Pistons' Point

Bynum currently out of Pistons rotation

2012-01-02T19:11:00.002-05:00

Pistons coach Lawrence Frank has chose to go with a three-guard lineup of Rodney Stuckey, Ben Gordon and Brandon Knight as of late. That has left Will Bynum out of the rotation.

Other than the final three minutes in the loss at Boston on Dec. 30, Bynum has not played in the Pistons last three games.

“It’s hard,” Frank said. “Will’s a very, very good player. He’s obviously a guy we see as a game changer, especially on the offensive end. Someone who ... is one of our better pick-and-roll players. But it’s hard to play three point guards, especially cause outside of Rodney our guards are small.

“Will’s definitely going to have his day in the sun. He’s going to help us win games, but right now this is where we’re at.

“Especially with a new coach and a new system the one thing I’ve said to the group and I also say to myself is, ‘Flexibility.’ We don’t have all the answers right now. Will we feel is part of the solution. We’ll just see how it all fits.”

Bynum played nearly 13 minutes in the season opener, finishing with six points on 1 for 5 shooting, three assists, three rebounds and two turnovers. Bynum did not play in the home opener against Cleveland, played the final 3:25 at Boston on Dec. 30 and did not play in the Pistons win over Indiana on New Year's Eve.

Even though Bynum hasn’t been playing, Frank still feels he can be a part of the team's success.

“Even when you’re not playing you can contribute and part of that is being a good teammate, being involved, especially as a point guard you should really be engaged in the game,” Frank said. “Everyone on this level can play. A lot of it is about opportunity and combinations on the floor. What may be your lineup today could be different a week from now, could be different a month from now. Really the guys play determines how much they do or do not play.

“(With) Will, it’s not a lack of confidence, a lack of faith, a lack of belief or lack of ability. It’s just we have small guards and we’re not a good rebounding team. Defensive rebounding takes precedent and we’ll go from there. But Will will have his day.”

Villanueva battling injury
Charlie Villanueva is another guy currently out of the Pistons rotation. Villanueva was suspended for the first three games of the season, but did not play in Saturday’s win over Indiana, the first game he was eligible.

“It’s unfortunate for Charlie, he’s missed some time,” Frank said. “I think Charlie is another guy who will help us win games. Right now I’m not going to get into every individual player, but we’ll continue to go in the direction that we have. We’ll have an open mind. Practice and preparation and all the things that go into deciding playing time will always be a factor.”

Villanueva has been battling a minor foot injury, but Frank said Villanueva is healthy enough to play.

“He’s right about there,” Frank said. “It’s between his foot and ... I think compensation from other parts of his body. But, yeah, he’s health enough to play.”

Pistons Media Day - Ben Wallace

2011-12-14T22:49:00.002-05:00

Pistons center Ben Wallace talks to the media during the team's annual media day.

Pistons Media Day - Greg Monroe

2011-12-14T22:44:00.002-05:00

Pistons center Greg Monroe talks to the media during the team's annual media day.

Pistons Media Day - Will Bynum

2011-12-14T22:42:00.002-05:00

Pistons guard Will Bynum talks to the media during the team's annual media day.

Pistons Media Day - Austin Daye

2011-12-14T22:00:00.002-05:00

Pistons forward Austin Daye talks to the media during the team's annual media day.

Pistons Media Day - Tayshaun Prince

2011-12-14T21:48:00.001-05:00

Pistons forward Tayshaun Prince talks to the media during the team's annual media day.

Pistons Media Day - Jonas Jerebko

2011-12-14T21:46:00.001-05:00

Pistons forward Jonas Jerebko talks to the media during the team's annual media day.

Pistons Media Day - Charlie Villanueva

2011-12-14T21:45:00.002-05:00

Pistons forward Charlie Villanueva talks to the media at the team's annual media day.

Pistons Media Day - Ben Gordon

2011-12-14T21:44:00.002-05:00

Pistons guard Ben Gordon talks to the media during the team's annual media day.

Pistons Media Day - Brandon Knight

2011-12-14T21:43:00.002-05:00

Pistons rookie Brandon Knight talks to the media at the team's annual media day.

Pistons Media Day - Lawrence Frank

2011-12-14T21:41:00.002-05:00

Pistons coach Lawrence Frank talks to the media at the team's annual media day.

Pistons coach Lawrence Frank finally able to speak about players

2011-12-02T19:36:00.004-05:00

Pistons coach Lawrence Frank was finally able to talk about players, here is what he had to say about some of them during a session with the media Friday:

On Greg Monroe
"I think with Greg you saw great improvement. He went from a guy that didn’t play his first couple games to earning more and more time as the season went to being virtually a double-double guy post All-Star break. A guy who early on was trying to figure out, ‘How do I get my shot off without it getting blocked?’ to a guy who really figured out how to use his body. And able to use the rim to keep it between him and his defender. I think he’s a very good pick-and-roll defender. He has very active hands. He has a unique gift to be able to flick the ball to his outside hand to either get a deflection or a steal on pick-and-roll defense. He started to understand help-side defense as the season went along. The rules of verticality, pulling your hands up and back. I thought he made great strides throughout the season."

On Austin Daye
"Austin I think is extremely skilled and extremely versatile. Really from an offensive standpoint, he’s a very gifted package from an offensive standpoint. We’ll play him at multiple positions. He has various skills that can exploit the matchup because of his size and skill level."

On Brandon Knight
"Obviously with Brandon, he’s the hardest one to evaluate just because it’s at the collegiate level. I think everything that we’ve said about him still holds true. You’re looking at an extremely high character, extremely intelligent, extremely motivated, extremely competitive person, who has a great background. You saw throughout his season at Kentucky, his maturity in terms of playing. Initially they were running a lot of dribble hand-offs for him, eventually there was more pick-and-rolls for him. Obviously does not shy away from the big moment. Plays with a great deal of courage. I would say he’s, especially for his age, a very gifted shot maker and shot creator. He has little runners in the lane, has a good feel for the midrange game and all reports have been nothing short of basically what all you guys have read."

On Rodney Stuckey
"I think he’s one hell of a player. I think many times there’s always a focus on trying to label a guy. I just look at it this way, as a coach the one thing I really dislike is when someone tries to label me. Aw, he’s this guy. He look people are complex. So with Rodney again, having never coached him, but Rodney’s a guard. And I know probably your reference is, ‘Well is he a point guard?’ Well what I’d say is he’s guard. He can play both on and off the ball. He’s shown that, going through both the stretches of him playing “point guard” and “off the ball.” Well he had that five-game stretch off the ball where he was tremendous. Starting with that Memphis game then Dallas. I was fortunate enough to coach Jason Kidd for seven years, we never called him a point guard. He’s just a guard. The way I look at it, you get your best players that fit together on the court and I don’t get caught up in positions. That’s on me as a coach to figure out how to best utilize them. But I think Rodney got better last year and will continue to make jumps with everything that I’ve heard about him."

On Ben Gordon
"Without a doubt. Ben Gordon is a gifted, gifted player. He’s a game changer. He has the ability to turn a whole game around. He’s proven it. This isn’t a guy who only has a couple years of a body of work. This guy has shown what he can do. Again, having never met Ben, but having coached against him both in Chicago and here in Detroit, you have to game plan for Ben Gordon. Every opposing coach is very concerned about him and what he can do to change the game. He’s shown it. Heck, his rookie year he led all players in fourth quarter scoring. He has a closer mentality. Ben’s a very, very gifted player. I have no doubt he’ll play like Ben Gordon. I always say, ‘Hey, if they say, just be you,’ then that means you is pretty damn good. They never tell me, ‘Coach like you.’ They say, ‘Coach like someone else.’ I don’t know Ben Gordon, but there’s no doubt in my mind that’s nothing changed, that he won’t play at a high level."

On Richard Hamilton
"Rip’s a Piston and he’s been a hell of a Piston. I’m still pissed off at him for Game 6 in New Jersey. It’s been well documented, I wasn’t here last year, all I can say is Rip is a heck of a player. ... If not the best, one of (top) one or two midrange jump shooters in the game. Rip is still a very, very good player."

On Jonas Jerebko
"Extremely impressive his first year. Plays with an unbelievable amount of effort and energy. Gives you versatility in that he can play two positions. Everything I’ve heard about is, he’s extremely coachable, wants to improve, did an unbelievable job with his rehab. We want to retain all our free agents."

Pistons won't use amnesty clause this season

2011-11-30T18:03:00.002-05:00

According to multiple reports, the Detroit Pistons will not use the NBA’s amnesty clause prior to the start of the season.

The amnesty clause allows a team to waive a player with a bad contract without the contract counting against the salary cap. The team will still have to pay the player, but gains valuable salary cap room.

Each team is allowed to use the clause once during the life of the new CBA, so the Pistons will not lose it by not using it this offseason

The Pistons have several potential candidates for the amnesty clause, including Richard Hamilton (owed more than $22 million over two years, not all guaranteed), Ben Gordon (owed nearly $35 million over the next three years) and Charlie Villanueva (owed nearly $23 millions over the next three years.

The Pistons are likely choosing not use the amnesty clause because they feel they will be better served on the trade market.

Hamilton was nearly traded last season and will be more appealing to contending teams since he is owed less money.

Villanueva has underperformed during his stint with Detroit, but his contract is not a bank breaker and his offensive skill set is still a valuable asset.

Gordon may be the hardest player to move, but perhaps the Pistons want to see if Gordon can turn things around after two disappointing seasons in Detroit.

Rather than letting the players walk with nothing in return and still having to write them a check, the Pistons will take their chances in the trade market.

Another factor to keep in mind is the weak free agent pool. If Detroit uses the amnesty clause, what would it do with the extra cap room?

The Pistons could wait until next offseason to use the clause or keep it in their back pocket for when the time is right. Remember, teams can use it any point during the new CBA, so the Pistons are likely thinking what's the rush?

Pistons vice president Scott Perry discusses drafting Vernon Macklin

2011-06-23T23:53:00.000-04:00

Pistons vice president Scott Perry discusses the Kyle Singler pick

2011-06-23T23:51:00.001-04:00

Pistons Rodney Stuckey talks about being a free agent

2011-04-12T00:05:00.002-04:00

The Pistons Rodney Stuckey will be a restricted free agent at the end of the season. Here are a few of his thoughts on being a free agent:

Detroit Pistons Tayshaun Prince discusses his future

2011-04-11T23:59:00.003-04:00

Lost in all the craziness of the Charlie Villanueva incident and Tom Gores meeting with the media for the first time as well as dancing to Journey's "Don't Stop Believing" was the fact it could have been the final game at The Palace for several Pistons.

Among those who might have suited up for the Pistons at The Palace for the last time is Tayshaun Prince, who has played his entire nine-year career with the Pistons and was a part of the 2004 championship team. Here is what Prince had to say about his future in two videos:

Dennis Rodman at Pistons morning shootaround

2011-04-01T11:17:00.002-04:00

Anyone worried about Dennis Rodman no-showing his jersey retirement ceremony can rest easy. Rodman was at the Pistons morning shootaround. Here is a short video of Rodman talking to former teammate and current Pistons GM Joe Dumars:

Dennis Rodman gives Pistons Greg Monroe blessing to keep No. 10

2011-04-01T11:06:00.002-04:00

Pistons legend Dennis Rodman met with rookie Greg Monroe after Friday's morning shootarond. Monroe wears the No. 10, which will be retired in honor of Rodman Friday night. Rodman told Monroe it was up to him if he wanted to keep the number, it didn't matter to him. Here is Monroe after talking with Rodman:

Former Bad Boy John Salley says Dennis Rodman deserves to have his number retired

2011-03-26T23:54:00.002-04:00

Former Piston bad boy John Salley doesn’t buy the notion that the Detroit Pistons are retiring Dennis Rodman’s number on April 1 to sell tickets.

Salley said Rodman was the heart of the Pistons back-to-back NBA championship teams in 1989 and 1990 and deserves the recognition.

“They’re going to be playing a game to sell tickets, we’re just the sideshow,” Salley said in an interview before the Pistons game Saturday. “They have cheerleaders, they got halftime shows, they got all kinds of things to keep the fans entertained. What they’re really doing is paying homage to guy, who what he did on this squad, diving into (the stands), everyone thought he was doing it for show. Dennis would have ran into a locomotive if Chuck (Daly) said that’s the way we got to win. If he said knock down the wall, Dennis would have not waited to found out if he had utensils.

“This guy literally believed this was a family. He couldn’t understand why guys were going to get traded and why Chuck was released. He was oblivious to reality at that time. He was stuck in this Piston world with just one family. Then he was awakened that it was a family business. That’s when he started to realize it was all business. When he was here ... it was do or die. Red, white and blue.”

Salley, who is never one to hold back, also responded to Scottie Pippen’s comments that the Piston teams were a dirty team.

“There’s a saying: ‘It’s not whether you win or lose, it’s how you play the game,’ ” Salley said. “Then (former Pistons general manager) Jack McCloskey said, ‘It’s not whether you win or lose, it’s whether you win.’ That was the mentality, winning at all means. You leave it out there on the court. You don’t go away and say, ‘We’ll get you next time.’

“Guys who said we played dirty couldn’t have played in the ’80s and the ’70s. I watched those games in the ’80s and ’70s, and it’s how I learned to play that hard. You fouled a guy who needs to be fouled. If he’s going to the basket, you don’t give a knick-knack foul and then argue with the ref. You foul him so he knows, so the next guy coming behind him knows, so his team knows you can’t go in the lane. ... We beat them psychologically, and obviously it’s still working.”

Pippen was quoted in a story in the Chicago Tribune saying, “The Pistons were a nasty team. You always had to expect them to play dirty because, remember, they were the Bad Boys of Motown. They’d go out of their way to be mean and try to hurt you.

“And because we had better athletes, coach Chuck Daly just let them play the way they had to play to win. Bill Laimbeer was no real athlete. The same for Rick Mahorn and Joe Dumars and James Edwards. We were faster, quicker, more competitive and smarter.”

Salley agreed the Bulls might have been faster, but not smarter.

“They were more athletic — and they were younger,” Salley said. “But obviously not smarter because we’re not talking about him 22 years later. He’s talking about us.”

Pistons Richard Hamilton says he and John Kuester are on the same page

2011-03-26T22:44:00.005-04:00

Pistons guard Richard Hamilton talked to the media Saturday night after the Pistons win and shed some light on how the relationship between him and John Kuester got repaired. Below is video of Hamilton's interview:

Austin Daye apologizes to Kuester and fans WITH VIDEO

2011-02-27T00:11:00.004-05:00

Austin Daye apologized to Pistons coach John Kuester and the Pistons fans for arriving late to Friday's now famous shootaround. According to Daye he was late because of a simple miscommunication on his part.

“I was late to shootaround,” Daye said. “I made a mistake. I wasn’t paying attention. Everyone was leaving and my phone, I didn’t get a text message. I was late to shootaround. I missed the first bus. I showed up late, but that’s what you get when you make a mistake.”

Daye said he wasn’t part of any player protest against Kuester and he apologized to Kuester for being late.

“For me personally, I have no problem with coach,” Daye said. “He’s been playing me so why would I protest him.

“I was late,” Daye later added. “It’s inexcusable for a player to be late because of a miscommunication. I got benched for the game and I understood why. I didn’t hold a grudge. I wasn’t telling coach that was the wrong decision because I told him when I saw him it was the right decision. He stepped up and started me tonight.”

Daye admitted it was hard to watch six of his teammates play Friday as he sat on the bench and he’s hopeful to learn from his mistake.

“You make a mistake and you learn from it,” Daye said. “That’s exactly why I didn’t play because I was late. Trust me, if I could have been on time I would have. With that said, it hurt me to seem my teammates out there with only six players knowing I could help. That’s not a mistake I want to make again. I apologize to the Pistons fans and the Piston family for being late and my tardiness.”

Below is video of Daye's interview with the media Saturday night:

Five players miss shootaround in alleged player protest

2011-02-25T14:42:00.001-05:00

Just when you think the Pistons couldn't possibly become more dysfunctional, they find a way.

Five Detroit veterans missed Friday's shootaround in Philadelphia Friday morning in what The Detroit News and Free Press are reporting as a "player protest" aimed at coach John Kuester.

The five Pistons not at shootaround were Tracy McGrady, Richard Hamilton, Tayshaun Prince, Ben Wallace and Chris Wilcox. Rodney Stuckey and Austin Daye showed up late after missing the team bus.

A team spokesman said Wallace was tending to a family matter, McGrady had a headache, Prince had an upset stomach and Hamilton and Wilcox missed the team bus.

Some of the excuses may be legitimate, but it's doubtful the complete truth will ever come out.

If it truly was a player protest then the big question is where do the PIstons go from here?

One of two things has to happen. The players needed to be suspended or Kuester has to go or both.

Why the players would elect to do this with 23 games left and the playoffs out of the question is a mystery, but this can't just be swept under the rug. Someone has to step in and do something and that person has to be team president Joe Dumars.

Detroit Pistons playoff hopes are over

2011-02-22T22:59:00.001-05:00

The Detroit Pistons have 24 games left, nearly 30 percent of the season left to play out. But consider their playoff hopes over after the loss to the Houston Rockets Tuesday night.

Detroit (21-37) trails Indiana (25-30) by 5.5 games for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

If the Pacers keep their current pace of winning 45.5 percent of their games they would finish 37-45.

To finish 37-45, the Pistons would have to go 16-8 in their final 24 games, a winning percentage of 66.7 percent. That’s not going to happen and even if it did there is no guarantee it would get Detroit in the playoffs. The Pistons would also have to leapfrog Charlotte and Milwaukee.

ESPN’s John Hollinger has the odds of the Pistons making the playoffs at 2.9 percent as of Tuesday night, but even that seems optimistic at this point.

Pistons source says team has not been contacted by Nets

2011-02-16T23:16:00.001-05:00

According to multiple reports the New Jersey Nets and Denver Nuggets have resumed trade talks involving Carmelo Anthony.

In the original rumored deal back in January, the Nets, Nuggets and Pistons were discussing a three-team deal.

According to a Pistons source, Detroit has yet to be contacted by the Nets.

In the deal discussed back in January, Detroit was set to send Richard Hamilton and another player (possibly DaJuan Summers) to New Jersey for the expiring deal of Troy Murphy, Johan Petero and a possible draft pick (mostly like a second rounder).

The original deal was killed by Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov, who did not like the public nature of the trade talks.

The Nuggets have been trying to deal Anthony all season and will have to make a move soon with the trade deadline on Feb. 24 or risk losing Anthony to free agency and getting nothing in return.

Denver and the New York Knicks have also been engaged in trade talks, but have been unable to strike a deal.

Hamilton has played in just one game since Jan. 10, scoring 15 points in a win at Milwaukee on Feb. 5. Hamilton has missed the Pistons last six games with a sore groin, although it’s unclear if Hamilton would be playing even if healthy.

Hamilton and Pistons coach John Kuester have had a very public falling out and have not spoken in more than a month.

The Pistons and Hamilton seem destined to part ways, but the two years and more than $25 million left on Hamilton’s current deal have made him difficult to trade.

Al Iannazzone of The Bergen Record first reported the talks were back on between the Nets and Nuggets.

VIDEO: Detroit Pistons Richard Hamilton sheds light on disagreement with Kuester

2011-02-08T23:25:00.003-05:00

After returning to the lineup for the first time since Jan. 10 on Saturday, Pistons guard Richard Hamilton sat out Tuesday's loss to the Spurs with a sore groin.

After the game a large media contingent grilled Hamilton about what caused the rift between him and Pistons coach John Kuester. Hamilton didn't shed too much light on what happened, but watch for yourself what Hamilton had to say.

Detroit Pistons guard Richard Hamilton inactive against Nets

2011-02-04T19:22:00.000-05:00

Pistons guard Richard Hamilton was inactive Friday night against the Nets in what the team is calling “an internal decision.”

Hamilton has not played since Jan. 10 and was recently getting over the flu, but dressed for Wednesday’s game.

The decision to make Hamilton inactive is alarming because it left the Pistons with only 10 healthy bodies for Friday’s game. Rodney Stuckey (shoulder) and Jason Maxiell (back) were both listed as active even though it was clear neither were going to play due to injuries.

Maybe the Pistons are sick of Hamilton being a distraction or maybe there is another reason he was inactive Friday, but it’s becoming more clear by the day that Hamilton may have played his last game as a Detroit Piston.

Detroit Pistons offering free tickets to tonight's game

2011-02-02T12:20:00.002-05:00

PNC Bank and the Detroit Pistons are offering free 200-level tickets to tonight's Detroit Pistons vs. Charlotte Bobcats game as a "Snow Day" option to honor the area’s hearty fans who would like to brave the elements.

The tickets are available now through game time at The Palace box office, limited to four tickets per person, while supplies last or fans can call to reserve their tickets in advance by calling 248-377-0100.

Pistons Greg Monroe to compete in T-Moblie Rookie Challenge

2011-02-01T19:20:00.003-05:00

Pistons rookie Greg Monroe will be a member of the rookie team in the 2011 T-Moblie Rookie Challenge game to be held on Feb. 18 during All-Star weekend in Los Angeles. Monroe is averaging 6.8 points and 6.3 rebounds this season and has come on strong as of late averaging 10.9 points and 8.9 rebounds in the month of January. Monroe has started 14 games for the Pistons this season.

Monroe will be joined on the rookie team by the Clippers forward Blake Griffin, Wizards guard John Wall, Clippers guard Eric Bledsoe, Sacramento Kings center DeMarcus Cousins, New Jersey Nets forward Derrick Favors, New York Knicks guard Landry Fields, Minnesota Timberwolves guard Wesley Johnson and San Antonio Spurs guard Gary Neal.

The sophomore team will consist of Sacramento Kings guard Tyreke Evans, San Antonio Spurs center DeJuan Blair, Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry, Toronto Raptors guard DeMar DeRozan, Chicago Bulls forward Taj Gibson, Philadelphia 76ers guard Jrue Holiday, Oklahoma City Thunder center Serge Ibaka, Milwaukee Bucks guard Brandon Jennings and Portland Trail Blazers guard Wesley Matthews.

Chauncey Billups supports former teammate Richard Hamilton

2011-01-26T23:22:00.002-05:00

Teammates Tayshaun Prince and Ben Wallace have voiced their opinions in support of Richard Hamilton, add Chauncey Billups to the list of members of the 2004 NBA championship team to support Hamilton.

After the Nuggets defeated the Pistons, 109-100, Wednesday night Billups showed his support for Hamilton.

“He's Pistons royalty,” Billups said. “He's one of the greats, and his jersey is going up into those rafters, so he doesn't deserve to be disrespected like this.”

It appeared Billups and Hamilton might be reunited in New Jersey if the rumored three-team trade involving the Nets, Detroit and Denver went through, but that trade is currently dead.

Billups has kept in contact with Hamilton through all the rumors and Hamilton’s benching. Billups said he's just tried to encourage Hamilton.

“I just told him to be continue to be a professional and do what you do,” Billups said. “He’s dealing with blatant disrespect, and I don't think that guys like Rip, Tay and Ben should be treated like that, especially for this team where they did so much. I talk to Tay a lot too, but he’s playing. Nothing has really changed for him. He’s playing well, and his situation really hasn’t changed.”

Billups finally got to enjoy a win in his return trip to The Palace. Billups lost his first two trips back to Detroit, but scored 26 points in the Nuggets win at The Palace Wednesday.

“I love coming back here and feeling the love for all the blood and sweat I left in this building,” said Billups, who received a loud ovation during the pre-game introductions. “It’s fun, because I’m home. It’s fun. I love getting the ovations, and showing the people what they’ve missed. I never wanted to leave here. Everyone knows that. I wanted to retire here.”

Rumored Richard Hamilton deal is alarming

2011-01-08T19:14:00.001-05:00

News broke Friday that the New Jersey Nets are trying to incorporate the Pistons into a three-team deal involving Denver and Carmelo Anthony.

The Nets reportedly offered the Pistons the expiring deal of Troy Murphy and Johan Petro for Richard Hamilton and Detroit’s first-round pick.

Two things make it clear this deal won’t happen: One, Detroit is not giving up its first-round pick, which is currently on pace to be, at minimum, a top-10 selection. Two, the Pistons don’t want to take on Petro who, after this season, still has two years and nearly $7 million left on his current deal.

The thing that makes this rumor remarkable to me, is how low Hamilton’s value really is based on this trade rumor.

Hamilton is a former All-Star and world champion and has led the Pistons in scoring the last eight years.

It’s clear Hamilton’s current deal (which still has two years and more than $25 million left) is, to put it mildly, bad, but think about the Nets’ offer.

In order to take on Hamilton, the Nets want the Pistons to give up a first-round lottery pick and want to unload Petro and his bad deal on Detroit.

And to top it off, the Nets called the Pistons thinking Detroit would be interested in the deal. How far has Hamilton’s value really dropped if that’s the type of offers the Pistons are getting?

The Nets are rumored to be interested in Hamilton because they hope it will help lure Anthony and persuade him to signing a extension. The Nets won’t trade for Anthony, who has an expiring deal, unless he agrees to an extension first.

If the Nets get desperate, they could offer Murphy and his expiring deal straight up for Hamilton. The Pistons would likely jump on this offer, and should.

Detroit would enter the offseason with plenty of flexibility. Tayshaun Prince, Chris Wilcox, Tracy McGrady, and Murphy will all be unrestricted free agents, while Rodney Stuckey and Jonas Jerebko will be a restricted free agents.

Of course, the cloud hanging over all that is the expiration of the current collective bargaining agreement at the end of the season. But things would still be looking up if the Pistons could find a way to unload Hamilton’s contract without taking on any bad deals in return.

Pistons Austin Daye answers when called upon

2010-12-30T01:44:00.003-05:00

Detroit Pistons forward Austin Daye has struggled to find minutes as of late. Daye logged double digit minutes for the just the fourth time this month on Tuesday in a win over the Cetlics.

Daye was ready when he number was finally called and scored 12 points, all in the second quarter, and shot 5 for 7 from the field, hitting 2 of 3 3-pointers.

Daye was shown the ultimate sign of respect when Tayshaun Prince was about to check in the game and Daye hit his second 3-pointer. Prince immediately walked back to the bench and asked Pistons coach John Kuester to keep Daye in the game, which Kuester did.

The second-year pro was in the playing rotation Tuesday in large part to Rodney Stuckey being out with a stomach illness. Tracy McGrady slid into the starting lineup at point guard and Daye slid into the backup small forward spot.

Moving forward, the Pistons will have to be creative to find Daye minutes. Playing too many guys has hurt the Pistons this season, but Tuesday's game was just another sign Detroit needs to find Daye playing time.

Below is Daye's postgame comments:

Red hot Tayshaun Prince could attract more trade offers

2010-12-05T22:34:00.001-05:00

Detroit Pistons forward Tayshaun Prince is the final year of his contract and has been showcasing what he can do as of late to both the Pistons and any other possible suitors.

Prince’s name is always the subject of trade rumors and if his expiring contract wasn’t enough to attract other teams, maybe his recent play will be.

Prince is averaging 23.8 points in his last five games. He scored 20 points Sunday night in Detroit’s win over the Cleveland Cavaliers.

“I’m just playing good ball,” Prince said. Sunday. “I’ve been shooting the ball well, been getting to the free-throw line. I just have to keep being aggressive. Shots have been falling from the outside in our last five or six games. Once I get to the point where they’re not falling, I got to be aggressive going to the rim. They are falling right now.”

Prince’s inspired offensive play hasn’t resulted in wins for Detroit. The Pistons are just 1-4 during Prince’s current hot streak, something Prince noted Sunday.

“It’s not satisfying right now because we’re not winning,” Prince said. “Me playing well the last couple weeks doesn’t matter if we’re not winning basketball games. Obviously, right now, being able to run some things through me in the post and on the perimeter allows me to be more comfortable throughout the game. Hopefully we can win some games and try to get this thing close to .500 as soon as possible.”

Prince was asked what to attribute the current hot streak to and he said it started at the free-throw line.

“Whenever you can get in the lane and get some easy shots and get to foul line and knock those free throws down, then those other shots will fall as well,” Prince said. “I struggled from the free-throw line early in the season. Once they’ve been able to fall for me, it just opens up everything else.”

Detroit Pistons need to find Austin Daye minutes

2010-11-22T00:38:00.003-05:00

Detroit Pistons forward Austin Daye was out of the starting lineup Sunday against the Washington Wizards and for the second time this season did not play at all. Daye has started 11 of Detroit's 13 games, but has not played in the two games he did not start.

What has Daye done to deserve to be benched for entire game? Nothing. Even head coach John Kuester admits he starts Jason Maxiell in favor of Daye because of matchups.

It's clear Daye is playing out of position right now at power forward. At 6-foot-11, 205 pounds there are many NBA power forwards he will struggle to defend. It's understandable if Kuester wants to start Maxiell in Daye's place based on matchups. But what is not understandable is why Daye is not playing at all if he doesn't start.

Daye is a matchup nightmare for opposing defenses. He's a 6-11 guy that can handle the ball and shoot the 3 (51.7 percent this season). There is no reason he should not leave the bench for a Pistons team clearly in rebuild mode (even if they won't admit it).

Daye has a future in the NBA and should be a part of the Pistons' long term plans. He should be as close to untouchable as any of the current group of Pistons' players.

For Daye's long term growth and confidence he needs to play. Yes, Detroit has won both games he has sat, but the Pistons also beat the Kings and Wizards without him, not exactly the NBA's elite. If Detroit wants to start Daye at power forward then they need to stick with it. Let him take his lumps and hopefully he will be a better player for it.

If the Pistons don't see Daye as a NBA power forward then find him minutes somewhere else, even if it's at the expense of Tayshaun Prince or Tracy McGrady, who are not in the Pistons long term plans.

Detroit Pistons Charlie Villanueva calls out Kevin Garnett on Twitter

2010-11-03T11:54:00.005-04:00

Trash talking is a part of basketball, but the Boston Cetlics' Kevin Garnett may have taken it too far Tuesday night. Piston forward Charlie Villanueva called out Garnett for his trash talk on his Twitter account Wednesday.

"KG called me a cancer patient, I'm pissed because, u know how many people died from cancer, and he's tossing it like it's a joke," Villanueva wrote. "I wouldn't even trip about that, but a cancer patient, I know way 2 many people who passed away from it, and I have a special place 4 those."

The Tweet by Villanueva shed some light on an earlier post when Villanueva wrote, "KG talks alot of crap, he's prob never been in a fight, I would love to get in a ring with him, I will expose him."

Villanueva has alopecia universalis, a variation of alopecia areata, an autoimmune skin disease, which results in hair loss on the scalp and/or elsewhere on the body. Villanueva is a spokesman for the National Alopecia Areata Foundation (NAAF).

UPDATE
Kevin Garnett issued a statement Wednesday:

“I am aware there was a major miscommunication regarding something I said on the court last night. My comment to Charlie Villanueva was in fact ‘You are cancerous to your team and our league.’ I would never be insensitive to the brave struggle that cancer patients endure. I have lost loved ones to this deadly disease and have a family member currently undergoing treatment. I would never say anything that distasteful. The game of life is far bigger than the game of basketball.”

Detroit Pistons Ben Wallace postgame 1102

2010-11-03T01:00:00.003-04:00

The Pistons Ben Wallace talks to the media following Detroit's loss to the Boston Celtics.

Pistons Tayshaun Prince postgame 1102

2010-11-03T00:55:00.002-04:00

The Pistons Tayshaun Prince addresses his verbal spat with a fan during Detroit's loss to the Boston Celtics.

Pistons notes: Will Bynum out with hamstring injury

2010-10-29T19:22:00.001-04:00

Will Bynum was out of the lineup Friday night with a right hamstring injury. Bynum missed the final two preseason games with the hamstring injury and re-aggravated the injury in the Pistons season opener at New Jersey.

“I think on one of those moves at the end of the game out in New Jersey I kind re-injured it,” Bynum said before Friday’s game. “The same thing I did up in Charlotte. I really can’t run right now, hopefully in a couple days or so I’ll be able to.”

The injury to Bynum leaves the Pistons really thin at point guard. Rookie Terrico White is already out indefinitely with a broken foot.

With Bynum and White both out, Prince will serve as the team’s backup point guard. It also means starting point guard Rodney Stuckey will have to play extended minutes.

Pistons coach John Kuester is confident Stuckey can handle the load, but doesn’t want his point guard to hold back at all.

“You don’t pace yourself ever,” Kuester said. “That’s why you have to play hard all the time. You play until we feel like you need a break, and then we give him a break and recover should occur. Our whole idea for basketball is to play 48 minutes. You can’t always play 48 like we want you to, but in the same token for us to have success, we’re going to have to play at a high level every time we step on the court.”

Kuester doesn’t mind hack-a-Ben
The New Jersey Nets used the hack-a-Ben Wallace strategy to help make their fourth quarter comeback on Wednesday.

Several teams used the strategy last season, but Pistons coach John Kuester made it clear he won’t be taking Wallace out of the game if teams go to the strategy.

“Let me tell you this, Ben Wallace is going to play for us. Period,” Kuester said. “Ben Wallace has won so many basketball games for the Detroit Pistons, I’m not even concerned about it.

“I’ll tell you why I’m not concerned about it, I have confidence in Ben. Hopefully they’ll make a mistake and a guy will foul him and realize he has five fouls and foul out.

“Do I think it’s healthy for the game? No. Is it a strategy? Yes. That’s the other teams thought process, but Ben is going to play for us.”

Unclear when Monroe will play
Pistons rookie and No. 7 overall pick Greg Monroe did not play in Wednesday’s season opener because of a coaching decision. Before Friday’s game Kuester was asked if Monroe would play and while he didn’t directly say no, it appears Monroe might not play unless someone is in foul trouble or the game gets out of hand.

“Greg is going to be a big part of this picture,” Kuester said. “(Jason Maxiell) did a great job, I thought, in New Jersey. We will look and see where we can fit him in. I’ve got confidence in him so I’m excited about getting him in also. But I’m not sure when it will happen.”

Detroit Pistons Tracy McGrady confident he will be ready for opener

2010-10-23T00:47:00.002-04:00

Tracy McGrady shed a little more light on what has been keeping him out of the preseason.

McGrady missed the Pistons final seven preseason games after playing just eight minutes in the preseason opener at Miami. McGrady said it was a decision he made with Pistons strength and conditioning coach Arnie Kander to help prepare him for the regular season.

“I should have never really went through (training camp),” McGrady said. “I should have took the time to stay with Arnie the whole preseason. But I wanted to go through training camp just to see how my body was going to respond after doing two-a-days.

“I wanted to test to see how it was going to move the first preseason game. I really didn’t care about getting up shots or nothing like that, I was just working on my movement. I didn’t like where I was so ... I talked to Arnie and he’s like, the best thing to do was to get with him and work with him the remainder of the preseason, which was a good idea. I’ve seen the change in my body, my movement, my explosion.

“Something I was always scared to do for two years is going to the basket and having to gather myself, plant off two feet and explode up. I’m doing that with no hesitation. I couldn’t do that at the start of training camp.”

Kander and McGrady have been working together during every practice. Kander has unique methods and McGrady feels they are working.

“Working on strengthening areas, not necessarily my knee, but areas that are around my knee. My quads, my hips, places I’ve been lacking as far as strength. Places that kind of take pressure off of my knee, so far it’s been working,” McGrady said. “I can feel the difference in my body, (between) now and when I first started in training camp."

McGrady is confident he will be ready to go when the Pistons open the season on Wednesday at New Jersey.

“Our next practice, I’m out there,” McGrady said.

“I haven’t felt this good in two years. What I’ve been through the last two years trying to get my body back in good shape. I’m feeling good mentally, physically. It’s something I’ve struggled with for two years. To have the opportunity to start this season off feeling good. Hopefully I can gradually get better as far my explosion, my timing, rhythm, everything that I need, that makes me, me. I’m excited about it. It’s definitely a challenge. I’m just looking forward to it.”

Pistons coach John Kuester is hopeful he can see McGrady in a five-on-five situation before McGrady plays in a game and doesn’t want to rush anything.

“Arnie and Tracy have worked extremely hard, but he has not been in a five-on-five environment since the Miami game,” Kuester said. “The most important thing for him and for us is to get him right.

“I love the fact that he wants to project that opener, but I think the most important thing right now is, let's get this thing right and make sure that you're on track for the long haul, not the short-term.”

Pistons searching for their 50 biggest fans

2010-10-11T17:43:00.004-04:00

The Pistons are searching for their 50 biggest fans and are awarding season tickets to the winners. The Pistons will hold tryouts for “The Pistons Power Plant,” which will be a special section in the 100-level of The Palace designated for their most hardcore fans.

Tryouts will be held on Oct. 20 and will be a three-part process. The first part, fans will have a one minute opportunity to show creativity in cheering, dancing, energy and appearance. Second, fans will be brought together in groups of 10 and will come up with a cheer that they will perform. Finally, all fans making it to the finals will be seated in a section in the arena and give the chance to work together in a group.

Candidates should enter through the West Atrium. The Pistons ask that fans only try out if they will be able to commit to attending all 41 home games.

Pistons Richard Hamilton media day interview

2010-09-29T11:05:00.001-04:00

The Detroit Pistons Richard Hamilton talks at the team's media day.

Detroit Pistons Tracy McGrady media day interview

2010-09-29T10:51:00.001-04:00

The Detroit Pistons Tracy McGrady talks at the team's media day.

Pistons coach John Kuester media day interview

2010-09-29T10:44:00.001-04:00

Detroit Pistons coach John Kuester talks at the team's media day.

Pistons Charlie Villanueva media day interview

2010-09-29T10:43:00.001-04:00

The Detroit Pistons Charlie Villanueva talks at the team's media day.

Pistons Ben Gordon media day interview

2010-09-29T10:27:00.002-04:00

Detroit Pistons Ben Gordon talks at the team's media day.

Pistons Jonas Jerebko media day interview

2010-09-29T10:25:00.000-04:00

The Detroit Pistons Jonas Jerebko talks at the team's media day.

Detroit Pistons Tayshaun Prince media day interview

2010-09-29T10:13:00.002-04:00

The Pistons Tayshaun Prince talks at the team's media day.

