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.