'Nasty News - Traversing Time & Space' Vol: 58

[nasty daddy]

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

Midwest Sports Fans: "Of the Pistons rookies, Jonas Jerebko so far has been the most NBA ready. He came to Detroit after playing 2 seasons in high level basketball in Italy. He has been a defensive revelation, a solid rebounder, and a high motor energy a la David Lee. He has shown flashes of point forward ability along with a post game and a 3 point shot. Once he makes the adjustment to the NBA, Jerebko has the potential to be an excellent 2 way player."

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http://www.nba.com/2009/news/11/30/bogu ... ef:nbahpt2

Bucks' Bogut to return to lineup tonight
Milwaukee Bucks coach Scott Skiles says center Andrew Bogut will return to the court for Monday night's game against the Chicago Bulls.

Skiles says Bogut's left leg began feeling better late last week, and Skiles plans to ease him back into the rotation. Bogut was kicked in the leg during a Nov. 18 game against New Jersey and originally was expected to miss two to four weeks.

Bogut says he's "pretty much" pain-free and eager to return to help the Bucks, who have lost four straight games.

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http://www.nba.com/2009/news/11/29/rock ... index.html

Rockets' Scola leaves game after getting poked in eye
Houston forward Luis Scola left the Rockets' game at Oklahoma City after being poked in the right eye.

Scola appeared to be bleeding after Oklahoma City's Etan Thomas poked him in the eye with his left hand while dunking with his right hand on the Thunder's opening possession of the game Sunday night. A trainer came out to assist Scola, and the Argentine player walked to the locker room with a towel covering his face just 22 seconds into the game.

Scola had seven stitches on his eyelid but a team spokesman says his vision was not affected. Scola was not expected to return. Scola had started all 16 games and was averaging 15.3 points for the Rockets, who are already without All-Stars Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming.

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http://www.nba.com/2009/news/11/30/play ... index.html

Bobcats' Wallace, Spurs' Duncan named Players of Week
The Charlotte Bobcats' Gerald Wallace and the San Antonio Spurs' Tim Duncan today were named the Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Week, respectively, for games played Monday, Nov. 23, through Sunday, Nov. 29.

With weekly averages of 25.3 points, 13.7 rebounds, 1.7 steals and 1.0 blocks, Wallace led the Bobcats to a 3-0 mark. Wallace scored a season-high 31 points in consecutive wins over Toronto and Cleveland, marking just the fifth time in Bobcats history that a player recorded back-to-back 30-point games. Wallace pulled down double-digit rebounds in all three games. Duncan led San Antonio to a 4-0 week, posting three double-doubles along the way. Duncan averaged 21.8 points on .583 shooting, to go with 10.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 2.5 blocks. With 21 points in the Spurs' 92-84 win over the Rockets on Nov. 27, Duncan passed Terry Cummings (19,460) for 39th on the NBA's all-time scoring list.

Other nominees for the Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Week were Cleveland's LeBron James, Denver's Carmelo Anthony, Golden State's Monta Ellis, L.A. Clippers' Marcus Camby, Oklahoma City's Kevin Durant, Orlando's Dwight Howard, Phoenix's Steve Nash and Sacramento's Tyreke Evans.

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http://www.midwestsportsfans.com/2009/1 ... ts+Fans%29

