Posts for category ‘Detroit Pistons’

In anticipation of tonight’s game between the Washington Wizards and the Detroit Pistons, I present a quick Q&A with Matt from the excellent Pistons blog, Detroit Bad Boys.

[UPDATE]: Check my answers to the questions of Detroit Bad Boys

1) Over the summer, Joe Dumars said that no one was ‘untouchable’ and then did not make any major moves. How satisfied were you with what the Pistons did in the off-season coming into this year?

At first I was disappointed, but once it became apparent that Amir Johnson was going to start and Rodney Stuckey was expected to average 25-30 minutes, I got excited. Not a lot of team can undergo a youth movement while staying in contention, but I think the Pistons have a chance to pull it off. I’ve been dying to see Johnson get a fair shake the last two years and Stuckey looked like a future All-Star at times in the playoffs, so if all the pieces come together, it’ll be like the Pistons added two impact players to their rotation without giving anything up.

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Jeff from CelticsBlog.com is doing the grunt work to put together a comprehensive NBA preview from bloggers ’round the ‘sphere. The Atlantic Division Preview was first, the Southwest Division was second, and now the Central Division is out. Here are the highlights from the participating bloggers for each team, click on the blog links to see the full team preview:

Chicago Bulls

[Give Me The Rock]
Non-player goals would be to try to trade some expendable players to get help at the SG position. Yes, I know that Ben Gordon is on the team, but, while I can’t deny his scoring ability, at 6′ 3″ (and apparently a smaller 6′ 3″ than Derrick Rose) I’ve always felt his height was a liability and that the Bulls would have a very hard time making it through the playoffs with him as the go-to guy. Prediction: 42-40

[Blog-A-Bull]
One major goal is to get the team’s defense back to what it before last season, a top-5 unit that thrived on hassling opponents into bad shots and turnovers. With the personnel mostly constant from those happier times, the onus is on Del Negro to get the team motivated on that end of the floor. Likely years away from being a great offense, the return to a top defensive team is imperative if they hope to challenge for a playoff spot, which is the ultimate aspiration for the team this season. Prediction: 43-39

Cleveland Cavaliers

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When Gilbert Arenas’ blog dropped the last week, I was all set to write a post on the past tumultuous relationship between him and Kwame Brown. However, I became distracted by Gilbert’s absurd lack of social responsibility. [Side Bar: I do realize that Gilbert's blog (or at least the one that some dude transcribes for him) spawning other bloggers to write blog posts (in some cases multiple) about his blog post could be considered absurd as well....and I'm comfortable with that possibility.]

What Arenas said about Brown and his migration to Motown seemed to be words of encouragement for the 26-year old, seven-year NBA vet.

I like that deal for Detroit and for Kwame. He’s in a quieter city now, he’s 26-years old, he’s on a veteran team, he’s growing up. In the past in D.C. and L.A. it was a case of him being a big kid in a big city, now he can settle his career down. You know that Sheed and McDyess and those other bigs will help him develop and this should be the best time of his career because in Detroit, the bigs get touches in the offense.

Don’t think that the Kwame Brown that was in Memphis is the real Kwame Brown. When you get traded, so much emotion goes into it and leaving a No. 1 team to come into a team with a bad record halfway through the season is a tough adjustment.

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Wow, Joe Dumars is a desperado……can the signing of Kwame Brown be seen as anything other than an act of desperation?

cake via flickr/panduh, mugshot via wizznutzz, although this pic found by Jake on BF is much better

The Pistons have been tied to several potential blockbuster moves this summer, whether it be for Carmelo Anthony, Josh Smith, Tracy McGrady or Ron Artest. [side note: The 17th pick of the '04 NBA draft which was shipped from Detroit, via Milwaukee and Denver, to Atlanta in the Rasheed Wallace trade was used by the Hawks to select Josh Smith.] But nothing has come to fruition since Joe Dumars built “big splash” expectations by deeming everyone available (with perhaps Jason Maxiell and Rodney Stuckey as the lone exceptions).

So now, after being on the latter end of “win or go home” in the Eastern Conference Finals for the past three years, this is Joe D’s answer. A guy in Kwame Brown who once, at the age of 24, destroyed a stranger’s cake, getting it all over the man, before ducking into a limo like a hoe, has been anointed to push the Detroit Pistons over the top.

