Taking a look at this trade it’s obvious that Dumars made a another good deal. Charlotte is going to take on the near $24 million that Nazr Mohammed is owed over the next 3 years. The two players the Pistons got in exchange, Hermann and Brezec are both on contracts that expire at seasons end. This makes the Pistons a player in a rich free agent market this offseason.

So long Nazr: It’s no secret that the Pistons over payed for Nazr in their haste to replace Ben Wallace who left the team with a void at center when he bolted for Chicago’s dough in the summer of 2006. With Ben’s obvious decline and the Pistons new found financial flexibility how good does not resigning Ben look today? The Bobcats desperation for a big man because of injury provided the recipe for Detroit to get out from under Mohammed’s contract.

You could tell early on last season Mohammed just wasn’t the antiphon to the Pistons needs down low. Nazr hit the pine when Chris Webber fell into the Pistons lap last season. He would have been traded sooner if not for that contract. Nazr, when you do the math, was averaging about $21,838 a minute this season, now compare that to roughly $3,365 that Maxiell is averaging.

Say what you want about Nazr you have to respect his professionalism this season. He played hard each time he was called upon and never complained about getting spot minutes. From what is being said out of Charlotte Nazr will be their starting center. So I say good for him and wish him well. See ya on January 12th.

Webber?: The combination of Brezec and Herman’s contracts leaves the Pistons paying $900,000 less this season than they were with Nazr. More room under the luxury tax line could mean the resigning of a guy Pistons’ fans just can’t seem to let go of…C-Webb.

Dupree: We got two players for our one. We have a full 15 man roster and that’s the max the league lets you carry so someone had to be the odd man out. Hopefully Super Dupe can catch on with another team and double his salary this season.

Primo Brezec, C: (7′1″ / 255 lbs. / 28 yrs) Primo is a 6th year pro. Had two very productive years for Charlotte averaging 12.7 ppg and 6.5 rbg before injuring his back last season. He’s been starting this season for new Bobcat’s coach Sam Vincent but not really getting starter’s minutes (13 mpg) and his numbers are way down (1.9 ppg, 2.2 rpg).

Walter Herman, F: (6′9″ / 225 lbs. / 28 yrs) Hermann (also known as ‘Fabio’ for obvious reasons) is a 2nd year pro. Hermann has been played sparingly this season. He’s noted for having an excellent second half the the 2006-07 season when he averaged nearly 10 points and played as a starter. Hermann is said to have a good perimeter game and plays with a lot of energy.

Joe Dumars said in his press conference that neither player was a throw in, that they had expressed interest in both over the past year. I don’t expect to see either in big roles with the Pistons. They’ll be solid role players as the Pistons look to add another championship trophy to the mantle. Look for a bigger role for Jason Maxiell and more minutes for developing Amir Johnson.

What do you think about the Pistons throwback unis? I normally like stuff like this that pay homage to team history but I think the Pistons air balled on this one. I’ve been anticipating these since hearing about them sometimes near the end of last season. What a let down. These incarnations are too loosely based on the ones the ‘Stonz rocked back in 1957-58. Did Adidas not have access to the pic of George “Yard Bird” Yardley seen on the left? Don’t get me wrong, I’m not suggesting they have the guys suit up in vintage nuthuggers but they gotta get closer than this. Wasn’t it Reebok that did the lightning bolt jerseys? Those looked like he ones John Long, Greg Kelser, and Bob Lanier wore. If you’re going to do it, do it right! Show some respect.

The most obvious:

• 1957-58: blue letters, red outline, 2007: red letter, blue outline
• The letter font looks pretty close but the number font is off
• 1957-58: proportionate numbers, 2007: large obtuse numbers
• 1957-58: player numbers on shorts (not pictured), 2007: Throwback logo


Here’s another suggestion; wear the Bad Boys road jerseys. Even though I like our current uniforms, NOTHING will replace the Bad Boys version in my heart. Those are classic. Simple clean font, proportionate block numbering. You can’t go wrong. I even prefer, on those, the letters and numbers being screened on (as opposed to sewn). I also like that they say “Pistons” across the front. I don’t have a problem with our current ones saying “Detroit” across the front, but, since the the Palace is a far cry from the city of Detroit, “Pistons” is more appropriate.

