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

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

• Pistons assistant coach Darrell Walker served in a similar capacity for the Hornets from 2004-2008.

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http://stats.mlive.com/nba/recap.asp?g= ... e=14&vis=8

Notes: The last time Detroit lost seven straight was in December 2001. The next season started a current run of six straight appearances in the East finals. ... Pistons F Rasheed Wallace is within two points of 15,000 in his career. He had six Tuesday. ... Moon had a steal and dunk with 7:31 left in the second quarter, getting downcourt so fast the ballboy mopping sweat off the floor had to run for cover. ... Cook left in the third quarter after getting hit in the midsection by Iverson, but returned for the fourth. ... Hall of Fame manager Tommy Lasorda, in town to promote next month's World Baseball Classic, sat courtside.

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http://www.nba.com/pistons/news/DETMIA_ ... recap.html

TAKE FIVE: A five-point dissection of the Pistons’ nosedive under .500. 1. SINKING TO SEVEN – The Pistons hit the road Sunday – and were promptly run over. The shortest month couldn’t get much longer for the Pistons. Their loss at Miami on Tuesday – their seventh straight – makes them 2-8 for February and pushed them under .500 at 27-28. That’s their longest losing streak since the 2002-03 season and the first time the Pistons have stuck their nose underwater this late in the season in eight years. “It’s just disappointing that we’re on a streak like this,” Michael Curry said. “But like I’ve been saying, you’ve got to fight. We’ve got to continue to push them hard and hold them accountable for their performance out on the court.” It doesn’t get much easier for the Pistons as they close out February with road games Wednesday at New Orleans and then Friday as they return to Florida to face Orlando. Dwyane Wade, pushing his way into the MVP discussion, dominated the second half after concentrating on getting open shots for teammates for most of the first half. He finished with 31 points and set a career-high with 16 assists. “We know he’s going to make shots,” Curry said. “He’s going to have the ball in his hands a lot and he had a great game. But what hurt us, especially in that first half, was the shots we gave up when we weren’t in the right positions.” The Heat led by one at halftime but by a dozen after three quarters when they broke from a 62-all tie to close the third on an 18-6 run. Antonio McDyess made his first six shots for the Pistons and finished with 17 points on 8 of 10 shooting. Allen Iverson led them with 22 points despite going down for a period in the third quarter after wrenching his back. Tayshaun Prince came close to a triple double with 18 points, nine rebounds, eight assists and two blocked shots in 42 minutes.

TEAM COLORS : 2. White Hot – Wade seemed a most unlikely candidate with two minutes to go before halftime, when he had yet to make a basket. Then he made Miami’s last three of the first half – and kept right on going.Coming off a career-high 50 points in a 23-point loss at Orlando on Sunday, Wade seemed solely focused on getting his teammates involved in this one, helping Daequan Cook to 13 first-half points, repeatedly finding Jermaine O’Neal for dumpoffs after splitting the defense and kicking it out to the likes of Jamario Moon and Yakhouba Diawara for open triples. He made four of his first five shots after halftime and scored five of Miami’s eight points as they took their lead from four to 12 in the critical third quarter. 3. BLUE COLLAR – Kwame Brown had gotten off of Detroit’s bench once in the past 10 games, but when Amir Johnson picked up two fouls in less than two minutes upon entering the game to start the second quarter, Curry went to Brown. Brown had some nice moments, including one sequence where he grabbed a defensive rebound over Michael Beasley, then corralled an Iverson miss on the other end and fed a no-look pass to Rip Hamilton for an open mid-ranger jumper he buried. Playing for the first time since seeing 10 minutes in the Pistons’ Feb. 8 loss to Phoenix, Brown didn’t have big numbers – three rebounds and two assists in less than nine minutes – but and Walter Herrmann were the only two Pistons who finished in the black in the plus/minus category at plus-two.

