PistonsNationBlog.com - Detroit Pistons News & Views

With Rip Hamilton’s perfect 5-for-5 free throwing last night he’s increased his consecutive make total to 51.  The Pistons’ record for consecutive made free throws is  62 by Joe Dumars set almost 19 years ago between March 9th, 1991 to April 5th, 1991.

The NBA record for consecutive free throws is 97 set by a former Piston Michael Williams while he was a member of the T-Wolves that spanned March 24, 1993 to Nov. 9, 1993.

(H/T: Justin Rogers)

Joe Dumars is in Philly today and he’s been able to hitch a ride on the New Orleans Saints’ team bus:

“Detroit Pistons GM Joe Dumars (lifelong Saints fan) invited 2 game and rode bus over w/ Sean Payton and GM Mickey Loomis.”

That’s a Tweet from Charles Robinson of Yahoo! Sports.

Now before you jump all over Joe with the loyalty card let’s remember that Joe is a Louisiana native, and like Robinson points out is a life long Saints’ fan.  So as far as loyalty goes I’d say Joe is pretty commendable.  I have family down in Louisiana and for years I’ve heard the stories of how hard it’s been to stay loyal to Saints’ football.

On a side note it’s been pretty interesting to see the Twitter reaction to the NFL season.  Can’t wait until the basketball season gets under way.  Should be fun.  Are you following PNb on Twitter??

(HT: Kj1974)

PinocchiJoe

Adding on to what Terry Foster wrote in this morning’s Detroit News:

“The Pistons are liars.” Those are harsh words but they come from Allen Iverson’s business manager and high school football coach Gary Moore. He told the Memphis Commercial Appeal that Iverson was promised he would become the leader of the Pistons after a trade that sent Pistons point guard and leader Chauncey Billups to the Denver Nuggets.

Instead Iverson was sent into exile as the Pistons’ season crumbled.

Iverson never grasped the team concept and it seemed as if his new teammates never grasped him as a friend.

“People in Detroit weren’t very truthful to Iverson,” Moore said. “He couldn’t really trust what people had told him.”

I believe that, and I’m about as far as you’ll get from an Allen Iverson apologist.

I was a skeptical hippo the moment the trade went down.  AI wasn’t, isn’t, and never will be a “Piston”.  I think a lot of people knew this.  Joe’s task was to sell this deal to the fans and Iverson alike.

The part about Iverson believing he was the team’s leader clears up for me why AI, despite being newly acquired, was speaking for the team pretty much from day one.

We were told that in addition to the butt load of free agent money the trade would free up that our Pistons’ machine wouldn’t skip a beat out on the court.  It’s apparent now that Joe was simply lubing the deal.

Personally I’m just gald this whole mess is over.  I’m excited to see the new look Pistons and actually wish Iverson well in Memphis.

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.

Chris picks his all-time Pistons starting 5, plus his 6th man.

What’s your all-time Pistons team?

UPDATE: Just great, a wasted photoshop. NBA.com’s David Aldridge is reporting that that Bass has agreed to 4-year deal with Orlando. Please Joe, NO BIG BABY! Explore some David Lee options.

Following the lead of Kevin Sawyer at DBB I’m going to help egg on the movement to pluck the 6′8″ PF Brandon Bass from the free agent stream.  And it’s not just for all the fishing puns I’ve been stockpiling.  Signing Bass would make the loss of San Antonio McDyess a little easier on all of us.

Brandon Bass is a young (24) and athletic big who’s ready to take that next step.  He’d be a great fit adding scary depth behind Villanueva.  The only downfall would be if your name happened to be Jason Maxiell.

It’s a blessing that Bass saw less than 20 minutes per game last season in Dallas waiting in line behind Dirk Nowitzki because it’s meant he’s still attainable at a reasonable pirce.  It seems like it’s between us and Orlando.  We’ll probably have to make a move — Chris McCosky is saying Arron Afflalo & Walter Sharpe are the most likely to be moved — to free up some cash for Bass.

As much potential as Afflalo has he’s a two-guard.  There’s like what, 12 two-gaurds ahead of him on our roster?

The other name out there is the Celtics’ Glen ‘Big Baby” Davis.  No.  Please…no.

Go after it Joe.  It’d do a lot to restore so faith in your General Managing genius.

**UPDATE: Here’s a report from SI saying it’s official.

The Detroit Pistons have agreed to terms with Cavaliers assistant coach John Kuester to be their new head coach, a source with knowledge of the negotiations told SI.com.

Another league source said the contract was for two seasons with a team option for a third year.

It’s looking more like the dark horse candidate, Cleveland asst. John Kuester, has now taken the lead.

Sources close to the process told ESPN.com that the job would instead go to Kuester in a deal likely to be completed later Tuesday or Wednesday.

[...]

It’s believed that Kuester’s offensive expertise and his history with the Pistons after working in Detroit as an assistant under Brown appeal greatly to Dumars. That’s despite that fact that Kuester — who was expected to travel to Detroit to meet face-to-face with Dumars later Tuesday — has never been a head coach in the NBA.