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

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Erik (Bloomfield Hills, Mich.): There’s a possibility the Pistons are looking at a 10-game losing streak when they come back home from this road trip. What kind of thing would be the last straw for Joe Dumars that would make him fire Michael Curry?

Langlois: It’s tough to imagine these Pistons with a double-digit losing streak, Erik, but it’s tougher for me to imagine Joe D not giving Curry at least another season to prove himself. While everyone from Joe D on down is disappointed that this season has proven so challenging, the conditions in which Curry is operating aren’t lost on him. It was Dumars, after all, who executed the trade that he knew would radically undermine all of Curry’s off-season brainstorming. Curry, from all indications, still has the full support of management and ownership.

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Ken (Dharamsala, India): What Pistons personnel evaluate college draft prospects? Does Joe D go to college games himself to scout? It’s clear we need Joe’s knack of finding hidden talent.

Langlois: The point man for scouting college players is George David, personnel director. He works hand in hand with Durand Walker, director of basketball administration, and Doug Ash, scouting director. They do the bulk of college scouting, as coordinated by David. David also looks for opportunities for Dumars and vice president Scott Perry to get out to college games that fit with their schedules and that of the Pistons. Recently, for instance, Dumars and Perry left Detroit on a Monday afternoon to scout the UConn-Louisville game and returned that night, getting a firsthand look at the many NBA prospects on each team in a highly competitive environment.

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Sebastian (Sweetwater, Texas): I’m a big fan of the Pistons as well as a fan of the Green Bay Packers. There are some similarities I see in this season’s Pistons and last season’s Packers. They both switched from a veteran “quarterback” to a younger one. Both relied on their defenses in the past, only to be let down by their defense now.

Langlois: Astute analogy, Sebastian. Both Packers GM Ted Thompson and Joe Dumars faced agonizing decisions. Even though Chauncey Billups wasn’t quite as iconic a figure in Michigan as Brett Favre was (and remains) in Wisconsin, Billups was 32 with more of his prime before him than Favre had when Joe D pulled the trigger on trading him. The most significant difference in their situations is the different dynamic of the NBA and NFL. It behooved Dumars to move Billups now while he still had great trade value and while Stuckey was still on a rookie contract that he has the potential to vastly outperform. The payoff for the Pistons will be evident when the cap space created by the trade is used on another foundation piece to line up next to Stuckey for the next four or five seasons. Favre didn’t have great trade value – the Packers will get a No. 3 pick for him and give up a No. 7 next season – because of his advanced age, but the Packers needed some stability at the position and had to get a gauge on Aaron Rodgers before a decision needed to be reached on his next contract.

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Aaron (New York, N.Y.): Some of the mock drafts have Tyler Hansbrough ranging from late 20s to the middle of the second round. What are the chances of the Pistons landing him and another good prospect like Darren Collison?

Langlois: Hansbrough presents a challenge for scouts. On the one hand, he’s amazingly productive at the Cadillac of college programs and is destined to break the ACC career scoring record of J.J. Redick. Hmmm. Redick hasn’t exactly torn up the NBA and he at least had one overwhelming strength going for him in college, terrific shooting range. It’s just very tough to project Hansbrough’s game to the pros as an undersized power forward without any outstanding physical attributes. He doesn’t jump very well, he doesn’t have a great reach and he doesn’t eat up a lot of space. If the Pistons are drafting in the late teens, I think Hansbrough might be a reach for them.

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Kevin (Dearborn, Mich.): Why do you suppose Joe Dumars selected Michael Curry over Terry Porter? I thought both coaching announcements were made on or around the same day.

Langlois: Porter was interviewing in Phoenix even before Flip Saunders was fired in Detroit. Porter hadn’t been hired yet when Saunders got fired, but talks were well down the track. I think Porter felt that when Joe D hired Curry out of the NBA offices to assist Saunders, that he was preparing him to be the Pistons’ next head coach, and that when he fired Saunders, Curry was the likeliest choice here.

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Robert (Troy, Mich.): Is Ben Wallace a free agent in the summer of 2010? And if he is, do you think we can make an offer to get him back?

Langlois: Put it this way: There would be no obstacles to him coming back here if the Pistons had a need for a backup big man with his strengths and Wallace still wanted to play. He’ll be 36 by the time the 2010-11 season starts and there’s no debating that his physical skills are fading. Wallace relies on his physical skills – as opposed to his basketball skills – more heavily than most big men, so it’s tough to gauge what type of market there will be for him in another 16 months. But there was no bad blood on either side when he left.

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Steve (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.): Now that Cheikh Samb has been cut from the Clippers, would the Pistons consider signing him back for the minimum salary?

Langlois: Samb tried out for the Knicks earlier this week and is expected to sign with them for the rest of this season. It’s possible after the season Samb again will be looking for a team. The Pistons have four draft choices, but it’s possible that after the draft and before the Las Vegas Summer League opens a few weeks later, they’ll be looking to fill out their summer roster depending on the holes that need plugging pending the draft.

