Key Points:

• Glad to see Arron Afflalo starting for Denver and truly making a difference.  I know we are guard heavy, but we gave him up for next to nothing .  He’s making a difference on both ends of the floor for the Nuggets.  He’s a starter in the NBA…it would be nice if they updated his profile picture in his Denver uniform. NBA webmaster fail.
• A monster game from Jason Maxiell, who put his athleticism and strength on display.  Maxiell went 7-for-9 for 16 points, a blocked shot and 8 boards in 24 minutes.  Denver didn’t know what to do with Maxi.
• On the other side of things… Charlie V 5 points 0n 2-for-6 , 7 boards in 18 minutes.  At least he’s grabbing boards when his shot inst working.
• Do we get alarmed with the way Ben Gordon’s season has turned out or do we blame injury or playing time?
• Some key baskets again from Rodney Stuckey, who scored 19 with 7 boards and six assists.  Was he trying to show Chauncey up?  I would be trying to if I was him, but what his stat line does suggest is that he’s turning into a complete player.

Photo/Getty Images

• Jonas Jerebko can’t get a call to save his life.  When will this kid get some respect from the refs?  The whistle was going against the Swede all night long and his playing time was hampered by fouls.  Just 18 minutes with 9 points on 4-for-5 shooting with and assist and 2 boards.  How great was it to see Jonas shirts and horn in the crowd in Denver.  The Need4Swede is everywhere.
• The Pistons really played a good 48 even though they didn’t come out ahead.  Board war won 50 to 38 and they had 21 assists on the night.
• Little disappointed in Detroit’s free throw shooting lately.
• Chauncey with 25 on the night with 2 assists and 4 turnovers.  The man is still Mr. Big shot no matter where he is.
• I caught Chauncey’s post game interview and noticed something funny sitting in his locker.  A white lunch bag with different colored hearts all over it,  I think his wife Piper must have packed him a post game snack.  My guess PBJ and a Capri Sun.
• Plenty of Blocked shots in this one.  Detroit blocked 5 and Denver 7.
• Chris Wilcox and Kwame Brown not active for this one because of health reasons.
• Highlights of The Game via NBA.com

• Anyone else notice Jason Maxiell’s jump shot has been money lately?
• Rip led the Pistons with 20 on 5-for-17 shooting with 5 assists and 6 boards.  He’s looking better and better ever game.
• Bynum just doesn’t look right lately.
• One points shy of a double-double for Ben Wallace, who scored 9 with 10 boards a steal and 2 blocked shots.  Where would this season be without him?
• So…can we officially say we are going for the ping pong balls now?
• Tonight against the Warriors.

The 21-36 Detroit Pistons are in Denver to face our good friend Chauncey and his 38-19 Nuggets tonight. Though the season has been great for Denver and not so much for Detroit, the one thing the Pistons have going for them is seven straight wins against the Nuggets.

It’s nice to see Chauncey having such great season, no matter where he is.

The Nuggets are without their coach George Karl, who revealed on Feb. 16 that he has neck and throat cancer. Former Piston Adrian Dantley led the team in his absence. My thoughts go out to him and his family during his battle.

The Scouting Report via Pistons.com

Tip is at 9:00 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 Nuggets have actively searched for a big man in recent weeks, working to pry younger DeAndre Jordan and older ones Antonio McDyess and Ben Wallace without success.

No reason for a trade to move Ben Wallace, but keep in mind either Tayshaun, Rip or both could be moved by the Feb 18th deadline if Joe Dumars sees the opportunity to build towards the future.

• Cleveland Cavaliers on Nov. 25
• Denver Nuggets on Dec. 10
• Boston Celtics on Jan. 20
• Orlando Magic on Jan. 31
• San Antonio Spurs on Feb. 21
• Boston Celtics on Mar. 2
• Cleveland Cavaliers on Mar. 16

Click on the link to purchase up to 8 full price tickets to the biggest Pistons games this season.  This presale runs from Tues., Sept. 15 at 10 am until Thurs., Sept. 17 at noon.  Plus, you can receive up to 4 free tickets to the Oct. 30 Home Opener (one for each regular-price ticket you purchase).

