'Nasty News - Traversing Time & Space' Vol: 63

[nasty daddy]

http://www.detroitnews.com/article/2010 ... ons-lineup

Kuester worked with Richard Hamilton on a shooting drill after practice and watched as Hamilton sank jumper after jumper.

"He's starting to get his legs back and that's important," Kuester said.

[nasty daddy]

http://scores.espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=300114026

Rookie Sundiata Gaines hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer to end a frenzied series of comebacks and give the Utah Jazz a 97-96 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Thursday night.

LeBron James had led the Cavaliers on a 22-4 run earlier in the fourth quarter and put the Cavs up by six points with 32.5 seconds left, but Cleveland couldn't clinch it from the free throw line.

Gaines, signed to a 10-day contract when starter Deron Williams sprained his right wrist, finished with nine points.

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http://twitter.com/detroit_pistons

DetNews: Deng scores 25 points as Bulls beat Celtics: Deng scored 25 points and the Chicago Bulls won their thir... http://twurl.nl/17f5pw

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http://twitter.com/detroit_pistons

DetNews: Jonas Jerebko looks sharp in return to Pistons lineup: When Jerebko found himself on the bench Jan. 6 i... http://twurl.nl/ajjnlc

[nasty daddy]

http://twitter.com/detroit_pistons

DetNews: Jonas Jerebko looks sharp in return to Pistons lineup: When Jerebko found himself on the bench Jan. 6 i... http://twurl.nl/ajjnlc

[nasty daddy]

http://twitter.com/detroit_pistons

Freep: Pistons' Dumars will explore deadline trades: "We will not be averse to being active before the trading dea... http://bit.ly/5NpMJ5

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http://twitter.com/detroit_pistons

MLive: With losing skid behind them, Pistons now must prove they're a playoff team: Detroit is among eight teams i... http://bit.ly/8TNcDN

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http://www.freep.com/article/20100115/S ... dies-at-87

Isiah's mom, Mary Thomas, dies at 87
Mary Thomas was a familiar part of the Bad Boys era, perhaps best known for delivering the two-word punch line in a 1986 Detroit Edison commercial she made with her famous son: "Oh, Isiah!" Thomas, the mother of Pistons great Isiah Thomas, died Wednesday morning at a suburban Chicago hospital at the age of 87. She had battled heart problems for years and underwent open-heart surgery in November.

The story of her struggle to raise a family on the mean streets of Chicago's West Side reached beyond Detroit, too: It was made into a 1989 movie, "A Mother's Courage: The Mary Thomas Story," starring Alfre Woodard. "I didn't see why they wanted to do it," Mary told the Free Press of the movie then. "Really, the truth about it is I did the best I could to raise up my kids and do the right thing. I wish more parents would do likewise."

Isiah Thomas, now the head coach at Florida International, has joined the family in Chicago and is expected to miss at least two games.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.freep.com/article/20100115/S ... dies-at-87

Dumars: Pistons 'not a finished product'
Pistons president Joe Dumars admitted to the Associated Press on Thursday that he just might be ready to make some more moves at the NBA trade deadline, which is Feb. 18. "We will not be averse to being active before the trading deadline," he said. "But we're definitely not going to be active just to be active. At this stage, it has to make sense for us going forward. We're not looking for a short-term fix. "We are not a finished product.

We have some holes to fill and we will go about doing that."

Not a finished product? Pretty strong talk, just because you're 12-25.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.freep.com/article/20100115/S ... turnaround

Tonight: Hornets
Matchup: Pistons 12-25; New Orleans 20-17.
Tipoff: 8, the Palace.
TV/radio: FSD; WXYT-FM (97.1).
Noteworthy: The Hornets are 16-11 under Jeff Bower, who took over after Byron Scott was fired.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.freep.com/article/20100115/S ... turnaround

Timing is perfect for a Pistons turnaround
Thirty-seven games into the season, the last-place Pistons are banged up and need a winning streak.With eight of their next nine games at home, tonight against New Orleans would be a good time to start one. The last time the Pistons played at home -- against Philadelphia on Saturday -- they were booed during a 104-94 loss. "We need to make a run playing on our own court -- we must protect it," said forward Charlie Villanueva, who is averaging 14.1 points and 5.4 rebounds. "We have a little taste of winning, and we need to go from there and move forward."

The Pistons ended a 13-game losing streak Tuesday by beating Washington. "It's amazing what winning can do," Villanueva said. "You could tell the vibe was different today. We have an advantage now with a bunch of home games coming up. The fans want to get their money's worth. I would have booed, too."

Said coach John Kuester: "Having a player like Charlie that can give us an inside and outside presence is important." Villanueva played 29 minutes and 33 seconds, scoring 23 points off the bench. "We've talked to him about coming in and being aggressive, and continue to get better defensively," Kuester said.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.freep.com/article/20100115/C ... o-injuries

Slam John Kuester? Don't add insult to injuries
John Kuester's Pistons are on a one-game winning streak, which might not sound like much, but considering it follows a 13-game losing streak, the Pistons will take it. Kuester has two problems. One is that he is trying to put together a puzzle in which the pieces don't really fit. The other problem is that every time he reaches for a piece, it breaks in half and he can't use it anymore. The season began with people fairly wondering whether the Pistons' assortment of wing players -- Rodney Stuckey, Rip Hamilton, Ben Gordon and Tayshaun Prince -- could play together. Apparently the basketball gods decided the answer was no. Gordon, Hamilton and Prince have been in and out of the lineup with injuries. The result has been an undersized team that shoots poorly. That's a pretty good recipe for losing in the NBA. I still like the Pistons' approach: Bring in young talent, don't overextend on any individual contract, then (I presume) deal one or two players for pieces that fit better.

I think that, as currently constructed, the Pistons are one of the top eight teams in the East when they are healthy. But in the meantime, Kuester has limited options. What does he do when Hamilton, a career 45% shooter, is shooting 39%? People may wonder if Hamilton is over the hill, but he is only 31 and put up good numbers in an impossible situation last year. He has dealt with ankle and hamstring injuries; logically, those will slow down a jump shooter who comes off screens. Kuester has no choice but to keep giving Hamilton his minutes, figuring he will come around. And what does he do with Stuckey, who remains the most intriguing player on the team? Stuckey's ceiling is highest at point guard -- he has a chance to be a 6-foot-5 scoring point guard someday.Unfortunately, he is not really a point guard right now. He has played his best when the Pistons took him off the ball. But since the Pistons are trying to build a contender, they are trying to develop him at the point. It makes sense, but the growth process can be difficult -- on both the team and Stuckey. "One game he's one, one game he's two," Kuester said. "Back and forth. He's really focused in and locked in to a lot of the things we're doing.

He's got the ability to play both positions extremely well, and that's a tremendous gift." After a poor defensive performance last season, Stuckey has guarded point guards, shooting guards and small forwards competently. "The ceiling is high," Kuester said. "He's guarded everybody. That is a luxury when you have a guy at the point with tremendous size." What does Kuester do about the defense? As he said Thursday, "In '04, when we were here, we were able to, when things weren't going well offensively, we were so tough-minded defensively. That's one of the hard things about this group right here, is they're learning what we're trying to accomplish defensively." Kuester was absolutely not complaining; he has taken pains to praise his players and general manager Joe Dumars. He knew last summer that this was a rebuilding situation. That's the job he wanted. It would just be nice if he got a real chance to do it.

[nasty daddy]

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

Detroit Pistons made a mistake not trading for Rajon Rondo, Ray Allen
After using an inordinate amount of words praising his body of work last week, it's fair to say Joe Dumars made a big mistake not pulling the trigger on a summer trade offer. In June, it was reported the Pistons rejected an offer from the Celtics that would have sent Rodney Stuckey, Richard Hamilton and Tayshaun Prince to Boston in exchange for Rajon Rondo and Ray Allen. At the time, most Pistons fans ridiculed Boston's offer. The few voices that supported the deal were verbally berated -- as you can see in the comments section of the story. Now, seven months later, feelings have likely changed about the proposal. A string of injuries have essentially sabotaged the Pistons' season, and the rebuilding process is taking the franchise a lot closer to the bottom of the league than Joe Dumars likely ever anticipated. Add to the fact that Hamilton's contract seems untradeable, Prince's unexpected injury issues and Rodney Stuckey's lack of development as a point guard, the idea of having a soon-to-be All-Star point guard and a $20 million expiring contract on the roster is a dream scenario.

