Look, I won't lie. I'm not exactly throwing in the towel, but the Pistons haven't done much to convince me that they can go on the road tonight against an opponent in their head and come out with a scheduled game on Monday. At this point, I'd consider "dignity intact" a lofty goal.

Yeah, I know. Not exactly Matt's aforementioned "was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor" speech. Not the "once more unto the breach, dear friends" that Jazz fans or Warriors fans probably summoned in the face of their team's dispatching. It is just much more fun being a fan of a team on the ascent, rather than one trying to muster one last ounce of fight. But for those of you who still need the glimmer, I'll put it to you like this.

I love that speech.

Anyways, as I mentioned, I'm not in a ra-ra mood. But there is one thought that drives my fandom tonight. It isn't the years that this team has had together and the potential breakup that could result from an embarrassing loss to a mediocre Cavs squad. It isn't the potential discord between certain key (and, more importantly, untradeable) members and free-agent-could-be Chauncey Billups. It isn't the fact that Flip Saunders will once again be proven a failure as a postseason coach. (It's an effing trap off the pick and roll... how could you lose two games because of that?)

The thought that drives me, I'll pretend you asked? Well, just think of the consequences of a loss tonight. Think about who stands to benefit from a loss tonight. Friends, I'm worried that Detroit is slipping below Cleveland on the sports loser scale. Seriously... think about it. The Tigs have proven themselves incapable of standing for the D (0-5 thus far against the Indians this season). Our beloved Wolverines... I don't even want to talk about it. The Lions? How hard is it to be better than the Browns? Seriously...

But the Pistons. We've always been able to hang our hat on the Pistons. The balance of power is shifting dear friends. There is an angry, title-starved people on the banks of the Erie sludge pond, and they are rising up against us. They want what we have... mainly our consistently-slightly-better-than-mediocrity, and they won't rest until our Pistons are on the slag heap.

Well, I say no. I say "Edgar Rentaria" on you. I say "Earnest Byner" on you. I say "Marcus Ray", "Craig Ehlo", and "John Cooper" upon you.

I say, "this is what happens when you ___ a stranger in the ___!" [WARNING: NSFW]

So it isn't the perfect speech. Hell, I don't even know if it's applicable. But I'm in a weird place right now, and you should be too. Let's get this b*tch over with, one way or the other. Game on.

[As always, leave your comments here.]

Any Given Sunday [YouTube.com]
Big Lebowski [YouTube.com]

Something happened between Ben Wallace and a few heckling Piston fans late in Game 2; that much is known. Whether it was an innocuous back-and-forth with fans or a manifestation of Ben's frustration with this series is up to interpretation.

The Detroit News' rather dismissing take:

Wallace was in the crosshairs of hecklers behind the Bulls bench, as they chanted "$60 million" in the final minutes of the game. Wallace signed a $60 million contract with the Bulls last off-season.

Wallace subtly acknowledged the hecklers twice by holding a hand up and rubbing his thumb, index and middle fingers together -- signifying he has some bucks. He also egged on the crowd by waving at them from the bench, inviting more abuse.

And now, from the Chicago Sun Times:

With the outcome long decided and Ben Wallace anchored to the bench, a few fans sitting near the Bulls' bench in the Palace of Auburn Hills couldn't resist the temptation to pour salt in the wounds of the former face of the Detroit Pistons.

''Sixty mill-ion! ... 60 mill-ion! ... 60 mill-ion! ...,'' they chanted at Wallace with malicious delight.

He ignored the hecklers for a while, but then held up his left hand and rubbed his fingers together, a move that only could be interpreted as a show-me-the-money gesture. Then during a timeout a short while later, Wallace had a mild exchange with the hecklers before a Palace security guard came over in an attempt to defuse the situation by quieting down the loudmouths a little.

And then there's the Sun Times' Rick Telander (one of my favorite people):

Wallace was rooted on the pine while drunk fans behind the bench chanted, ''Sixty Million!''

Wallace stood and faced the screamers and angrily waved his hand at them in disgust, prompting security to go into the stands and caution the fans.

His look said he might have strangled somebody if he could have.

As a Pistons fan? Whatever.

But as a Bulls fan, either way the situation has to eat at you. Either Ben Wallace (as a Bull) is devoid of passion and in the waning moments of another blowout loss is playing coy with the Palace faithful... Or his most violent exertion of energy during Game 2 came from the bench rather than the paint.

If anyone had a better view of the action than TNT or Matt's seats provided, give us your take in the comments.

Underdog message holds true [Detroit News]
Big Ben comes up... small [Chicago Sun Times]
Bulls double-exposed [Chicago Sun Times]

According to Chris Sheridan, I guess so:

It'll be a referendum series of sorts for Billups, too, since Pistons president Joe Dumars has already gone out and said he'll do just about whatever it takes financially to keep Billups in Detroit when he becomes a free agent. That's an awful big commitment to already be making to a player who will be 31 in September, playing a position where, historically, players have shown significant declines once they enter their mid-30s.

Just asking, but if the Pistons go down in four or five games and Billups doesn't play well, is Dumars still committed to the idea of spending $50-60 million to keep Chauncey at the point through 2011-12?

I'm not quite sure I agree with Sheridan's logic here. Yes, Chauncey is going to be 31 in September. Yes, past point guards have slowed in their mid-30s. But Chauncey will only be turning 35 at the start of the 2011-2012 season.

So, to rephrase the question: Is Joe Dumars prepared to pay $50-60 million for Chauncey -- one of the top point guards in the league -- given the possibility that he may start to decline in the last year of the five-year deal that Sheridan proposes?

I certainly hope so, if Joe still feels that this is a championship caliber club.

I don't mean to belittle the idea that this series could sway Joe D from offering Chauncey a max deal. I just don't think Chauncey's productivity in year 5 is going to be the determining factor. If the Pistons falter against the Bulls with the current iteration of their core group, the prevailing opinion would be that their championship window has finally closed and a rebuilding/significant retooling might be needed. In that case, maybe you take cap flexibility and a first round point guard over the status quo, regardless of his expected production over the next five years.

And for anyone who doubts that Joe would pull the plug so soon, I would direct your attention to '92-93 and '93-94. That was not a graceful exit for a former champion.

Series of truth: Who made the right call on Big Ben? [ESPN]

Yes, we're a little delinquent with our recap. But you all saw the game, so a detailed rehashing is probably unnecessary. Instead, we'll just give you some series-specific and some general thoughts to ponder going into tonight's game 2 (which has all the fan-tastic feel of an exhibition game).

A few quick observations from my out-of-practice eyes:

1) Flip Saunders considers Lindsey Hunter a better option at the point than Flip Murray. Incidentally, I prefer being kicked in the stomach over being kicked in the groin. (Sorry, old prejudices die hard.)

2) Carlos Delfino has earned the trust of the coaching staff and will be given some minutes in the playoffs. Now, if only our pro-Jason Maxiell and pro-Amir Johnson campaigns could experience similar success.

3) Serious question: can the Pistons expect to go deep into the playoffs while being outrebounded and outshot? Are future opponents -- you know, the ones who aren't one of the worst teams in the league over the past 60-odd games -- going to deliver wins on a platter like the Magic did here?

2) Chauncey's head is in the right place

From the Orlando Sentinel:

Billups, who makes a modest $6.8 million this season, becomes a free agent this summer and is expected to sign a lucrative contract that will match his accomplishments in Detroit.

Sunday was not the day to be asking him about his free agency and possibly leaving the Pistons to sign anywhere else.

"I'm playing against them in a series right now, and you're asking me if I would consider playing for them?'' he said with obvious irritation in his voice. "I'm playing for the Pistons right now. I'm trying to win a championship. Ask me that when free agency starts. Don't ask me that now.''

3) "Help me hate you."

Matt and I have been digging really deep in an attempt to find something remotely inflammatory to say about the Orlando Magic, but thus far are coming up empty. There's just nothing that lights the fire; that makes the average Piston wish them ground into a pulp, right?

I mean, it isn't the seeding that bores me. (I wish bad things upon the Wizards and Nets almost daily, and both were almost our first round opponent.)

And it isn't just Orlando's former Pistons that get sympathy (or so suggest my Ben Wallace and Mikki Moore voodoo dolls).

The Magic just don't have any polarizing players. Jameer Nelson is probably the only Magic player even approaching the role Ruben PattersonMichael Redd(?) played during last season's first round series against the Bucks.

And their scathing post-game trash talk? Yeah, they need some work.

Grant Hill:

"I guess it was kind of poetic to be back here against my old team," Hill said. "It would have been more poetic if we had won."

So if you all have some suggestions as to why we should dislike the Magic (rather than just simply wishing they'd lose), leave them in the comments.

4) Re: the "Why did they let it get so close in the fourth quarter" stuff

I've been sufferring a crisis of fandom this weekend. If all playoff wins are created equal, then I suppose I should just be happy that the Pistons are going into tonight's Game 2 with a 1-0 lead. (A quick glance out West should remind us not to take the Magic for granted.) But I tend to fall into the homer trap of comparing every current Piston victory to those of the far-gone championship days of aught-4, which is unfair. Today's team is built around a different philosophy, and to expect today's team to scrap and claw and fight and badger and strangle the life out of an opponent in the same way that the Ben-led team did is unfair to the current squad.

