Detroit Pistons vs. New Orleans Pelicans 2019-20 season preview

Series prediction

Game 1: Dec. 9, 8 p.m. at Smoothie King Center
Game 2: Jan. 13, 7 p.m. at Little Caesars Arena

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It’s a difficult series to predict due to the unknowns of a largely revamped Pelicans roster. There should be some chemistry issues and, with all the youth, could be an adjustment period to the pace. That could leak into the December meeting but it’s hard to tell since it’ll be near the quarter point of the season.

Detroit will have multiple days off for each game, visiting New Orleans before heading to Mexico for a meeting with the Mavericks. The return trip will give the Pistons a primer before traveling to Boston.

Series prediction: Split 1-1

As it will be for the entire season, health is going to be a factor for the Pistons and it’s possible the second game of the series could be a “load management” night with an Eastern Conference meeting with the Celtics and seeding implications on the line.

This is the 18th preview in Piston Powered’s season preview series, taking a look at how the Pistons stack up against all 29 NBA teams. Here are the previews to date.

Atlanta Hawks
Brooklyn Nets
Boston Celtics
Charlotte Hornets
Chicago Bulls
Cleveland Cavaliers
Dallas Mavericks
Denver Nuggets
Golden State Warriors
Houston Rockets
Indiana Pacers
Los Angeles Lakers
Los Angeles Clippers
Memphis Grizzlies
Miami Heat
Milwaukee Bucks
Minnesota Timberwolves