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Greg Monroe delivers a slam as the Detroit Pistons achieve their third win of the season against the scrappy Charlotte Bobcats.

It is unconscionable to bring up the potential of the forthcoming big men in the league without including these two players’ names in the funky bunch.

Both Greg Monroe and Andrew Bynum have had their shaky moments, Bynum more than Monroe apparently. But, both are coming into their own around the same time during a season when franchises need all the help they can get.

The Los Angeles Lakers are in a totally different league of sorts than the Detroit Pistons, so comparing their impact on the league would be unfair to Monroe on more than a single level. However, the potential that each player has grasped and shown consistently so far has brought about a certain debate that may spark the preparation of the throne behind Dwight Howard.

So, what is it going to be?  Would you take Greg Monroe or Andrew Bynum? Continue reading this post »

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The Detroit Pistons looked as if they had gained cohesiveness against the Charlotte Bobcats, a growing franchise that gave the Miami Heat one of their tightest games this season. Jonas Jerebko lead the team in scoring with 22 points and rookie Brandon Knight achieved his first career double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds.

They pulled away their third win of the season and looked to be on the rise. But, almost too familiar as before, the Pistons slid back to reality against a rolling Golden State Warriors, who have experienced their share of losses yet have seemed like solid Western Conference Playoff contenders this season thus far.

It is unimaginable to think that Tayshaun Prince may be playing his last games as much as Coach Lawrence Frank seemed to be sold on his commitment to the forward progress of the Pistons and being an avid participant. But, it may just be what the doctor ordered for a Detroit basketball franchise consistently disappointing those who try to carry the team’s aspirations on their back. Continue reading this post »

Not to hop leagues too much, but the Cincinnati Bengals were experiencing a rather low fan-volume at games. It was of course not due to the fact that the Bengals were not an exciting team. Fans were just sick of the direction the franchise was headed in and after being supportive for so many seasons, decided that the time was now to take a break.

Give the franchise a chance to settle in and prove that this type of winning season was here for the long haul. Don’t worry, Cincy front office, your fans will be back. Why? Because winning cures all.

WINNING CURES ALL.

But then hopping back into bed with the NBA and the Detroit Pistons, where a similar problem is being experienced with fan capacity, there are barely any wins coming Detroit’s way. These fans are also staying away because they are sick and tired of watching their home team take a beating, consistently, night in and out. Continue reading this post »

Start a candlelight vigil for Brandon Knight’s rookie season! Quick! Alert the Detroit Pistons’ owner to find his replacement because surely stepping on Lou Williams’ foot and turning his ankle signals the beginning of a long line of injuries for his career.

Hell, he may even end up like Stephen Curry with a recurring ankle injury that could bruise the Detroit Pistons’ chances of making it to the playoffs.

There are multiple things wrong with the aforementioned statements, but first let us grasp the obvious. The Detroit Pistons were in no way going to make it to the NBA playoffs playing as they have lately, with or without Brandon Knight in the starting lineup.

Breathe easy and wipe the perspiration off of your foreheads if that was a thought creeping into your mind. The Pistons have a far ways to go before they make a deep run in the postseason, or even before they step their toe into the shallow end. The future is brighter than it has been, but let’s not get carried away.

The second misstatement would have to be the exaggeration that followed Knight’s trip into the lockerroom after sustaining the minor injury. Players roll their ankles more times than fans may realize during games. They limp it off onto the sidelines and wait until they are called back into the game. This is their job.

These men, young and old, are playing for their livelihood, so it will take more than a rolled ankle to keep Knight benched for too long.

The rookie guard is still struggling to find his place on the team and that may be due to the duress that the team has placed itself under, subconsciously of course. The Pistons’ ranking in the league is somewhere between 27 and 30, without a sure direction to travel in.

Knight’s development is probably most important in determining the future of the franchise, so of course a cut and scratch will appear like third degree burns to his shooting hand in the eyes of the media.

Expect a stronger showing from the Pistons, as a group, than in the contest against the NY Knicks, where the Pistons were exposed in the second quarter for their lack of cohesiveness and everything else it takes to win a basketball game. The group is extraordinarily talented, but during this trial period, there are plenty of downs the fans will experience before a return to good and maybe even great.

Brandon Knight is only the beginning of a long period of redemption.

Cool your jets Detroit fans! They will get there. Right now, just sit back and enjoy the rollercoaster ride that Joe Dumars is taking us on.

