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What a game– my heart hasn’t thumped like that since… well… the playoffs. I stood the entire time, from tip off to time up. Let me tell you, if Wade had sunk that last jumper with just over a second left, this blogger would have a broken television. Gratefully, the Pistons maintained their lead with SMART defense closing out the fourth quarter.

How did Detroit take this one? 1) Rip Hamilton. 2) Great teamwork on the defensive end. 3) A little luck. 4) Depth of bench. While Miami’s offensive teamwork did outshine Detroit, with only 5 turnovers to our 10 and 16 assists to our 13, the Heat’s shooting fell just short of the basket. Detroit shot 45% to Miami’s 41% from the field. The last important stat– Detroit had 9 blocks to Miami’s 2. Bear in mind Detroit lost their leading blocker in Ben Wallace, and Miami had Alonzo Mourning on the floor (who was 5th in blocks in 2005-06).

Alright Detroit, tonight was exactly what you needed. While some may argue that this loss was barely marginal, you defeated the league’s defending champions in their own house. You’ve won the last seven in a row, and you are not far from leading the Eastern Conference record.

Over the next week, things are looking pretty shiny for Detroit The Pistons face the Knicks tomorrow night at home, then visit Charlotte on Sunday, followed by Portland on Tuesday. If they play their cards right, they’ll have 10 wins in a row before facing Dallas on Thursday. Dallas has been spooky for the Pistons over the last few seasons, and this coming game should be no different. But tonight, the ‘Stones tazed the league’s defending champions. If they can beat the Mavericks next Thursday, the whole league will take one hell of a notice…

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Aside from two wins over Washington, Detroit finally has the opportunity for a big win– one that will establish quite a bit of credibility in a season that is shakey, at best, for most of the Eastern Conference. Tonight, at 8:00p.m. EST, Detroit visits the Miami Heat on TNT. The Heat are without Shaq, Jason Williams or James Posey this evening– but the Pistons can’t expect this to be an easy win. Dwyane Wade, who has stepped into the point position, is averaging 33.6 ppg and 13.3 assists per game, and 6 rpg in the last three games. The man is practically unstoppable of late.

I’ll spare you the predictions, as you’ve likely read plenty of that. But in case you haven’t visited ESPN.com lately, Bill Simmons anal-ysis of the Eastern Conference is a must read. Here’s what he had to say about Miami:

The Heat are like a group of women who went out for somebody’s birthday, ordered food and wine and spent the next three hours talking and eating and drinking and having a grand old time. And then the check comes and they’re completely floored by the total. Wait, it’s how much??? So they spend the next 25 minutes figuring out who owes what, and there are always 2-3 people who didn’t bring enough cash, so somebody has to cover them (and they’re pissed off about it), and then there’s a girl who left early because she has a kid, and she left only $40 when it’s $75 per person (so everyone’s pissed off about that), and then there’s the one slutty friend who got housed and wants to stick around because she thinks she might have a chance to knock boots with one of the waiters, so one of the other girls has to stay to keep an eye on her and make sure the bus boy doesn’t get involved, and there’s so much drama going on that everyone ends up leaving with a bad taste in their mouth and forgetting that they had a barrel of fun for the first three hours.

I couldn’t have said it better myself. Besides, I’ve always felt that the Miami heat are a bunch of bitches. Its hard not to like or at least appreciate Wade, but this blogger has very little use for the rest of them.

Go Pistons– let’s see what you boys have got.

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Are the natives now rested? Have the mutinous cries and concerns been quelled? With the Detroit Pistons winning six games straight, a whole lot of angry voices have been hushed. With two victories this weekend, 104-95 against Charlotte and 115-111 against Washington, the Pistons have risen to the second best record in the East (tied with Cleveland)– just one win behind the Orlando Magic.

Are the Pistons growing pains behind them? Not entirely. I’d love to see our boys go for a conference leading record again this year, but I’m not too anxious to execute on that. I’d like to see Flip give Detroit’s young bench a better rotation, especially Delfino and Maxiell. After taking home 64 wins last season, we all remember how tired Detroit’s starters were in the post-season (and how that turned out). This season, I’d like to see Flip give Delfino and J-Max some much needed experience, as I feel they’ll both be vital to our playoff performance. (However, with Tay playing as hot as he has been lately, I’m not going to argue if Flip feels like keeping him in the game over Delfino).

