Archive for September, 2007

Here’s to hoping Chris Webber likes gyros and feta cheese …

Published by Matt Watson on September 28, 2007 in From the news and Rumors. 29 Comments

Out of nowhere, ESPN’s Chris Sheridan reports that the Greek powerhouse Olympiakos has offered Chris Webber a two-year dea worth $10-12 million (that’s between $10 million and $12 million, not ten dollars and twelve million dollars. As a writer, I agonize about how to accurately yet concisely write these things …). If Webber is simply concerned about money, this blows anyway any offer he’ll get in the NBA, especially when you consider European teams also provide perks like living/travel expenses.

As if that wasn’t interesting enough, Sheridan included this little nugget:

Webber has said he is leaning toward returning to the Detroit Pistons, although signing Webber prior to training camp, even for the veterans’ minimum, would have cap ramifications that the Pistons want to avoid. Webber is said to be comfortable with the idea of waiting at least a month or two for the Pistons’ roster issues to work themselves out, which would allow him to join them in midseason as he did in 2005-06.

I already touched upon this at FanHouse, but it’s pretty surprising. The Pistons currently have 16 players under contract, which means they already have to get rid of one before the start of the season. McCosky and Blakely have said more than once that Flip Murray is expected to be traded, probably for future second-round draft pick(s), so that’s one spot. But if Webber is/was in Detroit’s plans, they’d need to clear two spots. Rookie Sammy Mejia would seem the most likely guy, but why bother signing him in the first place if you don’t want to keep him? With that in mind, I don’t think he’s going anywhere. Well, maybe down to Ft. Wayne, but you know what I mean.

Will Dumars try once again moving Nazr Mohammed? If that’s the case, I’d imagine he’d be used as a starter early in the year to showcase his skills, but instead we’ve been led to believe Rasheed Wallace is the new starting center. So I really don’t know. My guess? Either Webber’s hopes don’t line up with Detroit’s plans or Sheridan is misinformed (which, you know, wouldn’t be the first time).

So yeah, chew on this in the comments. And since it’s Friday and I’m unlikely to get another post up this weekend, consider this your weekend open thread.

Amir Johnson faces max expectations

Published by Matt Watson on September 28, 2007 in Alley-Oops. 0 Comments

I’m as excited about Amir Johnson as the next guy (more so, probably), but it’s a bit early to talk about him as Detroit’s first max contract player, no? Man, our expectations shot through the roof this summer …

Open scrimmage at Oakland U.

Published by Matt Watson on September 27, 2007 in Alley-Oops. 0 Comments

The Pistons are having an open scrimmage on Thursday, Oct. 4 (6:30-8:30) at Oakland University. It’s free, so if you’re at all in the area, it’d be a great way to check out the team.

Bill Laimbeer does Karaoke

Published by Matt Watson on September 27, 2007 in Alley-Oops and Around the Internets. 0 Comments

Bill Laimbeer, the Prince of Darkness, does Karaoke. It has to be seen to be believed.

Carnival No. 50

Published by Matt Watson on September 27, 2007 in Alley-Oops. 0 Comments

Carnival No. 50 is up at Blog-a-Bull, the blog that started this whole Carnival of the NBA stuff in the first place.

On training camp previews and crowdsourcing questions

Published by Matt Watson on September 26, 2007 in Crowdsourcing and Shameless Plugging. 17 Comments

My latest from HOOPSWORLD is a training camp preview for the Pistons. It may be a bit redundant to hard-core fans who have followed the team’s every move this summer, but hopefully it’s a good refresher for casual fans who suddenly realized training camp starts next week:

Detroit’s identity around the league is still based upon their starting lineup, and understandably so: Billups, Hamilton, Prince and Wallace have played together for three and a half years, not to mention an extra 82 playoff games. But the new wave is coming, and given the young and athletic bench, personifying this team as old and slow no longer applies.

Even so, it’ll be interesting to see if Detroit’s subtle youth movement can take hold without the benefit of a bona fide rebuilding year. Expectations should be tempered early in the year as the veterans and young players find their collective rhythm, but by the end of the season this team will be graded just like all the rest in recent memory: did it win an NBA title?.

And speaking of training camp, I have some exciting news: I’ll be representing HOOPSWORLD at the Pistons’ Media Day next week, which means I should have a chance to speak with many (and hopefully all) of the players and coaches.

I’m not entirely sure what to expect, but I want to be completely prepared: if you have any good questions you think I should ask, hit me up in the comments. I have a bunch already in mind and I can’t promise I’ll be able to use anything, but I’d be foolish not to tap into your collective imagination and curiosity.

Big Nasty calls it a career

Published by Matt Watson on September 25, 2007 in Alley-Oops and Former Pistons. 1 Comment

Former Piston (and 2004 NBA champion) Corliss Williamson will announce his retirement tomorrow. He’s going out on his own terms: Big Nasty, who’s only 33 years old, obviously can still play considering he averaged 9.1 points per game for the Kings last year.

Shameless Plug: Miami Heat preview

Published by Matt Watson on September 25, 2007 in Alley-Oops and Shameless Plugging. 0 Comments

My latest from HOOPSWORLD: a training camp preview of the Miami Heat. I won’t spoil it, but this was one team that couldn’t afford to stand still this summer, but did anyways.

Should Rodney Stuckey be allowed to wear No. 3?

Published by Matt Watson on September 25, 2007 in Former Pistons and Videos. 56 Comments

If you couldn’t tell, that’s a Rodney Stuckey highlight reel from the Las Vegas Summer League via a random Chinese video site (Google turns out the strangest things sometimes). It’s the first time I’ve seen this specific compilation, but that’s not really what matters. Basically, it’s just a pretty introduction to a topic that I’ve been thinking about for a while …

See what number Stuckey is wearing? It’s No. 3 … the same No. 3 that another player made pretty popular around these parts.

Once upon a time, I considered it a forgone conclusion that someday the Pistons would hang No. 3 from the rafters in honor of Ben Wallace (and I wasn’t the only one — Pistons front office guy Dave Wieme agreed). But now? I’m guessing the organization has different thoughts, otherwise they wouldn’t have made the number available to a rookie. Maybe I’m wrong, but that’s what it seems to suggest. (Adding salt to the wound is Stuckey’s explanation for the number: noted Pistons killer Dwyane Wade is his favorite player.)

So I ask you, did Ben Wallace do enough to have his jersey retired in Detroit? And does Stuckey wearing the number now necessarily preclude the Pistons from retiring it in honor of Wallace down the road? Make your case in the comments.

Monday’s Layup Drill

Published by Matt Watson on September 24, 2007 in Around the Internets and Shameless Plugging. 12 Comments

A round-up of what you could’ve been reading this weekend instead of a stale DBB:

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