SB Nation - Detroit Pistons

Stuckey Has Your Answer: Pistons 90, Sixers 86

Packey — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 05:03:11 -0000

Feed me starter minutes. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

It started out as another one of Rodney Stuckey's patented wild drives through the lane. With the score tied at 86, Stuckey was determined to get a shot up, at all costs, praying he'd get a call or his circus shot would fall with less than 10 seconds left. Unfortunately, he was swarmed by Sixers and Andre Iguodala taught him a quick, clean, lesson by blocking his wild attempt. Luckily, the loose ball wound up right back in Stuckey's hands. He promptly put up a fade away jumper that toilet bowled home and the Pistons had a two point lead they wouldn't give up.

It elicited the thought of a scene from one of my favorite movies. A sharp pang in my stomach seeing him try to force up a shot, followed by elation witnessing him redeem it a second later.

And Stuckey deserved that second chance opportunity. He had arguably the best game of his season, scoring a game-high 27 points on 10-19 shooting. He was perfect from the free throw line (including two clinchers), had eight assists, five rebounds, and committed just two turnovers. Rodney Stuckey was tonight's player of the game.

Allen "The Answer?" Iverson, not so much. While he did hit a tying jumper with a minute to go, he shot just 3-10 and had six (count 'em) turnovers against his former team. As he looked the other night against his other former team, the Denver Nuggets, Iverson seemed intent on sticking it to his former squad. Unfortunately for him, he just didn't have it either night.

It's a shame ESPN decided to cancel this match up, because with the Iverson "drama" and the game itself it was a great one. Neither team held a lead larger than eight throughout the course of the game and the leads were going back and forth the entire fourth quarter. Aside from the rebounding discrepancy (45-32 Detroit) the statistics were nearly identical.

But in the end, it was the Pistons who walked away with their third straight win and handed Philly their 11th straight loss. Detroit ended a five game road losing streak and a two game losing streak in Philadelphia. And, as George Blaha would say, don't look now, but the Pistons are currently sitting in the 8th seed in the Leastern Conference with a 9-12 record.

More after the leap.

This game was a great example of Pistons basketball. Detroit scrapped it out, hustled down rebounds, moved the basketball around (24 assists). It was like watching the good ol' days again. It's nice actually being entertained while watching the Pistons again, unlike the past few years where it was like going through the motions.
Jonas Jerebko has developed some offensive swagger. He had 17 points on 7-12 shooting and 10 rebounds for his third double-double in his last five games. He's averaging 14 points and 8 rebounds per game in his last six games. Unreal.
Kwame Brown had his best offensive showing of the season, thanks in large part to hitting 7 of 8 freebies. He was just 2-5 from the field but got to the charity stripe often. He also had five rebounds.
Will Bynum played 18 minutes and shot poorly again. He was just 2-7 and finished with four points. His ankle has to be bothering him. I plan on having a separate post up on that tomorrow maybe.
For all the jive I was giving Stuckey for his poor shooting earlier this year, he has really turned it on. He's currently 26-48 in his last three games, averaging 24 ppg and 6.3 assists per game.
Also, Stuckey absolutely broke AI's ankles tonight (although it could have been a mix between a fall & cross-over). I'll be on the lookout for that highlight.
Notable: Ben Wallace and Chucky Atkins were a team best +14 tonight. I'm not in love with Chucky at point guard, but the way Stuckey has been playing, I don't want Kuester to change anything right now.
Charlie V had a relatively quiet 11 points and five rebounds in 27 minutes.
Andre Iguodala led the Sixers with 18 points, 9 assists, and 6 rebounds. What I failed to mention in the recap above was he had a WIDE open three pointer to win it for the Sixers that banged off the back of the rim.
Box score
Liberty Ballers
Highlights:

Sixers lose 11th straight

jsams — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 02:51:16 -0000

More photos » by Jesse D. Garrabrant - NBAE/Getty Images

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Box Score

I'd be lying if I said I was disappointed the Sixers lost their 11th straight game. At this point, we have to look at the pros and cons of winning games.

Pros

Make the playoffs and get knocked out in the first round, again!

Cons

Less ping pong balls.
Eddie Jordan never gets fired.
False hope that this team can win a championship.
A slim chance that Dalembert, Brand and/or Green are traded.
Mediocrity forever.

I'm not abandoning the team by any means. I'll still watch the games and look for development of the young guys. I'll still watch the games and marvel at Andre Iguodala's athleticism. And I'll still watch the games, with hope that a change is near. Whether that change happens with the owner, general manager, head coach, or any of the players, quite frankly, is fine with me. Until that change happens, I'll be rooting for ping pong balls.

Some people might argue that rooting against your team is a cardinal sin in sports. I agree. I'm not rooting against the Sixers. I'm rooting for a better future. The ultimate goal is to win a championship, and winning 38 games a year for an entire decade does nothing towards that goal. Plus, it's really hard to root for a team when I know the end result of winning (this season) is, more Eddie Jordan. Yuck.