I mean, there's a reason that Carlos Delfino's play sticks out to me when he's on the floor for the current squad, while the same play out of Delfino might have blended into the woodwork during the hungry times. That energy that Delfino displays now was a common trait of that entire roster of misfits, who seemingly won games with less talent, but more hustle. Well, those same misfits -- minus one, of course -- have received their just desserts. And "Misfits" is no longer an appropriate label. "All-Star," "MVP candidate," "Team USA member," "Champion," "Prized Free Agent to-be," etc. The Pistons are now expected to beat people because of talent rather than hard work. They're all "white collar" now. And that has required me to, begrudgingly, adapt my fandom. Let's see how this goes.

Pistons 100, Orlando 92 box score [ESPN]
Chauncey was here [Orlando Sentinel]
Pistons 100, Magic 92 recap [ESPN]

You saw Dwight Howard's silly "Sticker Dunk" during the All-Star break's slam dunk contest. What you didn't see -- thanks to some extremely poor judging by 'Nique, MJ, and Dr. J -- was Howard's second round dunks. The guy is amazing.

April 1.

(Right now, you're thinking "April Fools? The anniversary of the formation of the Republic of Irleland? The first same-sex marriage in The Netherlands?" And I'm thinking, "what the hell is wrong with you?")

What's so special about April 1 (other than it being the birthday of the late Bo Schembechler, Method Man, and Supreme Court Justice Samuel AlitoA banner day, really.)?

April 1, 2007 (a Sunday) happens to be the date of the inaugural Need4Sheed/Detroit Bad Boys Blogfest. A date when creators, commenters, readers, and/or hangers-on (i.e., me) of your favorite Piston blogs, Need4Sheed and DBB, will join forces at the Palace of Auburn Hills for an afternoon of D-Wade flopping, Delfino domination, and frequent trips to the Red Bull Bar.

There might be prizes. There will probably be profanity and/or awkward high-fives. And there will definitely be an opportunity for you to meet up with some of the personalities that have made N4S and DBB so successful... namely you all. Honestly, there are any number of sites to get your basketball news/views from, and most are just as capable of stringing together a few sentences without too many typos. But sites like N4S and DBB only work because you all choose to visit and share your opinions. This is a way for us all to put faces to names.

Is (Matt) Watson really 7 feet tall? You'll find out.
Does Natalie roll with an entourage? You'll find out.
Am I "Pierce Brosnan" sexy? Not by a longshot.

So stay tuned for ticket details (we're working on a group rate), but draw a big red circle around April 1. And do us a favor -- let us know your interest/availability in the comments. (It will help immensely with the logistics.)

This should be a great time. We hope to see you there.

No joke.

[Update from Matt: Actually, we looked into a group rate and it really wasn't much of a discount -- so go ahead and buy your tickets and plan on meeting up before, during and/or after the game. We'll have more details as the game approaches about when/where we'll meet, but for sure it'll be in the Palace, and possibly at a nearby establishment afterward, as well, if enough people are interested.]

One of our favorite former Pistons, Mehmet Okur, on finding out that he has been named to the All-Star team as an injury replacement: ‘I couldn't feel anything,’ when [Jazz GM] Kevin O'Connor called with the news, Okur said. ‘This is more [exciting] than anything in my basketball career.’ Really, Memo?

Jamal Mashburn, on ESPN's Daily Dime: "I like this Webber, who underwent microfracture surgery in 2003, even more than the explosive Fab 5 guy who first came into the NBA." I'm surprised that Mash even made mention of the Fab Five, considering the events of April 3, 1993. (A game that never happened mind you -- at least according to U of M.)

Fresh off their own win over the Los Angeles Lakers and playing amidst their own five-game winning streak, the Toronto Raptors visit the Palace tonight for a showdown of division leaders. You'd be forgiven if, early in the season, you looked past the Raps. Not many thought they would even factor into the playoff picture (patting ourselves on the back), and most though the Nets would run away with the divison (shaking head, dejectedly).

So set your Tivos for this one, folks. A rare chance to see the Raps on TV... a possible playoff preview... a near guaranteed "Pistons selected Darko Milicic above Chris Bosh" mention...

Need I go on?

As always, feel free to unburden yourself of your Anna Nicole grief in the comments.

For those of you Piston fans thinking "cold" is your only enemy this morning, think again. What was at one time our favorite foreign language blog, the Wizznutzz, have finally gotten around to reading our bitter recap of the last Washington debacle, and they are lashing out. A taste:

2. Just cause u have a new Compuware headquarters and 'Renaissance Center" dont mean u can call it a comeback.
A Johnny Rockets with an new parking lot, and 2 art directors living in a loft with engineered wood media cabinets from West Elm and new glue traps at The Big Buck doesnt mean "REVITALIZED"
It just means U just went from SHithole to McShithole.
We know, because we WENT TO THE BIG BUCK and we went to the Palace At Auburn Hills, on historic first Wizards game ever and it was halloween and we dressed up in awesome wizards beards and smoked a funny smoke and we got to the game and there was no Palace and no Hills and no Auburn but just a dark and cold late-modern bombshelter that was 2/3 empty on opening night and the few people there are cashed up contractors in polyblend evening wear from Modells or surly teens in Rocca swag and cinch sacks with Growing Up Gotti fades trying to impress there dates by screaming "get The Fucking Gnomes" at us.

As I read the Wizznuttz verbal backlash against city of Detroit, I was torn. Of course I am motivated to defend my hometown, the city of my birth, against these (potentially) eloquent slams (after translation, of course). But how to mount the defense?

Continue reading this post »

The Pistons have had the unfortunate habit of stumbling against the league's have-nots this season. Two defeats to the Bobcats coupled with one each to the Blazers and Bucks have kept the Pistons from stretching their lead in the Eastern Conference before the All-Star break. So it should be no surprise that the Pistons and their beat writers are proceeding with extreme caution heading into tonight's matchup against the Celtics.

Flip Saunders (from today's Detroit News):

The concern is, they are going to win sometime," Saunders said. "I don't think they are going to go the rest of the season without winning another game."

Saunders' message to the Pistons on Monday was to be prepared.

"When you play a team that's lost a lot, both you and your coaches, the players, the fans, everybody expects the game to be easy," Saunders said.

"They expect you to go up 25-0 and the game will be over in the first five minutes. That's not going to happen. We have to approach the game just like we approached the Cleveland game, like it's going to be a grind-it-out game."

Krista Jahnke, of the Detroit Free Press:

If history is any indication, that means the Pistons tonight will face a hungry, young group of Celtics who are eager to end a losing streak against one of the conference's best teams.

Those kinds of teams -- the Bobcats and Hawks, for instance -- have given the Pistons trouble this season. The difference, the Pistons hope, is that they're playing their best.

A. Sherrod Blakely, of MLive;

The Boston Celtics really are capable of beating anyone -- even if their franchise-record 14 consecutive losses might suggest otherwise.

...

Teams like the Celtics, with injuries and inept play the only things they can bank on recently, have given the Pistons problems all season. Some of Detroit's most disappointing losses have come at home to some of the NBA's worst teams -- Charlotte, Portland, and Milwaukee.

The Pistons have already lost nine games at home this season, compared to just four all last season and nine the season before that.

So is this rhetoric evidence of a new mindset for the Boys in Blue? Are they now determined to crush the Paul Pierce-less C's from the opening tip?

Or is this just paranoid sandbagging based upon previous stumbles; a prelude to another uninspired and potentially defeat-worthy performance?

No surprise, Celtic fans are probably hoping for the former. Their season in shambles, the most avid of C's fans are content to lose as many games as possible in order to win the NBA draft lottery and the chance to draft either Ohio State's Greg Oden or Texas' Kevin Durant. Given the way that Boston's season has progressed thus far, I expect many of their fans will seek refuge from the present-day club and take a peek at the future on ESPN2, where Michigan and Oden's Buckeye squad also tip at 7pm tonight.

As ususal, leave your thoughts on tonight's game(s) in the comments.

Pistons turn focus to home [Detroit News]
Hungy Celtics could mean trouble [Detroit Free Press]
Pistons wary of Celtics, despite 14-game losing streak [MLive]
U-M faces big problem tonight [Detroit Free Press]

The Pistons are in Cleveland (or, "Little Detroit," as I like to call itSimilar arena, similar pyrotechnics show, similar arena announcer... we could go on and on) to face Larry Hughes and the Cavs.

As usual, we're late getting our pre-game post up.

And as usual, at 6:29 of the second quarter, Jason Maxiell is destroying everything in his path (this time, Zydrunas receives the bruises).

Up and down game for the Boys in Blue thus far; let's hope it improves. As always, if you see something worth talking about, post it in the comments.

It has been a banner week for Manu Ginobili.

