SB Nation - Kwame Brown

Some Thoughts on Kobe & Shaq

Josh Tucker — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 18:01:03 -0000

A few days ago, as you all remember quite well, Kobe Bryant hit this ridiculous game-winning bank shot over Dwyane Wade to beat Miami and keep the Lakers' winning streak (now at 9 games) alive. It was incredible, and yet, because it was Kobe, completely unsurprising. I was out of my mind, and yet, because it was Kobe, I should almost have expected it. It was an amazing shot, and yet, because it was Kobe, not a shocking one.

For me, as for many Lakers fans, the experience went beyond that single shot. In the day or so that followed, I found myself mentally reliving many of Kobe's previous buzzer beaters. Two of my favorites, of course, are the double-whammies versus Portland and Phoenix — in both of which, Kobe first ties the game at the buzzer to send it to overtime, and then, at the end of overtime, hits another shot at the buzzer to win it. (Side note: I wonder how many other players have hit two buzzer beaters in the same game, on more than one occasion? Anyone know?)

Suddenly, something occurred to me. My wife, who often watches Lakers games with me (lucky man that I am), had probably never seen either of those shots (or rather, pairs of shots). We got married in late 2006, and it was only after that that she started watching with me. So, of course, I called up YouTube and played them for her.

That's when I noticed something — something different about Shaq and Kobe...

Back in May of this almost-over calendar year, the NBA was busy applying fancy editing to some of the more dramatic moments in NBA playoff history, and the results were awesome. You had Dr. J's reverse layup, Larry Legend's inbounds steal, Magic Johnson's baby skyhook, and of course, Kobe's clutch alley-oop pass to Shaq.

When the Kobe-to-Shaq commercial ran, Jason Kottke noticed something about the play:

Bryant creates 95% of the offense here by crossing Pippen over and throwing a perfect lob to O'Neal. O'Neal throws it down and the camera follows him as he heads down the court yelling in celebration, totally blowing right past Kobe, who has his hand out to high-five Shaq. Kobe half-heartedly grabs at O'Neal's forearm as he passes; Shaq doesn't even notice.

Henry Abbott picked up on Jason's observation and ran it on TrueHoop, referring to it as "Where Amazingly Sad Happens."

Watch the video at the top of this post, and you'll see what they were referring to. Here's the unedited version, which further reinforces Kottke's point, making it even more clear that Kobe, not Shaq, is responsible for this play; Shaq was open for the lob because Kobe drew four defenders (Derek Fisher was keeping the fifth one honest).

Kobe created that play for Shaq. Kobe deserves most of the credit; all Shaq did was cash in on an incredible move and a gorgeous pass by Bryant. In fact, it's worth pointing out that in this situation, Kobe did what Magic didn't — pass the ball to his open big man. In light of Kobe's reputation as a supposed ball-hog (7 assists in the triangle offense, anyone?), even that is worth something — especially since Kobe had enough space to take the shot himself, and a free-throw jumper is almost automatic for him. But he made that pass, found his open big man, and created the biggest play of the game.

But what's Shaq's response, when the momentous play is completed? It's certainly not to show any appreciation to his very deserving teammate. Instead, he turns and points to the home crowd as he runs down the court.

It's as if to say, "I've done it! I've all but won us the game — give me the glory!" He's too busy exalting in his greatness and soaking in the adoration of the fans to even notice Kobe, let alone thank him. The star of the game, as Kottke also points out, was Kobe, who had 25 points, 11 rebounds, 7 assists, and 4 blocks in the amazing comeback, as compared to Shaq's 18/9/5/1. The credit for the pivotal play belonged to Kobe. But there's Shaq, taking all the credit.

Watch the unedited video again. As Kottke points out (the dude was full of insights), it shows Shaq finally finding Kobe for a high-five, long after the play is over and he's sought out and received his props from the fans and his teammates. Kottke points out that "it's a brief moment; they slap hands and go their separate ways, foreshadowing Shaq's departure four years later." To me, it looks like more of the same from Shaq — his body language says, "High five me for that awesome play I just made." (To his credit, Kobe does just that.) Not that there's anything wrong with that, when it's deserved; players do that all the time, when they've just done something awesome. It's just that, in this case, it should have been a high five, or even a hug, that said, "I'm high fiving you for that play you just made."

Kinda like this:

Having been blown away by Kobe's game-winner over Miami, and having gone back to relive this previous clutch Kobe moments with my wife, I noticed something that reminded me of Jason Kottke's and Henry Abbott's observations regarding the Kobe-Shaq alley-oop.

