The Pistons were able to end the week on a good note, winning 110-107 against Houston. It’s also the Pistons first win in March, and snapped their 6 game losing streak. Playing without Chris Wilcox and Ben Wallace who were battling various soreness issues, they managed to turn things around with Jason Maxiell and Jonas Jerebko. Tayshaun Prince had this to say:

“We played very well at the most important times of the game and that’s why we were able to pull it out.”

The Rockets were at 31-30 for the season, making them the favorite for the matchup. They were able to acquire Kevin Martin in exchange for Carl Landry, so this is the first time they’ve faced the new look Rockets. Trevor Ariza and Kyle Lowry weren’t able to play creating a balanced matchup. The Pistons win came with Rodney Stuckey out of the lineup as well. Stuckey is battling what seems to be a brain issue. It’s an undertermined injury that’s affecting his cognitive abilities as well as fainting spells. He was able to play against Cleveland, somewhat efficiently, but not against the Rockets on Sunday. Will Bynum started in his place and had a decent game, with 12 points and 11 assists. Tayshaun Prince led all scorers with 29, while Martin managed 27 for the Rockets.

Detroit won the game with their efficiency, defense, and moderate contributions from the bench. With Wilcox and Wallace out, Kwame Brown was forced into action. Ben Gordon and Charlie Villanueva combined for 21 points off the bench. Both teams had injury issues, and the experience edge goes to the Pistons. Detroit stepped up, and that helps set the tone.

The Pistons have a light 3 game schedule this week, but they’re not all easy matchups. They play two at home against Utah and Washington, and one in Atlanta. Next week they have rematches against Boston and Cleveland, something to get ready for. Carrying over their recent success will be critical to having a successful week. Utah is having a productive season, but 14 of their 22 losses are on the road, meaning the Pistons could win if they can keep it together like they did in Houston. Washington looks like a good matchup for the Pistons to exploit. They are quite a different team after dismantling the big three of Jamison-Butler-Arenas, and it just helps Arenas is suspended indefinitely. The new look Wizards could pose trouble, but their lack of experience bodes well for Detroit. Finally, they wrap up the week in Atlanta. This is a tough matchup as Atlanta is putting together a great season. They’re also desperate to make up ground on Orlando and win their division. They are comfortably in 4th in the East, but that shouldn’t keep them from losing focus against the Pistons.

Call Out Corner

Ben Gordon. What happened? Where did the sharpshooter go?

Ben Gordon has shown in the past his amazing abilities with the rock but leaves much to be desired in his stay with Detroit. His signing was a huge move that has paid zero dividends. His sporatic scoring handicaps the Pistons and leaves them unable to keep up with some other teams. His best asset is his shooting ability and his worst asset is his poor defense, so to have only poor defense is a problem.

Ben needs to get it together or face a harsh reality: you might get dealt. It’s not like anybody’s paying much attention to Detroit other than when they play against them, and when they do they see the short man bricking and giving up points.

Gordon has been quite injured this season and is still working into a groove. Finding your shot isn’t as easy as finding your keys. So Ben, please get your shot back. Your potential is enormous, and Charlie V is making you look bad.

The Pistons lost to the Celtics on Tuesday 105-100. It was a tough loss, as they managed to play pretty well. They managed to out rebound the Celts as well as shoot pretty well. Their bench got in on the action to score 35 points to the Celtics 39 bench points.Jonas Jerebko had a good game going for 16 pts and 10 rebs, and making 6-6 free throw attempts. He was the leading scorer for the Pistons. Rajon Rondo was clearly too much for the Pistons as he had 15 points and 11 assists and Ray Allen led all scorers with 18 points.

It was another game where the Pistons were in it through the third quarter but couldn’t manage a win. This game came down to runs by both teams. Detroit managed a 19-8 run to close ou tthe third quarter, while Boston put together their own 16-4 run to end the game. Ben Wallace’s free throw woes continue to plague this team, as the hack-a-Ben strategy was utilized again and burned the Pistons. The loss puts the Pistons at 21-39, one game ahead of last place Indiana in the Central.

Detroit Pistons at New York

This is the 4th and final time these two will face off this season. New York owns the series at 2-1 right now, but those wins came with a different team.

The Knicks are coming off a 31 point beatdown by the Cleveland Cavaliers. It was a game dominated by Lebron and co. The Knicks have been terrible this season, managing just 2 wins in February and both were against the struggling Wizards. The Knicks are a very different team since the trading deadline, as they have aquired T. Mac and Eddie House while getting rid of the often blamed Nate Robinson. Still the woes for the Knicks have continued as they look to try to win against the Pistons.

Detroit should win this matchup. The Knicks best talent is their starting big men and that’s it. David Lee, Danilo Gallinari and Al Harrington are their main contributors. They will have their hands full against the experienced Tayshaun Prince and Ben Wallace, while Jonas Jerebko’s size will make up for his inexperience. Rip and Stuckey have played well recently and are expected to handle Tracy McGrady. This shouldn’t be a high scoring affair, but could become one if Detroit’s bench doesn’t play at a high level. While they managed to play well against the aging Celtics, the younger Knicks could exploit the aging Pistons.

Shooting and turnovers will be a key to victory as well. The Pistons can play very efficient basketball, and it will be needed to insure a victory tonight. The play of Ben Wallace will also be critical as he will be matched up against the rebound addicted David Lee. Both players are undersized and should privide a good matchup.

Detroit 102 New York 100

Detroit plays the Boston Celtics on Tuesday. Boston has lost 2 in a row, including a loss to the lowly Nets. Not even the Pistons have lost to the Nets. The Pistons also managed to beat the Celtics earlier this year. Both teams are looking to break their current losing streaks, with the advantage going to Detroit for playing at home.

The matchups seem close to even. Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Kendrick Perkins will pose some serious problems for the Pistons, but they are obstacles that can be overcome. Jerebko and Prince have the size to trouble Garnett and Pierce, while Wallace should be able to neutralize Perkins. The Ray Allen – Rajon Rondo combo is quite deadly with Rajon dealing ridiculous assists as of late. They should have a tough matchup vs. Stuckey and Hamilton who have been able to outscore their back court counterparts as of late.

The bench for the Celtics should win the game. With players like Rasheed Wallace, Marquis Daniels, Nate Robinson, and Big Baby Davis, the Pistons will have their hands full. Both teams have benches that have their big pieces, but Boston has the advantage of a second unit with talented big men. Pistons fans are familiar with Rasheed’s game, and mix in a talented shooter and scorer in Nate Robinson, and an even bigger body in Big Baby, and the second unit looks quite formitable. If the Pistons can match the Celtic’s second unit, the game will be a good one.

I don’t think that will happen after the Celtics loss to the Nets.

Detroit 88 Boston 100

The Detroit Pistons.

What a bad joke.

“We have to get back to our winning ways. It’s frustrating, but we have to do a gut check and get back at it. We have to start over.” – Richard Hamilton on the Pistons recent 1-3 Western road trip.

Frustrating it is. The Pistons were up 13 vs the Warriors in the first half Saturday but managed to choke it away in the second half. The Warriors also managed the comeback without Monta Ellis, giving them 8 total players! The night before they had a close game against the Nuggets, at least for a until crunch time.

It’s hard to pinpoint where the problems are coming for this team, but they’re there. The most obvious part is the bench play. When looking at the Denver game, the Detroit starters managed to keep the game close, all having positive +/- ratios. Then the bench comes in and most have negative +/- ratios. This sounds obvious, but then you look at Denver. Denver’s starters all had negative +/- ratios while their bench had positive ratios! This simple trend will determine the outcome of the game, and in the Pistons case it means losses.

Another issue is their lack of quality big men. Big Ben is playing great, but this team doesn’t need a defense only center. This team needs a center who can score! Ben Wallace is playing his best now, and it’s quite admirable. But the new trend is to “Hack-a-Ben” because he’s worse than Shaq at shooting free throws. Looking at their bench, there is a complete lack of size when it comes to the Center position. Ben is 6′9″, while Jerebko is 6′10″ and Charlie V is 6′11″. Jerebko and Charlie V aren’t exactly anchors in the middle, but they could do it. They would also cause matchup problems all over the court effecting everyone. It isn’t easy to get this type of player, that’s a given. It’s easy to say upgrade the toughest position in the game and quite another to do it. There’s also many big bodies out there without the skill, like Mr. Darko Milicic. It’s going to be a challenge to find a player like that, but the Pistons will have a good chance this summer either through the draft or via free agency.

