'Nasty News - Traversing Time & Space' Vol: 27

[nasty daddy]

http://www.freep.com/article/20090225/S ... ns+summary

Heat 103, Pistons 91
DETROIT min fg-a ft-a r (o-t) a pf pts
Prince 41:59 6-16 6-9 2-9 8 2 18
McDyess 25:00 8-10 1-1 2-6 1 5 17
Wallace 35:30 2-7 2-3 2-6 1 1 6
Stuckey 30:30 3-6 2-3 0-0 0 3 8
Iverson 36:56 8-18 6-7 1-1 2 2 22
Hamilton 26:29 4-11 0-0 0-1 3 2 9
Maxiell 22:47 4-7 3-5 1-6 0 1 11
Johnson 1:41 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 2 0
Brown 8:26 0-0 0-0 1-3 2 0 0
Herrmann 10:42 0-3 0-0 0-2 0 0 0
Totals 240:00 35-78 20-28 9-34 17 18 91

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http://www.freep.com/article/20090225/S ... ne+defense

Michael Curry should keep job, but must curb Allen Iverson
Pistons fans, and the media who cover them, are openly wondering about Michael Curry's job security. The math is straightforward: rookie coach + underachieving team + players who appear to have lost confidence in their coach = the ax. Yet there are no indications that Curry is close to losing his job. And I don't think he will. I suspect that, if it comes down to it, management is willing to take a mulligan on the season. If the Pistons land a star like Carlos Boozer or Chris Bosh this summer, they can put him on the floor with Rodney Stuckey and figure they have an inside-outside combo for the next five years. And then 2008-09 will seem like a blip, not a debacle. And I think Curry, who was so highly regarded by the Pistons, would get a chance to coach those new-look Pistons. I could be wrong, but I don't think president Joe Dumars will force Curry to make the ultimate sacrifice. (Wait, isn't the "ultimate sacrifice" giving your life? Then I'm 100% sure Dumars won't ask Curry for that. Also, I don't think Dumars will fire him.) Yet it would be wrong for the Pistons to simply write this off as a transition year. The fact is they have grossly underachieved -- and the reasons they have underachieved could haunt them next year. The organization and its coach should examine why things have gone so horribly wrong. The Pistons' biggest mistake was not trading Chauncey Billups for Allen Iverson. That deal could still have long-term benefits, and it made some sense for the short term, at least in theory.

No, the Pistons' biggest mistake was what they did immediately after the deal. They handed the keys to this season to Iverson. This is like handing the keys to your house to Lindsay Lohan. It seems like fun at first, but you start to second-guess yourself when you look down and realize your shoes are on fire. Iverson leads the Pistons in minutes and shots, which might make you think he is their best player. He isn't. He is actually one of the least-efficient offensive players on the team. One of the ironies of Iverson is that he always plays hard but makes his teammates want to not play hard. If you have ever played basketball, you know it's frustrating when one guy dominates the ball. That is Iverson. He scored 22 points on 8-for-18 shooting in 37 minutes during Tuesday's loss to Miami.But it's not Iverson's fault he is playing so much. That is on Curry -- and, assuming management has consulted with its coach, it is on Dumars. Why is Iverson starting alongside Stuckey? Why is Rip Hamilton relegated to the bench? Curry has explained his logic: Stuckey is the only true point guard among the regular rotation guys, so he has to start; and Iverson plays at Stuckey's speed, so he gets to start alongside him. I think there is a much simpler, uglier explanation. Hamilton is such a nice guy that the Pistons figure he can deal with coming off the bench. Iverson, meanwhile, might go absolutely insane. He doesn't even like sitting on the bench during time-outs -- he'd rather be on the floor practicing his crossover.

But building around Iverson, at least for a season, has consequences. Stuckey looks lost. He is supposed to be learning how to be an elite point guard, but how can he do that when his fellow guard needs the ball all the time? And Hamilton looks miserable. The Pistons have toyed with his head all year. As soon as Hamilton signed a three-year contract extension last fall, the Pistons shipped his buddy Billups to Denver. Then they asked Hamilton to play out of position, alongside Stuckey and Iverson. Then they asked him to come off the bench. Sunday night, in garbage time of a nationally televised blowout loss, Curry sent out a lineup of Will Bynum, Walter Herrmann, Jason Maxiell, Amir Johnson and ... Hamilton. Why not just ask him to clean the water bottles, too? The worst part is that next year Iverson will be gone, but Hamilton will be here, and what do you tell him then? That it was all a big misunderstanding? Do you tell him he just had a bad dream and you've never heard of this Ellen Arverson lady? It doesn't have to be like this. Look, the Pistons are not going to contend for the title this season -- we all know that. But they can still finish strong, win a playoff series and set themselves up well for the future. The only way to do that, though, is to take the keys away from Iverson. The Pistons' best chance to win now is to make Stuckey, Hamilton and Tayshaun Prince their primary perimeter weapons. Maybe the Pistons can still be a very good team. Maybe they can't. But at least they can be a team.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.freep.com/article/20090225/C ... en+Iverson

The Pistons were 4-0 before the Allen Iverson trade. Now, the team is 27-28 after the loss in Miami on Tuesday.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi- ... 8777.story

Ex-NBA star Dave Bing scored big on his initial foray into politics as he led a field of 15 candidates in the first leg of an election to finish the year as Detroit's mayor and complete the term of Kwame Kilpatrick, who was brought down by a text-messaging sex scandal.

For Bing, a 65-year-old businessman and professional basketball Hall of Famer, Tuesday's special primary win was only the "first quarter" of his quest to be mayor for a full term. "We've got a lot of work to do," a gracious Bing told family and campaign volunteers during a victory celebration at a downtown hotel.

His opponent, like many of the players Bing faced in 12 NBA seasons -- nine with the Detroit Pistons -- is physically bigger. Incumbent Ken Cockrel Jr. is 6-foot-5. He also has a political pedigree and years of experience on the Detroit City Council. The two will go one-on-one in a May 5 runoff to complete Kilpatrick's term, with the winner serving until a new mayor is sworn in next January. Both say they hope to be that new mayor. The May 5 winner will have little time to rest. The regularly scheduled 2009 mayoral primary is in August, followed by the general election in November.

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http://www.hoopsworld.com/HeadlineStories.html

Josh Smith Hard Foul Could Come At A Cost
Josh Smith’s late-game forearm shiver Monday in Utah is just the latest blow for a Hawks team reeling since the All-Star break.

They’ll likely be without Smith Wednesday night in Denver when they wrap up a five-game Western Conference road swing.

Smith was ejected for a flagrant-2 foul with 8:40 to play in the Hawks’ 108-89 loss to the Jazz. The Hawks are awaiting word on a possible suspension from the NBA.

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http://www.hoopsworld.com/HeadlineStories.html

Curry's Job In Trouble With Pistons Struggling?
Pistons fans, and the media who cover them, are openly wondering about Michael Curry's job security. The math is straightforward: rookie coach + underachieving team + players who appear to have lost confidence in their coach = the ax.

Yet there are no indications that Curry is close to losing his job. And I don't think he will.

I suspect that, if it comes down to it, management is willing to take a mulligan on the season. If the Pistons land a star like Carlos Boozer or Chris Bosh this summer, they can put him on the floor with Rodney Stuckey and figure they have an inside-outside combo for the next five years. And then 2008-09 will seem like a blip, not a debacle.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.hoopsworld.com/HeadlineStories.html

DET Losing Streak At 7 And Now Below .500
For those keeping score at home -- Pistons have now lost seven straight -- their longest losing streak since 2002-03. They are under .500 (27-28) for the first time since 2002. They haven't had a losing record this late in a season since 2000-01.

They have now lost 16 of 21 since Jan. 10. Allen Iverson, the only starter who made himself available to the media right after the game, was frustrated on two fronts.

About the erratic offense, he said, "We don't have any consistency of how we are going to play night in and night out. We play different ways. We have to find an identity for ourselves on how we are going to play every night and stick to it. We have to live and die with it."

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http://www.hoopsworld.com/HeadlineStories.html

Scalabrine Sent Home With Moore Aboard?
The revolving door through which the Celtics big men walk was spinning again yesterday. Brian Scalabrine headed home for a checkup on his head while Mikki Moore flew in to join the club.

Last week, it was Kevin Garnett returning to Boston to get his right knee checked just after Scalabrine returned from more than three weeks on the shelf after suffering two concussions.

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http://www.hoopsworld.com/HeadlineStories.html

Ainge: Moore Wanted To Come To Boston
Mikki Moore, the free agent center who has been pursued by a handful of teams since he was waived by the Sacramento Kings Thursday, has signed with the Celtics, team president Danny Ainge has confirmed.

Contract terms were undisclosed, but he is expected to remain with the team for the rest of the season.

"He just provides energy and length, has really good hands, and played well in the playoffs in the past," Ainge said. "He was very excited to come to Boston. He was recruited by every contending playoff team. He really wanted to come [here]."

