The Pistons have rolled off 3 straight wins in their third week to raise their overall record to 5-4.

The Pistons defeated the 76ers 88-81 and the Bobcats 98-75 at the Palace. They earned their first road victory in a hard fought battle at Washington 106-103.

Richard Hamilton (ankle) and Tayshaun Prince (ruptured lower back disc) were out again this week with their injuries.

It hardly seemed to matter as the Pistons stepped up their play. The rookies Jonas Jerebko and Austin Daye have been holding the fort down at the small forward position with Jerebko starting and Daye coming off the bench. DaJuan Summers, who has been working hard in practices, is being inserted into games now to begin gaining experience and earning his stripes.

Ben Wallace has been the Pistons’ defensive and rebounding heart, playing like the Ben of old in an average of 30 minutes per game.

Kwame Brown has continued to contribute solid backup play for Wallace at center providing a defensive and rebounding presence and garbage points.

Jason Maxiell had a solid week also with quality defense and rebounding and some scoring with a midrange shot and low post game.

Will Bynum continues to spark the Pistons off the bench with two monster dunks against Charlotte that made the ESPN highlight reel. He has also contributed assists and rebounds along with his scoring.

Rodney Stuckey has contributed with modest points and assists production and excellent rebounding at his position. He has also played excellent defense at both point guard and small forward when Coach Kuester employed the 3 guard lineup.

Ben Gordon and Charlie Villanueva have combined, though, to carry the Pistons offensively, scoring over half the team’s points over the last week. Touted as excellent scorers and indifferent defenders coming into the season, Gordon and Villanueva have also worked hard on the defensive end, contributing to the Pistons’ defensive averages of 89.62 points per game (fifth best in the league) and 0.471 field goal percentage for opponents (third best).

Both Gordon and Villanueva have committed to playing defense with the Pistons and becoming all around players.

This week demonstrates that Joe Dumars’ decision to sign Gordon and Villanueva as free agents during the past offseason was another stroke of his low key genius.

Tayshaun Prince is expected to be out of the lineup indefinitely, receiving treatment on his lower back and being evaluated on the need for surgery. Richard Hamilton remains day-to-day with no timeline for his return.

The young new-look Pistons are showing excellent progress at coming together under Coach John Kuester.

Next week’s opening game at the Palace and the upcoming West Coast trip in which the Pistons play the Mavericks, Lakers, Trailblazers, Jazz, and Suns will be a stern test that would challenge even the accomplished Piston teams of the Going to Work era.

If the first few weeks are an indication, the new Pistons will compete from beginning to end in each game.

When he is not contributing content here at Midwest Sports Fans, Boris is the administrator of Club Pistons, one of the best Detroit Pistons fan forums on the web.

“[Jordan's] number shouldn’t be worn by any player in the NBA,” James told TNT’s Chris Sager.

The guy’s right.

This past Thursday, the Cleveland Cavaliers entered American Airlines Arena to take on Dwyane Wade and Co., but not only was this a showdown of (what I believe) two of the NBA’s best players, but it also came with a little sizzle.

Whether it be Dwyane Wade smashing, destroying, dismantling, annihilating Andersen Varejao (in the new Jordan’s):

or whether it be LeBron James showing us how to finish a game, with PURE defense and clutch baskets.

Yes, this game had it all. Trash talk, stardom, everything! But, maybe the one topic that should be most talked about, came at the end of the game, with LeBron, Chris Sager, and Mo Williams listening in:

In my opinion, this is probably one of the most humble, and loyal moments EVER in NBA history.

Why? Well LeBron James is supposedly the next “big” thing (and he is living up to it), as he continues cruising by the record books, making the $$$ from Nike, and much much more.

With all of this hype, LeBron James can easily say he wants to wear 23, but he doesn’t. This shows how much the young phenom from Akron has matured. This shows how much respect a guy like LeBron has for the game, and the game’s G.O.A.T.

I’m about to say something crazy…

but Michael Jordan should be honored.

And with that said, LeBron James will end this season, whether it be with a ring or not, playing his last season with the number of 23. So many memories since his being here, but now we may see the true uprsing of LeBron. Not the legacy of 23, but a new legacy, a new legend, and a new era…

The era of number 6.

Now that my opinion is out in the air, I want to hear yours:

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* – PHOTO COURTESY: NIKELEBRON.NET

With the city of Cleveland’s pride on the line, and with last season’s heartbreaking Eastern Conference Championship loss still fresh in the mind of LeBron James and Cleveland fans, the Cavaliers got a redeeming 102-93 win over the Orlando Magic, last night.

Mo Williams, who previously struggled in the Conference Finals, found his shots this time around. He scored 22 points (9-9) in the first half of the game, and added 4 assists. Williams finished the game with 28 total points, 6 assists, and 1 rebound. Also, an aggressive LeBron James scored a season high 36 points, with 4 assists, and 8 rebounds.

In the much anticipated Showdown between the NBA’s two self-proclaimed “Supermen,” Shaquille O’Neal and Dwight Howard–Howard (11 points, 7 rebounds) outscored and out rebounded O’Neal (10 points, 4 rebounds). And, at the Free Throw Line O’Neal went 2 of 4, and Howard was 5 of 12.

Getting his second start in place of Anderson Varejao, JJ Hickson had his best game of the season—scoring 9 points, with 6 rebounds. And although he traveled with the team, Delonte West didn’t sit on the bench with his teammates. He was declared inactive just before the start of the game, due to “internal matters.”

There were swirls of trades and signings this off-season, and the swirling has continued into the regular season,  and you know what? Not much has seemed to changed as we head into the early weeks of the NBA season.

There has been speculation on:

• Stephen Jackson leaving
• Carlos Boozer wanting out
• Monta Ellis considering leaving
• Delonte being on the block

And a few others.

But one rumor that seems t0 be picking up a lot of momentum seems to be a much tastier thought.

Allen Iverson to Cleveland.

Yes, that’s right. Cavs fans have heard Antonio Daniels as well, but those talks have stopped.

A.I. has been quoted saying he would consider retiring due to his role on the Grizzlies (A.I. has been coming off the bench). But, if talks between Memphis and Cleveland get going, A.I. might just reconsider (or if he is released by Memphis).

Now with Cleveland struggling, can A.I. be an answer to the Cavs’ early woes?

I’ll let you decide:

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PHOTO COURTESY:(Noah Graham / Getty Images)

Hey knuckle-heads! Great week of ball, as we’ve had a couple of continued great starts, a few great performances, and also an upset or two. Let me remind you that there are no undefeated teams left, as each fell at least once this past week.

I certainly appreciated all of the feedback I received for my last Power Rankings, as I had both positive and negative comments.

Ready for another Power Rankings post? Ready to bash? Appreciate?

Well here is another one of Devon’s NBA Power Rankings:

Biggest Jump: Phoenix Suns (+11)

Biggest Drop: San Antonio Spurs/Washington Wizards (-7)

The Starting 5

1. Boston Celtics (7-1)(0)

Well, what can I say? Boston is still playing brilliantly, and not showing signs of slowing down.

