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

[nasty daddy]

http://www.detroitnews.com/article/2009 ... am-tonight

Quotable
"Let me tell you, that guy got popped pretty good. (There was) blood everywhere."
-- John Kuester, Pistons coach, on Charlie Villanueva breaking his nose Sunday after colliding with Ben Wallace.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.detroitnews.com/article/2009 ... am-tonight

Pistons at Bulls
Tipoff: 8 tonight, United Center, Chicago
TV/radio: FSD/WWJ 950
Outlook: This is the first of four meeting between the Central Division rivals. ... The Bulls finished two games ahead of the Pistons last season. ... The Pistons won the season series vs. the Bulls last season 3-1 (2-0 in Chicago). ... The last season the Pistons lost the season series was 2005-06.

[nasty daddy]

http://need4sheed.com/2009/12/ben-walla ... antic.html

Ben Wallace is Inflatable and Romantic
Special Announcement from an old friend of Need4Sheed:

Sometimes there are times in a man’s life when he needs to make a movie with an inflatable version of Ben Wallace. When you do that, you make sure Ben is charming and romantic. When that time comes for each of you, you’ll make sure to give a shout-out to your favorite Rasheed Wallace-based website when you make your film. This is the fourth of nine parts. Thank you for watching.

Who Shot Mamba? – CH 4 from Lasterday Films on Vimeo. I urge you to follow this flick till the buzzer sounds…you will tank me later.

Video in the link above^.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.detroitbadboys.com/archives/ ... -playoffs/

Can the Pistons still make the playoffs?
I’m overstating the question, really — entering Tuesday’s action, the Pistons are tied for 11th in the East, but with 80% of the season left to play, there’s more than enough time (to say the least) to make up that single game that will get them in the postseason.

But can they still win a playoff series? That’s a different question. Bob Ballard of It’s Just Sports took a look at recent history to see just how deep of a hole 6-11 really is: For the Pistons to have a realistic chance in advancing in the playoffs to the second round, they probably need to secure at least the Eastern Conference No. 5 seed. There, they will probably face the 2nd place team from the Southeast Division which will either be Orlando or Atlanta. Somehow, the Pistons match up well against both teams. Since the 2007-2008 season when the Hawks reached the playoffs, the Pistons are 12-2 vs. Orlando (including playoffs) and 5-3 vs. Atlanta. The Pistons already have beaten Orlando earlier this season. They won, surprisingly, this past Sunday against Atlanta without Hamilton, Prince, and Gordon in the lineup. The average number of wins the Eastern Conference No. 5 seed has had in this decade is 44. The Pistons would have to go 38-27 (.585) in their remaining 65 games to reach 44 wins. The playoffs are more than four months away, so the Pistons have time to get back on track. They cannot afford another long losing streak if they want to make an impact in this year’s playoffs.

But can they still win a playoff series? That’s a different question. Bob Ballard of It’s Just Sports took a look at recent history to see just how deep of a hole 6-11 really is: For the Pistons to have a realistic chance in advancing in the playoffs to the second round, they probably need to secure at least the Eastern Conference No. 5 seed. There, they will probably face the 2nd place team from the Southeast Division which will either be Orlando or Atlanta. Somehow, the Pistons match up well against both teams. Since the 2007-2008 season when the Hawks reached the playoffs, the Pistons are 12-2 vs. Orlando (including playoffs) and 5-3 vs. Atlanta. The Pistons already have beaten Orlando earlier this season. They won, surprisingly, this past Sunday against Atlanta without Hamilton, Prince, and Gordon in the lineup. The average number of wins the Eastern Conference No. 5 seed has had in this decade is 44. The Pistons would have to go 38-27 (.585) in their remaining 65 games to reach 44 wins. The playoffs are more than four months away, so the Pistons have time to get back on track. They cannot afford another long losing streak if they want to make an impact in this year’s playoffs.