What do you think?

With the way J-Max has been playing I wanted to throw this catch phrase out there JASON MAXIELL IS OH-BEAST! I’m a fan of him eating babies, Mighty Max is taken, Maxey is fun but… OH-BEAST! sums it up perfectly. The dude is a bruiser and he’s making fans everywhere sit up and take notice as he assaults the goal leaving multiple contusions on rims leaguewide. It’s not just enough to say his game is phat anymore, it’s OH-BEAST! people.

Pistons’ players model the team’s winter collection. Fierce!

I’ve given it awhile to grow on me but I’m still not a fan of the Pistons’ shooting shirts. It’s not the colors, because let’s face it, you can’t go wrong with red, white, and blue. It’s just that they’re not basketball enough. These are soccer jerseys imitating basketball shooting shirts. I don’t like cross-sport jersey mojination (Austin Powers 2 term btw).
I like my basketball apparel looking like, well, basketball apparel. That shiny material that the red sleeves are made of, the trademark Adidas 3 stripes running down the arms, the Adidas logo front and center…the Euro invasion knows no bounds.

Even though teams aren’t wearing them (yet) the same rule applies to those Pistons baseball jerseys. It’d be the same if it was a Detroit Tigers basketball jersey. Cross mojination is wrong.

_____________________________________________________________

Totally unrelated, but I’d like to send the Taylor family our deepest condolences, R.I.P. Sean Taylor 1983-2007

From Chris McCosky’s blog:

We were talking to Flip Saunders today, and Sherrod Blakely asked him if he has thought about the idea of bringing Richard Hamilton off the bench. Remember, I had suggested this in a recent column as a bail-out plan if Hamilton’s struggles were to continue for another 30 games or so. Here’s what Flip said.

“No… We are trying to get Rip focused, but he’s just not in a rhythm right now. He hasn’t been healthy, and when he got healthy, then he got sick. You can’t totally judge him now. If a guy’s healthy and he’s been playing, that’s one thing. But if a guy is not healthy and you do something, then you are making an adjustment that you might not need to make. I am not going to overreact to this.”

Hamilton did not practice again Monday. He’s still fighting the flu, but Saunders expects both Hamilton and Rasheed Wallace to be in the lineup for the Cavs game Wednesday. Wallace (sore left knee) did a little bit, but not much, at practice Monday.

I have to agree with McCosky on this one. If not for Rip missing games with injury and the birth of Richard Clay Hamilton II and now battling the flu then it might be something worth maybe thinking about with the way Rip has played.

I’ve read a lot of fans wanting the Pistons to use Rip off the bench like San Antonio uses Manu or Jason Terry in Dallas. That’s fine if it’s done before the season starts as a way to bolster the bench scoring and not as a demotion for poor play 13 games into the season. Rip has earned his starter’s role with this team and deserves to be given the chance to play his way out of this funk. It’s way to early to have hands all over the panic button. We’re in no threat of missing the playoffs right now.

We’ve all been frustrated with Rip’s play but benching him in the first month of the season would send the wrong message and would potentially do more harm than help.

Just a quirky little note, all the Pistons injuries have come on the left side.

Sheed’s knee, McDyess’ shoulder, Chauncey’s knee, Rip’s ankle, Amir’s ankle, Nazr calf, & Stuckey’s hand. How’s that for team continuity?

You can say a lot of things about Isiah Thomas, but one thing that won’t change is that he’s a living legend here in the Motor City. This was evident Wednesday night by the Palace crowd that cheered the captain of the back-to-back world champion Bad Boys. It had nothing to do with rooting for the opposition and everything to do with showing support to one our own going through a tough time.

It’s just too bad things couldn’t have been worked out where Isiah could have stayed in the family the way many of the other Bad Boys did. We, as a community, helped raise Zeke. He wasn’t just a hired gun. We experienced the ups and downs together, 13 seasons worth. We watched him grow from a 19 year old rookie to the leader of the Pistons’ teams that he led to three straight NBA Finals. That’s why we will always have Isiah’s back and I know he appreciates it.

