After the jump is probably the most clothed one can be without being nude.
The left-aligned bewby belongs to knock-out Christine Marie LeMaster of the site I Dream of Christine.
Christine is a swimsuit model from Florida. She was also named Miss HowardTV 2008.
PN actually did a little interview with Mrs. (yeah, she’s hitched) LeMaster a couple of years ago. Maybe you’d already know that if we could get anyone to frequent the damn message forum. Continue Reading »
Who amongst us doesn’t love the “Back to the Future” trilogy? “Hello, McFly” no one doesn’t! It’s a trilogy that has stood the test of time (pun intended). PN caught up with everyone’s favorite bully; “Biff Tannen“, aka Tom Wilson.
What has Tom been up to since rapping up the BTTF series? What hasn’t he been up to is more like it. Tom has accomplishments in all fields of the arts. He’s had parts films such as: “That Darn Cat,” “Born To Be Wild” and “Camp Nowhere“. You might have seen him on television with roles on shows such series as “Sabrina, The Teenage Witch,” “Nash Bridges,” “Do Over“, “Ed“, “Boston Public“, and “Freaks and Geeks.” He’s also done vioice over work for video games and animated series such as “Spongebob Squarepants“. Tom has also authored books, records music, and is an accomplished painter.
PN: Tom, you’ve done many great things, but I have to take the cliché route to begin with and ask you about your character “Biff” from the “Back To The Future” trilogy. Are you still recognized as that character? Are there any interesting “Biff” stories you could share? Continue Reading »
PistonsNation.com recently had the honor of doing a short interview with one of the Detroit Pistons’ new editions Will “The Thrill” Bynum.
Will, a 6-foot, 185-pound guard, caught the eye of the Pistons’ brass with his impressive showing at the Las Vegas Summer League averaging 11.8 points, 2.0 rebounds and 3.2 assists. Bynum is known for his fearless drives to the basket and harassing on-ball defense. The Pistons will look to utilize Bynum off the bench as a change of pace guy who can pressure ball handlers.
Bynum, a Chicago area hoops legend, started his collegiate career at the University of Arizona. Will transferred to Georgia Tech during his sophomore season. Will, teaming with Jarrett Jack, helped the Yellow Jacket to the ‘04 Final Four.
Brynum went undrafted, but signed with the the Boston Celtics in August ‘05, and was waived in October.
Will then was drafted by the Roanoke Dazzle with the 5th overall pick in the 2005 NBDL draft. Will led the Developmental League in scoring for nearly the entire season and was named the Rookie of the Year. Will got a call up during the season to the NBA with the Golden State Warriors where he played 15 games.
Will then signed overseas with Israeli powerhouse Maccabi Tel Aviv in September of ‘06. Will played two years in Israel averaging 10.6 points, 1.9 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game while helping Maccabi win the 2006-07 Israeli National Championship
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[PN] After a pretty good college career with George Tech you kinda bounced around a little bit, how good did it feel to sign that guaranteed contract with the Pistons?
–-(Will signed a two-year deal, The first year is guaranteed, and the second year is a team option)
[WB] I really don’t consider it “bouncing around” at all. I was on high level teams where I learned a lot which gave me the opportunity to mature as a person as well as a player. The paths of my career is one that I think can be an inspiration to a lot of young people who have to go different routes to achieve their goals in life. Never be discouraged and never give up.
As far as signing that guaranteed contract….it feels really good to know that all my hard work has paid off.
[PN] What are you most excited about going into the season?
[WB] I am excited about having the opportunity to play a full season in the NBA on a team with such great players.
[PN] Detroit has four dynamic guards in Billups, Hamilton, Stuckey & Arron Afflalo. What does Will Bynum bring to the table.
[WB] I will bring lots of energy, defense and the ability to get into the paint, break down the defense and make plays.
To culture ourselves to the other guys I lobbed a six pack of questions over to Ricky from Sixers 4 guidos. Ricky is a long time Philadelphia 76ers fan blogging from across the Atlantic, Genova Italy to be exact. There’s a few questions you’d expect to see in a preview and others to keep it fun. Enjoy, and grazie Ricky!
1) No one point no one is picking the 76ers to beat the Pistons in this series. What do the Sixers have to do to keep their overachieving streak alive and advance to the second round?
I am very passionate about my team but I tend do be realistic and I think I know enough basketball to realize that Sixers have ZERO chances to advance to the second round.
It’s general consensus that Sixers already overachieved by making it to the post season (and I am in this group, I predicted 31 wins at the beginning of the season, while many “experts” picked Sixers to finish from last to second last in the Conference) so everything that will eventually come is a plus.
To put is simply, Pistons are a bad match for us, they are deep, experienced, with no weak points, and play slow tempo. In order to win some games (no more than 2, IMO) Sixers need to defend strongly on the perimeter, something we struggled all year, knock down some outside shots (see above, dead last in the NBA in 3pt percentage).