Detroit Pistons Weekly Watch: Gordon Joins Injury Club, Piston Rookies Step Up
When it rains, it pours.For the last several years, the Pistons had been among the healthiest teams in the league. 16 games into the 2009-2010 season, the Pistons have suffered injuries to Richard Hamilton (ankle), Tayshaun Prince (ruptured back disc), and now Ben Gordon (ankle). Both Hamilton and Prince are day-to-day with no time tables for their return. Gordon is also day-to-day, but his injury isn’t as severe as Hamilton’s, so it’s not expected at this point that he will miss an extended stretch of games. Though the Pistons are now on a 7-game slide initiated by a rough scheduling stretch against the best teams of the West, the Pistons rookies have stepped into the breach and are slowly finding their feet. In a 117-91 loss at Phoenix on the final game of their 4 game West road trip, the Pistons fought both the up tempo Suns and fatigue. They simply ran out of gas as the game went on, but all 3 Pistons rookies provided solid contributions. DaJuan Summers came off the bench for 13 points, including going 3 for 3 from the three point line. Austin Daye had 8 points, 3 rebounds, and 1 assist off the bench. And Jonas Jerebko held down the starting small forward position with 9 points, 6 rebounds, and 1 assist. In the Pistons 98-88 home loss to the Cavaliers, Detroit didn’t challenge Cleveland defensively in the first half, failing to switch out defensively in time to open shooters. They fell behind by 18 points at halftime to the score of 60-42. The Pistons turned up their defensive intensity and rallied to fall short. Rodney Stuckey had his best game of the season with 25 points, 6 rebounds, and 1 assist. He shot 8 for 16 and 8 of 8 at the free throw line. Austin Daye came off the bench to contribute 9 points and 3 rebounds. Jerebko had 4 points, 6 rebounds, and 1 assist. Most of his energy was spent guarding LeBron James, who had 34 points, 8 rebounds, and 7 assists. Jerebko kept LeBron on the perimeter fairly often, though, where LeBron hit 12 of 24 shots. It was an uncommonly good night on the perimeter for LeBron, but Detroit would rather see him away from the basket rather than taking up residence in the paint. Ben Gordon unfortunately sprained his ankle late in the second quarter on a drive to the basket, where he was fouled. He missed both free throw attempts and left the game with 9 points, 4 assists, and 1
rebound.

In the 104-96 home loss to the Clippers, Jonas Jerebko carried the Pistons with an NBA career best 22 points (including 12 in the 4th quarter). He also had 5 rebounds and 1 assist. Austin Daye started alongside Rodney Stuckey in the backcourt at shooting guard. He contributed 13 points, 5 rebounds, and 1 assist. Ben Wallace turned back the clock to haul down 16 rebounds (10 offensive) and chip in 5 points and 2 rebounds. Unfortunately, Rodney Stuckey, Will Bynum, and Charlie Villanueva all went cold in the 4th quarter and the Pistons were unable to get the stops they needed to close the deal on the Clippers, whom they led 54-47 and had beaten in 13 consecutive regular season games. Al Thornton (19 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists), Chris Kaman (26 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists), and Baron Davis (25 points, 10 assists, 5 rebounds) all had big nights. Before Blake Griffin went down, the Clippers were my sleeper pick to make the West playoffs. The Clippers have a good team this season and may yet turn things around—like Detroit. The Pistons 7 game loss streak and current 5-11 record are disappointing, but when viewed through the long term lens of the future, the play of the rookies gives the franchise and fans reason to hope. Ben Wallace thus far has been Detroit’s MVP, setting an example for the new team of the commitment and work needed to win a championship on and off the court. He has also found the Fountain of Youth since returning to Detroit, showing glimpses of his glory days with averages of 4 points, 9.4 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.2 steals, and 1.3 blocks. Of the Pistons rookies, Jonas Jerebko so far has been the most NBA ready. He came to Detroit after playing 2 seasons in high level basketball in Italy. He has been a defensive revelation, a solid rebounder, and a high motor energy a la David Lee. He has shown flashes of point forward ability along with a post game and a 3 point shot. Once he makes the adjustment to the NBA, Jerebko has the potential to be an excellent 2 way player. Austin Daye also comes with an inside-outside game, good passing game, and a high basketball IQ. Having played at Gonzaga University, he isn’t as advanced as Jerebko, but is making strides. DaJuan Summers has been putting in excellent work in practice and showing potential as well. He has a feathery shot from midrange to the 3 point line. And he has the build to bull past defenders and guard dominant small forwards.

