I know this isn’t Pistons news, but it’d affect the Pistons being that the Bulls are one our biggest rivals.

On ESPN it was reported that a 3 way deal between L.A., Sacramento, & Chicago was on the table. Chicago would get Kobe, Sacramento would get Ben Gordon, and the Lakers would get Ben Wallace & Ron Artest. Rick Bucher said the deal fell through because Ben Wallace. He’s owed a lot of money and he don’t exactly fit the triangle. I was surprised they made no mention of the bad blood between Artest and Ben?

The word now isn’t if Kobe will be traded, but when.

• Peter Vecsey thinks Detroit is the ideal team for Kobe Bryant
  
• A. Sherrod Blakely compiles his list of the top 50 Pistons ever
• Mike Kahn from FOX Sports is a fine human being. He’s got the Pistons winning it all in 2008
• Entertaining interview with Stuckey & Afflalo. Stuckey isn’t winning me over with his admiration of the Jordan era Bulls, but I guess everyone makes mistakes.


  Q? - if basketball didn’t exist, what would you be doing right now?

  Afflalo: “I would have found a way to invent basketball.”

FORMER PISTON hook up:

• Darvin Ham & Stacey Augmon both failed to make NBA rosters

Golden State of Mind

ClipsNation.com

Forum Blue & Gold

With Malice

Bright Side of the Sun

Sactown Royalty

Archives

CelticsBlog NBA Page

mLive’s A. Sherrod Blakely:

The setbacks just keep on coming for Amir Johnson. The $11M man will probably sit out the season opener at Miami due to a sore Achilles tendon. It doesn’t appear to be too serious, but serious enough to where you don’t want to risk him making it worse.

It’s obvious the Pistons aren’t taking any chances with their investment. It’s just tough for us fans because we want to see this guy play. How can you not get excited about a young guy who’s athletic and 6′11?

Via Detroit News:

Forward Sammy Mejia, drafted 57th overall in 2007, was waived by the Detroit Pistons on Monday.

In six preseason games, Mejia averaged 1.7 points and 2.2 rebounds in 9.0 minutes per game.Mejia (6-foot-6) left DePaul as the ninth-leading scorer in school history.

Well, there goes Chris McCosky’s theory.
Good luck Sammy, we’ll keep
an eye on where Mr. Mejia lands.

(Via Quo Vadimus) “Here’s something interesting. On Jim Rome’s radio show this afternoon, NBA Hall of Famer and TNT analyst Charles Barkley (who is a must listen any time he is interviewed) said he would be legitimately stunned if the Cleveland Cavaliers, the defending Eastern Conference Champions, made the playoffs. He wasn’t joking either. He said that while almost every other contending Eastern Conference team has improved from last season, the Cavs have not, and as such, they will not make the playoffs.”

Being a Cavs hater that’s music to my ears, but I just don’t see it. While they have some re-signing issues they have to resolve, I don’t see the Eastern bottom feeders being able to surpass a team like the Cavs in a league set up to showcase superstars. I will say they’re one LeBron James injury away from missing the playoffs, but as long as he’s in the lineup they should be able to muster enough wins to get in.

The Heat on the other hand…

I was scanning through some Pistons stuff I recorded and came across a real gem. It comes from a December 2005 game when the Trailblazers were visiting the Palace. In this one it’s not what you see, but what you’ll hear. Let’s just say George Blaha was not used to calling then Blazers’ rookie Jared Jack’s name and some unintentional comedy ensues. What’s as good is the intentional humor quick thinking Bill Laimbeer follows up with. You can tell Blaha must have been laughing to himself because it takes him awhile to speak again and he kind of chuckles at the end. Happy Monday, and enjoy!

• Rip is back at practice and will be ready to play on Wednesday
• As PN reader Nick pointed out, on the ESPN Detroit preview you can listen to Chad Ford (middle right of page) pick the Pistons to win it all citing their depth & experience. The other expert picks range from 1st to 5th in the East.
• Nice write up on Mr. Dee-troit Bas-ket-balll, John Mason
• I never knew Jarvis Hayes had a twin brother?
• Speaking of Jarivs, he’s still really excited about being a Piston
• Lindsey’s going to see some minutes with Stuckey out, but I’m not sure he wants them.
• Chris McCosky helps Flip Saunders out from under Wolves owner’s bus
• Carve yourself a Pistons pumkin
• Matt Watson catches up with A2 (Arron Afflalo) for Hoops World
• First Luke Walton, now C-Webb? What are NBA players appearing in soap operas Alex. (via DBB)
• McCosky again speculates that “Super Dupe” will be the final roster cut leaving Sammy (or ‘Stanley‘ as Rasheed calls him) Mejia on the Pistons Mad Ants roster. Speaking of Ronald Dupree, I was watching a preview for Curb Your Enthusiasm the other day and found Dupree’s celebrity look-a-like…J.B. Smoove. You may recognize him from the Adam Sandler movie Mr. Deeds or SNL


FORMER PISTON hook up:

• Chucky Atkins is expected to miss six to eight weeks after an MRI on Saturday revealed a severe right groin strain.
• Derrick Coleman is sprucing up his westside Detroit neighborhood
• Isiah Thomas got an apology from Rutger’s woman’s basketball coach C. Vivian Stringer for her comments about Zeke’s deposition
• Carlos Delfino scored 18 points and grabbed 9 boards in the Raps preseason win over the Cavs

Detroit News:

“I still don’t think they (Cavaliers) beat us, we beat ourselves,” Wallace said. “And I think we also fell victim to that personal NBA thing where they are trying to make it a world game and get (television) ratings. They wanted to put their darling in there (the NBA Finals) and they did, and look what ended up happening.”

“This game ain’t basketball anymore, it’s entertainment,” Wallace said. “It’s starting to get like the WWF. There ain’t no real wrestling anymore either. It’s all fake.”

EASY Sheed! I agree about the Pistons beating themselves but, I hope this isn’t the start of Rasheed Wallace taking advantage of a the Donaghy situation. I know he speaks his mind and is a human quote machine but you Know David Stern isn’t going to sit back and let the big guy take verbal liberties against the refs and league as a whole.

The ESPN NBA preview issue has an article on what needs to be done to fix the league. In that article they talk about the Pistons, mainly Flip and Rasheed’s strained relationship. It quotes what Sheed said at media day about how him and Coach Saunders are on the same page now.

It goes on to say that Michael Curry was brought in to be a calming buffer. Then it claims that that’s not the only thing Curry is there for…the other duty is a Joe D informant. They quote a ‘Detroit insider’ “Curry was brought in for more than his basketball knowledge”.

Curry denies being a spy or babysitter.

Although I’ve never read anything about this, it does make sense. Even though Joe likes Flip, you have to question why this guy can’t win in the playoffs. The Pistons should have been in the Finals in each of Flip’s two seasons. There’s also the concern of player alienation. First Ben and then nearly the same thing with Sheed last season.

If all doesn’t go well with Suanders at the helm you can bet Mike Curry is ready, willing and able to guide the Pistons’ ship.

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