It’s been more than slow this summer when it comes to basketball news.  We have no real clue when the NBA and the Players will or if the players decide to put their differences aside and agree on some sort of new CBA so we can get back to dribbling and dunking this year.

The sides met Wednesday,  for a six hour collective bargaining session with reps from the players’ union.

Photo/Getty Images

“We’re not going to get a deal done unless we spend time together and that’s progress unto itself given how infrequently we have met since the lockout began,” deputy commissioner Silver said. “It’s difficult to characterize the meeting other than there is no question both sides want to avoid missing games, or missing training camp for that matter. Everyone was very engaged today. We discussed virtually everything that was on the table. And there was an agreement that we need to continue meeting and pick up the pace.”

Thankfully they did decide on one thing.

“The p.r. war has to stop. From Stern insinuating that the players were not well-informed on the issues, to one side tossing out facts and figures the other side quickly disputes, to discussing the optimism or pessimism of getting a deal done in time to salvage a season on an almost daily basis, the rhetoric has spun out of control. Even Stern’s salary (is it $23 million? $15 million? $9 million?) and vacation schedule had become fodder for players on Twitter.

The days of negotiating through the media are over, declared Stern, Silver and Fisher. Fine. But on several occasions, three of the most influential men involved in the negotiations were given opportunities to portray Wednesday’s meeting in a positive light, to offer millions of fans the slightest glimmer of hope.

Each time, they passed.

Even with Stern, Silver and Fisher primarily using vague statements and speaking in clichés, it didn’t take a genius to realize the league and the union are still nowhere. Consider: Fisher was asked whether the union’s position on the economic issues had changed significantly.” Via Chris Mannix SI

I don’t know if you can call this progress since this is the first time the two sides have met since Isiah Thomas was in good standings with the city of NYC.

“We’re not apart on an agreed urgency to get a deal done,” Silver said. “We’re not apart on a need to avoid missing games and we’re not apart on the agreed impact of a lockout will have, not just on our teams and our players but the communities in which they operate as well.”

Derrick Fisher:

“From this day forward we’re going to make a greater effort to put the time in to get this deal done. There won’t be any other discussion of how, why, when, where. No one else’s is going to know. We’re going to get the work done.”

As for the Pistons…
They have a new coach that can’t do much other than make PR Appearances. Their 2nd round draft pick is playing in Europe. Rip Hamilton is still trade bait, and we still really don’t know exactly what roster will be in red, blue and white whenever the next NBA Season will kick off.

What have you been doing to help the lull in NBA news or action? Me…I’m getting buy on watch Classic NBA games on NBA TV and spending way too much time on YouTube.

This is no beauty contest, but the Pistons are down to their final two coaching candidates.

According to ESPN the future of Detroit could be chosen soon.

NBA coaching sources say that the Pistons are inching closer to a decision, though.

Of the five known candidates for job, sources say that former Pistons assistant Mike Woodson is still the closest thing to a favorite, thanks largely to Woodson’s good working relationship with Pistons president of basketball operations Joe Dumars and the fact that Detroit would know exactly what it’s getting after Woodson’s work under Larry Brown during the Pistons’ 2004 title run.

Yet sources say that one reason Detroit’s search has dragged out so long is the strong impression that Lawrence Frank made on new Pistons owner Tom Gores and his advisers, among them former New York Knicks executive Dave Checketts.

Detroit’s choice, then, appears to be a tossup between the unattached Woodson and Frank, who remains part of Doc Rivers’ staff in Boston.

Frank or Woodson…if you could choose, who would it be?

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Just when you thought things could only get better…we have this.

“A day after the trade deadline passed, half the Pistons players missed Friday morning’s shootaround in what a team source called a “player protest.”

Tracy McGrady, Tayshaun Prince, Richard Hamilton and Chris Wilcox did not show up to Friday’s morning shootaround. Ben Wallace also wasn’t present, but has been dealing with an ongoing family matter for the past several weeks.

Austin Daye and Rodney Stuckey showed up as shootaround ended, after the media was let in. They missed the team bus from the hotel to shootaround.

Various Pistons players have had their share of issues with coach John Kuester this season, and many have been vocal — privately and publicly — in their criticism of the second-year coach.

According to team spokesman Cletus Lewis, McGrady was out with a headache, Prince had the stomach flu, while Wilcox and Hamilton apparently missed the bus without a reason. A team source confirmed Prince’s and McGrady’s illnesses, adding Wilcox overslept.

Kuester was unsure about how he might proceed for the team’s 7 p.m. game Friday night against the 76ers.

“We have some things … some excuses, not excuses, absences because of headaches and stuff like that,” Kuester said. “We’ll go with this group right now.”