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Drew (Kalamazoo, Mich.): I have to admit, I kind of like the idea of missing the playoffs and getting a higher pick in the lottery. But how would this affect our free-agent possibilities? It seems obvious the Pistons, who are not contenders this year, could be for years to come. How would a potential free agent see this?

Langlois: The same way you see it, Drew: That there’s a lot of talent here and the chance to get well in a hurry next season. The way the NBA works is agents – who have a great handle on which teams have cap space and what they might be looking for – will be calling Joe Dumars frequently between now and July 1 gauging his interest in their clients. Not many teams have the cap space to spend any money, and the economy means that not all teams that have money are going to be willing to spend it. Joe D has made no secret of the fact that he intends to use his cap space this summer. Make no mistake about this: Agents got that message, loud and clear. They’ll be calling him trying to get their free agent to the head of the line to sign here.

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Boris (Troy, Mich.): Is Rodney Stuckey or anyone else on the current roster capable of stepping into the leadership void that Billups left or will the Pistons’ new leader come from a player who will be acquired this season?

Langlois: I think Stuckey has leadership qualities, Boris, in that he doesn’t grab at excuses and he shows up every day working hard – he’s always in the gym, as is Arron Afflalo. The thing about leadership, though, is that it’s much easier to do it from the front than the rear. One truism I’ve come to fully endorse about sports is that the best situation a team can have is when its best player is also its hardest worker. That forces everyone else to fall in line, whether by shame or enlightenment. If Stuckey emerges as the player I think he can be, he can be a forceful leader. It also helps that he’s their point guard, a position of natural leadership. The dynamic at work with the Pistons now, of course, is that it’s a lot to expect a 22-year-old to become the leader of a team loaded with veterans who’ve been All-Stars and won a championship.

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Moe (Hamtramck, Mich.): Stuckey is really struggling right now. Do you think putting him back at his original position, shooting guard, can take some pressure off of him? I see him more as a Dwyane Wade type of player.

Langlois: The Pistons think his natural position is point guard. I think he could play either spot, but if he’s capable of playing the point, then you put him there – because it’s easier to find someone to play off of him than it is to find another player of his promise who can play the point. It’s hard to pinpoint the root of his current struggle. I’m sure it’s some combination of mental and physical challenges, but I don’t know that the enormity of what’s been shoved on his shoulders can be fully appreciated. Wade had 16 assists against the Pistons the other night. In effect, Wade is Miami’s point guard for the majority of the game, no matter what you call him.

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Christian (Grosse Pointe, Mich.): What happens if Carlos Boozer does not opt out of his contract? Would Joe resort to trading or try to get guys such as Ben Gordon or Anderson Varejao?

Langlois: In normal times, I think Boozer would be a slam dunk to opt out – and I still think he will. It makes sense to do it this season, when he’ll be the No. 1 guy, rather than wait a year and have to get in line behind LeBron, Wade and, perhaps, Bosh. But I could see his agent, former Michigan player Rob Pelinka, deciding that with the economy in the tank, he might be better off waiting a year and taking his chances that with so many teams having already cleared cap space for that summer, he’ll have a better chance to get his client more money. But the economy is also going to make it an abnormal year for trade possibilities. As we’ve discussed, the potential for many deals like last summer’s Marcus Camby giveaway to the Clippers is high.

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Mike (Phoenix): Assuming Joe D wants to make a big in 2010 for a big free agent like Chris Bosh, what is the maximum you see him able to spend on free agents in the class of 2009? Or, if he maximizes his cap spending for 2009, what will he need to do to put himself back in position to sign someone to a max deal in 2010?

Langlois: It’s unlikely that he could sign a premier free agent in 2009 and be back in position to sign another in 2010. Joe D has said he intends to spend the money he creates under the cap this summer to field the best team possible next season. Whoever he brings in this summer – whether a free agent, or a valuable piece via trade – it’s almost certain that player will be brought in with multiple years left on his contract. With Rip Hamilton signed through 2013 and Tayshaun Prince through 2011 on big contracts, it’s hard to envision the Pistons being back in the free-agent market in 2010.

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Former Piston Wallace breaks his leg in Cavaliers' loss
Wallace breaks his leg in Cavaliers' loss. Cleveland Cavaliers forward Ben Wallace will miss four to six weeks after breaking his right leg in Thursday's 93-74 loss to Houston.

Wallace, an ex-Piston, said Yao Ming kicked him as the two were running down the court in the second quarter. Wallace managed to play midway into the third quarter before leaving with 6:19 left.

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Ex-Bulls broadcaster, coach Johnny "Red" Kerr dies
Johnny "Red" Kerr, the former Chicago Bulls coach who spent more than three decades as a broadcaster for the team, died Thursday. He was 76. Kerr died at his home after a battle with prostate cancer, Bulls spokesman Tim Hallam said. "His name was synonymous with basketball, both here in Chicago, and throughout the entire NBA," Bulls chairman Jerry Reinsdorf said. "Those that were fortunate enough to have known Johnny were touched by both his tremendous compassion for people, and his lifelong passion for the game of basketball. We will miss him greatly."

