'Nasty News - Traversing Time & Space' Vol: 68

[nasty daddy]

http://www.detroitnews.com/article/2010 ... ish-strong

Slam dunks
Ben Wallace (right patella tendon strain), out since March 2, isn't expected to return this weekend.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.detroitnews.com/article/2010 ... ish-strong

Analyst Kevin McHale , on "NBA GameTime" after the Cavaliers-Pistons game: "They (Cavaliers) are having fun. I would go play for those guys, they have a ball. Right before Christmas, I saw something different in that team. They started looking like they were getting it together; they started getting that camaraderie you need to have. To me, clearly they have been the best team in the last few months of the season."

[nasty daddy]

http://www.detroitnews.com/article/2010 ... ish-strong

Kuester liked the effort his team put forth against Cleveland, but execution in the final minutes wasn't crisp. Cavaliers guard Mo Williams , in particular, took advantage with a trio of 3-pointers from the corner.

"We knew every play they were going to run," Kuester said. "We just didn't stop it."

[nasty daddy]

http://apps.detnews.com/apps/blogs/pist ... logid=2036

Terry Foster power rankings
1. Cleveland Cavaliers: How will the team react when Shaquille O'Neal returns?
2. Los Angeles Lakers: They make winning miserable.
3. Orlando Magic: Rashard Lewis can't shoot and players don't like their coach, but they keep winning.
4. Denver Nuggets: Chauncey Billups claims he needed a fresh start away from the Pistons.
5. Dallas Mavericks: Here is another top tier team experiencing a late season slump.
6. Oklahoma City: Closed in on Utah by blitzing the Jazz behind 60 percent shooting.
7. Utah Jazz: Lost back to back games but were without Mehmet Okur and Andrei Kirilenko
8. Boston Celtics: Got the fast break going against the Pistons but look sluggish against everybody else.
9. Atlanta Hawks: The versatile Hawks can beat you in the paint and on the break.
10. Phoenix Suns: Steve Nash has 1,000 games under his belt but still plays youthful.

11. San Antonio Spurs: George Hill is no Tony Parker, but few run teams like the injured Parker.
12. Portland Trailblazers: Portland won big during a soft part of the schedule.
13. Milwaukee Bucks: They are one of the surprise teams with a nice inside-outside combo.
14. Charlotte Hornets: With injuries to almost all their big men, the Hornets dragged Theo Ratliff out of mothballs.
15. Memphis Grizzlies: They won a franchise best seven straight games against Boston.
16. Miami Heat: Rafer Alston is unlikely to return from suspension so Dwyane Wade is taking over.
17. Toronto Raptors: Chris Bosh is complaining about the team in the media. That's bad news.
18. Houston Rockets: Luis Scola is a double-double machine.
19. Chicago Bulls: Ten straight opponents scored 100 points or more.
20. New Orleans Hornets: Chris Paul might be cleared to play in a week.

21. New York Knicks: People want to play here././. if Lebron James comes here.
22. Sacramento Kings: They are actually trying hard but lack enough pieces.
23. Detroit Pistons: Free agents Charlie Villanueva and Ben Gordon have been busts.
24. Philadelphia 76ers: Coach Eddie Jordan is trying to keep things business as usual.
25. Los Angeles Clippers: Another season passes where this franchise does not matter.
26. Sacramento Kings: They are playing small forward by committee and it isn't working.
27. Indiana Pacers: Three wins since the All Star break has put a damper on this franchise.
28. Golden State Warriors: It appears as if the end for coach Don Nelson is near.
29. Minnesota Timberwolves: Losers of 10 in a row, they have not won since mid February.
30. New Jersey Nets: The low point was blowing an 18 point lead in a loss to Dallas.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.freep.com/article/20100318/S ... s.-Pistons

Cavaliers' screens worked too well vs. Pistons
Cavaliers' screens worked too well. The inability to stop one basic play during his team's 113-101 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday night was particularly galling to Pistons coach John Kuester. LeBron James would be at the top of the circle and would pass to shooter Mo Williams in the corner, with Williams having been freed up by a simple back pick.

