SB Nation - Charlie Villanueva

Watching the Pistons is Like a Trip to the Dentist? I Want That Dentist

Packey — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 23:25:31 -0000

Mike Prada of Bullets Forever, who is also contributing on SBNation.com, developed a good idea to compile a list of the most entertaining NBA teams to watch, ordering them from least-watchable to most-watchable (thanks to reader Madpoopz for posting this in the FanShots). He calls it the "Watchability" Scale.

Before I go on, I have to commend Mike for putting this list together. It's obvious that he put a lot of time into writing it and it's worthy of your readership, regardless of the way he ranks them. I think I should point out that this list is a compilation of teams that are the most entertaining teams to watch in his eyes. Obviously, he can't tell you who you should prefer to watch. With that being said, it is an effort to help you determine who you might want to invest time into watching when you have some down time over the Holidays.

In my Larry David voice, "having said that," I have to wholeheartedly disagree with his opinion of the Pistons, who he ranked 26th! I question whether he's spent enough time watching the Pistons:

The Pros? Ben Gordon, a fascinating shot-maker that is equally thrilling and maddening to watch. Gordon's the type of guy that puts your two basketball sensibilities against each other ("oh my God, how did he make that?" vs. "What the heck is he doing shooting that shot?"). Depending on your mood, you either love him or hate him.

The cons? A bunch of guards who can score, but don't pass; Charlie Villanueva (who makes me mad every time I see him for some reason); and several no-name guys that many dieharts don't even know (Jonas Jerekbo, Austin Daye, DaJuan Summers, etc.). Throw in their pitiful home atmosphere (remember the good old days), and it's just a boring team.

Trust me, the die-hards know who Jonas Jerebko, Austin Daye, and DaJuan Summers are. Jonas Jerebko is quickly becoming one of the most popular Pistons players because of his constant hustle. Austin Daye was a first round draft pick, so I assume any die-hard basketball fan knows him from Gonzaga or from simply watching the first round of the NBA draft.

And I just experienced the Pistons "pitiful home atmosphere" the other night and I can't say it was like the good ol' days when the Pistons were selling out consistently. It was far from pitiful, though. It was loud, it induced goosebumps, and I would have never guessed there were only about 14,000 fans, opposed to the (roughly) 23,000 The Palace holds.

I think the general consensus among Pistons fans is that this is the most exciting team the Pistons have had in years. I understand the Pistons of the past decade weren't necessarily exciting to watch, but I can't imagine one not being interested in watching a team continuously putting forth 100% effort and never giving up, win or lose.

I also believe Mike downplays the importance of winning. While it certainly shouldn't be the biggest factor in a team's entertainment value, it should still play a major role. It might be just me, but I don't want to watch a perennial loser. And that's why it baffles me that the Pistons, who are 11-12 and play fundamental, non-stop hustle basketball, are ranked below the likes of the 76ers, Knicks, Pacers, and Wizards.

I probably can't give the Pistons a fair, concrete ranking because I, admittedly, have not watched as much basketball as Mike claims to watch. I view every Pistons game and then a few other games a week -- that's it. I am, however, confident that the Pistons don't belong in the "equivalent to a trip to the dentist" group. If they do, I want the number to Mike's dentist. I think they're probably more deserving of the "occasionally interesting" to the "I don't know, so I'll just put them here" groups, if not better.

That's enough from me, though. I want to hear what everyone else thinks. Is this team really deserving of the 26th spot on a list of this kind? Where would you put them? Let's hear your thoughts -- speak your minds!

No Rip in the Chemistry: Pistons 104, Warriors 95

Packey — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 13:00:17 -0000

More photos » by Allen Einstein - NBAE/Getty Images

This was a friendly face to see warming up before the Warriors game. (Photo by Allen Einstein/NBAE via Getty Images)

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Last night marked Richard Hamilton's first action since the opening game of the season. After 21 games without the Pistons scoring machine and hearing originally he was not expected to return this month, it was a pleasant surprise to read about an hour before tip-off that he would be suiting up and playing against the Warriors.

Once I got past the general excitement about having Rip back in the lineup (and that I'd get to see it live at The Palace), I wondered how it would affect the team as a unit. After all, the Pistons have been rolling lately, winning four in a row and averaging 98.5 points in those four games. While his return to the lineup was certainly welcome, it wasn't at the most convenient time.

Luckily, Rip slipped back into the lineup seamlessly and the Pistons didn't miss a beat en route to their fifth straight victory of the season (and commenter Madpoopz Openwindow noticed this mid-game, as well). In the Pistons victory, Hamilton played a little over 36 minutes, dropped 18 points on 6-15 shooting, and was the Pistons leader in plus/minus at plus-17.

Rip's return wasn't all peachy, though. He was visibly rusty to start the game, as his ball handling was shaky (three turnovers), some shots were way off the mark, and he even missed his first two free throws, despite boasting a career 85% mark. I guess that can be attributed to him not being involved in any competitive practices since before the injury.

Once he got accustomed to actually playing basketball again, the ol' Rip started to show up down the stretch. He began knocking down the shots he was missing early on and his three-pointer with a little less than five minutes remaining in the 4th to put the Pistons up five was arguably the turning point in how this one would end for Detroit. Golden State didn't get closer than five the rest of the game and Rip extended the lead to seven the next time down the floor for the Pistons.

The best news, aside from his return itself and the Pistons winning, was that his return did not seem to have any ripple effect on Rodney Stuckey. Stuckey, who has been playing great basketball over the past six games in the two spot, moved back to the one to accommodate Hamilton's return to shooting guard. Stuckey responded by playing the best game of his latest hot streak, scoring 29 points on 10-18 shooting, dishing out seven dimes, and being plus-11 when on the floor. His only flaws were the seven turnovers (a few which were not his fault). I know this was just one game, but it's getting more and more clear that he's simply improving and his rise in numbers during his starts at the two spot were merely coincidental. In October, Stuckey averaged just 15 points per game. He upped that to 18 PPG in November and is now pouring in nearly 23 PPG in December.

All in all, it was a great night for the Pistons. They saw the return of one of the franchise's all-time leading scorers (Rip hit the 10,000 point mark to join just six others in Pistons history) and the rest of the Pistons took it in stride. There is no refuting that this team is better with Hamilton playing. As Chauncey Billups said about his former team the other night, the Pistons are a team nobody will want to face in the playoffs given all their weapons. If you had fun watching last night's game, just wait until the Pistons get their other three players back.

More musings after the jump.

I wanted to work this in above the jump, but oh well. Richard Hamilton's wife deserves high fives from all Pistons fans, as she was the one who ultimately convinced Rip to say "Yessirrr, I'll play" to Coach Kuester before the game.

At shootaround (Saturday) I told (Kuester) I wouldn’t be able to go because it wasn’t feeling right," Hamilton said. "I went home and talked to my wife and the one thing she told me was pretty much, ‘Stop feeling sorry for yourself. Go out there play. Go out there and give it a try. You never know how you’re going to feel till you go out there and try to play.

(H/T Pistons Point)

Charlie Villanueva, the other masked man on the roster, had 24 points on 9-14 shooting and pulled down a team-high nine rebounds. He also threw down a sick one-handed alley oop, which he pimped gloriously.

Ben Wallace continues to be Ben Wallace. Nine rebounds, two blocks (one that put Stephen Curry to shame), and two steals. Try to imagine this team without him -- they wouldn't be very good. Interesting read over at Wages of Wins about just how bad the Pistons would be without him. (H/T to MLIVE)

Chucky continues to provide strong minutes, despite not having the prettiest lines in the box score (or shots in the games). He brings gritty defense and leadership that doesn't really translate to the post-game offerings. However, he did have six assists last night. I feel bad that he'll essentially be without a job once Bynum and Gordon return.

Austin Daye saw a little over 11 minutes of action. He was matched up with the 6'3" Stephen Curry for most of those minutes and I was hoping the Pistons would let him exploit the height advantage, as he did on his only bucket, but they didn't. Daye played Curry in college when my alma mater, Davidson, defeated Daye's Gonzaga squad in the first round of the 2008 NCAA tournament. I was happy Steph had 19 points tonight, but I obviously, can't root against my beloved Pistons. I'm glad Daye was on the right side of things tonight.

Pistons will now head out west again for three games before returning to The Palace to face the Lakers next Sunday. This isn't the same string of difficult games they faced following their three game win streak in November, but it might create problems all the same. Let's hope Detroit can pack the energy they've displayed lately in their carry on bags.

Apologies for not linking the opposition in the game thread. Golden State of Mind has their take on the game here.

Slightly off-topic: Thanks are in order to Madpoopz and Openwindow for keeping the game thread on life support last night. SB Nation's platform is great for commenting and mingling with fellow fans, as they pointed out last night. More fans will realize this soon, but thanks you two for being leaders in trying to get this community growing at a faster rate than any other new-ish blog.

Box score

Highlights:

RECAP: Warriors 95, Pistons 104 - Deja Vu

Fantasy Junkie — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 06:10:45 -0000

More photos » by Carlos Osorio - AP

3 days ago: Golden State Warriors assistant coach Keith Smart directs from the sidelines during the second quarter of an NBA basketball game against the Detroit Pistons in Auburn Hills, Mich., Saturday, Dec. 12, 2009. Warriors coach Don Nelson was home in California recovering from pneumonia. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

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Final Boxscore | Open Thread (1000+ Comments)

This game mirrored the loss to the Bulls.

The first half was all about quick, crisp passing, ball movement, and drives to the bucket. At one point they built a 13 point lead. Despite some bone headed plays which allowed the Pistons to go on a 10-2 run, the Warriors were able to hold onto a 6 point lead at the half. On the road you just want to be close at the end to give yourself a chance to win and the play in the first half looked like the Warriors would have a chance. It was looking good.

The second half became another struggle for the Warriors to score. The 3rd quarter was a disaster with the Warriors going 5-19 and scoring just 12 points to the Pistons 22. They fell into the same problem they had yesterday, jumper, jumper, jumper, jumper. Essentially, the Pistons got the Warriors to play at the Pistons tempo, slow and deliberate. Half court to half court. Not many fast breaks. Too many possessions with the shot clock winding under 10. Slow and deliberate. Even though the Warriors nearly made a comeback as they went back and forth in the 4th with the Pistons to cut the lead to 2, they just weren't able to fully recover from the disastrous 3rd.

What's With All the Second Half Meltdowns?
I begin to wonder how much of these second half meltdowns are due to fatigue. This was the back end of a back to back so I can understand being tired, but to me, it looked like they had enough energy to finish the game. That doesn't explain the collapses at home against the Rocketes and Magic, as well as the poor second halves against the Bulls and Pistons. Are they tired because they were playing with 7 man rotations for so long? Or are these second half failures due to just not being a very good team? Or both?

If it's the fatigue issue, that's on the management. When you consistently trade healthy players for injured players (Devean George, Speedy Claxton, Raja Bell), your roster is going to be depleted. If it's the just not being a very good team, again, that's on the management, the coaching, and well, the players.

I'm not saying I know what the issue with the meltdowns is, but why does it happen so often? I could look on the bright side and say "at least they were in the game", but the only thing that really matters are W's and L's.

Anthony + Anthony = 0
I have no idea what happened to these two tonight but they contributed just barely more than I did, and I contributed nothing. Their combined stats: 32 minutes, 0 points (0-4 FG's), 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 4 turnovers. Ouch! I think A-Mo has an excuse, he might not be there mentally due to the death in the family. I'll give him a pass for the last few games. He just doesn't look the same.

But I don't know what happened to Anthony Randolph. I don't know where he is mentally because he made numerous boneheaded mistakes tonight:

He missed cutting down the lane to receive a pass from Curry who had drawn to defenders. Randolph would have had an easy dunk.
He's still taking bad shots. In fact, right now, anything outside of 5 feet should be considered a bad shot for him. That airball from 15 feet out on the baseline was hideous.
He's still leaving his feet on defense when he doesn't need to. I can remember two instances. The first had a guard driving the lane in what amounted to a 2 on 1. The guard jumps, Anthony jumps and leaves his feet, which allows the guard to just dump the ball to a big man for a dunk. Second time was when Stuckey grabbed an offensive rebound and Randolph was standing between him and the basket. Stuckey pump fakes, Randolph jumps, Stuckey draws the foul. Why does Randolph need to leave his feet every time a guard drives the lane? If he stays on his feet, keeps his hands up, he makes it extremely difficult to make the shot. And if the other guy leaves his feet, Randolph is quick enough to get up and block the shot.

Corey + Monta
These two guys played well tonight. Even though Maggette is still shooting 3's early in the shot clock (bad shot) he looked much better tonight than last night. He got to the line 8 times (0 yesterday) and shot a nice 8-13 from the field. He was more aggressive in attacking the bucket which got him some easy buckets and free throws, his bread and butter. He only grabbed four boards tonight, but it felt like he was much more active in the paint trying to secure rebounds.

Monta was great tonight. He played all 48 minutes and was still working hard until the end. He had a nice shooting night, 29 points on 11-20 shooting. But he also chipped in with 7 boards, 3 assists, 3 steals, with just 1 turnover. He was also very aggressive on defense going for steals and harassing the opposing guards. I've been impressed with the effort he's put forth on D this year. He says he's been doing it the entire time, but you, me, Monta, and the coaches know that he's stepped up his D in comparison to last season. And to be honest, it makes me smile. I appreciate effort, hustle, and desire on defense.

via cdn0.sbnation.com

Pistons

Rip Hamilton played in just his 2nd game of the season. His presence just might make the Pistons a better team. He didn't shoot exceptionally well, but he hit some key shots in the 4th.
But Rip wasn't the reason for the win, that honor belongs to Rodney Stuckey - 29 points (10-18 FG's, 9-10 FT's) to go with 7 assists. His 7 turnovers were a sore spot, but he came through in the 4th for them when the Warriors made a little run to cut the lead.
The other guy I was impressed with was Charlie Villanueva. His post moves looked smooth and refined. He had a hook shot from about 7 feet, he caught an alley oop when Vlad turned his head, and he did some nice work with jumpers.

via cdn0.sbnation.com

Injuries, What Injuries? Pistons 101, Nuggets 99

Packey — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 07:09:12 -0000

Entering tonight's game the cards were not stacked in Detroit's favor (unless you believe in curses). The Pistons were missing not one, not two, but four of their better players (Hamilton, Prince, Gordon, and Bynum) and playing the second game of a back-to-back against one of the best teams in the Western Conference (0-5 in back-to-backs entering the game).

So it's realistic that Denver was overlooking Detroit and looking forward to returning home after a four game road trip. Charlie Villanueva thought so:

(Denver was) on the last game of the road trip. They might take us a little bit lightly, seeing all the guys out. But in this room, the guys believed we could win this game.

Pistons fans better believe it, too. We are 22 games into the season and despite all the injuries, falling behind (and sometimes big) in games, and having all odds against them, the Pistons continuously put forth 100% effort and scratch it out until the very end. Thursday night against the Nuggets was no different, and incidentally it also resulted in a hard-earned victory.

In addition to the injuries and any burnout from finishing a game less than 24 hours ago, Detroit also had to overcome a superstar performance from Carmelo Anthony. Anthony was essentially unstoppable tonight, dropping 40 points on 16-28 shooting.

Which makes one wonder why the Nuggets decided to give their final shot to tie the game, or win it with a three, in the hands of former Pistons guard, Chauncey Billups. Perhaps George Karl thought it was fate for Chauncey to come up big against the team, and in building, where he was coined as Mr. Big Shot. That's a noble thought, but 'Melo is one of the best clutch shooters in the NBA and just put up a career game. Why not let him finish it out right? Thanks, Coach Karl.

Big ups are also in order for Big Ben Wallace. He is averaging nearly 13 rebounds in the last seven games and without him tonight, the Pistons lose (by double-digits). He grabbed 16 rebounds tonight, six of those coming on the offensive glass. None were bigger than the tip in he had after an ill-advised Chucky Atkins shot around the two minute mark to put the Pistons up 99-96. He also had three steals, one which came with a minute remaining and led to a Stuckey layup to put the Pistons up 101-98.

More than those two huge plays and what the box score can tell you, he forced 'Melo to miss (when he did) a few times and created many other problems for the Nuggets that led to other Pistons collecting steals and/or rebounds.

Big Ben embodied Pistons basketball for all those years back around the time they won the championship, and he's doing it again. It's not really sexy to say a guy who has 16 rebounds to go with an ugly offensive game is our MVP, but then again, neither is the Pistons style of play, nor was this win.

Rodney Stuckey had his sixth quality game in a row, dating back to when he made his first start at the two spot. Tonight, he finished 7-14 from the field (11-15 from the line), which was good for 25 points. This was the first game of the season he did not have a single rebound. Charlie Villanueva added 27 points off the bench and had a team-high five assists.

More thoughts after you click.

Pistons are on a four game winning streak.
Denver has not won at The Palace since 1995. I didn't mean to dismiss that streak in the first paragraph, but I felt the way the Pistons continue to play was the bigger story. Denver Stiffs has an entertaining recap of what they think is a curse at The Palace of Auburn Hills. Being a die-hard Lions fan, I think I believe in curses.
Nuggets had a chance to gain momentum and possibly start to pull away when J.R. Smith had a wide open break to the basket. He tried to create a highlight reel double-clutch dunk and he missed! The Pistons then hit a three to tie the game on the ensuing possession. I think Ben Wallace was the game changer, but this was as close to a game changer as they come.
Harping some more on this team's hustle, it almost makes you forget that there are guys injured. While I'm watching the Pistons grind it out, I'm so encapsulated by what's going on, these Pistons don't give a fan much time to remember that they are missing key players. It's fun to watch, to say the least.
Austin Daye gave a solid 22 minutes of action, hitting three big shots (7 points). I sound like a broken record, but I love his shot.
DaJuan Summers hit a big time three pointer after a nice across court pass from Rodney Stuckey that gave the Pistons an eight point lead with 9:30 left in the 4th quarter.
Jonas Jerebko finished with 12 points and eight rebounds. Hustled, like woah, and turned in another noteworthy game. His night included this and-one, which was Number 6 on Sportscenter's Top 10 plays ("count that baby and a foul!"):
The Pistons got to the line 41 times and took advantage of it by knocking down 35 of them.
Chris Wilcox was the only healthy DNP.
Highlights courtesy of NBA.com:
Box Score
Quotes
Pistons return to action on Saturday against the Golden State Warriors. I'll be in attendance, let me know if you will be, too.

Another Masked Man in D-Town

Packey — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 03:04:35 -0000

Dr. Neuman, you say that everybody wears a mask?

That's correct. We all wear masks, metaphorically speaking.

Charlie Villanueva will wear a mask on Wednesday, and not figuratively.

That's right. Charlie Villanueva is probably going to play on Wednesday and will play with the Bill Laimbeer, Richard Hamilton (and don't forget Antonio McDyess!) special.

Charlie Villanueva plans to play Wednesday night at Chicago, wearing the same type of protective mask popularized by teammate Rip Hamilton.

Here's the video of CV31 getting his face fitted for the rally mask:

Update on Charlie Villanueva's Broken Nose & Ben Gordon's Ankle Injury

Packey — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 00:06:39 -0000

Charlie Villanueva in pre-op for his nasal surgery on Monday. (Via @CV31 on Twitter)

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Charlie Villanueva had successful nasal surgery and septum realignment today at the Detroit Medical Center. The good news is that it's not out of the question that he and Ben Gordon are available Wednesday night against the Bulls.

Via True Blue Pistons:

Good news, or something close enough for a team that’s experienced nothing but wrenching injury news since the opening night of the NBA season: Ben Gordon and Charlie Villanueva are both questionable for the Pistons’ next game, Wednesday at Chicago, and "questionable" is a big step up from "out.

CV is going to be fitted for a Rip Hamilton-esque mask and hopefully, will be allowed to play. You'd think that it'd be pretty clear whether or not he could play -- getting knocked in the nose again makes it worse until fully healed (can't play) or odds of re-injury are same as any basketball game with or without recent surgery (can play) -- but it appears there is a little more to it that I'm not aware of despite having the same surgery in college and being allowed to resume baseball (not basketball) activities the next day.

Gordon's ankle situation might be a little more delicate, as the Pistons will probably have to wait until tomorrow to see how it responds to shooting around on it today. Gordon says he hopes he can practice tomorrow and will then be ready for Wednesday.

In other injury news, Prince is apparently improving as well. Prince shot around with no tentativeness today and appears to be ahead of Hamilton in returning to the lineup.

Sniffin' Out the Rebounds: Pistons 94, Hawks 88

Packey — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 23:16:07 -0000

More photos » by Duane Burleson - AP

Charlie Villanueva soldiered up and knocked down two free throws with a wad of gauze sticking out of his left nostril after colliding with Ben Wallace. (AP Photo/Duane Burleson)

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So this is what it feels like to recap a win? In the words of Larry David, "pretty, pretty, pretty good."

The Pistons put an end to their seven game losing streak today by defeating the 12-4, now 12-5, Atlanta Hawks 94-88 at the Palace of Auburn Hills. Detroit has now defeated Atlanta in 24 of their last 28 games played at the Palace.

Coach John Kuester unveiled a new starting lineup today to re-adjust to the loss of Ben Gordon and right the ship after losing their seventh straight game on Friday night, to the Clippers no less. Chucky Atkins and Jason Maxiell started in place of Austin Daye and Charlie Villanueva, providing the Pistons with a little more ferocity up front and a point guard so the talented Rodney Stuckey could play off the ball a little more.

And it worked wonders in the first quarter. Stuckey made all five of his shots en route to 11 points, giving the Pistons a two point lead after 12 minutes. He finished with a game-high 23 points and was still able to dish out eight assists. I don't know if this was a result of him starting at the two, but he played noticeably better today than in the other games this season.

Chucky Atkins had this to offer about Stuckey after the game:

I think today by me starting and by me running the squad, and just have him mainly think about scoring and put the pressure on an opposing team defense was great. He led us to a great victory, more importantly Will Bynum came out and gave us a huge lift and finished out the fourth quarter for us."