Notice the teams?

• LeBron
• Chauncey
• Sheed
• Dwight
• Dyess
• Sheed
• LeBron

Disposable Superstar

Thanks to Max, Jeff, Michael, El Patron Himself, Stephen and all the others who made sure I didn’t miss this one. And all of you….pass it on. Go Chauncey!

]]> http://need4sheed.com/2009/05/manditory-big-shot.html/feed 54 http://need4sheed.com/2009/03/chauncey-billups-introduction-at-the-palace.html http://need4sheed.com/2009/03/chauncey-billups-introduction-at-the-palace.html#comments Wed, 04 Mar 2009 04:35:46 +0000 Natalie Sitto http://need4sheed.com/?p=3751 Still the real deal from Park Hill………………Chauncey BA BA BA Billups!

Chauncey Billups’ Palace introductions March 3rd 2009

What a night to be at The Palace!

And what a class act Billups is. Watch his post game comments and then tell me you don’t appreciate and miss his leadership and his attitude.  In red white and blue or light blue and yellow…he’s Ron Burgundy classy.

Chauncey Billups Post Game Comments Video

The Pistons take on the 39-21 Denver Nuggets at home for the first time since Chauncey Billups was traded from Detroit.  Billups acknowledges it will be emotional to play at The Palace for the first time as an ex-Piston, but I can only imagine how he feels one the fans welcome him back.

“It will be fun to get back to that city that I love so dearly, the fans that I love so dearly,” Billups said. Via NBA.com

My guess is there will be a few tears shed in the building.

I’m also hoping for a CHAUNCEY B-B-B-BILLUPS from our good friend Mason.

We have Iverson fans as well as Billups fans and no matter which side of the fence you sit on, there is no denying what Billups meant to this team or it’s fans.

Sorting though one of my first videos I did on N4S, I found this one i titled Chauncey for MVP, I thought you might enjoy it today.

The Good/The Bad and More

• No Carmelo Anthony for Denver -- “The Denver Nuggets have suspended Carmelo Anthony for one game for an “in-game transgression” Sunday against Indiana. “There is a code of conduct that we take very seriously, especially from a leader and co-captain,” Rex Chapman, vice president of player personnel, said Monday. “Carmelo knows this and regrets what happened. He is a very competitive person and made a poor decision in the heat of the moment. We look forward to having him back on Thursday and will have no further comment at this time.” Via ESPN
• Pistons fans feeling the loss not more than ever.

• “I’m going to give him a couple of flagrant fouls”  Sheed on Chauncey’s return.  Via The Detroit Free Press
• Iverson will be back in Detroit on Wednesday.
• Charley Rosen of Fox Sports tells it like it is about Iverson and it isn’t pretty.
• The Basketball Jones on Detroit Basketball.
• “It’s going to be amazing,” Prince said. “I can tell you one thing: It’s going to be a packed house. I’m pretty sure the ovation he’s going to get is one we haven’t seen in a while. People know how we’ve been playing since he’s been gone and the importance that he meant to our ball club.” Via MLive
• Is Dumars Shady?
• Bill Laimbeer…Iverson isn’t a good fit in Detroit.
• The Denver side, over at The Nugg Doctor.

Tip off is at 7:30 at The Palace of Auburn Hill and if you’re headed out, make sure you get there early so you don’t miss a thing. The game will be locally broadcast on FSN PLUS and as always Tim Bryant from FSN was nice enough to send us the channel listings just in case you’re not sure what number your Fox Sports Plus is on. If you can’t watch the game listen live on WDFN 1130 AM or follow the game on NBA.com

I expect it all in the comments.

