After a disappointing 1/7/06 loss at Atlanta (93-101) to the worst team in the league before a measly 11,332 fans, our Hometown Hornets (15-18) host the the best in the league, the mighty Detroit Pistons, tomorrow night at the Ford Center, 7:00. The game is on Cox.

The Hornets are 10-5 at the Ford Center, but that was always with Chris Paul on board who received an injury (torn ligament in his right thumb) in the 3rd quarter of the last home game (v. Portland) and who will be out for a couple of weeks. With Paul out, and while the hometown fans may well be the “6th man”, but who’s the 3rd or 4th or 5th gonna be? Against Atlanta, only 2 players excelled - Speedy Claxton (off the bench - expect to see him start on Tuesday) with 29 points, 4 rebounds and 2 assists) and David West (22 points, 9 rebounds, 0 assists). The next highest scorers were PJ Brown and Arvydas Macijauskas (8) followed by Desmond Mason (7).

Detroit (26-5, 12-3 on the road) sits atop the tough Central division of the Eastern Conference, followed by Cleveland (20-11), Indiana (18-13), Milwaukee (17-14), and, the only below .500 team, Chicago (14-19). Their only losses are @ Dallas (82-119), Washington (114-120, 2OT), @ Utah (78-92), @ Cleveland (84-97) and, on 1/7/06, the Utah Jazz made it 2-0 (90-94 OT) over the Pistons who have lost 2 of their last 4.

Here's a good article about our opponent (from http://newsok.com/article/1727530/ ):
NBA 101: Pistons complete package

By Andrew Gilman
The Oklahoman

The Hornets aren’t the Pistons.

But they'd sure like to be.

The Pistons come to town Tuesday and take on the Hornets, with the best record in the NBA, back-to-back showings in the NBA Finals and the best team in the game.

And while the Hornets might be envious of the Pistons' record and success, it's the team concept the Hornets are most trying to duplicate.

"We're trying to build in the mold of what we're trying to do," said Hornet general manager Jeff Bower.

That mold is simple: Not a single superstar, but a full team of all-stars.

Unlike Houston, the Lakers, Miami or even San Antonio, the Pistons don't have that one or two standout players. There's no Shaq or Kobe, T-Mac or Duncan. What they do have is a complete package where everyone stands out.

"We're trying to build to that point as well," said Hornets coach Byron Scott. "We got some pieces that we have in place in Chris Paul and David (West) and Desmond (Mason) that we can build around. When you have guys like that, you've got to add guys who are willing to sacrifice. And that's what the Pistons have. Rasheed Wallace could be an all-star anywhere. He's that talented. But he sacrificed that to be a part of a team that wants to win. And we've got to find pieces to our puzzle that want the same type of success."

It might sound easy, but it's not. The team concept in basketball -- or any sport -- at the professional level is one that is difficult to develop.

"That's the hardest thing to get guys to understand," said Hornet veteran PJ Brown. "But when you win, everyone gets the credit. It's proven, year after year. Even if you're not the guy, everyone shares in the winning."

But what the Pistons have done is even more remarkable, considering the trend in the league the past two decades. Championships teams in that span have generally been built around one or two players -- the Bulls with Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen. The Lakers with Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal. The Spurs around Tim Duncan and before that David Robinson. But the Pistons don't have that one or two players. They have something better.

No player on the Pistons ranks in the top 10 in the league in scoring, but four players average more than 14 points per game. They have had the same starting lineup all 30 games this season and are in the midst of a third season in a row with the same core of players. Chauncey Billups, Richard Hamilton and Ben Wallace have been together since 2002.

"They believe in each other and play unselfish basketball," Brown said. "They are the blueprint for what it takes and we're not at that level."
Here are the fine Detroit starters: Chauncey Billups (#1, 6-3, Colorado; 19.8 ppg, 3 rpg, 8.4 apg ... 4th in NBA ... on 12/14/05 v. Sacramento, 19 assists); Richard Hamilton (#32, 6-7, Connecticut; 21.6 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 2.7 apg); Tayshaun Prince (#22, 6-9, Kentucky; 14.8 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 2.3 apg); Rasheed Wallace (#36, 6-11, North Carolina; 14.6 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 2.5 apg); Ben Wallace (#3, 6-9, Virginia Union; 8.8 ppg, 12.6 rpg (2nd in NBA), 1.9 apg - in 2005 NBA, Top-5 in blocks and Top-25 in steals).



The Pistons are 1st in NBA attendance, all sellouts @ 22,076 and now have 101 consecutive sellouts in the Palace of Auburn Hills. See http://www.nba.com/pistons/news/100t...ut_060106.html