Williams (20 points) hit several of his five three-pointers during the closing stretch, when the Cavs pulled away from a 91-91 tie. You know going in that James (29 points, 12 assists and 12 rebounds) is going to get his. But when you allow Williams to knock down shots, well, you're asking for trouble.

To make matters worse for Kuester, who spent the past two seasons with the Cavs as an assistant, he knew what was coming. "We knew the play that was coming," Kuester said. "That's the play. You know it's coming, and you're yelling it's coming, but that's where they do a great job of setting screens. They set great screens."The Pistons took a day off Wednesday and will return to practice today.

[nasty daddy]

http://twitter.com/detroit_pistons

MLive: Pistons' Jason Maxiell isn't letting opponents' height advantage stop him from scoring: The 6-foot-7 Maxiel... http://bit.ly/aKLz2n

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http://twitter.com/detroit_pistons

DetNews: Pistons' Charlie Villanueva looks to finish strong: Villanueva was expected to be a subpar defensive pl... http://twurl.nl/brr11y

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http://twitter.com/detroit_pistons

DetNews: Terry Foster: Celtics garner respect but fall short of earning it: It's not fun getting old. Just ask t... http://twurl.nl/5w5bcl

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http://twitter.com/detroit_pistons

DetNews: Cavaliers clinch Central Division outright: LeBron James had 32 points, nine rebounds and nine assists ... http://twurl.nl/k67a1n

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http://www.nba.com/pistons/news/trueblu ... 00318.html

Good to Go
Just as bad news has come in waves at the Pistons this year, so have their returns from injury tended to coincide. So not only do they expect Rodney Stuckey – fully cleared medically now after his March 5 collapse at Cleveland – to be ready to play Friday at Indiana, but Ben Wallace, as well.Stuckey and Wallace both participated fully in Thursday’s practice and John Kuester said that while they haven’t concluded yet that both will play Friday, “there’s a very good chance for both of those guys,” he said. Kuester had said earlier this week that the Pistons were expecting to hear by Thursday morning whether Stuckey would be fully cleared. It was reported that he had worn a heart monitor for about one week with daily consultations with the medical team at the Cleveland Clinic, where Stuckey was first admitted and observed overnight after collapsing in the third quarter of the March 5 loss to the Cavaliers.

Stuckey declined to comment other than telling waiting reporters on his way to the locker room, “I’m good. I feel fine.” Wallace wasn’t much more expansive, repeatedly saying that his right knee that has caused him to miss time “feels good” and “I feel good.” “(Stuckey) took part in everything and did a great job, as did Ben Wallace,” Kuester said. “He looks as rested as I’ve ever seen him, so that’s the good news. He was very active today in practice.”

Kuester said he anticipates bringing both Stuckey and Wallace off the bench, leaving Will Bynum and Jason Maxiell in the starting lineup at least for the time being. Stuckey has missed the last six games and Wallace the last eight. In his six starts, Bynum is averaging 12.5 points and 8.5 assists; in his eight starts, Maxiell is averaging 10.9 points and 11.3 rebounds. The returns of Stuckey and Wallace would leave Chris Wilcox as the only remaining name in the injury report. Wilcox has missed the last 12 games with a sore back.

[nasty daddy]

http://blog.mlive.com/fullcourtpress/20 ... nks_1.html

Detroit Pistons Links: Joe Dumars praises Charlie Villanueva for playing through injuries
Joe Dumars talks injuries and evaluation [Pistons.com]
Hooper does 'Pants on the Ground.' Ugh. [Freep]
Who were the best NBA champions? [B-Ref]
Top second round steals [Sportige]
Assessing Joe Dumars [Bleacher Report]
Chatting with former assistant Mike Woodson [H.A.]
Stackhouse is really helping the Bucks [Baseline]
The most hated Celtics [PistonPowered]
LeBron and referees get along well [Dime]

[nasty daddy]

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

Pistons' Rodney Stuckey and Ben Wallace likely will play Friday against Pacers
Rodney Stuckey and Ben Wallace are likely to return to the lineup Friday when the Detroit Pistons play a road game at Indiana."There's a very good chance for both of those guys," Pistons coach John Kuester said.

