The Detroit Pistons upgraded
William Crockerham - Examiner.com

" Now that Ben Wallace is back with the Pistons, over my silent objections; all I can say is hope for the best. Which is something, that the Detroit faithful have come to expect from this team from the day Ben landed in Motown, following the Grant Hill sign and trade deal that Joe Dumars, team GM was able to manage, after Hill suddenly left the team, after assuring team brass that he would be back. Regardless which side you choose in this debate, one thing is certain, had Hill stayed in Detroit; there would never have been a dynasty.

I say that because before Grant Hill left, he was their top player along with Jerry Stackhouse; but after being traded to the Orlando Magic he came up lame. After numerous surgeries and missed games, throughout a couple of seasons---he was finally able to play again. He stayed with the Magic and played for a season or so---but ended up with the Phoenix Suns, a team that Ben Wallace was traded to this season in the 'Shaq' deal, sending the 'Big Diesel' to the Cavaliers.

Of course it is only speculation what a lame Grant Hill would have contributed to the Pistons, had he stayed with the team; but without Ben Wallace and Chucky Atkins, since there would have been no trade for those guys; we do know what they won, after the trade was finalized.

So now Ben Wallace is back with the team that made him known as 'Big Ben Wallace'. He probably has lost some rebounds and blocked shots from his game, now that critics claim his career is on the downward slide of things. But some things never get old; that would be the memories associated with winning it all; the sensation of knowing you're the best; the tendency to demand more of yourself and more or less from your teammates; the tendency for your teammates without a ring to listen to you more completely because they know you've been there and done that once. Don't get your teammates wrong; not winning a championship does not automatically eliminate a player from Hall of Fame consideration; look at Charles Barkely, one of the greatest players in NBA history and yet he doesn't have one and never will, unless it is as a coach or owner some day.

So evidently the party is not over for the Pistons and Ben Wallace, not just yet, anyway. But what is clearly over is the Rasheed Wallace era, which began with a championship; but which ended with one of the worst years in his career. When Ben left the team, a whole in the middle was created, big enough to drive a diesel truck threw with no problem. Supposedly, Rasheed was going to fill it, but something happended on the way to another championship. He decided to make one of the hairbrainest bad plays of all times. A play like the Chris Webber called time out in the NCAA championship's, a time out the Wolverines actually din't have, so away goes the last chance to win a championship. Comparitively, speaking, Wallace double teams Manu Genobili, leaving Robert Horry open for the game deciding three point shot. Horry, came into the Piston - Spur's matchup with a big shot making player's mentality and reputation and he only had zero points up until his last second shot heroics.

If that one play weren't enough Rasheed continued to contribute numerous bad plays to his team; such as all those technicals he acquired while in the D." Probably the biggest killer in Detroit's chances to win championships was when he decided not to play primarily in the post . Everyone agrees that Rasheed's shot is unstoppable when he raises his hands high in the air in the post and it never gets rejected. But the "Ball Don't like" player, would rather get to the three point line and make a couple, but miss more, and then is out of position to help rebound or make put-backs. With Ben Wallace gone to Chicago, the team defense went completely soft in the middle; because neither McDyess, who gave all he could for the team and Rasheed were not willing or able to defend in the post, play on offense in the post or shut down the post for opposing players.

Today with Ben, back and the acquisition of Charlie Villanova and the return of Kwame Brown, the team will have a better low post mentality on defense and as Ben is quoted as saying in the league you win by playing defense; but also by dominating in the low post."

The Detroit Pistons upgraded




What's In A Name? - The East
Joel Brigham - HoopsWorld

"Have you ever wondered why some NBA teams were given their names? Why, for example, do the Warriors go by "Golden State" instead of "Oakland"? What the heck is a "Knick"? Are there really any grizzly bears in Memphis?

Today and tomorrow HOOPSWORLD will look at the origins of each and every team name in the NBA. Even some team nicknames that may seem obvious—New Jersey Nets, Houston Rockets, Detroit Pistons—have stories you might not believe. So, in the slow part of the offseason, we give you a little taste of NBA history in preparation for the upcoming season.

