Big Ben's gone, off to Chicago

In my post earlier today, I meant to write about Ben Wallace terming the Pistons' 4-year, $48 million contract offer as "disappointing," and "not at all what [he] expected." It's certainly easy to say now, but to me, that was it. That was Ben saying he wasn't coming back to Detroit.

What did Ben expect from the Pistons? Well, obviously more. But I look at Detroit's $48 million vs. Chicago's $52 million and think Joe Dumars made a fair market offer. Then again, the difference between $52 million and $48 million is four million dollars - more money than most of us will likely see in our lifetimes.

Taking the negotiations to the press and trying to make the Pistons look bad aren't the tactics of a man who wants to return. And toward the end of this past season, Ben Wallace looked like he'd had enough here. The refusal to go back into a game in April, an apparent resentment toward his teammates who wouldn't involve him in the offense, and a growing disenchantment with Flip Saunders' overall system each seemed to provide small indications that this was becoming a tense relationship.

K-Dog tells me ESPN News is reporting that Wallace actually signed with the Bulls for $60 million, not $52 million, so we're not talking about a seemingly small difference between offers. There had been talk all throughout the season that Chicago would come strong after Big Ben, and that definitely happened. $15 million (reportedly, as I write this) a year? For Ben Wallace?

I'm sure Joe D's going to take some heat for this, but I think he and the Pistons handled this exactly the way they had to. They figured out Ben's financial value to the team, set their price, and didn't budge from that. Going above that number would've thrown their entire salary structure out of whack, and teams that are interested in staying successful don't often do that.

(Want an example? How about the Hornets signing Peja Stojakovic to a 5-year, $64 million deal. The Oxford English Dictionary is changing its definition of "insane" as we speak. According to MLive.com's A. Sherrod Blakely, Wallace was even more offended by the Pistons offer after seeing that one.)

Maybe you can criticize the Pistons for letting other teams set the market, rather than aggressively establishing it themselves. But would it have ultimately mattered? Especially when Ben seemed like he wanted to leave, anyway?

So this is goodbye. It's going to be very strange seeing Ben Wallace in another team's uniform next season. And this surely hurts the Pistons' chances next season. After all this sinks in, I'll probably be really pissed that he'll be playing for the Bulls - a team I've always hated - in a city that's arguably Detroit's natural sports rival.

(When K-Dog got the news, he said - and I hope he doesn't mind me revealing this - that "Ben can kiss my ass." I'm not quite there yet, but might be in a few months. Once a guy leaves, that door is closed, man.)

But I still think this is the right move, one good teams sometimes have to make.

Absence makes the blog go flounder - again

Oh, I've been a bad blogger. Bad blogger! And not the kinky, wrists tied, "Honey, I have to step out for a few hours" kind of bad. No, I mean flat-out lazy.

We've got stuff going on! Tigers swept the Astros! Garner ejected and tossing chairs! Clemens getting no run support (and giving dirty looks to C.B. Bucknor - also the man who ejected ol' "Scrap Iron" on Monday night) from his teammates. And that same problem afflicting his best buddy, Andy Pettitte, the next day! Man, the National League is just a sliver of meat stuck between the Tigers' teeth.

And yeah, the Pistons took some point guard from Iowa State. (Joe D., you should've talked to me. The Cyclones suck, dude.) Oh, and Maurice Evans is gone. Literally, this time, not just glued to the bench by Flip Saunders.




Thanks to my gig at Motor City Sports Magazine, I was a credentialed member of the media at Comerica Park on Monday. I'd love to write all about it - and if I get a chance, I hope to - but it was honestly one of the coolest, and most informative, experiences of my life. And yes, here comes the plug: my article can be seen in the August issue of MCSM, set to hit shelves in, um, August.

And in a classic case of "the gig giveth and taketh away," that's why my blogging has been near non-existent over the past few days. (And just as Abel to Yzerman and The Daily Fungo generously plugged me. Great timing, Ian.) I owe Mr. Greg Eno several assignments, and have been toiling away either at the computer or on the phone, trying to get my editor what he needs. Does this mean I can say I'm away "on assignment"? Because I've always wanted to say that.

So please stand by. I'm hopeful your regularly scheduled blog will resume tomorrow. And, as always, thank you for stopping by.

The Unbearable Heaviness of Losing

Yes, I would've rather been watching basketball last night, instead of passing time before The Sopranos. (And the "half-season finale" was almost as much of a letdown as the Pistons 2005-06 season.) Of course I wanted to see this team compete for another NBA championship. But I was also kind of relieved to be watching something else. Because I think we saw the end coming during the Cleveland series. And if not then, it certainly became apparent after losing Game 4 to Miami. It had become painful to watch the Pistons on their slow march off the cliff, trying to stay alive in the face of inevitability.

Was Miami just the better team, as Complete Sports says? I have trouble believing that, but I still haven't taken off my Pistons-colored glasses yet. This reminds me, however, of an argument I had ten years ago with my girlfriend's New Englander roommate. Michigan had just beaten Boston University in the NCAA hockey tournament, but Chowdahead maintained that BU was the better team. "Well, if they're the better team," I said, "why didn't they win?" She didn't have an answer then, and I'm not sure I have one now.

But the Heat was definitely hungrier. And that desire gave them enough fuel to surpass Detroit.

What's surprising is how it all unraveled. It wasn't the Pistons' defense that failed them (though the Detroit News' Bob Wojnowski feels differently), but their offense. And it wasn't necessarily because of an increased emphasis on offense. The Pistons lost because they suddenly could not shoot. Scoring 80 points became a struggle for this team. Even with their season on the line, as Big Al points out, the Pistons managed a feeble effort.

During this run of excellence, when the Pistons lost games, it was typically because their jump shots weren't falling. And you could expect that to happen in one or two games during a playoff series. But for an 11-game stretch? When did bad shooting go from the exception to the rule? Ever since Game 2 of the Cleveland series, when the LeBrons turned a blowout into a close game, the Pistons lost something. Did they hit the wall at that point? Is that when all the basketball they've played over the past four years finally caught up with them?

To me, this season proved one thing: A team can't just turn it on. Maybe you already knew that. I did, too, but kept thinking the Pistons might be the first team to do it successfully. A team can't keep creating challenges for itself, digging itself into deep holes, in order to stay interested and motivated. The other team will provide enough opposition, as it is. There's only so much energy to tap. And a team can't squander it. The Pistons certainly tapped themselves out against Cleveland, and just had nothing left for Miami.

But maybe Detroit burned up too much fuel in the regular season when they peaked extremely early. Is there such a thing as being too good? I think there might be - at least in the regular season. Ask the Red Wings what they think of that. Ask the Indianapolis Colts. Ask any team that's playing its best long before the playoffs have arrived. The Pistons were ready to win a championship back in November. Unfortunately, the NBA Finals aren't played until June.

I'll finish with one more thought: I was wrong.

I thought Miami tinkered way too much with its roster last offseason. The Heat were arguably one Dwyane Wade rib injury away from beating Detroit, yet Pat Riley overhauled half of the team. Riley did the same thing with the Knicks, taking a tough team that gave Chicago all it could handle, and neutered it by making too many changes.

And look who he brought in. Antoine Walker on the floor with Shaq and Wade? C'mon, who thought that would work? By January, someone would be crying about getting the ball, right? Shaq and Wade standing with hands on hips, as Walker jacks up a stupid three? Sure.

Jason Williams as the point guard? Oooh, he likes to shoot, too. More shots taken away from Shaq and Wade. Gary Payton? Excuse me, Gary Payton from 2003 just called. He's wondering where his game went. James Posey? Solid role player, but not usually someone the other team accounts for on defense.

And what about Riley himself? Was he still a good coach or were his methods and philosophies - most of which made for some of the worst NBA basketball we'd seen over the past 10-15 years - past their prime? Was he a coaching dinosaur who made a better executive? And why replace Stan Van Gundy, who came so close to beating Detroit?

Well, it worked. At least in getting past Detroit. Somehow, Riley made it all come together. We'll see if the tinkering can yield a championship. That'll give me something else to chew on over the next couple of weeks, as I decide whether or not I can watch other teams compete for a NBA title I - and many, many others - probably took for granted.

Game 5: Still alive

So do we have a series again?

It's probably natural to overreact just a bit after a Game 5 victory, but the Pistons showed they still have some fight left, and if Miami's going to win this series, they'll have to earn it. That shouldn't surprise anyone, but it was still nice to see last night. (By the way, do I get any credit for correctly predicting Detroit's 91 points? No? Because Miami only scored 78? Okay. But I'm just sayin'...)

Any game analysis I could offer would be shaky because I was close to DEF CON 1 Fan Panic Mode as I watched the game. No superstition was left unused last night. It's probably a good thing I was alone, because I would've been annoying as hell to be with. I didn't watch the first quarter live, opting for the radio broadcast. When I did turn the TV on, and the Pistons seemed comfortably ahead, Miami would come back, cut the margin to two points, and I'd turn the channel. (And with Tigers-Yankees in a rain delay, there was not much else to watch.)

Eventually, however, I settled in and witnessed the most important plays of the game.

Alonzo Mourning picking on Tayshaun Prince? Probably not a good idea, as it turned out. 'Sheed only had seven points in the game, but getting in Mourning's face to defend his teammate stoked some defensive passion. Tayshaun, meanwhile, went on to score 29 points (a career playoff high, as the K-Dog points out).

And perhaps the most important of those 29 points were the three Prince scored with four-and-a-half minutes left in the fourth quarter. That three-pointer gave Detroit a six-point lead, and Miami never got close after that. Heat coach Pat Riley called Tayshaun's three "the biggest play of the night."

Oh, I beg to differ, Coach. So does virtually everyone else who watched that game. The pictures of the play that made the biggest difference, the one all the cool kids are talking about, can be found all over the internet this morning. Detroit Bad Boys and Need4Sheed have it from almost every angle available in the arena. Ben Wallace's block on Shaq, which forced a jump ball and made the monstrous Big Aristotle look rather feeble, was the play of the game.

And now, we can argue for the next two days over which team will feel more pressure in Game 6. After last night, Miami and Detroit players were tossing around the burden like a hot potato.

"The pressure's all on Miami," said Lindsey Hunter. Dwyane Wade countered with a definitive Nuh-Uh! "There isn't any pressure on us at all," he said. "They're the defending Eastern Conference champions." But wait, Big Ben says it's still on Detroit. ''I don't think they have too much pressure on them,'' said the man who made the magnificent, game-changing block (see above). "They're still up. It's tough to play from behind."

Scintillating $#!+, no? Oh, whatever.

It does make you wonder, though. Miami stayed close throughout the game, never allowing Detroit to establish a solid lead. But the Heat never could get over the top, and once the momentum of the game shifted, it seemed like they felt content to take the series back to Miami. And that can be a dangerous mindset to adopt in a playoff series. Look what's happened to the Pistons when they took their foot off an opponent's throat. Cleveland took Detroit to seven games. And Miami made Game 2 of this series a close game.

Being faced with elimination seems to sharpen the Pistons' focus. And with these guys rediscovering the effort - most especially on the defensive end - required to win in the playoffs, Miami could be feeling some Heat tomorrow night.

Daddy's home, and he's not happy

Right now, I feel like a parent who's been gone for a week, only to return to a house that's been trashed by the kids.