Stuckey and Wallace participated in a full practice Thursday before the team left for Indiana. Stuckey has not played since collapsing on the bench March 5 during a game at Cleveland. Wallace has sat out the past eight games with a right patella tendon strain."I'm good," Stuckey said while ducking into the locker room after practice. "I feel fine."

Kuester said both players will come off the bench when they return. That means the starting lineup Friday will include Will Bynum at point guard and Jason Maxiell at center.

[nasty daddy]

http://stats.mlive.com/nba/preview.asp? ... e=11&vis=8

Pistons-Pacers Preview
The Indiana Pacers have used a string of solid performances from Danny Granger in a four-game win streak over the Detroit Pistons. Granger, though, may not be available when the Pacers try to hand the Pistons an eighth straight road loss Friday night. Indiana (22-46) played without Granger in a 99-94 loss at Cleveland on Wednesday, one night after he took an inadvertent elbow to his upper right cheek in the final minute of a 99-94 win over Charlotte. There is no timetable for his return. "It seems like he's going to be all right," coach Jim O'Brien said. "Hopefully, he'll be back in the lineup quickly. You never know when someone got hit that hard in the head area, you always have to be concerned." The Pacers are 7-13 without Granger, who missed 16 games due to a right foot injury. The Pistons (23-45) are no doubt hoping not to see Granger since he averaged 28.8 points against them over the last two seasons, including 24.5 in four straight victories. Detroit had won the previous eight meetings.

Indiana hasn't won five straight over its Central Division rival since a six-game run Feb. 23, 2000-Feb. 15, 2001, and enters this game playing well at Conseco Fieldhouse. "We've won our last three home games, so things are starting to pick up for us," O'Brien said.O'Brien's club hung in against the league-leading Cavaliers, as Roy Hibbert scored 20 points and Troy Murphy added 19 and 15 rebounds for his fourth straight double-double. Hibbert and Murphy have been solid in two wins over Detroit this season, combining for 52 points and 39 rebounds.

Detroit has lost three straight after falling 113-101 at home to Cleveland on Tuesday. The Pistons led heading into the fourth quarter before allowing 38 points. The effort came one night after a dispiriting 119-93 loss at Boston in which Detroit trailed by 29 at halftime. "We were trying to redeem ourselves, so this is very frustrating," forward Charlie Villanueva said Tuesday. "It's encouraging to see us compete like this, but it is still another loss." Richard Hamilton scored 24 points and Villanueva added 16 against the Cavaliers as the Pistons fell to 2-10 versus division opponents. "We competed," coach John Kuester said. "Guys gave everything they had. We just had some things not go our way at the end, but I'll tell you this: I was very proud of the way our guys played." Detroit is expecting starting point guard Rodney Stuckey to play Friday night, two weeks after he collapsed on the bench during a game against the Cavs. Stuckey, who has sat out the last six contests, is averaging 17.1 points and 5.0 assists.

[nasty daddy]

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

Joe Dumars' NBA Draft track record is in the middle of the pack compared to other current general managers
Joe Dumars' history in the NBA Draft is a constant source of debate among fans. While he's had some colossal flops -- Darko Milicic and Rodney White -- I've made the case that overall, he's shown an ability to find useful NBA players throughout the draft. To me, the mark of success in the NBA Draft is simply one thing: does the GM consistently find players who turn into contributors at the NBA level? All of the "he took player x when player y was available and player y is an All-Star now!" gripes are certainly fun, but they are a waste of time. Every GM can be subject to that kind of revisionist history, and Dumars certainly is. But overall, Dumars is far from the worst GM in the league when it comes to finding talent. He's right in the middle of the pack, actually. There are far worse guys teams could have overseeing their drafts than Dumars. I write this knowing it will surely lead to the typical, "Yer just a Joe D apologist, LOLz!!!" comments, but that's not why I write it. Context is always a good thing. To say that Dumars is bad at drafting players based on a couple high profile failed picks is only part of the picture. Sure, his only two lottery picks as GM were epic fails. And yes, he has to get the team's lottery pick right this year. But I like comparisons, and compared to other current NBA GMs, Dumars does an adequate job at finding talent in the draft. Now, developing it in Detroit is another thing, but that's not what this post is looking at.