Detroit Pistons – In the franchise's earliest days the team was based out of Fort Wayne, Indiana and was known as the Zollner Pistons. If you're wondering what the heck a Zollner Piston is, you need look no further than the team's owner at the time, a man named Frank Zollner who manufactured pistons for cars, trucks, and trains. Coincidentally, Zollner was instrumental in the creation of the NBA from smaller leagues like the BAA and NBL. When the team moved to Detroit in 1957 because Fort Wayne just wasn't going to be a profitable city, "Pistons" still seemed like a logical team name considering the Detroit's strong history in the automobile industry."

HOOPSWORLD




Donnie's Darko Could Be Like Steve Nash According To Walsh
NY VInnie - leBasketbrawl

"Just when New York Vinnie is starting to have a little confidence and give some credit to New York Knicks Team President Donnie Walsh he has to open up his Frickin yap and spoil it all! Regular readers to the “House That New York Vinnie Built” Le Basketbawl are well aware of my recent conversion from an ardent critic of Mr. Walsh to cautiously starting to think he actually had a grasp on reality. However after New York Vinnie read Donnie’s latest statements about one of his players that security I had been feeling immediately vanished.

The “New York Post” sat down with the Knicks Team President and talked to him about a young man who will be going into his first season as a member of the team Darko Milicic. New York picked up Milicic on the night of the NBA Draft in a trade that sent one of New York Vinnie’s favorite Frickin Puds the Q-Ball Quentin Richardson to the Memphis Grizzlies. Just getting rid of the Q-Ball was addition by subtraction for New York Vinnie’s Boys so the trade was alright by me.

As you are well aware Darko to put it mildly has been a major disappointment so far in his NBA career. This was the player who was taken with the second pick in the 2003 NBA Draft. This was the player who was taken by the Detroit Pistons instead of Carmelo Anthony. Now to be fair Darko has not been quite as terrible as the “BIG BUST” Kwame Brown but he has been only one step above the biggest stiff to be chosen number one in the NBA Draft in recent memory.

Walsh told reporters he is very excited about having the 24 year old center on the roster. He said “He was a very skilled player when he was drafted. I think the thing that’s held him back is he’s been thought of as a guy that has to play with his back to the basket. And everywhere he’s been, people have tried to do that. I don’t think that will be the case here. The way Mike (Knicks head coach Mike D’Antoni) plays, the fact that he’s a skilled, fairly athletic, long big man who can run the floor and can dribble the ball, shoot the ball, pass the ball, he might fit into this system better. That’s what I’m hoping.”

If Donnie had stopped talking right there he would have been fine. Nothing that Walsh said was unrealistic and there is a possibility that Milicic could be a more effective player under the Knicks system. Unfortunately though Donnie did not stop talking. Instead he made one of the stupidest statements in the history of Professional Sports in New York City!

A reporter asked Walsh could he come up with a player that the Knicks Team President could compare Darko to in order to show how much his game might improve by being put in this new system. Walsh said “Nash to a degree. He was a very good player in Dallas and became the MVP of the league in Phoenix.”

Okay let us break down exactly what Walsh meant in his last response. Now Donnie is not comparing their games of course Steve Nash is a point guard and Darko Milicic is a center. No what Donnie is attempting to do with this analogy is to say that Milicic and Nash are at similar points in their career as when Nash was traded from the Mavericks to the Suns. Only one problem with that Donnie. That is just pure Total Crappola!
First of all Steve Nash spent two seasons with Phoenix was traded to Dallas and then played six seasons with them. He signed a free agent deal after his eighth season where as Milicic has only completed six. But even if you compare numbers for the first six years of each player in their NBA careers the numbers still are not even close! Darko’s best season in the NBA came in the 2006-2007 season as he averaged 8.0 points, 5.4 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game for the year.

Nash had only two seasons in his first six years in the league when he did not surpass those numbers and one of those was his rookie season. His best season in his first six he averaged 17.9 points, 7.7 assists and 3.1 rebounds per game. Not much of a comparison is it Donnie?
Look New York Vinnie does not expect Donnie and D’Antoni to fix the Knicks overnight as it took a lot of Crappola years under Isiah Thomas for the team to get this Frickin bad. But Donnie you have to worry about your Frickin credibility which after this statement is now in the minus column in New York Vinnie’s eyes.