ESPN is reporting that Allen Iverson will NOT

I had mentioned a few days ago that I thought something was fishy with this whole back injury since AI is like the Energizer Bunny.  My thinking was the injury would help him save face with his new bench role. But after Curry put his foot in his mouth today, Iveson has got to be ready to explode somewhere.

From Chris Sheridan of ESPN

Iverson is the new Will Bynum!

“Maybe Allen comes in and plays a lot of time at Will Bynum’s spot,” Curry said.

Iverson still has not spoken publicly since learning of his demotion following the Pistons’ loss at New Orleans on Wednesday. He returned to Detroit to have an MRI on his back, and he likely will remain silent Monday since Curry is giving the Pistons the day off following an eight-game road trip.

If he has something to say about his demotion (and he sure had a lot to say the last time a coach tried to bring him off the bench, as Chris Ford will testify), it’ll have to wait another day or two.

Not that what Iverson has to say is going to change anything, though.

For now, and for the rest of this season (barring injuries), Iverson is coming off the bench.

“That’s going to be the last move,” Curry said. “It’s nothing against how Allen has played. It’s just with Rip in that first group, it seems more guys in that group play better. I knew Rip could play off the bench because he’s an efficient scorer; he can score right away.

“I’m still not sure how well A.I. can play off the bench, and that’s what we’re going to have to find out. He’s been in a tough situation all year, and so has everyone else. But this is the team we have, and if we can find ways for guys to do it together — and willingly do it together — we’ve got a chance to be pretty good.”

So it looks like we won’t see Allen Iverson off the bench for Detroit against his former team and the man who truly should have been the only #1 in a Pistons uniform (yes, I’m still upset about that).

Right now we have to keep an eye out for the entire situation, someone’s not talking and someone is talking a bit too much.

The Pistons won their first game against their old friend Chauncey Billups in Denver. With Denver leading the entire game it was Tayshaun Prince’s hook in the lane with 20 seconds on the clock that gave the Pistons their first lead of the night. Tayshaun started it and Arron Afflalo’s clutch free throws to end the game sealed it.

Key Points:

• Chauncey was at his finest with a game-high 30 points on 11-for-19 shooting with 4 assists and just one turnover. Rodney Stuckey tried to keep up but a sore back held him to just 30 minutes and nine points. Miss Chauncey? I do, but it’s clear he’s doing well with his new team, taking them places they haven’t been in quite some time.
• Billups had 20 points by halftime and 26 at the end of three quarters. That’s when Prince told Pistons coach Michael Curry he wanted to guard Billups down the stretch.  Billups managed just four points in the fourth quarter as Prince’s long arms and size bothered the hot-shooting Billups.
• “There was nobody on the court at the time that knows Chauncey’s game like me,” Prince said. “When you have a 6-foot-9 guy like myself that’s pretty quick off my feet, I’m able to contest Chauncey’s three, plus keep enough space because he’s so fast where I can back up a little bit.” Via The Detroit Free Press
• Had Chauncey been as hot down the stretch as he was to start, no way the Pistons win this one.  Also thank Detroit’s defense for clamping down on Billups so he had to defer to Smith who turned over the ball on a Antonio McDyess strip.

Photo/Getty Images

• Arron Afflalo was the hero, not only did he put up 17 points, it was his 8 straight free throws made at the end of the game when Denver sent him to the line that truly won this game for Detroit. Thanks Aflac!
• Best game coached by far all season long for Curry. Shorthanded, a sore Stuckey and a hot Billups. We have to give him props sometimes.
• It’s about time Detroit was on the other end of losing a big lead and the game. Denver led basically all game with their biggest lead at 13.
• Give it up for Allen Iverson who was ice cold in the first half, but turned it up in the second. He finished with 23, 20 of them came in the second half.
• Allen Iverson highlight of the game.
• Close call when Iverson tried to stop smith with .07 left on the clock and sent him to the line for three foul shots when the Pistons led by three. Thankfully Smith missed the first one.
• “I told my teammates that once we got to Utah, they would probably have to board up my windows and take all sheets out of my room because I would have killed myself if we had lost the game seeing I gave J.R. those three shots like that,” Iverson said. Via Yahoo/AP.

