Als man sich in Detroit zu Beginn der Saison 2008-09 dazu entschied Chauncey Billups nach Denver zu traden, beschloss man die Zukunft der Pistons in die Hände von Rodney Stuckey zu legen. Auf einmal war der junge Point Guard im Scheinwerferlicht der Motorcity. Er zahlte das in ihn gelegte Vertrauen mit soliden Stats von 13,4 Punkten, 4,9 Assists und 3,5 Rebounds zurück. Trotz des Weggangs ihres etatmäßigen Spielmachers erreichte Detroit mit Stuckey in der ersten Fünf die Playoffs, aus denen die Pistons jedoch sieglos in der ersten Runde gegen die Cleveland Cavaliers ausschieden.

Umso größer waren die Erwartungen an die neue Spielzeit mit einem erfahreneren Rodney Stuckey. Blickt man nach 15 absolvierten Partien in der Regular Season 2009-10 auf das Tableau, finden sich die Detroit Pistons an elfter Stelle der Eastern Conference mit 5-10 Siegen und einer mittlerweile sechs Spiele anhaltenden Niederlagenserien wider.
Während man die negative Bilanz sicherlich nicht dem 23-jährigem Spielmacher in die Schuhe schieben kann, schließlich sind mit Hamilton und Prince zwei Leistungsträger verletzt, so weiß er dennoch nicht auf ganzer Linie zu überzeugen. 17,1 Punkte und 5,6 Rebounds in 37:53 Minuten pro Spiel sind gute Werte, aber eine Trefferquote von lediglich 38,8 % aus dem Feld ist für den Hoffnungsträger, der sich in seinem drittem NBA Jahr befindet, inakzeptabel. Vielleicht spielt sich auch deshalb ein anderer Point Guard der Pistons allmählich in die Herzen der Fans. Von der Bank kommend liefert Will Bynum die bisher beste Saison seiner noch jungen Karriere ab.
Bynum, der 2005-06 ungedraftet in die NBA kam, es lediglich auf 15 Einsätze für die Golden State Warriors brachte und die folgenden zwei Jahre für Maccabi Tel Aviv an den Start ging, erzielt durchschnittlich 13,5 Punkte, 4,1 Korbvorlagen und 3,3 Boards in genau zehn Minuten weniger Einsatzzeit als Rodney Stuckey. Was ihn letztlich besser aussehen lässt als Stuckey, ist seine Wurfquote: 46,5 % aus dem Feld. Deshalb und aufgrund seiner unglaublichen Athletik gepaart mit seinem auffälligen Spielstil, werden Stimmen laut, die ihn anstelle von Stuckey in der Startaufstellung sehen wollen. An dem hält Coach John Kuester nicht zuletzt wegen seiner Physis bisweilen noch fest.
Wenn ihr Trainer der Detroit Pistons wärt, wer würde die Position des Point Guards in der Starting Five bekleiden?

The AP is reporting that the legendary professional Basketball player Allen Iverson is set to announce his retirement from the N.B.A. Iverson , a former Most Valuable Player for the N.B.A. has been in the league since the 1996 season, in which he was drafted in the first round by the Philadelphia 76ers.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allen_Iverson

He played with the Sixers for 10 years. During his tenure he was Rookie of the Year, League MVP, 2x All-Star MVP, and led the league in scoring for four years. After his rookie season, during which he led the 76ers in points, assists and minutes, Iverson was named the 1996 NBA Rookie of the Year and was a member of the NBA All-Rookie First Team.

The 10-time All-Star played three games this season with Memphis before taking a leave of absence to attend to personal matters. He was waived after the two sides agreed to part ways.

The New York Knicks considered signing Iverson last week after he cleared waivers, before deciding he would take too much playing time away from younger players they are trying to develop.

With no apparent interest from any other NBA teams, Allen Iverson is set to retire.

Iverson will always be credited for popularizing the streetball style move called the cross-over, and for his exciting tricky aggressive driving style of play.

He was never the tallest on the floor, just the most dangerous player that always wanted the ball.

Allen Iverson is a sho-in for the Hall of Fame, and I suspect that he can still run with the best of them, given a team that can design their plays to allow Iverson to shoot at will.

I personally enjoyed the years I got to watch him compete in the NBA, and I look forward to seeing what he does in the future.

Thanks for the 100 percent effort Allen Iverson…you were worth watching and you will be missed.

Read the full story here…

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hPZfEWbAiIKgjsNDLhC1jiVSsJZAD9C78M580

After 14 seasons of playing in the NBA, Memphis Grizzlies’ Allen Iverson has proven himself through thick and thin.

Now 34, he recently hung up his jersey after having a string of controversies especially about trading and his star status. According to him, he still wanted to be a starter even in this stage, but lately, his career is dwindling. The former 2001 NBA MVP and former first overall pick, he has also played for the Philadelphia 76ers, Denver Nuggets, and Detroit Pistons, he has already showed who he is as he was one of the players who changed the image of the game.

And without a doubt, he’s one of the greatest.

Cavaliers: 98  Pistons: 88

There’s a reason people have dubbed the Cavs the “Cleveland LeBrons.” If you don’t see why, tonight’s game provided 34 points, 8 rebounds, and 7 assists worth of evidence as to why this guy turns a non-playoff team into a Finals contender every year. As much as I complain about any star treatment by NBA officials, this guy is one of the best basketball players on the planet. He’s the reason why the Cavs were running away with this game in the second and third quarters. Once again, the Pistons put up a good fight late in the game, but the Shaq-less Cavs (and mostly LeBron) were too strong in the end.

The Cavs started off hot, and as I noted on Twitter, were shooting 67% for the game at one point in the 2nd quarter. Just as I pleaded, the Pistons tightened up their defense. Cleveland put up 60 points in the first half but were held to 38 in the second half. The heightened defensive intensity helped the Pistons get back into the game in the 4th quarter.

However, the Pistons were unable to hit shots (39% shooting on the night) and weren’t able to come all the way back to beat the Cavs. Outside of Rodney Stuckey (25 points on 16 shots) and Charlie Villanueva (19 on 15 shots, 8 rebounds), the Pistons didn’t have a consistent offensive threat on the floor. Jason Maxiell (10 points on 3-5 shooting) was the only other Piston in double figures.

Random notes:

Overall, this loss was disappointing, but without Ben Gordon, the Pistons are missing their three best players. Unlike the other injury-depleted professional team in Detroit, the Pistons aren’t deep enough to compete with the top teams in the NBA without Gordon, Rip Hamilton, and Tayshaun Prince.

The Pistons are back in action on Friday night against the Los Angeles Clippers. Hopefully they’ll be able to end their slide at 6 games and get back on track.

Allen Iverson is retiring from the NBA after a tumultuous, yet successful, career.

According to several media reports, Allen Iverson has decided to retire from the NBA. The 10-time All-Star provided Philly fans with many memories — good and bad.

The truth is Iverson ran himself out of the league because he didn’t want to be a sixth man. He was sent home from Detroit last year and had trouble finding a job over the summer.

Then, he played three games for Memphis before parting ways with the Grizzlies.

He obviously assumed another team would take a chance on him.

He figured wrong. Not even the Knicks and their three wins wanted him.

Your DailyPhiladelphian will have more on Iverson, his career, and Hall of Fame potential in the coming days. Make sure to stop back at www.dailyphiladelphian.com for updates Thursday and Friday.

By Kyle Bauer

A three day man fest! Or rather fest for men! Pt. 1 of 3

I typed in "Red Wings Night before Thanksgiving" into Google Image and
I got this....it works. Wonder who Dave Coulier spends
Thanksgiving with?

 By Kyle Bauer

Yeah, Christmas is freaking awesome. I love presents, and I mean I really love giving and receiving. So much so that I dont still dont sleep on Christmas Eve. I know being 22 years old, thats not the proudest thing to admit, but then again why should I be ashamed? I STILL LOVE CHRISTMAS, I STILL LOVE THE HOLIDAYS! Forgive me for my childish excitement. But for the cookies which I still demand my poor mother make every Christmas Eve, watching a Christmas Story and now Bad Santa (my new addition to list of dorky x-mas traditions), and waking up at 8 am to open presents, is something I can’t deny and likely wont change soon.  I will be pushing my kids out from underneath the tree to unwrap my gifts. Dont get me wrong, I also cannot wait to see the looks on peoples faces when I give them gifts.

Digest that paragraph. I think I gave you an idea of just how much I love Christmas. That paragraph could had been wiped with the first line, but I wanted to make a point of emphasis. But as much as I love Christmas, I love Thanksgiving even more.

Why?……SPORTS, THATS WHY!!!!!!!!!

The night before Thanksgiving in Detroit has always meant a few things to me. Bar night in Neal Ruhl’s favorite city, Royal Oak, and there will be a game in Joe Louis Arena and a game at the Palace of Auburn Hills.

The Pistons have played at home, the night before Thanksgiving every year since 2005, going 4-0. They have played on Thanksgiving Eve every year this decade, going 5-4, losing all four on the road.

I have attended a couple of these games in the past. Against Atlanta in 2006 and New York in 2007. It was certainly a good time. My friends and I were considering making it an annual thing, but last year we all had prior engagements. This year, we initially balked at tickets and with the game being against the Cavs, all the affordable tickets have long been sold out.

The Red Wings tradition of Pre-Thanksgiving at home goes a little deeper than the Pistons. All but one season since 1995, has seen a game in Joe Louis Arena on this (what should be) Holiday. The Wings record on the night before Thanksgiving since 1995 is a staunch 9-3. This includes a 7-3 blowout of Colorado in 2005 and a 7-1 deconstruction of Edmonton in 2003. The only game on the road was in 2001, when the Wings beat Columbus 1-0 in overtime at Nationwide Arena. I do not know who exactly scored that goal but I’ll go ahead and guess it was Fedorov. It just seems like something Fedorov would do.

I typed in "Red Wings Night before Thanksgiving" into Google Image and 
I got this....it works. Wonder who Dave Coulier spends 
Thanksgiving with?

So when slappy Lion fan tells you (and he/she will) “THE LIONS ALWAYS WIN ON THANKSGIVING! DURRRR!!!!!” Stop them and say, no, the Red Wings always win the NIGHT BEFORE Thanksgiving. For the record, the Wings have only played once on Thanksgiving in recent years and that was in 2007 when they lost on the road in Nashville.

Tonight the Red Wings will fire up versus the Atlanta Thrashers. I had thought the NHL contracted the Atlanta franchise in 2004 after Dany Heatly killed Dan Snyder. So I’m excited that I’ll get to see what theyre all about.

Tomorrow I will blog about the beauty of the NFL on Thanksgiving or rather, what used to be the beauty of the NFL on Thanksgiving. You probably wont be surprised to see part two of this blog to be dripping with cynicism. Still read it anyway!

The rankings are out again, and there is a new #1. Who is it? How far did the former #1 fall? When will New Jersey get it together? The rankings begin right now.

1. Orlando Magic (11-3) (previous ranking: 9) Five straight wins have vaulted the Magic to the best record in the NBA and the top spot in the rankings. Despite losing Jameer Nelson for four to six weeks, this team is still deep and they are really coming together.

2. Atlanta Hawks (11-3) (previous ranking: 2) If the Hawks had not of lost to New Orleans last night, the talk of them being #1 would be a no-brainer, but this team is still one of the tops in the East. They are really showing themselves as a contender. This is another team that is deep, and if they can stay healthy, they could go a long way in May.

3. Phoenix Suns (11-3) (previous ranking: 1) The Suns loss to the Hornets prevented them from holding the top spot for the week. With Orlando and Atlanta on fire as of late, they had to be bumped down two spots. Not many impressive wins for them to stay among the tops in the rankings

4. Los Angeles Lakers (10-3) (previous ranking: 4) The Lakers stay put after a 3-0 week, and it is good for them that Pau Gasol is back, he will be able to take the load off Kobe Bryant and Andrew Bynum. The team is complete again, but Phoenix is still holding their ground against them for first in the Pacific Division.

5. Dallas Mavericks (10-3) (previous ranking: 5) The Mavericks may have beat the Lakers, and have won five straight, they were all hard fought victories. The Lakers right now look better than Dallas and with Gasol back from injury, they look more like a better team. If Dallas can beat the Lake Show for a second time with Gasol in lineup, it will be good enough to overtake them. Good 3-0 week for them.

6. Boston Celtics (10-4) (previous ranking: 3) The Magic and Mavericks rise has knocked Boston down a couple of spots. The C’s were a victim of Orlando’s win streak, which was their only loss of the week. Thank Kevin Garnett for avoiding an embarrassing loss to the Knicks at the Garden.

7. Cleveland Cavaliers (10-4) (previous ranking: 5) The Cavs took a pounding from the Wizards this past Wednesday, but responded with wins over Indiana and Philadelphia. At least Shaq has been at home for the games he’s been injured from, and not just the Washington game. Those that know the backstory can have a good laugh.

8. Milwaukee Bucks (8-3) (previous ranking: 10) The Bucks could not beat the Mavericks, but they did take advantage of the weak part of their schedule, beating, New Jersey, Charlotte, and Memphis to cap a 3-1 week and stay tied for first with Clevleland in the Central Division.

9. Denver Nuggets (9-4) (previous ranking: 8] The Nuggets crush the Lakers at home 10 days ago, and in the next week, they lose to the Clippers at Staples Center. This team started out strong, but have been hot and cold since. They have to find a way to stay consistent.

10. Portland Trail Blazers (10-5) (previous ranking: 6) The Blazers went 4-0 last week, but only 2-2 this week. They lost to the Hawks, which wasn’t a surprise, but they also lost to Golden State. Just like the Nuggets, they have to find a way to stay consistent as well. They are good, but we forget that this team is young still.

11. Miami Heat (8-5) (previous ranking: 7) The Heat continue to free fall down the rankings. A huge loss at home to the Thunder, and another bad loss to the Raptors. Udonis Haslem did save the team’s free fall from being worse with a game-winning jumper to sink the New Orleans’ Hornets

12. Houston Rockets (8-6) (previous ranking: 12) The Rockets won the games they were supposed to win (Timberwolves and Kings), but loss the games that they were expected to lose (Suns and Hawks). The 2-2 week has them staying put at #12.

13. Utah Jazz (7-6) (previous ranking: 20) Playing the Cavaliers, and coming close to beating them has had a great effect on the Jazz. They have won three in a row since the Cavs loss, and have a long homestand ahead of them in which they have six straight at home (they started it by beating Detroit on Sat. night).

14. Oklahoma City Thunder (7-7) (previous ranking: 16) Another big win against a good team on the road as OKC beat the Heat on South Beach. That along with a win at Washington were good wins. Tough losses against Orlando and the Lakers result in a split week, but as with the Thunder’s season, those wins keep going a long way.

15. Chicago Bulls (6-6) (previous ranking: 14) A 1-2 week puts the Bulls at .500, They beat the surprising Kings, in which that was no surprise. They have loss to the Lakers and Nuggets in this West Coast road trip and then have two tough games in the Blazers and Jazz on the road. Some injuries have set them back, but this team should be better and are better than what their record shows.

16. San Antonio Spurs (5-6) (previous ranking: 17) The Spurs are still struggling to maintain the high expectations. They all haven’t been healthy together, as the Big Three of Duncan, Parker, and Ginobili have been injured at various times of the year. Richard Jefferson has really been non-existent. It’s still early, but when will they finally start to peak?

17. Indiana Pacers (5-6) (previous ranking: 13) Three straight losses has the Pacers dropping four spots. A loss to the Cavaliers is one thing, but to lose to the Knicks and Bobcats is a MAJOR setback, especially blowing a huge lead to New York and losing the game.

18. Toronto Raptors (6-8) (previous ranking: 19) The only team to go 1-3 and move up, it must be because the teams below are doing awful, but the Raps did just run into teams that are better than them, losing two in the mountains (Denver & Utah) and Orlando, but an impressive win over the Heat was their saving grace this week.

19. Sacramento Kings (5-7) (previous ranking: 15) The Kings have lost three straight, against the teams they should really lose to (Chicago at home, Dallas and Houston on the road), but the schedule is encouraging for them to get back to .500 by Wednesday with games at Memphis and against the New York Knicks. Still playing hard and playing with fight, something that has not been seen in Sacto in a long time.

20. New Orleans Hornets (6-9) (previous ranking: 25) Had it not been for Udonis Haslem’s jumper to sink them at Miami, the Hornets could have risen further in the rankings. The team looked like it was in major trouble, but they had impressive wins over Phoenix and Atlanta. Maybe hope is not lost in the Big Easy.

21. Philadelphia 76ers (5-8) (previous ranking: 21) The Sixers escaped with victory over the Charlotte Bobcats in a game that they weren’t supposed to win, but they followed that up with a very bad loss to the Memphis Grizzlies and the fell to the Cavs on the road. This team is not that impressive, but luckily for them, a lot of teams are not that impressive either.

22. Los Angeles Clippers (5-9) (previous ranking: 22) The Clippers lost a couple of bad ones in New Orleans and in Memphis, but they did come on national television this past Friday and won a good game over the Denver Nuggets, so their ranking stays put for another week.

23. Detroit Pistons (5-9) (previous ranking: 18) During the five year anniversary of the “Malice at the Palace”, many bloggers and media people were so focused on how the Pacers have been rebuilding. Sure the Pistons have been in the playoffs consistently, but has anyone noticed that Indiana is ahead of Detroit right now. Five straight losses has the Pistons in the Central Division cellar, and John Kuester needs to know that Joe Dumars has very little patience.

24. Golden State Warriors (4-8) (previous ranking: 24) The Warriors winning percentage in 2009 before Stephen Jackson trade: .333. The winning percentage in 2009 after Stephen Jackson trade: .333. Not much of a difference since Jax’s departure, but it is good to see Stephen Curry get more playing time for the Warriors.

25. Charlotte Bobcats (4-9) (previous ranking: 23) The Bobcats winning percentage in 2009 before acquiring Stephen Jackson: .333. The winning percentage in 2009 after acquiring Stephen Jackson: .250. The one thing that is said though is that they have shown a lot more offense in the last few games, and they ended their seven game losing streak with a win over the Pacers Sunday night.

26. Memphis Grizzlies (4-9) (previous ranking: 27) The Grizz are 2-1 since Allen Iverson was officially released from the team. This team is playing with more confidence, and more loose since the departure of A.I., and by beating and staying with teams that are better than them, it can go a long way (just ask the Sacramento Kings and Oklahoma City Thunder)

27. Washington Wizards (3-9) (previous ranking: 26) The Wizards have their Big Three healthy and together again, but they are still playing the same? What is with this team? It looked as if they turned a corner when they beat their rivals, the Cleveland Cavaliers, but they have lost big to the Thunder and to the Spurs. This team is just hard to figure out. Is Gilbert Arenas on to what he says about this team and “hidden agendas”?

28. New York Knicks (3-10) (previous ranking: 28) The poor Knicks go 2-1 over the week, and can’t move up anywhere. Mike D’Antoni’s bunch could have moved up quite a bit if they could have beaten the Celtics last night, but a 1-7 record at MSG is not going to help matters in this team’s quest to improve.

29. Minnesota Timberwolves (1-12) (previous ranking: 29) The Timberwolves have quietly lost 12 in a row, if it wasn’t for their only win against New Jersey, this team would be 0-13. The question is with them has to be: What does Ricky Rubio think of this? The worst thing about losing 12 in a row is that majority of these losses have been extremely bad.

30. New Jersey Nets (0-13) (previous ranking: 30) The only chance for the Nets to win was lost on Saturday at the hands of the New York Knicks. Lawrence Frank is still around has to be due to the fact that management knows that this team is ravaged with injuries. But at the same time though, there seems to be no wins in sight as they hit the West Coast for a road trip. How much longer will the rope hang for Frank?

Apologies for another light week here at the GHHT, but busy weeks come with the territory when at The U. Since my last recap, the Pistons beat the Washington Wizards, but lost their next 5 games. Despite some recurring themes throughout those losses, I’ll go with a game-by-game approach.

Pistons: 106  Wizards: 103 – I wasn’t able to watch this game, but the box score shows a lot of the things we Pistons fans expected coming into this season. The guards and Charlie Villanueva carried the scoring load: CV31, Will Bynum, Ben Gordon, and Rodney Stuckey combined to score 91 of the Pistons’ 106 points. Detroit out-rebounded the Wizards 44-43, but that feat comes with an asterisk as Antawn Jamison did not play for Washington due to a shoulder injury. The big story of the game was the Wizards’ inability to score late in the 4th quarter. Washington went the final 5:03 without a field goal (until Gilbert Arenas hit a meaningless 3-pointer with 3 seconds left), and only scored 5 points in that time.

Mavericks: 95  Pistons: 90 – I think this game would have gone the other way for the Pistons if they hadn’t been on the second leg of a back-to-back. They looked tired at points during the game and it didn’t help that Ben Gordon made only 1 of 16 shots. Dirk Nowitzki maintained his MVP-like play in the early season with 25 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists. I was very impressed with Dallas rookie Rodrigue Beaubois. The Frenchman scored 14 points (on a perfect 6-6) in 19 minutes. Despite Gordon’s poor shooting night, I support John Kuester’s decision to give Gordon the ball in the closing seconds when a 3-pointer would have tied the game. Ball Don’t Lie’s Kelly Dwyer chimed in on this decision during his daily recap of NBA action.

So do you go to Ben Gordon, with the game on the line?

Of course you do. Hell yes, you do.

Why?

Because Gordon, and I’m paraphrasing here, is “a career 41.5 three-point shooter.”

And after Sunday’s outburst? He’s a 41.4 percent three-point shooter.

As always, great stuff from KD. Many Pistons’ fans wanted to see the ball in Will Bynum’s hands at the end of the game. I disagree. Bynum isn’t a great 3-point shooter, and you can’t trust the NBA officials to call a foul (or the Mavericks to foul in that situation) when the game is on the line. Unfortunately, Gordon missed and the Pistons took the loss. He’ll make up for it at some point this season.

Lakers: 106  Pistons: 93 – Don’t kid yourself: this was a beat-down. The Pistons’ bench was able to make things respectable towards the end of the game, but the Lakers were able to slack off when leading 88-63 after the first 3 quarters. Los Angeles dominated on the glass (44-32) and shot 47.2% on the night, even after shooting 33% in the 4th quarter. Kobe Bryant scored a seemingly-effortless 40 points. Poor Jonas Jerebko was charged with guarding the Black Mamba and looked like a rookie should in the process. Poor nights from Charlie Villanueva (2 points) and Rodney Stuckey (-30!) were a big part of the Pistons’ downfall. Still, it’s nice to see the team come back late in the game and not let the Lakers get too comfortable (Kobe was brought back into the game when the Pistons got to within 10 points).

Trail Blazers: 87  Pistons: 81 – The Pistons trailed for the majority of this game, but were consistently making small runs to get close and nearly take the lead. Unfortunately, the Blazers had an answer for every run the Pistons made. It seemed as if Brandon Roy would come up with a huge basket when the Pistons got too close. I was shocked when I saw he only scored 20 points; I thought he had at least 30. Charlie Villanueva bounced back from his poor outing against the Lakers with a 20 point effort. It would be nice to see him end up with more than 3 rebounds, but Ben Wallace grabbing 12 rebounds and a slow pace kept the amount of chances to a minimum. Surprisingly, the Pistons out-rebounded the Blazers 39-36. Portland killed the Pistons with their offensive efficiency, racking up 25 assists on 33 made field goals.

Jazz: 100 Pistons: 97 (OT) – I had a hard time paying attention to this one. Most of it had to do with the technical problems Fox Sports was having with their broadcast (especially the lack of the score on screen during the first half). Regardless, this loss was disappointing. The Pistons had a golden chance to win at Utah for the first time since John Stockton retired and came up empty. Packey summed up the night nicely at Motown String Music:

Even though it was an entertaining game, that doesn’t mean it was aesthetically pleasing.  The Pistons turned the ball over 17 times and allowed Utah to get to the charity stripe 44 times, of which they made 33, serving as the difference maker in this one.  Detroit made 21 of their 25 attempts.

Suns: 117  Pistons: 91 – The Pistons fell behind early in the 2nd quarter, trailing by 16 (58-42) at halftime and stretched their lead to 20+ in the 3rd quarter. The Suns were able to run on the Pistons at will, both after made baskets and defensive rebounds. Steve Nash continued to play at the ridiculous level we’ve seen from him this year (even by his standards) with 20 points and 9 assists. Amare Stoudemire received a technical foul early in the 3rd quarter and, like Rasheed Wallace in his early Piston days, took his game to another level. Stoudemire finished with 21 points and 5 rebounds. The Pistons, like most teams do at the end of a road trip, looked like they just wanted to get on the plane and go home.

To their defense, the Pistons have played 6 games in the last 9 days. Only one of those games was at the Palace, and it was on the second half of a back-to-back. The Pistons actually played three sets of back-to-back games in this 6-game stretch. Essentially, this was a 6-game road trip for the Pistons. Unfortunately, they were only able to come away with 1 win. The five losses came against teams with a combined 46-20 record (currently), and even that mark is held back by Utah’s 7-6 start. They took care of business against the (currently) 3-9 Wizards. The reality of the situation is that there aren’t many teams in the NBA that would come away from a stretch like this with a .500 record (3-3). There are definitely areas the Pistons need to improve (defense, general focus, Rodney Stuckey’s shooting), but don’t think that these losses are because the Pistons are a bad team. They just went up against some of the best teams in the NBA in a short stretch and weren’t able to come away with wins.

The Pistons are back in action on Wednesday against LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers. Cleveland has been red-hot as of late, but hopefully the Pistons can come away with a November win against the Cavs for the second year in a row. The silver lining? The Clippers come to town on Friday.

#1 – Atlanta Hawks

The best team of the NBA so far. Josh Smith has been superb in the first 14 games. He has been the horse they have been riding. The Hawks had a weird loss to the Hornets Friday but that’s Ok on the road and on a second of back-to-backs.

#2 – Cleveland Cavaliers

Without Shaq, the team plays better. He just doesn’t fit there and with him out for a while now, they were able to give minutes to JJ Hickson who could be the solution for their problems, certainly not offensively but maybe defensively.

#3 – Phoenix Suns

The Suns remain red hot. 2^nd best record of the league so far, even with the loss to the Hornets on Thursday which shouldn’t be a shock because every time that the Suns are dominated on the boards, they lose, and it’s a lock just like that.

#4 – Los Angeles Lakers

Gasol is back and that means the Lakers should make their push to the league’s best record now. With the Spanish Center there, they are just so tough to beat, they are big and physical.

#5 – Orlando Magic

With Rashard Lewis back, they become a matchup nightmare again. The win against the Celtics highlighted that. Vince Carter is coming alive, against Boston he scored 26, turned the ball over a lot but took the game over in the end and that what you expect from your superstar and the reason why Orlando traded for him.

#6 – Denver Nuggets

Carmelo Anthony has been terrific so far and put himself in the MVP race however they are still not on the same level as last season. Their defense has been OK but when Billups doesn’t play well, all of a sudden nobody else but Carmelo produces.

#7 – Dallas Mavericks

Nowitzki has been carrying them because the bunch of injuries already started, Marion and Howard haven’t played together for a decent amount of time, and it’s not close to end.

#8 – Boston Celtics

On back-to-backs they look old. The loss against the Magic can be faced as a problem but when healthy, they are still the best team in the NBA. The question is: for how long will they remain healthy?

#9 – Milwaukee Bucks

The Jenningsmania is all over the NBA, even in this Power Rankings.

#10 – Portland Trail Blazers

Travis Outlaw is out with the same injury that held Webster for the entire season last year and that’s a hit on their second unit. The 3 men backcourt has survived so far but maybe is time to trade Miller.

#11 – Miami Heat

As Wade goes, they go which means that so far, they are a playoff team.

#12 – Houston Rockets

Even I’m convinced that this team needs somebody who can create his own shots on clutch moments. That guy is neither Ariza nor Brooks. Hopefully McGrady won’t screw the good vibe around the team.

#13 – Oklahoma City Thunder

When those four guys score, they are tough to hold. Lately even when they lose, they are on the game until the end. As the season progresses, they progress and the Western Conference should watch out.

#14 – Utah Jazz

With Williams back and Boozer stepping up, the Jazz won all three games this week including one against the Spurs which was their first in San Antonio in 20 games.

#15 – Toronto Raptors

They won 42% of their games. With all the money spent in this team and with playoff expectations around them, they have to perform better.

#16 – San Antonio Spurs

Ginobili and Parker out this week, injuries caught with them like expected. They always start slow, so no worry there.

#17 – Chicago Bulls

Derrick Rose has struggled a lot and that’s a real problem. This is a team that has a lot of variations and formations but it’s only 8 deep.

#18 – Indiana Pacers

They are who we thought they were: a .500 team.

#19 – Detroit Pistons

With Hamilton and Prince out, they have been able to hang in there but the problems are the same, lack of size inside and no rebounders, and when they face decent competition, that’s a problem.

#20 – Sacramento Kings

They are 5-7. Can you believe that?! The Kings won 41.7% of their games and that’s crazy. Tyreke Evans and Omir Caspi have been big so far.

#21 – Los Angeles Clippers

Yes, they have been a disappointment but when Gordon and Griffin return, they should be better. The push to the playoffs is yet to come but Kaman has played the best basketball of his career and Baron Davis is finally finding himself on that offense. Their second unit is amazing.

#22 – New Orleans Hornets

Without Chris Paul and with the new coach, they played well this week. Rookies getting more playing time and when Stojakovic shows up to play, they are not that bad. It’s tough to see them over .500 though.

#23 – Philadelphia 76ers

They are the ones to open a playoff spot on the East. They face problems on offense and defense. With Brand there, they haven’t been as committed to Iguodala on offense which they should if they want to save the season.

#24 – Golden State Warriors

Jackson is gone and the Warriors got cap relief instead. They’ll play shorthanded for the rest of the season but Don Nelson likes it this way. Nelson who, by the way, is 23 wins away from his record which means he’s 23 wins away from retirement what could mean that next season, maybe the Warriors will be OK.

#25 – Charlotte Bobcats

Probably the dumbest team in the NBA. The franchise is for sale but yet they took on Jackson’s awful contract in a move that won’t make them better than those teams they are fighting.

#26 – Memphis Grizzlies

Iverson is now gone for good. It’s time for them to translate talent into wins.

#27 – Washington Wizards

They have been the most disappointing team so far.

#28 – New York Knicks

Apparently they refused going after Allen Iverson, which would at least entertain us, because of Eddie Curry and Toney Douglas. I have no words for that.

#29 – Minnesota Timberwolves

They miss Kevin Love but as expected they would be bad anyway.

#30 – New Jersey Nets

They have been banged up but nothing justifies that awful start. Douglas Roberts is back, so is Harris, which means the offense should be better but the 0-17 start looks real.

Check More At: MVN

Power Rankings III: http://basketballoutsider.wordpress.com/2009/11/18/power-rankings-iii/

Για να ξεσκουριάσει το πληκτρολόγιο θα ξεκινήσουμε ένα παραδοσιακό post που από καιρό μας είχε προταθεί. Αφορά την προέλευση των ονομάτων των ομάδων του ΝΒΑ.

• Atlanta Hawks. Τα γεράκια της Ατλάντα δε πήραν το όνομα τους από το πτηνό όπως ίσως φαντάζεστε αλλά από τον Ινδιάνο αρχηγό Black Hawk ή όπως θα ήθελε να τον φωνάζετε Makataimeshekiakiak . Για αυτό και το πρώτο τους όνομα μέχρι το 1951 ήταν Black Hawks. Έτσι οι Αμερικάνοι, αφού έσφαξαν μερικές χιλιάδες ινδιάνους, χάρισαν  το όνομα του ενός σε ομάδα ΝΒΑ και εξιλεώθηκαν. Τα χρώματα της φανέλας προφανώς προέρχονται από το μαλλί του.

Ο πρώτος fan των Atlanta Hawks

• Denver Nuggets. Nuggets είναι οι βόλοι και στη περίπτωση της ομάδας αναφέρονται στην ανάπτυξη των μεταλλωρυχείων στις αρχές του 19ου αιώνα. Το πρώτο τους σήμα δείχνει έναν μεταλλωρύχο να ανακαλύπτει μία μπάλα μπάσκετ.

• Detroit Pistons. Ο πρώτος πρόεδρος της ομάδας ήταν ιδιοκτήτης εργοστασίου που έφτιαχνε πιστόνια. Το όνομα παρέμεινε κι όταν μετακόμισαν στο Detroit που είναι η πρωτεύουσα των αυτοκινητο-βιομηχανιών στην Αμερική.
• Indiana Pacers. Pace car είναι το safety car για όσους γνωρίζουν από Formula 1. Pacer επίσης είναι τα άλογα αγώνων που βαδίζουν έτσι. Κι επειδή δύο από τους βασικούς επενδυτές της ομάδας ήταν θαυμαστές τόσο των αλόγων όσο και του περίφημων αγώνων αυτοκινήτων Indianapolis 500, έγινε το βάπτισμα.
• Los Angeles Clippers. Επειδή το όνομα Losers δεν είναι εύηχο, ψηφίστηκε το Clippers που αναφέρεται στα  μεγάλα ιστιοφόρα που περνούσαν από το λιμάνι του San Diego (πριν πάει η ομάδα στο LA).
• Los Angeles Lakers. Η ομάδα ιδρύθηκε στη Minnesota, τη “γη των 1000 λιμνών”, και κακώς κράτησε το όνομα όταν μετακόμισε στο Los Angeles αφού λίμνες δεν υπάρχουν…
• New Jersey Nets. Το όνομα προέρχεται από τα διχτάκια (nets) και επιλέχθηκε το συγκεκριμένο για να κάνει ομοιοκαταληξία με τις άλλες ομάδες της (τότε) Νέας Υόρκης, Mets και Jets.
• New York Knickerbockers. Knickerbockers όπως είναι ολόκληρο το όνομα των Knicks, είναι ένα είδος κοντού παντελονιού (μέχρι το γόνατο περίπου), που φορούσαν οι Ολλανδοί μετανάστες στην Αμερική το 17ο αιώνα. Θα ήταν ενδιαφέρον να βλέπαμε τον Eddy Curry να τα φοράει.

• Utah Jazz. Οι Jazz ξεκίνησαν από τη Νέα Ορλεάνη, το μέρος που αναπτύχθηκε κη ατ’εξοχήν μαύρη μουσική Jazz . Πού να ήξεραν ότι κάποτε η ομάδα θα μεταφερόταν στη πιο λευκή και ρατσιστική πολιτείας της Αμερικής, τη Utah.
• Seattle SuperSonics. Το καιρό που μετακόμισαν στο Seattle, μία αμερικάνικη εταιρεία κατασκεύαζε ένα υπερηχητικό αεροσκάφος για να ανταγωνιστεί το concord. Το αεροπλάνο ποτέ δε φτιάχτηκε αλλά το όνομα έμεινε στην ιστορία.
• Boston Celtics. Η Ιρλανδική καταγωγή της περιοχής είναι αυτή που φυσικά έδωσε το όνομα στην ομάδα.
• Houston Rockets. Αποτέλεσμα ψηφοφορίας ήταν το όνομα Rockets και δε τους “χάλασε” καθόλου όταν μεταφέρθηκαν στο Houston όπου βασίζεται η NASA.
• Orlando Magic. Τα κυρίαρχα ονόματα στη ψηφοφορία ήταν Magic και Juice και ευτυχώς επικράτησε το 1ο.
• Washington Wizards. Για όσους το πρόλαβαν, το προηγούμενο όνομα της ομάδας ήταν Bullets και βγήκε γιατί η ομάδα κάποτε έκανε προπονήσεις  κοντά σε ένα εργοστάσιο που παρήγαγε σφαίρες για το 2ο παγκόσμιο πόλεμο. Μετά φυσικά άλλαξε σε Wizards λόγω της σχέσης των Bullets (=σφαίρες) με την εγκληματικότητα. Το Wizards δε ξέρουμε πως προήρθε, αλλά πιθανότατα ο πρόεδρος να ήταν θαυμαστής του Harry Potter.
• New Orleans Hornets. Το αρχικό όνομα για την τότε Charlotte ήταν Spirit αλλά οι οπαδοί ξεσηκώθηκαν και απαίτησαν διαγωνισμό. Έτσι ψηφίστηκε το Hornets (= σφήκες), διότι ένας Βρετανός Στρατηγός είχε δηλώσει στο πόλεμο ότι οι ντόπιοι πολεμούν σαν “φωλιά από σφήκες”.
• Miami Heat. Αυτό που αξίζει να ειπωθεί είναι ότι αν δεν κέρδιζε το όνομα Heat, οι Miami τώρα θα ονομάζονταν Flamingo

Τα περισσότερα, αν όχι όλα, από τα υπόλοιπα ονόματα, ψηφίστηκαν σε τοπικούς διαγωνισμούς. Αν κάποιος έχει περισσότερες πληροφορίες, ας μας τις πει!

credited to Nea_Liosia_7

Picture this…

We’re at the park and we’re shooting up for captains. I hit the first shot which gives me first captain and someone else hits after me which obviously gives them second captain. Among the players that we can choose from are Detroit Pistons guards Rodney Stuckey and Will Bynum.

Who am I going to choose with the first pick? Will Bynum!

Bynum is more consistent, scrappier and a better basketball player than Rodney Stuckey. At first I thought it was just an illusion after his strong finish of the 2008-2009 season in Motown. Bynum averaged a solid 11.8 points on 46.2 percent shooting in just 19.5 minutes per contest in his first playoff series against King James and the mighty Cleveland Cavaliers of last season.

While Stuckey didn’t completely bow down to the Cavs, to his credit he did average 15.0 points and 5.3 assists but shot a nasty 39.3% from the field. In my opinion, if Bynum was given the green light that the Pistons give Stuckey than he would thrive in the same fashion.

After Stuckey’s first post-season season oust in the 2007-2008 season under Chauncey Billups in which he averaged 8.2 points and 3.4 assists on 37.1 percent shooting from the field, the Pistons were ready to place the franchise in Stuckey’s hands. With Bynum it’s different, it seems as though his performances go completely under-the-radar.

For example, his 24 points and 6 rebounds against the Los Angeles Lakers this past Tuesday in which he shot 75%…Or how about his 27-point effort against the Dallas Mavericks the game before that on 68.8% shooting…Or even his 16 points and 4 assists against the Charlotte Bobcats on 83% shooting on Nov. 11. This man is the truth! He has mad game.

“Bynumite” has a unique ability to bring the playground game to the NBA with his yo-yo handles and wet jumper that slices through the net. He brings that Chicago gritiness to the point guard position as the 6 foot (5-10 if you as me) guard steps up to the challenge  to take on each of the league’s elite players at his position on a nightly basis.

Starting with his stupid hops, “Bynumite” will blow by you and dunk over you just like he did against the Bobcats.

Then he will cross you up like he did the last fool who challenged him.

Or if you are stupid enough to test his street cred then he will just prove it to you like he did on the streets of Chi or at Georgia Tech.

At this point, I am almost completely sold on my opinion that Will Bynum is clearly better than Rodney Stuckey. I’m not taking away anything that Stuckey does because he is a good young talent in the NBA today but I truly feel that if Will Bynum was placed in the same role that Stuckey is currently is in than he would be more productive.

The proof is not only in the statistics, but also for anyone who watches any Pistons games.  Bynum always outplays Stuckey and that’s the moral to the story. Through 12 games, Bynum is putting up 14.3 points and 4.2 assists on 50.4% shooting as opposed to Stuckey’s 17.1 points and 3.8 assists on 38.7% shooting.

You do the math…

I would be willing to bet that my team at the park, led by Bynum, would beat that team led by Stuckey on any day. Any bets?

Here’s round two of me joining The Oakland Press’ Dave Pemberton on “Pistons Pulse.”

In this episode we’re talking about the team’s expectations, the arrival of Ben Gordon and Charlie Villanueva, Chris Wilcox and the renaissance of Ben Wallace.

Make sure that you’re reading Pemberton’s blog with The Oakland Press, “Pistons’ Point.”

You also should be following him on Twitter.

If Allen Iverson is The Answer,  what’s the question?

Iverson is free again.  Rumor has it that the New York Knicks are interested.  As are the Orlando Magic.  Why?  Why would anyone pay this guy to be a part of their team?

Iverson was not the answer in Denver

   There was a time when Iverson and his antics would have been welcomed almost anywhere.  He is, after all a 10 time all-star. Rookie of the year in 1996-97.  NBA MVP in 2000-01.   Huge talent.  But with that talent has come, oh, lets say baggage.  He has had repeated run ins with coaches, officials and the league, numerous suspensions and fines.  Philadelphia, the team that drafted him, finally had enough of his act and traded him away in 2006, after a little over 10 seasons.

True to his nickname, Iverson was to have been ‘The Answer’ in Denver.  He was to join forces with Carmelo Anthony and push

Nor was he the answer in Detroit

the Nuggets over the top and deep into the playoffs.  But the experiment failed, and in the two playoff runs of which Iverson was a part,  the Nuggets failed to make it past the first round.  The combined record of those two series for the Nuggets was 1-8.  So early in the 2008-09 season, the Nuggets traded him to Detroit  For Chauncey Billups.  His stay in Denver lasted slightly over a season and a half.  Iverson was to be the missing piece in Detroit.  But while Billups was leading the Nuggets to the Western Conference finals, Iverson was going down in flames.  Iverson had some back issues, and finished the season having been shut down by the Pistons because of the injury.  It was mere coincidence that just two days before the Pistons placed him on IR he publicly stated that he would retire rather than be moved to a bench role.  The Iverson stint in Detroit lasted 54 games. 

At the beginning of this season, the 34-year-old Iverson signed with the Memphis Grizzlies.  Iverson proclaimed that “God chose Memphis as the place that I will continue my career.”  apparently, God forgot to tell Iverson that he would be coming off the bench, and Iverson complained often and loudly that he was better and more deserving than that.  His stay in Memphis lasted 3 games.  That’s right, 3 games!  So here we are.  Memphis and Iverson have agreed to part ways.  Iverson cleared waivers and is now free to sign with any one who wants him.  The question is:  Why would any one want him?

After a 3 game stay in Memphis, perhaps now it is Iverson looking for the answer.

Five years ago today, the most horrific sporting event of my generation occurred, when the Indiana Pacers’ Ron Artest, responding to a cup of beer thrown on him, sprinted furiously up into the stands and attacked a fan, igniting a horrible series of events that saw players attacking fans, and vice versa, and beers and obscenities thrown all around the Palace of Auburn Hills.

That fan was John Green, who spoke to ESPN on Thursday. Green says Artest called him at his home several months ago to apologize, and that all is well between the two.

“He (Artest) said that he was sorry, that … the whole thing embarrassed him as it did me,” Green told ESPN.  “He wanted to do something for the community for troubled youth … It’s not like it’s not always going to be known as the brawl, but maybe we could take something good out of it. We’re going to try to do something in inner-city Detroit or L.A., maybe after the season ends and he has more free time on his hands.”

When the drink was thrown, Artest had been chillin’ on the scorer’s table after him and Ben Wallace had been in a confrontation with less than a minute to play in the eventual Pacers win.

Artest had fouled Wallace on a move, and Wallace apparently thought it too rough, and shoved Artest, leading to Artest’s relocation to the table while refs sorted things out.

Green, who has admitted to having alcohol issues in the past, said the cup he threw contained Dr. Pepper, not beer, and that it was a “scary situation.”

You can read the full story here: http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=4670842

This was one of those incidents where you absolutely remember where you were when it happened.

For me, I had just returned from playing pickup ball, and turned the TV to the game. I was dividing my time to my laptop on the game, but then I heard raised voices and a rush over the crowd, and before I knew it, Artest was in the stands.

I watched the whole thing play out and could not believe my eyes.  No matter how many times you watch it now, it will never have the impact as when you first watched it.

The game, in the years to follow, suffered greatly for it. It was a huge black eye, and it still has not recovered from that November night.

Today, many people associate the league with the Brawl, fair or unfair, and there’s no doubt Artest, the Pacers and Detroit will forever infamously be linked to it.

The Pacers have yet to erase the stigma from the mess, and Artest has slowly started to turn the corner from animal to human.

But if it’s true what Green says – that something will be done to help community youth and that both men are willing to make good off a disastrous situation – then perhaps all is not lost.

For giggles, here’s Artest’s take on the situation two years ago, when he was a member of the Sacramento Kings.

It has been five years since Ron Artest went Eric Cantona on Detroit fans in what has been dubbed Malice in the Palace. It was a foul by Artest on Ben Wallace who gave him a nice little shove. A mini-brawl ensued before a fan threw a beer cup at Artest and the whole place went crazy. Stephen Jackson and a number of other players jumped in as well, although Jackson seemed to be the only player to hit another fan while in the stands. Oh yeah, and Jermaine O’Neal hit some guy that ran onto the court, but he probably deserved it.

It’s one of those games that will live in sports infamy forever in which sports historians will always tell the story to teach the lesson of avoiding the fans. I could see how it would not have been as big of a deal in the times before the 1980’s or so when sports weren’t as big money makers as they are now. It seemed like something of this magnitude would never happen again, especially with the amount of security and police they now have at sporting events.

Well it did happen, and we will not soon forget it. We also won’t forget that Artest is now a key component to a championship team in LA. Thanks a lot, ESPN.

Watched the Dallas Mavericks and San Antonio Spurs last night on ESPN and was able to catch the end of the Blazers-Pistons game on Fox Detroit live from Portland; this after doing some advance scouting at Lansing Community College (The Stars played the Mott Bears) two tough teams that we have to play against twice this year.

Dirk Nowitzki went off for 41 points last night in leading the Mavs to a 99-94 overtime win. (Dirk dropped 11 of the Mavs 15 points in the extra session)  The one area that caught my eye after reading the boxscore was in 44 minutes of burn, Dirk didn’t record a single assist.  Maybe it was because Jason Terry and Jason Kidd shot a combined 5-25. Upon further review, when you can score like that, who needs to share the ball.  Dirk likes to catch the ball on the high post, face up to the basket and score on his man.  At times he will take the ball to the basket and finish with either hand. I’ve never been a big Nowitzki fan in the past but after watching him the past few nights, I’m starting to warm up to him.  It boggles my mind as to why the Spurs didn’t double team him more often? Make someone else beat you.  If the Mavs only had a decent center, they would make a run at the Western conference championship.

(Courtesy of NBA.Com)

Dallas only turned the ball over five times in the game; as opposed to Richard Jefferson of the Spurs who committed five himself.  Spurs coach Greg Popovich was calling for more ball movement and people movement in the huddle.  That makes sense.  You get the defense moving and possibly breaking down.

Is the Mavs shooting coach on vacation? They shot 3-17 from distance last night. Time to get some extra shots up…

ESPN’s Mark Jackson made a good point during the telecast, ‘You’re the fastest player on the floor, act like it.” Not really sure who is was talking about though.  Speaking of Action Jackson, the former Loughlin Lion CHSAA all-star, seems out of place without his buddy Jeff Van Gundy.

I noticed Monte Mathis behind Mavs bench, clipboard in hand.  Mathis used to be a college assistant and one day we were sitting together at the Nike camp watching high school players go through drills in Indy. While Herb Livsey (NBA scout and basketball trainer) was lecturing the kids on footwork, Monte was a bit too loud for Herb, who proceeded to yell at us…Sorry Herb.

This has nothing to do with the game but why must ESPN show Mark Cuban after every single play? Does he really make a difference? He’s got some entourage huh? Does he get his t-shirts at baby Gap?

Brandon Roy had a great comment last night after Portland’s win over Detroit.  He was asked about his team, “Our defense is better, we’re making the effort on defense.”

Interesting question asked during Pistons telecast on Fox last night during game about Blazers center Greg Oden’s future. 12% of Pistons fans said he is going to the Hall of Fame. Huh?

Pistons assistant coach Darryl Walker was a good defensive player in his day-Quick hands, got down in a stance and was a tough son-of-a-bitch. Did you know he was one of Hubie Brown’s favorite players in New York when Hubie was the coach?

Memo to NBA Marketing people; If there happen to be open seats courtside, and by half-time those ‘rich’ folks have not arrived, teams should send their interns up (or even Dance squads) top and bring down the real fans to fill them at half-time. Can you imagine how a father of two kids would feel sitting way up top in the nose bleed seats to be asked to come down to courtside and get a close up look of their favorite players? Which takes me back to the 80’s when I would buy a ticket at Madison Square Garden to see the Knicks for $4 only to sneak way down to courtside and listen to Hubie Brown coach his team. “POWER RIGHT, POWER RIGHT!”, was the usual call coming from the Knicks bench.

For what it’s worth, Lebron James WOULD make a very good NFL player despite what Jeremy Shockey thinks/says…James has strength, speed and most of all, courage.  If Antonio Gates can be a success in the NFL after playing college basketball, James would be all-pro.

-Coach Finamore

Hoops135@hotmail.com

I’m on Facebook and you can follow me on Twitter: @CoachFinamore

Last night, Bryant scored 40 points against the Detroit Piston in the Lakers 106-93 victory.  Bryant’s 40 point game was his 100th of his carreer and putting him in the group of three players with of over 100. Wilt Chamberlin had 271, and Micheal Jordan recorder 173.  That’s pretty good company to be in and definitely halfman worthy.

Have you ever heard the saying, “Talk is cheap?” Well that may be true for some things in sports like self-promoting but when you’re on the basketball court, talk is worth a lot!

I’m not ‘talking’ trash talk either-I’m talking about solid, useful communication. Too many players play this wonderful game with their mouths wired shut; unless of course they happen to dunk on someone or block a shot.  It takes a special player to display intelligent communication amongst his teammates and coach; especially on the defensive end of the floor.

“SCREEN RIGHT, SCREEN RIGHT!”

“SWITCH IT, SWITCH IT!”

“BY YOURSELF, BY YOURSELF.”

“I GOT BALL, I GOT BALL!”

Just a few of commands you should hear when a team is playing defense.

I love when guys talk on defense.  It shows they have an understanding of the game and it usually means they are a good defensive team. It also proves they are active and alert. Action speaks louder than words…Get into action, talk on defense!

**********

I watched the Dallas Mavericks beat the Detroit Pistons this past weekend and one player stood out to me.  Rodrigue Beaubois of the Mavericks.  Yes, I said Rodrigue Beaubois. This kid was tough.  He’s a six-foot guard from Pointe-A-Pitre Guadeloupe. He lit the Pistons up on the offensive end of the floor by scoring 14 points on 6 for 6 shooting (including two three’s). He also added 4 assists in only 19 minutes of action.  I could’ve sworn I saw Pistons head coach John Kuester turn to his assistant coach after Beaubois made a bucket and ask, ‘How come this guy wasn’t in the scouting report’?

(Courtesy of Draft Express)

Here’s Tim MacMahon, blogging for ESPN/Dallas Mavericks (Hey, wonder if I can get one of these gigs?)

Beaubois is one of a handful of players in the league who can match Jennings’ quickness. That, along with his 6-10 wingspan, made the Mavs believe that Beaubois could develop into a lockdown defender. We got a glimpse of that against Jennings, who had only one field goal in Beaubois’ 24 minutes, a transition 3-pointer in the first quarter. The Mavs outscored the Bucks by 13 with Beaubois on the floor.

I like this dude…He was drafted by the Oklahoma City Thunder with the 25th pick in this year’s draft but quickly traded to the Mavs in exchange for B.J. Mullens.  Against the Pistons he started in place of the injured Josh Howard and took a back seat to Jason Terry late in the game.  The first 13 minutes of the game he had 11 points! I like the way he pushes the ball in transition and looks to give it up to the open man.  Keep an eye on this cat, you’ll be hearing a lot from him.

-Coach Finamore

Hoops135@hotmail.com

I’m on Facebook and you can follow me on Twitter: @CoachFinamore

Hace dos días presentaba al mundo los muelles de Shannon Brown y defendía su candidatura al concurso de mates de la NBA como una cuestión inviolable. Pues resulta que no todos han querido adherirse a mi campaña mundial, seguida (según mi nuevo mapa de búsquedas) hasta en el Perú. Pues no, tenemos a una mala bestia en Detroit que parece no estar de acuerdo con mis opiniones y se muestra cabezón para dejar que ‘The Human Plane’ siga engordando el catálogo de mates bestiales que tienen en youtube. El aguafiestas es Jason Maxiell. Qué cara de mala leche. Por aquí no se pasa no. Propongo que Brown y Maxiell se citen en el All Star a ver si repiten el top 10. Anota David Stern!!!! Ya te pasaré luego la factura.

Lakers venceu o jogo de ontem, contra o Detroit Pistons, por 106 a 93 e continuou com o seu “record” de nunca ter perdido 3 partidas seguidas após a chegada de Pau Gasol.

Kobe Bryant foi o cestinha da partida com 40 pontos, atingindo a marca de 100 jogos em que marcou 40 pontos ou mais na carreira. Kobe também contribuiu com 3 roubos de bola, 5 rebotes e 5 assistência, e isso tudo mesmo com a dor na virilha.

O time jogou bem melhor esse último jogo em comparação aos dois jogos em que perdeu. O Lakers terminou a partida com 47.2% de aproveitamento nos arremessos de quadra e cometeu apenas 12 erros.

Nos rebotes, a equipe da Califórnia bateu o Detroit em 44 a 32, com Andrew Bynum pegando 12 deles. Bynum fez 17 pontos e terminou com outro duplo-duplo, seu oitavo em nove jogos.

A produção do time caiu um pouco quando os reservas entraram em quadra no último quarto. Bynum foi forçado a voltar para a partida quando a vantagem foi para 19 pontos, Bryant voltou um pouco depois quando a vantagem foi para 15 pontos e Odom voltou faltando 1:55 para terminar a partida quando a vantagem caiu para 8 pontos.

Shannon Brown assegurou a vitória no final em dois lances, o primeiro quando sofreu uma falta na linha de 3 pontos faltando 1:38 e converteu os  3 lances livres, e o segundo na jogada seguinte quando enterrou no contra-ataque.

O próximo jogo do Lakers será contra o Chicago Bulls, quinta-feira, e é possível que esse jogo marque o retorno de Pau Gasol.

Fonte: The Lakers Nation e LA Times

#1 – Atlanta Hawks

#2 – Phoenix Suns

#3 – Denver Nuggets

#4 – Houston Rockets

#5 – Boston Celtics

#6 – Cleveland Cavaliers

#7 – Los Angeles Lakers

#8 – Portland Trail Blazers

#9 – Orlando Magic

#10 – Dallas Mavericks

#11 – Miami Heat

#12 – Milwaukee Bucks

#13 – Chicago Bulls

#14 – Oklahoma City Thunder

#15 – San Antonio Spurs

#16 – Toronto Raptors

#17 – Detroit Pistons

#18 – Utah Jazz

#19 – Indiana Pacers

#20 – Sacramento Kings

#21 – Philadelphia 76ers

#22 – Los Angeles Clippers

#23 – Charlotte Bobcats

#24 – Washington Wizards

#25 – Golden State Warriors

#26 – Memphis Grizzlies

#27 – New Orleans Hornets

#28 – New Jersey Nets

#29 – Minnesota Timberwolves

#30 – New York Knicks

Check More At: MVN

Power Rankings II: http://basketballoutsider.wordpress.com/2009/11/10/power-rankings-ii/

Monday I joined Dave Pemberton, Pistons’ beat writer for The Oakland Press, on the very first episode of “Pistons Pulse.” The web-based show is dedicated to the Pistons and the NBA, and airs on his blog Pistons’ Point via The Oakland Press.

In this episode we talked about the Pistons’ upcoming Western Conference road trip, the development and expectations for Rodney Stuckey and some of the biggest surprises of the young NBA season. So far, I’ve shot two episodes with Pemberton and I have a feeling we’ll be doing some more together.

Great stuff, hope you enjoy.

Check him out on Twitter, The Oakland Press and Pistons’ Point – he’s got your Pistons’ hookup

I apologize for having a chin strap, it was an experiment gone wrong. I shaved today.