I’m afraid Pistons won’t allow us to run much, and playing in half court offense will expose our weaknesses.
PistonsNation.com recently caught up with former Piston guard Will Blalock for a Q&A session.
The Pistons took 6′, 200 lb. guard with the 60th pick in the 2006 NBA Draft as a junior out of Iowa State University where he averaged 15.4 ppg and 6.1 apg in his junior year and was named to the All-Big 12 Third Team.
Will appeared in 14 games for the Pistons in 2006-07. With no roster spots available the Pistons were unable to pick up his contract option in June of ‘06 making him an unrestricted free agent. Will played with the Nuggets summer league team where he averaged 10.5 ppg and 3.5 apg. Blalock then signed overseas with Hapoel Jerusalem.
Will’s back stateside now and playing in the NBA’s Developmental League for the Anaheim Arsenal (the affiliate team for the Clippers, Hawks, and Magic) where he’s averaging 9.2 ppg, 2.2 rpg and 3.9 apg.
[PN] Will, first of all thanks for taking time out to answer a few questions. We’ll start with an easy one. They call you “Ill Will”, I’m only to assume because it’s rhymes right? Any other nicknames?
[WB] Yeah (because it’s a rhyming nickname) & Nope, just Ill Will
[PN] You’re a Boston-bred guy and I read growing up you inherited Celtic fan-hood from your father. It looks as if the Pistons and Celtics are on a collision course to meet in the Eastern Conference Finals. If that happens who are you going to root for?
[WB] Well since I’m not neutral now I’ll still go with Chauncey and the boys over the Celts in 6 games
[PN] Do you still keep in touch with any of your teammates from the Pistons?
[WB] Yeah I talk to Amir every now and again and I spoke with Chauncey after he hit the game winning free throws against Boston.
[PN] We all know the Pistons have some jokers on their team and it makes for great camaraderie. Can you share any funny stories for the readers of Pistons Nation?
[WB] There was so many jokes last year but I can’t really remember most of them, sorry.
[PN] Over the summer you played in Israel with Hapoel Jerusalem where you were part of a pretty crazy scene during a game vs. Hapoel Holon in which someone threw a bag of fireworks onto the court and a security guard lost three fingers removing it. Can you describe what you were thinking as this was going on and did it make you think twice about going overseas to hoop?
[WB] Actually I was more shocked than anything that people were allowed to bring M-80’s to basketball games. But, it did make me think twice like do I really wanna be here? But, it wasn’t really that bad because Israel was really nice to me. I can’t let one person ruin my perception about that country. I’m glad I was able to get that overseas experience.
[PN] You’re a kind of classic pass first PG, how does affect your game in the D-League where a lot of guys just want to score and catch the eye of someone in the NBA?
[WB] It’s not too tough because I’m able to score and be very aggressive on my team. I can shoot and also distribute the ball to my scorers. But, hopefully every NBA scout realizes that there’s still a special spot for true point guards somewhere!
[PN] You teamed with Amir Johnson on the D-League’s Sioux Falls Skyforce last season, what was that like for you?
[WB] It was also something I had to experience because it better prepared me for what I go through now. With the Pistons we never played together so it was lots of fun going out there and throwing lobs to him on the break and stuff.
[PN] I was gathering some pics to put with this interview and I came across one of you from high school and you had some serious braids. How long did you grow them, and what made you stop rocking ‘em?
[WB] My hair was very long. I was actually growing it since I a kid. I cut them once I went to prep school my last year of high school. They just got old and out of style to me. I was doing it before everyone else so it was nothing new to me. I had braids since the late 80’s, early 90’s.
[PN] What’s the most important thing right now to Will Blalock?
[WB] My family first. I actually recently got engaged and I’m just trying to better my situation by staying focused on the task at hand which is to somehow finish this year on someone’s roster in the NBA. Other than that, staying healthy and keeping God first.
Appreciate the love and support although I’m no longer a Piston. Wish things were different but, things will get better soon! Take care.
For the second straight season PistonsNation.com has caught up with Sam Smith for a little Q&A session. Sam is a well known columnist who covers the Bulls and the NBA for the Chicago Tribune as well as contributes to many various media outlets. We pitched Sam some questions with a Pistons’ twist and he candidly batted them back to us with a Bulls twist.
[SS] Chicago.
[PN] What was the prevailing attitude towards the Ben Wallace signing after the Bulls/Pistons 2nd round series?
[SS] That it still was the right thing to do. The Bulls kids weren’t quite ready, as it turned out, but they should be now and Ben will help even as his production falls. The Pistons needed to start moving on, and probably still do. They’re being passed now by the Bulls. The Bulls players will play better with Ben this season. Looking at Ben, you can be intimidated and believe he is a leader. He is not. He’s quiet and not particularly assertive. They spent a lot of time last season deferring to him; they won’t anymore and it will be a better fit. It was a four-year deal, not one.