Pistons add Vernon Hamilton to training camp roster

2010-09-28T13:06:00.002-04:00

The Pistons add guard Vernon Hamilton to their training camp roster Monday. Hamilton has played overseas and in the NBA Development League the last three seasons. Hamilton was an All-ACC Defensive selection at Clemson and is the school's all-time and single-season leader in steals.

Pistons Richard Hamilton not sure what to make of "crack down"

2010-09-27T22:40:00.003-04:00

The NBA’s plan to crack down on “overt” gestures or whining was a topic of discussion at Pistons media day. Richard Hamilton is worried he might rack up some technicals.

“I do a lot of that,” Hamilton said with a smile.

“One of my good friends told me that the other night. He’s like, ‘Hey man, they’re going to start to call whining technicals.’ And I was like, ‘That puts me at 15 before midseason.’ Just got to do a better job.”

What constitutes a technical under the new crack down is unclear, there are some guidelines that were sent out, but the final decision will be up to the referee.

“It’s going to be tough, it’s going to be hard,” Hamilton said. “That’s really tough to call. Every play down court guys are whining. I don’t know how they are going to figure out what is whining and what is not.

“Any player that plays with emotion, it’s going to be tough. Somebody like Tayshaun, he’ll be cool. You never know what he’s thinking, but somebody like me, I might get a gang of them”

What will Hamilton do to try and avoid the technicals?

“I don’t know, put some tape over your mouth or something,” Hamilton said. “Whining can be emotions. You don’t even have to say something to whine. It’s going to be very tricky.”

Should be interesting to see how this plays out over the season.

Detroit Pistons add Ike Diogu to training camp roster

2010-09-27T16:13:00.002-04:00

The Detroit Pistons will start training camp with 16 players after signing big man Ike Diogu Monday.

The 6-foot-9, 250-pound Diogu’s contract is not guaranteed. Diogu was the ninth overall pick in the 2005 NBA Draft and has averaged 6.1 points and 3.1 rebounds in 187 career games with Golden State, Indiana, Portland and Sacramento.

Diogu missed all of last season with a knee injury.

Detroit Pistons Tracy McGrady video

2010-08-16T16:29:00.007-04:00

Tracy McGrady talked to the Detroit media for the first time since signing with the Pistons. Here is part of that interview.

Will Bynum believes McGrady has plenty left in the tank

2010-08-14T20:07:00.003-04:00

The biggest question surrounding the Pistons' Tracy McGrady is how much does he have left in the tank? One of McGrady's new teammates, Will Bynum, thinks McGrady has plenty left in the tank.

"He got a lot left," said Bynum, who works out with McGrady during the summer with trainer Tim Grover. "He got a lot left. Last year I saw him working extremely hard. I know it was kind of frustrating at times because he was still going through a little pain. But now I think it's been a longer period, where he's healed and Arnie (Kander) he works magic. I'm sure (Kander) is going to work some magic with (McGrady) as well. He's still got a lot, a lot of game left. I'm sure he's going to help us out a lot."

Pistons sign second-round pick Terrico White

2010-08-13T10:05:00.002-04:00

Pistons second-round pick Terrico White has agreed to a two-year deal, with only the first year guaranteed. The No. 36 overall pick will make the league minimum of $475,000.

White averaged 15.1 points and 4.6 rebounds as a sophomore last year for Ole Miss. White was the SEC freshman of the year during the 2008-09 season. The combo guard averaged 9.6 points, and 2.0 rebounds in five NBA Summer League games.

The signing for White puts the Pistsons roster at the maximum 15 players.

Pistons announce 2010-11 schedule

2010-08-10T15:15:00.003-04:00

The Detroit Pistons announced their schedule on Tuesday. The Pistons will open the season on the road at New Jersey on October 27. Detroit will host the Oklahoma City Thunder in the home opener on October 29.

Highlights of the schedule include two home games (Feb. 11 and March 23) against LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh and the Miami Heat. The defending champion L.A. Lakers come to The Palace of Auburn Hills on Nov. 17 and the Eastern Conference champion Celtics come to town on Nov. 2 and Dec. 29.

Detroit will host Milwaukee on Nov. 26 as part of Thanksgiving weekend and host the Dallas Mavericks on Martin Luther King Day (January 17) in a special matinee game (3:30 p.m.).

“We’re excited about the 2010-11 schedule and pleased that our fans can enjoy 25 weekend or holiday home games,” Pistons President of Basketball Operations Joe Dumars said in a press release. “Our players and staff are looking forward to training camp in October, getting the season started.”

The Pistons have moved the game time of all Friday night games from 8 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. with the exception of opening night due to feedback from fans.

Detroit plays two nationally televised games. ESPN will broadcast the Pistons game at Indiana on March 30 and NBA TV will air Detroit’s game at Charlotte on Dec. 27.

For the complete Pistons schedule click here.

McGrady agrees to deal with the Detroit Pistons

2010-08-10T11:45:00.002-04:00

Tracy McGrady will look to resurrect his career with the Detroit Pistons.

The seven-time All-Star has reached an agreement on a one-year deal with the Pistons for the veteran’s minimum ($1.35 million) according to sources close to the situation. The source requested not to be named because the deal hasn’t been signed.

Last season, McGrady averaged 8.2 points, 3.1 rebounds and 3.3 assists in 30 games for the Knicks and Rockets.

McGrady, 31, is a former two-time NBA scoring champ, but has battled knee and back problems. McGrady can play both shooting guard and small forward, but joins a Pistons squad deep at both positions with Richard Hamilton, Tayshaun Prince, Ben Gordon, Jonas Jerebko, Austin Daye, DaJuan Summers and Rodney Stuckey already on the roster.

Coming off microfracture surgery on his left knee during the 2008-09 season, McGrady played just six games for the Rockets last season before they shut him down and attempted to trade him. McGrady was traded to New York in a three-team deal at the trade deadline.

In his debut for the Knicks, McGrady had 26 points, five assists and four rebounds. But it would be just one of three times McGrady scored more than 20 points for the Knicks.

McGrady played in 24 of the Knicks’ final 29 games, starting all 24 and averaging 9.4 points, 3.9 assists and 3.7 rebounds in 26.1 minutes per game.

The Knicks were not interested in bringing McGrady back, leaving McGrady looking for a new team. McGrady had a well-publicized tryout with the Chicago Bulls, but the Bulls elected not to sign McGrady.

Pistons announce preseason schedule

2010-08-05T16:10:00.002-04:00

The Detroit Pistons announced their preseason schedule on Thursday. The Pistons have eight preseason games and open the preseason at Miami on October 5. Detroit plays its first preseason home game against Milwaukee on October 8.

The Pistons other home games are against Atlanta on October 11 and against Memphis on October 22. Detroit also has two off-site home games, the first against Dallas at the Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids on October 13 and against Washington at the Huntington Center in Toledo, Ohio.

“We are excited to host NBA basketball at the Huntington Center,” General Manager of the Huntington Center Steve Miller said in a Pistons press release. “It’s been a long time since the NBA has been in Toledo, but we hope all basketball fans will come and welcome the Detroit Pistons back in Toledo on October 19. We are proud to partner with the Detroit Pistons and hope to grow our relationship in the future.”

“There is always a sense of excitement to start a new season and we look forward to this year’s slate of preseason contests,” Executive Vice President with Palace Sports and Entertainment and the Pistons Dan Hauser said. “Playing in the Toledo market for the first time since 1989 and once again visiting Grand Rapids for the Meijer Basketball Classic gives fans in and around our area the opportunity to experience Detroit Basketball first hand.”

The Pistons will also play Minnesota at the Carrier Dome in Syracuse, New York and the Charlotte Bobcats at the Colonial Life Arena in Columbia, S.C.

Pistons full preseason schedule
October 5 — at Miami - American Airlines Arena, 7:30 p.m.
October 8 — Milwaukee - The Palace of Auburn Hills, 7:30 p.m.
October 11 — Atlanta - The Palace of Auburn Hills, 7:30 p.m.
October 13 — Dallas - Van Andel Arena, Grand Rapids, 7 p.m.
October 15 — at Minnesota - Carrier Dome, Syracuse, N.Y., 7:30 p.m.
October 16 — at Charlotte - Colonial Life Arena, Columbia, S.C., 6:30 p.m.
October 19 — Washington - Huntington Center, Toledo, Ohio, 7 p.m.
October 22 — Memphis - The Palace of Auburn Hills, 7:30 p.m.

Edgar Sosa signs with Italy's Angelico Biella

2010-07-23T22:44:00.000-04:00

Louisville's Edgar Sosa had an impressive showing with the Pistons summer league team, but it appears he won't be coming to Pistons training camp after he signed with Angelico Biella (Italy).

The 6-foot-2 point guard averaged 6.5 points and 2.8 assists in the Las Vegas Summer League, which aren't impressive numbers but he drew plenty of praise from Pistons assistant coach Pat Sullivan. Sosa was probably a long shot to make the Pistons roster, especially if they re-sign Will Bynum.

Former Michigan State big man Goran Suton also signed with Angelico Biella.

Detroit Pistons first-round pick Greg Monroe has successful foot surgery

2010-07-22T14:47:00.001-04:00

Pistons first-round pick Greg Monroe underwent successful surgery on his right foot, the Pistons announced Thursday. It was an out-patient procedure performed by Dr. Aruther Manoli at St. Joseph Mercy Hospital in Pontiac.

Monroe will began rehab immediately and is expected to resume full basketball activities in three to four weeks.

The No. 7 overall pick played five games in the Vegas Summer League averaging 14.6 points, 8.0 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 30.3 minutes per game.

Ben Wallace agrees to two-year deal with Detroit Pistons

2010-07-11T16:38:00.003-04:00

Ben Wallace has agreed to a two-year deal with the Detroit Pistons. Pistons president of basketball operations Joe Dumars confirmed the deal via e-mail Sunday night, but nothing has been signed yet. Wallace will make $1.9 million each season.

Wallace told the Associated Press he heard from a lot of teams, but agreed to a two-year deal about a week ago because he wants to retire with the Pistons.

Wallace averaged 5.5 points, 8.7 rebounds, 1.2 blocks and 1.2 steals for the Pistons last season.

Negotiations continue between Pistons and Will Bynum

2010-07-09T11:16:00.002-04:00

The talks between the Pistons and restricted free agent Will Bynum continue each day. Pistons general manger Joe Dumars and Bynum’s agent Mark Bartelstein have been talking nearly every day to try to get a deal done, but nothing has been agreed upon yet.

“Joe and I are talking quite a bit,” Bartelstein said. “It’s a process we are working on every day and we will see what happens. They want him back and other teams are interested. We will work through this thing and see what happens."

Restricted free agency is always tricky because of the player’s current team being able to match any deal, which makes many teams hesitant to tie any money up for a player they might not get anyways. Meanwhile the current team does not want to start bidding against itself.

“It takes a little longer, it’s more deliberate when you are restricted,” Bartelstein said.

Bynum averaged 10.0 points and 4.5 assists in 63 games for the Pistons last season. Bynum started the final 20 games, averaging 10.4 points and 5.4 assists. The highlight of Bynum’s season was likely his 20-assist night against the Wizards on March 12.

Bynum battled injuries to both his ankles during the season, but showed his toughness early in the year by refusing to miss any time before eventually having to shut it down for a few weeks.

Last season was Bynum’s second full season in the NBA. Bynum played 15 games for the Golden State Warriors during the 2005-06 season before playing overseas for two years.

Bartelstein did not want to get into what specific teams have inquired about Bynum, but said there have been several. Bartelstein did add he felt Bynum and Raymond Felton are the two best point guards on the market right now.

“There’s been a number of teams interested,” Bartelstein said. “Will when healthy had a terrific season. A lot of people have taken notice. The Pistons gave him an opportunity and that’s important to him. He would prefer to stay. … Joe and I will talk and will get something done if we can.”

Bynum may be looking to get a deal similar to the one the Lakers gave Steve Blake (4 years, $16 million) or the Magic gave Chris Duhon (4 years, $15 million). Only time will tell.

Note: Bartelstein represents nearly 20 players who are still free agents and when asked if the Pistons had inquired about any besides Bynum, Bartelstein said him and Dumars have talked several times about Ime Udoka and Bobby Simmons.

Pistons summer league roster features some intriguing players

2010-07-07T21:55:00.003-04:00

The Pistons open up Summer League play on Friday against the Lakers and to learn a little bit more about the players on the Pistons summer league roster that are not named Greg Monroe, Terrico White, Jonas Jerebko, Austin Daye or DaJuan Summers check out ridiculousupside.com's break down of the roster.

It's got all kinds of information on the Pistons summer league team, which feature some intriguing players. For example Northern Iowa's Jordan Eglseder earned all-tournament honors at the Portsmouth Invitational (a tournament featuring the best college seniors) by averaging 14 points and 10 rebounds and DePaul's Mac Koshwal averaged 16.1 points and 10.1 rebounds in the Big East, but at 6-foot-10, 240 pounds is considered a tweener because he prefers to play small forward.

