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

[nasty daddy]

http://www.detroitnews.com/article/2009 ... nt-results

Coaches to watch
• Flip Saunders, Washington: He has a ready-made playoff team at his disposal. His laid-back personality might be a good fit for this roster, too.
• Mike Brown, Cleveland: Talk about pressure. It's a championship or bust in Cleveland with LeBron James and Shaquille O'Neal on the roster.
• Phil Jackson, L.A. Lakers: The egos and personalities are beginning to sprout in Los Angeles after winning the championship. Now, the Lakers have added Ron Artest. Jackson might need all his Zen-like powers to settle this squad.
• Don Nelson, Golden State: He doesn't get along with ownership, the front office and most of his players. It doesn't sound as if Nelson will remain with the Warriors long.
• Mike Woodson, Atlanta: The pressure is on with high expectations on the Hawks. They're not used to that. And there are some high-strung youngsters who could derail the entire project.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.detroitnews.com/article/2009 ... nt-results

Moving up
• Rudy Fernandez, Portland: He's the sixth man in Portland, but Fernandez would be a starter almost anywhere else. An exciting, smart player, Fernandez has a big-time future.
• Rajon Rondo, Boston: He gets lost in the shuffle of big-name stars with the Celtics, but this is a premier point guard.
• Al Jefferson, Minnesota: The dominant low-post scoring threat is a rare creature in the NBA, but the burly Jefferson is a powerhouse close to the basket. Almost unstoppable, actually.
• Caron Butler, Washington: People know him for his shooting, but Butler can do a little bit of everything.
• Andre Iguodala, Philadelphia: One of the most athletic players, it seems as if he's still learning how good he really can be.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.detroitnews.com/article/2009 ... nt-results

Moving down
• Rasheed Wallace, Boston: We saw it with the Pistons last season. There's a lot of mileage on those tires. He'll have a reduced role with the Celtics.
• Jermaine O'Neal, Miami: All the injuries have battered this one-time low post presence.
• Andrei Kirilenko, Utah: Kirilenko used to be mentioned among the most versatile players in the game and one of the best defenders. Not anymore.
• Jason Kidd, Dallas: Still a fine player, but age has caught up with this one-time elite point guard.
• Michael Redd, Milwaukee: Injuries have taken their toll on this premier offensive player. So has a bad team.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.detroitnews.com/article/2009 ... nt-results

Rookies to watch
• DeJuan Blair, San Antonio: The Spurs might have gotten the steal of the draft. How this burly and forceful strong man slipped into the second round is beyond belief.
• Blake Griffin, L.A. Clippers: The favorite to the win rookie of the year, the No. 1 pick is a consistent double-double threat.
• Gerald Henderson, Charlotte: Larry Brown will enjoy coaching this do-everything former Duke star.
• Tyler Hansbrough, Indiana: It'll be fascinating to watch whether his energy and determination can be successful in the NBA.
• Brandon Jennings, Milwaukee: Few rookies were more impressive during exhibitions. He could be a factor quickly.
• Jonas Jerebko, Detroit: Maybe the best second-round pick in the draft. Plays like David Lee, which is a compliment.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.detroitnews.com/article/2009 ... it-Pistons

From new coach to revamped roster, change has hit Pistons
Nobody associated with the Pistons liked the way last season ended. Getting swept by the Cavaliers in the first round of the playoffs and watching them celebrate was an ugly end to the rough season.The turmoil in the regular season compounded the heartache. It included the acquisition of Allen Iverson for Chauncey Billups, and the resulting failure of that trade, and the inexperience of head coach Michael Curry, which resulted in a 39-43 record.

Pistons president Joe Dumars had a tough time watching the end in April. "Very tough," Dumars said. "Disappointing. That's the one word I would use to describe last year. Very disappointing. Because of all the success we had over the last decade and the fact we've always prided on doing it the right way. And then to watch last year, and the way it unfolded, it was disappointing." Dumars went quiet momentarily, then offered another word to describe last season. "Aberration," he said. "We see it as an aberration. That was our one year."

So Dumars went about this summer making sure that wasn't going to happen. Change was needed. "Because we were the same for so long," said Dumars, who along with the Billups-Iverson trade (Iverson was not re-signed, after a turbulent season), also didn't re-sign Rasheed Wallace and Antonio McDyess last summer. Dumars also fired coach Michael Curry.

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http://www.detroitnews.com/article/2009 ... it-Pistons

Loose change
Change was afoot. "We were one of the few teams that had a core for so long. But I've always said this: 'Change is never easy, but it's absolutely necessary,' " Dumars said. "After a decade, change was not only inevitable, but necessary. We had gone as long as we could go." John Kuester replaced Curry. Dumars then went about reconstructing the roster.

Austin Daye, Jonas Jerebko and DaJuan Summers were drafted. Then Ben Gordon and Charlie Villanueva were signed as free agents -- two athletic, versatile scorers who could help bring the Pistons back into the offensive style that permeates the NBA these days. Chris Wilcox, an athletic big man, also was signed. And for his leadership and work ethic, Ben Wallace was brought back. Change had arrived to the Pistons. "We had an incredible run in the last decade but as in all professional sports, it's inevitable, and it's never easy, when people have grown attached to seeing the same group," Dumars said. "Change is necessary. Those are difficult decisions you have to make and you cannot avoid it."