Good luck with that one Motor City. Will Kwame finally find his way under consummate vet, Antonio McDyess? Or will his attitude travel the path of Rasheed Wallace? How will any of these guys affect Walter Sharpe? In any case, $8 million over two-years is not exactly a low-risk move.

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Two big games for the Washington Wizards….one great, one not so great. Here’s what the World Wide Web had to say about both:

Philadelphia 76ers

flickr/ebot

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Sometimes these game blogs get way too long. At times, it becomes difficult to temper my enthusiasm. When the Wizards do well, I’m just typing away as a result of the abundant offense (usually). If they are playing poorly, I got words too. Tonight, I’m really going to concentrate on selectivity. D’oh! Forgot this is a Triple Play…..Wizards on the main feed, Caps playoff game #1 on the left. The strugglin’ Nats on the right. Oh well, we will see.

I got a preview/run-down of all (some) things Wizards here. Laters.

Also, check out the Bullets Forever game thread for comments.

Previously on Ready to Die.

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The Wizards Run-Down

• The anti-Eddie Jordan crowd has ceased their crowing lately. Tuff Juice gives Eddie his full support, as he has done all year, and Ivan Carter of the Washington Post does well to drum up some support.
• Support came from Slam magazine giving some link love to the Washington Post’s touting of Jordan. (Byron Scott seems to be the favorite among the commentors)
• So Michael Lee on Wizards Insider starts the east-coast Coach of the Year argument with four great cases, but gives no answer.
• Lez Bullez also talks about others in the conversation.
• The DC Pro Sports Report has Eddie’s back and cites the valid criticism.
• Me? Right Now: Mo Cheeks 1, Eddie Jordan 2 – but there’s a lot of important games left.
• To the West Coast Swang with the Pradamaster from Bullets Forever:
  My guess is that if the trip is a microcosm of the entire season, like it was last year, we’re in good shape. This year’s team doesn’t have nearly as much talent, but they’re more organized, play better defense, and have better coaching.
• Good thing the Wizards took Monday off to get a head start to Portland.
• Awww….Somebody bald has a crush. [PTI]
• VOTE FOR GILBERT OR DIE!
  
• Know what I’m sayin’?
• It’s game night people.
• Game #9 blog vs. Trailblazers
• Catch tonight’s game blog on Bullets Forever
• [And here is the link to that game #70 blog versus the Portland Trailblazers.]
• GO WIZARDS!

Recapping those Pistons:

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The Detroit Museum of Contemporary Art – flickr/detroitderek

No time for a game preview as promised after the Florida run-down…..you should be (or probably already have) checking out Bullets Forever for the pre-game 68 thread.

Quarter One

10:00 – Getting into the game (watching on TV) a little late, 4-4 is the score. McDyess already has 7 rebounds, Rasheed is on the bench with two fouls, Hubie Brown likes the early energy for the Wizards and apotential nickname has emerged for Jamison – “Horse” because as old Hubie says, most of his shots look like they belong in a game of H-O-R-S-E.

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First game of ’08 and I’m liking that the Wizards have a chance to show what they’re made of in a match-up against ESPN’s #1 Power Ranked team. Bullets Forever thinks this ranking is silly in their extensive run-down of tonight’s game….in which a good point is also made about the defensive ability of Tayshaun Prince and what Caron Butler will be able to do against him. Tonight will be a good measure of the growth for Tuff Juice.

The Pistons are the model of consistency and balance for which the Wizards should strive. Chauncey Billups is the ultimate game manager…but he’s also known as Mr. Big Shot. You just don’t find this combo in an NBA point guard too often.

Now, Gilbert Arenas will never be the point guard that Billups is, and the Wizards will never win in the manner that the Pistons do. However, that’s not to say that Washington doesn’t have the potential to win as much in a balanced and consistent manner. Gilbert has proven that two all-stars, two big-time scorers, can successfully play alongside him — but now, he needs to up that to a team scale level. But that’s down the road — not to mention, remaining to be seen when he does come back.

The key is tonight is the fact that the General, Antonio Daniels, is back in the lineup. Now let’s start the show…..

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