Pistons might want to follow Oden's progress

Would it be wise for a team to take a flier on Greg Oden? Only at a minimal cost.

After years of seeing the ghost of Sam Bowie, the Portland Trail Blazers finally ended the Oden era. It was something that had to be done after having Oden face surgery after surgery. The Blazers also decided to throw in the towel on the season and rebuild on the fly, but that's another story.

My question is, do you give Oden a shot if he gets healthy? Maybe. If I'm in the Detroit Pistons front office it's something I would keep an eye on. Hear me out before you call me stupid.

Oden will never be completely healthy, but he could still be healthy enough to be a servicable NBA player. Not the dominant force many thought he would be when he was made the number one pick out of Ohio State. I would keep an eye on his progress and if I deemed him to be healthy enough, then sign him to the veteran's minimum. That way if he's no good to you, get rid of him, eat his contract and it doesn't set your franchise back.

Joe Dumars should take a look and see how Oden has progressed after his third microfracture surgery. It couldn't hurt the Pistons and Oden is still young enough to be a decent NBA player. He is only 24 so I'm sure he'd be willing to give it another try before calling it a career. I'm not saying go out and sign him now. Just see how he progresses and take a shot on his damaged upside.

There is this disclaimer. Oden shouldn't rush to get back on the court like he has in years past. It always seemed like he was trying to justify his status as the number one pick due to the success of Kevin Durant. If Oden can fully concentrate on rehab, then he might be worth the risk even if he hasn't played extensively in three years.

It remains to be seen whether Oden, because of his modest salary, is claimed on waivers even though he isn't expected to be ready to try to resume his career until well into the 2012-13 season.

Pistons Have A Scary Moment

A charter flight en route to Houston, carrying the Detroit Pistons had to make an emergency landing at Hobby Airport. 

A Houston Airport System spokesman says the crew of MD-80 displaying the Pistons team logo reported problems with the hydraulics operating the aircraft’s left-side landing gear and declared an emergency.


Airport spokesman Joshua Agunag says the aircraft with 44 passengers aboard landed without incident at 5:45 p.m. Monday and was able to taxi to a private air terminal, where passengers were let off.

Everyone was reported to be fine, but it's something that any passenger on a plane never wants to go through.

Villanueva Wants To Prove His Worth

Pistons forward Charlie Villanueva hasn’t had a bunch of playing time this season stemming from his suspension at the beginning of the season and an injury to his right ankle.


Because of these setbacks, Villanueva has only played a total of six minutes the past ten games and the lack of playing time has really started to frustrate the veteran forward.

“It’s frustrating because you get a new start, new coach, new staff, you kind of want to go out there and show what you can do,” Villanueva told the Detroit Free Press. “Then you start off being suspended the first couple of games, and then my ankle. So I really just haven’t had the opportunity to go out there and play. It’s been frustrating.”

"Of course it's frustrating because I want to be out there and help the team win," he said. "But my health is not allowing me to do this."

Now it’s not only important that Villanueva get on the floor for his own career, but Joe Dumars and new head coach Lawrence Frank need to decide together as to whether or not he is worth keeping around. Villanueva has two-years and $16.64 million remaining on his contract with it being very possible that Dumars waives him come July via amnesty.

A trade more than likely isn’t possible due to Villanueva having zero trade value. He has shown flashes before but as a fan I still want to see what he can do. Maybe he can help the Pistons get better or inflate his trade value where thye can unload him and get some younger, cheaper help.  

Pistons Likely To Get Rid Of Hamilton After The Lockout

There is a lot of uncertainty regarding the NBA lockout and the future of some players. What isn't too surprising is that when or if the lockout ends the Detroit Pistons will resume shopping Richard Hamilton.

This news isn't a surprise to anyone. Hamilton hasn't been the same player ever since Chauncey Billups was shipped to the Denver Nuggets for Allen Iverson. His production has tailed off, but I attribite that to the Pistons' decline. Clashing with former coaches Michael Curry and John Kuester didn't help either. The latter feud landed him an extended role on the bench. Call me what you want but I still feel Hamilton got a raw deal on that one. Of course many of us don't know what happened behind the scenes. At that point and time I probably would've traded Rip for a bobsled.

Some of it is perfromance related, but as I stated before you can tie his lack of production (14.1 points) last season to the team's all around bad performance. Hamilton did act like a spoiled child who figured since he has one championship under his belt that he should be given more respect. Hamilton lost a lot of respect with Piston fans over the last year.

The reason why he hasn't been dealt was because of the ridiculous contract extension Hamilton signed right before Billups was shipped out of town. The contract was a deal breaker but according to a report by Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press it might not be as troublesome as it once seemed.

He's owed roughly $21 million over the next two seasons, as the second year is only partially guaranteed. And remember president of basketball operations Joe Dumars has almost traded Hamilton several times when the financial burden was greater.


We'll have to see what happens when the season resumes and see are the Pistons willing to let go of the remnants of the 2004 championship team.

It's Time For Full Blown Rebuilding In Pistonland

Now thats it's been a few weeks since "Beverly Hills Billy", Tom Gores has taken over control of the Detroit Pistons , it's time for Joe Dumars and company to get down to business in rebuilding this team. Gores taking over was step one in trying to get the Pistons back to the upper echelon of the Eastern Conference. The second step was firing coach John Kuester.

Kuester wasn't a bad guy or a bad coach, he just wasn't a good fit with this edition of Pistons. He inherited a losing situation and the veterans on the team (namely 2004 holdovers) weren't showing Kuester any respect.

Now they have to make a good hire at the coaching position. At this point they have listed Lawrence Frank, Kelvin Sampson, Mike Woodson, and Dwane Casey as favorites, even though Casey might be scratched off the list. Personally, I would like to see Woodson or Frank get the job, but that's not my decision to make. I say that because those are the only proven commodities I really know. If they hire an unproven coach they'll have to unload some veterans that aren't cut out for rebuilding. Dumars has shown impatience with coaches so he must be dead on with this hire. Which leads to this.

Get rid of the 2004 holdovers. It's over, gone and done with. It's time to get rid of Richard Hamilton and Tayshaun Prince and the only reason I would let Ben Wallace come back is to be a mentor to the younger players. Prince is a free agent so I would let him walk. Unless I knew I could get something for him then I would do a sign and trade and Dumars is so loyal to Prince that he wants him back. I dont know what you can get for Hamilton at this point. He has a bad contract and is on the wrong side of 30 so you won't get much for him. Maybe Dumars can get the handgun and panty hose and pull off another robbery in trade. Probably won't happen, so Piston fans don't start those dream trade scenarios. It's not gonna happen.  

Draft a point guard. If the Pistons could be lucky enough to have Kemba Walker fall into their laps, take him. I don't think that'll happen, but they do need a floor general. The Pistons don't have a point guard and I'm tired of seeing Rodney Stuckey masquerade as one and Will Bynum come off the bench as a welfare version of Jason Terry. They likely won't find one in this draft since Kyrie Irving, Brandon Knight, and Walker will be off the board when it's their turn at pick number eight. If that is indeed the case go big. There's been talk of one of the Eurobigs ( Jan Vesely, Bismack Biyombo, or Jonas Valanciunas). All are boom or bust picks but you never know. Biyombo would give you defense and rebounding, something non existent with the current roster. Vesely looks to be the most proven and Valanciunas may have the most upside. If they go there I would also take Purdue's JaJuan Johnson in the second round if he's still on the board. Johnson does need to bulk up, but he played in the rugged Big Ten which scores points with me. Oakland's Keith Benson, Georgia's Trey Thompkins, and Jeremy Tyler could all be possibilities since the Pistons have two picks in the second round.

No more forays into free agency. The last free agent signings produced Charlie Villanueva and Ben Gordon. I still like the Gordon signing as I think he wasn't used properly and had a few injury problems. Villanueva on the other hand, I still don't like it. He's allergic to defense and rebounding. And that's why I named all the possibilties in the second round of next week's draft. If Charlie V. continues on like this, he'll find himself chained to the bench. The best hope for him is that he shows enough to be traded. This is far fetched but I'd call Golden State to see if they would take him for Andris Biendris. Won't happen, but one can dream can't they.                

Gores has said that Dumars has three years to right the ship, so this year's draft and coaching choice will be critical in seeing that the ball gets rolling in a positive direction.

Sullinger Says He's Coming Back To Ohio State

After putting the final nail in my bracket last night, Jared Sullinger is trying to ruin my dream of the Detroit Pistons drafting him. He says he's coming back to Ohio State next year.

The Big Ten freshman of the year and averaged 17.1 points and 10.0 rebounds and will probably be named to plenty of first team all american lists. Not to mention he's a possible player of the year candidate. He would be a top 5 NBA draft pick if he came out, maybe top 3. I know I would love to see him in a Detroit Pistons uniform.

After losing to Kentucky in a Sweet 16 matchup, he announced he would be coming back to Columbus.

“I did make a decision and I’m definitely coming back next year,” Sullinger said. “I need to work on a lot of things. I have to come back. I’m coming back to win.”


Whether he follows through on that promise remains to be seen. We've seen this one before. Star player says he's coming back and then changes his mind when those high dollar figures start getting thrown around.

If he does come back he'll be playing for a young Buckeyes team that will reload with top notch talent once again.

"I'm going to be an Ohio State Buckeye next year," he said at his post-game press conference following Friday night's tournament loss to Kentucky as reported by ESPN. "This isn't why I came here, to come in here and see my seniors in here crying."



"I came here to win a national championship," he added. ""I'm a man of my word. I don't change my word and no one changes it for me. This is what I want."

With the NBA's current labor situation in question that would be a good decision. For Ohio State fans they better hope this doesn't end up like Shareef Abdur-Rahim's press conference in a few weeks.

 

McGrady Not Happy With Current Demotion

After the dust settled in Detroit (no pun intended), Detroit Pistons head coach John Kuester has given everyone a clean slate regarding playing time.Those that practice hard will be rewarded. There's even been a Richard Hamilton sighting the past few games. That hasn't made everyone happy in Pistonland.

Tracy McGrady has been on the pine since the mystery protest and he isn't too happy about it. He responded to a question on Twitter about his situation in Detroit with "Looks like I'm (a) day late and dollar short."

He also was asked about finishing his career with the Chicago Bulls, McGrady responded by saying, "That would be a good look."

It might be a good look in Chicago since they have a few non descript players on the wing, except for Luol Deng.

McGrady has played well at times this season, but I wouldn't bring him back and committ to a full time youth movement. That would serve the Pistons better than trying to hang on to the veterans on the team.

Dick Vitale, Stan Van Gundy Rip The Pistons

The Detroit Pistons have been getting ripped from coast to to coast over the practice boycott last Friday. It is for good reason, because no team in recent memory has pulled a stunt like this. At least Latrell Sprewell had the guts to choke P.J. Carlesimo.

Dick Vitale and Orlando Magic head coach Stan Van Gundy had their say about practicegate and the players involved. Phil Jackson has already thrown his two cents so why not pile on.

Vitale appeared on Mike and Mike in the morning on ESPN radio and blasted the players for what they did.

“What happened in Detroit was absolutely absurd," Vitale said. "When those players did what they did in that mutiny, unbelievable. It is absolutely sad and a black eye and absolutely hurts the image of the NBA big time. When guys like, for example, (Austin) Daye and (Chris) Wilcox and (Rodney) Stuckey, they all apologize for being late because they overslept, they couldn't come to the shootaround, give me a break! You're making hundreds and hundreds of thousands of dollars, you're making millions playing a kids' game, and you're going to oversleep! And then there's the scenario where (Tayshaun) Prince and (Tracy) McGrady, they were sick, they couldn't go to the shootaround. Are you serious? That's absolutely a tragedy. And you know what? It breaks my heart. For someone who, for over 50 years, loves the game, loves people, loves being with people, when you hear that, man, I'd rather go watch some sixth-, seventh-graders play in some Little League game than spend thousands of dollars to watch a bunch of guys who don't give a damn.”


Sounds like vintage Vitale to me, but I do have to agree with what he's saying. Van Gundy appeared on the Dan LeBatard Show to pile on the Pistons. I'm suprised LeBatard didn't chime in considering he gets in any dig about anything Detroit.


Van Gundy said, "If there are players who truly were healthy and 'boycotted' practice — I don't care what the problem they have with the head coach is — why would you want those guys on your team in any situation? All of us have problems with our bosses at times, but you don't choose to just not show up for work. That's about as childish and unprofessional as you can get. And clearly, that illuminates some of the Pistons' problems right there. When you've got that many guys with that little toughness and professionalism on your team, it wouldn't matter who is coaching them — you're not going to be very successful. They've obviously got the wrong guys in that locker room. That's about the weakest group of players I've seen in the NBA — people that would do that. Patrick Ewing and I were talking about it and we were saying that if any of those guys become free agents, why in God's name would you want any of them on your basketball team? I know this much about John Kuester. John Kuester is one of the nicest people in our profession, so he didn't get out of line and treat anyone like a sub-human or anything else. They might not have liked his coaching decisions — playing time, how he's handling rotations, whatever. You don't simply not show up for (work) when you're getting paid well and you're supposed to be a professional and a competitor. That's a very weak group of people."


Some harsh words from someone whose franchise player might be leaving town.  








 


 

Austin Daye Issues An Apology About The Shootaround Incident

After Saturday night's game against the Utah Jazz, Detroit Pistons forward Austin Daye gives an apology to fans and coach John Kuester.

  

He should be apologizing for his actions. Rodney Stuckey and Chris Wilcox should be giving out apologies as well. They act as if they're entitled and the big dogs on the team, when they haven't won anything in their careers. Daye and Stuckey will be here for a while so they need to straighten up. Wilcox is lucky to even have a job in the league so he really should be staying in line.

I'm not a Kuester supporter nor do I support the players in their pseudo boycott, but Joe Dumars needs to come out and give a state of the team speech or something. Come on down out of that ivory tower and give this team a dressing down in private. He's been quiet about this whole mess of a season.

More From The Piston Laughfest

Here's the video evidence from the laughtfest Detroit Pistons players had at the expense of coach John Kuester.



I want to hear how Piston players respond to this. I'm sure they'll come up with some excuse like "a fan told a good joke" or something like that. Whatever it is, I'm not buying it. This situation promises to get wprse before it gets better. Hurry up and get the team sold.   

Phil Jackson Calls The Pistons Incident A 'Black Eye' For The NBA

Since when did Phil Jackson become the great sympathizer about the plight of the NBA. Earlier this week Jackson was telling reporters that th Sacramento Kings should stay in Sacramento, although his statement seemed a little slanted toward not having to share a part of the Los Angeles market with another team.

Jackson is now sympathizing with Detroit Pistons head coach John Kuester. Kuester has had to put up with a player mutiny and the image of Tracy McGrady laughing at his ejection from last night's loss to the Philadelphia 76ers. Jackson called the "mutiny" a 'black eye' for the NBA.

"I feel badly for John Kuester," Lakers coach Phil Jackson said. "I think it's a black eye for the league. I know Detroit is in disarray right now at some level. You worry about a coach and, you know, his psyche after something like that happens."


I've seen Jackson be a backhanded sympathizer but he looks to be pretty genuine this time around. In do feel a little sorry for Kuester, but i believe he was never the man for the job to begin with.

Why Is This Man Laughing

The Detroit Pistons have a mutiny on their hands. About half the team decided not to show up for the shootaround in protest of head coach John Kuester.

Kuester's emotions boiled over late in the second quarter in tonight's game against the Philadelphia 76ers. He received two technical fouls for complaining loudly and say words not suitable for television. Kuester was upset about a non call on an Elton Brand pushoff. Well, one of the shootaround offenders, Tracy McGrady, thought the spectacle was pretty funny.

Maybe it's the fact that Kuester will soon be canned and McGrady will still have an NBA career. Joe Dumars, stp down from that ivory tower and take your turn on the sidelines in this joke of a season.  

Just Pull The Trigger Already

"I know the situation. I know how it went down and what was said and how it was said but even after that I never thought it would get to this point. Of course he is not going to play now. It is personal. You are going to have to trade him now. Rumors have persisted that Hamilton is a disruption and cancer for the team. He's heard the talk and doesn't like it".



Those were Ben Wallace's words after the Detroit Pistons beat the New Jersey Nets last night on Richard Hamilton's benching. Clearly Wallace isn't the only Piston that feels this way. I think the whole team feels Hamilton can help the team, but no matter what they say, there's nothing they can do about it. I'll stop short of saying conspiracy, but team president Joe Dumars must've sent this message to coach John Kuester from afar. Don't play him.

Hamilton was put on the inactive list for last night's game. A list for players that are injured. Rip's not injured or ill. He's just been benched and it hasn't been for the good of the team. I know Dumars wants this team to try and make an attempt to get to the playoffs. I don't agree with it but hey, he's the prez and I'm sitting at my kitchen table relaying my thoughts. If he wants to make a playoff push Hamilton wouldn't be doing woodwork on the sidelines. 

Wallace is right. It's a must they trade him now. All that means is if they do trade him they'll probably get a worse player in return with an equally bad contract. Those will be the only offers they get, unless a sweet three way deal comes along to ship Hamilton out of town. And I don't see any of those coming anytime soon, not with the way teams covet expiring contracts and young talent. That means they're stuck with each other for the forseeable future. By then there might be a full blown mutiny on this team, because they don't really like Kuester, nor do they respect him. I know the Pistons as an organization really can't move forward until they find a buyer for the team, so this situation as a whole will get a whole lot worse before it shows any signs of getting better.  

Rip Hamilton Out With The Flu. Really?

Richard Hamilton is sidelined for yet another Detroit Pistons game, this time for the flu. Is it really the flu or would there be some extra fireworks considering Hamilton's friend and longtime backcourt mate Chauncey Billups rolls into town with the Denver Nuggets tonight.

I find the flu thing quasi legit. I would never question one's health. But if you add sit back and add up everything it looks kind of fishy to me. Coach John Kuester and Hamilton haven't been the best of friends and Rip has been riding oak for over a week. The benching was thought to be a result of a trade that never materialized between the Pistons, Nuggets, and New Jersey Nets. Now he's just sitting there with a $12 million price tag and no takers.

I'm baffled as to why Hamilton 's not playing. Although I do feel they need to play their younger players and take their lumps, but he's clearly one of the Pistons' better players and in the NBA you play your best players to win. I agree with Billups' comment that it's disrespectful. Hamilton is someone that helped the franchise to the mountain top and this is his reward? I don't get it. Is this an edict from Joe Dumars? Or has Kuester had enough of Hamilton and won't play him at all. I don't think Dumars would give Kuester such an order. With the way things are going they're going to have to get rid of Rip for a bobsled.

As far as tonight's game goes, I have a feeling Hamilton was told to stay away. With Billups playing major minutes on the court, I think it would've been highly likely that Hamilton would've blown up. It has to be eating him up inside and to his credit he's been above it. It would've hurt him to see his good friend on the court while he's rotting away on the bench. This is puzzling and I'll be tuned in to see what happens.

Billups Wants No Part Of Deal

It's rumored that Chauncey Billups could be headed to the New Jersey Nets with Carmelo Anthony and possibly reunited with former teammate Richard Hamilton. Billups has no desire to leave Denver. He said that if he were to be traded he'd seek a contract buyout.

What a change of pace. In a world where most players are asking to be traded, Billups wants to retire in Denver. He knows it's a business and thought he would end his career with the Detroit Pistons. Billups is somewhat of a local legend in Denver. He grew up there, went to the University of Colorado, and now plays for the Nuggets. He would like to join the Nuggets' front office after his playing days are over. My take on it is grant the man his wish.

I know the Nuggets will soon be in rebuilding mode. But you couldn't have a more classy veteran to teach the youngsters in Billups. His wife was his high school sweetheart. He still has family in the area. His children are entrenched in the school system and does a lot of community work. That's the kind of player you want leading a rebuilding effort. Someone postive, that actually wants to be there. Someone that could show younger teammates the ropes instead of having a knucklehead factor on your team.

I know the Nuggets' front office wants to try and build for the future and get what they can in fair value for tradeable assets. They also need to have someone around to be a positive influence for younger teammates. They should know about having a team without solid leadership (the Allen Iverson days). That should be more the reason to keep Billups around. The Nuggets' window of oppurtunity is slammed shut. Get rid of Carmelo and cast an eye toward the future. Just keep the hometown legend.    

Dumars Was Wise Not To Buy Into This Deal

In another episode of  'As The Melo Turns' , Carmelo Anthony's agent Leon Rose has been trying to drag the Detroit Pistons into the discussion.

Everyone knows Anthony wants out of Denver and is trying to get to the New York Knicks or the New Jersey Nets. Everyone knows that both the Knicks and Nets are desperately trying to get the deal done. Also everyone knows the Detroit Pistons want to get rid of Richard Hamilton  and their 2 year , $25 million they have committed to him for the next two years. That's where Rose comes in. Rose also represents Hamilton. Rose somehow talked Nets general manager Billy King into asking about Hamilton. The result was that New Jersey proposed sending Troy Murphy and his expiring deal and Johan Petro for Detroit's 2011 first round draft pick and Hamilton. Dumars shot that one down, not wanting to part with the draft pick.

Kudos to Dumars. When i first read that, I thought why would he want Petro. Murphy maybe but I wouldn't give up the pick either. Dumars' draft record isn't pretty, but he does know the art of the trade. Witness the Rasheed Wallace deal back in 2004 to get the Pistons over the hump. Or how he turned Mateen Cleaves and Rodney White into Jon Barry and a first round pick respectively. Dumars will trade Hamilton. Just because the Pistons are in a bad spot doesn't mean that Dumars will trade for the sake of trading. He'll wait for the right deal to come along and not give Hamilton away for a bobsled and a bag of basketballs.

Personally, I can't wait to see if the Pistons will be part of this deal or not. The rebuilding of the Pistons is overdue.

McGrady Looked Like His Old Self

There were a few why's when the Detroit Pistons signed Tracy McGrady. Some felt he had nothing left and his game was shot. I never questioned the signing, citing this as a classic risk reward deal. It was for one year and didn't cost the mid-level exception. When Joe Dumars made this signing it made me think of the Antonio McDyess signing that paid off handsomely for the Pistons. This could pay off the same way in one form or another. Maybe not a playoff run, but maybe in a trade of some kind. But we know that Dumars' hands are tied in that category.

McGrady showed flashes of his old self last night against the Boston Celtics. This was a good test for someone that wasn't 100 percent entering the season. Considering the Celtics are one of the best defensive teams in the NBA it was good to see McGrady go for 21 points, shooting 7-11, and sharing the ball notching 8 assists. This is in a starting role since Rodney Stuckey is out with the stomach flu.

Everyone still has their mind stuck in the past about T-Mac. He's not the same player he was five years ago and he knows it. Some still expect that out of him. I always said for him to continue to have a job in the league he would have to change his game. He can still go to the hoop, but not with the force and explosion he used to. He has to rely more on guile and experience these days. He also looks like he sharpened up his jumper. With more time on the court he's looking more comfortable.

I thought he would be a lock to sign with the Chicago Bulls, but when that fell through and the Pistons signed him I was anxious to see how he would do with a team that most figure to go nowhere. If he keeps playing like he did last night it'll be tough to get him out of the starting lineup. It also may be tougher to resign him. Who knows, maybe he'll have a show of loyalty like McDyess had for rescuing his career.

Start Tanking For Sullinger

I don't like to advocate losing intentionally, or tanking for a lack of a better term. But hey, it worked for the Houston Rockets back in the day when they "won" the right to draft Ralph Sampson, so I'm not against trying to get a few more ping pong balls in the hopper.

If I'm Detroit Pistons general manager Joe Dumars, I facilitate trades for Richard Hamilton and Tayshaun Prince and let the losing begin. I know Joe has a lot of pride so he'll never go for this idea. I don't think a lot of people that read this would like this idea. But like I said, it worked for Houston so why not give it a try. The player I've fallen in love with in this short college basketball season is Ohio State's Jared Sullinger.

Being from Michigan, I haven't liked many Buckeyes. That goes for football and basketball. Save for Jay Burson and Dennis Hopson I don't root for many. But Sullinger is different. I know the Pistons lack an elite level point guard and as much as I hate to say it Duke's Kyrie Irving could be used here in the Motor City. I could be wrong, but I feel Sullinger is a guaranteed can't miss. Put Sullinger next to Greg Monroe, and they might form a nice combo on the front line. Jared is a beast down low. He has a good back to the basket game and can actually hit a midrnge shot, even though you prefer he doesn't take that shot frequently. He's a strong rebounder and if he can stay out of foul trouble he could step right in and be a force. He knows his range so you don't have to worry about him straying out to the three point line. If you question what I'm saying, just check his stat line from the Florida game (26 points, 10 rebounds, 2 blocks, 2 steals). He is DeMarcus Cousins without the attitude. He averages a double double and shoots 59 percent. I'm still waiting to see what he does once the Big Ten season starts, but right now he would be number one on my draft board right now.

I know Joe Dumars doesn't have much room to operate and there may not be a season next year, but drafting Sullinger is a must. This would be the certified home run draft pick he needs to keep the bullets off his back regarding his shaky draft record. Just make the trades and let lottopalooza start and let the ping pong balls rack up. Just remeber, it got Houston into that epic coin flip that landed them Ralph Sampson. Like I said earlier, Dumars has too much pride to let that happen. Let's not kid ourselves. This team is going nowhere except lotteryland so why not try to maximize the potential to get the best draft position.  

Pistons Need New Ownership...Now

The search for a buyer for the Detroit Pistons needs to come to an end. It's clearly hurting the team in the office and on the court. It's true that you want an owner that is going to be committed to keeping the team in the Detroit area and it doesn't help that the economy is in the crapper and more billionaires and multi millionaires are keeping a tight grip on their money. I'll explain why this needs to happen and happen fast if the Pistons plan on speeding up the rebuilding process.

First the team needs to find a buyer. Someone that will keep the team here in Detroit. Mike Illitch is still a possibility, I just think he would be spreading himself too thin, also owning the Detroit Red Wings and Detroit Tigers. It could work if he keeps Joe Dumars and let him work with Tom Wilson. He would also have to put the right basketball people in place for it to work. It would be a hit with the locals and maybe you wouldn't have all those empty seats dressed up as fans, since it seems that people support an Illitch owned sports entity.

 Tom Gores also is another possibility. He's a Flint native and Michigan State alum so that's a plus. He's talked about wanting to help in the state of Michigan, so the team possibly wouldn't be relocated under his ownership. Here's the problem, he's based in California, so he might want to move the team. Maybe Las Vegas would be his preferred destination. Who knows. Not too many know about the guy, except what I've mentioned above.

This week a there was a report about two separate groups from the Middle East being in negotiations to buy the Pistons. The two groups reportedly are from Qatar and Abu Dhabi, I believe. The two groups are a mystery to me since no one knows anything about them except they have tons of money. I don't think that would be a good fit, because the team would be more of a playtoy to them more than something they actually want to invest any time in. We already have a badly owned team in town and don't need another.

 On the other side of this, does Joe Dumars keep his job if there is new ownership. I would think so. I know he's had a bad run since 2004, but it wasn't like he was free to spend money when Bill Davidson was alive. He really can't do too much now since ownership is in limbo. I do think if there is no sale in the near future that he might opt to resign. This team needs new ownership so it can finally head in a different direction. The team isn't going anywhere right now and is not a threat to make the playoffs anytime soon. I think with the right coach and a few moves to get some younger talent in there the Pistons could actually be a product worth watching. As of now they're on par with some of those bad Lions teams I've grown accustomed to seeing every Sunday.      

Pistons Need To Let 2004 Go

Just by body language and actions alone, Tayshaun Prince and Richard Hamilton need to be shipped out of town. It's time to let go of 2004. Get them out and if you can get anything for Ben Wallace take it and get him out of here too. Get rid of the past and start anew. It's the only way to go.

Hamilton has been brooding and pouting since Chauncey Billups was shipped out of town. Everyone knows that trade changed the dynamic of this team, and Hamilton, or anyone else on the roster for that matter, was the same. They had their doors blown off in the playoffs and missed them altogether last year. I know Joe Dumars might have his hands tied since the team is up for sale, but he has to make these deals to get them younger and maybe net a future star. Especially since it seems that Prince and Hamilton have grown tired of being in Detroit. For proof, don't look any further than the events that happened in the past two weeks. Prince blew up at coach John Kuester and Hamilton was kicked out of the Lakers game for essentially muttering a few choice words and it seemed like he really didn't care about leaving the game.

Prince has an expiring contract, which in the NBA is like gold, so Dumars may be able to get something for him. I personally think Hamilton still has value, but he needs the right team and sidekick (like he had in Chauncey). Problem is he has an unforgiving contract since Dumars signed him to that ridiculous extension.

It's time to stop living in the past and let go of 2004. Start playing the young guys (Greg Monroe) specifically and see what you have. Stop paying Ben Gordon and Charlie Villanueva obscene amounts of money to come off the bench. Also, move Rodney Stuckey to the 2 guard, he's not a point man and never will be. And you might also need another coach to get it done. This is no indictment of Kuester, I just don't think he's the right fit for this team. Officially blow this thing up instead of simply trying to retool. It's just not working.