UPDATE:
Pistons 114 Timberwolves 122 (Box Score)

Defense…. We knew it was going to be a problem, and I know it’s the preaseon, but when you score 114 points that is usually an indication that you won the game.

Video Highlights

The 3-3 Pistons host their last preseason game a tonight at 7:30 PM at the Palace of Auburn Hills tonight against (YES) Bill Laimbeer and the 1-5 Minnesota Timberwolves.  Yes I know Bill’s not the head coach nor is he playing, but it’s nice to mention his name whenever I can.  Check out his return video interview at Pistons.com.

The game isn’t on television, but you can listen to it from your radio on WWJ AM 950 or follow the gamecast over at NBA.com.

And if you cant do either…make sure you read a little on one of my favorites Antonio McDyess (Ice 4Dyess).

The season is right around the corner and PISTONS WEEK starts this Sunday at FSN!
CLICK HERE for the Full FSN Schedule.

First it was Jonas Jerbeko and not it’s Austin Daye.

“The league announced that Detroit Pistons forward Austin Daye will be suspended for the season opener after a skirmish on Wednesday between him and Milwaukee’s Carlos Delfino.

According the the league, Daye is being suspended for striking Delfino in the face and Delfino, a former Pistons draft pick, is being suspended one game for retaliating.” Via MLive

Let’s hope DaJuan Summers doesn’t follow the rest of the Rookies. Who needs Laimbeer and Mahorn….we have our own Bad Boys now.

• Bynumite impressed coach Kuester “I went after him specifically to say how much I was impressed with him,” Kuester said. “He changed the complexion of the game with his energy and scoring.” This season, Kuester sees a similar role for Bynum, a “spark plug” type of player off the bench who can change the flow of a game. “A person that’s not going to sit and let the offense come to him but he’ll attack offensively and defensively,” Kuester said.
• Bynum looking to breakout in his contract year. I see good things to come from Will, who’s been such a pleasant surprise in the D.
• Kwame Brown on Ben Wallace “Anybody that can play defense like that, I’m going with the mind-set that I can learn from him and take something from his game and add it to my game.”
• More Allen Iverson Drama over at ESPN “They told me, straight up, ‘Allen we would never disrespect you or your career like that’ by making me come off the bench,” You know Allen, Pistons fans seem to recall a promise you made when you TOOK Chauncey’s spot and his number that you would do whatever it took to win a championship in Detroit.  If that’s skipping practice, bitching about playing time, and tanking your season when things didn’t go your way…..good luck to you in Memphis, you’re dead to us in Motown.
• Laimbeer getting used to being an NBA Coach. “It’s a good feeling to see the guys respond to what I’m saying,” Laimbeer said. “This is something I’ve always wanted to do. A lot has changed since I played, but it’s still basketball, and it’s still about responsibilities.”
• Dumars latest moves fall flat according to SI. Still talking about the cap space and 2010, did any of you think these moves would put us in Championship contention without another move made? Frankly I see it as a considerable upgrade to the mess last season.
• Kuester starts camp in the D with D.
• Daye, Summers and Jerebko fighting for playing time.
• Does anyone else get the feeling Rip is not happy to still be wearing a Pistons uni?  Did you see his face in the Media Day photo’s? That’s not a happy camper. Plus I have update his toon with the new fauhawk.

Photo/Getty Images

• Regardless, he took the time out to speak to Detroit area High School Students.
• More long range shots from the tall fellas?
• Great interview with Amir Johnson (audio) over at HoopsAddict.
• For those of us who remember him fondly…..A Fennis Dembo update.