Donnie you are in Frickin New York City now! This ain’t no Frickin bunch of Indiana farmers you are dealing with here! We are not as nice as those folks from the Midwest as a matter of fact we can get Frickin mean. So do not lie to us! And don’t Frickin exaggerate and think before you open your Frickin mouth! We will hold your feet to the fire in NYC Donnie however if you are straight with us we will support you."

Donnie’s Darko Could Be Like Steve Nash According To Walsh! » Le Basketbawl




Forgotten Pistons (1)
Toasterhands - LifeOnDumars

"Was sorting through some old photos recently and came across a photo of Jermaine Jackson and I sitting in the nicely cushioned seats on the Palace floor prior to a game during the 99-00 season. I had attended the Detroit Pistons basketball camp in my area that previous summer and I guess part of the perk of attending the camp was courtside access prior to a select game. Anyway, as I was looking at the photo I could not remember the last time Jermaine Jackson had popped up in my mind, the Uof Detroit Mercy product who played in 7 games with Detroit in 99/00. I mean, I remember rooting for him to stick in the league and everything, but knew he was probably going to come up short. Then somewhere throughout the last few years or so, Jermaine Jackson just became another mediocre basketball player that keeping tabs on was just too tough a task. But the photo of Jermaine did give me an idea.
Forgotten Pistons.

Then I began thinking of all the guys who briefly suited up for Detroit, namely the guys who weren’t in Detroit long enough to even be regarded as terrible, worthless, annoying, and whatever else. Just the cup a tea kinda guys.

The 1996/97 Piston season is the earliest I remember actually paying attention to the entire roster. So if you’re looking for any memories or pontifications relating to Walter Bond or Ben Coleman, you won’t find them here, because at the time they played for Detroit, I favored watching Barney over Pistons basketball.

#1 on my list

#9 Kornel David- Only reason I remembered this cat is because of the fateful trade that even brought him here (albeit just for 10 games) in the first place– the February 2001 Jerome Williams for Corliss Williamson trade which, and you guessed it, included other players in the deal such as Kornel David, Tyrone Corbin and Eric Montross. While Tyrone Corbin was never a member of the organization, Kornel David was, and I could have done without it, personally. Never heard of the man before he became a Piston, and by the time he was gone I had just finally stopped thinking his name had two l’s instead of one. Which I guess was a blessing in disguise, because I’m having a heck of a time finding stuff to say about this guy right now. Long live the memory of Kornel in a Piston uni (with Junkyard Dog D’ing him up I might add)"

http://lifeondumars.com/2009/08/16/forgotten-pistons-i/




Why are we treating Iverson like this?
Lil Man - BinaryBasketball.com

"What has happen to our opinion of Allen Iverson? The way he's been treated by the media, team management, and even the fans has been absolutely ridiculous. The negative remarks have grown like a virus. Remarks such as "ball hog" "team killer" and "me only player" have been everywhere. As a big time scorer of course he'll get some of these comments, every top scorer does. This isn't Terrell Owens though. Everyone has turned on him so suddenly. Where's the loyalty at?

First of all, Iverson is an isolation player. That's his game. He has become one of the best scorers of all time isolating defenders and getting to the rim. He can create when he gets into the paint for others, and provides easy put back opportunities for the big guys. Isolation is a one on one game, but that does not mean it's a play for ball hogs. He has a career assist average of 6.2 per game. In comparison Gary Payton averaged 6.7. Detroit has little to no isolation in their game plan. They were a consistent power in the east because of the balance and ball movement led by Chauncey Billups. They run tons of screens on and off the ball to get good looks. That's why Rip Hamilton is such a great system player for them.

Speaking of Detroit, they were a mess last season. The guy everyone is pointing their fingers at Iverson. The Pistons made a terrible move. Why would you trade your all-star point guard away for an iso player like Iverson? Your team is built around set plays and Iverson’s game has nothing to do with set plays. That's not where his skills are at. Not only is Iverson a terrible fit, but Chauncey was a pure point guard who's playmaking skills were the glue to the offense. The team's backbone was defense, and you traded a very solid defender , who is capable of guarding both guard positions, for a guy who has notoriously been a gambling defender who lacks size while on defense. These problems have always persisted with Iverson. He has weaknesses and your system exploits them. They had the perfect pg for their system and they traded for a guy who can't play in your system. In reverse this would be like trading for Rip and making him only play in iso plays instead of moving without the ball. How would Rip fare with the ball in his hands the majority of he time?