separated the picks of each GM into five categories: 1. Guys who have at least one All-Star appearance; 2. Guys who are currently solid rotation players in the NBA; 3. Guys who are busts -- generally, first round picks who did not pan out; 4. Guys who are up-in-the-air -- players who have shown promise or are projects who haven't had much time in the league yet (basically, guys taken in the 2009 draft); 5. Non-factors -- guys who didn't pan out, but were second round picks, so they don't quite qualify as busts. The percentage simply refers to the amount of draft picks who are solid or better out of the total. All-Star percentage is how often each GM has managed to pick an All-Star. Bust percentage is how often the GM completely strikes out with a high pick. Here are the current GMs (NOTE: I didn't include Larry Riley, Mark Warkentien, David Kahn, Ed Stafnaski and Pat Riley, who don't have enough history as GMs to have decent bodies of work in the draft yet), ranked by the highest percentage of picks who became useful or better players. (* Denotes a player who was either traded or who was acquired for the rights to another draft pick)Most impressive to me is John Paxson. He's certainly had shortcomings as a GM in Chicago, but seeing 10-of-14 draftees have success, with James Johnson, their top pick in 2009, a possible 11th.The least impressive? Charlotte's Rod Higgins, who's yet to find even a consistent role player in his seven picks. That could partially be the fault of Larry Brown, who hates players younger than 35, but Higgins still makes the picks. Here's the rundown:

Joe Dumars:
Picks: Mateen Cleaves, Brian Cardinal, Rodney White, Mehmet Okur, Tayshaun Prince, Darko Milicic, Carlos Delfino, Andreas Glyniadakis, Rickey Paulding, Jason Maxiell, Amir Johnson, Alex Acker, Will Blalock, Rodney Stuckey, Arron Afflalo, Sammy Mejia, D.J. White, Deron Washington, Austin Daye, Jonas Jerebko, Dajuan Summers, Chase Budinger*
Picks: 22
All-Stars: 1
Solid: 9
Busts: 3
Up in the air: 3
Non-factors: 6
Percentage: 45 percent
All-Star Percentage: 4 percent
Bust Percentage: 13 percent

Rundown of other GM's in the link above^.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.freep.com/article/20100318/S ... nch-Friday

Pistons' Rodney Stuckey, Ben Wallace expected to return, come off the bench Friday
It looks like the Detroit Pistons will be back to full strength Friday night in Indianapolis. Rodney Stuckey and Ben Wallace were full participants in today’s workout at the team's practice facility, and Pistons coach John Kuester is cautiously optimistic that both players will be available Friday.

Kuester said both looked good, but because they have missed so much time, they will come off the bench when they return. “With both of those guys, they’ll come off the bench,” Kuester said. “They’ve been out past two weeks -- or close to two weeks for Stuckey -- and that’s what we’re going to do right now.”

Stuckey has missed six games since he collapsed and was carried from the arena on a stretcher while wearing an oxygen mask during a loss at Cleveland on March 5. He has undergone a battery of tests looking for potentially life-threatening condition, but all tests have come back negative. He has been cleared to return to the team. Wallace has missed eight straight games because of a sore right patellar tendon.

[nasty daddy]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=5001502

Pistons eyeing Stuckey return
Pistons coach John Kuester says he's hoping Rodney Stuckey will play Friday.Stuckey was out of the lineup Tuesday night against Cleveland, missing his sixth straight game since collapsing on the bench against the Cavs.

Kuester hopes Stuckey can practice Thursday and return to action Friday, two weeks after he went off the court on a stretcher and was taken to a hospital. Doctors cleared Stuckey for exercise last week after extensive cardiac tests.Stuckey missed two games last season after experiencing dizziness. The guard has said he's not worried about the same problems happening again.

Cavs coach Mike Brown kept guard Delonte West out of the lineup as a precaution because of a sprained knee.

[nasty daddy]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=5007112

Gasol has tonsillitis
Just when the Lakers seemed to be getting back on track with four straight wins following a dreadful 0-3 road trip, two-fifths of the starting lineup did not practice Thursday.

Pau Gasol has tonsillitis and spent the day seeing the team's ear, nose and throat doctor and Derek Fisher has a sore hip, suffered in the first half of Los Angeles win in Sacramento on Tuesday. "[Fisher] took the brunt of a heavy situation and landed on it, Pau's got swollen tonsils," Lakers coach Phil Jackson said.

Gasol will be a game-time decision on Friday when the Lakers host the Timberwolves. Fisher said he will be ready to play. He has played in 399 straight games, the league's second-longest streak.

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http://www.nba.com/pistons/news/dumars_100318.html

Q&A with Joe Dumars - Part II
Pistons president Joe Dumars sat down with Pistons.com editor Keith Langlois on Wednesday afternoon to talk about the season so far and the future of the team. Here’s Part II of their conversation:

KEITH LANGLOIS: I think if you polled Pistons fans about the bright spot of the season, they’d say Jonas Jerebko. The last time we talked in this setting, he had already established himself as a guy you felt had a bright future. But in the past month or six weeks or so, he’s shown a little more all the time with his offensive game – putting the ball on the floor, developing a more consistent mid-range and even 3-point shot. Have your expectations changed even over the last six weeks for what his ceiling might be?

JOE DUMARS: Actually, when you have a young player that’s progressing like Jonas, I think the last thing you want to do is start focusing on his ceiling. You don’t even want to talk about ceiling at this point. You just want him to keep going. I will say this: Weeks ago when you and I talked about Jonas, I remember Jonas saying a couple of months ago, offensively, I can do a lot more than I’m doing right now. I think what you’ve seen over the last six weeks or so is him become so comfortable on the court that right now he’s willing to show his offensive versatility a little bit more. That just comes with confidence and minutes and being comfortable on the court with your teammates. As a young guy, you’re always feeling your way through. There comes a point where you feel comfortable and you say, you know what, I can show my game now. These last six weeks, he’s just gotten to that point.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.nba.com/pistons/news/dumars_100318.html

KL: I talked last week to Steve Hetzel, because as you know he spends so much time working with all three rookies. When we talked about Austin, he said the difference between Austin and Jonas right now is that Jonas knows he’s earned the minutes and if he shoots and misses he’s probably not coming out of the game. Austin’s time is a little more sporadic, but even in the Cleveland game the other night, he hit two big 3s. Just talk about the progress you’ve seen from him and what can you expect from him maybe as soon as next year.

JD: I think, and I’ve said this before and I’ll continue to say this, I think Austin’s strength and conditioning will dictate his progress. I think Austin has an exceptional basketball IQ, I think Austin has definite NBA skill – surely offensively – I think he has length, that he can be an adequate defender. But all of those things are dependent on his conditioning and his strength. If he reaches his full conditioning and full strength, then I think you’re going to continue to see him get better and better and better. Once he’s at peak conditioning and peak strength, that’s going to give him even more confidence. When you’re in great shape and you feel physically strong, that breeds confidence. So a kid that has length and has skill, if he feels strong and he feels confident, he’s going to be a better player.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.nba.com/pistons/news/dumars_100318.html

KL: We’ve seen a little more of DaJuan Summers recently. A few weeks ago, Q threw him into the Boston game for a last possession of the first quarter against Paul Pierce and forced him to give the ball up. He had some nice offensive moments the other night. Just talk about his progress.

JD: All season, I think he’s shown flashes of the type of player we think he can be. He’s not gotten a lot of minutes. He’s been inactive a lot. When you have a player like that, the only thing you want to see, knowing he’s only going to get sporadic minutes, is flashes of what you can do. That’s the most you can hope for, and he’s done that. The next step for him is, OK, as you go forward in your career and you get more consistent minutes, then those flashes have to change to consistency. For his minutes, he’s shown flashes. The more minutes you get, it has to be consistent. That’s where he is as a player.