Rodney Stuckey, whom many Piston fans are impatient with, is showing incremental improvement. He needs in particular to become a more efficient shooter, but is scoring better from mid range than close range. Once he corrects this, his scoring average will rise. Since being singled out as untouchable by Joe Dumars, Detroit media and fans have been endlessly scrutinizing Rodney Stuckey’s development. While he may not become a top 5 guard in the NBA, the Pistons can do worse than to have someone who’d rate among the top 20. He is developing into a fine perimeter defender and is among the leading guards in rebounds with an average of 4.9 rebounds per game.Before the Cleveland-Detroit game, LeBron James stated to the media that he no longer sees the Detroit Pistons as a serious rival. I see his comment as being consistent with a character set that walked out on his teammates and the national media after the Cavaliers lost the 2009 ECF to the Orlando Magic, tried to suppress an average video of a dunk over him at a summer skills camp, walked out on children at another basketball camp after a 5 minute talk, and proposed that Jordan’s #23 be retired league wide without apparently realizing that the #6 he will adopt belongs to the NBA player with the most rings, Bill Russell.LeBron James is undoubtedly one of today’s best players, but he is not a sports statesman, much less a champion and an NBA historian. Teams go through cycles of fluctuating success. The Detroit Pistons have the nucleus for a new contending team which is evident to those who look beyond current daily standings. For all the adversity the Pistons are experiencing now, it will make them a better team when they do return to full strength. It’s all a matter of time. What position will LeBron James be in when the new Pistons come of age?

[nasty daddy]

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

Rasheed Wallace is still trying to rid the NBA of floppers
I realize there were many Pistons fans glad to see Rasheed Wallace move on with his three-point hoisting antics elsewhere. But even the most ardent 'Sheed-haters have to admit the guy was capable of some great quotes, and when he got on the subject of NBA conspiracies and superstar treatment, few are better. In Detroit, he was always anti-flopping, with Cleveland's Anderson Varejao a frequent derisive target. In Boston, he's still trying to expose all floppers and now, he has a new enemy, Toronto's Hedo Turkoglu: "They've got to know that he's a [darn] flopper. That's all Turkododo do," Wallace said after Boston beat Toronto. "Flopping shouldn't get you nowhere. He acts like I shot him. "That's not basketball, man. That's not defense. That's garbage, what it is. I'm glad I don't have too much of it left."

Classic 'Sheed. But it wouldn't be a 'Sheed rant without a shot at LeBron James tossed in as well: “They set rules on us to the point where you’re taunting. When Paul dunked it and then, Paul didn’t say nothing, he just looked at him. Let The Golden Child do that or one of the NBA [Basketball] Without Borders kids do that and it’s all fine and dandy.’’ Asked if he was referring to Cleveland’s LeBron James, Wallace said, “Take a guess."

I'm not sure David Stern will find the humor in 'Sheed making fun of the stars who appear in all of the NBA Cares promos, but the man still entertains me. UPDATE: Nope, Stern was not happy.

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

An interview with Pistons good luck charm Sean 'Da Hat' Fowler
It's Just Sports contributor Eric Woodyard was covering yesterday's Pistons game and ran into Sean Fowler, aka 'Da Hat.' Fowler has been to more than 300 Pistons games, collecting autographs on his goofy hat from dozens of NBA legends over the years.

Video in the link above^.

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http://www.detroitnews.com/article/2009 ... se-surgery

Pistons forward Charlie Villanueva tweets before successful nose surgery
Pistons forward Charlie Villanueva had successful nasal surgery today for the injury he suffered during Sunday's 94-88 victory over the Atlanta Hawks. Villanueva -- who kept his legions of Twitter followers abreast with his day -- had a successfully repaired nasal fracture and realigned septum, in an out-patient procedure at the Berry Center in Farmington Hills. The Pistons are listing Villanueva "questionable" for Wednesday's game in Chicago.

Villanueva collided with Ben Wallace's hip in the fourth quarter, after a drive to the basket, and suffered the broken nose. He tweeted Sunday he would be wearing a mask upon his return. On Monday, he tweeted, "about to start to preparation for my nasal surgery, had to get a tweet out. Wish me good luck ," a little after noon.

