SB Nation - Maceo Baston

Waive Goodbye, Part 2

Jon L — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 13:00:42 -0000

Go ahead and smile, Derrick Byars. You made the team. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

Today we continue our look at the players waived or, occasionally, kept by NBA teams as the regular season begins. Next up we move into the middle of the country, or as I like to call it, "America's already-bloated snackhole." (I can say that because I live there.) That's right, it's the Central and Southwest Divisions. (Except that I was looking at the wrong division list when I wrote this and it's actually the Northwest Division. Deal with it, America.) And if you're just tuning in, don't forget to check out part 1.

Chicago Bulls

Who got cut: Curtis Stinson, Chris Richard, Steven Hill

Who got kept: Derrick Byars

Forget Stinson and Hill, this really came down to Byars vs. Richard for the last roster spot. And with all due respect to Richard, they made the right call. Richard played okay, although he averaged less than seven points per 36 minutes, and given that the team that already sports Joakim Noah in the frontcourt they really probably can't handle yet another guy who can't produce on offense. Not that Richard unequivocally can't, he just didn't demonstrate that sort of ability in the preseason, which is when he needed to demonstrate it. Byars helps the team in case Deng gets hurt again, or if John Salmons starts creaking (he turns 30 later this year). I won't discuss Byars in great detail here, because you can read this. It probably makes up for the Bulls cutting DeMarcus Nelson, maybe. Stinson and Hill are both probably headed to Europe, though I could see Stinson sticking around the D-League.

Cleveland Cavaliers

Who got cut: Luke Nevill, Andre Barrett, Russell Robinson, Rob Kurz, Darryl Watkins

Who got kept: Coby Karl

See Marge? These guys get it. Karl actually didn't play particularly well in the preseason, but he had a pretty good Summer League with Denver, and he's definitely talented. He's a nice multi-faceted player who can shoot (and make) threes, help distribute the ball, pick up some steals and rebound a little bit. So in other words he's exactly the right kind of guard for Cleveland. He's also worked damn hard, and he deserves another shot at the NBA. It never feels good to get cut (I'm assuming), but it's probably especially hard for Rob Kurz, who was starting for the Warriors just last season. He'd definitely be a prime call-up candidate should he go to the D-League, as he's a 6'9" guy who can make threes, although he could stand to pick up his rebounding and defense. He also profiles well as a Euroleague guy, so he could end up there. Russell Robinson also could pick either option. He played pretty poorly both in Summer League and the preseason, with turnovers being the major problem. Another stint in the D-League could help that, as he averaged just two and a half per 36 minutes for Reno last season. I'll mention again that I haven't been including Jawad Williams in this discussion because he was signed at the end of last season and has a partially-guaranteed deal, so while he theoretically could be waived later on, the team has been somewhat more committed to him than these other guys. I'm somewhat optimistic about Williams's playing time, since at this point he's more capable than J.J. Hickson or Darnell Jackson, but Leon Powe and maybe Jamario Moon are around to take most of the backup forward minutes.

Denver Nuggets

Who got cut: James White, Kurt Looby, Keith Brumbaugh, Dontaye Draper

Who got kept: Joey Graham

Massive disappointment here, although there's nothing personal against Graham. There was just so much hope that this would be White's year in Houston, then the team decided it wouldn't be, then Denver decided it wouldn't be his year for them, either. Looby getting cut isn't a huge surprise, as he's still carpaccio-raw. But, White getting the boot on top of Sonny Weems being sent away is enough to make one question Denver's commitment to ~~Sparkle Motion~~ the D-League. That would be rash, of course, and unfair to Denver who is clearly trying to win soon. Graham's per-36 numbers are almost identical to White's NBA figures, but I guess there's still too much uncertainty over what White can do when there really shouldn't be. He's headed over to Europe now, I assume, since he's said he's done with the D-League, and who can blame him. If an NBA team says they're committed to your development, then semi-promptly gets rid of you, that would be disheartening for anyone.

Detroit Pistons

Who got cut: Maceo Baston

Who got kept: No one.

Sorry, Maceo. Have fun at your House Party. (Admit it, that's not the clip you were expecting.) (Also, note to self: when you get older, shave your head but leave the sideburns and add a mustache.) But hey, here's a crazy idea; the Pistons also waived their second round pick Deron Washington, who's a 6'7" small forward. James White is a 6'7" small forward. WHAT IF THEY'RE ABOUT TO SIGN JAMES WHITE? They're probably not, but they should be. While Austin Daye looked really, really good in Summer League, and Jonas Jerebko could be pretty good, it seems a bit crazy to rely on three rookies (remember DaJuan Summers) as key bench contributors, rebuilding or no rebuilding. And while James White doesn't have that much more NBA experience, he's been around for a few years and he can contribute. Come on, Joe Dumars. LET'S DO THIS.

Indiana Pacers

Who got cut: Rod Benson, Demetris Nichols, Lawrence Roberts

Who got kept: No one.

Rod Benson is probably going back to Europe this year, even though he didn't have the best experience there last season (although being injured didn't help). I'd guess Nichols goes the same route, and both of them are good enough to play in the NBA right now. (Roberts is already over there.) As for the biggest question, whether we'll seee a return of Boom Tho-ness, I have no idea. Personally I wouldn't expect too much except maybe a continuation of his posts over at Ball Don't Lie. If this website were FreeDarko I'd probably launch into a discussion about whether this year's return to (or first crack at) seriousness for Benson and Gilbert Arenas reflects some kind of "down to business" vibe given off by the Obama Administration, but I have neither the time nor the ability to get into that right now. Or who knows, maybe Benson could write a book that would probably be better than Paul Shirley's (which I haven't read, but Benson's a better writer than Shirley so it's pretty much a lock.)

Milwaukee Bucks

Who got cut: Marcus Hubbard, Mark Tyndale, Charles Gaines, Dominic James

Who got kept: No one.

