'Nasty News - Traversing Time & Space' Vol: 31

[nasty daddy]

http://www.nba.com/fantasy/features/val ... 33009.html

Power Forwards

Rank Player Eligible Team Games Comment

11 Antonio McDyess [PF] DET 4 Production could decrease a bit with Wallace expected back this week.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.nba.com/pistons/index_main.html

Don't miss the final Friends & Family Night on Sunday, April 5, when the Pistons host the Charlotte Bobcats in a contest with major playoff implications. You'll get four tickets, four hot dogs, four sodas and a photo of your friends or family on the court.

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http://www.denverpost.com/dustysaunders/ci_12026349

Quotable.
"This is filet mignon vs. bologna." — TNT's Charles Barkley, talking about Kobe Bryant and the Lakers playing the Pistons

[nasty daddy]

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

Chris McCosky: Allen Iverson's explanation "a bunch of garbage""
Chris McCosky takes offense to Allen Iverson press conference claims after Sunday's Detroit Piston victory at the Palace against Philadelphia. "It was an injury I never had before and it was tough to deal with. But, no matter how many positive things I do in the community, no matter how many things I do for other people, with writers and commentators, positive things are not going to sell when it comes to Allen Iverson. Come up with a negative story about Allen Iverson then everybody wants to listen. They don't want to hear nothing positive about Allen Iverson."
Goodness gracious what a bunch of garbage. First of all, who was it that accused him of malingering? Reggie Miller did it on a TNT broadcast. Maybe other national media people did, but I didn't see or hear any of it. What I wrote was that I would be more surprised if he did come back than if he didn't. Why would I think otherwise? Why would anybody think otherwise? The season was dwindling away week by week and he was nowhere to be seen or heard.

Really Chris? Other than Reggie Miller, the innuendos and accusations have come mostly from the local Detroit media. As for McCosky's claim that he only wrote that he "would be more surprised if he did come back than if he didn't", let's go back 5 days ago(March 25th) to his "Pistons Blog" in the Detroit News. What Reggie Miller said on the TNT broadcast Tuesday night was what a lot of people, myself included, have thought and hinted and even wrote about -- that Allen Iverson's injury was more about a bruised ego than a hurt back. Well now, that sure sounds like an accusation to me. McCosky's innuendos and "hints" about the situation have been endless. If Chris is going to make accusations and hint at something, he should back up his claims with sources. Chris even goes so far as to claim that Piston players have wondered if Allen was really hurt. His teammates were baffled, too. OK, he's hurt, but why isn't he coming around? Why isn't he doing his treatment here with Arnie Kander? More than a few wondered if his absence wasn't related to his benching, which, coincidentally or not, was announced the day after he twisted his back in a loss at New Orleans. The truth is that there are few people who really know exactly what has went on with Allen Iverson and the Pistons. What is known is the Iverson has said he felt numbness in his legs several games before coach Curry informed him that he would be coming off the bench, and Iverson hit the floor hard(further injuring his back) two games before he was told. The game before Curry told Iverson, you could see Arnie Kander working on Iverson on the sidelines and Allen was in obvious pain. So not only does Chris make accusations and not provide any proof, but he get's the facts of the situation wrong too.

Now, unless there is proof that Iverson faked the injury, McCosky is just making gossip-style accusations backed up by nothing but innuendos and feelings. Feelings that McCosky has that may just be biased. If Chris McCosky is listening to some sources he has about the situation, let's hope they are better sources than the ones that told him that Flip Saunders would be the Piston head coach for the remainder of his contract. Something he put into print, just hours before Flip was fired. Saunders met briefly with Pistons president Joe Dumars on Saturday and all indications are that he was told he will be back... He's already working on next season. He will supervise a workout of draft candidates at the practice facility Wednesday. Of course the accusations about Iverson could be true, and Chris McCosky is right. It would be something more than just gossip and innuendos if there were actual facts and sources backing up the story, but he could be right.

[nasty daddy]

http://myespn.go.com/nba/truehoop

THE FINAL WORD
Piston Powered: Allen Iverson, Sixth Man -- A History.

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http://myespn.go.com/nba/truehoop

A look at every single time Allen Iverson has come off the bench in the NBA. Dan Feldman of Piston Powered on Iverson's Sunday performance: "Iverson fit right in, and that's a far cry from the other times he came off the bench. One was his first game with the Nuggets, and the other five were punishments for missing practice or meetings."

[nasty daddy]

http://myespn.go.com/nba/truehoop

Let's Assume the Magic Doesn't Want to Face the Pistons
The Orlando Magic have had a far better season than the Detroit Pistons, and will be heavily favored no matter who they face in the first round. But if they had their pick (and maybe one day soon they will) you'd have to assume they would not pick a team that knocked them out of the playoffs last year and has won three straight against them this season.