Kobe deserved more credit for his game-tying floater than Shaq did for his alley-oop dunk. Unlike Shaq, Kobe created his own shot, and it was much more difficult. The presence of mind to know how much time was on the clock, and to know what kind of shot he could get in that time, was incredible. That left fake before he goes to the right around Raja Bell is simply brilliant. The twisting floater over Diaw to avoid the block was as perfect as it gets, and a very tough shot found nothing but net. As one commentator puts it (sounds like Hubie Brown, maybe?), "This is a miraculous shot."

But incredible as that shot was, it never would have happened without Smush freaking Parker's (!!) strip and deflection. And Kobe knows it. From stripping the ball without fouling, to dancing along the sideline while chasing a loose ball, to the presence of mind required to calmly make the controlled tap to an already-breaking teammate (Devean George), Smush Parker was, quite simply, playing way over his head. It was a brilliant, savvy, smart play that set up Kobe's shot. Get this right, folks: Kobe may have tied the game, but it was Smush Parker who saved it.

And Kobe knows this. He's just sent the game to overtime, and the crowd is going nuts for him, and he could care less about any of that. Instead of celebrating his own incredible shot or soaking in the crowd's mind-numbing adoration, he makes a bee-line for Smush. There's no simple high five here, no quick butt-smack. He freaking smothers the kid, and doesn't let go of him until Smush knows that he was the man on that play. Even after his teammates catch up and mob Kobe for making the shot, he still doesn't let go of his boy.

Smush Parker didn't put up 25/11/7/5 on the game. In fact, he was pretty bad on the night, going 2-12 for 5 points, with 3 rebounds, only 1 assist, and 5 fouls (and no free throws of his own). As hindsight has made so very clear, it had to be frustrating for Kobe to be playing the mighty Suns alongside a player of Smush's caliber (not to mention Devean George/Brian Cook and Kwame Brown, who, together with Smush, composed 3/5 of the Lakers starting unit). But in this moment, none of that matters, because as far as Kobe is concerned, Smush is the hero of the moment, and he makes sure his point guard gets every ounce of the appreciation he deserves.

Now, don't take this as being some sort of end-all point to completely settle the argument — but doesn't it seem a bit off to you, in watching these two plays, that Kobe had the reputation of being such a bad teammate, and Shaq, such a great one? Certainly, Kobe has had his flaws. But, as this video session suggests, perhaps it's not nearly so cut and dry — perhaps Kobe was never as bad as he was made out to be, and perhaps Shaq was never as good.

Just some food for thought, for the next time the Shaq-Kobe "relationship" comes up.

Lakers Handle Pistons as Kobe Finds Balance

Josh Tucker — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 10:13:21 -0000

More photos » by Jeff Gross - Getty Images

Back to his old tricks, but with some new ones to boot.

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Lakers fans understand what I mean when I say that sometimes, watching Kobe Bryant play, it's almost as though the game in progress becomes secondary. The greatness of Kobe Bryant simply transcends the moment, and you could almost forget that there is an event taking place, the outcome of which matters quite a bit to the players, coaches, and indeed, Kobe Bryant himself. You could almost forget that anything bigger was happening than you, sitting transfixed, watching Kobe be Kobe. This was one of those nights — not quite to the extent of 81 points, or 62 in three quarters, but nonetheless.

And yet, even as Kobe Bryant finished with 40 points for the 100th time in his career — only the third player in history to reach that mark — there was a game taking place. And it just so happens that it was a game that mattered just a little bit more than your average November NBA game against middling competition. The Lakers were on their first "losing streak" of the season, having lost their last two games, and those two losses had been bad ones. Too soon to be freaking out? Yes, of course. Important to right the ship? Also, yes.

So while it would be so tempting to simply bask in the beauty of Kobe's one hundredth 40-point game, and the way in which he scored those 40 points, we're going to resist that urge and get into some other observations about this mostly encouraging game.

Okay, so maybe we'll bask for a moment, at least. Let's do this quasi HP-style.

Thing That Mesmerized Me

Kobe Bryant. Perhaps it was poetic, in some sense, that Kobe started the night with an unchallenged airball, before roaring out to a frustrating 1-6 start. Then, in a performance that is indicative of Kobe's challenge this year, he shot 16-23 for the rest of the game, including an unbelievable stretch in the second and third quarters in which he hit 12 of 15 shots.

