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Originally Posted by themicrowave **Stats and lineups updated**
A couple of notes. Charlotte lost a heartbreaker against Milwaukee last night, 103-102. Brevin Knight did not play due to back spasms. Okafor and Kareem Rush appear to be out as well. Keith Bogans, Raymond Felton and Bernard Robinson are likely starters for tonight.
Last night against Milwaukee, Gerald Wallace had 21 points, 15 rebounds and 8 steals. His matchup with Tayshaun is probably the key to victory. Positionally, no one else on the Charlotte roster can hang with Detroit.
Prince should have the edge with a day's rest, and Wallace coming off of a 42 minute performance.
Charlotte is one of the best teams at forcing turnovers. Over the last 10 games, the Bobcats have averaged just over 10 steals per game. In those same 10 games, they lead the NBA in turnover differential, forcing 5+ more turns per night than they committ.
Another area Charlotte excels is shot blocking. They are ranked near the upper middle of the pack with Detroit and San Antonio immediately behind them. Again this is based on the last 10 games.
Detroit's keys to victory are - Make shots
- Shut down Gerald Wallace
- Limit turnovers and prevent fast break scoring for the Bobcats
Can you believe I actually researched this game? 
As a side note; watch how many minutes Carlos Arroyo plays and how effective he is. The trade subplot hangs over his head with Hunter's return on Monday. |
However, it will be at least two weeks before Hunter returns. (I believe I just heard this in the last Flip interview at mlive.com) The announcers keep saying his return is imminent, but thats just hype. Last I heard Hunter tweaked his ankle a tad a few days back. Nothing major, but even before this Flip had called reports of Hunter's return this week highly doubtful. Last thing Hunter had to say about it, just a week ago, is that he still did not have full range of motion in the ankle. So basically, don't hold your breath. Besides, for our Championship, Hunter was only activated for the last 3rd of a season. That worked then, and he is even older now. The shorter the span he plays, the fresher he will be for the playoff run.