The major story though was the Pistons endless hustle and absolute domination on the glass. The Pistons nearly doubled the Hawks total rebound total, 53-27, and quadrupled them on the offensive glass, 24-6. Who said the Pistons would have problems on the glass this year?

Ben Wallace led the way with 18 rebounds, 11 offensive, to go along with his 10 points. Jonas Jerebko also had his first career double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds. As a result of the Pistons tenacious rebounding, they managed to outscore the Hawks 60-38 in the paint and get to the line eight more times than the Hawks.

The Hawks hung around despite there being runs that made it seem like the Pistons would run away with this thing. They led by as many as 12 late in the game, but Atlanta worked the game back to within two with 25 seconds left in the game. Will Bynum was then fouled and knocked down both free throws to give him 11 points in the fourth quarter and extend the lead to four.

On the ensuing possession, Atlanta's Josh Smith came down and took an ill-advised three pointer that was corralled by Jerebko, which all but sealed the deal. Josh Smith is a big-time player, but I'd want the ball in Crawford (who hit two big threes earlier in the game) or Bibby's (3-5 from downtown) hands when needing a three (which was arguably not needed at that juncture). Smith led the Hawks with 23 points, seven rebounds, and five blocks.

Pistons improve to 6-11 with the much-needed victory. Bullets after the jump!

Ben Wallace's damage extended beyond the boards: His hip broke Charlie Villanueva's nose. Charlie Villanueva was fouled by Zach Pachulia, which sent him crashing into Wallace's side and breaking his nose. Villanueva was able to stop the bleeding enough to allow him to knock down two critical free throws, but he was immediately replaced by Jason Maxiell. Villanueva will have the nose set tomorrow and his status for Wednesday will then be re-evaluated. CV31 says he'll tweet during his surgery and a mask is on the way.
Jason Maxiell's play continues to strengthen. He's been a force on the boards and he's starting to knock down that jumper from the elbow with some consistency. He finished with seven points, six rebounds, and two steals in just under 30 minutes.
Atkins wasn't very good today, but I still like him starting over Bynum. Bynum provides a spark off the bench like none other and don't think he's as scary or effective if he starts. Obviously, we won't know unless Bynum gets some starts, but that's just my opinion. I like Stuckey at the two, but not at the expense of starting Bynum and losing his impact off the bench. I'd be willing to test it out though. But with the win here today, I think the same starting lineup should take the floor on Wednesday. How's that cliche go? If it ain't broke don't fix it? Atkins was broke today, but the Pistons clicked as a whole.
Kwame Brown seems to be very productive when he gets 15-20 minutes. I thought he had what was probably his strongest game this season even if his stat line only reads eight points and five rebounds. His usual clumsiness only resulted in one turnover and he made up for it immediately by hustling down the court and swiping a pass.
Pistons kept Joe Johnson in check today, which will probably get overlooked in determining what went wrong for the Hawks today. He shot just 5-19 and finished with 10 points. If he hits a few more shots, the Hawks might walk away with an undeserving victory.
Post game quotes
Peachtree Hoops recap -- Hawks were lousy.
Box score
Highlights:

Game Preview: Suns vs. Pistons

Wil Cantrell — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 20:19:48 -0000

More photos » by Bill Haber - AP

26 days ago: Phoenix Suns coach Alvin Gentry reacts on the sidelines in the second half of an NBA basketball game against the New Orleans Hornets in New Orleans, Thursday, Nov. 19, 2009. The Hornets defeated the Suns 110-103. (AP Photo/Bill Haber)

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Tonight the Suns look to bounce back from a pathetic tough loss agains the Hornets Thursday night and test their 4-0 home record vs. the Detroit Pistons. Like the Suns, the Pistons are coming off a loss, with Detroit falling in overtime to Utah, 100-97. Tonight marks the end of the Pistons four game West Coast road trip, in which they are 0-3 thus far, losing to the LA Lakers, Utah, and Portland by an average of nearly 5 points. The only double digit loss was to the Lakers.

The Pistons should be tired after a tough loss to the Jazz last night. Ben Gordon, Rodney Stuckey, and Ben Wallace all played over 40 minutes. Look for the Suns to push the tempo early and try to run Detroit out of the building.

