Preseason Game 4: Washington Wizards @ Detroit Pistons

NBA Preseason Game 4
	@
1-2 (0-1 away)		3-0 (3-0 home)
Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, MI Wizards Blog: Bullets Forever
October 13, 2009  7:00 PM ET
TV: None  Radio: 950 WWJ
Probable starters:
Gilbert Arenas	PG	Rodney Stuckey
Mike Miller	SG	Richard Hamilton
Caron Butler	SF	Tayshaun Prince
Antawn Jamison	PF	Ben Wallace
Fabricio Oberto	C	Kwame Brown

Detroit takes their show elsewhere for the fourth game of the preseason, but not far.  Pistons will play the Wizards within the state's borders just a couple hours away from the Palace at Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, Michigan. 

The "big" story of this game is that it will be the first time the Pistons see Flip Saunders in action since firing him following the 2008 playoffs.  He took the 2008-2009 season off and was hired to be the head coach of the Wizards this past offseason. 

Flip Saunders probably wishes this game was at the Palace for a couple reasons.  For starters, I'm sure he'd like the "reunion" to be in front of the area crowd that cheered him on for three years and for it to be at his old building of employment (although the crowd will undoubtedly be bigger during the regular season).  In addition to the sentimental reasons, Saunders is considering leaving his most injury prone, and incidentally his best player out of the lineup on Tuesday night because of Van Andel's slick court.  I don't see how this couldn't just get dried up, but it has apparently become an issue after yesterday's optional individual work outs. 

The Wizards will be starting Fabricio Oberto, however.  If the name sounds familiar, it's because it should, I guess -- he was a Piston for about a week.  He's the piece of meat we received in exchange for Amir Johnson back in June and then cut loose so we could play with the non-vested dollars of his contract.  I guess what's one team's garbage is another team's gold.

As for Detroit, we will once again be without Charlie Villanueva, as he is expected to miss tonight's game and Thursday's before possibly returning on Saturday against Memphis.   

Lastly, if you haven't seen the season preview yet, make sure you check it out and leave your thoughts.