The challenge for Kobe, this year perhaps more than ever before, is adaptation. As most of you know, I'm a huge fan of his significantly augmented post game, and I'm not alone. I think it could equate to a leap in Kobe's overall game, as well as increased longevity at a very high level as he plays into his thirties. However, as dominant as Bryant's post game has been in the early season, it has at times been so much the focus that it has rendered both Kobe and the team one-dimensional. If Kobe is going to play almost exclusively from the post, and the Lakers are going to force the ball into him on every possession, then defenses will pack it into the paint and both Bryant and the Lakers as a whole will sputter. Even Stu and Joel picked up on this, admiring Kobe's new post moves while also calling for him to mix it up, keeping opponents guessing rather than falling into a predictable routine.

Last night, he did just that, and he was brilliant. If the last few years have been "Good Ol' Kobe," and this year has been "Post Kobe," then his 100th forty-point game was a devastating combination of the two. At times, he posted up. At others, he attacked from the perimeter, off the dribble or on cuts within the offense. At times, he created head-shakingly easy shots for himself with superb footwork and the full utilization of the broadest, most fundamentally sound skill set in existence. At others, he simply hit impossible shots, as he always has done — fadeaway jumpers after absorbing the foul, super-extended hook-layups, and no-look, over-the-head toss-ins that have no business finding the net. But best of all, while busy being unstoppable, he still found time to look for his teammates.

As Kobe's game changes, and the needs of his team also change, teams will adapt to counter him. For Kobe, continued dominance — both for himself, and for his team — depend not on any one skill, but on his ability to balance all of his many skills, keeping defenses guessing and playing not only to his strengths, but to his team's. This is what he did last night.

Oh, and 40 points on 29 field goal attempts. Sweet.

Things I Liked

The second and third quarter efforts. The Lakers played very good defense during these two periods, holding the Pistons to 0.90 points per possession. They were active and persistent, and the Pistons' offense often struggled to find a shot at all (let alone a good one) before the buzzer. On the other side of the ball, the Lakers' offense was untouchable, scoring at a jaw-dropping rate of 1.45 points per possession. Their passing was crisp, willing, and frequent, and it was a thing of beauty to watch. Of course, it didn't hurt that the Lakers' new dynamic duo were on fire in these two quarters, with Kobe scoring 27 on 12-15 shooting, and Andrew Bynum hitting 6-8 for 14 points, along with four rebounds.

Andrew Bynum. Offensively, it's safe to say the kid has arrived. He is so long, so soft of the hands, and so talented, that few teams can keep Bynum from getting his points these days, and at a very efficient rate. Tonight, however, his effort was there in every aspect of the game. He was moving his feet on defense, showing on pick and rolls and even challenging guards on the perimeter. He was altering shots, lunging after rebounds, and even scrambling after loose balls. Offensively, he wasn't forcing it, made good decisions, and knew when to kick the ball out, resulting in an open shot for a teammate or a re-post for himself. He has had better numbers, but it is with all-around efforts like these that he is at his best, and makes the Lakers that much harder to beat.

The Bench. They didn't mesmerize me, but they were good enough. Josh Powell remained steadily consistent, Jordan Farmar attacked the basket and remained under control, and Shannon Brown continued to be a spark of energy whose impact on the game was far more positive than his 4-12 shooting line would seem to indicate. Yes, I was watching in the fourth quarter ... see below.

Ron Artest, role player. Has he ever been less noticeable, or less noticed, in his entire career? At this point, he is flying so low under the radar, playing with such poise, and fitting so well into the system without drawing attention to himself, being a distraction, or wasting Laker possessions, that I don't feel like it fits to call him anything but his full name, at this point. No Crazy Pills, no Tru Warier, not even Ron Ron. When you forget he's there, he's just Ron Artest. And it's a very good thing.

Pau Gasol, hopeful. The Spaniard has been very vocal about his frustration with his injury, and has shown a rare willingness to express some pretty serious negativity regarding it to the press. The fact that during the third/fourth quarter interview, he was hopeful and positive, and seemed to think it very possible that he could be back by Thursday, was encouraging to me. Also, Phil Jackson was tickled pink not to have to do said third/fourth quarter interview.

Things I Didn't Like

The First Quarter. The second and third quarters were a relief, because the first was continued frustration. Non-existent defense, sloppiness on offense, overall lack of effort and interest, and general bobbleheadedness. The Lake Show was discombobulated and distracted in the first quarter, and a good team would have put us in a pretty decent early hole.

