• The Bulls get their season high in points.
• How does and NBA team be own by 38 at any point in the game?
• Ben Gordon goes down with a strained left groin.
• Tayshaun Prince didn’t play.
• Detroit just matched their longest losing streak.
• One of your biggest highlights came from a Kwame Brown dunk.
• I’m seriously at loss for words tonight, I rarely beat up on the team, but they just looked pathetic tonight.  I can’t say that other than the  a few minutes in the first from Stuckey and some hustle from Chris Wilcox did anyone else but Jonas Jerebko and Ben Wallace put forth any effort.

Photo/Getty Images

• They looked like they just gave up before halftime.  To go down 120-87 to one of the worst offensive teams in the league is disheartening. At this point I’m seeing so many flaws in this team, its player and its chemistry that it’s hard to believe that this season is salvageable.
• I was tweeting with fellow Pistons fans, as I do most games, and let’s just say that the cry for John Wall is getting louder and louder.
• Look at this team, look at the talent, they can win and that’s the biggest issue. They can and they are far, far from doing it.
• One of Need4sheed’s biggest supporters @joannepistonfan made mention to me that coach Kuester looks a lot like Linus in Charlie Brown. She’s right, and after tonight he’s going to need more than a blanket and his thumb to console him.

• I expect more than this. I expect 48 minutes of effort, and if you do that and lose I’m ok with it.  I know it’s hard to keep losing, but don’t sit there on the bench with a smile on your face when you just got spanked by one of the worst teams in the league that itself is in turmoil.
• What’s even more depressing?  That we have to look at a game in Feb against the Nets as the next possible win.
• Console yourself with Jerebko’s reverse layup.

Video Courtesy of The NBA, FSN and The Detroit Pistons

Look, in order to be good again, you must go through the bad, but there is no use making excuses and pretending this team isn’t broke. It doesn’t mean we aren’t’ fans, it just means we have been through it, we know things will get better and most of all we aren’t delusional.

Until then, we hope for a win against Washington.

The 11-24 Pistons take on the 15-20 Chicago Bulls to try to avoid matching their longest losing streak in 17 seasons.

If the Pistons break the losing streak and get a win in Chicago, it will their first victory in at the United Center in nearly four years.

Coach Kuester is shaking things up to try to snap the streak by starting Chris Wilcox.

Watch Kuester’s announcement, Ben Gordan and Joe Dumars talking about their troubles.  Via Pistons.com

Injury Report:

Will Bynum (left ankle) is out and has yet to start running as part of his rehab while Tayshaun Prince (left knee) and Rodney Stuckey (right knee) both missed the second half of Saturday’s loss to the Sixers. Prince is a game-time decision while Stuckey is adamant he will play despite not being able to finish the last two games. Stuckey has averaged 19.5 points, 6.0 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 2.0 steals against Chicago this season.Via Pistons.com

UPDATE:

Tayshaun will not play, Jonas Jerebko will start in his place.

The Scouting Report via Pistons.com

Tip is at 8:00 pm EST and will be televised on Fox Sports Detroit. For the radio broadcast tune in to 97.1 The Ticket or follow the action over at NBA.com.

NEED4SHEED GAME CHAT

The 11-20 as you probably already know are on an eight game losing streak. An afternoon New Years Eve game at home against the Bulls may be just the thing to break them out of their current slump.

The 12-17  Bulls have their own internal issues to deal with, but that doesn’t mean the team isn’t winning.

Injury Report:

No current news on the availability of Will Bynum, who sat out Tuesday night’s game to rest his ankles.
Charlie Villanueva is a game time decision.

The Scouting Report via Pistons.com

Early afternoon tip is at 3:00 pm EST and will be televised on Fox Sports Detroit. For the radio broadcast tune in to 9.71 The Ticket, or follow the action over at NBA.com for those of you working on New Years Eve.

Happy New Year !