I leave for one week, Detroit Pistons, and come home to a 3-1 deficit in your series with the Miami Heat?

No, don't speak. You've already done enough. It's my turn to talk, Misters. You'd better think long and hard about what you've done and how you're going to fix it.

What, you wanted to make this postseason even tougher? You fell behind 3-2 last year to the Heat, so you thought going down 3-1 this year would be more of a challenge? Oh, you've got yourself a challenge now, Detroit Pistons.

"If it ain't rough, it ain't right"? How rough do you want it? How rough do you need it? You've got yourself some big-time rough right now. You guys look like the Red Wings out there. The Florida papers are already declaring you done (via MLive's Full-Court Press). How's that making you feel?

Don't look at the floor. Look at me when I'm talking to you. This is serious. You are lucky you haven't been swept in this series (despite Dick Bavetta's best efforts in Game 2).

And I'm not even going to reach into the "you could've drafted Dwyane Wade, but chose Darko instead" box, because I've already gone there before, and it's a moot point. But it would be nice if you at least tried to stop him - foul calls or not.

Yes, I'm happy that you didn't take as many three-pointers last night, because you'd been taking far too many and looked like some Kentucky team that was a #1 seed in the NCAA tournament but took an upset loss when the threes stopped going in.

But that's (clearly) not enough. Stop blaming the officials. (Though I was almost inclined to side with you after fourth fouls on 'Sheed and Ben effectively killed last night's rally.) And stop complaining about the coach favoring offense over defense. Coaches and players chirping at each other through the press? You're already setting up the scapegoat for the offseason when the season isn't even over yet?

I don't even want to look at you right now. Where is your sense of accountability? Where the hell is your sense of responsibility?

You guys need to go to your rooms, and not come out until you're ready to play. You stare at those Dwyane Wade posters I taped to the ceilings, and the Shaq photos I put on the walls, and think about how you want to go down. Is this how you want this run to end?

I am very, very disappointed in you. And you should be disappointed too. Not just because of this series, but because Mom was going to make her famous Larry O'Brien trophy meat loaf tonight. And you know it's delicious. But there won't be anyone to eat it, because you guys will be up in your rooms, thinking about what you've done and what you're going to do about it. I'll just have to eat it myself. And you know I'm trying to watch how much I eat!

Walk upstairs in shame, Detroit Pistons. And if you're going to cry, you'd better do it in your pillows. Because if I hear any, I'm coming up there.

(Photo by Clarence Tabb, Jr./ Detroit News)

Back in a week

I suppose the title of this post could refer to the Detroit Pistons, whose season appeared to be on the brink after Wednesday's Game 5 loss to the Cleveland LeBrons. But four days later, they seemed to have rediscovered that championship ju-ju and finally asserted themselves over a not-yet-ready-for-prime-time opponent. (After their performance in this series, however, it looks like the Cavaliers' arrival to prominence might come sooner than originally thought. Or maybe not.)

Unfortunately, I had to catch the end of yesterday's 79-61 victory from a Greektown bar, where my sister and I had left our mother while we caught the rubber match of Reds-Tigers at Comerica Park. While Mama Cass was counting the money she fleeced from slot machines (seriously - she's rich, bee-yotch!) Budweiser and I caught most of the second half at the casino bar. Good times. Hopefully, watching at least part of a Game 7 at a bar is enough to keep me from having to appear before the Gods of Sports Justice. But hey, I ate damn well on those casino winnings.

No, the title of today's post refers to me taking a week off. As noted above, I have some family in town, and we've planned a busy week for ourselves, so asking them to wait while I post some blog entries probably wouldn't go over well. But with the Pistons about to start a rematch with the Heat, and the Tigers continuing to play good (great?) baseball, I might not be able to resist staying away. I'll just have to write in the wee, dark hours of the morning.

(And then I can rant about ESPN and ABC already putting together warm, fuzzy "Pat Riley is back!" features. C'mon, some of the people reading this were toddlers the last time Coach Slickback won a championship. How about waiting until he gets back to the NBA Finals before combing his hair back for him?)

Anyway, the plan - if I can stick to it - is to get back bloggin' after Memorial Day. By then, we should have a feel for how the Heat-Pistons series will go, and could still have a first-place baseball team in Detroit. (My fingers just tingled from typing that.) Thanks to all of you for stopping by to read, and enjoy your holiday.

This has officially become serious

So much for being calm and confident, eh? Even after losing Game 3 to the Cavaliers on Monday, the prevailing sentiment seemed to be that the Pistons were still firmly in control of this series and would win in six games.

At approximately 9:45 pm last night, the collective sphincter of Pistons fans everywhere tightened severely. It was probably already closing at tip-off, and progressively puckered throughout a game in which the Pistons could never assert themselves over an opponent virtually everyone believes (and probably still believes) is inferior in almost every way.

What the hell is going on here?

Three losses in a row is uncharted territory for the 2005-06 Detroit Pistons. And this is an unfortunate time to see how it works out for them.

"I'm still not concerned," Chauncey Billups said after the game. "I know what we're capable of."

Well, how about showing it then, guys? Is it safe to say the time for concern is right #@$%ing now?

How is it that the Cavaliers were playing with confidence last night, while the Pistons were flailing around like the team afraid to lose? This is what happens when you show the other team that they don't need to be afraid of you.

"It's just basketball," LeBronBronBron said in his post-game remarks. "They're not the Big, Bad Wolf. And we're not the Three Little Pigs."

Wait a minute. Who's supposed to be fearful, and who's supposed to be dismissive? Is this what it's come to? When did this NBA post-season become the Bizarro World for the Pistons and their fans? Who were those guys turning the ball over, getting their shots blocked, fumbling balls out of bounds, and fouling out? And who were those guys diving to the floor for loose balls?

