- Ben Wallace is set to appear in a press conference announcing his decision to sign with the Bulls, but Mitch Albom won't be tuning in.
- A lot of people have pointed to the recent NBA Playoffs as proof that the league is starting to favor offensive-minded teams. It was obvious to anyone that actually watched the games, but it goes beyond anecdotal evidence, as Michael Rosenberg points out:
In the old days (like, two or three years ago) that was OK, because the Pistons won with defense. But you can't win with defense in today's NBA. The new officiating guidelines -- no hand-checking, no use of the forearm along the baseline, no breathing on Dwyane Wade -- have given offenses the edge.
The Dallas and Miami players who played in the NBA Finals all have something in common: They failed to make the league's All-Defensive team. In fact, none even made the All-Defensive second team.
The last time that happened was 1981.
Maybe that nugget of info has already been passed around, but that's the first time that I remember seeing it.
- Former Piston Mike James finally got his long-term deal after signing a four-year deal with the Timberwolves. But that's just the half of it -- be sure to listen to this awesome interview he gave a Minnesota radio station just minutes before publicly announcing his decision, in which he proclaims he's tired of being treated like a "cheap prostitute:"
"They don't even want to take me to dinner. I can't even get a steak and lobster. Nobody wants to spend a few quality time with me. ... Everyone wants to use me for my goods, but no one wants to spend money for at least a date -- knowing you're going to get the good sex. Knowing you are, because that's just how I play the game. ... You still want to see the fireworks, but you don't want to pay for the fireworks."
Lucky for us, he takes the analogy and runs with it -- the above quote is just a snippet.
- And on that note, I leave you until Monday as I sneak out for a long weekend. In the meantime, I suggest you check out Palace Prince, a new Pistons blog recently launched by DBB reader Robbie Philpott, as well as Bad Boys Summer Camp, for all the latest Pistons news from the Vegas Summer League.
Just remember kids, if you want to see the fireworks, you should pay for the fireworks.