Until last week, the last time the Detroit Pistons played a game in which neither Rip Hamilton or Tayshaun Prince started was the 2001-02 season -- when Prince was a senior at Kentucky and Hamilton still coming into his own playing alongside Michael Jordan in Washington.
Needless to say, adapting to life without those two mainstays -- Hamilton suffered a high ankle sprain in the season opener, and Prince joined him on the trainer's table with a back injury two games later -- has been an unexpected hurdle for first-year head coach John Kuester, who's now tasked with helping a starting lineup featuring four new additions to the team develop chemistry.
Chris Andersen -- better known as The Birdman -- has a long way to grow before gaining the beard notoriety of The Hangover actor and comedian Zach Galifianakis, but I think he can pull it off (albeit in a light shade). In August, on occasion of his basketball camp in Denver, Andersen revealed to the Denver Post he would not be shaving his beard until his wedding in June 2010. Andersen even quipped that he was "the grizzly bird," which makes no sense until you really meditate on it.
The Detroit Pistons were a miserable team to watch last season, winning 20 fewer games than the year before while slipping from perennial contender to eighth-seeded afterthought.
It's easy to find scapegoats for what went wrong -- Joe Dumars, for trading Chauncey Billups; Allen Iverson, for not being Billups; Rip Hamilton, for not swallowing his pride; Michael Curry, for being in over his head -- but the most glaring problem was one for which everyone was responsible: a complete and utter lack of leadership, both on the court and the sidelines.
The news out of Detroit is that the Pistons have decided to part ways with their head coach of this past season, Michael Curry. The move was an obvious if unexpected one, as Curry made some huge mistakes in his first year in charge -- including alienating the team's number one star, Rip Hamilton, with the way he handled the Allen Iverson situation.
For the first time in seven years, the Pistons will not make an appearance in the Eastern Conference Finals -- and it's only fitting that Ben Wallace was present to witness the dismantling. He was the foundation of Detroit's first four appearances, the face of the franchise up until the moment he left as a free agent three summers ago before ultimately landing with the Cavaliers at the 2007 trade deadline.
Even though a lot of Detroit fans haven't forgiven him for leaving, he clearly enjoys coming back. After seeing him roam the hallways behind the scenes this weekend, I can understand why: he's still greeted warmly by former teammates, locker room attendants, Pistons front office staff and even members of Detroit's media. It may be easy for jilted fans to switch allegiances on a dime, but as explained this weekend, the bonds he formed during six long years in Detroit will always be there.
The Blazers and the Rockets are both playoff teams that have their share of obvious flaws. In fact, neither one of them have any business getting out of the first round this season. But thanks to the way the seedings shook out, one of them will advance by default.
Unfortunately for Portland fans, that team is going to be the Rockets, and the reason is rather simple: This Blazers team is just not built for the playoffs.
Maybe they should rename the building, "The Palace King James Tore Down."
The Cavaliers took no time in putting their foot to the throat of the Detroit Pistons, closing them out in the third quarter with 16-6 run. The Pistons, a powerhouse over the last seven years, will not reach the conference finals for the first time in seven years. The cause of their downfall? The only man with less fear of the Palace than Ron Artest.
LeBron James had 36 points, 13 rebounds, and eight assists to again create the majority of the punch for the Cavs, who will now have up to a week of off time before facing the winner of the Atlanta-Miami showdown.
With the way the Cavaliers are playing, those teams might want to put off facing the Cavs as long as possible.
The Pistons and Cavs have a lot of history together, which is fortunate, because that's the only thing that makes this series the least bit compelling. The Cavs finished the season as the most dominant team in the NBA, leading the league with a franchise record 66 wins and terrorizing opponents with an 8.9 point differential. The Pistons, on the other hand, posted their first losing record since 2001, winning just 18 times in their last 50 games. This could get ugly.
The Pistons remain one of the few teams to beat the Lakers in Los Angeles. Of course, when that happened, Allen Iverson, Rip Hamilton and Rasheed Wallace weren't all injured. Iverson's still out, and it's not apparent whether Hamilton or Sheed will be back tonight. (Judging by recent injury reports, Hamilton seems more likely than Wallace.)
The video, spotted by our friends at NESW Sports, should make Pistons fans laugh, which is a good thing, since Tuesday's loss to the Mavericks probably made them cry. The Pistons lost 103-101, but don't let the score fool you -- it took a 7-0 run at the end of the game, capped off by Will Bynum's uncontested bucket at the buzzer, to make the score look respectable.
Until last week, the last time the Detroit Pistons played a game in which neither Rip Hamilton or Tayshaun Prince started was the 2001-02 season -- when Prince was a senior at Kentucky and Hamilton still coming into his own playing alongside Michael Jordan in Washington. 
NBA FanHouse walks through the 
The 
The 
For the first time in seven years, the Pistons will not make an appearance in the Eastern Conference Finals -- and it's only fitting that 
Maybe they should rename the building, "The Palace King James Tore Down." 
FanHouse previews the 
NBA Guide