This may not be too popular with New York fans and I don’t blame them. It’s easy to empathetic to Isiah from our vantage point. We’ve got a team that wins every year while their’s is a once proud franchise trying to get back to respectability with Isiah at the wheel. I don’t want to get too deep into it but Isiah shouldn’t shoulder all the blame. He’s tried to put together a winner. He’s stockpiled the Knicks roster with talent, which he’s as good as anyone in spotting. His drawback was not finding the right talent. Those Knicks just don’t compliment each other at all. Former Pistons teammate John Long put it best; “Everybody is throwing him under the bus right now and it’s not right,” He has to be accountable for some things, but the bottom line is he can’t make his players play with pride.”

Hopefully Isiah can turn it around in New York and achieve like he did in Detroit. We’re pulling for ya’ Zeke!

“There’s a great love affair here with the players and the community and I’m glad that still exists,” Isiah said. “That’s what I have to do in New York – I have to get our team to bond with our community.” (via: Pistons.com)

Rodney Stuckey is the first up for SLAM ONLINE’s rookie bloggers. No material that’s going to show up on a ton of blogs, but then again that just doesn’t seem like Rodney’s personality. He basically talks about adjusting to life in the NBA and the injury. Here’s my favorite excerpt:

I think that one of the reasons why the Detroit Pistons as an organization is where they’re at right now is the atmosphere in the locker room is very good. We always have a positive mind throughout the locker room, and I think if you’re having a negative attitude in the locker rooms and all that stuff, that’s not really a good thing to vibe off. So all the enthusiasm and stuff coming from the players is all good. We’re all a family. We all hang out with each other, and we all treat each other with respect. If someone messes up, we get on each other, so it’s all about being a brotherhood.

From reading today’s articles it’s evident that the Pistons expected more out of the five game west coast road trip. Chauncey Billups; “I am disappointed in this trip, I am very disappointed. Every one of these games were winnable. To go 2-3 is a bad road trip in my eyes.”, and Rasheed Wallace shared the sentiment; “To me, it’s a downer”.

It’s actually good to hear this from two of the team’s leaders. It sends a message to the young guys that they feel they’re a good enough team to come away with a W despite the situation or adversities. A 2-3 road trip just isn’t acceptable. Credit this to Joe Dumars. He’s put together a roster of character guys and has bred a winning culture. The name across the front of the jersey means something.

The Pistons lost three games they should not have (Portland, L.A., Sacramento). Even with the injuries they were in each of these games but faltered down the stretch. That’s something the Pistons will have to look back on, finishing what they start. On the flip side they won a game they probably shouldn’t have in Golden State. They got down big to a team they’ve not matched up well with in the recent past but showed poise and and resiliency. Instead of packing it in after being 22 points down they instead continued to execute and play defense and came away with a very fulfilling win.

Bricks: Defense - the Pistons gave up an average of 103 points for this 5 games stretch, something a Pistons’ team has not done since 2000-01. Turnovers - the Pistons uncharacteristically turned the ball over a lot, granted Billups wasn’t available for two games but he can’t play 48 min for 82 games so the team as a collective has to take care of the ball. Fouls - Guys are young, it’ll take time to curb. Rotations - This one falls squarely on Flip Saundes’ shoulders. To his credit he was without two starters for most of this trip but some of his rotations have Pistons’ fans scratching their heads. Not sticking with hot hands and being too conservative with time outs hurt the Pistons’ in the losses.

Slam Dunks: The Bench - There’s very little question that the Pistons now have the ability to go deep into their bench if need be. Our young players are ready to step up when called upon, and Jarvis Hayes looks to be another Dumars steal. Cheikh Samb - The 7 footer had one foot on the bus down to Fort Wayne but it looks as if the coaching staff stumbled upon something when they needed another big bcause of injury and foul troubles. Samb showed a good prowess for swatting shots and filling up the paint. Rasheed Wallace - He seems as focused as any point in his Piston career. He’s taken the challenge of playing out of position and leading by example. Plus, he’s only got 1 tech in 10 games and even that one was questionable. + .500 - At 6-4 we’ve still got a winning record that right now is good enough for 1st in the Central. We completed the season’s longest road trip and are above water. We’re not the Chicago Bulls - I’m sorry, I just couldn’t resist. Here’s to hoping that last one doesn’t come back and bite me.

