It seems like just yesterday that Pistons fans were celebrating a Championship.  It doesn’t seem that long ago that Detroit had a starting five that were familiar, solid, loved and envied league wide.  It really was just a short time ago that we continually got ready for a long playoff ride filled with joy and anguish.

There are highs and lows with every team, in every league, but as Pistons fans we have come to expect excellence and comfort.

Comfort in a style of gritty play, comfort with the one of our own running things,  and comfort in an owner that we knew loved his team above all else.

Last night I sat in wonderment at the Palace of Auburn Hills as my team took on the Boston Celtics.  This would normally be a huge game, even without the fact the Rasheed Wallace was returning to Detroit, in green for the first time.  Instead the place was littered with empty seats and quite a few that were occupied, were donned in green.

I watched my ailing team, in heart and body, pull off a pretty inspiring win.  A win that they not only dearly need for the sake of moral and pride.  I watched a reborn Ben Wallace take charge on the defensive end and Rodney Stuckey do what he needed to do to lead his team to victory.

The highs of the big game come with bittersweet sadness as I watched Mrs. Davidson have a mini press conference at halftime in front of her very familiar courtside seat and announce that she’s looking for a buyer for the team.

It’s her team and she can do with it what she wishes.  We as fans shouldn’t judge her, we just have to hope that she hands over the team to someone who loves it as much as Mr. D did.

I may be a bit sentimental, but I can still see him sitting in his seat with his beige windbreaker enjoying his team.  I see him with a mini television in front of him watching his hockey team on their way to a Stanly Cup, while he was watching his Pistons win a championship.  I can see him standing on court with Ben, Rip, Chauncey, Tay and Rasheed as they raised his banner in the rafters at the Palace.

I can still see his face as he was getting doused in champagne in the locker room by Isiah Thomas during the Bad Boys Championships.

I watched him embrace Isiah on court, when it was clear his health was failing at the All Time Pistons Ceremony.

One of my favorite memories is looking at his face in 2004 when they were presenting the team with the Larry O’Brien Trophy.  He may not have been able to hold that beautiful gold piece of hardware over his head, but his team made sure he could.

And how can we forget his very “Detroit” styled parade speech.

He may not be with us anymore, but he will always be remembered.  The Hall of Famer was a pioneer in professional sports and in love for his team.   If the new ownership has one tenth of the love that Mr. D had for The Pistons, things will be just fine.

It’s a really cool HD Video camera that makes it beyond easy to share and upload you videos like a pro.  You can get the Flip themed with other NBA teams, but what’s fun about that.

With this in hand, I almost feel sorry for Sheed, Scalabrine and the rest of the Celtics bench Wednesday night.

Key Points:

• Coach Kuester shook up the starting lineup Sunday afternoon starting Chucky Atkins (PG), Rodney Stuckey, Jonas Jerebko, Jason Maxiell and Ben Wallace.
• The lineup change was a gutsy move from Kuester who’s basically doing whatever he can with what he’s got available. I said it a few games back, it’s not just like having three of your best scorers out, it’s like having four when you can’t count on steady production from Charlie Villlanueva. Maybe the temporary move to the bench is just what Villlanueva needed to get himself back in gear, it’s not like we know he can’t score.
• The change also helped Rodney Stuckey. Having Chucky Atkins running the floor let Rodney play the position he’s best at.

“We talk about the leadership that we get from Ben, Tayshaun and Rip, but we need to add Chucky to that discussion,” Kuester said. “He’s been huge for our young guards. He’s going to be a coach in this league, and he’s doing a lot of that for us.” Via NBA.com

• Atkins hadn’t started an NBA game since 2007, and hadn’t started for Detroit since Nov. 30, 2002.
• The points in the paint stat was huge for the Pistons with 60 for the game. Detroit started taking it inside early.
• Detroit’s biggest lead was 12, Atlanta’s 2.
• Ben Camey Wallace has brought back the “Going to Work” style of Basketball to Detroit again, right where it belongs. Ben put up a double-double with 18 boards, 10 points and 2 steals. The Pistons may not have a stellar record, but if it weren’t for Ben Wallace they wouldn’t have a chance to win night in and night out.

Photo/Getty Images

• How about holding Joe Johnson to 5-for-19 shooting.
• Charlie Villanueva broke his nose when he was fouled by the Hawks’ Zaza Pachulia and smashed face first into Wallace’s side. Villanueva, gushing blood,with a tissue to stop the bleeding,  hit both free throws before heading to the Pistons’ locker room not return.

• Another “Masked Man” for Detroit. Get well soon Charlie, you showed some guts coming back on court and sinking the free throws.
• Josh Smith makes dunking pretty.
• Does Will Bynum have some kind of fourth quarter energy drink he’s hoarding from the rest of the team?  The Thrill is money in the final quarter.
• Kuester made mention about 5 times in the Post Game Presser…”everyone is being held accountable.”   Was that a hint about why the lineup changed?
• Rodney Stuckey Circus shot!

Video Courtesy of The NBA, FSN and The Detroit Pistons

• Mr. Stuckey played well, leading Detroit with 23 points on 10-for-23 shooting with 8 assists a steal and 2 boards.  He looks good at the two, doesn’t he?  Not only has he been stepping up his game lately, his jumpshot looks better and he seems to be making better decisions when driving the lane.

Photo/Getty Images

• I’m ecstatic to finally make the ball glow again…the losing streak was brutal.
• Jason Maxiell stepping up in the starting spot was more than refreshing.   His numbers may not be eye-popping, but he made some great plays down the stretch. Jason finished with 7 points, 6 boards and 2 steals.  I’m always surprised for some reason when he hits 15 footers with ease.  I love it, but I just picture him wreaking havoc with a emphatic dunk.
• Some great moves from Will Bynum who finished with 19 points on 8-for-13 shooting and was key in the fourth quarter.
• Chris Wilcox DNP.
• Kwame Brown stepped up big time in the first half. Brown scored 8 with 5 boards in 15 minutes of play.
• Sweeeeeeeeede! Need4Swede?

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• Jonas Jerebko, with his own Fan Club on hand, had another great game. He may as well just tattoo Hard Work Pays Off on his arm because he’s the poster child for it. Jonas with a double-double, 10 points, 11 boards and a key play that may have sealed the win for Detroit.

• So that’s what happened to Mo Evans.
• Austin Daye, just 11 minutes with 2 points and 4 rebounds. I am a bit surprised he didn’t get more time and DaJuan Summers was a DNP.   But hey, whatever works.   Kue stopped the bleeding…well maybe not for Charlie, but for the Pistons’ record.
• How about Charlie V with a nice block and then he knocks down a three.  I love it when things come together.
• Fun game to watch, love the we can get it done with the “no matter what” type attitude.  Battered, bruised and always battling should be a new motto.
• Forget Chucky Atkins’ 1-for-7 shooting, he was running the point well for Detroit.
• Game Highlights via NBA.com

• With two days off, let’s hope Detroit can at least get Ben Gordon back so he can play in Chicago against his old team on Wednesday.
• The hits just keep on coming…Charlie Villanueva needs surgery. It’s great to follow the @Cv31 on Twitter, you get the news as it happens.

“Surgery tomorrow, wish me luck, I will send a tweet during surgery, lol, the mask is on its way, lets go”

So not to ruin your Thanksgiving Holiday, I’ll give this little Dunk to you.

Happy Holiday!

The Pistons ran a great halftime special on The Thrill.   Will shares with us what he had to go though to achieve  his dream of being in the NBA.

On another note, Mr. Blaha has now adopted Bynumite…..my work is done. (Sorry Will)

The 4-4 Pistons take on Flip Saunders’ 2-6 The Wizards in Washington.  This will be the first time that Flip will face the Pistons since his termination in 2008.

As for tonight’s matchup:

“Arenas played even though he’s battling a calf injury. Wizards guard Randy Foye sprained his right ankle in the second quarter and his status is uncertain.

Washington is also without starting forward Antawn Jamison (shoulder) and guards Mike James (finger), Javarris Crittenton (foot).

“We just need some rest time,” Saunders said. “I’ve never been in a situation where I’ve lost three point guards.” Via NBA.com

Still no word on Rip, but we do have Will! (I have now watched those dunks well over 100 times, something is wrong with me)

Scouting Report via Pistons.com

Tip is at 7:00 and will be televised on FOX Sports Plus (FSN PLUS).. for the Channel numbers in your area please click here. For the radio broadcast tune into 950 AM WWJ or follow the action on NBA.com.

Key Points:

• Nothing was more Key than this Dunk that really started the Pistons on their way to the rout.  All I have to say quite frankly is WOW!  If you are a regular visitor of Need4Sheed you know how I feel about Mr. Bynum, but I’m seriously thinking of paying homage to him in my memorabilia area… Where is my Bynumite Bobblehead? Do you realize he dunked on Tyson Chandler too?!

Video Courtesy of The NBA, FSN and The Detroit Pistons

• Will, was clearly the fan favorite putting up 16 points, with 4 assists, a blocked shot and a board. Would it be wrong in saying that he’s our new spark plug?
  And it was not ONE but TWO crazy dunks, one following a Bynum Block..yes I said it, a block.  I am sorry for all of you who didn’t see this one because you don’t get Fox Plus so this Will Bynum reel should do you just right!

• Just because this one was out of hand doesn’t mean it wasn’t close in the first half.  The two teams exchanged leads 9 times.
• First NBA points from DaJuan Summers, who scored 2 in 11 minutes.
• 26 assists for the Pistons -- much, much better than the eight they put up the other night.
• Big Ben Wallace still acting like it’s 2004 with 9 boards, 3 steals and 3 blocks. I think he’s earned his measly pay check after 8 games.  I am really beginning to think Arnie Kandor has mythical powers.  Now all he needs to do is help Rip and Tay.
• Board war may have been only won by a board, but for a team who I thought was going to have big troubles they are doing ok.
• Something new we are starting as Pistons fans thanks to a great idea from The Fluidics (longtime team N4S member).  When Jonas Jerebko has the ball we scream SWEEEEEEEEDE! How great is that?
• Jonas is also a fan favorite, we like hard work in the “D” so Jerebko fits right in.  Jonas scored this dunk and added a three on the next possession, finishing the game with 5 points. No I’m not changing the site’s name to Need4Swede, but it sounds good doesn’t it?

Video Courtesy of The NBA, FSN and The Detroit Pistons

• Surprisingly Ben Gordon didn’t lead the way for the Pistons thanks to Charlie V. When you score 22 for your team like Ben did and add 8 assists and a steal and you don’t lead the team….things are going right. Another stellar performance for Mr. Gordon.
• Stuckey scored 16 on 6-for-10 shooting with 7 assists and just 2 turnovers. Great night for Stuckey, let’s stop worrying about his assists while we are winning, give him some credit; he had a team-high a +31 in the box score.
• Can’t take anything away from Charlie Villanueva, who had his breakout game and career high as a Piston, scoring 30 points without playing a minute of the fourth quarter. He lit up the Palace in the third quarter like it was Times Square. @CV31 was showing us moves I didn’t think he had and having fun on the floor. The man was 13 for 17 from the floor, 2 for 4 from downtown adding 4 boards and a block. Convinced yet?

Photo/Getty Images

• Kwame Brown, yes Kwame, is still playing his heart out. He had a great and-one finishing with 3 points and 5 boards.
• Hustle from Austin Day whose two points came on a nice Dunk.
• John Kuester is a happy man today, it’ s nice to beat your mentor.
• Clearly Children were harmed here by Jason Maxiell. Seriously, that looks like it hurts.

Video Courtesy of The NBA, FSN and The Detroit Pistons

• Nice job holding Gerald Wallace to only 12 points.
• Defense! We really do have it, don’t we? Or do the Bobcats just have a tough time scoring?
• I knew this season would be fun, but it’s turning out better than expected especially considering the absence of Rip and Tay.
• First back to back wins for Detroit.
• I have been asked so I will answer this question here to end my very exiting recollection of a very fun game at the Palace. What do you think of Ben and Charlie?
  I knew they both would be good, but they are both showing me more than I ever thought they would. I knew Ben was a pure shooter, but him carrying us while the Rip and Tay are out for the count…I never saw that coming. As for Charlie V, he’s working his way to fitting into “Detroit Basketball” very nicely.
• Just a little FYI about the new layout here, the top rotating image with the Schedule Calendar, Intro Video and now the Will DUNK is click-able.  When you see the image you are interested in, click it and you will go to the post or video.
• I’ll add a thanks to the Troops for all that they do for us.

You got DUNKED on Tyson Chandler!

If the dunk wasn’t good enough, the reaction from George Blaha makes it even better. You also have to appreciate the bench’s reaction and Will’s when he saw the replay on Palace Vision.

How many more times can you scream BYNUMITE? Will is making it almost mandatory at this point.

Thanks Will!

Great video look at my favorite point guard Will Bynum.

Key Points:

• Ben Wallace had an amazing 16 boards on the night, 11 of them coming in the first half, which is a Pistons record.  Either he loves being back in Detroit, or Arnie has got some secret anti-aging fountain of youth voodoo drink concoction he’s giving him.  If it’s the later….I’ll take some please.
• “I knew Ben would be an asset talking to our bigs,” head coach John Kuester said. “I never imagined the impact he would have playing. Right now, he looks like the old Ben. He’s leading by example” Via NBA.com
• An impressive 51 rebounds for the Pistons.  I attended the matinee and all I kept thinking was, boy are they ever gobbling up boards -- especially on the offense (21).  I had no idea the number would add up like that.
• Did I mention Mr. Wallace also blocked 3 shots and added 3 steals!
• SWEDEtastic!

Video Courtesy of The NBA and The Detroit Pistons

• Is Jonas Jerebko making good of  his time on court of what?  This kid is pure hustle who knows a golden opportunity when he sees it. Jerebko scored 10 on 5-for-10 shooting, with 5 boards in 22 minutes. The putback jam was tops, but all his highlights are solid.

• More minutes for Jason Maxiell who scored just 2 with 2 boards in 20 minutes on the floor.
• Iguodala got hot quickly for the Sixers and led all scorers with 24.  It’s usually Tay who plays him tough, so he had an easier time Sunday afternoon.
• Boy is Charlie Villanueva starting to warm up. It looked like the Pistons tried to draw plays for him in the first quarter to help him get off to the right start early in the game. CV31 finished with 16 points , 5 boards and a blocked shot in 27 minutes on the floor and was showing some sweet moves in the post all weekend long.
• All Daye long…Nice spin move from Austin in the post after a dish from Bynum.  Daye, who’s also making the best of an awful situation (T-Prince’s injury) scored 7 points in 14 minutes on the floor.

Video Courtesy of The NBA and The Detroit Pistons

• Fourteen assists for the Pistons.
• Though Detroit led most of the game, they let the Sixers take the lead in the fourth quarter, but went on a 16-6 tear to finish the game.
• DNP for Wilcox who’s not living up to (my) expectations.
• Great job by Stuckey holding Iguodala to 1-4 shooting in the fourth quarter.  Rodney finished the game with 13 points on 5-for-15 shooting, 5 boards, 3 assists and a steal
• BYNUMITE stats of the night 8-8-8 ! Boards, assists and points. Not to mention the sweet dish on NBA.com.  I have a soft spot for Mr. Bymum and cross-court bounce passes.

Photo/Getty Images

• My apologies to Will for starting this whole BYMUMITE thing…it seems to have really taken on it’s own life. Not only was it on Pistons.com, but I’ve heard it on the radio broadcasts a few times now. Sorry “Will the Thrill”.
• What’s more of a surprise, Pistons fans:
  The play of the rookies, Austin Daye and Jonas Jerebko?
  Ben Wallace?
  Or AI’s mess in Memphis?
• 42 points in the paint, that’s a great stat for Pistons team that has struggled in that department.
• Can we please talk about Kwame Brown. I have said it before, this guy really puts in the effort. He may not put up 20 a night but he’s doing just what he came here to do. We need him to produce and hustle and he’s doing just that. He finished with 7 points, 8 boards and a steal in 18 minutes. Give the guy some credit please.
• Ben on Ben: “Seems like he’s at home here in Detroit,” Gordon said. “Playing for (Chicago and Cleveland) the last few years, it never seemed like he was at home. You can tell Big Ben is definitely at home here.” Via NBA.com

Photo/Getty Images

• Another stellar game from Ben Gordon.  I think he’s definitely showing management and fans that he was well worth his contract. Once again BG led the Pistons with 23 points on 9-for-19 shooting with 2 boards, 2 assists and a steal. The highlights are mounting and the Pistons have only played seven games.

• Great day for an afternoon game in Michigan and it was nice to walk out of the Palace drenched in Sunshine and a Win!