Meanwhile, Ben Gordon (sprained left ankle) did some light work on the side Monday and also is "questionable" to take on his former team, the Bulls. "If it continues to progress as it has been, hopefully I'll be able to play," said Gordon, who admitted cutting, jumping and defending are all impacted right now because the one ankle is stronger than the other.

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http://www.detroitnews.com/article/2009 ... with-76ers

'Retired' Allen Iverson meets with 76ers
Allen Iverson and the Philadelphia 76ers have met to discuss a possible return to the team. Team president Ed Stefanski said in a statement that both parties remain noncommittal about a final decision after a nearly two-hour meeting Monday in Dallas. The 76ers are in town to play the Dallas Mavericks on Monday night. Iverson, his agent and business manager met with Stefanski, coach Eddie Jordan and two other members of the organization during the first formal meeting between the Sixers and their former MVP. Stefanski said the Sixers "will continue to discuss internally whether or not to pursue this course."

The 10-time All-Star, who retired last week, is among the free-agent candidates the Sixers are considering to replace injured point guard Lou Williams, who's expected to miss eight weeks after jaw surgery. Iverson announced his intention to retire last week after no other team expressed an interest is signing the four-time scoring champion. The 6-foot Iverson played three games this season with Memphis before taking a leave of absence to attend to personal matters. He was waived after the two sides agreed to part ways. The New York Knicks considered signing Iverson after he cleared waivers, before deciding he would take too much playing time from younger players they are trying to develop. Iverson, the No. 1 overall pick in the 1996 draft, played 10-plus seasons with the 76ers. He was traded to Denver in December 2006, and was then dealt to Detroit early last season. The 34-year-old Iverson, who never has won an NBA championship, wouldn't be returning to a winner in Philadelphia. The Sixers have lost six straight games and are 13th in the Eastern Conference under first-year coach Eddie Jordan.

Williams' injury has paved the way for rookie Jrue Holiday, the 17th pick in the draft, to start. Iverson had a bitter parting with the Sixers in 2006, making this a truly surprising reconciliation. But both parties are in various states of desperation. The Sixers need a guard on the roster and an electrifying personality such as Iverson to jolt sagging ticket sales. Iverson wants to prove he's not finished yet and can still play at his All-Star level. Iverson was joined by longtime business manager Gary Moore and agent Leon Rose in the meeting. Rose did not immediately return a call for comment. Sixers assistant general manager Tony DiLeo and assistant coach Aaron McKie, a former Iverson teammate, also attended the meeting. Iverson led the Sixers to the NBA finals in 2001. The Sixers have not won a playoff series since 2003

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http://www.nba.com/bulls/news/hinrich_0 ... ef:nbahpt2

Bulls guard Kirk Hinrich expected to miss 1-2 weeks
Chicago Bulls guard Kirk Hinrich was examined this morning by Bulls head team physician Dr. Brian Cole and hand specialists Dr. John Fernandez and Dr. Marc Cohen of Midwest Orthopedics at Rush University. Their examination confirmed the earlier diagnosis of a left thumb sprain. He is expected to miss 1-2 weeks.

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http://www.freep.com/article/20091130/S ... direction-

Starter Chucky Atkins points Pistons in right direction
When the Pistons signed Chucky Atkins to a non-guaranteed contract just before the start of training camp, not even Atkins thought he would be anywhere near the starting lineup. But when a team is going through a seven-game losing streak, plans go out the window. Pistons coach John Kuester shook up the lineup before Sunday's home contest against the Atlanta Hawks by giving Atkins his first start since April 2007 with the Memphis Grizzlies. And while Atkins only went 1-for-7 for two points and one assist, his presence was a calming influence in the Pistons' 94-88 victory.

