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As Tayshaun Prince has gotten healthy, he’s become a lot more aggressive. He’s seemed to realize with Chauncey Billups, Allen Iverson and Rasheed Wallace not here anymore, he doesn’t have to settle for being just a fourth option. The Pistons need him score more.

Well, he did in last night’s 110-107 win over the Rockets, pouring in a game-high 29 points.

This wasn’t like the Cleveland game Friday, when Prince scored 23 points because his jumper was falling. He made 7-of-7 shots at the rim last night. Those are season highs for makes and attempts from that location and way up from his season average (2-for-3).

That aggressiveness extended to the glass, where Prince grabbed 10 boards. But, and this might be nitpicking after such an awesome game, it didn’t extend to his defense.

Kevin Martin flew past him. Luis Scola posted him up. Those aren’t easy matchups, but Prince didn’t impress in either. He’s not the defender he used to be, and that’s probably just something we’ll just have to accept. But I’d like to see him slow one type of player.

Bulk up and stop the bigs or speed up and stop the wings. Doing neither isn’t enough.

Will Bynum

Will Bynum looked as comfortable as I’ve seen him since before his ankle injuries. He ran the offense with authority and was really the catalyst for Detroit posting a 110 offensive rating.

He knew when to pull up for jumpers, drive to the basket and distribute. He looked like a natural point, which hasn’t always been his forte.

And like before his injuries, his all-around game is really taking off. He finished with 12 points, 11 assists, four rebounds, two steals and just one turnover. And he played 42 minutes, proving he’s healthy again.

Jonas Jerebko is good – and improving

A few times this year, I’ve thought Jonas Jerebko has limited upside. He hustles and makes play because of that, but how effective will he be next year when opponents scout him? I wasn’t sure he had the skills to beat a defense geared to keep him off the glass and limit his scoring.

But his offensive repertoire is really expanding. He made 2-of-4 3-pointers last night, and he’s shown a propensity for quick drives to the basket before defenses set. He finished with 16 points.

He even took a couple hook shots last night. Both missed pretty badly. But I figure he’s made them in practice if he actually took them in a game.

I’m still not completely convinced Jerebko has as much upside as the typical rookie averaging nine points and six rebounds per game. But he’s removing my doubt.

Oh, yeah. He’s still making the hustle plays, too (eight rebounds, three blocks, one steal and a plus-8 last night).

Jason Maxiell becoming a force again

Last season and early this season, Jason Maxiell looked lethargic most of the time. But now that he’s become Detroit’s backup center, he really coming into his own.

I think part of the problem before was that he never had a set role. He’d play most games, but not all. Sometimes, Detroit would want his low post scoring. Other times, defense would be the emphasis.

Now, he’s playing hard all the time. For most of the season, I’d only describe Jonas Jerebko this way, but Maxiell just makes plays. He had 16 rebounds, a steal (probably should’ve gotten credit for a another) and was a team-best plus-11 last night.

I still think he settled for a mid-range jumper too often, though. He shot 2-of-7 from the field. That shot can be a nice weapon for him at times. But it should be secondary to his back-to-the-basket game in the low post.

Austin Daye stuck in foul trouble

Austin Daye had three fouls in eight minutes. It’s not that big of a deal now – when we’re just looking for anything positive from him. (And he provided that, making both his shots, including a nifty drive and pull-up floater).

But if he’s going to become a rotation player some day, how will he defend – without getting in foul trouble – with such a slight frame?

Ben Gordon’s slump that won’t end

Ben Gordon shot just 1-of-7, and it looked like he was slow on a couple defensive rotations.

I think we can just chalk this up as a lost season for him. Gordon has never had injury problems like this before, and his confidence looks shot. His numbers are so far below his previous career lows, which makes me believe something fluky is happening.

I’m concerned. But if he plays like this next season, I’ll really be worried.

Kwame Brown playing

With Ben Wallace out, Kwame Brown has played the last couple games. So, I guess whatever he was doing – or not doing – that him stuck at the end of the bench wasn’t serious enough to preclude him from playing under all circumstance.

