Pistons Links: Detroit's identity, Dennis Rodman and Donald Trump, plus rookie rankings

Let's help beat this recent identity horse to death. Before the Hawks game Wednesday night, David Mayo wrote a strong column about the Pistons' identity, what it is and what it all means. Essentially, it's just simple stuff -- time will gradually erase the Pistons 'young and dumb' identity, according to Mayo.

For the sake of this season, let's hope time goes double speed, helping Detroit use its youth for good (like lively legs, despite the long minutes played by most key guys) and make its dumbness morph into unbridled determination that indeed they can go gangbusters to win 12 of their remaining 14 games and get that seventh seed, let's say. Heck with just being happy to make the playoffs. Real heck to playing LeBron in the first round. Get those Toronto Raptors in the first round instead.

Anyway, back to Mayo's column.

Pistons' identity not as murky as they sometimes make it out to be -- MLive

With a chance to essentially unplug the Wizards' season from life support, the Pistons, in 48 minutes' time, brought into question how they could flop like grounded fish in the 67th game of an otherwise resurgent season during which they could end their six-year playoff absence.

The Pistons' identity, the one they either struggle to grasp or choose not to, actually is not that difficult to define at all.

The shoot-first point guard who brought up the topic is as good a place as any to start, the one whose playmaking has not always produced the hoped-for results when the pick-and-roll play stops with him and the ball never reverses, and who harps on the need for defensive improvement but often can not defend opposing point guards. So that latter task frequently falls to Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, the shooting guard who isn't a shooter, though that rarely deters him from trying. In a perfect world, Jackson would make more plays for teammates and Caldwell-Pope would make more shots. But in a perfect world, teams don't lose by 43 points.

Hawks-Pistons Quoteboard from the Atlanta Journal Constitution

Mike Budenholzer on Hack-a-Drummond strategy

"It's something that we've used. If we feel like it's going to create an advantage, we'll continue to do it. Part of it, they were playing so well offensively, it's a way to give your defense a little break and take the ball out of some other people's hands and change the rhythm of the game. Every night it's different and tonight in worked."

Paul Millsap on facing Pistons after big loss

"We knew exactly what was going to happen. We knew they were going to come out with a chip on their shoulder coming off that loss. We actually did better than we expected. We had hands in their face. I think we played pretty good defense. They just played better offense."

No mention of the Pistons having a chip on their shoulder and showing it by playing balls-out team defense. It's concerning that this far into the season team defense is still not top priority, at least not to most of the players. Let's see if the Kings put up a fine offensive display on Friday at The Palace. Could we see Seth Curry set a new career scoring high with (at least) 20 points?

NBA Rookie Power Rankings -- CBS Sports

Not one but two Heat rookies are now ahead of Stanley Johnson in these rookie power rankings.

Harris, Pistons Seem Like Great Fit -- Basketball Insiders

The sample size is small and this is certainly still the honeymoon period for Harris and the Pistons, but the trade sure looks like a great one for both parties thus far. If Van Gundy can continue to develop Harris' overall game and help him reach his full potential, the Pistons may have added another cornerstone to their already impressive, promising nucleus. It seems like a low-risk, high-reward move that could pay off in a big way for Detroit.

From Paul O'Neill to Dennis Rodman: The stars who have lined up for Trump -- MSNBC

Dennis Rodman - The NBA Hall of Famer, who nearly caused an international incident when he cozied up to North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un in 2013, has made no secret of his distaste for President Obama. And, you guessed it, he too was a contestant on Trump's popular reality TV series "Celebrity Apprentice." Trump was one of the few prominent figures to praise Rodman's North Korea trip and the TK-NBA champion returned the favor by endorsing the real estate mogul early, tweeting in July: "@realDonaldTrump has been a great friend for many years. We don't need another politician, we need a businessman like Mr. Trump! Trump 2016."

Other Donald Trump endorsers include Mike Tyson, Hulk Hogan, Gary Busey, Kid Rock and perhaps Tom Brady.

*Hat-tip to MLive for this link. I'm wondering if MLive will ever credit DBB when they skim our links posts to then aid their own links posts. Crediting is caring...

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

Pistons Fans NCAA Tournament Viewing Guide -- DBB Fanpost

Although, now that it is front and center on the site, it's impossible to miss.

DBB commentor 'GTPWTW' was/is on a rollllll in his intense and lengthy fanpost. And with a beginning paragraph like this, why would we not want to read about NBA prospects in the NCAA tournament for a good half an hour?

You know my procrastination has lost me a fair few things in life: better grades, a couple dates, cheaper airfare and several years of me telling myself next week would be the week I start working out again. Point is they're rarely good things. A more ordered decisive person probably would have deleted their half finished draft themed fan post after their team traded its first round pick, but I left it languish in my hard drive AND NOW FROM THE RUINS OF DIGIORNIOS MONTENEGRO'S BACK IT RISES LIKE A PHOENIX FROM THE ASHES IN ALL ITS GLORY FOR YOUR READING PLEASURE/SCORN.

GTPWTW writes on Duke star guard Grayson Allen, and has much more to say than I highlight below, but he didn't need to go any further:

F**k Grayson Allen. This King Joffrey looking motherf***er seems like he was built in a lab to combine all the most hateable Duke player traits into a single person. He's got resting smug face, plays dirty, preens and flexes and just has to get flopping down to finally rise to his final form.......all that being said I kind of really want the Pistons to draft him.

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Enjoy lots of collegiate and professional basketball these next few days, folks. Don't break your bracket or your remote!