'Nasty News - Traversing Time & Space' Vol: 63

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http://www.freep.com/article/20100119/S ... 1051/rss16

BIG NUMBER: 0-12 -- the Pistons' three-point shooting.

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http://www.freep.com/article/20100119/S ... 1051/rss16

OTHER SIDE: The Pistons didn't have an answer for Nate Robinson in pick-and-roll situations, and he made them pay with 27 points and five three-pointers.

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http://www.freep.com/article/20100119/S ... 1051/rss16

INJURY REPORT: Rip Hamilton joined the injured list when a stomach illness forced him to watch from the locker room. Will Bynum (left ankle), Ben Gordon (right groin) and Tayshaun Prince (left knee) were on the sideline, and Chris Wilcox joined them when his back flared up at halftime.

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http://www.freep.com/article/20100119/S ... 1051/rss16

OVERHEARD: Kuester, on what went wrong in the fourth quarter: "Some of our shot selections in key situations."

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http://www.freep.com/article/20100119/S ... 1051/rss16

NEXT: The Pistons begin a six-game home stand Wednesday night. First up is Eastern Conference power Boston, which would mark the return of Rasheed Wallace to the Palace. Wallace returned to the Celtics on Monday after missing three games with a left foot injury.

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http://www.freep.com/article/20100119/S ... 1051/rss16

TWO CENTS: A 5-1 home stand would put the Pistons in the thick of things for a playoff spot.

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http://www.realgm.com/src_feature/1614/ ... d-january/

43. Ben Wallace, DET: (446, 15.4, +1354)

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http://www.detroitnews.com/article/2010 ... th-quarter

Lakers rally past Magic in fourth quarter
Shannon Brown scored a career-high 22 points, Pau Gasol had 17 points and 10 rebounds, and the Los Angeles Lakers scored the first 15 points of the fourth quarter Monday night for a 98-92 victory over the Orlando Magic in the first rematch of last season's NBA finals.

Kobe Bryant scored just 11 points on 4-of-19 shooting, but his teammates carried the Lakers to their 18th win in 19 home games in a remarkable fourth-quarter rally led almost entirely by reserves.

Dwight Howard had 24 points and 12 rebounds for the Magic, who wrapped up a four-game road trip with their third straight loss and seventh in nine games. The way Orlando lost was even more disconcerting, with a wildly up-and-down performance that bottomed out in the fourth, when the Magic didn't manage a field goal for nearly six minutes.

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http://blog.mlive.com/fullcourtpress/20 ... ip_ha.html

About Last Afternoon: No Rip Hamilton = no motion
Talking about injuries is boring by now, but it's pretty much been the story of every game. In Keith Langlois' weekly mailbag at Pistons.com, he went back and looked at the actual numbers. How many times have the Pistons had their projected starting five

Two. In the other 38 games, we've witnessed a patchwork assortment of rookies and underachieving vets take the court. Against the Knicks Monday, the Pistons, who were playing without Hamilton, Gordon, Prince, Bynum and lost Chris Wilcox for the second half, played parts of the game with Ben Wallace as their second option on offense.

Now, Wallace performed admirably, scoring 16 points (a season-high) and grabbing 14 rebounds. But Ben Wallace, even in great games, as a secondary scoring option on offense is not a recipe for wins, even against a Knicks team that very nearly gave the game away after a horrid third quarter in which they were out-scored 27-11.

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http://blog.mlive.com/fullcourtpress/20 ... ip_ha.html

Don't worry about Rodney Stuckey's shooting: Rodney Stuckey's final 8-for-26 shooting line looks ugly, but he really played a good game. The Knicks knew he had to score for the Pistons to win. When he was, at times, the only competent offensive player on the floor for the Pistons, the Knicks could very easily collapse into the lane and get hands in his face.

Why not kick out, you ask? Because there wasn't a lot of movement. With Hamilton out, their most active player at the offensive end was out of the mix. Hamilton's motion missing also means that players like Jonas Jerebko and Chris Wilcox, who have to set multiple screens and move themselves to free up Hamilton when he doesn't have the ball, move less as well (Note: Credit where it's due, Dan Feldman of PistonPowered rightly pointed this out). It's been no coincidence that Stuckey seems to shoot better himself while Hamilton is on the floor.

Stuckey also hit the boards, picking up seven rebounds, and had four steals.

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http://blog.mlive.com/fullcourtpress/20 ... ip_ha.html

Austin Daye is really polished offensively, but settle down a bit: In the comments of the game thread, Daye was compared to Tim Duncan and Kevin Durant. At this point, he's got a ways to go before he's even approaching Danilo Gallinari territory yet. Let's not get carried away. With Daye, it's been about consistency. He's had some really good games offensively and he's been non-existent other times he's been on the court. As happened in the game thread comments yesterday, the "should Daye start over Jerebko?" debates heated up. The fact that Daye went out and had a great game -- 16 points on 7-of-14 shooting -- made his contingent even louder.

