The Detroit Pistons will find out their first-round opponent on Friday night based on the results of a battle between the Orlando Magic and Charlotte Hornets.
Despite the team's lower seed, it's safe to say the team that poses the biggest threat to give Detroit a run for their money is the young and feisty group of Charles Lee, who have been one of the hottest teams in the league in the second half of the season.
Charlotte's success largely rides on the play of their star guard LaMelo Ball, who was one of the biggest reasons for the team's play-in win over the Miami Heat to start the week.
For Detroit, though, having their playoff destiny put in the hands of Ball is the last spot they'd want to be in.
Pistons should prefer to play the Magic
The Pistons are the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference for a reason, and under no circumstance should the team be concerned about losing to the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference.
However, it's become clear that the threat posed by today's 8-seed is drastically different from what it used to be.
Charlotte is a dangerous team, and although their merely above .500 record may not strike fear into the Pistons' fanbase, it should be noted that of the two options, Detroit should prefer playing the Magic.
Orlando has struggled with consistency all season, and while they're led by star forward Paolo Banchero, the Magic have failed to live up to expectations.
The possibility of being challenged by the Magic in round 1 and potentially avoiding the likes of the Boston Celtics and New York Knicks until the Eastern Conference would be the ideal postseason path for the Pistons.
But if there's any player who could single-handedly disrupt that plan for Detroit, it would be Ball, who's proven he can put the Hornets on his back in big games.
Detroit can beat the Hornets, but it may take the option of rest away
There's no reason why Detroit couldn't outlast Charlotte in the first round, especially considering the team has regained full strength.
At the same time, between the Hornets and Magic, it feels more likely that Charlotte would be the team to extend a series beyond four games.
If that were the case, Detroit would fail to ensure the advantage of rest entering round 2, an unspoken advantage that the top seed normally lands if they're able to sweep their first-round opponent.
All that to say, if there's anybody the Pistons should be rooting for on Friday night, it'sPaolo Banchero and the Magic.
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