The Charlotte Hornets play host to the Memphis Grizzlies at Spectrum Center on Friday.

The Grizzlies (20-32) come into this matchup losing 16 of their last 18 games, as the two most recent losses show just how badly they're struggling. In fact, they blew a 25-point second half lead against the Denver Nuggets on Monday and followed that up with a devastating overtime loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday. That means their last three losses has been decided by a combined eight points, as nothing is going right for this franchise. That's led to a ton of trade speculation surrounding this club, with Mike Conley and Marc Gasol being the focus of those talks. Blowing the whole thing up may be the best option for the future, as it's been a heck of a run for these two. They simply don't have enough offense to compete right now though, with the Grizzlies sitting dead-last in scoring. That won't get it done and one has to wonder just how many games left this core has together.

The Hornets (24-26) own a 17-8 record at home this season, as that's kept them in playoff contention. They are starting to middle though, coming into this matchup trading off wins and losses across their last six games. The mediocrity of this team really stands out when you see the statistics, as this club ranks between 17th and 19th in scoring, points allowed, rebounding and assists. That shows just where this franchise is at right now, sitting somewhere right in the middle-of-the-pack. It's all about Kemba Walker though, as he's leading this team with 24.4 points, 4.2 rebounds and 5.6 assists per game. That's why he earned a starting spot at the all-star game and he'll definitely represent his city when it's played in Charlotte in two weeks.

Charlotte won their one meeting with Memphis this season, 118-107. That marked the Hornets fourth-straight win over the Grizzlies and their sixth win in their last seven games in total.