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

[nasty daddy]

http://www.pistonpowered.com/2010/01/de ... on-grades/

Team: D
This has been a pretty disappointing season. Detroit was never going to contend for a title this year. Rather the goal was to make the playoffs. And as the Pistons are learning, when you’re that fragile, injuries matter – a lot. They haven’t had a chance to show what they can be, and they might never. The first half of the season was a disaster, and it probably means Detroit will miss the playoffs for the first time in nine seasons. But that’s hardly a given. There’s still plenty of hope and intrigue left in these final 41 games.

[nasty daddy]

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news;_ylt=A ... &type=lgns

Clippers’ Telfair, Gordon sidelined in Denver
The Los Angeles Clippers will be without guards Eric Gordon(notes) and Sebastian Telfair(notes) against the Denver Nuggets because of injuries.

Gordon and Telfair were both hurt during Wednesday’s 104-97 victory over the Chicago Bulls at Staples Center and were not available to play Thursday night as the Clippers opened a season-high eight-game road trip against Denver. Gordon sprained his left big toe and Telfair sustained a strained groin against the Bulls.

During a pre-game news conference, Clippers coach Mike Dunleavy said Telfair did not accompany the team to Denver and would be seeing a specialist on Friday for further evaluation.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.insidehoops.com/blog/?p=5302

Mo Williams out 4-6 weeks with shoulder sprain
George M. Thomas of the Akron Beacon Journal reports: The reality is sinking in. The Cavaliers must adjust to playing without point guard Mo Williams, who is out from four to six weeks with a shoulder sprain. ”It’s huge. The last two years, a lot of the success we’ve had as a team has been because Mo has been our point guard,” Cavs forward LeBron James said Thursday.

Williams injured his shoulder Tuesday night while playing the Toronto Raptors, but eventually returned to the game to help lead the Cavaliers to a 108-100 victory. ”He’s our second-leading scorer, but I like the guys in that locker room,” Cavs coach Mike Brown said. ”I’m confident we’ll have other guys step up.”

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http://www.cleveland.com/cavs/index.ssf ... er_in.html

Delonte West suffers finger injury in Cavs' victory over Lakers
Delonte West suffered an injury to the ring finger on his left hand late in the fourth quarter after chasing a loose ball. West, who is left-handed, was able to finish the game but was in discomfort afterward. The Cavs did not announce the injury but he's expected to have tests on the finger at the Cleveland Clinic on Friday.

He left the The Q wearing a split on the finger, it was not clear if he'd had x-rays before leaving.

The injury, if it is serious, could come at a bad time for the team. West made his first start of the season at point guard against the Lakers, scoring three points with three assists, because starter Mo Williams was ruled out for the next 4-6 weeks with a sprained shoulder.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.hoopsworld.com/chat.asp?chat_topics_id=725

Kevin in Riverview, MI:
Rumors of a Pistons sale have the team leaving Detroit. Anything concrete on that front?

Jason Fleming:
Rumors of a sale, yes...moving? I don't know about that. It would be very, very, very hard to get a move out of one of the biggest cities in the U.S. approved by the NBA Board of Governors. I don't think there is anywhere they could move that could be better than Detroit. Sure, Detroit is down a bit right now - team and the city - but they'll rebound. They always do. NBA owners know this, and they know having a team in Detroit is much better for the league as a whole than not having a team in Detroit.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.hoopsworld.com/HeadlineStories.html

Mo Williams Out 4-6 Weeks
Cavaliers starting point guard Mo Williams will miss at least one month with a sprained left shoulder, a major blow to the Eastern Conference's top team. An MRI revealed the sprain and the Cavs said that Williams, who has played in 124 of a possible 125 games since joining Cleveland before last season, is projected to be out for the ``next four to six weeks'' - a timetable that could keep him out until the first week in March.

Williams is the club's second-leading scorer and top playmaker other than LeBron James. His loss figures to test the Cavs like nothing else so far this season.

``It's huge,'' James said before Thursday's showdown with the Los Angeles Lakers. ``The last two years a lot of the reason for the success we've had as a team is because Mo has been our point guard. He has been the guy that has kept us under wraps and played in almost every single game. When you lose an All-Star point guard it hurts. It hurts a lot. ``Guys got to step up. Guys have no choice but to step up.''

[nasty daddy]

http://www.hoopsworld.com/HeadlineStories.html

Roy Seeks Second Opinion in Seattle
Trail Blazers guard Brandon Roy did not travel with the team to Boston Thursday morning and instead flew to Seattle for a second opinion on his strained right hamstring.

As expected, Roy will miss the Blazers’ next two games — Friday at Boston and Saturday at Detroit — and could miss even more, depending on what doctors in Seattle say about his balky right leg.

“We’re going to reevaluate him again next week,” coach Nate McMillan said. “But he won’t play the next two games."