Player of the game: Samuel Dalembert

Morning Shootaround: Playing Iverson, Fourth Quarter Players, Jonas Jerebko Row, and More

Packey — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 14:15:09 -0000

We haven't had a morning shootaround in a while and that might help explain the losing record. This will become a regular feature again soon, I promise.

In the meantime, get in your shots around the interwebs, work up a nice sweat, and hit the showers before tomorrow's game against the Sixers. Nobody likes a smelly commenter.

Speaking of tomorrow's game, I guess I can't ignore Allen Iverson any longer. As you all know by now, he has un-retired to rejoin his former team, the 76ers. Last night, he started against Chauncey Billups and the Nuggets, got a warm welcome as he kissed center court, and led the Sixers to their best 10th straight loss ever. Let's make it 11. Oh, in that game Andre Iguodala made a full court shot.. just for fun.

Brgulker sent me this link from WayneWinston.com breaking down 28 of the NBA's best fourth quarter players Coming as somewhat of a surprise, the Pistons have four of the 28, with Ben Wallace ranking 4th. Keep in mind, though, the Pistons have had many 4th quarter "comebacks" that still resulted in losses.

Chris Iott of MLIVE gives us 10 things we know about the Pistons after 20 games. The last one still bothers me and I plan on helping to fill some of those seats over the next month.

Also from MLIVE, apparently Gilbert Arenas blamed his cold shooting (3-9) on The Palace being too cold. Now the whole "Arenas might not play because of the slippery floor" from the pre-season makes sense. Wahh.

Jonas Jerebko is clearly becoming a fan favorite, and was there really any doubt with his constant blue collar style of play? Natalie at Need4Sheed has let it be known The Palace has started the Jerebko Row where they hand out Viking helmets for every point he scores. I'll be keeping my eyes peeled for Natalie's new site -- Need4Swede. Also, some fans have taken a liking to J.J. so much that they want to see him continue to start when Tay Tay returns.

Dan Feldman of Piston Powered fell in love with the 2009-2010 Pistons in November 29th's game against the Atlanta Hawks. If you've already forgotten, that was the game Charlie Villanueva broke his nose and knocked down two free throws with a wad of gauze protruding from his left nostril. It was also a game against a superior opponent when the Pistons were on a seven game losing streak. And nothing stopped them from dominating. Not Charlie's broken nose, not the lack of confidence in playing a top Eastern Conference opponent while being on a long string of futility. Nothing.

And for those of you who have not already fallen in love with the new-look Pistons, Devin Jones of Detroit4lyfe wants you to give the Pistons some time. While the W's might not be showing up in the standings as much as we'd like them to, we have to be remember that this is supposed to be a "rebuilding" year.

The Pistons lost yet another nationally televised game, thanks to ESPN dropping their March 21 game at Cleveland. ESPN already cancelled tomorrow's game against the Sixers (which, coincidentally, has some drama now). Detroit has two games left on the ESPN slate -- March 5 at Cleveland and March 15 at Boston. (H/T to Dave Pemberton of Pistons Point)

A little off topic here. I mentioned in the recap of last game how much fun it has been rooting against the teams that may threaten the Pistons' chances at a playoff spot this year. One of the most entertaining non-Pistons games I've seen in recent memory was the Lakers/Heat game from last week. If you didn't see the finish, I suggest you watch it here. Earlier in the night, coincidentally, I was debating with a friend of mine about who I'd rather have on my team: D. Wade or Lebron. I said Kobe. Who would you rather have on your team?

As always, email me if you have any questions, tips, etc., at MotownStringMusic@gmail.com. You can also follow me on Motownstrngmsic or Bpackey. I may not get a chance to post anything (unless it's big news) until pre-game Wednesday due to my final law school exam for the semester on Wednesday morning. Make sure you use the comments, FanPosts, or FanShots if you want to speak your mind.

Are NBA games fixed?...

Andrew Feinstein — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 07:24:05 -0000

Now that Tim Donaghy is talking, so are NBA fans worldwide. And the question on everyone's mind (except Lakers fans) is: are NBA games fixed? What if I told you: sort of, but the problems with NBA refereeing can go away with three simple solutions.

Watching disgraced former NBA referee Tim Donaghy's interview on "60 Minutes" last night, here are my reactions - as a fan of a small market team - to Donaghy's four most debated allegations. At the end I'll give my very simple solutions to solve the many problems - all legitimate whether you believe Donaghy's honesty or not - that Donaghy has brought to light...

Based on insider information, including referee crews, Donaghy could pick the winner 75-80% of the time.

This one I believe 100%. I've talked to a number of people affiliated with the league in the past who have told me that if they could bet on games (rightfully illegal if you work for or with the NBA), they'd be right over 75% of the time. Think about your own workplace for a moment. Think about all the secrets, off-the-record and under-the-radar information you know about everyone around you. Now transplant that to the NBA, and if you were a league employee of any sort (coach, player, trainer, ref, etc), you'd know all kinds of details that the average gambling fan would never know - ranging from personal problems with the players and coaches to ref biases to health issues unreported. It's the very definition of "insider training."