Photo/Getty Images

• Jason Maxiell finally got some playing time and he didn’t disappoint. Nine points, a blocked shot and 7 boards in 20 minutes. And some SERIOUS DUNKS…none bigger than the one that came late in the game.
• If you were watching you probably wanted to kill Detroit for making just 27 of their 40 free throws. Had Arron not made the free throws at the end of the game, they would have lost because of their blunders at the line. Ironically, they won it at the stripe.
• FSN Highlights of the game by quarter.
• I don’t know about you, but this was clearly one of the best games of the year. Playoff excitement and a victory, you couldn’t ask for much more. Especially shorthanded. Dare I ask for an win in Utah?
• The Denver fans gave it to Antonio McDyess every time they got the chance by booing him for not playing for Denver after the trade. Dyess didn’t seem to care, in fact he was happy to hear it.

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

• Another key to the victory was Antonio McDyess, who may not be filling up the bucket but he’s doing everything else we need him to. McDyess put up 6 points with 12 boards and 2 key steals in 23 minutes on the floor. Sorry Denver…he’d rather retire than play for you.
• Rebound war won 46-38.
• Rip is almost on his way back.
• 8 boards and 1 blocked shot for Kwame Brown in 23 minutes.
• Solid 22 minutes for Amir with 6 points and a block. He’s hustling out there but maybe the fact that Sheed has been out of the lineup hinders him because of his size.
• Stuckey is doubtful for Utah.
• Tayshaun was huge, 19 points on 7-for-15 shooting with six boards and 4 assists. It was his runner with 20 seconds on the clock that put Detroit in the lead for the first time of the game. His defense on Billups was another reason why Tay was the player of the game.

Photo/Getty Images

• The Pistons have now won 5 straight against the Nuggets.
• Clutch late game back-to-back threes for Tay and Iverson to get Detroit in a place to take the game.
• I don’t know if the noise was for Iverson or the Pistons, but I heard tons of fans in Denver cheering for the Pistons.
• 10 turns for each team.
• A little odd for Chauncey – “It was a little strange,” Billups said. “There were a couple of times in the third quarter when I kept looking up at the clock. We were up and for some reason I kept thinking we were down because I kept looking at the Pistons’ score. It was just kind of weird.” Via The Detroit News
• Detroit had the Nuggets playing their game, limiting their running to help Detroit stay relatively close all game long.
• 36 points in the paint for Detroit to 42 for Denver.
• Great game, I’m still a  bit giddy today.
• Utah…..tonight at 9:00 PM
• Worst stretch of injuries in years right now – what’s going on, Arnie? Has our age finally caught up with us?
• The Detroit News asked Rip about his return!
  His answer:
  “Hamilton, speaking informally before the game, was clearly not keen on coming off the bench. When asked what he thought would happen once he got back healthy, he said he planned on returning to the starting lineup.

  “That’s the only option,” he said.

  When it was suggested that coming off the bench might be another option, he said, “That ain’t happening”

  So much for taking one for the team!…..(Thanks to Mark in the Comments for this one!)

It’s not business as usual for the Pistons as they are set to go against their longtime teammate Chauncey Billups for the first time since the trade for Allen Iverson tonight in Denver.

Chauncey has put his new team (2nd) in a place where they haven’t been in a while… the top half of the Western Conference. Denver (25-12) is on a 5 game winning streak even without the help of Carmelo Anthony, who is sidelined with a broken hand.

Now we all had thoughts about the trade before it happened and now. So The Nugg Doctor and I sat down for a little word association therapy session, his thoughts on Chauncey and mine on Allen Iverson.

