The Detroit news ~

Mavericks hand Pistons first loss
Dallas ends suspense early by taking a 40-16 lead after one quarter and doing what it wants.
By Chris McCosky

It wasn't going to last forever; but it wasn't supposed to end this suddenly, or this harshly.

The Pistons' eight-game winning streak was shattered Saturday, blown apart by a 40-point first-quarter barrage from the Dallas Mavericks, who went on to hand the Pistons their first loss, 119-82.

Booth Newspapers ~

Pistons whipped by 37 in first loss of season
By A. Sherrod Blakely

Detroit Pistons, welcome back to earth.

After an out-of-this-world start to the season, the Pistons' impressive start came to a crashing halt Saturday night as the Dallas Mavericks ran away with a 119-82 victory.
The loss snapped Detroit's eight-game winning streak, which tied the 1988-1989 NBA championship team for the second-best start in franchise history.

The Boyd article disappointed me. It started with promise, but the writer basically joined the side of his opponents by embracing the same cliches and stereotypes that they've painted Detroit with.

Clearly an intellectual lightweight -- and one that I'd rather NOT have as my self-appointed spokesman.

The Detroit news ~

McDyess not along for the ride
Reserve is concerned his scoring average and field-goal percentage are lower than usual.
By Chris McCosky

Antonio McDyess has had slow starts, plenty of them, and he has always fought his way out.
McDyess has never shot lower than 46 percent in a season, and that was in 1996-97, his second season in the NBA.

"I am not going to panic," he said, following a scoreless 0-for-5 shooting night in Dallas.

Panic, no, but worry? You bet.

The Detroit Free Press ~

Loss ends streak, not prospects
by Chris Silva

Look at the bright side.
It was just one game. Just one loss, albeit the first loss -- and an ugly one at that.

But the Pistons' 119-82 defeat Saturday night at Dallas wasn't demoralizing, nor should it raise any red flags.
Getting trounced on the road is a bummer. But there are still 73 games. And there are more important games to play, like against teams from their division, where the Pistons' mettle will really be tested.

Booth Newspapers ~

Pistons' 37-point loss quickly forgotten
By A. Sherrod Blakely

Somewhere inside the Dallas Mavericks' American Airlines Arena, you'll find the remains of the Detroit Pistons' 37-point drubbing (119-82) Saturday night.

Whatever lingering affects such a loss could have on the Pistons (8-1) were immediately washed away after the game, and replaced with a renewed focus to start another winning streak against Denver on Wednesday.

The Detroit news ~

Learn as They Earn
Rookies face tests every day on and off court, so they ...
By Joanne C. Gerstner

Pistons rookie Jason Maxiell cradled the basketball, figuring out his next move.
He could drive, pass, or maybe even loft a jump shot during this hotly contested, three-on-three game in practice.
While Maxiell was thinking, Rasheed Wallace was yelling from the sideline: "Whatcha doing? Whatcha doing? Don't blow it! Whoo!"
Maxiell stayed fierce, driving for a dunk. Wallace laughed, and Maxiell gave him a little smile.

Notebook
By Joanne C. Gerstner

Team rebounding

Pistons center Ben Wallace is a fierce rebounder. But that doesn't mean he can't use a little help from his teammates.
Coach Flip Saunders worked the team hard Monday, putting added emphasis on rebounding.
The Pistons were outrebounded 99-64 during their weekend Texas swing (Houston and Dallas).

Some doubt Barnes' tale
His claim: He snorted cocaine on bench
By Chris McCosky

To me, it was always one of those urban-legend types of things.
I had long heard stories about how Marvin "Bad News" Barnes once snorted cocaine on the bench during a game when he played for the Boston Celtics.
What do you know, turns out it was true.

Basketball 101: The pick-and-roll
By Chris McCosky

It might be the oldest play in basketball, but time and style changes haven't diminished its effectiveness.

Burning Questions
By Chris McCosky

'Numbers' lie about Pistons
Offense is efficient, crunched stats or not

Alley oop ... to Antonio McDyess

Joanne C. Gerstner's Top 5: Poor starts

Next 5 games

The Detroit Free Press ~

No panic yet on lack of rebounding
By Krista Latham

As Rasheed Wallace might say, ball don't lie, whether it is shot, dribbled, rebounded or hiked into the stands. If you see it happen, it happened.
But stats concerning the ball, they can still tell fibs. A shooting percentage might be high because attempts are few. And there's no way to measure the effort behind a statistic like rebounding.

Booth Newspapers ~

Pistons have to be more rebound-conscious against Nuggets
By A. Sherrod Blakely

The only way the Detroit Pistons can put their first loss of the season (after eight wins) behind them is to rebound -- literally and figuratively.
Getting to the boards will be a priority for the Pistons on Wednesday when they host the Denver Nuggets, one of the best rebounding teams in the NBA.

The Detroit News ~

Pistons struggle if defense rests
Despite an 8-1 record, they have had trouble against high-scoring teams such as Dallas.
By Chris McCosky

You see the statistic -- teams are shooting 46.6 percent against the Pistons, only three teams are worse -- and you think, "Aha, see, they aren't as good defensively as they were under Larry Brown."
And, if you canvass any number of Pistons players, Tayshaun Prince for one, you would know they aren't overly thrilled with the way they've defended, especially in three of the last four games.