It's a good read if you plan on watching the Pistons summer league games on NBA TV and want to know a little bit more about some of the undrafted players. Of course most are a long shot to make the team, but hey one might be the next Paull Millsap, who coincidentally has a little brother Elijah on the Pistons summer league squad.

Pistons sign first-round pick Greg Monroe

2010-07-06T16:07:00.000-04:00

The Detroit Pistons signed first-round draft pick Greg Monroe on Tuesday. Per team policy, terms of the contract were not disclosed.

The NBA has a rookie salary scale in place and the No. 7 pick is slotted to earn $2.3 million in the first season. The actual contract can range between 80-120 percent of that amount.

Detroit selected Monroe seventh overall in the first round of the NBA Draft. The 6-foot-11 Monroe averaged 16.1 points, 9.6 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 1.2 steals and 1.5 blocks for Georgetown last season as a sophomore.

Monroe had 14 double-doubles last season and was named to the Big East all-tournament team after averaging 19.3 points, 9.3 rebounds, 4.8 assists and shooting 54.5 percent on his way to leading the Hoyas to the championship game.

The Pistons are hoping Monroe will bolster a thin frontcourt that was a weak spot last season as Detroit finished the season 27-55 and missed the playoffs for the first time since 2001. Monroe can play either power forward or center and will likely see time at both.

“We think he’s a guy that can come in and help us right away,” Pistons president of basketball operations Joe Dumars said on draft night. “Whether he starts or not, we can’t tell until he gets here.”

Expectations are high for Monroe, who is the Pistons first lottery pick since Darko Milicic.

“When you have a pick at seven, that seven is going to have responsibilities a lot of other picks might not have,” Pistons coach John Kuester said on draft night.

Detroit will get a chance to see Monroe in action on Friday when the Pistons open up summer league play against the Lakers. The game can be viewed on NBA TV at 8 p.m.

Monroe will be joined on the summer league team by second-year players Jonas Jerebko, Austin Daye and DaJuan Summers as well as second-round pick Terrico White, among others.

Pistons fortunate Dumars plans on sticking around

2010-07-05T23:31:00.002-04:00

Pistons president of basketball operations Joe Dumars has denied having any interest in the Nets general manager, which is good news for the Detroit Pistons organization.

Despite all his detractors, Dumars has a proven track record as a GM and the Pistons would be hard-pressed to find a suitable replacement. With the Pistons currently for sale and the future of the franchise uncertain, the job would not be very appealing for any possible candidates.

Dumars has made his share of mistakes as GM, drafting Darko Milicic being No. 1 on everyone’s list, but he has made more good moves than bad ones in my book and has often corrected many of his bad moves (see Nazr Mohammed).

Detroit obviously took a step back last season, going 27-55 and missing the playoffs for the first time since 2001, but it was just the second time the Pistons missed the playoffs since Dumars has been GM.

Obviously Detroit will need to get more out of Ben Gordon and Charlie Villanueva, who the Dumars signed as free agents last offseason, but both severely underachieved last season.

Dumars deserves a chance to rebuild the Pistons and Detroit is fortunate he wants to stick around to take a shot at it.

The drafting of Greg Monroe is a step in the right direction and Dumars has gone on record saying he wants to be busy this offseason. It may be easier said than done, but Detroit fans should feel more comfortable that it is Dumars trying to get it done as opposed to any alternatives.

Dumars: 'I do not have any interest in a basketball operations position with the Nets'

2010-07-05T21:46:00.003-04:00

Pistons president of basketball operations Joe Dumars has denied having any interest in the Nets general manager job.

“In response to today’s media reports regarding the New Jersey Nets, I can say that I do not have any interest in a basketball operations position with the Nets," Dumars said in a statement released by the Pistons. "My priority is to continue leading the Pistons’ basketball operations efforts and putting together a team that is ready to compete and get back on track next season.”

A New Jersey paper reported Dumars had interviewed for the Nets position, which will open up July 15 when Rod Thorn resigns.

Report: Nets interview Joe Dumars for GM job

2010-07-05T12:59:00.004-04:00

The Bergen (N.J.) Record is reporting Joe Dumars interviewed with the New Jersey Nets for their vacant general manger job. Current Nets general manager Rod Thorn is resigning on July 15. The Bergen Record also reported New Orleans general manger Jeff Bower also interviewed for the opening and Thunder general manager Sam Presti is also a candidate for the job.

Dumars has denied interviewing for the job.

Dumars has been the Pistons GM since 2000, but could be looking to leave with the uncertainty of the Pistons ownership. The team is currently for sale and owner Karen Davidson recently said she expects the team to be sold by the start of next season.

Pistons reach out to Brendan Haywood

2010-07-01T17:52:00.003-04:00

Yahoo! Sports is reporting the Pistons were one of five teams that contacted Brendan Haywood when the free agency period began after midnight Thursday. The Pistons also contacted their own free agents Ben Wallace and Will Bynum.

The 7-foot Haywood averaged 9.1 points, 9.3 rebounds and 2.0 blocks last season, playing for the Wizards and Mavericks.

It's also being reported that the Pistons contacted Matt Barnes, who averaged 8.8 points and 5.5 rebounds for the Magic last season.

Pistons announce summer league roster

2010-06-30T17:11:00.003-04:00

The Pistons announced their summer league roster on Wednesday. It features second-year players Jonas Jerebko, DaJuan Summers and Austin Daye as well as recent draft picks Greg Monroe and Terrico White.

The roster also features Jared Reiner, who has played 46 career NBA games (19 in 2004-05 with the Bulls, 27 with the Bucks in 2006-07). The 6-foot-11 Reiner played in Puerto Rico last season after being cut at the end of training camp by the Timberwolves.

The rest of the roster is filled with undrafted rookies, including California's Patrick Christopher, Nothern Iowa's Jordan Eglseder, UT Arlington's Marquez Haynes, DePaul's Mac Koshwal, UAB's Elijah Millsap, Western Kentucky's A.J. Slaughter and Louisville's Edgar Sosa.

Pistons summer league roster
Patrick Christopher G 6-5 220 California 6/3/88 R
Austin Daye F 6-11 190 Gonzaga 6/5/88 1
Jordan Eglseder C 7-0 280 Northern Iowa 7/27/88 R
Marquez Haynes G 6-3 185 UT Arlington 12/19/86 R
Jonas Jerebko F 6-10 231 Kinna, Sweden 3/2/87 1
Mac Koshwal F/C 6-10 255 DePaul 10/19/87 R
Elijah Millsap G/F 6-6 215 UAB 8/12/87 R
Greg Monroe F/C 6-11 253 Georgetown 6/4/90 R
Jared Reiner C 6-11 255 Iowa 4/8/82 2
A.J. Slaughter G 6-3 180 Western Kentucky 8/3/87 R
DaJuan Summers F 6-8 240 Georgetown 1/24/88 1
Edgar Sosa G 6-1 175 Louisville 1/15/88 R
Terrico White G 6-5 213 Mississippi 3/7/90 R

NBA TV to broadcast Detroit Pistons summer league games

2010-06-29T17:15:00.002-04:00

NBA TV will broadcast all five of the Pistons summer league games in Las Vegas. Four of the five games will be broadcast live by NBA TV.

Pistons vs. Lakers on July 9 (8:00 p.m.), Pistons vs. Golden State on July 10 (8:00 p.m.), Pistons vs. Sacramento on July 12 (6:00 p.m.) and Pistons vs. New York on July 16 (4:00 p.m.) will all be broadcast live. Detroit vs. Miami on July 14 (10:30 p.m.) will be shown tape delayed.

Both Pistons draft picks Greg Monroe and Terrico White are expected to play on Detroit's summer league team along with Jonas Jerebko, DaJuan Summers and Austin Daye.

NBA TV will air the full NBA Summer League schedule along with offering live daily studio programming with NBA GameTime.

Pistons love Terrico White's athleticism

2010-06-25T01:16:00.004-04:00

The first two words out of Pistons vice president of basketball operations Scott Perry’s mouth when describing second-round pick Terrico White were: Very athletic.

The measurements from the NBA Draft combine back up Perry’s assessment. Terrico had the top vertical (30 inches), the fifth fastest sprint and the lowest body fat percentage (3.7 percent) at the combine.

“We’ll see what he does in the summer league then we’ll get an opportunity to watch him in training camp,” Perry said. “I know one thing, he’s an NBA caliber athlete. He’ll be able to compete athletically. How quickly he picks up on the offensive system and those types of things, learns the defensive schemes. I think that will play a big role in how quickly he is able to get on the court.”

The 6-foot-5 White played both guard positions at Mississippi and averaged 15.1 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.5 assists as a sophomore last season.

“I think he’s a versatile guard,” Perry said. “He’s going to be able to give us a guy that can play both guard positions. It will be good to look at him this summer, being able to play a little point and two. We really like (him), especially where we were able to draft him. He was a guy that was viewed by many to go late in the first round. It was great to be able to get a guy like that at that pick.”

Perry is also optimistic White will be able to defend at the NBA level.

“Defensively, he’s got all the potential to be a good, sound defender,” Perry said. “He was a high school quarterback. I always like those two sport guys. We think he’s got a good opportunity and good upside to become a good defender in this league.”

The Pistons drafting White came as a surprise to some considering Detroit’s depth at the guard position. There were several big man still on the board, including Tulsa’s Jerome Jordan, Georgia Tech’s Gani Lawal and Oklahoma’s Tiny Gallon. But Perry and the Pistons believed White’s potential outweighed the potential of any of the big men.

“Not as much as this kid did,” Perry said when asked if Detroit was tempted by any of the big men. “You get to a point in the draft where you say, ‘Is this guy really still on the board?’ when you really had him projected going in the first round so you have to take a stab at that type of talent at that point. We were happy we were able to do so.”

White was a member of the gold-medal winning United States under 19 national team in the FIBA World Championship in 2009.

Pistons draft Mississippi's Terrico White No. 36 overall

2010-06-24T22:52:00.001-04:00

The Pistons selected Mississippi guard Terrico White in the second round with the No. 36 overall pick. The 6-foot-5 White averaged 15.1 points, 4.6 rebounds, 1.5 assists for the Rebels as a sophomore last season.

White played both guard positions at Mississippi.

Pistons take Georgetown's Greg Monroe No. 7 overall

2010-06-24T19:47:00.000-04:00

AUBURN HILLS — The Pistons addressed their thin frontcourt Thursday by selecting Georgetown’s Greg Monroe No. 7 overall in the NBA Draft.
Monroe is a skilled big man, who has drawn praise for his passing ability and court vision. Monroe averaged 3.8 assists a game for Georgetown last season.
The 6-foot-11, 247-pound Monroe has a solid post up game and will provide an instant boost to the Pistons offense. He averaged 16.1 points and shot 52.5 percent from the field last season. But Monroe needs to improve his jump shot and be able to knock down the mid-range jumper.
Monroe will also help Detroit on the glass. Monroe averaged 9.6 rebounds last season, including 2.2 offensive.
He can defend the interior well, but struggles when defending out on the perimeter. He averaged 1.5 blocks and 1.2 steals last season.
An interesting note, Monroe never worked out the for the Pistons.
The first three picks in the draft went as expected. John Wall went No. 1 to the Wizards, Evan Turner went No. 2 to the 76ers and Derrick Favors went No. 3 to the Nets.
The Timberwolves took Wesley Johnson No. 4, the Kings drafted DeMarcus Cousins No. 5 and the Warriors selected Ekpe Udoh No. 6.

NBA mock draft 2010

2010-06-23T23:21:00.003-04:00

Here's my mock draft for Thursday's NBA Draft. In my opinion DeMarcus Cousins and Greg Monroe are 1-2 on the Pistons wish list, but I don't see either falling to No. 7. From there the debate is between Ed Davis, Ekpe Udoh and Al-Farouq Aminu. I debated long and hard between Davis and Udoh and ultimately went with Davis, which means the Pistons will likely select Udoh just to prove me wrong. Should be interesting, but here's my guess as to how it all plays out.

