Break on through

All it took was a doomsday No Frown Motown post for the Pistons and Wings to end their losing streaks, and both did it in dramatic fashion. I spent the prior four days in Chicago (without access to beloved Fox Sports Detroit), so I missed much of the action. I did see that the Wings, down a goal, pulled Jimmy Howard with 90 seconds remaining. With the extra skater, the Wings kept possession in the Blues' zone. Zetterberg, from behind the net, flicked it in front. The puck ricocheted off a Blues player into the goal. Check out these highlights:



I did have the pleasure of watching the Pistons glorious win over the 12-4 Atlanta Hawks yesterday. It was a vintage '09 Pistons win. There haven't been many. Thanks to a string of high draft picks and solid free agent signings, the Hawks have slowly built an excellent roster with talent at every position. Gone are the days of Zaza Pachulia as their main offensive weapon. With Joe Johnson, Mike Bibby, and Josh Smith, these Hawks are primed to challenge for a title. The Pistons countered with a mish-mash lineup of Chucky Atkins, Stuckey, Jerebko, Maxiell, and Big Ben. On paper, a huge mismatch.

It was a bizarre but excellent decision on Coach Q's part to shake things up. Without Rip and Gordon, Stuckey must be the primary scorer. With Atkins on the court, Stuckey could shift to the 2-guard. The more surprising move was Maxiell over Charlie V. My guess is that Coach Q wanted Charlie V's offense off the bench to compliment Will Bynum in the second unit.

As the game began, it didn't seem to matter who was on the court. Despite missing so many key players, the Pistons wanted the win. They wanted it bad. They absolutely crushed the Atlanta Hawks on the boards. Coming into the game, the Hawks were a top 5 rebounding team in the East. Yet, they only pulled down 27 boards to the Pistons 53. The rebounding edge resulted in 17 more shots for the Pistons, and they needed it, considering Atlanta shot well (50% - almost exclusively from outside).

Stuckey was a force throughout. Playing perhaps his best all-around game of the season, the young guard scored 23, with 8 assists, and only 2 turnovers. More impressively, he limited All-star Joe Johnson to 5-19 shooting. Jerebko and Big Ben cleaned up the boards, tallying 11 and 18, respectively. Atlanta still stayed within 10pts the entire game and, at times, threatened to take the lead. With eleven minutes to go, Atlanta tied it. Bynum then hit a shot and Charlie V hit another. Up four, the Pistons had a chance to extend the lead when Charlie was fouled hard on a layup. At the end of the play, Charlie collided with Big Ben. The collision caused a massive bloody nose for poor Charlie V, and he calmly nailed the two free throws with gauze stuck up his nostrils. Unfortunately, he had to leave the game and did not return... but it didn't matter. The Pistons make-shift lineup did not falter. Their effort, grit, and determination was enough to win on this day.

After suffering through the dreadful, uninspired '08-'09 season, it was truly refreshing to see the Pistons win with heart.

Lions

So, I received a request to post about the Lions. I did watch the Thanksgiving game and, of course, saw Stafford's "Hall-of-Fame" worthy play against the Browns.

Let's not kid ourselves, the Lions are truly one of the worst teams in the league. Of course, after last season's historic debacle, that's actually an improvement. I dig Schwartz, and I dig Stafford, even though he seems like kind of a jerk. Fans dig that in their QBs. The franchise seems headed in the right direction, but they're like an expansion team. Perhaps they're even worse off because they didn't have an "expansion draft". The Lions were stuck with all the Marinelli cast-offs, and they're paying for it. Injuries, of course haven't helped, and I just read today that Pettigrew is lost for the year. No Ernie Sims, no Pettigrew, no Dwayne White? The Lions aren't deep and don't have the luxury to lose even their mediocre players. They've had games this year without both Calvin and Stafford, and they've looked like... well, the '08 Lions.

But there's hope. Stafford is the real deal. He makes throws that great QBs can make. The offensive line has given him occasion to throw (sometimes), and he's often made the most of it, especially when Calvin is in. But that defense... they have one glaring hole - they can't pressure the QB. Without pressure, opposing QBs will eventually find an open receiver. This isn't the fault of Schwartz, either. Every coach since Mohrningweg was under the false impression that defensive line was a position of strength for the Lions. This belief was based on nothing tangible, just a slew of overhyped names like Robert Porcher, Shaun Rogers, Kalimba Edwards, etc. These guys never delivered in the clutch. They rarely developed real talent at that position and spent their top picks on offensive talent. The cupboard is bare, and they're paying the price.

With the first pick of the 2010 NFL draft, the Detroit Lions select Ndamukong Suh.

Dark Days

These are dark days, my friends. The Pistons and Wings both extended season-long losing streaks. Both teams, ravaged by injuries, show no signs of breaking the slump.

