Detroit Pistons '12-'13: Grizzlies, blocked [12-7]

[Leftos]

My first Association story, so please be kind and constructive in your comments.
This is a reboot with a (hopefully) bug-free roster. Fingers crossed.
Roster: UBRv24 + Albys + Nick custom roster
Association Length: 82 games
Schedule: Semi-realistic randomized schedule
Quarter Length: 12 minutes
Difficulty: All-Star
Injures: On
Fatigue: On

Stat Analysis powered by NBA Stats Tracker

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Quick Links

November: Starts Here
December: viewtopic.php?p=1533781#p1533781

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October 31st, 2012
New season brings excitement to Pistons fans

Pistons' last year's close to the season brought hope to the Pistons fans, and with new, exciting players in the Roster, we have Pistons GM Joe Dumars and Head Coach Lawrence Frank in an exclusive interview, to give us the scoop on what we can expect.

Q: Mr. Dumars, let me start with you. You have 5 new players in the squad, namely Drummond, English, Middleton, Kravtsov and Singler. With Big Ben and Wilkins not in the roster this year, you seem to be heading into a more youthful direction. Is the rebuilding over, or should we expect more?
A: Well, it's a work in progress, but it's definitely exciting. I mean, as you said, we have 5 players that will be entering their first NBA season, but we're really confident about them. We really believe Drummond will grow to be a great Center; he's athletic, and he's proven to us how intimidating he can be on defense. Plus, he'll have Kravtsov rotating with him, who has been really impressive on both offense and defense in Ukraine. We've also improved our perimeter shooting quite a lot with the other guys. So we have to be careful and help get the most out of our young players, but we sure don't want to rush them.
Q: With the roster being at the maximum 15 right now, when you say you don't want to rush the rookies, do you mean Pistons fans aren't going to see much of them?
A: We want to get them on the floor playing, we really do. But we have to be careful with this, not act out of sheer emotion. They all need their minutes, but we can't just throw them into the 82-game grind with the same workload that our starters currently have. We don't want them burning out all too soon, and we have to be careful about injuries as their bodies adjust to the NBA level.
Q: So Drummond won't be having the workload of a starter come Game 1?
A: That's yet to be seen, but we have experienced players that deserve the starting spot. Andre will adjust, and if he keeps showing us what we saw in Summer League and the pre-season, he'll be battling for a spot in the starting 5 soon, hopefully.
Q: Coach Frank, which player are you most excited about this coming season?
A: Heh, that's a trick question. Every one of our guys has worked hard throughout the summer, and it's, I mean it's a different experience than last year when we had almost no time to prepare. I won't be naming any names, but we've worked with Joe on building an exciting team this off-season, so I'm pretty sure we'll have some positive surprises soon.
Q: Would you say the Pistons are in playoff contention?
A: I'd certainly hope so! -Laughs- Well, it's a competitive league. I'm not going to make any hard predictions, but we'll do our best to work hard in practice and give it all in every game.
Q: Come on, you certainly must have thought about this. Where do you see the Pistons come regular season end?
A: Well, I'd say we can fight with a playoff spot. Yeah, I think so. But what I really want to see is incremental progress from all our players. We're in a rebuilding stretch, but the harder we work, the sooner we'll get there.
Q: Any word from Arnie Kander on Drummond's injury in the last pre-season game?
A: Yeah, it's nothing major. Andre's foot is feeling better every day, and we have Arnie and Mike on him every day, making sure he's 100% come Game 1.
Q: Will you be taking a conservative approach on his minutes?
A: You certainly don't want to push a rookie too far. Their bodies aren't adjusted to the work the NBA requires, so we don't want to risk losing anybody. Pistons have gone whole years without young and promising players, like Terrico White, or Jonas, and we don't want that happening again.
Q: Mr. Dumars, there's been word around the press that Khris Middleton failed to impress during the off-season, and that he may be soon finding himself in Fort Wayne. Any comments on that?
A: We're confident about Khris. He won't have an issue and he'll be back showing us what impressed us in the first place about him, I'm sure of that. We do have more people on the roster than we can bring to court, and it's really important that all the players get experience. You don't want them being the 13th, 14th, 15th player and just being left out.
Q: Will he be getting the experience he needs as a Mad Ant then?
A: I won't answer that, it's really early to discuss things like that. We're confident about him, and he has as much of a chance as any other guy.

Joe Dumars and Lawrence Frank everyone. Can't wait to see how this turns out, stay tuned.

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Pistons Projected Roster
Projected Starters
PG: Brandon Knight
SG: Rodney Stuckey
SF: Tayshaun Prince
PF: Jason Maxiell
C: Greg Monroe

Projected Substitutes
Corey Maggette (SF)
Slava Kravtsov (C)
Will Bynum (PG)
Andre Drummond (C)
Charlie Villanueva (PF)
Kim Engish (SG)
Jonas Jerebko (PF)

Projected Reserves
Kyle Singler (SF)
Austin Daye (SF)
Khris Middleton (SF)

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Pistons' November Matchups
Nov 2: vs Nets
Nov 5: @ Wizards
Nov 6: vs Pacers
Nov 7: @ Warriors
Nov 9: @ Magic
Nov 11: @ Celtics
Nov 12: @ Bulls
Nov 15: vs Bobcats
Nov 16: @ Kings
Nov 18: vs Bucks
Nov 20: vs Nets
Nov 21: @ Bobcats
Nov 23: vs. 76ers
Nov 25: vs. Bulls
Nov 26: @ Magic
Nov 27: vs. Bulls

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November 2, 2012
Game 1: Pistons lacking in every aspect, fall to Nets at home
Final Score: (L) 96-89

There's no other word to describe today's performance of the Pistons other than "disappointing". The Pistons looked to be able to keep the Nets close during the 1st half, but the trio of Deron, Johnson and Wallace proved too much for them.