Looking Ahead: The Pistons close out the month of November on a four game home stand, just what the doctor ordered after being out west. We start with two bad teams, New York on the 21st and Philly on the 23rd. Then to a marginal team, Cleveland on the 25th. We finish up with a really good Utah team on the 28th (can we PLEASE get this Utah monkey off our backs?). Notice no back-to-backs? We should be able heal up some aching bodies, speaking of which, number one pick Rodney Stuckey should be back this month!

A show of hands for all of those out there weren’t surprised to see Cheikh Samb enter the Friday’s game. Even with McDyess’ injury, I really didn’t expect him to even be dressed for the game. Most of us probably thought we’d only see highlight clips of Cheikh down in Ft. Wayne, IN playing in the D-League.

We’ve been told all along that Cheikh is a project or the gentler term “raw”, which he is, but not to the extent we’ve been led to believe. As poorly as the Pistons played against the Lakers I still found something to be encouraged about in the form of a rail thin Senegalese rookie. (Not to get off subject but between Cheikh, Tay, and Rip we’ve got market cornered on skinny ball players.)

Samb was credited with 2 blocks and was called for a goal tending on a third. It was a pleasant surprise to see the shot blocker’s timing he displays. He also grabbed 4 rebounds while helping lock down the paint with Amir Johnson. He already has a good center’s presence and knows how to fill up the lane. Also, who knew the big fella had such a silky jumper? He only attempted the one shot that he hit all nets. It just isn’t what I expected to see from a foreign born player who has been said to have picked up basketball as a teenager. It’s pretty apparent that Samb, 23, is a natural athlete.

I’m not sure the Lakers know what they gave up back in 2006 when they traded us Samb’s draft rights for Maurice Evans. To me Samb was intriguing, but in the same way Andreas Glyniadakis was, (you remember, the 7′1″ center from Greece the Pistons drafted in the second round of the 2003 draft?) he was a 7 foot foreign mystery. Now, after seeing Samb’s first 15 minutes of regular season NBA play I think with 15-20 more lbs. and some seasoning in the NBA’s Developmental League he can possibly emerge as a Dikembe Mutombo type talent with more offensive upside than Deek. If that happens Joe Dumars can take another step further away from being rapped as the guy who took Darko Milicic over Carmelo Anthony, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh etc. etc.

I can’t wait to see more Cheikh Samb. Maybe tonight against Sacramento since Pistons.com is telling us not to expect to see McDyess at least until the Pistons return the the Palace on Wednesday to take on the Knicks.

Watch your back Nazr, there’s a rookie with 36″ tall throwback socks gaining on you!

Wikipedia defines metrosexual as “a neologism generally applied to heterosexual men with a strong concern for their appearance, and who display many of the lifestyle tendencies of stereotypical gay men“. I wouldn’t say the NBA is a hot bed for Metros like, say, soccer? But, here is a list of the six individuals you’re most likely to see in a club over cologned, four buttons down giving the wink/shooters point/ mouth click-click.

[SF] “Pretty” Ricky Davis - Even more eye catching than Ricky Flair’s shot selection is his carefully crafted facial follicles. This is where funk meets metrosexual.

[PF] Jeff “Blue Steel” Foster - Jeff parlayed his sour pucker into the big screen biography Zoolander, a story about the trials and tribulations that beautiful people face.

Natalie Postman on Jeff: “He’s almost TOO good looking. That would be my… my main deterrent to you know, considering a relationship.”

[C] Andris “Sonic the Metro Sexual Hedgehog” Biedrins - Where has you seen Andris before? He was Romance on VH1’s I Love New York season one. This Latvian is the list’s only import. He took what fellow countryman, Andre Kirilenko, did to the HNL (hole nofva level). Is he standing still or flying down the court? His hair will never tell.

[SG] Dwyane “Miami Sweet” Wade - Take commercials, the magazine covers, and a certified man crush courtesy of Bill Walton and it all adds up to the leagues most dangerous metrosexual triple threat.

[PG] Damon “Look at Me” Jones - What’s lacking in substance is more than made up for with unparalleled style. Bug eyed glasses, and suits that range from fire engine red to leopard, he’s fashionably reckless and we love it!

