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

[nasty daddy]

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

He did his research: My guess is the majority of Simmons' audience is 35 or younger, meaning names like Reed, Russell, Frazier, West, Baylor, Chamberlain, Robertson, Havlicek, Cousy, Mikan, Arizin and others are not familiar. Simmons goes into decent depth about the careers of many, many old-time greats, a great service to NBA fans only familiar with the last 20-30 years or so, when Jordan/Bird/Magic made the league the popular force it is today. Sure, his opinion is mixed in throughout, but the fact that he dug through all kinds of old NBA books, news clips and Sports Illustrated stories to glean interesting info was pretty impressive for a guy not normally known for his research.

[nasty daddy]

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

His thoughts on race were ... awkward: Writing about race is always complex, but Simmons handles it uncomfortably throughout the book. Let's face it: racism was rampant and blatant in this country in the historical eras he spends a great deal of time writing about. Stars like Russell, Baylor, Jabbar, Robertson and other guys who are today looked at as grand ambassadors of the game went through unfathomable experiences in their playing days. It's OK to call them that. Simmons didn't gloss over these issues by any means, but the constant foot-noting and over-explanation was unnecessary. Just call it what it was: ugly, ugly racism.

He did a better job with race than Will Leitch did in his book, but there were still some passages where I felt Simmons was soft-peddling some thing things he should have been more forceful about.

[nasty daddy]

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

The All-Lefty Team: This was in a footnote, so I have to believe it was a mistake, but Simmons named a team of the best lefty players of all time and included Chris Bosh but not David Robinson. This is beyond insanity.

Looking back over these notes, I don't know if it gives the impression that I didn't like the book. I don't necessarily want to do that. There were times when I had to put it down and walk away for a bit. There were times when Simmons makes the annoying, "BUT I SAW IT WITH MY OWN EYES AND THAT'S ENOUGH EVIDENCE!," arguments that are so infuriating. His takes on the Pistons are solid, although he's a bit harsh on Joe Dumars as a general manager. He also blames Chad Ford for the Darko pick, claiming Ford's Darko hype convinced NBA GMs he was the second best player in a loaded draft.

Overall though, it's worth reading if you love the NBA. Simmons' NBA conspiracy theories are always fun, he's allowed to say swear words in the book (and boy does he take advantage of that) since it's not on ESPN.com and his love and passion for the game are definitely conveyed.

[nasty daddy]

http://twitter.com/DetPistons

One down, three to go: Ben Gordon playing tonight vs. Bulls. Charlie V won't dress, and, of course, neither will Hamilton or Prince.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.detroitbadboys.com/archives/ ... -thread-4/

Pistons @ Bulls Game Thread
Game tips at 8:00 pm ET
Chicago: 6-9 (4-1 home)
Margin:-6.2
Pistons: 6-11 (2-7 road)
Margin:-2.5
Oppo research: Derrick Rose and the Chicago Bulls return home from a road trip that was every bit as disastrous as Detroit’s. After a win in Sacramento, the Bulls notched five consecutive losses, in spite of the fact that Derrick Rose is slowly starting to rebound from a horrific start to the season. In a lot of ways, the Bulls’ struggles reflect the Pistons’ woes. Both teams are built around point guards who have been nothing short of disappointing, and who seem not to be point guards at all. Both teams feature defensive-minded center who grabs gobs of rebounds. Splitting up Ben Gordon and Luol Deng seems to have benefitted both teams. Yet, both teams kind of suck. In Detroit’s case, injuries are playing a major role in the decline, while Chicago is experiencing a lack of depth. Both teams have been terrible from deep, and each has huge question marks in their front line.

The Drama: Ben Gordon is expected to suit up against his former team, though that will assuredly be a game-time decision. It would certainly be fun to watch him hang a big game on the profoundly overrated Derrick Rose.

