Hey guys.

Here’s Part II on A Few Thoughts on the Detroit Pistons. Click here for Part I.

The fact that Allen Iverson is a Piston still hasn’t really sunk in for me. Now I don’t know if he makes the Pistons necessarily better, but he definitely makes them different. If he can make the Pistons less predictable offensively in the playoffs, then he will have done his job.

However Iverson’s tenure in Detroit goes, this trade can’t be fully judged until the summer of 2010. Everyone knows that the cap space that the Pistons gained with this trade was a major reason for it. If the Pistons are able to acquire Chris Bosh, LeBron James, or another premier player, then this trade will have been a success. As for Denver’s end of the trade, you already know how I feel about that in my previous posts found here and here.

I honestly don’t like the Detroit Pistons chances of winning the NBA title this year. Then again in December 2003, who would have said that the Pistons would have won the title that following spring? I’m guessing no one. Most would have said that the Pacers, Spurs, Timberwolves, Lakers, or Kings were going to win the championship that year.

So maybe the Pistons need to be considered the underdogs. But with each passing day it seems more and more likely that the title will be won by the Celtics, Lakers, or Cavaliers. Now I’m not counting out the Pistons by any means. Remember that the Pistons are basically in training camp with Iverson since he was acquired during the season.

Also recall that Antonio McDyess, who was included in that trade, was resigned by the Pistons this week. I’m not claiming that time and McDyess are the answers to this team’s problem, but McDyess’s return does affect several things.

It allows Rodney Stuckey to more effectively lead the second unit and to slash and penetrate better since opposing teams will have to respect McDyess’s jumpshot. It also allows Rasheed Wallace to player fewer minutes as he won’t have to burden being the only big man with above average defense and a reliable jumper. And it also takes the burden off Kwame Brown, Jason Maxiell, and Amir Johnson as they won’t be counted on to score consistently or do anything else outside of their expertise.

So maybe time and McDyess will be all the Pistons need, but I sincerely doubt it. However, if the Pistons continue to struggle, even with more time and McDyess, there might be another trade in the near future or at the very least lineup changes.

I don’t think LeBron James becomes a Detroit Piston anytime soon, but it’s definitely a possibility. If he really wants to play for multiple championships then he has to consider Detroit. In 2010 the Pistons’ likely roster will look as follows: Rip Hamilton, Tayshaun Prince, Rodney Stuckey, Arron Afflalo, Jason Maxiell, and Amir Johnson.

That’s not a bad lineup already. Throw in a LeBron or a Bosh and you can start talking about a serious championship run. I do think that the Pistons will have a great chance to acquire either Carlos Boozer or Chris Bosh. Either way, from now until July 2010 is going to be a very interesting and exciting time in the NBA.

In summary, this season for the Pistons is exciting and new, but also frustrating sometimes. Nothing is guaranteed anymore but maybe that’s a good thing. In the past the Pistons would fall apart in the conference finals of the playoffs. Now I don’t know if even that’s going to happen as they might lose in the second round or even the first round. But they might also make it to the finals and win a championship.

The trade for Iverson is hopefully a positive thing for this season and for future seasons. It should make Detroit a less predictable team in the playoffs and also allow the Pistons to sign or trade for a major free agent of 2010 (or 2009), such as LeBron James, Chris Bosh, Dwyane Wade, or Carlos Boozer. I don’t know what the future holds but I’m excited and optimistic.

Go Pistons!

-Steve Kays

www.pistonscast.com

According to his agent, McDyess will be back this December. (PRAISE THE LORD!)  This is an addition the Pistons have admitted they sorely need.  Mike Curry has said the bench needs a scoring big man to get some consistent post offense going.

VIA ESPN:

“It was a very difficult decision for him. He was weighing good offers financially, along with other variables he thought were important,” agent Andy Miller told ESPN.com. “But going into the year he had a team goal set, and to not finish up with it, he didn’t want to do that. He wants to finish the year, finish what he started in Detroit, then reevaluate after the season is over.”

HOW HAPPY ARE YOU THAT MCDYESS WILL BE BACK?

by Ryne Nelson

Would McDyess Have A Better Chance In Cleveland?

Antonio McDyess demaned a buyout in Denver because he wants a championship. Plain and simple. Ask mostly anyone, and you’ll hear McDyess will return to Detroit.

But other attractive suitors have stepped into the conversation. The Cavs hope to pry McDyess away from Detroit’s grasp during the obligatory 30-day waiting period, offering a better chance to win a title.

From the Cleveland Plain Dealer:

According to a league source, the Cavs were in touch with McDyess soon after his buyout became finalized Monday.

But their efforts will have to be in the standings, not just the balance sheet. Just offering the veteran forward the most money, which they may be able to do, isn’t likely going to be the difference.

The 34-year-old forward may already have his mind made up, but it’s possible the Pistons’ recent travails might have him listening to offers more intently than before. If the Cavs do offer McDyess more money than the Pistons, they could become a very serious destination come Dec. 7, when MyDyess is allowed to sign a free-agent contract.

Then again, McDyess could be fielding offers to mask what seems like a pre-arranged deal to return to the Pistons. In that case, Cleveland would be nothing more than a pawn on the board. Yet, as we all know, there’s always a chance to win when you still have your King.

Ryne Nelson - www.slamonline.com

What’s Going on World?

John W. Davis here.  It’s official, McDyess is going to be a free agent.  At least 17 teams have expressed interest in our boy. If McDyess goes elsewhere, its only to a team that has a legit chance to win an NBA Championship.  I don’t think McDyess will be a championship chaser and just sign with anybody who has a chance to win but stranger things have happen.

*The reasons he didn’t want to play with Denver was one, they were not very good but two, because they traded him away to the New York Knicks.

Will Dice hold a grudge against the Pistons?

Peace,

John W. Davis

——————————————————–

An NBA source claims that 17 teams have expressed interest in signing Antonio McDyess, who will become a free agent within the next few days.

The Celtics, Cavaliers and Pistons are all expected to be major players in the race to sign the veteran forward.

Via Boston Globe

I'M NOT PLAYING WITH YOU LEON!

What’s Going on World?

John W. Davis here.  Check this out.

—————————————————-

The Celtics reportedly have interest in signing Antonio McDyess should the Nuggets ultimately decide to buy out his contract.

Boston initially attempted to sign McDyess in 2004, but he opted to join Detroit.

Most expect McDyess to return to Detroit after the league’s mandatory 30-day waiting period. However, McDyess was reportedly upset by the trade.

Via Boston Herald

—————————————————-

WHEW!  This is really annoying.  Boston! Really?  Is this how you feel?  McDyess is a Piston.  We just had to trade him to match the contracts.  You already stole Ray Ray and KG, so come on man.  CHILL OUT BOSTON! Hey Danny Ainge, why dont you just get Stephon Marbury and resurrect his career.

WHEW!  WOOO SAHH!!! I feel better now.

Peace,

John W. Davis

www.pistonscast.com

TRADING PLACES?

I WANT TO BE IN YOUR SHOES!

ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith is reporting that the Denver Nuggets are expected to trade Allen Iverson to the Detroit Pistons for Chauncey Billups, Antonio McDyess (and Cheick Samb *new information)

-STEPHEN A., WHY DO YOU SCREAM ALL THE TIME?!!!

Smith is citing Pistons team sources.

The report, which just aired on ‘SportsCenter’, said Iverson told Smith he wants to play for a contender. This is the beginning of Iverson’s third season as a Nugget.

-Denver, don’t you want Stephon Marbury instead?  I hear he is on the market…

This deal is not yet finalized.

Billups is a Denver native and played his college hoops at Colorado.

* The Boston Globe reports that Iverson is telling people in Denver he expects to be packing his bags soon.

-Boston, Are you scared of the current Pistons?

*The Rocky Mountain News says Iverson would be a perfect scoring complement to Tayshaun and Rasheed.

-Don’t they know we have Rip Hamilton?  The last time I checked he has lead the team in scoring what 4-5 years or so.

Honestly I don’t even know what to say?  What do you think?

-John W. Davis

www.pistonscast.com

THE BENCH ADULT!

What’s Going On World?

John W. Davis here.  Ranking the Most Important Pistons is harder than you think.  You have to consider stats, talent, and the players current and future impact.  It’s not as simple as saying that one player is “better” than another player.  If It was that simple Chauncey and Rasheed would be our two Most Important players and I don’t believe that is the case.

