PistonsNationBlog.com - Detroit Pistons News & Views

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.

The calf is still bothering Sheed and the Pistons aren’t looking to take any chances with him.

Coach Michael Curry said before the game Sunday that he doesn’t expect Wallace to play at Dallas Tuesday or at Houston Wednesday.

“He’s still not able to run,” Curry said. “I won’t say he’s out for that Texas swing, but I doubt he will play.”-DetNews

Also, in the same article Allen Iverson’s back is set to be re-evaluated by his Georgetown physician on Wednesday.

UPDATE: Rasheed Wallace will miss Wednesday’s game against New York and Friday’s game in Toronto, and will then be re-evaluated, coach Michael Curry said. Jason Maxiell will start Wednesday in Wallace’s spot, said Curry. -DetNews

An MRI has yesterday morning confirmed that the injury Rasheed suffered in the first quarter of the win against the Magic is no more than sprained left calf muscle.

The strain will leave Rasheed listed as day-to-day and he’s questionable for tonight.  Ted Kulfan of the Detroit News reports  that if Rasheed cannot go tonight either Amir Johnson or Kwame Brown will get the start.  M.C. will decide who’ll to start once he learns who’s starting for the Knicks.  The Knicks, under Mike D’Antoni, like to get out and run which would lean towards Amir, but Kwame Brown made a case for himself with his play in the Orlando game:

Brown had 10 points (on 5-of-6 shooting) and four rebounds in 26 minutes (two less than his season high).

It’ll be  tough to get a win without the multi-tooled Rasheed, but then again who would have thought we’d pull out the win sans Roscoe against Dwight Howard and Co.

One thing for certain is we’ll need another big performance from Richard Hamilton who’s been a man on a mission after returning to the starting line up.

“We’ve been running a lot through Rip (Hamilton) since he’s been in the starting lineup really, and even when he came off the bench we ran things through him,” Curry said. “But he just got more of a steady diet of it because Sheed was out.” - mlive

A Sherrod Blakely:

Although Wallace picked up his 15th and 16th technical fouls of the season last night — which should have earned him a one-game suspension — a team official learned this morning that two of Wallace’s technicals from earlier this season (Dec. 23 and Feb. 7) have been rescinded.

That seems weird.  Why would it take this long to find out that two of Rasheed’s techs had been rescinded?  Did the league send word by carrier pigeon?  As Blakely goes on to say it’s not clear whether the league will want to discipline Wallace for throwing a towel towards referee Bill Kennedy.

Terry Foster of the Detroit News wouldn’t mind if Rasheed didn’t suit up for the Pistons tomorrow or ever again:

The Pistons should suspend Wallace. It is time for Dumars to make a statement about Wallace. He is lost and there is no reaching out to him. I would not mind if Dumars decided to release Wallace and say so-long. It is time for his ride to end.

All this losing is making for a very tense situation all around the Pistons Nation.  I don’t even think a couple of wins is going to squash what has been mounting.  I’d really like to hear Joe Dumars come out and address the unrest in this team.  I mean really get down to it and not just spike lobs given to him by Keith Langlois.

The trade winds are getting gusty and if you listen you’ll hear Rasheed’s name being mentioned more and more.

Well, here’s how Rasheed feels about the prospect of pulling another team’s jersey over his head:

“If I get traded, I get traded,” Wallace said prior to the Pistons’ shoot-around this morning. “If it happens, can’t cry over spilled milk. I just know wherever I go, wherever I get traded to, you gotta go and ball.” (Via A .Sherrod at mlive)

That’s your typical nonchalant ‘it’s a business’ answer.  That’s the answer you’re supposed to give while you’re still lacing ‘em up with your current team.

I suspect though if Sheed does get dealt we’ll eventually get some ‘Sheed-worthy’ quotes that would perhaps shed some more light on just why this team can’t seem to bring it all together.

UPDATE: Chris McCoskey has more of Rasheed’s feelings about trade rumors

Marc Stein:

San Antonio’s desire to acquire one more big man (preferably a floor-stretching big man) to counter the Lakers and Boston is no secret.

