Daye at PF

The Pistons starting Power Forward
Austin Daye started again at the PF spot last night in the Pistons' win against the Wizards. Daye didn't have a particularly great game (10pts, 4reb), but it's clear he's Kuester's first choice.

The only question now is whether Kuester will get cold feet and start a more traditional PF in the season opener, like, say, Jason Maxiell. Of course, Maxiell is dreadfully undersized, but the other option, Charlie V, is neither physical nor a post-presence. I suppose the best option, at least on paper, would be Greg Monroe. With a scant 3 pts, 2 reb, and 3 fouls last night, Monroe is not quite ready. He'll be eased into the NBA.

So it's looking like Daye. And this is good news from a fan perspective. The fans are dying to see what the Pistons have for the future. Daye possesses that super-smooth release and can create his own shot - two qualities that make him unique on this roster. Last year, I compared his game to Danny Granger, and I hold tight to that comparison. If Daye gets meaningful, consistent minutes, he may just live up to that comparison. If he languishes on the bench, we'll never know.

Also of note from yesterday's game is Rodney Stuckey and his 34 points. He took over the game and missed just 5 shots. It's just a preseason game, but he was matched up against two decent guards - Kirk Hinrich and John Wall. Stuckey showed he can indeed elevate his game. He showed flashes of brilliance two years ago, but last year was a massive disappointment. The dude just couldn't finish, and that's why his 13-18 shooting last night is heartening. If he could keep up a 45-50% shooting percentage, he'd average 18+ per night. Maybe over 20 if he got to the line more often. And, if the Pistons hope to have any success going forward, Stuckey is the key. They put all their eggs in the Stuckey basket when they traded Billups. So far, he's disappointed... but there's still time.

One last note... Ben Gordon. He was 1-5 last night. I totally respect the dude's skills, but I still don't think Kuester's found a role for him. Dumars created this problem by signing too many guards. I'd give Gordon a few games to settle in, and, if he's still struggling, he's got to go. There has to be a team out there looking for his talent. Based on the outrageous salaries offered FAs last summer, Gordon's salary ain't that bad. I'm convinced Joe D could find a taker.

Ouch

That didn't take long. In just one exhibition game, the Pistons lost two players to injury - Jonas Jerebko and Terrico White.

White didn't figure to gain much burn this season anyway, but Jerebko was a starter. He suffered a torn achilles tendon and will miss six months. This is a big blow to both the Pistons and Jerebko. Even if Jerebko returns this season, will he be the same player or will Jerebko become the next Elton Brand?

Jerebko's injury does open the door for either Charlie Villanueva or Greg Monroe. One of those two power forwards will likely start in Jerebko's absence. My hope is that the Pistons - who are going nowhere anyway - use this season to see what they've got in their youngsters. The Pistons rarely operate that way, though, and will more likely plop a veteran into that spot. It would behoove the team, in the long run, to develop Greg Monroe. What better way to learn than to get some meaningful minutes as a rookie?

The same is true for Austin Daye. The kid obviously worked on his game in the offseason because he came into the rookie summer league with all guns blazing. He was - far and away - the Pistons' best player. He even fared well last night against the Heat. So the kid is producing. But the problem is that he's got Tayshaun Prince and now Tracy McGrady ahead of him in the pecking order. Why did Joe D sign McGrady again? Daye needs minutes. Perhaps Joe is just biding his time before McGrady injures himself again.

As for those Pistons

Another event that hit the back-burner during the World Cup was the NBA Draft. It's terribly unfortunate how the Pistons completely screwed themselves last Spring. Entering the final slew of games, the Pistons were positioned with the fifth worst record in the NBA. Then Ben Gordon finally shook off his season-long slump and led the Pistons to a 4-2 record to finish out the year. That brief push saw them ultimately tie Philadelphia for the seventh worst record. The Pistons then lost a coin toss to Philadelphia which officially slotted Detroit behind Philly in the lottery.

The bad luck continued.

The two teams that Detroit leap-frogged in the final week (Philly and Washington) proceeded to WIN the lottery! Washington got the first pick, and Philly the second. The Pistons settled for the 7th overall. As folks on this blog know, I was a big fan of DeMarcus Cousins. He went exactly where the Pistons should've drafted at #5. The final top-shelf big man was inexplicably passed-over at #6 when Golden State nabbed Ekpe Udoh. So, the Pistons eagerly nabbed Greg Monroe of Georgetown. I know significantly less about Monroe than Cousins. It's entirely possible that Monroe may be a better pro... but I doubt it.

