I’m starting off by saying this is stricktly rumor. It’s coming from J. Gamble, the same guy that said Sheed would Retire if he didn’t get 8 million a year. Until his “sources” are confirmed, take this for what it is.

“My sources say that Rasheed Wallace and the Cavs are beginning talks on a two-year deal worth about $10 million per for the services of the former Piston. The move and negotiations were inspired by Dwight Howard’s dominant performance over Cleveland’s big men in the Eastern Conference Finals.  And Wallace will be brought in for that very purpose, to neutralize Dwight Howard next season and help the Cavs get over the hump.” Via Slam Online

I got some pretty good inside information from Need4Sheed reader and friend Raul A. Mora aka El Patron Himself (of The Big Denial fame). Apparently he found out what LeBron James’s current iPod playlist is.

Photo/Getty Images

1. King Nothing – Metallica
2. King Without a Crown – Matisyahu
3. Kryptonite – 3 Doors Down
4. Heartbreak Hotel – Elvis Presley
5. New York, New York – Frank Sinatra
6. The Takeover- Jay-Z
7. Sucks to be You – Prozzac
8. Lose Yourself – Eminem
9. Loser – Beck
10. Cruel Summer – Bananarama
11. A New York State of Mind – Billy Joel
12. Help! – The Beatles
13. Close But No Cigar – Thomas Dolby
14. Alone Again (Naturally) – Gilbert O’Sullivan
15. I’m Going Slightly Mad – Queen
16. You Got Another Thing Coming – Judas Priest

I blew up the picture so we could clearly see his iPod and from the looks of it on track 3.

Good job El Patron!

If know of any additions to LeBrons playlist, by all means leave them in the comments and if you didn’t get a chance to read this little piece on the “King”, by Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports….I suggest you do so.

The Pistons will host the Cleveland Cavaliers this afternoon for what could be their last game of the season. Down three games to the Cavs and showing little or no signs of life, more than just an early playoff exit is at stake for this Detroit team.

Familiar endings and new beginnings.

With the team missing their swagger (as well as their leader) all season long this group will most likely be playing its last game (or games if they can pull it out today) together. So enjoy this game for whatever it is Pistons fans, your favorite players just may be playing their last games in red, white and blue.
Michael Curry

“Guys are down, but that’s anywhere when you’re down like this in a series and it’s tough. The biggest thing is getting just focused on one game. What you tend to do when you’re down in a series is go back over the whole season. So you start looking at things that you have no control over.” Via The Detroit Free Press

Tip off is at 3:30 and will broadcast nationally on ABC. If you can’t watch the early afternoon game, you can listen over at WDFN 1130 AM or follow the game live over at NBA.com.

Feel free to leave your thoughts in the Comments or Chat Live at gametime.

Yes the Pistons are now on the brink of an abrupt end to what turned out to be a painful NBA season. Down 0-3 to the Cavs after their 79-68 loss Friday night at the Palace, they are in jeopardy of a first round Swiffer if they don’t win Sunday afternoon at home.

Key Points:

• This one started out just right, Detroit came to play and even started the game in glorious fashion with this Richard Hamilton steal that lead to a Rodney Stuckey dunk, which led to an 8-0 Pistons run.

Video Courtesy of The NBA, The Detroit Pistons and ESPN

• The Pistons showed some heart, played defense and controlled the tempo of the game and held the lead until the Cavs took a 33-31 lead with five minutes left in the half.
• Yes the Cavs have went to the line a whopping 100 times this series compared to 40 times for Detroit. Don’t point all the fingers at the refs or David Stern, you don’t go to the line when you shoot jumpers, it’s as simple as that.
• Tayshaun Prince played hurt and was responsible for helping the Pistons start the game strong. He finished the game with 7 points, 5 boards, and 2 assists in 33 minutes.
• Rasheed….well Sheed either has lost more than a step or checked out before the series started. Sheed scored 5 points, with 7 boards and a steal. With similar numbers this whole series and for the later half of the season, it’s fair to question if Sheed still has it at all or for this team.
• Though Dyess had trouble knocking down his shot (4-for-10), he still put his heart on the line and was pivotal in Detroit’s third quarter run. He finished with 8 points, 2 blocks and 8 boards.  Unfortunately it looks like No Ice4Dyess.