First, he "accidentally" gets smacked in the mouth by Kobe Bryant in the waning moments of Sunday's Spurs win over the Lakers. Then, after Bryant is suspended for a game as a result, the replay of the blow -- and of Ginobili collapsing like he just saw Eva Longoria without makeup -- is looped on ESPNews every 30 seconds for 48 straight hours. That couldn't have been good for the ol' ego.

An ironic twist to all this: the shot that felled Ginobili actually looks like it may have hurt, as opposed to the phantom-induced flops which Manu is known for. And that rather coursely orchestrated segue leads us right into the introduction of the second Detroit Bad Boys t-shirt design, "No Ginobili."

As you can see, this dapper number is a tribute to Manu being Manu. Because, aside from wooing the ladies, what does BalkiManu do better than hit the hardwood? The man is Laimbeer-esque! And in light of the fact that the NBA could soon be cracking down on these pranksters, we thought there no better time than the present to celebrate Manu's diving prowess.

So here's to you, Manu. And let's hope that at least one of these babies greets the Spurs when they make their Valentine's Day visit to the Palace in a couple weeks.

Kobe gets blocked by Ginobili [YouTube]
Eva Longoria really needs her makeup [The Superficial]
NBA might penalize players for flopping [Bloomberg News (link to AZCentral.com)]

Previously on DBB:
The "Jason Maxiell Eats Babies" t-shirt

Why? 36 points, 11 assists, 7 rebounds. 'Nuff said.

Anyways, remember that low-post dominance that the Pistons displayed in their dismantling of the Pacers? Apparently the towering, intimidating presence of Brendan Haywood [really hope you're getting the sarcasm there] was enough to end that notion in the early going of Tuesday night’s 104-99 loss to the Wizards. The Pistons fell far behind early while pounding the rock, misfiring jumpers from outside, and repeatedly turning the ball over. If it weren’t for Tayshaun’s outside shot, the Boys in Blue could have been down 20 by the end of the first quarter. To make matters worse, the ‘Zards actually increased their lead following Antawn Jamison's nasty knee knock with DeShawn Stevenson. Jamison, who destroyed the Pistons with his 35 points last Friday, left the game with 6+ minutes remaining in the first quarter and did not return.

Neither Matt nor I have much to say about this one. In short, a combination of hot shooting by the Wizards and pathetic interior defense by the Pistons led to an insurmountable hole. And despite finally committing to dumping the ball down low, Blue just didn’t have enough to right earlier wrongs.

[Edit: Check out DBB reader Garold's rant/stat-based recap in the comments for more on the nuts and bolts of last night's fiasco.]

Since my limited attention span will not allow for much more wallowing, a few subplots:

Wizards fans are disappointing.

With their team deconstructing a fellow Eastern Conference front-runner -- hitting shot after shot and making some key defensive plays to start the game –- fans at the Verizon Center managed only token applause. Sadly, even in the presence of another great game by Gilbert, it remained quiet throughout.

This may be sour grapes talking (let's be honest, of course it is), but I seem to remember a young Pistons team -- a team that had experienced a tough playoff loss the year before (like the Wizards), but possessed an exciting style of play (like the Wizards) and a few rising NBA talents (like the Wizards) -- being in a very similar situation four or five years ago. The main difference? The Palace was always rocking. In Detroit, the fans committed early on in the run and stayed loud and proud until… well, now. You have to wonder what Wizards fans are waiting for.

No mas.

At some point during the second quarter, Flip Saunders became so fed up with his team that he sent out Carlos Delfino, Flip Murray, Lindsey Hunter, Antonio McDyess, and Dale Davis. As you may have guessed, this combination resulted in the Wizards stretching their lead. If Darko was referred to as the "Human Victory Cigar," perhaps Flip Murray should be the "Human White Flag."

Rip Hamilton needs to shut the hell up.

He’s the first-half team MVP and probably Blue’s only All-Star rep, so attribute my section title more to frustration than to any dislike of Rip. But seriously, Rip looks about as angry out there as we are at home. The difference, of course, is that aside from scaring the shit out of my dog, my string of expletives have relatively little consequence; whereas Rip has given up the second most technical free throws in the league. He’s damn near Sheed-esque this season.

Regardless of how poor the league’s officiating can be, this whole "giving-the-other-team-two-to-three-points-per-game-while-losing-by-single-digits" thing is getting out of hand. The Pistons, unlike in years past when they were atop the league in point differential, are not good enough to give away points. Hell, right now, they may not be good enough to finish .500 for the month of January – tomorrow night’s matchup against the Nets will decide that fate. [In case you are wondering, the last time the Pistons had a record under .500 for a single month was in February, 2004; not a bad year for the Pistons, mind you.]

Is the clock striking midnight on Wiz’ Cinderella?

Look, Gilbert Arenas is a nice player. And should he prove to be dominant for more than half a season, then I'll entertain including his name with Kobe, Tim Duncan, Dwyane Wade (sigh), et al. But right now, at 11:50pm on Tuesday, January 30, 2007, let me be the first blogger (or at least the first blogger I'm aware of) to say that I'm tired of Gilbert Arenas. Again, sour grapes abound, but keep the effing mouthpiece in your mouth already. The fully-clothed showers, "Hibatchi!", the All-Star vote campaign, the Team USA vendettas... it is all too much. Gilbert is the NBA equivalent of a Jerry Bruckheimer movie: It looks slick as hell. It's highlights gets people talking. There may even be a few one-liners worth taking home. But we're months from summer and people are already tired of hearing about it. And we know that, ultimately, it won't be taking home any awards.

So... yeah. I'm a little bitter.

Wizards 104, Pistons 99 box score [ESPN]
Pistons 2003-04 Game Log [databaseBasketball]
Pistons muscle past Pacers [DBB]
No need for spells: Wizards beat the Pistons [DBB]

• Keith Langlois has an interesting column on Amir Johnson's positive attitude at Pistons.com; one paragraph sticks out for me:
  

  By now Dumars was more than intrigued. But the Pistons went into the 2005 draft with two late second-round picks and didn’t think there was any way Johnson, a McDonald’s All-American who had committed to Louisville’s Rick Pitino, would last that long. In fact, they knew of another Eastern Conference team for whom Johnson worked out that very nearly took him in the first round. But they wound up plucking Johnson with the 56th pick, delighted at their luck.

  Thus far, Piston fans have been relatively silent regarding Johnson's (lack of) playing time for the big club -- the prevailing opinion being that he is still too raw, and will gradually work his way into the lineup when he can help the team. I wonder if this would be the case had Johnson been a first-round pick; if Flip Saunders' rotation -- and Amir, himself -- would have been subject to the biting scrutiny normally associated with a first round choice.

  Darko Milicic was younger than Amir Johnson when he entered the league as the second pick overall in 2003, and expectations were immediately high. (Remember: "The only thing that could destroy a kid like that is a woman.") I wonder... Is Amir's continuing positive attitude partially a result of a pressure-free development? Was Darko's timid listlessness made worse by the pains of great expectations? Who knows, but it would be incredibly poetic if the Pistons did draft and develop their star teenage big man after all -- just two years and 54 picks later than expected.

• Former Wolverine Robert "Tractor" Traylor faces up to 14 months in prison. This has nothing to do with his career as a Wolverine, but it reflects upon the team nonetheless (mainly as a reminder of its sordid past).

  Even the most die-hard of Michigan hoops fans have to understand why athletic director Bill Martin is willing to accept the underwhelming, mediocre teams of the Tommy Amaker era in exchange for the drama-plagued, occasionally successful teams of previous regimes. What is happening at Crisler Arena right now is a cleansing. At some point, M hoops will rise again, and they'll be far enough detached from their cancerous past to build it up right.

• Your Friday Gilbert Arenas update, courtesy of his blog on NBA.com
  

  [On the Phoenix Suns, who destroyed the Wizz earlier this week.]
  That team doesn’t talk trash.

  Truthfully, they’re not worried about defense. They’re whole motto for the last couple years is, "we’re going to outscore you." And that’s what they do.

  [On tonight's and next week's matchup against the Pistons.]
  They got Webber down there.

  I know they’re anxious about playing games and getting him situated in that system, but we gotta keep playing at the level we’re playing at – that high-energy level.

  They’re a much older team that we’re going to see, but we know they want to run – they proved it all last year – so we just gotta keep running and hopefully we can come out with the wins because we’re playing there and back here in Washington.

• Ummm... I really should just go ahead and add Knickerblogger to my RSS reader. Then I could avoid awkward mix-ups like this.
• IMPORTANT NOTE (courtesy of the Oakland Press and corroborated by the Pistons official site): Gametime for tonight's tilt against the 'Zards has been changed to 7:00pm. Set your tivos accordingly.

There's something special about #40. His picks were harder. His whines were louder. His flops more dramatic. Of course (you are on a Pistons blog after all) we're talking about our muse: Bill Laimbeer.

He was the "Prince of Darkness," and was hated by everyone, including some of his own teammates. He was a player who could have only existed when he did, for the rule changes to defense in the Association today would have made his pummelling style of play impossible. He couldn't jump. He could barely dunk. And yet, if you asked some of the greatest players of the time -- Barkley, Bird, McHale, Worthy -- who they were looking for when Detroit came to town, it was #40. So allow us to indulge ourselves, and enjoy The Carnival of the NBA #40: the Bill Laimbeer Edition.

But, hold on. Matt and I aren't here just to reminisce over our Piston past. No, we've decided to dig down into everyone's dirt: the jheri curls, the "Divac for Bryant"ses, Run TMC, Kevin Duckworth. Yeah, it's all fair game. We'll give you the usual Carnival comprehensive list of who's who in basketball blogosphere. But on top of that, we're going to take some random guesses as to who you'd be obsessing over had you -- and this whole blog thing -- been married up 10, 20, 30 years earlier.

Enjoy.

Atlantic Division

Boston Celtics

Blog: Celticsblog
M.O.: What happens when you combine one of the most prolific NBA bloggers (Jeff Clark) with one of the worst teams in the league (the Celtics)? Apparently, schizophrenia.
Probably would have obsessed over: Dino Radja. Out goes Kevin McHale; in comes Dino Radja. And just like that, 14 straight winning seasons become 8 straight losing years. Dino Radja, indeed.

Blog: LOY’s Place
M.O.: Go ahead, big guy. Let it out.
Probably would have obsessed over: Anyone on the team. 20 years ago.

Blog: Red's Army
M.O.: Noting that there's more to gain (cough, Oden, cough) than moral victories if the Celtics play hard and lose close games.
Probably would have obsessed over: Acie Earl? Eric Montross? Perhaps the Celtics should steer clear of drafting big men. Durant, anyone?

New Jersey Nets

Blog: Nets Daily
M.O.: Worrying about real, on-court issues (like Jason Kidd’s longevity) while others are more concerned with Joumana’s tell all.
Probably would have obsessed over: Buck Williams. What’s not to like? He was hard-working, was productive into his late 30s, and to my knowledge was without any crazy-ass wife.

Blog: Joe Nets Fan
M.O.: Optimism ground to a halt with the news that Richard Jefferson could be gone for six weeks or more.
Probably would have obsessed over: [Note from DBB reader, LanierFan] "I gotta stick up for JoeNetsFan as the pre-eminent blog for all things Nets … back in the day, they would have drawn up a great "Poseidon Adventure" style caricature of Micheal Ray Richardson, going down with that ship that be sinkin’."

New York Knicks

Blog: Bench Renaldo
M.O.: When he's not busy at The 'House, or at SLAM!, Mutoni is bringing his knowledge of Association on and off-court to Bench Renaldo. His focus this week: the new Nike Air Force 1 spot.
Probably woud have obsessed over: Hubert Davis, whose name and game would definitely have spawned a "Bench Hubert" blog.

Blog: Knickerblogger
M.O.: All David Lee, old, overrated, ring-less, fat-ass" analysts the next. Hey, if LeBron has multiple personalities, why can't the blogs that follow him?
Probably would have obsessed over: Larry Nance, who proved that not everyone who hails from Akron, OH believes dunking is "bourgeois." Nance won the first-ever NBA dunk contest in 1984 and currently makes his living as a drag racer. No, seriously.

Blog: YAYsports! NBA
M.O.: Becoming friends with Being plagiarized by ESPN writers, creating all those Rangers Corps T-shirts the kids are wearing these days, personifying basketballs and staying on top of Kwame Brown vs. Cake.
Probably would have obsessed over: Brad Daugherty. "King Brad will revolutionize the game. Hamburgers!"

Chicago Bulls

Blog: Blog A Bull
M.O.: Coming to grips with the Bulls being decent again -- if they could only get that missing piece.
Probably would have obsessed over: Orlando Woolridge. Keep him? Trade him? Yeah, he's good, but is he what the Bulls need? He was Andres Nocioni back when Nocioni was still in kindergarten.

Detroit Pistons

Blog: Need4Sheed
M.O.: Putting her Photoshop skillz to use mocking the opposition ... and inspiring her readers to do the same in real life.
Probably would have obsessed over: Were John Salley still playing, we'd probably be reading Salacious4Salley.com. Bill Laimbeer had Rasheed Wallace's distaste for referees, but Salley's colorful quotes were a bored reporter's wet dream.

Blog: Human Victory Cigar
M.O.: Lamenting, much as I do, over the Pistons lack of a suitable backup point guard. Also, mourning the death of the Pistons' D.
Probably would have obsessed over: Darrell Walker. Speaking of backup point guards, Walker stepped in for the departed Vinnie Johnson in '91-92. While his tenure with the Pistons was less than 100 games, this period sticks out as being particularly traumatic for me as a kid.

Indiana Pacers

Blog: Cornrows
M.O.: Mildly amused at Golden State's excitement about acquiring Steven Jackson.
Probably would have obsessed over: Derrick McKey. A complementary player at best, but it wasn't until his arrival that the Pacers got past the first round. Mike Dunleavy, Jr., you taking notes? Bonus: McKey's nickname was "Heavy D," which would work for Dunleavy... well, sorta.

Blog: Miss Gossip
M.O.: Analyzing hair trends of the NBA in ways that push Microsoft Paint to the limits.
Probably would have obsessed over: Dennis Rodman. The dude was an innovator when it came to hair cuts.

Milwaukee Bucks

Blog: MKE Bucks Diary
M.O.: Mixing old school nostalgia with new school stats: "That's a Chamberlain-like Eff48 of 53.05."
Probably would have obsessed over: Oscar Robertson. You want to talk about Eff48? The Big O filled up the box score like no other.

Southeast Division

Atlanta Hawks

Blog: Impending Firestorm
M.O.: Mimicking inconsistent Hawks with inconsistent posting, eschewing traditional expectations of blogs by doing actual interviews.
Probably would have obsessed over: Jon Koncak, who can thank Al Gore that the "blogosphere" didn't exist yet when he received his mistake of a contract that paid him more than Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson and Larry Bird. The team that signed him to the original offer sheet? Your Detroit Pistons. You're welcome, Atlanta.

Charlotte Bobcats

Blog: Bobcat Bonfire
M.O.: Staying amazingly optimistic for a Bobcats fan by taking joy in the little things (a two-game winning streak! and employing a healthy dose of hyperbole ("Matt Carroll is a good player with the potential to be great.")
Probably would have obsessed over: Muggsy Bogues, the original overachiever.

Orlando Magic

Blog: Orlando Magic Blog
M.O.: Hoping Brian Hill gets fired, or, barring that, hoping Hill's players start listening to him.
Probably would have obsessed over: Penny Hardaway, who knows a thing or two about getting Brian Hill fired.

Blog: Believing in Magic
M.O.: Ever the optimist, Todd has to be nearing wits end during the Magic's recent slump. Yup, says right here -- "stage two: comparing your team to Lindsey Lohan."
Probably would have obsessed over: Terry Catledge. Another of the seemingly endless stream of Bullets-to-Magic-to-Wizards. There has to be a reason for this, right?

Miami Heat

Blog: Ira Winderman on Miami Heat
M.O.: Sun-Sentinel beat reporter proves that journalism school still teaches the fine art of the bullet point.
Probably would have obsessed over: Bimbo Coles, if for no other reason than getting to write his name 82 times a year.

Washington Wizards

Blog: THE WIZZNUTZZ
M.O.: One word: BACON!!! 15 words: Proving their cryptic (yet hilarious) mindview translates from the computer screen to the silk-screen.
Probably would have obsessed over: Kevin Duckworth. Gilbert Arenas has been accused of having no conscience, and Duckworth lacked one as well ... at least at the dinner table.

Blog: Bullets Forever
M.O.: Actually caring about defense on a team featuring Gilbert Arenas, making Eddie Jordan's life easier by figuring out this whole rotation thing.
Probably would have obsessed over: Bernard King, the type of all-offense, no-defense player Antawn Jamison wishes he could be.

Northwest Division

Denver Nuggets

Blog: The Nugg Dr.
M.O.: While biding his time, waiting for ‘Melo to join up with AI, the Nugg Dr. has resumed his "historical glimpses." This time around, Eastern Michigan’s finest: George "Ice Man" Gervin.
Probably would have obsessed over: Alex English. The league's most prolific scorer in the 80's would be a perfect fit for today's squad -- give or take a dozen tattoos.

Blog: NBA Basketball and Other Unrelatedness
M.O.: Has the inside scoop on Carmelo's real letter to the fans, part-time personal fashion designer for Agent Zero.
Probably would have obsessed over: Darryl Dawkins. If there's any former player who could have inspired The Hype to reach new Photoshopperific highs, it's Chocolate Thunder.

Minnesota Timberwolves

Blog: I Heart KG
M.O.: When Sonia isn’t hearting KG or arranging benefit concerts for Peace Players International, she’s bringing to light conspiracies. This time, it’s to do with the T-Wolves bobbleheads.
Probably would have obsessed over: Doug West. Aside from giving his formidable NBA years to the expansion T-Wolves, West also had the nickname Fresh. Why? I can take a wild guess...