This was bound to happen eventually, but I don't really have much to say about these guys. Hubbard could do with another season or two in the D-League and work on either a.) becoming a proper interior player, or b.) shooting better than .256 on his three-pointers. Because this in-between thing isn't working. Gaines played well for Austin last season, averaging 15 points and 10 rebounds per 36 minutes, and shot a good percentage with Maccabi Tel Aviv. I'd like to see him in the D-League again this season, but I'm not sure he's close enough to a call-up to make it worth his time. Let's see, what else can I talk about with these guys...uh hey, I think Ersan Ilyasova can be pretty good, but that's not really under the purview of this series. Three or four players likely going over to Europe. Whee.

Minnesota Timberwolves

Who got cut: Jack McClinton, Alonzo Gee, Jared Reiner, Devin Green, Mustafa Shakur

Who got kept: Jason Hart

I don't have much to say about Jason Hart since he's 31 years old now and last played in the D-League eight years ago. This is probably a stale comment by now, and the team waived Antonio Daniels so they haven't gone completely crazy, but what's the deal with Minnesota and point guards? Who are these people? Who are the ad wizards that came up with this one? I've already written about this, but whatever NBA team ends up with McClinton (and there will be one, eventually) is going to love having him, and kick themselves for not having him earlier. Reiner got a raw deal by getting cut right before the game in his hometown, sure. But Nate Jawai is in Minnesota now, and that's something, right? It's at least as much a something as Oleksiy Pecherov being there, certainly.

Oklahoma City Thunder

Who got cut: Michael Ruffin, Tre Kelley, Mike Harris

Who got kept: Ryan Bowen

I saw Kelley play a little bit, and he looked pretty good. He's very quick, and he can get to the basket. Of course, he was being guarded by Curtis Jerrells at that point so take it with a grain of bacon salt. He's almost certainly headed to Europe. Michael Ruffin, eh. I have a sort of personal animus against him through no fault of his, since Eddie Jordan overused him when they were both with the Washington Wizards, but he's already landed on his feet overseas. The question of what Bowen can give the team at this point in his career is a good one, as he's 34 years old and has been pretty inconsistent the last few seasons. I just have to keep telling myself that the Thunder still have D.J. White and Serge Ibaka, and be content with that.

Portland Trail Blazers

Who got cut: Ime Udoka, Jarron Collins, Donell Taylor, Quinton Hosley

Who got kept: No one.

I wonder what will happen to Udoka, as he's probably still good enough to contribute at the back of someone's rotation, but he's also 32 years old and most of the teams that would be interested in him are already full up. He's a solid candidate for a mid-season replacement in case some small forward somewhere gets hurt. He can shoot the three a bit, his rebounding has improved the past few years and he doesn't turn the ball over much.

What, you want me to talk about Jarron Collins?

Utah Jazz

Who got cut: Ronald Dupree, Alexander Johnson, Paul Harris, Spencer Nelson

Who got kept: No one.

Wes Matthews and draft pick Goran Suton aren't really included in this, but in the interest of full disclosure Matthews is in and Suton is out. Suton would be a solid big man in the D-League should he decide to go that route. You're probably expecting me to express disappointment at Dupree being waived, but the fact is that he didn't play well in the preseason. At all. Well, I suppose that's not completely true as he averaged about ten points per 36 minutes, but he's capable of much more than that, and he didn't really contribute much in the way of rebounds, assists or steals. He's really only had one good game, though, against the Clippers when he shot 4-7 from the field and 3-4 from the free throw line, and in the rest he shot 5-13 overall. I'd like to see him in the D-League again this year, and maybe if he plays his normal solid, slashing game he'll restore some of his call-up-ability.

Former Pacers Already Making New Teams Happy

spstevenson — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 01:16:42 -0000

More photos » by Terry Gilliam - AP

Marquis Daniels is dominating some of the league's best players in his new green uni. Dominating may be the wrong word, but he's definitely doing something good to make Celtics fans happy.

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Jarrett Jack and Marquis Daniels are making their marks early in their new digs in the NBA.

After both played well, particularly Jack, for the Pacers last season, it is not a surprise that both of them made solid impressions on fans, teammates and coaches during the preseason. They both did it with playing on-the-court as well as their demeanor off of it.

Celtics fans immediately enjoyed Daniels' quirky attitude that he displayed at his introductory press conference and continued during the eight games that he played in his new green and white uni off the bench for the aspiring leaders of the Eastern Conference. Jack, who came off the bench in each preseason contest, could find himself embroiled in another point guard controversy as he's outplayed starter Jose Caulderon and has been finishing games on the court rather than sitting on the bench.

Check out the jump for a look at the preseason stats of the players who left the blue and gold this offseason, compared to the newcomers playing in Indiana this year.

Preseason stats? Yeah, that's what it's come down today. Sometimes the preseason just reiterates what we already know. Danny Granger finished fifth in the league in scoring, Troy Murphy had the third-best rebounding average and T.J. Ford averaged a healthy four turnovers per contest. The same old stuff.

But, then again, some preseason stats throw everything off, such as Roy Hibbert's emergence as the team's second-leading scorer and the NBA's blocks per game leader. He was a beast. So will he be a beast in the regular season? Just keep praying that the answer is "yes" and we'll move on.

So below are the stats for players who left Indy and the players who came into the town. Maybe they mean something. Maybe they mean nothing. But here they are for you to decide. Anyways, it won't matter too much longer. The NBA starts on Tuesday! Time to celebrate.

Former Pacers averages:
Marquis Daniels (Celtics) -- 8 games played (2 starts), 19.9 minutes per game, 47.9% FG, 65% FT, 2.4 apg, 7.6 ppg.