Keys for Detroit
Manage something from the three point range: I have the feeling I can cut and paste this one for the rest of the year. The Pistons managed to eke out a win on Sunday in spite of a 1-6 performance, thanks to a ridiculous rebounding advantage. But, seriously.
Chris Wilcox?: With Charlie V. out due to nose surgery, it would be nice to get some offense out of the front court. His career may be headed into last chance territory.
Clamp down on Noah: The Pistons have been the best rebounding team in the league over the last few games, as Big Ben has had plenty of time to rest.
Question of the Game
Can the injuries continue to mount? After several years of extraordinary health, this team is on life support. Big minutes from Chucky Atkins will equal big losses. Be careful out there, boys.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.hoopsworld.com/Blogs/Courtsi ... E_ID=36358

The Bens Return to Chicago
Big Ben Wallace has been back through Chicago more than a couple times since being traded away a couple years ago, but tonight's home game against the heavily-injured Detroit Pistons does mark the first time that Ben Gordon will dress up in the United Center's visiting locker room. That is, of course, if he even plays. He's listed as day-to-day with an ankle injury, which means he may get to avoid a lot of the speculation he'd receive were he actually in uniform tonight.

Both teams are pretty banged up. Not only are the Pistons possibly missing Gordon, but Charlie Villanueva could be out tonight as well, and Tayshuan Prince and Richard Hamilton haven't been healthy almost all season. Chicago will be without Tyrus Thomas and Kirk Hinrich, so they're undermanned as well. Expect the Detroit B-Team to give it their all, but this is an extremely winnable game for Derrick Rose and the Bulls.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.hoopsworld.com/Blogs/Courtsi ... E_ID=36358

Pre-Game: BG Hides, but Tayshaun Emerges
The story every reporter in Chicago wants to write about tonight is the return of Ben Gordon to the United Center, but Gordon spent the entire 45-minute press availability time shooting on the court in an attempt to loosen up his ankle enough to actually play tonight. Thirty minutes ago Pistons head coach John Kuester still didn't know if he'd be in the game tonight or not. We'll get the inactive lists soon, but as of right now nobody seems to know. Put money of him playing, though. How could he miss this, right?

UPDATE 6:38pm CST: Ben Gordon's playing. See, I told you to put money it!

[nasty daddy]

http://www.hoopsworld.com/Blogs/Courtsi ... E_ID=36358

In talking to Tayshaun Prince, though, he said his back is feeling much, much better, and he feels like a return to the court is coming soon. The trainers haven't given him a specific timetable yet, but after watching him shootaround for about twenty minutes without so much as a grimace (and not a lot of missed shots, either), it's hard to argue with the fact that pretty soon the Pistons will be one Richard Hamilton short of a full roster. Then we can finally see what this group is made of.

Charlie Villanueva isn't going to go tonight. He said the surgery on his nose was quick and went well, and that he felt fine yesterday, but the high altitudes on the plane trip over got his head thumping. He's got a black eye and a pretty unsightly surgical incision on his nose, so it's hard not to feel bad for the guy. He says he'll be a go on Friday for sure, though.

On the Bulls side, the guys I talked to looked a little tired, but Coach Vinny Del Negro says tonight the commitment is to defense, especially transition defense, in an attempt to get the team out of their rut. Luol Deng made a point in saying that it's a long season, reminding us that at one point in his career he started the season 0-9 and still made the playoffs. By comparison, 6-9 doesn't look so bad, and despite the really rough start the team still has the 8th best record in the East, so if they get better and win more games (they should) making the playoffs shouldn't be an issue.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.freep.com/article/20091202/S ... anueva-out

Pistons' Ben Gordon in, Charlie Villanueva out vs. Bulls
Ben Gordon (ankle) is ready to play in tonight's game against the Bulls, but Pistons coach John Kuester is going to roll with the starting lineup that ended a seven-game losing streak Sunday.

That means Chucky Atkins will be at point guard, alongside Jason Maxiell, Ben Wallace, Rodney Stuckey and Jonas Jerebko against the reeling Bulls tonight. Gordon is expected to play off the bench. Forward Charlie Villanueva will miss tonight's game because of discomfort from the broken nose he suffered in Sunday's victory over the Hawks. He was still sporting a nasty looking gash on the bridge of his nose at shootaround this morning

The 6-foot-11 forward was in obvious discomfort that he said was caused by a headache and tightness in the sinus area.

[nasty daddy]

http://apps.detnews.com/apps/blogs/pist ... logid=1982

Gordon a go vs. Bulls
Ben Gordon (sprained left ankle) will play tonight against the Bulls. Gordon had missed the last two games.