NEED4SHEED GAME CHAT

Key Points:

• Watching the first quarter of basketball as a Pistons fan was similar to watching someone trip and fall. You wanted to laugh and cry at the same time, and it was a mess watching it unfold. Nothing really went right.
• Though Ben Gordon did play, Kuester had to get him in early after the Pistons starting five couldn’t score at all.
• Detroit shot 25% in the first quarter.
• This is not a dig, but when Kwame Brown, Chris Wilcox and Austin Daye are playing well and nobody else is…that’s a problem.
• Jason Maxiell was a spark in the third by getting the Pistons within three, but the Bulls promptly took off running. He finished with 6 points and 6 boards, playing just 15 minutes.
• Need4Swede – Nice turn around glasser for Jonas who scored 7 points with 2 boards.

Video Courtesy of The NBA, FSN and The Detroit Pistons

• Rodney Stuckey put up 17 on 4-for-16 shooting with 4 assists and 4 turnovers. This wasn’t a great one for Rodney, in fact I wonder if he was trying to do too much to try to keep up with Derrick Rose. The positive is that he did get to the line eleven times.
• 15 turnovers for Detroit on the night and it seemed like the bulk of them came in the fourth when they were trying to claw their way back.
• Another game with zero blocked shots for Detroit while Chicago had 6.
• Brad Miller really can throw a nice ally-oop to Derrick Rose.
• Detroit got within 5 points with less than 20 seconds left.
• They fought hard down the stretch, but you actually saw their shortcomings when they tried to pull it out. Missed opportunities, sloppy play and turnovers did them in.
• Ben Gordon, on an injured ankle, faced his old team with a smattering of boos and cheers for the first time since leaving the Bulls and signing with the Pistons.  Ben led Detroit with 18 points on 6-for-16 shooing.  Sure he led Detroit, but you could just tell he wanted to do a lot more than he did against his old team.

Photo/Getty Images

• 36 points in the paint mostly thanks to some scrappy play from Chris Wilcox (9) and Kwame Brown (10).
• Thank Austin Daye for scoring his 5 points right when Detroit needed them to make it a closer game before the half.
• A non-Bynumite game for Will, who wasn’t the usual spark.  Will scored 10 points on 4-for-9 shooting with 7 assists.
• 38% shooting on the night for Detroit.
• As for the assist department, just 17 total for Detroit.
• Big Ben, 7 boards, 2 steals and an assist.  He looked a bit tired in the Windy City.  I was trying to pay attention to boo’s for Ben, but I didn’t really pick many up.  Did they boo Wallace too?
• I don’t care what kind of year Joakim Noah is having….he still bothers me.
• No Charlie V, but the Pistons hope to have him back against the Bucks Friday.
• First Half Mess Highlights via NBA.com

• If you watched that video and the game…you can sympathize  how Coach Kue felt.

The 6-11 Pistons The 6-9 Chicago Bulls at the United Center.

According to Kuester, we will probably see the same Pistons’ lineup in Chicago that took the court at the Palace against Atlanta. Nothing solid as to when or if either Ben Gordon or Charlie Villanueva will take the court in Chicago. via Pistons.com

The Scouting Report via Pistons.com

I have a question…will Ben Wallace get booed by the United Center crowd? I’m pretty sure they won’t give the same reception to Mr. Wallace as they will to the other Ben in his return to his old home.

Tip is at 8:00 pm EST and will be televised on Fox Sports Detroit. For the radio broadcast tune into 97.1 The Ticket or follow the action on NBA.com.

NEED4SHEED GAME CHAT

Key Points:

• Coach Kuester shook up the starting lineup Sunday afternoon starting Chucky Atkins (PG), Rodney Stuckey, Jonas Jerebko, Jason Maxiell and Ben Wallace.
• The lineup change was a gutsy move from Kuester who’s basically doing whatever he can with what he’s got available. I said it a few games back, it’s not just like having three of your best scorers out, it’s like having four when you can’t count on steady production from Charlie Villlanueva. Maybe the temporary move to the bench is just what Villlanueva needed to get himself back in gear, it’s not like we know he can’t score.
• The change also helped Rodney Stuckey. Having Chucky Atkins running the floor let Rodney play the position he’s best at.

