[Detroit Free Press]

New Piston receives praise from ex-coach
Lon Kruger, now the UNLV coach, coached Mohammed during part of the 6-foot-10 center's three-year stint in Atlanta. And Kruger said, at least in one way, Mohammed should bring the Pistons something similar to Wallace.

"He's very focused," Kruger said. "He wants very badly to become as good a player as he possibly can. He's just a good guy to be around. He's sharp. I was happy to see him have some success in San Antonio."

Kruger also said that Mohammed, 28, is a good teammate, someone who always came to practice on time and ready to work hard. And he emphasized that Mohammed doesn't let ego stand in his way of fulfilling whatever role a team needs him to play.

Wallace Felt it was Time for a Change
Ben Wallace went into more detail Wednesday on what made him decide to leave the Detroit Pistons and join the Bulls

__________________

Kicking off the Las Vegas Summer League

The Pistons have a repuation for being an old team, but they actually have a surprising amount of youth on the roster, especially toward the end of the bench. For the next week or so, those young players will have a chance to showcase their talent in the Toshiba Vegas Summer League, which opens today [...]





Mike Finger: Spurn Spurs at your own risk

Nazr Mohammed and Joel Przybilla got the contracts they wanted, so financially speaking, both have it made.

But if Mohammed wants to hold on to all that money, he better hope the checks don't arrive via entry passes to the post.





BEN WALLACE'S NEW LOOK
CHICAGO BOUND

While the Talk has been whether or not Allen Iverson was staying or leaving Philadelphia Ben Wallace stole the Show telling Detroit see 'ya

Wallace is a Free Agent so the Choice was his to make and all indications are he has. Leaving the Pistons behind for the Bulls. In the world of Basketball its about as big as if Iverson left Philly. Maybe Bigger because Detroit will get nothing in return for Wallace's Loss. For Chicago they go from Wannabes to Contenders and all it is costing them is the easy stuff. Cash. They've got plenty.





Georgia State hires Mark Macon as assistant coach

ATLANTA (AP) - Michigan native Mark Macon has been hired as an assistant to Georgia State head basketball coach Michael Perry.

Macon won the "Mister Basketball" award -- honoring Michigan's top high school player -- in 1987, in his senior season at Saginaw Buena Vista. He later starred at Temple University and played six seasons in the NBA with the Denver Nuggets and Detroit Pistons.

[Saginaw News]

The Pistons made a big mistake in trusting Big Ben
by Greg Mancina

Wallace turned his back on the franchise that gave him a chance in the NBA.

Ben Wallace ticks me off. I'm sure he ticks off Joe Dumars. I'm sure he ticks off his former Detroit Piston teammates.

But nobody will say anything about it. So I will.

I occasionally overlook articles I absolutely disdain in my news postings. Hey, I'm human. All Ben Wallace's fault? Pistons fiscal saints? The remainder of the team blameless? Let's try to keep it real brother Greg.

We're not supposed to decide what lives or dies on these pages? News to me. I leave out stuff all the time that doesn't conform to my long-term agenda.*






*If we had an emoticon that twirled its mustache in a sinister way, it would be here. Use your imagination, you'll get the drift.

Slow news day, with the Wallace stuff dying down and summer league yet to begin. Here's a little this and that:

[MLive.com]

FULL-COURT PRESS: Przylla never interested in Detroit
Przybilla had a long phone conversation with Duffy. He said his agent was pushing for Detroit.

"I knew deep down that Detroit wasn't the place for me," Przybilla said. "And as soon as we knew Chicago had that deal with Ben Wallace, we knew that we were coming back to Portland. So that night, before we went to bed, we looked at each other and said 'Let's do it. Let's go back to Portland.' "

ALSO:
Did the Bulls promise Ben they would pursue Kevin Garnett?
[Somebody tell me when the Bulls WEREN'T pursuing Kevin Garnett. Now that would be news.]

[Detroit Bad Boys]

Kicking off the Las Vegas Summer League
We'll try to keep one eye on the TVSL, but for more in-depth coverage I suggest you check out Bad Boy Summer Camp. Despite the name, it's not affiliated with this site, but rather is a collaborative effort from some of the fine folks over at PistonsForum.com.
[Thanks for the plug!]

ALSO:
10-year-old point guards
Ben Wallace on video

[Need4Sheed]

Ben Wallace Was Quite Frankly Not Happy With The Team's Direction: Video
Ben Wallace tells Stephen A. Smith he didn't like the team's new offensive direction.

[ClipperBlog.com]

Did Joe Dumars Pull A Theo Epstein?
What's surprised me is the one-sided coverage the Ben Wallace deal is getting. Sometimes I think these things are approached as if 'getting the guy' is the goal, when it's not. It's getting value. And nobody I've read has asked the question -- As admirably blue-collar Ben Wallace is and as much as we all love the guy, is it possible that at some point really, really soon, $15M may be absurdly too much money to pay Ben Wallace to be your center? .... I'm not suggesting that Chicago isn't getting a superlative player, but I don't think Pistons fans need to pay any mind to the chatter.