Yet the Pistons would have you believe they're still cool like Fonzie. If there was any shock in the Detroit locker room last night, there was no awe to go along with it.

"We have been in this situation before," said Tayshaun Prince. "We know what to do. We feel like we can make it happen."

And if you had any questions about that, Detroit Bad Boys supports Tayshaun's point with hard evidence. These guys apparently like it on the edge. But the Pistons are starting to look like a team that believes its credentials entitle a free pass to the NBA Finals.

Their season is hardly over - and this series could be far off in the rear-view mirror if Detroit is playing for another championship in three weeks - but did you expect to feel any doubt before the Eastern Conference Finals? Are you beginning to wonder if this team peaked too early, if coasting through the majority of the regular season caused a red-white-and-blue haze that might not be shaken off until it's too late?

Maybe I shouldn't be, but I am. (So is Drew Sharp, who already has his scapegoat lined up.) Yet right now, I'm looking at a pair of tickets on my desk to Sunday's Tigers-Reds game at Comerica Park, and thinking I should see if I can sell them to a buddy. Or maybe I'll just leave around the 7th inning or so. Because I think we'll have a Game 7 on Sunday, and I want to be in front of my TV for it.

"We've done enough talking. We may have done a little too much talking," said Ben Wallace. "It's time to play."

Now would be a fine time for that, Ben. Oh, and work on your free throws.

(Photo by Robin Buckson/ Detroit News)

Absence makes the blog go flounder

What I was thinking about while painfully, tearfully kept away from my computer throughout the day...

♦ I don't suppose there's any chance the Cleveland LeBrons have some confidence after cutting the Pistons' lead to five points in last night's Game 2, is there? I was distracted by Scrubs and House, so I can't really say whether or not the Cavs "put a scare" into Detroit. (Eno says no. Big Al says the Pistons wuz bored.) Having said that, any momentum the LeBrons might have mustered has to be killed by the three-day break before Game 3, doesn't it?

♦ Does ABC moving Game 3 to a 5 p.m. start mean the Pistons are getting "the J.V. treatment" again?

♦ For those who thought Fernando Rodney should replace Todd Jones as Tigers' closer - "The Closer Controversy!" - does last night's loss to Baltimore change your opinion at all? Do two losses in the last three games signify a downward trend for the previously impervious Tigers' bullpen? Or were they just due to blow a couple of saves?

♦ Pudge Rodriguez, Gold Glove first baseman? He looked like it last night. "Those two plays I made were very good," Rodriguez said to the Free Press. Oh, Pudge, you're so modest!

♦ Will any Tigers swing a pink bat on Mother's Day? My bet's on Da Meat Hook. Or maybe Brandon Inge. (I thought Alexis Gomez already broke out pink hardware during Spring Training. Wait - did that sound right?) I'll be honoring the occasion, as well, wearing the white clothing I turned pink when I mixed them with reds in my laundry.

Oh, let us count the ways

So when exactly did it become clear that the Pistons were going to win last night's Game 5 easily? There were so many points where you could've just turned the channel because it was so obviously Detroit's night. Take your pick:

Was it the opening jump-ball, when Ben Wallace tipped the ball to 'Sheed, who then passed to Rip Hamilton for an easy lay-up?

How about Tayshaun Prince's half-court buzzer-beater to end the first quarter?

Could it have been the score after that first quarter: Pistons 39, Bucks 23?
Or did Terry Stotts determine the outcome of the game beforehand when deciding to put Michael Redd on Chauncey Billups, thus leaving T.J. Ford to defend Rip Hamilton? Ford may be fast, but he's not physical. And if you're not going to knock Rip around, he'll run all night. 40 points later, that bit of coaching strategy wasn't looking so good.

Maybe the credit should go to trainer Arnie Kander, who opted not to tape Hamilton's ankle so tightly.

(Photo by Daniel Mears/ Detroit News)

It's arrogant to say this was a "five-game sweep," especially when Milwaukee won Game 3 so decisively (and surprisingly). But apparently, that little spanking reminded the Pistons they needed to quit playing around, assert themselves, and end this thing as soon as they could. It wasn't ever really close after that. Detroit had a match-up advantage at every position.

You know what I'll miss most? Need4Sheed putting tutus on the Bucks in game photos. Classic stuff, Natalie.

So now the Pistons won't have to tip-off at 6 p.m. anymore - which Billups and coach Flip Saunders called "the J.V. schedule" - so TNT can show Bron-Bron in prime-time. They can join us in watching the rest of the Cavs-Wizards series. (Complete Sports has the good on last night's Game 5, including Washington's baffling last-second defense on LeBron.)

Or they can tune into the now-chippy Lakers-Suns series, in which Black Mamba battles The Bell. Or not, since Raja Bell was suspended for clotheslining Kobe. Did you catch Kobe referring to Bell as "this kid" yesterday to the press? HA! I still hate the guy, but he has the onions to back that up. (Hello to everyone who found this blog yesterday by Googling "Raja Bell" and "Kobe Bryant," by the way.)

Next stop on the championship train: the second round.

Pistons 92, Men in Tights 74

This might be the haze from sitting in front of a computer for a few hours (I think Eno predicted this would happen), but when Drew Sharp writes that Richard Hamilton was the best player on the floor last night, I have to agree with the man. (It wasn't easy to type that.) Not only was Rip the Pistons' second-leading scorer with 21 points, but he was fierce on defense, making Michael Redd's night miserable.

As the Freep's Krista Latham points out in her game recap, Redd's only baskets (four of them) were scored on drives to the basket. Hamilton didn't give him any room to breathe on the perimeter. His growth as a player, both offensively (with his three-point shooting) and defensively, has been one of the most enjoyable aspects of the Pistons season.