And Atkins was just glad to contribute after only appearing in four of the team's first 16 games. "I've been in this league for a long time, and situations can change rather quickly," Atkins said. "I didn't expect to be starting on this team at all this year -- any games. "For me to be thrown in the starting lineup this early in the season -- one, it was a surprise when you haven't been playing as much."

Atkins only played 19 minutes, but he did free Rodney Stuckey from point guard duties for part of the game. Stuckey responded with 23 points and tied a season-high with eight assists. Will Bynum picked up the rest of the slack at point with 19 points and four assists off the bench. Kuester said that Stuckey's days as point guard weren't over. "It wasn't by design to say we're taking Stuckey off the ball," Kuester said. "Stuckey will be on the ball and he's comfortable in both positions."

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http://www.freep.com/article/20091130/S ... direction-

ANOTHER BAD BREAK: Charlie Villanueva was replaced in the starting lineup and had a solid game with 13 points in 18 minutes before his name was added to the list of injured Pistons when he suffered a broken nose with 9:30 left.

He left the game with a bleeding nose and never returned.

He will have his nose set and the Pistons will have more on his availability for Wednesday night's game at Chicago today.

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http://www.freep.com/article/20091130/S ... nluckiness

Both Wings, Pistons have their share of bad luck
Which team has had worse luck this season: the Pistons or the Red Wings? Which team is best equipped to carry on through it?

That is a very, very close call. The Pistons have had worse luck because they have a much smaller margin for error. They have a smaller roster, thus key injuries hurt more. And they also have less room for a letdown. This was an undermanned roster that was going to struggle to make the playoffs from the beginning. So to lose what they’ve lost is borderline unfair. The Wings have had ridiculous bad luck with injuries in the early going, but when you can still trot out Nicklas Lidstrom, Henrik Zetterberg, Pavel Datsyuk and Chris Osgood, nobody is going to feel that sorry for you. And that’s why the Wings are the best equipped to carry on. In a weird way (follow me here), the Wings are almost better off losing their players for long stretches of time. The players on the ice know Johan Franzen and Nicklas Kronwall aren’t coming back anytime soon. The replacement players thus know their roles and know it’s on them to perform. The Pistons have a trio of guys (Prince, Hamilton and now Gordon) where there is no definite timeframe. Will Bynum is getting huge minutes now, but will he get the same when Rip and (little) Ben come back. Same for the rookies like Austin Daye and Jonas Jerebko. It’s good that they’re getting playing time, but unsettling not knowing when that playing time is going away.

New coach. New players. New philosophy. The one thing you need more than anything else is continuity. And John Kuester hasn’t gotten anything close to that. Sunday featured the fifth different starting lineup he’s used in the first 17 games of the season. After years of seeing the same five out there every night, that’s unsettling for Pistons fans. But even more unsettling for a first year head coach. For the Wings, it’s just the opposite. Veteran coach. Championship philosophy. Granted, some new players, but most of those players were either raised in the Wings system or brought in because they knew how to fit in. There have been some very rough patches and the standings are ugly to look at right now. But there is enough here that I still think this is a playoff team, even with the injuries. With the Pistons, I really have a hard time seeing it.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.freep.com/article/20091130/B ... masked-man

Villanueva will be the Pistons’ latest masked man
Guess you can count on Pistons forward Charlie Villanueva to keep the world informed. Villanueva wrote on his Twitter page Sunday that he will have surgery for a broken nose today. “Surgery tomorrow, wish me luck, I will send a tweet during surgery, lol, the mask is on its way, lets go,” Villanueva tweeted.

Villanueva suffered the injury during the Pistons’ 94-88 victory over the visiting Hawks, a game that snapped a seven-game losing steak. It happened with 9:30 left when he was fouled by the Hawks’ Zaza Pachulia on a drive to the basket. As he was falling, Villanueva’s face appeared to hit near the hip of teammate Ben Wallace.Villanueva’s nose started bleeding profusely and a timeout was taken. Pistons personnel slowed the bleeding just enough so Villanueva could make the two free throws. He then went to the locker room and didn’t return.

