Jun
26
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.
READ FULL STORY | COMMENT ON THIS POST | PERMALINK
Jun
26
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.
READ FULL STORY | COMMENT ON THIS POST | PERMALINK
Jun
23
By Jeff
The papers and tickers this morning have been ripe with talk about the Pistons efforts in bringing Carmelo Anthony to Motown. In the deal, which should be called the 2003 draft remix, many sources have reported that the Pistons have offered up Billups and Prince to the Nuggets for Anthony.
Seeing ‘Melo firsthand from his collegiate days, it is hard to imagine that the Pistons would not be a better team with no. 15 in the lineup. His ability to score and rebound with ease would help the oft-anemic Pistons against players like Paul Pierce, and Anthony’s friend, LeBron James.
The most obvious immediate concerns about making such a deal would be Anthony’s immaturity and frequent knack for taking minutes off while on the floor. His Nugget teams in the past with Nene, K-Mart and A.I. have all underachieved and lacked the defensive abilities that Coach Curry will likely be looking for.
Taking a step back from this potential deal, any speculation would suggest that Rodney Stuckey is considered game-ready and Tayshaun Prince’s defensive abilities have greatly waned.
More news on the Pistons’ Hot Stove when it comes available…
READ FULL STORY | COMMENT ON THIS POST | PERMALINK
Jun
13
By Jeff
Most job interview processes last longer, but in the world of heavily sought after coaches, no time could be wasted. Michael Curry is your Detroit Pistons coach.
No matter how many times you read that, it still will not settle in that the Pistons will have their first rookie coach since Rick Carlisle turned around a team still suffering from the Grant Hill trade.
Curry is an interesting choice to take the ship’s helm since, he was a Piston twice in the past. With his 6.6 career ppg average, it was clear that Curry was more worried about his teammates or his next move, and that may make him perfect for this team.
The team Curry leads out onto the floor next season will likely look considerably different than the one that walked off against Boston just weeks ago. Dumars is well aware of this and chose one of the few people he trusts to tell him what really went on last season. Curry will receive plenty more respect than Saunders ever did and he will be the catalyst for how long the current Pistons era lasts. Remember the Pistons with George Irvine, Don Chaney or Ron Rothstein at the helm? Nobody wants to go back to “those days”.
It also needs to be pointed out that Curry’s contract is a strong demonstration on how NBA coaching salaries have become ridiculous. Curry’s $7.5 million over three years is nearly double the 3-year extention that Stanley Cup winning coach Mike Babcock received. Figure that one out. A one-year assistant coach is making $1 million more per season than his hockey peer. I recognize that hockey doesn’t carry the national popularity that basketball does, but this is truly remarkable.
READ FULL STORY | COMMENT ON THIS POST | PERMALINK
Jun
04
By Jeff
In the most predictable move by Joe Dumars since George Irvine was shown the Palace door for the last time, Flip Saunders joins Dick Vitale, Doug Collins and Ron Rothstein as former Pistons coaches. In a move that will likely signal a new sort of era for the Pistons, Saunders’ inability to take the 2004 Champs and 2005 Finalists back to the promise land was his undoing. He was a coach without a title coaching those who had what he was looking for. In fact, in Saunders’ last attempt with this Pistons squad, it was his former star (Garnett) who got to play for pro basketball’s greatest prize in his place.
Saunders was part-Mariucci, part-Trammell. He wasn’t listened to when it mattered. He wasn’t respected for his previous accomplishments. Much like many before him, he was destined for mediocrity with a team that used their mouths in the past to lose a title to the Spurs. If they couldn’t stop complaining to the refs when it counted for a championship, Saunders was no match to this bunch.
Joe Dumars’ busy summer is underway and there’s no doubt about it. That famed core group from 2004 will lose another member or two by Independence Day’s first sparkler. 2008-9 will feature Rick Carlisle as Mavericks coach and Larry Brown as Bobcats coach. In a sport where second chances have brought Kelvin Sampson as an assistant in Milwaukee and Don Nelson (and potentially Doug Collins) into a remix stint with his past squad, Saunders will undoubtedly return to the head post one day. The next time he arrives at the Palace it will just have to be at the other side of the scorer’s table.
READ FULL STORY | COMMENT ON THIS POST | PERMALINK
May
31
By Steve
Off court antics are easier to forgive for guys who win championships. So fans aren’t in a forgiving mood these days after the Pistons blew game 6 of the Conference Finals at The Palace of Auburn Hills to the Boston Celtics. I am surprised at the number of people I hear saying that the Pistons should get rid of Rashid Wallace.
Despite Wallace’s foul mouth and nasty attitude, the 2007-08 Detroit Pistons just weren’t bad enough to claim the Bad Boys moniker. But are they on the verge of becoming even badder? A great deal depends on how the Pistons’ front office handles things in the off season.
I’m not ready to throw Rasheed under the bus just yet. In fact, I rather enjoy his intensity and determination. I can live with a few expletives from time to time if it means a great season and a shot at a title. Wallace is incredible under pressure and inspires his teammates. He’s the type of player who would come back to haunt the Pistons if he were to be traded.
While this year’s team didn’t quite have what it takes to win it all, there is no reason to doubt that they will be right back in the thick of things next year. Maybe then they will prove they are bad enough to earn the nickname Bad Boys once again. Keeping Rasheed Wallace — their baddest player — will be a key component to making that happen.
READ FULL STORY | 1 COMMENT | PERMALINK
May
22
By Jeff
Let me preface any comments by saying that I know the Pistons have only played one game in the 2008 playoffs vs. the Celtics. I know that Billups was playing on one good leg. I know that Boston is a steady 9-0 at home during the playoffs. I know that every game will not be like the first one, but it’s hard to suggest that the Pistons will be able to advance out of the third round.
The Pistons went back to their hotels Tuesday night down 1-0 in the series following an 88-79 beating at the hands of a Celtics team which, like the Pistons, had a knack of playing down to their opponents in the previous two rounds. For Detroiters (and apparently the Pistons as well), this created a sense of complacency as an 8-0 run to open the game and a 28-17 run that was the third quarter demonstrated that championship no. 17 may not be far away. In fact, when sizing up players head-to-head in one local paper it was actually considered that Paul Pierce was not as good as Tayshaun Prince. Think of that for one moment. The man who went toe-to-toe with LeBron James in a Game 7 was not as good as the lean forward who tends to take quarters and games off.
It will be interesting over the next few days to see whether this Pistons team will be able to tangle with the Celtics. With players like Sam Cassell, PJ Brown, James Posey and Eddie House waiting in the wings, it will take more than the occasional Hunter three or Ratliff block to make a statement. The discussion will undoubtedly turn shortly from championship run into fire-sale mode. While I still believe the Pistons can play their way into their third finals in five seasons, I don’t see how a well-rested unit like this squad came up with such a blank during Tuesday’s second half. Look for Game Two to come down to the wire.
READ FULL STORY | COMMENT ON THIS POST | PERMALINK
Apr
21
By Jeff
It was impossible to escape throughout the day. In the middle of great news about the Red Wings and some hopeful news about the Tigers, plastered on sports page covers and blaring on sports talk shows was some news that no one expected:
PHILADELPHIA 90 DETROIT 86
You can repeat this to yourself over and over and you still won’t believe what you’re reading. The Pistons held a lead of 13 at the half, just about the time when most were changing the remote to catch The Simpsons or a 4,274th viewing of a Mel Kiper Jr. draft preview. With the help of Reggie Evans off the bench and 17 from local standout Willie Green, the Sixers used some lax Pistons’ play into their own version of overdrive.
Pistons fans should not take this game for much more than what it really is – this is one game out of an entire series.
Detroit needs to win four of their next six to ensure The Palace does not foreclose by the end of April. How many nights from here on out will the Pistons be shooting 39 percent? How many nights will Prince, Hamilton, Billups and McDyess combine for 15-48 from the field? How often will Reggie Evans throw down 11 points and grab 14 boards?
I have no fears about this team’s ability to rebound from this lost. In fact, I cannot remember the last time this line-up actually played in a game that was meaningful. I’ve always hated the line “a loss is sometimes better than a win,” but in this case I think it holds true. Yes, Detroit may not hold home court advantage for the moment, but there is no reason they won’t have it back in time for Game 5. Look for a rejuvenated, but focused team for Game 2.
No more nachos with Flip Murray. No more hiding in the Sixers’ huddle at the end of the game. No more petty technicals. Note to the Pistons: the playoffs are underway.
