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Jonas Jerebko has been a bright spot in a pretty dismal season of Pistons’ basketball.  Who would have thought at the beginning of the season that he’d have a chance to finish the season as #2 all-time for most starts as a Pistons’ rookie.  If he stays healthy that’s exactly what Double-J will do with a total of 73 starts.

Here’s a look at the top 5:

1. Kelly Tripucka (1981-82) 82 starts
2. Isiah Thomas (1981-82) 72 starts

3. Grant Hill (1994-95) 69 starts

4. Jonas Jerebko (2009-10) 64 starts

5. John Long (1978-79) 60 starts

That’s a pretty good group to be lumped into. Jonas and Long have the distinction of being taken in the 2nd round, picks number 39 and 29 respectively.
(HT/ Chris Iott)

April 7th, 1989 – You can say what you want about Isiah Thomas but you’ll never be able to say the man would back down to anyone.  Here’s 6′1″ Isiah giving up a foot to Bill Cartwright.  Despite the height disparity Zeke got in some quality shots.

The fight stemmed from a previous game where Isiah took an elbow from Cartwright that he wasn’t even penalized for.

For his part Isiah received a two game suspension resulting in a loss $56,000 in salary and a $5,000 fine.  He also fractured his left hand in the melee.  Cartwright, only one game and a $2,500 fine.  There’s that Bad Boys biased.

Remember what a fierce rivalry the Pistons/Bulls was? I long for a team that his this kind of fight and pride in them. Sigh.

The action starts around the 2:22 mark. George Blaha and Dick Versace have the call. BTW, the Pistons won this one 114-112 in OT.

(Game Day Films are video posts loosely relative to the Pistons opponent and hopefully mildly entertaining.)

This struck me as odd when I read how the Bulls “evaluated” John Salley as a potential draftee in 1986:

“They brought me to Chicago three times, and the last trip in they brought me into a room with (GM) Jerry Krause and (coach) Doug Collins and the trainer,” Salley said on WGN-AM’s “Sports Central.” They made me strip down to my underwear and turn around and checked me out like they were buying a horse. Krause told me he was drafting me, but he lied and took Brad Sellers. That is why I told him I would always play well against Chicago, and I always did.” [ChiTribune]

Yeah, he can run and jump but how does he look stripped down to his skivvies, apparently not as good as Brad Sellers? I dunno man, that sounds an awful lot like how they used to buy slaves way back when.

Ironically enough Salley later won a ring with the Bulls in 1996.

The Pistons play the Bulls tomorrow at the Palace.

(Just let me start by saying I’m not in any way pushing for the Pistons to go out and scoop these two guys up, that would make absolutely no sense.  I’m just informing you the reader of the day’s news.)

The Chicago Bulls have waived Lindsey Hunter but it’s being reported that he’ll stay with the organization in an unspecified position.  Lindsey joined the Bulls as a free agent in November of 2008.

At 39 Lindsey Hunter is the league’s eldest statesman.  Lindsey was originally a lottery pick (10th overall) of the Pistons back in 1993. Hunter was selected by Detroit in hopes of him eventually becoming Isiah Thomas’ successor at point guard.

Linds’ is currently 3rd all-time in Pistons’ steals (behind Isiah & Joe), 3rd in 3-pointers made (behind Joe & Chauncey), and 5th all-time in games played with 705.

Lindsey’s first go ’round with Detroit lasted until 2000 when was traded to Milwaukee for Billy Owens.  Hunter was reaquired from Toronto in 2003 in a trade for Michael Curry.  Lindsey was then part of the blockbuster 2004 3-team deal that brought Rasheed Wallace to Detroit.  Lindsey was sent to Boston, but was later waived by the Celtics and quickly snatched back by Joe Dumars for the ‘04 postseason run.

Another part of that 2004 trade, Mike James, was bought out by the Wizards.

James and Hunter became to be known as the “Pitbulls”.  Coach Larry Brown would deploy those two together off the Pistons’ bench and they’d harass the other team’s backcourt like nothing I’ve ever seen before or since.  You almost felt bad for the other guys.  It was truly something special.

Depsite being a damn good guard Mike James has been with 38  different teams (7 actually) after winning it all with the Pistons in 2004.

James has been in a mere four games (46 minutes) this season in Washington.

(HT: Full Court Press)

In honor of Canada’s world’s best 14 gold medal in the newly concluded Vancouver Winter Olympics let’s take a look at the Canucks that have left their maple syrupy mark on Pistons’ basketball.

Bob Houbregs (1954-58)

Vancouver’s own Bob Houbregs, the son of a well traveled minor league hockey player, was the first Canadian to lace ‘em up for the Fort Wayne/Detroit Pistons. Houbregs was one of the games first to perfect the hook shot.  “Houby” was claimed on waivers by the Fort Wayne Pistons from the Boston Celtics in 1954 and remained with the team as they move to Detroit in 1958.

Houbregs enjoyed a great collegiate basketball career at the University of Washington where he lead them to their only Final Four appearance in 1953 and still holds many school records.  In The 6′7″ F/C was elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1987 and the Canadian Basketball Hall in 2000.

Jim Zoet (1983)

Before Deron Washington was waived there was talk of the Pistons having four rookies on the roster for the first time since 1982.  That occurred when when Bill Laimbeer went down with a broken hand and Pistons were in need of some insurance at the center position.  Jim Zoet, a 7′1″ center from Uxbridge, Canada joined rookies Cliff Levingston, Ricky Pierce, and Walker Russell.

Jim Zoet was an undrafted center out of Kent State.  He signed as a free agent with the Atlanta Hawks during the 1982-83 preseason but was one of their final cuts.  The Pistons picked Zoet up in October of 1982 where his Pistons’/NBA career spanned 30 minutes over 7 games with 2 points to his credit.  Zoet was waived a month later.

A little trivia for ya, Jim Zoet is the only player in Pistons’ history with a last name that begins with the letter “Z”.

Ron Crevier (1985)

Montreal born Ron Crevier’s Pistons career makes Zoet’s look like an eternity.  Crevier’s NBA career spanned 3 games, one with the Warriors and two with the Pistons.  Crevier’s Pistons career consisted on 1.5 minutes played where he was credited for a field-goal attempt, a free-throw attempt,  half of a rebound (not sure how that’s possible), and a personal foul.

The 7′ Crevier was picked 75th by the Chicago Bulls in 1983 out of Boston College.  The Bulls waived him before the season started.  The Pistons signed Crevier 0n November 21st, 1985 after his one game stint in Golden State.  He was waived by the Pistons two days into December.

Ron Crevier had most of his professional basketball success in minor leagues.  In 1983 Crevier teamed with Jim Zoet on the Toronto Tornadoes of the CBA.

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)

I LOVE Pistons’ basketball, have ever since I was young.  I’d consider myself as die-hard.  Being a die-hard I can say I legitimately hate certain rival opponents, and I get a sense of great satisfaction when the Pistons beat these teams on the court.  But, I, like the majority of fans, know the difference between entertainment and real life.  Unfortunately there’s those out there who cannot distinguish between the two.

Files have recently been released under the Freedom of Information Act describing the seriousness the FBI took in investigating threatening letters written to former Bad Boys coach Chuck Daly at the height of the Pistons’ championship runs.

One guy from Cleveland wrote the following to Coach Daly:

“God made me realize that YOU, not Laimbeer, Mahorn or any of the others are the one possessed by (Satan).

Now to me that doesn’t even strike me as the impassioned words of a hardcore Cavs’ fan.  Those are the ravings of a sick person who needs help.  He’s chosen Daly as a target because he probably follows the Cavs and the Pistons thwarted their glory back then.  But, it could just as easily been something else not of personal consequence he’s taken and internalized.

Thankfully most of these people never end up acting on their threats but a few have like in cases like tennis star Monica Seles who was stabbed by a “fan”.  It’s reassuring to read the lengths the authorities go to investigate these types of communications.