[The Association]

Player Movement, Part I
Ben Wallace to Chicago: Pretty much this has been beaten to death by all the NBA "experts". I just recall reading a Sam Smith piece back in 04-05 predicting that the Bulls were mimicking the Detroit Pistons in their roster moves. While this is a good move, this is not going to make the Bulls an immediate contender. They still lack a low post scorer and that clutch swingman that you need for the playoffs (Kobe, Wade, LeBron, Ginobili, etc.). They were headed in the right direction, but then they brought in Jim Paxson as a consultant. (???) Nothing beats some good old fashioned nepotism! Why not consult your flunky older brother? What type of "consulting" can a former GM who's record was 185-307 and zero NBA playoff appearances in six years do?

Nazr Mohammed to Detroit: Not a bad pick-up for a 4-year deal for $25 million. Losing Wallace was big for team chemistry (was mostly satisfied with take little or no shots), defense (one of the top help defenders in the game) and rebounding. Getting Mohammed is a smart move, Detroit gets a decent big who'll come off the bench and they didn't have to move any key players. Still Detroit is no longer one of the top four teams in the league.

This just in -- there's a new blog over at MLive. Since the guy's name is "Zuidema" we can assume he's from Grand Rapids. Let's check it out, shall we?

[MLive.com]

THE BENCHWARMER: Life after Big Ben
It's funny how Detroit fans react to their hometown teams. The first rule of the basic Motown fan is to act all indignant and whine about the lack of respect the rest of the nation gives to their teams. As if New York and Boston are going to care about anything other than the East Coast, and the West Coast will focus on anything that's not based on Hollywood -- or related to them not falling into the Pacific Ocean.

The second rule is to overreact to anything related to the team. And that's where fans are at with Wallace's move to the Windy City.

A.S. BLAKELY: Mr. Sparty back to the D?
The Detroit Pistons added yet another familiar name to their summer league roster.

Mateen Cleaves, the Flint native and former first-round pick of the Pistons, will replace Frank Williams on Detroit's summer-league squad in Las Vegas this week.

FULL-COURT PRESS: Pistons working on a deal for Al Harrington?
In Terry Foster's blog today he has some really interesting theories on the Ben Wallace’s reasons for leaving. On top of those statements, Foster says there are rumblings that the Pistons could be working on a big sign-and-trade deal.

[Detroit Bad Boys]

Terry Foster on Ben Wallace and Al Harrington
Foster claims to have some insight on some other, non-financial reasons as to why Ben Wallace was so quick to accept Chicago's offer:

"Ben Wallace was upset that the Pistons banned his brother David Wallace from the Palace following his involvement in the brawl against the Indiana Pacers ..."

ALSO:
We have a Mateen Cleaves sighting!

Without Ben, Pistons need a superstar
by John Harris


Don't stop now, Joe Dumars.

Your task is far from done.

Finish the job and blow up the Detroit Pistons.

As Ben "Benedict" Wallace prepares to sign with the rival Chicago Bulls, Dumars, Detroit's president of basketball operations, should go for broke.




Sixers assistant coach leaving for Magic job
By Joe Juliano

"Kuester, 51, has spent 16 seasons as an NBA assistant coach, including terms in Boston, Detroit and New Jersey. He was on Brown's staff in 2004 when the Pistons won the championship."






Coatesville still Rip’s city
by MICHAEL CRIST

COATESVILLE - The new blacktop at the Ash Park basketball courts in Coatesville was packed down as tight as those who gathered along the freshly painted sidelines.

The pulse of hip-hop beats mixed with the screeches of referee whistles and cheers, and the youngsters who traded jump shots were having fun.

It could only mean one thing -- summertime basketball had finally arrived in Coatesville.

Draft choice fights for spot
"We really appreciate Mateen coming out," said Pistons assistant coach Don Zierden, who is running the summer team. "It's good to have an extra body out there, especially a guy with his experience who is a proven winner. I think he's going to be a very good influence on our young kids."

The Pistons begin summer-league play today against the Wizards and Blalock will be the starting point guard.

"We've only had (five) practices, but I like his leadership qualities," Zierden said.

"He's a guy who communicates on the floor and I think he's a hard-nosed defensive player. Until we see him out there competing against guys who play in this league, you don't know. But I like what we've seen."

ROB PARKER: No chance for sign-and-trade
As good as it sounds, the rumors out of Chicago are wrong. The Pistons didn't have any deals on the table with the Knicks or 76ers.

The talk was they did, but Wallace, the free-agent center, KO'd any chance for a deal, insisting on taking the four-year, $60-million deal from the Bulls.

If that was the case, it certainly would have looked as if Wallace had an ax to grind with the Pistons. For sure, the Pistons would have been interested in making a deal. After all, no team wants to lose a star and get nothing in return.

.... My NBA familyis telling me that the Pistons have set their sights on free-agent shooting guard Ronald "Flip" Murray.

Capology 101
The Pistons' cap guru is Allan Ostfield, who left his job as senior vice president and general counsel for the San Diego Padres six years ago to become the chief operating officer for Palace Sports & Entertainment. In addition to many other duties, he's now the one team president Joe Dumars has on speed dial.

