The new players impressed and the seasoned ones did the rest. The Pistons pummeled the Memphis Grizzlies in the season opener 96-74, led by 25 from Rip Hamilton while Ben Gordon added 22.  The big question has been could the two exist together, and I think they answered that one emphatically with 47 points between them.

Key Points:

• The Defense?  Well it didn’t look that bad, holding the Grizz to just 74 was a nice way to start.
• I mentioned before that Charlie Villanueva was a little (and that’s being nice) lax on playing “D” but he looked like he was really trying to step it up before he got into very early foul trouble. Let’s hope that’s not an issue.
• Coach Kuester started his tenure with Detroit the right way.
• This was the team I was hoping to see this season.
• First official points from Ben Gordon as a Piston… leaning glass gunner with the shot clock expiring. Four point play,  followed by a buzzer beater at the quarter. Ben impressed with 22 points on 7-12 shooting in 25 minutes on the floor.

Video Courtesy of The NBA and The Detroit Pistons

• You know how it feels for Pistons fans to see Sheed on the hated Celtics. Well just bask in the glory that Bulls fans are killing themselves right now watch Ben Gordon don the red, blue and white!
• Charlie Villanueva and Ben Gordon’s first Pistons points – triples.
• I love the George Blaha (don’t we all?) poster in Memphis…priceless
• Bynum is really trying to cement this whole point guard position. Bynumite with 5 points, 5 boards and 7 assists in 23 minutes.
• Rip tweaked his ankle late in the game after a very impressive performance. Hopefully he will be just fine. I was worried about him as the game started as well as the preseason but he looked great. He loses his ducktail and he gets his shot back, coincidence? I think not.
• Ben Wallace back to his “Big Ben” status? Fear the fade?

Photo/Getty Images

• Wallace not only started for Detroit, but he was very impressive making his defensive presence felt while making it contagious to his teammates. Ben finished with 9 boards, a blocked shot and 3 points in 28 minutes.  Pleasant surprise…
• Rodney Stuckey 12 points on 6-for-10 shooting with three assists and two boards.  I’m hoping his assists are better this season, but either way I think he’s going to be substantially better than last season.
• Tayshaun Prince looked good with 14 points, 5 boards and 3 assists in 31 minutes.
• Will rebounds be a problem? Probably – Pistons outboarded 39-49.
• I was thinking that Rip’s ego might be a little bruised by Ben Gordon but the fact that Gordon scored the coveted Dr. Rahmani commercial was like writing it in stone.  That’s Rip’s gig, my man.
• Rip started slow but totally stole the show with 25 points on 10-for-19 shooting with 4 assists and 3 boards.  Great start for Rip who was looking a little confused during the preseason.

Photo/Getty Images

• I’m hoping Jason Maxiell really plays the way I think he can play. Maxi with 2 points, 6 boards and a ton of hustle in 14 minutes on the floor.
• 51% shooting on the nigh – WOW.
• Charlie V started the game and scored 7. A great dunk but he’ll have to watch the fouls.
• No Austin Daye or Jonas Jerebko, (The Second coming of Detroit Bad Boys) who were both suspended for their skirmishes in the preseaon.  Pistons dressed just 10 players.
• 37% for three.
• Highlights of the Game

• Nice way to make Pistons fans feel after the mess that was last season.
• I can’t wait to see what the crowd is like Friday night at the Palace. Ben Wallace with a serious ovation during the intros I predict.

Danny Ainge weighs in about the Celtics-Pistons trade rumor.

Via Boston.com

“When asked about the rumor this morning during a press conference at the team’s facility in Waltham, Ainge did not offer a denial of the specific report, but strongly indicated he does not expect to deal Rondo, the remarkably talented but erratic 23-year-old point guard.

“We love Rajon and I’m not going to comment on which rumors are true or not true,” said Ainge, the Celtics’ president of basketball operations. “We love this kid and I don’t anticipate trading anyone from our core.”

“If you look at a trade rumor and if you think it makes us a better team and helps us to win a championship this year, that’s the first criteria that any trade rumor has to pass — that it has to help us win the championship this year,” he said.

As Wojnarowski noted in the Yahoo report, it is not unusual for a GM to have someone else in the front office float a trade on his behalf, just to provide some level of deniability if a rumor becomes public. To a degree, that’s the approach Ainge took today.

“We’re certainly not doing anything this year to get a draft pick that’s a developmental project that is going to prevent us winning a championship this year,” Ainge said. “I’ve had many conversations. But a rumor that said lower-level executives are talking about a trade rumor pretty much means it doesn’t really have any merit or any value, if it’s not being discussed at the top.“

An almost laughable deal was said to be offered to Detroit from Boston that would have sent Rajon Rondo and Ray Allen for Richard Hamilton, Tayshaun Prince and Rodney Stuckey.

From Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports:

“The Boston Celtics appear willing to make major roster changes to balance a chance for a championship run and future financial flexibility.

The Celtics offered Ray Allen(notes) and Rajon Rondo(notes) to the Detroit Pistons for a package that included Richard Hamilton(notes), Tayshaun Prince(notes) and Rodney Stuckey(notes), league sources told Yahoo! Sports.

Boston general manager Danny Ainge and Detroit’s Joe Dumars never spoke, but rather the Celtics had a lower-level executive make the pitch to a Pistons official over the past weekend, league sources said. Detroit immediately rejected the idea, and it never advanced to the two top executives speaking about particulars.”

This one makes absolutely no sense for Detroit, why would the Pistons trade away their best three players (and bargaining chips) for an again Allen (with an expiring contract) and Rajon Rondo. I can almost hear Dumars laughing now.

Update: PistonsNation points us toward Kelly Dwyer’s post over at Yahoo that maybe Dumars should reconsider.