'Nasty News - Traversing Time & Space' Vol: 54

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

ESPN.com: A few Pistons make it into ESPN writers' picks, including Will Bynum getting Most Improved consideration, Ben Gordon in the Sixth Man category and former coaches Rick Carlisle and Flip Saunders among early Coach of the Year contenders.

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

Empty the Bench: A few former Pistons make the list of the NBA's most depressing players going into this season.

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

PistonPowered: I agree with Dan Feldman's pick of about 44 wins this season for the Pistons.

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

Hoops Doctors: There is some debate in Memphis about how Allen Iverson will fit in this year.

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http://www.nba.com/pistons/news/trueblu ... 91026.html

Together Again
Ben Wallace and Chucky Atkins were born less than a month apart in neighboring states, came to the Pistons together nine summers ago and were reunited as Pistons teammates when Joe Dumars signed Atkins on the eve of training camp after reacquiring Wallace two months earlier. It was expected to be a brief reunion. Atkins was brought in on a non-guaranteed contract as an extra body to get through the grind of camp without wearing out Rodney Stuckey and Will Bynum. Smart money said he’d be waived before the regular season began. But the reunion will have a little more permanence that anyone believed – anyone beyond Chucky Atkins, at least – as the Pistons chose the veteran leadership and experience of Atkins over the youthful athleticism and potential of Deron Washington. It might have been different if the Pistons weren’t already carrying three rookies and 10 players in addition to Washington 27 or younger. Atkins played sparingly in the preseason – 23 minutes spread over three of the eight games – but showed John Kuester and Dumars enough in camp scrimmages to sell them that Atkins had more to offer than Washington given the roster’s makeup. “(Fans) couldn’t see all the things he did from a positive standpoint,” Kuester said. “He has been a great role model for our young point guards. He’s really done an outstanding job of running the team in practice. He’s challenged both (Stuckey and Bynum) every day in practice and I’m very impressed with what he did on the court and off the court. “It’s huge, for me being a first-year coach and having people I can trust in the locker room. That’s where Rip Hamilton and Tayshaun Prince (are important) and I’ve talked about Ben being such a good influence on our bigs. Chucky has to fit into that category also.

I’ve been very impressed with what he’s done so far.”Atkins got the news after Sunday’s practice when Dumars told him, “that I worked hard and he was proud of me and that I deserved to be here,” said Atkins, 35, who missed substantial chunks of the past two seasons with a groin muscle tear that required surgery and knee surgery to clean up loose cartilage. “Physically, I’m great,” he said. “When I played (in preseason), I played well, even though I didn’t play a lot. But I did what I had to do in practice and I’m happy with what’s going on.” Though it’s likely Atkins will be one of the Pistons’ two inactive players most nights, if they need him he remains a fearless shooter who improves the Pistons from the 3-point line. Atkins, Ben Gordon, Austin Daye, Charlie Villanueva and DaJuan Summers all make the Pistons a more dangerous perimeter team than they were a year ago, when they ranked among the NBA’s least effective from distance. Mostly, though, Atkins understands his role is to be a great practice player, stay ready, get in the ear of Stuckey and Bynum and show the roster of young players the way an NBA professional goes about his business. “Right now, just leadership,” he said of his view of the role the Pistons have for him. “You make the team as a long shot, pretty much as a third point guard. The only thing I can add is my insight into the game with Rodney and Will and be a leader. I’m a guy who’s been around this league for a while. I know what it takes to win and we’ve got two young guys I can mentor.” The Pistons were in serious rebuilding mode when Atkins arrived with Wallace – they were the package the Pistons acquired from Orlando in the sign-and-trade deal that sent Grant Hill to the Magic – and are again in a transition phase after years of stability. Atkins, sent away in 2004 when Dumars pulled off the three-team deal that netted Rasheed Wallace, sees some similarities but a more talented roster with this group. “The difference was we had a lot of older guys when I got here the first time,” he said. “We had guys who had been around – Jud Buechler and those guys. We’ve got young guys who have been in wars – Ben Gordon, Charlie Villanueva, Chris Wilcox, Tayshaun is still young.

We have more potential on this team than when I first got here. “We’ve got a lot of weapons, a lot of guys who can do a lot of things. It’s just going to take us some time to gel. We have to give our coach some time to figure out guys’ minutes, but I think we can be as good as we want to be.” Just as Atkins has landed a job most didn’t expect him to get, Wallace – now merely the second-oldest Piston, 27 days younger than Atkins – is in line to land a role bigger than most expected when Dumars signed him, ostensibly to be the No. 5 big man behind Villanueva, Wilcox, Jason Maxiell and Kwame Brown. Kuester took that five-man group with him into his office after Monday’s practice to discuss roles and said that no decision has yet been made as to which two will start in Wednesday’s season opener at Memphis, but Wallace’s 33-minute stint at Milwaukee in the preseason finale – in which he had 14 rebounds and four steals to spark a defense that had lagged badly in its previous three games – surely encouraged Kuester to strongly consider him a starter. But Kuester is also mindful of the energy Wallace expends when playing heavy minutes and said Monday it’s likely he’ll sit Wallace out occasionally during the season to prevent him from getting worn down. The second night of select back-to-backs would be a logical night off for Wallace – and the Pistons play 23 such games this season, more than a quarter of their schedule. “It could very easily happen,” Kuester said of that option. “We haven’t mapped out exactly what’s going on because it’s sort of unpredictable. … (Time off) is one of the things we’re looking into. There will be times when Ben gives us a substantial amount of time and also times when he realizes that the energy level of some of these other young players might be even higher. I have a tremendous amount of confidence in what he’s able to contribute to this team. Those minutes will fluctuate, but what minutes I do give Ben, I know I’ll get the most out of him.”

[nasty daddy]

http://www.nba.com/pistons/news/trueblu ... 91026.html

Kuester said the decision to cut ties to Washington, who had exhibited a much-improved jump shot over last summer and was 3 for 3 from the 3-point arc in the preseason, wasn’t reached easily.

“Personally, I would have loved to see us keep him,” he said. “He’s got a bright future in basketball. I saw him in the beginning of the summer continually improve with some of the hard work our assistant coaches did with him. You never want to see somebody go, but it’s part of our business.”

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http://sports.espn.go.com/dallas/nba/ne ... id=4596690

Ankle, wrist injuries hampering Howard
On the eve of the season opener, the Dallas Mavericks don't know when Josh Howard will be ready for game action.

Howard, who underwent operations on his left ankle and wrist on May 22, wasn't cleared for any contact work until Oct. 14. He has yet to complete a full practice and will not dress out for Tuesday's opener against the Washington Wizards.

The Mavericks are exercising patience with Howard. The priority is getting him completely healthy, not rushing him back into the lineup. "It could be a while," coach Rick Carlisle said. "It could be weeks. I don't know. I don't know. We'll find a way without him, but we know we're better with him. When he comes back, we'll have to be ready to integrate him very quickly."

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http://www.detroitnews.com/article/2009 ... Washington

Pistons waive Washington
The Pistons waived Deron Washington Monday, likely finalizing their roster for the start of the regular season.

Washington, a 6-foot-7 guard/forward, was a Pistons second-round pick in the 2008 draft. He averaged 3.3 points this exhibition season, averaging 6.4 minutes in the seven games he played. Washington played the last two seasons in Israel. He averaged 14.8 points and 7 rebounds in 27 games for Hapoel Holon last season.

The Pistons roster now stands at 14 players.

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http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=4596934

Batum to have surgery; return unknown
Portland Trail Blazers forward Nicolas Batum will undergo surgery on his right shoulder to repair torn cartilage. The team said Monday a return date will be determined after Friday's surgery in Los Angeles.

Batum appeared in 79 games as a rookie last season, starting 76. He averaged 5.4 points and 2.8 rebounds while earning praise for his defensive ability.

The Trail Blazers open the 2009-10 season at home Tuesday against Houston.

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http://sports.espn.go.com/boston/nba/ne ... id=4597206

Davis could ' be out for a while'
Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge told the Boston Globe that forward Glen Davis "looks like he's going to be out for a while" with a hand injury, which was reportedly suffered in an off-the-court altercation.

According to a report in the Boston Herald, which cited unnamed sources, the injury was to Davis' right thumb and occurred in an altercation with a friend. Davis was reportedly defending himself against a former teammate who was visiting from Louisiana.

When asked by the Globe about the circumstances of the injury, Ainge said he "would not confirm or deny" that it occurred in an altercation. "I am not making a public statement until we have all of the facts relative to the injury," Ainge said. "We sent him for a scan and further tests."

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http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=4596934

Rose practices for second day in a row
Derrick Rose practiced for the second day in a row, but he still doesn't feel like himself just yet.

The Chicago Bulls point guard admitted that his ankle injury is still bothering him. "I told you, I'm like an old man out there," Rose joked after practice. "I have to wait 20, 30 minutes into practice where I'm really loosened up. I have to stretch a lot."

Bulls coach Vinny Del Negro knows he has to keep a close eye on Rose's ankle over the next few weeks. "His ankle was a little sore until he got it loose this morning, but then once he got it loose, he was fine," Del Negro said. "I think that will be a continual process for a while. He's out of condition a little bit -- the way we want to play and how we want him to play, get after the ball defensively. He's rusty, so these next two days hopefully he can build like he did today and get better."

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http://sports.espn.go.com/chicago/nba/n ... id=4596624

Bulls exercise options for Rose, Noah
The Chicago Bulls have exercised contract options on point guard Derrick Rose and forward Joakim Noah for the 2010-11 season.

The reigning Rookie of the Year and a Chicago native, Rose averaged 16.8 points and 6.3 assists last season while leading the Bulls to the playoffs after being taken with the No. 1 draft pick. An inflamed tendon behind his right ankle kept him out for most of the preseason, but he is expected to be ready for the season opener against San Antonio on Thursday.

Noah, the ninth pick in the 2007 draft, has averaged 6.7 points and 6.6 rebounds over two seasons.

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http://www.nba.com/pistons/video/2009/1 ... me-1098956

Pistons Classics - October 23rd, 1957
The Pistons take on the World Champion Boston Celtics in their first game in Detroit.