With his development aided by a star-studded starting lineup, Rondo has become a star in his own right. He's developed into one of the league's top point guards, averaging 9.7 assists and he's a nightmare on the defensive end, leading the NBA with 2.5 steals per night. Rondo is also a dominant finisher at the rim. Using his lightning-quick speed to get by defenders, Rondo rarely misses from close range. Only six guards are averaging more than Rondo's 5.6 field goal attempts at the rim and none of those players are shooting better than the 66.3 percent he shoots in that area. For comparison's sake, Pistons guard Rodney Stuckey is one of the players averaging more attempts at the rim, but he's only converting at a 53.1 percent rate on his 6.1 attempts. Now, factor in the salary relief the Pistons would have received in the deal. Assuming Rondo would have signed a similar deal with the Pistons that he inked with the Celtics in November, and factoring in Ray Allen's expiring contract, the Pistons would be looking at a payroll under $35 million heading into the 2010 free agency class. That's enough money to potentially lure a superstar to Motown. Cough, Chris Bosh, cough.

Edit: I got schooled on some math by former Full-Court Press blogger Dave Dial. You can see that in his comment below, but here's a more realistic look at the cap implications: http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r118 ... oTrade.png. I knew I hired this guy for a reason.
There's a cliché about hindsight that obviously applies to this scenario, but a general manager is responsible for having some foresight. It's unfair to criticize Dumars for the injury problems the Pistons have suffered through this year, and it's difficult to say where they'd be without them, but it's possible, probably likely, the Pistons would be going through a smoother rebuilding period had they made this trade.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.nba.com/pistons/video/2010/0 ... index.html

Scouting Report - New Orleans Hornets
Scott Perry talks with the Pistons Weekly's Pete Skorich about tonight's game with the Hornets.

Video in the link above^.

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http://64.246.64.33/merge/tsnform.aspx? ... v12085.htm

New Orleans Hornets (20-17) at Detroit Pistons (12-25), 8 p.m.
The Detroit Pistons hope to build on their first win in a month Friday when they play host to the New Orleans Hornets at The Palace of Auburn Hills. Charlie Villanueva scored 23 points and grabbed nine rebounds on Tuesday as the Pistons avoided matching the longest losing streak in franchise history with a 99-90 triumph over the hapless Wizards. Detroit had lost 13 straight since defeating the Golden State Warriors, 104-95, on December 12. Efforts by Richard Hamilton and Rodney Stuckey, who each logged 19 points, helped avoid equaling the Pistons' 14-game skid set nearly 30 years ago, May 7-30, 1980. Stuckey also tied his career-high with 11 assists. "We just had to get off that slide and put us in the right direction," Pistons head coach John Kuester said. "The players have persevered this whole time. They're the ones that deserve it."

The Hornets, meanwhile, won for the seventh time in eight tries Wednesday when Emeka Okafor led all scorers with 21 points and grabbed seven rebounds as New Orleans claimed a 108-94 win over the Los Angeles Clippers in the Big Easy. Peja Stojakovic recorded 20 points and Chris Paul turned in a solid game with 15 points and 15 assists for New Orleans, which regrouped after having its six-game winning streak snapped with a 96-92 loss at Philadelphia on Monday. "It helped to get a game with a little bit of cushion in it, because we only had a two point lead at the half," Hornets head coach Jeff Bower said. "For the most part we got the types of shots we were looking for. We didn't knock them all down, but we stayed at it."

The Hornets, who are just 5-14 on the road this season, have won three straight over the Pistons, including a 95-87 win in New Orleans on Dec. 16. The Pistons, meanwhile, are suffering through their longest drought at home in years. Detroit has dropped five consecutive games at The Palace, its most since an eight-game skid from Dec. 30, 2000-Feb. 2, 2001.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.nba.com/2010/news/01/15/jazz ... ef:nbahpt2

Jazz guard Deron Williams hurts wrist again
Utah Jazz point guard Deron Williams re-injured his right wrist Thursday night early in the fourth quarter against Cleveland.

Williams got tangled up with Mo Williams and ran over the Cavaliers' point guard, drawing his fifth foul with 11:23 left in the game. Deron Williams started to push himself up, then winced in pain while grabbing at his wrist.

He was led to the locker room while holding his wrist, the same one he sprained and bruised in a fall Jan. 4 against New Orleans. Williams missed two games with the injury. The Jazz also lost forward Andrei Kirilenko in the third quarter Thursday with a hyper-extended right knee.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.nba.com/pistons/news/prereport_100115.html

Pistons vs. Hornets
The PRE Report
Broadcast Schedule:
7:00 p.m. - Pistons In-Focus
7:30 p.m. - Pistons Live
8:00 p.m. - Watch Live on FS Detroit HD
8:00 p.m. - Join the Chat and Listen Live
"Cash for Clunkers" Jersey Deal
Got an old Pistons jersey that you don't wear anymore? Bring it to The Palace to get $20 off a new one. More info.
The month-long losing streak is over, but the Pistons still need to give the home fans something to cheer about tonight against New Orleans. Detroit has lost its last five games at The Palace by an average of 16 points, including a 94-64 loss to the Raptors that tied the franchise low for scoring. “The fans, we need them. We need their support,” said Charlie Villanueva, whose 23 points helped the Pistons win at Washington Wednesday, 99-90. “They’ve been good all year round, even when we lost those 13 games. I believe that the fans are with us. But now we need them more than ever so we can make this push.” Detroit will need all the help it can get against the Hornets, who have won seven of their last eight games, but are just 5-14 outside of New Orleans.

All-NBA point guard Chris Paul is averaging 15.8 points and 14.8 assists in his last five games, over which time the Hornets are scoring 103.0 points a night. Paul is getting a nice offensive boost from center Emeka Okafor (11.4 ppg) and Peja Stojakovic (11.6). Both players have scored at least 20 points in two of New Orleans’ last three games. Okafor had 21 points and Stojakovic added 20 in the Hornets’ last outing, a 108-94 rout of the Clippers on Wednesday. “Chris Paul is one of the best point guards in this league,” said Pistons coach John Kuester. “[All-Star forward David] West also complements him extremely well and Okafor also is doing a good job so we’ve got to make sure we do a good job of containing Chris Paul, which is very difficult to do, in pick-and-roll situations.” Paul is tied with Steve Nash for the league lead in assists (11.2 apg). He had 16 points and 12 assists against the Pistons on Dec. 16, leading the Hornets to a 95-87 victory.

Rodney Stuckey led the Pistons that night with 26 points and five assists. Stuckey, who made 11 of 26 shots, can expect the green light from Kuester again tonight. "'I want Rodney to push it as much as he possibly can and become a strong factor is getting us easy opportunities,” he said. “Rodney has really played extremely well.” Stuckey did a pretty favorable impersonation of Paul Wednesday with 19 points, 11 assists and six rebounds. The 11 assists tied his career high for the third time. “Here’s a young man that in the Washington game did not feel great and really pushed himself to another level to make sure we got a W,” Kuester said. “I was very impressed with his focus and how he was locked in defensively.” Will Bynum, who dished a season-high nine assists against the Hornets in the first meeting, is still out of the lineup, while Ben Gordon and Tayshaun Prince, who both essentially missed the last two games (Gordon played six minutes at Chicago), are game-time decisions.

[nasty daddy]

http://64.246.64.33/merge/tsnform.aspx? ... v12085.htm

New Orleans Hornets (20-17) at Detroit Pistons (12-25), 8 p.m.
The Detroit Pistons hope to build on their first win in a month Friday when they play host to the New Orleans Hornets at The Palace of Auburn Hills. Charlie Villanueva scored 23 points and grabbed nine rebounds on Tuesday as the Pistons avoided matching the longest losing streak in franchise history with a 99-90 triumph over the hapless Wizards. Detroit had lost 13 straight since defeating the Golden State Warriors, 104-95, on December 12.Efforts by Richard Hamilton and Rodney Stuckey, who each logged 19 points, helped avoid equaling the Pistons' 14-game skid set nearly 30 years ago, May 7-30, 1980. Stuckey also tied his career-high with 11 assists. "We just had to get off that slide and put us in the right direction," Pistons head coach John Kuester said. "The players have persevered this whole time. They're the ones that deserve it."

The Hornets, meanwhile, won for the seventh time in eight tries Wednesday when Emeka Okafor led all scorers with 21 points and grabbed seven rebounds as New Orleans claimed a 108-94 win over the Los Angeles Clippers in the Big Easy. Peja Stojakovic recorded 20 points and Chris Paul turned in a solid game with 15 points and 15 assists for New Orleans, which regrouped after having its six-game winning streak snapped with a 96-92 loss at Philadelphia on Monday. "It helped to get a game with a little bit of cushion in it, because we only had a two point lead at the half," Hornets head coach Jeff Bower said. "For the most part we got the types of shots we were looking for. We didn't knock them all down, but we stayed at it."

The Hornets, who are just 5-14 on the road this season, have won three straight over the Pistons, including a 95-87 win in New Orleans on Dec. 16. The Pistons, meanwhile, are suffering through their longest drought at home in years. Detroit has dropped five consecutive games at The Palace, its most since an eight-game skid from Dec. 30, 2000-Feb. 2, 2001.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.nba.com/pistons/news/prereport_100115.html

Scouting Report - New Orleans Hornets
Scott Perry talks with the Pistons Weekly's Pete Skorich about tonight's game with the Hornets.

Key Matchup
Villanueva
36
14.1
5.4
0.8
.446 Games
PPG
RPG
APG
FG% 37
17.4
7.5
2.3
.484
West

Charlie Villanueva’s mask reappeared along with his stroke Wednesday night, which could be a good omen against the Hornets. Villanueva’s pain was the Pistons’ gain after he took an inadvertent elbow to the face from Wizards center Brendan Haywood. He made nine of 13 shots for 23 points, including five of six on 3-pointers – four straight after donning the mask. “It felt pretty good, it didn’t bother me at all,” said Villanueva, who abruptly stopped wearing the mask on Dec. 20 while the Pistons were hosting the Lakers. From Dec. 20-29, he scored just 18 points in a five-game span, going scoreless twice. He shot just 17.1 percent from the field, including 0-for-11 from downtown. A painful foot injury may have had more to do with that than the mask’s magical powers, but Villanueva isn’t questioning the results and will continue to wear the mask for the time being. His 23 points are the most he’s scored since the Pistons’ last win prior to Wednesday, when he had 24 against the Warriors Dec. 12. “As you can tell, when Charlie has it going, it’s huge for us because one of the things it does for Charlie, it fuels his defense… and he’s been really trying to get better at that area, too,” Pistons coach John Kuester said. Kuester will need Villanueva to get defensive against All-Star forward David West, who scored at will against Detroit on Dec. 16. West made 15 of 22 shots en route to 32 points and 12 rebounds. “When [Villanueva] draws charges or he comes close to getting seven rebounds, nine rebounds like he’s capable of doing, that’s a big boost for us,” Kuester added. Villanueva posted 18 points and eight rebounds on 7-of-14 shooting, including 3-of-7 from beyond the arc, at New Orleans.

[nasty daddy]

http://need4sheed.com/2010/01/dumars-says-2.html

Dumars Says
We will not be averse to being active before the trading deadline, but we’re definitely not going to be active just to be active. At this stage, it has to make sense for us going forward. We’re not looking for a short-term fix.

We are not a finished product. we have some holes to fill and we will go about doing that.

Joe Dumars in an interview with Larry Lage of the Associated Press