Last night, in their first head-to-head, Cousins and Sac-town absolutely demolished the Pistons rookie team 97-68. Cousins posted a double-double (14 and 10 but with 5 turns). Monroe had a quiet 7 and 7. I should note, however, that the Pistons rookie team did fare significantly better in their prior two games, both wins. Austin Daye showed off a polished offensive attack that neither the Lakers nor Warriors could contain. Monroe was relatively quiet but did pull down some rebounds.

I've followed the rookie league for a few years now and know to take everything with a grain of salt. Last year, Dajuan Summers was far-and-away the best Piston player, but he ended up spending the entire season on the bench. A few years before, Rodney Stuckey dominated the rookie league, leading to his first wave of hype. Against the big boys, Stuckey fared much worse. The rookie league won't often break any new star... but, if you hope to make a splash in the NBA, you better dominate. Most of the teams are populated by - at best - bench players and rounded out by guys likely to get cut. If you can't dominate that group, you'll likely get cut yourself.

Last year, the Pistons' brass didn't know what to make of Jerebko. He played sporadically in the rookie league, as the team wanted to see Summers and Daye. They tried Jerebko at center just to get him some burn. By the end of the summer league, Jerebko finished strong when he earned some minutes at SF and PF. The kid returned this summer, to offer some veteran leadership. He's clearly a better player. Despite the presence of high draft pick Greg Monroe, the Pistons may be better off grooming Jerebko and Daye. Granted, Monroe and Daye won't compete for minutes, but Monroe may steal starter minutes from Jerebko. We'll see how it pans out.

A bit more on Daye... I was worried about his long-term viability in this league after he withered last season. He showed flashes of impressive scoring touch, but he was terribly inconsistent. Watching him tear up the scrubs in the rookie league showed me the kid has a very high ceiling. He can create his own shot, pull up off the dribble, and drain the three. It's reminiscent of Danny Granger. I don't think Daye will develop, though, unless he gets starter minutes. With Tayshaun Prince ahead of him on the depth chart, that just ain't gonna happen.

My guess is that Tayshaun will be gone by at least the trade deadline. Daye will have to be patient until then.

Back in the Sad-dle

Hey, y'all, I'm back from my little brother's movie shoot. Major props to John for holding down the fort in my absence. I noticed that the Pistons decided to go on a 3-game winning streak. It was almost as if they were waiting for me to leave before they decided to turn it on! But they rewarded me with one of their best wins of the season last night.

Likely you've already heard, but, in case you haven't, the Stones beat up on a true contender - the Celtics (27-13). It was Sheed's first return to the Palace since he signed with Boston. The Palace crowd was sparse, and their response lukewarm:


I understand that I'm a bigger Sheed fan than most, but Piston fans should realize that the dude gave us five years of great and maddening entertainment. His personality will never be replaced.

As for the game, it didn't start out very promising. Rip Hamilton and Big Ben must've been amped up beyond recognition, as they were passing the ball around like hyper 4th graders. Rondo feasted on their errant passes, slicing through the defense for easy layups. In the first quarter alone, the Stones turned it over 10 times (Rip finished with seven for the game!). Though they settled down after that. Only five more turns the rest of the way.

Thanks to Stuckey, the Pistons stayed within shouting distance in the first half. Stuckey scored 11 of the Pistons first 13 points. His impact was palpable. When Kuester sat him in the 2nd quarter due to foul trouble, the Celtics went on a run and pushed their lead to double digits. None other than Austin Daye ran the point. He had difficulty beating Rondo's trap, but, for his first time ever as an NBA point guard, Daye fared well. Daye even nailed a killer 3-pointer at the buzzer, to get the Pistons within 8 at the half.

The momentum carried through to the 2nd half. The Celtics, who shot 58% through 2, only scored 30 points the rest of the way. Normal defensive pansies like Villanueva and Daye stepped up their intensity to match the great defensive performances by Big Ben, Stuckey, and often-forgotten Jason Maxiell. In a key moment in the 3rd, Maxiell came out of nowhere to reject Rasheed Wallace as he attempted a thunder dunk. It brought the house down. Check it out here (at around 1:10 into the clip - they also show Austin Daye's killer 3):

The key to the second half, though, was Stuckey. Earlier in the afternoon, I was watching the Pistons vs Wizards game that trophy-wife, Mrs. NoFrownMotown, recorded for me while I was gone. Stuckey's game was just not clicking. While I believe he's an excellent talent, he just has a lot of difficulty finishing at the rim. And the most glaring weakness in his game is passing. He's not a horrible passer, but he never - repeat never - dishes off to the open player while driving to the hoop. My hope is that he soon adds that dimension to his game, as it will increase his effectiveness dramatically.