The 1st quarter ended with the Pistons just 3 points behind after a late Knight three, a quarter which had newly-signed Pistons Center Slava Kravtsov getting his first NBA block against Brook Lopez, and then being blocked himself on his first shot attempt. Deron Williams was already up to 9 points in the first quarter. Second quarter was pretty much the same story, and the Pistons managed to stay within 3.

But the two final quarters would see Johnson and Wallace get on fire, while the Pistons couldn't hit a shot to save their life. When the Pistons went on a run to cut the deficit from 20 to 6 points, it was already a few seconds left on the clock for the game, and far too late.

Pistons ended up losing most of the stats battles, but the most frustrating one is the rebounding. The Pistons were behind in rebounding in the first half, but had 5 more offensive rebounds. Keeping Lopez and Wallace out of the paint would be a point of pride, had that trend continued. However, the margin spread as the Pistons seemed not too interested in grabbing the ball in the second half, ending up with 12 less total rebounds, 3 of them offensive. They've definitely improved their perimeter shooting by miles, scoring a total of 11 3 pointers on .478, but are struggling from the charity stripe, missing on 8 out of 36 attempts. Keep that in mind when you read the score again and notice they lost by 7.

On a lighter note, there's three bright spots to discuss for the Pistons.
* First, Greg Monroe. He was out there trying to prove a point with his performance after being snubbed from the USA Olympics team. He managed the best Game Score out of both teams (20.20, with Nets' D. Williams following second with 16.20), on 17 points, 11 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals. His Free Throw Rate was off the charts, he scored 9 free throws on 8 field goal attempts.
* Brandon Knight also managed to impress with 17 points, 5-10 three pointers, a block and 2 steals. He still needs to work on his passing however, as his 3 assists over 2 turnovers won't make him a leading PG anytime soon.
* Andre Drummond still hasn't fully recovered from his foot injury, and so he played limited minutes during the 4th quarter, during which he showed signs of talent. He grabbed 5 boards, had an assist and a block in under 8 minutes, managing an astounding Rebound Rate of 22.5 rebounds per 36 minutes. Mike Abdenour, the head Pistons trainer, said he expects Andre to be fully fit to play as many minutes as required against Washington, 3 days from now.

On the other end, the Nets big 3 had their way against the Pistons.
* Deron Williams had 14 points, 5 rebounds, 9 assists (over just 1 turnover) and 2 steals in 31 minutes of play. His future with the Nets may still be on the balance, but that doesn't show in his performance.
* Joe Johnson with a game high 29 points, earning him the Player of the Game honors. 5 boards, 3 steals and a block complete his stat-line. He was unstoppable, cutting to the basket through multiple Pistons defenders and managing to score more times than not.
* Gerald Wallace with a double-double, 11 points and 12 rebounds, as well as 5 assists and 2 blocks.

Not much to show from the Pistons other than Monroe, Knight, Stuckey and Maxiell. Will Bynum was the most disappointing, proving to be a lackluster backup for Knight. 3 points, 2 boards and no assists in 11 minutes on the floor.

Pistons showed fight during the 4th quarter, albeit against the Nets second unit, so we'll see what the future holds and whether they can get this one back November 20, when the two teams meet again at The Palace. Until then, they have to fly to Washington for their game against John Wall and the Wizards, November 5th.


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November 2, 2012
Water Cooler Update: Transactions, Rumors & Injuries

• Timberwolves' Derrick Williams to miss season with a torn MCL.
• Hawks' Joe Smith to be out of rotation for "up to 8 weeks", said the head athletic trainer, after breaking his jaw in opening day loss against the Lakers.
• Dwight Howard is determined this year will be his last with Orlando, if a trade doesn't get him out sooner; "I don't appreciate the management not helping me move on, but I'll do my best as long as I'm here", he said in a recent interiew.

[Leftos]

November 3, 2012
Water Cooler Update: Hornets sign Oden

• New Orleans Hornets sign Greg Oden, 1 year, $5.76M; he's expected to rotate with Davis in Center
• As they sign Oden, rumors want the Hornets to be making Eric Gordon available

November 4, 2012
Water Cooler Update: Okur to Bucks

• Bucks sign Okur to a 1 year, $1.46M contract with a 1 year team option as main rotational piece for Center
• Pistons' Charlie Villanueva says he won't be exercising his 1 year player option. "Even if Joe [Dumars] doesn't decide to amnesty me, it's time for me to see my worth in free agency" ... "I'm not saying I'm definitely not coming back, it's just that sometimes you want to see if there's something more fitting for you out there."

November 5, 2012
Game Preview In-A-Glance: Detroit @ Washington

• Both teams have only played one game so far, both losing to their opponents
• Wizards suffered a heavy loss against Mavericks, losing 119-82
• Bradley Beal scored 27 points on a most impressive first NBA performance; J. Crawford joined him with 22 points
• "It was a bad start for us, and for me even more so, but we're determined to turn it around", said John Wall; he had an impressive 9 assists, but only shot 2-16 from the field
• Do not be surprised at the margin, Wizards only managed 24 rebounds while giving up the ball a total of 16 times
• Kander and Abdenour have cleared Drummond to play "as many minutes as Lawrence [Frank] requires him to"; he's expected to play more minutes after his impressive 5 rebounds in 8 minutes in Game 1 against Brooklyn

[newc]

This looks really promising. Good luck!

