Despite a strong third quarter, LaMelo Ball put up a rough performance in the Charlotte Hornets’ Play-In loss to the Orlando Magic, gifting the Detroit Pistons with a preferable first-round playoff opponent. Even though the Magic won big on Friday night, they will still provide Detroit with a much easier matchup than the Hornets.
Charlotte was one of the hottest teams in the NBA for the second half of the season. Orlando went through a ton of up-and-down stretches. Having to take on the red-hot Hornets would have been difficult for the Pistons, at least, relative to the usual one-eight matchup in the NBA.
But the Magic won’t be as tough a series.
LaMelo Ball played poorly in the Play-In, and now, the Pistons get to play the Magic
Ball shot just 1-of-6 in the first half on Friday. It was a brutal showing. One that carried over from the first Play-In game, which the Hornets just barely won.
Had Ball put up a solid game, perhaps things could have gone differently for the Hornets, and the Pistons would have had to meet them in the first round. But luckily for Detroit, Ball struggled. Now, the Pistons get to play the Magic.
Obviously, this is the NBA. No matchup is “easy.” Every team has a chance to win on any given night, so the Pistons can’t take anybody lightly if they want to make it out of Round 1.
However, when you take a look at what the Hornets and Magic bring to the table, Detroit should be happy to be welcoming Orlando to Little Caesars Arena.
The Hornets have one of the most lethal offenses in the league. LaMelo Ball, when he’s not in a massive slump, is impossible to deal with. Kon Knueppel is an absolute force from beyond the arc. And Charles Lee has his guys playing with incredible pace.
Orlando, on the other hand, struggles to score the ball at times. Paolo Banchero’s relative unwillingness to take open threes puts the team in a bind, and just in general, the Magic don’t have a ton of three-point shooting talent.
Considering one of people’s biggest question marks when it comes to the Pistons in the playoffs is their ability to generate offense outside of Cade Cunningham, taking on a team that isn’t consistent in the scoring column is a win for Detroit.
Charlotte could have forced the Pistons to play in shootouts. That’s not exactly the style of basketball that they have won with this season.
Going up against the Magic, they won’t have to worry about that. At least, in theory. They should be able to beat Orlando on the defensive end and rely heavily on Cunningham.
Ball was in a major slump throughout the entire first half on Friday night, and by the time he put together a string of solid basketball in the third, the game was already over.
Detroit should be thanking Ball for his dud, because now it gets to play the Magic. Because in a battle of physicality—the Magic’s primary style—the Pistons will have a major advantage.
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