I think most commenters would agree that both are good, young players with potential. The reason, I think, that Jerebko plays more is that while he's struggled defensively at times, he seems to have the confidence to recover quickly from bad plays and mistakes. Daye has sometimes looked as if bad plays wrecked his confidence. I also think Jerebko, because of his activity and hustle, is a good fit in the starting five when Hamilton and Wilcox are healthy. He gives the Pistons three guys -- with Wilcox and Wallace -- who work hard, don't need plays run for them and get extra possessions by going hard at the offensive glass.

It's also worth keeping in mind that Daye is a bit younger than Jerebko and he's essentially learning a new position -- while he shot threes at Gonzaga, he has been a power forward/center at the high school and college level because of his height. There are some finer points to perimeter play that he's still figuring out, while Jerebko has played the three in Europe.Daye looks to be the far superior offensive player of the two. We should absolutely be rooting for both guys to get significant minutes. But Jerebko's hustle and fit with the other starters make him an important tone-setter at the beginning of games. The future of the position, however, appears to be Daye.

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http://blog.mlive.com/fullcourtpress/20 ... ip_ha.html

What to make of Charlie V: Villanueva didn't have a bad game. He scored 16, shot 7-of-15 and didn't take a three in the game. But I found myself wanting more out of him. With his long arms, array of post moves and touch around the basket, Villanueva should've feasted on the Knicks frontline, which is a bit undersized. Al Harrington hasn't been interested in defense since Don Nelson taught him it doesn't exist in Golden State and David Lee battles, but he's not someone I consider a stopper when it comes to containing post players one-one-one. The Pistons really needed some offense to help Rodney Stuckey in this game, and Villanueva is the one guy other than Stuckey in the lineup who should've been able to get any shot he wanted.

Sometimes it feels like Villanueva just isn't assertive enough in demanding the ball, particularly when he has matchup advantages. As a laid-back and easy going guy, that personality seems to carry over onto the court.

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http://blog.mlive.com/fullcourtpress/20 ... ip_ha.html

Jason Maxiell gave a lift: I mentioned inconsistency when it comes to Daye, but perhaps the most maddeningly inconsistent Piston is Jason Maxiell. He was great against the Knicks, taking over for an injured Wilcox and finishing with 13 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists and a steal in 28 minutes. It was great, needed production, but like with any Maxiell game, it's hard to get excited about until he puts it all together for a stretch.

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http://blog.mlive.com/fullcourtpress/20 ... ip_ha.html

A note from the comments: Yesterday, the Pistons played a matinee to celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day, as they and several other NBA teams always do.

So when a commenter participating in the game thread chose to come in and interact while sporting a Confederate Flag profile picture, I have to say it was quite disheartening, and I was not the only one to feel that way, judging by the handful of e-mails I received.

We have a nice community of commenters forming at FCP. There are good vibes, people have (for the most part) polite, yet intense, interactions and it has become a nice place to hang out and watch/discuss the games. There's no reason to ruin that by doing really insensitive things that could be easily avoided.

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http://blog.mlive.com/fullcourtpress/20 ... ip_ha.html

What the blogs are saying:
Detroit Bad Boys: "Chucky Atkins finished 1-5 shooting and all shots seemed to come at probably the worst time for him to take shots. For example, with the Pistons trailing early in the fourth and making a mini-run, he took an outlet pass from Stuckey, dribbled the floor, and quickly pulled up for a three with no Pistons under the basket to potentially rebound. He was also minus-15 -- just a point ahead of Charlie Villanueva's minus-16."

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http://blog.mlive.com/fullcourtpress/20 ... ip_ha.html

PistonPowered: "Stuckey matched a season high with 26 shots (making eight). But how can you blame him too much? Someone had to shoot. With Gordon, Hamilton, Prince and Bynum out, the Pistons were low on competent offensive weapons. When those four return, I still think Detroit’s offense can be pretty good. I’m getting tired of blaming the Pistons’ woes on injuries. But I’m more tired of the injuries."

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http://www.nba.com/pistons/video/2010/0 ... index.html

Postgame Recap - Pistons at Knicks
Rodney Stuckey led the Pistons with 22 points and Ben Wallace grabbed 14 rebounds, but Detroit couldn't get past New York Monday afternoon, losing 99-91 at MSG

Video in the link above^.