[Leftos]

November 5, 2012
Game 2: Pistons begin slow, turn it around in 2nd quarter to win at Washington
Final Score: (W) 93-85

After a good day's rest and a day of training, the Pistons began their 3-game back-to-back at Washington against the Wizards. Pistons brought back memories of Game 1 in their slow start in the first quarter, shooting just .36 from the floor, before limiting the Wizards to just 11 points in the second quarter. Although 9 players from the Wizards team had at least one steal in the game to make for a total of 11 steals and 14 Pistons turnovers, they couldn't score for the second game in a row. Pistons came back in the second quarter to start playing great D, ending up with 11 blocks in the game, 3 of them out of their promising rookie Andre Drummond. Knight, Stuckey and Jerebko also had 2 blocks each.

Pistons Key Players
* Rodney Stuckey was a bit of an oxymoron, although he did manage to get Player of the Game. He had 16 points, 7 rebounds and 2 assists along with his 2 blocks, but he shot just .231 from the field (3-13). He did, however, manage to get to the line a lot, and also scored some timely 3 pointers, including one almost at the buzzer at the 2nd quarter, ending his game with 3-5 in total.
* Greg Monroe with another steady and impressive performance. In 30 minutes on the floor, he scored 14 points on 6 of 8 shooting, grabbed 9 rebounds (2 of them offensive ones) and also had an assist. He was a force in the paint, especially when he moved to the 4 during Drummond's 20 minutes on the floor.
* Drummond is still trying to find his way on the court. He seemed lost at times in defense, falling for pump fakes and up-and-unders all too often. He did manage to get 3 points, 4 rebounds, an assist, a steal and an impressive 3 blocks. It's getting obvious that as he matures and learns the ways of the game, he'll be a force on defense.
Didn't Play Enough
* Jonas Jerebko only stayed in for 7 minutes, but in those minutes he grabbed 3 rebounds and also got 2 blocks and a steal, making him the second most efficient player of the game behind James Singleton of the Wizards. The hustle he put in and his per-minute production shows that he might be the right guy to substitute Maxiell at the 4 as a starter or even as Monroe's main rotation guy, if coach Frank decides to put Monroe permanently there.
The No Show
* Bynum is the second PG behind Knight, but the Pistons seem to always be doing worse with him on the court. He ended up with a negative Game Score, as in 13 minutes on the floor he was 0 for 2, and only grabbed one board and one assist. The Pistons are obviously lacking a Point Guard, because their 2 rotational pieces at the spot had a combined 1 assists. Yes, that's one. Knight had no assists whatsoever. It's no surprise the Pistons ended up with 12 assists, which puts them at the very last spot in assists per game in the league.

Wizards Key Players
* Nene did as much as he could, but had little support in his work to keep the Wizards alive throughout the game. He had 12 points on 5 for 7 shooting and 5 offensive rebounds.
* Bradley Beal now averages 25.5 points per game in his first two professional games. He was on fire during the whole night, and finished with 9-22 shooting with 3-5 from the three point line.
* Pistons couldn't do much to defend against Kevin Seraphin, and the Wizards coach was smart enough to pit him against Maxiell more than Monroe. He finished the game with 15 points on 7 out of 8 shooting, and 6 rebounds, including 3 on offense.
Who is this guy?
* James Singleton, the 6'8 forward from Illinois, wasn't expected to do much after his first game with the Wizards. In just 6 minutes on the floor, however, he scored 9 points (4-5 FG), grabbed 2 boards and a steal. The Wizards could do with some Singleton in the 3rd and 4th quarters, but he was never subbed back in.
Not today
* Jordan Crawford had 25 minutes to make his mark, but he only scored 5 points on a terrible .143 from the field. His 3 rebounds, 4 assists and a steal couldn't do much to help him, no matter how decent.

Pistons return to Detroit to face the Pacers tomorrow. There's still 2 rookies without a game (Singler, Middleton), so we may be seeing some changes in the line-up. The Pistons Front Office has been rumored not to be happy with Villanueva's statement regarding testing his worth at the end of the season, especially since his first two performances don't do him much favor.


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November 5, 2012
Water Cooler Update: Terrence Williams to be traded soon?

• Kings have -reportedly- received strong offers from the Timberwolves and Maverickes for their guard/forward Terrence Williams. Williams had recently stated that he's perfectly happy with the team and that he was thinking of coming back to Sacramento next year, but it seems it may not be up to him.

[Leftos]

November 6, 2012
Game 3 Preview In-A-Glance: Indiana @ Detroit
Record: 1-1

• Pacers have won their first two games in a strong manner, Pistons have split the record
• The stats aren't exactly in the Pistons' favor, who will need to rely on their perimeter shooting and blocking if they want to win this one
• Singler has replaced Villanueva in the 12-man group for this game; Villaneuva missing the game "for personal reasons", although rumors say otherwise
• An interesting matchup between Hibbert and Monroe, as always; it'll be interesting to see how many minutes Drummond gets against such an experienced and fearful opponent

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[Mavs4Life]

Start Drummond!!! Haha good enough start, good luck w/ this.

[Leftos]

I'm really tempted to start him, but if I'm going to do that, I'll do it progressively, giving him more and more minutes each game and deciding if he's good enough to start. Starting Drummond will move Monroe to the 4, which would be very, very good, but Drummond is really raw right now, and I'm not sure if he can support a starting role. He definitely shows talent, but we'll see.