• Ben Wallace, the 3rd best defender of the decade.
• Bill Laimbeer is surprised he likes his new boss, and so am I quite frankly.
• Malice at the Palace no more – Ron Artest and John Green are the best of friends.
• Tom Wilson on how the Pistons organization has changed with the passing of Bill Davidson and the new roster changes.
• The Pistons will have three point guards when camp starts.
• New “D” in town?
• Vintage Pistons editorial Cartoons.
• Former Piston Alex Acker back in the Euroleague.
• The Pistons FINALLY make it to #1 on a list….and I am sure you will agree with this one.
• Love/Hate for Sheed over at Celtics Blog.
• Pistons Recharged – Finally something to watch on Television  it will run on  FoxSports Detroit -  Fri. Sept. 4 – 6:30 PM; Sat. Sept. 5 – 9:30 AM & 5:30 PM; Sun. Sept. 6 – 9:00 AM
• 90% of Pistons fans loath Michael Jordan and with the all MJ all the time coverage he’s (deservedly) getting these Jordan failures are sure to amuse.
• Pretty awesome idea – Drew Cieszynski decided he was going to go on Tour…with the NBA during the 2007-08 season. Not surprised that the Pistons treated him like Royalty and his stop at the Palace made the top of the list.  Also not surprised the the Celtics did not.   If that’s not enough..he’s going Big Ten. Good luck Drew.
• DaJuan Summers (@dsummers35) judging American Idol The Pistons National Anthem Auditions. (Video)
• The lessons of Coach Daly will live on.
• Saddened by the news that Ernie Harwell has incurable cancer. My prayers go out to his family.
• NBA Twitter guidelines.

Lastly…I had an unbelievable once in a lifetime experience (for me). Something I have been waiting to happen for about 23 years. If you Follow me on Twitter you would know what it was.  More on that later, but in the meantime FOLLOW me and Retweet this for another prize (you must follow me to find out what it is) I will be giving away next week.

Message to ReTweet (you can copy and paste):

If you are a Pistons fan you must Follow @need4sheed_com – Repping the “D” regardless of Sheed! #Need4Sheed #Sheedburgler

Though it may not be the head coaching job Bill was looking for, I’m sure he’s on his way.

Via The Star Tribune

“New Timberwolves coach Kurt Rambis will add former Detroit Pistons bad-boy center Bill Laimbeer and former Sacramento Kings head coach Reggie Theus to his staff, according to a league source.

Those two notable names will join Boston assistant general manager Dave Wohl, a former Los Angeles Lakers assistant and New Jersey’s head coach in the 1980s who will become Rambis’ No. 1 assistant.

Laimbeer, 52, resigned as the Detroit Shock’s head coach and general manager in June after winning three WNBA titles in seven seasons as its coach. He did so in a surprise move presumably to pursue a coaching career in the NBA, where he won two NBA titles with the Pistons displaying an agitating playing style that earned him the nickname “His Heinous.”

He has never coached in the NBA.”

Good Luck Lamb

I’ll still miss the good old days.

Fennis – well, maybe he was not a household name but a really original one.

Here I go with another blast from the past.

Life was simple….mullets, acid washed jeans and florescent clothing were acceptable and the Bad Boys ran the show.

The most fabulous Old School blast from the past Pistons video. Anytime you have Fennis Dembo, Scott Hastings and Chocolate Thunder in a single video clip it’s sure to be an instant classic. Enjoy your old school Friday.

Get the Flash Player to see this player.

I urge you to head over to ESPN and check out Outside the Lines with Bill Laimbeer.  If you’re not old enough to remember Bill the “Bad Boy”, the article along with the video interview (below)  will give you a glimpse into one of my favorite all time Pistons.

In an effort to get myself through the NBA offseason I always tend to revert back to old videos I have collected or watch the old games I have on DVR or DVD.  While scouring my computer today I found this clip and all the sudden I was taken back to the 1990 Pistons Bulls playoff series.  I remember both the 1989 and 90 battles like they were yesterday but watching this clipped sparked a little memory I had from game 7 at the Palace in 1990.

Get the Flash Player to see this player.

Video Courtesy of The Detroit Pistons

I Remember the game vividly because I was at the Palace that night. I remember Johns Salley’s performance and I distinctly remember the celebration of being the eastern conference champs getting ready to head off to the NBA Championship for the second season in a row. (Back2Back I still have that t-shirt)

I also had a memory of two player that you may or may not remember. William Bedford and the Bulls B.J. Armstrong.