It was Dumars and the Pistons' winning ways that attracted Gordon and Villanueva. "It's kind of a like a family atmosphere," Villanueva said. "A lot of that is because of Joe Dumars. Just the way he carries himself. The organization has been so successful, you want to be part of that success." Kuester and Dumars both believe the blocks are in place for a successful season if they do certain things.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.detroitnews.com/article/2009 ... it-Pistons

Defensive charge
Defend, for one. Team defense will be watched closely because the Pistons feel they'll be able to score enough to compete. But stopping people could be an issue. Kuester likes to say it's a "work in progress," but one gets a sense defense will continually be stressed. "That (defense) will be a priority," Kuester said. With the revamped roster, the Pistons have the ability to better compete in the present day NBA. "We have a lot of live bodies," Kuester said. "A lot of length, athleticism -- guys who can put the ball on the floor and score."

The Pistons have more of that because of their changes. Said Dumars: "We have to be able to defend, that'll be a key for us, whether we can become a good defensive team. And number two, when you have a lot of guys who can score, it's imperative you become a very unselfish team. So, if we become a good defensive team and an unselfish offensive team, if we do those two things, we'll have some success."

Dumars doesn't know if that'll happen. He thinks it will. Still, Dumars and the rest of the organization sense a fresh excitement that's been missing for a while. "For so long, we kind of knew how the script was going to play out," Dumars said. "I can't tell you how this script will play out. But that gives you something to look forward to and be excited about."

[nasty daddy]

http://www.detroitnews.com/article/2009 ... it-Pistons

Roster
No Pos Player Ht Wt
17 G Chucky Atkins 5-11 160
38 C Kwame Brown 6-11 270
12 G Will Bynum 6-0 185
5 F Austin Daye 6-11 205
7 G Ben Gordon 6-3 200
32 G Richard Hamilton 6-7 193
33 F Jonas Jerebko 6-10 231
54 F Jason Maxiell 6-7 260
22 F Tayshaun Prince 6-9 215
3 G Rodney Stuckey 6-5 205
35 F DaJuan Summers 6-8 240
31 F/C Charlie Villanueva 6-11 232
6 C Ben Wallace 6-9 240
9 F/C Chris Wilcox 6-10 235

[nasty daddy]

http://www.pistonpowered.com/2009/10/te ... p-network/

Team-by-team previews from the TrueHoop Network
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."

[nasty daddy]

http://www.pistonpowered.com/2009/10/pi ... ashington/

Pistons waive Deron Washington
From a team release: Detroit Pistons President of Basketball Operations Joe Dumars announced today that the club has requested waivers on guard/forward Deron Washington. He averaged 3.3 points, 0.6 rebounds and 6.4 minutes in seven preseason games. Washington was drafted by Detroit with the 59th overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft. He played on the Pistons’ summer league teams each of the last two years and averaged 14.8 points and 7.0 rebounds in 27 games for Hapoel Holon of the Greek League in 2008-09.

Bit of a shocker. I think it was assumed Washington would make the team.

I guess this means Chucky Atkins will make the roster – unless the Pistons are going the cheap route with just 13 players.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.pistonpowered.com/2009/10/tr ... t-pistons/

TrueHoop Network 2009-10 Season Preview: Detroit Pistons
Crystal ball
The consensus win total prediction of the TrueHoop Network bloggers … and the best hopes of PistonPowered.
Last year’s record: 39-43
Crowd says: 36-46
I say: 44-38

[nasty daddy]

http://www.pistonpowered.com/2009/10/tr ... t-pistons/

Yes we can!
The sun is out. The seas have parted. The basketball gods are shining upon us!

The Pistons were a playoff team last year that got better in the offseason. How many teams can say that? Probably about half of them. Even if you’re the eighth seed and didn’t get a ton better, it’s still a good situation to be in.

And yes, the Pistons improved. Center is the only spot that’s down, and the upgrades elsewhere more than make up for it.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.pistonpowered.com/2009/10/tr ... t-pistons/

Point guard: Rodney Stuckey is a year older, and hopefully a year better. He improved last year from his rookie season. A Rajon Rondo-like jump in Year 3 would be ideal. But at worst, he’s the same.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.pistonpowered.com/2009/10/tr ... t-pistons/

Shooting guard: Richard Hamilton will regain his starting role, and there’s no doubt he’s better than Allen Iverson. Iverson no longer has the legs to finish around the basket. Hamilton is one of the best-conditioned players in the league.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.pistonpowered.com/2009/10/tr ... t-pistons/

Small forward: Tayshaun Prince is back, and there’s no reason to expect much difference in production. He has basically leveled off.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.pistonpowered.com/2009/10/tr ... t-pistons/

Power forward: Antonio McDyess played admirably last year. But Charlie Villanueva, who might not start but will likely see the most minutes at power forward, is also a quality player. Although he’s not as good defensively, his Player Efficiency Rating (18.6) was higher than McDyess’ (16.6). And McDyess benefited from a 20-game break when the Nuggets bought him out. Villanueva, 25, will produce all season.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.pistonpowered.com/2009/10/tr ... t-pistons/

Center: 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.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.pistonpowered.com/2009/10/tr ... t-pistons/

Coaching: Michael Curry was terrible. John Kuester will also be in his first year as a head coach. But he spent 13 years as an NBA assistant – 12 more than Curry.

The Pistons are rebuilding while remaining a playoff team. They probably won’t appear in the conference finals, which, until last year, seemed like an annual rite. But this plan by Joe Dumars sure beats a visit to the lottery.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.pistonpowered.com/2009/10/tr ... t-pistons/

Bench: Ben Gordon will be a strong contender for sixth man of the year. He easily makes the bench better – especially given that Richard Hamilton played better as a starter last year. (Gordon’s added bonus: taking the best player away from a division rival).

[nasty daddy]

http://www.pistonpowered.com/2009/10/tr ... t-pistons/

No you won’t
A rousing dissent from a rival blogger.

They invested a combined 10 years and $85 million in Ben Gordon and Charlie Villanueva this summer. Seriously. Why not just set all that money on fire like the Joker did in The Dark Knight? – Matt McHale, By the Horns