[nasty daddy]

http://www.hoopsworld.com/HeadlineStories.html

Extent of West's Finger Injury Unknown
There may have been a downside to the Cavaliers' 93-87 win over the Lakers on Thursday night.

Delonte West suffered an injury to the ring finger on his left hand late in the fourth quarter after chasing a loose ball. West, who is left-handed, was able to finish the game but was in discomfort afterward. The Cavs did not announce the injury but he's expected to have tests on the finger at the Cleveland Clinic on Friday.

He left the The Q wearing a split on the finger, it was not clear if he'd had x-rays before leaving.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.hoopsworld.com/HeadlineStories.html

Roy Out Four Games, Minimum
Bob Myers, the agent for Brandon Roy, said the All-Star guard will be given one week of rest before his right hamstring is re-evaluated next Thursday.

That means Roy will miss at least the Blazers' next four games: Tonight in Boston, Saturday in Detroit, and home games Jan. 25 against New Orleans and Jan. 27 against Utah.

Roy flew to from Philadelphia to Seattle with team athletic trainer Jay Jensen on Thursday to receive a second opinion on his strained right hamstring. The consensus out of that meeting was to give Roy a week to recover, then determine a course of action.

[nasty daddy]

http://blog.mlive.com/ottoman-empire/20 ... _vote.html

Allen Iverson as an All-Star means fans should lose their vote
Joe Dumars and Allen Iverson last season. Not one of the Piston's finest moments.Allen Iverson is an All-Star. Let that sink in. NBA fans get to vote for the five starters in each Conference in the game, and Iverson received 1,269,568 votes, second to only Miami's Dwyane Wade among guards in the East. Iverson had a tumultuous season here in Detroit last year, where his ego got the better of him, and he was anything but a team player. He got voted in as a starter last year, too. The Pistons smartly chose not to re-sign Iverson this off-season, so he went to Memphis. He played in a whopping one game with the Grizzlies before complaining that he wasn't getting used properly. They cut him less than a week later. Then Iverson signed with his original team in Philadelphia, where he has played in 11 games. He's scoring just 14.4 points per game, a full dozen below his career average. Sounds like an All-Star to me.

As bad as the A-I selection is, the NBA almost had an even bigger travesty. When the preliminary voting was revealed a couple weeks ago, Houston's Tracy McGrady had the votes to be a starter in the West. McGrady has played in six total games this season, and didn't play more than eight minutes in any of them. Luckily for the Association, Phoenix's Steve Nash got a late push, and rolled past McGrady. But just the fact that it was even a possibility that two of the 10 starting spots in the All-Star Game almost went to two undeserving players proves one things. Fans should not be allowed to vote on anything. Iverson and McGrady are names. It's the only reason why they got so many votes.

NBA officials claim the fan vote helps get more people interested in the game (and the fact that I'm writing about it may prove their point) and makes sure the players that fans want to see are in the starting lineup. But does anyone really want to see Allen Iverson and Tracy McGrady play? The votes say yes, but logic says no. Yes, it's a meaningless exhibition game, but it will be even more meaningless if washed up former greats like A-I and T-Mac play in it. The fans have given us proof that they don't deserve a vote.

[nasty daddy]

http://need4sheed.com/2010/01/the-pisto ... acers.html

The Pistons vs. The Pacers
The 15-26 Pistons are hosting their old playoff foes the 14-28 Indian Pacers tonight at The Palace.

Injury Report:
Ben Gordon, Tayshaun Prince and Will Bynum are all listed as questionable. No official word on their status at the moment.

Tip is at 8:00 pm EST and will be televised on Fox Sports Detroit. For the radio broadcast tune in to 97.1 The Ticket or follow the action over at NBA.com.

[nasty daddy]

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

Joe Dumars shouldn't be afraid to use Detroit Pistons' potential lottery pick as trade bait
General manager Joe Dumars shouldn't be afraid to trade away the Pistons first-round draft pick if Detroit could acquire a young star player like Memphis' Rudy Gay.With the NBA trade deadline fast approaching rumors and speculation are about to pick up. ESPN.com's Chad Ford, citing a pair of general managers, says the Memphis Grizzlies are shopping 23-year-old forward Rudy Gay. Gay being on the block makes sense since he and the Grizzlies were unable to come to terms on a new contract back in the fall. The Grizzlies were reportedly offering a five-year deal worth $50 million while Gay was holding out for $65 million over the same duration. Without a contract, Gay will be enter the 2010 offseason a restricted free agent. Pondering potential trading partners for the Grizzlies, Ford suggested the Pistons might be a match if they offered a package of Tayshaun Prince and their upcoming first-round pick.

It's important to note that the rumor is purely speculation on Ford's part. There is no evidence that either team is interested in making this trade. Still, it begs the question, is Gay, or any other player on the trading block, worth the Pistons including their 2010 first-round draft pick?On the surface Gay is a budding superstar. He's averaging over 20 points and six rebounds this fourth season. There are also plenty of critics about his style of play. John Hollinger had a scatching criticism of his 2008-09 season, saying Gay was headed toward becoming one of the most-overrated players in the NBA. Gay's defense is also questionable. A problem that would likely be magnified on a Pistons team who spent their entire offseason budget on two players with exceptional offensive skills that struggle on the defensive end. As it stands right now, the Detroit Pistons are a lottery team. But, despite all their struggles, they are still only 3.5 games out of the playoff hunt. It's almost impossible to gauge where the team will finish the regular season, leaving the true value of their first-round pick in question. The team could continue to struggle with injuries all season, end up in the lottery and hit the jackpot by landing one of the top three picks. Or, they could put together a decent second half of the season, make the playoffs and have a pick in middle of the first round.

When negotiating a trade in the NBA, a general manager has the right to add protective clauses to draft picks. It's not uncommon for a pick to be lottery protected or top three protected. This means if a team's draft slot falls within the protected range, the team has the option to defer trading the pick for another season. If Joe Dumars were to follow up Chad Ford's advice (he might want to think twice) and offer Prince and the Pistons' first-round pick to Memphis, it would be wise to place a top three protection on the pick. Given what we know about Gay, both positive and negative, combined with Dumars hit-or-miss record in the draft, I think this hypotethical trade should at least be seriously considered. Not to mention, the acquisition of Gay would really bolster the UConn West thing the Pistons have going on. Even if Gay isn't a player the Pistons would consider acquiring, Joe Dumars shouldn't be afraid to leverage the Pistons' first-round draft pick in a trade for a young star that may become available near the trade deadline.

[nasty daddy]

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

Least fantasy basketball impact this season? The Detroit Pistons
As someone who has taken Ben Wallace with the No. 1 overall pick in three fantasy drafts, obviously I'm not an expert on fantasy basketball.

There are, however, some experts over at Empty the Bench, and they took a look at which team's players have made the least amount of impact in fantasy basketball this season. Not surprisingly, the Pistons are among the bottom: It’s a close call between the Detroit Pistons and New Jersey Nets, two craptacular offensive powder puffs at the bottom of the league in team scoring, field-goal percentage, and assists, but the difference between them is that the Pistons actually have some established, proven firepower; they just haven’t gotten it done so far. Attribute it to lingering injuries (Rip Hamilton, Ben Gordon, Tayshaun Prince, Will Bynum) or to disappointing play (Charlie Villanueva, at times Rodney Stuckey), but either way this team, whose strength was supposed to be on the offensive end, has given fantasy owners very little to cheer about. Never would have thought that 35-year-old Ben Wallace would be the most valuable fantasy contributor.

Other than the injuries, I think it's fairly obvious what the problem is for Pistons as fantasy players. They have guys -- Rodney Stuckey, Rip Hamilton, Charlie Villanueva, Ben Gordon -- who put up solid-to-good numbers in one or maybe two categories, but no one who can fill up a stat sheet. Fantasy value is not necessarily a reflection of on-court performance though -- I think most Pistons, other than Ben Wallace, had minimal fantasy impact even when they were winning regularly.

[nasty daddy]

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

Pistons Links: Larry Brown's resurgence and Allen Iverson the worst All-Star selection ever?
Larry Brown has the Bobcats playing the best basketball in the league.
Freep: Bad news for Portland, good news for Detroit. Brandon Roy is likely out of tomorrow's game.

[nasty daddy]

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

The 12th Man: Former Pistons coach Larry Brown is finding some redemption. The Charlotte Bobcats are the hottest team in the NBA, have moved up to fifth in the East and are arguably the best defensive team in the league -- hard-nosed perimeter stoppers in Stephen Jackson and Gerald Wallace plus a good shot-blocker in Tyson Chandler. Totally a Larry Brown team -- no superstars.

[nasty daddy]

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

Basketbawful: Is Allen Iverson's election to the All-Star Game the worst fan pick ever? James Donaldson might have him beat.

[nasty daddy]

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

Dave Pemberton: The Pistons' win over Boston could turn around their season.

Detroit will need to string some wins together and hope a few teams begin to struggle. It all starts with this homestand. The Pistons need to go a minimum of 4-2, but 5-1 or 6-0 would go a long way in improving their chances. Detroit has won four out of five with the win over Boston and need to keep this momentum going before the hole becomes to big to dig out of.

[nasty daddy]

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

Rush the Court: There is a lot of Rip Hamilton love in Coatesville, PA -- they even have a Rip Hamilton Wendy's apparently.

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

NESW Sports: Michael Jordan calling Jay Leno 'stupid' was pretty funny.

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

True Blue Pistons: Keith Langlois notices that the Pistons play better team basketball when Rip Hamilton is on the court. We told you that months ago.