Certain referees have biases - good or bad - against certain players and coaches.

I was beside myself in shock to hear this one! (I'm being sarcastic in case you didn't pick up on that.) As my stepfather would proudly say: "No shit, Sherlock". I've often written on this blog that the fundamental problem with NBA refereeing is that they ref the player and not the play (borrowing that line from my Lakers fan cousin Paul). This has been going on since the NBA's infancy and will forever continue. This is also why I can't stand players who whine with officials because I believe it exacerbates the problem. At the end of the day, refs are human beings and if they're getting barked at constantly by the same player (read: Smith, J.R.) and perhaps in an inappropriate manner, the refs will inevitably - even if it's just subconscious - screw the player with bad calls.

Even though he bet on games that he was refereeing, Donaghy didn't let that influence how he called the game.

Even though the FBI claims that this statement holds up, I'm still not buying it. As part of their "Outside the Lines" piece on this whole Donaghy fiasco, ESPN's Scott Van Pelt probed Donaghy a bit further on this one but Donaghy is standing by his statement. I just can't imagine a degenerate gambler unable to resist blowing the whistle here or there to favor a bet he made, especially in garbage time.

The NBA has a star system and refs are told to call games a certain way to ensure big market teams led by big stars end up victorious.

There's no question that the overall NBA benefits from having its big market teams and big stars competing in June every summer. That said, I've never thought that the NBA can outright fix games through their officials but rather, can "nudge" outcomes in certain directions. I've also never bought that an edict comes from NBA commissioner David Stern's office to call games in one way or the other, but do think that it's implied as to how a game should be called among the refereeing fraternity. (If a memo was sent from NBA headquarters to officials to sway games in a specific direction, don't you think one would have leaked out by now? Just ask Tiger Woods how well secrecy via digital communication goes over in 2009.)

We've seen a "star system" time and time again since the NBA's inception (mostly benefiting the Lakers recently and Michael Jordan's Bulls in years past as current examples) and as a Nuggets fan, I've learned to live with it. I've always believed that when you're playing a team like the Lakers or the Celtics and it's in the NBA's best interest for them to win, it just means you - as the small market team - have to have a better game plan, play harder, avoid mistakes and keep your mouth shut with the refs. Make no mistake about it: the Nuggets didn't lose to the Lakers in the 2009 Western Conference Finals because of bad officiating. Bennett Salvatore didn't throw two errant inbounds passes for Denver or light up the Nuggets like Kobe Bryant did in the first half of Game 6 to seal the series for Los Angeles.

But what about the 2002 Sacramento Kings, you ask? The Kings didn't lose the 2002 WCF to the Lakers due to bad officiating either, but certainly lost one key game, Game 6, due to horrendous officiating that swayed the Lakers victory (I'm sorry Lakers fans, but the 15 foul shot disparity is too great to ignore). But whomever ref'd game Game 7 didn't miss the numerous free throws - 14 missed freebies in total on 53% FT shooting - that cost the Kings that series. Now Game 7 of the 2000 WCF with the Trail Blazers is a different story. That was a blatant example of the NBA aiding and abetting the Lakers to victory. The free throw disparity was Lakers 37, Blazers 16: an abomination that the NBA should forever be embarrassed about.

So if you're scoring at home, I'm buying about half of what Donaghy is saying...but already knew/assumed most of that stuff about NBA refereeing in the first place. Which brings up the main argument against Donaghy's accusations: that he's feeding into a preconceived stereotype about NBA refs that all NBA fans - sans myopic, moronic, rose-colored-glasses Lakers fans - already believed was true anyway. In other words, he's throwing fuel on an already simmering fire.

To top things off for Nuggets fans, several of our players - former and current - have been in the eye of this Donaghy storm. During the "60 Minutes" interview, they replayed a Nuggets/Jazz game from January 6th, 2007. A game in which Donaghy claims that the refs were essentially out to get Allen Iverson for having berated referee Steve Javie. Donaghy asserts that Iverson got hacked routinely and calls weren't made and that Iverson was called often for "palming" (i.e. traveling) more frequently than normal as retribution for Iverson's behavior towards Javie. Before you leap to conclusions, read CBSSports.com's Ken Berger column debunking Donaghy's claims about this game, citing that Iverson took more free throw attempts than any other player and was the victim of just one blatant non-call on Mehmet Okur.

The second Nugget whose name came up today was Chauncey Billups, whom Donaghy - in that "Outside the Lines" piece - claims is disliked by some officials. I'm not surprised, actually. Billups may be a great leader, great community member and great player (yes, yes and yes), but he's a whiner. And so is Carmelo Anthony, J.R. Smith, Kenyon Martin and before this season, you could throw Iverson, Marcus Camby, Dahntay Jones and Linas Kleiza onto the All-Whining Team, too. Maybe I watch the Nuggets too much to fairly compare their constant complaining against the complaining of other teams, but other than the Spurs and Kobe Bryant, are there bigger whiners with the refs in the NBA than our Nuggets? Hence why we haven't gotten a lot of favorable calls over the years, and I've mentioned this ad nauseum on this site in the past.