Ben Gordon fell awkwardly on his ankle earlier in the week and has sat out the last two games. He may return for the next game. No word yet on Hamilton and Prince. So, without their three best players (arguably), the Pistons will struggle to beat anyone, even the Clippers. Of course, these aren't the Clippers of years past. They do have honest-to-goodness stars in Baron Davis, Eric Gordon and Marcus Camby. They've also got the best Central Michigan product this side of Dan Majerle - Chris "Lumberjack" Kaman. Kaman has quietly grown into an impressive, potential All-star at power forward. Six years into the league, Kaman now averages 20 points and 8 boards per night. Last night, Kaman led the team with 26 points on an amazingly efficient 11/13 shooting.

For a team that focuses on defense, it's got to be frustrating for the Pistons to allow the Clips to shoot 59% for the game. Somehow, the Clippers only had 63 shots to the Pistons 91, but still won handily. That's an astounding 28 fewer shots! I tell ya... I think that Utah loss from the week before truly did break their spirit. They still give the effort, but they no longer believe they can win. The losing streak could continue into double digits, so brace yourself. We must focus on the positives, and there were many.

Stuckey has assumed a leadership role. He scored 21 with 7 assists before fouling out. He only managed 2 foul shots, compared to Baron Davis's 11, so he's got major room to grow on that front. But Stuckey only turned it over 2 times in 34 minutes. Solid. With Gordon out, Austin Daye started at shooting guard. With Jerebko, the Pistons started two rookies for the first time since 1993. Daye got 13 and 5 boards, but it was Jerebko who really proved his worth. The young Swede struck for a season high 22, including 4/4 from 3-pt land.

One of the main reasons for the recent losing streak is Will Bynum. The burly point guard injured his ankle against the Lakers and hasn't been the same since. He's playing through the pain, but his stats illustrate his lack of burst. Since LA, Bynum's shooting 32%. The prior five games? 60%. That's a massive drop-off. And with no Gordon or Hamilton, it's even more noticeable. Bynum can't sit out, though. His backup is Chucky Atkins. While I'll never forget Chucky's school-yard growl and clutch shooting in the '02 playoffs, he's a bit past his prime.

For some Piston fans, this season is going exactly according to plan. Develop the rookies, play for a high draft pick (i.e. lose). That can't be how Joe D sees it though. He's got to sell tickets, and the fans will only pay to see wins. We'll see how patient Joe D will be.

As for the Wings, the player turnover has no doubt caught up with them. They can't get the puck in the net. And Osgood? Letting 3 goals in on 17 shots? Not acceptable, especially when his opponent stopped 40 shots out of 40. This is the second game in a row the Wings were shut out. Back to back shutouts haven't happened since '01. Dark days indeed.

Like I said last time, though, the season will not be won or lost over Thanksgiving. They've just got to power through and stay healthy. Keep up the effort, the puck control, and good things will happen.

Big Thanksgiving

Three games each for the Wings and Pistons during the Thanksgiving break. With so many injured players, these games will likely not serve as a true barometer of where they'll end up.

For the Wings, I expect them to hover around mediocrity until January. My guess is the new faces will settle in around that time. Bertuzzi and Eaves will start contributing goals, not just effort (though the fans do appreciate that too). Franzen, Fil, Kronwall, and Williams will come back, and the penalty kill problems will suddenly disappear - or so I hope.

For the Stones, I love the effort. Most years we'd be fuming at a 5-9 start, but these men have battled. Coach Q brought back the defensive intensity, and we love it. Eventually, the wins will follow, but I don't expect that to happen soon. Certainly not this week. The Cavs and Hawks sandwich the Clips on the schedule. Sure, the Pistons could and should beat the Clips, but the other two will likely be losses. The Pistons just can't match those teams' chemistry yet.

So, I'll hope for a few wins, but, more than that, just play hard and don't get injured.

Happy Thanksgiving, y'all. And if you're stuck far from home this Holiday season, perhaps this will put a smile on your face:

PK=UGH

Pretty solid game by the Wings last night, but they were undone by shoddy penalty killing. The Nashville Predators matched the Red Wings' puck control and flow and, at times, looked quite dominant. The Barry Trotz-coached team plays an attractive style of hockey. The Nashville goalie, Pekka Rinne, is also on quite a hot streak. In Nashville's last six games (all wins), he's given up a total of 10 goals (only 1.6 goals/game).

From the Red Wings' perspective, the lack of man-power is strikingly evident. Babcock must insert new faces in key positions. The ink on Drew Miller's waiver pickup is hardly dry, and the dude is playing on the top line with Zetterberg. It's 20+ games into the season, and there's little evidence that Leino, Cleary, Draper, or Bertuzzi will be able to provide much scoring. If the goals don't come from Zetterberg or Homer, the Wings don't score. Even Datsyuk is struggling. He seems a step slow, and it makes me wonder if he's injured. It's just a hunch. With that said, the Wings did successfully pressure Nashville all throughout the 3rd. They were unlucky to not get the equalizer. They limited their turnovers and forced Nashville to earn every inch of space. But it was still a loss.