The surprise stems from the rumbles I’ve heard about Detroit free-agent-to-be Rasheed Wallace, he who is chief among the Pistons unsettled by the realization that big changes are undoubtedly coming in that locker room, having legit interest in joining the Spurs to team up with his 2005 NBA Finals nemesis Tim Duncan.

Is that saying that Sheed’s actually said he like to play in San Antonio?  The wording is kind of confusing.

Anyone could see why he would want to though. How can you stop Duncan down low and Sheed wherever he decides to play?  What a front court that would be. I’d like the Spurs chances with Sheed, but like Stein goes on to say the Spurs don’t really have anything to offer us.

Can you tell it’s coming up on the trade deadline?  I’m sure we’ll have plenty of more scenarios as the days grow closer to February 19th.

Rasheed Wallace already has a league leading 11 technical fouls, that’s one less than his total for all of last season.

The Pistons recently lobbied to have two of ‘Sheeds techs rescinded, but were denied by the league office.

At this rate Rasheed is on pace to pick up 34 tech’s this year (if my extrapolatifications are correct).  While I personally don’t think he’ll reach that number is there anyone among us that believes he won’t sit out some games due to exceeding the leagues technical foul limit of 15?

We all thought that Mr. Roscoe Wallace, he who holds a league record for techs in a season with 41 set back in 2000/01, had turned over a new leaf.

So why then has Rasheed regressed?  The whole team for that matter? Rasheed has gotten some help from Rip Hamilton (4) and Allen Iverson (4) in leading the Pistons on a dubious 10 game technical foul streak.  It’s even caught the ire of usually unexpressed Tayshaun Prince who’s calling it “embarrasing“:

“Them dudes, they off the chain,” Prince said. “I can’t help them. I talk to them as much as I can. I can’t do nothing”

Tay, if all else fails try the Eskimo/Buddy Rydell method for sedation.

Is it the frustration that comes along with playing .500 ball and no longer being mentioned with the list of contenders?  This is still a very prideful group.  Or, has it been a string of really bad officiating?  Maybe it’s simpler than that.  Maybe it points right back to the trading away of the floor captain Chauncey Billups.  Was Mr. Big Shot’s leadership that much of a calming influence?  If so, we’re coming upon the short end of that trade all over the place.

Doesn’t Michael Curry have some sort of demerit system for yapping at the refs, or was that all talk too?

Ok, so there was the rumor in the NY Daily News that the Joe D and Mark Cuban were talking up a trade for Rasheed Wallace with Josh Howard’s name being toss around in exchange.  Joe has since come out and said, nah-ah.

First if Joe is talking to teams about trades for ‘Sheed I doubt he comes out and says as much.  This team seems fragile right now and you don’t want to more discord openly admitting your shopping another one of the guys that helped win that ‘04 ring.

Secondly if it were for Josh Howard Joe would all but admitting we’re not thinking NBA crown.  Josh Howard is nice, but we’d just be getting smaller and we’ve seen how well that has gone so far.

I wouldn’t be completely shocked if Rasheed is dealt, unless it’s not for another big.

These Sheed/Yardbarker vids are right. That’s it. They’re right.  No rhetoric, just pure personality.  Here Sheed says comes off the top about his teammates.

Link attributive: DBB

Interesting.

Say what you want about about his play sometimes but you’ll never convince me that Sheed isn’t the levity MVP of the league.  Witness the site’s own lopsided Rasheed Wallace catagory  count.

There you have it Lakers fans: Yo mama’s suck

Link attributive: Ball Don’t Lie

It’s becoming an old story by now, well that is until Sheed picks up a clipboard and starts diagramming X’s and O’s in game. Then it’s fresh again.

Link attributive: The Hoop Doctors

Rasheed Wallace tipped a ball into the wrong basket at one end and missed two free throws at the other last night. and had this to say about it:

“That really hurt my feelings, that tip,” Wallace said. “You can’t let that frustrate you. I missed two point-blank foul shots. I’m upset at myself about that. You can’t let that one thing get you down. That’s what we did, just dug deep and came up with some stops down the stretch.”

First things first, I had no idea Sheed was so sensitive.   Second, point-blank foul shots?  Aren’t they all from the same distance?

Rasheed cracks me up.

…Also, it’s been quite awhile since #30 has added to his YardBarker blog.  Here he explains his new ink.