But back to the title of this column: Are NBA games fixed? Sort of, but not in a way that a good game plan can't overcome (Lakers/Blazers Game 7 is an extreme example that I've had trouble finding a duplicate of). If I thought NBA games were fixed or premeditated in any way, I wouldn't give the NBA a nickel of my money for tickets and merchandise, and certainly wouldn't spend the hours I devote to covering the Nuggets and the NBA with this site.

That said, Donaghy has a lot of valid points that must be addressed and I just so happen to have solutions to the three main problems that have made NBA refereeing a running joke as of late.

Solution #1: Referee "stats" must be made transparent and available

How is it that I know how many times Ty Lawson gets his shot blocked per game but don't know how many times Bennett Salvatore calls traveling per game? Or how many times Dick Bavetta calls offensive charges per game? Or how many times Bavetta calls offensive charges against the Nuggets specifically at Pepsi Center vs. on the road? Long ago suggested by Mavericks owner Mark Cuban and recently proposed by ESPN.com's Bill Simmons, we MUST have transparent statistics for referees. The NBA claims that it keeps detailed records to review their refs. If this is true, where are these records and why aren't they online for everyone to see? Moreover, I suspect many NBA teams (hopefully including the Nuggets) keep their own internal "ref stats" so they can make the necessary adjustments when facing a Salvatore vs. a Bavetta vs. a Javie, etc. Make these stats public already, dammit!

Solution #2: Disallow players from talking to officials

I hate to legislate emotion out of the game like the NFL does, but if you want to know where referee bias comes from, it comes from interacting with the players too much. Players like Chauncey and Kobe may be perpetual whiners, but there's a method to their madness: they figure that by annoying the shit out of an official for three-and-a-half quarters, they'll get a call their way (or in Kobe's case, multiple calls) when the game is on the line in the fourth quarter. I'm not sure how the NBA would institute this and it would take a while to adjust to it, but if you made barking at officials an automatic technical foul and eliminated the ref/player relationship altogether, we might finally see refs call the plays and not the players anymore. (But don't take my word for it, watch George Karl and former NBA referees tell you themselves in this ESPN "Outside the Lines" piece that aired when the Donaghy story broke last year. Kudos to Denver Stiffs reader Big Mickey D for hunting this down!)

Solution #3: Add more referees and rotate them more sporadically

I was in the minority of NBA fans who wanted to see the replacement refs. In agreement with Simmons, I've long believed that NBA refs are too old, too short and (now clearly) too biased to fairly officiate games. Putting Donaghy's allegations aside, do you really think Dick Bavetta can call an honest game anymore? He's been around way too long. But assuming the NBA isn't going to pull a "Logan's Run" on aging officials, let's at least add more young, tall, and preferably former players to the referee ranks and have more referee crews. This way, the Bavettas and the Salvatores ref specific teams less than they do now, disabling whatever bias they have from eating away at a chunk of a team's season. (Remember when Dan Issel coached the Nuggets and Javie refereed our games it was all but assumed to be a loss? Come to think of it, whenever Issel coached a game during his second stint with the Nuggets we should have assumed the loss.)

As bad as the Donaghy story may be for the integrity of the NBA, I believe in the long run it could be the wake up call the NBA desperately needed. But don't forget the power and the voice that we have as fans because remember, we're taxpayers. When you buy that NBA ticket, NBA league pass, Nuggets workout pants (like I bought today during NBA.com's 20% off men's apparel sale), bobble head dolls, jerseys and so forth, it gives you the right as a taxpayer to voice your opinion when those who collect our hard-earned money (from David Stern to Dick Bavetta) aren't being transparent and earnest with us. All we as fans ask for is a fair fight and the least the NBA can do is prove that it's always a fair fight....even if the Lakers have appeared in half the NBA Finals ever played (I'm just saying).

The NBA should listen to what Donaghy is saying, listen to us and change their ways. It will only make the product we already love much more believable and transparent. Why is that a bad thing?

(I'll be printing this email and mailing it in letter form to David Stern's office tomorrow.)

Photo courtesy of NBAE via Getty Images

Orlando Magic News for December 7th: Big-Time Recognition, Big-Time Upsets, and More

Ben Q Rock — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 22:00:37 -0000

More photos » by Mark J. Terrill - AP

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Orlando Magic just keeps winning
The Orlando Magic relish their underdog status--whether or not any team coming off an NBA Finals appearance can possibly consider itself an underdog is up for debate--and tend to not get as much respect as Boston, Cleveland, or the L.A. Lakers; I refer you to the third bullet in this post for Eddy's refresher. So when Mark Heisler of the Los Angeles Times headlines his weekly NBA column with a positive spin on the Magic, it's news.

Little noted among their "controversies," they have something special beneath [Stan] Van Gundy's lapses in nurturing: the best inside-outside game since Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant.

[Dwight] Howard is the game's hardest matchup, so quick at 6-11, 260 that he often puts the other center on the bench with two fouls in three possessions.

There's no Kobe, but the Lakers never had seven players making 34% of their threes, with four over 40% ([Jameer] Nelson, Jason Williams, Mickael Pietrus, J.J. Redick).

There's plenty more to enjoy at the link.
The 25 Biggest Playoff Series Upsets, 1991-2009
Neil Paine of Basketball-Reference attempts to calculate the most surprising playoff upsets since 1991, using a combination of Statistical Plus-Minus and Simple Rating. The data show that the Magic should have been heavily favored--the stats gave 'em a 77.5% chance of winning!--in the 2008 Eastern Conference Semifinals against Detroit, yet the Pistons took the series in five games. Happier news to Magic fans is where their upset of the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2009 Eastern Conference Finals ranks.
Throwing cash into the stands
Matt Barnes' recent $20,000 fine for throwing the game ball into the Amway Arena seats after the Magic's 99-98 loss to the Miami Heat two weeks ago prompted Van Gundy to wonder if Barnes would have been better off tossing money instead. Ian Ayres of The New York Times examines the possibility in greater detail.

Actually throwing money into the stands might cause a riot. But you could imagine a team keeping some cash on hand at courtside to let players, who were about to commit a finable offense, bypass the NBA middleman and give the fine directly to some designated recipient. Instead of throwing a ball into the stands, Barnes could have ceremonially and publicly deposited cash into a courtside forfeiture drawer — with the money going to charity or to rebate part of the ticket prices.

Hat tip: TrueHoop
Most Improved NBA Player by Division
Jack Jensen of Dime Magazine names Williams the most improved player in the entire Southeast Division; Miami's Michael Beasley is the runner-up.

Jason Williams, Orlando Magic.

The Southeast division was the toughest for me to decide on—post below if you have a case for a guy—and Williams popped into my mind. Not because he has made the most improvement from his last season in the League, but because he has been just as surprising a find as anyone in the NBA this year. If only the NBA still had a Comeback POY award, White Chocolate would have to be near the top of the list. Williams is the Birdman of last year (Minus the two-year drug ban), after choosing to sit and utilize his League Pass subscription instead of playing during the 2008-09 season.

I don't believe any serious Most Improved Player discussion can omit Atlanta forward Josh Smith, who's a virtual lock for the All-Star game if he continues to play this well. Nonetheless, it's nice to see Williams get recognized for what's been a pleasantly surprising season.
Denton: Nelson Still the Starter
UPDATE: In news that should surprise no one, Van Gundy said Monday that Nelson will start at point guard once he's able to return from the knee injury that's sidelined him for the last three weeks. Williams will re-assume his backup role, and Anthony Johnson will play mop-up minutes.

Notes on two former Magic players after the jump.

Man in the Middle: A Look at Defending the Basket

Tom Haberstroh of HoopData looks at O'Neal's effect on the Cavaliers' defense.

Shaq spends more time on the bench in Cleveland so his effect on the team’s numbers should be muffled somewhat. Nevertheless, the Cavaliers have allowed about two fewer shots around the basket per game this season and their opponent field goal percentage in this zone has dipped from .577 to a league-low .550. Shaq may not offer much on the offensive end anymore but he still does a great impression of a wall.

Behind the Box Score, where the glasses aren't helping, Kiki

Kelly Dwyer says Courtney Lee might not be as great as some people make him out to be.

Also, I don't want to pick on the guy, but games like these are why people have to slow down regarding Courtney Lee. He played almost 40 minutes, and had his chances, but scored just four points while taking only five shots. Four turnovers, three assists, and five rebounds. The guy had a 10.7 PER last year at age 23, and was 24 entering this season. He's old, for a second year player, and hardly setting the world on fire (yes, I'm aware of the injuries).

This isn't to say he won't be a good rotation player and sometimes starter provided the situation is right, but this isn't the future borderline All-Star some TV guys would have you believe.

In the interest of equal time, here's Sebastian Pruiti's argument from last week that Lee has improved since last season, despite poor shooting percentages at the start of this season.

Riding the (Wealthy) Bench: Pistons 98, Wizards 94

Packey — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 03:56:51 -0000

More photos » by Duane Burleson - AP

Charlie V is adjusting nicely to the mask, but he says it's difficult and he still has pain. (AP Photo/Duane Burleson)

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With Ben Gordon and Charlie Villanueva probably occupying the two most expensive bench seats in the NBA, Pistons fans should expect production from their reserves. In fact, you could make a strong argument that three of the bench players (Gordon, Villanueva, and Will Bynum) should be regular starters (at least while Rip and Tayshaun are out).

And so it shouldn't come as a surprise that these three, with a little help from their bench friends, combined to score more points than the starters tonight against the Wizards, 55-44. With Ben Gordon still somewhat nursing that ankle injury he suffered two weeks ago against the Cavs, someone else had to step up and fill the spotlight, though. That was the Pistons' 1st round pick, Austin Daye.

Daye was the true definition of a spark plug tonight, scoring the first seven points of the 4th quarter to help distance the Pistons from the Wizards after what was a very malodorous third quarter. Daye, who I have to say has one of the most graceful shots I've seen in a Pistons uniform, finished a perfect 5-5 on the night, which was good for 11 points.

Then there's Charlie Villanueva, who is playing starter minutes, but you have to remember he's playing with pain in his nose and in a mask, which he likens to having a hand constantly in his face. You have to admire performances like the one he had tonight: hitting tough shots in the post, being unselfish (5 assists), and then the huge three point shot he made as he was getting fouled (and sinking the ensuing free throw for the rare four-point play). Villanueva finished with 18 points on 8-19 shooting.

Finally, there's Will Bynum who, despite another poor shooting night, finished with 16 points, thanks in large part to hitting the formality free throws near the end of the game. When it looked like Washington might have a miracle finish in them, Bynum was the one who hit the free throws when he needed to.

While the bench was certainly terrific tonight, I can't give all the love to them. Rodney Stuckey was solid and the Pistons were at their worst when Stuckey was forced to sit in the third quarter due to foul trouble. That may have been coincidental, but worthy of mentioning. Stuckey had 25 points on 9-18 shooting.

Meanwhile, Jonas Jerebko didn't follow up his best offensive game Friday night with a pretty display (except for this layup), but he was still a constant pest on defense and managed to finish with his second double-double in the past four games (10 points and 11 rebounds).

Washington saw one of Caron Butler's best games of the season, as he finished with 20 points and 10 rebounds. Earl Boykins was great again against the Pistons and finished with 18 points. Gilbert Arenas took only nine shots and finished with just 8 points. He also had nine assists and six rebounds.

Detroit has now defeated Washington in four consecutive regular season games. More rando' thoughts after the jump.

Giving Stuckey more justice for his game-high 25 points:
With the win Detroit is on their second "winning streak" of the season. Detroit was on a three game winning streak in the second week of November before losing seven straight. If Detroit wins in Philly on Wednesday, Washington and Philadelphia would be apart of both three game winning streaks. And don't look now, but Detroit is just half a game out of the playoff picture in the Leastern Conference.
Speaking of the playoff picture this early, I can't remember the last time I felt I had to root against teams near the bottom half of the playoff picture. In the past decade, the Pistons making the playoffs has been sort of an automatic in my mind, and I would just root for good basketball games to watch. Now, i find myself rooting aggressively against Toronto, Milwaukee, Chicago, etc. I kind of like it.
Good interview with Villanueva on NBA-TV after the game.
The only real negative I saw from CV tonight was his 1-8 from downtown, but that one was a biggie. He was a team-best plus-11, too.
Kwame Brown with a solid four points and five rebounds in just 13 minutes.
Ben Wallace had his same ol' bright moments tonight, but he also had noticeable gaffes. For starters, he had a team-high four turnovers. The ball should never be in his hands long enough for him to do that. Then again, he did tie for the team-best five assists. Also, there were a few key possessions when the Pistons could have used a stop when he was clearly beat. Maybe I'm nitpicking, but that's just a testament to how great he's been... I'm already expecting consistent, gaudy play.
Yeah, this reverse was pretty sweet. Reminded me of an Aussie Argentine we had last year:
DaJuan Summers saw four seconds, a Washington bucket, and the hook. What a tease.
Game highlights:
Box score

Allen Iverson: The difference maker

jsams — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 22:34:29 -0000

More photos » by Michael Perez - AP

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Updated [7:48]: I originally excluded 9 games that AI missed with injury in 06-07. Mistake has been corrected.

I know a lot of Sixers fans believe Allen Iverson is the savior. They have a false hope that a 34-year old Iverson will come in, fix the defense, fix the rebounding, and fix the coach. I've seen arguments for Iverson, and I've seen arguments against Iverson, but this should give you a definitive answer on whether he'll fix the Sixers.

I could sit here and write why Iverson won't fix the team until I'm blue in the face. Instead I'll give you one stat -- the only stat that matters -- wins and losses.

In the past four seasons, here is the record of the Sixers, Nuggets, Pistons and Grizzlies when Iverson plays.

107-109

Here is the record of those same teams without Iverson:

135-108

Correction: (The 06-07 Nuggets went 5-4 when Iverson was injured changing the "record without" from 130-104 to 135-108.)

If that doesn't convince you, I don't know what will. Four different seasons, four different teams, four different coaches, four different systems. Iverson has been detrimental to them all.

Recap: Pistons 105, Bucks 96

Frank Madden — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 07:54:05 -0000

More photos » by Duane Burleson - AP

Pretty much.

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Box Score

"Same old Bucks."

If you were a visitor from the year 2007, that's probably the reaction you would have had at seeing the 09/10 Bucks drop back-to-back games in uninspiring fashion in Washington and Detroit. Defense? Not much. Rebounding? Meh, too much effort. Road wins? Nah. Andrew Bogut? Still getting owned by Ben Wallace.

