The Detroit Pistons are hoping a new month can bring some renewed hope and maybe even a victory.
After going winless in November, the Detroit Pistons will carry a 16-game losing streak into tonight's home game against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The Cavaliers supplied one of those 16 losses, as they beat the Pistons handily in Cleveland without the services of Donovan Mitchell. The Pistons were carved up by Darius Garland and Max Strus while Clevaland's smothering defense held Detroit to just 100 points on 42 percent shooting.
Things haven't gotten any better for the Pistons since, as they have dropped to 27th in the NBA in offensive efficiency and 24th in defensive efficiency.
Detroit is hoping to get some of their offensive firepower back tonight but, as usual, as one player is coming off the injured list, another player could be going on.
Is Bojan Bogdanovic playing tonight? Pistons injuries
In a rare bit of good news this season, Bojan Bogdanovic has been upgraded to probable for tonight's game vs. the Cavaliers.
The Pistons have struggled in the half-court without him, as there is no spacing for the guards to operate, which is part of the reason Cade Cunningham is one of the league leaders in turnovers this season. Bogdanovic should help create space with his shooting and at least give the Cavaliers something else to think about.
Playing defense against the Pistons in the half-court has become all too easy, as teams either just swarm Cade Cunningham and force him to give up the ball, unafraid to let anyone else on the team shoot, or go under screens and pack the lane to prevent Cade from having any space.
Getting a lights-out shooter and legit scoring threat back into the starting lineup will offer some relief to Cunningham and take some of the scoring responsibility off his shoulders.
But it's not all good news for the Pistons, as rookie Ausar Thompson is listed as probable with a facial fracture that may require him to wear a mask if he does play. It would be very Pistons-like to get an offensive player back and have their best defender out with an injury in the same game, though we'll hopefully see Ausar in there tonight.
Whether he will actually play is another story, as both he and Jaden Ivey were relegated to just 13 minutes apiece in the last loss against the Knicks.
Monty Williams has been inconsistent with minutes for his young players, particularly Ivey, who seems to be held to a standard that no one else on the roster is held to when it comes to defensive effort and effectiveness. The Pistons have allowed over 125 points per game in their last three.
Joe Harris and Monte Morris will continue to be on the bench in street clothes for the foreseeable future.
The Cavaliers will be missing Ricky Rubio, Dean Wade, Ty Jerome and Caris LeVert, though Mitchell will be back in the lineup at full strength.
How to watch Pistons vs. Cavaliers
If you want to see Bojan Bogdanovic make his debut tonight, you can watch the 7:00 PM ET tip off on BS Detroit Extra or listen on 950 AM .
If you happen to live out of the Detroit region, you can stream the game on NBA League Pass or check out a free trial at FUBOtv.