Mr. Antonio McDyess is my 7th pick, not because he isn’t one of the top 6 players on the team, but because some of the young Bench Babies are seemingly passing him by.  McDyess is not getting worse, the Bench Babies are just getting better.

That’s the reason why I respect McDyess so much because as young players pass him by on depth chart, he stays the same.  Humble, hardworking and consistently putting the TEAM first.  He could cry that I started last year and played great so I should start this year. He doesn’t.  He could say I’m the only veteran who REALLY wants a championship. He doesn’t. (Although he could have and maybe should have.)  Remember that McDyess joined the Pistons after the 2004 NBA Championship so he is still trying to reach that beautiful plateau.

Antonio McDyess coming back of the bench for the Pistons will be a pleasant surprise.  I believe that McDyess is best when he is the focal post player.  He can only be that coming off the bench in relieve of Rasheed Wallace.  He is a great passer and an even better jump shooter.  A great defender and a steady, calming force that will be needed of the bench this year. 

As the Bench Babies are called upon to do more, they might unravel from time to time.  But with McDyess by their side, the course of the ‘Ship will be corrected before it even runs of course.  The defense will consistently be steady and intense.  The post offense will be there when you need it. 

Also, don’t forget about his great and timely rebounding.  Even though we have Maxiell and now Kwame Brown to do the dirty work, McDyess will continue to be right there every step of the way, leading the Pistons from the Bench to the Championship.

Peace,

John W. Davis

www.pistonscast.com

Hey Guys,

Been crazy busy down under for the past few.   I have a couple of points I wanted to make and would be happy to hear your thoughts.

Michael Curry - you mention he has the player’s respect now, but risks losing it should he start yelling at players and in particular, veterans.  I actually think this is not the case and that he has been given the authority to completely makeover the culture/tone of the team to whip them into the shape of a well drilled unit.  If he needs to give the players a verbal spray to keep them “accountable”, I think and hope he will do it.  I think this because Michael Curry is a proxy for Joe Dumars, even more so than Flip was.  He has Joe’s total backing and as Joe has said, there are no sacred cows on this team anymore. Under Flip, there probably were some sacred cows which may have hampered his ability to establish his authority over certain players.   I think the team had grown a bit soft and undisciplined under Flip (Larry Brown’s team wouldn’t have mailed in game 6) and Coaches are just as important for setting the tone of the team  as they are for drawing up X’s and O’s. This will be a major area he’ll address and nothing will send a stronger message than Michael giving a verbal spray to a veteran who isn’t doing what he should be.  Sheed, we’re looking at you if you think of venturing more than 5ft away from the low block.  

Chauncey Billups - he seems to be getting ripped a lot for his lack of heart, but perhaps, just perhaps, the leg injury was hampering him in the playoffs last season.  We don’t really know but I too think the hamstring was a bit of a soft excuse. Anyways, we have a new season now and what I did want to bring up was the Stuckey effect on Billups and how this may play out.  Surely Chauncey is a proud and competitive athlete and the sight of a sophomore player putting up numbers/minute that would be superior to his will get his attention and serve as motivation.  For this reason alone, I actually think we may see a more intense and hungry Billups, if only to hold onto his starting PG spot. Nobody likes to be shown up or demoted to a youngster and Chauncey still has many great years left in him.  He never really had this pressure with Lindsey Hunter who was always more of a defensive specialist so I am hoping they can form an incredibly formiddable PG rotation - perhaps the best in the league.

 
Antonio McD’s replacement - would love to give it to Amir but it has to be Kwame, purely on size and experience.  Plus, I love the prospect of Stuckey, Afflalo, Maxiell and Johnson with Sheed all on the floor together.  That prospect has me very excited.

 
Captainship.  I would like to turn this team completely over to Rip.  He still has the hunger in my opinion and is respected by the players.  I also think he has the moxie to call out players and make sure they do what they’re meant to be.  Like the Coach, the Captain should set the tone.  Chauncey may be a little soft on this and Sheed too erratic.  Rip is consistent and would bring a “you better work damn hard” attitude every night.  Who could not play hard for a guy who runs his heart out for the team each and every game.   That on its own should bring everyone’s work ethic up and I would love to see Rip being more vocal on the court as our leader.