Kerr's death is a double blow for the Bulls, following the death also Thursday of Norm Van Lier, one of the most popular players in Bulls history. Van Lier was 61. "We're deeply saddened by the whole course of events today," Hallam said. The Bulls unveiled a statue of Kerr at the United Center during an emotional ceremony earlier this month that included taped messages from President Barack Obama and commissioner David Stern and speeches from Scottie Pippen and Michael Jordan. Pippen said Kerr "makes Chicago Bulls basketball what it is," while Jordan called him "an inspiration to me as a basketball player and as a person." A Chicago native who served as the team's first head coach and received NBA Coach of the Year honors for leading the Bulls to the playoffs in the inaugural 1966-67 season, Kerr also received a photo collage from Bulls GM John Paxson and the Basketball Hall of Fame's John W.

Bunn Lifetime Achievement Award from Jerry Colangelo during the ceremony. "I want to thank everybody here in the audience who has seen the Bulls play not because of Red Kerr but because of Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen and all the other people in the organization," said a choked up Kerr. Kerr played 12 seasons (1954-1966) in the NBA for the Syracuse Nationals, Philadelphia 76ers and the Baltimore Bullets. From 1954 to 1965, the three-time NBA All-Star appeared in a then-NBA record 844 consecutive games. He is survived by five children and 10 grandchildren. Plans to honor Kerr were pending, Hallam said.

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Former Bull Van Lier, 61, is found dead at home
Former Bulls guard and broadcaster Norm Van Lier , 61, was found dead Thursday in his home, authorities in Chicago said. There was no immediate cause of death.

Firefighters went to his home to respond to a request for a well-being check. Van Lier began his NBA career with Cincinnati in 1969 and finished it with Milwaukee in 1979.

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The NBA has lined up $200 million to distribute to teams interested in additional cash, which the league considers a sign it remains strong in a slumping economy.

Between $13 million and $20 million will be available to each of 12 teams that have expressed interest. The NBA declined to name the teams.

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Sandy (Charlottesville, VA) : The Pistons are done right? Any chance they can right the ship and make the playoffs.

John Hollinger: Done is going a bit too far -- they nearly won in New Orleans last night without Iverson -- but they're definitely taking on water. Playoff Odds only give them a 42% shot of making it.

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Tike (Detroit): So is the NBA trying to keep the Pistons in the playoffs? Why was Rasheeds suspension rescinded?

John Hollinger: If the NBA was trying to keep the Pistons in the playoffs they would have suspended Stuckey instead. As for Sheed, there's a simple explanation -- two of his techs had been rescinded by the league, so even though 16 have been called in games, his official total stands at 14.

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Pistons' new answer: Bench A.I.
If Pistons want to make playoffs, Hamilton must be in starting lineup, not Iverson. When the Pistons tip off against the Magic here tonight, Richard Hamilton should be in the starting lineup. Allen Iverson, whether his back is healthy or not, should be on the bench. There is more than enough evidence to support the move. The Pistons are 4-12 with Hamilton coming off the bench. The Pistons have been routinely starting games flat and digging double-digit deficits. And in the games they dig out, they stumble down the stretch.

Fair or not, it is obvious the Pistons play with more cohesion, spirit and efficiency when Hamilton is with the first unit. Make the switch. The Pistons can't worry about bruising egos anymore. Iverson isn't going to be happy. No kidding. Hamilton wasn't happy about coming off the bench, either, but he gave it a chance.

And the losses keep piling up. There's no time to worry how Iverson is going to handle it. If he balks, if he becomes a distraction, the Pistons will have to send him home. I doubt seriously if it would come to that. Iverson isn't going to be a Piston beyond this year, anyway. All that matters is rescuing something from this season.

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Public perception
Pistons president Joe Dumars and coach Michael Curry can't worry about public relations. One reason Hamilton was chosen to come off the bench was because they felt he could handle it better than Iverson. That doesn't matter anymore. Will it look good to the fans that they traded Chauncey Billups for a bench player? Maybe not, but will it look any better if they failed to make the playoffs?

And they can't worry about making Iverson out to be the scapegoat. It's not about that. It's about what works and what doesn't. This isn't Iverson's fault. He is a uniquely gifted talent that just doesn't fit with the players and structure of this team. He has played hard. He has tried to do all the things the Pistons have asked. Nothing is working. And now his frustration level is rising. The more he complains about the slow tempo or the defense not getting stops, the more he separates himself from the veteran players who have been here the last six years.

What do you think those guys thought when they read Iverson complaining about the defense? Iverson is one of its weakest links. The on-court chemistry has been bad from the start, now the off-court chemistry looks frayed. That's not all on Iverson, either. Could the veteran players have worked harder to facilitate Iverson's talent on the floor? Probably. Are any of them producing up to their career standards? No.