Game 32: Detroit @ Clippers // Sat.10.30pm on FSN Detroit

[nasty daddy]

( - ) V's ( - )

Sunday 4th of January 2008
Time 3.30pm
WDFN 1130am
TV: FS Detroit HD
Staples Center, Los Angeles, California

At
Staples Center, Los Angeles, California



Stuckey/Iverson/Prince/Johnson/Brown





Davis/Gordon/Thorton/Randolph/Skinner

INJURY REPORT

Rasheed Wallace Ques - Foot.
Antonio McDyess Ques - Ribs.
Richard Hamilton Out - Groin.


Zach Randolph Early Jan - Knee.
Chris Kaman Out indefinitely - Foot.
Ricky Davis Out indefinitely - Knee.
Mike Taylor Out 6-8 weeks - Thumb.

TEAM LEADERS


Allen Iverson
Rasheed Wallace


Zac Randolph
Baron Davis
Marcus Camby

[m23uza1hem36]

We've versed and beat to good teams on the road; beating up on the suns; escaping Denver, I hope we don't come out slow and have to come back.

[HeroicKennedy]

Hey, 3-1 with victories over the Suns and Nuggets won't be too bad.

Hopefully.

[Scrub Sura]

While it was a double-digit lead, I'm still not surprised we lost to Utah.

They just own us.

But, this game could become very ugly because of that.

Especially if Aaron Williams(seriously?) is in their starting lineup.

[Liqourish]

Why isn't Kaman starting?

This should be a win, but I'm not holing my breath. Our starters will probably take the game off, so Saunders will play them all 40+ minutes and we lose by 1 in overtime.

[Rodya]

Livingston

[GJense4181]

*Chris*, not Kris.

[Goubot]

Yeah, is Kaman out for some reason?

Prince plays Maggette pretty well, but Mags makes his living on the foul line. They're coming off a back to back, but we had that story with Utah, too.

[nasty daddy]

Why isn't Kaman starting?

This should be a win, but I'm not holing my breath. Our starters will probably take the game off, so Saunders will play them all 40+ minutes and we lose by 1 in overtime.

He has had a problem with his back for a number of games.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/ar ... 90465/1127

Pistons guard Chauncey Billups may miss Saturday's game against the Los Angeles Clippers because of a personal matter.

Billups flew back to Detroit before the team's practice on Friday. It was not immediately known when he would rejoin the team. The Pistons game against the Clippers marks the end of their current road trip. They play home against Seattle on Tuesday.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.mlive.com/pistons/index.ssf/ ... it_to.html

Chauncey Billups has left the team and retuned to Detroit to deal with a personal matter. At this time Billups' status for Saturday night's game against the Los Angeles Clippers is questionable.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.nba.com/pistons/news/langloi ... 80229.html

Chauncey Billups flew back to Detroit from Los Angeles to attend to a personal matter. It

[ajaX82]

no Billups means more Stuckey time!

[nasty daddy]

no Billups means more Stuckey time!

Should be interesting, especially seeing it will be his first career start.

[nasty daddy]

http://freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article? ... 048/sports

Pistons guard Chauncey Billups had to fly back to the Detroit area Thursday for a personal matter according to team.

Billups is questionable for Saturday night's game in Los Angeles against the Clippers.

There is no word on whether he intends to fly back today, tomorrow or at all.

[nasty daddy]

http://blog.mlive.com/pistonsinsider/20 ... it_to.html

If Chauncey Billups isn't back with the team in time for Saturday's game against the Los Angeles Clippers, Pistons head coach Flip Saunders said rookie Rodney Stuckey would start. "We'll start Stuck, more than likely," Saunders said a few minutes ago after practice. "The only other guy we got here is Lindsey."

Newly acquired Juan Dixon has played the point in the past, but today was his first practice with the team and he's clearly not up to speed where he can run the offense.

A Pistons official said Billups arrived with the team in Los Angeles, but returned home sometime yesterday. While they still are keeping the window of hope open that he returns for Saturday's game, all signs point toward him not rejoining the team and Stuckey making his first NBA start."Chauncey's not here, so I guess I have to start," said Stuckey, who added that it would be nice to get his first start in front of some family members who live in nearby Redondo Beach, Calif. "It's exciting, a little bit."

[Low-Ki]

I assume you wouldn't activate Hunter, he probably wouldn't be in game shape would he? I recall reading that he was going to start ramping up his workouts in the middle of March. So we go with Stuckey and who? Dixon? What if Stuckey gets in early foul trouble?