Jarrett Jack (Raptors) -- 8 games played, 24.0 mpg, 37.9% FG, 6.7% 3ptFG, 80.0% FT, 4.0 apg, 7.9 ppg

Rasho Nesterovic (Raptors) -- 7 games played, 15.1 mpg, 35.7% FG, 3.4 rpg, 4.6 ppg

Stephen Graham (Bobcats) -- 8 games played, 18.6 mpg, 32.7% FG, 92.3% FT, 3.6 rpg, 7.6 ppg

Maceo Baston (Pistons, waived at end of preseason) -- 4 games played, 3.5 mpg, 0.5 ppg

New Pacers averages:
Earl Watson -- 6 games played (2 starts), 24.7 mpg, 43.3% FG, 53.3% FT, 4.3 apg, 5.8 ppg

Luther Head -- 3 games played, 26.0 mpg, 68.4% FG, 44.4% FT, 2.3 apg, 11.0 ppg

Dahntay Jones -- 7 games played, 23.9 mpg, 42.4% FG, 74.2% FT, 10.6 ppg

Solomon Jones -- 7 games played (3 starts), 20.0 mpg, 50.0% FG, 75.0% FT, 4.3 rpg, 1.57 bpg, 8.6 ppg

A.J. Price -- 6 games played, 19.3 mpg, 42.9% FG, 33.3% 3ptFG, 33.3% FT, 2.0 apg, 8.5 ppg

Geez, who knew that Solo Jones would be the best free-throw shooter out of the new crop. I'll just assume that's one of those "inaccurate" preseason stats.

IC Cold Links: Pacers Limp Back To Indiana After Bad Loss To Magic

spstevenson — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 12:39:15 -0000

More photos » by Phelan M. Ebenhack - AP

Roy Hibbert tries to look as intense as possible to get the Polish dude out of his space.

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Thank you Fox Sports for having the foresight to not air last night's beatdown in Orlando. Listening to the Magic romp the Pacers was bad enough.

The loss meant the Magic stay undefeated in preseason play, while the Pacers fall to 2-4 with one game remaining at Assembly Hall in Bloomington on Friday. More than likely, the team will be playing short-handed again with players trying to rest up and get healthy for next week's season-opener at Atlanta.

But I'm trying to focus too much on the ~~bleak~~ promising future. If you really want to dwell on last night's outing, or you need your fix of Reggie Miller scandals and more season previews, then check out the links after the jump. But don't say that I didn't warn you.

I'm sure Mike Wells was glad that he didn't make the trip all the way to Orlando for this one. The Indianapolis Star posted the AP report for the contest, while Wells blogged back in here Indy about the Pacers lack of a secondary scoring threat to compliment Danny Granger.
Fan House also recognized The Lone Granger as the lone superstar and attribute on the Pacers roster.
Box score for last night's game, along with Tom's recap of the contest.
If you want to see what joy, happiness and success looks like, then check out Third Quarter Collapse's write-up for the Orlando version. We really need to look into trading names with their blog.
The Orlando Sentinel gave Solomon Jones a brief story about the Central Florida native trying to earn a starting spot on the blue and gold.
Ready for another season preview? This one is actually worth it as our friends at Eight Points, Nine Seconds puts together a nice catalog of season previews along with their own unique take on the upcoming year.
John Oesher, who has taken over Indiana Pacers duties at Examiner.com, posted his take on the latest positive news surrounding the injuries of Tyler Hansbrough and Mike Dunleavy.
USAToday reports that Maceo Baston, who played for the Pacers last season, has been waived by the Pistons.
And, finally, poor Reggie Miller. After all that crap surrounding him earlier this summer about him trying to get Alex von Furstenberg's woman, the saga still isn't over. Alex threatened to "beat down" Reggie after stalking him to his car outside of a Malibu restaurant. Now the pages have turned and Reggie has handed Alex his own restraining order.

Pistons Fizzle in Dallas: 113-88

Packey — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 06:30:13 -0000

Well, that happened.

Pistons hung in there for 24 minutes, trailing by six at the half, but fell flat on their faces in the second half. Dallas outscored Detroit by nineteen in the final 24 minutes, paced by their absurd 36-point third quarter, to finish the game out with a cakewalk 25 point win.

Where did this game go wrong?

I could take personal blame. I stopped watching live at halftime because I decided to watch a couple of the great Thursday night shows and the final innings of the playoff baseball game (I would never do this during the regular season). I still wound up watching the second half when NBA TV replayed the game at midnight.

Of course, I don't think it had anything to do with me. Honestly, the momentum of this game shifted for good near the end of the first half. With under two minutes to play, Rodney Stuckey committed a bad turnover with the game tied at 48, which led directly to an easy dunk from Dampier. Then on the very next possession Stuckey took an awkward three pointer because he was too open. Jason Terry then ended the half with two three pointers (with a Gordon bucket mixed in there), one of them coming near the buzzer. From those final possessions, Dallas gained a lot of momentum going into the locker room and it definitely carried over into their big third quarter.

Like any preseason game, I wouldn't get too worked up about this one. Remember that Detroit was without Tayshaun Prince, Ben Wallace, and Charlie Villanueva again. John Kuester also decided to mail it in fairly early, as Jonas Jerebko, DaJuan Summers, Deron Washington, and Chucky Atkins all played the entire fourth quarter with the exception of Jerebko who was replaced by Maceo Baston for the final few minutes. With that being said, Dallas was also without two big guns, Shawn Marion and Josh Howard.

I don't want to belabor this defeat any more than I have to.

