The Hornets' decent 6-6 start can be attributed to defense. Charlotte ranks eighth defensively holding foes to 107.3 points. Hornets Coach James Borrego is showing how much he prefers defense above offense by giving minutes to Cody and Caleb Martin while keeping scorer Malik Monk on the bench.
A rusty Monk may get an opportunity here, though, as the Hornets' leading scorer, Gordon Hayward, may not play after suffering a hip strain on Wednesday. Hayward and Terry Rozier are the only Charlotte players averaging more than 13 points per game. 
Charlotte ranks 24th in scoring at 107.2. The Hornets just matched their lowest scoring output of the season in a 104-93 home loss to the Mavericks on Wednesday. That game went 24 points below the closing total of 221. The Hornets lack inside scoring. They have to work hard for their baskets. 
Toronto gave up the second-fewest points per game last season. The Raptors, though, have been a major disappointment so far this season losing eight of their first 10 games while ranking 19th defensively yielding 112.5 points. Lately, however, the Raptors have shown defensive improvement. They held Golden State to 106 points and Portland to 112 points both on the road during their past two games. That's six points below the season average of both of those teams. 
The Raptors have played seven Western Conference teams plus the Celtics and 76ers - each of whom rank in the top 12 in scoring - during their first 10 games. Now they are stepping down in class against a punchless offense that could be without its best scorer.