Official Blog | Thursday | November 20th, 2008

Nov
03

Motown’s Answer?

By Jeff

In a move that came totally out of nowhere like a fastbreak, Joe Dumars has shaken up his 2-0 squad by making another huge trade under his watch. In an attempt to reprise a failed trade from eight years ago, this time there was no Matt Geiger to get in the way. Allen Iverson is a Detroit Piston. Chauncey Billups and Antonio McDyess are back in the Mile High City, bringing Cheikh Samb with them. This move probably came a few months later than expected in terms of magnitude, but the shock and excitement are already being felt throughout the town. 

Michael Curry finally has his first real test as a coach. Allen Iverson can be a coach-killer and often doesn’t fit within the scope of a team gameplan. In a coach looking to make his mark on this team, this move provides an opportunity to test what Curry’s impact will be long-term. It’s pretty funny that the trade was made before the Pistons game against Larry Brown and the Charlotte Bobcats. Brown provides a connection between Iverson and the Pistons both in player-coach connections and through ugly eras in team histories.

This trade represents a significant shift in mentality for the Pistons. The 2010 free agent class is filled with stars like LeBron, Kobe and Chris Bosh who will all literally have the world at their feet. With a potential $20-million plus under the cap, the Pistons have set themselves up for the opportunity to be successful and exciting for a few years to come.

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Oct
30

Opening Statement

By Jeff

With the World Series hitting an unusual 3.5 inning conclusion, it would not be a shock if the Pistons opener took many by surprise. As one local pundit also exclaimed, it would also not be a surprise to see less fans in the stands this year due to the local economy. This is an unusual situation for the Pistons and its fans who have lowered their expectations to levels not seen since the Carlisle-era. On a fall evening in Auburn Hills, Michael Curry won his first game as the newest head man in Detroit, defeating the Indiana Pacers in the process.

The result was not all that surprising considering the Pacers are counting on Danny Granger and Jarrett Jack to be major contributors this season. The short rivalry sparked by Ron Artest and Jermaine O’Neal is only a fleeting memory now, as are the wins in the Circle City. Curry’s gameplan helped bring the Pacers to their knees with a grinding style that will create close games throughout this season. His use of basically every Piston with a warm-up on, demonstrated that the success of this team relies heavily on the production off the bench.

Notes: Jason Maxiell confirmed today that he has signed a 4-year, $20 million deal with the Pistons. This deal locks up the Bearcat alum through 2013, barely beating the re-signing deadline.

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Oct
14

Detroit Pistons Early History

By Steve

It’s hard to believe that there was a time when the Detroit Pistons played in a high school gymnasium — but that’s exactly where they started.

The franchise was founded in Fort Wayne, Indiana as the Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons.  Watch this incredible video clip for the entire history of one of basketball’s greatest success stories:

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Sep
20

The Basketball Has Gone Flat

By Jeff

I shouldn’t be mistaken for Chicken Little, but the Pistons sky as we know it is falling. Sure, the sign of Michael Curry on the bench could have been one sign of a demise of this current Pistons team. The same could have been said when the team considered the Kwame Brown signing as being significant. Today’s latest news served notice that we’re about to begin rolling faster down that steep slope toward mediocrity.

The Pistons are the last team on everyone’s mind at the moment, and with that comes the inauspicious opportunity to only hit the headlines when a major piece of news comes around. Today, Coach Michael Curry made it clear that he is expecting Rasheed Wallace to get into playing shape. The latest I checked, Rasheed Wallace doesn’t listen to anyone other than someone he trusts for any reason. That means if your name is not Assistant Coach Pat Sullivan, and you are on the bench in a suit this season, do not expect Rasheed to even consider your feedback.

This news also came with the second piece of info that Antonio McDyess’ fifth spot in the rotation is “up for grabs” this offseason. That means that players like Amir Johnson and Kwame Brown will make this training camp even more heated than it should be. Players should never have the sense that their job is “safe” in any way. The fact that Rip Hamilton can do tv shows in the offseason and Rasheed can gain 20-plus pounds is part of this same thinking. Maybe Curry has finally caught onto something here - time will only tell.

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Aug
12

The Redeem Team

By Jeff

For those of us who made it up early from a late slumber on Sunday, we were witness to what looks to be a new era of USA Basketball. If any game smelled of an opening round upset it was this one. Yao Ming, the pride of China, had the cheers of one billion-plus on his side as he took on what had seemed to be a shaky team. It was the U.S. after all that had stumbled into the Olympics following close calls in Macau including a rough game with the Australians. A 101-70 final later and the U.S. looks like a blue collar version of the 1992 Dream Team.

The team has a whole different feel this time around. Back in 1992, many of these nations were taking pictures with the Americans before the game began. They were asking for autographs with this team and the Croatians were even thrilled to take a small 25-23 lead during the gold medal game. The only Piston at that time wasn’t even in uniform, Chuck Daly was coaching the team after Isiah Thomas was suspiciously left off.

For the first time in many years, the U.S. brings a different focus and outlook this time around. Championship hungry players like LeBron James and Dwight Howard now dot the landscape as does the Pistons defensive-minded Tayshaun Prince. Though the jobs of these role players seem rather limited at the moment, look for players like Prince and Carlos Boozer to be extremely valuable in upcoming games against Greece and Spain.

lebron-james.jpg

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Jul
29

No. 1 Pick/Signing

By Jeff

The rumors earlier this offseason that the Pistons were going for a former first round pick (Carlos Delfino) were apparently true. In this case, that first round pick happened to be actually a former no. 1 pick. Kwame Brown, the much maligned big man who Michael Jordan brought in to be a star for the Wizards, is now the latest member of the 2008-9 Detroit Pistons squad.

The signing of Brown is clearly a project signing much like the draft choices of Walter Sharpe or previously Amir Johnson had been. He clearly has great size and has shown flashes of greatness in his past. His near 8 points and 6 rebounds a game won’t necessarily set the floor on fire, that is, if he is able to stay out of trouble from the beginning. He has been riddled with accusations and assault charges over the past three years as he bounced from Washington to Los Angeles to Memphis. This 2-year, $8 million deal seems to smell of a similar failure to that of Nazr Mohammed for the Pistons or Jose Mesa for the Tigers. For a player who has shown no remorse for his sparring with Gilbert Arenas or any respect for the players that he has been teamed with, it would be a tremendous surprise to see him gel with the Pistons core.

kwame-brown-pic-7.jpg

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Jul
22

Basketbrawl II

By Jeff

Any sports fan remembers where they were the night of November 19, 2004. It started with some simple shoving and included a Ron Artest interview while lying on the scorers table. For those watching it at home, it was impossible to turn away from what happened next. It took what seemed like a lifetime to comprehend all of the punches thrown, the fans trampled in the crowd, the anger that we saw unfolding before us.

July 22, 2008 will not come near the spectacle of that cold November night at the Palace. There won’t be the ensuing lawsuits or the memories from that incredible moment. What we saw were women’s basketball players fighting in the closing moments of a tough battle between the Detroit Shock and the Los Angeles Sparks. Unlike in some of their previous battles, Bill Laimbeer and Michael Cooper watched these “professional” athletes fight like spoiled children just feet from where it all went down those four years ago.

The lasting images this time will not be of Jermaine O’Neal or Ron Artest throwing haymakers in the crowd. We will go on YouTube or other online sites and remember that Cheryl Ford reaggravated her knee in a rare peacemaking role for a member of the Malone family. We will see that the one cog that remained consistent between 2004 and now was Rick Mahorn - this time pushing Lisa Leslie to the Palace floor. Yet again, Detroit sports have a black eye due to unnecessary roughness at the Palace. Maybe the larger issue is why we find these actions acceptable in baseball or hockey, but not in basketball.

For the struggling WNBA I would find it hard to believe that this event could drive more fans to the league.

artest-the-palace-fight.jpg

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Jul
14

The Summer “League”

By Jeff

If you’re enough of a savvy Internet surfer or sports savant you’ll know very well that we are in the middle of Vegas NBA Summer League action right now. If you missed that this was happening amongst the other news of Brett Favre, New York’s MLB All-Star Game or Tiger Stadium, you’re not alone. In fact, the “LVSL” has turned into one of the larger jokes on NBA fan sites as drinking games and mockery have been more of the norm. Sure, there have been some pieces of note to take out of the LVSL - here are the top 10:

1.) So that’s what Eric Gordon looks like without his baggy t-shirt. His 10.5 free throws per game will be helpful to his depleted Clippers.

2.) Consider these few games as Michael Curry’s coaching tune-up. Hopefully he doesn’t get used to the polo/name tag look.

3.) The amount of Western Conference teams outnumber their Eastern counterparts nearly 2:1. Sadly missing are the Seattle/Oklahoma City Supersonics/Cowboys/Bennetts.

4.)  In Detroit’s first game, a win over the Lakers, the starting line-up featured Rodney Stuckey, Cheikh Samb, Aaron Afflalo, Amir Johnson and Walter Sharpe. I know the Lakers regretted losing Samb after that loss.

5.)  Put simply - Donte Greene is your scoring leader, Michael Harris is your rebound leader, and Ramon Sessions is your assist leader.

6.) At least make this event seem more real and get these players actual looking uniforms. These current jerseys look like the teams chose sides right before the opening tip.

7.) I just attempted to purchase tickets online. A day’s session will cost your $20 for general admission and $100 will get you courtside.

8.) The Thomas & Mack Center is co-host of this event. I cannot tell you another arena in Las Vegas that has ever hosted a significant event outside of a casino.

9.) Good news - Drew Neitzel is listed on the Minnesota Timberwolves roster. Bad news - Drew Neitzel is listed as an alum from Oklahoma.

10.) Finally - for all of you Summer League fans, an archive is on the main site to let you reminisce about years gone by under the Vegas sun.

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Jun
26

Pistons Trade White

By Jeff

Immediately after the Pistons selected D.J. White with pick no. 29, it has been reported that he will be traded to the Seattle Sonics for picks no. 32 and no. 46. Seattle had six picks in the draft and the deal means that Detroit will not have to guarantee money to whomever they draft.

The Pistons now have picks 32, 46 and 59 - all in the second round. Pick 32 comes immediately after and it is Walter Sharpe, F, UAB. He is a sophomore who averaged 14/game this past season for Mike Davis. Bilas has stated that Walter Sharpe was never totally committed to his game while at Miss. State or at UAB. Apparently, this pick was made for potential reasons, much like the next two picks.

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Jun
26

NBA Draft Night

By Jeff

Good evening on what used to be the only night that mattered during the Pistons season. In the recent Eastern Conference perennial contender era, the NBA Draft truly only mattered once (remember Darko) and produced the future floor leader (Rodney Stuckey, 2007) of the team last year. Here are the last minutes documented before pick no. 29:
10:08 pm: San Antonio has just drafted a guard out of IUPUI. I was totally looking for some foreign star at this pick. No team drafts better than the Spurs.

10:10 pm: Darrell Arthur has just had his long wait ended with the no. 27 pick to New Orleans/Portland. His whole family did not look like they expected to be there this late.

10:13 pm: Arthur is being interviewed. I can only imagine his reaction with everyone talking about this phantom kidney issue while in the green room. Convenient he wore a green shirt and tie while staying longer than anyone else in the green room.

10:15 pm: Donte Greene from Syracuse is drafted by Memphis with no. 28. Jay Bilas cannot stop talking about his immaturity and lack of shot selection. A recent article in the Syracuse Post-Standard mentioned how Greene has lost many of his supporters from Central New York. His comment to Orangefans… “get over it.”

10:19 pm: One minute left before the Pistons selection. Chris Douglas-Roberts is considered the best player on the board by Jay Bilas. I wonder who Michael Curry will take in his first draft as coach.

10:20 pm: Pistons clock shows 0:00, but yet no pick. The conversation goes back again to Arthur. Jeff Van Gundy looks envious when talking about the many visits to the conference finals. His closest try at a championship was 14 years ago with New York.

10:22 pm: D.J. White is named the Pistons selection. Stuart Scott draws some boos when he mentions the last Pistons-Hoosier draft pick was Isiah Thomas. Does that mean D.J. will bring his undershirts with him to Detroit?

10:24 pm: Van Gundy is confident that Curry will not live up to expectations. The conversation quickly shifts away from White - who happens to be the fourth senior chosen.

That’s it for the Pistons pick in the first round. I would be stunned to see White make the 12-man roster this fall.

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