Holy Crap, They Won!

Even when the Pistons were only down 3 points to the worst team in the league, I had no faith. It was quite sad. Mrs. Nofrownmotown didn't understand. She said, "It's still a one possession game." I responded, "They never recover, not even from a 3 point deficit."

I was wrong. In many ways, it was like watching a Lions game, except the Nets were the Lions. The Nets found a way to lose. Despite having the best player (Devin Harris - Harris is, ahem, doing the "defending" in that pic) and the best big man with the grizzliest beard (Brook Lopez), the Pistons made all the right plays in the clutch. Down four at the 2:22 mark, the Pistons scored the next eight points, with an awesome alley--oop to Prince to cap off the barrage. For a few fleeting moments the Larry Brown-era Pistons resurfaced.

I feel odd putting up highlights for a game between two teams with a combined .210 win percentage, but, in case you're a diehard like me, highlights are here.

I missed much of the first half, actually forgetting the game was on. I was also distracted by my alma mater's thorough dismantling of the University of Michigan basketball team. Sorry UM fans... I like John Bielin, but it doesn't seem like the team has it this year. So as I watched Drew Crawford nail yet another baseline three, Mrs. Nofrownmotown shouted from the other room, "Do you know the Pistons are on?" Uh... whoops. When I flipped to the Pistons, they were down seven. That's exactly when the tide turned.

The Pistons quickly turned the deficit into a four point lead, and it was neck-and-neck the rest of the way. The most effective lineup featured Stuckey, Hamilton, Prince, Maxiell, and Wallace. That same lineup (with the exception of Jerebko for Maxiell) fared well against the Magic the previous game, so perhaps Kuester may have found a winning combination. It shouldn't be a major surprise considering those players have years of experience playing together.

It was a joy to watch Hamilton explode for 20 points in the 2nd half, hitting shot-after-shot from midrange. Prince chipped in with 15 and 8 boards. And little Will Bynum - finally healthy after an eternity on the sidelines - hit his first 5 shots! Gordon and Villanueva played limited minutes as they recover from lingering injuries.

Patrick Hayes pointed on mLive that the Stuckey/Hamilton backcourt combined for 15 assists and only one turnover. That's a significant development. As I mentioned many times before, the Pistons backcourt of Stuckey, Hamilton, Bynum, and Gordon should be an advantage, not a detriment. It appears they're finally clicking, albeit against inferior competition, but I'll take it.

Kuester, like Carlisle, LB, Flip, and Curry before him, is relying more and more on the veterans. Austin Daye - at best the future of the franchise, at worst a decent NBA shooter - received a DNP-CD. So did Chris Wilcox, so I guess it wasn't all bad. Once Prince shakes all the rust (and he's close), Kuester will have to find some minutes for Daye. Put the kid in the 2nd quarter for a ten minute stint. He'll only improve with NBA game experience. Ideally, Daye would get regular minutes that would lead to on-court chemistry with the second-unit teammates. Now that Bynum is back, Daye should be playing with a Bynum/Gordon backcourt. That's some decent offensive firepower.

So the win against the Nets proves that the Pistons are not the worst in the league. In the past few games, the Pistons exhibited some pride. When they play hard, they're fun to watch. With Wilcox out of the rotation, perhaps they'll at least compete every night (yes, I'm pinning it all on Wilcox and his matador defense). Next up is Indiana - who thoroughly dominated the Pistons last time. Should be interesting to see if the Pistons have actually turned a corner.