Video via the Detroit Pistons Facebook Page

Photo/AP

Via ESPN

Detroit’s Rodney Stuckey was conscious and breathing on his own as he was taken to a hospital after collapsing on the Pistons’ bench during a game Friday night.

The Pistons said Stuckey was taken to the Cleveland Clinic and his vital signs were stable, but was going for further testing and observation.

Stuckey was wheeled off the court on a stretcher during the third quarter after he collapsed into a trainer’s arms on the bench during the game against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Stuckey walked off the floor for a timeout showing no signs of illness. After a few moments in a chair, though, Stuckey slumped over.

Medical personnel rushed over to the Pistons’ bench with a stretcher. Play was halted for 12 minutes as the medical staff worked on Stuckey, placed an oxygen mask on his face and wheeled him into an ambulance.

Let’s hope that everything is fine with Stuckey, who has a less severe, but similar thing happen to him last season.

Get well Rodney, this is beyond basketball right now.

Via SI

Rodney Stuckey was walking over to give rookie Jonas Jerebko some advice Friday night when he started feeling dizzy and sat down.

Shortly after he asked for some water, he slumped unconscious into the arms of Pistons trainer Arnie Kander.

Stuckey was to remain overnight at the Cleveland Clinic after collapsing and being taken from the arena by ambulance during the third quarter of Cleveland’s 99-92 win over the Pistons.

”He is stable and that is good news,” Pistons coach John Kuester said. ”I think he is going to be OK.”

LeBron James had 40 points, 13 rebounds and six assists as the Cavaliers rallied from a 21-point deficit in the first half, but the game was overshadowed by the scary scene in the third quarter.

Pistons teammate Tayshaun Prince sat silent in his chair a few feet away with his head down, and the Cavaliers huddled together near their bench also with their heads bowed as Stuckey was being treated.

Both teams huddled again at midcourt following the game and prayed. Cavaliers general manager Danny Ferry met Kuester as the Pistons left the floor after the game. The two walked to Detroit’s locker room with their arms around each other. Kuester spent the last two seasons as an assistant coach in Cleveland.

”He came over and told Arnie he was feeling dizzy,” Pistons forward Charlie Villanueva said. ”He drank some water and the next thing you know, he passed out. It’s very scary. One minute, you think everything is OK, then the next second, it turns around so quick.”

The players were walking off the floor for a timeout with 2:30 left in the third quarter when Kuester got off the bench to meet them. He was going to say something to Jerebko when Stuckey stepped in.

”I loved that he took the initiative,” Kuester said. ”As I was meeting with the coaches, all of a sudden I saw him leaning over with Arnie and before I knew it, he was on the ground.”

Stuckey, a second-year guard from Eastern Washington, had eight points and 10 assists before collapsing. He missed two games in 2008 with dizziness. It wasn’t immediately known if the incidents were related.

Kuester was shaken by the scene because of his past involvement in similar situations.

”It’s not pleasant to talk about,” Kuester said. ”All that matters is he’s going to be OK.”

The Pistons struggled after Stuckey’s collapse. Detroit led 67-61 when he fell ill. Detroit scored just one basket the rest of the quarter.

”My mind came off the game, of course,” Jerebko said. ”I don’t know if it changed the outcome.”

Prince had 23 points and Richard Hamilton added 20 for Detroit, which lost its sixth straight. The Pistons will head home to face Houston on Sunday. It’s not known when Stuckey will rejoin them.

First look at his face while he decides how to answer Eli Zarets’ first question about Rodney’s play.

And then comes the answer.

After it seemed like something was bothering him another reporter decided to delve into what seemed to be Kuester’s discontent with Rodney’s play.

Is he upset? You be the judge.

Video courtesy of The Detroit Pistons

Stuckey led the Pistons to a 3-0 week, averaging 27.0 points on .529 shooting from the field, 6.0 assists, 2.3 rebounds and 1.3 steals. On Dec. 12, Stuckey led the Pistons with a season-high 29 points and added seven assists, helping Detroit to its fifth straight victory, a 104-95 win over Golden State. On Dec. 9 at Philadelphia, Stuckey led all scorers with 27 points, including the game-winning field goal with 8.7 seconds remaining.  Via Pistons.com

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

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 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.

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.

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.