Detroit lost their matchup Saturday night with the Memphis Grizzlies 115-94. Bynum led the Pistons with 19 points on 6-8 shooting, and Ben Gordon scored 13.
“They did a wonderful job of transition, taking care of the basketball and sharing the basketball,” Pistons coach John Kuester said. “What we have to do as a team is to become better in our transition defense. We also need to be better at on-the-ball defense. We really struggled.” Via NBA.com
Notables:
- Charlie Villanueva, who played his first game as a Piston, had 12 points.
Photo/Getty Images
- Jonas Jerebko started the game and scored 12 points in 17 minutes with 4 boards.
- Tayshaun Prince missed his second straight pre-season game with a cut toe.
- Rodney Stuckey scored 11 with 3 assists in 30 minutes, he was a -20 for the game (ouch).
- I still think Chris Wilcox will play a larger roll than we thought going in, like I mentioned before he’s my X-factor pick.
- A little worried about the production (or non-production) of Jason Maxiell. I know it’s only the preseason, but he really hasn’t shown much of anything yet. It could be his playing time, but come the regular season we will see if he take a leap forward like I had hoped.
- DNP (coaches decision) for DaJuan Summers, while Chucky Atkins, Washington and Baston each played 3:47. I’m sure Kuester is trying to make his decision on the final roster spots.
- Highlights of the game
i think charlie v and jonas jerebko in the rotation kinda changed the complexion of the game. So hard to gauge if this a reflection of our depth on this team or just gonna happen while we have guys like Tayshaun out. Natalie I agree with you about Chris Wilcox, I always liked his game and think his bruising physical style is going to help us. As to Jason Maxiell this is kinda the way he played last year, if you don’t give him the ball, he doesn’t really put up numbers in any category, I hope the coach recognizes that and doesn’t under utilze jason and just give CV and ben gordon and the guards all the shots and leave everyone else hanging
Im not so worried, i actually expected this. Everying right now is a chemistry problem. Not in the since that the pieces don’t fit. In the since that more time is needed to develop chemistry. Once we have chemistry, well look infiantly better.
The only problem that wont be fixed by Chemistry, is Jason’s poor play. He was simply terrible last season. And it doesnt look as if hes going to be any better this season. Look for Jerbko to take Jasons pt if he keeps this up.
I can see J-Max getting traded. I like him, but he’s just so hit and miss…
i don’t see him getting traded, none of the players are here for the long haul in my opinion, other than maybe Wilcox and possibly Kwame, JMAX just needs to be utilized, he is one of the best defenders in the league, one of the few guys that contain Dwight Howard well even at his size
i feel bad for maxiel, but he has become such disappointment on the court. i have no idea why he is not the same great athlete who came in every game with immense energy, but it is hardly there anymore. if we have to trade rip, package maxiel with him, at least then we got a decent package. if no trade occurs and maxiel is not any better, then he is gonna lose his minutes dramatically. hopefully jonas jerebko and wilcox get better with the team when the season starts, because things seem brighter in their future.
Jason is incredible. I recall him also guarding Kevin Garnett very well. If he is traded, it will be official that Joe has lost his mind. Perhaps he still has a bit of sense, as Rip is still a Piston.
No, no, no, no, no. These are the two main Pistons I still love and adore! Probably he’s just unsure with the new coach and way of playing. John is offensive minded after all; Jason is great at defense, although he can also score. Nevertheless, his focus is on defense. Rip is an amazing SG, if anything, Ben can go. Or Stuckey. Or Kwame. Or Charlie.
well max does well with energy but its hard to get through the paint and get dunks and stuff when other players are not feeding him the ball or spacing the floor and such, plus i think he was one of the guys who really got hurt developmentally with Michael Curry as head coach, and now so many other players are being established that he’s kind of on the backburner right now, if it stays that way then im going to be mad
I agree with Natalie about Wilcox. I’ve said it since the first pre-season game against Miami that this guy will be nice piece off the bench. He seems like a good all around player. I remember thinking that when he was with the Sonics.
So isn’t AI with Memphis now. That’s funny that you didn’t see him in a single highlight. (Sarcasm) He probably won’t show up until the first game of the season and then expect to play about 47.5 minutes a night to “help his team get to the playoffs”. (Also known as feeling like everything has to be about him or they won’t be successful) They sure looked fine without him. Why did they even sign that guy?
trade jason fatxeil quick the guy is 6’7 and cant play d for nothing yea his blocks r exicting but what about the rest of the game….would love to see detroit native shane battier in a piston uniform
AI is injured.
I thinkMax is out also, his spot has really been taken, he’s pretty far down in the rotation behind all of the other bigs in reserve (Wilcox, Wallace). Max has always also been the impact player off the bench for the Pistons, instant energy, bet even that is gone since you get that from about half a dozen other guys now too, Jmax just doesn’t shine like he used to now.
Maxi is going to come back soon. I read that Kwame was working hard this summer getting to know Coach Kue’s system. Didn’t Maxi tour Africa this summer? Maybe he needs more time (like Kwame did) to find his place in the transition plays. Give him some time, as I’m sure Coach Kue is doing. Forget about what happened last year (I know we all want to).
BTW: for anyone who thinks he can only dunk off an offensive board: a few games back, I did see him make a nice 10-12 foot baseline jumper.
Keep Maxiell!!!!!!
MAD MAX will not be traded. He is still fairly young and the Pistons will need him next season to contribute because Kwami wont be back. The Pistons will use the $4 million expiring contract of Kwami’s to use towards landing a good mid-level free agent, and or use it to build additional cap space to pursue Chris Bosh or Amari Stoudamire pending some mid season trades by Dumars of Rip or Tay or both. Watch out Pistons Fans cause you know Joe is not contempt with this average roster!
My bros best friend is cousins with Bosh. He got some fam in the D and has said he is considerin comin to the pistons if the price is right. He still boyz with CV31 and said he would like to renew that big’s combo. Next seasons possible starters
PG STUCKEY
SG GORDON
SF DAYE/?
PF BOSH
C Villanueva
yea ok dude bosh is going to new york wit his boy
Anyone beginning to recognize the immense importance of Tayshaun Prince to this team? He gets injured at half time in Grand Rapids and since then we haven’t won a half. Hope he gets better by Oct. 28…
bosh would be center not cv31, and joe would not give up hamilton and prince for bosh
ya no one appreciates tay cause weve never been without him now maybe people will realize that he is very important to this team even when he doesnt have points
Didn’t know that. Still don’t know why they signed him though. They have so much young talent why take their minutes away?
James&junior, sadly, it seems that there are many that do not fully appreciate Tay. For that matter, there are many that really don’t appreciate Rip that much either. And I know that there were even more that didn’t appreciated Sheed’s work for the last couple of years now. I have been on the otherside of the fence on that matter for a few years now (very lonely) and I thought that all we really needed was a good (true) center to help Sheed and Dyess compete with the elite (Celtics), not the total rebuild that has perpetuated. Unfortunately, many in the ‘D’ didn’t agree! Mob mentality called for heads…And here we are…
Man, that team was something to watch!
junior know what joe d would do lol
I heard we are trading rip n tay for scalabrinie! finals here we comeeeeeeeeeee
I totally agree, Piston brother, the ‘ship team of 2004 was a team without superstars who scored triple-doubles regularly, but they knew their roles and worked almost perfectly as a “team” and they were people who bled red, white, and most importantly blue and did whatever it took to rep the ‘D’ Bad boys style! You’re a wise man my friend.
trades! trades! trades…. and the season haven’t started yet!
http://www.nba.com/2009/news/10/20/shock.relocate/index.html
I wasn’t the biggest fan but I have to say this is pretty sad news. I wish them luck still
I wonder if Lambier knew this before all of us?
now theres a thought that’s going to fester in my head
WOW you are DEAD on!
Why is everyone saying they are disappointed or WERE disappointed in Maxiells play NOW or last season even?
The guy barely got ANY playing time, and when he did it was spotted throughout the game and mostly garbage at the end of blowouts. When he was in the game, he is playing with BALLHOG stuckey and bynum…so any touches he ever got were off of hustle plays and offensive rebounds. When he did get the ball passed to him, it was from 20 feet out with the shot clock down and a hand in his face..what is he supposed to do?! Look at his FG %, its GREAT…look at his production, all he does is play D and shoots over 50% per game with LIMITED touches…imagine if he was TRULY UTILIZED!
TRADE HIM PLEASEEE!!! Pistons organization wont PLAY him, they wont TRADE him, they wont do anything but continue to contain the beast on the bench….its terrible!