Other than the terrible management moves the rest of the team had it's own problems. They still had no true center other than Kwame Brown and that really hurt them. Their starting center fell asleep on them. Sheed had no motivation this season and it showed. Michael Curry also did an awful job coaching. He didn't change anything when the team got Iverson and just expected him to play the way Chauncey did. That sure did work well. He also had 2, very established veteran all-stars and just couldn't meet the respect demands of both players. They obviously didn't want to come off the bench but he still tried it out. You have a good 3rd guard in Stuckey and 98 minutes at both guards spots to play him, Rip, and Iverson. You obviously have a decent amount of minutes to divi out but why do you have to start Stuckey instead of your all-stars? Just some more questionable calls by the Pistons organization.

Some people look at what Chauncey did for the Nuggets for granted and say Iverson held them back. They were a team that finally became one of the contenders in the west instead of a 1st round exit waiting to happen. They obviously made a great trade. They had 2 guys with the ability to be top 5 in scoring and decided to deal one for a true point guard. Now how much sense does that make?

Of course the swap was not the only reason they were improved. Nene came back as good as ever and JR Smith had a career year. They also had some other great additions to the team in Dhantay Jones and the Birdman. Behind those two, Chauncey, and Carmelo Anthony being affected by Coach K, they became a much more improved team on defense. Iverson leaving was not the reason they got better. It was becoming a more complete team overall.

I still cannot understand why no one is offering a contract worth more than the veteran minimum. This guy has career averages of 27.1 pts 6.2 asts and 2.2 stls. Just 2 seasons ago he posted 26.4 pts 7.1 asts and 2 stls. For a team who's lacking some scoring why not add one of the best scorers ever? It just makes no sense. NBA gm's are just blind in not picking up this guy. If you put him in an open offense with less set plays he will be same guy. This is hardly taking a risk and he's not even trying to get a long term deal. He's looking for a team that will let him be and play like himself. He knows he can still ball and is out to prove it. All he needs is a chance."

Why are we treating Iverson like this? | Binary Basketball News Blog

__________________


"Evolution does not necessarily reward intelligence. With no natural predators to thin the herd, it began to simply reward those who reproduced the most and left the intelligent to become an endangered species." Idiocracy

Summer Playlist
Keith Langlois - True Blue Pistons

"The broad strokes applied to the gaping white space in what remained of the Pistons’ canvas came as June melted into July for Joe Dumars, first the draft and then the wild opening rush of free agency. The finishing touches were added over the last few days when the final piece of the frontcourt and the last addition to the perimeter came on board. It was a wild summer, but now Joe D’s work is largely finished – and the real work for the coaching staff and players is about to begin.

Here’s a look back at the summer that was with an eye toward how the sequence of 10 moves affects the Pistons out beyond the horizon, ranking them in order of significance to the franchise’s future, both immediate and long-term:

1. Ben Gordon – Here were the top eight scorers from the NBA’s most recent postseason: LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Dwyane Wade, Tony Parker, Carmelo Anthony, Dirk Nowitzki, Brandon Roy and … Ben Gordon. Gordon scored better than 24 points a game against one of the league’s top defenses, Boston’s, and played half the series on a strained groin that would have shut him down during the regular season. It’s become increasingly difficult to win in the NBA without a scorer who defies the most well-planned and executed defensive schemes. There probably aren’t more than three handfuls of such players in the NBA. Gordon’s one of them. Skeptics wonder how Gordon and Rip Hamilton will mesh. Here’s betting that Hamilton, who’s led the Pistons in scoring all seven of his seasons in Detroit, will become a more efficient scorer now that he’s lining up with the best pure scorer he’s ever had flanking him.

