• So, you know how everyone got excited when Greg Monroe hinted at possibly changing his number out of respect for Dennis Rodman? We may have jumped the gun. From Michael Rosenberg of the Detroit Free Press:
"I didn't say definitely," he said. "I'm still thinking about it. I haven't made a decision yet. I've been wearing No. 10 my whole life."
Monroe's first reason for wearing No. 10 was typical, no-nonsense Monroe: "They had it in my size." But like a lot of players, he said his number "became a part of me, really," and he's torn about giving it up.
My take: Moose can't lose. If he gives it up, it's a classy move. If he keeps it, well, at least he's putting it to better use than Worm.
• Don't miss Rosenberg's longer column on Greg Monroe, in which Moose laughs about being underused as a rookie ("I probably could count them on my hand, the plays that were called for me throughout the year") and dances around the minefield that was Detroit's locker room last year:
"It definitely caught me off guard, being my first year, a couple of the things that happened," Monroe said. "But none of those things happened with me personally. I just made sure I came to work and came to the gym. It didn't have anything to do with me."
• The NBA draft lottery takes place Tuesday night, and while I'm excited to see if the Pistons climb into the top three, I've also been thinking about the second-rounder, pick No. 33. Here's a name I haven't heard anyone mention: 19-year-old, 6-foot-11 Jeremy Tyler.
You remember him, right? Once considered a future lottery pick, he made headlines a couple of years ago for skipping his senior year of high school to play in Israel. But instead of becoming a trendsetter, the kid flamed out, returning to the states after a squabble about playing time.
He's mostly flown under the radar ever since, signing with a Japanese team and playing for former NBA coach Bob Hill. (Well, he's not too under the radar -- the New York Times did a story on him last month.) As Scott Schroeder notes over at Ridiculous Upside, Tyler will be at the NBA's Draft Combine this week, and with a good showing his stock might shoot up -- DraftExpress currently ranks him 51st in their Top 100. If the Pistons roll the dice at 33, I won't complain.
• Strange but true: the NBA playoffs are still going on. The OKC Thunder routed the Grizzlies Sunday, earning their ticket to the final four, while the Bulls went up on the Heat. It's a little weird pulling for the Bulls, but given the alternative, I think I'm hopping on the D-Rose bandwagon. Now your thoughts: