Earlier this offseason when I was lobbying (begging?) the Detroit Pistons to sign Tracy McGrady, something I believed would be an advantage was the potential for increased competition among perimeter players with something to prove.

Although it’s basically a foregone conclusion that Rip Hamilton will once again be the starter at shooting guard (barring injury), I think an open training camp competition for this spot would serve the team well. I’ve already advocated for a couple other incumbent starters to be flipped to the bench, and I believe that there is absolutely no argument that could be made that Ben Wallace and Tayshaun Prince are not the best options to start at their respective positions, so that only leaves the two guard spot to talk about.

The difference with the shooting guard group, however, is that I don’t have a clear horse in the race. With Will Bynum and Charlie Villanueva, I think they both have needed skills that the person they would replace haven’t shown as much (Bynum’s passing and Villanueva’s scoring). At the two spot, I just simply want the best player in camp/preseason to get the job.

To be clear, this isn’t a post saying "the Pistons need to trade someone." True or not, I’m pretty focused on the roster as-is. Trades are rare this time of year, and while someone leaving would certainly help, it’s likely that this is the roster the Pistons will start the season with, so it’s time to work with what they have.

Since I have no strong opinion on who should necessarily start, I’ll instead just rank ‘em based on who I think would likely win such a competition:

1. Hamilton: Yeah, it’s a boring outcome. But Rip has some things going for him that others don’t. First, he’s a team captain. You usually don’t see team captains get benched.

He’s older, but still one of the best conditioned athletes in the league. He has spent virtually the last year or so listening to people say he’s washed up or he should be traded, so since he’s a prideful player, I’d assume he’d have some motivation to show differently.

Health is obviously the biggest question with Rip, but if he’s fully healthy this season, there’s no reason to believe he won’t approach the 18ish points per game with a decent shooting percentage numbers that he’s put up most of his career. Plus, he’s the Pistons best defensive option at the shooting guard spot.

And if Hamilton doesn’t start, that kind of shoots my whole "Will Bynum should start because he’s a better compliment to Rip Hamilton" theory. Starting Rip is the easy thing to do to avoid any sort of controversy. I’m not sure that’s the greatest reason to start somebody, but with a returning team that didn’t show great chemistry in the first place, it’s probably best to avoid a chemistry-upsetting issue.

2. Tracy McGrady: Asking alpha-dog scorers who are still so beloved that they get voted into All-Star Games despite being shells of their former selves to come off the bench is always a good option, one that has worked out fantastically for the Pistons in the past.

Yeah, I get it … McGrady is not Allen Iverson. I’m not sure anyone can compete with Iverson from a pride and delusion standpoint, and McGrady has at least said beforehand that he’d accept a bench role, whereas Iverson came in expecting to start and play 40 minutes a game.

But who am I kidding? I’m the web’s foremost Allen Iverson apologist, and McGrady is not far behind on the superstars I inexplicably love scale. The Pistons signed him, partially, because he has ridiculous star power, even with his declined game, and if he can be serviceable on the court, why not start him if he beats somebody out in camp? McGrady earning a starting spot on the Pistons would certainly generate more interest in the team league-wide, and interest is about the best that non-contending teams can hope for.

One of my arguments for starting Hamilton is his height offsets playing next to a smaller guard like Bynum (should my dream of Bynum as a starter come true), and McGrady addresses that same concern, although he’s certainly not as good a defender as Hamilton is.

3. Ben Gordon: Gordon’s biggest positive suggesting he should start: his contract. He’s paid like a starter. But that’s not really the best case to make for someone starting.

I like Gordon, and I empathize with him — he produced very well offensively in Chicago and always wanted to start. He left as a free agent largely looking for an opportunity to start. And while injuries cost him a good portion of his season a year ago, if there was one thing we learned about Ben Gordon, it’s that he might just be a guy who is much better suited to coming off the bench.

But again, contract. Because of what he’s being paid, the Pistons are going to have a hard time moving him, so he’s going to have to be given every opportunity to earn a starting role. He has the skills offensively to do it, but his height puts him at a decided disadvantage. The Pistons can’t afford to play Gordon and Bynum next to each other for long stretches, and even Gordon and Stuckey is a pretty small backcourt.

I fully expect Gordon to play better this year, but I’d be shocked if he does so as a full-time starter.

4. Austin Daye: Daye is the darkhorse of all darkhorses. After the McGrady signing, it appears that there might not even be a spot in the rotation for Daye.

But of all the Pistons young players, Daye offers tantalizing potential as a 6-foot-11 guy with perimeter skills — a great shooting stroke, the ability to put it on the floor and a nice little floater on the move from inside 15 feet that he’s unveiled at times. His skillset and size are, dare I say, a little McGrady-esque. He’s nowhere near the athlete young T-Mac was, but McGrady’s height at the guard spot made him a nightmare matchup for teams, and if Daye plays at shooting guard, he’ll have a similar advantage.

Daye is clearly fighting for any scraps of minutes he can get with this crowded group of veterans in front of him, but Jonas Jerebko took advantage of an opportunity for spot minutes last year and made it impossible for John Kuester to remove him from the rotation. Daye won’t start, but if he plays with the same mentality that Jerebko did last preseason, he can work his way past some veterans and earn some minutes.

Tags: Austin Daye, Ben Gordon, Richard Hamilton, Tracy McGrady

After signing as a free agent last season, Charlie Villanueva had an up and down season to say the least. Painful injuries (broken nose and plantar fasciitis) severely limited his production in February and March, but it’s not like Villanueva’s season was without highlights:

• In a five game stretch in November, Villanueva averaged 27 points and 6 rebounds per game while shooting 60 percent from the field and 43 percent from three.
• In a six game stretch in December, he averaged 19 points and 6 rebounds per game while shooting 55 percent from the field and 41 percent from three.
• In a five game stretch in January, he averaged 18 points and 7 rebounds per game while shooting 54 percent from the field and 43 percent from three.
• In a six game stretch in April, he averaged 15 points and 5 rebounds per game while shooting 52 percent from the field and 42 percent from three.

Those 22 games (of the 78 he played in) represent more than a quarter of his season. The story with Villanueva has always been inconsistency, and last season was the perfect example — those above highlighted stretches of great offensive play were offset by 29 games in which Villanueva shot less than 30 percent, so despite those stretches of really good production, he still finished with either career lows or near career lows in points per game, rebounds per game, shooting percentage and minutes played.

Many Pistons fans grew frustrated with the inconsistency, particularly while he was struggling in February and March, and spent the offseason questioning the signing, so those fans ready to close the book on Villanueva probably weren’t super excited by this post by Keith Langlois entitled ‘Rarin’ to Go’ (brief sidebar: Seriously, someone needs to teach Pistons.com some Search Engine Optimization):

“That’s my mentality – to be a starter,” Villanueva said after a heavy workout Monday following a weekend spent celebrating his 26th birthday with friends and family. “But at the same time, I don’t want it to be given to me. I want to earn it. I believe I can be a starter in this league. I’ve done it before. When we get closer to training camp, I would like to sit down with (Kuester) and just share thoughts, expectations for my role, and just take it from there.”

At the risk of becoming the ‘lineup changes the Pistons will never consider‘ guy, I agree 100 percent that Villanueva should be the starting power forward next season.

From a skills standpoint, I love the diversity and unorthodox nature of Villanueva’s game. But him joining the starting lineup has less to do with what he can bring to the table (after all, he’ll have big scoring games whether he starts or comes of the bench) and more to do with what Ben Wallace brings to the lineup. A Villanueva-Wallace duo in the starting lineup offers much more balance than Wallace paired with incumbent starter Jonas Jerebko.

I’ve long believed that the two would compliment each other well. Here’s what I wrote last season on Full-Court Press:

Maybe if he’s (Villanueva) playing next to a guy (Wallace) with really good defensive instincts, he won’t have to worry as much about defense. If his guy gets inside him, Wallace is always there with help. It’s subtle, but it could take some pressure off.

That post was written when Villanueva was struggling and coach John Kuester had a quick hook for him, but the theory still holds true: Wallace’s greatest strengths are his defense, energy, his passing ability, offensive rebounding and ability to make cuts to the basket on offense. His greatest weaknesses are the ability to create his own shot and score. Villanueva’s greatest strength is his ability to score with a really diverse offensive repertoire. He struggles on defense with reaction time on help defense and holding his position against strong post players.

But it’s not just my OCD and weird need for pairing things up that make me crave a Villanueva/Wallace combo. When they were on the court together last season, the Pistons were actually a bit better offensively and defensively.

Here are some numbers with both on the floor (thanks to Dan Feldman and Basketball Value for compiling):

• Minutes: 810.34
• Pace: 88.4
• Offensive Rating (points scored per 100 possessions): 108.5
• Defensive Rating (points allowed per 100 possessions): 109.5

Now compare to the overall numbers for the team for the season:

• Pace: 88.5 (basically the same)
• Offensive Rating: 105.6 (worse)
• Defensive Rating: 111.4 (worse)

Playing Wallace big minutes with Jerebko seems redundant — they both do similar things (albeit Jerebko is not the rebounder, shot-blocker, defender or passer that Wallace is) by making hustle plays, bringing energy, getting on the offensive glass, etc. Also, neither is good at creating their own shot, so if Jerebko starts, the Pistons are starting two guys in the frontcourt who will not be a threat to score, allowing other teams to focus more attention on the team’s scoring options.

By all accounts, Villanueva has worked extremely hard to get in better shape this offseason. It remains to be seen whether that leads to a change in the all-or-nothing inconsistency he showed last season, but at the very least, even if his shot isn’t falling, teams have to guard him out to the three-point line and he will be able to take advantage of many defenders with his ability to post up.

Jerebko absolutely earned a key role on this year’s team after a productive rookie season, but moving him to the second unit allows him to play a Wallace-like role for however that group shakes out. He’d probably be paired in the frontcourt with a better offensive player (Greg Monroe), he’d have the advantage of going against second unit bigs who he could stand a better chance at guarding effectively than some of the starting caliber post players who are too strong for him and he’d be playing with a collection of guys who like to shoot but can also pass (Will Bynum, Ben Gordon and Tracy McGrady), giving him ample opportunity to crash the offensive glass and move without the ball for easy buckets.

As I’ve written numerous times, I haven’t given up on this collection of Pistons talent turning into a semi-decent outfit. There are legitimate question marks when it comes to health and rotation. I also have serious questions about whether or not John Kuester can mold his very traditional offensive system to fit guys like Villanueva, Gordon, Rodney Stuckey, Bynum and Monroe who all have non-traditional skills that don’t neatly fit into typical historical positional definitions.

Villanueva is paid like a starting player. He’s shown flashes of great productivity and versatility on offense. If he does the right things — and if this summer is any indication, he is doing the right things — and has a good camp, pairing him with Wallace in the starting lineup could simultaneously strengthen the first and second units.

Tags: Ben Wallace, Charlie Villanueva, John Kuester, Jonas Jerebko

A lot of people are going to read that headline and assume this is a rant about Rodney Stuckey. It isn’t (Laser will handle that in the comments).

Stuckey is a fine NBA player who I think is perfectly suited to backup both guard spots and get about 30ish combined minutes per game off the bench for virtually any team. If the Pistons cleared a guard (preferably Rip Hamilton, but whoever is more movable between he and Ben Gordon) out of the equation, I’d love for him to fill that role in Detroit. Stuckey plays hard, he’s tough, he has the tools to be a great perimeter defender, he’s very good at getting to the basket (even if his finishing needs work), he improved at drawing contact and getting to the line last year and while he’s not a pure point guard, he can competently man the position for a good team in limited minutes. I would never be ashamed to have Rodney Stuckey on my favorite team.

But I think the Stuckey-as-full-time point guard experiment has run its course. Perhaps in a different system or with different players, Stuckey could excel as a starting point guard playing big minutes. But as the roster is constructed, with the coaching philosophy that’s in place, Stuckey isn’t going to find that situation in Detroit.

Thankfully, the Pistons have an in-house solution: Will Bynum.

This isn’t the first time I’ve broached the topic of Bynum as the team’s better option as a starting PG. The genesis of that belief lies in Bynum’s background: he’s a Joe Dumars-kind-of-guy.

Let’s face it … even for a guy like myself who’s a pretty regular supporter of Dumars, I can face some basic facts: Dumars has made some moves lately that haven’t worked out spectacularly, and he seems to be in a bit of a slump, lacking a clear vision. It happens to the best of us. Human nature is to stagnate, to lose focus, to need something to help make you remember what made you successful in the first place. I believe Bynum is that memory-jarrer for Dumars.

The Pistons 2004 title team, and quasi-dynasty in the 2000s, was built upon picking up under-the-radar talents, castaways, guys with talent who were misunderstood or didn’t fit elsewhere, and most importantly, guys who felt they had something to prove or were openly hostile about teams giving up on them early in their careers. Check out his quote from Bynum:

“I don’t think for one second that the money I’m making makes me a reserve. I just want to clear that up from the beginning. I think that the money that I’m making gives me the opportunity to excel, and I’m trying to do it.”

That sounds like a guy who has something to prove. Bynum was undrafted while luminaries like Travis Diener, Alex Acker, Roko Ukic and Orien Green managed to get picked. He had to play overseas before getting a NBA shot. He had to flee a night club in Tel Aviv because his brother got stabbed. The man knows adversity.

Dan Feldman has already chronicled some of Bynum’s defensive limitations, but this is another reason it makes some sense for him to play with the first unit. With Ben Wallace in the middle, that will make opposing guys less likely to penetrate, so having a weaker perimeter defender paired with Wallace won’t be as big a factor as it would be if Bynum were on the second unit with Charlie Villanueva and Chris Wilcox protecting the rim.

Offensively, Bynum is far from a perfect point guard, but he does two things better than Stuckey: he’s much better at passing out of traffic than Stuckey and, despite being shorter, is a more explosive and craftier finisher. If the roster stays as-is, it’s a good bet that Hamilton and Tayshaun Prince will be starting, along with Wallace. Several players could vie for the PF spot, but I’d wager that based on his contract, if Villanueva comes into camp aggressive and in shape, he’ll be given every opportunity to seize that spot.

A common argument in Pistons land is that Hamilton plays better next to a pure point. Bynum isn’t what I’d call a pure point, but he’s a little purer than Stuckey.

Prince, for all of the criticisms he receives (pipe down Laser), actually had good numbers the last quarter of last season, particularly from three-point range. From Ball Don’t Lie’s Kelly Dwyer:

This could be a huge stretch for Prince, but a good part of this ranking is spurred on by the way he finished the season. Prince averaged well over 15 points per game in the season’s last three months, shooting a good percentage and bringing the usual stout D. He also hit around 40 percent of his 3-pointers during that run …

If Prince continues to shoot the three near that clip, if Villanueva and his long-range threat are in the lineup, and if Hamilton is more in line with his 35 percent career three-point shooting than the 29 percent mark he put up last year, those guys should provide sufficient space for Bynum to operate and get inside, while taking advantage of his ability to drive and kick by knocking down open looks.

Stuckey, meanwhile, gets to play on the second unit with some combo of Ben Gordon, Austin Daye, Tracy McGrady, Jonas Jerebko and Greg Monroe (and occasionally Jason Maxiell and Wilcox). He’s also surrounded by shooters (Gordon, Daye and McGrady), but more importantly, has several guys who will want to get out and run with him.

The other advantage to viewing Bynum as a long-term piece and potential starter is cost. Bynum’s extension is really reasonable for a starter. Financial bargains were a common theme of Dumars’ early Pistons teams. Chauncey Billups and Ben Wallace, the two best players on the 2004 title team, made about $10 million combined. With Dumars’ recent contracts to Gordon, Hamilton and Villanueva, he’s gotten away from that bargain shopper, search-for-hidden-value philosophy that made him so great in the first place. Bynum could be a return to that thinking, both in cost and attitude.

If Bynum stays healthy and is as productive in 25-30 minutes a game as his per-minute numbers suggest he could be, he’d be a great asset as a reliable starter. The Pistons don’t have much financial flexibility in the quest to get better. They have serious deficiencies at center and point guard. The best hope for the Pistons to take a big leap and contend would be Bynum winning the job and supplanting Stuckey as a starter. That becomes one less position Dumars needs to worry about upgrading immediately, and if Bynum can prove to be a reliable starter for the next three years at his cost, it means the Pistons don’t have to extend Stuckey should he prove to be too pricey and the savings on the PG position can be invested in shoring up other weaknesses.

I like a good portion of the talent on the Pistons roster while at the same time having serious reservations about how it all fits together. With the contractual obligations and the difficulty the team could encounter trying to move some of those pricey deals, solutions have to come from within, and with his work ethic, it’s not hard to envision Bynum becoming at least a reliable full-time player. If he can do that, it will make sorting out who stays and who goes much easier for Dumars.

Tags: Rodney Stuckey, Will Bynum

Here’s some analysis that’s sure to rankle PistonPowered founder/unofficial president of the Rodney Stuckey fan club Dan Feldman, courtesy of Yahoo!’s Kelly Dwyer:

Stuckey is what Stuckey is. He’s yet to find a balance between acting as a scoring point guard or passing point man, and the unfortunate truth behind those two aspects of his game is that he’s not particularly adept at either. Hardly the return Joe Dumars had in mind when he staved off rebuilding, re-signed Richard Hamilton(notes), and brought in Ben Gordon and Charlie Villanueva.

That blurb was part of Ball Don’t Lie’s positional rankings, which has Stuckey 29th on the list of the league’s top 30 point guards. I actually agree partially with Dwyer’s assessment — Stuckey basically is what he is at this point. I just happen to think what he is is not worse than what Mike Conley (27th), Jarrett Jack (24th) or Ramon Sessions (22nd) are.

I’ve been a bit like a teenage girl in my coverage of Stuckey over the last couple years. I hate him. I love him. I hate him. I’m so confused. Now I’m at the point where I’ve matured more in my view of things. He’s not a perfect point guard by any stretch. He gets in the lane at will, but is a poor finisher. He’s only an adequate passer when he plays slower, but playing slower limits his best offensive trait, his quickness. He doesn’t have a reliable jump shot past 15 feet. Those are all things that I think the Pistons were banking on him improving when he was drafted, and he hasn’t really improved any of those things much.

But focusing on what he hasn’t become better at does overlook one area where he has shown improvement: defense. Stuckey is a strong and quick defender, and although as a unit the Pistons were terrible defensively last season, Stuckey did show the potential to become a potential lockdown guy on the perimeter if they can foster a belief in defense among other guys on the roster not named Jerebko or Wallace.

I also think his offensive numbers would’ve been better had the team been healthy. Often, Stuckey shot too much because he found himself on the court with three or four guys at a time who couldn’t really score. If you have one guy on the court who can get his own shot, the defense is going to figure that out and cheat, which often resulted in some terrible shooting efforts. A more talented lineup on the court will mean a more efficient Stuckey.

While he’s not the Chauncey Billups-in-the-making Joe Dumars may have been convinced he was getting, Stuckey is not completely devoid of PG skills. He’s not an unwilling passer. His court vision and decision-making often leave something to be desired, but he’s also not a ‘get-mine’ type of player. If he can make a play for someone else, he will.

The fact is, whether you believe Stuckey is teeming with potential or hopelessly miscast as a starting caliber player, the criticisms like those above are going to be out in force this season until he begins to shoot a better percentage and make smarter plays with the ball. Point guard or not, he’s the only option the Pistons have for the position. He can do enough PG-like things to show that he’s better than the 29th best player at his position, it’s just a matter of proving it for an entire season.

Tags: Rodney Stuckey

Mike Illitch announcing his interest in owning the Detroit Pistons might make him the sentimental favorite among fans, but it looks like he won’t be the only one making a run at buying the team.

The good news? A couple rumored suitors today both have Michigan ties, meaning it’s looking more and more likely an owner will emerge who won’t want to move the team.

First up, Tom Gores, a businessman who lives in California but once called Genesee, Michigan, (just outside of Flint) home. From the Flint Journal’s me (after I shamelessly ripped it from the Detroit News):

Gores replied to inquiries from The Detroit News through a spokesperson, stating, "We don’t discuss whether or not we’re considering potential transactions and we don’t comment on market rumors, even when they’re incorrect."

Some background on Gores: he’s worth $2.2 billion according to Forbes, he coaches youth soccer, and he’s a self-made man who grew up in a working class family.

The other native Michigander you might be vaguely more familiar with — movie theater and TGI Friday’s tycoon Magic Johnson.

Johnson’s potential interest seems a bit more tepid, but it’s interest none the less. From NBA.com:

"Somebody back there has to be the majority owner," Johnson told NBA.com. "That wouldn’t be me. But if Ilitch or somebody — you’ve got a good guy back there already in Joe Dumars. If somebody said, ‘Hey, can you come and think about helping Joe Dumars?’ then I would think about it."

Well, Dumars, it seems wouldn’t object to such a move. But that has it’s own complications — Johnson owns a minority share of the L.A. Lakers, which he’d first have to sell. And with all of his other business interests, along with the above comment, it seems that Johnson isn’t too interested in having a big role in the day-to-day grind.

My take with Magic: he’s not that serious. Not that he’s dishonest, he’s just an affable guy who loves to talk, and "sure, why not, I’d love to help buy the Pistons." He’s from Michigan, but he’s a L.A. guy now. It would be really hard for me to believe he’d give up his ownership stake in the Lakers, not that I’d complain if he really did.

Wed. Oct. 27 at New Jersey 7:00 p.m.

Both teams are excited to open the season with a game they’re convinced they’ll win. -Dan Feldman

Fri. Oct. 29 Oklahoma City 8:00 p.m.

Sorry, but I think Oden-over-Durant will go down as a worse pick than Darko-over-Melo. -Patrick Hayes

Sat. Oct. 30 at Chicago 8:00 p.m.

With four years and 81 games left until his contract expires, don’t expect max effort from Carlos Boozer. -D.F.

Tue. Nov. 2 Boston 7:30 p.m.

I know it’s early in the season, but I would be willing to bet that at least one of the McGrady-Hamilton-Prince-Shaq-Jermaine O’Neil-KG group misses this game. -P.H.

Wed. Nov. 3 at Atlanta 7:00 p.m.

Joe Johnson and Richard Hamilton square off to prove the other is the league’s most-overpaid shooting guard. -D.F.

Fri. Nov. 5 Charlotte 7:30 p.m.

Larry Brown’s three PGs are D.J. Augustin, Sherron Collins and Shaun Livingston, which is great considering how much LB loves young PGs. -P.H.

Sun. Nov. 7 Golden State 6:00 p.m.

Greg Monroe said he doesn’t play with a chip on his shoulder, so this game has no significance. -D.F.

Tue. Nov. 9 at Portland 10:00 p.m.

Nicholas Batum will become a young, super-charged version Tayshaun Prince this season. -P.H.

Fri. Nov. 12 at L.A. Clippers 10:30 p.m.

How are the Pistons going to spend their two days off on the West Coast before this game? -D.F.

Sun. Nov. 14 at Sacramento 6:00 p.m.

Prediction: DeMarcus Cousins will play awesome, followed by MLive commenters saying, “Dumars is an idiot for not trading Jason Maxiell for him.” -P.H.

Mon. Nov. 15 at Golden State 10:30 p.m.

The Warriors become the first team the Pistons can scratch off the schedule – until June. -D.F.

Wed. Nov. 17 L.A. Lakers 7:30 p.m.

Greg Monroe will get tested against the best frontcourt in the NBA. -P.H.

Sun. Nov. 21 Washington 6:00 p.m.

Flip Saunders could be a great coach for John Wall in the short term. -D.F.

Tue. Nov. 23 at Dallas 8:30 p.m.

Tyson Chandler will play well and MLive commenters will say, “Dumars is an idiot for not trading Rip Hamilton for him.” -P.H.

Wed. Nov. 24 at Memphis 8:00 p.m.

I really like Xavier Henry’s game and look forward to watching him – if the Grizzlies sign him. -D.F.

Fri. Nov. 26 Milwaukee 7:30 p.m.

Prediction: After the Corey Maggette trade and Drew Gooden/John Salmons signings don’t work out so well, people will stop treating John Hammond like a genius. -P.H.

Sun. Nov. 28 New York 1:30 p.m.

Amar’e Stoudemire should be well rested if he observes the Sabbath the day prior. -D.F.

Tue. Nov. 30 at Orlando 7:00 p.m.

You know, even when they were terrible last season, the Pistons still inexplicably played Orlando pretty well. -P.H.

Wed. Dec. 1 at Miami 7:30 p.m.

I can’t see any reason to be intrigued by this game whatsoever. -D.F.

Fri. Dec. 3 Orlando 7:30 p.m.

Tight-shirt-loving Dwight Howard will say “forget the extra smalls” and just make the jump to youth-sized jerseys this season. -P.H.

Sun. Dec. 5 Cleveland 6:00 p.m.

I’m legitimately curious whether the Pistons or Cavaliers will be better this year. -D.F.

Tue. Dec. 7 at Houston 8:30 p.m.

Tracy McGrady’s return to Houston should be intriguing, because even if things didn’t end well there, it wasn’t his fault. -P.H.

Wed. Dec. 8 at New Orleans 8:00 p.m.

Happy seventh night of Channukah! -D.F.

Fri. Dec. 10 at Minnesota 8:00 p.m.

Darko, Kahn! -P.H.

Sat. Dec. 11 Toronto 7:30 p.m.

Could Richard Hamilton be auditioning for a trade to the Raptors this night? -D.F.

Tue. Dec. 14 Atlanta 7:30 p.m.

The Hawks fired Mike Woodson for not always getting through to his players, among other things, so it makes sense that they replaced him with a first-time coach from his own staff. -P.H.

Fri. Dec. 17 L.A. Clippers 7:30 p.m.

I liked the Clippers’ roster – then they hired Vinny Del Negro. -D.F.

Sun. Dec. 19 New Orleans 6:00 p.m.

Over/under on how many “Pistons should trade for Chris Paul” comments will show up in game threads all over the state is 425. -P.H.

Wed. Dec. 22 at Toronto 7:00 p.m.

I hope the Pistons use one of their five days off surrounding this game to enjoy the amazing internationalness of Toronto that endeared the city to Hedo Turkoglu. -D.F.

Sun. Dec. 26 Chicago 6:00 p.m.

The Pistons get a coveted day-after-Christmas game. -P.H.

Mon. Dec. 27 at Charlotte 7:00 p.m. NBA TV

Does it count as a nationally televised game if I don’t know anybody who gets the channel? -D.F.

Wed. Dec. 29 Boston 7:30 p.m.

Bets on whether Jermaine and Shaquille O’Neal will combine to average 15 points per game? -P.H.

Fri. Dec. 31 at Phoenix 9:00 p.m.

Being Canadian, will Steve Nash also celebrate New Year’s this night? -D.F.

Mon. Jan. 3 at Utah 9:00 p.m.

With Al Jefferson and Paul Milsap up front, the Pistons might actually have a height advantage in this game. -P.H.

Tue. Jan. 4 at L.A. Lakers 10:30 p.m.

Loss. -D.F.

Sat. Jan. 8 Philadelphia 7:30 p.m.

Prediction: Rip Hamilton will give Philly assistant Michael Curry an anti-shoutout before the game. -P.H.

Mon. Jan. 10 at Chicago 8:00 p.m.

Hopefully, Ben Gordon has hit his groove by this point and can make the Bulls regret letting him go. -D.F.

Wed. Jan. 12 Memphis 7:30 p.m.

Although the obvious choice for worst contract off the offseason is Joe Johnson, my underdog pick is Rudy Gay. -P.H.

Fri. Jan. 14 at Toronto 7:00 p.m.

I have run out of things to say about Pistons-Raptors matchups. -D.F.

Sat. Jan. 15 Sacramento 7:30 p.m.

OK, so the Pistons didn’t get Cousins, but how about trying to pry away Samuel Dalembert with Prince’s expiring contract? -P.H.

Mon. Jan. 17 Dallas 3:30 p.m.

I legitimately enjoy tying basketball with Martin Luther King Day and Fox Sports Detroit’s tasteful broadcasts. -D.F.

Wed. Jan. 19 at Boston 7:30 p.m.

I don’t know how Rajon Rondo is going to make it through this season with all of these old people without going crazy. -P.H.

Fri. Jan. 21 at New Jersey 7:00 p.m.

Hey, maybe Sebastian Pruiti will do an NBA Playbook post about the Pistons after watching this game. -D.F.

Sat. Jan. 22 Phoenix 7:30 p.m.

Guy who is going to have a breakout year: Hakim Warrick, whom Nash will make a poor man’s Amar’e Stoudemire. -P.H.

Mon. Jan. 24 at Orlando 7:00 p.m.

Third game in three cities in four nights + playing premier team = loss. -D.F.

Wed. Jan. 26 Denver 7:30 p.m.

Chauncey Billups and Arron Afflalo returning will cause a larger than normal number of “Dumars sucks” comments (PP commenter Laser nods head in anticipation). -P.H.

Fri. Jan. 28 at Miami 7:30 p.m.

Calling right now that the Pistons will win this game. -D.F.

Sun. Jan. 30 at New York 7:30 p.m.

I’m actually more intrigued by Anthony Randolph in Mike D’Antoni’s offense than Amar’e. -P.H.

Wed. Feb. 2 Charlotte 7:30 p.m.

The combined agony of the Pistons’ 6,000 wing players about being defended by Gerald Wallace and Stephen Jackson will be a league high. -D.F.

Fri. Feb. 4 New Jersey 7:30 p.m.

Nellie Ball guys all over the league (Randolph, Matt Barnes, Anthony Tolliver) will all help, but I love Anthony Morrow on the Nets. -P.H.

Sat. Feb. 5 at Milwaukee 8:30 p.m.

If you want to argue there was a free agent the Pistons should have, and could have signed, it’s Drew Gooden. -D.F.

Tue. Feb. 8 San Antonio 7:30 p.m.

We’ll know how well the season is going for the Pistons if Antonio McDyess gets a bigger ovation than anyone in the Pistons’ starting five. -P.H.

Wed. Feb. 9 at Cleveland 7:00 p.m.

When guys talk about not going pro early, spending a Wednesday night in Cleveland in February is usually their main reason. -D.F.

Fri. Feb. 11 Miami 7:30 p.m.

The Heat will be considering trading Chris Bosh by this point in the season. -P.H.

Sun. Feb. 13 Portland 6:00 p.m.

Could Chris Paul be a Trail Blazers by now? -D.F.

Mon. Feb. 14 Atlanta 7:30 p.m.

Bold prediction: The Hawks will not be a playoff team this year. -P.H.

Wed. Feb. 16 Indiana 7:30 p.m.

The Greg Monroe-Roy Hibbert Georgetown center matchup won’t resemble Patrick Ewing-Alonzo Mourning in the slightest, but because of lack of storylines, it will be mentioned leading up to, and after, the game. -D.F.

Tue. Feb. 22 Houston 7:30 p.m.

Bold Prediction part deux: The Rockets will be a playoff team, whether or not Yao is healthy. -P.H.

Wed. Feb. 23 at Indiana 7:00 p.m.

The Greg Monroe-Roy Hibbert Georgetown center matchup won’t resemble Patrick Ewing-Alonzo Mourning in the slightest, but because of lack of storylines, it will be mentioned leading up to, and after, the game. -D.F.

Fri. Feb. 25 at Philadelphia 7:00 p.m.

One day, Philadelphia is going to regret passing on DeMarcus Cousins the way the Pistons regret passing on Melo. -P.H.

Sat. Feb. 26 Utah 7:30 p.m.

Gordon Hayward will be the first of this year’s draft picks to be labeled a bust, and by this point, most will see why. -D.F.

Tue. Mar. 1 at Milwaukee 8:00 p.m.

Seriously, signing Drew Gooden long term is indefensible. -P.H.

Wed. Mar. 2 Minnesota 7:30 p.m.

Darko makes his triumphant return to The Palace as the Timberwolves’ third highest-paid player (Michael Beasley is No. 1!). -D.F.

Sun. Mar. 6 Washington 6:00 p.m.

I think the Wizards will be really fun to watch this year, and Gilbert Arenas will be the biggest redemption story of the season. -P.H.

Wed. Mar. 9 at San Antonio 8:30 p.m.

The Pistons were the Darko pick away from being the Spurs. -D.F.

Fri. Mar. 11 at Oklahoma City 8:00 p.m.

It seems like only yesterday the atmosphere at the Palace was fun like it is in OKC – actually, no, Detroit fans got pretty lame and bandwagony after 2003. -P.H.

Sat. Mar. 12 at Denver 9:00 p.m.

Before this game, I will likely bring up how badly I wanted to draft Ty Lawson over Austin Daye. -D.F.

Wed. Mar. 16 Toronto 7:30 p.m.

Bryan Colangelo should’ve got more heat for calling out Chris Bosh – not classy. -P.H.

Fri. Mar. 18 New York 7:30 p.m.

Prediction: Landry Fields or Andy Rautins will carry the Knicks to victory. -D.F.

Sun. Mar. 20 at Atlanta 2:00 p.m.

At least once, Josh Smith is going to threaten a quadruple-double this season. -P.H.

Wed. Mar. 23 Miami 7:30 p.m.

Will this game get more coverage as part of the chase for 72? -D.F.

Fri. Mar. 25 at Cleveland 7:30 p.m.

Is it a stretch to think Mo Williams will make the All-NBA Second Team? -P.H.

Sat. Mar. 26 Indiana 7:30 p.m.

This game is so jealous of the next one for being on ESPN. -D.F

Wed. Mar. 30 at Indiana 7:00 p.m. ESPN

I don’t understand how people can watch the Pacers on local TV, let alone national TV. -P.H.

Fri. Apr. 1 Chicago 7:30 p.m.

Hopefully, this game has real playoff implications, but that’s probably a dream. -D.F.

Sun. Apr. 3 at Boston 6:00 p.m.

This should be right in the midst of Boston actually trying hard in preparation for the playoffs. – P.H.

Tue. Apr. 5 at Washington 7:00 p.m.

By this point, Gilbert Arenas has probably undone any good Flip Saunders did for John Wall. -D.F

Wed. Apr. 6 New Jersey 7:30 p.m.

Remember when the Nets made a huge splash by signing Anthony Morrow, Travis Outlaw and Jordan Farmar? -P.H.

Fri. Apr. 8 Milwaukee 7:30 p.m.

If this game occurred one day earlier, the Pistons could avoid a Thursday-less regular season. -D.F

Sun. Apr. 10 at Charlotte 6:00 p.m.

Prediction: At least six players who weren’t on Charlotte’s roster to start the season will now be on it – that, or Larry Brown will be coaching at Chaminade or something. -P.H.

Mon. Apr. 11 Cleveland 7:30 p.m.

If we’re still happy the season is going at this point, I’d consider that a minor victory. -D.F

Wed. Apr. 13 at Philadelphia 8:00 p.m.

I was talking myself into liking Wes Johnson more than Evan Turner before the draft, but then I found out that David Kahn also liked Wes Johnson and I felt like an idiot. -P.H.

UPDATE: David Aldridge Tweets that McGrady has agreed to come off the bench. Joe Dumars must’ve been very careful about not wanting a replay of the Iverson situation.

Sources tell PistonPowered that the Pistons and Tracy McGrady have agreed to a one-year, $1.3 million deal. Those sources are MLive and the Detroit Free Press.

I’ve already analyzed this move to death here and here. But one thing I don’t really agree with is this common sentiment, expressed here by Vince Ellis:

If he is signed, he would create even more of a logjam as he can play the same positions as Tayshaun Prince and Rip Hamilton and would seem to open the door for a possible trade of either of the long-time Pistons.

There is no guarantee that McGrady, Hamilton or Prince can be counted on for an entire season. McGrady has been chronically injured the last two years. Hamilton has had two straight unhealthy seasons. And Prince’s back problems last year, combined with high mileage and a slight frame, make him far from a sure bet to bounce back from injury.

Adding McGrady could mean either Prince or Hamilton is getting traded. But it could also mean one or the other isn’t entirely healthy. Just because McGrady creates a bigger logjam at the wing spots doesn’t necessarily mean another move is imminent. I think it’s worth at least waiting until training camp to not only allow the three prideful vets to push each other and see who still has the desire (and skill) to be a starting player in this league, but more importantly, to see if McGrady is capable health-wise of even stepping into a prominent role should one of the incumbents get traded.

It’s a low-risk signing for one year at the vets’ minimum. It’s not bringing in a guy who’s necessarily an upgrade over Hamilton or Prince. I would think that’s what the hope is, best case scenario, but McGrady still has a lot to prove himself, and the Pistons would be wise to see him in action before determining how much he can help them.

Tags: Tracy McGrady

Maybe this all a giant exercise in honesty and simplicity.

Karen Davidson doesn’t want to own the Detroit Pistons. Mike Ilitch does.

Both have stated so publicly, and there’s little reason to believe they’re lying. On top of that, Davidson said she wants to sell the team to a local owner. Ilitch said he wants to buy the team to keep it in Michigan.

How much easier could this get?

As a Pistons fan, I hope this deal goes smoothly. I doubt the Pistons will be sold before the season begins, like Davidson suggested, but Ilitch making a deal that quickly would be encouraging.

I don’t think Ilitch would be a great owner for the Pistons, like he is for the Red Wings. I don’t think he’d be a very good owner for the Pistons, like he is for the Tigers. But I think he’d be a good owner for the Pistons.

Complications

Owning three teams is costly, especially in a depressed Michigan economy. Ilitch’s sporting passions appear to be hockey, a sport he has generously supported at the youth level, and baseball, which he played in the Tigers minor league system in the 1950s.

How will basketball fit?

Ilitch is competitive enough that I’m not too worried. Even after cutting the Tigers’ payroll last offseason, he couldn’t help but sign Johnny Damon when he realized the outfielder could help the team win its division.

Even if the Pistons are his third priority, I think Ilitch will devote enough resources to make them viable contenders.

But I worry they’re his fifth priority – behind the Red Wings, Tigers, Joe Louis Arena and The Palace of Auburn Hills.

The Palace is still one of the league’s best arenas. Joe Louis Arena, for all its tradition, is woefully outdated. Ilitch needs a solution for the Red Wings, and packaging both teams into one arena could help him find it.

Of course, many have speculated Ilitch buying the Pistons would lead to the team’s return to Detroit. I think the Pistons playing in Detroit would be great. I love the city, and Ilitch does, too. It also doesn’t hurt that several of his other business interests would benefit from more visitors to Detroit.

But if Ilitch buys the Pistons, they and the Red Wings should play at The Palace until the building is no longer viable. It has suites, parking and the capacity to host concerts. Best of all, it’s privately owned. The profit it generates goes to its owners.

The city can’t afford to publicly finance a new downtown arena anytime soon unless it’s a clear money maker, and maybe not even then. Owning three teams, and following the precedent of nearly every owner besides Bill Davidson, Ilitch probably won’t offer the city such a sweet deal. Even though Ilitch said keeping the Pistons in town was a prime motivator in getting involved, I doubt he’s so altruistic he wants that at all costs.

And of course, before we can get that far, the transaction has to occur. Would any bitterness over Tom Wilson’s departure complicate discussions?

But all these issues pale to the upside of Ilitch buying the Pistons.

Opportunity to have it all

I took a class at Michigan called Sports Ethics, and one of our discussions was based on a hypothetical cash offer Ilitch received to move the Red Wings out of the Detroit area. I don’t remember the exact number, but it was exorbitant enough that even a billionaire would pay attention.

A couple classmates, probably out-of-staters, said he should take the deal. Most said he should pass, because it just felt wrong. I said, given his age, forging his legacy was more important than money. Throughout the discussion, everyone basically stuck with their beliefs about what Ilitch should value.

If Ilitch does this right – buying the Pistons could be the Machiavellian, legacy-building and just-feels-right move wrapped into one.

I’ll have to ask Feldman when he gets back from one of his many vacations, but do I win some sort of prize for this?

When I wrote the Tracy McGrady MLE Dreams post a week or so ago, I did it for one reason: I’ve always loved Tracy McGrady. I’m not really convinced he’s a very good player anymore, and I’m even less convinced there’s much room for him on the Pistons with the 23 wing players they already have on the roster. The post was strictly for fun, summer down-time speculation. And if I riled up commenter laser along the way, then so be it.

But then Jonathon Givony, out of the blue, Tweeted that McGrady to the Pistons on a one-year deal was done. That rustled Oakland Press beat writer Dave Pemberton out of his pajamas on a Saturday night, and he got a text from Joe Dumars, who said the team was merely “discussing” a deal.

Did this offseason suddenly get more interesting or what? Let’s pretend they sign him. It could mean one of several things:

• Another move is in the works. McGrady, a veteran superstar, would want minutes. The Pistons don’t have any to give out on the perimeter. I would think they would be considering clearing a spot for him to play if they are considering bringing him on.

• Maybe he’s insurance in case they have concerns about the full-season health of Tayshaun Prince or Rip Hamilton, who both had major injury struggles last season.

• Maybe the team wants to bring in a star to sell tickets, but Dumars is not familiar with any stars post 2003 or so.

• Maybe they’re not convinced that Austin Daye is ready to provide big minutes and/or production. Or, maybe they are bringing in the lanky, finesse perimeter player in McGrady to mentor the lanky, finesse player Daye.

Basically, if it happens, it raises a lot more questions and makes a normally dull part of the offseason more interesting. And it’s nice to find out Dumars is a reader of PistonPowered. My goal has always been to be the first blogger-turned-assistant-general-manager in the NBA.

Joe Dumars has taken a lot of criticism for being complacent with his roster. But is that fair?

Like many, if not all, of you, I’d like to see a roster move, too.

The Pistons have added only one player since last season began – Greg Monroe. Terrico White will likely be a second. As much as I like Monroe, that’s hardly inspiring for a team that has averaged 33 wins the last two years.

But to pretend Dumars has sat around and done nothing is a fallacy. The simple argument is that he’s trying. But I also think the numbers show Dumars has been active – if you view the numbers with a certain lens.

The Pistons have eight players they acquired in the last two years.

Seven of them – Ben Gordon, Charlie Villanueva, Ben Wallace, Chris Wilcox, Austin Daye, Jonas Jerebko and DaJuan Summers – were added last summer.

Only adding one since then is a league low.

Combine those totals, and the Pistons are right at the league average for number of new players still on the roster who were acquired since the summer of 2009.

But I don’t think merely counting new players is a strong enough test. Adding a Gordon is much more meaningful than adding a Summers. So, what about judging by minutes?

The Pistons led the league – by far – in percentage of minutes played last season by players acquired the previous summer. Unfortunately, players acquired this offseason can’t be judged by minutes played yet.

Here’s a graph to show where the Pistons stand:

 

I understand the frustration. The team went 27-55 last year, so Dumars should know there is still work to be done. The seven additions from a year ago aren’t enough.

But don’t say he’s done nothing.

Please, don’t make this about the quality of Dumars’ moves. That’s a different argument for a different day. But for everyone who has said Dumars is just sitting around doing nothing, I don’t think that’s fair.