Portland Trailblazers

Blog: True Hoop
M.O.: It’s probably unfair to place True Hoop under the Blazers. After all, Henry does a phenomenal job of covering the entire league for us. But he’s been all over two recent themes with "Blazers" written all over them: Rasheed Wallace and Kevin Durant.
Probably would have obsessed over: Drazen Petrovic, who started his career with the Blazers before breaking out with the Nets. Look, for all I know, Henry was writing about Drazen for his middle school or high school newspaper back in the late-80s. Point is: Drazen was cool before being a Euro in the NBA was cool.

Blog: BlazerBlog
M.O.: Poking fun at the bust that is Sebastian Telfair, ranking the NBA's contenders.
Probably would have obsessed over: Danny Young. If Vinnie Johnson is 007, then Young is 000.

Seattle Sonics

Blog: Sonics Central
M.O.: All over the Sonics, from stadium issues to shattering my dreams of a Dale Davis for Earl Watson trade.
Probably would have obsessed over: Jack Sikma. Hah! I'd like to point out that I was able to steal Sikma -- a personal favorite -- for the Sonics before Matt Watson (who is carnival-ing the Central Division) could use him for the Bucks.

Utah Jazz

Blog: Utah Jazz Blog
M.O.: Impatience is setting in as the Jazz continue their return to the rest of the pack. But trading AK47??
Probably would have obsessed over: Thurl Bailey. Greatest. Jazz. Ever.

Pacific Division

Golden State Warriors

Blog: Golden State of Mind
M.O.: While the Warriors could probably make the Conference Finals if they played in the East, out West they're left breaking down the ramifications of the recent 8 player trade with Indy. Kudos for making it through an entire trade breakdown with zero stripper/guns/strippers with guns jokes. You’re a better man than I. And, in all seriousness, congrats to GSoM for their millionth hit.
Probably would have obsessed over: Terry Teagle. Because Terry was the "T" in Run TMC, right? No? Well he shoulda been.

Los Angeles Clippers

Blog: Clips Nation
M.O.: Life isn’t nearly as good for Clipper bloggers as it is for the Staples Center roommates. Life lately seems to consist of accepting hoops lessons from the wifey and dreading the inevitable Dunleavy trade. Ouch.
Probably would have obsessed over: Benoit Benjamin? Olden Polynice? Gary Grant? Bo Kimble?

Blog: ClipperBlog
M.O.: Seems to be one of the few sites who feel that Corey Maggette is worth saving. That almost makes up for his use of "Midwesterner" as a derogatory term. Livingston’s still out; perhaps we should cut him some slack.
Probably would have obsessed over: Danny Ferry. Oh yeah, I went there.

Los Angeles Lakers

Blog: Forum Blue and Gold
M.O.: When not jet-setting off to Kauai to escape the harsh Southern California winters, Kurt is enjoying the Lakers’ success without Lamar or Kwame.
Probably would have obsessed over: A.C. Green. Remember how cool A.C. was, with his jheri curl and energetic style of play? Man, I bet he got all the chicks…

Blog: End of the Bench
M.O.: Absolutely loving Kwame vs. Cake, pimping MVN's new look.
Probably would have obsessed over: James Worthy. Kwame Brown and Eddie Griffin have nothing on him: the goggled one once showed up to a game late after being arrested for soliciting a prostitute earlier in the day.

Phoenix Suns

Blog: Bright Side of the Sun
M.O.: When your team is playing at a level such as the Suns are, you don’t worry about things like "trading deadlines" or "lottery picks." You worry about your fans being too damn spoiled to appreciate the ride.
Probably would have obsessed over: Tom Chambers. But then, who wouldn’t?

Blog: The Rising Suns
M.O.: Okay, so all’s not rosy in Phoenix with Kurt Thomas out 4-6 weeks. Lucas at The Rising Suns spells out how he thinks the Sols will adapt and goes back and forth with Kelly Dwyer of Sports Illustrated on Shawn Marion’s potential All-Star snub. Also, rumor has it that Rising Suns is now employing? WTF?
Probably would have obsessed over: Walter Davis, damnit. Why the hell don’t more people talk about Walter Davis?

Sacramento Kings

Blog: Sactown Royalty
M.O.: The home of Artest is soliciting trade proposals on how to best blow up the team. Who saw that one coming??
Probably would have obsessed over: Vinny Del Negro. After filming several Karate Kid movies, Ralph Macchio decided to drop the pseudonym and get serious about basketball. Vinny Del Negro was the result.

Southwest Division

Dallas Mavericks

Blog: MavsMoneyball
M.O.: Being the best blog about the best team in the league, still re-living last year's pre-ordained Finals loss.
Probably would have obsessed over: Roy Tarpley. Like Dirk Nowitzki, Tarpley was a talented 7-footer who knew how to party. A lot. Too much, in fact.

Houston Rockets

Blog: Globetrotter
M.O.: Enjoys (Luther) Head.
Probably would have obsessed over: Calvin Murphy, who didn't like head as much the real thing -- 14 kids with nine women!

New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets

Blog: Hornets 24/7
M.O.: Showing a knack for knowing what hard-core NBA fans really want: cheerleader pictures.
Probably would have obsessed over: Kobe Bryant ... that is, if the Hornets didn't trade him on draft day for Vlade Divac. But those two seasons of Divac were pretty awesome, huh? No regrets there on this one. No sir, none at all.

Blog: Grizzlies FanHouse
M.O.: Ignoring the team's dismal record by taking joy in Barone-ball, six-year-old ballers and inflatable Pau Gasols.
Probably would have obsessed over: Bryant Reeves. Big Country was drafted one spot below Kevin Garnett -- kind of stings, don't it, Grizzlies fans? Hello? Is anyone listening? There are some Grizzlies fans reading this, right? [P.S. -- see that picture of A.C. Green above? Thank Jebus that the baggy shorts were introduced prior to Big Country's NBA debut.]

Blog: Pounding the Rock
M.O.: Writing in-depth game recaps that are still only half as detailed as his accounts of Las Vegas strip clubs.
Probably would have obsessed over: Judging by his gentlemen's club habit, it has to be Steven Jackson.

Free Agents -- General NBA Blogs

Blog: Free Darko
M.O. Preaching that the game is more than numbers ... especially when the statistics being used don't add up.
Probably would have obsessed over: Walt Frazier. Style and substance? Oh, the glory days.

Blog: Hoops Perspective
M.O. Comparing NBA teams to types of girls you used to date, milking YouTube for all it's worth.
Probably would have obsessed over: Keith Closs, a 7-foot-3 center whose YouTube highlights consist of getting flat-out destroyed in a street brawl.

Blog: Straight Bangin'
M.O. Lamenting the lost art of big men dominating the paint, examining the connection between athletics and music -- including commercials.
Probably would have obsessed over: Moses Malone, one of the finest lumbering big men ever to suit up.

Blog: SportsBiz
M.O.: Analyzing the business of sports, crunching sponsorship deals, rewarding readers with gratuitous Victoria Beckham bathing suit pictures.
Probably would have obsessed over: Michael Jordan, who was equally fascinating as an economics case-study in endorsements as he was on the court.

Blog: 3 Man Lift
M.O.: Impressive knowledge of the Association at large. And I'm loving the suggestion to replace the dunk contest with a game of H-O-R-S-E.
Probably would have obsessed over: Richard Dumas. The guy could have won a game of H-O-R-S-E against anyone... were he capable of avoiding suspension from the league.

And finally, if you made it this far, you deserve something for your efforts:

That is all, folks.

• My favorite part of Rasheed Wallace v. Chris Sheridan? This line:
  

  Rasheed Wallace was thrusting a bottle of orange soda straight at my chin after he came over to me this morning at the Pistons' practice facility for some civilized discourse regarding this morning's Daily Dime lead. [Emphasis added.]

  First off, being that he is employed by the Worldwide Leader, I would have expected Sheridan to recognize a golden opportunity for product placement when it's "thrust at his chin" (nice choice of words, by the way). Why not say "thrusting a bottle of "Orange Crush" or "thrusting a bottle of Sunkist Orange"? Or -- if Sheridan really wanted to curry favor with Detroit-area sports fans, he could prop up a local drink with "thrusting a bottle of Orange Faygo." I'm disappointed. [Note to Sheridan: in these parts (Michigan), it's called "pop."]

  Secondly, what the hell is Rasheed doing drinking "soda" after a practice? At the very least, reach for the Gatorade, man. You may not have a taste for roofing nails (a la Ben Wallace) or miniature humans (Jason Maxiell), but "soda"? Your metabolism isn't what it used to be. [See above]

• Those living under a rock for the past almost 40 games have missed the evolution of Gilbert Arenas from "blog-geek superstar" to "legitimate MVP candidate/NBA Superstar." Arenas, whose choice of pizza toppings could spawn a thousand blog posts, has taken it upon himself to propel the Wizards into the mix for top record in the East. (To be fair, Caron Butler is more than just along for the ride.) Now I've been in D.C. for five years, so perhaps some bias is creeping in, but if I'm not watching the Pistons, I'm searching for a 'Zards or Suns game.

