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

[nasty daddy]

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

KL: As we’ve talked before, the biggest mission for you in the off-season will be to improve the frontcourt in whatever way you can – someone who can impact the game at either end. And you’ve said the draft, free agency and trade are all on the table. The draft is probably going to be the first avenue. You’ve said you’ve seen most of the players who are probably going to be in the lottery. It’s impossible to know where you’ll be picking, but if you don’t leap into the top three and you wind up picking 8, 9 or 10, are you confident that you can find a frontcourt player who can be good enough in that range to help you as soon as next year?

JD: The further you get away from the top picks, the tougher it becomes to make that kind of statement. To sit here and say I’m confident at 8, 9, 10 that we’re going to find a frontcourt player, no, I can’t say that. What I can say is that the closer you get to the top, the more comfortable you feel. The further you get it becomes less and less of a certainty that you’ll be able to get that guy. We’re in a position where we have to wait and see what happens on that night of the lottery and see where we are. That will dictate … you ask me that night or the next day after that, how I will feel, it’s going to be based on where we are. If we’re 3 as opposed to 10, at 3 I’m going to feel a whole lot better. At 10, I don’t know. I don’t know yet what we’ll be able to get there. I think we’ll be able to get a good player, it’s just are you going to get the type of player that can come in and impact your team right away? The further away you get from that top pick …

[nasty daddy]

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

KL: The common perception of this draft is that it’s fairly rich in power forwards and centers, which fits your needs. Based on what you’ve seen, is that the right description for this draft?

JD: Yeah, where last year you had the top point guards, this year is more frontcourt, fours and fives. That bodes well for us. But I will say this. We do have a list of guys in this draft – a separate list – where we say regardless of the position, there are a handful of guys who are just too good to pass up. If you so happen to have that pick and that guy is there and it’s an average big vs. a great player at this other position, you’ve got to take the great player. There is a list. I don’t want it to be that we’re not even looking at other positions. There are other guys that are good enough to warrant us looking at and taking.

[nasty daddy]

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

KL: It’s possible that you’ll be able to use some or part of your mid-level exception to address this, too, but probably a more sure way to get a big man who can help is through trade. You’ve said you had a lot of discussions leading up to the trade deadline and nothing seemed to make sense at the time. Was there anything in there that you think could be revisited this summer?

JD: Yeah. There will be some stuff. Sometimes you have discussions leading up to the trade deadline that are just precursors to the summer. Because it’s not easy to make trades in the middle of the season, but you can also, through those talks, get a sense for who teams are willing to talk about moving. So you know, if it didn’t happen in February, we’ll revisit after the season. Because I know they were at least interested in moving this guy, but just maybe didn’t want to do it in the middle of the season. A lot of the conversations, a lot of the times you see a trade that happens in the off-season, a lot of times those conversations have taken place pre-trade deadline and are only consummated five or six months later.

[nasty daddy]

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

KL: Is there any possibility something could happen at or around the draft or would it more likely come later?

JD: Don’t know yet. Now you’re talking about other teams’ timetables and what they’re willing to do. I don’t know if the draft is the time people will be willing to do that.

[nasty daddy]

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

KL: Jason Maxiell is a guy whose play has picked up significantly. He’s started the last eight games, but even before that for a solid month as essentially Ben’s backup, he’s been playing really well – probably his best basketball, maybe of his career, and certainly since a couple of years ago when even with players like Rasheed and McDyess he was playing a significant role. Do you have any idea what has been the impetus for this suddenly improved, consistent play?

JD: Simply put, look at Max’s minutes last night – he played 36 minutes. Max has always been a guy we’ve always kept in the 20-24 minutes a game, in and out of the game. Max has been a really good player for us. We really like Maxiell. Now what’s happened with Wilcox going down, Ben Wallace being down, we depend on Max more now than at any other time in his career. He starts and is a 35 minutes a night guy. That’s a huge difference as opposed to having Rasheed and McDyess and whoever else we’ve had here. You go from being the fourth big on the team to the No. 1 option, that’s a huge difference. That’s changed as much as anything how much we depend on him now as opposed to the fourth big.

[nasty daddy]

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

KL: Going back to Flip, though, I remember him saying we really have to watch his minutes. If he gets up over 20 or certainly over 25, he loses his effectiveness. He would say he could tell in the first minute if Max had it that particular night. It has to be pleasing to see him average 32 minutes over the past eight games and we haven’t seen dips in productivity.

JD: Sometimes, it’s interesting. Sometimes as a player, when you know this is the role that’s carved out for you, you play to that role. I think what’s happened with Maxy is that he knows he can’t be a 20 to 24 minute a game player for us right now. I think he realizes that I have to be out here 35-plus minutes now. There’s a saying that sometimes teams play to the level of their competition. Well, sometimes players play to the level of their roles. When Maxy was a 20 to 24 minutes a game player, he played to that level. What you’re seeing now, 30 to 35 minute guy, he’s playing to that level.

