"With little chance left to sign 6-foot-8, 245-pound free agent Reggie Evans, the Timberwolves have offered 7-foot-1, 275-pound free agent Andreas Glyniadakis a contract." On Detroit Pistons not winning championship last season: "I thought we lost our edge," (Joe) Dumars said. "I thought we stopped being the hunters and we accepted being the hunted and you can't do that. You have to maintain your edge, you have to maintain your hunger and you always have to walk out on the court and have the mentality I've got something to prove here tonight.' "
I'd be more impressed with team fines for public statements like "If it ain't rough, it ain't right." Joe's stating the obvious. The team needs to be hungrier. The issue is, can they be?
If they can't be, knowing the opportunities they've pissed away the last 2 years, then Joe will blow it up. I think we'll find out this year who can come back to earth and who will remain permanently in orbit. IMO, Rip and Tay are the least-likely space cadets. Absolutely no clue about the two others.
The Rattler is back in the East.... (courtesy of hoopshype) Ratliff to provide blocked shots, leadership for C's By Scott Souza/ Courtside View At one end of the court were eight members of the Boston Celtics -- all 24 years old or younger -- engaged in a pickup game that included all the wisecracks, trash talk and schoolyard bickering you would expect out of a video game generation. At the other end of the court were a group of assistant coaches slouched in their folding chairs watching over the collection they hope to help mold into a winning basketball team starting next month. Then there was Theo Ratliff as the man in the middle. Closer in age to some of the coaches than his new teammates, the 33-year-old center certainly stood out in the crowd of players all more than nine years his junior during an informal workout this week at the team's Waltham training facility.
Cowens likely to join staff of Pistons - 09/12/06 - The Detroit News Online Cowens likely to join staff of Pistons Chris McCosky / The Detroit News AUBURN HILLS -- The Pistons are close to adding a Hall of Famer to their staff. Dave Cowens, a Hall of Fame player for the Celtics and former coach of the Celtics, Charlotte Hornets and Golden State Warriors, is expected to join Flip Saunders' coaching staff.
Davis facing five charges from hotel incident link:http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/writers/lester_munson/09/15/dale.davis/index.html The old football player is the judge who will be presiding: Edward Newman, 55, who played for the Miami Dolphins from 1973 through '84, graduated from the University of Miami law school in '87 and was elected to his first judgeship in '94. The basketball player is Dale Davis, 37, of the Detroit Pistons, who faces five misdemeanor charges -- including assault, disorderly conduct and resisting arrest without violence -- stemming from an incident last month at a South Beach hotel that ended with Miami police shooting him with a stun gun.
[RealGM] Reshaping a winner Authored by Curtis A. Clark - 12th September, 2006 The Detroit Pistons will have a new starting five for the first time since the beginning of the 2003-2004 season. The departure of the franchise’s face, starting center Ben Wallace, has left a gapping hole in the middle of the Pistons defense. If Detroit wasn’t fully committed to scoring more last season they will have no choice this season. Here is how the roster breaks down and what each position will need to do in order to keep the Pistons on top...
The last the thing the Pistons need is for Bonzie Wells to sign with the Heat to give them that extra slasher that we don't have:(. Doesn't Joe have anything we can offer him?? If he signs with them for that $1.8 mill lower level sal cap exceptionshoot somebody Bonzi Wells' agent talking to Heat: South Florida Sun-Sentinel
I think this is an insightful analysis of our defensive predicament. The transition from DEEETROIT BAAASKETBAAALL to whatever this team will become next will be both maddening and fascinating. I like that this article notes that the fans will have to make the transition with the team and that it'll be difficult for those of us who prefer the signature Pistons defensive style to anything else in the NBA.
I expect Nazr Mohammad to play with a new found (for him) passion. Hopefully he buys into our concept of "hustle." Former Pistons Dennis Rodman, Jerome Williams in addition to Big Ben should be his "role models." Nazr don't have to be another "Ben." A new, improved, and motivated "Nazr" would be perfectly acceptable to me. A guy who forms part of a core of solid big men to complement our upcoming lotto selected/traded-for legit big man. It's a golden opportunity for Nazr. Let's see if he's got the gumption to go for it.
THE OFF-SEASON: It's report card time for summer school link: THE OFF-SEASON: It's report card time for summer school
She's drinking the Pistons Kool-Aid for sure. I can't think of a worse off-season since I started following the team.
From NY Daily: It just wouldn't be the start of training camp without a coach or two on the hot seat. Isn't that right, Flip Saunders? After their conference finals flameout, the Pistons forced Saunders to fire his long-time, right-hand man, Don Zierden, and they would have made him ax Sidney Lowe, too, if Lowe hadn't seen what was happening and wisely fled for the North Carolina State head coaching job. At last check, it was Saunders who burned out his starters in the regular season, contributing to their dead legs against the Heat, but Zierden unjustly ended up as the fall guy. Saunders enters his second season in Detroit with the organization wondering if he's tough enough to deal with his veteran players, while ex-Bucks head coach Terry Porter and Dave Cowens join the bench as assistants. If the Pistons are struggling into January, Saunders is going the way of the Edsel, with Porter considered the favorite to inherit the job, although Bill Laimbeer is also waiting in the wings. As for Saunders, he knows where he stands. He has his eye on returning to the University of Minnesota, his alma mater, where his connections still run deep.
Any of it. We should disinfect the Palace after he's gone to get rid of any residual wimpyzonejumpshooting cooties.