1. Wizards — John Wall, Kentucky
2. 76ers — Evan Turner, Ohio State
3. Nets — Derrick Favors, Georgia Tech
4. Timberwolves — Wesley Johnson, Syracuse
5. Kings — DeMarcus Cousins, Kentucky
6. Warriors — Greg Monroe, Georgetown
7. Pistons — Ed Davis, North Carolina
8. Clippers — Al-Farouq Aminu, Wake Forest
9. Jazz — Luke Babbitt, Nevada
10. Pacers — Ekpe Udoh, Baylor
11. Hornets — Xavier Henry, Kansas
12. Grizzlies — Paul George, Fresno State
13. Raptors — Cole Aldrich, Kansas
14. Rockets — Gordon Hayward, Butler
15. Bucks — Patrick Patterson, Kentucky
16. Timberwolves — Avery Bradley, Texas
17. Bulls — James Anderson, Oklahoma State
18. Thunder — Hassan Whiteside, Marshall
19. Celtics — Larry Sanders, VCU
20. Spurs — Solomon Alabi, Florida State
21. Thunder — Eric Bledsoe, Kentucky
22. Trailblazers — Daniel Orton, Kentucky
23. Timberwolves — Kevin Seraphin, France
24. Hawks — Elliot Williams, Memphis
25. Grizzlies — Damion James, Texas
26. Thunder — Tibor Pleiss, Germany
27. Nets — Quincy Pondexter, Washington
28. Grizzlies — Armon Johnson, Nevada
29. Magic — Greivis Vasquez, Maryland
30. Wizards — Jordan Crawford, Xavier

Pistons release sample list of players they worked out

2010-06-22T17:08:00.002-04:00

The Pistons released a sample list of players they had in for workouts. The list contains 30 players. According to the release, Detroit worked out between 60-70 players.

Of the 30 players on the list only three (Cole Aldrich, Kansas, Ed Davis, North Carolina and Ekpe Udoh, Baylor) will be in consideration for the No. 7 overall pick. There is an outside shot they could take Patrick Patterson (Kentucky), Eric Bledsoe (Kentucky) or Avery Bradley (Texas), but it's doubtful. What the list means is really up for debate. Do they like these players or are they releasing a list of players they don't like or a mixture of both? Who knows, but we will find out on Thursday. Here is the list:

Deon Thompson - North Carolina
Raymar Morgan - Michigan State
Deshawn Sims - Michigan
Mikhail Torrance - Alabama
Ryan Richards - Europe
Eric Bledsoe - Kentucky
Cole Aldrich - Kansas
Avery Bradley - Texas
Ed Davis - North Carolina
Armon Johnson - Nevada
Darington Hobson - New Mexico
Ekpe Udoh - Baylor
Willie Warren - Oklahoma
Thomas Huertel - Europe
Sherron Collins - Kansas
Edwin Jackson - Europe
Charles Garcia - Seattle
Tim Olbrecht - Europe
Patrick Patterson - Kentucky
Gani Lawal - Georgia Tech
Jarvis Varnado - Mississippi State
Sylven Landesberg - Virginia
Craig Brackins - Iowa State
AJ Slaughter - Western Kentucky
Ben Uzoh - Tulsa
Johnathan James - Oakland
Derick Nelson - Oakland
Ryan Thompson - Rider
Elijah Millsap - UAB
Landon Milbourne - Maryland

Jerebko, Daye, Summers on Pistons' summer league roster

2010-06-16T17:10:00.003-04:00

Jonas Jerebko, Austin Daye and DaJuan Summers will all be on the Pistons summer league roster. Detroit will take part in the Las Vegas summer league in July. Games will be played on the UNLV campus at the Thomas & Mack Center and the COX Pavilion.

The Pistons will take on Golden State and Sacramento, the two teams drafting right before them so depending on who the teams draft, you could see some of the top draft picks go head-to-head. The full Pistons summer league schedule is below:

Pistons summer league schedule
July 9, vs. L.A. Lakers, 8 p.m.
July 10, vs. Golden State, 8 p.m.
July 12, vs. Sacramento, 6 p.m.
July 14, vs. Miami, 10:30 p.m.
July 16, vs. New York, 4 p.m.

NBA Draft preview: Wake Forest's Al-Farouq Aminu

2010-06-13T21:51:00.002-04:00

The Pistons are expected to take a big man with the No. 7 pick in the NBA Draft. The wild card that could cause Detroit to change its mind is Wake Forest's Al-Farouq Aminu. The 6-foot-9, 215-pound Aminu has drawn comparisons to Atlanta's Josh Smith. He averaged 15.8 points, 10.7 rebounds, 1.4 blocks and 1.4 steals for Wake Forest last season as a sophomore. Aminu is still just 19 and likely has room to improve. ESPN's Chad Ford has the Pistons taking Aminu in his latest mock draft as does DraftExpress.com. Here are some highlight videos for you to judge for yourself:

Aminu highlights part 1

Aminu highlights part 2

Aminu draft combine interview

Citi to advise Pistons sale

2010-06-02T13:45:00.003-04:00

The Detroit Pistons released a press release Wednesday announcing Citi will be a financial advisor in the sale of Palace Sports and Entertainment and the Detroit Pistons. It's another step forward in the sale of the Pistons with this announcement "officially" putting the team on the market. Time will tell if there will be any interested buyers, but don't be surprised if this process takes a while. The full press release is below:

Citi Private Bank Sports Advisory (Citi), has been engaged as financial advisor in connection with the sale of Palace Sports & Entertainment, Inc., and the Detroit Pistons Basketball Company. The National Basketball Association has been informed of the engagement and that Citi is in contact with a number of interested parties. Given the confidential nature and unpredictable timeframe of any negotiations, neither the owners nor the management of The Palace and the Pistons will be commenting further on this process until there is substantive news to report.

NBA Draft preview: North Carolina's Ed Davis

2010-06-02T00:15:00.003-04:00

North Carolina's Ed Davis is an intriguing prospect. Davis broke his wrist ending his sophomore season early. Davis was somewhat of a disappointment considering the high expectations put on him after a stellar freshman year. Many considered Davis a top-5 pick last season if he came out, but he didn't do himself any favors in the 24 games he played for the Tar Heels this season. Davis averaged 12.9 points, 9.2 rebounds and 2.7 blocks.

At 6-foot-9, 227 pounds Davis could add frontcourt help, but will likely struggle if asked to play center. An interesting sidenote, Davis has a long history with Ben Wallace. Davis' father Terry Davis like Wallace is a Virginia Union product. Davis and Wallace often workout together in the offseason and Davis even calls Wallace uncle.

Some mock drafts have the Pistons taking Davis at No. 7, but others having him falling out of the lottery. Here are some highlights for you to judge for yourself:

Ed Davis highlights

Davis draft combine interview

Davis highlights from 2009

NBA Draft preview: Baylor's Ekpe Udoh

2010-05-28T16:04:00.002-04:00

Baylor's Ekpe Udoh is a name many people in the Metro Detroit area remember from his days at Michigan. Udoh transferred to Baylor and credits the year he sat out for the vast improvement in his game. The 6-foo-10, 240-pound Udoh averaged 13.9 points, 9.8 rebounds and 3.7 blocks last year for Baylor and helped the Bears reach the Elite Eight in the NCAA tournament. Udoh rebounding and shot-blocking ability make him appealing, but his offensive game could use some work.

Udoh has shot up many draft boards, but others remain cautious. DraftExpress.com has him at No. 8 overall as does HoopsHype.com, but NBADraft.net has Udoh at No. 16 overall and the Sports Exchange has him at No. 18 overall. Here's some videos for you to judge for yourself:

Udoh highlights

DraftExpress.com NBA combine interview

Highlight's from Udoh's triple double against Morgan State

Pistons president Joe Dumars refuses to condone tanking

2010-05-27T15:08:00.001-04:00

The Pistons won four of their final six games and as result angered many fans by hurting their draft status. Detroit could have finished with the third worst record in the league with two more losses or in a three-way tie for the fourth worst record with one more loss.

If that would have helped the Pistons move in the top three of the draft is anybody’s guess, but they would be drafting higher than No. 7.

Pistons president Joe Dumars was asked if he gave any thought to what could have been with a few more losses.

“I thought about it for about two minutes,” Dumars said. “When you're talking about the lottery and what could have happened and if you would have gotten a ball, it's kind of a bogus conversation anyway to be like, 'Oh my God, the lottery, we could have …’ First of all, you're pissed off that you're in the lottery in the first place, so the fact that I'm going to sit there like, 'Oh, you know, we could have won this.’ ”

Even with the Pistons clearly out of the playoff race Dumars said he never hoped the team would lose.

“It is impossible to feel good about losing,” Dumars said. “I understand that maybe from a fan and media perspective, ‘Oh, just lose games.’ Your mind can’t even get around that. Even down the stretch when we were way out of it, you feel better leaving the arena after you won a game as opposed to losing a game because at that point you’re not looking at standings and trying to figure out where you are because you know what you have to go through a lottery anyway.

“I told the coaching staff after the last game in Minnesota, I said, ‘ You know guys, I don’t care what the situation is whether it be winning a world championship or the season we had, it feels good to win the last game that we played. I don’t care what the situation is.’ We never get into that because your mind can’t even get around that. Ok, we lost tonight we move up one spot. It’s impossible to even think like that. For some reason you just can’t.”

Joe Dumars was a member 1993-94 Pistons team that many people accuse of tanking games at the end of the season to improve their draft status. Dumars was asked if his experience on that team makes it even harder for him to condone losing and while he didn’t confirm it did, he also brought up the fact he missed time with an injury at the end of that season.

“Even when you’re playing and you’re on the court ... when you walk out there the last thing you’re thinking is, ‘God, I don’t want us to win tonight,’ ” Dumars said. “If you’re out there, you’re trying to win. Let’s say I missed some games down the stretch that year. I got hurt so I didn’t play in some of those games.”

Pistons president Joe Dumars insists ownership is not a problem

2010-05-25T15:18:00.001-04:00

The new ownership and uncertainty that comes with being a team up for sale was a subject at Pistons president Joe Dumars annual postseason meeting with the media. Dumars was asked how much the current ownership situation affects his ability to do his job.

Dumars gave a typical PC answer, but if you read between the lines it’s apparent at least to me that things have certainly changed since Bill Davidson’s death. Dumars even took an extra few seconds to answer the question about ownership.

“You make it work,” Dumars said. “That's what you do. You make it work. I live by the same things that I say to my coaching staff, the players and my staff, whatever it takes, let's just get it done. I'm not going to sit here and say we've been hamstrung by the ownership situation. But what we do is we come in and we just try to just concentrate on what we have to do. And if something comes up and I have to deal with the ownership situation, then I go and deal with it. But it's not something that we walk in here every day and discuss. I just won't allow us to do that. You know what? You make it work. Whatever cards you're dealt, that's the hand you play.”

Dumars was also asked if he has to go through channels to sign players or can he make the moves he wants. Dumars said he has always had to go through someone, but now it’s just someone different.

“I've always had the ability to go out and sign players, but I never was in the position of not having to talk to somebody about it,” Dumars said. “Now, it used to be Mr. D that I would talk to about it and kind of tell him. Now there's a different group that I deal with. So I make them aware of whatever I'm talking about doing. But they haven't gotten in the way, hey, you can't do this or you can't do that. It's not like that at all. But you're asking me, do I have to speak with someone? Yes, I do.”

NBA Draft preview: Kansas' Cole Aldrich

2010-05-24T18:00:00.002-04:00

Next up in a series of possible candidates for the Pistons to draft at No. 7 overall is Kansas center Cole Aldrich. From what I've gathered from fans, bloggers and other sources is that not many people want to see the Pistons select Aldrich. The names Greg Ostertag and Bryant 'Big Country Reeves' come up when people talk about Aldrich. Comparisons that may or may not be fair. But the truth is Aldrich could be the most NBA ready big man in the draft and while he doesn't seem to have the "big-time potential" some of the other prospects do, he seemed poised to be a solid, reliable big man in the NBA for years to come. Here are some highlights for you to judge for yourself:

A mix of Aldrich highlights

NBA Draft combine interview by Draft Express

Aldrich humbles Colorado's Alec Burks

Iowa State's Marquis Gilstrap dunks over Aldrich, twice

NBA Draft preview: Georgetown's Greg Monroe

2010-05-20T09:46:00.004-04:00

Now that we know the Pistons will be drafting No. 7 overall, it makes it easier to speculate who they might select. Over the next few weeks I will upload some highlight videos of players the Pistons could possibly take so you can see for yourself what you think of these guys. Up first, is Georgetown's Greg Monroe.

UPDATE: I have updated this post to include the NBA Draft combine interview done by DraftExpress.com.

Greg Monroe NBA Draft combine interview by Draft Express

Monroe highlights with 50 cent background music

Monroe lights up Notre Dame

Monroe displays his passing skills

Pistons fire Matt Dobek, three executives

2010-05-18T12:00:00.004-04:00

The Detroit Pistons organization has fired longtime public relations director Matt Dobek along with sales executives John Kapral and John Dierkes and executive assistant Julie Telly.

Dobek was hired by former Palace president Tom Wilson, who now works for Ilitch Holdings. Kapral, Dierkes and Telly were all hired by former Pistons executive John Ciszewski, who is also now with Ilitch Holdings. Combined the four had more than 100 years of experience with the Pistons organization.

Published reports say Dobek was told he was being fired for breaking a confidentiality agreement he signed years ago. He was forced to turn in his company BlackBerry and car, and was told he would get no severance package.

