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• Ben Gordon is being mentioned in 3-team deal as reported by the Arizona Republic where BG would go to Philly, Amare Stoudemire would land in Pistons’ Blue, and Andre Iguodala and Chris Wilcox would be off to The Grand Canyon State.  Justin Rogers has done the math and we’d have to include more salary, suggesting Kwame Brown.
  
• As the norm with trade rumors the rumored tradee, Gordon, is downplaying the possibility of relocating.
• Ben Wallace envisions Double J as a “beast” on the perimeter.  SLAM recently named Jonas to their all-rookie 2nd team.
• Please, ANYTHING but another Pistons’ players Vs. head coach saga
• Big Ben tired of being branded only a defensive player:
  

  “Everybody in the league can score the basketball,” Wallace said. “That is no secret. When people say guys are not a scorer, that blows my mind. Ain’t nobody in this league that can’t score. Everybody in this league at one time was asked to score.”

• Kwame is willing to do what it takes to help the team but isn’t going to concede Kue’s assessment of defensive short comings on his part:
  

  “I will do what the coach says in order to get better, although that is a first because there is one thing I do bring to the table and that is defense. That’s the first time I heard that. It’s the first time a coach said I don’t play defense. But like I said, I will learn to play the defense he wants me to play.”[...] Brown said he’s one of the top three defensive players in the NBA.

  Easy there Kwame…

• Clipper and MI native Chris Kaman will replace Brandon Roy on the Western Conference All-Star roster

** Something we’re missing? Send along the link or hit up PNb on Twitter.

If this isn’t trade conspiracy material than I don’t know what is. Dr. Rahmani has been Rip’s gig forever.  Tayshaun better watch out, Gordo might just know a thing or two about blocking unwanted shots…

(H/T: PistonPost)

No game for a few days, so here’s a look into the lighter side of our Detroit Pistons as Tay and BG shoot a commercial for the upcoming season. (h/t:  PistonsWebGuru)

Tic-toc…tic-toc…Starting October 28th we’ll be seeing Ben Gordon highlights akin to the ones in this mix, only he’ll be doing it in red, white and Pistons’ Blue.

Not too much going on, but I go a chuckle when reading the following exerts from Keith Langlois’ interview with Joe Dumars.

Dumars recounts Rip’s reaction to the Pistons targeting Ben Gordon:

Rip laughed when I told him that that’s the guy we were talking to. He said – after we had signed him, actually – he said, “Listen, you cannot pass up on a Ben Gordon. He’s too good to pass up.” And then he said, “Now he does know I’m the starter, though, right?” I said, “He knows that, Rip. He knows that full well.” We both laughed about it. He said you can’t pass on him, he’s a big-time player. There’s such a respect back and forth with these guys, guys like Stuckey and Will and Rip and Tayshaun, they respect what Ben Gordon has done because they’ve seen it, up close and personal, against us and against others. They respect what this guy brings.

Prior in the interview Dumars gives the reason why Rip & Gordon won’t have the problem that he and Iverson had last season. That being that Gordon chose to come here knowing that Rip, an established all-star, was the team’s starting two-guard. Not only that but Ben Gordon made his name in this league as a guy who lights it up off the bench. BG doesn’t need to start the game to find his rhythm, he’s instant.

So if you take this at face value then the starting shooting-guard controversey was on squash from the jump.  Minutes, on the other hand, might be where Kuester really earns his coaching wings.

Individually they're good, but conjoined...

Here’s the answer to one of the biggest question marks after signing BG direct from John Kuester via Terry Foster:

Well, Kuester said Hamilton will resume his role as a starter and Gordon will come off the bench most nights.

“But Rip understands and Ben understands there are going to be nights where both of them are going to have starter’s minutes,” Kuester said. “They are both going to have to earn it.”

This scenario works the best. I’m glad coach K is getting after it early.  Personally I can do without another who should start/sit controversy. Unlike Curry who was as indecisive with Rip and AI as Peter Griffin is trying to decide between Ernest Goes To Camp or Ernest Doesn’t Go To Camp before the video store closes.

Sure, paying a guy $55 million to come off the bench seems nuts, but it’s the only thing that makes sense if we’re keeping Rip.  Neither one gives you a good look at the point.  Coming off the bench hurt Rip’s effectiveness where as Gordon thrived in the “Microwave” role while in Chicago.

The prospect of  Ben Wallace returning to the Pistons brought back to mind a quote from then Bulls’ teammate Ben Gordon:

Asked if he believed he is the team’s best player, Gordon said, ”I think I am.” [...] So the best player should be paid the most money? ”What do you think?” he said. ”If the worst guy on the team is making more than the best guy on the team, does that make sense?”

This was in the summer of ‘07 when the Bulls put a 5-year/ $50 mill contract extension on the table for Gordon  — which he of course turned down. Most everyone got that BG was calling Wallace the Bulls’ “worst guy” even if he didn’t come out and say the name “Ben Wallace“.  If you recall Ben Wallace signed that obscene 4-year/$60 mill deal the summer prior and Gordon, the team’s leading scorer, felt entitled to a similar pay day.

After the Bulls were able to trade Big Ben to the Cavs Chicago columnist Jay Mariotti went on to write that Wallace was dollar-for-dollar the “biggest bust in Chicago sports history“.  Ouch.

Would this slight affect their relationship if Big Ben returns to the Pistons? Probably not. They’re both crazy paid so it’ll most likely be water under the bridge (unless some idiot blogger brings it back up). But, it just goes to show that you should choose critiques about teammates/opponents wisely because you never know where or beside whom you’ll be playing with down the road.

Damn.  That last sentence sounded like a Jerry Springer ‘Final Thought’.  Take care of yourself, and others…DAMN.