 
Ok - rant over. 

 
Hope the comments provide some inspiration for more discussion on the show and a big shout out to all those Piston’s fans who have been sending me a shout outs from afar.  It’s great to props all the way out here in Sydney.

Peace,
Jules

www.pistonscast.com

IT'S HIS TIME!

Here’s something from the “True Blue Pistons” blog from Pistons.com, written by Keith Langlois.

http://truebluepistons.blogspot.com/2008/09/5-hot-questions-of-pistons-preseason.html

1. Who starts in Antonio McDyess’ spot?
Curry has said it’s an open competition for that spot between Amir Johnson, Jason Maxiell and Kwame Brown. And I think he’s going in with a completely open mind.

But somebody has to trot out there with Rasheed Wallace, Chauncey Billups, Rip Hamilton and Tayshaun Prince as the fifth starter on the first day of camp. My guess is that will be Amir Johnson for a variety of reasons.

Indications are that Curry would prefer to keep Maxiell coming off the bench. He thrived in that role last year, almost always ratcheting up the level of intensity with one of his signature plays – a ferocious lob dunk, knifing in from nowhere to snare an offensive rebound, barreling across the lane to swat away a shot spectacularly.

Curry said this summer it was important to keep Maxiell fresh, citing the Orlando playoff series when he played extremely well for a couple of games while guarding Dwight Howard, then looking lifeless for the next few games because of the effort he expended. For continuity’s sake, it would be easier to limit the minutes of someone coming off the bench as opposed to starting.

Brown seems more likely than Maxiell to draw consideration, all things being equal. The foremost appeal to starting Brown is the freedom it would provide Wallace in not having to guard the opposition’s top post player to start games, keeping him out of foul trouble. But there are equally compelling arguments to be made for bringing Brown off the bench.

It might serve him well, for example, to limit expectations after a career in which he’s been beaten down consistently for never living up to the status of being the No. 1 pick in the 2001 draft. There’s also something to be said for bringing Brown in late in the first or early in the second quarters to play against the opposition’s backup big man – which should play to Brown’s advantage nine nights out of 10.

The intrigue with Johnson is how his athleticism and ability to cover so much of the court defensively meshes with Curry’s vision for how he wants the Pistons to play. He wants to create offense out of defense. Curry raved at the Las Vegas Summer League about Johnson’s knack for smothering the pick-and-roll. And if the Pistons are forcing turnovers and increasing their open-court opportunities, that plays perfectly to Johnson’s strength.

One more thing appealing about Johnson starting: Pairing him with the savvy Wallace figures to cover his youthful gaffes and accelerate his learning curve. Playing with four big-time scorers frees Johnson to do what he does best in the half-court offense, too – fly to the rim to pick up offensive rebounds and garbage baskets.”

Looks like it will probably be Amir. Go Amir!

Check out this vid!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k1CqtnnPtSs

And listen to the end: “You know, guys like that don’t get a chance to play, and play hard in practice…”

Time to up those minutes!

-Ryan aka Young Rrrr aka Lil’ Ryan

Amir: "I'm starting Max" Jason's thought bubble: "Damn, I thought I was good in the Playoffs"

 What’s Going on World?

John W. Davis here.  The Valley Boy, I mean Amir “Soft as Cotton no more” Johnson will get 1st crack at starting next to Rasheed!  I Love it.  Coach Curry you are my idol!  (FOR NOW)

From the Detroit News:

At the start of camp, it appears that Amir Johnson is going to get the first look at winning the fifth starting spot and play alongside Rasheed Wallace in the front court. But, if Johnson can’t secure the spot, Brown could slide up. He is the team’s lone big-bodied, true post player and he would free Wallace to be a full-fledged power forward, as opposed to playing a hybrid-type frontcourt role.  

It was only a matter of time in my opinion, that a logical, sane coach would try to start Amir and see what he can get from him.  When Amir is in the game, he rebounds and blocks with the best of them.  Give him some real minutes and lets see what my boy Amir can really do.  (I already know, I just want the world to know.)

Who do you think should start?

Peace,

John W. Davis