[3ChrisPaul3]

Leftos, Can you Release your Roster?

[Leftos]

Nope. Sorry. I've asked for permission but got no answer. I have a guide in my sig on how you can make it yourself.

[Leftos]

November 6, 2012
Game 3: Disjointed Indiana no match for Stuckey, Pistons
Final Score: (W) 86-105

In the first of 4 games against these two rivals, the Pistons manage an easy win. They dominated the boards, played good perimeter defense, and kept their hands in check. The result was a lead that had been to a maximum 14 points and was at 8 when the 3rd quarter ended to blow up to 21 points after the Pacers only managed to score 2 points in the first 6 minutes of the last quarter. Pistons had 5 players with a Game Score of more than 10, including rookie Andre Drummond, and their cap-space solution, Corey Maggette, who has proved to be quite beneficial nevertheless. Kyle Singler had a quieter game than he'd hope to for his first NBA game, but the Pistons Front Office has high hopes for the young SF.

Pistons Key Players
* Stuckey was named Player of the Game for the second time in a row, his performance second to only that of Danny Granger. He had 20 points, kept getting to the line non-stop (9 FTM for 10 FGA), and also kept up his impressive rebounding, with another 6 boards to add to his stat-sheet. .500 shooting, .900 from the line. Impressive stuff.
* Andre Drummond showed he deserved his 18 minutes on the floor, becoming the most efficient player of the two teams combined. He had 11 points, 5 defensive and 4 offensive rebounds, as well as 2 assists and an emphatic dunk.

phpBB [video]

* Brandon Knight is doing his best to keep himself on the key players list, with 14 points, 3-4 3PT shooting, 4 assists and a block. Give him credit for improving over his 0 assists last game.
More Than You'd Expect
* Corey Maggette came to the Pistons as a part of a cap-space relief trade that saw the Bobcats get Ben Gordon and a future protected draft pick. Pistons fans are definitely on the fence on whether the injury-ridden Maggette will give anything of substance in his last year of contract that he'll be spending in Detroit. He has been productive though in his first 3 games. He put up 15 points on 4-5, 1-1 and 6-6 shooting. Talk about efficiency. Every time he drives to the basket, it seems like it doesn't matter whether there's any defense. His agility and soft touch are impressive.
Stage Fright
* Jonas Jerebko will not be replacing Maxiell yet, as it seems. On 19 minutes on the floor he was 0-8 from the field, including 3 missed 3 pointers. The only positive about his performance was his 7 boards.

Pacers Key Players
* Danny Granger would be the Player of the Game ...had any other Pacers played decently. He put up impressive numbers, with 29 points on .500 from the field and 4-6 from the 3 point line. 6 boards and 3 assists complete his stat-sheet.
* George Hill was rated second-best, coming up with 13 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists and 4 steals. He has game, he needs better players around him though.
* Paul George with a decent game as welllllll. 13 points, 2 boards, 5 assists and a steal. He was 1-5 from outside, however.
13 is an unlucky number
* At least for D.J. Augustin it is. 0-6 from the floor, just 1 assist and a board in 13 minutes.

Pistons face the Warriors at Oracle Arena tomorrow to end this back-to-back series. Will they be able to make it 3 in 3 against Lee, Curry and Barnes?


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November 6, 2012
Water Cooler Update: Hibbert leaving Indiana?

• Despite his agent saying that Hibbert will re-sign with the Pacers at the end of the season, rumor has it that Hibbert already has a deal done to get out of Indiana. One can only wonder who the Pacers may have in mind to replace him, as he has a more than respectable 11 and 9 during his first 3 games.
• Rumor has it that the Bobcats isn't where the former Bull and Piston Shooting Guard, Ben Gordon, had in mind to end up in, and that he's already looking for the first chance to move to a more competitive team. Bobcats have lost their first two games.

November 6, 2012
Stat Report: Is Drummond cracking the starting line-up?

• Drummond's impressive performances see him as a more suitable fit on Center with Monroe at the 4, than today's line-up that had Maxiell at the 4 and the Moose at the 5.
• Corey Maggette has also proven himself to be quite the trade so far, surpassing long-time loyal Piston Tayshaun Prince as the most suitable man for SF. Prince coming in from the bench, however, seems unprobable, no matter what the stats say.

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[hova-]

You know what? This dynasty is old-school. Loving the presentation. Lot of stuff to read but really informative. Drummond dunk was nasty. Good job

[Leftos]

hova-, it's really nice to hear that, especially since it's my first try at writing a dynasty. I've found I enjoy it a lot, and I get to know a lot more about my team and players if I look at their stats in the detail that a dynasty requires.

If it hasn't been obvious enough, NBA Stats Tracker has been helping me a lot.

[deihatein]

Make Greg Monroe your main scorer.

[Leftos]

That's a realistic goal, especially if I move him to the 4, which will put him up against players he'll be able to handle more easily.

[Justine.]

Monroe is a really good player in 2k. Drastically improving every year.

[Leftos]

November 7, 2012
Game 4: Monroe grabs 19 boards, Pistons still fall at Oracle Arena
Final Score: (L) 98-104

Pistons showed clear signs of tiredness in their 3rd straight game in 3 days, and the Warriors made them pay. Warriors made sure to make the Pistons defense collapse time and time again before kicking it out to an open man at the perimeter, managing to get 12 3 pointers down during the duration of the game. The Pistons, who were trailing through 3 and a half quarters, got up by 3 in a stretch in the 4th, but didn't have the energy to stay in front as Stephen Curry had his way against them. With Drummond starting at the 5, Monroe was able to dominate at the 4. His work at the boards didn't translate to baskets however, and that cost the Pistons dearly.