Photo/Getty Images

• Two Pistons in double figures is disastrous.
• The Pistons are on Life Support.
• This one wasn’t hard to watch, they came to play but are clearly outmatched.  Tied at the end of the third quarter and then settling for Rip Hamilton jumpers in the fourth maybe was a mistake.
• Rip led Detroit with 15 points on 6-for-17 shooting with 6 assists, 8 boards and 2 steals in 41 minuets.
• “This is killing me, I can’t even lie,” Hamilton said. “Knowing how great we were, and then being down 0-3 and being the eighth seed and watching them celebrate shot after shot, it’s hard. It’s a terrible situation.” Via The Detroit News
• This was actually the first time in the series that Detroit was in a position to win the game but a horrible 4th (something that haunted them all season long) was the cause.
• Just 6 points for Bynum in 18 minutes but it was this leaping steal that made me rewind the game about three times.

Video Courtesy of The NBA, The Detroit Pistons and ESPN

• Sick and tired of “Andy” AKA CLOWNFISH getting in everyone’s face. I’m not one for violence but I wouldn’t mind clocking the dude myself. Yes he’s and energy guy bla, bla, bla….he’s a punk. And as Mr. Blaha said, ” Don’t the referees even watch this guy?” He pushed Kwame and Brown gets a tech. Great.
• Speaking of Mr. Kwame Brown, he’s been the surprise of the series. Bringing energy and banging down low ever time he steps on the court. Kwame scored 4 points in 13 minutes with 3 boards and 3 blocked shots. And he won’t let you get in his face either.

Photo/Getty Images

• Something so wrong at the Palace – Who was the genius that decided to get Cavalier phone service to sponsor the thundersticks so CAVALIER is written in bold across the thing?
• “Right now, we have to have a focus that is a game-winner, every possession,” Detroit guard Arron Afflalo said. “Just looking at a lot of the teams in history that are good teams, they played with a certain intensity, a certain focus, and a certain energy level, every possession. And being down 3-0, that’s what it’s come down to.” Via MLive
• What is really more to say, at least they tried. The Cavs are a better team and quite honestly it hurts much less to loose to them this year than it did in 07 when Detroit was the better team. I’m not giving up, but a Sunday home game looks daunting.

The Pistons are down 2-0 in their first round series with the Cavaliers. While things have looked less than inspiring off the court, Pistons fans should do wonders (crossing fingers) for them on the court as Detroit plays it’s first Playoff game of the year at the Palace of Auburn Hills.

It’s actually still not sold out, so if you can muster your way down (or up) to Auburn Hills, you may get a chance to witness see a playoff game on the cheap. Our Pistons can use all the support they can right now.

I have to say this is a must win for the boys in Blue, Red and White tonight. If they go down 3-0 with the fourth game in the afternoon Sunday at the Palace….well, you do the math.

Tip off is at 7:00 pm and will thankfully be broadcast in HD on FSN locally and ESPN Nationally. If you can’t catch either broadcast you can listen over at WDFN 1130 AM or follow the game over at NBA.com.

For those of you who are heading out…LOUD AND PROUD!

Leave your thoughts in the Comments or Chat live during the game.

This stat line from last night’s 94-82 loss to the Cavs in game two pretty much sums up the series thus far for Pistons fan, the Cavaliers never trailed in the ball game and were up by 27 points after three quarters. Another lackluster game for Detroit, whoa are now on the ropes going into game three and four at the Palace.