The last issue I can identify is consistency. The Pistons have had their share of surprise wins. They managed wins against San Antonio, Boston, Denver, Atlanta and Memphis. Some of those wins mean more than others, but it’s a sign that this team can work together and can win games. Unfortunately, they are comfortably out of the playoff picture. They’d need to make up 7.5 games just to get into the mix. Not a real surprise at all. Looking deeper at their record, the Pistons don’t have a winning record in anything anymore. They’re 14-16 at the Palace, 7-22 on the road, and 2-8 in their division. Ouch. That’s a pretty telling sign that things have been consistently bad.

Given different circumstances, things could be much different. Without the devestating injuries earlier this season they may be competing at a higher level. If the team wasn’t in the process of being sold it could be different as well. It’s clear that the ship has sailed on the season. Their recent Western road trip was a gimmie. They played 1 game in the 4 game stretch that posed a legitimate threat: Denver. They didn’t play the Lakers, or Suns, or Jazz, or the Blazers. They played the duds and managed to lose all but one gimmie. With 7 weeks left in the season, it’s not too late to call it a rebuilding year.

The Pistons looked great against the Kings Tuesday night. They exacted their revenge against the new look Kings and made them pay for beating the Pistons earlier this year. They managed to mount a 83-58 lead after the 3rd quarter and never looked back. The Pistons were able to shoot quite efficiently both from the floor and from the free throw line. They were led by Rip Hamilton who had 30 points and Tayshaun who had 22. It was a great start to their tough road trip. The lone bright spot for the Kings was Tyreke Evans who continues his amazing rooke campaign with 28 points and 13 assists, making a strong push for Rookie of the Year honors. Overall it was a great win for the Pistons as they took care of a young team in transition and started their road trip off right.

Then the Pistons traveled to LA to take on the Clips. The Pistons led by 4 after the 3rd quarter, but fell behind soon after. Rip Hamilton had made 51 consecutive free throws coming into the matchup, and missed 6 against the Clippers, including 3 on a missed 3 point attempt in which he was fouled on within the final minute. This particular matchup was dominated by the Clips, especially by their frontcourt. Between Chris Kaman, Drew Gooden, and Rasual Butler, they managed 33 rebounds and 57 points! Those three single handedly won the game for them. It’s a shame because outside of terrible free throw shooting, the Pistons played their game. They managed to get good scoring from the bench, limit their turnovers to 8 (including 0 steals from the Clips), and play some good defense. Although it just wasn’t enough as the Pistons big men were dominated by the Clippers big men, something that’s becoming a trend. If they had made 6 of their 12 missed free throws, the game would have gone to overtime.

Upcoming Games

The Pistons are currently 21-36, 7.5 games back of the Miami Heat for the 8th playoff spot. To finish at .500 they’d need to rattle off a 20-5 record. As an eternal optimist I can see the Pistons making a run and finishing at a respectable level, possibly the playoffs.

Pistons at Denver Nuggets

This is going to be a good matchup, although it totally favors the Nuggets. The lone bright spot is that Denver may be looking at their major matchup against the Lakers on Sunday and may overlook the lowly Pistons. Denver is 24-5 at home and 2nd in the West. They’ve already locked up their playoff spot and are edging their way into home court advantage. They’re followed closely by Utah at 1 game back, so Denver will be looking to take home a win. Their last loss at home came on 2-11 against San Antonio, who were playing with Tony Parker.

Detroit has a chance, but there’s a certain someone who’s going to be in the way. Chauncey Billups makes this team go. Carmelo is the unquestioned leader and best player, but the arrival of Billups turned this team into a title contender. Billups had 37 and Melo had 27 combining for 64 points against the Warriors on 2-25, making them quite the dynamic duo. Detroit needs to play some solid defense and get some scoring from their bench if they think they have a chance at winning this game. They’ll also need to hold fellow ex Piston Arron Afflalo in check as well as he’s been having quite a good season. The frontcourt matchup doesn’t seem to favor either team, as Nene and Kenyon Martin have been quite sporatic, although Carmelo has the potential to go off every night. While I can see the Pistons winning, I don’t see the Nuggets losing.

Detroit 88 Denver 100

Pistons at Golden State

This is a matchup that favors the Pistons. Detroit can play some defense, and the Warriors big men are in a transition right now while they move on from Andris Biedrins to Ronny Turiaf. Turiaf is better than Biedrins but nothing special. Big Ben should have no problem keeping him in check. The biggest problem will be the amazing play of the GS backcourt. Stephen Curry and Monta Ellis are forming one of the best young duos in the NBA. Curry is coming into his own at the PG spot, while Monta Ellis continues to put up points at the SG spot. Holding those two in check will go along way towards winning the game.

The Pistons need to score to win, or play amazing defense. A little bit of each won’t do. They’ve been able to play efficient basketball, but when you play a run and gun team, efficiency goes out the window. GS managed to take 96 shots against Denver on 2-25 while also giving up 94 shots. The opportunities are there for putting up points, and the Pistons need to take advantage. GS is also horribly injury riddled right now. Raja Bell, Corey Maggette, Anthony Randolph, Keleenza Azubuike, and Brandon Wright are all injured right now and probably won’t play. That’s 5 players that could start on a lot of other teams. This means that Detroit’s bench needs to get involved to really stick it to the Warriors. Detroit has a capable bench, and this type of matchup really does favor Ben Gordon and Charlie V’s type of play. Even Will Bynum and Jason Maxiell should get into the mix. The two that need to play defense are Rip and Stuckey, as their backcourt matchup is crucial to keeping the game close. I’d like to think that this veteran duo could outdo the rookie and 5th year player. Although I’ve been wrong in the past.

Future Outlook

The Pistons still don’t have any takers as owners, so the franchise is still up in the air at this point. Any news will be reported as soon as possible, although there hasn’t been much interest in the Motor City franchise.

The Pistons beat up on the Tony Parker-less Spurs on Sunday 109-101. The Pistons still have 15 more losses than wins, but this one meant something. It was a close game going into the 4th quarter, and Detroit managed to pull away. The Spurs retaliated by fouling Ben Wallace, the NBA’s worst free throw shooter, to get back into the game. It certainly worked as they were able to force the game into overtime, but they could not hold off the Pistons.

The Pistons were led by Rip Hamilton, who had 27, and Ben Gordon, who had 21 off the bench. Jonas Jerebko had 7 points and 10 boards, obviously cooling off a bit since the break. Jason Maxiell and Charlie V were almost no existant, having 11 points and 10 boards between the two of them. They managed to out rebound the Spurs 49-32, something that’s not easy to do at all when you have Tim Duncan and the rookie Dajuan Blair patroling the lane for the Spurs.

Previously, the Pistons had lost to the Bucks and Magic, both are much better teams than the Pistons. Milwaukee made a bold move that has worked out extremely well with the trade for John Salmons, and he ate up the Pistons on Friday night. Both teams are firmly in the playoff race with Orlando leading the Southeast Division and trying to lock up home court. This is a good indicator of how good the Pistons really are at this point.

Against the Magic they were able to hold their own until they piddled the game away in the 4th quarter, and against the Bucks they were fighting to get back into the game. Two keys to their performance has been bench production. Charlie V is looking more and more like a bad signing, while Ben Gordon is a human faucet — either hot or cold. It makes predicting the performance of this team very diffucult because you never know which team will show up. Even worse is their poor bench usually surrenders point to the other team’s bench! Milwaukee had 53 points scored by their bench! That’s insane! Meanwhile the Pistons bench scored 16 points. Even the Magic’s bench managed 32 points compared to the Pistons 13, while the Magic starters scored 84 points.

Playing this poor of defense is a bad sign. This isn’t the Phoenix Suns bad defense that leads to them scoring 100-120 points a game and winning, this is the Golden State Warriors bad defense that just leads to losses.

Upcoming Games

The Pistons start a West Coast road trip that takes them to Sacramento, LA, Denver, and Golden State. The Pistons have played poorly on the road this season, but they have a good chance at going 3-1 this week.

Pistons at Sacramento

Sacramento has lost 4 in a row with their last game coming against the Phoenix Suns on Sunday the 21st. They managed to move their prized possession, Kevin Martin, to the Rockets for Carl Landry and Larry Hughes (who will take his place on the pine). Landry has been having a career year and should help the Kings more than Martin did. His consistency is the flashiest part of his game. The rest of the roster are young players getting their feet wet. Their last loss against the Kings was due to their Bench getting involved (surprise surprise). They managed to score 44 points, 22 from Beno Udrih. If the Pistons can get their own bench involved, they should pull out a win.

Pistons 98 Kings 90

Pistons at Clippers

The Clippers overhauled their roster the day before the deadline this month, giving away Marcus Camby and Al Thornton. They received Steve Blake, Travis Outlaw, and Drew Gooden. Not only that, but Baron Davis is hurt with a lower back issue, and the recently fired their head coach Mike Dunelavy Sr. That’s a lot to handle. The intention was to free up money for this coming summer, leaving their active roster with something to be desired. Without Baron Davis, the Pistons should handle the inexperienced Clipper team. This should lead to a good Pistons win.

Pistons 95 Kings 85

Trade Deadline Bust

Nothing happened during the trade deadline for the Pistons. This blogger had called for a move to be made, but is pleased that nothing did go through. I’m convinced the Pistons didn’t really have a chance of participating in trading. Their particular situation requires them to hold onto their picks and their vets in the hope of turning it around for next season. There’s nothing left to play for this season other than development and pride. There’s an outside chance to make the playoffs, but they need to start winning games on the road. Otherwise their wins take them further and further from the prime lottery positions. While no moves were made during the season, a move after the season would make sense.

The Pistons beat up on the lowly T-Wolves 108-85 on Tuesday night. Detroit was down 6 after the 1st quarter, managed to tie it up before half, and then outscored the T-Wolves 33-13 in the 3rd quarter! The run ended the T-Wolves hopes of winning, and awarded the Pistons their 19th win of the year. Jonas Jerebko led the way for Detroit with 21 points, and Kevin Love led all scorers with 22 points. Detroit outplayed Minnesota in all categories, but their 10 steals was the most impressive for a team getting up there in age. Will Bynum had 14 assists off the bench, and Jason Maxiell had 10 boards off the bench as well. Everyone on Detroit’s roster got in on the beatdown with 12 players scoring.

Detroit Pistons at Orlando Magic

The Magic lead the series 2-1 this season, with a heartbreaking loss coming last month. Detroit managed to hang with them until the 4th quarter, but choked it away in the final minutes. You can bet the Pistons remember that game, and after a solid win last night we should see a fire lit under them. Another key difference between their last matchup and this one is chemistry. The Piston’s roster has been consistent the last few weeks, with players returning from injuries and staying on the court.

The story is basically the same for this matchup: watch out for Rashard Lewis and Dwight Howard. It sounds so simple, but those two are premiere players in the NBA. Vince Carter is on the team but his streakiness makes him a non factor. Same goes for Jameer Nelson. That backcourt duo has regressed considerably this season, both of whom had great seasons with their respective teams last year. Orlando last played on before the break on February 11th at the Cavs and lost. I’d expect to see a team trying to rebound from a tough loss. I could also see the Magic look past the Pistons towards their matchup with Dallas on Friday.

This matchup is a much better matchup this time around, and I look for the Pistons to win this one and tie the season series at 2-2.

