Detroit Pistons Vs. Charlotte Hornets Injury Report: Jalen Duren, Kon Knueppel Ruled Out

For the second time in less than a week, the Detroit Pistons are set to take on the Charlotte Hornets tonight at 7:30 pm on the road after defeating the same squad by a 97-89 margin last Wednesday. 

While the Pistons have a 5-1 record and are back on top of the Eastern Conference already, Detroit has had to win games in an ugly fashion without Jalen Duren and Isaiah Joe over the last week. Duren, who strained his right hamstring against the Miami Heat, is still a couple days away from being reevaluated, so the Pistons have made the logical choice of sliding Paul Reed into the starting lineup during that absence. 

As for Joe, the veteran sharp-shooter is still feeling lingering effects of a hip contusion that he suffered in Detroit’s third game of the season. Playing against the Philadelphia 76ers on the road, Joe went up for a ferocious slam dunk in transition, but he took the brunt of a hard fall near the baseline. Joe left the game after that spill and did not return, so the Pistons have had to find perimeter scoring from other places without his influence. 

Heading into tonight’s matchup with the Hornets, both Duren and Joe are still unavailable to play. Joe briefly participated in shootaround earlier today, but Detroit ruled out the sniper shortly thereafter, which means that Daniss Jenkins will continue to have a longer leash in the rotation. 

Flipping to Charlotte’s side of the matchup, the Hornets are expected to welcome Coby White back into the lineup after his extended absence to start the season. White was held out of the Pistons-Hornets meeting last week, so this Eastern Conference battle will serve as his regular season debut for Charlotte. 

Despite White’s active status, the Hornets are still struggling after the Pistons sent them on a three-game losing streak. Charlotte was missing both Kon Knueppel and Grant Williams for their initial foray last Wednesday, and they’re both still out of the lineup with a pair of hamstring injuries. 

From a stylistic standpoint, the Hornets are still establishing their footing as a team after losing LaMelo Ball and Miles Bridges during the offseason. Since Charlotte decided to pivot in a different direction, the squad was expected to take some time to settle into a rhythm, but Knueppel’s absence from the lineup significantly hindered their ability to do so. After setting the rookie record for three-pointers last season, Knueppel is set up to be a focal point of the Charlotte attack, so the Pistons will be taking on an abbreviated version of the Hornets potential later tonight.

Last week, the Pistons lodged another double-digit comeback to take down he Hornets will holding Charlotte to just 38 points in the second half, so pay close attention to how Detroit’s defense deals with their opponents after picking up such recent experience against the same unit.