[PN] If the Bulls had gotten past the Pistons do you believe they would have gotten any past the Cavs?
[SS] Yes. The Pistons blew that series and should know it. They played, once again, too arrogantly. They assumed they’d win and when it finally occurred to them they might lose, they turned it up and played a great game, but LeBron played the game of his life and stole it from them. If you concentrate on Cleveland, you beat them. They play selfishly and are badly coached. But the Pistons again got too caught up in exhorting their petty feuds with the coach and practicing their general indifference.
[PN] Who do you think the Bulls and their fans get up for more; the Pistons or the Heat?
[SS] Probably the Pistons since it remains something of a rivalry and, after all, they swept the Heat last year. The Bulls believe they’re better than Detroit, but they didn’t beat them and that’s all that matters. It’s not quite the rivalry it once was because Detroit has been getting knocked off before the finals and probably isn’t a championship contender anymore. But it’s still a good series and will make for a good playoff matchup again if the teams get there. The Bulls remain hungry against Detroit; i don’t think the Pistons respect them enough and that will be the difference this season.
[PN] Who will score more points this season, Ben Wallace or Joakim Noah?
[SS] Noah by far. He can score and could be a little surprising. I remain amazed still after all these years at how badly Wallace shoots the ball. It seems impossible to go to practice as often as he does and shoot like that.
[PN] You wrote that Kobe should sit out the season, any vested Bulls interests here?
[SS] No. Just taking a position on Kobe. The Bulls probably could make a deal now, but at what price. That’s the issue. After all, Kobe is about 30 with bad knees. What if he breaks down and you are on the verge as the Bulls are. They may not be good enough to win a title, but is Kobe worth the risk? I’m not sure. More from Sam on the subject of Kobe & the Bulls.
[PN] What fall out do you expect from the Donaghy scandal?
[SS] Little. It was one bad guy. All businesses–and most governments–have them.
[PN] Who’s you’re all-time favorite Piston turn Bull?
[SS] Crash Mengelt
We’d like again thank Mr. Smith for lending us a moment of his time. Check out some of Sam’s most recent columns. If you’d like to check out last year’s interview click here
PistonsNation.com recently scored an interview with Detroit Pistons’ rookie guard Arron Afflalo. We’re very appreciative for Arron taking time out to answer a few questions for our modest fan site. So, without further ado:
[PN] Your first name is spelled with double rr’s as opposed to the more common double aa’s. Any story behind that?
[AA] No, not really. My parents just liked that spelling better, so they went with it.
[PN] What players did you try to emulate as a kid?
[AA] Byron Scott was definitely one of my inspirations growing up. I loved how he played the game and he’s why I wore #4 at UCLA. Then Kobe Bryant came along and I instantly fell in love with his game, so I tried to model a lot of my game after his.
[PN] How surprised were you that the Pistons selected with their #27 pick after never even working you out?
[AA] Not too surprised. I heard that they liked me and that if I was there at 27, they would take a look at me. But I was ready to expect the unexpected going in because anything can happen on draft day.
[PN] You’re noted as a perimeter threat and a good defender, what would you like to add to your game for this next level?
[AA] I would like to improve my athleticism in general. The NBA has the greatest athletes in the world, so I know I’m going to have to improve that part of my game to keep up. But with a great staff here in Detroit coupled with hard work, I’m confident that can be improved.
[PN] What have your fellow L.A. bred teammates Tay & Amir Johnson told about what to expect about Michigan living?
[AA] They told me the weather isn’t as good in Detroit as in Los Angeles, but I’ll get used to it eventually.
[PN] What did you take away from the Vegas Summer League about some of your new teammates?
[AA] My new teammates are great players and great people. They’re all hard workers either trying to make the team or trying to keep their spot on the team. I’ll have my work cut out to try to make the team myself.
[PN] You’ve got a pretty impressive collegiate resume, but the first thing I think of is you trying to help a very emotional Adam Morrison off the floor as your Bruins were in the process of defeating Gonzaga in the ‘06 sweet sixteen. What did you say to him?
[AA] I just told him to pick his head up and that he played a great game. He had nothing to be ashamed of. He was one my toughest covers of my career at UCLA.
[PN] It’s expected that you’ll get some burn with the Pistons’ new D-League affiliate The Fort Wayne Mad Ants. First off how ’bout that team name? Secondly, are you going to approach that the same way you would spelling Rip or Chauncey?
[AA] That’s a great name. I’m thinking the Pistons should consider switching names with the Mad Ants. I’m just going to take on each challenge as it comes. If that means playing in the D-League, then I’ll gladly try to make the best out of that situation.
[PN] Thanks so much for doing this interview. We’ll be pulling for you in the red, white, & Pistons’ blue.
[AA] Thank you.