READ FULL STORY | COMMENT ON THIS POST | PERMALINK
Apr
15
By Jeff
The 50th Pistons celebration a few night’s ago was very stirring. Bill Davidson, the ailing man who ushered in an era of success unlike any era before in Detroit basketball, sat on the floor as players before and during his ownership entered one-by-one. Legends like Bob Lanier and Dave Bing were greeted to hearty applause by most fans who aren’t old enough to know what they looked like in a Pistons uniform. One of the biggest roars that night happened to come for the opposing coach, who has received more jeers than cheers from his own fans in New York. For Isiah Thomas, that night was a rare occasion to receive applause to the only fans that will forgive him for what he has become.
In a span of nearly 15 years since he left the court for the last time at the Palace as a player, Thomas has nearly destroyed three franchises and put a league into bankruptcy. For Matt Millen haters out there, I can assure you that Millen only pales in comparison to the havoc that Thomas has caused the fans in Toronto, Indianapolis and New York City. In fact, Knicks fans are wondering what it will take to finally get rid of this guy.
One might say that the reason Thomas still draws applause in Detroit could be that he rid the town of Larry Brown and his ego. There is no doubt that Brown would still be panhandling his rights from one team to another while still under contract. Well old no. 11 took the bait three years ago and is still paying dearly since. Presidential candidates should be telling voters about what they would do about dealing with Thomas in this economy. What is the root of the nation’s credit crunch? Most likely an individual who has carelessly spent nearly $60 million of New York Knicks money on one year of Brown’s lackluster coaching and a total slew of lewd and completely disrespectful comments. Dean Smith, Hank Iba and Red Auerbach are all revered for what they brought to their teams in the form of championships, respect and glory. In the case of the former Hoosier, maybe he needs to head back to Bloomington for some Coaching 101.
I found it funny that in the middle of the Pistons anniversary celebration, Thomas took the time to call out another sad former Bad Boy Dennis Rodman. Rodman’s career which bordered somewhere between twisted and psychotic, has had fractured ties to a city which once saw “The Worm” as an essential part to the Pistons core. The excessive tattoos and crazy hairstyles and antics were not that long ago, and Pistons fans would have also created an ovation unlike any other one before. In this blue collar town where hard work on the floor creates legends, Rodman’s appearance would have been another stitch on the tapestry which has been Pistons basketball. Thomas used his high pulpit at that moment to call out the missing Rodman, a mere stain on what had become a tremendous evening. For somebody like Isiah, he might want to consider his own checkered history first before marring another franchise.
READ FULL STORY | COMMENT ON THIS POST | PERMALINK
Apr
04
By Jeff
For those of you who did not catch the event the other night, the Pistons honored “Trader” Jack McCloskey during halftime by raising a banner in the Palace rafters. McCloskey’s night was just one of many interesting nights during this season that Pistons fans have been able to partake in. From garish jerseys and other interesting player reunions, the latest ceremony helped bring back to mind one of the single-most despicable events in Pistons history.
The scene was the same Palace of Auburn Hills floor for Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Chicago Bulls. As time was expiring on the game, Bad Boys members Isiah Thomas, Dennis Rodman and Bill Laimbeer were cracking jokes sitting on the baseline advertisement board. Looking back at the moment, you could see what the players were thinking at the time. It was May 27, 1991 and the Pistons were about to get swept by a Bulls team on the cusp of its first of six titles.
Following one last plead to stay at the bench by Chuck Daly, Isiah Thomas led Mark Aguirre and Bill Laimbeer to the exits with 7.9 ticks left on the clock. In those last few moments, these three cowards were unable to shake hands with the same team that they had faced year after year. In fact, the only person they did embrace at the end was Jack McCloskey, eyes filled with tears at the entrance to the Pistons tunnel.
McCloskey was part of this moment only by virtual circumstance. I personally do not believe that he instructed these events to play out, but it was clear that one of his lasting memories with Pistons fans will be his role in the events of May, 1991. That’s what made the recent evening very special, standing at center court was a man being honored for his career as a whole, not just one or two flash frame moments from our memory. Detroit sports fans have ridiculed Matt Millen and Randy Smith for the moves that sent their respective teams further from respectability. McCloskey’s passion helped drive the Pistons to two championships and to one very indellible moment in the annals of time.
READ FULL STORY | COMMENT ON THIS POST | PERMALINK