Only Charlie Villanueva, Jason Maxiell, Will Bynum, Ben Gordon, Greg Monroe and DaJuan Summers were present and fully participated. Jonas Jerebko also was there, doing his usual rehab workouts.

The players have not been happy with their coach, seemingly all season, for the way he communicates, among other reasons they’ve given.

Kuester said the lineups will be evaluated before gametime Friday night. Kuester deflected direct questions about what was going on with his team.

“We’ll go with the group that was here. We have a number of guys who have that bug,” Kuester said. “These guys went through shootaround the way they were supposed to.”

Via Vincent Goodwill at The Detroit News

I heard rumblings of things, but I really never thought it would come to this. Thankfully Charlie Villanueva, Jason Maxiell, Will Bynum, Ben Gordon, Greg Monroe, DaJuan Summers and Jonas Jerebko thought better than to “get sick”.

I’m putting on my teal jersey…I’m at a loss for words.

I’m not sure if we as this “organizational decision” coming, but the the deactivation of Richard Hamilton was just a formality at this point in the standoff. Will we ever know the real story of how this drama escalated into what it is? I’m not sure, but what I do know is that I’m sure that both sides have to take some blame.

The Pistons will take a hit as will John Kuester, and Rip’s legacy in Detroit is now tarnished. Sad….really it it.

“I felt that way once I started sitting, because I really couldn’t do anything about it. When you really can’t do anything about it, you just stay in shape and keep working out, and things like that.

“I’m disappointed in it, but what can I do? I’m healthy, you know. That’s pretty much it. There’s not much I can say about it.”

Do you blame him?

“With all the speculation and the talk, you know what I’m saying, it’s one of them things where you wanted closure to the whole situation and for me, it’s different than everybody else’s situation. So, I just said, ‘Hey, you know what? Try to be the best professional’ and just come out and do what I got to do to stay fit and working out and things like that.”

“They sat me down and you hear all these different allegations on why they (sat) me down and things like that. It was crazy to me because all you want to do is play basketball, and I want to get out there and perform and that’s all I’ve been doing for as long as I’ve been in the NBA. It was just tough.”

On his benching: “I still ain’t spoke to nobody, you know what I’m saying? Nobody ain’t spoke to me about it. Just like when the whole situation went down, nobody didn’t tell me what was going on, you know? It’s kind of one of those things where you give your team for the last nine years your blood, sweat and tears and you never expect nothing like this would have happened, but it happened.”

Early in the first quarter when the The Swede went down and didn’t get up quickly, you could tell by the look on his face it might just be serious. Turns out Jonas Jerebko
sustained what might be a significant injury to his right Achilles tendon.

The Pistons have initially called Jerebko’s injury a strain but said they would know more after he was examined by team doctors Wednesday. Jerebko left the locker room on crutches.

The second half didn’t help either with rookie Terrico White suffering a broken bone in his right foot.

I know this hurts the development of White, but a serious injury to Jerebko is just what the Pistons don’t need. Especially after their showing Tuesday night’s showing in Miami.

“The Davidson family and its constituents, working together with Palace Sports & Entertainment (“PSE”) management and Citi Private Bank, have instituted a robust process that is well under way,” the release said. “We are extremely pleased at the level of serious interest from multiple potential buyers in purchasing the Pistons and PSE. Via MLive

The Pistons have reached an agreement with Tracy McGrady.
The agreement is for the league minimum which is $1.35 million.  This also probably means they will be dealing Rip, Tay or both.

Discuss Pistons fans!

We have new man in town, are you happy?

I never thought I would be tooning T-Mac, but then again I said that about AI.

• Great, great read over at Pistons.com (5 part series) on Will Bymum Part I and Part 2.
• Look at the cover boy on the Pistons new Marquee! I don’t mind seeing Will when I’m driving up to the Palace.
• I don’t care how bad off the Pistons are in terms of finances or fan turnout.  I don’t want to see this when I head over to Pistons.com.

• The NBA announced their Marquee games of the Season…no surprises here.
• Ben Gordon is changing his number to 8 and he’s also on Twitter @BenGordon8.
• I say we start pooling our money together…Forbes – Why the Pistons will sell at a discount.
• Special K says Dumars is working on the Front Line.
• George Blaha will be inducted to the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame.  Who’s taking me?
• Who is Terrico White?  Some say a second round steal.

The Associated Press:

The Toronto Star is reporting that Detroit Pistons forward Charlie Villanueva faces a charge of domestic assault after a May 19 incident in Burlington, Ontario.

The newspaper reported that the 25-year-old Villanueva was released by Halton Regional Police on a promise to appear in court on July 9. The name of complainant and other details about the incident weren’t available Tuesday.