SB Nation - Jason Maxiell

Game 24 Preview: Houston Rockets vs. Detroit Pistons - 7:30PM CST

UofTOrange — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 18:06:04 -0000

More photos » by David J. Phillip - AP

This is going to be quick and maybe sweet. I'll be at the game in section 405 tonight with my 3 year old and we plan to have a blast.

Point Guard
Aaron Brooks - Last preview I asked if he is a top 10 PG, I think it is pretty definitive that he is. He's slotted number 9 on my ballot. Can he pick it up even more with Ariza out? Will the Rockets even ask him to?
vs.
Rodney Stuckey - Good player, fun to watch and always plays hard when I see him. He's the future in Detroit, and while he's one of the few bright spots in that future, it's a good start.
Edge: Rockets

Shooting Guard
Shane Battier - It is hard to say anything more about Shane Battier, we are at the saturation point with his awesomeness. Now it's time for Shane to back all that talk up (not his talk obviously) and get his shooting percentages north of Rafer-esque.
vs.
Richard Hamilton - Came back last game from an injury and had a solid game. He's still a really good basketball player but doesn't seem the same without Chauncey Billups. I know he still regrets signing that extension.
Edge: Pistons

Small Forward
Chase Budinger - I can only assume that he's getting the start at small forward to keep Landry doing his work off the bench. Obviously that's open to interpretation. But the future NBA rookie of the year has played well all season and should get this reward.
vs.
Jonas Jerebko - I didn't even know he was an NBA player. What is going on? That's three teams in a row that I honestly didn't know a player. I mean, I vaguely remember him getting drafted in the second round, but that's it.
Edge: Rockets

Power Forward
Luis Scola - There are a few guys in the NBA that I just enjoy watching, and Scola is clearly in my top 5 on that list. He works hard every single possession and much like Battier, you have to work hard to truly quantify his value. I'd love to see him get his scoring up 3-5 points a game, but that's not really in the cards given how strong Landry is with the second team and how the offense runs with the first.
vs.
Jason Maxiell - I expected more of him since Pistons fans have been touting him about as much as Lakers fans tout Andrew Bynum. Instead his production has dropped off pretty much across the board, and it really didn't have a long way to fall.
Edge: Rockets

Center
Chuck Hayes - If you asked me, given how they are paid, and their production, I'd take Chuck 100 times out of 100 over Ben Wallace.
vs.
Ben Wallace - Never have I been a fan of Ben Wallace making more than 5-6MM a year. Not because he hasn't been a hard worker, but because he is an extremely limited player. His rebounding and defense are still strong, but not what they used to be. The only reason the Pistons get the edge is because he is a better rebounder than Hayes because of his size.
Edge: Pistons, but not by very much

Injuries/Suspensions
Houston Rockets
OUT - Trevor Ariza is suspended for tonight's game and Tracy McGrady is still serving his penance.
Detroit Pistons
DTD - Tayshaun Prince looks to be out for tonight's game and half of the team is nursing some ailment or other.

My Prediction: Rockets win by 4

Morning Shootaround: CV31 Playing CoD; Stuckey; Consistency; Short Guys Dunking; & the Bynumite Sobriquet

Packey — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 15:15:18 -0000

Have a shootaround the interwebs to serve as mental preparation for tonight's game against the Wizards.

Charlie Villanueva is averaging 22.5 points and a little over five rebounds over the past four games. He's coming off one of the best games of his career where he scored 30 points on 13-17 shooting against the Bobcats. How did he celebrate the win and the off-day that followed Wednesday's win? By playing Call of Duty until four in the morning. That's. Awesome.

Is this a make-or-break season for Rodney Stuckey? The Baseline seems to think so. They say that by the third year, it's clear how an NBA career will shape up. That's a bold declaration when it actually rings false for the most recent Pistons point guard, Chauncey Billups. Chauncey's career didn't take off until he came to Detroit, his sixth NBA season, when he was 26-years old. Stuckey will turn 24 this spring. So I'd have to respectfully disagree and say that this season is not make-or-break for Stuckey.

In that same article, Stuckey admits he's been inconsistent and that is something he needs to work on. Patrick Hayes looks at some of the other players from the 2007 draft class who have dealt with consistency issues.

Speaking of consistency, the Pistons front court rotation (aside from Wallace and Villanueva) has been anything but that. Dave Pemberton of Pistons Point mentions that John Kuester is looking for one of his big men to step up and make his job a little easier formulating the rotation. Right now, Chris Wilcox, Kwame Brown, and Jason Maxiell are battling for minutes, but neither has really stood out amongst the three. Kwame Brown probably has the edge, however.

Pemberton also has a piece on Kwame Brown and how he is trying to add arc to his shot. The more arc you have, the better chance you have at making shots. It's science -- just ask "Rainbow Joe" Dumars.