"He or (vice president) John Hammond will call and say, 'Hey, we're thinking about this (deal). Does it work?'?" said Ostfield, who is usually ready with multiple answers. "The three of us have developed a good sense of trust. But the way I always think about it is, the beginning is Joe and the end is Joe. I'm just trying to help out in the middle."

Salary cap glossary
Bird rights: It's slang for the clause in the NBA's collective bargaining agreement that allows a team to offer a more lucrative contract and exceed the salary cap to re-sign its own free agent. Boston was the first team granted this exception when the cap was instituted in 1984, and the Celtics used it to re-sign Larry Bird to a seven-year, $12.6 million deal.

Go figure
After losing Ben Wallace to the Chicago Bulls and getting nothing in return -- attempts at orchestrating a sign-and-trade deal failed -- the Pistons were forced to rebound with one hand tied behind their back. They're capped out, with an estimated $52 million already committed to 10 players for next season. So the money offered to Wallace can't be spent on other free agents.

Teams are allowed to go over the cap -- it'll likely be about $51-52 million next season -- only to re-sign their own free agents or by using the allowable salary-cap "exceptions" -- a mid-level, a bi-annual and minimum-salary player slots.

The Pistons already have earmarked the mid-level exception, worth an estimated $5.3 million this season, for free agent center Nazr Muhammad. The team's bi-annual exception ($1.75 million) likely will be spent on a backup guard.

[Detroit Free Press]

Pistons put Cleaves in summer lineup
Maybe you can go home again. And maybe the way home for former Michigan State standout Mateen Cleaves is through Las Vegas.

Cleaves, who was drafted No. 14 overall by the Pistons in 2000 after leading the Spartans to a national title, was added to the Pistons' summer league roster Friday, replacing former Illinois guard Frank Williams.

[Booth Newspapers]

Cleaves added to Pistons summer squad
.... Acker and Johnson played well for the Patriots, in part because of Cleaves' ability to get them the ball in positions where they could be most effective -- a similar role he'll likely play this summer.

Detroit is expected to talk with ex-Piston guard Chucky Atkins this weekend about a possible return to the team next season. Atkins, along with Tony Delk, are among the players the Pistons are considering signing with their biennial exception, which is worth about $1.7 million.

LeBron to sign up to five-year, $80M extension
by the Associated Press

LeBron James won't be leaving home anytime soon.

Cleveland's All-Star forward agreed Saturday to sign a contract extension of up to five years and worth as much as $80 million with the Cavaliers, a huge relief for the rising team and its fretting fans who worried he might be planning an escape.

Ira Winderman: Don't count out Pistons

Despite Chicago's offseason moves, Detroit is still the better playoff team.

Caught in a summer daze before Wednesday's official signing rage:

Despite all the talk to the contrary, the Pistons are not dead yet.

Even with Ben Wallace's free-agent shift to Chicago, Detroit remains the better team, especially in regard to playoff prospects.


Winderman is the anti-Dan LeBatard. That means he is not insane.






On the NBA: Conventional wisdom can be foolhardy

By David Aldridge

Conventional wisdom is conventional for a reason: It's easy. Doesn't require any deep thinking. Often, it's correct, but many times, it's just lazy.

We try very hard around here not to just blithely accept the CW, whether it's about politics, movies or sports. And in our neck of the woods, the first week of free agency offers the opportunity to either accept the NBACW being thrown around, or see things differently.

We always believe in differently.

I like Aldridge. Why is it that Philly has more quality columnists than Detroit? Our columnists only cover the local re: The NBA. Some of these other heads actually look at the league from a broader view...





INSIDE THE NBA
Early big deals are mostly mistakes
By SEKOU SMITH

Sure, it's a tad early to analyze the NBA's free agency period — signings and trades don't become official until Wednesday.


Sekou Smith is the only thing good about the Atlanta Hawks. Well, Sekou and Zaza Pachulia.





Lowe learns ins, outs of college recruiting
Talent evaluation at college level is vastly different from NBA
by KEN TYSIAC

INDIANAPOLIS - The former point guard in the red golf shirt sat alone at the bottom of the bleachers Thursday as highly regarded high school prospects whizzed past.

Other coaches engaged in playful banter at the Nike All-America Camp, but new N.C. State coach Sidney Lowe mostly watched, intently and silently. This is Lowe's first chance to evaluate talent as the Wolfpack's coach, and it's clear he doesn't want to miss anything.

Sidney Lowe. Wherefore art thou, hallway coach?

Oh hallway coach, oh hallway coach,
Thy schemes are so unchanging.
Oh hallway coach, oh hallway coach,
Thy schemes are so unchanging.
Not only mean when Ben was here
But also when 'tis down and drear.
Oh hallway coach, oh hallway coach,
Thy schemes are so unchanging.
Oh hallway coach, oh hallway coach,
You fill all quotes with cliche.
Oh hallway coach, oh hallway coach,
You stalk Eli with tenacity.
At Summer League, you stand so tall,
Affording minutes to one and all.
Oh hallway coach, oh hallway coach,
You fill all quotes with cliche