Some more thoughts/notes:

Rodney Stuckey was the worst the other day, according to BrGulker, but looked vastly better on Thursday. He shot just 8-18, but he looked dominant in the first half when he scored 17 of his 20 points. The play of the night was actually after the whistle when he was called for traveling. He crossed over traveled past his defender and slammed one home in the face of Chris Humphries. It was a thing of beauty.
Some people experience mid-life crises, but Richard Hamilton might be dealing with an end of Pistons-life crisis (I don't think there's anyone who believes he's not near the end of his stint with Detroit). He showed up to media day with a Mohawk and tonight he buzzed his head, but left a ridiculous looking patch in the back. I wish I could say he was being silly and filling in the spot where former Piston Rasheed Wallace didn't have hair or he just couldn't reach that spot when he shaved his own dome.
For all the comparisons people make between Tayshaun Prince and Austin Daye, their shot is like night and Daye. Tayshaun didn't play tonight, but we all know how ugly that lefty "cock, aim, pause, and shoot" trigger is. Tonight was the first I've really seen of Austin Daye and it was a treat. That kid has one sweet stroke.
You're not going to win many games when you let the opponent shoot 56% from the field (55% from three-point land). And some of that has to do with Dallas being simply en fuego, but ultimately, Detroit has to find a way to contest shots better.
That's the second loss in a row for the Pistons against a team with a coach who has been fired by Detroit. Flip Saunders on Tuesday and Rick Carlisle tonight.
Really liked what I saw out of Wilcox and Kwame tonight. I'm actually pretty excited about what these guys, and Ben Wallace, can do with real minutes.
Detroit, now 3-2 in the preseason, returns to action on Saturday in Memphis. Game time is 8:00 PM EST and sadly, not televised.
Charlie Villanueva should be ready to play on Saturday.
Video highlights after the jump.

2009-10 NBA Blog Previews: Indiana Pacers

Tom Lewis — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 04:16:23 -0000

Once again, Indy Cornrows is pleased to participate in the 2009-10 NBA blogger previews orgainzed by Jeff Clark at Celtics Blog.

Team Name: Indiana Pacers

Last Years Record: 36-46

Key Losses: Jarrett Jack, Marquis Daniels, Rasho Nesterovic

Key Additions: Tyler Hansbrough, Dahntay Jones, Earl Watson, Solomon Jones, Luther Head, A.J. Price

1.What significant moves were made during the offseason?

Get your programs, people.

After the 2007-08 season, the Indiana Pacers used the draft and a couple of trades to bring in seven new players and begin overhauling the roster in the post-Jermaine O'Neal contract era. Beggars can't be choosers, so the moves two summers ago were more about the players leaving the roster than the players joining the roster. But those moves made the salary cap more manageable and allowed Larry Bird and David Morway to make a few more moves this past summer to address the team's defensive deficiencies.

Since the salary cap remains an issue for at least two more years, the Pacers' decisions weren't solely based on basketball but more on the bottom line. The team let Marquis Daniels and his $7.5 million team option go and were unable to match Toronto's free agent offer for Jarrett Jack. The Pacers also preferred to use Rasho Nesterovic's expiring contract space instead of spending the money re-sign the veteran big man. Sparsely used free agents, Stephen Graham and Maceo Baston were also let go to find another team.

With six open slots on the roster, the Pacers went bargain shopping to fill specific needs without taking the team's cap number over the lowered luxury tax threshhold. To bolster the team's perimeter defense and backcourt options the Pacers signed Dahntay Jones to a four-year contract and agreed to a couple of one-year deals with Earl Watson and Luther Head. To fill a frontcourt need, center Solomon Jones signed a two-year free agent deal with the Pacers. Jones was seldom used in Atlanta but is a young player who has shown plenty of upside in early preseason action.

The Pacers used the draft to select Tyler Hansbrough fresh off a national championship at North Carolina. Hansbrough performed well in summer league games but a shin injury has kept him from testing his game against an NBA lineup. He is not expected to return to action until the end of October.

In the second round, the Pacers took UConn point guard, A.J. Price who had a successful college career but came out of the draft with questions about his shooting ability and athleticism. So far, he's shown plenty of NBA ability and looks real comfortable on the floor for a rookie. The Pacers don't expect much from Price this year and instead look to him as a point guard for the future, but he appears ready to go should the opportunity present itself in his rookie year.

2. What are the team's biggest strengths?

The Pacers biggest strenghts remain their ability to push the pace and score lots of points. Last season they beat every top team in the league thanks to their ability to run, knock down threes and score in bunches. When things are clicking the Pacers can wear down an opponent, any opponent, and give themselves a chance win.

Consistent offensive output from Danny Granger and Troy Murphy are the basis for any offensive success the Pacers achieve. When supplemented by some combination of T.J. Ford, Brandon Rush and Roy Hibbert, the Pacers will have enough points to win any game this year. The more consistent production they can get from these three players the more W's they'll accrue. Hibbert's development is especially important since he's shown the ability to score in the low post if he can just avoid foul trouble and stay on the court long enough to get the requisite touches.

The Pacers depth could be a surprise strength this year if Mike Dunleavy and Tyler Hansbrough can return healthy and ready to play. With Earl Watson, Dhantay Jones and Jeff Foster in the mix, Jim O'Brien has ten players capable of contributing minutes with a variety of skill sets to allow the coach the flexibility to match up better with other teams. It also gives the Pacers a chance to keep fresh bodies on the floor to keep the pace fast and help wear down opposing lineups.

3. What are the team's biggest weaknesses?

Defense and backcourt consistency are two weaknesses the Pacers hope to improve on this year. Earl Watson, Dahntay Jones and Solomon Jones have already shown they will bolster the defensive end which should show vast improvement from last year.

Still, mixing and matching all of the new faces and integrating them into a team defensive scheme could take some time to see positive results. Increased ball pressure is the goal, but until we see this team consistently prove they can make a positive impact at the defensive end it will remain a weakness. Foul and free throw attempt differentials were a glaring problem in losses last year and improving the defense is the only way to turn those numbers around.

As for the backcourt, T.J. Ford will begin the season running the team at point guard, with Earl Watson and Travis Diener coming off the bench. Watson has played some two guard in the preseason, ala Jarrett Jack which will likely happen during the season when JOB goes with a small lineup. These guys have to tighten up the decision-making and turnovers which may be wishful thinking.

Jim O'Brien prefers passing to dribbling which was a shock to Ford's system last year. He did finish last season well coming off the bench and appeared to be moving in the right direction. If he improves in one area let that be the blind pass for a turnover. Often times, Ford takes the ball in the lane knowing Murphy, Rush and/or Granger are set up behind the arc should the defense rotate to stop him. Unfortunately, he'll jump to turn around and kick the ball out, but if a defender has the shooter covered the ball goes the other way. Regardless of the team's desired pace, there are times Ford would be better served to slow down his game a notch to remain in control, not to mention in possession of the ball.

4. What are the goals for this team?

After back-to-back 36 win seasons, the Pacers are looking to make the playoffs in the Eastern Conference. That's the goal this team talks about at every opportunity and when you look at all of the close games the team dropped last year it doesn't take long to find a few more wins which would've put them in the playoffs.

Only problem is that there are several more teams in the mix in the Eastern Conference this year. Once you skim the cream off the top you could make the case that every team in the EC could make the playoffs if they stay healthy and play well. That alone exposes a mediocre middle of the conference, but the opportunity is there. Some teams don't necessarily have to stay healthy nor play exceedingly well, but the Pacers are one of the teams that will indeed need good health and must come together to play better than the sum of their parts in order to make the playoffs.

5. Can the Pacers stay healthy enough to give themselves a chance this year?

Mike Dunleavy hopes to return to the court after fixing a knee that kept him out for the bulk of last season. Just when he returns and how long before he's playing at full throttle remain up in the air. The season will play out quite differently if Dunleavy can play even 50 games.

Tyler Hansbrough isn't expected to have a big role on the team this year as he works his way through his rookie season, but he definitely needs to play. Considering a shin injury has him on the shelf until the season starts, it's reasonable to assume Hansbrough won't be playing much if at all over the first few weeks of the season.

These are two known injury issues that, if they improve, will be a boon for the Pacers. But there are always other injuries throughout a season and dealing with those injuries will make or break the Pacers this year. T.J. Ford is always considered an injury risk because of past neck issues. The neck wasn't a problem last year and he appears healthy and ready to roll this year, but with a slight build, taking his share of hits while racing into the lane keeps him on the injury watch list.

Finally, Danny Granger had a minor knee issue over the summer and missed a few games last year, so any game DG misses is tough for the Pacers to overcome. At full strength, this team has the right combinations to make a run at the playoffs, but the margin of error is slight so maintaining their health is critical. Hopefully, the team can avoid the "flu-like symptoms" that wiped out nearly everyone for a few games last season.

Predicted Record: Easy to speculate on a broad range for the Pacers' win total. If the team stays healthy and the defense improves even a little, a win total in the mid-40s is possible. On the other hand, if injuries and familiarity prove to be too much to overcome the wins could easily dip into the lower 30s. Taking these scenarios into account, I'll split the difference: 40-42

Tayshaun Prince Teaches Replacement Refs a Thing or Two

Packey — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 04:28:21 -0000

More photos » by Duane Burleson - AP

Replacement ref, Ben Taylor, is trying to explain that both Carlos Delfino and Austin Daye have been ejected. Coach Kuester gives him a condescending look. (AP Photo/Duane Burleson)

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When the NBA announced that it was going to have replacement referees to start the season, it didn't make that big of news. I touched on it, but I felt like it wasn't going to be that big of a deal.

Boy, was I wrong (so far at least).

Even though it's only been two preseason games, and that's nothing to really get worked up about, the replacement refs have had a couple rather noticeable gaffes already (in addition to an absurd 126 foul calls in two games).

In the first game they sent the wrong Piston to the free throw line. They sent Will Bynum to the line when it should have been Maceo Baston. Bynum had already made both free throws when they corrected their mistake. Baston wound up missing both.

Wednesday night they tried to go back in time and change a call. Luckily, veteran Tayshaun Prince was there to lend a helping hand.

The replacement referees caused confusion in the first quarter. Ersan Ilyasova was fouled while shooting a jumper and awarded two free throws. During the next timeout, more than 90 seconds later, the officials decided he had been taking a 3-pointer, and gave him another shot.
He made it, but Prince pointed out that the error was only correctable within 24 seconds, so the point was taken away from Milwaukee.

"I told him that they couldn't change it after five minutes or whatever it was, and he said 'yeah, you're right," Prince said. "Then I had to remind him to tell the scorer's table to take it back off the board."

It's like a student correcting the teacher. The very new, not that smart teacher.

Pistons Show Off the Offense in 113-104 Win vs. Bucks

Packey — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 03:25:30 -0000

More photos » by Duane Burleson - AP

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Okay, maybe they didn't show most of us anything as a number of fans were blacked out from actually watching this game (it was not televised anywhere as far as I know). However, if you were at the Palace like Jesse from PistonsNation was, then you got to see the touted offense many of us are expecting this season.

Detroit shot the lights out at a 56% clip, 55% from the three-point land, and scored 113 points in their second pre-season game against the visiting Bucks. Ben Gordon led the Pistons with 24 points on 6-10 shooting (4-5 from beyond the arc) in a little over 28 minutes of action.

Will Bynum was the Pistons next leading scorer with 23 points and 6 assists in just over 24 minutes. He knocked down all 12 of his free throw opportunities and also had two steals.

Rookie Brandon Jennings led the Bucks with 18 points, and also had 6 assists and 4 rebounds.