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http://blog.mlive.com/fullcourtpress/20 ... e_rum.html

Are Amar'e Stoudemire trade rumors going to start again?
Last season, one of the most heavily discussed names as the trade deadline approached was Amar'e Stoudemire of the Phoenix Suns. While his impending free agency and dislike of a halfcourt system former coach Terry Porter tried to implement were at the root of the rumors, this season, the Suns went back to their fast style under Alvin Gentry, traded Shaq and got off to one of the fastest starts in the league. Everyone appeared to be happy.

Since, however, the Suns have faded and after a loss to Memphis last night, are just a game from falling out of a playoff position in the West. Re-enter the possible trade discussions:With the trade deadline a month from today, the conversation about trading Stoudemire continues - externally and internally. Interest in trading for Stoudemire remains as tepid as it was last season, when the Suns passed on moving him because of a lack of quality offers. "It's been quiet," said Stoudemire, who unlike last summer has kept it that way by not fanning flames with comments about a possible trade. "But I'm pretty sure it's going to heat up in a second as far as trade rumors and different scenarios."

If the Suns think they'll get into the playoffs, it makes no sense to trade Amar'e. They have the talent to compete with the West's elite. But hey, improbable or not, that's never stopped us from discussing potentially available players around here, has it? Would the Pistons be a fit for a non-defending, big-scoring, average-rebounding young big? Come up with your offers in the comments.

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http://stats.mlive.com/nba/preview.asp? ... me=8&vis=2

Celtics-Pistons Preview
Rasheed Wallace was an invaluable presence during his five-plus seasons with the Detroit Pistons, helping them win an NBA title soon after his arrival in 2004. He is having a bit more trouble keeping the Boston Celtics on track without Kevin Garnett. The Celtics will play a 10th straight game without their star Wednesday night as Wallace returns to Detroit for his first appearance against the Pistons since leaving them last summer. Detroit acquired Wallace from Atlanta on Feb. 19, 2004, and the enigmatic big man averaged 13.0 points and 7.8 rebounds during the 2004 postseason as the Pistons captured their third NBA championship. Wallace helped the team return to the playoffs each of the last five seasons before the rebuilding Pistons (14-26) let him go as a free agent. Expected to play a supporting role in Boston, the Celtics (27-12), have had to rely more heavily on the veteran as Garnett recovers from a knee injury. Wallace also missed three straight games last week due to a sore foot, but returned in time for a 99-90 home loss to Dallas on Monday night.

He had helped bottle up Mavericks star Dirk Nowitzki, but Nowitzki sparked Dallas' decisive third-quarter run with Wallace on the bench due to foul trouble. "I thought Rasheed was doing a terrific job on Dirk," Celtics coach Doc Rivers said. "Not having Kevin ... knowing Rasheed was the only other guy, that put us in a tough situation." The Celtics went 18-7 without Garnett during the 2008-09 regular season and advanced to within a game of the Eastern Conference finals while he was out with another knee injury. They haven't fared as well without their feared power forward this season, however. The loss to Dallas was Boston's third straight at home as it fell to 5-5 with Garnett sidelined. The Celtics are allowing an average of 99.6 points without the 2007-08 NBA defensive player of the year, nearly eight points higher than with him. "We've been there before. We've won games without Kevin," forward Paul Pierce said. "That's not an excuse." The Celtics were 3-0 against Detroit with Garnett in the lineup last season, but the Pistons won 105-95 at Boston on March 1 while Garnett was out. Garnett said he could return Friday against Portland. "I'm trying to be smart about injuries so that they don't get worse," he told the team's official Web site. "I think I learned that last year the hard way." The Celtics will be trying to avoid a season high-tying third straight loss.

Detroit has dropped 14 of 17. The Pistons followed a 13-game losing streak with three straight victories, but that run ended with a 99-91 loss at New York on Monday. A number of the team's key players were missing against the Knicks, as Ben Gordon, Will Bynum and Tayshaun Prince dealt with injuries while Richard Hamilton was out with an upset stomach. Chris Wilcox played eight minutes before going down with a back problem. Guard Rodney Stuckey led Detroit with 22 points. "We were short-handed but we put on a fight," forward Charlie Villanueva said. "... Just didn't get the stops where it really mattered the most, down in the fourth quarter, down the stretch." It's unclear who will be available as the Pistons begin a six-game homestand. Detroit won its last two at home to improve to 10-9 at The Palace, but Boston has won three straight and five of six there, including postseason.

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http://www.nba.com/2010/news/powerranki ... index.html

1: Los Angeles Lakers
2: Cleveland Cavaliers
3: Boston Celtics
4: Portland Trailblazers
5: Atlanta Hawks
6: Denver Nuggets
7: Dallas Mavericks
8: San Antonio Spurs
9: Orlando Magic
10: Oklahoma City Thunder
25: Detroit Pistons