Troy Weaver vindicated? The Detroit Pistons are facing an incredibly dangerous Charlotte Hornets team, and a bunch of that credit must go to head coach Charles Lee. He’s gotten his team to buy in, unlocked its mishmash of high-level offensive talent, and the Hornets have gone from cute story to real danger climbing up the standings in the East. Lee, of course, was the head coach candidate whom Troy Weaver wanted to hire two years ago before he was overruled by Pistons owner Tom Gores and Vice Chairman Arn Tellem, who forced Detroit’s general manager to hire Monty Williams instead. We all know how that worked out.
The Hornets enter tonight looking for the franchise’s first 10-game winning streak since 1998, which is also the last time the team had a 50-win season. The Hornets started too slowly to reach 50 wins this season, but they are a better team than their record suggests, and this performance is no mirage. While they are justifiably known for that potent offense, which has been the best in the NBA during the team’s nine-game win streak, the defense is no pushover. Over that same span, it ranks fifth in the NBA, one spot better than the Pistons. Detroit will likely need to win with its defense, as it has all season, but will need to do so without Ron Holland, who is out tonight for personal reasons.
Detroit loves a statement game this season, and hopefully, they realize this can be one of them.
Game Vitals
When: 7 p.m. ET
Where: Spectrum Center, Charlotte, North Carolina
How: FanDuel Sports Network Detroit
Odds: Pistons -2.5
Projected Lineups
Detroit Pistons (38-13)
Cade Cunningham, Duncan Robinson, Ausar Thompson, Tobias Harris, Jalen Duren
Charlotte Hornets (25-28)
LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller, Kon Knueppel, Miles Bridges, Moussa Diabaté