Pau Gasol choosing the wrong CSI. I'm all about Gasol branching out. The dude's a scholar and a philosopher, and was studying to be a doctor before he decided to go pro ball. I wouldn't be at all surprised if he can act, and I wish him the best of luck. And since I just like the guy so damn much, if he does act, I'm probably going to want to see it. Which now poses a problem, since watching CSI: Miami is against my religion. Seriously, Pau?

Thing I Hated

Staples Center Boo-ing Kwame Brown. Disappointing doesn't say it. Appalling is closer. Way to stay classy, Los Angeles.

Thing I Didn't Care About

The Fourth Quarter. Perhaps you're upset about the end-of-game lapse. You wanted the bench to come in and hold the 25-point lead. You wanted a good, old fashioned blowout. The fact that the Pistons cut the lead from 25 to eight, before finally losing by 13, really frustrates you, and you can't see how I could list the bench as a positive.

Frankly, I could care less whether we win by 13 or 25. I fully expect that a team up 25 in the fourth is going to let up a bit, play with less intensity, and thereby let the other team back in a bit. Let's be honest, a 25-point fourth quarter comeback is virtually impossible — consider, for example, that between the two teams, only three times (out of eight) did a team score more than 25 total quarter points. 25 more than your opponent in a single quarter? Not happening. So yeah, a team up 25 in the fourth quarter relaxes a bit, and the other team gets back in it a bit. The game was never in danger, so I couldn't care less.

Thing I'd Like To Leave You With

Clearly, this season is still a process. If you honestly thought the Lakers could win 70 games, you didn't consider that this team still has many lessons left to learn — and to Phil Jackson, the regular season is for learning those lessons, not for chasing meaningless records. Because there are still lessons left to be learned, there will be ups and downs. The weekend was a down, and a bit discouraging. As of this moment, we're back on the up. No, all problems are not fixed, and this team is not ready to win a championship yet. But we're seeing very good potential from them, and an ability to understand their own problems, along with a willingness and ability to address and resolve them. While not enough to inspire entitlement arrogance supreme confidence, it is certainly an encouraging indication.

Lakers-Pistons Preview

DexterFishmore — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 18:00:38 -0000

On the scale of sportswriter adjectives, the Los Angeles Lakers hover somewhere between "shorthanded" and "injury-ravaged." Pau Gasol is improving but still out of commission. Kobe Bryant is playing, but with a hurt groin. Luke Walton has an aching back and is likely out until 2010.

And yet, their Tuesday night opponent, the Detroit Pistons, might be worse off still. Rip Hamilton and Tayshaun Prince, who together dropped the guillotine blade on the Shaq-era Lakers in the 2004 Finals, are both shelved with injuries, and point guard Rodney Stuckey left the Pistons' Sunday night game early with a strained something. (It was either an ankle or a calf, depending on who you ask.) Stuckey will play tonight, but Detroit still runs only eight deep.

And that's only if you count Kwame Brown.

Despite their injury-ravagedness, the Pistons haven't looked too bad so far. In fact, they're the very model of a middle-class NBA team. Their record is 5-5 against an average slate of opponents, and they're 15th in the league in net points. Nothing in those results should embarrass new coach John Kuester. Especially since he's had to give 15 minutes a night to Kwame and 20 to Jonas Jerebko, the only Swedish player in the league.*

And here you were thinking the Lakers' bench sucked.

Prithee take a closer look at the Pistons' team stats, below.** All terms and their significance explained here. League rankings are in parentheses.

*Pace*	87.4 (29th)
*Offensive Rating*	106.8 (13th)
Turnover Rate (Off.)	13.0% (7th)
FTA/FGA (Off.)	0.36 (3rd)
Free Throw % (Off.)	70.2 (28th)
Effective FG % (Off.)	48.7 (19th)
True Shooting % (Off.)	53.0 (20th)
Offensive Rebounding %	27.9 (9th)
*Defensive Rating*	104.7 (15th)
Turnover Rate (Def.)	13.3% (19th)
FTA/FGA (Def.)	0.37 (28th)
Effective FG % (Def.)	46.5 (5th)
True Shooting % (Def.)	51.8 (8th)
Defensive Rebounding %	70.9 (24th)

The Pistons play at a slow pace, as they've seemingly done forever. The offense runs through four perimeter players: Stuckey, new acquisitions Ben Gordon and Charlie Villanueva and backup PG Will Bynum. Though he's the only one to come off the bench, Bynum might be the best of the group. He's an efficient scorer and has the potential to wreak Aaron Brooks-like havoc on the Laker D.