Redd might have a breakout game in him, which could give the Bucks one win in the series. But if not for that, I don't see how Milwaukee can give Detroit much to worry about. The Pistons started out the game too hyped-up, which resulted in poor shooting and kept the game tight. But once those nerves were calmed down, the men in tights didn't have a chance.

And that leads me to my biggest question from last night's game: What the #@$% was with those tights? I mean, Pistons fans accused Joe Smith of wearing tights while he played here, but I always thought that was a figurative criticism for being such a pansy in the frontcourt.

Ah, okay - apparently, they've been rockin' out the Lycra all season long. No wonder David Stern wants to ban those things next season. If one player wears them for "medical reasons," that's one thing. But when almost the entire team breaks out the leggings, it looks, well, kind of silly.

I do see one benefit, however: If Andrew Bogut insists on looking like he's auditioning for Fame, then 'Sheed simply has to knock him around in the post. You can't get outscored or rebounded by someone dressed as a member of the Joffrey Ballet (and, at times, plays like it, too). What do you say to Ben Wallace when you go back to the bench or stand in the huddle?

But anything that keeps 'Sheed in the paint, working the ball near the basket with strong moves and short jumpers, is a good thing. Bogut, like his teammates, was completely overmatched last night.

Oh, and a note to Michael Hunt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel (who very smartly doesn't go by "Mike"): It's not boring when you win the game. You need new material, buddy.

(Photo by Clarence Tabb, Jr./ Detroit News)

Playing out that string

Have you ever been at a party where you were just dying to leave, but couldn't? Maybe you didn't drive, and the person whom you rode with is having a good time and doesn't want to go. Or the festivities are at your place and there are people who insist on sticking around until you chase them out with a chef's knife?

I think that's how the Pistons are feeling right now.

Last night was the equivalent of skipping the last week of classes, taking "mental days" before final exams. Rip Hamilton, Rasheed Wallace, and Lindsey Hunter were inactive for the game against Milwaukee, indicating the evening's true priorities: Just stay healthy, let the "owies" heal, and play out the rest of the schedule. As could be expected, the Bucks took advantage of their free pass and scored a 20-point victory.

Did it matter? Of course not. Detroit clinched home-court advantage throughout the playoffs last week. On Sunday, they set a franchise record for wins in the regular season. Season's over, man! If the NBA would've allowed the Pistons to forfeit the final two games vs. Milwaukee and Washington, they probably would've.

But since they had to play the games, Flip Saunders decided to see what he has on the bench, which has arguably cost the team a handful of victories, but is something many observers have been pleading for - especially over the past few weeks. So the reserves ruled last night, probably best indicated by Maurice Evans disrupting Ben Wallace's pre-tip-off routine of sprinkling rosin powder on the scorer's table. Oops. Hey, give Mo a break - he was a starter.

Carlos Delfino hopefully reminded Flip that he can be a force off the bench, with 18 points. Hell, Dale Davis and Kelvin Cato (who might not be on the playoff roster) got to play, too! But the story of the evening, if you'll pardon me paraphrasing The Who, is that the kids were alright. Alex Acker? Four assists. Jason Maxiell? 11 points and 12 rebounds. And how about Amir Johnson? 18 points on 6-for-6 shooting. (Okay, Bobby Simmons scored 10 points on the kid, but let's stay positive.) Nothing like giving everyone a little bit of confidence before the playoffs begin next Sunday.

One more dress rehearsal against the Wizards. Maybe Gilbert Arenas will wear himself out again, seeking vengeance on that mean ol' Flip Saunders, who had the sheer temerity to only give a few minutes to Mr. Gilby in the All-Star Game, thinking it might send a message to the championship favorites. Meanwhile, the Pistons will keep their eyes on the prize, waiting for the Bucks, Pacers, or Bulls to bring it on.

Blog Hooky at the ballpark

Today's Opening Day in Detroit, which means it's a local holiday and plenty of people will be playing hooky and getting hammered around Comerica Park (and the old Tiger Stadium) for most of the afternoon.


Spring is now officially in the air. For one day, everyone's a baseball fan around here. And this year, the people seem especially eager to embrace our tied-for-first-place Detroit Tigers (after approximately 4% of the schedule has been played) as they arrive triumphantly at Comerica Park to play the defending World Series champion Chicago White Sox. So reality could come crashing in fast this week, but for the past seven days, it's been damn fun to root for a winning baseball team.

We love playing hooky here at Sweaty Men Endeavors, and plan to stroll around the ballpark, smile and fraternize with fellow baseball fans, and skip work we're supposed to be doing. That is, until the first pitch at 1 p.m., after which I'll be heading back home since I don't have a ticket to the game (and am low on the press credential totem pole at Motor City Sports Magazine).

Speaking of MCSM, they'll be having a tailgate party from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the corner of Madison and Randolph, in the parking lot just south of the Gem Theatre. There will be a RV with banners hanging, so it shouldn't be too hard to find. Stop by and say hi, if you're in the area. And if you've ever wanted to meet a sportswriter, this is a good chance for you. I'd be happy to escort you over to Comerica Park, where you might be able to meet some of the working press.

So as much as I'd love to write about Chris Shelton's batting average plummeting two hundred points or discuss whether Ben Wallace's "I'm not going back in and you can't make me" pout deserves to place him in the same sentence as Scottie Pippen and Carmelo Anthony, I'll have to defer.

▪▪ Detroit Bad Boys was shocked at Wallace's behavior, but thinks Coach Flip Saunders handled the situation correctly.

▪▪ The Detroit Free Press' Krista Latham writes that Ben was sending a message to his teammates, more than acting out against his coach.

▪▪ Terry Foster (whom I met yesterday at a book signing) says recognizing Wallace's intent and role on the team was an important moment for Saunders as Pistons coach.