[nasty daddy]

http://postingup.2dogs.com/member/avvie ... v=2&t=b&q=

Dumars Q&A - II

Audio in the link above^.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.detroitnews.com/article/2010 ... lay-Friday

Pistons Rodney Stuckey, Ben Wallace likely to play Friday
Rodney Stuckey and Ben Wallace might return to the Pistons' lineup for their game at Indiana on Friday night. Stuckey has missed six consecutive games since collapsing during a timeout at Cleveland on March 5. Wallace has a right patella tendon strain and has missed the last eight games.

Both players practiced Thursday. Coach John Kuester said both are game-time decisions, but was optimistic they would be cleared to play. Kuester said both likely would come off the bench, while Will Bynum and Jason Maxiell would remain in the starting lineup.

Wallace said he felt "good." Stuckey said, "I'm good, I'm good. I feel fine," before whisking past reporters to get to the locker room Thursday.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.freep.com/article/20100318/B ... is-hurting

Dumars admits it: Villanueva is hurting
Pistons president of basketball operations Joe Dumars confirmed to Pistons.com editor Keith Langlois what I’ve been hearing for some time – Charlie Villanueva isn’t healthy.

Dumars said in a Q&A posted Wednesday: “I give Charlie a lot of credit for staying with it, because of all the guys, in terms of injuries, he’s probably missed the fewest games. A lot of nights, Charlie’s been hurting out there. He’s laboring up and down the court, yet he’s staying out on the floor.” Those close to Villanueva say he is laboring with a sore back that caused him to miss a game earlier this season. He tells those close to him that he has a hard time moving and it is sometimes a struggle just getting around the house.

I can buy it – especially since it’s obvious Charlie isn’t finishing through contact around the basket like he was earlier this season. But Villanueva has issues that go past his health status, and I will delve more into those as we near the end of the season.

[nasty daddy]

http://need4sheed.com/2010/03/detroit-p ... ition.html

Detroit Pistons Introductions – The SWEDEtastic Bynumite Edition
It’s not very often that the Pistons introductions are broadcast on television, so when they are I always make sure I get them up for you. These intros feature a couple of our favorites, Will Bynum and Jonas Jerebko. Enjoy

Video in the link above^.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.nba.com/video/teams/pistons/ ... index.html

Ben Wallace Goes to School
One lucky 5th grader at Brookfield Academy had a show-and-tell session he'll never forget. But it wasn't a cool toy or exotic pet, it was none other than Ben Wallace.

Video in the link above^.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.nba.com/pistons/chat_mailbox ... 318_1.html

Pedro (Guadalajara, Mexico): In your interview with Joe D, he said he spends some of his time now seeing who the Pistons should keep going forward and who they should part with. As of now, is there anyone on the team that you cannot imagine being on the roster next season, or anyone on the team you cannot imagine not being on the roster?

Langlois: That’s tough to say, Pedro. Joe D’s not going to tip his hand, but I think the speculation that a transforming Pistons team with a frontcourt need and a perimeter surplus will be open to trading perimeter players is more than likely correct. Rodney Stuckey is 23 and probably not going anywhere. Will Bynum is a restricted free agent the Pistons don’t want to lose, so he’ll be here, most likely. That leaves Ben Gordon, Tayshaun Prince and Rip Hamilton as trade possibilities among the perimeter core. It’s certainly not that Joe D doesn’t value them, but an acknowledgement that he understands getting proven frontcourt help never comes cheap that he would consider making one or more of them available in the right deal or deals.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.nba.com/pistons/chat_mailbox ... 318_1.html

Casey (Cincinnati): I just read on Rip Hamilton’s Wikipedia page that the three-year contract extension he signed that kicks in next season is only guaranteed for the first two years with the third year partially guaranteed. Any idea if that last part is true?

Langlois: When Hamilton’s extension was first signed, it was reported by some news sources that the third year was partially guaranteed with the guaranteed portion of the deal accounting for $3 million of the reported $12.5 million called for in each year of the three-year extension. That’s another reason that the constant citing of Hamilton’s extension by ESPN.com, in particular, which has fed other criticisms, doesn’t paint an accurate picture. Hamilton, at 32, has two full years left and one year at $3 million guaranteed. That doesn’t make his contract nearly as hard to trade as has been commonly cited. There were at least two teams that inquired about Hamilton at the trade deadline this year and, I suspect, there will be others interested this summer in acquiring one of the league’s most relentless scorers whose contract is still in line with his production – at least when he’s healthy, and I don’t think the sprained ankle that was the cause of him missing 21 games this year is going to scare off potential suitors.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.971theticket.com/pages/3824327.php

Pistons' Charlie Villanueva looks to finish strong
This hasn't been the type of season Charlie Villanueva envisioned when he signed with the Pistons last summer.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.nba.com/pistons/chat_mailbox ... 318_1.html

Al (Wolverine Lake, Mich.): What’s your best guess as to where the major free agents will land this summer?

Langlois: I think LeBron winds up staying in Cleveland – unless something goes really wrong in the playoffs, like the Cavs getting bounced in the conference finals again. If not Cleveland, watch out for the Nets if they land the No. 1 pick and LeBron knows he’ll have John Wall as his point guard with a Russian multibillionaire owner, the Jay-Z connection and the new arena finally under construction in Brooklyn. That will put the pressure on the Knicks to land a star and they could pry Chris Bosh away from Toronto. Bosh, as you’ve seen from his self-produced videos, doesn’t shy away from media attention and might persuade himself to believe he could thrive in New York. Dwyane Wade stays put in Miami. My guess is Amare Stoudemire joins him, beating Carlos Boozer to the punch. Chicago, after trying to land Wade or Bosh, targets Joe Johnson and gets him by outbidding Atlanta. As much as I like Joe Johnson, I think a max contract is going to come back to haunt the team that hands him one. That leaves Boozer hanging out there. Maybe Chicago figures out a way to land him in a sign-and-trade. It’ll be the most intriguing NBA off-season in 10 years, since players like Grant Hill, Tim Duncan and Tracy McGrady were free agents.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.nba.com/pistons/chat_mailbox ... 318_1.html

Paul (Essexville, Mich.): Do the Bird rights rules apply to Will Bynum?

Langlois: As a two-year player, the Pistons hold what’s known as Early Bird rights to Bynum. That means that unless they renounce him – they will not – he will count on their 2010-11 cap at 130 percent of his current salary until they agree to a new deal. Since Bynum is making less than $1 million this season, the cap hold on Bynum will not be punitive for the Pistons – especially considering they’ll be over the cap, anyway, and not intent on clearing cap space – so there will be no urgency to get a deal done immediately. I suspect Bynum’s agent, Mark Bartelstein, will conduct due diligence in trying to solicit an attractive offer sheet for Bynum. But as I’ve maintained, the fact the 2009 draft was so rich in point guards and so few teams have a real need at that position, the market – which is always narrow for restricted free agents – figures to be pretty limited for Bynum. I think it’s possible they agree to a fairly modest short-term contract, two or three years at a nice pay hike but something well below the mid-level exception, when all is said and done. That will give Bynum some nice security, yet also give him the chance to hit the market again in a few years when a new CBA is in place and perhaps the economy is more favorable.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.nba.com/pistons/chat_mailbox ... 318_2.html

Dan (Jackson, Mich.): Wondering about Kwame Brown and Chris Wilcox. Neither are getting time, though Kwame is playing some of late. Are they just not right for Detroit’s system?

Langlois: Wilcox is out with a sore back and has been for a few weeks. He continues to be in uniform, simply because with both Rodney Stuckey and Ben Wallace out, the Pistons only have 12 bodies. But he has not been cleared to play. Brown, as you pointed out, has become the backup center now that Jason Maxiell has moved up to starter to replace Wallace. Brown’s contract is up at the end of the year. It’s possible he could return, but he probably won’t sign anywhere fast. Wilcox has one year left – actually, he has a player option that he’s likely to exercise.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.nba.com/pistons/chat_mailbox ... 318_2.html

Clark (Detroit): Is there anything wrong with Ben Gordon? He’s definitely not playing up to his caliber, but I thought he was healthy now. Is he just in a slump resulting from all his injuries?

Langlois: I asked Joe Dumars about Gordon in a Q&A we did Wednesday, Clark. You can read his answer here.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.nba.com/pistons/chat_mailbox ... 318_2.html

Celest (Orangeburg, S. Carolina): Some tough times for our Pistons. I’m a fan no matter what and can’t wait for the April 10 game in Charlotte. My question is doesn’t it seem like we are one or two dominant players away from being the caliber of team we were a few seasons ago? Who is Joe Dumars likely to pursue during the off-season?

Langlois: Dominant players are few and far between, Celest. While Joe Dumars would love to land even one, I don’t think he’s of a mind-set that if he doesn’t land a proven All-Star-caliber player between now and the start of next season that the Pistons can’t improve significantly, given good health, the natural progression of younger players, another productive draft and whatever off-season moves he can muster between free agency and trades.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.nba.com/pistons/chat_mailbox ... 318_2.html

Sean (Southfield, Mich.): I think John Kuester is a great coach, but the defense of this year’s team has been terrible and there is no aggressive effort to make changes. When will we see changes?

Langlois: The Pistons rank in the lower third in the league in field-goal percentage defense and that’s not going to be good enough to allow a team to challenge for the postseason unless it’s an overpowering scoring team. The Pistons aren’t that, either. Injuries have been disruptive. The Pistons have some pretty good individual defenders, but more than ever defense is a five-man pursuit in today’s NBA and the Pistons haven’t played consistently good team defense. I don’t know what changes are realistic in the 14 games remaining this season, especially with Ben Wallace and Rodney Stuckey, two of the team’s top individual defenders, uncertain in what they’ll be able to contribute. Kuester came into the job talking on his first day about the need to play stout team defense, so it certainly isn’t for lack of emphasis that it’s fallen short. The Pistons need to get bigger and more athletic in their frontcourt. If they get that accomplished over the summer and have better luck with injuries next season – and it’s hard to imagine they won’t have better luck on the health front – I think it’s reasonable to believe they can be at least an average team defensively.