They had victories against a few decent/minor teams, such as Philadelphia and Minnesota (which they only won by 2). Then came the smudge on perfection, as the Suns routed the Celtics in Boston. Props to Phoenix, and that is a good enough reason to keep you in my Starting 5 (as you’ll see below).

But back to Boston; they are looking great. Sometimes I like to call them the Boston Chameleons due to their style of play, which can transform at any moment. If they want to be a shooting team, heck, they can shoot. A big team? KG, Perkins, Wallace. A running team? Rondo, Pierce, Allen. The Celtics are just doing it all right now, but they will be tested as they play Utah on Wednesday, and Atlanta on Friday.

2. Los Angeles Lakers (6-1)(+1)

Kobe Bryant for MVP? Well, I don’t know about that. But if I were to give one out now, it would definitely be for KB24. Sorry Melo, sorry Bron, and sorry D-Wade. The Lakers have started the season hit with an injury or two, and have shown they can still ball without Bynum or Gasol. Why? Because Kobe has dropped 31, 41, 41 and 28 in his last 4.

Brilliant.

They picked up wins against teams like Oklahoma City, Houston and Memphis. Ok, Ok. I know they barely won some of those, but a W is a W, and again, they have been missing their starting PF since day one. They also picked win against New Orleans last night, as they ran circles around the whole Hornets squad. Looking forward to the Suns heading into Staples Center on thursday.

3.Orlando Magic (5-2)(-1)

This one was difficult for me, as I had a close contest between Orlando and Denver. But you know what did it for me? Orlando’s victory against the rising Suns (man, the Suns are everywhere in these rankings huh?), a game which Orlando put up a whopping 122, and left the Suns out to dry with 100.

But then came yesterday, as the Magic fell to…the THUNDER!? Come on, if this team expects to show everyone that they can make it back to the Finals, they have to beat the Thunder. But, not only did they lose, they lost BAD, as the final score was 102-74. Dwight Howard didn’t even get double-digits in rebounding. Come on Orlando, I know this was a lucky one for OKC, but seriously, come on. I’m still waiting for Orlando to actually play some tougher competition. But for now, they should be happy at number 3.

4. Denver Nuggets (5-2)(+1)

The Nuggets started off hot…in fact, they probably brought up the temperature in Denver a bit, that’s how great they started off! Ok, lame joke. But the Nuggets did indeed start off great. But then this past week, Denver cooled down a bit.

First off, they played in New Jersey, and won. Then they went to Miami, and D-Wade and Co. ended up putting a stop to the Nuggets 5-game win streak. Then the Nuggets continued their Southern trip to Atlanta, and basically got humiliated as they lost 100-125.

Melo is still playing awesome, and the Chauncey is still doing his thing, but the Nuggets didn’t show too much…although it was enough to move up one spot. Actually, they moved up because my former number 4 and number 6 are disappointing a few folks at the moment. So congrats Denver, looking forward to see you take on LA, Friday!

5. Phoenix Suns (6-1)(+11)

Ok, the Suns are simply amazing at the moment. That’s it.

That’s all I should have to say..but I need to write more..it’s my job.

The Suns have been surprising the (explicit) out of me! I previously said in my preseason ranking that this would be a long and grueling year for the Suns. But..I was DEAD WRONG. Especially when they visited the number one ranked Celtics, and took them out in the Garden. Final score was 110-103.

Can anyone say Steve Nash for MVP? I mean, he isn’t putting up astonishing numbers. He is the captain of the Suns cruise, as he is averaging 18 ppg, 3 rpb, and 12 apg. Very solid numbers.Then, they also have a guy named Amare Stoudamire, who has developed a great mid-range jumper. Let’s not forget the rest, like J-Rich, who torched the Celtics with 34 points and 10 rebounds.

I’m really liking this Suns squad. Even though there is nothing SPECTACULAR about them, they know how to ball together as one, and have shown us SPECTACULAR results. Their only loss it to Orlando (respectable). Can’t wait for the TNT showdown, as the Suns enter LA to take on the Lakers.

Phoenix, welcome to my starting 5!

The Bench

6. Cleveland Cavaliers (4-3)(-2)

Cleveland, Cleveland, Cleveland…tsk tsk tsk. I know the season has only begun, but the Cavs are showing us vulnerability. A lot of it in fact. It definitely showed last Thursday against the Bulls, a game that Cleveland ended up losing by one point.

Have you spotted the vulnerability? I have. The pick and roll. Yes, that’s right, the simple, yet brilliant play. The Bulls pick and rolled the hell out of Cleveland that game, and this resulted in numerous easy layups right down the middle. So what is Shaq here for? You’ll be hearing this question quite a bit in the near future.

The Cavs have also already tied last season’s number of home losses, and still have yet to win against a contending team. So I punished them by sending them to 6th man. But… the Cavs did beat the Knicks. Woo-hoo! It was a nice venue, but in the end Cavs needed to win that game. Period.

We might get the answer to that Shaq question on Wednesday, when the Cavs pay a visit to Orlando.

7. Dallas Mavericks (4-3)(-1)

Dallas deserves to be in this spot. They aren’t playing amazingly, but they aren’t playing bad, so they deserve to be right in the mix of things. It also doesn’t hurt when you have an MVP-caliber type of player in Dirk, who dropped 40 on the Jazz Tuesday.

The one negative about this past week for the Mavs was that they lost to the Hornets. Eww. The Hornets? This Mavs team should have crushed those bugs, as they have advantages all over the floor against New Orleans. But anyways, Dallas then won at home against Toronto, putting up a big 129.

I’m looking forward to watching Dallas defend their home court against the Rockets, and then head out to the recently troubled San Antonio.

8. Atlanta Hawks (5-2)(+2)

The Hawks are playing great ball as of late. They beat Portland, Sacramento, and then blew out Denver in Atlanta. This Hawks team seems like it has great chemistry that only seems to be getting better. Like I’ve said in the past, this team does not have any “franchise” players, but they are a squad built on the term “teamwork”. They have everything you would want in a team, whether it be height, shooting, length, ball-handlers etc.

A word of caution to those teams in the middle of the Eastern Conference, this Atlanta team may put you on upset alert.

Good game: Atlanta at Boston (Friday)

9. Miami Heat (5-1)(+6)

The Heat are playing brilliantly. Well, D-Wade deserves most of this credit, but doesn’t it seem like the team has gotten a bit better since last year, simply due to the fact that Wade doesn’t have to kill himself every game in order to get a W? Much credit also goes to Jermaine O’neal, who is playing at a higher level than last year, as he is averaging 15 ppg, 8rpg and 2 assists. Hopefully his legs remain in good shape for the rest of the year.

The Heat’s only loss on the year  came against the red-hot Suns, after which they traveled to Washington to take on Gilbert and Co. in a game the Heat won by four, 93-89. Then came the Heat’s biggest victory of the year, against the Nuggets. This game was a classic for any NBA fan. Melo vs Wade? Just pure awesomeness. In the end Carmelo won the individual battle, but D-Wade and Co. ended up shutting the door on the visiting Nuggets to finally hand Denver it’s first loss of the year.