Taunting refs is sport for this Wallace, too

An injured Ben Wallace in street clothes picked up a technical foul in the second quarter. When it was announced, it almost look like he was trying to hold in a laugh.

No tanking

I haven’t always been pleased with the Pistons’ effort this season, but they played hard in this game. A win over a quality Rockets team says this team still has some pride and isn’t just playing for a draft pick.

The Pistons ended regulation on 10-2 run and overcame missing three straight free throws in the final 11 seconds of overtime. They gritted out a win, and John Kuester described it as “healthy.”

That’s a word that hasn’t been used about the Pistons much this year, but I completely agree. I want Detroit to build a winning culture, no matter what it means for June 24.

Check the stats from last night’s 105-100 loss to the Celtics:

• Jonas Jerebko: 16 points (5-of-9 from the field) and 10 rebounds in 30 minutes.
• Austin Daye: Nine points (4-of-7) and five rebounds in 13 minutes.

Per minute, those stats are very similar. In fact, Daye’s are a little better. But that only tells half the story.

On defense, Jerebko is a bull. His nose for the ball is incredible. How many times does he tip a rebound or an opponent’s dribble or pass he has no business getting near? Even if the Pistons don’t get the ball, he slows a fastbreak opportunity.

Here’s Daye’s defensive gameplan:

1. Lift head.
2. Find correct defensive positioning.
3. Put head down.
4. Shuffle to correct spot.
5. Repeat until opponent scores.

I was really impressed by Daye offensively last night. When Detroit drafted him, I expected him to be just a spot-up shooter. But his game is pretty varied.

He used a nice head fake to get by Paul Pierce twice. He also made swift cuts and showed good hands.

He just needs a lot of work on his defensive positioning. The good news is, despite being rail thin, he’s not a terrible defender. He just needs to learn where to go.

Prince is growing on me

Tayshaun Prince has looked a lot more positive lately – and I don’t just mean on the floor. A couple times last night, he was spotted giving instructions to younger players.

And he had a smile while doing it.

That’s the Prince the Pistons need.

Ben Gordon’s funk

Midway through the second quarter, the Celtics tipped the ball out of bounds. Detroit inbounded with one second left on the shot clock.

Ben Gordon worked his way around the court, took the pass and made the smoothest-looking shot I’d seen from him in a long time.

“He didn’t have time to think about it even a little bit,” George Blaha said on the TV telecast.

And that’s exactly why Gordon made it.

Gordon is still clearly uncomfortable after his injury. It’s the most time he’s missed in the NBA, and I’m sure he was disappointed he didn’t rebound quicker. Now, I think the problem is just compounding.

It seems like his head is spinning on the court, and that’s obviously not productive. I’m becoming less and less convinced he can shake this until he gets a summer break.

But with Gordon’s work ethic, he might spend the whole off-season shooting jumpers. I’m not sure that would be best for him.

I love what Ben Wallace brings to the Pistons. If he wasn’t on this team, it would be the Nets.

And I’m OK with him being a subpar free-throw shooter. It’s not fair to ask him to excel at everything.

But he should be better than he is. It’s a mental block, and if he wasn’t too stubborn to admit it, he might have a chance to improve from the line. He’ll never be a great free-throw shooter, but he could make 50-to-60 percent.

The Spurs went to hack-a-Ben earlier in the week, and he didn’t take it well. From Chris Iott of MLive:

Wallace threw his headband to the floor as he made his way to the bench.
"It’s garbage," Wallace said when asked about the strategy.

Wallace was asked how he felt about Kuester showing confidence by leaving him in so long while the Spurs employed the strategy.

"That’s garbage, too," Wallace said, then quickly ended the interview.

That’s unacceptable.

Wallace needs to take responsibility for his shortcomings. I’m going to sleep, but when I wake up, I hope I read about Wallace taking a different tone after tonight’s game.

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Richard Hamilton missed his first free throw of last night’s 97-91 loss to the Clippers. So, although Hamilton boasts the longest free throw-made streak of any NBA player this season, Joe Dumars’ team record is safe.

But I hope he matches Dumars in another way.

I hope Hamilton retires a Piston. (Have I mentioned that lately?)

Dumars played five seasons in Detroit after every other Bad Boy had left the team. He never seemed to completely fit with guys like Grant Hill, Otis Thorpe and Terry Mills. But I was just glad he was still playing for my favorite team

Dumars was a true professional and knew how to win. His influence never off paid quite like I hoped, and those teams never advanced to the second round of the playoffs. But I think they would’ve been more lost without Dumars.

So, back to Hamilton. He’s stuck on a team that traded his best friend, almost completely changed his supporting cast and can’t hold a candle to its predecessor just two years earlier.

But he still knows how to win.

Until the final 4:30 minutes of the fourth quarter, Hamilton had been having a so-so game. Then, he hit a 3-pointer to tie it. And on Detroit’s next possession, he hit one from the same spot. Three minutes later, he gave the Pistons the lead with yet another 3-pointer.

Then, with Detroit down by four with seven seconds left, Hamilton drew a foul on a long 3-pointer – and he nearly made that. But it rattled in-and-out, and Hamilton missed all three free throws, essentially ending the game.

From threatening a free-throw record to making just 2-of-8 from the line last night. I’m not sure Hamilton knows what hit him.

Just like this season.

More solid games from the old guard

Hamilton finished 21 points.

Tayshaun Prince had 17 points, 10 rebounds, four assists a block and a steal. His block with 14 seconds left reminded me of some other play he made once.

And Jason Maxiell had 14 points (7-of-9 shooting) and eight rebounds in 16 minutes off the bench.

If only a few of the new guys would offer more help…

How will Ben Gordon improve shooting woes?

Not to make excuses, but the the Pistons have four good guards. If Ben Gordon is struggling, they don’t have to play him. That has to frustrate Gordon, who doesn’t really have a chance to work his way out of this slump.

He was 0-for-4 last night, and he played just 19 minutes. From the Pistons’ standpoint as far as their chances of winning this game, 19 minutes make sense.

For Gordon – and the team’s long-term investment in him – it doesn’t.

I don’t want to force-feed him minutes he doesn’t deserve, but this isn’t healthy for the franchise’s long-term outlook.

Charlie Villanueva carving out role

In the last two games, the Pistons’ bench has been pretty active in cheering for the players on the court. In particular, Charlie Villanueva has looked enthusiastic.

I wish he was doing more on the court. But I guess I’m glad he’s not sulking.

Further reading

Kevin Arnovitz of ClipperBlog has an interesting recap that includes this nugget:

The Pistons actually shoot better from 16-23 feet (53.4 effective field goal percentage) than they do at the rim (42.9 effective field goal percentage)!

Traditional box score – GameFlow

Yes, Richard Hamilton almost cost the Pistons last night’s game. He had an offensive foul then fouled Manu Ginobili for an and-1 to let the Spurs reach overtime – before they lost, 101-99, to the Pistons.

But Hamilton deserves a break. He’s begun to play like the scorer the Pistons have relied on the past seven seasons. Just look at his lines for the last three games:

• Points: 36, 29 and 27.
• Free throws: 9-of-9, 10-of-10 and 9-of-9.
• Two pointers: 9-of-12, 8-of-19 and 9-of-14.

As I’ve said, I think the Pistons signed Ben Gordon because they believed he’s the type of player you don’t pass up under any circumstances. I imagine Joe Dumars envisioned a scenario where Hamilton and Gordon were both playing extremely well and one had to be moved – as opposed to the opposite problem that has plagued them this season of neither playing well.

Right now, it’s halfway fixed.

Ben Wallace’s mind games

Trailing by nine with 3:35 left in the fourth quarter, the Spurs began intentionally fouling Ben Wallace. They sent him to the line five straight possessions, and he made 4-of-10 free throws. San Antonio cut the deficit to four. Finally, Hamilton replaced Wallace.

