very similar record; The Hornets hold a record of 5-9, while the Pistons have a record of 7-9.

In the last matchup between these two Eastern Conference foes, the Hornets were able to defeat the Pistons with a 108-107 win, after a last-second Brandon Miller game-winner that had Buzz City buzzing.

The Hornets continue to be without their two starting/backup centers, Mark Williams and Nick Richards. This has had a very negative impact so far, as it's led to lineup malfunctions, which has led to the team not reaching their full maximum capabilities.

As well, the Hornets and LaMelo Ball were surfacing all over social media for all of the wrong reasons on Tuesday night. As many know, Charles Lee decided to sit LaMelo Ball in the closing minutes of the fourth quarter, which caused an uproar with the fanbase since Ball has been undoubtedly the team's best player.

How Ball responds in this game could be something that many fans should keep their eye on versus Detroit. It was the first time this season that Ball played 10 minutes or less in the second half this season. Ball had just 12 points in the Hornets' loss on Tuesday versus the Brooklyn Nets.

Looking at the positives for the Hornets, Brandon Miller looked more like himself on Tuesday, as he totaled 29 points on 11/17 shooting from the field. Miller had been struggling shooting the ball prior to that game.

Another positive has been the play of Miles Bridges since his return from his knee injury. In his three games since return, he's averaged 19.7 points per game on 50% shooting from the field and 50% from three. Bridges struggled to begin the season for the Hornets but seems to be finding his role and rhythm with the team.

For Detroit, they've had a really impressive season, as they currently sit in the Eastern Conference playoffs. One of the main reasons for their success has been the veterans that they added in the off-season. Malik Beasley, Tobias Harris, and Tim Hardaway Jr. have all been vital pieces to their success early on.

Combined, the trio is averaging over 40 points a game, which has been crucial to their scoring outside of Cade Cunningham, who has also had a really solid campaign. Beasley has been hotter than fish grease recently, as he has poured in over 20 points in his last five.

Key Matchup: Hornets versus Detroit's centers

The Hornets have struggled with their interior defense when Grant Williams has run the small-ball center position, which is why I believe this is the most important matchup of the night. In the Hornets' earlier matchup with Detroit, the Pistons had Jalen Duren suffer an ankle injury early in the game, which led to him not returning.

The Hornets drafted Jalen Duren before trading him on draft night, which has always given Duren an added edge when he plays the Hornets. Duren, in his last game, had 15 points and 22 rebounds. If the Hornets want any chance or opportunity, the Hornets must keep him off of the offensive glass. The key way of doing so is by having Moussa Diabaté play a substantial amount of time on the court.

Diabate has been one of the pleasant surprises for the Hornets and they could really use him versus Detroit. On Tuesday, for whatever reason, Coach Lee didn't play Diabaté for much time, but hopefully that story will be flipped in this upcoming game, as the Hornets look to stop their losing skid.

Projected Starting Lineups

Position	Hornets	PIstons
Point Guard	LaMelo Ball	Cade Cunningham
Shooting Guard	Josh Green	Jaden Ivey
Small Forward	Brandon Miller	Tim Hardaway Jr
Power Forward	Miles Bridges	Tobias Harris
Center	Grant Williams	Jalen Duren

INJURY REPORT:

Game Preview

Projected Starting Lineups

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