Pistons Key Players
* Stuckey was once again the top-rated player for the Pistons, the only one with a Game Score above 15 (16.4). He played for 34 minutes, scoring 21 on .500 shooting, and also grabbed 5 boards, an assist and a steal. The Warriors coach must've watched the game against the Pacers, because Stuckey didn't get to the line for more than 2 free throws.
* Kim English shows he'll be a successful scoring role-player for the Pistons. In less than 14 minutes he scored 12 points on 5 of 6 from the field, 2 of 2 3PT. Kim English was the most efficient player for the Pistons, beaten for the two teams combined by only Biedrins.
* Greg Monroe grabbed a career-high paranormal 19 rebounds, making for .39 of available defensive rebounds while he was on the court, and .157 offensive. He also had 10 points, 5 assists, a steal and a block. He had less field goals made than offensive rebounds though; he couldn't convert through the whole game. Just 5-17 from the floor, and 0 for 3 from the free throw line. "It's always disappointing to have so many looks at the basket and keep missing. Golden State played hard on D, but still, I should've done better" said Monroe in the post-game conference.
Back To Efficiency
* Jonas Jerebko back with a decent performance. He only played 11 minutes, but had 4 points, 3 boards, an assist and a block.
Wah, wah, wah
* Will Bynum has been disappointing for the first 3 games, and this game was no different. Just 1 of 5 from the floor, 2 boards, 2 assists, a steal. He played 13 minutes.
Made The Steal, Made The Basket
* Kyle Singler with a slap-steal to Tayshaun Prince, Stuckey finds him for the easy hoop on the break.

phpBB [video]

Warriors Key Players
* Stephen Curry was unstoppable throughout the whole game. 29 points on 9-13 shooting, 3-5 3PT, also got to the line for 8 free throws.
* Richard Jefferson with killer threes, each time the Pistons were closing the margin. 13 points, 4 boards and a steal.
* Andris Biedrins with repeated offensive rebounds (and consecutive baskets) during the 1st quarter to help the Warriors to a 4 point margin at the end of it. Didn't play much the rest of the game. 9 points, 6 boards (5 offensive), 4-5 shooting in 10 minutes. Which begs the question, why didn't he play more?
Turrible
* Harrison Barnes hasn't had a good year so far, and this game will only worsen his stat-sheet. 1-11 from the floor, including 5 missed 3 pointers. He'll need to make better use of his time on the floor, or he may see himself playing even less than the 26.5 MPG he's doing now. Only played 15 minutes in this game, the reason's pretty much obvious.

Pistons visit Orlando in 2 days. No matter how much he wants to leave the team, Howard has been putting up 23 and 13 in the Magic's first two games, and Drummond will have a lot on his plate. Monroe goes up against 17 and 8 Glen Davis who's been getting to the line a lot and scoring .813 from it, while Stuckey will meet J-Rich, who's been scoring 3 3-pointers a game on .500.


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November 7, 2012
Water Cooler Update: Suns re-sign Lopez, will probably lose Brown

• Suns re-sign Robin Lopez on a 5yr/$10M contract. "I can't be say I'm absolutely happy with my current role, but it's a good payday, and I'm determined to prove that I'm worth my money and fight for my minutes.
• Suns' Shannon Brown says he's going to try free agency the following off-season. Brown is the starting SG for the Suns, but still wants to see what he's worth in the open market, as he says.
• Warriors may be enjoying efficient performances off Richard Jefferson (8 PPG, .64 FG%, .75 3P%), but are searching the market for what they could get in return, rumors say.

[Leftos]

November 9, 2012
Game 5: Stan Van Gundy congratulates Lawrence Frank, Howard drama continues
Final Score: (W) 102-73

Orlando was hit with a traffic jam near the end of the 3rd quarter of the Pistons vs Magic game, due to the fans exiting the stadium and going home in bunches. Magic had scored just 27 points at the half, before scoring 46 for the last two quarters. Both Howard and Turkoglu were in foul trouble early and unable to contribute, as the Pistons showed a much improved scoring touch and scorched the Magic defense. Two double-doubles for the Pistons, from Greg Monroe (15 and 10) and Corey Maggette (12 and 11).

Pistons Key Players
* I'm growing tired of seeing Stuckey grab Player of the Game honors, but he deserves it. He's the best Piston 5 games straight, scoring 21 in this one on an incredible .692 from the floor, and also had 5 assists, a block and 2 offensive rebounds out of 5 in total.
* Tayshaun Prince showed us a glimpse of the championship years, getting himself open off screens constantly and drowning his shots from the top of the key. 17 points on 6 of 9 shooting, including 3 of 4 3-pointers.
* Greg Monroe bounced back shooting-wise, scoring 15 points on 6 of 8 shots, and completed his stat-line with 10 rebounds and 2 blocks.
Exciting Prospects
* Kim English and Andre Drummond were tied for the 4th best Piston in the game, English winning the honors out of fewer minutes played.
* English played 18 minutes, scoring 14 points on 5 of 9 and 3 of 4. He's scorching-hot when left open, and he knows how to get there. He also seems to be getting to know his teammates well, seeing as he also had 3 assists. His performances so far have earned him a place in NBA Stats Tracker's Pistons Recommended Starters, bringing Stuckey to the PG, and knocking Knight out of the starting 5.