  Even better -- Gilbert, or "Agent Zero" as the Wizznutzz have long dubbed him, is a blogger! His comments on his game winner against the Jazz Monday night:

  Coach drew up a play to give me the ball at the top of the key. From there, we all know what happened.

  I just dribbled one more time. You know, I’m so fast when I get ready to move they’re going to back up especially since I’m crouched so low. Most people think I’m going to go past them and he backed up enough for me to get my shot off.

  It was money. Anytime I take a shot right now towards the end of the clock, I’m 11-for-11 right now. Anything I put up is going to be accurate.

  And on DBB favorite Memo Okur:

  The whole night, between Okur and Boozer, they were giving us the business. It’s hard when you got your five-man shooting threes you know, from 28-feet out.
  He surprised all of us. We knew he was their best 3-point shooter, but we didn’t know he had range like that. He proved it last night. He hit big shot after big shot after big shot.

  If only Sheed had a blog.

• Henry, from TrueHoop, has a take on this whole Rasheed Wallace business, which is signifcant not only because we value his opinion, but because he's a Blazer fan as well.
  

  The way his brain works is thrilling as a sideshow. When he's great, on or off the court, he's as good as NBA players have ever been. But when he's the main event, counted on night in and night out? Many nights are just atrocious.

  And, let me state the obvious here: Flip Saunders might be the best coach and nicest guy in the world. But by now it should be clear that he was not the smartest choice for the players on Detroit's roster at the time of his hire. The interior defense of the Wallaces was the team's identity, and owing to personality clashes, differences of philosophy, and whatever else (including, almost certainly, the changing NBA rules, which are essentially anti-defense) that identity was not sustainable under Saunders.

  Both Wallaces, in their own way, have departed. Ben physically. Rasheed mentally.

• Shocker. YAYsports! enjoys this Rasheed business. (Would you ask the bird not to sing?) In other news, Lebron who?
• Shocker, part II. Shaq's not ready. Kazaam would prefer to sit a couple more days before returning against the Mavs on Sunday. Over/under on his current weight, 400?
• In the "just because" category: according to NBADraft.net, the Pistons are currently projected to take Texas A&M point guard Acie Law and perpetual prospect Tiago Splitter of Brazil in the 2007 NBA draft. While draft projections mean absolutely nothing at this point, I still visit the site regularly.

So yeah, you know that Chris Sheridan article that Matt cited earlier today? Let's just say that Sheed isn't too happy about it. From the Detroit News:

Rasheed Wallace's temper boiled over following the Pistons' practice Thursday as he shouted expletives at ESPN.com writer Chris Sheridan.

Wallace took offense to a story Sheridan wrote that appears on the ESPN.com Web site.

Wallace sought out Sheridan approximately 25 minutes after the team left the practice floor and reporters were waiting to talk to players.

...

In response to the article, Wallace said to Sheridan: "Have you ever heard the word hate come out of my mouth?"

Wallace also accused Sheridan of trying to create "drama."

As Wallace was yelling at Sheridan, Sheridan suggested that Wallace calm down and discuss the matter privately.

This begs the question: if there was nothing wrong, then why would 'Sheed be caring about Sheridan or what he writes?

Also, Natalie at Need4Sheed was all over this from the git.

Update: Pistons.com's Keith Langlois has some quotes from Flip Saunders on Rasheed leaving the huddle:

"He did that all 64 games we won last year and he did that all 18 games we lost," Saunders said. "That’s just what he’s always done. He’s never doing anything to be disrespectful. He’s not leaving the huddle before everything is said. When he leaves the huddle, it’s because we’re done.

"He’s done that his whole career. Some guys want to sit down, some guys stand and walk around. His thing is he goes and sits at center court and thinks about things. A lot of times, I’ll go up and I’ll talk to him there. He’s not doing that out of disrespect.

"I don’t think he hates me. That’s a pretty strong statement."

Wallace repeatedly asked Sheridan if he’d ever heard the writer’s assertions come from Wallace and, as he walked away, said "that’s how that (garbage) gets started."

Saunders also added this . . .

"It’s a fine line with Sheed because two weeks ago he had no emotion and that’s all we talked about," Saunders said. "He’s got to play with emotion. The last two technicals he’s had, Atlanta and here, he’s actually been talking to his teammate, (Antonio) McDyess. McDyess was more shocked at the T than anybody."

. . . which is flat-out wrong. Anyone with a TV could hear that he was arguing with the ref. Granted, he may have been arguing about the fact that he was talking to a teammate when the ref told him to quiet down, but he still didn't get the tech until he started swearing at the ref.

Wallace lashes out at ESPN.com writer [Detroit News]
Sheed is not a happy camper [Need4Sheed]
Defused [Pistons.com]

First off, I'm all for adding Chris Webber to the mix.

As a team, the Pistons were looking fairly mediocre over the first 30-something games of the '07 campaign. Convincing wins over teams like Dallas, Houston, and the Lakers were frustratingly balanced by losses to the Blazers, Bobcats, and Knicks. A move had to be made -- if not to increase wins, then at least to slow the erosion of the Palace faithful.

Admittedly, Webber brings that excitement; he makes asses meet seats. He was a member of Michigan's most revered college basketball team. He's put up Hall-of-Fame numbers, if not quite a Hall-of-Fame career. And while he isn't dating Tyra Banks anymore, he once did -- and that's more than enough for me.

And did you know that he was from Detroit? (Over the past week, Webber's Detroit-ness has been hyped at Bettis-like proportions.)

In short, Webber joining the Pistons makes sense for every off-the-court reason you could think of. And while it remains to be seen whether the match works on the floor, there's at least a new storyline in town during the dog days of February and March.

That said, lost amidst all the buzz is the downfall of Nazr Mohammed. Mohammed -- who is not long for the Pistons after his recent outburst -- has performed exactly as should have been expected when he was sucked into the vacuum created by Ben Wallace's exit. In almost 19 minutes per game as a Piston, Mohammed's reached a high-water mark in shooting percentage (56%) and has hovered around his career averages in points (7.0), boards (5.4), and blocks (1.0). So... when given about the same minutes he received as a reserve for San Antonio, Nazr has put up close to the same numbers (if not a little better). Well who the hell saw that coming?!

Continue reading this post »

The Pacers and Warriors pulled off a semi-interesting trade this afternoon. The 8 player deal centered around a Stephen Jackson/Al Harrington for Troy Murphy/Mike Dunleavy swap, but other players like Ike Diogu and Sarunas Jasikevicius (I just spelled that from memory) were also involed. Let's see... Artest to Sacramento. Jackson to Golden State. Could David Harrison to the Clippers be far behind?

A. Sherrod Blakely of MLive reveals that Chris Webber will wear number 84 (since his previous number, 4, is kinda taken). Update: Why 84? His nephew picked it out.

Detroit fans have a tendency to become infatuated with trainers, especially when their teams are doing well (see John Wharton of Red Wings fame). Well, Arnie Kander may soon be up for sainthood, if we Piston fans have our say. Kander has thus far achieved fame of Mike Abdenour proportions with his ongoing Antonio McDyess reclamation project, as welll as several instances of injured Pistons returning to health ahead of expectations.

His next move: rebuilding Chris Webber.

Kander had the following to say about Webber's gimpy knee and ankle (to the Detroit News):

"I like a lot of what I have seen," he said. "I don't think (his knee) is an issue."

...

"It's very similar to Dyess (Antonio McDyess, who came to the Pistons after knee surgery in 2004)," Kander said. "It's not the knee; we have to correct the things around the knee. People fail to realize, he had a terrible ankle sprain in Sacramento and then six months later had microfracture surgery.

"If you watch him run, he always lists to one side. He can't get over the right ankle so he comes down hard on the left knee."

If Kander can get Webber anywhere close to his 20/10 career norms, not only will the Pistons regain their status as favorites in the East, but they could finish out the season in a manner that convinces Chauncey Billups to stay in Piston blue after he opts out of his current deal after the season. Says Chauncey (again, to the Detroit News):

"If somebody would have told me in my career I was going to play with, on one team, Rasheed Wallace, McDyess, Chris Webber, Rip Hamilton, Tayshaun Prince -- I'd say, 'Maybe so, on an all-star team,' " Billups said. "But not every single night. It's unbelievable."

I can dream.

Can Webber measure up? [Detroit News]

According to ESPN, Chris Webber has made up his mind to join the Pistons beginning Tuesday. Webber apparently sent an email to the Associated Press announcing his decision. So, unless you think Chris is a liar... (go ahead, get it out of your system, Michigan basketball fans)... the Pistons should have a revamped rotation in time for Wednesday's matchup against Utah.

