Apparently, “Iverson banned from casino!” is the new “Flip won’t be fired.” The Detroit Free Press explains.
Archive for the 'From the news' Category
Get ready for the Walter Sharpe Experience! From @DETPistons: “This just in: Sheed, Rip, Dice won’t dress tomorrow night. Tay will play 1st qtr only in Miami. Resting for playoffs.”
It’s already a bit dated, but I posted about Detroit clinching a playoff berth on FanHouse early Saturday morning. Today in his blog on the Detroit Free Press, Vince Ellis explains Detroit’s seeding situation:
If the 39-41 Pistons win their last two games (Monday against the Bulls, Wednesday at Miami), they would secure the No. 7 seed over the Bulls (40-40) because they have a better conference record. They would face the Celtics, who clinched the No. 2 seed Saturday night.
The Pistons even have a shot at the No. 6 seed and a date with the Orlando Magic, although the 76ers (40-39) would have to lose their last three games (tonight at Toronto, Tuesday vs. Boston and Wednesday at Cleveland).
For what it’s worth, Philly did in fact lose to the Raptors, meaning there’s still hope the Pistons will automatically advance to the second round face the Magic.
AUBURN HILLS, Mich. - Detroit Pistons President of Basketball Operations Joe Dumars announced today that guard Allen Iverson will miss the remainder of the season. The all-star guard missed 16 games between February 27 and March 28 after exiting a game at New Orleans with a sore back on February 25.
“After talking with Allen and our medical staff, we feel that resting Allen for the remainder of the season is the best course of action at this time,” said Dumars. “While he has played in our last three games, he is still feeling some discomfort and getting him physically ready to compete at the level he is accustomed to playing this late in the season does not seem possible at this point.”
Can something be the most predictable thing in the world and yet still surprising? Given AI’s pride and his likely refusal to accept a supporting role for peanuts this summer, we may have already seen his last game in the NBA.
Apparently complaining about his lot in life will now be a nightly occurrence for Allen Iverson. After missing seven of eight shots in 17 minutes last night, he told reporters that he’d rather retire than accept a bench role next season.
“I’m having a hard time doing it now,” he said after his team’s 111-98 loss to the New Jersey Nets. “You think I will try to do it all over again? No way. I wouldn’t do that to myself or the team that I am playing for. I don’t think I can give everything I have to give in that situation.”
[…] “I’m happy with my career and the things I’ve done in my career,” Iverson said. “I feel blessed that I’ve had the opportunity to accomplish the things that I’ve accomplished, to do the things that I’ve done. I would feel fine if I had to (retire).”
I penned some thoughts for FanHouse — check those out, and then have fun trying to wrap your head around the hypocrisy:
“… it’s harder than I thought it would be physically and mentally. When you have a back injury like I had, and you sit out the whole first quarter. You sit out the last three to five minutes of the second quarter, then the whole halftime. Then another quarter after that, it’s tough to get going.
[…] He also isn’t using his injuries as an excuse, even though he’s clearly being hampered by a strained right calf. “If I’m healthy enough to get on the basketball court, then I should be able to get it done. And I’m not. And that’s nobody’s fault but mine,” he said.
Those who feel the Pistons would be better off just severing ties with Iverson right now probably won’t be happy to hear this:
Iverson said he is not happy with the Pistons, who acquired him in a trade with the Denver Nuggets in early November. “No, not at all,” he said. “I’d be lying if I said I was.
But before you label him a locker room cancer, realize that cancer spreads. Iverson’s bitterness, while not conducive to a happy roster, will likely stay contained to his corner of the room. I’m convinced he has little to no influence over the team’s younger set, who realize they actually have a place in the team’s future plans. As for the veterans, they’re more likely to be annoyed than sympathetic to his plight. For the remainder of the season and playoffs, Iverson is merely a necessary nuisance.
In his first game back from his calf injury on Tuesday, Rasheed Wallace came off the bench, ostensibly so he could ease back into the flow of things until his conditioning was back to normal. If Kwame Brown continues to play well, though, Michael Curry seems open to leaving Wallace on the bench the rest of the season. From A. Sherrod Blakely:
As far as Wallace coming off the bench, Curry said “We’ll see. I like Sheed coming off the bench (Tuesday at Cleveland). I think it helps that unit, especially when we’re small with Will (Bynum) and Allen (Iverson).
“When you have those two out there and you’re small in the backcourt, you need someone like Sheed, possibly Max (Jason Maxiell) with his activity out there, with him.”
I endorse the move — Brown has actually been pretty solid of late (so solid, in fact, I’ll give him a pass for Wednesday’s performance), and having Rasheed on the court with guys like Bynum and Iverson who attack the rim should help space the floor. Case in point: Wallace went 3-6 from three-point range on Tuesday.
Plus, this is a nice experiment to see how he might fit into Detroit’s plans next year. He’s in the final year of his contract making $13.6 million this season, and at 34 years old, he’s definitely showing some wear. If he agreed to something south of the mid-level with the understanding that he’d be limited to 20-25 minutes to preserve his health and maximize his contributions, I’d roll the dice and bring him back.
From Chris McCosky:
Richard Hamilton, Allen Iverson and Rasheed Wallace took part in a full-team practice Friday. The last time that happened was Feb. 21.
“They were all out there, and they all looked good,” coach Michael Curry said. “I am saying that everybody is going to play (tonight in Washington) because I want to be positive.”
[…] “Realistically, Allen probably won’t play,” Curry said. “The one I am most confident about is Rip. We will have to see how Allen and Sheed respond. Allen hasn’t done anything for 15 games, so that’s tough. Sheed and Rip both moved around real good. So hopefully with treatment and some rest they will be ready to play, at least in a limited role.”
Barring an unforeseen setback, Hamilton considers himself back in full.
“I am just going to attack the game like it’s all good,” he said. “Maybe at times we might have to monitor my minutes, but I am not going out there thinking ‘I can’t do this or I can’t do that.’ I am coming out to play; we need to start getting some wins.”
While Iverson and Wallace aren’t expected to play, they apparently hosted a party (or at least lent their names to one) last night at Club Love (via PistonsForum). No idea if they actually showed, but at least one member of the Twitterazzi seemed to confirm their presence.
Even if they made just a token appearance, I don’t see the point. The Pistons are in a freefall, losing six of their last seven to fall into a tie for the final spot in the East (and only two and a half games ahead of the surging Bobcats) … and two of the team’s injured All-Stars are headlining parties on the road?
Stroke the ego in the offseason, fellas; it’s coming sooner than you think, especially with each of you wearing street clothes during games. Whatever. Apparently having an expiring contract means you don’t even have to pretend to give a f*ck.
From Chris McCosky:
“I really haven’t thought about (this summer), not at all, really,” he said. “I know teams are struggling for money and all kinds of things are going on with the economy.”
McDyess said all he’s looking for is one, maybe two more years.
“I am not looking for anything longer than that,” he said.
And the Pistons are still his first option.
“Yeah, from Day One that’s been my thought and I haven’t changed,” he said. “It’s not going well this year, but I know eventually it’s going to get better. I know with Joe (Dumars, president), it can’t stay like this for long.”
He’ll be a restricted free agent this summer, and just like earlier this season, he’ll have no shortage of suitors. As a fan of the team, I certainly hope he finishes his career in Detroit — but as a fan of the man, I’d urge him to strongly consider all of his options.
There’s not a player on this roster who plays with more heart and urgency than he does every single night, and I wouldn’t begrudge him in the least if he let himself be wooed by a team like the Spurs or Cavs. (Just not the Celtics, Dyess, I’m begging you!) In my entire history supporting this team, I’m not sure I ever felt that way about another player, but the guy deserves a ring, plain and simple.
From Chris McCosky:
Pistons owner William Davidson died Friday night at his home, Pistons spokesman Matt Dobek said. He was 86.
His health had been failing the past couple of years and he was confined to a wheelchair. His normally regular visits to The Palace for Pistons games were very infrequent. He attended only two home games this season.
Cause of death wasn’t released.
“There is a huge hole in our hearts tonight,” said president of Palace Sports and Entertainment Tom Wilson in an interview on WWJ-950. “This really is somebody that you thought would go on forever. He seemed to have nine lives, and every one of them was jovial and optimistic and positive. He was a forward-looking person. He was a guy who never dwelled on mistakes, he had so much positive energy. He was the most eternal optimist even.
“It’s an overwhelming presence we’ve lost.”
Mr. Davidson lived a full life as a successful businessman and charitable benefactor, but understandably, most of us related to him as fans. With that in mind, I think a lot of us share the sentiments aptly expressed by Mike Payne earlier this evening:
We should certainly not feel bad for the guy, he lived one hell of a life and died very late. He earned SEVEN championships from the Pistons, the Shock and the Tampa Bay Lightning, on top of owning his successful auto business. Point being, now that he’s laid to rest, it’s a chance for us to celebrate the positive things he achieved. So while my first instinct was sadness, its a good chance to look back on an extraordinary business man who took the Ft. Wayne Zollner Pistons and turned them into a repeated champion, not to mention one of the few profitable teams in the NBA. Quite a lot to look up to.
With that, RIP, Mr. D. May you sleep quietly and contently, knowing you lived a life that few aspire to.
From WXYZ’s Tom Leyden:
In addition to accomplishments as a professional sports owner, Davidson was one of metro Detroit’s most notable philanthropists, responsible for more than $200 million in donations to local and international charities and universities.
Organizations and municipalities that have benefited from his generosity include the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, the Jewish Theological Seminary of America, the University of Michigan, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, the Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovet, Israel, the Karmanos Cancer Institute and Children’s Research Center of Michigan, the city of Detroit’s Parks and Recreation Department, Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital in Jerusalem and countless others.
In 1997, Davidson was honored for his philanthropy by the Council of Michigan Foundations and also named one of America’s most generous donors by the New York Times.
The RealGM headline (mentioned in the comments) boldly proclaiming “AI doesn’t want to be in Detroit” caught my eye, so I tracked down the radio interview it cites. It’s from an appearance current 76er Lou Williams made yesterday on WMMR in Philadelphia, which you can find here (skip to the 1-hour, 53-minute mark). I transcribed the relevant portion:
Host: Are you friends with him, are you friends with Allen?
Lou Williams: Big brother.Host: Really, no kidding. How’s he doing?
Lou Williams: He’s doing great, he’s doing great. Back’s a little messed up so he’s going through that, but he’s doing well.Host: Does he like Detroit?
Lou Williams: I really haven’t asked him about that because I’m pretty sure he doesn’t want to be there. My personal opinion, that’s my disclaimer, but, you know.
And … that’s it. It took less than 20 seconds in an long segment of a nearly two and a half hour show. He didn’t elaborate, he didn’t explain himself, they quickly moved to the next topic. Despite the fact that it’s picking up steam (MLive and Dime have already chimed in, and I’m sure others will follow), there’s really nothing here.
Latest Comments