“We talk about the leadership that we get from Ben, Tayshaun and Rip, but we need to add Chucky to that discussion,” Kuester said. “He’s been huge for our young guards. He’s going to be a coach in this league, and he’s doing a lot of that for us.” Via NBA.com

• Atkins hadn’t started an NBA game since 2007, and hadn’t started for Detroit since Nov. 30, 2002.
• The points in the paint stat was huge for the Pistons with 60 for the game. Detroit started taking it inside early.
• Detroit’s biggest lead was 12, Atlanta’s 2.
• Ben Camey Wallace has brought back the “Going to Work” style of Basketball to Detroit again, right where it belongs. Ben put up a double-double with 18 boards, 10 points and 2 steals. The Pistons may not have a stellar record, but if it weren’t for Ben Wallace they wouldn’t have a chance to win night in and night out.

Photo/Getty Images

• How about holding Joe Johnson to 5-for-19 shooting.
• Charlie Villanueva broke his nose when he was fouled by the Hawks’ Zaza Pachulia and smashed face first into Wallace’s side. Villanueva, gushing blood,with a tissue to stop the bleeding,  hit both free throws before heading to the Pistons’ locker room not return.

• Another “Masked Man” for Detroit. Get well soon Charlie, you showed some guts coming back on court and sinking the free throws.
• Josh Smith makes dunking pretty.
• Does Will Bynum have some kind of fourth quarter energy drink he’s hoarding from the rest of the team?  The Thrill is money in the final quarter.
• Kuester made mention about 5 times in the Post Game Presser…”everyone is being held accountable.”   Was that a hint about why the lineup changed?
• Rodney Stuckey Circus shot!

Video Courtesy of The NBA, FSN and The Detroit Pistons

• Mr. Stuckey played well, leading Detroit with 23 points on 10-for-23 shooting with 8 assists a steal and 2 boards.  He looks good at the two, doesn’t he?  Not only has he been stepping up his game lately, his jumpshot looks better and he seems to be making better decisions when driving the lane.

Photo/Getty Images

• I’m ecstatic to finally make the ball glow again…the losing streak was brutal.
• Jason Maxiell stepping up in the starting spot was more than refreshing.   His numbers may not be eye-popping, but he made some great plays down the stretch. Jason finished with 7 points, 6 boards and 2 steals.  I’m always surprised for some reason when he hits 15 footers with ease.  I love it, but I just picture him wreaking havoc with a emphatic dunk.
• Some great moves from Will Bynum who finished with 19 points on 8-for-13 shooting and was key in the fourth quarter.
• Chris Wilcox DNP.
• Kwame Brown stepped up big time in the first half. Brown scored 8 with 5 boards in 15 minutes of play.
• Sweeeeeeeeede! Need4Swede?

Photo/Getty Images

• Jonas Jerebko, with his own Fan Club on hand, had another great game. He may as well just tattoo Hard Work Pays Off on his arm because he’s the poster child for it. Jonas with a double-double, 10 points, 11 boards and a key play that may have sealed the win for Detroit.

• So that’s what happened to Mo Evans.
• Austin Daye, just 11 minutes with 2 points and 4 rebounds. I am a bit surprised he didn’t get more time and DaJuan Summers was a DNP.   But hey, whatever works.   Kue stopped the bleeding…well maybe not for Charlie, but for the Pistons’ record.
• How about Charlie V with a nice block and then he knocks down a three.  I love it when things come together.
• Fun game to watch, love the we can get it done with the “no matter what” type attitude.  Battered, bruised and always battling should be a new motto.
• Forget Chucky Atkins’ 1-for-7 shooting, he was running the point well for Detroit.
• Game Highlights via NBA.com

• With two days off, let’s hope Detroit can at least get Ben Gordon back so he can play in Chicago against his old team on Wednesday.
• The hits just keep on coming…Charlie Villanueva needs surgery. It’s great to follow the @Cv31 on Twitter, you get the news as it happens.

“Surgery tomorrow, wish me luck, I will send a tweet during surgery, lol, the mask is on its way, lets go”

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Cleveland Cavaliers

Fear The Sword | WaitingForNextYear | Cavalier Attitude

Detroit Pistons

Motown String Music  | Empty the Bench | Pistons Nation | Need4Sheed.com

Indiana Pacers

Indy Cornrows

Milwaukee Bucks

BrewHoop

Bonus Links:

See full schedule here | Also see SBNation Central Division Storystream

The wait is over for starved Pistons fans who weren’t used to a short post season.  The first pre-season game is tonight at The Palace of Auburn Hills against The Miami Heat .  For those of you who were wondering, this game will be televised on FSN Detroit, so make sure you catch it because besides the last pre-season game this will be the only time to watch what this new team can do before the regular season starts.