4. RED FLAG – The 3-point line continues to be hostile to the Pistons. While Miami was getting makes from four different players, the Pistons had just one 3-pointer. The Heat went 9 for 19 to the Pistons 1 for 9, meaning Miami had 24 more points from behind the arc than Detroit. That’s a lot of points they have to make up somewhere. The Pistons are 28th in the league in 3-point attempts and 26th in 3-point accuracy. THE LAST CALL : A little perspective on another loss. 5. NOT ENOUGH – If the Pistons were playing a 3-on-3 tournament, they might have buried their losing streak on South Beach. But teams in tailspins need more than three players pulling on the oars. While they were getting very nice games from Iverson, Prince and McDyess, the contributions of Rodney Stuckey, Rasheed Wallace and Rip Hamilton were negligible. Those are their six most critical players. And the Pistons can’t seem to get more than half of them playing well on any given night.Stuckey’s curious slump continued. His eight points were alarming enough, but for a point guard to go 30 minutes without picking up an assist is more problematic. Hamilton knocked down his first shot just seconds after entering the game in the first quarter, but finished 4 of 11 with nine points, three assists and one rebound. Wallace had six points and six boards, shooting 2 of 7 and 0 of 3 from the 3-point line.

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http://www.insidehoops.com/blog/?p=3576

Marko Jaric married Adriana Lima
People.com reports: An engagement ring on her birthday and a secret marriage on Valentine’s Day – who knew jocks could be so romantic! Adriana Lima, a Brazilian supermodel and a Victoria’s Secret Angel, eloped with NBA star Marko Jaric on Feb. 14 in Jackson Hole, Wyo., in a small, private civil ceremony, PEOPLE confirms exclusively.

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http://www.insidehoops.com/blog/?p=3577

Knicks waive Stephon Marbury
The New York Knicks and Stephon Marbury have officially parted ways. The following is a joint statement on behalf of the Knicks and Marbury: “A comprehensive agreement was made this afternoon between the New York Knicks and Stephon Marbury. Under its terms, the grievance has been resolved and the Knicks have requested waivers on Stephon. No additional terms will be disclosed.”

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http://www.detroitnews.com/apps/pbcs.dl ... SPORTS0102

Knicks finally say goodbye to Marbury
Stephon Marbury was waived by the Knicks, ending a turbulent five-year stint. The team released a statement Tuesday saying an agreement between the Knicks and Marbury had been reached, but did not disclose financial terms.

Marbury is one of the highest-paid players in the NBA, set to make close to $21 million this season, but has not played a game for coach Mike D'Antoni .

He's eligible to play in the postseason for any team that signs him because he was waived by March 1.

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http://www.detroitnews.com/apps/pbcs.dl ... SPORTS0102

Celtics sign former Piston Moore
The Celtics have signed free agent forward Mikki Moore . Financial terms were not disclosed.

The 7-foot, 225-pound Moore was waived by the Kings last week. The former Piston spent part of the 2002-2003 season with the Celtics.

In his 11th NBA season, Moore has career averages of 5.9 points and 3.9 rebounds, shooting 54.8 percent from the field. He has appeared in 15 playoff games.

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http://www.detroitnews.com/apps/pbcs.dl ... SPORTS0102

Paul contract too rich for Hornets
New Orleans has star signed through 2011-12, but might seek to trade him to cut costs. Wonder what's going through Chris Paul's mind these days? Despite his best efforts, the Hornets are no more than an afterthought, a possible Cinderella candidate, in the Western Conference. On top of that, the New Orleans franchise, always a fragile business enterprise, is bleeding money. When New Orleans was trying to lure an NBA franchise, certain financial inducements were offered. With the economic collapse, those inducements have gone away.

The Hornets will be luxury taxpayers next season, which is why they tried to trade center Tyson Chandler to Oklahoma City for two expiring contracts. Since that trade was nullified when he failed his physical, you can bet they will try to deal him again this summer. As All-Star forward David West told the Times-Picayune, "The move had nothing to do with basketball. It was strictly a business decision. Using some common sense, that's what it came down to." Chandler's isn't even the worst contract on the books. The Hornets owe Peja Stojakovic $30 million over the next two years. They owe Mo Peterson $12.8 million over the next two years and James Posey some $19 million over the next three years. Good luck trying to move those guys.