Bedford turned out to be of the biggest disappointments, a 7 footer with much potential and two NBA championship rings (thanks to Detroit) who sadly squandered his talents because of a drug problem.

B.J. Armstrong was Michigan bred and went the Birmingham Brother Rice high school.  I will always remember how small he seemed to me (6″2)  on court and always amazed in the fact that he was right across the way while I attended school.

Any special moments you remember distinctly?

From NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski at Yahoo Sports

“The Detroit Pistons are no longer considering Avery Johnson for their head-coaching position after the two sides could not come to terms on a contract, an NBA source with knowledge of the talks said Tuesday morning.

The source said Cleveland Cavaliers assistant John Kuester is now the favorite to get the job, but

Boston Celtics assistant Tom Thibodeau remains under serious consideration.”

The Issue:

Avery wanted a little a longer contract from a team that goes trough coach like Sheed get techs.

Little upset about it, my Avery Johnson impression is stellar.

Personally if they are going to go with someone with no NBA head coaching experience I would rather see Laimbeer helm.

From the Joe Dumars via DetNews

“Where we are right now as a team is kind of like where we were at the start of the Rick Carlisle era,” Dumars said. “And a $4 to $5 million (a year) coach is not what we need right now. We didn’t have one of those until we were close to contending for a championship when we got Larry (Brown).”

If any of you follow former Bad Boy Bill Laimbeer, you know of his aspirations of becoming an NBA head coach. Well he’s going to be resigning resigned today as the Head coach of the Detroit’s WNBA Shock. My guess, he’s got a head coaching job lined up.

“The Free Press has learned that former Pistons’ star Bill Laimbeer is expected to resign as the head coach of the WNBA defending champion Shock this afternoon following an immensely successful 6 1/2-year run.

It is believed that Laimbeer’s long-term aspiration is to become an NBA head coach.” Via The Detroit Free Press

And then there’s this (courtesy of Need4Sheed reader Jay)

I guess we will find out soon.

UPDATE: We all saw this coming but just in case you don’t know, former Bad Boy and assistant coach Rick Mahorn will step in for Laimbeer as The Shock’s coach.

Not much new on the Pistons front these days, so what does a starved Piston fan do? Well I have been watching the playoff games from the 89 Championship season.

I have also been going through old footage I have saved on the hard drive.  I found possibly my favorite little clip ever.

Add some cowboy hats and a classic soundtrack and you would swear you were in the old west. Bad to the Bone…that’s what they were.

Looking back…Dumars wears the white hat, Isiah, Laimbeer and Mahorn would be donning black.

As a Pistons fan in what seems like unfamiliar territory watching this seasons’ NBA Playoffs, it took me back to a time when things changed for the Pistons. You can say as fans that we are spoiled, six consecutive ECF appearance with a two Championship showings and one NBA title.  I don’t call it spoiled, in fact I call it a bit of domination.

That team of journeymen who soared to great heights over accomplished according to NBA standards. Chauncey, Rip, Wallace X2, Prince, Memo, Elden, Corliss etc… started something that didn’t suddenly come to an end.  A little bit of that special something died when the Pistons lost to the Spurs, when it looked like they were going back to back.  A little more so when Ben Wallace bolted for Chicago and the final straw was the Chauncey Billups trade.

We should have seen right then that it was over, but that’s what we do as fans.  We root and hope and we stand by our team even though we know the ship is sinking.

I remember another sinking ship called The Bad Boys.  It first started taking on water when the Pistons lost to the Bulls in the first round of the playoffs after winning back to back championships.  The release of Vinnie Johnson started the take down, and the rest is what it was, the end on an era in Detroit Basketball history. This video will bring it all back….

As we hope NOT to repeat history of years of mediocrity, we have a common thread that may keep us afloat.  Joe Dumars was there through it all, let’s hope he will do whatever he can to right wrongs and start a new trend instead of following an old one.

We don’t have much longer to wait to see just what we as Pistons fans have to look forward to.