The Wizards recently signed 5'5" guard, Earl Boykins. As Mike Prada and Kyle mentioned to me in their podcast, Boykins could be a guy that lines up against Will Bynum tonight. [via MLIVE]

There has been a whole lot of hoopla surrounding Lebron James' comments about how he may change jersey numbers to honor Michael Jordan's number 23 and that the NBA should follow suit. Kwame Brown agrees and John Kuester says Jordan's certainly a candidate to have such an honor. I guess this resurfaces the debate, "who is the NBA's best player all-time." While majority probably agrees that Jordan is the best all-time, if there's any doubt, I don't think it should happen. Lebron certainly can do what he wants to honor Jordan, but I don't think the NBA should follow in his large footsteps.

Dan Feldman at Piston Powered asks the somewhat rhetorical question, "why did the Pistons spend so much money on Ben Gordon and Charlie Villanueva?" He suggests Dumars probably sees more in these two that most other teams did not. A few more games of them carrying the load might help people realize that.

A night after Will Bynum may have had the dunks of the year, Dwyane Wade made an awfully strong bid. Last night, Ty Lawson had a very Bynumite dunk that probably deserves to ranked up there when it's all said and done, too. Oh, yeah, we're just eight games into the season.

Speaking of "Bynumite," a Lakers fan caused a stink in the comments about my usage of the term because apparently Lakers fans have been calling ANDREW Bynum that since 2005. Natalie at Need4Sheed boasts that she coined the term and a couple other sources seem to believe that, too. I don't know who to believe (I tend to be a homer), but with all due respect to each party involved, it's not exactly a groundbreaking nickname for anyone who knows the word "dynamite." I think Lakers and Pistons fans can share it just fine, but has Andrew Bynum ever dunked like this?.

Looking ahead to Sunday's game against Dallas, the Free Press is reporting that Josh Howard may not play for the Mavericks. Howard has played the past three games after coming back from ankle surgery, but it seems like the Mavs hurried his return and he needs some more time to recover.

If you ever have any tips or questions, you can email me at Motownstringmusic@gmail.com.

Pistons Can't Overcome Repugnant 2nd Quarter, 110-99

Packey — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 03:28:50 -0000

More photos » by FRANK GUNN - AP

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Before tonight, the Pistons had not given up more than 41 total points in the first half. 41, 38, 38, and 41 to be respectively exact. Well, Detroit gave up 44 points in the 2nd quarter alone on Wednesday night and if you tell me there's another reason why they lost this game, I'll slap you in your internet avatar face. I'm sorry, but you can't give up 44 points in a single quarter and expect to win many, if any, games.

The Raptors had 68 points at the half on 55% shooting. Luckily, the Pistons were shooting 51% and had 56 points to keep it relatively close heading into the locker room.

You have to give credit to the Raptors, though. They can score and they have proved that in their first four games. They entered the game averaging a fourth best, 108 points per game behind Chris Bosh and Andrea Bargnani. They followed that pattern again here tonight, combining for 47 points and 20 rebounds to outdo the Pistons starting front court by 25 points.

Detroit's defense buckled down, as much as they could, in the second half by allowing just 42 points (less than the Raptors scored in the 2nd quarter! -- added for emphasis). Toronto's second half FG% dropped by 12% and Detroit even managed to take a one point lead midway through the fourth. But Toronto hit the open looks (and there were a lot of them) when they needed to down the stretch and walked away with the 11 point victory when it was all said and done.

It was the first time a team has scored over 100 points against the Pistons this season. Detroit entered the game 2nd in the league in points against, second only to Boston, at 85.3.

Notes and thoughts after the jump.

Ben Gordon led the Pistons in scoring with his season high 30 points on 10-19 shooting. My second biggest problem with this game aside from the unacceptable 44 points in the second quarter was Gordon not touching the ball enough in the 4th quarter. He had just two shots in the fourth before taking two in the final minute when the game was already lost. He entered the quarter with 27 points, en fuego on the night, and he only gets two shots before the final garbage minute!? I like Stuckey and Bynum, but feed the hot hand. That's why we pay Gordon the big bucks.
Detroit's defense as a whole isn't so much the problem as it is the perimeter defense. It's atrocious. Two out of three times down the floor, it seems like, the opposing team gets an uncontested three point try. Raptors shot 24 threes tonight and I wouldn't argue much with anyone if they told me all of them were wide open attempts. Luckily, they only made eight of them.
I thought Detroit's depth was going to be a strength of this team, but it has been a weakness so far (and a lot of that has to do with the fact Hamilton is out and Gordon is starting). The Raptors bench outscored Detroit's 35-25, although Detroit outscored Toronto's in the 2nd half 18-8.
Jonas Jerebko made his second straight start in place of the injured Prince, who did not travel with the team apparently. I really like his intensity (five fouls and two blocks) and it didn't hurt that he was perfect from the field (eight points).
Jason Maxiell played just under ten minutes tonight, so maybe that's a sign that a trade involving him is not in the brewing. He had two monster tip dunks that would make even the Lakers do this. See one for yourself:
Charlie Villanueva was much better offensively tonight, going 7-13 from the floor with 16 points. He was aggressive and put in some tough shots. He pulled down seven rebounds, but his defense is suspect (but you knew that).
Speaking of CV31, RaptorsHQ asked me on Twitter who I would rather have on the Pistons -- Charlie or Bargnani?... Bargnani is the easy choice based on 2009-2010 performances or was it easy before this season?
Kwame Brown was a big, fat zero tonight.
Ben Wallace was Ben Wallace -- our best defender, nine rebounds, and a gnarly tip dunk.
Pistons head to Orlando for a rematch with the Magic on Friday night. Hopefully, Detroit's fortune against the Magic continues. Tip off is slated for 7:00 PM EST.
If you missed the game, here are the 1st half highlights (I'll post full game highlights when they're available):

New Look, Same Results vs. Orlando, 85-80

Packey — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 04:53:25 -0000

More photos » by Duane Burleson - AP

Will Bynum survived this take down by Jameer Nelson and an inadvertent poke in the eye late in the game to help the Pistons defeat the Magic 85-80 on Tuesday night. (AP Photo/Duane Burleson)

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A year ago, Detroit was the only team in the Eastern Conference to sweep the season series against the would be NBA finalists, Orlando Magic. After an offseason full of changes, Detroit entered Tuesday night's game looking completely different from the 2008-2009 brand, coming off two bad losses, and fans expecting the worst as the Pistons were staring the scary 3-0 (11-0 if you count the preseason) Magic in the face. Oh, and throw in an injured Richard Hamilton and Tayshaun Prince for good measure?

No problem.

Detroit gritted their way to a five point victory in front of a sparse home crowd, but behind three gutsy guards, who each scored 20 or more points. Ben Gordon led all scorers with 23 points on 6-10 shooting. He was a perfect 11-11 at the free throw line. Will Bynum and Rodney Stuckey each added a tough 20 points. Bynum scored 10 in the final quarter, despite missing three minutes in the middle due to an inadvertent poke in the eye that looked serious and forced him to the locker room. Stuckey also grabbed nine rebounds to boot.

On defense, Detroit created all sorts of problems for the Magic. Ben Wallace collected 10 rebounds, blocked two shots, and had two steals. He was huge down the stretch, playing with the type of energy we all saw from the 2004 Ben Wallace.

The Pistons relied heavily on driving to the basket, while the Magic lived and died by the long ball. As a result of attacking the hoop, Detroit drew plenty of fouls and went 31-38 from the charity stripe while the Magic attempted just 16 free throws (making 12). Instead of drawing contact, the Magic heaved up 35 three pointers, making 10 of them (29%). This compared to Detroit's zero three pointers in six attempts. In the end, Detroit taking higher percentage shots, albeit just AH percentage point higher, and getting to the line early and often helped them prevail.

Detroit's game plan to attack the basket and draw fouls probably had a lot to do with Dwight Howard in the middle posing as a huge threat to Detroit's chances tonight. By driving to the basket, the Pistons were able to get Howard and his backup, Marcin Gortat, in early foul trouble and ultimately, get them to foul out. Howard and Gortat combined for just 39 minutes of action, 12 points, and 12 rebounds. Brilliant game plan by Coach Q.

With Howard being in foul trouble all game, and Vince Carter still nursing a sore ankle preventing him from cutting to the basket (and playing in crunch time), Orlando was virtually forced out of its comfort zone all night. Detroit seems to know how to push all the right buttons when they play the Magic, as the win improves Detroit's overall record to 46-30 against Orlando, and an astounding 22-4 (including playoffs) in their last 26 meetings.

Some other notes/thoughts after the jump:

Jonas Jerebko made his first NBA start in place of the injured Tayshaun Prince. He was good in small spurts, but I don't know if he's a starter. He was a zero on offense, although he did grab a couple offensive rebounds. His final line was 0-5, five rebounds, one block, plus-five (the worst of the starters), and zero points. He did break a record, though. He was the first Swedish born player to start an NBA game.
Speaking of rookies getting (or lack thereof) their first points, Austin Daye played four minutes and scored his first career points on a nice breakaway slamma jamma.
Kwame Brown had six points, but looked pretty good playing in the post. He could have had four or so more points if his hands weren't made of bricks.
Charlie Villanueva's stat line continues to improve, but his shot is not for the most part. He was 3-11 from the field for 12 points. He pulled down eight rebounds and had a steal. I still think he's hindered from that hamstring, as I saw that it is wrapped up. I know that could be just for precautionary measures, but it has to be somewhat bothersome. Plus, apparently he has been sick.
As I mentioned above, Will Bynum was poked in the eye when he drove the lane with just under seven minutes left in the game. I was pretty frustrated when this happened because Bynum clearly blocked out all his teammates and decided he was going to rush the Magic-filled lane and throw up any shot he possibly could. It was undisciplined and as if it didn't bug me enough, he got hurt and almost had to sit out the rest of the game. Luckily, he was a warrior and came back into the game. His jump shot was on and I love when he burns the net, but I don't like it when he gets into those uber "ball hog" modes where he dribbles for 20 seconds, gains no ground, and then has to hurry and force a shot in a crowded lane. Just saying.
Ryan Anderson was 1-11 from three point land and Detroit took just six three pointers. This somehow reminded me of Rasheed Wallace and how much I don't miss all the threes he took (and would miss in losses in particular). BTW- the 35 three pointers Orlando took in the game was the most by a Detroit opponent EVER.
Detroit's defense is allowing 85.25 points per game after four games. Small sample size, but who was worried about the defense? Meanwhile, that "explosive" offense we were all expecting is coming at us at a 87.25 points per game clip.
I thought it was interesting that Jason Maxiell and DaJuan Summers were both DNP's -- Coach's Decision. Especially Maxiell, who presumably could have been extra help on Dwight Howard.
Detroit doesn't get much time to savor this victory against a very good Magic team. They head to Toronto and play there tomorrow night at 7:00 PM EST. The Raptors (1-2) will be on two days rest after their nine point loss to Orlando. Detroit also played Orlando again on Friday in Orlando.
If you missed it, shame on you -- head to NBA.com for the highlights.

Game 2 Pre-Game: Oklahoma City at Detroit

Zorgon — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 12:02:31 -0000

More photos » by Joe Murphy - NBAE/Getty Images

Hopefully we can stop Ben Gordon's infamous scoring tonight. But, things are looking bad, as even the blindingly light-blue and shimmering "Beale Street Blue" uniforms of the Grizzlies didn't stop him from dropping 22 points.

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This also counts as an open thread, so feel free to post your thoughts during the game here.

Time: 7 PM Central Standard Time

Place: The Palace of Auburn Hills, Detroit, Michigan

TV: Fox Sports Oklahoma, Fox Sports Detroit

Radio: WWLS The Sports Animal (98.1)

Enemy Blog(s): Motown String Music, Need 4 Sheed, Detroit 4 Lyfe

The two undefeated teams of Oklahoma City and Detroit are getting ready to square off in the Palace of Auburn Hills. Both teams have unimpressive resumes. the thunder are coming off of a 23 win season and have beaten the lowly Kings, while the Pistons are clearly waiting for next seasons Free Agency, totally collapsed last year, and have only beaten the lowly Grizzlies.

But, I think the Thunder have the upper hand here. For starters, Rip Hamilton could possibly not play tonight. And even if he does play, he could be slowed down from his usual self. Second of all, their big men don't do a lot of scoring. Charlie Villanueva was sub-par last game, and Ben Wallace, as everyone knows, is not an offensively minded guy. If we can equal their scoring in the back court and drastically out score them in the front court, we can definitely win this game.

Below: Matchups, Predictions

Matchups:

Center: Ben Wallace vs. Nenad Krstic

Ben Wallace isn't want he used to be, but Nenad Krstic definitely can't tango with him in the post. I'll say that Krstic definitely scores and rebounds below average for this game, but Ben Wallaces stats won't be any better. I say Ben Wallace wins.

Power Forward: Charlie Villanueva vs. Jeff Green

There's no question who's going to win on scoring and on defense here. Jeff Green is simply a better player than Charlie Villanueva, and then though Charlie might get a few more rebounds, Jeff Green will have a far better stat sheet.

Small Forward: Tayshaun Prince vs. Kevin Durant

This will be a matchup for the ages. Some might go so far as to say Kevin Durant is a younger Tayshaun Prince. I look forward to an all out battle here that may just become the focus of the game. Tie.

Shooting Guard: Rip Hamilton/Ben Gordon vs. Thabo Sefolosha

It's unclear who will start tonight, but a huge key to the game will be how successfully Thabo can stifle the offense of Ben Gordon and/or Rip Hamilton. If he can hold them to a below average night, we'll stand a good chance of winning. Still, in any case, Hamilton and Gordon will have far better nights.

Point Guard: Rodney Stuckey vs. Russell Westbrook

Stuckey may be a point guard on the rise, but he's no Russell Westbrook, especially in the assist department. Westbrook will score less than Stuckey, but he'll have a better overall stat sheet.

Battle of the Benches

The Pistons have a pretty formidable bench even without Ben Gordon, with Jason Maxiell, Kwame Brown, and even Chris Wilcox. They're pretty thin at the guard spots though, bringing in good 'ol Chucky Atkins and former D-Leaguer Will Bynum. But, as a whole, it's much more powerful than the Thunder bench, which sports names like Etan Thomas and Kevin Ollie.