[nasty daddy]

http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/bask ... r_checkup/

The revolving door through which the Celtics [team stats] big men walk was spinning again yesterday. Brian Scalabrine headed home for a checkup on his head while Mikki Moore flew in to join the club.

Last week, it was Kevin Garnett returning to Boston to get his right knee checked just after Scalabrine returned from more than three weeks on the shelf after suffering two concussions.

Scalabrine was diagnosed with a neck strain after taking a hard hit from behind from Johan Petro in the Celtics’ blowout of the Nuggets Monday night. He said later he expected to play in tonight’s trip finale against the Clippers, but that notion was overruled yesterday. “Again, this is precautionary,” president of basketball operations Danny Ainge said. “Scal felt fine after the game, and he felt fine when we got to L.A. But when you look at what he’s gone through the last couple of weeks, we just decided it would be better to send him home early and get him checked.”

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http://www.hoopsworld.com/HeadlineStories.html

Steph Waived And Now Looking To Joing C's
Not long after getting Mikki Moore signed today, the Celtics were able to begin envisioning what Stephon Marbury would look like in their uniform, too.

After several months of being embroiled in a soap opera, the Knicks worked out a buyout of Marbury’s $21 million contract today. Two NBA sources said that once the two-time All-Star clears waivers — which is expected to be Friday morning — he will sign with the Celtics for a prorated $1.3 million minimum contract for the rest of the season.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.ajc.com/hawks/content/sports ... smith.html

Josh Smith’s late-game forearm shiver Monday in Utah is just the latest blow for a Hawks team reeling since the All-Star break. They’ll likely be without Smith Wednesday night in Denver when they wrap up a five-game Western Conference road swing.

Smith was ejected for a flagrant-2 foul with 8:40 to play in the Hawks’ 108-89 loss to the Jazz. The Hawks are awaiting word on a possible suspension from the NBA.

Smith knocked former Marist and Georgia Tech star Matt Harpring to the floor on a fast break. Harpring’s head hit the floor and he bounced up and immediately went after Smith. Both players had to be restrained by teammates and game officials. “I don’t think Josh had any harm in it,” Hawks center Al Horford said. “I think that the way that [Harpring] landed is what really caused [it]. He landed fine and then hit his head. I don’t think Josh is a dirty player, it was just unfortunate that it happened.”

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http://www.hoopsworld.com/HeadlineStories.html

Pietrus Set To Return Friday For The Magic
Magic SG Mickael Pietrus said he doesn't expect to play in tonight's game in New York against the Knicks, but would attempt to play Friday when the club hosts the Detroit Pistons.

Pietrus sustained a sprained right wrist Friday in Charlotte, N.C., against the Bobcats after falling on the court. He missed Tuesday night's game against the Chicago Bulls and last Sunday's home game against the Miami Heat. "It's feeling better, just stiff," he said.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.boston.com/sports/basketball ... tics_blog/

Marbury bought out; source says he will join Celtics
Not long after getting Mikki Moore signed today, the Celtics were able to begin envisioning what Stephon Marbury would look like in their uniform, too. After several months of being embroiled in a soap opera, the Knicks worked out a buyout of Marbury’s $21 million contract today. Two NBA sources said that once the two-time All-Star clears waivers — which is expected to be Friday morning — he will sign with the Celtics for a prorated $1.3 million minimum contract for the rest of the season.

Marbury and the Knicks also resolved the grievance he had filed against the team over the $400,000 he had been docked for allegedly refusing to play in a game in November. The sides attended an arbitration hearing today, and terms of the settlement were not announced.

The Celtics became intrigued with Marbury in the preseason when he averaged 8.5 points and 3.1 assists and went to the line regularly in seven games. He scored 16 points against Boston in an Oct. 21 game, but last played in a preseason game against New Jersey on Oct. 24. He was suspended by the Knicks shortly thereafter.

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http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/co ... 03664.html

Pietrus won't play until Friday against Pistons
Magic SG Mickael Pietrus said he doesn't expect to play in tonight's game in New York against the Knicks, but would attempt to play Friday when the club hosts the Detroit Pistons.

Pietrus sustained a sprained right wrist Friday in Charlotte, N.C., against the Bobcats after falling on the court. He missed Tuesday night's game against the Chicago Bulls and last Sunday's home game against the Miami Heat. "It's feeling better, just stiff," he said.

It has been a nightmarish season for Pietrus because of injuries

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http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/co ... 03664.html

Arenas Practicing, Says Knee Is Fine
Guard Remains Cautious About Return

Gilbert Arenas returned to practice on Feb. 16, but asked Wizards personnel to keep it quiet so he could avoid being pressured into returning from his knee injury too soon. He claims he's "not even ready to think about" a return date.

