Everybody into the Free Agent Pool...82games.com


"Over the past two years, 34 different players signed free-agent deals worth at least $35 million," writes Hollinger. "Of those, by my count, there are at least 15 whose teams would gladly give them away if they could. I mean literally give them away, just to be rid of the contract. ... Beyond those, there are at least another five whose teams deeply regret signing them (or should) ... . "Twenty busts out of 34 contracts. Isn't that amazing, considering these teams are the supposed "winners" of free agency? And shouldn't that be a huge signal that teams ought to be more careful in taking risks like this in the free agent market?"

http://www.82games.com/pelton23.htm

Pistons welcome their free agents: Detroit meets Mohammed, Murray

Link: http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/a...TS03/607190388

Basketbills, great link. In some regards it absolves the Pistons of letting Ben Wallace go given the probability that his contract would become an albatross, and yet on the other hand, indicts them for not being able to effectively utilize rookie contracts (except Prince and Okur) to help manage salary/performance.

I'm gunna print and read that one a few times.

__________________
To all of my friends, comrades and companions at PF.com

Thank you for another great season!

I know this isn't the place to start a discussion, but our #1 defensive liability is the red carpet to the paint (with or without Ben). The best way to stop that is zone. I can't fault Flip for trying to correct that with the pieces he has.

Friday's Layup Drill

Off topic, but we'd be remiss if we didn't comment on the Detroit Tigers' remarkable week. They are making believers out of the most skeptical of fans and have continued the Detroit-area teams' run of regular-season dominance. After taking two of three from the rival White Sox, they are now 64-31 tops [...]


Laimbeer 'hooked' on WNBA
By Bob Becker

AUBURN HILLS -- Bill Laimbeer acknowledges his appreciation for women's basketball came later in life.

Now coach of the WNBA's Detroit Shock, Laimbeer had a solid NBA career, leading the Pistons to back-to-back NBA titles in 1989 and 1990. He remains the franchise leader in rebounds (9,430).





Getting your money's worth with Brown
By JORDAN KOBRITZ

How much should an NBA coach who led his team to a 23-59 record, the second worst in the league last year, and the most losses in team history, be paid? If you're Larry Brown, recently deposed coach of the New York Knicks, the answer is $50 million. If you're James Dolan, owner of the Knicks, the $10 million already paid is probably causing indigestion.




Why Pop Why?
By Jason Chlapek

Remember the hit single, “Big Yellow Taxi?”

There was a line in the song, “You don’t know what you’ve got ’til it’s gone.” I wonder if that’s how San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich feels these days.

On Feb. 24, 2005, Popovich traded Spurs fan-favorite Malik Rose to the New York Knicks for Nazr Mohammed. Rose, a 6-foot-7 forward who played like he was 7-1, did not have the size Popovich wanted to complement Tim Duncan. Mohammed is 6-10.

The preseason rankings are already out (not sure if anyone posted this somewhere else) and the Dime and Fox folks have already dropped the Pistons down to 8th behind the Clippers, Cavs, and Bulls. Not sure if another FA aquisition or trade will see us move up before the season starts, but there quote is:
Nazr Mohammed certainly isn’t the answer, and suddenly the Pistons look like an aging team in decline.

http://msn.foxsports.com/nba/powerRankings

Pistons are way better than 8th. These guys are just messed up because they put the Magic in 29th too.

Hmm... no mention of Darko as a "cornerstone"?

"The cornerstones are there in Dwight Howard and Jameer Nelson..."

I think Jameer Nelson is a defensive liability and not a good ball distributer... guess some folks have a different opinion of what a cornerstone is.