It’ll be interesting to watch Miami take on Cleveland this Thursday. Can the heat compete with the upper echelon of the East Conference? We’ll find out.

10. Portland Trailblazers (4-3)(0)

Portland is going to stay put…for now. I see them jumping up a spot or two by the end of next week. Look at who they play, first a Memphis team that is having no “Answer” to their problems, then they play a young (but still good-looking) Minnesota team, and then the confusing Hornets. Should be a pretty good week for Portland.

But to get to last week, the Trailblazers lost to a very good Atlanta team, but then rebounded at home against San Antonio and Minnesota. Keep it up Portland.

11. Houston Rockets (4-2)(+6)

So, what is up with these Western Conference surprises? I mean, first it’s the Suns, now the Rockets? Who would’ve thought that without T-Mac and Yao, that the Rockets would have one of the West’s top records. But eh, it’s only been two weeks. So, Houston enjoy spot 11 for now..but don’t get too comfortable.

This past week, Houston took out the Jazz in Utah, then lost by 1, and only 1 to the defending champion Lakers (let’s not forget Houston gave Utah a hell of a series) and then the Rockets take out Durant and the Thunder in Houston.

The Rockets will have a tough, tough week as they play Dallas, Memphis, the Lakers and Sacramento. Three out of four on the road. Good luck boys!

12. Chicago Bulls (4-2)(+6)

This young Bulls squad is showing much promise not only in the future, but now. Last Thursday, the Bulls welcomed the Cavs into Chicago with a beautiful loss. The thing that I really like about this Bulls team, is that even though Derrick Rose knows that his spot in Chicago is the leader, he is not selfish at all. That is a lot to say about a second-year player.

Rose assisted in shutting down the recently troubled Cavs by dishing out 11 assists, and making a crucial layup down the stretch of the closing seconds of the game.

If Chicago can use their speed, youth, and energy against opponents, just like they did against Cleveland, then the Bulls could be a scary team to face come playoff time. Just ask the Celtics.

13. San Antonio Spurs (2-3)(-7)

Disappointing. That is the only word I have to use in order to describe the way the Spurs season has started. In week one, the Spurs upset all of us with a loss to the young Bulls squad, then they get taught on how to play ball by the Jazz. If you saw that game, you know what I’m talking about.

Put it this way, the Spurs’ only two victories were against the Hornets and the Kings. That is pitiful for a team that is supposed to be in the same conversation as Boston and LA. The worst part about this whole thing is that this is the beginning of the season; imagine how things will be when Timmy’s knees are weaker and McDyess grows tiresome. Not good Texas…at least you have Dallas and Houston.

14. Toronto Raptors (3-3)(0)

The Raptors are doing ok. I mean, they picked Ws against Detroit and New Orleans. But then they understandably lost to Dallas. The Raptors are not a very exciting team to watch. In fact, they just might be one of the least exciting teams in the NBA to watch, but they just might have it in them to make a strong playoff run.

Hedo is playing solidly, averaging 14 ppg, 4 rpg, and 3 apg, while Chris Bosh is having an MVP-caliber season of his own with 28.5 ppg, and 11.5 rpg. Those are amazing numbers, but the sad thing is that he must continue to do that in order to make the playoffs. I want to see how Toronto fairs against the Spurs tonight.

15. Washington Wizards (2-5)(-7)

I strongly believed the Wizards were going to surprise everyone and make a strong run to the playoffs. Why wouldn’t I? Gilbert’s back, Caron should be good to go, and I believe that Antawn Jamison has a good couple of years left as well. Let’s not forget the new additions in Randy Foye and Mike Miller. But I guess I was wrong…

The Wizards are starting off slow, and they are just as a big of a disappointment as the Spurs are. They are on a four-game losing streak, which included Cleveland, Miami, Indiana and Phoenix. But I don’t believe that Washington is in too much trouble. I’ll give them a couple more weeks to prove that I am wrong.

16. Philadelphia 76ers (3-3)(+1)

I said it before, and I’ll say it again. The 76ers are the most basic team in the NBA, and that is how their season has played out so far, an even .500 record after two weeks.

This past week the 76ers lost a completely understandable game against the Celtics. Come on, nobody would’ve believed me if I told them that the 76ers would beat Boston. Anyways, then they continued their home stand against the Nets, and came out on top. But the loss I believe Philadelphia had an opportunity to reverse was against the Pistons.

But decent start so far, I’m looking forward to see if Iguodala and the rest can match the level of athleticism that the Suns will bring to them tonight.

17. Utah Jazz. (2-5)(-6)

The Jazz weren’t expected to do big things this season, but I expected a little bit more than what I’ve seen thus far.

This past week was juggled for the Jazz, as they lost a couple games that i’m sure they wanted back. The first was against Houston, which either team could’ve won in my opinion, but in the end Houston wanted it more. Then Saturday, the Jazz lost to the Kings. I don’t understand that one, they should have beaten them.

The one positive out of last week was the victory against the Spurs. If the Jazz can play that way every game, then they wouldn’t be 2-5 right now.

18. New Orleans Hornets (2-5) (-5)

It’s a hot mess in New Orleans right now. This past week the Hornets lost to the Knicks, Raptors, and Lakers. How could you lose to the Knicks, Chris Paul? You could’ve taken ‘em on yourself. Kobe’s done it, so has LeBron. So…why didn’t you? Then last night was an embarrassment. Did anyone see how bad Kobe Bryant made Devin Brown look last night? How about the entire Hornets lineup? You don’t want to know.

19. Oklahoma City Thunder (3-3) (0)

The Thunder are off to a pretty decent start. But decent would be a huge understatement if we were talking about what had happened last night.

Oklahoma City Thunder-104 | Orlando Magic-74

Are you kidding me!? We’re probably not going to see something from OKC like that again, but we may be seeing glimpses of the future.

20. Milwaukee Bucks (3-2)(0)

Here’s a much needed feel good story for the NBA. The Bucks are a nice team to watch, especially now that they have a young leader in Brandon Jennings (who is my pick for Rookie of the Year).

Even though the Bucks had an easy schedule so far, I feel like the Bucks are a bit under the radar, so heck, I’m bringing them above it!

The Reserves

21. Detroit Pistons (3-4)(+1)

The Pistons are missing out on Tayshaun and Rip, but Ben Wallace is showing that he can still rack up those boards. I’m still waiting for Ben Gordon to break out. I don’t know why, but I feel like he will soon.

22. Indiana Pacers (2-3)(+2)

What is this? The Pacers don’t only have Danny and Troy. They also can play some D as well. They held the Knicks and Wizards to just 39% shooting. If they can defend like that, and Granger can show more killer instinct, I might just move the Pacers off The Reserves list, and onto my bench.

23. Los Angeles Clippers (3-4)(+2)

The Clips are adjusting to life without Blake Griffin, and they will have to continue to do so, as he is out for a few more weeks. But it is good to hear that the Clippers capitalized on the fragile schedule.