2. Charlie Villanueva – When I was talking to Chris Wilcox about Villanueva, he shook his head and said, “Man, you look at the stats after the game and you see he had 25 points, he just gets them kind of quiet.” Villanueva is a natural-born scorer. He had 48 as a rookie in one game for Toronto. Now the other parts of his game – really, just the understanding of the physical and mental demands and the acceptance of responsibility within the team framework that comes with maturation – are catching up. He’ll just be 25 by the time camp opens. Villanueva comes with the label of being a mediocre defender – which applies to about 95 percent of young big men. He’ll be surrounded by strong defenders up front in Kwame Brown and Ben Wallace. He more than holds his own on the boards, grabbing seven a game last year in 27 minutes a night.

3. John Kuester – Joe D told me that sometimes, when he makes the most significant decisions his job entails, he drives home at night with a pit in his stomach, not because he’d like to have the move back, but because the reality of the trap doors is apparent. He said the night he drove home after striking the deal to bring in Kuester as coach, his stomach was pit-free. He feels really, really good about Kuester – about his temperament, about his vision, about the respect he engenders from players, about the comfort Kuester has exhibited so far with sitting in the No. 1 chair. The veterans with whom Kuester has a relationship – Hamilton, Tayshaun Prince and Ben Wallace – all strongly endorse him. The caveat here is that you never know until the bullets start flying, but all signs point to John Kuester being a very nice fit for a young team with legit playoff aspirations.

4. Austin Daye – Not sure what I expected going into Las Vegas, but Daye exceeded the baseline by a mile. It might take him the better part of his rookie year to feel comfortable with the physical nature of NBA basketball, but the kid oozes offensive skills. He shoots it effortlessly and has a sweet, pure stroke that time after time barely ruffles the net. He has great touch off the glass. Even though he was at times turnover prone in Vegas, he shows a passer’s feel that makes me think someday he could average five assists. Throw out his two-rebound debut in Vegas and he averaged double digits – not exactly the sign of a shrinking violet. And he showed his savvy when defending quicker, smaller players by using his outsized length to keep them in front of him. Three or four years down the road, the Pistons could have themselves a truly unique frontcourt weapon. Until then, he can help them win games with his scoring and playmaking skills alone.


5. Chris Wilcox – Intriguing guy. He sure passes the look test at a solid 6-foot-10 with broad shoulders and lean, muscular athleticism. The book on him has included raps on his basketball IQ and fire, but Wilcox has been mired in such hopelessly bad situations, first with the Clippers and then the Sonics/Thunder, that there’s reason to believe a winning environment can transform the career of a player who was the No. 7 pick, at 19 years old, in the 2002 draft after helping Maryland to a national title. He has plenty of incentive, too, as Wilcox will have to fight for playing time and signed a relatively modest two-year deal, the second at his option. With little risk to them, the Pistons added a lottery talent who could flourish in the first stable situation he’s experienced since leaving college.

6. DaJuan Summers – Scouts looked at Summers during his Georgetown days and saw prototypical size and a feathery shooting touch and wondered why it didn’t translate into consistent production. But the Pistons main personnel evaluators, Scott Perry and George David, have high regard for Georgetown players and understand that the system run there by John Thompson III isn’t conducive to piling up stats. Their hunch on Summers moved a long way toward vindication with his Summer League showing. He averaged 18 a game and scored in every way possible – taking it to the basket, knocking down 20-footers, mid-range jumpers and in the post, and he put himself at the free-throw line frequently. He also has the quick feet and upper-body strength to defend either forward spot. Of the three rookies, Summers might be the one who makes a case for playing time first.

7. Jonas Jerebko – Jerebko had a promise from Charlotte, picking 40th, that it would keep him on its NBA roster and not ask him to play additional years in Europe. With that in their back pocket, Jerebko’s agent called the teams picking immediately ahead of the Bobcats to scare them off. The scare tactics didn’t work with the Pistons, who were certain after Jerebko’s showing at the Reebok Eurocamp in June that he was ticketed for the first round. He tested either first or second in athleticism among the 50-plus players the Pistons brought to The Palace for individual workouts. Pistons assistants Darrell Walker and Pat Sullivan both likened him in Las Vegas to New York’s David Lee for the way he runs, jumps and mixes it up around the basket. Jerebko played small forward in Italy, but at a legit 6-foot-10, he’ll probably play more power forward for the Pistons, where his ballhandling, shooting and mobility will make him a threat. His 100 percent effort and utter fearlessness caught everybody’s attention in Vegas.

8. Ben Wallace – Hard to place Big Ben in the pecking order, just as it was always difficult to make the case for him as an All-Star based on the numbers. With Wallace, it’s always more about what you can’t measure. This time around, it won’t necessarily be in things like “not a blocked shot, but a shot not taken for fear it would be blocked” – though there’s enough of that still in him, too – but more along the lines of what he can do to help off the court while he’s still playing sturdy defense and rebounding on it. In Cleveland, they say Wallace became more of a vocal leader than ever last season, and, of course, his dedication to the weight room inspired those around him to step up. That will be a wonderful eye-opener for the rookies, especially, who will learn a level of work ethic they never before imagined. Mentoring duties aside, Wallace can still do the dirty work as well as anyone – he just can’t do it for 38 minutes a night or make dirty work look spectacular quite as frequently any longer.


9. Brian Hill – It’s not unusual for an ex-NBA head coach to go back to being an assistant. It’s a little more rare that someone becomes an assistant to a coach who once was his underling. It speaks volumes about both Kuester’s sense of self and Hill’s lack of pretension that Kuester thought first of Hill and Hill jumped at the chance to join Kuester, leaving a similar position in New Jersey, as his first lieutenant with the Pistons. Hill will be a terrific sounding board for Kuester, both on in-game adjustments and the broader issues that confront an NBA head coach on a daily basis. Hill became widely respected during his three stints as an NBA head coach for his grasp of the game and no one would be surprised if somebody decides to give him another shot. He’ll be a terrific asset to Kuester, and, by extension, to the Pistons as a young team that offers many teaching moments.

10. Deron Washington – He’s raw offensively and might not see the floor much as a rookie, but Washington has the type of energy that lifts teams even if he’s not playing. He’ll liven up practices and make Rip Hamilton work harder to score there than he will in games. If he gets enough playing time to show off his wares, he’ll become a fan favorite for his once-a-game highlight reel put-back dunks that have made the 59th pick in the 2008 draft a You Tube sensation. If the Pistons ever hit a stretch in their season where Kuester thinks the tempo needs to be turned up defensively, Washington could be the guy he turns to for four- or five-minute bursts to set that tone."

PISTONS: Summer Playlist

__________________


"Evolution does not necessarily reward intelligence. With no natural predators to thin the herd, it began to simply reward those who reproduced the most and left the intelligent to become an endangered species." Idiocracy

I don't necessarily disagree with any of this, but he only writes about the best possible scenarios with each person. I can't respect that. There are some things that can go wrong too. Give us both sides please...

This is true. For instance, if Hill is such an amazing coach with a great feel for the game, why isn't he a head coach now?

I agree. I feel a little bit of balance would serve Langlois well. His analysis was much better when he was a reporter.

Like all good journalist, he emphasizes the human element: an association from the object to a projection that makes any struggle shown to the observer as a homing device.

I like reading him because of the latter point.

His audience is not this forum.

This forum operates at a different level. Sometimes under, sometimes over and always in-between expectations. It is so much caviar to the general.

Great post.

I read it here. I would assume he realizes his work will be posted on different forums around the world. Particularly forums that deal with the Pistons. So I think the criticism is fair. If not, I guess I could go read it wherever it was first published...and if I still feel the same...criticize him afterward? That would be OK?

I like Langlois, he speaks from the Gospel of Joseph, residing in the House of Davidson..

From chapter 81809 in speaking to Kobina from the land of Baton Rouge he sayeth this;

Kobina (Baton Rouge, La.): "I find your Mailbags give fans a great insight to the team and its players, but I am forced to ask myself if I am drinking too much Langlois Brand Pistons Blue Kool-Aid by reading every single one?"

Brother Langlois: "It’s powerful stuff, Kobina. As always, drink in moderation."

Amen Brother, Amen

I think pass was complimenting this forum by pointing out that the style and direction of Langlois writing is not for us, nor directed at us, and thus frequently called out as disappointing by us.

KL can't satisfy all of his audience, and this one in particular is difficult given his mandate.

We are "so much caviar to the general."