To make room for Webber, it looks like Nazr Muhammed will be the odd man out. ESPN cites league sources saying that the Pistons have discussed a Nazr for Marko Jaric trade with the Timberwolves. The proposed trade would seem to benefit both teams and, especially, both players. Both Nazr and Jaric are hoping for new starts after experiencing steadily diminishing minutes. [Update: Here's the Star-Tribune article talking about it] For "what-ifs" sake, Jaric is signed through 2010-11 and will make $5.5 million this season.

Pistons win sweepstakes, will sign Webber Tuesday [ESPN]
Minnesota Timberwolves salaries [SI.com]

Okay, so this started as a bulleted list, but I'm feeling a bit verbose...

A tough night for Central Division rivals

• The Bulls dropped a home game to the Nets after leading the game by 18 points in the third quarter. (For those interested, yes, Jason Kidd still blows kisses at the free throw line... perhaps to his lawyer, who managed to flip the "abusive" label onto his 5'2" wife just in time for divorce proceedings.)
• The Cavaliers got a crash course in elite basketball, courtesy of the Phoenix Suns. Lebron James scored 34 points in the loss, 23 more than Drew Gooden, Cleveland's second leading scorer. You think Cleveland was upset that Webber didn't include their name in his 5?

Webber to once again don Blue

Of the numerous articles in the Detroit area discussing the Webber-to-Detroit scenario, I think Keith Langlois of Pistons.com has penned the best (DBB coverage excluded, of course). He manages through his personal experience to capture both the mystique surrounding the youthful Webber and the potential benefits the Webber of today could offer. Here's a couple samples, but the entire article merits a read:

He’d turned 14 between the time of that TV special and that summer pickup game and he struck me as a young James Worthy - long and sinewy and spellbinding. He didn’t have Worthy’s feathery jump shot, but he had hands even Worthy would envy - one of the all-time greatest pair of hands in basketball, as it would turn out - and jaw-dropping explosion off the floor that not a handful of NBA big men in history possessed. I’ve never seen a guy dunk so fast and so ferociously that you’re not even sure the ball went through the hoop, though Jason Maxiell does a pretty good approximation of a young Webber dunking.

...

Well, a year ago he averaged 20.2 points and 9.9 rebounds - right at his career numbers. He does not have the mobility he once did, so he’s not a defensive plus any longer. But he’s still 6-foot-10, he’s still a solid 245 pounds and he still has an imposing reach. His knees have deteriorated but his touch has not. He won’t remind anyone of Ben Wallace, but given the paucity of interior scorers in the NBA, you sure wouldn’t pass on him because of his concerns over his defense.

Ignorance is bliss

One gets the sense that the up-and-down season has the Pistons pannicking much less than the fanbase (myself included) these days. I'm sure there's frustration after dropping games to freaking Charlotte and the Rasheed/Flip Saunders dynamic could become problematic, but Saunders and Joe Dumars seem to have done a remarkable job of redefining the importance of the regular season following last season's gaudy win total. Look at Chauncey Billups' comments regarding his injured calf (courtesy of MLive):

"It hurts, it's tough, and it's frustrating," he said."But I'm not trying to rush back too soon. You want to get back as soon as you can, but I know and my teammates know that it's more important for me to be all the way back then come back too soon and get hurt even worse."

The focus is clearly on getting healthy and building a cohesive rotation by the postseason. That the Eastern Conference is so mediocre means the Pistons can afford to experiment with different combinations. They can afford to add a guy of Webber's caliber even if he isn't a need. They can afford to elevate and drop players from the rotation in search of the right combination. They can afford to send Sheed to the bench for a while. So long as by the 65-70 game point they have settled on a productive rotation, nursed their injured back to full strength, and squelched the majority of internal strife (remember, Ben Wallace's hissy fit in Orlando last season was in game #76), this team is capable of beating anyone in the league.

It is still a ways off, but it is conceivable that this year's team -- in apparent disarray thus far -- could experience a marked increase in level of play under the focus and intensity of the playoffs. From watching last year's team, you got the sense that the sameness -- same starting 5, same media praise, same fan adoration, same regular season winning formula -- might have precluded that team from finding another level of ball when everyone else stepped up their game. This year's team could surprise with the Miami formula...

Of course, these are the armchair ramblings of a amateur. But one can still hope, right?

Nets 86, Bulls 83 box score [NBA.com]
Suns 109, Cavs 90 box score [NBA.com]
See Web? [Pistons.com]
Pistons the favorite to land Webber [MLive]

Regardless of the supposed lack of severity of Chauncey Billups' strained calf, his absence during the past three games has highlighted one of the Pistons' most glaring weaknesses: the backup point guard position. With Billups out, Piston reserves Flip Murray and Will Blalock have averaged 10.3 points, 6 assists, and 3 turnovers in their combined 48+ minutes per. Not awful, and frankly, not nearly as bad as I expected (though the numbers are bouyed by Flip's 18 point performance in the New Year's Eve loss to Phoenix). But Billups, before his injury, was averaging 18 points and 8 assists in 38 minutes. Add in the points scored by his reserves in roughly ten minutes of backup time, and the Pistons have lost close to 10 points and a few assists per game from the point guard position. That is a painful dropoff in just the tangible categories.

Sadly the Pistons' current difficulties were publicly predicted by Joe last season. Following the trade that sent Carlos Arroyo and Darko to the Magic, the Pistons were left with Lindsey Hunter as their primary backup at point guard. Hunter, for all his defensive prowess and leadership intangibles, has been rightly criticized for his propensity for pounding the rock and his tunnel vision on fast break opportunities. In short, as great as he was on the defensive side of the ball, on offense he was often a liability.

But Joe seemed less than pannicked about a potential injury to Billups after the trade deadline last season. Speaking just after the Arroyo trade about the Pistons chances of winning the championship last year, Joe was resigned to the fact that without Chauncey, this team had no shot regardless of who his backup was. Joes exact quote: (from the Detroit News -- link is now dead).

"The ultimate question becomes, what if something happens to Chauncey (Billups )?" Dumars said. "Well, who are we going to get if something does happen to Chauncey that's going to lead us to a championship anyways? Don't kill yourself with that. You're up a creek without a paddle there anyways. You know what I mean?"

Flash forward to this past offseason. After scrapping the "Tony Delk: backup point" experiment (Delk is now playing in Greece), the Pistons drafted point guard Will Blalock with the last pick of the draft (#60). Blalock, a junior out of Iowa State, was praised for being a true pass-first point guard with good court vision, ballhanding, and passing skills. But his overall offensive game was still in need of development if he was going to play at the NBA level, and he was not expected to contribute immediately to this year's Pistons.

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You all know about my Rocky affliction by now, right? So I don't feel to self-serving in pointing out my random appearance in the reader email addendum to Bill Simmons' latest column on the Italian Stallion.

With the Pistons in New York to face the Knicks tonight, what better way to say "huh..." than to celebrate the life and times of Chris Dudley. Why does Dudley merit celebration, you ask? Is he dead, you wonder?

No, no, no. Not at all. Chris Dudley is far too smart to die -- he went to Yale, after all. No, I just figured that if they are going to make a movie out of Mark Eaton's life... oh, you didn't hear? Anyways, I figure that if Eaton is movie-worthy, then Chris Dudley should at least have a post dedicated to him, right? I mean, what the hell else is so interesting about tonight's matchup against the brawl-depleted Knicks squad? (That's a rhetorical question.)

Besides, Dudley's got great taste in coaches:

Rick Philbin: Who was your favorite/best coach in the NBA?
Chris Dudley: From an X's & O's standpoint and managing players, it was Chuck Daily. There are many coaches who are good at the X's & O's and there are some who are considered a "player's coach" but very few can do both as well as Chuck.

So, per usual, leave your pre-, in-, and post-game comments in this thread as the Pistons aim for 6 in a row tonight against the Knicks. And when David Lee comes crashing into the lane to grab a board -- or similarly, when David Lee clanks a couple of free throws -- think of Chris Dudley. Because someone should.

Interview with Chris Dudley [Children with Diabetes]

Whew... This one might have been a loss earlier in the season -- that is, if close defeats at home to the Hornets and Blazers are any indication. As it is, Chauncey Billups' ability to shake off a forgettable night and drain two huge free throws -- and Rasheed Wallace being the beneficiary of a questionable no-call -- allowed the Pistons to escape with the 92-91 victory over the Nets.

Perhaps the Nets' run as one of the top teams in East really has come to the end. The Pistons certainly didn't bring their A-game as they have in recent victories over playoff contenders like Dallas, Orlando, and Cleveland. Aside from Sheed's lights-out first quarter (16 points, including four triples), Nazr Mohammed's inside scoring (15 points in 23 minutes), and Rip Hamilton's ability to get to the basket, highlights were few. Even the Piston bench, which recently has provided an offensive spark, offered very little.

In fact, the game was perhaps most defined by its noncombatants. The officials levied 49 personal fouls; they tagged the Pistons with three technicals in the second half; and they missed correctly ignored a potential Rasheed Wallace blocking foul on Vince Carter in the final seconds, which enabled the Pistons to run out the clock.

