The Detroit Pistons travel to Brooklyn to take on the Nets in their first NBA Cup fixture of the season on Friday night. After a brutal schedule to start the season, the Pistons are facing the 0-4 Nets, the only winless team in the Eastern Conference. They have an excellent chance to extend their lead at the top of the conference with a win.
Unfortunately, they are going to have to do it without Jalen Duren. The All-Star center remains out with a right hamstring strain after suffering the injury in the second game of the season. This will be his fourth straight missed game.
Duren is expected to be out for at least another week. He will be re-evaluated a week from today, which will determine his timeline for returning to action.
Isaiah Joe is inching towards his return
Another Piston who missed the last two games is Isaiah Joe. In the third game of the season against Philadelphia, Joe had a nasty fall after a dunk in transition. He was quickly ruled out of the game and was diagnosed with a hip contusion.
Ahead of the game on Friday, Joe was getting shots up in the morning shootaround at Barclays Center, according to team insider Omari Sankofa II. But he continues to be listed as questionable as of 4 pm EST and will be a game-time decision.
If Joe is to miss another game, Daniss Jenkins and Kevin Huerter will continue to get extended minutes. If he is available, he should get around 20 minutes off the bench, providing much-needed shooting and floor spacing for the team.
The Pistons don't have another player listed on their injury report.
Nets will be without Egor Demin
Brooklyn, on the other hand, will be without their starting point guard, Egor Demin. The second-year player sustained a right leg bone bruise in Tuesday's loss to the Celtics. He will miss at least one week.
In his absence, rookie point guard Mikel Brown Jr. will likely get the start. The sixth-overall selection certainly has the upside, but he is off to a poor start to the season, as one would expect from a 20-year-old rookie PG. This should give the Pistons an advantage as they hope to prevent the Nets from winning their first game of the year.
The only other player listed on the Nets' injury report is Noah Clowney, who is questionable with an illness. Whether that will make a difference in the Nets' uphill battle against the Pistons remains to be seen.
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