* Andre Drummond started very nicely in the 1st quarter, but dropped ever since. 8 of his 10 points were in that quarter, as well as all his 6 rebounds, including 3 offensive ones. He picked his shots well, shooting 4 of 5 from the field.
Still not quite there yet
* Kyle Singler had a record low -9 game score efficiency on his 7 minutes of play. His stat-line was totally empty, including 0 of 3 from the floor. Questions are already being raised about his blending with the Pistons squad, and don't forget that Middleton and Daye have yet to find themselves on the bench this season. Kyle Singler has to improve fast, or he's going to find himself out of the 12-man group sooner than later.

Magic Key Players
* Dwight Howard was the only Magic player with a game score of more than 10 (compared to the Pistons' 6 players that achieved that), continuing to be close to his averages with a 20 and 8 performance on 10 of 14 shooting. His agent was behind him in the stands, and Howard was overheard telling him to "get him out of there right now" before walking to the locker room for the half-time break.
* Chris Duhon with a respectable performance of 8 points (.571 FG%) and 6 assists, as well as 2 steals.
* Jason Richardson was over-confident, ending up with .375 from the floor and .333 from the 3-point line, but still had 15 points and 5 boards when the game ended.

Pistons fly to Boston to face the Celtics in 2 days, going against the 5th most efficient team from the field. Pistons will need to drive hard and fight under the basket to play against Boston's tendency to foul a lot (23.6 FPG). Celtics are missing Rajon Rondo due to injury, but then again, Pistons don't seem to have a good point guard themselves either, with Knight's performances dropping.


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November 10, 2012
Water Cooler Update: Lamar Odom stays with Clippers

• Lamar Odom has accepted a pay-cut that will keep him on the team, getting nearly $6.5M over 2 years.

[Leftos]

November 11, 2012
Game 6: Almost improbable heroes fall in the end to Celtics
Final Score: (L) 87-89

You know Pistons GM Joe Dumars has made some right moves as of late when the Pistons find their main 2 guys (Stuckey, Monroe) lacking in performance, and still lose at the last second. Drummond gets his first career double-double, English and Maggette call out for starting spots, and some guy from the Mavericks is the player of the game.

Pistons Key Players
* Andre Drummond went up against Brandon Bass and Fab Melo, and on just his 6th game in the league got his first double-double on 14 points (6-8 FG, 2-6 FT) and 14 boards (5 OREB). He also had an assist and 3 blocks, one of which led to the break and Stuckey tieing with the 3 and 11 seconds on the clock. Paul Pierce got the layup and left 3 seconds, Stuckey missed on a last second layup to send it to overtime.
* Kim English is proving to be a really efficent scorer. 13 points in just 15 minutes on 6 of 8 shooting, 1 of 1 from outside.
* Corey Maggette with 10 and 7, always a reliable player to attack the basket.
DNP-CQ
* Jonas Jerebko and Kyle Singler didn't get any playing time; their inconsistent performances put them there, most probably.
Happens to the best of 'em
* Rodney Stuckey, the best Piston in the first 5 games, managed to be 7th best on an off-night where the Pistons could really use his production. 3 of 16 from the field for 13 points, 4 boards and 3 assists in 37 minutes. He tied with his 3, yet failed to tie on the buzzer with his lay-up.

Celtics Key Players
* That guy from the Mavericks, Jason Terry, was only one of two Celtics to get a Game Score above 10 in this closely-fought game. He played a game-high 38 minutes, scoring 24 points on 6 from inside and 2 from outside as well as 6 free throws. His stat-line is full, 6 boards, 4 assists and a steal to top it off.
* Paul Pierce with 21 points and 2 steals. He was aggressive, getting to the line repeatedly and putting the Pistons in trouble.
* Jeff Green had the chance to show off on some monster fast-break dunks. 9 points, 5 boards and 3 blocks his tally.
Reading the scouting report
* The Celtics gameplan was to defend Stuckey and Monroe and keep their scoring low; they did exactly that. They didn't expect Drummond and English to play that well though, and that's why the game went down to the wire.
Foul trouble
* Kevin Garnett went into foul trouble early through all quarters, and only managed to play 22 minutes. He didn't play that well while he was in either, being 4th from the bottom in game score efficiency.

Pistons have no time to catch their breath, and are meeting the 3-3 Bulls. Bulls have been inconsistent in their season so far, with no almost no stats in the Top 10 of the league, in part due to the early Derrick Rose injury which will most probably keep him out of the game. It will be interesting to see ex-Piston Richard Hamilton again, who has been averaging over 21 PPG so far, and his match-up against Rodney Stuckey.


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[Leftos]

November 12, 2012
Game 7: Stuckey does everything, Pistons hand Rose-less Bulls another thorn
Final Score: (W) 84-72

Bulls aren't doing well without rose, and after losing to Atlanta, they're handed an even more embarrassing loss at home by a growing Pistons team, and are now 3-4. The usual suspects, Stuckey, Monroe, Maggette and Drummond were there to seal the deal. Teamwork proved crucial, as the Pistons seem to be finding the right player at the right time. 16 assists over 6 turnovers, compared to the Bulls' 13 assists over 7 turnovers.