Video in the link above^.

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http://www.freep.com/article/20091026/S ... Washington

Pistons keep Atkins, waive Washington
The Detroit Pistons this morning requested waivers on guard/forward Deron Washington, who was drafted by Detroit with the 59th overall pick in last year’s draft. The move leaves the Pistons’ roster at 14 players; a maximum of 12 players dress for each game.

The roster
Guards: Chucky Atkins, Will Bynum, Ben Gordon, Richard Hamilton, Rodney Stuckey.
Forwards: Austin Daye, Jonas Jerebko, Jason Maxiell, Tayshaun Prince, DaJuan Summers.
Forwards/Centers: Charlie Villanueva, Chris Wilcox.
Centers: Kwame Brown, Ben Wallace.

Washington averaged 3.3 points, 0.6 rebounds and 6.4 minutes in seven preseason games. He played on the Pistons’ summer-league teams each of the last two years, and he averaged 14.8 points and 7.0 rebounds in 27 games for Hapoel Holon of the Greek League in 2008-09. The 6-foot-7, 210-pounder played college ball for Virginia Tech. “We would have loved to have kept him," Pistons coach John Kuester said. “He’s a young, athletic player, and I think he has a future in this league."

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http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/powerrank ... 010&week=0

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

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http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/powerrank ... 010&week=0

2009-10 Power Rankings: Preseason
RANK (LAST WK) TEAM REC. COMMENT
18 (18) Pistons 39-43 What will keep me tuned in to a Pistons team overloaded with scoring guards but desperately lacking bigs and a set-up man? The sense that they'll make a trade sooner rather than later to address the imbalances.

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http://espn.go.com/blog/truehoop

Nicolas Batum's Shoulder Surgery
The Blazers were set to open the season with far too many small forwards -- Nicolas Batum started on last year's 54-win team, ex-starter Martell Webster is back from injury, Travis Outlaw has closed a lot of games. But, as general managers will tell you, you never know what's going to happen.

And something happened! Batum, the team has announced, is set to have shoulder surgery to repair a torn labrum. This injury can have a wide array of recovery times, but it's worth noting that Jameer Nelson, who missed half of last season, also had a torn labrum.

The Blazers have plenty of firepower at Batum's position, but the young Frenchman stood out on Portland's roster. The Blazers aspire to greatness -- to improve their pressing need is to improve team defense. With length, speed, tenacity and pride at that end of the floor, Batum is the team's best candidate to become an elite wing defender. He is also a capable shooter when left open, making him a rare Blazer (along with Joel Przybilla, Steve Blake and sometimes Greg Oden) with a proven ability to influence a game without needing plays called for him. No official word yet on who will start in Batum's place, although Webster was considered a candidate to start even before Batum's injury.

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http://espn.go.com/blog/truehoop

TrueHoop Network 2009-2010 Preview: The Teams
The NBA season starts tomorrow. The TrueHoop Network has produced a multifaceted season preview, which will be rolled out over the next couple of days. First up are previews for every team, which have just been published across the network. Click the logos below for full team previews, complete with a team's best Tweet, best clutch play, quote of the year, biggest contract nightmare and more.

TEAM BLOGGERS SAY WINS*
Dan Feldman | PistonPowered
"However the minutes shake out between Chris Wilcox, Kwame Brown and Ben Wallace, they won’t be as good as Rasheed Wallace. But Sheed wasn’t that great last year. He looked old and disinterested, so the drop here won’t be too steep." 36

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http://espn.go.com/blog/truehoop

Ted Kulfan of The Detroit News: "Few players in the NBA are as good at Twittering as Charlie Villanueva or, better yet, have the following Villanueva has through the social networking site. 'Twitter is all fun and games,' said Villanueva, screen name CV31, who has become one of the more high-profile NBA players to tweet. 'It's just a way to stay connected with the fans. The fans deserve that.' The connection between Villanueva and NBA fans worldwide certainly is there. He had 60,629 followers as of Friday and has posted 2,129 tweets. 'It's something I enjoy to do,' said Villanueva, 25. His celebrity status, interestingly, can be traced to one legendary tweet. Go back to last March, when Villanueva still was a member of the Bucks. Using his mobile telephone, he tweeted from the locker room at halftime of a game against the Celtics. Villanueva wrote: 'In da locker room, snuck to post my twitt. We're playing the Celtics, tie ball game at da half. Coach wants more toughness. I gotta step up.' Little did he know those few sentences would make him a media topic for weeks on end. 'People who didn't know who Charlie Villanueva was, they do now,' he said."

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http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=4597207

Domestic dispute for Cavs' West
Cleveland Cavaliers coach Mike Brown says a domestic violence report has been filed against guard Delonte West. Calls to Cleveland police by The Associated Press were not returned Monday.

West has not appeared in any preseason games, and Brown has not decided yet whether he will be active for the season opener Tuesday against Boston. He attended the Cavs' practice Monday.

West left the team twice during training camp for personal reasons and has been treated in the past for bipolar disorder. He faces misdemeanor weapons possession charges stemming from a September arrest. WOIO-TV in Cleveland first reported the filing.