Stuckey's weaknesses aside, he was THE MAN last night. He finished with 27 points, 11 boards, 6 assists, and an impressive +14 rating. He hit a number of key hoops in crunch time, along with Charlie Villanueva. Stuckey ultimately outperformed Rondo as they were at each other's throats all game. Inconsistency still plagues the 3rd year guard, but he's exhibited the brief flashes of elite-level ability that hint at greatness. Whether he reaches that level remains to be seen, but it's clear today that Stuckey is the best player on the team. It's sort of a non-story at this point, but the Stones were without Prince, Gordon, and Bynum. Didn't matter. When Stuckey and Big Ben perform at that level last night, they can compete with anyone. Of course, as the 13 game losing streak proved, those two guys can't consistently play at that level. Players like Rip and Charlie V need to chip in. If they find their groove, the Stones may just dig themselves out of the NBA basement.

Shades of '08?

Very discouraging loss by the Pistons last night. Perhaps the worst loss since Utah. The Pistons were up by 13 at the half and seemed in total control. Then they reverted to Curry-esque offensive sets allowing New Orleans back into the game.

The game was incredibly reminiscent of last year. The Stones would play well for 40 minutes and then fade at the end.

I'll start with the good news. Even without Rip Hamilton (out again with a hamstring pull), the Pistons manhandled the Hornets in the first half. Swarming defense caused over ten turnovers and led to easy baskets. They continued to rotate the ball on offense and work it inside. Even Chucky Atkins caught fire, hitting three straight shots. The Hornets were lucky to be only down 13 at the break. Greg Kelser astutely said before the break, "With the way the Hornets are playing, the Pistons should be upset they're not leading by more." Too true.

Despite scoring 28 and 27 in the first two quarters, the Stones only managed 18 and 14 in the final two. The offense just hit a wall. Chris Paul, who was shockingly scoreless in the first half, scored 16, but it was David West who was the difference maker. No Piston could slow him down. The big man scored 32, hitting an astounding 15 of 22 shots. On the other end of the court, the Pistons did just about everything wrong. They repeatedly turned it over (12 in the second half, mostly Stuckey and Bynum) and stopped attacking the basket. In crunch time, the offense consisted of either Stuckey or Bynum dribbling at the top of the key and then hoisting a contested jumper. I could've sworn I saw these guys on the sideline.

This was a bad, bad loss. The Hornets have a great player in Chris Paul, but they are not a great team. And yet they still beat the Pistons while sleepwalking through an entire half. Going back to their win over Golden State, this is three poor showings by the Pistons. They next travel to Oklahoma City to battle Kevin Durant. OkC already beat the Stones once this year. I do not have high hopes.

For what it's worth, Austin Daye's playing time has slowly increased. The silky shooter got 25 minutes last night, scoring 9. It's not a harbinger of greatness, but it does show Kuester's confidence in him. Daye continues to struggle with rotation defense, but he's quite a handful on the offensive end. For a 6'11 forward, he's a solid ballhandler who can score in a variety of ways. Teams know they have to respect his jumpshot, so they tend to swarm him, forcing him into a rookie mistake (traveling, stepping out of bounds, forced shot, etc). If Daye can improve his ability to find the open man, he'll be quite a handful.

Good day for the D

Solid, solid wins by the Pistons and Wings last night. Both played tight, evenly-matched games and ended up on top. First, the Wings...

Is it bad that I was pleased with an overtime loss on Saturday night? At least they earned a point. I didn't watch too much of the game, but they evidently came back from a two-goal deficit to send it to overtime. Then we all know what happens to the Wings in OT. But, hey, they got a point, which they desperately need.

Last night, they played the Rangers at Madison Square Garden. The first period was vintage Red Wings with dominant puck possession and a flurry of shots on goal, resulting in no actual goals. When Fox flashed the graphic with the Red Wings sporting a 10-3 shots advantage, it was only fitting that the Rangers would break out and tap in a goal, completely against the run of play. Very irksome. The 2nd period was relatively even, but the Wings got the equalizer thanks to some stellar forechecking. Zetterberg sent a pass across the ice to Pavel whose shot slid under a partially-screened goalie, compliments of Homer.

The Wings were much more cohesive this game, and Pavel seemed back to his old self. He was darting in and out of checks and had at least three stellar take-aways that led to scoring chances. The Rangers had plenty of their own chances in the 3rd period, thanks to three straight power plays. Twice they had open-net opportunities that were barely thwarted. Somehow, Jimmy Howard found a way to keep the puck out of the net. With the score deadlocked at 1-1, the Wings made a late rush into the Rangers' zone. Cleary received a cross-ice pass from Zetterberg and shot a no-angle shot from ten feet away. The puck ricocheted off the goalie's skates into the net for the game-winner. Lucky, but somewhat deserved.

Draper added a late empty-netter to cap the 3-1 win. Good effort, good penalty kill. The Wings are now only 1 point from the 8th and final playoff spot!

As for the Stones... they hosted the Wizards at the Palace. Coach Q's boys came out with their usual high energy. Stuckey led the scoring early, as the Pistons threatened to take a double-digit lead throughout most of the first. Savvy 5'5 vet Earl Boykins continued to remind Piston fans of his dominant days at EMU by single-handedly keeping the Wiz in the game, scoring 18 off the bench. In the 2nd quarter, the Piston bench pummeled the Wiz on the glass, regularly getting 2nd and 3rd chance shots. It looked like a sure Piston win, but hot-shooting kept the Wiz close. Boykins hit a 1st half buzzer-beater to cap a 7-0 Wizards run and pull the Wiz to within 3.

That Wiz momentum carried into the 3rd quarter. Stuckey picked up his fourth foul early and had to sit. With Gordon out with an injury, Coach Q was in a quandary. A roster with Hamilton, Stuckey, and Ben Gordon suddenly had no shooting guards. Instead of opting for the sub-6ft guard tandem of Bynumite and Chucky Atkins, Coach Q paired Bynumite with 6'11 Austin Daye. Daye responded with his best game. Hitting all five of his shots - each in a different and difficult fashion - Daye singlehandedly carried the Piston offense in the 3rd. He certainly caught Flip Saunders' attention, as he had his defense trapping Daye in later possessions. When he's on, Daye shows flashes of Danny Granger, but Daye suffers from the typical rookie-inconsistency. Regular minutes will help the kid find a consistent groove.

In the 4th quarter, the Wizards cooled off, as both teams ramped up the defense. Coach Q brought Stuckey back on the court, and the Pistons slowly took control with their current close-out lineup: Bynum, Stuckey, Jerebko, Charlie V, and Big Ben.

Charlie V, by the way, played a solid all-around game, though I wish the dude would take fewer three-pointers. Like Sheed, he has a fluid release, but, also like Sheed, he has an even better post-up game. For the game, Charlie shot 8-19 but only 1-8 from 3pt land. Now, I'm no math genius, but even I can calculate that Charlie shot 7-11 inside the arc. He fares well as a spot-up shooter, but he's developed a habit of hoisting 3s rushed and off-balance. With the way the Piston guards attack the basket, my guess is that Charlie often has to abandon the lane to provide space. But that shouldn't occur on every possession. I did not see the dude did not post-up once in the 2nd half.

In the first half, the Pistons carried the game by working the ball inside and getting layups. They were a jump-shooting team in the 2nd. They hit just enough shots to keep the lead. After a stellar Ben Wallace steal, Stuckey hit a dagger 20 footer with about 50 seconds left to give the Pistons a 6 point cushion. The Wizards mounted a little rally to keep it interesting, but Bynum made just enough free throws to win the game.

This was a good win. Washington was completely healthy and has a roster of talented scorers. The Pistons, as we all know, are desperately short-handed. Even "healthy" players like Villanueva and Bynum are not 100%. But they're still playing competitive, attractive hoops and even winning a few games. The key, not surprisingly, is Ben Wallace. Despite not scoring a single point last night, Big Ben dominated. He led the team in assists (!!) the first half, and then worked some lock-down defense to halt the Wizards' 2nd half surge, commiting nary a foul. Paired with Jerebko, those two make a formidable ball-hawking, board-clearing tandem. After Ben's stellar steal, Mrs. Nofrownmotown stated, "The Pistons are screwed if he goes down."

No doubt.

Like he was in the "Goin' to Work" days, Big Ben is the heart of the team. He must stay healthy. His influence on the younger players cannot be ignored. Kwame Brown was a decent player last year, but he's infinitely more aggressive with Ben in the lineup. Stuckey is now a quality defender (Agent Zero shot 3-9), and Jerebko is like a young Rodman. Coach Q stated publicly, "Jonas is emerging as one of the best rookies in the league." I can't disagree. He might just be one of the best. My hope is that the kid gets an invite to the Rookie/Sophomore game at the All-star break. I can't recall a 2nd rounder ever getting picked for that game.

All in all, an important win by the Pistons. They've got to take care of business at home against the non-elite opposition. They keep bringing the energy, and the wins and fans will follow. Just ask the newest member of the Pistons bench: