It was great to see Tracy McGrady return to the court last night and it was obvious that his presence lifted the entire team. The 1st half for the Rockets was probably the best half of basketball they’ve played all season and the 2nd half was almost as impressive. Chase Studinger got the start against Detroit because Trevor Ariza was serving his 1 game suspension for being as accurate with an elbow as he was with his jumper (0/9) in the Toronto game. What a dumbass! But at least Studinger got a chance to play big minutes and he took advantage.

Studinger drilled his 1st 3-point try and added 2 more early assist to get the Rockets going on offense. The defense was equally impressive as Chuck Hayes forced 2 airballs in the first 2 minutes and the team forced 5 airballs by the Pistons in the quarter. The guys were amped up because of the return of T-Mac tonight and it was apparent in their play.

McGrady entered the game with 7:45 to play in the 1st and finished the quarter. He hit his only try from deep and made a strong drive for a foul on the next play. He missed both free throws but he moved well and pulled down 3 boards. The only time he didn’t look comfortable was on defense; he just looked a little hesitant and out of rhythm but that is understandable after such a long lay-off. And Houston didn’t need much from him with the way everyone else was playing.

Aaron Brooks pushed the tempo for ome easy baskets and, when they didn’t get an easy one, Brooks used his quickness to get around Rodney Stuckey and create for Luis Scola. Brooks scored 8 in the 1st frame and Scola added 11.

29 – 19 after 1.

Richard Hamilton was the only thing keeping Detroit anywhere close to the Rockets. And by “close” I mean only down by 15. Rip had 17 in the half but the defense on the other 4 guys was outstanding, especially on Stuckey. Brooks and Kyle Lowry combined to hold Stuckey to 7/24 shooting. The help was fantastic also as Carl Landry repeatedly shutdown the lane when the Piston guards did get penetration. But the Rockets were slowed a little in the last 3:00 of the 2nd when Detroit went to a zone.

The Pistons went on a 12 – 2 run as Houston struggled to solve the 1-2-2 zone by Detroit. They were able to cut the lead to 9 before the buzzer. 60% shooting by the Rockets in the half.

56 – 47 after 2.

Detroit began the 3rd quarter with a lot of energy. They got a ton of 2nd chance opportunities but their shots were still not falling. Ben Wallace even shot 2 hilarious airballs from the free throw line that were about 2 feet short of the rim. But the energy allowed the Pistons to make a small run and the Rockets had to respond.

Hayes stripped Jason Maxiell and that steal led to an Aaron Brooks jumper on the other end. A moment later Brooks led anotehr break and threw a beautiful alley-oop to Studinger for a dunk. On the next possession Lowry led another fast break that ended in a Studinger “and 1″ to take all the momentum back.

81 – 68 after 3.

Charlie Villanueva tried to keep the Pistons close in the 4th period but his counter-part at power forqward, Carl Landry, asserted himself down the stretch, as he usually does. He didn’t seal the game alone though; Studinger had his 1st career double-double (16 points, 12 boards) and Brooks embarrassed Jonas Jerebko on 2 consecutive trips for layups to put Houston up 100 – 80. But Jerebko came back the other way and dunked on Landry.

That was much too little and too late though.  

107 – 96 final score.

Positives:

1. T-Mac is back! In the 7:45 he was in there the Rockets went on a 20 – 8 run to grab control of the game.

2. 14 – 10 on the year and now McGrady is back. This is a playoff team and, if someone else can beat LA, you never know what could happen.  

Negatives:

1. Shooting has been really poor the last several games. In this contest the Rockets were 2/16 from 3 and missed 9 free throws. That’s not going to cut it against the best teams.

2. The subs should’ve gotten more time at the end of the game. I really would’ve liked to see Jermaine Taylor in for Studinger and Brian Cook for Scola so that those guys could rest before these 4 back-to-backs that Houston has coming up. They have Denver tonight and it would help to have fresh legs for that one.

3. Shane Battier needs to post more. He makes good things happen when he gets in there but he does it so rarely that it doesn’t help much.

Insights:

The 1st half of this game was the best the Rockets have looked this year. I guarantee that it was due to the return of Tracy McGrady. The other guys had to hyped-up to see their star return when they’ve already been a good team without him. He is the type of player that can make everyone better just by walking onto the court and I am really excited to see how this will play out when Ariza is playing also. If Ariza can calm down and take a diminished role in the offense we could be looking at a very good team. With Landry, Brooks and McGrady all on the floor, there are 3 legitimate offensive weapons in the halfcourt offense when the Rockets don’t get out on the break. As long as T-Mac plays no more than 23 minutes a game everything should work out perfectly.

Last year as a member of the Detroit Pistons, Allen Iverson saw Rodney Stuckey get some of the minutes that Iverson felt he deserved. For years Allen Iverson was (metaphorically) breaking ankles all over the NBA, but as he’s aged he’s lost a little of his quickness; Stuckey, at age 23 has all of his still and makes Iverson look foolish, at least for one play.

One thing that Iverson fans always rubbed in my face was the fact that Jordan got crossed by him. We all know the video, Iverson at the top of the key, does a little step and catches Michael reaching. They would laugh and laugh, and my trust-worthy response would be killer cross-overs don’t bring home rings!

Now here we go about 12 or so years later and Iverson catches a bad one. Maybe Iverson has to get his basketball shape back. Maybe Iverson has gotten a little too old. Or maybe it is just a case of karma. What ever it is, Ivo caught it messing with Rodney Stuckey.

• This Pistons team is all heart & hustle!
• I still can’t root against Chauncey Billups. For me, he’ll always be a part of the Pistons – even when he is dropping 21 points on us and nearly hitting the game winner for Denver.
• Rodney Stuckey isn’t Mr. Big Shot 2.0 yet, but he is on his way. We shouldn’t try to nickname him the same as Chauncey, tough. Stuckey is a big guard like Chauncey, but that’s about it – they play very different styles of basketball.
• Ben Wallace is playing the best basketball I’ve seen from him since he left the Pistons in the first place. You can’t compare what he did in Chicago or Cleveland with what he is doing now. About 15 boards a game and a combined 5 blocks and steals per game is what he gives you every night – how awesome is that?
• Jonas Jerebko isn’t in the discussion for Rookie Of The Year yet and probably won’t get there anytime soon, but this guy is a real basketball player. He can do it all. Defend (Melo went for 40+, but Melo is…Melo…league of his own scoring-wise right now), score inside and outside, go for loose balls like his life would depend on it, pass, drive, dish…you name it, he can do it.
• Ben Wallace Add-On: Is he the most underrated passer/ball-distributor big man in the league right now or what?
• Melo went for 40+, Chauncey dropped 20+…not enough to get the W in Motown…how many of us thought the Pistons would go 4-0 over the last four games? Be honest…

This team is surprising me every time I watch a game. I don’t know if I’ve been that excited on a game-to-game-basis ever - there just aren’t any letdowns and the team is bringing the effort night in & night out. Keep it up!

By Kyle Bauer, Edited by Dan Fenner

The Detroit Pistons should be wearing teal jerseys again.

It’s funny what a color can represent to a franchise. There is a lot of pride in a team’s colors. In 2001, the Pistons turned back the clock, returning to the colors of their glory days. With the return of red, white and blue came perennial playoff runs and renewed excitement to Detroit.

These days, I suppose it would be appropriate for the Pistons to turn back the clock again to the late-1990s. They look a lot like the teams donning teal jerseys that ran out Eric Montross at center. Maybe it goes in 10-year increments.

While they look pathetic now, I’ll cut them some slack. A team that goes on a seven game losing streak normally wouldn’t be spared the criticism, but the Pistons are a team making a sound transition, and are not in a long rebuilding phase.

Unfortunately, the Pistons’ plan of attack for the 2009-10 campaign has been marred by injuries. At one point Detroit suffered from four starters being injured. The impact of losing Tayshaun Prince, and especially Richard Hamilton, has buried this team.

The capabilities of Hamilton were best displayed in the Larry Brown era. Hamilton was often used off of screens and curls, wearing out his opponents, in their vain attempts to contain his speed.

Hamilton has shown what he is capable of offensively and that if the offense is run through him, he can average 20-plus points a night.

With new head coach John Kuester, Hamilton was looking at a more substantiated role. Flanking Ben Gordon, the two natural shooters were expected to feed off each other. Hamilton went down only a game into the season with a severely sprained ankle. We have yet to see what the Pistons are capable of offensively with Hamilton in the lineup.

On the other side of the ball, Tayshaun Prince is the team’s best defender. While I think his defensive play is overrated at times league-wide, it still can’t be discounted. Prince’s ability was to defend the best opposing guard or small forward on the court. It isn’t a recipe for success having his replacements, rookies Austin Daye and Jonas Jerebko, tasked with guarding the likes of Lebron James.

However, it’s not an entirely bad thing that the Pistons have to rely on these two youngsters. Jerebko and Daye were expected to be project players when they were drafted.

Daye was expected to serve as Prince’s understudy and take time to develop physically to be able to play in the NBA. In the long run, the Pistons will be better off having thrown Daye into the fire this season.

Jerebko has shown that as both a small or power forward, he can get to the basket and draw fouls. His strength will eventually be his ability to get in the post and step out and hit the 15-footer, similar to Antonio McDyess. Just don’t expect 10 rebounds a game.

The contributions of these rookies are especially notable given the fact that you can almost count the Pistons’ number of quality draft picks in the last decade on one hand.

There isn’t a player in the game who has the ability to heat up like Gordon, but he too is suffering from an injury. When he is on, he can hit half-court shots blindfolded. Well, maybe not, but you get my point. An ankle injury is a tough one for a guard. The ability to cut, pivot and set for shoots are vital and very hard to do with a sore ankle. Once Gordon gets healthy and is combined with Hamilton, they will make for a very formidable backcourt.

Charlie Villanueva, Will Bynum and Rodney Stuckey have each had their own bright spots throughout the season as well. The Pistons will actually have pretty strong depth once everyone gets healthy.

Overall, fans can expect the Pistons to shed the teal gloss that they have been coated with and have a very strong second half of the season. I see Detroit sneaking into the playoffs, despite their low standing in the Eastern Conference right now. There are far more reasons for optimism now than there were a year ago. There is a core of youth that is getting valuable experience while the veterans deal with their various injuries.

The Pistons can only go up from this point and in time they will. Unlike last year’s roster, consisting of several misfit toys, this season’s team actually has a young nucleus of players to build around for the future.

How do you like him now? After all the criticism he had to face, the young point guard showed the world and especially the 76ers why the Pistons chose him over players like Chauncey Billups and Allen Iverson.

Was this his breakout game? No, sir, you didn’t pay attention. He had his breakout game last season – now he is doing this stuff on a regular basis. The Pistons are missing several key players (Richard Hamilton, Tayshaun Prince, Ben Gordon) while some others lost their rhythm (Will Bynum) and some hardly found it (Charlie Villanueva). It was hard watching this game on several possessions when Rodney got the ball in his hands, the double team attacked him and there was no real offensive option to pass to…and still the Pistons managed to win this game on the road. Jonas Jerebko was the 2nd best player wearing a Detroit jersey in this one. Talk about maturation…

...winning the game...

Stuckey dropped 20+ points 9 times this season (5 times in the last 7 games). Ball distribution? Are 7+ assists in 4 of the last 6 games enough for you? He couldn’t have a better timing to step his game up. Right now his team needs him the most because of all the injuries and Rodney Stuckey delivers. Here are the highlights of the game. If you want to know what Rodney had to say after the game, click here.

Eastern Washington Eagles (2-3)

Big Sky — 2009 record: 12-18

The Eagles are in the third year of a rebuilding program under coach Kirk Earlywine, and thus far it’s been something of a struggle. Eastern Washington hasn’t had a winning season since 2007, nor have they made the six-team Big Sky Conference Tournament. That despite having one of the best players ever to play in the Big Sky, current Detroit Pistons guard Rodney Stuckey. But in their meeting with Idaho last season, on their home court in Cheney, Eastern Washington came out victorious, 69-59.

This year’s Eastern Washington squad has just one win over a Division I program, that coming on the road against Southland Conference foe Texas-Arlington. They played close with a young Washington State team, giving the Cougars all they could handle but falling just short, 67-61. That success didn’t carry over, as on Tuesday Boise State easily handled the homestanding Eagles, 82-69.

The problem for the Eagles can be summed up in a word: Efficiency. Like the Hornets before them, the Eagles have started the season stone-cold from the floor — as a team, they’re shooting just .414 and have one of the nation’s worst 3-point percentages at .299. Against the Vandals, who have been holding their opponents to just .400 shooting, that doesn’t bode well for Eastern Washington’s upset chances. They have been slightly outrebounding their foes, but a +2.0 margin won’t be enough of a difference when your team misses 6 out of 10 shots from the field.

The defensive matchups look even worse for the Eagles. Idaho’s strength is in the backcourt, with the nation’s 40th-best 3-point shooting percentage at .420. It’s in that stat that the Eagles’ defense has been atrocious, allowing .404 shooting from outside — one of the nation’s worst.

It’s inside that Eastern Washington has a chance of making things happen. The combination of Brandon Moore and Mark Dunn can make for some matchup issues against Idaho’s big men — particularly given Idaho’s turnover woes there. But get beneath those two and there’s zero proven depth, so early foul trouble could take a toll.

Much like Sacramento State, the Eagles are a program that is poised for improvement, and after the Texas Southern debacle, Idaho well knows the cost of thinking any game is a gimme. But the Vandals have a clear talent advantage at virtually every position, and the guards should have a field day, shooting out the lights in Memorial Gym in front of a friendly crowd. It’s going to take a serious effort from Earlywine’s team to select their shots and convert every opportunity to keep this game close.

Key statistic: Points per possession

• Idaho: 1.06 (76th) — Eastern Washington: 0.91 (250th)

Measured by dividing the number of points scored by the number of possessions, this is a basic measurement of a team’s offensive efficiency, and the difference is stark. The Vandals have one of the nation’s 100 most efficient offenses, while the Eagles are stuck in the bottom 300.

Projected Starters:

• G #01 Glen Dean, Fr. — 8.4 ppg, 1.2 rpg, 4.0 apg

A true freshman point guard, Dean is doing a serviceable job for the Eagles in his first Division I action — but that’s a position where Eastern Washington could sorely use some senior experience. His negative assist-to-turnover ratio needs improvement, but what he most needs to learn is when not to take shots. The Eagles as a whole are a poor-shooting team, but Dean’s terrible .297 average is dragging everything else down. Then again, maybe it’s his ball-handling that’s the worst — coughing it up six times against Boise State? Yikes.

• G #10 Alden Gibbs, Jr. — 4.6 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 4.0 apg

Gibbs is another highly-touted JC transfer that has yet to pan out for Earlywine. Called by his coach “arguably the best athlete in the Big Sky,” Gibbs has proven to be a solid rebounder but he’s also been yet another EWU backcourter who can’t shoot. Gibbs has hit just 31.8 percent of his shots this year and went 0-3 in 20 minutes against Boise State. Against the Vandals’ stellar backcourt, those kind of numbers just aren’t going to cut it and Gibbs is going to have to seriously step up the production.

• G #10 Jeffrey Forbes, Fr. — 9.6 ppg, 1.6 rpg, 1.4 apg

Yet another true freshman pressed into service by the Eagles, Forbes has been one of EWU’s strongest newcomers — but even that’s relative. His .419 shooting percentage is just OK, though it makes him by far the best among Eastern Washington’s backcourters. Forbes is also a demon from the free-throw line, converting 90 percent of his trips to the charity stripe.

• C #45 Brandon Moore, Sr. — 13.4 ppg, 11.2 rpg, 1.0 apg

Anchoring the inside for Eastern Washington, Moore will create a formidable matchup. He has size, experience and a solid shooting stroke. Anyone who averages a double-double is someone to take seriously, and Marvin Jefferson should have all he can handle to keep Moore from dominating the paint. Where he should be exploitable is his ball-handling, as he’s given up 13 turnovers and got picked to death by Texas-Arlington.

• F #42 Mark Dunn, Sr. — 12.0 ppg, 5.4 rpg, .600 FG%

A stalwart for the Eagles, Dunn is a serious force anywhere on the court and has the team’s best shooting percentage — inside and out. He can clean up the glass, slam home a dunk or even stroke it from beyond the arc, making for a real defensive matchup issue. Does he go up against Luiz Toledo? Can Toledo defend it outside, and if he’s drawn out there, will it open up the paint? Watch Dunn’s performance closely, as if Idaho can contain him effectively, things get very difficult for Eastern Washington. Conversely, if he gets it going the Eagles will have a chance.

Key reserves:

• G #5 Benny Valentine — 14.0 ppg, 2.0 rpg, 4.4 apg

Coming off the bench for the Eagles is an incredible scoring spark in the person of Valentine, a Texas Tech transfer who led EWU in scoring and assists last year and was named Second Team All-Big Sky. This year he again leads the Eagles in both categories. Why he doesn’t start is a mystery. It may have something to do with the fact that while he scores a lot, he misses even more — last year he shot .390 and this year he’s gotten worse at .339.

• G #21 Kevin Winford — 4.0 ppg, 1.0 rpg, 1.0 apg

One of the few Division I players to come out of Alaska, this redshirt freshman was expected to be one of the Eagles’ strongest pieces this season — Earlywine called him the team’s best shooter. But he hasn’t lived up to the hype, averaging just 4.0 points and putting up an awful .294 shooting percentage in his three appearances. Winford lost his starting role after the season’s opening games and saw limited minutes against Boise State.

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?

A bit late on this one, but I guess you’ll appreciate it anyway if you missed the game. Cleveland won 98 – 88 as you probably already know, but here is what you maybe missed:

• Rodney Stuckey was the only Pistons nearly playing 40 minutes – one part because Ben Gordon went down in the 2nd quarter and one part because Stuck was the only guy able to make baskets late in the 4th
• Will Bynum had his worst night this season so far – 1/13 shooting (= 7% FG%), 3 turnovers and he got stuffed at the rim twice – on the bright side: he dished out a team-high 5 assists
• The Cavaliers actually killed us with their three point shooting: 9/17 is quiet awesome, better than 50% from behind the arc
• Detroit out-rebounded Cleveland and had less turnovers, but when you don’t hit as many open jumpshots, you are in for a loooooooong night
• Charlie Villanueva fumbled some balls late in the game which always took our momentum – sometimes a sloppy play can kill everything you worked for the last couple of plays
• Jason Maxiell had his best game so far – I still don’t like the idea of him taking so many jumpshots, but when he is hitting them, I’m keeping my mouth shut. 10 points and 4 offensive boards plus some major hustle plays to keep plays alive – way to go!
• Austin Daye was the most pleasent surprise in this game. The kid made things happen: 9 points, 3 boards and a block. He looked really comfortable out there for the first time this season.

Austin Daye

————————

Cleveland MVP

• Surprise, surprise…LeBron James, of course. 34 points, 8 boards, 7 assists – is there more you need to know? This guy made things happen and he did it in style. YouTube Proof.

• He wasn’t alone, tho, it was a team effort. 5 Cleveland players scored in double digits.

Detroit MVP

• Not really a close one, Rodney Stuckey carried us through major parts of our runs to keep the game close. A team-high 25 points on 50% shooting from the field and a perfect 8/8 from the free throw line. Add 6 boards and 2 steals to it and you got yourself a pretty decent statline. Some more assists would have been nice, but who should he have passed the ball to? Bynum who was 1/13? Ben Wallace? Jerebko? You get my point, I guess.

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.

Internet…huh…beautiful thing…everybody can make themselves heard/read – so when somebody writes a certain player is underrated and should start on a certain team it spreads like wildfire. People don’t even check if it’s true. It is way easier to just copy what sounds good and don’t put time into researching the facts.

So, lately everybody and their mommas is trying to tell you that Will Bynum should start over Rodney Stuckey for the Detroit Pistons. Sure, looking at some of the stats it seems to be a neat idea:

• Bynum’s true shooting percentage is at .588 this season (.132 better than Stuckey who is averaging a career low .456 TS% so far)
• Bynum’s effective field goal percentage is at .518 (Stuckey is at .391 eFG%)
• Will’s Player Efficiency Rating is at 20.0 which is pretty awesome (Rodney is at 13.8 – the league average is 15.0 in case you aren’t familiar with this stat)
• Bynum is scoring more around the rim while Stuckey is taking jumpers on 71% of his attempts – Bynum is scoring a higher % on both by the way

Will Bynum #12

So, Bynum is a more efficent scorer – how about passing?

• Will ‘The Thrill’ is dishing out the assist on 27.1% of the made shots of his teammates when he is on the floor (Rodney is at 19%)
• Bynum’s passing rating is at 8.9 while Stuckey is at 6.4

Hmmm…team offense & team defense?

• Bynum’s offensive rating is at 113 (ORtg = points produced/scored on 100 possessions ) – Stuckey’s is at 97
• Bynum’s offensive rating is at 108 (ORtg = points produced/scored on 100 possessions ) – Stuckey’s is at 107 – no big difference

Well, those stats suggest that Bynum would help the Pistons win more games than Stuckey. Are there other stats? Of course they are. Let’s see what Rodney has going for himself stats-wise:

• The Pistons got outscored by 33 points while Bynum was on the floor while only getting outscored by 8 while Stuckey was on the floor (this season so far) – both are usually playing at the end of the game, but you should consider that Rodney is starting the game and playing against tougher competition in the opening quarter than Bynum
• Bynum is finishing games with a +/- rating at an average of -4.8, Stuckey is averaging a -0.7
• Only 15% of Bynum’s shots are assisted while Stuckey is getting assisted on 32% of his made field goals – read on if you want to know why this is important
• Stuckey is the better ballhandler (he has more turnovers and bad passes, but considering the minutes played he is a bit better than Bynum)

Rodney Stuckey #3

Is there something to consider when looking at these stats?

• Stuckey is playing pretty many minutes out of position. People tend to forget that a lot. Could it be that his stats aren’t as good, because he is spending a good amount of time at shooting guard and/or small forward? Would the numbers be different if Stuckey would play PG all the time instead of switching it up and playing out of position? Without a doubt.

Here are Stuckey’s stats at the different positions:

• Point Guard: Net Points of the team +16
• Shooting Guard: Net Points of the team -36
• Small Forward: Net Points of the team +9

So, if we woant to find out who should start at point guard we should compare the stats they get when they play that position, right? Player 48-Minute Production by Position:

• eFG% (Effective Field Goal Percentage): Bynum .518 – Stuckey .538
• FTA (Free Throw Attempts): Bynum 7.7 – Stuckey 15.0
• Assists (don’t forget: by 48 minutes): Bynum 7.0 – Stuckey 10.0
• Points: Bynum 24.9 – Stuckey 34.9
• PER*: Bynum 21.8 – Stuckey 42.0

Looks a bit different, right? What about the defense? Opponent Counterpart 48-Minute Production:

• PER*-”allowed”: Bynum 16.2 – Stuckey 7.6
• Points-allowed: Bynum 19.0 – Stuckey 13.3

What I’m trying to show you is that stats can be deceiving. Making this choice is not as easy as “who has better stats”, it is more about what kind of team are we trying to be, what are our long-term goals and what way do we play our best? Stuckey is starting at point guard and Bynum is pretty much taking over the point guard position in the 2nd half. Why?

Because Stuckey is pretty good at point guard, but we need him playing some shooting guard and small forward as well right now. Could Bynum guard shooting guards? No way. If they are both hot, can we afford to put Ben Gordon on the bench? No. We try to do what works best and it really doesn’t matter at all who starts the game at point guard, because our most productive line-up (as a team, not for every individual on the court) is this one so far:

Bynum – Gordon – Stuckey – Villanueva – Wallace -> Top Five Men Floor-Units Win% = 77%

Would Stuckey put up better individual numbers if he was playing point guard? Probably, but it wouldn’t be the best for the team. When Prince and Rip are back it will get even more complicated. What if our best line-up is Stuckey – Gordon – Hamilton – Prince – Villanueva? Well, then Bynum will have to sit and watch. What if Bynum is better suited to get the job done with those guys on the floor? Well, Stuckey is going to sit and watch.

The few things you should remember from this post are:

• Stuckey is playing out of position for long stretches of the game
• Stats are deceiving and don’t measure everything happening on the floor
• Bynum is more effective comparing the stats without paying attention to the position played
• Stuckey is more effective comparing the stats they accumulate while playing point guard
• We are trying to build a contender here and most of our players are doing whatever helps the team the most - no big egos

To sum it all up: Looking at the position-based stats, Stuckey is a better point guard, but we need him to play out of position for long stretches of most games. His stats change accordingly. Bynum is a great point guard and a very efficient scorer. There is no point in arguing one way or another, because with the return of Richard Hamilton and Tayshaun Prince the whole dynamic of the team will change anyway. In my opinion, Stuckey should keep starting the games, because it is giving the team more options to run the offense and it opens up more options on defense too (Stuckey can guard big guards and some small forwards). Bynum is the perfect energizer of the bench and when both Stuckey and Bynum are on the court, Bynum is usually playing point guard. I wouldn’t change that, but what do I know…

Detroit Pistons Guards

BTW: To look up some of the stats yourself, go to www.basketball-reference.com or www.82games.com – have fun. For more opinions on this, go here or here.

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.

Former Huskies:

Jon Brockman, Kings: MEM (1/1 FG, 2 PTS, 1 REB), ATL (0/1 FG, 0 PTS, 1 REB), @ UTH (0/0 FG, 0 PTS, 0 REB), GSW (1/1 FG, 2 PTS, 3 REB)

Spencer Hawes, Kings: MEM (9/17 FG, 21 PTS, 11 REB, 7 AST, 2 BLK), ATL (3/9 FG, 6 PTS, 7 REB, 2 AST), @ UTH (3/8 FG, 7 PTS, 4 REB, 1 AST, 1 BLK), GSW (3/5 FG, 10 PTS, 6 REB, 1 AST, 1 BLK)

Nate Robinson, Knicks: Injured, no stats accumulated

Brandon Roy, Trail Blazers: @ OKC (5/17 FG, 16 PTS, 3 REB, 5 AST, 1 STL), ATL (8/19 FG, 19 PTS, 2 REB, 6 AST), SA (9/15 FG, 24 PTS, 5 REB, 2 AST), MIN (1/6 FG, 2 PTS, 6 REB, 7 AST, 1 STL)

——————–

Seattle Players:

Aaron Brooks, Rockets: @ UTH (6/11 FG, 19 PTS, 2 REB, 9 AST), LAL (5/12 FG, 15 PTS, 1 REB, 6 AST), OKC (5/10 FG, 11 PTS, 2 REB, 6 AST, 1 BLK)

Jamal Crawford, Hawks: @ LAL (6/14 FG, 17 PTS, 3 REB, 1 AST) @ POR (8/16 FG, 27 PTS, 2 REB, 7 AST), @ SAC (10/15 FG, 26 PTS, 2 REB, 4 AST), @ CHA (5/14 FG, 13 PTS, 3 REB), DEN (8/15 FG, 25 PTS, 4 REB, 4 AST, 2 STL)

Adam Morrison, Lakers: ATL, @ OKC, @ HOU (No Stats Accumulated), MEM (1/1 FG, 2 PTS), NOR (2/4 FG, 5 PTS, 2 REB, 1 AST)

Luke Ridnour, Bucks: @ CHI (2/4 FG, 4 PTS, 1 REB, 2 AST), @ MIN (6/9 FG, 16 PTS, 2 REB, 1 AST, 1 STL), NYK (5/12 FG, 10 PTS, 1 REB 4 AST)

Rodney Stuckey, Pistons: ORL (7/20 FG, 20 PTS, 9 REB, 3 AST, 1 STL), @ TOR (5/18 FG, 13 PTS, 10 REB, 4 AST), @ ORL (9/18 FG, 20 PTS, 5 REB, 3 AST, 2 STL), PHI (5/15 FG, 13 PTS, 5 REB, 3 AST, 1 STL)

Jason Terry, Mavericks: UTH (4/13 FG, 10 PTS, 5 REB, 4 AST, 2 STL), @ NOR (12/18 FG, 35 PTS, 2 REB, 3 AST, 1 STL), TOR (8/12 FG, 19 PTS, 2 REB, 4 AST, 1 STL)

Martell Webster, Trail Blazers: @ OKC (4/12 FG, 10 PTS, 5 REB, 1 AST, 4 STL) ATL (2/5, 8 PTS, 1 REB, 1 STL), SA (1/4 FG, 4 PTS, 1 REB, 1 STL), MIN (2/6 FG, 8 PTS, 1 REB, 4 AST, 2 STL)

Marvin Williams, Hawks: @ LAL (1/6 FG, 6 PTS, 2 REB, 1 AST), @ POR (1/4 FG, 7 PTS, 7 REB, 1 AST, 1 BLK), @ SAC (6/9 FG, 13 PTS, 6 REB, 1 BLK), @ CHA (3/8 FG, 9 PTS, 5 REB, 1 STL, 3 BLK), DEN (4/6 FG, 14 PTS, 2 REB, 1 AST, 1 STL)

If you are reading blogs on WordPress and you were looking for something on Ben Gordon and/or Charlie Villanueva, chances are pretty high that you stumbled on this post from July ‘09: Ben Gordon & Charlie Villanueva. It is time for an update, I guess.

Charlie Villanueva missed most of the preseason with an injury and still kinda doesn’t look like he knows where he has to be on defense at all times. He missed some rotations in the first games of the season, but it didn’t hurt as that much – especially because this problem will take care of itself by playing together for longer stretches. The situation got worse, because Rip got injured and a little while later Tayshaun also didn’t play because of some back problems. Being new on a squad and than pretty much half of the starting 5 getting injured doesn’t help.

If you would put a gun to my head and ask me if he played up to the expectations we had, the answer would be no. It is way too early to judge someone after only 5 games, but right now he just isn’t getting it done. 11 points and 5.4 boards in 26 minutes per game just ain’t worth the money Detroit spent on him. There is a light at the end of the tunnel, tho, because his shooting percentages are way off his career average. Right now, he is hitting 0,05% less from the field and his free throw percentage fell by 0,1%. This maybe doesn’t sound like much, but it is huge (0,450 FG-% is way better than 0,400 FG-%). By finding the spots on the court he likes and starting to feel more comfortable out there, the percentages will rise and the rest of his game will improve accordingly.

CV-31 & BG-7

Ben Gordon is pretty much the opposite of everything you read above. Funny thing is, I thought that Charlie Villanueva would be the one that would look more impressive in the beginning, but obviously I was wrong. Ben Gordon looks like he played on this team for years – no transition period whatsoever. To be honest with you, I didn’t respect Ben Gordon so much, because I always thought he was one of those so-called ’streaky shooters’ and I was afraid that we overpaid him because of the Boston – Chicago series in the last playoffs. I was so wrong. This guy deserves every penny (so far) he got signed for.

• He never said a word about coming off the bench.
• He can play with either Stuckey or Bynum on the court.
• He can create his own shot or kick it out to an open teammate.
• He can take it to the rim and finish like a bad, bad man.
• He gives us the scoring we need off the bench or takes over Rip’s spot while he is injured – no problem for BG

This guy is ridiculous. So far, he dropped 25 points per game and dished out 3 assists while also having enough time to grab 3.6 boards per game. Looking at his current stats, he is on a pretty nice way to career highs in points, rebounds, steals and field goal percentage while also having the lowest turnover-rate of his career even tho he has more ballhandling duties than ever before. Is there anything more we can ask for?

So, Ben Gordon is doing his thing better than ever and if Villanueva steps his game up in the next few games, there won’t be a question about if Joe Dumars signed the right guys to complete the Detroit Pistons core.

BTW: Funny stat I stumbled upon: Ben Gordon and Charlie Villanueva have the same career high in ‘points scored in a single game’. 48 points – plus, both did it in a game against Milwaukee.

Raptors: 110 Pistons: 99

While last night’s loss to the Toronto Raptors was disappointing, there are a lot of positives the Detroit Pistons can fall back on. Unfortunately, moral victories don’t count in the real standings, and the Pistons are left at 2-3 after their first week 8 days of action.

Like Villanueva tweeted, they came back from 17 points down to take a brief lead in the 4th quarter. Despite being on the second night of one of the roughest back-to-backs in the NBA (more on that later), they refused to quit and made the Raptors earn their second win of the season (in four games). I love seeing that never-say-die attitude in teams, especially when they’re representing the D. Hopefully the Pistons keep that up all season long. I don’t see this team getting blown out too many times this year, mostly because their shooting will keep them in games where their defense fails them (like last night’s second quarter).

Charlie V also noted that the Pistons seemed to run out of gas at the end of the game. Last night’s affair was probably the fastest-paced game the Pistons have played all season, a bad sign for a team on the second leg of a back-to-back. Speaking of that, I said that this was one of the toughest back-to-backs in the NBA because of the international aspect to it. Going to Toronto, the Pistons had to go through customs which probably set them back an hour in getting to their hotel. It may not seem like much, especially to those who say the team could simply sleep in, but the later bed time still has an impact. Couple this with the fact that the Raptors hadn’t played since Sunday and you’ll see why Toronto was able to pull away last night.

A few notes:

Though the Pistons may be better than we think, they won’t play as well all season as they did last night. This is a young team that will have its ups and downs. The key to sanity for Pistons fans this year is to enjoy the great performances while they last and take the poor ones with a grain of salt. So far I trust the moves Joe D made over the offseason to keep this team out of the lottery. If they consistently play at a level like last night there won’t be any talk of ping pong balls and draft odds in Detroit this season.

I know the game was against the Memphis Grizzlies.

And I know that Ben Wallace and Co.’s level of freshness will only decline from here on out.

But I couldn’t help but get a little excited about this team’s potential after watching their 96-74 dismantling of the Grizz last night.

I mean, for the first time in a few years, they were fun to watch.

Rodney Stuckey was pushing the tempo.

Ben Gordon – oh my! – was making shots with opponents on his back.

And the guys kept their complaining to the referees to a minimum.

Look. I’m no basketball expert.

When Bill Simmons, a guy who embarrasses most other basketball fans when he whips out his fanhood, predicts a 31-51 finish, I tend to believe him.

Here’s what he said about Joe Dumars in his annual NBA preview:

I was rooting for Detroit to bring Charlie Villanueva and Ben Gordon off the bench this season, just so I could make the “any time you can pay $94 million and lock up your cap space for two bench guys, you gotta do it” joke. But the Pistons foiled me by starting Villanueva. Still, they dumped Chauncey Billups and effectively tanked last season for cap flexibility; now that flexibility is gone, only they look like a mortal lock for the lottery. (You realize their “big men” are The Artist Formely[sic] Known As Ben Wallace, Kwame Brown, Villanueva and Chris Wilcox, right?) And this was a good plan … how? Some day you’ll have to explain this whole “Joe Dumars is a good GM” thing to me.

But after last night, I wonder: Do teams who are supposed to be terrible ever play that well?

With all the articles and writers doubting Rodney Stuckey and people trying to convince everybody that Bynum would start if Stuckey hadn’t been a 1st round pick and what not, it is hard to just open your eyes and watch a game without having somebody else’s opinion in the back of your head. We love us some Bynumite too, but our coaching staff already found the perfect role for him – coming off the bench he can wreak havoc on the court and give us the energy spark we need without giving up too much on defense.