• Damon’s fashion faux pas: 1. Wearing white before Easter 2. Wearing linen other than in the summer 3. Wearing belts and shoes that don’t match 4. Wearing over sized clothes

Coach, Reggie “Hang Time” Theus - Maybe he’s born with it, or maybe it’s Maybelline?

There you have it, the brave men filling the metro void left in 2004 when Rick Fox put up the Vidal Sassoon for good.

via Justin Rogers on mLive:
ESPN’s Rick Bucher reported on Sports Center that Joe Dumars, contrary to what he was saying, did make an offer for Kobe Bryant. No deal was done because Detroit is not one of Kobe’s desired destinations and with Bryant having the “no trade clause” stipulation built into his contract he has the final say.

As Roger’s points out no one should fault Joe Dumars for at least testing the waters when arguably the leagues best player is on the table. His job as a GM is to upgrade when the opportunity presents itself. We also should be thankful to Dumars that he did so vehemently deny the trade rumors. He’s got guys to protect and team chemistry to think about. Who knows how a guy’s, especially a starter, game/attitude could be affected when he knows he’s actively being shopped. It sure doesn’t have seem to done the Chicago Bulls any favors.

There. Now that we know Joe D at least inquired and Kobe, for whatever reason, doesn’t want to be a Piston let’s have a moratorium on any all proposed trades that would bring Kobe here to the Motor City. Let’s put the focus back where it belongs, on the group of guys who are Pistons.

Antonio McDyess just seems to be out of his comfort zone as a starter. He came here to be the sixth man and has always contested that he much rather play on the second unit. Remember his take from Media Day on his new starter role?

“I don’t think I really had a choice, to be honest,” McDyess said, with his usual chuckle. “Joe (Dumars) talked to me about it and said he wanted me to start. There wasn’t anything I could really have said about it. I know they want the five best players on the court to start; they feel that’s the best way to help the team and I feel the same way. If me starting helps get us to where we want to be, then I am willing.”

McDyess, 33, hasn’t started since the 2001-02 season. He admits having some anxiety about it.

“I have to get myself in a different mental state,” McDyess said. “I am so used to coming off the bench. I had pretty much prepared myself that I would be coming off the bench the rest of my career. I guess I am going to have to go out and set the tone instead of watching how the tone is set. I just have to restart my motor.”

That doesn’t sound like a guy gun-ho on starting. It sounds like a guy who feels he can best contribute as the team’s sixth man.

He’s averaging 6.8 points a game through the first 4 games which includes a couple of 4 point performances. Last season he averaged 8.1 ppg while getting almost 7 less minutes a game. He’s just not being as aggressive attempting 6 or fewer shots in 3 out of the 4 games played. McDyess has also only been to the free throw line in one game.

Why not let McDyess come off the bench and start Maxiell? What better way to commit to a youth movement than to have one of our young high energy guys right there in the first five. Unleash the beast right from the outset. I envision Maxy out there mixing it up and getting the opposition in foul trouble with his relentless assualts on the rim. He’s also gives you another finisher in the transition game.

It’s a smaller line up, I know. McDyess is much better on the defensive boards and that’s been one bright spot for him so far averaging 7.25 rpg. Defensive rebounds are something Maxiell would really have to commit to, but I get the impression that Jason Maxiell doesn’t have a problem with working on his game. We are talking about the guy who volunteered to play on the summer league team.

This is not a reaction to just to the loss to Chicago, more a cumulative observation to each of the first four games. To me it just makes sense for the Pistons and at some point would be worth looking into.

This fanalyzation was posted in the PN message forum by member d.James. I always enjoy reading what he has to say because it’s well thought out and well researched.

Here he writes how the Seattle Supersonics pending relocation to Oklahoma City could affect our Pistons:

Lenny Wilkens, Spencer Haywood, Gus Williams, Gary Payton, Dennis Johnson, Jack Sikma, Paul Silas, Slick Watts, Shawn Kemp, Tom Chambers, Xavier McDaniel, Gerald Henderson, Dale Ellis, Detlef Schrempf, Derrick McKey, Michael Cage, Rickey Pierce, Eddie Johnson, Sam Perkins, Kendall Gill, Hershey Hawkins, Vin Baker, Dale Ellis, Rashard Lewis, Ray Allen…

This team isn’t the Charlotte Hornets or the Vancouver Grizzlies. There’s 3 Conference Championships, 3 60-win teams, an NBA title, and Hall-of-Famers in their storied 40-year history in Seattle.