Here's my question for you, as we watch the season's final few games: Which top teams might be hoping to avoid certain lower-ranked teams? If the Hornets are getting healthy, maybe they're a nightmare for somebody. There are those who think the Blazers would be a handful, and as a Blazer fan I can tell you that I'm very glad the Blazers won't be lining up to meet the Mavericks in the first round. In the East, I can't help but think that those veteran front-runners have to be a little pleased to see the two athletic upstart teams -- Atlanta and Philadelphia -- take swings at each other in the first round. Those are the kinds of teams that will make veteran teams work, and end up with something of a puncher's chance against anyone.

Why am I asking this? Because as we watch the season's closing games, it's fun to see the strategy at work. Who's jockeying for which position? Perhaps some top teams will let a game go here or there to find themselves in a more comfortable position. (Some have suggested that Boston already did that, by losing to Orlando with Kevin Garnett on the bench.) The same kind of tanking could also be happening for lottery positioning, of course. It's a strange time of year. For instance ... you see Hamed Haddadi's playing time and touches on Saturday? It's possible that has not helped the Grizzlies win games, but it didn't hurt their lottery standing. Would Stephen Jackson play on that toe if the Warriors were in the hunt? And you hate to question a man's ulcers, but would Baron Davis play through it if the Clippers had more to play for? Now that it is clearer than ever who is in and who is out of the playoffs, let the jockeying for position begin. Let me know what you see ...

[nasty daddy]

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=4028612

Calathes to declare for NBA draft
Florida guard Nick Calathes will declare for the NBA draft but will not hire an agent, leaving open the option to return for his junior year.

Calathes met with Florida coach Billy Donovan on Monday to discuss the situation.

The 6-foot-6 guard averaged 17.2 points, 6.4 assists and 5.3 rebounds per game last season and was the only player in the nation to average at least 15 points, five rebounds and six assists.. He also had 1.9 steals per contest for a Florida team that went 25-11 last season.

[nasty daddy]

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

Kwame Brown dubs Washington D.C. "Chocolate City"
Kwame Brown gave Dan Steinberg of the D.C. Sports Bog an interview after the Detroit Pistons played the Washington Wizards Saturday night.

Bog: Is it still interesting at all to you when you come back here? The relationship with the fans or anything like that?
KB: What relationship with the fans? (Laughing.)
Bog: I mean, you must have had some friends who were fans at some point.
KB: Yeah, I had a lot of friends who were fans. I've still got some fans who I'm cool with and they still seek me out, like "What's up, Kwam," but these fans here, I have no personal problem with them. You know what I'm saying? I think their problem with me was the level I got picked. You know, if I was the number 40th pick, I'd guess I would have never had a problem.

Brown is right, if he were the 40th pick instead of the first overall pick, he would be having a pretty decent career. It's not his fault he was drafted that high, but he did get to reap the monetary rewards that came with that prestige.Things got a little strange when Steinberg asked Kwame about his favorite D.C. thoughts.
Bog: What was your favorite thing about the city?
KB: I guess my favorite thing about D.C. was just the people. Most of the people are blue-collar people, they're very passionate, very aggressive. We call it Chocolate City, the majority of people are black, and it's just a city that if they get behind you. It's a real tough, hard-nosed city. That's the kind of things I remember about D.C.
I thought the memory of New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin's snafu when he dubbed his city by the same name would prevent further "Chocolate City" references, but apparently not.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.pistonpowered.com/2009/03/ga ... w-iverson/

Allen Iverson danced awkwardly in the center of his teammates’ huddle before Detroit’s 101-97 win over the 76ers yesterday. ]The Pistons were fortunate that was the most uncomfortable moment of Iverson’s return from the back injury that kept him out more than a month. Iverson, who came off the bench for just the seventh time of his career today, had been quite the distraction. His injury popped up right when Pistons coach Michael Curry decided to start Richard Hamilton. At times, it didn’t seem like Iverson would play for Detroit again.

Iverson didn’t have best game today — eight points on 3-of-9 shooting, two assists, two rebounds, two turnovers, two fouls and -2 plus-minus rating in 21 minutes. But he played hard and didn’t show any resentment about coming off the bench. And, most importantly, he helped Detroit win a game it seemed they were destined to lose.
The Pistons had lost six of eight.
They hadn’t won consecutive games in more than three weeks.
They had lost seven straight in the second game of back-to-backs.
They were 2-12 on Sundays.
And they were 24-30 with Iverson.