To me, it’s a completely fair strategy. How is it different than trying to isolate an opponent’s weakest defensive player? Players don’t get a free pass at masking their deficiencies. It’s risky, but the Spurs had their backs against the wall and needed to take a chance.

But Wallace didn’t approve. From Chris Iott of MLive:

Wallace threw his headband to the floor as he made his way to the bench.
"It’s garbage," Wallace said when asked about the strategy.

Wallace was asked how he felt about Kuester showing confidence by leaving him in so long while the Spurs employed the strategy.

"That’s garbage, too," Wallace said, then quickly ended the interview.

Wallace’s free-throw percentage (.441) is the highest its been since the Pistons’ championship season. But he could shoot between 50 and 60 percent fairly easily.

It’s definitely a mental block, and his little pouting session shows that. It’s just strange to see from such an otherwise mentally strong player.

If the Pistons lost this game because of Wallace’s free-throw shooting, it wouldn’t have been a huge deal. They’re not going anywhere, anyway.

But if Wallace returns next season, and Detroit is in the playoff race, this problem could be more serious. At this point, though, I doubt an old dog will pickup a new trick.

Most-talented lineup

In last night’s Daily Dime Live, Kevin Arnovitz said:

As bad as Pistons are, you have to wonder…what’s the worst that would happen if they fielded a lineup of Stuckey-Gordon-Hamilton-Prince-Charlie V?
Throw Wallace or Maxiell in there against bigger teams, maybe.
Would they be *worse* than 19-35?

There are two big reasons the Pistons haven’t used this lineup:

1. Injuries.
2. Ben Wallace and Jonas Jerebko, Detroit’s best players, aren’t included.

But John Kuester has played 322 different lineups entering last night’s game, according to BasketballValue.com. The five players Arnovitz mentioned haven’t played a single minute together.

How many other teams haven’t put their five-most talented players on the floor together at all? If you count the Clippers, whose Blake Griffin has missed the entire season, my guess would be two.

If the Pistons really want to see what they have, that number needs to shrink to one.

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Playoffs!!!!!!!!

With the Pistons’ 107-85 win over the Timberwolves and Knicks’ loss to the Bulls last night, Detroit is tied for 11th in the East. A win today over the Magic – don’t the Pistons beat them every time? – would move Detroit into 10th. Then, the Pistons could catch Milwaukee by…

OK, enough.

The Pistons are still an extreme long shot to make the playoffs. They’re seven games out with 30 games left. (Although, if you’re looking on the bright side, they’re also seven games back from the sixth seed).

And last night’s win was against Minnesota – one of the league’s worst teams.

But, man, the Pistons looked good last night. This is what they were supposed to be before injuries crippled their season: a team with more offensive weapons than opponents could handle and enough defense to get by.

• Eight Pistons scored at least eight points, and all 12 players scored.
• Detroit made more than 53 percent of its shots for just the fourth time this season.
• The Pistons had a season-high 37 assists (37!), and led by Will Bynum’s 14 (14!), five players had at least three assists.

Detroit repeatedly spaced the floor well and made the extra pass. I’m not sure if this was one good game or evidence everyone is finally on the same page.

So, for a second, let’s assume the playoffs are out of reach. At this point, would you be happy with the Pistons playing like a low-seed playoff team the rest of the season? I think I’d consider that a success.

Don’t overlook Jerebko

Seriously, don’t.

From Howlin’ T-Wolf’s game preview:

Listen, Jerekbo is a great rookie on a bad team. I truly do like him and I think he could develop into a good forward in this league. But to think he even has a shot against Jefferson’s strength down in the post is preposterous.

Advantage: Minnesota

Result: Jerebko made his first six shots in the game’s first nine minutes and finished with 21 points. Al Jefferson (who was mostly matched up with Ben Wallace) scored 14 points.

Nets Are Scoring before New Jersey played Detroit on Feb. 6”

It is funny, I gave Yi the advantage before the last game because I didn’t really know Jonas or his game.  After watching the Pistons game, I still don’t really know his game.

Advantage:  Yi

Result: Jerebko made all nine of his shots, scored 20 points, grabbed seven rebounds and made two steals. Yi Jianlian shot 1-for-7.

So, to whoever will write the game preview for Orlando Magic Daily today, Jerebko is no good. Rashard Lewis will own him.

Tayshaun Prince trade watch

Tayshaun Prince’s rejuvenation continued last night with 11 points, five rebounds, three assists and game-best plus-34 in 31 minutes. He might just have some trade value after all.

On the downside, the Jazz beats the Rockets last night. I guess I was holding a faint hope Utah would get blown out twice this week and consider trading Carlos Boozer.

Still, I’m getting a little sick of Prince and wouldn’t mind seeing him shipped. From Vince Goodwill of The Detroit News:

When asked if he wanted to stay with the team that drafted him, Prince replied tersely.

"How long have I been here?" he asked.

"Quite a while," the reporter replied.

"OK," he said, then walked out.

Random thought

If a team needs to intentionally miss a free throw at the end of a game, I think Charlie Villanueva might be the best in the NBA at it.

It’s not that he’s a bad free-throw shooter, but his missed jumpers put a hurt on the rim. That rebound would come flying off and give the shooting team a great chance to rebound the intentional miss.

More coverage

Check out Howlin’ T-Wolf’s recap.

Traditional box score – Advanced box score – GameFlow

Jonas Jerebko becoming the Pistons’ starting power forward has been a major storyline. But another undersized frontline player’s increased minutes as a result of that move has been overlooked.

That should change now.

Although he played the position at times prior, Jason Maxiell has become Detroit’s primary backup center in its revamped rotation.

In last night’s 93-81 win over the Bucks, Maxiell had 14 points, 10 rebounds and two steals – first double-double of the season. He was also a team-best plus-21.

Chris Wilcox and Kwame Brown have played just a combined 21 minutes in the five games since Jerebko became the starting power forward.

Maxiell has played 74 minutes at center in the span. He’s averaging 9.6 and 7.0 rebounds in 23 minutes per game and making 65 percent of his shots.

With Ben Wallace planted on the bench, Maxiell played the entire fourth quarter at center last night. The Pistons outscored the Bucks, 29-19, in the final frame.

Still, Maxiell has played 36 percent of his minutes at power forward in the last five games, and his plus-minus has been better at that position.

• Power forward: plus-15 in 42 minutes.
• Center: even in 73 minutes.

But Maxiell’s center play is certainly intriguing.

In the short term, he’s easily the Pistons’ best backup center. They’re an extreme long shot for the playoffs, so that probably doesn’t matter. But let’s check it out just in case.

82Games breaks down every Pistons’ production by position through Feb. 3. Here are the plus-minuses per 48 minutes at center for each player who has spent a significant amount of time at the position:

• Ben Wallace: –2.4
• Jason Maxiell: –3.1
• Kwame Brown: –6.8
• Chris Wilcox: –19.5

The long-term possibilities of Maxiell becoming a center are less certain, but they offer a much greater reward.

Until this run, Detroit’s only reliable center had been a 35-year-old Ben Wallace. Wilcox and Brown definitely aren’t long-term answers at the position, either.

I don’t think Maxiell, who will be 27 a week from Thursday, can be a reliable starting center in the NBA. There would just be too many nights he’d be too small.

But if you had to pick a Piston most likely to be in the rotation at position in three years, wouldn’t you have to say Maxiell? You could make a case for Jonas Jerebko, but I think he projects best at small forward.

Joe Dumars has said he wants to use the rest of this season to determine what type of team the Pistons have. I hope he’s keeping a close eye on whether they can be successful with Maxiell as their backup center.

Benching the other backup centers

Jerebko taking his power forward minutes hasn’t been the only reason Maxiell has become the backup center. The other centers on the team have been benched.

This makes a lot of sense with Wilcox. He was given a chance and failed.

But what about Kwame Brown? From Terry Foster of the Detroit News:

"Our biggest concern and I have discussed it with him is defense," Kuester said. "We have to make sure he continually plays the consistent defense that I want to in the scheme. That is pick-and-roll, high pick-and-roll. Just making sure he knows."

