As you know I pass my offseason days by watching old Pistons videos whether they be epic playoff battles, championship glory or simple videos.  Today I was reminded of painful memories as a Pistons fan, something I care not get into on this beautiful day in Michigan.  Then I came across this video in my vault and if brought out joy and pain.

Despite the fact that this video was put together pretty recently, it seems like lifetime ago.

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Video courtesy of The Detroit Pistons and myTV20 Detroit

I would like to get your take on the matter…does it put a smile on your face or cause you pain over what was, and maybe what could have been if things didn’t go the way they did last season?

• The Pistons = DRAMA a Team in Turmoil, according to ESPN.
• Another Rodney Stucky breakout article – I hope this season’s peice come true.  Can’t really blame Rodney that much especially since the whole team underachieved last year. Here is to a StuckTacular Season.
• Q&A with Joe Dumars part One – interesting stuff on the acquisition of Ben Gordon.  You can also listen to it over at Posting up.
• Worried about the “D” in Defense for the Pistons….Keith Langlois over at Pistons.com says we shouldn’t.
• Need4Swede over at Slam Online.

The Pistons host the 32-46 New Jersey Nets at The Palace tonight. The Pistons look to take tonight’s game to secure a playoff spot and tie the season series up 2 games all. The Nets, who took it to the Pistons in their last meeting, were eliminated from the playoffs this season when Detroit beat the Knicks Wednesday night in New York.

The Pistons need to stop Devin Harris who has burned them in every meeting they had with the Nets this season.

“He’s an All-Star this year,” Pistons second-year guard Rodney Stuckey said. “He’s improving every year. He’s just a great player. He’s crafty, fast; he’s good, man. Really good.” Via The Detroit Free Press

With four games left, Detroit is in a battle with The Bulls for the 7th seed in the playoffs. With the Bulls win over the Sixers Thursday night they moved ahead of Detroit (by a half of a game) for the 7th spot. The race may just come down to the Bulls – Pistons game at the Palace Monday night.

It’s the home stretch – Get pumped Pistons Fans, Sheed is.

The Good/Bad and More

• Stopping Devin.
• The Pistons haven’t lost the season series with the Nets since dropping three of four meetings in 1993-94.
• It’s refreshing to see that Will Bynum is working every day at being a better NBA point guard.
• More Will at Empty the Bench.
• Even more Will Bynum at Wages of Wins Journal.
• New Detroit Sports blog Motor City Sports and new Pistons blog Motown String Music.
• At this point it doesn’t look like Detroit can sneak into the sixth spot and don’t count on Orlando move up. I don’t think anyone wants to face Detroit in the first round, especially Orlando. It seems as though the Pistons are the Magic’s #1 nemesis.

Tip is at 8:00 PM at the Palace and will be broadcast on FSN. If you can’t watch the telecast you can listen live locally on WDFN 1130 AM, or follow the game through your computer at NBA.com.

DIME Magazine interviewed The Detroit Pistons Rodney Stuckey for a feature in this month’s DIME.  It’s a great read for any Stuckey/Pistons fan.

DIME went a step further for Need4Sheed readers….

After you finish reading the piece on Stuckey leave STUCKTACULAR in the comment section of the article with your correct E-Mail address and one lucky Pistons fan will win a copy of the magazine.

If that’s not STUCKTACULAR, I don’t know what is.

Rodney Stuckey is set to represent the Detroit Pistons in the Rookie – Sophomore game tonight to kick off the All Star Festivities in Phoenix.

Rookie Team Roster

Michael Beasley (Heat) F 6-9 245 Kansas State
Rudy Fernandez (Trail Blazers) G-F 6-6 185 Spain
Marc Gasol (Grizzlies) C 7-1 265 Spain
Eric Gordon (Clippers) G 6-3 222 Indiana
Brook Lopez (Nets) C 7-0 260 Stanford
O.J. Mayo (Grizzlies) G 6-4 210 USC
Greg Oden (Trail Blazers) C 7-0 285 Ohio State
Derrick Rose (Bulls) G 6-3 190 Memphis
Russell Westbrook (Thunder) G 6-3 187 UCLA