Overview

At 5-8, the Pistons have lost 4 in a row and occupy the cellar in the Central Division of the Eastern Conference.
Ben Wallace has made it back from his very short tenure with the Suns, along with his consideration of retirement to average 9 boards a game.
The Pistons shoot 30% from 3 point range. Rodney Stuckey and Co. penetrate well though, so the Suns may go with the zone. Let's hope the Suns wear their rebounding shoes tonight.
Detroit has been playing without Tayshaun Prince and Rip Hamilton due to injury. Hamilton has been battling ankle injuries while Prince has had problems with his back. Neither players are expected to play tonight.
The lineup of Bynum, Stuckey, Gordon, Wallace, and Villanueva is a combined +24 this season, and not surprising, is the second most used lineup the Pistons use.

Players

Guards

Ben Gordon is a certified Suns killer, averaging 24.9 points versus the Suns in his career. He is coming off a 25 point, 47 minute performance against the Jazz. Rodney Stuckey brings high energy to the floor. Look for him to test the Suns bigs early and often as he attempts to get to the rim. Wil Bynum is averaging 14.5 points per game, but isn't a three point threat, leading the Pistons with a meager 4 assists per game.

Forwards/Centers

Charlie Villanueva is a solid big, averaging 15 and 5. Ben Wallace is typical Ben Wallace but a little older, averaging 9 boards a game and 50% from the free throw line. Jonas Jerebko is a 2nd round project from Sweden. He has been starting of late, but not doing anything exceptionally well, with 4.7 points a game and nearly 4 rebounds a game. Jason Maxiell goes 6-7, 260 and averages nearly a block a game and 3 rebounds off the bench.

Stats

Offense: Detroit averages 92.6 points per game, (26th in the league). Detroit shoots 45.2% per game (18 in the league). Phoenix averages 109.8 points per game (1st in the league). Suns shooting 48.7% per game (tied for 1st in the league)

Defense: Detroit allows 92.9 per game (4th in the league), allowing opponents to shoot 43.3% FG. Suns allow 106 points per game (27th in the league), allow opponents 48% FG.

Quotes:

"The way we played, the effort we brought and this is no offense to them, but we would've lost to ASU."

-Grant Hill, on the loss to New Orleans

"We can't keep playing from behind and then think we can make our way back. It's important to get off to a good start, so when we do make a run, it's not to get even, it's to get a lead."

-Alvin Gentry

[Note by Phoenix Stan, 11/22/09 1:40 PM MST ]

At shoot around this morning I talked to Suns VP of all things Player Related and Various Other Scouting and Trading and Cutting and Signings, David Griffin. Taylor Griffin is destined for a stint with the Iowa Energy this year where he will get a lot of floor time playing the Small Forward - a position he's transitioning into after playing the PF in OK.

No specific time-line for his assignment given but the Suns have a plan in mind. So expect that to happen sometime between today and perhaps March or April.

Jarron Collins' contract does not become guaranteed until the January 10th date when all contracts become guaranteed for the rest of the season. If Jarron is cut before then his salary won't count against the Luxury Tax. Right now the Suns are happy with him and say that his staying or going isn't directly tied to Robin Lopez' return. Reading between the lines my guess is that he will stick around at least for several more weeks with the big decision coming near that Jan 10 date.

As for this game, it has blow out written all over it.

The Pistons are going to be tired after playing OT last night and bummed about losing and the Suns are pissed about the way they played in New Orleans. Do not be surprised to see Phoenix up by 10 at the end of the 1st quarter. In fact, I would be surprised if they aren't.

Same Song & Dance: Jazz 100, Pistons 97

Packey — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 06:43:29 -0000

Chalk up another winless year in the Salt Lake City. After falling in overtime on Saturday night, the Pistons are now winless in Utah since 2002 and have not beat the Jazz, period, since March 2005. More importantly, the Pistons dropped their fourth straight of the 2009-2010 season to fall to 0-3 on the current west coast swing and 5-8 on the season. Things don't get any easier as they travel to play the first place Phoenix Suns, with tip off in less than 24 hours. Detroit is 0-4 this season in the second game of back-to-back's.

Aside from the demoralizing final result, this was probably the best game of the season. It was back-and-forth for the full 48 minutes of regulation and fans received a free five minutes of overtime basketball to boot. There were nearly 20 lead changes and over 10 different tie games.

Even though it was an entertaining game, that doesn't mean it was aesthetically pleasing. The Pistons turned the ball over 17 times and allowed Utah to get to the charity stripe 44 times, of which they made 33, serving as the difference maker in this one. Detroit made 21 of their 25 attempts.

Trailing by one in overtime with 15 seconds remaining, the Pistons had a chance to take the lead and possibly win it. Unfortunately, Will Bynum's one-on-one drive to the hoop resulted in the ball slipping from his hands and out of bounds. Utah, as they were all game, hit the free throws when they needed to put them up three with a little under 10 seconds to play.