N4S: Likes

ND: I’m not going to bore you with stats because we both know what each man brings to his team every night so what I like about Chauncey Billups is the steady hand he brings. The Nuggets are a team that in recent years could give you a heart attack on any given night, but this year things are a little bit different with Billups. The Nuggets are undefeated when entering the fourth quarter with a lead and are also undefeated this year when Chauncey reaches double-figures in assists. This is a testament to the change in basketball culture within this team that Billups brought. Chauncey’s presence, with his leveling of the emotions and contagious focus on the moment, has silently put a killer instinct back in the Nuggets regardless of the few sizable leads they have given up to a few questionable teams.

N4S: Dislikes

ND: It could just be the honeymoon feeling lingering, but I can’t really think of anything I don’t like about having Mr. Big Shot back in Denver. He’s a hometown hero that’s quickly becoming a Cinderella story. Nobody thought the Nuggets would be second place overall in the Western Conference at practically the midway point in the year, but yet here we are at 25-12 and with only the Lakers out to a better start in the West.

N4S: Changes he brought

ND: The biggest change in the Nuggets that I’ve seen directly attributed to Chauncey Billups is a change in basketball culture. The Nuggets have been a bit of circus sideshow the last few years with a ton of statistical and individual anomalies as well as other honors, but that hasn’t added up to a hill of beans come playoff time. Barring ANOTHER serious injury, that shouldn’t be the case this year. The main reason I believe this is in addition to the steady hand I’ve already mentioned  the fact that Chauncey has won a championship ring, and a Finals MVP award, and that has guys listening with their ears perked when Chauncey has something to say.  Before the trade, I felt that this was kind of a me-for-me basketball team, win or lose, made up of individuals who were going to try and fill their own agendas often times at the detriment to the team. This year, Chauncey’s leadership and championship resume has been a focal point based upon his team-first style of play and the Nuggets have bought into that and it’s been paying off.

N4S: Surprises

ND: I’ve been most pleasantly surprised by Chauncey’s defense. AI was way too much of a gambler on defense for me personally and after watching the way Chauncey more discriminately picks his opportunities on defense it was an area of improvement that the Nuggets desperately needed.

N4S: Expectations

ND: I’d settle for a first round win in the playoffs, but honestly I’m expecting more than that with this year’s Nuggets as long as they can all stay healthy. Kenyon Martin is having a fantastic year, Nene is true inspiration after fighting cancer, and with the gusto of Carmelo and the guidance of Chauncey there is no reason why this team couldn’t make it to the Western Finals. Denver’s also has a great cast the role players with Dahntay Jones, Linas Kleiza, J.R. Smith, and the “Birdman” Chris Andersen bringing their wildly different but effective games every night makes this a very special crew.

Thanks go out to Nick Sclafani, AKA The Nugg Doctor, for giving us some Denver insight. Remember to head on over to The Nugg Doctor for my thoughts on Iverson.

Chauncey Says:

“I’m looking forward to seeing my guys. It’s going to be fun,” Billups said.

But he’s not out to prove anything about anybody giving up on him too soon.

“I’m good. I’ve proved everything I could in that city. I’m doing it now here,” Billups said. “I’m just looking forward to seeing my dudes, competing, playing, having a fun game. That’s all.” Via NBA.com

• The Pistons are likely to have Sheed back, but Rip won’t be able to go against his old friend.
• Nuggets love CB’s leadership.
• A look at the trade from the Denver Post.
• Dumars-Building a contender.
• Not just another game.
• If you didn’t catch Chauncey Billups on WDFN’s Stoney and Wojo show (audio), he’s convinced it was a good trade for both team.
• A quick Hello to Chauncey, a few days later he was gone.

Tip off is at 9:00 P.M. and will be locally broadcast on FSN . If you can’t watch the broadcast, tune into 1130 AM The Fan. Can’t do either? Follow the game on NBA.com.