Some other notes/thoughts:

I don't know how much you buy into the +/- point differential statistic, but Will Bynum is a -23 after two pre-season games. He was again a team worst tonight at -10. Last game it was mainly due to the fact he was on the floor late and Miami's front court was scoring at will on Maceo Baston and co. I'm not sure what caused it tonight, but it's definitely not a comforting statistic to see staring me in the face in the NBA.com box score.
Kwame Brown, Chris Wilcox, Ben Wallace, and Jason Maxiell had their second straight strong game. They combined for a 9-16 shooting night (25 points), grabbed 25 boards, and blocked four shots. Kwame Brown nearly had a double-double in a little under 24 minutes of action, as he had nine rebounds and 10 points on 4-6 shooting. Encouraging signs.
Rodney Stuckey had 21 points on 9-13 shooting. He played just under 27 minutes and only had one assist.
Austin Daye's stat line stands out amongst the 2009 draft class and it might be due to the fact he was ejected late in the 4th quarter for scuffling with former Piston, Carlos Delfino. The rookie blocked Delfino earlier in the game, so I wonder if any frustrations on Delfino's part surfaced as a result. Daye had five points, a block, and two rebounds. Jerebko and Summers were a combined 0-4 shooting and had four rebounds.
As for the other "rookie," Deron Washington saw fifteen and a half minutes of action. He scored nine points on a perfect 4-4 night, grabbed four rebounds and blocked a shot.
The replacement referees are getting their work in. Another 67 fouls were called tonight, including another mix up apparently. That's 126 fouls called in two pre-season games. Yikes.
I think next game is DaJuan Summers' turn to be ejected.
Remember, we still haven't seen Charlie Villanueva.
Video highlights after the jump.

For those of us that did not have the pleasure of attending the game at the Palace, here are the NBA.com first half highlights (I'll post the 2nd half when they become available):

And here is Ben Gordon posterizing some Bucks:

Pistons return to action on Sunday vs. the Atlanta Hawks. The game will be at the Palace.

New Look Pistons Drop the Heat in Preseason Opener, 87-83

Packey — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 02:51:02 -0000

More photos » by Duane Burleson - AP

Bring back the Rebound Row. Ben Wallace grabbed four boards in just under twelve minutes.

Browse more photos »

If this preseason game is any indication of what we can expect this year, it's going to be a very exciting regular season of Detroit Pistons basketball.

As advertised, Kuester mixed and matched his lineups all night and there really wasn't a lineup that didn't give me the feeling, "this could work," (okay, except maybe that last lineup that allowed Miami back into the game late). If there's one thing I was reassured of though tonight, it's that the Pistons are very deep (and that perception might have been helped by the thin Heat).

The biggest question coming into tonight's game surrounded Detroit's big men. Kuester started both Kwame Brown and Ben Wallace, and had Wilcox play significant minutes before picking up his fifth foul. Combined, the three shot 11-12 from the field, scored 23 points, grabbed 12 rebounds, and were plus-31 when on the floor.

Ben Wallace did not disappoint in his first exhibition game back with the Pistons. He started the game with an emphatic tip dunk and played with a lot of fire in a little under twelve minutes. Kuester had him start each half and play about six minutes before pulling him for Wilcox.

Wilcox had several impressive cuts through the lane that set up easy baskets. Kwame Brown was plus-18 and looked strong.

Will Bynum led all Pistons scorers with 15 points, but he also led the team with a minus-13 point differential (although he was on the floor late when the Heat made their comeback).

All in all, it was a pretty impressive showing from the new look Pistons.

Some other notes/thoughts:

The defense played pretty well, holding the heat to 83 points on 37% shooting. The Pistons out-rebounded the Heat 40-32 and blocked six shots.
Ben Gordon did not have a great showing in his first game with the Pistons (2-9 shooting, 6 turnovers). He played a team high 30 minutes and was the second leading scorer for the Pistons with 11 points.
Stuckey, Gordon, Prince, and Hamilton shot a combined 7-28. If the Pistons can play as well as they did with those four guys not shooting very well, then this team is going to put up big numbers when these guys are on. Of course, we knew that already, right?
Detroit shot just 66% from the charity stripe. Four of those misses came from Maceo Baston, who didn't do anything to help his cause in making this team.
Remember, Charlie Villanueva didn't play tonight.
Replacement refs had no problem blowing the whistle. 59 fouls called, a double ejection, a fairly weak technical, and they took two points off the scoreboard. Not a bad night's work.
Jonas Jerebko was ejected half way through the 4th quarter for allegedly punching Jaamal Magloire. I haven't seen it yet, but apparently they got tangled up down low and they exchanged fisticuffs. Jerebko walked away from his first NBA game with two points, an ejection, and a bloody nose.
DaJuan Summers had two points and four rebounds in a little over 15 minutes of action. He was minus-12 when on the floor, but grabbed the final rebound to seal the victory.
Austin Daye looked really impressive despite limited action and not seeing many looks. He knocked down a pretty three pointer, grabbed five boards, made a really nice pass to a cutting Wilcox, and is already living up to the Tayshaun Prince comparisons with the following block on All-Star Dwyane Wade:

Pistons return to action on Wednesday against the Milwaukee Bucks at the Palace (7:30 PM EST).

Pistons Players Answer Fans' Questions on Media Day

Packey — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 22:08:18 -0000

I didn't have the privilege of being at the Palace today, but I did try to keep up with it as much as I could.

One way I was able to follow what was going on was by visiting the live blog over at Pistons.com, hosted by Pistons writer, Ryan Pretzer. Ryan answered a number of fans questions and had the opportunity to pull several Pistons players away for a second to answer the fans' online questions.

I took the liberty of going through the e-interactions with the players and pull the most interesting stuff for you to read here. Scrolling through a lengthy live blog (when it's no longer live) can be messy and take forever, so I thought why not make it easier on people who didn't have the chance to follow it live? If you're interested in the truncated version, continue reading. If you feel like seeing everything in its entirety, click over here.

Chris Wilcox:

Q: Why are you number 9? (formed into a question based off of Ryan's statement)
CW: maxiell has 54 so i just added it up

Austin Daye:

Q: Any nerves about going to work against the chiseled vets? (From KP)
AD: haha naw not worried just focused.