As the Pistons did against the Mavericks when they needed a three to tie the game, they drew up a play for the efficient shooter, Ben Gordon. They had him inbounds the ball to Bynum and ran him off a Ben Wallace screen, only it didn't look well executed at all. Ben Gordon got the ball in his hands, but his man was on his tail the entire time. He was forced to put up a contested three with the time expiring. The shot sailed to the left of the rim, buzzer, and curtains.

Ben Gordon led the Pistons with 25 points on 10-20 shooting. Kirilenko and Boozer each had 22 points to lead the Jazz.

Reflections, and more, after the jump.

Heading the ugly column, continues to be the shooting of Rodney Stuckey. He did score 18 points, but on just 7-18 shooting. He is now 16-51 in his last three games (31%) and his misses haven't been close. Despite his poor shooting, he somehow manages to salvage his stat lines. He led the team with five steals and a team-high six assists on Saturday night (opposite four turnovers). I think it's safe to say he's ready to get the heck away from this west coast road trip.
Despite the big shots the Jazz were able to hit, the Pistons put up great effort on defense, I thought. The two things the Pistons could not contain were Utah's pick-and-rolls with Boozer and working the back door cuts with the ball in Boozer's hands in the post. Utah picked Detroit apart on those plays.
Ben Wallace played 43 minutes, nearly logging a double-double. He had eight points and nine rebounds.
Charlie Villanueva had an impressive game. He was very active on defense, finishing with three blocked shots. He fouled out in overtime, but his final line was respectable with 17 points, eight rebounds, and two steals.
The Pistons did a great job clearing the glass. They outrebounded the Jazz 40-34 and had five guys with five or more rebounds.
One of the Pistons lowlights of the season has been their free throw shooting. Tonight they were 21-25, great for 84%. They were shooting just 72% from the stripe coming into tonight. Ironically, and I might be nitpicking, but Will Bynum's missed free throw late in the overtime proved to be crucial. For starters, the Pistons would have been tied on the possession Bynum lost the ball out of bounds with 10 seconds. It would have also put the Pistons within two, as opposed to three, on the final possession allowing Detroit to go to their strength in the final nine seconds, rather than force up a three.
Game highlights:
Box Score
SLC Dunk for the opposing view.

Game 13: Detroit Pistons @ Utah Jazz [Game Thread]

Packey — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 02:00:51 -0000

NBA Regular Season Game 13
	@
5-7 (2-5 away)		6-6 (3-2 home)
Energy Solutions Arena Jazz Blog: SLC Dunk
November 21, 2009 9:00 PM ET
TV: Fox Sports Detroit PLUS Radio: 950 WWJ
Probable starters:
Rodney Stuckey	PG	Deron Williams
Ben Gordon	SG	Ronnie Brewer
Jonas Jerebko	SF	Wesley Matthews
Charlie Villanueva	PF	Carlos Boozer
Ben Wallace	C	Kyrylo Fesenko

You know how the Pistons kind of own the Magic over their last 25 meetings? Well, that's kind of how the Jazz own the Pistons in the Salt Lake City.

The Jazz have beat the Pistons in 17 of their last 19 meetings in Utah and the Pistons have not won there since March of 2005.

Hopefully, the new-look Pistons can put an end to the misery that exists for the Pistons when they step foot in the state. Luckily for the Pistons, they won't have to deal with former Piston, Mehmet Okur, who could have provided plenty of match up problems for the 'stons. He will miss his third straight game due to flu-like symptoms.

Detroit, of course, will be without Richard Hamilton and Tayshaun Prince again. They've made slight progress in their recoveries, but it does not appear that they will be back this month. Will Bynum sprained his ankle in LA, but played in Portland and is expected to play tonight.

Detroit needs to take advantage of their couple days off and hop on Utah early by playing to their strengths. And it seems they aren't at their best until they get three guards on the floor.

Utah is averaging around 20 three pointers per game, so the Pistons will have to be conscious of the kick-back passes from the post and contest the Jazz shots. The Pistons have done a good job keeping opponents field goal percentages low (and rank 4th in points against), but the Jazz are top half in scoring and shooting 36% from beyond the arc and capable of lighting up on any given night with Williams and Kirilenko.

This should be a highly competitive game because these Pistons aren't going to walk into the arena scared and they'll be more focused on trying to end their current three game skid than any futility vs. Utah in the past. And with Phoenix tomorrow (Detroit 0-4 on back-to-back's), Utah is their best bet of winning on this west coast trip.

Tip off is 9 PM EST.