Coaching and Intangibles

The Pistons have the clear upper hand here. Deeper bench, more experienced and are at their home floor.

Bottom Line

I think the Thunder can pull out the win if the backups can come into the game without screwing it up too much, if our front court outscores their front court, and if we can hold guys like Tayshaun Prince, Ben Gordon, and Rip Hamilton to sub par nights. It looks like a tall order, but it's really not, and I'm confident we can win this game.

Prediction:

Thunder 97, Pistons 95

A closely contested battle pushes slightly our way.

How do you think the game will go? Vote in the Poll!

And, again, feel free to drop any comments you might have during, before, or after the game below. IHopefully I'll be here, commenting while simultaneously watching it on Television. Go Thunder!

Poll

Who is going to win tonight?

The Detroit Pistons

24 votes

The Oklahoma City Thunder

52 votes

76 votes | Poll has closed

Pistons Cakewalk in Memphis, 96-74

Packey — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 03:54:20 -0000

More photos » by Lance Murphey - AP

Hamilton made string music to the sound of 25 points in Memphis on Wednesday night.. (AP Photo/Lance Murphey)

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Not a bad way to bring in the new era.

Once Detroit grabbed the lead with a 1:11 left in the first quarter, they never relinquished it, as they outscored the Grizzlies in each quarter en route to a 22-point win. This was a 43-point turnaround from when the Pistons lost to the Grizzlies eleven days ago (in the preseason) by 21 points.

As we're going to see more times than not this season, Detroit's guards carried the majority of the offensive load. Richard Hamilton led all Pistons scorers with 25 points (10-19 shooting) and Ben Gordon scored 22 points off the bench (7-12 from the field and 4-7 from three point land). The four guards also combined for 15 assists to just four turnovers.

Now, before we get all high and mighty after tonight's win, let's just remember who the Pistons played. Memphis is not exactly a powerhouse and Detroit's glaring flaws were still exposed. Memphis' starting big men outscored Detroit's 51-24 -- although the contrast in guard totals was more than enough to make up for it -- and Detroit was outrebounded 49-39, despite having plenty more opportunities to grab them considering they shot 51% and Memphis shot 36%.

I won't rain on the first game win parade anymore, though. Detroit did what we'd expect them to do against a team of Memphis' caliber -- win and win big.

The fresh look Detroit squad is now 1-0, which isn't really that big of a deal, but hey, Cleveland is 0-2.

Some random thoughts/notes on the game after the jump.

Richard Hamilton came down awkwardly late in the fourth quarter and went to the locker room after splitting a pair of free throws. You hate to see that happen to one of the best players on the team at any time, but especially when it happened late in the fourth with a 20+ point lead. Hopefully, it's nothing serious and he can play on Friday against the Thunder.
Another strong performance from Ben Wallace. It doesn't really show in the box score, again, but he was causing all sorts of problems out there for Memphis. He grabbed nine rebounds in 28 minutes.
Charlie Villanueva struggled tonight, but I wouldn't be too concerned. He got into early foul trouble and whenever that's the case, it's hard for a guy to bounce back and get in a good rhythm. He finished with seven points and blocked three shots.
Tayshaun Prince had 14 points and five rebounds in a little under 32 minutes. That's right around his career numbers. He's also played in 451 consecutive games. Steady.
Kwame Brown looked good in limited action. He only had four rebounds and four points, but I was thoroughly impressed with both his buckets (power dribble down low, slam and then a Loy Vaught-like base line jumper)
Jonas Jerebko and Austin Daye served their one game suspensions for fighting. DaJuan Summers did not play (coach's decision) and was in street clothes.
Mad Max played just under 20 minutes, pulled down six rebounds, and ate a couple babies.
A whole lot of whining out of the Memphis broadcast crew. 27 whistles against Detroit and 26 against Memphis. Memphis shot two more free throws, too. I saw nothing wrong with the officiating tonight. They bothered me.
Detroit has their home opener on Friday vs. the Oklahoma City Thunder. Tip off is at 8 PM EST.
1st Half highlights. I'll post full game highlights when they become available: Game Highlights:

Orlando Magic 2009/2010 Season Preview

Ben Q Rock — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 18:04:31 -0000

Team Name: Orlando Magic

Last Year's Record: 59-23

Key Losses: point guard Rafer Alston (via trade with New Jersey), power forward Tony Battie (via trade with New Jersey), shooting guard Courtney Lee (via trade with New Jersey), point guard Tyronn Lue (via free agency; not re-signed), small forward Jeremy Richardson (via free agency to Aris Thessaloniki), and small forward Hedo Turkoglu (via sign-and-trade with Toronto)

Key Additions: power forward Ryan Anderson (via trade with New Jersey), combo forward Matt Barnes (via fee agency from Phoenix), forward/center Brandon Bass (via free agency from Dallas), shooting guard Vince Carter (via trade with New Jersey), and Jason Williams (via free agency from retirement)

What significant moves were made during the offseason?

Gosh, where to start with this question?

The Magic showed the door to Alston, Lee, and Turkoglu--three-fifths of the Magic's starting lineup in the NBA Finals--in large part to make room for Carter and Bass, the team's most significant short-term additions. Basketball observers appear to be split on the Magic's decision to essentially swap Turkoglu--their go-to scorer in the clutch, and their secondary playmaker--for Carter, who has not enjoyed playoff success or media acclaim in recent years. Nevermind the fact that Turkoglu had one borderline All-Star-caliber season before bottoming out in 2009, or that Carter might one day find himself enshrined in the Hall of Fame; who needs logic or statistics when we can rely on a few nationally televised games and abstract notions like "chemistry"?

We should not overlook the other additions, although Carter understandably looms largest. Bass, an undersized, powerful, bowling-ball of a frontcourt player in the Jason Maxiell mold, does everything Tony Battie did, but better; and, at 24, he may not have reached his peak. I think we tend to overstate Barnes' reputation as a defender just a tad--there's no way he's as talented as Mickael Pietrus on that end--but he's still well above-average, and can handle the ball some offensively. If nothing else, Williams is an upgrade over incumbent backup point guard Anthony Johnson due to his speed and superior court vision, although we suspect his lackluster defense might cause his grip on the position to loosen as the season progresses. Neither player gives the Magic an upgrade over the departed Alston, which sounds worrisome until one realizes that Alston never would have been happy backing up Nelson this year. That the Magic dealt him to a team with a rotation featuring an All-Star (Devin Harris) and an underrated sixth-man (Keyon Dooling) at the position is a small irony.

Anderson? He's the wild card. For all we know, he'll start at power forward during Rashard Lewis' 10-game suspension... then vanish from the rotation completely upon Lewis' return. If he can stop getting his shot swatted inside, and if he can keep his three-point shooting high, he could prove quite the secret weapon for Orlando. I mean that. He didn't turn 21 until the middle of the playoffs, he's 6'10", he can rebound at a rate comparable to the more imposing Bass, and he can shoot the three-ball. There's a lot to like about him. Then again, there's a lot to like about Lewis and Bass as well, and there are only so many minutes (48!) available at power forward. This coaching problem for Stan Van Gundy is one plenty of other helmsmen would love to have.

A lot of coaches would love to have Lee, just 24, on their team, too, given his selfless play and immediate ability to contribute as a rookie. In New Jersey, he'll have more offensive responsibilities, and will often be the best perimeter defender on the floor at any given time. The stage would be set for him to take over the Nets' starting two-guard job for the next decade if it weren't for the presence of second-year man Chris Douglas-Roberts and rookie Terrence Williams to challenge him. I understand that Magic fans are upset to see Lee go, but I can't help but think that we've overrated him--he's only a three-point shooter and fast-break finisher on offense--while simultaneously underrating the younger Anderson, who had a higher Player Efficiency Rating than Lee did last year, albeit at a much different position.

The Magic won't miss Lue or Richardson much, as they only played a combined 222 minutes over 26 games last season. That they replaced their spots at the back end of the rotation with Williams (28 minutes per game in 2007/08, his most recent NBA season) and Anderson (20 minutes per game last season) speaks volumes about Orlando's--please permit me this adjective this one time--silly depth.

What are the team's biggest strengths?

With four recent All-Stars starting, as well as a bench featuring two of the league's best frontcourt reserves, and specialists, depth is absolutely Orlando's forte. Their projected second string of Williams, J.J. Redick, Mickael Pietrus, Bass, and Marcin Gortat could probably give bottom-feeding teams' starting lineups a run for their money. Last year's team was three wins away from a championship: now envision that team with a healthy Nelson replacing Alston, the more efficient Carter using Turkoglu's possessions, and the more dynamic Bass filling in for Battie. Upgrades across the board.

Indeed, as I alluded to earlier, Orlando's offense--which rated a surprisingly mediocre 11th in efficiency a year ago--should be much more potent this year. Carter is much more efficient than Turkoglu, although he's prone to the occasional awful game from time-to-time as well. Nelson likely won't duplicate his amazing shooting from last year (50% from the field, 45% from three-point range), but Carter's improvement over Turkoglu should mitigate any minor drop-off in Nelson's percentages. And with Carter the second option on offense behind Dwight Howard, Rashard Lewis' usage rate could decline, which could lead to an increase in efficiency if Nelson and Carter can get him the ball in the right place.