True, Rodney Stuckey had a tough time in the 2nd half of the previous season, but many rookies hit a wall (and that was kinda his 1st season with the injury he suffered the year he got drafted). Sometimes you have to wait for players to play up to their potential. What makes Stuckey special is his unique combination of ball-handling, size, quickness and incredible mid-air body control. It’s easier to understand what I’m talking about when you see it than when you read it. Either click here or watch this video at 1:01:

Crazy, right? The moves he put together, the way he got to the rim and how he finished the and-1 layup. How many other players in the NBA can do that? Uhm…how about none? Zero?

Most guards lack the size and strength they’d need to take the contact in the air without getting their balance messed up while most forwards simply aren’t able to handle the ball like this.

This was a Stuckey move…unique…one of a kind. This is what he does.

I love a good comeback story. I can’t help but root for a person that has fallen on hard times, but gets things together and makes a return to greatness, even if only for a brief moment. Acting, music, sports – almost any form of entertainment you can think of has people who fit this description. The superstars-turned-underdogs I root for are usually never people I didn’t care for before the going got tough (Michael Richards, R. Kelly, Roger Clemens, etc.), but I’ll ignore any personal issues I may have with the following NBA players to discuss who is poised to make a serious comeback this season.

Gilbert Arenas was once one of the most exciting and captivating players to take an NBA court any given night. More recently however, the Hibachi has been broken. Gil has missed the majority of the past two seasons, yet managed to sign a new six-year contract for $111 million. While that guaranteed that he had plenty of cash coming in as he regularly flirted with a return to the court, it did nothing but frustrate his fans. While the Eastern Conference has improved over the last few seasons, it’s still quite common to earn a playoff spot with a .500 record. This Washington team wants to win now; new head coach Flip Saunders is solid, and the team traded away the 5^th pick and pieces to Minnesota for Randy Foye and Mike Miller in hopes of making a deep postseason run. A healthy Wizards team with a healthy Arenas can surely manage to notch 41 wins in the East, right? RIGHT?!? Well, I think so, but Antawn Jamison’s shoulder issues aren’t helping the cause. Originally said to be out 3-5 weeks, he could resume shooting this week.

Tracy McGrady, you sly fox. You hobbled around and grimaced and said all the wrong things to alienate yourself from the Rockets faithful. Then what do you do? Go get a real trainer and actually work hard in the offseason. Tim Grover claims to have fixed the perpetually-broken McGrady, even said he could be ready for the start of the season. Nice bluff Tracy, but Daryl Morey and the front office chose to be cautious and hold you out until December at the earliest. McGrady even changed his jersey number from #1 to #3. His reason: to bring attention to his 3 Points documentary (a very nice cause). However, I see straight through you, Mr. McGrady. The real reason? Steve Francis and Bobby Sura, two fan-favorites here in Houston, recently wore #3 before him and now you’re looking for acceptance by association. And to top it all off, you just so happen to vacate the #1 jersey and stick the new guy with it, when I’m sure he would have been perfectly happy in the #3 he wore as a champion last year (I admit, I saw Ariza miss a shot in the preseason, and yelled “dammit, T-MAC!” out of pure force of habit). Ulterior motives aside, this situation sets up nicely for T-Mac, because if he proves himself to be in tip-top shape and can be effective on the court, he just might get re-signed by Houston, or find some money and a role elsewhere. As desperate of a situation as the Rockets are in, T-Mac (and the Rockets) can be the huge winner. But what will we see?

The old T-Mac…

or the old T-Mac?

Elton Brand was supposed to help the Philadelphia 76ers return to prominence in a stronger Eastern Conference. Unfortunately, the Sixers didn’t quite get a positive return on their investment. A decline in numbers seemed to be caused by Brand finding difficulty fitting into the 76ers movement-based offense. Brand is a post player first and a jump shooter second, so without the chance to settle in the post and get fed like he did with the Clippers, Brand seemed lost at times. With his past two seasons cut short by major injuries, Brand has to prove his worth and return to All-Star form. Brand doesn’t have to be the main guy in Philly with Iguodala there, but he certainly has to do better than last year.

Allen Iverson is a future Hall-of-Famer, and that’s not up for debate. Well, you can argue against that, but you’d lose. I’m not a huge fan of Iverson’s game, but he has made it work for him. The problem comes with coaches making his game work for the team. Iverson was alright in Denver, but Chauncey Billups was unquestionably better. Iverson was awful in Detroit, as Iverson fought unsuccessfully for minutes behind Richard Hamilton and Rodney Stuckey. After being excused from the team early, Iverson’s value in the free agent market plummeted. Iverson landed in Memphis with a one-year deal for cheap money ($3.5M), and now has to figure out how to show the league he can still play without stunting the growth of O.J. Mayo and Mike Conley in the Grizzlies’ backcourt. AI has yet to play with his new teammates after a partial hamstring tear, andadmitted that he doesn’t know the plays. He won’t play in the opener, but it has already been stated that he will come off the bench for Memphis. But…wasn’t that a problem last season? This reminds me of the overused plot line in which a high schooler has to return to elementary school with the little kids because of some missed graduation requirements. Hopefully, Iverson doesn’t wind up embarrassing himself.