Ironically, the 06/07 Bucks actually started their season off with a 105-97 road win in Detroit (nearly reversed tonight), but as is usually the case, a promising start (15-14 through December 27) gave way to a miserable, injury-plagued final 50 games. It's too early to be condemning the 09/10 Bucks to the same fate, but the Bucks have seemed rather lifeless for long stretches over the past two, most notably in their inability to get big (or for that matter even small) stops on defense. And with neither Andrew Bogut (4/9 fg, eight points) nor Brandon Jennings (6/20 fg, 15 pts) providing any fireworks in the scoring column, the Bucks offense has been similarly toothless.

The Pistons had no such problems, as Rodney Stuckey stuffed the stat sheet with 19 points on 11 shots and nine assists. He helped set the tone early, beating Charlie Bell on a pair of quick cuts to the hoop en route to eight quick points that staked the Pistons to a 34-23 edge after one. Stuckey then beat Brandon Jennings and the halftime buzzer with a layup that restored the Piston lead to eight.

Detroit then used an early 8-0 run to push the lead to 14 in the third, and with the exception of some typical small Bucks runs managed to lead the game by double-digits most of the way. Jonas Jerebko was active and looking very un-rookie-like with 16 and 7, and ended the game by packing Charlie Bell on a three point attempt in the waning seconds. Fitting? Yes, fitting.

Three Bucks

Luke Ridnour. If you were a visitor from two months ago who dropped by just for the last two games, you might be surprised to see Brandon Jennings still starting. After all, the kid's preseason didn't exactly scream rookie-of-the-year favorite, and Luke Ridnour has been outperforming him for a couple weeks now. Normally that would be a knock on the rook, but the reality is that it's mostly just a tribute to Ridnour, who continued his torrid shooting streak of late with a 7/11 shooting night, 21 points, and nine assists. That's now four out of six games with 20+ points.

Carlos Delfino. Delfino came out looking charged up against his former team, making 6/7 fg en route to 15 points by the half. Second half? Well, the charge wore off. The Argentine missed all five of his shots but still had one of the few respectable lines on the team: 15 on 12 shots along with seven boards.

Brandon Jennings. Young Buck still can't make shots to save his life (6/20 fg), but he continues to do other things--dish it out (eight assists), grab long rebounds (five boards), and for the second straight game he took care of the ball as well (one turnover after none two days ago). He made a couple big threes as the Bucks tried to stay in it late, but missed another triple and a layup (when Jerebko wasn't called for hitting him on the arm) in what seemed a fittingly frustrating end to the night.

Three Numbers

57%. Detroit's fg%...'nuff said.

46-30. The Pistons just waxed the Bucks on the glass, and with Bogut back (plus a brief cameo by Luc Richard Mbah a Moute) there's no excuse for it. Big Ben led the way with 11, compared to Bogut's five in 27 minutes.

20-9. The only area where the Bucks did themselves favors was in the turnover department, as they both took care of the ball and forced 20 Detroit turnovers.

Three Good

Luke's still here. Alex and I have been joking about the inevitability of Luke Ridnour's return to earth, but so far he's not giving in. It's not that Ridnour can't shoot the ball, but he's never been close to this good for a full season (51.3% shooting right now vs. 41.7% career). Did he steal Brandon's mojo or something a couple weeks back? Who knows, but hopefully he doesn't go cold now because there's no one else picking up the slack. Somewhat interestingly, he's putting up his excellent shooting splits in spite of the fact that he's once again under 40% on inside shots (which is as terrible as it sounds).

Luc's back. He only played 12 fairly ineffective minutes, but it's still a very good thing to see LRMaM out of his boot and back on the court. Have fun with LeBron on Sunday, big guy.

Skiles will be back. Skiles wasn't pleased after the last game and probably wasn't a fun guy on the flight home, either. Let's hope the Bucks' uninspiring play over the last two can be at least somewhat explained by the absence of their fearless leader.

Three Bad

Jennings' shot. To say Jennings hasn't been able to shoot is a little deceiving; his three point percentage hasn't cratered but his percentage on everything worth two points has. Tonight Jennings finished 3/10 from deep and the same from inside the arc. It's a shame too, because he started the night off so promisingly with a one-handed floater from the elbow. Tough shot.

Instead, Jennings continues to find himself in a prolonged slump. In the last seven games he hasn't been above 33% shooting even once, a streak so bad that Chris Duhon himself might be taking notice. Thankfully he's still getting other guys involved, but he knows he's needed to score and it's just not happening for him. His frustration was evident after the game with this tweet:

I'm done shooting the ball. Straight passing

Bogut's...everything. That 22/15/4 game against Chicago seems so long ago, doesn't it? The Palace once again proved more like a prison for the big man, who again seemed to let Ben Wallace get in his head and stymie all his attempts to get going early on. Normally short guys struggle to keep Bogut from shooting his short hooks over them, but Wallace is stout enough and his hands are quick enough that Bogut never seems comfortable going at him. Worst of all, those offensive issues seemed to carry over to the other facets of Bogut's game as well. Wallace threw down four dunks to finish with 11/11 on the night, while Bogut grabbed a measly five in 27 minutes and was a team-worst -16.