Though he says he does not know whether he will return to game action this season, three-time all-star guard Gilbert Arenas acknowledged yesterday that he has been practicing at full speed with his Wizards teammates since Feb. 16 and that his left knee, which has undergone three surgical procedures since April 2007, is nearly at full strength.

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http://www.miamiherald.com/sports/baske ... 20039.html

ALL IN THE HAIR
With Allen Iverson's recent decision to cut his hair and do away with braids after 12 years, Heat forward Udonis Haslem might have taken over as the NBA's king of cornrows.

Haslem has sported the look for the past eight years, which dates even before he entered the league in 2004.

''I might be the last man standing with them,'' Haslem said Tuesday before the Heat faced Iverson's Pistons. ``If I ever do cut them, it won't be during the season. It'll be in the summer. I'd have to wait to see how my head is shaped. So if it's messed up, I have all summer to grow it back.''

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http://www.hoopsworld.com/Scores/Previe ... E_ID=29035

Detroit (27-27) at Miami (29-26), 7:30 p.m. EST MIAMI (Ticker) -- If it's hard to recognize the Detroit Pistons, it's because they are playing like they don't even know themselves. Detroit hopes to avoid a seventh straight loss when it visits Dwyane Wade and the Miami Heat on Tuesday. The Pistons are coming off a 99-78 pounding at the hands of the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday, a contest that saw Detroit fall behind by 33 points at the break. "We were out on the court playing like either we don't like each other, or are we strangers? That was disappointing," Detroit coach Michael Curry said. Allen Iverson scored 14 points in the loss to lead Detroit and even he admitted how bad the Pistons looked. "We stunk the gym up," Iverson said. "We usually play together on the road, and we just acted like strangers out there tonight. We didn't get it done." The Heat are coming off a blowout loss themselves as they lost to the Orlando Magic, 122-99, on Sunday. Although the rest of his team struggled, Wade poured in a career-high 50 points on 17-of-30 shooting in the loss. The outburst moved Wade into the lead for the league's scoring title at 28.8 points per game. LeBron James is second at 28.7 per contest. A loss drops Detroit below .500 for the first time since it was 4-5 on November 17, 2006.

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http://www.charlotteobserver.com/sports ... 59687.html

O'Neal's first three rebounds of the game gave him 12,358, enabling him to pass Paul Silas (12,357) for 16th place on the NBA's career list.

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http://www.hoopsworld.com/Scores/Recap. ... E_ID=29035

Wade's second-half surge leads Heat past Pistons. Dwyane Wade scored 31 points to lead the Miami Heat to a 103-91 victory over the Detroit Pistons on Tuesday. Wade scored 21 points in the second half, including 11 in the third quarter, when the Heat outscored the Pistons, 28-17, to take an 80-68 lead. Daequan Cook scored 16 points off the bench and Jermaine O'Neal added 14 for the Heat, who snapped a six-game skid against the Pistons. "The last three games teams were doing a lot of scouting on me," Cook said. "Not to say that Detroit didn't scout, but they were playing a sagging zone and when Dwyane would drive, he would kick it out to me." Allen Iverson scored 22 points for Detroit, which has lost seven straight. Wade added 16 assists and seven rebounds while shooting 11-of-20 from the field. He got it going after the break and helped the Heat close out the third with a 22-8 run to take control of the game. "Finally in the third quarter we made a concerted effort to make it tougher for them," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. "I thought we contested a majority of their shots which helped." "It is the best defense that we have played so far. We turned it up," Wade said. Tayshaun Prince scored 18 points and Antonio McDyess added 17 for the Pistons (27-28), who fell below .500 this late in a season for the first time since 2000-01. With Wade clicking on all cylinders - he scored 50 points on Sunday - Miami (30-26) has its win total from last season and is two games behind Atlanta for fourth place in the Eastern Conference. ""It's going pretty good after the break. This is the time of year to turn it up and need to win," Wade said. "Knowing that I was coming off scoring 50 points, they will be looking for you. I was just looking for my teammates." Wade iced the game with a jumper at the two-minute mark to make it 98-87. He added a three-point play a minute later to extend the lead to 101-87. "Our whole thing is not on the offensive end. We just cannot stop anybody," Iverson said. "With the way we are playing we are going to have to shoot 60 percent to have a chance to win a basketball game. It feels like they were scoring every time down the floor. "We got enough scorers that we can put the ball in the basket. We have to concentrate mainly on stopping people. Until we do that, we are going to struggle."