We should know more about his availability for Wednesday night’s game at Chicago later today. The Pistons’ injury list includes Rip Hamilton (right ankle sprain), Tayshaun Prince (ruptured disk) and Ben Gordon (left ankle sprain).

[nasty daddy]

http://www.nba.com/2009/news/powerranki ... index.html

1: Orlando Magic
2: Phoenix Suns
3: Los Angeles Lakers
4: Boston Celtics
5: Denver Nuggets
6: Atlanta Hawks
7: Cleveland Cavaliers
8: Dallas Mavericks
9: Utah Jazz
10: Portland Trailblazers
21: Detroit Pistons

[nasty daddy]

http://www.nba.com/2009/news/powerranki ... index.html

21 Detroit (19) 6-11 Pace: 89.6 (30), Off: 101.9 (20), Def: 106.1 (22)
With a seven-game losing streak and a depleted roster, Sunday was a good time for Rodney Stuckey, Will Bynum and the Pistons' defense to all play well on the same day. With four key guys now injured, it's nice to have only three games in the next nine days.

[nasty daddy]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/powerrank ... 010&week=5

1: Los Angeles Lakers
2: Phoenix Suns
3: Orlando Magic
4: Cleveland Cavaliers
5: Atlanta Hawks
6: Boston Celtics
7: Dallas Mavericks
8: Nuggets
9: Houston Rockets
10: Utah Jazz
22: Detroit Pistons

[nasty daddy]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/powerrank ... 010&week=5

22 (22) Pistons 6-11 : The Pistons' best (and sturdiest) player so far has been a 35-year-old named Ben Wallace. Which would make for a heartwarming story if not for all the losses and injuries that piled up in a rough November.

[nasty daddy]

http://espn.go.com/sportsnation/chat/_/id/29620

Henry Lebard (Vancouver)
Where would you rate Minnesota's 2008-09 draft in the list of all-time draft blunders? I have it right behind Detroit's Darko Milicic infatuation, and right about the Wizards' same relationship with Kwame Brown.

Chris Sheridan (3:09 PM)
That's a good place to start, but LaRue Martin, Sam Bowie and Jordan Hill-over-Brandon Jennings belong in that company.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.nba.com/pistons/news/trueblu ... 91130.html

Good News
Good news, or something close enough for a team that’s experienced nothing but wrenching injury news since the opening night of the NBA season: Ben Gordon and Charlie Villanueva are both questionable for the Pistons’ next game, Wednesday at Chicago, and “questionable” is a big step up from “out.” At the very least, it means the returns of two of their best players are imminent. Gordon shot around at Monday’s practice, while Villanueva was having his nasal fracture repaired and his septum realigned. The next step is fitting him with a Rip Hamiltonesque mask. Tayshaun Prince even shot around without any noticeable tentativeness, though he wasn’t engaging in much that would test the ruptured disc in his lower back that would approximate game action. “It’s feeling pretty good,” Gordon said of his sprained ankle suffering last Wednesday against Cleveland. “Trying to see if I can practice tomorrow. If it continues to progress the way it has been, hopefully I’ll be able to play on Wednesday.” “Hopefully, we’ll get some good news,” said John Kuester, who visibly cringes whenever he’s asked for an injury update, as if talking about it will delay the returns or perhaps put another player in the crosshairs. “We’ll find out soon. It’s interesting, being put in this position where all of a sudden you continually talk about who’s going to play and who’s not going to play. I wish I knew, but I saw what you saw – they were shooting. And we did get some good news on Charlie.” The Pistons were feeling pretty good Monday after snapping their seven-game losing streak with an improbable Sunday win over an Atlanta team that came into the game with a 12-4 record. The news on the injury front should boost their psyche even more. The standings don’t even look that bad, as their 6-11 record has them near the teams occupying the final few Eastern Conference playoff seeds. Up ahead is a series of four games against teams that figure to be slugging it out with them for those berths – at Chicago on Wednesday, followed by Friday and Sunday Palace dates with Milwaukee and Washington, and then a trip to Philadelphia next Wednesday.