Without further adieu, let’s take a look at the numbers and the players behind them for Friday, November 24th:

• Allen Iverson - Coming off of a two game absense due to an absessed wisdom tooth, Iverson made up for his time off in a heartbeat. Iverson led the 76ers past the beleaguered Bulls with 46 points, 5 boards and 10 assists. 16 of these points came from the line, where The Answer shot 94.1%.
• Dwyane Wade - Wade put up 33 points and dished 15 dimes on Friday’s 104-107 loss to Orlando. Wade’s performance wasn’t enough, even though Miami out-rebounded Orlando by 51-38. Orlando didn’t let Miami take off with much of a lead, and played a consistent, precisely-shot game to hold Miami to their third straight loss.
• Andris Biedrins - Biedrins, a third-year player for the Golden State Warriors, had a career night with 31 points and 10 rebounds, shooting 82.4% from the field. While Troy Murphy has returned for the Warriors, Biedrins should be a big factor in their game after proving his value to coach Don Nelson.
• Carlos Boozer - Yet another monster game from Carlos Boozer: 31 points and 16 boards. Wow.

• Dwyane Wade - This kid is amazing. 35 points, 6 boards and 12 assists the night after another huge performance. This one did earn the Heat a win, going 102-93 against the Charlotte Bobcats.
• Chauncey Bu-Bu-Billups - Mr. Big Shot himself broke two personal career records on Saturday’s win over the Washington Wizards. Chauncy had 7 assists to 1 TO and shot 18 of 19 from the free throw line. This is Chauncey’s best assist/turnover ratio performance and most dominating free throw shooting. His 29 points pushed Detroit over Washington for the win, 115-111.
• Paul Pierce - Pierce put up 34 points, 7 boards and 7 dimes to help the Celtics overtake the Bucks on Saturday’s 111-98 victory. This is Pierce’s 5th game with over 30 points this season.

On Thursday night, the Pistons visit the Miami Heat at 8:00 p.m. Eastern on TNT. The Heat will be without Shaq, who is still recovering from surgery. But can we expect another dominant performance out of Dwyane Wade? If anyone can contain him, its the Pistons– but we’re in for an exciting game nonetheless. Go Pistons!

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Having only played 8 games to last year’s 80, it is far too early to predict how Detroit’s Rip Hamilton will turn out. But we can speculate - and speculate we shall…

Aside from a slight dip in FG% and 3PT%, Rip is up across the board. In 8 games, here are the averages:

• FG%: 48.5%

• 3PT%: 32.8%

• FT%: 88.5%

• Rebs: 4.1

• Assists: 3.6

• Steals: 1.0

• PPG: 23.8

The most tell-tale number relating to Hamilton’s improving performance? His free-throw numbers. In 8 games, Richard Hamilton has shot 61 free throws. In 8 games last season, Hamilton shot only 24 free throws. Rip’s vendetta to attack that basket is proving fruitful by the contact that he pulls, not only the baskets that he sinks.

On a side note, I am not a fan of David Stern’s concept of what a foul is. Ten years ago, Hamilton wouldn’t have gone to the line half this much. All of the top guards in the NBA, from Wade to James to Parker, all play this rule like a flute. The latter plays it beyond my content, and continues to act out fouls like Manu Ginobli himself. But for honest guards like Hamilton (who is no foreigner to the flop, I must admit), this rule has enhanced his game– as proven by his numbers so far this season.

Rip, keep doing what you do. Follow this path, and you’ll wind up with one hell of a career year. Just watch yourself when driving for that basket. Your agressiveness brings not only baskets, but the risk of injury as well…

UPDATE– Need4Sheed.com has got the scoop on an upcoming GQ magazine cover with Mr. Rip Hamilton himself.  Be sure to check it out here!  Props to Natalie and Need4Sheed!]

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Maxiell on Ming, having very little trouble with big China.

In hindsight, Detroit’s loss to the Hornets on Wednesday the 14th is forgiveable. It was a one point loss, and in context to Detroit’s performance this weekend- I’ve suspended my resentment. This weekend, the Detroit Pistons overpowered the Washington Wizards by 100-91 Friday night, and ripped up Houston with a 104-92 victory on Saturday. That’s right, Pistons fans– we’re at .500, with a 5-5 record.

On Tuesday, Detroit takes on Philadelphia for a chance to improve their record. Going into this game with two wins in a row, this blogger is hoping that our growing pains are behind us. Good luck, Detroit. As I said before, your new season begins today.

What happened this weekend in the NBA? Let’s take a look at Friday’s results:

The noteables:

• Leandro Barbosa powered Phoenix to a 106-94 win over Philadelphia. Already having a huge season, this is Barbosa’s first rebound-fed double-double of the season. In Nash’s absense, Phoenix can expect a big push by Barbosa…
• Kobe Bryant nealry earned himself a trible-double on Friday night. Aside from 31 points, Kobe raped his way to 11 rebounds and forced himself upon 7 assists.

Saturday’s noteables:

• Gilbert Arenas put up 45 points, 5 rebounds and 6 assists in Washington’s win over Cleveland. This was Gilbert’s third 40+ point performance this season. Arenas is 8th in scoring so far this season with 256 points, Michael Redd leading the way with 303 points so far.
• Dwight Howard continues his freakish dominance in the post. Howard put up 24 points and 21 rebounds on Saturday night, his fifth double-double in ten games, his second in the 20’s in both points and rebounds. Is Howard on his way to a defensive player of the year award?
• Yao Ming put up 33 points and 16 rebounds against Detroit, but not enough to beat our boys in D-town. Yao is averaging 26.4 ppg and 10.4 rpg. This man is having one hell of a season. Its a shame he’s going to hurt is toe at some point…
• Rip Hamilton had one hell of a performance in that same game against Houston: 30 points, 7 boards, and 8 assists. Keep it up, Rip. While our defense stabilizes and continues to learn, we’ll need big offense out of you. Kudos, brother.
• Ray Allen put up Yao Ming numbers himself on Saturday night, in a 95-107 loss to Golden State. Allen scored 34 points and 11 boards against the Warriors, with 12 of his 34 from three point range.

We’ve got an exciting week ahead. Let’s see what Detroit can do this week, leaving Auburn Hills to visit Philadelphia and Allen Iverson’s 76ers. Good luck fellas!

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UPDATE - 3-5? Whiskey. Tango. Foxtrot. We didn’t play a terrible game– we were outrebounded, but we shot much better: 52% to the Hornet’s 44%. If we had taken a few more shots… Come on, Detroit.

The last time these teams met, our very own Rasheed Wallace was forced to sit. For the first time of that season, and in history, and NBA player was suspended for a game as a result of too many technicals in a season. Rasheed is no stranger to being the blunt of the leagues new rulings, which you’re all well familiar with this season. This wasn’t the big story of our 101-93 victory over the Hornets last April 4th. No, it was this man:

(note- a reader pointed out that the image above was made by Need4Sheed.com.  Kudos to them!  Killer wallpaper)
So McNice you’ll want to take him to breakfast. Antonio put up 26 points on 11-17 shooting and 14 boards– and led the Pistons in scording, FG%, and rebounds. Quite a game…

So what can we expect this year? The Hornets just now closed out a 94-85 home game win against the Bobcats for a 5-3 season record. For the first time this season, Mr. Peja Stojakovich dominated the floorboards with a career record 42 points on 15-22 shooting, 7 from 3-point land, and an additional 8 rebounds. His season has been slowly building, and this is one hell of a crescendo…

Can we expect the same performance tomorrow? No. Especially since the Pistons are on several days of rest. It should also be noted that Peja was the only Hornets starter to break into double-digit scoring. Chris Paul had 2 points from free throws, and was otherwise 0-8 from the field.

A rested Detroit Pistons, hungry and shamed after a tough loss to Golden State, will dominate the NOK Hornets tomorrow evening. I wish I could tune in with my fellow Detroiters, I’ll surely have a box score open in front of me, with the cell phone ready to ring.

Good luck Detroit. Your new season begins tomorrow.

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This second weekend of November was a big weekend with big games from big players. The Yaos, Tayshauns, Derons, Zachs, and Dwights of the NBA put together one hell of a show for their fans, and brought home big victories for their teams. Personal bests were met or shattered, franchise records were inflated, and those watching this weekend were very pleased… Here’s a quick left-brained look at what happened this weekend:

If you’re a Pistons fan, like this blogger, that last little statistic isn’t easy to look at. On Saturday night, the Pistons were handed a 111-79 loss from the Golden State Warriors. Golden State outplayed the Pistons with 33 assists to Detroit’s 18, and five players in double digit scoring with two others sitting at 9. It was an ugly game for Detroit, closing out a four game tour of the west coast on a low point. Flip Saunder commented on Detroit’s inconsistency:

“You’re concerned no matter when it is (in a season) because you want to get consistency, and we’ve got to get consistency,” Pistons coach Flip Saunders said. “We came out kind of flat and they were hitting some shots in the beginning and pretty much just beat up on us.”

On the lighter side, Tayshaun Prince had a huge game for the Pistons in Friday night’s win over the Lakers at the Staples Center. Tayshaun matched his career record with 31 points, also collecting 7 rebounds and 3 assists. This isn’t a shock to Detroit fans, who watched Tayshaun dominate in the post-season last year, putting up some impressive numbers throughout (and, in this blogger’s opinion, being the only concrete reliable player in last year’s shaky post-season).

In other news:

• Yao Ming broke a career record with 7 blocks, in a 103-94 win over New York. Yao shut it down with 35 points, 17 rebounds in addition to those 7 blocks. Is this the year of the Yao? If he continues to put up numbers like this, it would be hard to argue otherwise….
• Zach Randolph gave the Portland Blazers a 31 point, 12 rebound performance including the winning free throw with 2.4 seconds left. Randolph helped the Trail Blazers come back from a 27 point deficit to sting the Hornets with a one point win.
• Dwight Howard led the Magic to a 109-98 win over Minnesota, putting up 21 points and grabbing 22 rebounds against his childhood hero, KG himself. This was the 6th time in Howard’s career where he has pulled down 20+ boards.
• Chris Bosh had a monster game against Atlanta– unfortunately not “monster” enough. While Bosh put together one hell of a line, with 19 points, 17 rebounds, and 6 assists, that wasn’t enough to overcome Atlanta, who went home with a 111-102 victory.
• Deron Williams helped Utah overtake Milwaukee with a 113-111 win. Williams scored 27 points and dished out a career record 15 assists.

Thanks for tuning in, my Basketballr Brethren. Detroit has three chances to improve their record this coming week, against NOK, Washington and Houston. The media may have written you guys off, but this blogger– and our readers, i’m sure, are filled with die hard confidence in our boys in blue. Let’s see what you got!!

(By the way, do you like this Weekend Review section? Let us know in the comments, we’ll be sure to make this a weekly thing)

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Last season, Detroit was 2-0 against the Sacramento Kings. In fact, it was the last game against Sacramento, on December 14th, where Chauncey Billups broke a personal record with 19 assists (and 28 points as well…). In that same game, Ben Wallace pulled down 17 boards and 5 blocks (it was in this game where Ben sported his sexy red goggles). How will Detroit fare tonight? Contrary to my title, this could be a tough one…

Both of Detroit’s wins over the Kings las season were before Artest joined the team… With that defensive change– the Pistons losing a Defensive Player of the Year and the Kings gaining one, tonight’s match up could be interesting. Aside from an injury to Brad Miller on Saturday night, the Kings are looking good at with a 2 and 2 record early on.

I still see the Pistons taking this game with a healthy margin. With the Return of Rasheed, officially in full effect in Detroit’s Monday night loss to Utah, I expect the ‘Stones to show a lot of hunger tonight. This is the Pistons’ first nationally televised game of the season, and this blogger can’t wait to see what this team can do. On top of that, Chauncey, Rip and Tay had an ugly showing on Monday night, and tonight is the perfect opportunity to make up for it– on national TV.

Watch Detroit and Sacramento at 10:30 Eastern on ESPN.

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As I mentioned in my post yesterday, I was fortunate enough to watch the Pistons for the first time this season on Friday. On the 3rd of November, the Pistons beat the Celtics, 101-88. It was an exciting game, especially when the Pistons took off in the 4th quarter to seal the victory.

A colleague of mine, and one hell of a Celtics fan, was with my group in Vegas. Brent Elias, a Boston native, game me some fantastic insights into the youthful potential of the Boston Celtics. Here’s his examination:

• “Al Jefferson is a healthy ankle away from being a guy that should supply 15pts 8 rebs 2 BLKS a contest. His pure athletic ability coupled by great hands, ability to jump out of the gym and a sweet touch around the basket, make this up and comer a very exciting prospect. The only knock on Jeff is his inability to play confidently within a team defense scheme.
• Kendrick Perkins has the body, size and skill to be a defensive/rebounding force in this undersized NBA. He needs to learn how to stay out of foul trouble and we could be looking at a dominant force for years to come.
• Delonte West is going to be a very solid all around NBA player, boasting the ability to rebound, block shots, hit the timely three, drive to the hoop and play solid defense. He is stuck between playing the point and shooting guard positions and is still working to find his niche playing in either position.
• Gerald Greene will be one of the top scorers in the NBA. This second year former first round pick is currently working on adding bulk to his wiry frame, and like most young guns out of high school trying to adapt to playing defense in the NBA. He reminds me of Tracy Mcgrady the way he can rise up over defenders off the dribble and drill a 15-18 foot jumper, as well as take it to the rim with authority. Keep this stud to be on your radar, he should be special.
• Sebastian Telfair - I have yet to see enough of this young actor’s game to give a solid opinion on. I liked his game in the preseason, his court vision and speed/acceleration while handling the rock was impressive. I am excited to see what he can bring to the table for this young Celtics squad.
• Ryan Gomes is far and away the head of the class out of these youngsters. Coming from near by Providence College, this second round sleeper has proven to be NBA ready. Coming out of college after his senior year, Gomes was already NBA material. His court instincts have been a pleasant surprise, and his offensive and defensive rebounding ability have been a major asset for a team lacking a consistent rebounding force. His 6′7 250 Lbs. frame would put most PF’s at a huge disadvantage, but his knack for being in the right place at the right time makes up for it and then some.”

Some excellent insight on the Celtics, Brent. I’ll be the first to admit, aside from the Pistons and the Bulls, I don’t have much knowledge of the growing NBA bench. My fantasy fanatacism keeps me up to speed on the movers and shakers, starters and bench, but you’ve just added to my depth. Kudos to you, brother!
To stay up on all things Celtics, I recommend CelticsBlog.net, check it out! We’ll likely hear more from Brent Elias in the future as well. Thanks again, Brent!

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Living in Chicago, its tough to catch the Detroit Pistons on tv. I mentioned in an earlier post that I’ve found myself satisfying my basketball fix with a Bulls game here and there, as sacreligious as that may be… However, I was happy enough to have caught my first televised Pistons game this weekend, at the Wynn Hotel in Las Vegas, where I spent the weekend.

There is nothing like sitting on a cush-couch, $17 glass of pinot noir in your hand, flanked by top notch cocktail waitresses (no, I didn’t pull a Fredo, I’ve got a lovely girlfriend), watching the Pistons play ball in HD on a personal plasma. I was fortunate enough to watch the stones race by the Celtics in the 4th quarter to seal the deal. The first win of the season, and I was there to see it. This is a luxury I rarely experience living in Chicago…

Fortunately, there are many televised games coming up. As I watch, I’ll be sure to keep y’all informed on what the BasketBallr crew sees. Tonight, the stones will travel to face the Utah Jazz tonight, who are leading their divison and conference with a 3-0 record (a record they’ve started with for the last two seasons). The Jazz have been a thorn in the side of the Pistons, taking two games from their 64 win record last season. With a 2-1 record at present, the Pistons know this is a big game– they’ve got a lot to prove, especially against a team they just couldn’t take last year.

While Vegas was amazing, this blogger is glad to be home. I’ll be watching Milwaukee take on the Bulls tonight, but cheering on the Pistons throughout. Thanks to Yahoo, I’ll have my live stat tracker running so I can keep an eye on the more important of games this evening…

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