Jonas Jerebko:

Q: Why do you wear the number 33? (From Joshua in Ann Arbor)
JJ: because my 3 other numbers where not available.. first 11..then 32...then 21.. so i went with 33.. looks good and larry had it.

Q: Congrats on being the soon to be first Swede in the NBA. (From Scott)
JJ: thank you very much it is an honour to be the first one from sweden. Hopefully sweden can get some recognition in the basketball world.

Deron Washington:

Q: Hey Deron, how has the free throw shooting been coming this summer? (From George)
DW: Its much better now summer league was a bump in the road

Q: Deron, we're expecting a couple swats on Lebron this year (From Fatty)
DW: I'll let that situation play itself out.

Kwame Brown:

Q: Kwame, love your approach and work ethic. You're a Piston! Keep working hard. (From Jesse of PistonsNation)
KB: Thanks.

Q: Kwame, what have you been working on in the offseason (From JP)
KB: free throws free throws and free throws lol

Maceo Baston:

Q: Maceo, what's up welcome, did you enjoy your time in Toronto or Indiana more? (From Rban)
MB: i enjoyed my first stint in indiana the most with rick carlisle

Chucky Atkins:

Q: Chucky!! How do you think the long ball will treat ya in 09-10? (From Adam)
CA: The Long ball is better than ever! i ve had a great summer and had a lot of practice after 2yrs of injuries so its feel good

Q: What can you bring to the Pistons the second time around (From Scott)
CA: well the 2nd time around i bring more experience...i'm alot more patient and i'm seasoned...i've gotten better in every aspect of my game especially the mental part and i relish the challenge of being the leader and mentor that this team needs

Jason Maxiell:

Q: First congrats on your recent nuptials. Are you ready for the challenge to be McDyess' replacement? And what can we expect from you when you step on the court this season? (From Jeff)
JM: while i feel that this year is time for ME to step up and play his roll and be the guy that is doing the tough jobs

Q: Jason, I just saw a recent article about you being one of the best dunkers in the NBA. Please keep getting those awesome dunks! (From Eddie)
JM: ha ha lo no prob

Q: J-Max have you lost weight and how much? (From Pistons Fan)
JM: nope not really i was really busy and when i went to Africa i didnt eat a thing but when i came back to the states i ate for days lol

Will Bynum

Q: Will, what did you work on this summer? (From Bryan W)
WB: i worked on my shot alot and my body i lost 15 pounds from last year to become quicker and jump higher and defend harder for long periods of time and i watched tons of film

Charlie Villanueva

Q: The Twitter King himself! Are you going to get these other guys tweeting CV? (From Jesse of Pistons Nation)
CV31: i been trying to get them on twitter, its a working progress,

Q: Hey Charlie, did you see Rip's mohawk? (From Matt -- yes, Rip had a mowhawk. You can see it, sort of, here.)
CV31: yes i def see the new mohawk, different, but cool

Q: Charlie, what do you think about the new rules coming about twittering? (From Scott)
CV31: well i have to respect the rules, but if i had it my way, tweet at halftime :)

[image via @DETPistons]

UPDATE: Matt Watson over at Detroit Bad Boys will be providing links throughout the evening about Media Day.

That's all from me for today, but feel free to share your thoughts in the comments. This is going to be a really exciting season. It officially begins tomorrow with the first day of practice.

Larry Bird Building Pacers With An Eye Toward The Future

Tom Lewis — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 03:31:02 -0000

After the Indiana Pacers drafted Tyler Hansbrough last Thursday, one of the many thoughts I had was that the pick should ilicit a good round of Pacers' whitewash jokes. You know, because Hansbrough is white and there are currently five other white guys on the roster. Hee hee. Fair enough, just show some creativity.

But then I started hearing some, not a lot, but some comments on the radio and reading a few things on the web that insinuated that Larry Bird was a racist and his priority in running the team was to amass as many white players as possible, regardless of talent. And these people were serious, which ended up being funnier than any of the actual jokes I've heard.

Most of these types of comments seem to arise from people who begin with a bias of their own, normally from one of two camps. Either they hate Tyler Hansbrough and don't think he was worthy of any first round pick, let alone the 13th pick so Bird must be hung up on race to take Hansbrough so high OR they've been longing for Larry Bird to be replaced in the Pacers'front office so they are quick to criticize any move and the easiest (laziest?) dagger to throw with this pick is to hit the racial angle.

It's easy to be led astray when you don't follow a situation real close and instead take a snapshot in time or simply monitor in a general sense. So please indulge me a moment while I offer up a little history along with a glimpse to the future to make sure we're all working with facts. Now my apologies if this is a repeat for regular readers, but I feel the need to lay it out one more time, then I promise I'll stick to basketball.

Front Office History

Larry Bird has been in the Pacers'front office since 2003, working under Donnie Walsh until last summer. The initial plan was to have Bird groomed under Walsh for a few years before eventually taking over all basketball decisions. But in the aftermath of the brawl one year later, Walsh took back a more active role in the basketball operations and after a few francise-marring situations in the community handled the complicated trades that had the Pacers dealing Ron Artest and Stephen Jackson.

Peja Stojackovic was swapped for Artest and played for half a season, not to placate all of the racist fans in Indy, but because Sacramento said, "OK, we'll take Artest." Among the players that arrived in the Stephen Jackson deal were Mike Dunleavy and Troy Murphy. Murphand Dun were in a bad situation in Golden State and were admittedly overpriced, hence the reason they were moved. It turned out to be a pretty good deal, since both have played better than expected when the deal was completed. For some reason, though, Donnie Walsh is never pegged as a racist. Probably because he's from New York instead of French Lick.

