The 21-38 Detroit Pistons will be hosting The 36-21 Boston Celtics tonight at the Palace.  Set another Sheed return aside, the Pistons are hosting something bigger than a ball game tonight. The Pistons Care Telethon is in progress and set to feed a lot of hungry people in Michigan. If you can help, even if it’s only a dollar, please do.

On a personal note, I’ll will be a guest of Celtics Late Night, after the game to give them my take on the Detroit side of things, as well as a lot of good natured (not really) ribbing about all things I hate that are green.

The Show starts at 11:00, and as soon as I get back from the game I will be joining the show Live.  If you are so inclined, please call in so I can chat with my fellow Pistons fans.  Let’s show the Celtics fans we mean business.

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And to make things…better (or maybe worse) I spotted Rajon Rondo and Tony Allen last night when I was having dinner and  gave them both the evil Pistons StinkEYE. Does that GuaranSWEDE a Pistons win? Not sure it does, but it sure made me feel good.

The Scouting Report via Pistons.com

Tip is at 7:30 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

Don’t forget to Donate!

Rip Hamilton

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His didn’t get consistent playing time because of injury, but Rip still has game left in him.  He’s a shooter that sometimes has very bad judgment when it comes to shot selection.  I blame some of that on the fact that he doesn’t have a “Billups like” point guard looking for him as he’s coming off screens.  He can put up 35 on any given night, but he can also go 2-for-17 another night.  He can’t create his own shot and I wish he would stop trying.

I have to give him credit for getting his teammates involved lately, but that’s not enough to give him a passing grade just yet this season.

Grade – Un-Sheedtastic

Tayshaun Prince

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As much as Pistons fans love Tayshaun Prince, he’s been fading for the past couple of seasons.  You can’t help but blame this seasons shortcomings on injury, and you can’t blame his past seasons on anything but inconsistency.  Rookie or not, Jonas Jerbko is outplaying and out hustling Tayshaun Prince this season and looking at what he’s done for Detroit this year, J.J. even outshines what Tay did all of last season for the Detroit.   And yes, the Pistons are 1-10 when Tayshaun has played this year.

Grade – Very Un-Sheedtastic

Rodney Stuckey

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Stuckey is making strides, big ones, but is he the guy to build a team around?  The jury is out on that one, but as this point the Pistons don’t have much choice in the matter, he’s their guy. He has those shining moments that make you take notice.  He can take over a game and put his team in the position to win.

He needs to work on getting his teammates more involved at times, but he seems to be working on that.  His jumpshot has improved and he’s getting more calls.   Like it or not, he turns the ball over….a lot.

He’s improved each season but,  not as fast as Pistons fans would like.  Mark my words, he’ll be an All Star soon, but how soon is good enough?

Grade – Potential to be a solid Stucktacular.

Charlie Villanueva

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Oh Charlie, I had such high hopes for you.  It’s either a huge game or a huge flop, nothing in between.  And the similarities between Charlie V. and Sheed are too close for comfort.  He’s one of the Pistons only scoring big men, we don’t need him to stand around the perimeter and jack up threes.  He hasn’t impressed me at all on court yet.

We were told he was soft and allergic to defense and grabbing boards, and I think he’s really trying to do better in that department, but he’s not solid yet.

Great guy off court, but until I see more consistency I have to be honest.

Grade – No post playing Un-Sheedtastic

Ben Wallace

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When Dumars signed Ben Wallace I didn’t think he had anything at all left in his tank. I mean did you see him play in Chicago and Cleveland?  It was quite sad.  However I was fine with the signing, who can you really get for the price of an extra value meal now days anyway?

Ben has been reborn.  As soon as he tiptoed back to the Palace, he turned into the 2003-05 Ben Wallace that we all remember.  He’s leading the team on court and showing the only presence on the defensive end that Detroit has to offer.  The flow of the games usually depends on Ben’s game.  If Ben is on, so are the Pistons.

Of course he still has a miserable foul shot, but who cares.  The no fro’ed Wallace is the only consistent part of the team all season.  He’s above and beyond what anyone could have ever dreamed.

Grade – A Benified Sheedtastic

Ben Gordon

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If Gordon didn’t get injured I’m almost positive this grade would go different.  Ben was tearing it up in the beginning of the season.  His best games came when Rip was out and he was inserted in the starting lineup.  Pistons fans saw the Gordon that Joe Dumars and the rest of the league loved, but once he turned his ankle things just haven’t been the same.

He may have come back a bit too early and re injured himself, but his shot has been nothing but streaky when he’s been out there.

Grade: ½ Sheedtastic

Jason Maxiell

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I went from being a huge Maxiell fan to constantly doubting myself wannabe Maxiell fan.  So what happened to the man I once called the Putback King? Didn’t he have some spectacular blocks that gave us so much hope?

Maxiell went from being a zero to a hero then right back to a zero again.  He shows flashes of the player we thought he would be….but they have never amounted into anything other than a flash here or there.

If he doesn’t come through soon, I’m going to have to give up on Maxiell and his horrible contract. Sorry Maxi, please prove me wrong.

Grade – A non Baby Eating Un-Sheedtastic

Will Bynum

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Bynumite is not his name, it an adjective used when he’s well….Bynumite.    He’s surprised a lot of people this season and last, but we haven’t had enough of his this season for his game to be useful to the team.  He’s a spark plug when he’s on court, he gets the ball where it needs to be, and yes he sometimes is guilty of trying to do things himself, but do you blame him when he’s got the explosiveness to fly by just about anyone facing him and then dunk on a 7 footer?

The Pistons need Bynum healthy.

Grade- A Bynumite Sheedtastic

Jonas Jerebko

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Who would of thought that this Jonas brother like Jonas would do more than have the young ladies swooning.  I’m pretty sure that I’m not the only on who said….Dumars just drafted a Swedish guy nobody heard of.

Boy what a pleasant surprise.

The injuries opened the door for Jerebko and he made sure it’s not going to close any time soon.  He’ll hustle, scrap, scrape, steal, rebound, tip and dunk his way up and down the court every minute he’s standing on it.  He’s been asked to guard the leagues best and he’s been up to the challenge.

Does he make rookie mistakes?  Sometimes, but his heart and hustle make up for them.

Throw in his very gelled, never  a hair out of place look and he makes the grade.

Grade – Swedetastic

Austin Daye

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The very tall, very thin, very Tayshaun like Austin Day hasn’t had a ton of time on court this season, but he done well when he’s called upon.  He’s not afraid to take the big shot, and he’s been known to make a three here and there.  He can play 4 positions on the floor and at 6’11 is the second tallest player on the team,  tallest if you don’t count Kwame.

He’s had his moments, and in fact I would like to see more of him.

Grade – Sheedtastic

Chris Wilcox

I was hoping this Chris Wilcox would be the Chris Wilcox that used to wear yellow and green for Seattle.  Remember that guy, he used to be a Piston killer.  Instead we got the Chris that mainly rides the pine and has a killer quarter or two when he finally gets on court.

Grade – Un-Sheedtastic

Chucky Atkins

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A little more PG Chucky and a little less taking shot Chucky.  Yes he’s made a few big shots this season, and he did come up huge when the Pistons were on that winning streak early in the season, but I would rather he him deferring to the guys on court that don’t need Just for Men.

Grade – Almost-tastic

Kwame Brown

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Bless his heart he tries, but the hands will never catch up to the pass.  Great guy, but he’ll never be more than what he is.

Grade – Un-Sheedtastic

DaJuan Summers

What happened to the rookie that was touted as the one that was truly NBA ready?  DaJuan can’t get playing time and when he does, he’s unable to keep it.  I see potential, but I’m not willing to watch him play through his mistakes right now.  Have we not suffered enough this season?

Grade – Un-Sheedtastic

John Kuester

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The only coach that would have us, has done a admirable job.  Yes we went through a miserable 13 game losing streak, but I don’t blame that purely him.  Heck, he had this team winning with Chucky Atkins at starting point guard and three all stars sitting with injuries.

When he can get this bunch to play a full 48, he’ll be a winner in my book.

Grade – Record Don’t Lie Un-Sheedtastic

Special recognition goes to Mike Abdenaur and Arnie Kandor, who have to be as overworked as ever infusing the fountain of youth serum to Ben Wallace while trying to heal ankles with voodoo.

Now I don’t know why Celtics fans feel the need to take a few jabs from this extremely NON Celtics fan, but they do.

I will be on live with Nick from North Station Sports, along with Brandon and Travis, from Hardwood Houdini at 11:00 PM Sunday the 10th.