Will Kuester trot out the same starting lineup against Chicago that beat Atlanta, a lineup that included Chucky Atkins and Jason Maxiell if Gordon and Villanueva can’t go? Probably safe to assume Maxiell will stay in the lineup, but Kuester at least hinted that Atkins would be returning to the bench when he said, “what we’re going to do is look at matchups and what is going to be in the best interests of the team.” Atkins matched up well with Atlanta’s Mike Bibby, but he’d have a tougher time coping with Chicago’s backcourt of athletic point guard Derrick Rose and 6-foot-7 shooting guard John Salmons. If Gordon can’t play, Kuester could choose to go with 6-foot-11 Austin Daye against Salmons. But before looking ahead, let’s take another look back at Sunday’s lineup and let’s start with this: There are 71 NBA players, by unofficial count, who’ll make more than $9.2 million this season. Every team in the league has at least one, except for Portland and Oklahoma City, and both will have multiple players making more than that as soon as their rookie deals expire. Seven teams – Dallas, Denver, New York, Phoenix, San Antonio, Utah and Washington – have four players who make more than $9.2 million this season. Ten others, the Pistons among them, have three such players. The trouble is, not one of those three Pistons – Hamilton, Prince and Gordon – were in uniform Sunday. So the starting lineup Kuester fielded consisted of Ben Wallace and Atkins, whose cap charge to the Pistons is $1 million apiece, the veteran’s minimum; plus Rodney Stuckey at $1.8 million, Jonas Jerebko at $400,000 and Maxiell at $5 million, for a grand total of … yup, $9.2 million. Villanueva, the next highest-paid Piston after the big three, came off the bench in Sunday’s unlikely win, but he left for good with his broken nose with 9:30 to play, and the starters finished the game with the exception of Will Bynum taking Atkins’ spot – which made the Pistons an even more economical bunch, Bynum making $825,000 this season, meaning the Pistons finished the game with a lineup making just a shade north of $9 million combined – or less than any of three Atlanta players: Joe Johnson, Josh Smith and Jamal Crawford.

Here’s another sequence of facts that Maxiell might find eerie: First the Pistons lost Hamilton, their highest-paid player this season at a reported $11.6 million, to an ankle sprain. Then they lost Prince, No. 2 on their payroll at a reported $10.3 million, to a back injury. Then came the ankle sprain to Gordon, No. 3 at a reported $10 million. And finally, the injury that sidelined Villanueva, No. 4 at a reported $6.5 million. No. 5 is Maxiell. Step lightly, Max. If there’s a lineup any NBA team fields this year that makes less, it’s hard to imagine it. Even the 0-17 New Jersey Nets when they were missing Devin Harris fielded a more pricey starting lineup than that with Rafer Alston earning $5.2 million and Trenton Hassell $4.3 million alone topping the combined Pistons starting five’s salary. The Minnesota Timberwolves played a few games without both Al Jefferson and Kevin Love, who make about $16 million combined. But their starting five still was about a $13 million enterprise with Ryan Gomes at $3.9 million, Jonny Flynn $3 million, Corey Brewer $2.9 million, Ryan Hollins $2.1 million and Nathan Jawai $740,000. The Sacramento Kings have been without both Kevin Martin ($10.2 million) and Francisco Garcia ($5.2 million), but just point guard Beno Udrih ($6 million) and first-rounder Tyreke Evans ($3.6 million) put them over the $9.2 million threshold. The mid-level exception that teams over the cap can use to sign free agents – by definition, the average NBA salary – is $5.8 million for the 2009-10 season. That means the Pistons on Sunday fielded a starting lineup that makes less than two average NBA players. If the Pistons line up on Wednesday at Chicago without Hamilton, Prince, Gordon and Villanueva, they’ll have more than $37 million in street clothes. But maybe things are starting to turn. The Bulls announced Monday that Kirk Hinrich would miss at least a week with a sprained left thumb.