Stuckey and Gordon throw some different looks at you. The former is a big power guard in the Rajon Rondo mold, while Gordon loves shooting like Kwame loves cake. It wouldn't surprise me to see Ron Artest spend time checking these guys, both to give Kobe a rest on defense and because the Pistons don't have a small forward worth guarding. (Jerebko hardly ever shoots. I told you he's Swedish.)

Speaking of nobody worth guarding, Ben Wallace is back as the Pistons' starting center. He's the same Ben Wallace you remember, but worse. This doesn't mean, though, that Andrew Bynum gets the night off. Stuckey and the other Bynum are both adroit at getting shots in the lane, and as the numbers above show, Detroit's a good offensive rebounding squad. The Lakers are next-to-last in the NBA in defensive rebounding, so... you know. If they feel like hitting the boards tonight that'd be great.

The Laker offense has been a disaster two straight games now. Their shot selection has been bad, their shot making even worse, and not nearly enough effort has been made to pound the ball in to Bynum. The Pistons don't have amazing inside defenders, so Drew could have another big night if the other Lakers don't forget he's on the team. Except for whoever's guarding Fish (most likely Gordon and Will Bynum), there's no position at which the Lakers don't have a matchup edge on offense.

It's unclear, though, exactly how much of a problem Kobe's groin will be. He practiced fully on Monday and says he's OK, but you and I know he hasn't looked the same the last couple games. Detroit doesn't have a Battier-caliber defender, so Tuesday should bring us closer to knowing whether Kobe's just been off lately or, alternatively, whether the groin is a real concern.

We'll also find out how Phil Jackson adjusts the rotation for Luke's absence, which opens up about 10 minutes of playing time. Technically Adam Morrison is next on the small-forward depth chart, but Phil must know he'd be exposed in a bigger role. Instead I expect to see more small lineups, with incrementally more run given to Shannon Brown, Jordan Farmar and Sasha Vujacic.

(Feel free not to explode with delight at this prospect. Until Pau returns, allowing Lamar Odom to spend more time at three, there aren't a ton of great options here.)

Detroit's a team the Lakers should beat, even at less than full strength. If you combined the two teams' rosters, only one Piston (pick one of the guards) would start, and a couple Pistons who get real minutes (Jerebko and Kwame) would play not at all. The Lakers have been so bad the last six quarters, nothing can be taken for granted, but the first three-game losing streak in the Era of Gasol for now looks pretty unlikely.

* - I was going to write that Jerebko is the only Swedish player in NBA history, but it turns out Miles Simon was born there as well.

** - Thanks to Basketball Reference and Hoopdata for the numbers. Excellent sites, both.

Gilbert Arenas talks about his struggles learning how to balance scoring and distributing

Mike Prada — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 21:49:22 -0000

More photos » by Evan Vucci - AP

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You've probably already read about how Gilbert Arenas admitted he's having trouble figuring out his role in Flip Saunders' offense. It's a pretty obvious thing to notice when you're watching, and I found it really enlightening, if still concerning, that Arenas opened up about it.

But I also disagree with both beat writers, who seem to wonder whether there's some sort of rift between Arenas and Caron Butler. Their evidence? Butler didn't get a shot down the stretch, and then made some postgame comment that indicated he liked how Earl Boykins got him the ball in good spots. The implication Michael Lee makes is that Butler was indirectly calling out Arenas, and while I don't think that's the case, I was talking to Arenas when Butler said that, so I suppose it's possible.

That said, I want to post Arenas post-game interview in full and then try to get at what might have actually happened down the stretch for Butler to not get any shots. I'm thinking the problem is that Arenas didn't step up to get the ball enough, not that he was hogging it and looking off Butler.

If you want to follow along with the Arenas interview transcript, here's the audio.

Gilbert Arenas talks after the Wizards' loss to Detroit.

Can you talk about the way Earl [Boykins] played tonight?

He did great tonight. But that's what Earl does. Me and Earl played together my second year. We went from 19 wins to 40 wins, and the only additions were me and him, so we played well together. I think he's going to help us this season.

Talk about getting all the pieces back healthy together as you approach the Cleveland game.

The funny part with Antawn coming back now is that now we have to jell and get him back into the flow. Hopefully, it can be a quick turnaround. Players have been dropping, players have been added, so we just don't have the rhythm we would like right now. But we've never really been a team that's played November very well. Since I've been here, December has been our month.

Why haven't you guys been able to sustain your effort for 48 minutes?

I don't know. I don't know if I'm sitting out there just watching. There's always a half or a quarter where I don't shoot and I don't score. Before, in Eddie [Jordan's] system, he needed me to score 30. In this system, I don't have to, so not shooting for a whole quarter doesn't really bother me because we have other player that are scoring. But then, when I try to get into a rhythm, I don't have that feel, so I have to find a way to keep myself in the game the whole time.

Is this system too complicated? Is that what's tough?

No, no. It's just that you have so many weapons. You have Mike Miller, you have Caron [Butler], you have Andray [Blatche], you have Earl. You can relax and let them go. But then I find myself in the fourth quarter realizing I haven't shot the ball yet, and I get up to the free throw line and boink it. I just have to find out how to keep my rhythm throughout the whole game.

(A question about the defense, which I'm skipping through)

What's been the toughest thing for you? Is it coming back and running the team? Is it finding your rhythm?

I think the assist to turnover ratio is what's bothering me right now. I find myself doing more thinking than I am just reacting off my instincts. Players in this league, they react. I was a reactor. Now, I find myself being a thinker. Just like the Miami game, I'm sitting there concentrating on getting assists. Averaging eight assists, averaging nine assists, because I want to be labeled a "point guard." So, I catch myself forcing assists. Today, I just found myself saying "I'm going to forget the turnovers, go out there, and just do whatever. I ended up getting 10, and I was like "Jesus Christ." (smiles)

Do you want to go back to the old free-flowing style of Gilbert Arenas?

You know, even Earl said it when he first came here. He said, "I remembered the angry Gilbert in Golden State. All that Gilbert did was get a whole bunch of technicals and tear up the locker room. You just got to go back to being yourself. Go out there, have fun, laugh, play silly. That's when you play your best.

Do you think you need to be off the ball more to get going?

I was off the ball in the fourth quarter (laughs).

So then, were the shot just not coming for you? Was the ball not finding it's way to you?

I don't know, I just relaxed. When Earl's out there, he's out there doing his thing, and I'm going to let him do his thing. When Caron got going, Caron got going. Sometimes, there would be periods where the ball just didn't find me.

You feel like if you stay consistently aggressive on offense, that'll spread the floor for others?

That's how it was before, in Eddie's system. He just told me "Attack, attack, attack, 24/7." In this system, I have the ball so much where if I just attack, attack and attack, I'll sit around and score 60. I'll just be ball-hogging. So I have to take myself off the ball and take my mind out of shooting. If I just attack, I'll just attack every play, and I can't play like that.

When you were talking about thinking too much about assists, is that from having been away the past two years, or is it being in a new system?

It's being in a new system. (Pauses). And being away. You see players out there like Chris Paul averaging 20 and 10. They consider him the best point guard [in the league], so you put in your mind that in this system, I can go average 20 and 10, so let me go average 20 and 10. And then I catch myself trying to force assists. Like, in the Miami game, I took 27 shots and had 3 assists. I'm sitting there saying "Shit, I can't do that." So the next game, we play Indiana, and I take 10 shots. Then, I look, and I see 3 assists.

Is there anywhere else in your game, other than the system adjustment, where you think you're struggling to get back into a rhythm from being off for a while?

You would think shooting, not having my legs. I can see in my free throws, I don't have a feel for it. I'm practicing them, and they feel good then, but in a game, I just don't have a rhythm for it. Other than that, not really.

Is it frustrating that you haven't found that comfort level?

It's frustrating because we know what kind of talent we have. It's frustrating for me because I know I can take over in fourth quarters like I have been doing, but I don't want to take away from the team. [DeShawn Stevenson] got mad at me today, because in the fourth quarter, I only took three shots. Before, this wouldn't have happened. He said, "You would have taken over the fourth quarter even if you had to take every shot." But I don't feel like I have to do that this early because of what we have here.

Now that it's not working, do you see yourself going back?

I don't want to get into that situation. We have Antawn [Jamison] coming back, and we have to get him into the flow. You know, it's only been nine games. We can find ourselves out of this.

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I always used to think that the whole "the true test of a superstar is how he makes his teammates better" theory was a load of bull spit. I just didn't really see how a superstar could wield so much control over his supporting cast. Did Kobe Bryant really become better at "making his teammates better," or did his teammates just change from Smush Parker and Kwame Brown to Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum? Is Steve Nash responsible for making his teammates better, or did Phoenix just do an exceptional job at putting the right complimentary pieces around Nash?

But listening to Arenas talk, it's clear that there might be something to it. Here you have a Wizards team that, even when shorthanded, has some guys who can really put up points. They're being plugged into a system where sharing the basketball is the whole point. Without sharing the ball, the system doesn't work. It's also a system where the point guard plays such a huge role in determining who gets the ball when. When that point guard is also someone with supreme scoring ability, it's a tough role to balance. Hearing Arenas admit he's completely out of rhythm when he takes a backseat to let others score only drives the point home.

That's why I find it hard to believe that Arenas is ignoring Caron Butler. Butler is getting his shots. Nearly 25 percent of the Wizards' possessions when Butler is on the court end in a Butler shot attempt, drawn foul or turnover. That's not as high as Arenas' mark, but it's higher than where Butler was at in his two all-star seasons. The problem with Butler is twofold. First, he's not converting the attempts he gets, and second, he's not creating good enough shots for himself or for others when he does get the ball. It's hard for me to believe that Arenas is both freezing out himself and Butler.

What really happened down the stretch on Saturday displayed that Arenas the off guard in crunch time isn't a good idea. Boykins was the one who dribbled the ball up the court. Arenas was the one trying to pop out and catch the ball. When it didn't work, which happens a lot with Boykins because Boykins tends to pound the dribble a lot, Boykins created something himself. When Arenas doesn't get a chance to catch and create, then Butler suffers too. At least that's how it should be -- Arenas creating with Butler finding a way to play off him.

Basically, my read is that both Arenas and Butler were phased out, at least relative to how much they should have received the ball. I don't really think Butler should be getting the ball and isolating down the stretch. He's not as good at that as Arenas is, even with Arenas struggling to get into a rhythm.

All that said, something about our crunch-time setup needs to change. I have two suggestions for that, neither of which are mutually exclusive.

Give Arenas the damn ball and let him make plays. No more of this "playing Arenas off the ball down the stretch" garbage. The best closers in the game -- Kobe, LeBron James, Dwyane Wade -- always get the ball to start possessions in the fourth quarter and then consequently get help and make plays for themselves or others. Arenas is one of the few players in the league with the capacity to drive for a score himself or find an open teammate. He's still learning how to do both at the same time, but having someone else bring the ball up the court down the stretch doesn't fix any of that. Now, should Arenas go off the ball earlier in the game? Absolutely. It allows guys like Boykins and Randy Foye to do their thing and get into the game while Arenas still maintains a rhythm. But down the stretch, you need to trust your best player to make the right decisions. This Wizards team is sinking or swimming with Arenas anyway.
Run more Arenas/Butler screen plays late rather than early, and run them at the top of the key: The play I'd really like to see the Wizards run down the stretch is the one Jason Terry and Dirk Nowitzki have been doing for years in Dallas. Have Butler set a high screen for Arenas and the fade to the pinch-post/elbow area in the middle of the floor. Don't have Arenas jet to the hoop just yet. Instead, have him try to force a switch, so that a smaller guy gets switched on Butler. Then, either decide to take the bigger guy off the dribble, or lob it into Caron and let him go to work one step from the lane. If Caron gets doubled, swing it and get an open shot. This keeps Butler involved while ensuring that Arenas is trusted with the ball in his hands.

It's not an easy fix, of course, but it's also a problem Arenas is well aware of. This is a situation where the Wizards need to rely on him, now more than ever. This isn't the type for them to scale back his capacity for decision-making in the offense.

Ben Gordon Off; Pistons Fall to Mavs, 95-90

Packey — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 05:03:07 -0000

More photos » by Duane Burleson - AP

He might be ugly, but Dirk Nowitzki can score at will. He was clutch in the fourth quarter and led the Mavs to victory with 25 points. (AP Photo/Duane Burleson)

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Rodney Stuckey and Will Bynum were stealing the show and the Pistons were flirting with victory against the Dallas Mavericks. Meanwhile, Ben Gordon was in the midst of having the worst game in his career. If it weren't for his abysmal night, the Pistons probably would have pulled this one out.

Gordon shot 1-16 (6%!) from the field, 0-6 from downtown, and went just 3-6 from the charity stripe despite being an 86% career free throw shooter. This performance most likely trumps the poor game he had his rookie season when he went 0-10, but hit all six free throw attempts.

If Gordon makes even just 13% of his shots and all his free throws today, the Pistons probably would have been on their way to the West Coast with their fourth win in a row.

Ben Gordon was paid the big bucks this off-season to come in and be the clutch, sharpshooter that he proved to be while he was in Chicago (see 2009 playoffs for exhibit A). And perhaps that's why the Pistons appeared to draw up a play for Gordon with five seconds remaining, down three, despite his awful night. Unfortunately, Gordon's night got worse, as his off-balance three clanked the front of the rim and rolled off the back and kicked left, out of the reach of any Piston rebounders.

With the type of night Gordon was having compared to Bynum and Stuckey, it may have many fans wondering why a play was not drawn up for one of the other two. After all, Bynum scored 17 of his 27 points in the 4th quarter and Stuckey had 28 points. Both were a combined 23-36 shooting and 2-4 from downtown.

Good question.

Stuckey injured his left calf* midway through the fourth and did not return. As for Bynum, I'm not sure why he wasn't the go-to guy in that situation. He single handedly brought the Pistons back into the game when they trailed by eight in the fourth quarter, slicing through Dallas' defense consistently. Instead, Detroit had him inbounds the ball on the final play. Maybe Gordon was meant to pass it back to Bynum if he wasn't open, but Gordon looked like he was going to have a clear look. He just jumped awkwardly to his right and made it a much tougher shot than it could have been.

Dirk Nowitzki led the Mavericks with 25 points on 11-27 shooting.

More thoughts/notes after the jump:

Dirk was ridiculously good tonight (and when is he not?). I give a lot of credit to Charlie Villanueva for the defense he played on him most of the night. I know Wallace D'ed him up quite a bit too, but every time I saw CV on Dirk, he had a hand in his face. Dirk is just a freak. And did anyone else notice that when Dirk makes, it's a clean swish every time?
Kwame Brown and Austin Daye were noticeably impressive on the glass tonight, each grabbing five rebounds.
Personally, I love that the Pistons went to Gordon on that last shot. It shows that they have the "utmost confidence" in him no matter what and are implicitly reiterating to him, still a young guy, that great shooters should have short term memories. Kuester said in his post-game interview, "I’ll call it for him again when I get the chance."
The highlights:
Pistons hit the West Coast now, starting with a 10 PM EST game on Tuesday night against the defending champs, Lakers. They'll play another back-to-back game on Wednesday in Portland. It's going to be a difficult road trip, but if we've learned anything from the Pistons first ten games it's that they don't go down easy. Let's hope that continues out west.
UPDATE: *There were questions as to what exactly happened to Stuckey when he was injured. Some thought it was his ankle and others thought it was his calf. During the game, it was reported as a calf injury --- most likely cramps -- and I've linked to the Detroit News, who say it's a calf injury . However, as a reader pointed out to me, Yahoo is saying it was an ankle injury and that Stuckey wanted to come back in. I'm sure we'll hear the accurate report tomorrow.

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.

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.

Browse more photos »

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:

NBA Regular Season Tips Off

Packey — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 23:35:35 -0000

Tonight is the opening night of the 2009-2010 season, officially tipping off with the Boston Celtics taking on the Cavs at 7:30 PM EST. An hour later, the Wizards will take on the Mavericks in Dallas. Rockets at Blazers and Clippers at Lakers will provide the (late) night cap beginning at 10 PM EST and 10:30 PM EST, respectively.

Honestly, now that the season is finally here, it feels like the NBA Finals just completed and we were just getting into the swing of offseason issues. I know a lot of you feel like the new season couldn't come quick enough, and it really couldn't considering how miserable last season was. Trust me, I'm glad it's finally here so we can actually talk about concrete issues and analyze games that actually mean something in the standings. It's just too bad the Pistons don't play until tomorrow night.

To hold you over until tomorrow night's game, I've put together some Pistons links worthy of reading after the jump. Also, if you're going to be watching tonight's games, you can use this post as an open thread to share your thoughts, etc.

Hamilton misses practice for personal reasons, but will be in Memphis -- MLIVE

Pistons should start Ben Wallace at Power Forward -- Full Court Press

Stuckey shows he's coming alone -- Detroit News

Change has hit the Pistons-- Detroit News

27-year streak is on the line for the Red Wings and Pistons -- Freep

Iverson, Hamilton address last season -- Pistons Point

Kwame Brown is funny -- Detroit Bad Boys

Best and worst of the 10/23 box scores - Life on Dumars

NBA Predictions-- Detroit4lyfe

Some uniform notes -- PistonsNation

Eastern Conference previews-- San Diego News Network

Again, if you're going to be watching tonight's games, you can use this as an open game thread to share your thoughts, etc. Enjoy the games and welcome back to the regular season of the NBA.