This is the biggest move in professional basketball since the ABA merger as far as I am concerned AND IT’S ALL OVER MONEY AND A STADIUM!!!!

As a Pistons fan, I am glad that the furthest north a team needs to go is now Portland. Oklahoma City and New Orleans are bringing the league back to the Midwest. The team’s home dates will start at 8:30PM EST rather than 10:30PM EST which will be a draw for fans on the East Coast, long-considered the bulk of the television audience. But this is sad as a fan of the Sonics.

Something else might come out of this–the NBA might fix its divisional alignments, albeit too late for the nucleus the Grizzlies once had (The 2004-05 Memphis Grizzlies were prepared to cut into the Pistons and Heat win total). The logical choice for the Oklahoma City Sonics would be for them to be clumped with Houston, San Antionio, Dallas, and New Orleans in the Southwest division. It means they would have less travel than if they had to travel to Minnesota or Portland twice a season.

But that potential move means that the NBA may have to look at moving the Milwaukee Bucks into the Western Conference and the Memphis Grizzlies into the East. For instance:

WESTERN CONFERENCE:

Northwest:
Denver
Utah
Milwaukee
Minnesota
Portland

Pacific:
Golden State
LA Clippers
LA Lakers
Phoenix
Sacramento

Southwest:
Dallas
Houston
New Orleans
Oklahoma City
San Antonio

EASTERN CONFERENCE:

Atlantic:
Boston
New Jersey
New York
Philadelphia
Toronto

Central:
Chicago
Cleveland
Detroit
Indiana
Memphis

Southeast:
Atlanta
Charlotte
Miami
Orlando
Washington

This affects the entire NBA. It makes sense to put the Memphis Grizzlies in the Eastern Conference and because Milwaukee remains a Northern City, it is not any more strange for the Western Conference to reach over the Mississippi for Milwaukee than it is for them to reach over for Memphis, Tennessee.

But it also means that the Divisional rivalry with the Bucks (Green Bay-Lions) will not be as intense. The Pistons and Bucks have been in the same division all but two seasons in the 40-year history of Milwaukee’s franchise. They share Bob Lanier, Lindsey Hunter, and the Pistons rub the Bucks for good luck during Championship runs (1989, 2004, and 2006).

Central Division Titles (since 1970-71):
Detroit - 8 (2007, 2006, 2005, 2003, 2002, 1990, 1989, 1988)
Milwaukee - 7 (2001, 1986, 1985, 1984, 1983, 1982, 1981)
Chicago - 6 (1998, 1997, 1996, 1993, 1992, 1991)
Bullets (BAL, CAP, WAS) - 5 (1975, 1974, 1973, 1972, 1971)
Indiana - 4 (2004, 2000, 1999, 1995)
Atlanta - 3 (1994, 1987, 1980)
San Antonio - 2 (1979, 1978)
Houston - 1 (1977)
Cleveland - 1 (1976)

**Also see: SaveOurSonics.org 

The Pistons need to set a tone tonight. They’re playing a Heat team that is minus their best player in Dwyane Wade who has fallen 8 times and only gotten up 8 times (??), Pretty Ricky Davis will be starting in his place. Miami still has on old (literally) nemesis in Shaquille O’Neal and it will be interesting to see how the “center by committee” goes with the most physically dominating center in recent memory. This could be a statement game for Nazr Mohammed if he looking for one, if not he can try again tomorrow night in Orlando against Dwight Howard. The odds makers have the Pistons by four in this one, but honestly looking at this Heat roster, they could easily come away with a double digit win on a Miami team that didn’t win a single preseason game.

November sees the Pistons on the road for 8 of the first 10 games of the season, with includes a 5 game west coast trip. The saving grace of that trip is that they’ll only play one good team in Golden State. The others include: Seattle, Portland, Lakers (who will probably have traded Kobe by then), and Sacramento. The Pistons will then finish off the month with a 4 game home stand.

If anyone is looking for a cool Pistons wallpaper for your computer Pistons.com has a new set of them. Each features a current roster Piston paired with a past Piston as part of the 50th anniversary celebration.