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The Detroit Pistons managed to pull out their first win of the 2011-12 season against the Indiana Pacers and no one should say that they were shocked. Normally teams, no matter how mediocre they have been in the past, will allow a team to pummel them two times in a row. The Pistons’ meeting against Indiana was not back-to-back, but it was the second in a regular season series that started with a 79-91 Detroit loss.

The Detroit Pistons have too much pride for that. Or at least that is what we are seeing exhibited more and more with the presence of rookie Brandon Knight and the emergence of Greg Monroe as an aggressive playmaker.

Monroe is stepping forward as his ambition and potential showed he may last season and the only critique of him has steadily been that he needs to grow more intense for his squad. The Detroit Pistons, more times than not, lack the passion it needs to survive for an entire season.

There were a few things to be learned from the Detroit Pistons first win, however. Some things that could be telltale throughout the rest of the season, if the franchise allows it, were spotlighted. Continue reading this post »

On Wednesday night, Brandon Knight answered a lot of questions, including one incredibly interesting one that I asked about the rookie just a day before:

Does Brandon Knight have the ability to take over the franchise with that inner dog?

The term “dog”, is only used in sports to describe the dynamics and determination that a player on a team shows when his/her team requires it. Watching Brandon Knight made something apparent about his future with the Detroit Pistons.

He definitely has the heart to be the dog of the Pistons even though a starting job has yet to be relinquished to him.

Knight still has a lot of games to play before he can replace either Ben Gordon or Rodney Stuckey on even a trial basis, but do not count him out of the 2012 Rookie of the Year races. Knight caught fire later in the meeting against the Cleveland Cavaliers and closed out the contest with 23 points. Continue reading this post »

Brandon Knight and Greg Monroe, mostly Monroe because of his shining season last year with the Detroit Pistons, were supposed to be a resurgence of both offense and defense for the franchise under Coach Lawrence Frank.

Detroit fans can draw the early conclusion that the Pistons will not make much noise as the sense of urgency for the better teams in the Eastern Conference, including the Pacers, has overpowered their will to offense.

Knight is being pushed aside for more proven and solid scorers like Ben Gordon, who most thought would not last the amnesty clause, and Rodney Stuckey, a holdout not too long before the regular season started. His showings in the Pistons’ exhibition games were impressive and his workouts still hold value. But, nothing beats out on-court production, and that is something that Knight struggled with thus far.

Monroe, on the other hand, needs to become much stronger on defense and pick up the energy level. No one minds the mistakes. As a young player, true NBA fans and actual executives could give a damn less if you make young errors. Continue reading this post »

Former Pistons’ guard Richard Hamilton is supposed to start for the Chicago Bulls against the Indiana Pacers and Coach Tom Thibodeau said exactly what we all wanted him to about Hamilton’s game.

“It gives us a catch and shoot game,” Coach Tom Thibodeau said. “It gives us size at his position and experience. He knows how to read defenses. He’s seen just about every defense there is and he knows where the holes are, so hopefully we can take advantage of that. It’s how he fits into the team. He has to do his part.”

In translation this means, “Hey, the guy is a pretty decent scorer and that is all we want him to do. If he can’t even do that then he’s out of here sooner than he came.” Continue reading this post »

AP photo

So far this NBA offseason and season, the Detroit Pistons have drafted a new point guard of the future, waived a shooting guard of their past, re-signed a small forward who coined buffoonery, lost an athletic, no defense power forward to the Boston Celtics, re-signed another, younger small forward they think will end up being a power forward, signed another, older small forward to what seems to be an unguaranteed contract, re-signed their starting point guard who might end up being a starting or backup shooting guard, and shown interest in free agent wing players. What’s missing from all that action? A big man. A real big man.

And while they might resemble the size of trees, they certainly don’t grow on them. It’s the one commodity every NBA team wants and could never have enough of. The Pistons have a solid piece for perhaps the next 10 years in second-year player Greg Monroe. The big man from Georgetown showed a lot in his rookie year last season, but the one thing he didn’t show was a lot of brute strength, a true back-to-the-basket game, or ability to get up and block shots. That’s OK. Just because he isn’t the next Shaq, doesn’t mean he won’t be the next Al Horford. But it does mean that the Pistons need to find a player that complements him well.

And by all accounts the Pistons have been searching for just that. But they didn’t find it in the draft. And it’s nearly impossible to trade for it unless you’re willing to give up a player like Monroe. With only their full mid level exception available, they weren’t in contention for Nene, David West or probably even Kris Humphries. Sure it’s more likely to be on the level of signing Damien Wilkins, but that doesn’t mean the player won’t add value to a team desperately seeking size.

After the jump, a look at free agents Samuel Dalembert, Kris Humphries and more!

Continue reading this post »