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The Brooklyn Nets are not in good shape at the moment. The Nets ended a five-game losing streak on Wednesday night with a win over the terrible Toronto Raptors, but a four-game home skid still hangs over their head. An 11-4 start to the season has suddenly transformed into an uninspiring 12-9 mark. Joe Johnson looks old, the offense is a mess and they played poorly enough against the Milwaukee Bucks on Dec. 9 to get booed off their own floor. Now can the Detroit Pistons take advantage?
The Pistons have suffered through their own problems. A solid stretch of play in November is now bracketed by an 0-8 start and losses in six of the last eight games. Greg Monroe has shot just 38.8 percent from the field over his last five games, and that swoon has hurt his offense (12.2 PPG over that span) and his rebounding (6.6 RPG). Andre Drummond has converted 72.7 percent of his shots of that same span, but on a lower volume and over less minutes. If Brook Lopez misses the game, the Pistons should be able to take advantage of an otherwise weak Nets frontline.
Game time: 7:30 p.m. ET, Dec. 14, 2012
Location: Barclays Center, Brooklyn, NY
TV: FOX Sports Detroit