Head Coach — TBD
Assistant Coach — Dwyane Wade

Sophomore Team roster

Aaron Brooks (Rockets) G 6-0 161 Oregon
Wilson Chandler (Knicks) F 6-8 220 DePaul
Kevin Durant (Thunder) G-F 6-9 215 Texas
Jeff Green (Thunder) F 6-9 235 Georgetown
Al Horford (Hawks) F-C 6-10 245 Florida
Luis Scola (Rockets) F-C 6-9 245 Argentina
Al Thornton (Clippers) F 6-8 220 Florida State
Rodney Stuckey (Pistons) G 6-5 205 Eastern Washington
Thaddeus Young (Sixers) F 6-8 220 Georgia Tech

Head Coach — TBD
Assistant Coach — Dwight Howard

Tip off is at 9:00 PM on TNT, don’t miss Rodney in he first All Star weekend appearance.

Pistons.com

The NBA announced today that Detroit Pistons guard Rodney Stuckey has been selected as one of 18 players to participate in the 2009 T-Mobile Rookie Challenge & Youth Jam being held on Friday, Feb. 13 in Phoenix during NBA All-Star 2009.

Stuckey will anchor the backcourt of the Sophomore Team that also includes Houston’s Aaron Brooks and Luis Scola, New York’s Wilson Chandler, Oklahoma City’s Kevin Durant and Jeff Green, Atlanta’s Al Horford, L.A. Clippers’ Al Thornton and Philadelphia’s Thaddeus Young.

Rodney Stuckey named EC Player of the week.

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. – An award usually passed back and forth among LeBron James, Dwayne Wade and a select few others has been claimed by someone knocking on the door to their exclusive club: Rodney Stuckey.

Stuckey led the Pistons to a perfect 4-0 week despite the absence of Rip Hamilton in all of them and Rasheed Wallace in nearly three full games, averaging 23 points, 5.3 assists and 4.5 rebounds a game.

Since Stuckey moved into the starting lineup on Dec. 17, the Pistons are 10-3 and have won seven straight games – a streak that began with a win over Chicago in which Stuckey erupted for 40 points. Throw in Stuckey’s three other starts this season and the Pistons are 13-3 in those games. Keith Langlois Pistons.com

If that weren’t enough for the Pistons’ young star, he’s also getting his jersey retired at Eastern Washington this week.

Detroit Pistons guard Rodney Stuckey will have his jersey retired when Eastern Washington plays Weber State on Sunday.

Stuckey played two seasons for EWU before becoming a first round NBA draft pick in 2007. He is currently averaging 13 points per game as a starter for the Pistons. He will sign autographs after the game.

This would have been his senior year with the Eagles.

Stuckey, a native of Kent, Wash., played his freshman and sophomore seasons at Eastern. He averaged 24 points per game each season. After being academically ineligible coming out of high school, Stuckey attained a 3.34 grade point average at the Cheney school. Via Seattlepi.com

UPDATE: Matt’s also got a post with a great video about Rodney over at DBB – check it out.

Forget the fact that Detroit let a 19 point lead against the Bulls shrink to just one. Rodney Stuckey put Detroit on his back to pull out a much-needed win on his way to scoring a career high 40 points Tuesday night at The Palace in Detroit’s 104-98 victory.

Key Points:

• Detroit Led 58-45 at the half only to let the Bulls go on a 20 to 2 run to cut the Pistons lead to just one.
• The Bulls never led.
• I still don’t like Nocioni, but I got to give it up to him for pushing his teammates when they weren’t playing well. Did you see him get in Tyrus Thomas’s face?
• Sheed started the game on fire again scoring Detroit’s first seven points but got cold later going 5-for-14 on his way to a 11 point 4 rebound game.
• Rasheed also earned his 11th tech of the year that he was called for during a timeout. Seriously?
• Was Rodney trying to prove something against rookie point guard Derrick Rose?
• The Bulls had no answer to Rodney Stuckey who looked like an All-Star getting whatever he wanted on his way to a career-high 40 points.

Photo/Getty Images

• First lava ball of the season by the way and I’m glad it went to Stuckey after the effort and heart he showed last night.
• Stuckey scored 17 by the half.
• It almost seems like a distant memory when Rodney Stuckey was having trouble with his jumper. This starting lineup business is suiting him well.
• Antonio McDyess and Tayshaun Prince each put up a double-double. Antonio with 10 points and 11 boards and Prince with 14 points and 11 boards.
• Richard Hamilton 14 points and no ejections!
• No Brown, Hermann, Johnson or Bynum.
• FSN highlights by the quarter.
• 10 straight games with a Pistons Tech, no wonder Tayshaun is pissed.
• This is why Jason Maxiell should never have a DNP Coaches Decision.