If you feel anything like I do, today couldn’t have come quick enough. I am anxious to first off see how Ben Gordon gels with the team and excited to see how Kuester involves the rookies. This is a season of the unknown, many things can happen.

• The Pistons do what most of their fans and the media think, fall short of anything spectacular and just keep their heads above water all season long.
• They could be worse than people imagined and just not work in their new configuration.
• They can surprise and do better than anyone expected.
• They can be very frustrating.
• They can be very entertaining.

The list can go on…

Personally I am of the belief that this is going to be better than anything we experienced last season. I expect some excitement from our rookies, especially DaJuan Summers. I am always of the half glass full mentality, so I’m holding out hope for a fun and exciting season regardless of the Pistons final record.

One thing I do know is…when people have something to prove they usually do whatever it takes to make their point.

Look out for Bynumite, Ben Gordon, Charlive Villanueva, Chris Wilcox and the always hungry Jason Maxiell.

And Ben Wallace….that’s a different animal altogether.  I’m sure he wants to win back the fans in the city that made him.

As for the game:

Tip off is at 7:30 but tune in to FSN starting at 6:30 with Remembering Chuck Daly followed by the Pistons pre-game show.  When the action starts we can hear the familiar voices of George Blaha and Special K.

If you can’t watch the action, you can follow the game live on NBA.com or listen in at 97.1 The Ticket the new home for Pistons radio broadcasts.  The Ticket’s first Pistons broadcast will begin with their pre-game show at 7 p.m. and they will be taking calls post game as well as your texts.  Call into the station  (248-539-9797) where you can talk to my good friend Matt Dery or text into the station at 97136 (standard text message rates apply).

Notables/Injuries

Charlie Villanueva has been nursing a sore hamstring and is unlikely to play against Miami. Villanueva has missed a couple of practices this week with the injury but was able to do some light running on Sunday.

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?

Sam Smith,who’s been writing for and about the Bulls for quite some time says the Pistons have promised Ben Gordon 11 million dollars.

“I haven’t heard they are, and General Manager Gar Forman has not come off his stance that he wants to bring Gordon back. But I also heard that Gordon’s agent allegedly has been saying he has an $11 million promise from the Pistons.

This could go with the promise I received to play giving me a chance to win the lottery. I’ve never fully understood the supposed Pistons interest. Not because teams don’t like Gordon. But because the Pistons have Rodney Stuckey, not a true point guard, and Richard Hamilton. Though the rumors supposedly are the Pistons would trade Hamilton. Though why trade a 6-7 shooting guard to accommodate one maybe a half foot shorter? Though I never say never in the NBA, as Phil Jackson taught me. And Michael.” Via Bulls Blog

As for the Rip Hamilton mention, it’s been whirling around that Detroit is shopping Rip.  Though all this is just speculation and rumor, I keep hearing that Rip is on the block.

While I’m not sure Ben Gordon is the ansewer, he’s(26) a lot younger than Rip (32). If the Pistons are trying to build young, this may have some truth to it.

UPDATE:

Our good friend Dave Dial over at MLive makes an interesting point:

“One more reason that could be the one that would tip the scales in favor of replacing Hamilton with Gordon is that Joe Dumars could use Rip as an asset in a trade to grab a big man that the Pistons will need next season.

Hoops World points out that it’s not legal for the Pistons to contact Gordon or his agent until after July 1st, but theorizes that Dumars may have had conversations last summer while Gordon was a restricted free agent and looking for a raise.

What’s not clear in Smith’s report is if the ‘promise’ is for a contract starting at $11 million dollars(doubtful) or if it will average $11 million dollars over the course of 5 seasons. If it’s the latter, and that seems most likely, then the contract would start out at under $9.5 million dollars. In that case Joe Dumars would still have enough cap space to sign another big name free agent, and then could make a trade involving Rip Hamilton.”

UPDATE:
Our Pistons insider Matt Dery of 97.1 The Ticket just shot me this email.

“I talked to a Pistons source today who told me that they are denying this story about Ben Gordon and they add that it is illegal.. and not how it works.”

We know it’s illegal, but something tells me this one might be true. Stay tuned.