If Brown didn’t know, he knows now. That is why he laughed when Kuester’s words were relayed to him.

"Listen, man, I don’t want something to be flared up on what I say," Brown said. "I will do what the coach says in order to get better, although that is a first because there is one thing I do bring to the table and that is defense. That’s the first time I heard that. It’s the first time a coach said I don’t play defense. But like I said, I will learn to play the defense he wants me to play."

This obviously isn’t the only reason Brown hasn’t played much. He’s definitely a better defender than Wilcox, and Wilcox has received a lot more playing time. Foster gives a clue at the reason:

Brown is frustrated and some of that might have flared up during a blowout loss to the Pacers. Kuester summoned Brown into the game but didn’t like how long it took him to get off the bench and decided against using him.

Brown said the incident has been resolved and that he was not angry with Kuester for putting him in during garbage time.

"I have played during 20-point blow-outs. I have come in during the last two minutes of a game," Brown said. "It doesn’t matter. I am paid to play whenever they tell me to. It does not matter to me."

That doesn’t explain why Brown had been stuck on the bench before Friday. Maybe that incident is just an example of an attitude problem. A Ben Wallace quote gives a little more insight. Via Foster:

"Without a doubt he can contribute," Wallace said. "But he got to want it. He’s got to be hungry, man. For me to say you got to do this and do, that’s pointless. You got to want it. Look, man, when you go out there, you got to do what you got to do. If you go out there and are making the same mistakes the starters are making, then you don’t need to be out there."

It’s obvious Brown has the physical ability to play better than he has this year – and his entire career, frankly. If I had a guess, Kuester is trying to motivate Brown to play with more intensity. But I’m not sure Kuester will be the cause if that happens.

His looming free agency might be enough for Brown to get his act together.

Win feels good

The Pistons have won back-to-back games for the first time 24 days. They also picked up their first win in 20 days against a team not on pace to have the worst single-season record of all time.

Credit for new features

If you haven’t noticed, I’ve been starting each game review with a couple links at the top. It’s time to come clean.

I completely stole the idea from Royce Young of Daily Thunder. He does a great job, and I definitely recommend following his blog if you want to know about the NBA’s next elite team.

I also added a third link beginning today. Sebastian Pruiti, who runs Nets Are Scorching and NBAPlaybook.com, directed me to PopcornMachine.net. It’s a cool site that tracks how different lineups perform in each game.

More coverage

Check out Jeremy Schmidt’s recap on Bucksketball.

Tradition box score – Advanced box score

Well, the Pistons found the most uninspiring way possible to snap a five-game losing streak.

For Detroit a win should be a win, but it’s tough to adapt that mentality after so many stellar years. So, sorry, but last night’s 97-93 win over the Nets doesn’t thrill me.

Maybe it was Yi Jianlian missing 11-of-12 shots. Maybe it was Ben Gordon (2-of-6 for seven points and no assists in 14 minutes) looking ineffective again. Or maybe it was all the empty seats at the Izod Center.

But last night’s game was ugly.

Will Bynum returns

Glancing at the box score Will Bynum had a nice performance after missing 16 games with a pair of ankle injuries: 10 points and three assists in 17 minutes.

But his defense was lacking.

Although he showed progress earlier in the season, Bynum isn’t a good defensive player. A Bynum still probably at least somewhat bothered a bum ankle really isn’t a good defender. So, I don’t want to beat up on him too much.

But he has to do a much better job of staying in front of his man. Speedy Nets point guard Devin Harris is the type of player who gives Bynum trouble, and that definitely happened last night.

Bynum and Harris were matched up for 9:52, and Harris scored 10 points in that span. That’s 42 percent of his points in 25 percent of his minutes.

Bynum is back to where he was last year with his defense. I’d like to see him get back to where he was pre-injury this season.

Rip’s renaissance

Richard Hamilton is playing like he wants to remain a Piston.