Key Points:

• Dyess says it all “They are the best team in the league and they are at home, but at the same time, we’ve got to play with some type of heart,” We’re just going through the motions, it seems like.” When asked why that was, McDyess said, “Your guess is better than mine.” Via The Detroit News
• If you watched just five minutes (besides when the bench made their comeback) of the game you could see the flat performance Detroit put forth.  A carbon copy of Game One eerily like most of the season for Detroit.  Is it that they just don’t care or are they just outmatched?  Maybe 50/50.
• 14 first quarter points, 18 second and third quarter points aren’t going to will you any ball game let alone a playoff game against the #1 seed.
• The Cavs were up by 29 points in the fourth quarter until their bench blew most their lead against Detroit’s bench courtesy of Will Bynum.  James had to return to hold off the Pistons and secure the win.
• Rasheed Wallace, who scored just 8 with 4 boards in 25 minutes on the floor scored zero points in the paint and quite honestly looked like he wanted nothing to do with what was going on Tuesday night. To me he looked like he checked out as soon as he stepped on the court. The fire is obviously gone. Wasn’t it Sheed who claimed they needed to Knuckle Up?  What happened?

Photo/Getty Images

• Though I tried to watch the local broadcast in favor of TNT, High Def won out and I heard something that I hoped wasn’t the case but just might be form Doug Collins when he said “It looks like Detroit doesn’t’ want to come back to the Q for a game five.” It sure looks that way now doesn’t it?
• At this point you can cry Fire Curry all you want, but he’s not the one on the court playing like he doesn’t give a damn.
• Four Pistons in double figures and two of them are Afflalo and Bynum.
• Amir Johnson on his Tech after shoving VareJOKE: “I wasn’t going to let him punk me. I did what I had to do.” Via The Detroit Free Press Good for you Amir, too bad you couldn’t slap that smirk off of that clowns face.
  
• The opposite of small ball when Curry put a lineup of Tayshaun Prince,Rip Hamilton, Rasheed Wallace, Kwame Brown and Antonio McDyess. That didn’t work either.
• Start Will Bynum at point is the chant I’m hearing from Pistons fans, and quite honestly they have nothing to lose at this point.  Bynum once again was the spark for Detroit sparking a 27-5 run in the fourth quarter. Sure it was without LeBron on the floor for the Cavs, but it put Detroit back in striking distance. Bynum finished with 13 points in 18 minutes adding 5 assists, 4 boards and 2 steals.

Photo/Getty Images

• Was it just me or did most of the game consist of either Rip taking a jumper or Stuckey trying to drive the lane or settling for a shot. Rip or Stuckey….I wanted to scream for them to move the ball and try something else because it clearly wasn’t working.
• “Our bench played well,” McDyess said. “As far as the starters, we didn’t come out and do the job we were assigned to do. It’s like they were doing anything they wanted on offense. We weren’t giving no resistance to stop them or making it tough on them. Via NBA.com
• Rally comes up short.
• The Cavs held the Pistons to 39.5% shooting and outrebounded the Detroit 43-34.
• I used to appreciate Mo Williams, but it seems as though he’s caught come cockiness now that he’s in Cleveland.
• Rip Hamilton led the Pistons with 17 points on 7-for-16 shooting. But but that isn’t saying much either, he was a -30 for the game

Photo/Getty Images

• Tayshaun Prince, another less than stellar game (and that’s being kind). Prince went 1-for-5 for 2 points and three boards. Dana Gauruder of the Oakland Press “Prince is a more maddening case. He seems to be full of excuses every postseason. Before, he’d decline in the conference finals. This year, he’s gone into the tank from the start. He’s averaging 6 points in his last six postseason games.”
• Aggressive in game 2….nope! Detroit was 13-for-16 for the line. Cleveland….32-for-43. LeBron once again went to the line more than the entire Detroit team going 13-for-17.
• Huge Piston Roundtable over at Pistons Powered with all of your favorite Pistons Bloggers as well as Newspaper columnists.
• The Cavs have now won six straight playoff games over The Pistons.
• Highlights from NBA.com if you dare.

