SCOUTING REPORT: This will be the first meeting of the Pistons and Bobcats since their Dec. 13 game at Charlotte when the Pistons led by 29 late in the third quarter and saw the Bobcats cut their deficit to one point before a Rasheed Wallace 3-pointer stopped the bleeding and allowed the Pistons to escape. Both teams have changed significantly since then. That was Charlotte’s first game with Boris Diaw and Raja Bell, now fully integrated into the starting lineup. The Bobcats are shorthanded in the backcourt with impressive rookie D.J. Augustin expected to miss at least 10 days with an abdominal strain and Matt Carroll day to day with an Achilles strain. Larry Brown has been mixing and matching as usual. Bell (10.3 points with Charlotte) and Raymond Felton (13.2, 6.1 assists) are the starting backcourt with Diaw (14.9, 7.0 rebounds, 5.1 assists with Charlotte), Gerald Wallace (16.1, 7.3 rebounds) and Emeka Okafor (13.8, 10.9 rebounds, 1.76 blocks) up front. Adam Morrison has been giving Charlotte some punch off the bench lately. Depending on the night, ex-Piston Nazr Mohammed or veteran pickup Juwan Howard get solid minutes up front. Ex-Michigan State guard Shannon Brown has had his best NBA moments under Larry Brown after washing out of both Cleveland and Chicago. Charlotte is last in the league in scoring (91.4) and ranks poorly in most offensive categories. The Bobcats are also a poor rebounding team despite Okafor’s presence, ranking 29th both overall and in defensive rebounding. They also rank 24th in turnovers, which must keep Larry Brown up nights.

PISTONS PERSPECTIVE: The Pistons hope to be back at full strength for the first time in nine games. Rip Hamilton, who has missed eight games with a groin strain, returned to practice on Monday. Rasheed Wallace came back in a limited capacity in Saturday’s loss at Utah, but also practiced on Monday after apparently reaggravating the injury late in that game. Rodney Stuckey has had back stiffness in his past three games and did not practice on Monday, out with an excused absence to attend his jersey retirement ceremony at Eastern Washington. If Hamilton and Stuckey are both medically fit, Michael Curry will have a decision on his hands regarding his starting lineup. He prefers the defensive edge the Pistons enjoy when playing two big men and having Tayshaun Prince as his customary small forward spot. The Pistons’ defensive ratings have climbed rapidly in the past several weeks. They are now eighth in field-goal percentage defense (.445) and are sixth in points per game allowed (93.6). Amir Johnson’s presence in the lineup has helped goose those numbers, though he remains plagued by an inability to keep from foul trouble, fouling out of the Utah game in just 8:19 of playing time. Tonight’s game marks the start of a stretch that sees the Pistons play four in five nights and five in seven – a good time to have all bodies available, in other words.

Probable Starters

Prince Johnson Brown Iverson Stuckey Forward Forward Center Guard Guard Wallace Diaw Okafor Bell Felton