During this time, Bird worked hard to bring in free agent Sarunas Jasikevicius, outbidding the Cleveland Cavaliers for the Lithuanian player who had lit up some of the NBA's best in the Olympics and had a few huge year in the Euro leagues. At the time, the Pacers had Jamaal Tinsley, Anthony Johnson and Eddie Gill so the reasoning was that Runi would provide a change of pace and be able to knock down threes. This was a huge miss by Bird when it became apparent that the two steps back pushed Runi out of his shooting range. Despite his skin tone, Runi's presence certainly didn't placate all of the racist hoop fans in Indy. After two years, Jasikevicius was included in the trade that brought in Murph and Dun.

Bird Draft History

While Walsh maintained the final say in trade negotiations, Bird handled the draft from the time he arrived back in town. Since his arrival, his overt plan to whitewash the Pacers has netted draft picks James Jones (2003), David Harrison and Rashad Wright (2004), Danny Granger and Erazem Lorbek (2005), Shawne Williams (2006) Stanko Barac (via trade 2007), Brandon Rush and Roy Hibbert (via trades 2008) and Tyler Hansbrough and A.J. Price (2009). Yeah, I know, Lorbek and Barac are white, but in fairness they were drafted as assetts to be developed on someone else's dime in Europe as opposed to placating all of the racist hoop fans in Indy.

Bird Trade History

Last summer was Larry Bird's first with full control of the basketball operations. He overturned the roster by bringing in seven new players. In the J.O. trade with Toronto, Bird brought back T.J. Ford, Rasho Nesterovic and Maceo Baston along with the draft rights to Roy Hibbert. Birds sinister and methodical plan to whitewash the Pacers did produce Rasho, but he was actually more valuable as an expiring contract than as a white player to placate all of the racist hoop fans in Indy.

The other three new players Bird dealt for came from a draft deal with the Portland Trail Blazers. Ike Diogu and the rights to Jerryd Bayless for Jarrett Jack, Josh McRoberts and the rights to Brandon Rush. Now to say Josh McRoberts was the key piece to that deal in order to placate all of the racist hoop fans in Indiana requires the suspension of any basketball knowledge said detractor may profess.

It just so turns out, that in the minimal minutes Josh McRoberts was given last year he actually showed some promise. Now don't go running to a box score or look for old game reports to call me crazy. You actually had to watch the games to see why the team would be willing to bring him back for a minimal salary and he will get the opportunity to earn his way on the team with a good showing in summer league.

Where Is Bird Taking The Pacers?

This is where Bird's efforts to placate all of the racist hoop fans in Indy gets a little rocky. The Pacers are trying to rebuild with a core of players who treat their game as a profession, focused on developing into the best player they can possibly be. Bird prefers a mature player who has faced adversity and succeeded in hostile environments. Unless the talent overwhelms, he appears set to error on the side of experience.

The problem with this rebuilding project is that the team is desperate to win back fans, and while the shallow thinkers may believe the plan to win back fans is as simple as trotting out as many white guys as possible, the reality is that the fans want a team that plays hard and wins. So instead of gutting the roster for a horrible, lottery-improving season, Bird and team have gathered players to bridge the franchise from the depths of despair a couple of years ago (specifically after missing the 2006-07 playoffs with a nearly unwatchable team) to a future built on the foundation of players described in the preceding paragraph.

This plan is dicey since playing hard is not a problem but the wins part remains a struggle. The team needs to win more this year to build on the positive end to last season. Although in reality, any wins next year won't have a positive impact on the long term future from a basketball sense. But since the team needs to create some excitement to generate revenue, the short-term focus on winning as much as possible is understandable, not to mention far more entertaining to follow.

For lack of a better term, the "bridge players" include anyone currently on the roster whose contract expires after the 2010-11 season. The team prefers to think of it as their three-year plan. Either way, after 2010-11 the contracts for Troy Murphy, Mike Dunleavy, T.J. Ford, Jeff Foster and Jamaal Tinsley will all expire. Travis Diener's contract will expire after next season. The Pacers didn't pick up the team option for Marquis Daniels. Parting ways with Daniels was a financial move, since picking up his $7.5 million option would've left the Pacers with about $2 million to fill out the roster while avoiding the luxury tax.

So to look at the future core of the team, check out the 2011-12 roster. There you'll find Danny Granger, Brandon Rush, Roy Hibbert and Tyler Hansbrough. Consider Jarrett Jack, Josh McRoberts and A.J. Price to be wild cards at this point, but obviously not yet considered core players. There's plenty of work to be done for the future team and I expect the bridge players to be used as leverage to gather future assetts between now and the end of the 2010-11 season.

But one thing I don't expect is for Larry Bird to consider all of the racist hoop fans in Indy when trying to fill out the roster. Fortunately, he doesn't care what anyone thinks, he just wants to work with players that want to work to improve the team while also keeping the roster's financial situation in check and under the luxury tax.

So there you go. Make sure you understand me. I'm not saying there's racial harmony in Indiana nor any hoop fans who view the game through a personal racist lens. I'm also not saying the Pacers won't add white players in the future. In fact, I'd love it if they could swing a deal with a bridge player or two to land Ricky Rubio and Brian Cardinal's expiring contract from Minnesota. We can dream, right?

What I am saying is that Larry Bird has enough factors involved in trying to build a roster for the future without also trying to execute some sinister conspiracy to make the team white. And if you actually take an honest look at the basketball decisions which led to the current roster (not to mention who was making the decisions), that line of thinking based on a general, current snapshot unravels. In fact, looking at the core future, if Bird's desire is to "whiten" the Pacers, then he'd be failing miserably.

So to conclude, Larry Bird is wading through several complicated issues while trying to build the Indiana Pacers for a successful future. Race just isn't one of them nor is the opinion of any fan. Oh, and Tyler Hansbrough was a selected as a solid player in a draft that isn't expected to be league-altering. Deal with it.