The Brooklyn Nets will get their starting center back on Friday night in Brook Lopez when the team takes on the Detroit Pistons, head coach Avery Johnson told reporters, via Zach Schonbrun of the New York Times.

Lopez will get the start, but Johnson added his minutes will be monitored as the team continues to take the extremely cautious approach with the big man's injury. The team's starting center suffered a right foot sprain against the Boston Celtics on Nov. 28.

However, Lopez may miss tomorrow's game against the Chicago Bulls in the second game of a back-to-back for Brooklyn. He will be re-evaluated after tonight's game against Detroit, Zach Schonbrun of the New York Times reports.

Lopez is enjoying an All-Star caliber season and it is no coincidence that the Nets have struggled in the seven games their starting center has missed, having won just two of the games in Lopez's absence -- the first and last games during Lopez's recovery.