Pistons Key Players
* Rodney Stuckey may have had only 9 points, but his stat-line was full. 6 assists, 4 boards, 2 steals and 3 blocks. He was catching the Bulls' shorter players by surprise constantly, even though Richard Hamilton managed to score 22, most of them on Stuckey.
* Greg Monroe with another double-double, 14 points and 11 boards. He would've liked a better FG% (.462), but he was against the Bulls' top performer for the game, Carlos Boozer. He'll get there.
* Corey Maggette is yet again one of the top performers, and Prince isn't. He got 13 points and 8 boards, a consistently impressive performance like in all the Pistons games so far. He's making a point.
Please, not him
* Andre Drummond shows will and fight under the basket, but the Bulls knew better than to let him shoot. They sent him to the line 3 times, and he only shot 1 of 5. He's shooting .429 from the line for the season so far, only better than Maxiell who has .412. Talking about season stats, he has a team leading .658 from the floor, however, he's 2nd in rebounds behind Monroe, and first in blocks (1.4 BPG).

Bulls Key Players
* Carlos Boozer had his own double-double, giving us a nice match-up between him and Greg Monroe all game long. He had 11 points and 14 boards (4 OREB) as well as 2 blocks.
* Richard Hamilton was as efficient as ever, continuing to be the Bulls' top scorer. He scored 22 points, 3 of 8 3-pointers to make it 9 of 20 from the floor.
* Joakim Noah with his own share of 14 rebounds and a block. He's one of the consistently top players for the Bulls.

2 days of practice and the Pistons will meet the Bobcats of Kemba Walker, Ben Gordon and, of course, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist. MKG has been the top player for the Bobcats so far at Small Forward, with 19 PPG, 2.5 SPG, .471 FTR and .800 from the line. Ben Gordon has been doing well over there too, even though he's stated he'd rather be somewhere else, pretty much. He's scoring 18.3 PPG on .512 from the field and .852 from the line. Pistons will need their best defensively. It will be also interesting to see how the 4th best team in the league in steals does against the Pistons, who lead the league in least turnovers per game.


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[Leftos]

November 12, 2012
Pistons look ahead to bright future as Drummond, English shine in first 7 games

2 of the 3 Pistons picks that had already shown talent from Summer League are already proving to be integral parts of the Pistons squad and its future. Andre Drummond, the #9 pick for the Pistons has already pushed Maxiell out of the starting line-up and into a rotational role behind Greg Monroe, who's thriving at PF, including a career-high 19 rebounds.

Drummond is already playing 23 minutes per game, and is doing 8.4 PPG, 6.9 RPG and 1.4 BPG, making him the 3rd best performer currently in the squad. Surely the Pistons would prefer an established player at Center that would put up higher numbers, but it looks like the gamble that at least 2 other GMs didn't take on Drummond, has proven Pistons GM Joe Dumars right.

Kim English was the Pistons last pick, picked even behind Khris Middleton. He was picked for his perimeter scoring and ability to drive to the basket, and both have shown already. After a disappointing summer league and pre-season, Khris Middleton has been rumored to be headed for the D-League, while Kim English is doing almost 10 PPG on .667 shooting and .688 from the arc. The rest of his stats have yet to develop, but after 7 games, he's already proven he's worth his minutes and that he'll prove to be a great role player for the Pistons.

Here's the top 6 performers for the Pistons so far:

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November 14, 2012
Water Cooler Update: Manu stays, Ben Gordon injured

• Manu Ginobili has signed a 3 year deal that will get him over $27M to stay at the Spurs
• Ben Gordon could be out for 1-2 weeks after dislocating his finger in practice; he will most probably miss the game against his former team (Pistons) tomorrow
• Jermaine O'Neal has signed a $1.17M deal for 1 year; Bulls retain a Team Option for 2012

[Leftos]

November 15, 2012
Game 8 Mini-Recap: Pistons control game from start to end, beat Bobcats at home
Result: (W) 85-96

* Greg Monroe got his first player of the game with another double-double and an all-around presence. 13 PTS, 10 REB, 5 OREB, 2 BLK, 1 STL. With that performance he joins the NBA Stats Tracker East Conference Ultimate Team.

* Jason Maxiell and Brandon Knight are -finally- back as top performers for the Pistons. 11 and 5 for Maxiell along with a steal, 12 and 5 for Knight with 2 boards, as he shot .400 from the floor, including 2 quick 3-pointers in early first-quarter to jump start the Pistons.
* Rodney Stuckey is up there as always. 13 PTS on 5 of 12 shooting, 5 assists and a board.
* It was nice to see the Pistons guards get some assists for a change.
* Ramon Sessions dominating the Bobcats performances with 22 points on .529 from the floor, 6 rebounds and 6 assists.
* Michael Kidd-Gilchrist had a good day, just not up to par to his usual performances. 13 points on 6 of 12 shooting, along with 2 boards, 2 assists, a steal and a block. He was just 1 of 6 from the free throw line. He missed 4 of them in the first quarter alone, and that must've messed up his confidence.
* Did you know Corey Maggette had the top REB% for his time on the floor? .240 to be exact. Maxiell was a long way back on second place, with .169. Maggette actually grabbed nearly half the defensive rebounds available while he was in, on .467 DREB%.
* Pistons are now first in Central and second in the East, just behind the Heat. How long do you think this is going to last?


In other news
* Kevin Durant scored a career-high 50 points in the Thunder's win against the Clippers at home. He was 19-27 (.703) from the field. He's the league's best in points per game with 33.1; LeBron is following him with 30.9.

Join us when we recap the next game tomorrow against the Sacramento Kings of Tyreke Evans and DeMarcus Cousins.

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[Its_asdf]

Looks like Stuckey has fallen back down to earth after having a good stretch of games. People say he's a kind of a twat but I really hope he can coexist with Knight and Monroe to form a solid core.

