By Sam Amico
ProBasketballNews.com
A lot of negative things were said about the Detroit Pistons before the season.
They're old. They're slowing down. They lost whatever magic enabled them to become regulars in the Eastern Conference finals.
Their story of teamwork and playing "the right way" sounded good, but maybe it was time to just gut the team, skeptics suggested. After all, how much further could the Pistons really expect to go?
There were rumors Rasheed Wallace didn't get along with coach Flip Saunders. There was talk Chauncey Billups could
no longer hit the big shots. And there seemed to
be something missing after the Pistons were
eliminated by LeBron James and Cleveland in last
season's conference championship.
So what did the Pistons do during the summer?
Not much -- unless you count not signing starting
center Chris Webber. Oh yeah, they also used a
first-round pick on a shooting guard named
Rodney Stuckey, who has yet to play a game after
breaking his hand in the preseason. Other than
that, their biggest off-season move was landing
forward Jarvis Hayes, a free agent and forgotten
man in Washington last year.
Then just the other night, president of basketball operations Joe Dumars shipped center Nazr Mohammed to Charlotte for center Primoz Brezec and forward Walter Hermann. Dumars described the trade as a "win-win" situation -- as he shaved about $20 million off the salary cap and improved the roster. That "win-win" enough for you?
But trade or no trade, the bottom line is the Pistons are proving they are the same old share-the-ball-and-defend band of winners. And as usual, they aren't making nearly many headlines. Those have been reserved for Boston's Big Three, Orlando's Up-and-Comers, or LeBron James' Sprained Finger.
Instead, the Pistons are methodically picking opponents apart, waiting for those who have been more celebrated (and marketed) as pro basketball's version of a stalking butler. They are the smart kids on the block, the Harvard grads to a lot of other teams' community college freshmen.
They understand how to manipulate the tempo in their favor, to get a victory even when the shots aren't falling.
That could be seen in a recent win over Atlanta, when the Pistons looked out of synch offensively, committing 14 turnovers and struggling to score. Yet they held the Hawks to a measly 35 percent shooting from the field, including 28 percent in the first half.
As Billups said, "When you're not playing your best ball and you still come out with a win, and the game is never really threatening, that's good."
The Pistons still boast one of the league's best all-around defenders in the long-armed Tayshaun Prince, and its best mid-range shooter in Rip Hamilton. You would think after all this time opponents would devise a way to keep Hamilton from curling off a screen, receiving a pass and burying a 15-footer. But no one has, which just goes to show how truly remarkable he is.
The bench is also improving with the addition of Hayes, and youngsters such as energizing forward Jason Maxiell and rookie guard Arron Afflalo. And watch out, but Hermann finished very strong in Charlotte last season and should fit in well with a winning club.
So are the Pistons better than they were last season? Maybe. At the very least, they're as good. That might be good enough -- even if no one else seems to believe it.
AROUND THE NBA
• The Los Angeles Clippers' decision to release forward Ruben Patterson should come as no surprise. Patterson didn't fit in very well and the Clippers aren't winning. Not only that, but his contract was just a few days away from being guaranteed for the rest of the season. Either way, look for Patterson to land somewhere soon. He told the Orange County Register that his agent has already fielded a few phone calls.
• Meanwhile, injured Clippers star Elton Brand is scheduled to start working out Monday. Brand ruptured his Achilles' tendon during the off-season.
• Players who signed free-agent deals during the summer can now be traded -- which means we could see a major deal or two before the Feb. 21 trading deadline. "You might see things start happening a little more, maybe with Kobe (Bryant), if there's anything there," Orlando general manager Otis Smith told the Orlando Sentinel. "If you had a deal in the works, you can now get something done."
• Boston is 12-0 at home for the first time since the 1983-84 season. In order to best that mark, the Celtics will have to beat the visiting Pistons on Wednesday.
• This isn't meant to downplay what the Celtics have accomplished in the early season, but they have left the Eastern time zone just twice. Their first trip to the West Coast begins Dec. 26 at Sacramento.
• Look for Washington to sign a point guard in the coming days. Gilbert Arenas (knee) was already out, and now Antonio Daniels is expected to miss two to four weeks with a sprained knee. On the bright side, Arenas reportedly began riding a stationary bike Friday.
• As for New York, well, the poor Knicks are just a disaster. According to a report by New York Post columnist Peter Vecsey, center Eddy Curry was sitting on the bench and saying, "Get me out of here. Please get me out of here."
• I'm old enough to remember when Vecsey was considered a candidate for the Knicks' GM job. Not sure if Pete started that rumor, but I hope he takes the job if given the chance. I want his column.
• Congratulations to Philadelphia TV play-by-play man Marc Zumoff, who will call his 1,000th regular-season game Dec. 21 against the Los Angeles Lakers.
• Does anyone really like the idea of players and coaches wearing microphones during televised games? I sure don't. It's completely pointless for the fans, and a big pain for everyone else. Hard to believe someone told both the league and TV executives that this was a great idea, and they agreed.
• Not to mention that, but it's already backfired -- as ESPN ran a halftime segment in which Utah's Jerry Sloan (who else?) used some colorful language. The network ended up apologizing for "the inadvertent expletive." ESPN spokesman Mark Mandel said, "It was said quietly, and we missed it." Nice work, everyone.
HERITAGE NOTE
'91-92 POWER RANKINGS
I've decided to shamelessly steal NBA.com's idea and put together my own
Top 10 for the 1991-92 season:
1. Chicago Bulls (67-15). Anyone who saw Michael Jordan average 30.1 points on 52 percent shooting would never doubt he's the greatest all of time. It didn't hurt that other key Bulls like Scottie Pippen, Horace Grant and B.J. Armstrong missed a combined one game between them. The end result was a second championship for Jordan, coach Phil Jackson, and the rest. Note: The Bulls won Game 3 in all four of their playoff series, each coming on the road.
2. Cleveland Cavaliers (57-25). Mark Price, Brad Daugherty and Larry Nance led a cast that was more talented as a group than individuals. Had Lenny Wilkens' team played in the West, THIS would have been the Cavs' first trip to the Finals. Note: The Cavs beat Miami by 68 points (148-80) on Dec. 17.
3. Portland Trail Blazers (57-25). Rick Adelman's bunch -- featuring Clyde Drexler, Terry Porter, Jerome Kersey and Buck Williams -- make today's Phoenix Suns look tame, as these Blazers averaged 111 points per game. It got them to the Finals, where they lost to Chicago in six games. Note: Current Celtics boss Danny Ainge came off the bench and averaged 9.7 points per game.
4. Utah Jazz (55-27). John Stockton and Karl Malone were in their primes, and surrounded by a nice set of complementary players such as Jeff Malone and Blue Edwards. And yes, Jerry Sloan was the coach. Note: Stockton averaged a whopping 13.7 assists per game, the only player on the team to average more than 3.0.
5. Boston Celtics (51-31). A bad back limited Larry Bird to 45 regular-season games in his final season, but he still managed to score more than 20 a night and lead the team to the conference semifinals. The late Reggie Lewis was emerging as the new star, but Kevin McHale and Robert Parish were just about out of gas. Note: Rick Fox, who later won three titles with the Lakers, was a rookie on this team.
6. New York Knicks (51-31). Pat Riley was the coach and Patrick Ewing and John Starks were the stars. But just like every other good team in the league, the Knicks had no way to overcome Jordan in his prime. Note: Current ESPN analysts Mark Jackson and Greg Anthony were the Knicks' point guards.
7. Golden State Warriors (55-27). Don Nelson's club was running and gunning back then too -- and arguably had the best regular-season in club history behind Chris Mullin and Tim Hardaway. But the fun ended there, as the Warriors were upset in the first round of the playoffs by Seattle. Note: The Warriors scored 130 points or more on 13 occasions, including 153 twice.
8. Phoenix Suns (53-29). There was nothing fancy about Cotton Fitzsimmons' team, which featured Kevin Johnson at point guard and scorers like Jeff Hornacek, Tom Chambers and Dan Majerle on the wings. But losing 4-1 to Portland in the Western semis meant it was time to make a move -- as the Suns traded for Charles Barkley the following season, then reached the Finals (where, of course, they lost to Chicago). Note: The Suns started 3-7, but bounced back by coasting to an 11-1 mark in December.
9. Detroit Pistons (48-34). Time was running out for the original Bad Boys, who continued to feature Isiah Thomas, Joe Dumars, Bill Laimbeer and Dennis Rodman. Chuck Daly's group was still tough, but could've used a trade to keep pace with the new beasts of the East -- as the Pistons finished a combined 2-7 against Chicago and Cleveland, and lost to New York in the first round of the playoffs. Note: John Salley of Fox's "Best Damn Sports Show" played his final of six straight seasons in Detroit.
10. Seattle SuperSonics (47-35). The Sonics started slowly, and K.C. Jones was fired as coach after an 18-18 start. George Karl replaced Jones (following a four-game stint by Bob Kloppenberg), and youngsters Gary Payton and Shawn Kemp started coming into their own. The 32-year-old Ricky Pierce, who looked like he was 45 when he entered the league, led the Sonics in scoring at 21.7 ppg. Note: Current Blazers and former Sonics coach Nate McMillan backed up Payton at point guard. It was McMillan's sixth of 12 seasons as a player with the team.
READER E-MAIL
• Jeff Zadar (Atlantic City, N.J.) wrote, "What does new Philadelphia general manager Ed Stefanski have to do to make the 76ers a regular playoff contender?"
Dear Jeff, the Sixers' first priority should be finding some help for small forward and rising star Andre Iguodala. Right now, Iguodala is the Sixers' main man -- but he's more suited to be a No. 2 guy on a good team, rather than the top option. That is why Stefanski may be eyeing a move for a true top gun. Or at the very least, another solid No. 2 guy.
• Rob Abrams (Euclid, Ohio) wrote, "With Boston, Orlando and Detroit looking good early, is there any chance Cleveland can get out of the Eastern Conference and back to the Finals?"
Dear Rob, maybe. The Cavaliers absolutely, positively have to acquire a true point guard. If they don't, they can forget about getting out of the East. They don't need an All-Star, just someone who can distribute, direct traffic, and hit open shots. Seattle's Luke Ridenour and Earl Watson could be available, as may Portland youngster Jarrett Jack. Also, Memphis might consider a move when rookie Mike Conley returns from a shoulder injury and joins veteran Damon Stoudamire and second-year player Kyle Lowry. As for the Cavs, Larry Hughes doesn't want to play the point, and Daniel Gibson, a natural combo guard, is still learning. Which leads us to another Cavs e-mail ...
• Doug Banick (Erie, Pa.) wrote, "Why do I feel like the Cavs are STUCK with Anderson Varejao for the next two years. Shouldn't I feel better about them having matched Charlotte's offer?"
Dear Doug, nope. The Cavs made a mistake by matching. Varejao is that much of a hindrance on offense. He can't dribble or pass, and any shot outside of two feet is an adventure. And he won't be nearly as effective on defense now that the league is cracking down on charging calls. The Cavs would have been better off letting Varejao go to the Bobcats and using less money to sign someone like Chris Webber or Dale Davis later in the season.
Sam Amico is the editor of ProBasketballNews.com. Contact him or subscribe to his free NBA e-mail newsletter at amico@probasketballnews.com.