Cant we all just get along? Sometimes we can …. but most of the time I get in the way of that.

If you can’t listen live, no worries the show is available at North Station Sports or at Hardwood Houdini to listen to at your leisure.

My find today, an old video of the top 10 Pistons buzzer beaters.

Now if you noticed the tile of the post is Top 11, that’s because this video was put together before this. You tell me where you think it should be placed on list.

Don’t think I’m switching sides, I will be there to talk Sheed and REP the D!

Tune in and call in, I may need you to get my back.

When they asked me to be on the show I told them I am who I am and that I would bitch slap Robert Parish to get my point across if I had to.  And if they even mention Scalabrine I’m hanging up without notice.

It should be SHEEDtastic!

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Nothing shocking, it was only a matter of time before one of the teams that were wooing him got what they wanted, but to most of us here in Detroit, having Sheed in a Celtics uniform is not easy.

“The Enemy” to some.

“Traitor” to others.

Some will even give you the obligatory “You can launch your three’s and not play in the paint for another team, thanks for mailing in the last season Sheed.”

But to most Pistons fans we are thankful to him for putting our team over the top in 2004, allowing us a Championship we wont’ soon forget.

Rasheed Wallace is not a Detroit Piston anymore, and to be honest…..I’m surprised he made it this far.

After each season when the dominant Pistons got ousted from the Playoffs everyone called for his head. But how do you give up on a player that can dominate a game the way he can?

The man can be SHEEDtastic at the drop of a hat.

He can make the impossible seem possible.

He’s a Joker!

He’s very tricky..

But he also comes with hair pulling frustration.

I cant count the number of times I sat in my seat at the Palace hoping no one was paying attention to me as I was talking to Sheed from my seat while he was busy arguing on the floor. “Don’t do it Sheed, your going to get another Tech and get tossed, that will be 16 and I don’t think Joe D will be able to get that rescinded. We need you, you’ll be suspended. STOP!!!!”

I may not have lost sleep, but it eats at you when you have so much invested in a team.

That I won’t miss.

I will miss his Sheedisms, his dominance and the fact he made the team fun to watch in more ways than one.

The dancing was a sight in itself too.

He may work well with Boston playing a smaller roll since he NEVER wanted to be “the guy” when he clearly had the talent to be put into the category of one of the best Power Forwards in the game. He’s even got a special relationship with Kevin Garnett going in.

One thing that’s funny to me is all the Boston love for a guy that was the enemy of all enemy’s to Celtic fans.

As for Celtics and their fans…. I come in peace here, but I have been pushed over the edge way too many times by Celtics fans, I do however respect and enjoy some of the many Celtics blogs out there, so when Loy’s Place shot me an email asking me to answer a few questions for them I was just fine…until they ended the email with this…

Thanks!  And welcome to the Celtics family!!!

On to the next part of this post.

I will never ever, ever never be a Celtics fan and I take offense to the mere thought of being a part of that family, because I am not.

I will (until I stop breathing) bleed the red, white and Piston blue, that is one thing you can put your money on.

I will NOT change this website nor my allegiance to the Detroit Pistons.

As you can see from the new addendum to the banner on the site, I rep the “D” regardless of Sheed.

If you followed this site from it’s inception I have stated that fact on more than one occasion. I have be asked the question hundreds of times….”What will you do when Sheed is gone?”

I will do this, nothing changes.

“Will you change the name?”….as of right now, no.

You see, this site was never supposed to be.  I started it as a lazy way to share my cartoon screensaver to my friends across the country. You see even when you leave the “D” you still represent it.  So as a way share my wallpapers, screensavers and videos (pre YouTube days) this website became more than I ever envisioned it to be.

Now….I’m Need4Sheed.

Funny, but I can’t change it. It may be a name to all of you, but it’s almost part of my identity at this point. When you get introduced as Natalie of Need4Sheed instead of your last name things change.

You see, it never really was about Rasheed. Sure there is plenty of Sheed here, he brings a lot to any team, but it is and always will be about the love of the Detroit Pistons.

So Sheed is gone, we all knew it was going to happen at some point. I wish him luck, but I can’t say I will be rooting Boston, but I will be rooting for him.

This is Need4Sheed where we represent the Detroit Pistons..thank you for your time Mr. Wallace and thank you for allowing me to hold this in my hands.

Onwards and upwards….DEEETROIT BASKETBALL.