I think Ben Gordon’s signing made Hamilton realize he doesn’t have a future as Detroit’s go-to scorer. So, Hamilton has changed his outlook. His assist numbers have been way up. He had three assists before he took a shot last night.

But in the second half, Hamilton showed he hadn’t lost the other side of his game.

Hamilton scored 20 of his points in the final 21 minutes. He finished with seven assists, five rebounds and one turnover in 40 minutes.

Prince’s pouting

If Hamilton is playing like he want to remain in Detroit, Tayshaun Prince is acting like he wants out. Yes, his numbers have been picking up (15 points and eight rebounds last night). But his body language hasn’t.

In the first quarter, Prince threw a cross-court pass to Rodney Stuckey. Jonas Jerebo jumped to catch it but realized it wasn’t intended for him and pulled back. By the time Jerebko landed, Stuckey lost track of the ball and it went out of bounds.

Prince looked at Jerebko, threw his arms arms wildly and made a disgusted face.

Contrast that to when Ben Wallace dropped a Prince pass out of bounds early in third quarter. Prince just pointed, nodded and ran up court.

I noticed these two instances last night, but there plenty of other examples. Prince needs to start showing the newcomers more respect. He can’t play every minute with Stuckey, Hamilton, Maxiell and Wallace.

Power forward rotation

Jonas Jerebko started but played just 15 minutes and was a team-worst minus-7. Chris Wilcox, who had been the starter, didn’t play. Charlie Villanueva still looked bothered by a sore back and played just eight minutes. Ben Wallace played the position a little bit with Kwame Brown at center.

But the Pistons main power forward last night was Jason Maxiell. He played 27 minutes, including the final 21 (besides two seconds when the Nets were intentional fouling at the end).

He looked solid (eight points, six rebounds and tying Hamilton with a team-best plus-10). But I’m not sure if he deserved all that playing time. He looked a little tired by the end of the game. To his credit, though, he didn’t stop playing hard. It’s a welcome sight.

It will be interesting to see how the minutes shake out here going forward – and I’ll have more on that another day.

Is Rodney Stuckey becoming consistent?

Rodney Stuckey had 21 points, eight assists, four rebounds, two steals and no turnovers. And I really don’t have anything to say about him. That’s a heck of a stat line, but in the course of the game, it didn’t seem like he was doing anything better than he usually does. That seems like a good sign.

Prince’s dunk

Tayshaun Prince made what was essentially the game winning basket on an inbound lob dunk with 46 seconds left. Sebastian Pruiti of NBA Playbook breaks down the play – and more from the game.

Traditional box score – Advanced box score

Flash back 11 days. The Pistons were a miserable 14-25. But they beat Boston that night to begin a six-home stand. It seemed to be the spark Detroit needed. Playoffs, here we come.

Yeah, right.

Capped by last night’s 91-86 loss to the Magic, the Pistons dropped their final five games in the home stand. The game was close, and the Pistons played pretty well against a good team.

But they’ve had plenty of moral victories this season, and none of them careened into sustained quality play. This one won’t be different.

The season is shot. The Pistons aren’t very good, and only the Spurs have more road games remaining than Detroit (20).

So, it’s time to stop worrying about this, and keep an eye on this.

Jonas Jerebko steps up

When Jonas Jerebko checked into the game between Richard Hamilton free throws with 1:35 left , Tayshaun Prince looked over his shoulder to see if Jerebko was replacing him.

He wasn’t – for now.

On a night Tayshaun Prince (12 points, nine rebounds, three assists and a team-best plus-2) had his best game since the season opener, Jerebko was better.

Starting at power forward and playing 34 minutes while Charlie Villanueva sat with back spasms, Jerebko had 16 points and nine rebounds and made a mark with hustle.

He’s making his offensive game more diverse than grabbing offensive rebounds and setting screens, too. Jerebko has become a pretty good spot-up 3-point shooter, making 2-of-3 last night.

I still think he’s better as a small forward, but he definitely made an impact at power forward yesterday.

Ugly finish

On their final meaningful possession, the Pistons looked lost.

Trailing by three with nine seconds left, Detroit inbounded the ball to Ben Gordon. Gordon rose for what appeared to be a 3-point shot twice, only to pass to Prince both times. The second pass was intercepted by Matt Barnes.

Where was the fearless Gordon who torched the Celtics in the playoffs last year? I was counting on him to the Pistons’ go-to guy at the end of tight games.

Questionable defensive strategy

Orlando made 10-of-22 3-pointers, which is hardly surprising. The Magic have made the most 3-pointers in the NBA and done it with the ninth-best percentage.

But Orlando’s strong showing from the perimeter had a lot to do with the Pistons, too. Detroit allows its opponents to make 36.2 percent of their 3-pointers, seventh worst in the league.

Initially, I thought the Pistons had been slow to close out on outside shooters. But I’m starting to re-think that. Detroit might be sagging farther inside than most teams to prevent closer shots by design.

Of shots inside 10 feet but not at the rim, the Pistons opponents have made just 43 percent. Detroit’s defense ranks 13th-best in the league for that location, by far its best area in terms of defensive ranking, according to HoopData.

Richard Hamilton and Rodney Stuckey

I’ve touched on it here before, but I wrote about Richard Hamilton and Rodney Stuckey playing well together for the Daily Dime (No. 8 ).

Traditional box score – Advanced box score

It started with some encouragement:

Nice job, Tay. Way to go, Rip.

Pistons coach John Kuester, usually comfortable in his courtside seat, began the second half of last night’s game by standing and yelling positive reinforcements to the Pistons. He stood the final 24 minutes, looking like someone who had just wandered onto the court and wasn’t entirely sure how to act in a new setting.

His positive comments came before the players deserved them. Two possessions weren’t enough to show they would be any less soft in the second half than they were in the first.

But it worked. They Pistons played harder and crisper. They began the second half on a 21-6 run and stayed in the game until the final seconds. Kuester’s focused demeanor and high spirits made them believe.

But I’m not convinced.

Detroit still lost, 97-93. Why should this game be different? Because the Pistons didn’t lie down for the entire game, like they did last night? Or because they didn’t wait until there were five minutes left to pick up the intensity, like they did when these teams met in November?

All three games ended in losses. Detroit has had plenty of second-half comebacks this season – and most have ended in deafeats. After each, I hoped the Pistons were turning the corner.

This time, I’m not holding my breath.

The fight

Late in the third quarter, Rudy Fernandez drove to the basket, and Charlie Villanueva decided to make Fernandez earn the points at the free-throw line.

It didn’t look like Villanueva fouled him that hard, but Fernandez spun around and crashed to the floor. Maybe Fernandez was acting a bit, or maybe Villanueva’s foul was worse than it appeared to me.

Either way, Juwan Howard took exception and got in Villanueva’s face. They were quickly separated by several players, but Villanueva tried to go through the crowd and get to Howard.

Howard saw Villanueva coming and got more upset. Jason Maxiell pushed Howard away, and Rodney Stuckey held onto Villanueva. Tensions cooled.

If anyone deserves blame, it’s Villanueva – and that’s still assuming his initial foul wasn’t with malice. Howard was just playing his role by sticking up for Fernandez. Once they were separated, Villanueva should’ve let it die.

That said, I don’t think the incident was a big deal. And I’m not upset with Villanueva for being fiery. I just wish he constantly showed that attitude with the ball in play.

When the game resumed, the officials began calling a tight game. They did for so both teams, but it probably hurt the Pistons more. The frequent whistles took away the aggressiveness that got them back in the game and killed their momentum.

Backcourt solutions?

I’m starting to think Rodney Stuckey and Richard Hamilton could make a good backcourt – this season and going forward.

Hamilton, who made nine assists tonight, has gotten more comfortable with the ball in his hands. I don’t think he’s played what most would consider the point guard position, but he’s assumed point guard-like duties plenty of times.

And the Pistons are learning Stuckey plays best when he spends time off the ball.

The duo is beginning to strike a balance of sharing the playmaking and scoring duties.

So where does that leave Ben Gordon? Yeah, I wonder, too.