Posts tagged Detroit Pistons at FanHouse

Chris Webber came to Detroit this January because he wanted to help his hometown Pistons win a title. If he accomplishes that feat, what will he do for an encore? If you believe him, he might just ride the storybook ending to retirement. From the New York Post:

Asked about his summer free agency, Webber said, "I'm not really looking at this summer. Looking at seeing if I can win a championship right now. Not thinking of next year. If I win one, I just might disappear. You know what I'm saying."

Asked if he meant disappear as in retire, Webber said, "I got to win a championship this year and I might then disappear. I don't even know."

Of course, that's easy to say now, but next summer when there's several offers from around the league on the table, it'd be just as easy to see him keep playing, whether he reports to camp a champion or not.

But where might he sign? If he doesn't return to the Pistons, the Knicks are a legitimate possibility -- C-Webb admitted to the Post that he asked his agents to try working out a trade to the Knicks this past summer. But while Webber's low-post passing would be a god-send next to the black hole known as Eddy Curry, would Thomas really risk stunting the development of guys like Channing Frye and David Lee by bringing in a veteran to start over them? Of course he would -- this is Thomas we're talking about.

Another possibility is the Lakers, a team that Webber admitted he probably would have signed with had he been a free agent at the beginning of the year, when he could've had a full training camp to learn the triangle offense. No matter what, though, even with the rest of his buyout coming from the Sixers, Webber almost certainly won't accept playing for the veteran's minimum contract yet again. The Post suggests he'll probably command most of the $5 million mid-level exception, which sounds about right for me.

The Pistons dispatched the Knicks at Madison Square Garden on Monday, reducing their magic number for clinching the top spot in the East to one. And fortunately for Detroit, Rip Hamilton's magic number also remains one, as he still stands at 15 technical fouls, one away from drawing a mandatory one-game suspension.

With five games left, will Rip survive without getting the hook? He thinks he will. From the Detroit News:

"It's not a concern," he said. "There are certain things that are a concern, that's not a concern. I know when I want to get a technical foul. I know every time I get a tech, I've wanted to get a tech.

"It's all emotional stuff and I know how to control it. It's nothing to be concerned about at all."

The fact he thinks he's in control sounds nice, and, boy, I wish it were true, but I have a hard time believing it. Rip was completely rattled against Chicago last Thursday, drawing his most recent two technicals after jawing with a rookie, no less (and one he wasn't even going up against for much of the day). No matter what you want to call it, an exercise in control it was not.

Usually, I'm a big fan of "in the beginning" mixes because they show a star being born. This Chauncey Billups retrospective is almost the opposite of that. Sure, there are a few nice drives, and Chauncey's always been able to make it rain three's. But by and large, this does not look like a man who would one day lead a team to a championship. Maybe that tells us a lot about that Pistons bunch. Or that Billups' game today is about psychology and intelligence. Or how much of a true point guard he really is.

Okay, fine. I'm really just posting this for the haircut of Celtics-era Billups.

Like many loyal NBA fans, I can't tell you but one or two facts about the Developmental League. Julius Hodge volunteered to spend time there. There was a nasty fight during a Dakota Wizards practice. James White was there briefly. And Eddie Robinson is plotting his comeback around those parts. But if you asked me why I don't pay attention, it would probably be because I don't think it's awesome.

Let's face it, the NBDL hasn't done a very good job of selling itself to fans of high-octane, uber-athletic basketball. While minor league baseball bills itself as a day at the ballpark, just a little less grand, I have no idea how the NBDL relates to the NBA.

That is, until today. According to the Argus Leader, this kid Amir Johnson is making Sioux City fans "[speak] in tongues." He's currently on loan to the Skyforce from the Pistons, and will be a restricted free agent this summer. What I care about, though, is these glimpses into his game:

On Saturday, when he finished two assists and three blocks shy of a quadruple-double, he threw a one-handed bounce pass in transition that covered nearly half the court - somehow avoiding a well-positioned defender - to teammate Stephen Graham on the doorstep for an uncontested jam. Later, he snagged a loose ball off his shoe tops in traffic, led the fastbreak down the floor and delivered a behind-the-back pass to Robert Hite for a layup.

Consider my interest piqued. If the NBA could convince that the DL was a combination of raw, exciting prospects and hard-working dreamers, I might even go to a game.

(via Detroit Bad Boys)

One of the things that personally drives me crazy about the NBA is the Pistons' and their penchant for whining and crying about calls. It's not even Rasheed that bothers me ... his tantrums are at least entertaining. Rip Hamilton and Tayshaun Prince are the chief offenders, with their constant eye rolls, petulant gestures, and referee nagging.

ESPN's Chad Ford had Joe Dumars on his podcast this morning, and Ford mentioned that the Pistons have a reputation around the league being whiners and complainers.

Dumars' response was a little wishy-washy. I was hoping for something like, "I never cried like a little pansy when I didn't get a call, and I wish my guys would remove their tampons and just play ball." But Dumars response was more like, "Some of them we deserve, some of them we get on reputation, but we still play pretty good ball." Which is fair enough, I suppose ... they do have the best record in the East.

I'm not sure I buy it, though ... I think it absolutely does affect how they play, and I think they'd be a better, more focused team if they all decided to stop crying. I can't say this with 100% certainty, as I don't have the ability to measure a player's level of focus at a given time ... I bet it doesn't help, though. And I'm damn sure it doesn't do the home viewers any favors.

A lot of Pistons fans had April 4 circled on their calendar, as it marked Ben Wallace's second and final regular-season return to the Palace. Unfortunately, those fans were sadly disappointed. From Sam Smith in the Chicago Tribune:

Ben Wallace remained at the Bulls' team hotel during Wednesday night's game against his former Detroit Pistons teammates with what was diagnosed as sinusitis after going to the hospital.

The team also canceled its morning shootaround with Tyrus Thomas also ill.

The Bulls apparently first suspected Wallace might have meningitis based on his symptoms, but coach Scott Skiles said it appeared to be a sinus infection. Skiles said he expects Wallace will play Friday night against New Jersey.

"He had a high temperature, and we sent him to the emergency room," Skiles said. "That was the quickest way to see a doctor. ... This is a guy who generally has zero [health] complaints. You take notice when someone like him says he's not feeling well."

A sinus infection doesn't sound like a very serious ailment (and the timing caused some Bulls fans to raise an eyebrow), but his symptoms sounded rather severe. Let's put it this way: I've faked an illness to get out of going to school or work before, but I've never gone so far as to subject myself to a spinal tap.

As it turned out, even without him the Bulls dominated the glass, 48 to 32. Their offense ran smoothly for much of the game, but they kicked things up over the final 5:50 of the third quarter to turn a tie game into a 15-point lead heading into the fourth before routing the Pistons by 18.

The Pistons are ailing right now, and I'm not talking about their four losses in their last seven games. Rip Hamilton and Chris Webber have missed their last couple of games with illness. Rip stayed home for the team's one-game road-trip to Chicago last night, but Webber flew out with the team intending to play. Unfortunately, his symptoms didn't improve, and the team sent him back home before the morning shootaround.

When I first heard the news, I was curious how that actually went down -- it seemed excessive for him to head back in the team's private jet, but the last thing someone who is battling the flu wants to do is hang out at the airport and then crawl into a aluminum tube with a bunch of fellow sick travelers, especially if you're 6-10 and will have your chin resting on your knees the whole time. Turns out, he didn't do either of those. From the Detroit Free Press:

They thought about finding a commercial plane ticket, but the process of buying one, getting him to the airport, waiting for the flight, flying and then getting a car to take him to the doctor seemed like it would take just as long as a car trip.

So the Pistons procured a limo, giving Webber lots of room to stretch out and sleep on the way home.

Well, of course, a limo. That's a funny tidbit, but what's far less humorous is why he's still sick -- he's been ill going on two weeks now. He's been tested for pneumonia at least once, though team trainer Arnie Kander, a superstar in his field, thinks Webber may have battled two separate illnesses, with the second one moving in after the first one ravaged C-Webb's immune system.

The Pistons expect to get Hamilton back for tonight's game against the Nets, and possibly Webber, too, but I wouldn't be surprised if the team plays it safe to make sure at the very least they'll be ready to play Sunday against the Miami Heat.

... and trainer Arnie Kander put it there. From the Detroit Free Press:

He and assistant Dave Boyer balance the pH levels of each player's water using alkaline drops. On the road, they forgo tap water and buy bulk supplies of their favored bottled water at grocery stores, then they pH balance it at the hotel before the game.

Sometimes, Kander even uses a machine to change the angles of the bonds in the water molecules.

"Ask anyone who has drank the right water," he said, "the right bond angle, the right temperature, the right alkalinity, and they'll say they can't go back."

Does it actually make a difference? Sure, why not? I mean, at the very worst, the psychological effect of thinking it helps has to count for something. But I wouldn't it past Kander for being onto something real.

As I mentioned last week, Kander has been credited for turning around Chris Webber's season, and he's probably one of the biggest reasons why the Pistons have enjoyed such success keeping their top players on the floor -- last year the team set the NBA record for most consecutive starts by the same starting five (67). A few players have been nicked up here and there this season, but over the last several years they've managed to avoid any type of catastrophic injury that seems to hit most teams sooner or later.

Is it me or has Jason Richardson not quite had the career everyone expected from him? I guess I'm not exactly going out on a limb by saying that, especially this season when his minutes have been cut from 38 to 32 and his scoring has dropped from 23.2 to 14.6, but still.

In this day and age when the ability to slice through the lane and get to the basket is at a premium, Richardson is oddly available -- at least if you believe the Chicago Tribune's ever-reliable Sam Smith:

Jason Richardson is leaving hints that given their infatuation with Monta Ellis Richardson will be the one traded by the Warriors after the season. Richardson is telling friends he's hoping for a trade to the Pistons or Bulls.

Monta Ellis is for real, but he makes me nervous -- the kid can score from all angles, but his frail-ish stature (6-3, 191 pounds) makes me wonder if he can be a true starting two-guard in this league. Richardson, on the other hand, has legit size (6-6, 225) and can hit the boards when needed.

Does he have a chance to actually land with the Bulls or Pistons? Well, if he did, he wouldn't be improving his situation, at least in terms of getting out of someone else's shadow and returning to being the No. 1 scoring option. But hey, now that he's paid (he's due $11.11 million next year, and his contract increases by $1.11 million every year thereafter through 2011), maybe that's not a huge priority for him.

Quick, name the league leaders in technical fouls.

If you guessed Rasheed Wallace with 17, you shouldn't feel like it was a lame guess. Despite his ever-improving veteran rep, Wallace is still the king of the whistle. In fact, he's already earned a one-game suspension for having hit 16 on the season. Second on the list is the volatile Amare, currently sitting at 14.

And in third? None other than the exceedingly professional Rip Hamilton. From The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

Defenders have been getting more physical with him, and Hamilton is getting frustrated that he is not getting calls from the referees. "He's got to keep his mouth shut," said coach Flip Saunders. "All of our players do."

I can think of at least twenty players who, given their image, I'd think would be ahead of Hamilton. Apparently, though, the refs don't feel that way. No one gets that many techs called on him if he's still considered a first-class gentleman.