As NBA fans await training camp and the regular season, they can look forward to the upcoming preseason. In one of those games, the Detroit Pistons will play host to the Cleveland Cavaliers at Michigan State University.
This will be the last of five preseason games for the Detroit Pistons fall. For a full look at their preseason schedule click here.
So, this game could be the deciding factor between two players getting inserted into the starting lineup for the start of the regular season.
There is uncertainty at the two and three spots in the Pistons’ lineup. These roles are more than likely going to be filled by Luke Kennard and Stanley Johnson. Coming off the bench would then be Reggie Bullock and Glenn Robinson III.
While this is the last game of the preseason, it will more than likely give Bruce Brown and Khyri Thomas some great exposure. Both rookies played well during Summer League, and will look to build onto that heading into the preseason.
The Cleveland Cavaliers will make their first appearance in East Lansing at the Jack Breslin Student Events Center.
Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert (who is also a Michigan State alum) pledged $15 million to complete the final renovations of the Breslin Center in October 2016. The renovation was completed a year later in October 2017, during which the Dan Gilbert Pavilion was unveiled.
Gilbert is looking to move on from LeBron James, who, once again, has left Cleveland for a different team in free agency.
The Cavaliers recently drafted point guard Colin Sexton from Alabama in the 2018 NBA draft. Power forward Kevin Love was also resigned to a four-year deal worth $120 million.
What does this mean for Michigan State and Greater Lansing?
This will be the first professional basketball game to be played in Greater Lansing. The Breslin Center can hold about 15,000 people, compared to Little Caesars Arena and Quicken Loans Arena, which are closer to 20,500.
Michigan State is home to one of the top basketball programs in the nation as well as a Hall of Fame Head Coach in Tom Izzo. Michigan State also has roughly 39,000 undergraduate students on campus.
About 465,000 people call the Greater Lansing area home.
Why does this matter? Much like Michigan State’s men’s basketball games, the Breslin Center should be filled to capacity on Friday, Oct. 12.
Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased through the Breslin Center’s website.