It's an unexpected shakeup in the Pistons front office as the organization continues to restructure after the passing of owner William Davidson and move towards a possible sale. It has to be uncertain times over at The Palace and this likely won't be the last of the front office shakeups in Auburn Hills.

Early deadline for declaring for NBA Draft is classic example of NCAA's hypocrisy

2010-05-11T17:52:00.005-04:00

The NCAA rule requiring players to make a decision about entering the NBA Draft by May 8 is another example of the NCAA ruling with an iron fist and not caring about what is best for the so-called ‘student athlete.’

Demanding players make a decision by May 8 does not give them a fair amount of time to determine their draft status.

Players can’t work out for a team until the early-entrant candidate list is completed, which was just a week before May 8 this year. Making matters worse, a player can’t miss class to go to a workout, limiting players even further.

The don't miss class rule is a classic example of the NCAA’s hypocrisy. The NCAA doesn’t mind if players miss class for games they make money off, but don’t miss class for anything they aren’t profiting off of.

The NBA gives players until June 14, which may be a little too long for college programs to have to wait for a player to make a decision. But deciding by May 8 is the extreme opposite.

The players that declare for the draft and decide to come back haven’t really hurt anybody.

The real losers are going to be the players that stay in the draft without knowing their true draft status. A total of 51 early-entrant players stayed in the NBA Draft. Since only 60 players are drafted, odds are many of those 51 players won’t hear their named called on draft day. Where they go from there who knows.

If they had a little more time to be evaluated and attend the pre-draft camp in Chicago then they could make an educated decision.

The May 8 deadline gives them no time to gather information and as a result many players are likely making bad decisions based on bad advice.

A proper solution would be meeting somewhere in the middle. A June 1 deadline would be a good compromise. But of course the NCAA will likely keep its rule in place because let’s be honest the NCAA only looks out for itself.

Twenty-nine players pull out of NBA Draft

2010-05-11T17:21:00.003-04:00

A total of 29 early-entrant candidates for the NBA Draft have pulled their name from consideration. That leaves 51 early-entrant college players staying in the NBA Draft. Twenty-three international players are also eligible, but have until June 14 to pull out of the draft. College players had to make a decision by May 8 due to an NCAA rule. Below is a list of players that have pulled out of the draft:

Lavoy Allen, Temple
Kevin Anderson, Richmond
Talor Battle, Penn State
Keith Benson, Oakland
Anatoly Bose, Nicholls State
Carlon Brown, Utah
Mike Davis, Illinois
Paul Davis, Winston-Salem State
Malcolm Delaney, Virginia Tech
Kenneth Faried, Morehead State
Jimmer Fredette, BYU
Anthony Gurley, Massachusetts
Jeremy Hazell, Seton Hall
Adnan Hodzic, Lipscomb
JaJuan Johnson, Purdue
Ravern Johnson, Mississippi State
Cameron Jones, Northern Arizona
Kenny Lawson, Creighton
Demetri McCamey, Illinois
E’Twaun Moore, Purdue
Arnett Moultrie, UTEP
Rico Pickett, Manhattan
Eniel Polynice, Mississippi
Herb Pope, Seton Hall
Jeff Robinson, Seton Hall
Tracy Smith, North Carolina State
Alex Tyus, Florida
Quinton Watkins, San Diego State
Chris Wright, Dayton

Detroit Pistons' Ben Gordon commits to play for Great Britain

2010-05-07T10:14:00.002-04:00

The Great Britain national team received a huge boost when Pistons guard Ben Gordon committed to play for the team. Gordon, who was born in London before moving to the U.S., will join the national team in July. It's a a nice addition for Great Britain, which will compete in the 2011 Euro-Basket qualifiers this summer. Gordon will join former Bulls teammate Luol Deng on the squad.

"I am delighted to have committed myself to GB for this summer and beyond," Gordon said. "I have heard a lot from Luol about the team and where we are going, so I am excited about the prospect of pulling on the GB vest.

"I have been in discussion with British Basketball for a while now, but various things have stopped me being able to fully commit, however I am now settled with the Pistons and the time is right."

Detroit Pistons' Tayshaun Prince added to U.S. national team

2010-05-04T17:03:00.003-04:00

Piston Tayshaun Prince was added to the 2010-12 USA Men’s National team Tuesday along with Golden State’s Stephen Curry, Sacramento’s Tyreke Evans and Oklahoma City's Jeff Green.

“We’re excited about the addition of these four outstanding players. Tayshaun is a versatile veteran who returns to the program after helping the United States win gold in the Olympics and at the 2007 FIBA Americas Championship, which served as our zone’s Olympic qualifying tournament. Jeff was part of the 2008 USA Select Team that trained against the Olympic team and he was again impressive last summer at the national team mini-camp. And in adding Tyreke and Stephen we have brought into the national team fold two of the game’s most exciting and promising newcomers,” USA Basketball chairman Jerry Colangelo.

“The addition of Tayshaun, Jeff, Stephen and Tyreke to our national team roster adds additional veteran experience, versatility, and young talent,” said USA and Duke University head coach Mike Krzyzewski. “Although we have a number of players who were members of the 2006-08 national team returning to the 2010-12 national team pool, we are beginning a new selection and team building process and I believe the addition of these four players will help strengthen our national team program in several areas over the next three years.”

Prince, who has played in 28 games for the U.S. national team, averaged 4.3 points and 1.9 rebounds as a member of the 2008 USA’s gold medalist Olympic team. He was also a member of the gold medalist 2007 USA Olympic Qualifying Team, averaging 7.2 points and 5.1 rebounds.

The Rodney Stuckey debate continues

2010-05-04T13:27:00.001-04:00

DIME magazine's Austin Burton decided to join the “Is Rodney Stuckey a franchise player debate?” Burton doesn’t take a firm stance one way or the other, but makes a very valid point about the expectations for Stuckey next season.

“If Stuckey is supposed to be Detroit’s meal ticket, next season is ‘put up or shut up’ time. Not saying he needs to hoist the team on his back and go championship-or-bust — but by the end of a player’s fourth year, most of the time, we know whether or not they’ve got superstar quality,” Burton wrote.

Burton is dead on. If Stuckey can’t step up and show he is “The Guy” next season then it’s time for the Pistons to look elsewhere.

I haven’t been as high on Stuckey as the Pistons seem to be. I think he is a nice complimentary player, a second or third option on a good team and or a Jason Terry or Jamal Crawford like role off the bench on a great team.

Unless Detroit wins the lottery and lands John Wall, odds are Stuckey will once again be the Pistons starting point guard next season. And Burton said it best, it’s put up or shut up time.

Pistons' Jonas Jerebko makes NBA all-rookie second team

2010-04-30T21:04:00.002-04:00

Pistons forward Jonas Jerebko was named to the NBA's all-rookie second team on Friday. Jerebko received 22 points, which put him in a three-way tie for the eighth most votes with Minnesota's Jonny Flynn and Oklahoma City's James Harden. San Antonio's DeJuan Blair and New Orleans' Marcus Thornton were also named to the second team.

Sacramento's Tyreke Evans, Milwaukee's Brandon Jennings, Golden State's Stephen Curry, New Orleans' Darren Collison and Chicago's Taj Gibson were named to the first team.

Kings' Tyreke Evans wins rookie of the year

2010-04-29T17:06:00.002-04:00

Sacramento Kings guard Tyreke Evans won the NBA's Rookie of the Year award, the league announced Thursday. Evans received 67 first-place votes (491 points) from a panel of 123 sportswriters and broadcasters. Golden State's Stephen Curry finished second with 391 points and Milwaukee's Brandon Jennings finished third with 204 points.

Players were awarded five points for each first-place vote, three points for each second-place vote and one point for each third-place vote.

Six rookies received votes, with the following breakdown:
Tyreke Evans, Sacramento — 491 points
Stephen Curry, Golden State — 391 points
Brandon Jennings, Milwaukee — 204 points
Darren Collison, New Orleans — 17 points
Jonny Flynn, Minnesota — 2 points
Taj Gibson, Chicago — 2 points

Pistons rookie Jonas Jerebko did not receive any rookie of the year votes. But the all-rookie first and second teams have not been announced yet, so Jerebko could still earn those honors.

Complete list of early entrants to the NBA Draft

2010-04-29T13:01:00.005-04:00

The NBA announced 103 players have declared as early entrants for the NBA Draft, including 80 players from U.S. colleges. The college players have until May 8 to withdraw from the draft and return to college as long they didn't hire an agent, according to the new NCAA rule. The NBA gives players until June 14 to decide, which means the international players have until then to withdraw. Here is a complete list of all the early entrants, the projected first round picks by DraftExpress.com are bolded:

Player, School, Height, Status

Solomon Alabi, Florida State, 7-1, Sophomore
Cole Aldrich, Kansas, 6-11, Junior
Lavoy Allen, Temple, 6-9, Junior
Al-Farouq Aminu, Wake Forest, 6-9, Sophomore
James Anderson, Oklahoma State, 6-6, Junior
Kevin Anderson, Richmond, 6-0, Junior
Luke Babbitt, Nevada, 6-9, Sophomore
Armon Bassett, Ohio, 6-2, Junior
Talor Battle, Penn State, 6-0, Junior
Keith Benson, Oakland, 6-11, Junior
Eric Bledsoe, Kentucky, 6-1, Freshman
Anatoly Bose, Nicholls State, 6-6, Junior
Dee Bost, Mississippi State, 6-2, Sophomore
Craig Brackins, Iowa State, 6-10, Junior
Avery Bradley, Texas, 6-2, Freshman
Carlon Brown, Utah, 6-5, Junior
Derrick Caracter, UTEP, 6-9, Junior
DeMarcus Cousins, Kentucky, 6-11, Freshman
Jordan Crawford, Xavier, 6-4, Sophomore
Ed Davis, North Carolina, 6-10, Sophomore
Mike Davis, Illinois, 6-9, Junior
Paul Davis, Winston-Salem State, 6-9, Junior
Malcolm Delaney, Virginia Tech, 6-3, Junior
Devin Ebanks, West Virginia, 6-9, Sophomore
Kenneth Faried, Morehead State, 6-8, Junior
Derrick Favors, Georgia Tech, 6-10, Freshman
Courtney Fortson, Arkansas, 5-11, Sophomore
Jimmer Fredette, BYU, 6-2, Junior
Keith “Tiny” Gallon, Oklahoma, 6-9, Freshman
Charles Garcia, Seattle, 6-10, Junior
Paul George, Fresno State, 6-8, Sophomore
Anthony Gurley, Massachusetts, 6-3, Junior
Manny Harris, Michigan, 6-5, Junior
Gordon Hayward, Butler, 6-9, Sophomore
Jeremy Hazell, Seton Hall, 6-5, Junior
Xavier Henry, Kansas, 6-6, Freshman
Darington Hobson, New Mexico, 6-7, Junior
Adnan Hodzic, Lipscomb, 6-8, Junior
Armon Johnson, Nevada, 6-3, Junior
JaJuan Johnson, Purdue, 6-10, Junior
Ravern Johnson, Mississippi State, 6-7, Junior
Wesley Johnson, Syracuse, 6-7, Junior
Cameron Jones, Northern Arizona, 6-4, Junior
Dominique Jones, South Florida, 6-4, Junior
Mac Koshwal, DePaul, 6-10, Junior
Sylven Landesberg, Virginia, 6-6, Sophomore
Gani Lawal, Georgia Tech, 6-9, Junior
Kenny Lawson, Creighton, 6-9, Junior
Tommy Mason-Griffin, Oklahoma, 5-11, Freshman
Demetri McCamey, Illinois, 6-3, Junior
Elijah Millsap, Alabama-Birmingham, 6-6, Junior
Greg Monroe, Georgetown, 6-10, Sophomore
E’Twaun Moore, Purdue, 6-4, Junior
Arnett Moultrie, UTEP, 6-11, Sophomore
A.J. Ogilvy, Vanderbilt, 6-11, Junior
Daniel Orton, Kentucky, 6-10, Freshman
Patrick Patterson, Kentucky, 6-9, Junior
Rico Pickett, Manhattan, 6-4, Junior
Eniel Polynice, Mississippi, 6-5, Junior
Herb Pope, Seton Hall, 6-8, Sophomore
Jeff Robinson, Seton Hall, 6-6, Junior
Samardo Samuels, Louisville, 6-9, Sophomore
Larry Sanders, Virginia Commonwealth, 6-11, Junior
John Sloan, Huntingdon (AL), 5-11, Junior
Tracy Smith, North Carolina State, 6-8, Junior
Lance Stephenson, Cincinnati, 6-5, Freshman
Lazar Trifunovic, Radford, 6-8, Junior
Evan Turner, Ohio State, 6-7, Junior
Alex Tyus, Florida, 6-8, Junior
Ekpe Udoh, Baylor, 6-10, Junior
John Wall, Kentucky, 6-4, Freshman
Willie Warren, Oklahoma, 6-4, Sophomore
Quinton Watkins, San Diego State, 6-3, Freshman
C.J. Webster, San Jose State, 6-9, Junior
Terrico White, Mississippi, 6-5, Sophomore
Hassan Whiteside, Marshall, 7-0, Freshman
Elliot Williams, Memphis, 6-5, Sophomore
Stevy Worah-Ozimo, Slippery Rock, 6-8, Junior
Chris Wright, Dayton, 6-8, Junior
Jahmar Young, New Mexico State, 6-5, Junior