Video Courtesy of The NBA, The Detroit Pistons and FSN

• Though he played just 14 minutes, it was all fire and baby eating. Jason had 4 points, 6 rebounds and 2 blocked shots in short minutes. Watch this stretch of Maxiell greatness.
• No, I am not happy that they lost a 19 point lead, but as soon as it got to one they started to take over. Clearly this is a Pistons team we are not used to seeing, or maybe we are?
• Derrick Rose just 10 points in 23 minutes with foul trouble.
• Blaha and Kelser had a fantastic time with the way Stuckey was playing. The kid got whatever he wanted and made it look like butter.
• Five Pistons in double figures.
• 42 points in the paint for The Bulls and 42 for The Pistons.
• Forget the fact that his stat line was 40 points on 15-for-24 shooting. His defense was great, he managed to rack up 4 steals and grabbed 2 boards with 4 assists.
• Did I mention he was responsible for the play of the game? But that’s a given.

Video Courtesy of The NBA, The Detroit Pistons and FSN

• A few Stucktacular Highlights.
• Weird to see Lindsey Hunter in a Bulls uniform with a clean shaven head.
• 15 turnovers for the Bulls to Detroit’s 9.
• Allen Iverson just 24 minutes after he went down with sore left groin. He still managed 8 assists and 5 points. Take note of the behind the back pass to Afflalo in the Maxiell highlights. This could be Iverson’s first game as a pro that he did not score a field goal, all of his points came from the line. Ryan in the comments “By the way, on ESPN, it said that on April 2nd, 1999, AI went 0 for 7. He played 12 minutes that game after a feud with Larry Brown”
• Iverson is listed as day to day, but I can almost guarantee he plays on Friday. It’s just how he rolls.
• Another solid outing from Arron Afflalo
• The Pistons shot 42% from the floor to The Bulls 47%
• On their way…outrebounded by just 2. The Bulls pulled down 46, the Pistons 44.
• 7 games as a starter and shooting 60%….Rodney Stuckey’s Post Game Interview. He keeps playing like this and he is going to be an All Star.
• This is one of those performances that you just have to watch again. Great way to start off a Holiday!

The scenario we have been talking about is going to happen on Tuesday.

“Pistons coach Michael Curry announced after today’s morning practice that second-year point guard Rodney Stuckey will be in the starting lineup Tuesday night against the Washington Wizards.  Center Kwame Brown will now come off the bench, and the other four starters will each shift up one spot.” Via The Detroit Free Press

Your update on Rodney Stuckey: He didn’t make the trip to California.

“When the Pistons boarded their flight to Sacramento on Monday morning, they were another point guard short of a full team. One week after the Pistons traded Chauncey Billups in the deal for Allen Iverson, Rodney Stuckey stayed home for further medical observation after a bout with dizziness during Sunday’s loss to Boston.” Via Pistons.com

Wait, does this mean more BYNUM?

Video Courtesy of The NBA, The Detroit Pistons and FSN Detroit

Another YouTube find, this one by Need4Sheed team member Altan that originated from bbwforums.net. Some serious Rodney Stuckey and Amir Johnson highlights.

With all the trade rumors lingering in Piston land and the declaration by Joe Dumars that everyone but Rodney Stuckey is available for trade, do you really think Rodney is ready?

I have read plenty of trade rumors and scenarios where Detroit could send Chauncey Billups packing. Words like Chauncey is “irrelevant”, or “expendable” now that Stuckey has emerged on the scene. Are they giving Stuckey too much credit or not enough to Chauncey?

Since when is it OK to expect a second year player with less than a half of a season, who is more suited for playing the two, be expected to take the place of an elite All Star point guard?

Don’t get me wrong, I love everything I have seen of Stuckey thus far, but I am not sold just yet with him running the point. No denying that he did a heck of a job during the Orlando Series when Chauncey was down as you can see from this video.

Are we really ready for a Piston team with Hot Rod at the helm?

I’m leaving this one up to you with a poll.