To put winning 58.5% of the time in perspective, that’s the equivalent of a 47-win season — it’s feasible, but difficult, at least so long as key members of the rotation are lost to injury every other game. For what it’s worth, I think Bob might be overstating things at least a little — if Detroit matches up with both Atlanta and Orlando, securing the sixth seed (and the right to face the Atlantic winner) should give them a fighting chance to escape the first round, as well. (Am I conceding a first-round loss against the Celtics or Cavs? At this point, I certainly am, though I suppose that might change over the next several months.) Unfortunately, the Pistons don’t operate in a vacuum, and it’s just as easy to make a compelling argument for why the teams around them will either maintain their current pace or improve …The Bucks (currently the No. 6 seed) have been surprisingly solid behind rookie phenom Brandon Jennings, and they figure to get better once Michael Redd returns. The Bobcats (No. 7) were in the race up until fading at the end last season, and the Bulls (No. 9) can’t be counted out. Also, a lot of people took for granted (myself included) that both the Raptors (No. 10 seed) and Wizards (No. 12) would make some noise, and that may still happen. Hell, even the 76ers (No. 13) might join the conversation if Allen Iverson returns with a vengeance. (Heh.)Considering the competition, the Pistons are in pretty big hole with little to no margin for error. Extending Detroit’s playoff streak would look nice in the record books, but if they can’t even get out of the first round, it means nothing — and, you could argue, might set the franchise back considering they won’t have a chance at winning the draft lottery. (You think debating the merits of Rodney Stuckey, Will Bynum, Ben Gordon and Rip Hamilton is fun? Imagine being able to throw John Wall into the mix …) In no way am I suggesting the Pistons tank the season — but those making the decisions need to remember that whether or not this year is viewed as a success will be based on player development, not the final record or playoff seed. This means we need more Austin Daye, more DaJuan Summers, and even more PT for Bynum, who’s shown every sign of being just as much of a starting point guard prospect as Stuckey.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.motownstringmusic.com/2009/1 ... -in-d-town

Another Masked Man in D-Town
Dr. Neuman, you say that everybody wears a mask? That's correct. We all wear masks, metaphorically speaking.

Charlie Villanueva will wear a mask on Wednesday, and not figuratively. That's right. Charlie Villanueva is probably going to play on Wednesday and will play with the Bill Laimbeer, Richard Hamilton (and don't forget Antonio McDyess!) special.

Here's the video of CV31 getting his face fitted for the rally mask:

Video in the link above^.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.examiner.com/x-13383-Detroit ... cember-1st

Detroit Pistons headlines for Tuesday, December 1st
Here are your Detroit Pistons headlines for Tuesday, December 1st:
MLive's Bob Ballard thinks the Pistons need to win 44 games to have a chance at stealing a first round playoff series.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.examiner.com/x-13383-Detroit ... cember-1st

Monday's surgery on Charlie Villanueva's broken nose went well, and the forward has already unveiled the prototype mask he'll be wearing on his Twitter page. Villanueva remains questionable for the Chicago game.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.examiner.com/x-13383-Detroit ... cember-1st

Leading scorer Ben Gordon has been cleared to play on Wednesday against the Bulls, his former squad. Gordon sat out the past two contests with a sprained left ankle.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.examiner.com/x-13383-Detroit ... cember-1st

CBSSports.com already has a brief preview up for tomorrow's game.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.examiner.com/x-13383-Detroit ... cember-1st

Bulls guard Kirk Hinrich has a badly injured thumb that will keep him out 1-2 weeks.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.examiner.com/x-13383-Detroit ... cember-1st

Need4Sheed.com has a beautiful wallpaper glamorizing Detroit's December schedule. Definitely worth a download.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.examiner.com/x-13383-Detroit ... cember-1st

Patrick Hayes takes a look at the Pistons All-Decade Team. Very predictable.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.examiner.com/x-13383-Detroit ... cember-1st

One of the most famous Pistons of the past decade, Darko Milicic, wants out of the NBA. He claims that he isn't getting the ball enough to be the type of player he wants. Go figure.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.examiner.com/x-13383-Detroit ... cember-1st

A very interesting look at Rodney Stuckey's decision-making by MLive's Justin Rogers. The result? Stuckey needs to pass more when he is attacking the basket.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.examiner.com/x-13383-Detroit ... cember-1st

And finally, Jonas Jerebko in all his glory:

Video in the link above^.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.examiner.com/x-13383-Detroit ... cember-1st

The Pistons (6-11) take on the Bulls (6-9) tomorrow night at 8:00pm ET at the United Center. The game can be seen on Fox Sports Detroit.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.chicagobreakingsports.com/20 ... bulls.html

Bulls brace for Ben Gordon's return with Pistons
The Bulls keep looking for Mr. Big Shot. They will see him Wednesday night, but he won't be wearing a Bulls jersey. Former Bulls guard Ben Gordon will face his former teammates at the United Center for the first time as a member of the Detroit Pistons.

Meanwhile, the Bulls will try to extricate themselves from the stranglehold of a five-game losing streak. "We have enough weapons to make shots at the end," Bulls coach Vinny Del Negro said. "It's just a matter of setting better screens, better spacing, execution. That hopefully will come together."

Gordon was a major factor in the Bulls' pulsating, seven-game playoff series against the Boston Celtics last spring. He left the Bulls for more money in Detroit as a free agent. "I think the (United Center) fans will treat Ben well. He's a rival now, but he put in a lot of strong years here for the Bulls," Del Negro said. "I know the fans appreciate that. But our focus is not Ben, it's the Pistons in general as a team."

Video in the link above^.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.cbssports.com/nba/gamecenter ... ls-preview

Bulls vs. Pistons
Ben Gordon has probably been looking forward to facing the Chicago Bulls since signing with the Detroit Pistons over the summer. A sprained ankle, though, could prevent that from happening Wednesday night. Gordon hopes to be able to play against his former team for the first time as the Pistons visit the Bulls. Drafted third overall by Chicago in 2004, Gordon led the Bulls in scoring the past four seasons but said in July that they never offered him a contract once he hit the open market as an unrestricted free agent. Detroit signed him to a five-year deal worth $50-plus million. "I mean they didn't pursue me at all. They didn't even make an offer so it was pretty much a one-man race," Gordon told ESPN Radio 1000 in Chicago in July. He got off to a strong start with Detroit (6-11) before getting hurt against Cleveland last Wednesday, averaging a team-high 19.8 points. Gordon missed the last two games, but practiced Monday and is listed as questionable. "It's feeling pretty good," Gordon told the Pistons' official Web site. "If it continues to progress the way it has been, hopefully I'll be able to play on Wednesday."

The Bulls (6-9) could have used Gordon's scoring on their annual circus road trip. They opened the trip with a 101-87 win over Sacramento on Nov. 17 before dropping the last five matchups. Chicago failed to score more than 100 in any of the five defeats while allowing opponents to average 109.2 points. The Bulls had their best defensive effort since the win over the Kings on Monday night. They rallied from 14 down in the third quarter to take a two-point lead in the closing minutes, but Brad Miller missed a shot at the buzzer that would have tied it and Chicago fell 99-97."That's a shot I've shot a lot," Miller told the Bulls' official Web site. "It just came up short. ... It's well in my range. I felt comfortable. Just didn't make it. Now we've got to take advantage of these home games coming up and get back on the winning ways." Chicago plays 16 of its next 23 at the United Center before heading out on a season-high seven-game trip at the end of January. The Bulls have played the fewest home games in the league, going 4-1 and holding opponents to 86.8 points per game. "I know how hard it is from last year to get back to .500," point guard Derrick Rose said. "We've got to take advantage."

The Bulls' first chance to get on track comes against a Pistons team that ended a seven-game losing streak by beating Atlanta 94-88 on Sunday. Detroit was led by another former Bull, Ben Wallace, who had 11 of the team's 24 offensive rebounds. Wallace, traded to Cleveland in February 2008 after spending a season and a half with Chicago, finished with 18 rebounds and 10 points. "Ben was phenomenal again today," coach John Kuester said. "It's amazing the level that he is still grabbing rebounds."Wallace led the NBA in rebounding twice in his first stint in Detroit, averaging 13.0 in 2001-02 and 15.4 in '02-'03. He has started every game this season, grabbing 9.9 boards per contest. Wallace's strong play is coming at a good time for the Pistons, who have been playing with a limited roster because of injuries to starters Richard Hamilton (ankle), Tayshaun Prince (back) and Gordon (ankle). On Sunday, forward Charlie Villanueva was hit in the face while being fouled and suffered a broken nose. He is listed as questionable for Wednesday. Chicago took three of four meetings with Detroit in each of the last three seasons, winning all six matchups at home.

[nasty daddy]

http://twitter.com/CV31

Check out the story, of the new mask man http://www.nba.com/pistons/news/newest_ ... 91201.html

[nasty daddy]

http://twitter.com/CV31

The new mask man in town http://twitpic.com/rsb4c