[nasty daddy]

http://scores.espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=291202005

Shaquille O'Neal scored 12 points, LeBron James just missed a triple-double and the Cleveland Cavaliers opened a 30-point lead in the third quarter and dismantled Shaq's former team with a 107-90 win over the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday night.

O'Neal added nine rebounds in 21 minutes, and Cleveland center Zydrunas Ilgauskas scored 14 points while setting the club record for games played.

Channing Frye scored 22 points, and Steve Nash had 14, but five assists and six turnovers for Phoenix, which was held to a season-low in points.

[nasty daddy]

http://scores.espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=291202017

The New Jersey Nets were pounded into NBA infamy Wednesday night, falling 117-101 to the Dallas Mavericks for their 18th straight loss to start the season.

The Mavericks made 17 of 19 shots and opened a 27-point lead in a nearly flawless second quarter, burying the Nets early in former New Jersey captain Jason Kidd's second trip back to his old home.

The Nets passed the 1988-89 Miami Heat and 1999 Los Angeles Clippers, who both dropped their first 17 games. New Jersey's next chance to end the streak comes Friday at home against Charlotte.

[nasty daddy]

http://scores.espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=291202001

Al Horford had 24 points to lead nine scorers in double figures and the Atlanta Hawks enjoyed their best offensive night in 16 years to beat the slumping Toronto Raptors 146-115 on Wednesday night.

Toronto's Chris Bosh, the NBA's No. 7 scorer at 25.2 points per game, had a season-low two points in only 16 minutes. Bosh sat out much of the first half with foul trouble and most of the second half after the Hawks led by more than 20 points. His only points came on two free throws in the third period.

Josh Smith had 16 points, including 12 in the opening period, and four blocks. Marvin Williams added 15 points. Jamal Crawford had 16 points.

[nasty daddy]

http://scores.espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=291202019

Rashard Lewis scored 17 of his 20 points in the third quarter, helping the Orlando Magic pull away for an easy 118-104 victory over the New York Knicks on Wednesday night.

Dwight Howard added 19 points and 10 rebounds, and Mickael Pietrus had 17 points as Orlando scored 41 points in the decisive third quarter. The Magic have won nine of their last 10 games.

Wilson Chandler had 24 points, and Danilo Gallinari added 20 points for the struggling Knicks, who have lost six of their last seven games. Reserve Nate Robinson didn't play for the Knicks even after the guard scored 24 points -- 22 in the fourth quarter -- in a loss to the Magic last week in New York.

[nasty daddy]

http://scores.espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=291202027

Earl Boykins scored 11 of his 13 points in the final 10 minutes, including the winning free throws with a second left, to lead the Washington Wizards to a 104-102 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday night.

Boykins had a hand in the Wizards' final eight points. Gilbert Arenas led Washington with 22 points, and Nick Young scored 21.

Luke Ridnour and Hakim Warrick both scored 20 points for Milwaukee. Ridnour's jumper at the buzzer on the game's final play fell well short.

[nasty daddy]

http://scores.espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=291202025

Kevin Durant scored 33 points, Nick Collison added 18 points in his first game back from an injury and the Oklahoma City Thunder handed the Philadelphia 76ers their eighth straight loss, 117-106 on Wednesday night.

Jeff Green added 19 points, Sefolosha and Nenad Krstic scored 12 apiece and Russell Westbrook had a career-high 15 assists for Oklahoma City.

Andre Iguodala led Philadelphia with 28 points. Thaddeus Young scored 16 of his 20 in the first half, Jrue Holiday added 15 points and Willie Green had 14. Elton Brand scored 13 points in his second game back after missing three games with a sore right hamstring.

[nasty daddy]

http://scores.espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=291202004

John Salmons scored 22 points, Derrick Rose added 19 and the Chicago Bulls ended a five-game losing streak by beating the Detroit Pistons 92-85 on Wednesday night.

Detroit's Ben Gordon made his return to the United Center and heard the boos from the crowd. Gordon, who led the Bulls in scoring the previous four seasons before signing a five-year, $55 million contract with Detroit in the offseason, scored 18 points on 6-of-16 shooting and picked up five fouls.

The Bulls used an 11-0 third-quarter run to pull out to a comfortable lead and get a victory in their first home game since a 1-5 trip, mostly to the West Coast.

[nasty daddy]

http://scores.espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=291202016

Mike Conley scored a season-high 20 points and Rudy Gay scored 14 of his 20 points in the second half to help the Memphis Grizzlies rally for a 97-95 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday night.

Zach Randolph added 20 points, and O.J. Mayo had 17 for Memphis (7-12) in a game between the teams that entered the night with the two worst records in the Western Conference.

Ryan Gomes led Minnesota (2-16) with 20 points, and Ramon Sessions had 16.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.mlive.com/pistons/index.ssf/ ... _with.html

Allen Iverson back with 76ers, will face Pistons on Dec. 9
Allen Iverson returns to Philadelphia where he began his career back in 1996.Allen Iverson's first stint with the Philadelphia 76ers ended with the team yanking his nameplate off his locker and editing him out of video highlights before he was even traded. The Sixers might want to find him a new locker and cue up some clips. Philly fans, pull out that No. 3 jersey from the closet. A.I. is a Sixer again. In a move that appeared farfetched after their acrimonious split in 2006, the 76ers reunited with the briefly retired Iverson on Wednesday in a move designed to spike sagging attendance and fill in for the injured Lou Williams. Coach Eddie Jordan said Iverson likely will start and stay the entire season. "I told him I would like for him to start, and that's where it sort of ended," Jordan said. "And he was really like a kid at Christmas." Iverson will make his debut Monday night at home against Denver — one of three teams he's called home since leaving Philly. The 10-time All-Star-turned-journeyman is determined to prove he still has something to offer in that No. 3 jersey. His new boss is betting Iverson can help the staggering Sixers make a push in the Eastern Conference playoff race. "He's like a rock star," team president Ed Stefanski said. And he's back for his encore. He antagonized his coaches and opponents his first time around. Perhaps humbled, he signed after being reduced to a bench player in Denver and Memphis and forced to accept the veteran's minimum salary to return to his NBA roots."If there's going to be a chance for him to do it and make it work, there's no doubt in my mind Philadelphia is the best spot for him to try and do it," Stefanski said. Stefanski took a low risk financially to sign Iverson, but possibly derailed the long-term improvement of a slumping team tying to build around a core of young players. Rookie Jrue Holiday, who started at point guard for Williams, heads to the bench, and Jordan's Princeton offense could hit the scrap heap.The Iverson-to-Philly talks were underway once Williams was lost for eight weeks with a broken jaw. Stefanski said he never would have considered a second act for Iverson had it not been for the injury.

Iverson's reps asked Stefanski about a possible comeback last week. Iverson, his agent and business manager met with Stefanski and Jordan on Monday to jump-start contract talks.Iverson was offered a one-year, non-guaranteed contract Tuesday, according to a person who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the talks were private. He accepted the deal early Wednesday. The Sixers would owe just under $650,000 if they guarantee his contract for the remainder of the season on Jan. 10. "The whole situation wasn't about the contract and the money," Iverson's agent, Leon Rose, told The Associated Press. "It was about the opportunity and the chance to come to Philadelphia."The Sixers (5-13) had lost seven straight entering Wednesday night's game at Oklahoma City. The losing and lack of a marquee name have them buried in 29th in the NBA in attendance. Sixers VP of business operations Lara Price declined to say how many tickets were purchased for Monday's homecoming, but said: "We have seen a big jump in ticket sales as a result of today's announcement." Sixers management insisted Iverson's signing was strictly a basketball move and not to necessarily boost the gate. It had the city buzzing. Fans flooded sports radio stations to talk Iverson, TV stations cut in with live updates, and Internet message board posters were roused with his addition. Jordan, speaking at Wednesday morning's shootaround, was thrilled to have Iverson. "Without really seeing him on the floor, I would like to compare him to Brett Favre, a guy who people think is too old to play and he's almost having an MVP year," Jordan said. "That's off the top of my head. When I woke up this morning, I said, 'Maybe he can be that.' It's not a big maybe. I think he can be that." Except for a brief flirtation with the New York Knicks, no other organization was seriously interested in signing Iverson. Iverson, nicknamed "The Answer," regularly played 40 minutes when he was NBA MVP in 2001 and led the Sixers to the finals. Philadelphia hasn't won a playoff series since 2003