• You can will them to Win all you want, but if they don’t come to play how does that help? I will support the Pistons no matter what, but being confident in a team that hasnt even shown heart is another thing altogether. You may feel different, but this team hasn’t showed me much to beleive in. How do you feel after game two?

The Pistons are down 1-0 in their first round series against the Cavaliers. Things must change if Detroit plans on sneaking out The Q with an upset, and they know it.

Will Bynum:

“We got to be more together, It’s not going to take one person to stop LeBron. It’s going to take all five of us, and maybe the coaching staff — and the bench. We got to do what we got to do to stop the guy and try to make other players beat us.” Via MLive

Michael Curry:

“What we have to do is be more aggressive at whatever we try to take away. We got to be aggressive with it. If we trap him, we have to be more aggressive. If we try to contain him and make him shoot contested jumpers, we got to do exactly that.  We have to keep him out of the paint. He was 8-of-9 in the paint, hit the half-court shot and then was 4-of-10 outside of the paint. That’s where we got to try and keep him. We didn’t have LeBron’s (isolations) or post-ups good enough. We got to do a much better job of that, and get the ball out of his hands and makes some of those other players make plays.” Via MLive

Easier said than done when it comes to LeBron but as long as some adjustments are made Detroit has a chance to upset the Cavs in a building they just don’t lose in. Also important, Detroit has to stay in this game from start to finish and not let the Cavs build a daunting lead.

A little smile before tip:

Some old school history between the Cavaliers and the Pistons back in the 80’s you may not be aware of. Here is a little video history lesson courtesy of a Rick Mahorn elbow and a Bill Laimbeer, Brad Daugherty fight.  The good old days….

Tip off is at 8:00 PM and will be nationally broadcast on TNT. Good news for those of you missing the local flavor or George Blaha and Special K, Fox Sports will also be broadcasting the game on FSN Plus (download channel numbers). If you can’t catch either broadcast you can listen live over at 1130 AM WDFN or follow the game through your computer at NBA.com.

Feel free to leave your thoughts in the Comments of Chat Live at game time.

Before game two tips in Cleveland I was lucky enough to do a little back and fourth  Q&A with Todd Dery (the brother of Matt Dery) over at the Cleveland Blog Waiting For Next Year (where they are counting down to a title). Todd was nice enough to answer a few question for me on the series while I answered a few of his over at WFNY.

N4S: As a Cavs fan, before the DET/CLE matchup was decided who was your ideal team to face in the first round?

Todd Dery: To be quite honest, I was hoping for Philly. Yes, they beat the Cavs on the last game of the season, but they did it without Lebron, Z, Mo Williams, and Joe Smith. Delonte West and Anderson Varejao only played a half, yet the Sixers needed OT to beat the Cavs third unit. I was actually scared of the Pistons. Thought they would take too much out of the Cavs for a first round series.

N4S: Who needs to play well (other than LeBron) to make things difficult for Detroit?

Todd Dery: It’s simple – the outside shooters have to hit their shots when the defense collapses on Lebron. Mo WIlliams, Wally Szczerbiak, Daniel Gibson, and Delonte West must keep shooting the ball they way they have over the last month or so. Gibson’s re-emergence has been a major key. His early and mid-season slumps pushed him out of the rotation for a while, but he has played his way back in by simply hitting shots. Also, Joe Smith has got to hit his mid-range shots. That gives the Cavs an extra-dynamic off the bench they didnt have when they had J.J. Hickson and Anderson Varejao as the bigs off the bench.

N4S: What do you make of the Tayshaun Prince/LeBron matchup, in that Prince is considered one of the premier defenders in the league? Do you think he does a good job on LeBron or does he need help like everyone else when it comes to stopping him?

Todd Dery: I honestly think Tayshaun is hurt. He has always done a nice job defending Lebron, but nobody can stop him one on one. Its the help defense that is the key. You must double Lebron and make everyone else beat you. The thing about Tayshaun is that Lebron has gotten stronger and quicker, while Tayshaun is starting to show signs of slowing down.

N4S: Who do you see as the biggest threat on the Pistons?

Todd Dery: Rip Hamilton is the biggest threat. No doubt about it. But Sheed always kills us. Time and time again he hits big threes late in games against the Cavaliers. He also seems to lose his cool the most against the Cavs as well.

N4S: Going into the series everyone (media and fans) seemed to look right past Detroit, do you think the team themselves are?

Todd Dery: Not a chance. This is a completely focused Cavaliers team. Lebron is on a mission. Look at the final regular season game. They had a chance to tie for the all-time best home record at 40-1 but had clinched the home court advantage already. Realistically, the game meant nothing, so the Cavs regulars all sat. When asked about why they did it, Lebron and coach Mike Brown echoed the same sentiment – the real goal is the NBA Title and everything else is meaningless.

N4S: Lastly, do you see LeBron staying in Cleveland once his contract is up and does the decision hinge on whether he wins a Championship or not?

Todd Dery: I’m from Cleveland, born and raised, so my initial response has always been to say he is gone win or lose in two years. But Lebron is a different cat. While he wants to be a “global icon,” which he already is, the thing he wants most is to win. If Cleveland is the place that gives him the best shot come next summer, then he will stay here. My gut tells me they will get a ring in the next two years and he will stay here, but on another three to four-year deal, which would give him another chance to go elsewhere at a relatively young age. When he signs his next deal, Lebron will be 25. Keep that in mind.

Thanks again go out to Todd and Waiting For Next Year for taking the time out to answer a few quiestions as well as getting a little Pistons point of view for Cavs fans.

Easily.

That’s not the kind of game Detroit or it’s fans wanted. They came out playing solid in the first quarter and kept the game in striking distance, but any of the fight that Detroit had seemed to get knocked right out with LeBron’s half court buzzer beater to finish the half. The Pistons got within eight with the help of Will Bynum, but the Cavs quickly went back to work to stomp out any hope of a Pistons comeback. The Pistons will have a chance to tie the series up on Tuesday night after the 84-102 loss in game one.

Key Points:

• You can’t win without solid defense. And The Pistons defense was shaky at best. Gone are the days of Detroit used being able to make a an important stop. And from what I saw they couldn’t even get the fundamentals down against Cleveland.
• “Defensively, we just weren’t in sync with each other,” Antonio McDyess said. “When we would go to rotate, somebody wasn’t helping and we’d give up a layup. We just aren’t as sharp defensively as we have been in past years.” Via The Detroit News
• The biggest thing Detroit needed to do to get the win, they didn’t. You can’t take down this team when LeBron scores 38 and get to the line more times than the entire Pistons team. You absolutely can’t deny his game, but it doesn’t make me enjoy it at all, especially his grin after his 40+ foot buzzer beater putting his Cavaliers up 57-45 at the break.
• Counting on Tayshaun Prince to stop LeBron? It didn’t work Saturday afternoon for Tayshaun, Rip or Afflalo. He just made it look easy.
• “We go over things before the game on what we are going to do, but when the game starts it’s not going to play out the same way,” said Prince. “Guys tend to change how they read certain plays and that’s why you saw us communicating out there. It’s not always going to go the way you talk about it beforehand.” Via The Detroit News
• Detroit kept it close in the first half thanks to the play of Rodney Stuckey, who led Detroit with 20 points. He drove the lane in the first half and was quite successful, but he got somewhat cold in the second as did the rest of the team. He was just 7-for-21 shooting with 4 assists and 2 boards.

Photo/Getty Images

• Do you realize that The Pistons are the only team in the Post Season with a losing regular season record.
• Tayshaun scored jut 4 with 2 assists a board and a steal in 37 minutes, but apparently he’s been bothered with lower back pain.
• Another solid game from Kwame who dropped in 5 with 9 boards in 15 minutes.
• Nothing pretty about this one and I couldn’t even pull a good video highlight on the Detroit side. If you missed it, you can watch the Cavalier highlights of the game from NBA.com

• The Pistons turned the ball over just 7 times, but the Cavs even beat them in that department by giving up the ball just 4 times.
• Spark from Bynum in the fourth who scored 6 points with 2 assists in 14 minutes.
• Richard Hamilton chipped in 15 on 6-for-14 shooing with 4 assists. A not so productive Rip, combined with the game Tayshaun had usually spells disaster.

Photo/Getty Images

• “We have to know where LeBron is at all times,” Richard Hamilton said. “When you score 38 against us, we can’t have that and have a chance. We have to figure out a way to stop him.” Via NBA.com
• At one point in the first quarter the Pistons were shooting a whopping 65% from the floor.
• Conspiracy on the LeBron’s Half Court Make? C-Quense makes a point in the comments.“Lebron needs just 1.95 seconds ffor 8 meters. But Carl Lewis wasn’t catching a ball, turning, starts dribbling, jumping and shooting. He was just running. Watch the clock, when he was making that buzzer beater. The NBA is nothing but fake! Catching the ball: 2.00 Seconds leftTurning with the ball: 2.00 seconds left After catching the ball, turning, starting dribbling and running 2 meters. 1.9 seconds left…
• Rasheed Wallace, 13 points on 6-for-10 shooting with 9 boards and 2 assists. Tell me why we didn’t try to go to Sheed a little more?
• 16% from downtown for Detroit.
• Dyess had 10 points and 5 board, but boy does that guy put his heart on the line every game. If you saw his face while sitting on the bench when the starters left the game in the fourth quarter you know what I mean. Ice4dyess
• Michael Curry’s post game presser.

• Best part of this one, all the coaches wearing the CD pin in support of Chuck Daly and his fight with cancer.
• Team Need4Sheed Guest writer Rashid S. Umar over at Hoopsvibe: Going through the motions in Cleveland.
• Next one on Tuesday again in Cleveland. Detroit is going to have to come in with a totally different game plan to try to stop LeBron and the Cavs.
• Don’t give up on this team, they just might surprise you.

The Pistons are in Cleveland to start the first round of the 2009 NBA Playoffs against the #1 seed Cavaliers. With things not going per usual with our familiar Detroit team, Pistons fans are still showing plenty of support.

We all know the odds are stacked up against the Pistons, but it doesn’t mean they have no chance at all like some people think. It may be a long shot, but nothing is impossible.

As you probably already know, I’m not a fan of anything Cleveland or the Cavs. In fact I have been known to poke a little fun here and there, but team Need4Sheed member Daniel Pantalleresco has a little more than hatred on his mind when it comes to the LeBron/Tayshaun match up. And like it or not, a lot of Detroit’s success in this series will hinge on Tayshaun stopping Burger King James.

I’m sure you have read a ton of playoff previews, most of which give the Pistons a little more than a snowball’s chance in hell, but that all means nothing when the Pistons play the way they are capable of playing. And that’s a scary thing for any team about to go into a seven game series with them.

As for my playoff preview, I did it a little different this season over at Dime.

So we Rise Up Pistons fans. It’s easy to get behind a team that dominates, but it’s even more special when fans stand behind a team that is struggling. Red, White and Blue forever!

Tip off is at 3:00 PM and will be nationally broadcast on ABC.  If you can’t watch, follow live through your computer over at NBA.com.

As for Pistons fans..

Feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments or Chat Live with fellow fans during the game.

The Detroit Pistons first round schedule was released today with the fist game on Saturday afternoon. As you can see I have already decorated the site with the usual countdown to keep track of Detroit’s run in the playoffs.

And yes….I see it too, Game 4 is a Sunday home game at 3:30.

Game 1 Sat., April 18 Detroit at Cleveland 3:00 p.m. ABC
Game 2 Tue., April 21 Detroit at Cleveland 8:00 p.m. TNT
Game 3 Fri., April 24 Cleveland at Detroit 7:00 p.m. ESPN
Game 4 Sun., April 26 Cleveland at Detroit 3:30 p.m. ABC
If Necessary
Game 5* Wed., April 29 Detroit at Cleveland TBD
Game 6* Fri., May 1 Cleveland at Detroit TBD
Game 7* Sun., May 3 Detroit at Cleveland TBD

This should serve as motivation for the series from Cleveland.com

“This time around, the once almighty Pistons are merely an opening band in a rock show that will go on long after their set is done. It’s like, “Uh, dudes, can’t we just move on to the next series?”

Don’t get cocky Cleveland, it won’t be that easy. Any team can take a series no matter what their record states. Detroit has a chance. Cockiness aside, Cleveland and it’s fans still would rather not see the Pistons in the first round, no matter what comes out of their mouths.

The Pistons are in Miami to play their last game of the regular season against the 42-39 Heat. With Detroit locked in the 8th playoff spot there isn’t much worth playing for other than to save the starters legs for the Cavaliers. Michael Curry plans on siting Rasheed Wallace, Richard Hamilton and Antonio McDyess. Tayshaun will start (because of his consecutive game streak), but he’s doubtful to play more than a handful of minutes.

With this game meaning nothing standing wise, it does mean that Pistons fans will get to see more of the youngsters in tonight’s game. As for the Pistons youth, it seems as though they are taking some heat from local Pistons beat writers Chris McCosky and A. Sherrod Blakely.

Chris McCosky:

“In a season full of disappointment, you probably have to rank the growth stagnation of Jason Maxiell and Amir Johnson fairly high on the list.

Johnson was given the starting power-forward role coming out of camp and he couldn’t handle it. Maxiell was a main cog in the rotation last season under Flip Saunders, but has been yo-yoed in and out of Curry’s rotation this year.

The point is, the expectations on Maxiell and Johnson — in their fourth seasons — were just as high as those on Thomas and Noah. Detroit was counting on both to play key roles to lessen the reliance on the aging Antonio McDyess and Rasheed Wallace.

And they didn’t get it done.

Maxiell has played 1,374 minutes, about 400 less than last year, averaging 5.7 points (down from 7.9) and 4.10 rebounds (down from 5.2).

He still struggles on the defensive boards and seems to have been in and out of Curry’s doghouse all season.

Johnson has played a career-high 889 minutes, averaging 3.5 points and 3.8 rebounds — almost exactly his career numbers.

He went from starting to the last man off the bench, other than rookie Walter Sharpe. Not exactly what president Joe Dumars envisioned when he gave him an $11 million extension two years ago.”

A. Sherrod Blakely:

“It’s difficult for players to put into words how a team that has been so dominant in the East for years could become a team that squeaks into the playoffs.

Chalking it up to the changes this season is only part of the problem.

The bigger issue has to do with talent.

All those years of finishing near the top of the Eastern Conference also meant being near the bottom of the NBA draft.

Youngsters such as Amir Johnson, Jason Maxiell and Rodney Stuckey are all better players than they were on draft night. But they would have to be much better much faster to keep Detroit as a perennial title contender.

That hasn’t happened.

Because of that, the Pistons are where they are — a playoff team, barely.”

Not fun to hear when your Pistons team is heading into the most uncertain playoff situation they have been in for years.

Tip off is at 8:00 PM and will be locally broadcast on FSN Detroit. If you can’t catch the game on TV, you can listen to the game over on 1130 AM WDFN or follow through your computer at NBA.com.

And if you are still up for commenting on Detroit’s first round playoff matchup with the Cavs to give a little of your wisdom, the more the merrier.