▪▪ The Detroit News' Rob Parker says Wallace and his teammates are ready to move on. I'd love to argue with that, but Big Ben's effort against Indiana yesterday seems to support that. Maybe this was a much-needed splash of cold water.

Metro Detroit 2, South Beach 0

Tell me you didn't have a bad feeling in the first half of last night's Heat-Pistons game. It usually doesn't end well when the Pistons miss that many jump shots. And they missed a lot of them. Think of any jokes about laying bricks and building walls, and they'd fit.

Detroit shot 35% from the field. Chauncey Billups was 5-for-16 (but made up for it big-time by going 11-for-12 at the free throw line). 'Sheed was 3-for-12 (and only went to the line twice).

And I know it does no good to complain about this, but I will never be comfortable with 'Sheed shooting that many three-pointers. Call me "old school" - I don't believe a big man should be taking shots that far from the basket. That belief is affirmed when those shots don't go in. Rasheed Wallace, you are not Dirk Nowitzki.

He could go 4-for-4 from three-point range, and my teeth would still grind. I hate it. Last night, the Pistons needed a low-post threat, and the one guy on the team who can provide it chose to stay away from the paint. And that was with Shaquille O'Neal looking like he was wearing cement shoes and Alonzo Mourning out of the game with a pulled calf.

(Photo by Julian H. Gonzalez/ Detroit Free Press)

Of course, the Pistons did win the game, 82-73, so maybe I'm fretting over nothing. (Greg Eno says I am.) To have played that badly, yet still win a game over their closest competitor in the Eastern Conference is an impressive feat. I've heard a lot of jabber on sports talk radio today from people scared over how the Pistons are playing. But Miami should be freaking out, if you ask me. Detroit was just asking to be beaten last night, and the Heat couldn't get it done.

Teams shouldn't be able to win games by suddenly "turning it on," but the Pistons seemed to do exactly that. When they decided to crack down on defense, Miami was shut down. Big gold stars to Rip Hamilton and Lindsey Hunter, who did a good job holding Dwyane Wade to 13 points on 3-for-15 shooting. Pistons killer? Soooo last month, Dwayne.

Meanwhile in Ann Arbor, Michigan made it a doubleheader sweep for metro Detroit. The Wolverines and the Maize Rage are apparently off to the NIT semi-finals in New York after beating Miami's other basketball team, 71-65. I say "apparently," because I didn't see it. But this time, it's because I couldn't see the game. Raise your hand if you have ESPNU? Where does that channel come in? On campus? In the dorms?

It's not like I'm mad about it; I would've watched the Pistons game, anyway. But it would've been nice to watch the NIT during commercial breaks.

Is it silly if I feel a bit excited about Michigan going this far in the postseason step-tournament? Probably. It's like winning the "Toilet Bowl" in Gus Macker 3-on-3. You only got that chance because you lost when it really counted. But I'll still enjoy watching them play for a trophy. Unless ESPN sticks the games on ESPNU again.

(Photo by Kirt Dozier/ Detroit Free Press)

Some crow with your haterade, sir?

Okay, I've been a bit of a hater with Kobe Bryant this season, so when his team beats my team, I have to eat it. That haterade tasted nasty when I watched a tape of the fourth quarter on Sunday morning. I taped the rest of the game because I went to bed midway through the third quarter. Why? Bill Laimbeer (arrogantly) said the Pistons already had the game.

Apparently, the guys in the blue jerseys heard that, too. During a six-minute stretch between the third and fourth quarters, the Pistons went cold, while the Lakers ran off 18 unanswered points. Oops. Detroit went on to lose the game, 105-94.

Detroit Bad Boys broke down the 18-0 stretch in painful detail. And while looking at each of the shots the Pistons missed in those six minutes, one of the major reasons for Detroit's recent struggles is glaringly obvious. They're settling for too many jump shots.

And here's the part that had me roasting crow for dinner last night. Kobe Bryant, despite scoring 40 points in the game, didn't notch a single point during that run. His teammates, the players whose primary role seemed to be standing around to watch Kobe shoot, scored those 18 points (led by Lamar Odom's nine). How about them apples?

So today, I'm still munching on crow. Considering it came from the Kobe Lovers Club, I probably should've had someone else taste it first.

Secret transcripts!

Noobsports certainly doesn't need any plug-ola from me after getting mentioned on ESPN2's "Cold Pizza" last week, but they posted something that should amuse most, if not all, Pistons fans. If you haven't already seen it, here you go:

Noob Sports Trade of the Week:
Noob Sports has uncovered secret transcripts of this week's trade talks between Magic assistant GM Otis Smith and Pistons president Joe Dumars...

Otis Smith: Everyone makes mistakes, even you, Joe. What if we take one of those mistakes off your hands? We'd be willing to offer you a protected first round pick and Kelvin Cato, who is injured and might not play again this year, for your Serbian gangster and Carlos Arroyo.

Joe Dumars: (silence)

Smith: I know it means that you are admitting that your selection of Darko didn't exactly work out, but Cato offers you cap room so that you can re-sign Ben Wallace...

Dumars: (silence)

Smith: And Arroyo only plays 12 minutes per game, and we both know that Lindsey Hunter is going to steal his minutes come playoff time...Joe, are you there?

Dumars: Uhh yeh, I thought you were Mason prank calling me again. So, if I send you Darko, I'll have enough cap space to keep my team together and you'll give me a first rounder? Wait a minute, your team still sucks and is lottery bound for years, right?

Smith: Put it this way, we are going to give Darko significant minutes...

Dumars: Trade accepted.

Smith: It takes a real man to give away an angel.

T-minus one hour before the All-Star Game, and the Pistons four on the floor. Enjoy the moment, folks.

Warm and toasty

With only two Pistons games this past week, all of the analysis and argument about the Darko Milicic trade seemed to momentarily overshadow the success of the team so far this season. That's how I feel I've been looking at it, anyway. So I'm going to sit back, chant "Ding dong, Darko's gone" four times, and take a deep breath of appreciation for the amazing basketball we've been able to watch during the past three-and-a-half months.

What reminded me to chill out was this photo of the Pistons' four All-Stars, along with their All-Star coach. All season long, Pistons fans have been shouting to be heard, pointing out the obvious: that this team deserved some long-overdue All-Star recognition. Chauncey Billups had to be on that team. Rip Hamilton should be there, too. And since Ben Wallace has been been on the last three All-Star teams, he might as well stay there. Hey, don't forget about Rasheed Wallace. The Pistons wouldn't be champions without him. Hell, send the whole starting lineup to Houston.

Okay, Tayshaun Prince didn't make it. But since the Pistons have the best record in the Eastern Conference, Flip Saunders is the head coach of its All-Star team. Pistons fans are always demanding respect for their team. And now we've all been served a great heaping scoop of it. Take a look and savor it before you dig in.

(Photo by Jennifer Pottheiser/ NBAE)

And this happened a couple of days ago, but I told myself I wouldn't get too excited about Mike Martz joining the Lions until the official press conference announcing his hiring. I'd also need some photo evidence of this announcement to really let myself go.

Now we have it. I've seen a picture of Mike Martz talking to the media, wearing a Detroit Lions jacket-pullover-thing. So now I'm getting excited. No analysis, no commentary, no deliberating. Today, I'm just a fan enjoying something I spent most of the past three seasons hoping for. Mike Martz will be running the Detroit Lions offense. That is pretty damn cool.

Is this keeping you warm on a frigid Saturday, here in Michigan? It's working for me. At least for right now. No outrage or pointing and laughing from me today. Enjoy your weekend.

(Photo by David Guralnick/ Detroit News)

What's Serbian for "see ya"?

Well, it has to be official if Darko's NBA profile already lists him with his new team, right? It looks like Joe Dumars wanted a Darko-free All-Star break because the rumored trade that has hijacked Detroit sports blogs this week was finally completed last night. Darko is off to the magical land of Orlando, with Carlos Arroyo in the passenger seat, and we can start placing bets on how long Kelvin Cato remains on the Pistons' roster. (Shall we start the pool at one week or one day? After the All-Star break?)

We've been batting the pros and cons of this deal around Detroit Blog Nation for the past three days, so there's probably nothing more to say on that subject. However, it really bothers me that Detroit won't be receiving Orlando's 2006 1st-round pick. And if the Magic's selection is among the top five next year, Detroit won't see that 1st-round pick until 2008. At least Detroit won't have to wait as long as they did for Vancouver's pick in the Otis Thorpe deal (which was used to select - hey! - Darko Milicic). That took seven years. Hell, the Grizzlies weren't even in the same city by then.

And if you're worried over the back-up point guard situation, the Detroit News' Chris McCosky says the Pistons prefer to turn Cato around in a trade for a point guard, rather than waive him. I'd say "good luck with that, Joe," but probably shouldn't underestimate the market for a $8.5 million expiring contract. Teams love making salary cap room. (Look how well it's worked for the Chicago Bulls and Atlanta Hawks.)

Feel like some links this morning? I like 'em better than the patties.

▪▪ ESPN.com's Chad Ford reminds you that he likes Darko - he really, really likes him - during his SportsCentury-esque retrospective of our favorite human victory cigar's career. (If you don't have an ESPN Insider login, just imagine a sepia-toned Ken Burns-like documentary in which Ford tells you where he first saw Darko, and recounts how it didn't work out in Detroit.)

▪▪ Staying with ESPN.com, if you're wondering what Will Perdue thinks of the deal, now you can find out.

▪▪ And John Hollinger reminds Joe D of what The Wayne Fontes Experience has said all along: You better make another deal, 'cuz Lindsey Hunter as back-up point guard ain't gettin' it done.

▪▪ Mickey Tettleton Memorial Overpass follows the Darko-in-Detroit timeline, while also recapping Chad Ford's infatuation with the master of many hairdos.

▪▪ Detroit Bad Boys points out the inherit irony in trading Darko to Orlando, while reminding us that the Pistons probably wouldn't have won the 2004 NBA championship had they drafted another player instead.

▪▪ Hey, Mitch Albom wrote about the Darko trade! So you know it's a big story here.

▪▪ Does this mean that your "Free Darko" t-shirt is now a novelty collectible? (And will Free Darko have to change its name?)

▪▪ Need4Sheed has a touching goodbye photo of Darko and Carlos Arroyo. They're going to Disney World, y'all!

Darko... Cato... Darko... Cato... ?

Oh, if only I had written a blog entry about the rumored Darko trade yesterday, instead of slipping it in the comments yesterday. (Great discussion, though.)

As Big Al said, it's probably more pertinent to discuss scenarios that could actually happen and could impact this year's team, rather than drive yourself crazy over "what ifs." So here we go: Would you trade Darko Milicic and Carlos Arroyo to Orlando for Kelvin Cato and a first-round pick in this year's draft?

My first thought was, "Absolutely not!" How does that make the Pistons better? In fact, it weakens the team because, as Big Al also mentioned, they'd be short a back-up point guard. They already have Cato on their roster. His name's Dale Davis. And if you wouldn't trade Arroyo for Cato straight up, or Darko for a first-round pick, why would you make this deal? Orlando gets the better players. It looks even worse when you consider that the selection would be "lottery protected," meaning if it was among the top five or seven picks, the Magic would keep it.

And that's not even addressing the fact that you'd be giving up on the second overall pick in the 2003 draft over only three seasons.

Then it was pointed out to me that I was missing the true reason for the deal. No, it doesn't help this year's team. But it could help down the line by creating space under the Pistons' salary cap. $8.5 million of space, to be exact, in the form of Cato's expiring contract. And that money would help Detroit re-sign free agent to-be Ben Wallace, as well as help pick up more free agent help next season.

So is the deal worth making under that context? I'm no salary cap expert, so I don't know if Detroit will already have enough salary cap room to re-sign Wallace. I believe they would, based on what I found. But that depends on whether or not Ben wants a "max" contract. (And there are rumors Chicago might be willing to give him that kind of deal.) Then the Pistons have to ask themselves if Wallace is worth that kind of money. (That argument is a whole other blog entry.)

I still say it's not a good trade. Detroit's giving up assets and receiving none in return. If Joe D has other trades worked out to supplement this deal, then it looks better. (Anyone giving up a point guard? How about you, Toronto? Would you trade Mike James, even though he's your best player right now?) And I think it's now become clear that there are enough questions about this season that they have to be addressed before the Pistons can look at next season and beyond. Of course, that could be why I'm typing this instead of working as a NBA GM.

Nine days and counting until the NBA trade deadline...

▪▪ Unfortunately, I couldn't find anything in the Orlando newspapers about this deal. They're more curious about Steve Francis possibly getting traded.

You could've had him, Joe D

Friends and family have told me that I sometimes dwell too much on the past. Mulling over the "what ifs" and "could've beens" of events that passed long ago is a sure ticket to Crazytown, they've warned. And I've gotten better with that. Really.

But after watching Dwyane Wade score 37 points (and hit the game-winning shot) against the Pistons, leading the Miami Heat to a 100-98 victory, I found myself wishing I had paid more attention and tried harder in my high school and college science classes. If I had, maybe I'd be capable of creating the time machine needed to fling me back to 2003, right before the moment Joe Dumars turned in the draft card with the name "Darko Milicic" on it. It could be one of those slow-motion "NOOOOO!!!!" moments. Or if that's a little too melodramatic, maybe I could just stop time. Then while Joe D was frozen in time, I could just switch the cards in his hand without him knowing.

(Photo by Luis M. Alvarez/ AP)

Of course, if Detroit wins another NBA championship this season, that little fantasy will probably be pushed back in the dusty corner of my mind with other past delusions, such as playing third base for the Tigers, dating Ashley Judd, and becoming Batman.

But if Miami somehow knocks Detroit out of this year's playoffs, or the Heat go on to become a perennial Eastern Conference power after the Pistons' window of championship opportunity has closed, I'll be trying to read Stephen Hawking books and looking up "flux capacitors" on Google again.

During last year's Eastern Conference finals, Evan kept me out of a padded room by convincing me that Wade wouldn't be a good fit on the Pistons, as presently constructed. And it's true, he might be the team's sixth man, rather than America's Next Top NBA Superstar. But oh, can you imagine if Flip Saunders could bring him off the bench right now to spell Chauncey Billups or Rip Hamilton? Or what if Wade was a starter, and Rip came in for instant offense, a la Vinnie Johnson? No second-string guard in the NBA could run with him. And what if the Pistons had Wade in last year's Finals vs. San Antonio?

I know, I know. Check back in May and June, and see if Wade can do that against Detroit in a seven-game series. And even with Wade's superstar effort, Miami only won by two points. If Tayshaun Prince hit his shot at the end of the game, Detroit would've won. The Pistons still have the best record in the NBA (though not by much). They have four All-Stars.

But if they'd drafted Chris Bosh instead of Darko, they might've had five All-Stars. And think about how good Detroit would be if they brought Bosh off the bench to spell Ben or Rasheed Wallace. What if the Pistons could've thrown Bosh at Tim Duncan in last year's Finals...

Okay, it's not a slump

You can come down from the roof. Tell the women and children they're safe. We don't have to live off canned food and bottled water. The Detroit Pistons' two-game losing streak is over.

And it's a good thing for Ben Wallace. The poor guy probably needed lots of ice and ointment for all the welts he received, thanks to Mike Dunleavy's intricate hack-the-other-team's-suckiest-free-throw-shooter strategy. In a fine example of a man realizing his limitations, Ben deferred to Antonio McDyess, whose scoring ability forced the Clippers to try some other form of defense.

After hitting two key three-pointers that probably put the game away, Rasheed Wallace gave the stink-eye to his former coach in Portland, which was very likely related to his opinion of Dunleavy's defensive philosophy (which worked so well for the Blazers against the Shaq-led Lakers, you might remember). What did #36 say to the Clippers' coach?

"Obscenities," according to Chris McCosky's game story in the Detroit News. Welcome to yet another episode of "Why We Love 'Sheed."

And now, with a little All-Star break thrown in for needed rest, the Pistons can focus on the Charles Bronson portion of their schedule. It's time for some revenge. After Orlando and Miami, Detroit can look for a little payback against New Jersey, Atlanta, and Indiana. And what's that you say? Each of those games are at the Palace? Ooooh, I like revenge flicks.

Speaking of that All-Star break, have you heard the latest rumors? Both Detroit newspapers cite a New York Daily News report that Chauncey Billups, Rip Hamilton, and Ben Wallace have been named to the All-Star roster, the remainder of which will be announced tonight on TNT (They know drama!). And a fourth Piston could be on his way to Houston if David Stern decides to name 'Sheed or Tayshaun Prince (who's scored 51 points in his last two games, by the way) as a replacement for the injured Jermaine O'Neal.

What does all this mean? We're going to be fine, people. Spend time with your significant other. It's okay to open up, to give and receive love as you used to. Treat yourself to a nice meal tonight. Your food will surely taste good now. Have a glass of wine, while you're at it. Those tannins are breathing again. Sit back and relax, because all is right with the world once more. The Pistons two-game losing streak is over.