Opportunity knocks. Had they gotten some vaguely respectable shooting nights from their starters, the Bucks could quite possibly have taken both of these games on the road trip. Instead, they came away with two demoralizing losses that put them at 9-9 and losers of six of the past seven games--and with the Cavs next up on the schedule.

Victory! Pistons 105, Bucks 96

Packey — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 05:41:39 -0000

More photos » by Duane Burleson - AP

Ben Wallace and the Pistons defense held Brandon Jennings to 6-20 shooting. (AP Photo/Duane Burleson)

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I could get used to this. Well, minus the turnovers.

The 21 woopsies and Milwaukee nearly matching Detroit's hot first half were the only things that prevented the waning minutes from being garbage time. Instead, the Bucks were able to stick around until the very end before Jonas Jerebko fittingly capped the game off with a block on a meaningless Charlie Bell three-pointer as time expired.

Milwaukee did put up their best 2009 Detroit Pistons fight and overcame a 17-point fourth quarter deficit to pull within seven with a minute to go and got it to six with 25 seconds, but Detroit was able to hit four of their final six free throws to clinch it.

Aside from the turnovers, this was the Pistons best all-around game so far this season. They shot a season-best 57% from the field, dished out a season-high 28 assists, and had six players in double figures. They also grabbed 46 rebounds, 16 more than Milwaukee.

It kind of evoked feelings of the good ol' days, especially when a certain someone was throwing down Earth shaking slams like this:

Yeah, that's the decrepit Ben Wallace that I, along with many other Pistons fans, didn't think had anything left but a few games of Bingo. I love the Kelser quote in that video: "They signed him, folks, as a mentor...a locker room guy. Yeah, right."

In fact, Big Ben looks better on offense than I ever remember him being. That's mainly due to some of the old man, craft passes he's been able to serve to his teammates for easy looks. Tonight, he had 11 points, 11 rebounds, four assists, and three blocks. Mmm.

Rodney Stuckey finished as the Pistons leading scorer with 19 points on 7-11 shooting. He also had six rebounds and nine assists (opposite four turnovers). My newest Yahoo fantasy basketball player, Luke Ridnour, had the game-high 21 points and nine assists off the Bucks bench.

More, if you make the jump.

Jonas Jerebko continues to get better with every game. He's a beast on the defensive side of things and he's starting to make it happen on offense. In the first quarter he had 10 points and six of them were from the charity stripe.
From what I saw tonight, I thought Jason Maxiell played great. I don't think the box score does him much justice, though. He did have five turnovers, but I think his +14 (best on the team) is a stat that is pretty indicative of how well he played tonight.
Charlie Villanueva made his return tonight with a mask to protect his recently restructured nose. He got himself into early foul trouble, but played well in minimal minutes. He was a point away from being the Pistons 7th player in double figures. As for the mask, as expected, he was fidgeting with it all game. I don't expect it to be a staple for him like it has become for Rip. He'll burn that thing the first chance the Docs say he can.
Rodney Stuckey was T'ed up when he and Brandon Jennings exchanged some unpleasantries.
Carlos Delfino, a former Piston who I used to be very fond of, kept the Bucks in it early. He seemed to match every spurt the Pistons had in the first two quarters with a few buckets of his own. He only finished with 15 points on 6-12 shooting, despite his hot start, but judging by the perma-smerk on his face, you would have thought he scored 30, what he believes to be his season average. Meh, a jersey change can do a lot to one's opinion of a guy.
Washington Wizards come into town on Sunday. Tip off slated for 6 PM EST. It will be aired on NBATV.
Inspiration for my "elementary" title, if you didn't pick up on it:
Box score
Brew Hoop view

Iverson Looks to Turn Back the Clock

aramnath — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 16:05:03 -0000

More photos » by Matt Slocum - AP

Let's hope Iverson can prove me among his many doubters and become the player he once was. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

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I wrote a story a few days ago about Allen Iverson where I said I thought his days as a difference maker were over. After watching the press conference announcing his return to the 76ers today and then watching youtube clips of his prime years in Philadelphia, I hope he proves me wrong and can turn back the clock.

Everything fans loath about athletes is everything Iverson is not. We all hate players that don't give it everything they have when they're on the court. We can't stand it when players make excuses instead of taking responsibility for what happened. We hate when players don't show any heart in the face of adversity.

When in his entire career, could you ever accuse Iverson of any of those things? He's played through injuries without complaint. On a good day he might be 6'0, but that's never stopped him from driving to the hoop, taking hit after hit, getting knocked to the floor, sacrificing his body for the team and then getting back up again every time he's stepped on to the court.

You can't teach a player to throw his body around for the sake of the team, or to dive after a loose ball. It's not possible to make a player give a shit about more than his next contract or shoe deal. You can't fake tears over returning to the franchise where you grew up and made your name. We ask for athletes to be real and that's all Iverson ever has been.

I still don't think that Iverson is going to make much of a difference in improving Philadelphia's playoff hopes this year, but I'll be hoping he proves me wrong.

Just for old time's sake.