http://wdfn.com/pages/DETROITPISTONS.htmlKwame Brown to have X-rays on hand as injuries mount for Pistons ahead of opener
The Detroit Pistons want to improve their play on defense before the regular season begins next week. But it might prove difficult without two of their top defensive stoppers. One week before the start of the regular season, center Kwame Brown and forward Tayshaun Prince still are recovering from nagging injuries. Brown said after practice Wednesday he was scheduled to receive X-rays on Thursday morning on his injured left hand, which has worsened in recent days. Brown is questionable for Thursday's preseason game against the Minnesota Timberwolves.Meanwhile, Prince's status also is questionable because of an injured big toe, which he cut and sprained in a preseason game Oct. 13 against Washington in Grand Rapids. Prince said while the cut on the bottom of his toe has healed quickly, the sprain still bothers him."Practice isn't game speed. I'm out here practicing and I still feel uncomfortable, so I can imagine at game speed that it might be worse," he said. "I'll just see how it feels the rest of the day (Wednesday), get some more treatment and see how I feel when I come in for shoot-around (today)."I'm not back yet. I practiced (yesterday), but that doesn't mean I'm back."
Brown and Prince have been solid defensively for a team that otherwise has struggled on that end of the floor. Detroit has allowed 101.6 points per game this preseason -- good for 20th in the NBA entering play Wednesday -- and 114 per game in back-to-back losses to Dallas and Memphis. "This is a different team this year," Prince said. "We are all coming from a different atmosphere than last year. We gotta find a way to make it work and gel together, and do it as quickly as possible. "We'd rather (gel) sooner rather than later, but when it happens, it happens. You can't set a date on it or anything like that." Brown, who practiced Wednesday, was injured early in training camp and since has worn a wrap around his left hand. But he said it has become difficult to close the hand because of swelling around the knuckles, which affects his ability to catch passes and dribble to his left. "I've been just trying to focus on things I can do, like getting teammates open and rebounding, running, playing good defense. But it's definitely hindering a little bit of my game. It's making me not as aggressive as I want to be."Every practice, I'm getting whacked, so it's getting worse by the day."
The 6-foot-11, 270-pound center is in competition to start in the Pistons' front court. He averages 7.7 points and a team-leading 6.5 rebounds in 22.2 minutes per game this preseason. While Brown seemed concerned about the injury, Detroit coach John Kuester expressed optimism regarding his status. "No," Kuester said when asked if he was concerned about Brown's availability against Minnesota. "He's practiced every day, and he's worked extremely hard and he's really improved. ... I feel he has made great strides since the beginning of the preseason."Kuester also is hopeful to have Prince in the lineup against the Timberwolves. Prince was injured when Washington's LaVale McGee kicked his foot in the Pistons' 101-98 loss to the Wizards at Van Andel Arena last week."After the timeout happened, I started walking to the bench and noticed my socks started to feel a little wet, mushy. I said, 'I know I'm not bleeding or anything like that,' " Prince said."Took my sock off and, man, wouldn't you know it, blood (was) coming straight out of the bottom of my foot."
