It's official: Greg Monroe and Brandon Knight are headed to All-Star Weekend. From the Pistons' press release:

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. - The National Basketball Association announced today that Detroit Pistons players Greg Monroe and Brandon Knight have been selected for the 2012 BBVA Rising Stars Challenge to be held on Friday, Feb. 24, in Orlando during NBA All-Star 2012.

Monroe is one of three Pistons' players to appear in all 26 games this season, averaging team-highs in points (16.3 ppg) and rebounds (9.9 rpg) in 32.9 minutes per game. Among NBA leaders he ranks 11th in field goal percentage (second among NBA sophomores and third among NBA Eastern Conference centers), 13th in rebounds (third among NBA sophomores and T-3rd among NBA Eastern Conference centers) and 31st in scoring (second among NBA sophomores and NBA Eastern Conference centers). His 10 double-doubles during the month of January were the most for a Pistons player during that month since Bill Laimbeer recorded 14 during the 1986-87 season and Dennis Rodman tallied 11 during the 1991-92 season. Monroe was a member of the Rookie Team during last year's event at NBA All-Star 2011 in Los Angeles where the Rookies won for the second consecutive year, 148-140.

Knight has appeared in 26 games (20 starts), averaging 12.5 points, 3.4 rebounds and 3.4 assists in 32.0 minutes per game. Amongst NBA rookie leaders the 6-foot-3 guard ranks second in scoring and minutes played, third in field goal percentage (.405), fourth in assists, T-6th in three-point field goal percentage (.352), ninth in steals (0.69 spg) and 10th in rebounds. His 38 three-point field goals made ranks first amongst current NBA rookies and second-most among rookies in Pistons franchise history (Lindsey Hunter - 69).

If you haven't been paying attention, the Rookie-Sophomore game has a new twist, with rosters being drafted by Charles Barkley and Shaquille O'Neal from a pool of first- and second-year players. The draft takes place on Feb. 16, and the game itself will be played on Feb. 24. SB Nation NBA has the full pool of players that will be joining Monroe and Knight.

Late second round draft picks rarely pan out in the NBA. While the Detroit Pistons have had some luck over the years, including Amir Johnson, Jonas Jerebko and Mehmet Okur, finding value in the second round can be a crap shoot at best. In the immediate term, the Pistons clearly misfired in the 2011 NBA draft, securing one player who opted not to join the team and another who has barely scratched the rotation. Kyle Singler, drafted 33rd overall, might have some value for Detroit in the future, but it's looking like the selection of Vernon Macklin was a mistake.

It's hard to call a 52nd pick a mistake, because players drafted 52nd and beyond usually don't see NBA minutes. Players drafted in this range usually wind up overseas or in the D-League while the GMs that own their rights scout them from afar. Detroit drafted Amir Johnson with the 56th pick in 2005, but he spent most of his first two years working on his game in the D-League before he finally got the call. Players like Johnson, picked late in the draft, are usually young players with potential that need a lot of development.

Vernon Macklin, however, does not fit into that equation. Macklin is already 25 years old, he didn't show pre-draft bright spots that could shine if polished, and he's apparently not heading to Europe or the D-League. Yet in 2011-12, on a team that sorely needs help up front, Macklin has only recorded 63 minutes, nearly every one of them in garbage time. If the selection of Vernon Macklin wasn't about developing a prospect, and it wasn't about getting him into the rotation, then what was the point?

Developing Vernon Macklin doesn't seem like it's in the cards. At 25, he should just now be hitting his prime in the NBA. He should have already learned the ins and outs of the NBA, even if he did spent four years in the NCAA. Yet unlike most 22-year-old seniors, Macklin would be 25 when he entered his rookie campaign. He'd be hitting his physical peak while making rookie mistakes at the same time. If he needed two years to develop like some other late picks do, he'd have to wait until the age of 27 to contribute anything of value. With this, it doesn't seem like the plan was to develop Macklin as a prospect, it appears as if the plan was to get him in the rotation right away.

...but that hasn't happened. Macklin isn't getting any burn despite the fact that Charlie Villanueva has only played six minutes this season. Also despite the fact that Ben Wallace is 37-years-old. Detroit features a three-to-four man frontcourt on most occasions, with only Greg Monroe playing a position that comes naturally. Despite all of this, Vernon Macklin can't even crack the rotation.

One or both of these two plans has failed. If the goal was to develop Macklin, Detroit isn't doing it. If the goal was to use Macklin, Detroit isn't doing that either. It could be that Lawrence Frank doesn't feel he's worth the minutes. But given how often this team loses, it's hard to argue that things could be any worse if Macklin was given a shot. The problem with Macklin is that he's too old to develop, and apparently too green to earn garbage time on one of the league's worst teams. Whichever way you prefer to look at it, this pick looks like it was a mistake...

Vernon Macklin is the 4th second round pick in a row that hasn't scratched the rotation for the Pistons. Before Macklin, the other three hadn't even seen a minute of regulation for this team. As is evidenced by Detroit's own record, these 2nd round picks can pay off. Two of the Pistons last five second round picks are starters in the NBA this season. A lottery team needs 2nd round picks to pan out more than playoff teams do, and the Vernon Macklin pick is another case of mismanagement by Joe Dumars. Is it forgivable? Absolutely. Is it questionable? Unfortunately, yes.

In the 2012 NBA draft, Joe Dumars had better come ready to get it right in the second round. This means dodging the Vernon Macklins and keeping the Chase Budingers of the world. Let's hope Ken Catanella comes through with the assist in 2012, because Detroit needs all the luck it can get in both rounds of the draft.

There was some uncertainty as to whether or not the Pistons would keep Walker Russell, especially with Will Bynum and Ben Gordon returning soon, but it appears the team will in fact hang on to him and guarantee his contract, according to HoopsHype:

The contract becomes officially guaranteed on February 10. HoopsHype followed the above tweet up with a nice little nugget that I did not realize before: Russell is the first call up ever by the Pistons.

In lieu of practice today, Brandon Knight was fitted for a mask to wear during Wednesday night's game in New Jersey. Knight broke his nose this past Saturday against New Orleans.

Here's a pic of Knight in the training room getting the mask all sized up:

You can watch the little special on the making of his mask on Pistons.com (h/t goes to Need4Sheed, who has another masked Knight idea given all the theme nights the Pistons have been having).

The best quote of the video comes from Brandon Knight after the mold is peeled from his face. Before sizing, a layer of vaseline was applied, so his facial hair wouldn't catch. After the mask was removed, Knight was reassured that all his facial hair was intact, to which Knight responded, "No eyebrows and a broken nose, that wouldn't be a good look."

...

Not cool, rookie. It's exactly two seconds before I honk your nose and pull your underwear over your head!

And guess what? It's not Jonas Jerebko.

No, New Orleans Hornets coach Monty Williams has sent in game tape to the league and wants Greg Monroe suspended for flagrantly tossing Hornets big man Jason Smith into Jerebko's right shoulder (allegedly), causing him to fall to the ground with what would later be diagnosed a concussion:

Williams believes Pistons center Greg Monroe, a New Orleans native, should be suspended for flagrantly tossing Smith into another player, giving the Hornets’ energetic forward a concussion in the process.

"I believe the NBA needs to look at that play and maybe suspend Monroe because it was a violent play that should have been penalized and the refs didn’t catch it," Williams said. "I think that’s one of the things they have to look at on film because that can’t happen. Those kinds of plays can cause fights in the game."

I've re-watched this play 20 times, in the dark, solely to see the Jerebko reaction to Smith getting all up in his grill, admittedly never really considering what actually caused Smith to go flying into Jerebko.

Upon further review, with a focus on Monroe during the play, it is indeed the Monrobocop who is getting very physical with Smith throughout the play, ultimately getting tangled up in Smith's jersey at the tail end as they battle one another for positioning. Almost simultaneous to Jerebko's layup going in, Monroe tried to free himself from Smith and head back on defense. When Monroe pulled away from Smith, pure Moosemuscle force sent Smith's head straight into Jerebko's shoulder. Smith would have to leave the game with a concussion and is now listed as day-to-day (and he won't play in tonight's game).

I don't think Williams is going to get his wish, but what do you think? Suspendable offense for the man who serves the Pistons post, protects the paint, and upholds the basketlaw?

Brandon Knight broke his nose during Saturday night's game against the New Orleans Hornets when former Piston DaJuan Summers' elbow came crashing down on his face after a rebound. Knight went to the locker room and would not return to the game.

According to the Detroit News, Knight wanted to return to the game, though, and he should be back when the Pistons play next on Wednesday against the Nets:

Guard Brandon Knight is expected to play Wednesday when the Pistons resume play in New Jersey. He broke his nose in the first quarter of the game against New Orleans when he was hit by former Piston DaJuan Summers during a scramble for a loose rebound. Knight said it felt like his face exploded. He will be fitted with a mask and should return to practice by Tuesday.

Knight said he wanted to return to the game but got headaches when he did some light running in the Palace hallways.

"It was a little bit crooked," Knight said. "It does not look normal. It's not straight."

I think I'd take a little bit of a crooked nose over bashed brains or an MCL injury -- looks like Pistons got out of Saturday night's game relatively healthy.

In the fourth quarter of the Pistons' 89-87, Hornets' big man Jason Smith got in the way of Jonas Jerebko. You don't get in Jonas Jerebko's way. After the jump, I have some screen grabs of Smith running into Jerebko's shoulder/elbow and the awesome stare down from one of our favorite modern day Bad Boys, even if he didn't intend to do anything. Smith suffered a concussion and is day-to-day.

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Pistons rookie Brandon Knight took an inadvertent elbow to the schnoz from teammate Greg Monroe in the first quarter against the Hornets on Saturday night. According to the Fox Sports Detroit telecast, Knight broke it and his return for the game is doubtful:

When Ben Wallace's hip broke Charlie Villanueva's nose a couple years ago, he didn't miss much action and he even came back with a mask! Hopefully, Knight only misses a few games, too, and returns in a black mask; he'll truly be THE DARK KNIGHT (h/t to Trout Jefferson).