After the game, all anyone wanted to talk about was Sheed's contact with excellent defense of Carter (from the Detroit News):

When asked if he fouled Carter, Wallace sheepishly said, "Um, maybe… That could have gone either way. He put his head down, and I tried to take the charge. It was a no-call. I'll buy that for a dollar."

But while the Pistons sounded like the cat who ate the canary, Jason Kidd sounded like a man who didn't care too much about league-imposed fines, at least not at the moment when he ripped into the officiating crew following the game:

We come to work, and we work extremely hard at this, only for the officials to screw us," Jason Kidd said. "We fought, but that doesn't mean anything when you have the officials take over the game like that. You go with the Three Blind Mice, and it's just sad that Tom (Washington) screwed up that game for us."

Your grain of salt

Against the Nets -- a team not known for its interior play -- Detroit should have had a clear advantage in the frontcourt. Playing without Nenad Kristic, the Nets' patchwork big man rotation of Jason Collins, Mikki Moore, and Josh BooneThe trio for the season has a combined scoring average of under 10. held their own. Matched against 'Sheed, Nazr, Antonio McDyess, Dale Davis, and Jason Maxiell, the Nets' trio scored enough (28 points combined) and managed to outboard the Pistons' bigs (19-15). They allowed Jersey's star power -- Kidd (near triple double, with 13, 9, and 7 dimes), Carter (28 points), and Richard Jefferson (18 on 8-12 shooting) -- a fighting chance to the very end.

Not to focus too much on a negative after a win, but that effort probably doesn't equate to a W against a better team.

Damon Jones redux

Lastly, what it is about former Piston scrubs that enfuriates us so?

As if it wasn't enough that Damon Jones is still playing in the Central Division (instead of say, Mongolia), now we have to deal with former Piston big man Mikki Moore in the starting lineup for the Nets. Moore, with his tenacious glare and the arm definition of a 7 year-old, was all over the court in his 30 minutes of PT. He finished with 8 points and 3 boards but made the most of his offensive opportunities, going 2-2 from the field and 4-4 from the line. He was diving. He was barking. He was fouling.

He was a thorn in the Pistons' side all night... and mine as well as it turns out. Below are verbatim some notes that I took during the game. I didn't realize until afterwards how prominent Mikki was featured:

• Moore is the first NBA player I've seen who makes tattoos look bad. His arms are so skinny that some of his designs look like they overlap themselves.
• Remember when you were a kid and your little brother begged you over and over again to let him play ball with you and your friends? And then your fat friend got too tired after after only a couple games of half court, so you had to let your brother play? And then your little brother runs all over the court like a spaz practically assaulting guys on defense and begging to touch the ball on the offensive end? Yeah, well that's Mikki Moore, who in back-to-back offensive and defensive possessions threw the ball away and committed a brutal foul. In between, he got a not-so-accidental shoulder to the chest from Sheed. Hey, you said you wanted to play, little brother.
• Rip Hamilton gets a star call against Mikki Moore after clearly lowering his shoulder and levelling Mikki in the lane. Mikki wasn't falling to be dramatic either... Rip Hamilton bowled him over... all 155 pounds of Rip levelled a 7-footer... why am I so haunted by this guy?
• Mikki Moore hits a layup in the lane and yells out "Oh, And 1!" He is promptly ignored by everyone on the court and in the stands. On his way back up court, Mikki stares with a fierceness only seen in freshmen v. JV games.



• Mikki Moore picks up another foul and is replaced by Josh Boone, a rookie from UConn... or so George Blaha tells me. (I think it is fairly obvious that this whole "Josh Boone" thing is just another attempt by Cheryl Miller to break the NBA's gender barrier.)
• 2:50 left in the game. Sheed backing down Mikki Moore. Yeah, I like those odds.
• 2:18 remaining. Nazr driving against Mikki Moore. Yeah, I like those odds.

And one non-Mikki observation:

• After the no-call on Vince Carter's last second shot, Lawrence Frank leaps onto the court and gives his sternest Peter Pan pose. With a pat on the head, he is sent back to the Nets' bench.

Yeah, I think it is safe to say that our dislike of the Nets hasn't abated just yet.

Pistons 92, New Jersey 91 box score [NBA.com]
Pistons cut down Nets [Detroit News]
Billups' free throws carry Pistons to fifth straight victory [ESPN]

Thanks to Need4Sheed, everyone's holiday is bound to be just a bit brighter after viewing this clip of Rasheed, Jason Maxiell, Amir, and Will Blalock. The clip ran during yesterday's game at the Palace and, according to Natalie, had everyone rolling -- Pistons bench included. This is must-see -- enjoy.

Like a prize-fighter who knows his opponent's been bought, the Pistons carried the injured Atlanta Hawks team for a half Saturday night. But with a strong second half made possible by contributions from just about everyone, the Pistons KO'd the Hawks, 108-81.

Some odd stats from this game: Detroit was outrebounded thoroughly by the Hawks, 47 boards (24 offensive) to 38 (11). But the Pistons more than made up for the difference in shot opportunities by blocking 16 Atlanta shots. Jason Maxiell and Antonio McDyess led Detroit with 3 each, but 7 Pistons had 2 or more.

Overall, it was a well-rounded, methodical ass-kicking that saw Nazr Muhammed putting up 19 with 10 boards for his most impressive Piston performance; Maxiell continuing his assault upon the league, complete with a four-point possession and another posterizing dunk; and Will Blalock scoring his first NBA field goal. The game was never in doubt, and so 10 Piston players saw at least 15 minutes of floor time; no starter played more than 29. Impressively, with all those bench minutes, all those disparate lineup combinations, the Pistons still only turned the ball over 7 times.

But, with Atlanta missing five rotation players -- Tyronn Lue, Josh Smith, Josh Childress, Speedy Claxton, and Zaza Pachulia -- well, to paraphrase Harvey Keitel in Pulp Fiction, "let's not start [slapping] each other's [backs] just yet." This game was as assured a win as you'll find on the remaining schedule.

Nevertheless, a win is a win is a win, and if you clearly outclass your opponent, then you might as well let the final score reflect that fact. A few favorite moments:

1st Quarter

10:29 Tay is racing side-by-side with Royal Ivey as Ivey makes his way towards the hoop on the fast break. Tay seemingly cedes the layup to Ivey only to leap up at the last minute and throw it backwards. Royal Ivey, you just got Tayshaun'd.

0:11.4 Maxiell's enters the game with little over a minute left in the first quarter. His first field goal attempt is relatively uncontested and yet he still throws it down as if he's trying to crack the floor underneath. He's a manimal.

2nd Quarter

10:29 Maxiell is fouled by Marvin Williams on a vicious tomohawk attempt (which, incidentally, he misses). After the foul, Williams stares off blankly, a glazed look in his eyes. Williams' look suggests bewilderment, as if he'd just seen the new Transformers movie trailer and was marvelling at the potential for awesomeness that he had just witnessed.

3:30ish It is always fun to watch what players do with the ball on the offensive end after the whistle stops play, whether it's a spot up three, a dribbling display, or -- as was the case here with Nazr Muhammed -- a highlight reel dunk. It won't show up in the box score or on the video highlights of the game, but Nazr is one incredibly athletic big man. After a light-hearted, unguarded, dead-ball jump into the lane, the quickness with which he brings down the hammer is something to see.

3rd Quarter

10:10 Nazr Muhammed is not Bill Laimbeer. After grabbing a rebound and seeing Tayshaun Prince streaking out on the fast break, Nazr fires a 90 mile-per-hour bullet pass right into the basket support on the other end. Not exactly a Laimbeer-esque outlet pass there. The camera pans to the Piston bench, and everyone is laughing... except for Flip Murray... who hates freedom.

4th Quarter

5:25 Jason Maxiell will eat your children. Do you understand this, Lorenzen Wright? I only point this out because Wright just fouled Maxiell flagrantly in a desperate attempt to save himself from the "Jason Maxiell: Good Eats" mix tape coming out after this season. Since the Pistons get the ball back, on the same possession Maxiell grabs an offensive board after a Flip Murray miss and scores (and 1). Again, manimal.

Central Standouts

Yes, the Pistons undoubtedly play in the worst conference in professional sports, so being the best of the lEast could be construed as "damning with faint praise." But the Pistons can only play who's on the schedule, and right now, they are playing everyone tough.

Likewise, so is everyone in the Central Division. While the Eastern Conference at-large continues to be the butt of jokes, the Central Division has quietly mounted a challenge for the title of "best division in basketball." With the Bucks, Bulls, and Pacers having righted their respective ships, the entire Central Division is now holding down playoff slots at this very early juncture.

The Pistons are off for the holiday but return to the Palace on Tuesday night for --what's this!? -- another back-to-back set! This time it's against the Nets and then off to the Garden to face (for the time being) Isiah's Knicks.

Happy Holidays

Whether it is Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Festivus, or just a nicely placed three-day weekend, Happy Holidays from us to you. Cheers.

Pistons 108, Atlanta 81 box score [NBA.com]