Iverson wasn’t the main reason the Pistons won. Tayshaun Prince scored 21 points on 11 shots, most of them coming when Detroit’s offense was sputtering. And Rodney Stuckey and Will Bynum combined for 28 points, nine assists, eight rebounds and three steals. But Iverson fit right in, and that’s a far cry from the other times he came off the bench. One was his first game with the Nuggets, and the other five were punishments for missing practice or meetings.

[nasty daddy]

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=4028690

Summers bypasses senior year for NBA
Georgetown junior DaJuan Summers is skipping his senior year and declaring himself eligible for the NBA draft.

Summers is "in the process of choosing an agent," Georgetown coach John Thompson III said Monday in a statement issued by the school. "We wish DaJuan all the best in his future endeavors, wherever they may take him," Thompson said. "He informed me that he is closing the book on his college career and focusing fully on the opportunity to play professionally."

Summers averaged a team-leading 13.6 points for the Hoyas this season, along with 4.1 rebounds. Georgetown was ranked as high as No. 9 in the AP Top 25 poll after beating Final Four participant Connecticut in January. But the Hoyas dropped 12 of their final 16 games, including a loss to Baylor in the first round of the National Invitation Tournament, to end up 16-15 this season. The 6-foot-8, 236-pound Summers leaves Georgetown tied for 29th in team history with 1,129 points.He averaged 11.2 points and 4.4 rebounds in his 101-game college career.

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http://need4sheed.com/2009/03/sundays-best.html

Sunday’s Best
In seasons past what happened on Sunday wouldn’t mean much to the Pistons or their fans, but as we all know things can change quickly in the NBA. The Detroit Pistons, who are fighting for playoff spot, accomplished quite a feat, a win on the second half of a back to back, to make it two wins in a row, against the Philadelphia 76ers, at home, in a game with an early tip, on Sunday. Doesn’t seem like much, but the 101-97 victory may just be the biggest win for Detroit this season.

Key Points: The victory, moved Detroit up to the 7 spot in the Eastern Conference playoff picture. If the Playoffs were to start today, Detroit would match up with an Orlando team that they have had their way with for quite some time. The Pistons magic number to secure a spot is seven. and it seems as though Dwight Howard wants Detroit in the first round. The win also stopped an 8 game Sunday home losing streak at The Palace. Detroit came back from deficits in every quarter except the fourth. The Pistons turned the ball over nine times in the first half, which helped the Sixers stay in the game. They buckled down in the second half adding only two more for the rest of the game. Iguodala scored a game high 27 points, but it was his uncontested dunk that wowed the Palace crowd. The Pistons fourth quarter defense looked much better. Tayshaun Prince was red hot in the first half scoring 19 points on 7-for-7 shooting. Prince carried the team in the first half and finished with a team-high 21 points and 3 assists. 46 points in the paint for the Sixers to Detroit’s 36. Amir Johnson played some key minutes and did a fine job helping the Pistons lock this one up. He finished with 5 points, 4 boards and a steal in 18 minutes. It was with the help of Amir’s defense that the Pistons locked things down for the Sixers in the fourth quarter. No foul trouble for Johnson in this one. Rodney Stuckey seems to be getting back to his old form. He put up 16 points on 7-for-13 shooting, with 5 assists, 3 steals and zero turnovers. The Sixers looked like the Pistons of old, racking up 4 technical fouls during the game. I guess it helps Detroit in terms of Techs when Sheed and Rip aren’t playing How bout 40% shooting from downtown for the Pistons. Tayshaun himself was 3-for-4. Five Pistons in double figures. Allen Iverson made is debut after a long absence, with 8 points, on 3-for-9 shooting with 2 boards, and 2 assists in 21 minutes on the floor. I don’t know about you but he looked good out there alongside Will Bynum.