So, put yourself in Paul's shoes for a second. (No, you don't get his paycheck.) He's the face of the franchise. He signed an extension that could keep him in New Orleans until at least the summer of 2012. Yet the franchise is looking to trade away basketball assets for financial assets.What happens if Paul becomes convinced the Hornets don't have the capacity to field a competitive team? He might already have come to that conclusion. He's going to want out, right? So while we focus on the free agent class of 2010, keep an eye on things in the Big Easy. I don't think teams are going to have to wait until 2012 to make a pitch for Chris Paul.

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http://www.detroitnews.com/apps/pbcs.dl ... SPORTS0102

Deadline letdown
Fans who were disappointed at the lack of activity at the trade deadline must be riveted to the post-deadline rumors

Cleveland is thinking about making a run at 38-year-old Robert Horry , who hasn't played this season and has told the San Antonio Spurs that his playing days are definitely over.Boston signed Mikki Moore , who was waived by Sacramento. Wow, from P.J. Brown to Mikki Moore -- who says the Boston bench has taken a step back this season? Cleveland is also hoping that 35-year-old Joe Smith gets waived by Oklahoma City. It has $5.1 million of a mid-level exception burning a hole in its pocket. Sam Cassell was waived by the Kings and he's fielding offers from several teams. He hasn't played this year, either. Stephon Marbury was waived by the Knicks Tuesday. The Celtics are said to be champing at the bit to add him to the mix, as well.

Here's what I think. If teams are relying on any of the aforementioned players to get them over the hump this season, then they are all worse off than we all thought.

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http://www.detroitnews.com/apps/pbcs.dl ... SPORTS0102

Stack on hold
Another disappointment in a frustrating season for former Piston Jerry Stackhouse : Out since Nov. 14 because of a foot injury, Stackhouse came back for two games last week, but couldn't get comfortable.

"I'm a little down, but it's not where I need it to be," he told reporters in Dallas. "I don't want to take minutes away from guys who deserve to be out there at this point. It's hard and it put (coach Rick Carlisle ) in a tough position. I know he wants to try and get me back, but at the same time, where's the balance? We need to win games."

He badly wants to play before the end of the season, but that's in doubt now.

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http://www.detroitnews.com/apps/pbcs.dl ... SPORTS0102

By the numbers
88 Games Tracy McGrady, right, has missed since joining the Rockets in 2004.
13-2 Celtics' record without Kevin Garnett the last two seasons.
50.9 Percentage chance that the Pistons will make the playoffs, according to ESPN.com.

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http://www.detroitnews.com/apps/pbcs.dl ... SPORTS0102

Bucks thrive, Knicks dive
According to research and criteria developed by 82games.com, here are the teams that drafted the best and worst (in the first round) over the last 20 years (1989-2008).
Best

Team Picks Stars Starters
1. Milwaukee 40 6 8
2. Phoenix 41 6 4
3. L.A. Lakers 36 5 3
4. San Antonio 30 4 2
5. Cleveland 36 5 4

Worst
Team Picks Stars Starters
5. Toronto 24 5 3
4. Denver 42 6 8
3. L.A. Clippers 44 2 14
2. Atlanta 44 3 3
1. New York 32 0 4

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http://www.detroitnews.com/apps/pbcs.dl ... SPORTS0102

Chris' top five
1. L.A. Lakers: Won 11 of 12, scoring over 100 in all but one.
2. Cleveland: They are having way too much fun right now; impressive chemistry.
3. Boston: Barring further complications, three weeks off is a blessing for KG.
4. Orlando: Procuring Rafer Alston at the deadline was season saver.
5. San Antonio: Will they get into the mix for the newly waived Marbury?

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http://www.detroitnews.com/apps/pbcs.dl ... SPORTS0102

Chris' bottom five
26. Washington: Brendan Haywood is back at practice.
27. Minnesota: Good job unloading garbage at deadline.
28. Memphis: Took 3-21 road record into Cleveland Tuesday.
29. Sacramento: Let the Will Solomon, Cedric Simmons, Rashad McCants era begin.
30. L.A. Clippers: Seriously, 503 points allowed in four games? Wow.

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http://www.hoopsworld.com/Chat.asp?CHAT_TOPICS_ID=169

Pau16Kobe24Drew17 in Fayetteville AR: Eric, Detroit looks as if it will have some cap room this year. Do you see a scenario where they come after Odom more than Lakers can pay and then the Lakers offer Rasheed the MLE to replace him? Thanks.

Eric Pincus: The Pistons will have plenty of cap room to go after Lamar Odom if they choose to do so. The early vibe is they are hoping Carlos Boozer opts out of his deal in Utah and heads to Detroit. The Pistons could b a threat to the Lakers in the Lamar pursuit but I don't believe he'd be their first choice. It's something to monitor though because there aren't many teams with cap space and if it breaks right for the Lakers, they may find significant leverage in negotiations with Lamar. It's difficult to anticipate if the Lakers would want Rasheed for the MLE when Odom would probably be the priority. Again, it's too early to tell but a championship might lead the Lakers to try and keep LO whereas another disappointing finish might turn them in a completely different direction.

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http://www.detroitnews.com/apps/pbcs.dl ... 50358/1127

Pistons' Curry puts bet on long shot
Herrmann's outside proficiency seen as key to loosening up defenses for Pistons' inside game.
Why is Walter Herrmann back in the Pistons rotation? A better question might be to ask why he was out of it for so long. The Pistons average 4.65 made 3-pointers a game; only four teams make fewer. Including Tuesday's 103-91 loss to the Miami Heat, Rasheed Wallace has hoisted 251 of the Pistons' 736 3-point attempts, making 37 percent. The result is that opposing defenses don't honor the 3-point shot as much as they used to. They stuff their defense into the paint, denying driving lanes to Allen Iverson and Rodney Stuckey and effectively stalling the Pistons' offense.

Enter Herrmann. "Hopefully he can help our penetrators," Pistons coach Michael Curry said. "When Walter has played, he seems to spread the court out for us. We need another shooter on the court to help us do that." Herrmann hasn't exactly been lighting it up of late. Since hitting five of six 3-pointers against Milwaukee on Nov. 28, Herrmann has made just 5 of 29, including his one miss Tuesday. "I haven't had too much confidence," Herrmann said. "It was a big surprise (playing 18 minutes) the other night. I hadn't played in two months. I was in the rotation for the first couple of weeks, after that I never played." True. Before Sunday he had played a total of 12 minutes over the last 18 games. He didn't play at all in 11 of those. Herrmann was most affected when Antonio McDyess came back and the Pistons went away from their small lineup. He was getting minutes at power forward and small forward and defensively he was having matchup issues at both positions.

With the Pistons playing zone defense more, Curry feels he can go back to Herrmann. "When we play zone, it eliminates certain bad man-to-man matchups we may have," Curry said. "We can use different combinations of players when we play zone that we can't when we play man."Herrmann plays well off Allen Iverson, mostly because he understands spacing and knows how to make himself available when Iverson probes the defense. "I feel so comfortable with him," Herrmann said. "We have too many players trying to penetrate, so pass the ball outside. I am always ready to shoot the 3-pointer." Curry isn't expecting Herrmann to play heavy minutes, nor does he expect him to be the key to unlocking a stalled offense. But at this point, he's willing to try just about anything.

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http://www.detroitnews.com/apps/pbcs.dl ... 50358/1127

Pistons at Hornets
Tip-off: 8 tonight, New Orleans Arena
TV/radio: FSN-Plus, WDFN 1130
Outlook: The Pistons have won four straight in New Orleans and had an eight-game overall winning streak stopped at The Palace in January.

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http://www.detroitnews.com/apps/pbcs.dl ... 50358/1127

Curry doesn't want anyone to think he's going to the zone full-time. He said he wouldn't even use it 50 percent of the time.

"We will mix it in to keep teams off balance," he said.

The benefits of the zone are improved communication and a better chance to stop dribble penetration. It also dissuades teams from running high pick-and-roll plays.

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http://www.detroitnews.com/apps/pbcs.dl ... 50358/1127

Wallace scored six points and needs two to reach 15,000 for his career.

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http://www.detroitnews.com/apps/pbcs.dl ... 50358/1127

The Pistons' home game against the Heat on March 22 has been picked up as a national telecast at 1 p.m. on ABC.