[megarover]

Wow very detailed dynasty. Not a big fan of the Pistons but i can root for Knight

[Leftos]

Looks like Stuckey has fallen back down to earth after having a good stretch of games. People say he's a kind of a twat but I really hope he can coexist with Knight and Monroe to form a solid core.

Agreed, and that's what showed during Kuester's last year ('10-'11), but he said that Knight changed his mindset towards the better, and I bet coach Frank had something to do with that as well. He's not complaining yet, and he's performing really well, so I can't complain too much either. He should've tied the game against the Celtics though, how can you miss that effin' layup Stucks?

Wow very detailed dynasty. Not a big fan of the Pistons but i can root for Knight

Thanks megarover. I'm going really detailed because it helps me learn my team better. And I wouldn't have been able to keep it this detailed without NBA Stats Tracker. It's the first time in all my years I've played Association that I've been adjusting the minutes of each player before each game. Previously I would just go from game to game, auto-resetting the rotation and hoping for the best. I've really found a nice blend right now.

I only have two questions. When is Knight going to get the assists that are expected of him, if ever? And, do you guys see a viable trade that would get me a good starting Center (Drummond is good, but not that good), or should I wait for next year's free agency for some of the expiring contracts to go away in order to grab someone?

[Leftos]

November 16, 2012
Game 9 Mini-Recap: Pistons win 2 in a row as Kings have bad scoring night
Result: (W) 114-92

* Pistons scored .500 from the floor, including 6 of 14 from the arc.
* They dominated the boards, grabbing 12 more; it was an easy feat nevertheless, as the Kings struggled to find the basket, shooting just .380 from the floor.
* Pistons were aggressive, getting to the line to grab 26 points from there, compared to the Kings' 12.
* 8 blocks from the Pistons, 2 from Prince, Drummond and Maxiell each.
* Monroe and Drummond with double-doubles, 14 and 10, 12 and 11accordingly.
* Drummond picked his shots very well, scoring 5 of 6.
* Brandon Knight was 3rd best for the Pistons, with 16 points on .467 shooting, 3 boards and a steal.
* Aaron Brooks (27 PTS, .400 3P%, 6 3PM), Tyreke Evans (25 PTS, .563 FG%) and DeMarcus Cousins (double-double, 14 and 13, 2 steals and 2 blocks) were the top performers for the Kings. Both Brooks and Evans did better than any Piston, but the difference was the depth of good performances for the Pistons. 8 players from the Pistons did better than the 4th top performer for the Kings.
* The assist leader for the Pistons? Jason Maxiell with 4 assists. Yes, Jason Maxiell. Not Brandon Knight, not Rodney Stuckey, but Jason Maxiell. On average up to now, Stuckey leads with 4 APG, Knight trailing with 3 APG.
* The Pistons are scoring well, however, even with the lack of a true playmaker. The limitations of that, if any, will show when they go up against one of the top defenses.
* Top performers for the Bucks: Carlos Delfino (14 PTS, 4-5 3P, 2 STL), Ersan Ilyasova (10 PTS, 2 BLK, 11 REB), Brandon Jennings (12 PTS, 9 AST).

Pistons go home to have the Bucks over in 2 days for a drink, and maybe a win.

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November 18, 2012
Game 10 Mini-Recap: Bucks continue being nearly dead-last in FG%, pay the price against Pistons
Result: (W) 86-98

* If nothing else, the Pistons have shown that they can have deadly scoring nights, both inside and outside of the arc. The Bucks, however, are 29th in FG%, with just over .400 in 6 games.
* Pistons took advantage of that, and in a game where the Bucks kept the Pistons at a shouting distance (6-10 points for most of the game), the Pistons just kept scoring in the 4th quarter, when the Bucks just stopped.
* .500 from the field for the Pistons second game in a row, .398 for the Bucks. The Pistons also shot a whooping .727 from outside the arc, 8 of 11 3 pointers. Tayshaun Prince had 3 of 4, Brandon Knight had 2 of 3.
* Greg Monroe with his 3rd Player of the Game performance in a row, with 22 points and 12 rebounds on 10 of 14 shooting. He's holding onto his spot as one of the top players in the East really well.
* Brandon Knight trying to earn his way back in the Pistons' starting five (as far as stats go, because he never actually lost his place) by putting up 21 points on 8 of 13 shooting (.615), plus a steal and 2 rebounds. He had no assists, whatsoever. If it weren't for his size, he'd be a shooting guard already.
* Will Bynum with -finally- some good minutes off the bench. 11 points on 5 of 6 shooting in just 12 minutes.
* Andre Drummond played only fewer minutes than Rodney Stuckey, but was 9th in efficiency, with 7 points and 9 rebounds in 36 minutes. Kravtsov isn't doing much when on the floor (yet?), and coach Frank prefers Monroe at Power Forward, where he seems to be dominating so far.

Pistons have their 11th game at home against the Nets. They lost 96 to 89 in their first game against Brooklyn, which was at the Palace as well. Nets have a starting five full of good players, with Williams (20.9 PPG, .491 FTR, 7 APG, 4.5 RPG, .903 FT%), Johnson (17 PPG, 1.3 SPG), G. Wallace (12.3 PPG, 1.8 SPG, 8 RPG), Humphries (9.3 RPG, 1.8 BPG, 1.9 ORPG) and B. Lopez (11.1 PPG, 6.6 RPG, 1.5 BPG). They block very well (5th in the league with 5.4 BPG), don't turn the ball over, don't foul much, and have the 7th best defensive rating in the league. Let's see if the Pistons' scoring (and winning) run will continue.

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