The Detroit Free Press ~

Prince: Pistons turn on its 'D' too late
by Krista Latham

The Pistons' defense has been fine, with an asterisk or two.
One asterisk must go next to the 37-point loss Saturday at Dallas. Another one should go next to the first half against Boston last week, in which the Celtics shot 67%. And maybe even one next to the all-around ugly game at Houston, where the Pistons held the Rockets to 70 points and blocked 10 shots.

Pistons: Thanks 'Fro everything
The unique holiday traditions of 'Sheed, Rip, Flip and others
By Krista Latham

The life of a professional athlete is tough on a holiday traditionalist.
Take the Pistons. All are Detroit transplants, with their family members, roots and peculiar traditions happening this week in homes miles away. Grandma might be stirring up her famous mashed potatoes and mom might be basting a thick turkey in a kitchen somewhere, but with games and travel and practice tying them to Michigan, the Pistons won't be there to take part.

Billups needs All-Star assist from you
by Drew Sharp

He deserves a starting spot in the All-Star Game. He has been money for the Pistons in the playoffs the past two years. When they needed a big play down the stretch, Billups delivered.
Last season in the NBA Finals, Billups was one fourth-quarter magic act away from a second straight Finals Most Valuable Player award. There hasn't been a more prominent playoff "star" the past two years, and it's insulting that such efforts on the most important stage won't translate into public support for the sport's biggest exhibition game.

What the Pistons' win streak told us
by Krista Latham

Well, that was fun, wasn't it? Watching the Pistons win eight games in a row? Seeing them start the season with a bang? Listening to pundits across the country suddenly jump onto Detroit's happy train?
Sure was.
But now, it's time for reality to set in.

INSIDE THE GAME: Flip's evaluation math
by Krista Latham

A degree in math or statistics probably isn't a bad idea for those pursuing head coaching jobs.
The amount of adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing done each day in coach Flip Saunders' office is enough to scare off the slightest person with arithmophobia (the fear of numbers).

ASK AL: Answers to your NBA queries
Smoke and mirrors?

Is Darko really playing to an acceptable level, or is the team public relations machine just trying to put a positive spin on a continued disappointing situation? Can Darko really play with the big boys at a true NBA-level?

Don Perkins,
Clinton Township

There is a lot of spinning going on regarding the Milicic situation. The Pistons insist he's coming along, but how can we tell when he isn't consistently coming off the bench?
Give it a couple of months when the Pistons start playing more teams with big frontcourts. More playing time means more analysis. And if he's still stuck on the deep end of the bench, then start demanding more answers from the PR machine.

Hot Topics

TALE OF THE TAPE: Dikembe vs. Darko


WHERE ARE THEY NOW? Adrian Dantley


The Oakland Press ~

Pistons crave better D'
by Dana Gauruder

Tayshaun Prince knows what a quality defensive effort looks and feels like. He hasn't seen it lately from his team.
Though the Pistons head into tonight's home game against Denver with the NBA's best record, Prince believes their defense has grown lackadaisical. He believes the problem goes back five games, when they won a 111-104 shootout in Phoenix.

Booth Newspapers ~

As plus-minus stats shown, Prince invaluable to Pistons
By A. Sherrod Blakely

When Larry Brown was coaching the Detroit Pistons, he couldn't keep Tayshaun Prince off the floor for long. As it turns out, current coach Flip Saunders can't, either.
Even with more depth at small forward behind the 6-foot-9 Prince, the Pistons don't dare go too long without him in the game.

Denver Post ~

Martin may test knee vs. Pistons
By Marc J. Spears

Nuggets forward Kenyon Martin ran wind sprints on the Washington Wizards' practice court Tuesday.
Tonight, Martin hopes to be running up and down the Detroit Pistons' home court during the game.

Motown Soundtrack: Sad Souvenirs

By Adriano Albuquerque
for HOOPSWORLD.com
Nov 22, 2005, 13:00

This is a great read. Well done.

__________________
Momma was queen of the mambo, Poppa was king of the congo, deep down in the jungle, I start banging my first bongo
Every monkey like to be, in my place instead of me, cause I'm the king of bongo baby, I'm the king of bongo bong
-Manu Chao

Yes, it was!

I'll add Charley Rosen's latest Foxsports mailbag to the list, because it leads off with a Pistons question and includes three of the guys in the last question.

http://msn.foxsports.com/nba/story/5096056

It's from yesterday, but better late then never.

Turning point
by Nikola Olic

Two years after the Pistons drafted Darko Milicic, his career can finally begin. His numbers might not yet be impressive but they are meaningful and do not belong to the tail end of a 30-point blowout.

His slow demeanor, characteristic of a seven-foot human being, remains only while he is behind the scenes and still in his NBA-approved European garbs. On the court and wearing a 31 on his back, his body language is that of a young player eager to prove worthy of the support his teammates and a new coach have given him.

Correction on the link for the Darko piece:

http://www.hoopshype.com/articles/milicic_olic.htm