Is Flip Murray officially a member of the Clippers? You have to imagine he'd love the opportunity to carve up Stuckey.

[Snakebites]

^Im guessing Rip and/or Tay will handle the ball a lot more, they frequently do when Billups is out.

It isnt ideal, but its doable. I feel a lot better with Stuckey than I ever did with Flip, obviously.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.mlive.com/pistons/index.ssf/ ... billu.html

When the Detroit Pistons drafted Rodney Stuckey last June, they envisioned someday he would be their starting point guard -- but not under these circumstances. The 6-foot-5 rookie from Eastern Washington is expected to make his first NBA start tonight in place of Chauncey Billups, who returned home to deal with a "personal matter." A team official said Billups was with the team when they arrived from Utah on Thursday, adding that the 6-foot-3 guard returned home sometime that same day.

It is unclear if Billups will return in time for tonight's game. "We'll just have to wait and see," Pistons coach Flip Saunders said. Based on Detroit's roster, Saunders doesn't have much of a choice when it comes to replacements for Billups. "The only other guy we have here is Lindsey (Hunter)," Saunders said. Detroit also has newly acquired combo guard Juan Dixon, who had his first practice with the team on Friday. However, Saunders immediately ruled him out as a possible point guard solution."He doesn't understand everything we're trying to do yet," Saunders said.

Although players acknowledged they'd miss not having Billups for tonight's game, they've seen enough of Stuckey to believe that he's ready to fill in with the first unit. "I think he's ready," said Hunter, who will see action as Stuckey's backup. "It'll be a good confidence builder for him." Making the transition easier for Stuckey is the fact that lately, Saunders has played him with Detroit's starting shooting guard Richard Hamilton."It helps him a lot," Hamilton said. "It doesn't put so much pressure on him. It allows him to play off the ball sometimes, don't have to worry about trying to do everything himself out there." Having a chance to start would be one of the highlights to what has been an up-and-down season for the rookie, who spent the first couple of months on the inactive list due to a broken left hand injury suffered in the last preseason game. "I don't really get down on myself," Stuckey said. "I've got a lot of years in front of me. This is a year about learning for me."

[nasty daddy]

http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/ar ... 10362/1127

Rodney Stuckey doesn't rattle easily, if he rattles at all. He doesn't get excited easily, either. Witness this brief interview following the Pistons' practice Friday. Reporter: "So, looks like you are getting your first NBA start." Stuckey: "Guess so, I don't know. Chauncey's not here, so I guess I have to start." Reporter: "Kind of excited?" Stuckey: "Nah, I am just going to go out and play hard. It's good to be starting my first NBA game in front of my family and stuff (his step parents are living in the Los Angeles area), so, I don't know. It's exciting, a little bit." Presumably, the adrenaline will be flowing a little more freely tonight when Stuckey is announced with the starters at Staples Center tonight against the Clippers.

Chauncey Billups flew back to Detroit on Thursday to tend to a personal matter. The Pistons aren't expecting him to make it back in time. "We have to start Stuckey," coach Flip Saunders said. "The only other guy is Lindsey Hunter." Hunter has played in just one game -- for six minutes at San Antonio -- since Dec. 26. He has been battling the flu for a couple of weeks and hasn't even practiced much. So, when it was suggested to Hunter that he might have to play 20 minutes tonight, he reacted in mock horror. "Twenty minutes? Me? Right now?" he said. "No, no. "Like I told them (the coaches), use me sparingly. Stuckey's playing 40 minutes."

Newly acquired Juan Dixon could see some action, but Friday was his first practice with the team and Saunders said he isn't ready to play extended minutes. So, it will be up to Stuckey to carry the load. His production levels have been up and down recently. After scoring in double figures in seven of eight games, he's averaged 4.2 points (6-of-30 shooting) over the last five. "I feel good," he said. "I don't really get down on myself. I've got a lot of years in front of me to worry too much about my rookie year. This is a learning year for me. When I play a bad game, I don't try to think about it too much. I just let it go." Stuckey, whose game is predicated on his ability to drive to the basket, has averaged just 2.8 free-throw attempts in the last five games -- despite enduring a lot of contact at the basket. "That's going to come," he said of the referees' calls. "I just have to keep attacking so the refs know my style of play, so they know I am an aggressive player. "I am just going to keep taking the ball to the basket. When the years come, I will be getting that call."