PistonsNationBlog.com - Detroit Pistons News & Views

This would have made it into Press Clippings, but was passed along to me a little late.  No worries though, I appreciate the help.

This “Reign of the Tech” shirt is actually a Nike Sportswear joint.  I thought it was a clever custom upon first sight, but I guess it makes sense for labels to make clothes that look like what people are wearing now.

We can laugh about it now, right?

source

Block don’t lie, love it!

To boo or not to boo?

On playing against Rasheed Wallace tomorrow:

“He’ll get some cheers, and he’ll get some boos. It’ll make for some exciting basketball, since he’s one of those guys who had never fouled anyone since he has been in the league. -Free Press

So…should Pistons’ fans boo or cheer Rasheed?

I debated about posting this.  The season’s quickly approaching so I want to focus on that, but this mix is so well done I could not resist.

Plus, Troublesome ‘96 is my favorite Pac jam by far and it seems like the perfect song to put behind a Rasheed Wallace career retrospective mix.

“Say my name three times like Candyman
Bet I roll on your ass like an avalanche”

**Disclaimer for Boston Celtics fans: The above highlight package is NOT what you’ll be getting.

As much as I hoped Rasheed Wallace would go out west it’s not going to happen.  Rasheed is going green but not in the sense he’s helping the planet.  Actually he’s making the planet worse by crossing over to the dark side and signing a two-year deal with the Boston Celtics.

The Celtics pulled out all the stops when their campaign to sign free agent forward Rasheed Wallace started last week. And the tactics paid off as Wallace committed to sign with the Celtics, a league source said yesterday.

Wallace is expected to receive a two-year deal at the midlevel exception (approximately $5.6 million to $5.8 million). -Boston Globe

Rasheed wanting $8 mill a year or he’d retire turned out to be not true.  J. Gamble of SLAM doesn’t have the best track record so far with his rumors.

If you thought the Celtics talked a lot of smack the past two seasons, then just you wait and see the colorfulness Rasheed will add to the mix.  I’d like to formally call the headline “Boston T Party” for when Rasheed is nearing the one game automatic suspension mark for excessive technical fouls.

Times they are a changin’.  It’s kind of sad that just Rip and Prince are the only remaining members of the ‘04 core.  I miss my Interplanetary Pistons.

“Once [Wallace] had a chance to reflect on everything, and realizing what his objectives are, he just decided this was the best fit for him, all the way around,’’ said Bill Strickland, Wallace’s agent. “He has always wanted to be on a team that plays with a team effort, and Boston won the championship with a team like that. Boston has three potential Hall of Famers – Rasheed has played with a lot of talent, but not with a concentration of talent like this.

Two things I’d like to address from this quote from Rasheed’s agent:

#1)  Plays with team effort = Sheed does not want to be the man.  One reason we struggled this past season is because Michael Curry was leaning too much on Rasheed to be a leader and a beast down low.  That’s just not Sheed.  He prefers to chill out beyond the arc and let the game come to him.

#2)  I’d beg to differ about Rasheed not playing with an equaled amount of talent as he’ll be playing with in Boston.  Weren’t they calling our starter the “Best Five Alive” a couple seasons back?  Not only that if you look at the Portland teams he played on in the late 90’s early 00’s you’d see a rosters absolutely stacked with talented ball players.  So that sentence was kind of like salt in the wound, for me at least.

Props to Natalie from Need4Sheed for letting her loyalties be known.  I too am thankful all the Rasheed memories.  There’s no doubt that his acquisition from Atlanta — facilitated by Boston’s ironically enough — put us over the hump in 2004.  But That was then, this is now (big shout out to S.E. Hinton).  You’re now the enemy Mr. Roscoe Wallace.  You’ve done done it now.

No more being ashamed of their love

ALSO SEE: Celtics pursuing another former Piston all-star, Grant Hill [FanHouse]

Is it safe to say the Pistons are and have been over matched against the Cavaliers?  I think so.  I’ll put my fanhood up against anyone’s, but I’m not disillusional.  There’s a pretty good chance the Pistons are going to get swept out of these playoffs.  That means there’s some guys who will probably being playing their last game as a member of the Detroit Pistons.

Rasheed Wallace is in the final season of his contract.  It’s been a blast following the entertaining and enigmatic Roscoe Wallace, but the end of this run will also mark an end to Wallace’s days in Pistons’ blue in my estimation.  As it’s been pointed out during these playoffs Rasheed has lost a step.  I can’t see paying him to come off the bench and shoot three’s.  We have a need for post play and rebounding and Sheed rarely offers that anymore.  I can see him getting a good offer from a team that is perhaps closer to the Larry O’Brien chase than we are.  Somewhere where he’s not counted on to be the man, but rather an x-factor type who can stretch a defense.  Plus if Dumars plans to roll with Curry he’ll be better served without a guy who has a history of challenging the leadership of his head coach.  Curry cannot afford to lose the confidence of the younger players.

Antonio McDyess is the other guy who is likely to seek an opportunity elsewhere.  Dice could definitely still help the Piston cause.  I would love to see Dice retire as a Piston, but he seems like such a great guy I wouldn’t  begrudge him taking a stab at a ring in another city.  He’s said he doesn’t want to be a ring chaser but he might just owe it to himself.

Walter Herrmann’s contract will also come off the books at the cessation of the season.  I’ve always been a little indifferent about the Herrmannator.  He’s shown at times he can help the team, but I think it depends on which way the team is headed.

Then there’s Tayshaun.  Coming into the season Michael Curry talked about Tay’s inner all-star  finally coming out, which never really happened.  I think the Pistons had designs on Prince possibly evolving from a “glue-guy” into a 20-10 guy.  Since that hasn’t happened Joe may be willing to deal Tay, who still as plenty of trade value, for that 20-10 guy he covets.

So what I’m saying is despite the Pistons slim chances Sunday you might want to sit through all the inevitable LeBron James post-dunk posing for a last glimpse at a group of guys who have given us a whole memorable era of championship caliber basketball.

(Photo by D. Lippitt/Einstein/NBAE via Getty Images)

mlive:

“Kwame is doing a great job,” Curry said. “He’s getting rebounds, which is good. But he also takes up a lot of space that’s allowing other guys to come in and get rebounds.”

[...]“One thing in this league, you can’t substitute size,” Curry said. “Kwame’s size is big for us. It’s important, especially on the defensive boards.”

As far as Wallace coming off the bench, Curry said “We’ll see. I like Sheed coming off the bench (Tuesday at Cleveland). I think it helps that unit, especially when we’re small with Will (Bynum) and Allen (Iverson).

“When you have those two out there and you’re small in the backcourt, you need someone like Sheed, possibly Max (Jason Maxiell) with his activity out there, with him.”

First thought upon reading this: “Cut it out Curry“.  Kwame has been adequate, but let’s not get silly.

Second thought: “hell, what could it hurt“?  I agree with Rasheed being a good look when paired with some of the second unit combinations.

It’s usually not a good sign to being rationalizing lineup changes with 7 games left before the post season, but does it really matter?  Is there a team we’d beat in a seven game series?  Not with all the dysfunction still present.  The Pistons will back into the playoffs but the season is now a sacrificial lamb.

This will also give us a chance to see how committed Rasheed still is to this franchise with his free agency pending.  Despite his uncanny skillset he’s never wanted to be the man so this should play right into that.

But in my honest opinion this is just the final act in the Rasheed goes to Detroit story.  He’ll field a decent offer from a contender looking bolster their lineup.