Defense might be another story, as no one has ever revered Carter for his work at that end of the floor. Then again, Lewis had a reputation as a sieve during his days with the Seattle SuperSonics, but developed into an above-average defender at power forward since joining the Magic; Carter, playing for a championship in his hometown, and under the guidance of the defensive ace Van Gundy, and with the reigning Defensive Player of the Year behind him, could see an improvement along the lines of Lewis'. Nonetheless, we expect Orlando's defense to regress slightly this year, which isn't so bad; the Magic lead the league in defensive efficiency a year ago, so a modest decline would still have them in the top 5.

A top-5 offense with a top-5 defense? Holy smokes, what potential this team has! Of course, Boston, Cleveland, the L.A. Lakers, and the San Antonio Spurs can all make similar claims about their respective proficiencies on both side of the ball. We are in for quite the season, aren't we?

What are the team's biggest weaknesses?

Saying "none" would be hubris of the highest order. But with a potential to rate in the upper echelon of the league on both sides of the ball, well, it's hard to point to anything really specific with this team. Magic detractors say that Carter will sink the Magic's chemistry, or that the new additions Boston and Cleveland made trump the Magic's. Is other teams having equally good summers a weakness? If so, that might be the Magic's.

Another perceived weakness, one into which I do not put much stock, is that the Magic's best player (Howard) is not a proven leader, and that all championship teams' best players happen to be leaders: Kobe Bryant, Kevin Garnett, Tim Duncan, and Dwyane Wade hold this distinction. Howard, perhaps due to a recent Sports Illustrated cover story, is not seen as intimidating or particularly serious on the court. But due to Nelson's leadership as co-captain--a duty he shares with Howard--the Magic aren't wanting for guidance. Van Gundy, too, sees himself as a leader.

What are the goals for this team?

The easiest question to answer: it's a championship. No one expected the Magic to be among the last two teams standing last year, especially not after falling into a 2-1 hole to the Philadelphia 76ers in the first round of the playoffs. After their surprising run to the Finals, GM Otis Smith made several aggressive maneuvers (as outlined above) and team ownership signed off to pay the luxury tax.

They did not go through all this trouble to merely win a playoff series or two this year. The obvious, unambiguous goal is to hoist the Larry O'Brien trophy at season's end.

Predicted Record: 63-19.

Memphis Mashes Detroit, 115-94

Packey — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 05:52:29 -0000

I wasn't able to watch the game, nor listen to it -- looks like I didn't miss much. Here are the highlights of the game, followed by some random thoughts/notes based off my box score observations.

Some random thoughts/notes:

Most people probably want to know how Charlie Villanueva played in his first action as a Piston. He was 4-9 from the field (2-2 from 3-point range) and finished with 12 points. He also had five rebounds and a blocked shot in just 20 minutes. It'll be interesting to see what people who actually saw the game thought.
Jonas Jerebko started in the spot I thought Austin Daye would. He played about 17 minutes and scored 12 points. Rudy Gay opposite him went off, though. He scored 25 points and pulled down seven rebounds. Of course, Gay played twice as much, so it wasn't all against Jerebko.
Detroit didn't shoot particularly bad (45%), but Memphis shot 53% (40% from three-point land). Again, you have to give some credit to Memphis for hitting the shots, but Detroit needs to find a way to contest shots.
Will Bynum was once again the most impressive looking Piston in the box score. 19 points in just 24 minutes on 6-8 shooting.
Jason Maxiell's line looks pretty miserable: 7 minutes, 0 points, 0 rebounds, and minus-10. If it weren't for his block shot, I would have thought he just stood in the corner for seven minutes.
This game was pretty much lost in the first quarter. Detroit scored just 14 points and allowed Memphis to put up 33. Not a good way to start a game that doesn't mean anything. I bet it was hard to get the players inspired to make a comeback of any sort.
Pistons don't play again until next Thursday. They'll be back at the Palace taking on the Timberwolves. Plenty of time to regroup.

Arenas and Wizards Slip Past Pistons, 101-98

Packey — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 02:41:50 -0000

More photos » by Duane Burleson - AP

Although it may look like it here, the court was not too slippery for Gilbert Arenas to play tonight. Good thing for the Wizards because he paced them to victory. (AP Photo/Duane Burleson)

Browse more photos »

Flip Saunders decided the Van Andel Arena court was not too wet after all for his injury prone star, so Gilbert Arenas started.

And then he dominated.

He proved to be too much for the Pistons and was the key in building a lead big enough for his team to sustain in the fourth quarter.

Arenas netted 24 points on 9-11 shooting in just under 28 minutes of action. The Wizards led by as many as 13 points when Arenas was in the game and by seven when Arenas saw his last action of the night after the third quarter. Thanks to monster dunks from Michigan native (and my high school), JaVale McGee, the Wizards were able to hold off the Pistons' fourth quarter push and prevail 101-98.