24. Charlotte Bobcats (3-3)(-2)

The Bobcats don’t seem like they are going to do anything this year unfortunately. Poor MJ, only if has the ability as a GM he had as a baller. Oh, and Gerald Wallace is averaging 13.8 rpg. Good, but awkward.

25. Sacramento Kings (3-4)(+5)

Congratulations to the Kings! You’ve fallen out of last place, and pushed yourselves up 5 spots! Kevin Martin will be gone, but I believe that’ll eventually help Tyreke Evans learn important leadership skills that rookies end up lacking. Evans also averaged 27.5 points over the weekend.

26. Golden State Warriors (1-4)(+2)

Stephen Curry made his debut!

27. Memphis Grizzlies (1-6)(-1)

There is trouble going on in Memphis. Don’t worry about the record, I’m not talking about that. Get used to it. According to multiple sources, A.I. may consider retirement soon. What else could go wrong in Memphis?

28. Minnesota Timberwolves (1-6)(-7)

The Timberwolves almost shocked all of the NBA on Wednesday. But, almost doesn’t count. Shout out to Ryan Gomes!

29. New York Knicks (1-6)(0)

Want to hear a good joke? There was this NBA team, right…and they gave up 40 points in the first quarter!!! Hahaha. Man, what makes it even funnier is that the Knicks gave up 40 in the opening quarter against the Cavs, during the NBA’s favorite day of the year: The LeBron show in MSG

30. New Jersey Nets (1-6)(-3)

(Sigh) Poor Devin Harris.

Okay..well…they have Jay-Z, right?

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Steve Nash photo credit: Ned Dishman via NBA Photos

Thanks for tuning in this week!

Make sure you check by next week for my new rankings!

Want more of my articles? Here: http://www.midwestsportsfans.com/author/Devon/

Comments!

Contact me:

• Devonnba4193@aol.com
• Twitter.com/devonmsf

Many athletes and celebrities were in attendance and sitting courtside at the historic MSG to witness the Lebron James Show, including: former Tribe Pitcher CC Sabathia and several of his World Series Champion teammates (fresh from a New York Yankee Victory Parade); Jay Z; John Legend; Chris Rock; DJ Grand Master Flash; Woody Allen; plus Charles Oakley and several former Knick players.

Several members of the media had a field day, following James around and snapping pictures of him. Also, talk regarding whether or not James will re-sign with the Cavaliers in 2010 was the topic of the night. Not being one to disappoint, and being all that the local New York media hypes him up to be whenever he plays in their city, James put on a show for the spectators and scored 21 points, had 5 rebounds and 7 assists at halftime.

Although the night belonged to James, who finished with 33 points, 8 rebounds, and 9 assists; two of his teammates also scored in double figures. Mo Williams added 12 points, and Daniel Gibson scored 11 points.

During the second week of the 2009-2010 season, the Pistons have gone 1-2 and are 2-4 overall at the moment.

They began with an 85-80 home victory over the visiting Orlando Magic minus both Rip Hamilton and Tayshaun Prince, who’d come down with an unexpected lower back strain. Prince’s injury ended his streak of 496 consecutive games played and league-leading mark of 439 consecutive starts.

The loss was the Magic’s first of the season and their 20th to the Pistons in 24 games going back to the 2006-2007 season.

The depleted Pistons controlled the pace of the game from start to finish and held Dwight Howard, who fouled out, to 8 points and 5 rebounds in 16 minutes. There were a number of heroes from Ben Wallace, who defended Howard, to Will Bynum, who led the reserves with 20 points and drove to the basket repeatedly (despite being poked in the eye by Marcin Gortat) and helped get Howard to foul out in the fourth quarter.

Vince Carter played for Orlando, but was hobbled by a hurt ankle. Rashard Lewis was out, serving a suspension for testing positive for elevated testosterone during the offseason.

The Pistons’ road defeats in Toronto (110-99) and then against Orlando (110-103) followed a somewhat similar pattern. The Pistons had a defensive lapse in one quarter, rallied, and fell short at the end. The Raptors outscored the Pistons 44-28 in the second quarter and the Magic opened the game with a scorching 40-23 first quarter. Toronto was at full strength, while Orlando played without Lewis and Carter. And unlike in the Toronto game, the Pistons shot poorly from the free throw line, making only 23 of 37 free throw attempts.

Rather than quit, the Pistons displayed excellent tenacity by clawing back into both games before finally falling. Rodney Stuckey, Ben Gordon, and Will Bynum all played roles in keeping the Pistons competitive.

Rookies Jonas Jerebko and Austin Daye have steadily improved over the course of the week in Tayshaun Prince’s absence. Both provided significant contributions in defense, rebounding, and offense to help spur Pistons’ rallies. Jerebko has done well starting in Prince’s place and Daye has come off the bench to help bolster the play of the reserves.

While he did not play in the home win against Orlando, Jason Maxiell came off the bench in the road losses to provide energy, defense, and rebounding.

Kwame Brown’s minutes fluctuated this week as he struggled in the low post and the free throw line.

After having some solid preseason games, Chris Wilcox has yet to make an impact in the regular season.

The Piston who has improved the most over the course of the week is Charlie Villanueva. In addition to solid defensive play, he has been giving the Pistons’ frontcourt a much needed scoring and rebounding boost:

• 12 points and 8 rebounds against the Magic in Detroit.
• 16 points and 7 rebounds against the Raptors in Toronto.
• 28 points and 5 rebounds against the Magic in Orlando, including 22 points in the fourth quarter when he carried the Pistons.

Those who would dismiss the Pistons for their 1-2 record during the week are overlooking the signs of this young team building chemistry, becoming comfortable with Coach Kuester’s system, and learning how to win without leaning on injured veterans Richard Hamilton and Tayshaun Prince. Hamilton is day-to-day, but word on his recovery is hopeful.  Prince has been recently diagnosed with a ruptured disc in his lower back, though, so he will be out of the lineup indefinitely.

Under Coach Kuester, the young Pistons are in step with their learning curve at this point of the season.

When he is not contributing content here at Midwest Sports Fans, Boris is the administrator of Club Pistons, one of the best Detroit Pistons fan forums on the web.

Welcome to MSF’s first ever NBA Poll.

What is it? Well, this is a poll we will be having 3 times during the year, and it will include a variety of questions most NBA fans would be intrigued to answer (Such as MVP, Rookie of the Year, etc).

Then you will be able to look back to our previous polls, and see how the polls may have changed. Then finally, when awards and answers are out, you can compare our polls to reality.

Welcome to my first NBA Poll. Are you nut-heads ready? Well let the voting begin!

Thanks for voting. Tune in December 5th to see the final results!

Email: Devonnba4193@aol.com

Twitter: twitter.com/devonMSF

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Photo credit: Ned Dishman

On March 5, 2008, LeBron James lights up Madison Square garden with a spectacular showing, dropping 5o points, 8 rebounds, 10 assists and 4 steals.

A near jaw jolt to the face of Spike Lee.

Spike probably rubbed off the boo-boo, forgot about it, then moved on.

Wrong.

On February 4, 2009, LeBron James comes back to New York for the second time. But this time, he feels like putting on a show for everyone, including friends as Jay-Z, Beyonce, etc. LeBron dazzles the New York arena with 52 points, 9 rebounds, 11 assists, and 2 blocks, barely missing the last 50-point-triple double since Kareem.

Simply, as the NBA says, amazing.

Oh, and I think that this blow to Spike Lee’s jaw, probably left a couple bones broken.

So, with the Cavs heading into New York on Friday (11/6), will LeBron put on another show? Will Spike Lee be able to handle another blow? Will the Knicks be able to take another blow?

I think not.

On November 6, 2009 — tonight — The Cavs head into New York pissed. I mean, they just lost to the Bulls at the Q. I personally feel sorry for New York.

Cleveland is finally getting their game in tune with Shaq, Parker, and Moon. They are incorporating them into the plays with more ease and patience.

Remember last year’s Cavs? They went on a 10+ game win streak after they lost to the Celtics in last year’s season opener. I believe that these Cavs are attempting to do the same, with the Knicks as the next victim.

But the question is, what will LeBron do?

Here is my opinion, take it as you want it. (Comment box is below)

LeBron will not, (repeat) will not, blow up.

Why do you say this Devon?

Well, let’s start with maturity. LeBron has shown us every year an improvement in all areas, especially on-court, and off-court maturity. LeBron realizes that there has been one goal in mind since the 2003-04 season:

To win a championship.

With this being LeBron’s final contracted year with his hometown team, LeBron is hungrier, more determined, and salivating more than ever for the taste of an NBA ring. This game will show just that, as LeBron DOES NOT go off.

Look for LeBron to continue incorporating the new-comers, Shaq and Parker. Look for him to show that this isn’t the Cleveland LeBron’s anymore, but that it is the Cleveland Cavaliers, and hat this is a team to be reckoned with. I mean come on. With Mo, Shaq, Delonte, et al, these guys have a solid squad and bench.

I do expect LeBron to go off in one category though: his passing.

LeBron knows damn well he has shooters. So, why not kick it out? With everyone (including the Knicks) expecting to see the “LeBron James Show – Part 3″, I’m sure LeBron will realize he can beat the Knicks without even dropping 20, and that’s a fact.

Sorry New York, you have the baseball team (who won last night), the two football teams…but no basketball team.

In the end, Cleveland will destroy the Knicks, LeBron will not go off, and we will all continue our simple, yet boring lives.

Spike, your jaw is safe.

But for those of you wanting a show, LeBron will put it on, but it just might not be tonight or tomorrow. The King knows just when his real season starts. Not in April, not in May..

..but in June.

But I could be wrong…and if LeBron does go off, please bash me. Comments always appreciated.

Take a look at LeBron’s two unforgettable performances below!

LeBron vs New York, March 5, 2008

LeBron vs New York, February 4, 2009

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* – LeBron James photo credit: Nick Laham/Getty Images North America via Zimbio.com

“From my perspective, he saved a lot of our lives. Plain and simple.”

These were the final words of Without Bias, ESPN’s latest documentary in its superb 30 for 30 series. It is impossible to know for how many people specifically that lines applies, but to put it in the hundreds of thousands probably would not be an overstatement.

The hour long film, which premiered tonight and was directed by Kirk Fraser, chronicles the life and death of Len Bias, who passed away 23 years ago when I was only four years old, but whose legacy lives on in perpetuity…today and beyond.

There were some aspects of the story that I did not know before watching it tonight, most notably that Bias had done cocaine before the night he died and that his brother Jay died four years later. Despite these surprises, the familiar feeling and lessons of the Bias story remained true and as strong as ever:

1. You never know which seconds will be your last.
2. Never underestimate the cruel power of drugs.

Obviously I was too young to have any personal memories of Bias’ death. But as a die-hard college basketball fan growing up, even from the time I was 7 or 8, it wasn’t long before I became indoctrinated to the sad legend of Len Bias.

I heard about his freakish athleticism, how he was as good — if not better — than Michael Jordan in college, and how sure of a thing he had been to become a superstar and carry the torch of Celtics greatness.

And I also heard, repeatedly and more often as I got older, how Bias had been foolish enough to do cocaine time — ONE TIME! — and had paid the ultimate price for it.

First hand accounts of Bias’ social habits presented in the documentary, especially those from Brian Tribble, with whom Bias was indulging in cocaine on the night of his death, seem to dispel the notion that Bias’ June 19th, 1986 dalliance with cocaine was his first.

Here is a clip from the film itself, which details the final hours of Bias’ life.

While Bias did not seem to have any sort of addiction or problem that negatively impeded other aspects of his life, Tribble makes it clear that he and Bias had used cocaine clandestinely on multiple occasions before that night.

I had heard and read that this might be the case before seeing Without Bias, but I guess I never believed it. Part of the reason for my reluctance to accept this notion, I presume, is that every time I’ve ever been presented with the opportunity to use cocaine in my life — opportunities which have luckily been few and far between — I’ve always thought about Len Bias.

If he could use it one time and die, what makes me think that I’d be any different?

There are multitudes of reasons why I’ve never indulged personally, but that is no doubt one of the main ones.

I have no way of knowing if that line of thinking ever specifically saved my life, but it certainly allows me to understand, if not relate, to the final words of the documentary, as presented in the first line of this post.

Michael Wilbon is featured in the documentary and he recants what ESPN college basketball analyst, and Bias’ former ACC rival, Jay Bilas said about the death of the Len Bias: for an entire generation of people, they mark time in relation to where they were and what they were doing when Len Bias died.

I don’t fall into that category, and there is a generation older than me that undoubtedly feels a much stronger connection to the life and death of Len Bias than I ever will. And if Without Bias does anything exceptionally well — and in all honesty, it does a lot exceptionally well from a storytelling standpoint — it expresses the multiple layers of significance that Len Bias’ death had immediately, and that it still has today.

• The Maryland basketball program, most notably its legendary coach Lefty Driesell, unraveled in the aftermath of Bias’ death.
• There was a drawn out investigation and trial, with Brian Tribble ultimately being acquitted on drug charges.
• The Boston Celtics won an NBA championship that year, and then fell into a 21-year abyss without another one.
• Congress seemed to treat Bias’ death as a tipping point and instituted mandatory minimum sentencing laws (i.e. five years for five grams) that many saw as targeting inner city black men specifically, and that helped contribute to the overcrowding of prisons that is still felt today.
• Thousands upon thousands, if not millions upon millions, of people — and not just sports fans or residents of Maryland — were profoundly affected by the death of a seemingly invincible 22-year old.

Whether Bias had done coke 100 times or never before the night he died, his death would still have been one of the seminal moments of the 1980s, and one of the most significantly tragic events in the history of sports.

Would it have kept so many young people, including me, away from using cocaine? Who knows. Probably, though perhaps not quite as much.