This early in the season, it's probably stupid to talk about playoffs, but I will anyway. The Wings are out of the top 8 spots. With the effort they displayed against Nashville, though, I think they'll sneak in, even with the injuries. They said that Filpulla is close to returning. That will help. But, man, they've got to address that penalty kill - that's the most glaring weakness. Kronwall was a key figure on the PK, so his absence hurts significantly. Folks, the Wings are 29th in the league in the PK. Only one team (Toronto) is worse! Yikes.

No Frown Motown

Folks,

I've avoided it long enough. Thanks to a much more popular and better funded blog with the near-same name, I've decided to retire thatballdontlie.com. He had the name first, and I respect that. After countless late-night board room meetings with Thatballdontlie's marketing department, we've opted to continue under the name nofrownmotown.com.

This blog serves the Detroit sports fan. While I tend to post almost exclusively sports-related info, I do occasionally reference the City's state of affairs. Many of the readers are ex-Detroiters and have more than just a passing interest in Detroit's future. I wanted a blog name that would put a positive spin on the City. I believe the City can recover. My belief is not based so much on any evidence of change (Lord knows it's been in a steady 40 year decline), but, rather, it's based on a belief in the human spirit. The loss of the auto industry is Detroit's ground zero, and hopefully the new mayor signal a new era of hope and urban development. So, no frown, Motown.

The old thatballdontlie.com link will still work - it will simply forward you to the new site. Thanks to all the readers out there from around the world (14 countries and counting!). We're a small but loyal group, and I thank you all for reading!

Not good news

The Pistons finished their West Coast road trip 0-4. Going back to the Dallas game at home, the Pistons have lost five in a row. The game last night against Phoenix was a sure loss, so I won't dwell on that one. But, man, they had a chance Saturday night in Utah.

Having not beaten the Jazz since 1935, that game held the most interest for me. The Pistons came out of the gate focused and energized. Their defense swarmed Boozer and Deron Williams and forced a ton of turnovers. Utah was supposed to dominate the paint, but it was the Pistons getting points down low - thank in large part to a ton of fast-breaks.

Yet, it was long-forgotten Andrei Kirilenko who shot Utah back in contention. In the 2nd half, the Pistons took an early 8 point lead. But thanks to Kirilenko and the refs, Utah stayed close and eventually pulled ahead. Despite both teams attacking the basket regularly, Utah somehow managed a surprising 44-25 advantage in foul shots.

The teams traded leads throughout the final quarter. Kirilenko hit a dagger three-pointer with about a minute left, and the Pistons were fortunate to send the game into overtime. With all the fouls called in the Pistons' end, it was only a matter of time before some key player fouled out. That player was Villanueva, who played his best defensive game of the year. Without Villanueva, the Pistons' offense became one-dimensional. The guards kept it close, but they could ultimately not contain the Jazz. Jazz 100 - Pistons 97.

This game is just 1 of 82 on the schedule, but it will prove more damaging than most. It was a heart-breaking defeat because the Pistons played about well as they possibly could. They followed the game-plan, suffocated the Utah scorers, took care of the ball, and won the board war. But they still lost. It's not at all surprising they got blown out in Phoenix the following day. I think the loss to Utah broke their will. The very sad thing is that the refs had a major impact. Without all those trips to the line, there's no way Utah wins the game. Late in the 4th and in OT, the Pistons were also beneficiaries of some whistles, but it was too little too late.

On the positive side, Villanueva and Stuckey took a step forward in their development as defensive stoppers. Stuckey was great on both ends of the floor. Deron Williams turned it over 4 times and had 5 personal fouls, to go with an impressive 11 assists. But Stuckey outscored him 18-14. It was impressive watching him go toe-to-toe with the All-star Williams. Villanueva, meanwhile, did not have good rotation on his three-pointer, hitting only 1 of 6. I've seen him hit that deep ball numerous times this year, but, against Utah, he kept drifting to the side and hurrying the delivery. He was 5-9 otherwise and kept Boozer at bay for most of the game. Boozer finished with 22 points thanks to 10 free throws, but he was a -4 in the game. Charlie V was +1. Solid.

Hopefully the Pistons will shake this game off because the schedule does not get much easier. They face Cleveland (10-4), Milwaukee (8-3), and Atlanta (11-3) in the next few days. If they match the effort of the Utah game, I have to believe they'll win most games, especially at home. As the losses pile up, though, it's gonna be tougher to keep up the morale.

Good/bad news for Wings
The good news is that they actually won a game in overtime - 3-2 in Montreal. The bad news is they lost Kronwall for 4-8 weeks with a sprained MCL. Without consulting Dr. Rochester, my rudimentary knowledge is that the MCL sprain is one of the better injuries for a knee. If Kronwall takes the requisite time off to let it heal, the sprain will leave no lasting damage. I've seen other athletes return to 100% quite soon after the 2-month layoff, but, hey, I'm no doctor. It still sucks to lose the guy as he was becoming a leader on the team.

The Wings are now 7-3 in their last 10 games. It's been a welcome return to form. Solid goaltending and a surge in scoring from Z led the way.