The following is the list of international players who have applied for
early entry into the 2010 NBA Draft:

Player, Team/Country*, Height, Status

Pablo Aguilar, Granada (Spain), 6-8, 1989 DOB
Andrew Albicy, Paris-Levallois (France), 5-10, 1990 DOB
Robin Benzing, Ratiopharm Ulm (Germany), 6-10, 1989 DOB
Stefan Bircevic, Metalac (Serbia), 6-10, 1989 DOB
Bojan Bogdanovic, Cibona (Croatia), 6-8, 1989 DOB
Sarra Camara, Le Havre (France), 6-9, 1989 DOB
Antoine Diot, Le Mans (France), 6-3, 1989 DOB
Bangaly Fofana, ASVEL (France), 7-0, 1989 DOB
Miralem Halilovic, Sloboda Dita (Bosnia), 6-9, 1991 DOB
Thomas Heurtel, Strasbourg (France), 6-2, 1989 DOB
Edwin Jackson, Rouen (France), 6-3, 1989 DOB
Dusan Korac, Centar (Montenegro), 6-11, 1991 DOB
Mindaugas Kuzminskas, Siauliai (Lithuania), 6-9, 1989 DOB
Luc Louves, Maurienne (France), 6-10, 1989 DOB
Uros Lukovic, Radnicki Basket (Serbia), 7-0, 1989 DOB
Donatas Motiejunas, Benetton Treviso (Italy), 7-0, 1990 DOB
Tomasz Nowakowski, Luka Koper (Slovenia), 6-10, 1990 DOB
Tibor Pleiss, Brose Baskets (Germany), 7-0, 1989 DOB
Xavier Rabaseda, FC Barcelona (Spain), 6-7, 1989 DOB
Fernando Raposo, Pau Orthez (France), 6-9, 1989 DOB
Ryan Richards, Gran Canaria (Spain), 7-0, 1991 DOB
Kevin Sèraphin, Cholet (France), 6-9, 1989 DOB
Semen Shashkov, Ural Ekaterinburg (Russia), 6-7, 1989 DOB

*Country indicates where team plays, not country of nationality.

Pistons' Ben Gordon has ankle surgery

2010-04-28T11:31:00.001-04:00

The Detroit Pistons announced Wednesday that guard Ben Gordon had successful surgery to remove bone spurs and loose bodies from his left ankle. The
procedure was performed at St. Joesph’s Mercy Hospital in Pontiac by Dr. Art Manoli.

Gordon’s left ankle will be placed in a cast for three weeks and rehabilitation will begin immediately following removal of the cast. He is expected to make a full recovery prior to the start of training camp in October.

Gordon played a career-low 62 games as he battled the ankle injury and a groin injury. He averaged a career-low 13.8 points and the career 40-percent 3-point shooter shot a career-low 32.1 percent on 3-pointers. It was the first time in his career he shot below 40 percent.

The surgery is hopefully a step in the right direction for Gordon, who wants to put last season behind him.

Former Piston Rick Mahorn files for bankruptcy

2010-04-22T13:12:00.000-04:00

DETROIT (AP) — Former Detroit Pistons star Rick Mahorn and his wife have filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy following failed investments, a drop in value of a home they bought and efforts to repay an IRS debt.

The case filed Dec. 8 is pending in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Detroit.

Mahorn was a member of the Pistons’ 1989 championship team from the “Bad Boys” era and coached the WNBA’s Detroit Shock before the team relocated to Tulsa, Okla. He’s currently a Pistons radio announcer.

The 51-year-old Mahorn told The Detroit News for a story Thursday he’s trying to find more work.

Public records show that since 2006 the IRS has filed liens for almost $214,000 in delinquent taxes against Mahorn.

Mahorn’s lawyer Scott Zochowski said the tax debt has been repaid.

Pistons President Joe Dumars' older brother passes away

2010-04-20T12:14:00.003-04:00

Daniel Dumars, older brother of Pistons President Joe Dumars, passed away on April 15. Daniel Dumars was 51.

The Services for Daniel are as follows:
Lying in State, Friday April 23rd from 3-7 pm at Winnfield Funeral Home, 318 North Street, Alexandria, Louisiana (phone number: 318-352-4404).

Reflections of "Coach"- 5-7 pm.

Funeral Services Saturday, April 24th, 1 pm at Ben Johnson Auditorium, 400 Martin Luther King Drive, Natchitoches, Louisiana (phone number — 318-238-2210)

S & S Flower Shop
800-705-2007 toll free
318-357-8273

Pistons' Charlie Villanueva named one of the NBA's worst defenders

2010-04-19T21:31:00.004-04:00

Blogger Haralabos Voulgaris of Alone in the Corner recently put together his 2010 All Non-Defensive team of the worst five defenders in the NBA.

Piston Charlie Villanueva was named to the first team along with Minnesota’s Jonny Flynn, Houston’s Kevin Martin, Sacramento’s Andres Nocioni and Toronto’s Andrea Bargnani. Piston guard Will Bynum was named an honorable mention.

Voulgaris isn’t breaking any news by saying Villanueva is not a good defender, but naming him one of the five worst in the league is taking it to a new level.

“There was a quote early in the season where John Kuester stated that until he had a few weeks to be around Charlie V, he didn’t really know just what Charlie could do — presumably this was a compliment,” Voulgaris wrote. “I think given another four months or so he’d likely restate the above, but not in a complimentary fashion.

“Charlie V’s one-year adjusted defensive rating has him at a -6.13, he scarcely keeps his man in front of him and doesn’t defensive rebound particularly well.”

Not exactly high praise for Villanueva and this isn’t just Voulgaris’ opinion. Voulgaris uses a complex database to select the team, a database he discussed with ESPN’s TrueHoop blog.

“In the basketball analytic world (stat geeks) people talk of Offensive and Defensive Efficiency (points per possession),” Voulgaris told TrueHoop. “I take it a step further and break down the efficiency of different types of possessions. Possessions off of turnovers, made baskets, missed shots (broken down a step further types of missed shots), etc.

“As I mentioned, once you have the data you can begin to do all sorts of cool things with it.

“The NBA has an interesting application on their site called “Hot Zones” that shows you how a player shoots from a certain spot on the floor. I can give you the same information but I can break it down with much more detail.

“Take Kobe Bryant for example, we have every shot he (and every other player in the league) has taken in the last five seasons.

“How does Kobe Bryant’s shooting chart look when Bruce Bowen is on the floor (guarding him). How does it look with Shane Battier? (I know, small sample size, but you get the idea).

“How does it look with X lineup for the Lakers, or how does it look with just Gasol on the floor, and on and on.”

I honestly have never heard Voulgaris or his blog before stumbling on this article with an assist to PistonPowered's Twitter account. But it sounds like he took a lot of time and effort into creating this team. Hopefully Villanueva will put as much time and effort into becoming a better defender in the offseason so he won't have to read more articles like Voulgaris'.

Kansas' Cole Aldrich a good fit for the Detroit Pistons?

2010-04-19T13:04:00.002-04:00

DIMEmag.com has been profiling potential NBA Draft picks over the last few weeks leading up to the June 24th draft and the most recent one is of Kansas big man Cole Aldrich.

Dime contributor Lucas Shapiro thinks Aldrich would be a good fit for the Pistons.

“The big man situation in Detroit is the worst in the league,” Shapiro writes. “They have virtually nobody who can handle guarding anyone like Dwight Howard, Al Horford or Joakim Noah in the Eastern Conference. Adding a piece like Aldrich would be a great start for the revival of their frontcourt. It would also enable Charlie Villanueva to become more of a threat from the perimeter. Although he may not be the answer to all of their big man issues, Aldrich would provide a solid foundation for another dynasty in Detroit.”

I’m not that high on Aldrich, but I don’t disagree with what Shapiro is saying. At 6-foot-11, 245 pounds, Aldrich will likely be a serviceable big man for years to come and a nice piece for a contending team.

However, he will not be the franchise player many Piston fans are hoping for in the draft. But the reality is now that Detroit is likely going to be selecting No. 7 or 8 (barring getting lucky or extremely unlucky by the draft lottery) getting a solid role player might be the best-case scenario.

The Pistons will have to decide if they want an NBA ready big guy like Aldirch or a project like Marshall’s Hassan Whiteside.

Earlier in the season Shapiro also thought Georgia Tech’s Derrick Favors would be a good fit for the Pistons.

“Face it, the Pistons could use anything right now,” Shapiro wrote back on March 8. “Their frontcourt does not feature any big names unless you consider Ben Wallace and Charlie Villanueva quality big men (which I do not). Favors would be a great start to reviving life in Detroit.”

Favors would be a nice pick for the Pistons, but the problem is he likely won’t be available at pick No. 7 or No. 8. Favors is projected to be selected as high as No. 3 by some experts, but most mock drafts have him in the 4-6 range. If he falls to No. 7 or 8 it would be a good pick for Detroit. The 6-foot-10 Favors is not as NBA ready as Alrdich, but has a much higher ceiling.

Pistons final grades

2010-04-18T13:41:00.001-04:00

Make sure to check out my Pistons final grades.

Pistons lose tiebreaker to 76ers

2010-04-16T18:24:00.000-04:00

Philadelphia won the tiebreaker with the Pistons on Friday in a random drawing and will select ahead of Detroit in the NBA Draft if neither team moves up in the NBA Draft lottery.

The Pistons (27-55) and 76ers tied for the sixth worst record in the league. As a result of the tiebreaker Detroit will not pick higher than seventh unless it wins one of the top three spots in the lottery.

Detroit has a 5.3 percent chance of winning the top pick, 6.02 percent chance of winning the second pick and 6.96 percent chance of winning the third pick. If the Pistons don’t win a spot in the lottery, they can pick as high as No. 7 and as low as No. 10.

The draft lottery will be held on May 18. The draft is on June 24 in New York City.

Detroit Pistons finish in a tie with 76ers for sixth worst record

2010-04-14T23:37:00.001-04:00

The Pistons finish the season in a tie with Philadelphia for the sixth worst record in the NBA. Detroit and the 76ers will split the NBA Draft lottery balls of the No. 6 and No. 7 spots.

Of the 1,000 different combinations the Pistons will get 53 or a 5.3 percent chance of winning the No. 1 overall pick. Detroit’s odds of winning the No. 2 pick are 6.02 percent and the No. 3 pick are 6.96 percent.

The NBA will hold a drawing on Friday to determine who will pick higher, Detroit or Philadelphia in the event neither team moves up in the lottery.

Detroit fell down to the No. 6 spot thanks to a win over the Timberwolves on Wednesday in the final game of the regular season. The Pistons won four of their final six.

The win over the Timberwolves cost the Pistons 37 ping-pong balls or an extra 3.7 percent chance of landing the top pick. A loss to Minnesota on Wednesday would have put Detroit in a three-way tie for the fourth worst record with Washington and Golden State, which both won on Wednesday.

Best case scenario for Pistons is three-way tie for No. 3 seed in NBA Draft lottery

2010-04-13T01:02:00.002-04:00

The Pistons can finish no higher than a three-way tie for the No. 3 seed in the NBA Draft lottery after both the Wizards (25-56) and Kings (25-56) lost Monday night.

Detroit (26-55) fell to the Raptors, but Washington falling to New York and Sacramento falling to Houston means the Pistons can only tie both teams.

Detroit would have to lose at Minnesota on Wednesday and Washington and Sacramento would have to lose their final game. The Wizards host Indiana and the Kings play at the L.A. Lakers.

Golden State (25-55) is sandwiched between the three teams and can clinch a share of the No. 3 seed with losses in its two remaining games. The Pistons could pass the Warriors if they lose their final game and Golden State wins both of its remaining games. The Warriors host the Jazz and play at Portland.

Detroit can finish no lower than a tie for the No. 6 seed as a result of the Knicks (29-52) win Monday. The Pistons loss Monday also assured they will finish behind the L.A. Clippers (28-53).

The only other team in the mix with Detroit is Philadelphia, which fell at home to Miami on Monday. If the Pistons beat Minnesota and the 76ers (27-54) lose at Orlando on Wednesday, Detroit and Philadelphia would finish in tie for the No. 6 seed.

In the event of a tie the teams split the lottery chances between the spots they would occupy. For example if Detroit and Philadelphia finish in tie for the No. 6 seed, they would split the No. 6 seed and No. 7 seed combinations. If neither team moves up in the lottery, a drawing (which will be done on Friday) will determine who gets the higher pick.