In 10 seasons with the Sixers, Iverson posted the highest scoring average in team history (28.1), was second on the points list (19,583) and holds the record for 3-pointers (877). He was a seven-time All-Star, won four scoring titles and two All-Star game MVPs.Iverson's last game with Philadelphia was Dec. 6, 2006, in Chicago. He refused to play the fourth quarter, had a severe falling out with former coach Maurice Cheeks and was banished from the team. Chairman Ed Snider and former GM Billy King sent Iverson home while they worked on trading their superstar.He was eventually sent to Denver as part of the Andre Miller deal, and bounced to Detroit before landing in Memphis.Snider has publicly welcomed him back."When he left our organization I did say, 'We're gonna trade him,' but that was only after he requested to be traded," Snider said in a statement. "This is an opportunity for him to shine here in Philadelphia, where it all started, with the most positive outcome."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.Iverson will get a look at another former team after playing Denver. The Sixers play at home Dec. 9 against Detroit.Sixers leading scorer Andre Iguodala, a former Iverson teammate, said he gave management the OK to make the move."That was pretty easy," he said. "I think all the guys on our team, whether they've played with him or not, realize what he can do. He can play."Iverson was the No. 1 overall pick in the 1996 draft, but his 10 turbulent seasons in Philadelphia were marred by rants about practice, run-ins with former coach Larry Brown, arrests and a failed rap career.In one infamous blowup at the end of the 2002 season, he repeated the word "practice" nearly 20 times during a rambling monologue."We had, at times, a rocky road with Allen Iverson, but we also had a fantastic run with Allen," Peter Luukko, COO of Comcast-Spectacor, which owns the 76ers and Flyers, told The AP. "The expectations with Allen have changed dramatically. We're not looking for Allen to individually lead this team the way he has in the past."Iverson has a career average of 27 points in 889 games over 14 seasons, and is tied for the fifth-highest scoring average in NBA history. He ranks third among active players."It's a great challenge, and I think it's a motivational aspect to it, too," Jordan said. "Guys are going to be jacked up. He's a winner, he's an assassin on the floor and that sort of thing is contagious."

[nasty daddy]

http://stats.mlive.com/nba/recap.asp?g= ... me=4&vis=8

Salmons, Rose lead Bulls
John Salmons scored 22 points, Derrick Rose added 19 and the Chicago Bulls ended a five-game losing streak by beating the Detroit Pistons 92-85 on Wednesday night. Detroit's Ben Gordon made his return to the United Center and heard the boos from the crowd. Gordon, who led the Bulls in scoring the previous four seasons before signing a five-year, $55 million contract with Detroit in the offseason, scored 18 points on 6-of-16 shooting and picked up five fouls. The Bulls used an 11-0 third-quarter run to pull out to a comfortable lead and get a victory in their first home game since a 1-5 trip, mostly to the West Coast. Gordon entered the game with 6:24 left in the first quarter to a mixed greeting that was mostly boos. And when he went to the line less than 2 minutes later, the boos grew louder before turning to cheers when he missed the free throw. The boos continued every time he touched the ball during the game.

Gordon, who missed the Pistons' previous two games with a sprained left ankle, finished the half with five points and three fouls. The Pistons clipped a 10-point halftime deficit to three in the third quarter before the Bulls took off. Rose drove through the lane for a hoop, Joakim Noah hit a short jumper, Salmons connected on a 3-pointer before taking a nice pass from Rose for a layup and Brad Miller followed in a shot during the 11-0 run that put the Bulls up 63-49. They led by 17 after three quarters. Detroit scrapped in the final quarter and whittled the lead to five with 16 seconds left on Gordon's two free throws before Miller hit a pair from the line to ice it. The Bulls jumped out to a 23-6 lead against the cold-shooting Pistons and led 24-10 at the end of the first quarter. Detroit, missing injured stars Richard Hamilton (ankle), Tayshaun Prince (back) and Charlie Villanueva (broken nose), shot 5 of 20 in the opening period. Chicago led 48-38 at the half behind 13 points from Salmons and 50 percent shooting.

NOTES: Noah had 14 rebounds. ... The Pistons have lost eight of nine. ... Chicago's Kirk Hinrich sat out his third straight game with a sprained thumb.