“The most important thing is we got the win,” said Iverson, who scored eight points in 21 minutes. “I have a lot of respect for guys that come off the bench, even more now than ever. It’s hard to get yourself going. Sitting there for a long period of time, then having to jump right into the fire — that’s different for me. It’s hard. But I honestly feel I can get through it. I am a professional. I can figure out a way to do it and be effective.” Via The Detroit News That was part of Iverson’s post game press conference, which I watched from start to finish, and despite this quote it rubbed me the wrong way. He started his comments about how he was telling his friends that a man with his resume really had no business coming off the bench. That aside, I give him credit for finally hitting the floor for Detroit when their playoff fate is on the line. Iverson is not happy about being questioned on his injury. We wondered what would happen to Will Bynum’s minutes once Allen and Rip were back, well it was Arron Afflalo who didn’t play in Sunday’s win. Fantastic scoop pass from Iverson to Will Bynum who was running the floor. Will didn’t make the layup, but he did make his free throws. Will Bynum scored nine points during a 14-2 run in the fourth that took the Pistons from five points down to six points up with 4:03 left. He finished with 12 points, 4 assists, 5 boards and 3 turnovers in 22 minutes. Will Bynum on the court in crunch time instead of Rodney Stuckey. “Will could be in there or (Rodney) Stuckey could be in there,” Curry said. “But the big key is, we have to run stuff through Will regardless of who is on the court.” Another solid performance from Mr. Kwame Brown, who scored 13 points for Detroit in 21 minutes on the floor. The big man trying to do his thing and working down low made 7 of his 13 points at the free throw line. This one was close, the game was tied 12 times with 20 lead changes. Happy Birthday to my main man George Blaha. Eight points and six boards from Antonio McDyess. When you look at his numbers the past two games with Rip back and then AI, it’s obvious that Dyess just about carried the team when they were short handed. A relatively quiet night for Jason Maxiell, who scored 4 points, grabbed 5 boards, and a blocked shot in 19 minutes. “Now my whole thing is trying to be the best sixth man I can be, the best sixth man in the league.” said Iverson. If that indeed is the case, this team has a chance come playoff time. A Battle with the Cavs in Cleveland, where they have only lost one game at home all season long should be rough. If Sheed indeed comes back, the Pistons chances skyrocket. At this point we know every game is crucial.

[nasty daddy]

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/blog/ball_d ... nba,151350

Detroit 101, Philadelphia 97
Same old story. The only thing surprising about this game was that it took place on a Sunday.

Philadelphia needs, desperately, to cause turnovers. If they can't cause turnovers, they're a pretty awful defensive team. And though 11 miscues isn't the best number you can put up in a low possession (83) game, it's not enough to sustain Philadelphia's desperate need to cause turnovers. Therefore, the Pistons win.

53 percent shooting for Detroit, who will probably be better now with Rip Hamilton and Allen Iverson healthy. Just tossing it out there.

[nasty daddy]

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/blog/ball_d ... nba,151355

Chris McCosky, The Detroit News: "[Allen] Iverson returned to the Detroit Pistons — who beat the Philadelphia 76ers — after missing 16 games with a back injury and finished with eight points in 21 minutes, while managing to hit two jumpers with about 2 minutes left in the game. But in the end, the win is what counts — a victory that helps the Pistons secure the seventh seed in the East. 'I have a lot of respect for guys that come off the bench, even more now than ever. It's hard to get yourself going,' said Iverson, who had been accused of giving up on the Pistons since being relegated to the bench. 'I am just as happy as I can be to come back and be around the guys and get in front of the fans and contribute to a win. Now my whole thing is trying to be the best sixth man I can be.'"

[nasty daddy]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/hollinger/powerranking

1: Cleveland Cavaliers
2: Boston Celtics
3: Los Angeles Lakers
4: Orlando Magic
5: Portland Trailblazers
6: Houston Rockets
7: Utah Jazz
8: San Antonio Spurs
9: Denver Nuggets
10: Atlanta Hawks
17: Detroit Pistons

[nasty daddy]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/powerrank ... 09&week=22

1: Cleveland Cavaliers
2: Los Angeles Lakers
3: Orlando Magic
4: Boston Celtics
5: San Antonio Spurs
6: Denver Nuggets
7: Houston Rockets
8: New Orleans Hornets
9: Portland Trailblazers
10: Atlanta Hawks
15: Detroit Pistons

[nasty daddy]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/powerrank ... 09&week=22

15 (18) Pistons 36-37 We said it a bunch: No way AI goes into free agency, in this economy, with the world thinking he tanked the last 25 games to avoid sixth-man duty. But we also have to admit we didn't expect AI to sit out as long as he did.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.nba.com/powerrankings/

1: Cleveland Cavaliers
2: Los Angeles Lakers
3: Orlando Magic
4: Boston Celtics
5: Hoston Rockets
6: San Antonio Spurs
7: Utah Jazz
8: Atlanta Hawks
9: Denver Nuggets
10: Portland Trailblazers
16: Detroit Pistons

[nasty daddy]

http://www.nba.com/powerrankings/

Detroit (16) 36-37 Pace: 85.5 (30), Off: 108.7 (21), Def: 109.4 (14)
Sparked by the returns of Rip Hamilton on Saturday and Allen Iverson on Sunday, the Pistons picked up two straight wins. But who needs AI when you've got The WB? The play of Will Bynum (nine points in the fourth quarter) had Iverson back on the bench as the Pistons closed out the win over the Sixers.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.nba.com/games/20090329/SASNOH/recap.html

The Hornets came into the game missing three key players because of injuries to center Tyson Chandler (left ankle) and Peja Stojakovic (back) and the one-game suspension of primary reserve James Posey, who was punished for throwing a ball at the feet of a referee during a loss in New York on Friday night.