Pistons 92 Magic 88

Forward Progress

The Pistons haven’t made any moves quite yet. I’ve been calling for them to make a move, something I didn’t think was appropriate at first. Although around the NBA there are teams looking to unload and I just can’t see a better time to get better. They’re 4-6 in their last 10 and they’ve had a cake schedule. With NJ playing twice, the Pacers, the Kings, the Timberwolves, the Grizzlies, you’d have to be foolish to think the Pistons are on a roll of any sort. Against those 5 teams they have 3 wins, giving them a 3-3 record. That is nothing to get excited about. Not only that but they’re climbing away from a lottery pick. They may be winning games, but they’re moving away from the great pick. If I wanted to buy an NBA team like the Pistons, I wouldn’t want to buy it with a bunch of old vets from another era holding the team down. I’d rather buy a nice, young team full of potential–and maybe a top 5 pick–who are hungry to win. Sounds a lot like the Thunder.

Some teams are desperate to unload while others are looking for that missing piece. This is where Detroit can immediately get better without relying on a lottery pick or luring a free agent. Landing a Jamison or Amare could really change this team. There are plenty of deals to be had, making you wonder if selling the team is factoring into it at all.

The Pistons had a nice, peaceful break. Only Jonas Jerebko was able to participate in the All Star Break festivities, and quietly put up 6 points in the Rookies v Sophmores game. The weekend festivities were great! Paul Pierce won the 3-pt Championship over rookie Stephen Curry, and Nate Robinson is the first 3 time dunk champion. Then the East edged the West in the last seconds to win the All-Star game. Wade led the way and Bosh sank the winning free throws for a thrilling victory over the highly favored West. All this, and Detroit was hardly even mentioned. Unless you count the commentators talking about Chauncey Billups. But I don’t because that’s in the past.

During the festivities the first trade was made and it included 7 players. The noteables were Caron Butler, Brendan Haywood, and DeShawn Stevenson for Drew Gooden and Josh Howard. This does two things immediately: Dallas is now a Contender in the West, while Washington has started the tough task of breaking up their big three of Jamison, Arenas, and Butler and starting the rebuilding process. This trade signals the start of the trading frenzy. Cleveland is in the lead to aquire both Amare and Troy Murphy, but only Murphy if Amare doesn’t go through. This is really tough because the Pistons have to compete with the Cavaliers regularly. Other than that it’s not any real news because the Pistons were never in the running for Amare, or anybody really. They might be now.

The Pistons should be interested in two things right now: 2010 draft picks and 2010 free agency. They just aren’t competitive anymore, and they’re for sale. With losses coming to the Kings and Pacers, two very winable games, it’s obvious there needs to be a changing of the guard. Needing to go 22-9 in their final 31 games, something they can’t conceivably do, it’s time to make something good happen this season, other than finding a new training staff ( I assume and kid). These next few months will be the most important for Joe D and the front office for establishing an identity and evaluating talent. The two go hand in hand. Without an identity, how can you possibly get what you need? This team needs an identity. The one they have now isn’t good and it won’t take an upgrade to fix . . . it’s going to take a face lift. This team may overhaul their roster, handing the keys to the younger players.

The first move has been made. Hooray! Everyone who wanted Josh Howard, Drew Gooden, or Caron Butler can now look to the Pistons. They have Rip and Tayshaun, similar players with Championship experience. That’s something the other three players have zero of. They’re also reasonably paid, and reasonably old. There will be nibbles, and this is where Joe D can do his thing. Hopefully he isn’t overvaluing these two.

As the losing continues, it becomes easier to see the value of these two players on another team as well as what the return could be.

Pistons v Timberwolves

The Pistons(18-33) play the Minnesota Timberwolves(13-40) for the first time this season. Minnesota is another rebuilding team, a trend the Pistons have had the last few weeks. They seem to take it to these type of teams, making the most of the opportunity for a win. They didn’t cash in on the Pacers or the Kings, but they’re not the Lakers here. Detroit has no gimmie’s this season. They are also playing at home which plays to the Pistons advantage as well.

Minnesota is led by Al Jefferson and Kevin Love. They form a formidable duo down low, and should really test Tayshaun, Wallace, Jerebko, and Maxiel. Along with Gomes, these three make up the most consistent portion of the Timberwolves roster. They also have Johnny Flynn and Corey Brewer, both very capable young players but are quite inconsistent. The Pistons should come out on top, but Minnesota’s height does pose a problem. Rip and Stuckey should out perform Brewer and Flynn, leaving the game in the hands of Wallace and Prince.

Detroit 88 Minnesota 82

The Pistons rumor mill has been very quiet. The consensus is that Tayshaun Prince or Richard Hamilton have the highest trade value, yet neither have been traded. Ben Gordon’s name has been tossed around as well. There a lot of teams out there aggressively trying to make a move including the Cavaliers, Pacers, Rockets, Suns, Grizzlies, Knicks, Bucks, Jazz, Heat, Bulls, Raptors, Kings, Mavericks, and Wizards. These teams have all had serious buzz as far back as 2009. Once that first trade is made the rest will follow.
Everybody’s lining up to try and get Troy Murphy, Antawn Jamison, and Amare Stoudemire right now. The Cavs have been rumored to be in talks with each of their respective teams. Once those three have been moved, teams who were contending to get those players will be scrambling to find another suitable player. Here are some teams who the Pistons could realistically trade with.

First, we need to address some contract trading rules. You simply can’t just trade people and think about their salary later. The rules state that a team cannot be getting back more than 125% of the contract they traded away, plus $100,000. Without diving into the numbers and boring the crap out of you, the reader, I want to make it clear that contracts need to be nearly identical for a trade to realistically go through.

These are the current salaries of the top Pistons tradebait:

Richard Hamilton – $11.5 million

Tayshaun Prince – $10.3 million

Ben Gordon – $10 million

The Pistons overall: $59 Million

Teams Worth Trading With:

Cavaliers
– Zydrunas Ilgauskas at $11.5 million –> and his contract is off the books after this season.
– Delonte West at $4 million –> makes a good piece to help balance contracts

Indiana Pacers
– Troy Murphy at $11 million –> Very doable trade and his contract is off the books next season
– Mike Dunleavy at $9.8 million–> Injuries have halted his rise in play, but contract done in 2011
– T.J. Ford at $8.5 million –> Probably not an option, but the Pacers are G heavy

Phoenix Suns
– Amare at $16.3 million –> It would take multiple players to land Amare, likely younger players
– Jason Richardson at $13.3 million –> J. Rich is younger than Rip, but I doubt they’d pull the trigger on this

Sacramento Kings
– Kenny Thomas at $8.7 million –> His contract expires at the end of this season, making him a great option for dumping come offseason
– Andres Nocioni at $7.5 million –> Rarely plays, long contract. Tradeable.
– Kevin Martin at $10 mil –> Not likely, but the numbers do match up nicely

Houston Rockest
– T.Mac at $23 mil –> Not likely as the Pistons have nobody at that salary level
– Shane Battier at $6.8 –> He does it all for the Rockets, but not what the Pistons are looking for

Chicago Bulls
– Brad Miller at $12.25 mil –> Contract expiring this season, and can play some decent backup minutes at C
– Kirk Hinrich at $9.5 mil –> Good contract and a great leader. Something the Pistons might consider
– Luol Deng at $10.3 mil –> Another good numbers match. Deng would be a great addition at the SF
– Tyrus Thomas at $4.7 mil –> Cheap option, and his days in Chicago are numbered. Welcome addition to the Pistons

Washington Wizards
– Antawn Jamison at $11.6 mil –> Doable numbers wise, but other suitors will have more to offer
– Caron Butler at $9.8 mil –> Contract over after 2011, good upgrade at the SF

Dallas Mavericks
– Erick Dampier at $12 mil –> Good option for a decent C, contract over after 2011. Decent, but not great option
– Josh Howard at $10.9 mil –> His contract runs up next season as well, but poor play this season leaves question marks
– Jason Terry at $9.5 mil –> Older Ben Gordon, longer contract. Poor choice.
– Drew Gooden at $4.5 mil –> Good option as contract expires after this season and he can play the C.
– Shawn Marion at $6.6 mil –> If Joe D thinks he can still play, I’d trust Joe D.

Utah Jazz
– Carlos Boozer at $12.3 mil –> Contract done after this season, making him a good option for trading
– Matt Harpring at $6.5 mil, Kyle Korver at $5 mil –> Rarely touches the court anymore and their contract expires this season

New York Knicks –> This is interesting. Most player contracts come off the books after this season, giving the Pistons a lot of options to work with. Everyone listed has a contract expiring this season. Outside of David Lee and Al Harrington, none of these players would be a good fit to actually play in Detroit.
– Larry Hughes at $13.6 mil, Al Harrington at $10 mil, Cuttino Mobley at $9.8 mil, Darko Milicic at $7.5 mil, David Lee at $7 mil, Chris Duhon at $6 mil, Nate Robinson at $4 mil

Unlikely Teams –> Heat, Grizzlies, Raptors

The game against the New Jersey Nets went a bit differently than their last matchup. They got out to an early lead and never looked back. Jonas Jerebko managed to go 9-9 from the floor for 20 pts, leading them to 52% shooting. New Jersey played decently, but their poor start doomed them. It was a good win for the Pistons, who really put it to the struggling Nets last week.

Their tough matchup for the week was at Indiana. Their game was over after the first quarter as Indiana got out to a lead and never looked back. They took a 4 point 1st quarter lead into a 24 point blowout. Indiana managed to shoot 52% overall for the game, and make 10 three pointers. It was just a bad day for Detroit. The lone bright spot was Ben Gordon’s 26 point night, giving us a glimpse of what he can bring off the bench. I also use the word glimpse because he followed that up with a 5 point outing.

Forecast

Detroit Pistons at Milwaukee Bucks

The Pistons play at the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday 2/9. This is another matchup against a team in transition. They’re a younger team now, with a newer coach, Scott Skiles, and newer GM, Jon Hammond (from the Pistons). They dealt Richard Jefferson, and have been without Michael Redd longer than with him this season, so the only carryover from last season is Andrew Bogut. Charlie V played for the Bucks last season as well. The Pistons have split the series so far this season, losing on the road and winning at home.

Milwaukee’s new Brandon Jennings will give the Pistons a headache. His scoring has been a bit more down to earth since his early hot streak, but he is making it up with his passing. Andrew Bogut has also been playing well this season, and should have a big day down low. They’ve come off of two good wins against the Pacers and Knicks.

Detroit needs to play like they did against the Nets. I know the Bucks aren’t the Nets, but their shooting, rebounding, passing, and defense won it for them against them. The Bucks are similar to the Nets in that their best players are their point guard and center. They’re different in that the Bucks have a much stronger rotation and supporting cast. They have the newly signed Jerry Stackhouse, Luke Ridnour, and Hakim Warrick. They can all have good nights in limited minutes.

I don’t see the Pistons winning this matchup, mainly because of their poor play on the road this season.
Detroit 84 Milwaukee 97

Detroit Pistons vs Sacramento Kings

The Pistons need to get a good win here before the all star break. Sacramento is a 16 win team so far this season, very near the bottom in the West. They’ve lost six in a row so far this season, looking lottery bound.

The Kings are another young team. They’re led by the backcourt duo Kevin Martin and rookie Tyreke Evans . . . when healthy. At this point in the season, they’re trying to work in youngersters Spencer Hawes, Omri Casspi, and Donte Greene. These talented youngstersare starting, pushing the vets like Nocioni, Jason Thompson, and Beno Udrih to the bench. Rebuilding has begun in Sacramento.

The Pistons could have a handful with the Kings. They’re a bit taller, and faster than the Pistons. They managed to hang with the Raptors on Sunday, but fell apart in the 4th quarter. The same could happen in their Pistons matchup. The Stuckey/Hamilton duo should be able to hold Kevin Martin and Tyreke Evans to average days. The Pistons front court starters will be critical for this game because they need to hold the young big men in check. It could turn out to be the bench that makes the difference in this matchup. The Pistons are bringing healthy Charlie V and Gordon off their bench, while the Kings bring their aforementioned veterans.

I like the Pistons at home vs the Kings. The Kings are bad, but capable of winning.

Detroit 92 Sacramento 88

Rumor Mill

Nothing happening as of yet. It seems the Pistons are sitting tight right now. Their name hasn’t been involved in many trade rumors. More on this to come.