Detroit had a chance to tie the game or take the lead with under 20 seconds to go, but Ben Gordon turned the ball over forcing the Pistons to foul and fall even further behind. After Washington hit four free throws (with a Gordon miss mixed in there), Austin Daye nailed a three with just under two seconds left to pull the Pistons back within three, but there wasn't enough time on the clock to pull off the miracle comeback at that point.

For the first time this preseason, the Pistons found themselves fighting an uphill battle. They were shooting just 39% at the half, yet were only down one point. That, to me, is somewhat comforting. For playing a team that many "experts" think will leap frog the Pistons in the Eastern Conference this year, they battled tough despite clearly having an off night with their strokes.

The Pistons' quartet of guards shot a combined 36% (19-53), so on nights like these, it'll be nice having Charlie Villanueva pick up some of the scoring slack. It'll be nice having him help out no matter what kind of shooting nights these four have, but you know what I'm saying.

Some other notes/thoughts:

Tayshaun Prince did not return after halftime due to a cut on his big toe. Man stuff. He was having a pretty good game, so it's too bad he didn't return.
Detroit hung with the Wizards in every facet of the game really. They were outrebounded and assisted, but only by three and four respectively. Detroit had more steals, less turnovers, and out-shot the Wizards from three-point land, 41% to 27%.
Will Bynum fought through his early struggles and scored 16 of his 23 points in the second half. The Wizards radio announcers were loving them some Will Bynum.
Kwame Brown, Ben Wallace, Chris Wilcox, and Jason Maxiell put up some good numbers again. A combined 7-14 shooting (21 points) and 21 rebounds. Butler, Jamison, and McGee combined for 39 points for the Wizards, though. Kwame had his second near double-double of the preseason with nine points and 11 rebounds.
I get the feeling that Coach Q played Jonas Jerebko a lot tonight to allow himself a good look to figure out if this kid is a serious candidate for playing time this season. In 27 minutes, Jerebko had nine rebounds and nine points.
Austin Daye showed off the three point shot, as he was 2-2 from beyond the arc. He had 10 points in just about 15 minutes.
DaJuan Summers did not play. Coach's decision according to the box score.
Detroit falls to 3-1 on the preseason and return to action on Thursday against the Mavs in Dallas. This game will be on NBATV.
For Wizards coverage, you can meander over here.
No highlights up on NBA.com as of an hour after the game. I'll put them up here as they become available.

Guards Carry Pistons in 100-91 Win Over Hawks

Packey — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 01:27:36 -0000

For the second straight game, the four major Pistons' guards combined for the bulk of the team's points to help take out the opposition.

On Wednesday night, Richard Hamilton, Ben Gordon, Rodney Stuckey, and Will Bynum compiled 72 of the team's 113 points in their victory of Milwaukee. On Sunday evening, it was much of the same as the four combined for 68 points en route to a nine point win against the Atlanta Hawks.

Gordon led the four with 22 points on 6-12 shooting (3-6 from three-point land). Stuckey was 7-11 shooting, which was good for 20 points. Rip contributed 15 points on 6-9 shooting. The three shot 59%.

Will Bynum had his first off-game of the preseason, but still wound up scoring 11 points on 4-11 shooting. He also added four assists.

The most unique stat of the night might be that the Pistons had three buzzer beaters, all coming from the top three scorers, in ascending order (and arguably in ascending order of impressiveness). Richard Hamilton beat the buzzer in the first quarter, Stuckey swished one at the end of the half, and Ben Gordon nailed the most impressive with a half-court shot to beat the clock at the end of the third quarter. You could say that these three's last second makes were the main difference makers in this game.

Some other notes/thoughts:

Ben Wallace, Kwame Brown, Chris Wilcox, and Jason Maxiell had another solid showing: 16 points on 5-9 shooting, and 21 rebounds.
This was the first preseason game Detroit was out-rebounded. Hawks snagged 48 to Detroit's 36. Hawks corralled 18 offensive rebounds, while Detroit had just seven. We should probably get used to seeing this difference.
Tayshaun Prince was 0-5 with three rebounds.
Chucky Atkins saw his first action of the preseason (a little over seven minutes). He was 1-2 shooting, good for three points.
Austin Daye's length is proving to be a valuable asset on the defensive side of things. He had another two blocks in limited action, which makes that five total in the preseason in 27+ minutes.
Jonas Jerebko made the most of his 17 minutes. He scored six and grabbed six rebounds.
Remember, Charlie Villanueva STILL hasn't played. This team could be lethal when he does return, or there could just be way too many scorers to keep everyone happy or effective. Hopefully, he can return soon, so we can get a look at this team with CV31.
Another 57 fouls called by the replacement refs, but no ejections as far as I know.
Video highlights after the jump

First half highlights. Again, I'll upload the full game highlights when they become available:

Ben Gordon makes sweet, sweet string music with this third quarter buzzer beater from half-court: