Rodney Stuckey via Krista Jahnke (Detroit Free Press):
Starting sometime soon — maybe next week, maybe, if it’s a blowout, even tonight — the Pistons will finally get to see Rodney Stuckey in real NBA action.
The Pistons announced that doctors cleared the rookie point guard on Thursday to begin full-contact practice as well as to play in games.
I’m going to have to hit up YouTube to remember what Stuck brings to the table. Seems like forever he’s been out. Once he gets re-acclimated to the team he’s going to make our attack even more dangerous and diverse. We really don’t have another guy on the roster who attacks the rack off the dribble like Rodney does, which is something that’s been missing. We’ll see better looks for the field as a result of collapsing defenses and a player like that is also able to get to the line a ton (like Stuckey’s idol Dwyane Wade).
And remember when Stuckey’s up to speed he’s the first guard off the bench, so we’re not just waiting for blowouts to see glimpses like with Amir Johnson.
Chris Webber via J.A. Adande (ESPN, finders fee - Nick):
Fourteen-year veteran Chris Webber is close to returning to the NBA, with the Pistons his likely destination, a source close to Webber told ESPN.com.
“Look for him to be back the first week of January,” the source said.
The Boston Celtics, Miami Heat and Los Angeles Lakers had also inquired about Webber’s services, with the Heat intensifying their efforts after backup center Alonzo Mourning suffered an apparent season-ending injury to his patellar tendon in a game at Atlanta Wednesday night. But for Webber, a Michigan native, his familiarity with the Pistons players and coach Flip Saunders’ system after playing there last season appears to make them the most desirable team.
Until he signs here or somewhere else the Webber talk will not die. Is it wrong that I wouldn’t mind having Webb back now that Boston has shown interest? Or is that by design from Webber’s camp to force Joe’s hand?
How would we open a spot for him? With Flip Murray falling out of the rotation in favor of Lindsey Hunter, Dumars could shop him for picks or package him with Walter Hermann?
Chris McCosky’s Adande rebuttal:
ESPN.com’s J.A. Adande, citing an unnamed source, is reporting that Chris Webber could return to the Pistons as early as January. President Joe Dumars told me tonight that was not true. In fact, Dumars has told Webber’s representatives this week that he is content with the roster as it is and has no immediate intentions of changing it.
The Pistons presently have five frontcourt players — Rasheed Wallace, Antonio McDyess, Jason Maxiell, Amir Johnson and Primoz Brezec (with rookie Cheikh Samb waiting in the wings). Dumars, as I have continuously reported, made it clear to Webber in August that he was not going to have four veteran big men on the roster this season barring injury, and that if a situation ever arose where the Pistons needed to bring Webber back, it would be only as the fourth or fifth big. Dumars is committed to using Maxiell as the first big off the bench, and he wants to continue to groom Johnson. Brezec was an unexpected addition who, frankly, might have more to offer in limited minutes than Webber. Webber was not all that pleased last season when he was starting and not the featured player in the offense. There is little chance he would be happy playing five to 10 minutes a night.
If Webber is going to be back in the league, it’s probably a safer bet that he will land in Miami. They have just lost Alonzo Mourning for the rest of the season. I wouldn’t hold my breath waiting for Webber to return to the Pistons.