But does that matter? Not really.

Sadly, the tragedy for the Bias family did not stop with Len. His brother Jay, also an accomplished basketball player, died four years later in a senseless shooting outside of a mall.

And this brings me to the heart and soul of Without Bias: Len’s mom and dad.

His mother has a God-fearing strength and iron will that is manifested by her incredible courage, grace, and resolve to turn her sons’ deaths into something positive. I am paraphrasing, but towards the end of the movie she claims that each of her sons’ deaths are “a seed out of which life can grow” and she has since crusaded to teach kids the lessons that can be learned from Len and Jay.

Their father’s unconditional love and support, and his heartbreak, are palpable. Each word that he speaks about both Len and Jay drips with pride and affection, and it is hard not get choked up towards the end of the film when he mistakenly invokes Len’s name while discussing Jay’s death.

Without Bias begins with a terrific celebration of Len Bias the basketball player, an excellent retrospective for those of us who were too young to appreciate his on-court greatness. It ends with a feeling of despair and depression as it becomes obvious that no level of detail nor context can help make Bias’ unnecessary death any more understandable.

The film also implies certain questions, at least it did for me. Would Len Bias have lived up to his promise in the NBA? Would he have fizzled and disappointed like so many his wayward classmates in the star-crossed NBA draft of 1986 (Roy Tarpley, Chris Washburn, William Bedford)?

Who knows.

What we do know is that Len Bias’ playing career certainly would have been over by 2009, but yet he is still relevant today. His relevance unfortunately is a function of tragic circumstances that never should have befallen such a seemingly well-meaning and hard-working kid in his early 20s, but he remains important just the same.

Many basketball players have been high draft picks and won titles or made it to the Hall of Fame. Very few, if any, have inspired their contemporaries to say “he saved a lot of our lives.”

Len Bias’ short but stellar basketball career was filled with superlatives. Sadly, tragically, the most significant superlative that endures about Bias has nothing to do with his talent and ability on the court. It has to do with the long-lasting effect of one fateful decision that he made off it.

Finding meaning in death, perhaps even stretching to do so, is as human as breathing. As Without Bias makes perfectly clear, people are still trying to find meaning in Len Bias’ death some 23 years later.

That he most likely saved lives, and many of them, is perhaps the most positive of the meanings that have been posthumously attached to life of Len Bias.

Unfortunately for Bias, and for his family, his friends, his fans, his contemporaries, and for those of us who never got to see him play, he wasn’t able to save his own.

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A quick side note about ESPN’s 30 for 30 series: it is excellent. I have now seen Without Bias, the Muhammad Ali movie, and parts of the one about the Baltimore Colts’ band, and every second has been both compelling and educational. I am going to have to go back and watch what I’ve missed and be sure not to miss any more.

I’ve given ESPN lots of crap — it’s what we do as bloggers — but so far they have been absolutely pitch perfect with this project. Kudos WWL. My praise could not be more effusive.

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* – Len Bias SI cover credit: The Halo Bender

Thanks to all of you for tuning into my second NBA Power Rankings! (Care to see the first? Here you go: preseason NBA Power Rankings.)

I hope all of you enjoyed the NBA’s opening week, I sure did. Some great teams were on display, with some poor starts and some surprising starts as well. These rankings are based on the team’s performance from the previous week. Don’t like my rankings? Love them? Be sure to comment, as I accept all forms of criticism. I have also shown how far the teams have jumped or dropped, with a plus or minus.

With all of this commotion going on, let me dissect the NBA’s opening week for all of you. I present to you, Devon’s Weekly NBA Power Rankings (Week 1)

Biggest Jump: Milwaukee (+8)

Biggest Drop: Detroit (-6)

The Starting 5

1. Boston Celtics (4-0)(+2)

The Celtics are really showing us how and why they won the 2008 NBA Finals. They are running circles around everyone they have played, especially in their second game, which was against the Charlotte Bobcats. This was a game in which the Celtics gave up a total of 59 points. Then, they spoil King James’ season/home opener. An incredible display of defense, teamwork, and communication early in the season for the C’s. For all you Bostonians, just hope health and age don’t slow down any of the vets, because if this holds up,  you may have reason to celebrate in June.

2. Orlando Magic (3-0)(+2)

The Magic are playing very fluid ball. But, they should. They’ve played the 76ers, Nets, then the Raptors being the most difficult team thus far. I love how Ryan Andersen is playing, as he is averaging 16 ppg. Where did this guy come from? Really? Oh yeah, they also have guys like Dwight Howard, Vince Carter, Rashard Lewis.etc. The Magic might not have had any real challenges yet, but I believe when they do, we will truly see how good this Magic team is.

3.Los Angeles Lakers (2-1)(-2)

Everyone was wrong. Everyone expected to see this Lakers team come out and run the tables on every team they played. Don’t get me wrong, LA is definitely a top contender, but let’s be realistic, they have weaknesses. It showed when the Lakers played Dallas, the game that resulted in DAL spanking LA. I believe I have found the weakness in this Lakers team: they do not have a true, solid backup power forward. So Dirk took advantage of Pau Gasol being out with injury, and played wonderfully (as usual). This resulted in the rest of the team doing the same, and in the end the Mavericks beat the Lakers in LA. The Lakers will be higher though when Pau’s back, don’t worry knuckleheads.

4. Cleveland Cavaliers (2-2)(-2)

The Cavs didn’t start the season the way they wanted to. A loss to the Celtics is understandable (even at home). I mean, it’ll take a couple of regular season games to incorporate a guy like Shaq into any team’s lineup. But then a loss to Toronto? C’mon Cleveland, I know you guys are better than that. After those first two losses, I began to see more of what I saw from last year’s 66-16 team, which was defense, good ball-movement, and more defense, as they shut the door on both Charlotte and Minnesota. But in this upcoming week, I’m expecting to see three straight W’s against a good Washington team, Chicago and New York. Let’s get a streak going Cleveland!

5. Denver Nuggets (3-0)(+1)

I’m very excited for all of you in Denver! This Nuggets team is looking good early! I know it’s only been two games, but from a team that hasn’t really done too much to improve in the off-season, they are showing loads of confidence. Carmelo Anthony is literally chasing the first Player of the Month award. He is averaging 35 ppg, and 7 rpg. Again, I know it’s early, but you can’t help but just love this team. Nice job beating two playoff contending teams (Utah and Portland) as well, that’s why I had to put you in my Starting 5.

The Bench

6. San Antonio Spurs (2-1)(-1)

The Spurs  got dropped to 6th man for a reason. They lost to Chicago? C’mon. A championship contending team needs to show more than that. They lost to a team led by a second year point guard. I’m sure Tony Parker has the veteranship and talent to stop Derrick Rose, but he didn’t.

But other than that, the Spurs are showing us more than last year. Much more. Richard Jefferson seems like a great fit, and McDyess is a great add as well. Let’s hope that San Antonio can keep a good mixture of their young guns and vets on the floor. Let’s also hope that Timmy and Antonio can both keep healthy.

7. Dallas Mavericks (2-1)(0)

Sean Marion seems like a good it in Dallas. He looked great in LA when Dallas beat up on the “Pau-less” Lakers. Dirk Nowitzki is playing MVP caliber ball, and I expect to see that for the rest of the year. There’s also been talk that Dirk has developed some kind of hook shot as well that is supposedly “unstoppable”. I’m looking forward to seeing that.

But back to the point, Dallas is playing good ball despite the loss to a good Washington team. Maybe they can make a move or two later on in the season to bring in that “X” factor that I believe will take Dallas from the Nuggets, Spurs conversation, to the Lakers, Celtics conversation. Ok, maybe overdoing it, but something to get them past San Antonio and possibly Denver. Maybe a Carlos Boozer? Stephen Jackson?

8. Washington Wizards (2-1)(+1)

People are not talking enough about the Wizards. They are a good-looking team. Gilbert is healthy again, and everyone forgets what he used to do when healthy. Remember the buzzer-beaters? The 40 point nights? No? Well I’m sure he’ll remind soon.

They also have the additions of Randy Foye, who replaced Caron Butler and gave Washington a good 14 points and 8 assists against New Jersey. They also have the versatile Antawn Jamison who can play the 3 or the 4 spot. They picked up a nice victory over Dallas, I’m looking forward to see them later on in the year, and how they will play against the Easts best, such as Cleveland on Tuesday. Great to see Washington turning things around.

9. Portland Trailblazers (2-2)(-1)

Even though Portland has lost two, you’d be crazy not to have them in the top 10. Have some respect, they lost to a very good Denver team, in a game where Carmelo poured 41 points all over them. But I do not accept a loss to the      ”Yao-less” Rockets.

The Blazers need to give much credit to Brandon Roy (who I expect to be in the middle of the MVP hunt) who sizzled with 42 against the Rockets. But besides the record, Portland should remain healthy all year, as they are one of the youngest overall teams in NBA, and have a talented roster which should continue improving. Should be fun to watch how Roy leads the Blazers at home against San Antonio on Friday.

10. Atlanta Hawks (2-1)(+1)

Yes, Atlanta is in the top 10. Why not? They started 2-1, they beat a good-looking Wizards squad, and their only loss is to the defending champs. Not bad. They also have an excellent front-court game. Josh Smith, Al Horford, Zaza Pachulia, and Marvin Williams are all good, long, and can hit shots from 10-15 feet. I’d say Atlanta has the best front-court in the whole league.

But what about their back-court? Well Bibby is a great PG, but his age should begin to show later in the year. This will affect the Hawks, but maybe Acie Law can come in and show us something. Then there’s Jamal Crawford who was a good pick up, I mean he can shoot 3’s, drive, play D here and there, what’s not to like?

Atlanta’s a good squad, but who will be their one guy to hit the game winner? Most will say Joe Johnson, but honestly, he isn’t a LeBron nor a Kobe.

11. Utah Jazz (1-1)(-1)

For these next three teams, the order really doesn’t make a difference. Mediocre starts, mediocre records. Nothing special. The one loss Utah has is against Nuggets. Then their one win is against the Clippers. Woo-hoo. Nothing special, but Deron Williams continues to show night in and night out that he is committed to this Utah Jazz team, even though others (Carlos Boozer) may not be as committed. Why not pull the trigger on Boozer? I mean, you’re not exactly a title contender, so why not?

12. Toronto Raptors (1-2)(+1)

Nice job guys! Beating Cleveland will look good on your record. But will it matter? Not really. It’ll matter more on Cleveland’s record more than yours. Then you lose to Memphis? C’mon. Then the loss to Orlando is understandable. Bosh is playing pretty well, while Hedo is holding his own (Still looked better in Orlando). Nothing much else to say about Toronto.

13. New Orleans Hornets (1-2)(-1)

Poor Chris Paul. He is going to be like last year’s Dwyane Wade…or worse. A great young talent, great vision, mentality, great everything! The one thing lacking, is the team.

Losing Tyson Chandler does the Hornets more worse than good. Emeka Okafor is not as mobile as Tyson (which will be key in pick & rolls), and Emeka is very susceptible to injuries. A loss to San Antonio, and Boston is understandable, and a win against Sacramento is no big deal. One thing Hornets fans can look at for a positive light is Fantasy Basketball! CP3 should be having a great, if not the best individual year!

14.Miami Heat (3-0)(+3)

The Heat are undefeated! Wow. I feel weird saying that. But yes, they are. Don’t be too shocked, as those victories came against the Knicks, Pacers and Bulls. They should have a loss or two by the next Power Rankings, as they head into the next week playing Denver once (which sounds like a good game, D-Wade vs Melo) and playing the Wizards twice. They just might lose each of those games, but don’t count on it as the “Mini-MJ” (Dwyane Wade) probably won’t let that happen. Another Fantasy Basketballer’s dream is in Dwyane Wade this year.

15. Phoenix Suns (3-0)(0)

The Suns are having a good start as they are undefeated. They haven’t faced any serious teams yet (played Clippers, T-Wolves, and Warriors), but they blew out the Clips by 20+ which is not bad at all. Leandro Barbosa is looking great, and Steve Nash isn’t really letting his age show either. Amar’e Stoudamire and his new specs don’t look bad either.

Could I have been wrong? Will Phoenix make a playoff surge? Will they pass Utah and Portland? OH NO!? Wait…I think I’m right, they probably won’t get past those two, but could possibly have a playoff spot in their future.

16.Houston Rockets (2-1)(+3)

Houston we have lift off. Well not really, but the victory against Portland might help. They may have let Brandon Roy drop 42 on them, but they contained him enough to get the W. If there is any team in the league that I am interested in seeing later, it’s Houston. I’m trying to figure out where they will end up, because nothing about them sticks out, but nothing is too bad either. We might even see Ariza possibly blossom into a star…maybe.

17. Philadelphia 76ers (2-1)(+1)

I dubbed them the most basic team in the A. I still stand by that. I mean, look at their lineup. Anyways, pretty fair start. A loss to Orlando is understandable, and nice job on picking up a victory against Milwaukee, and then heading out to Madison Square and taking out the Knicks as Al Harrington dropped 42 points. I can see something for this team in the future, but not now.

18. Chicago Bulls (1-2)(-4)

The Bulls aren’t doing that bad, they beat the Spurs which is an incredible feat for being the young team they are. Then they get mauled by the Celtics, which is acceptable, and then lose to Miami. The Miami loss in my mind is key because of the fact that those two just might end up fighting over a possible playoff start in the end. Might.

19. Oklahoma City Thunder (2-1)(+3)

The Thunder are doing well also. They beat up on the Kings for their season opener, then beat a new-look Pistons squad. Kevin Durant is still trying to lead his team to a playoff spot, while learning a thing or two himself. James Harden is trying to fit in with his new NBA team (which he will do perfectly fine), and the Thunder’s mascot is still awesome! Keep it rolling Thunder!

20. Milwaukee Bucks (1-1)(+8)

I’m really liking Brandon Jennings. He’s showing me that he can be a real “freak” on offense, and I mean that in the best way possible! The Bucks aren’t going anywhere this year, but I just can’t help but talk about Jennings. He will definitely be a good player in the near future. Oh, and the Bucks beat Detroit, but lost to the 76ers. Whatever.

The Reserves

21. Minnesota Timberwolves (1-2)(+3)

The T-Wolves aren’t doing too bad, I just expected to see a little more (like win against Phoenix). But they still are progressing. I really am looking forward to watching them in the future, especially when Ricky Rubio is there. Oops…I got too ahead of myself.

22. Detroit Pistons (1-2)(-6)

Not only is Motown’s economy suffering, but the basketball team is as well. Not that I expected the additions of Charlie and Ben to do a whole lot, but the Pistons are losing to some pretty bad teams. Their first win was at Memphis  (Woo-hoo!), and then they lost at home against the rising Thunder and the Brandon Jennings-led Bucks. Hopefully Rip Hamilton becomes fully healthy, so things will turn around for Detroit, but if not..it could get ugly…er. (Want more Detroit Basketball? Take a look at Boris’ first article: Detroit Pistons Weekly Watch)

23. Charlotte Bobcats (1-2)(-2)

Disgusting. That’s all I have to say..about the game against Boston. You know, the one where they put up a total of 59 points? Anyways, a loss to Boston and Cleveland I can understand. Then a victory against New York is solid. A positive to look at is that they still have Tyson Chandler, whom they stole from New Orleans.

24. Indiana Pacers (0-2)(-4)

The Pacers are a work in progress, it’s as simple as that. Danny Granger will most likely make the All-Star team, Tyler Hansborough has a shot at 2nd Team All-Rookie, and that’s that. They reasonably lost to Atlanta, and lost to the Heat (which they possibly could’ve won). Probably going to get spanked when they play Denver on Wednesday.

25. Los Angeles Clippers (0-4)(-2)

Poor Clips. Actually poor Blake Griffin. He was injured like, the day before his debut. Sucks man. The Clips lost to the Lakers, (ok), Phoenix (ok), Utah (ok), Dallas (ok). Damn David Stern, give these guys a break. Should have a shot at winning against the T-Wolves.

26. Memphis Grizzlies (1-2)(-1)

Lost to Detroit (could’ve won), and lost to Denver (had little chance). But they beat Toronto at least, good going Memphis. A.I. gets his debut on Monday (11/22) supposedly, looking forward to it. But not expecting a playoff spot. Sorry Thabeet and Mayo.

27. New Jersey Nets (0-3)(-1)

Sorry Jay-Z. Actually, I’m sorry for the whole New York/New Jersey area. Nothing really going on over there. The Nets lost to Minnesota, Orlando, and Washington. Two out those three they were unavoidable, but they had a shot at Minnesota. But hey, chant what I told the Knicks fans to chant, “2010, 2010, 2010!”

28. Golden State Warriors (0-2)(-1)

The Warriors are a confusing bunch. Does Stephen Jackson want to stay, or not? Is Monta Ellis really happy playing with Stephen Curry? What is Don Nelson doing over there still? Anyways, they lost to Houston, and Phoenix. This year should be a good year for Curry to get the basics down…if he’s not traded. Who isn’t on the trade block in Golden State?

29. New York Knicks (0-3)(0)

They lost to Miami, Charlotte and Philadelphia. Who cares anyways, the Knicks aren’t planning on anything this year anyways.

“2010, 2010 2010!”

30. Sacramento Kings (0-3)(0)

Congrats, if this were a draft, you’d get the first pick. But it’s not, so forget about it. Kevin Martin is pulling the load, while Tyreke Evans is barely off of it. I’m just waiting for Evans to hop off of the load, and show us something. The Kings lost to the Thunder by 23, then the Hornets by 5, and the Spurs by 9. Sacramento should use this season to let Evans familiarize himself with the NBA, other than that. Adios!

Liked the rankings? Yes? No? Let me know…comments below.

Tune in next Monday for my next NBA Power Rankings (Week 2)

Contact Devon:

-Devonnba4193@aol.com

-Twitter.com/devonmsf

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* – Photo Credit: AP Photos/ Charles Krupa

At the end of the first week of the 2009-2010 season, the Detroit Pistons are 1-2.

The new look Pistons opened the season with a 96-74 victory at Memphis, then lost at home to Oklahoma City 91-83 and at Milwaukee 96-85.

The road victory was a complete team effort in which the Pistons moved the ball on offense and defended the Grizzlies in transition and the low blocks. Richard Hamilton led all scorers with 25 points and Ben Gordon came off the bench to score 22, but the victory was marred somewhat when Hamilton stepped on O.J. Mayo’s foot and twisted his ankle in the closing minutes.

Hamilton was sidelined for at least the next two games, both of which followed a similar pattern. In the first half, the Pistons controlled the game, defending and moving the ball on offense. In the third quarter, the opposing team came out with greater defensive intensity on their part, and the young Piston team lost their composure, getting away from their team defense and playing 1-on-5 offensive basketball with the guards Rodney Stuckey, Ben Gordon, and Will Bynum trying to carry the load by themselves. This made it easier for opposing teams to defend the Pistons.

In the fourth quarter, the Pistons rallied, but couldn’t make up the third quarter deficit.

Hamilton’s presence in games 2 & 3 was missed not only for his scoring, but also for his ability to involve the frontcourt players and pass to them when they’re in position to score. In Hamilton’s absence, the Pistons other guards have neglected to involve the Pistons’ big men on the offense, resulting in low team assist totals during the last two games. The other guards must develop the passing mentality for themselves, especially if Hamilton’s absence extends into the second week.

Ben Wallace has played solidly in the first week, being the frontcourt’s defensive and rebounding mainstay. It’s Coach Kuester’s intent to monitor his minutes, but taking Wallace out has been difficult.

Kwame Brown has been solid when on the court, but his minutes were limited and he wasn’t involved in the offense by the Pistons’ active guards. His playing time could stand an increase so the team can see how much of his preseason play will carry over to the regular season.

Charlie Villanueva has played well in spurts, but not for an entire game yet. The Pistons’ offense went to another gear when he scored as he did in the first quarter of the Oklahoma City game and the fourth quarter of the Milwaukee game.

Jason Maxiell has contributed with some rebounding and defensive play, but hasn’t made a major impact during the last week. Chris Wilcox, who is capable of putting up solid scoring and rebounding numbers, hasn’t played during the first week. I would speculate that Coach Kuester is perhaps giving Jason Maxiell a chance to prove himself. Perhaps in week two, Coach Kuester will give Wilcox a chance to prove himself.

IMHO, Pistons rookies Austin Daye and Jonas Jerebko should also be given the opportunity to contribute after solid showings in the Summer League and preseason.

Oklahoma City is a young team on the rise in the West, anchored by Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and a solid frontcourt. Milwaukee is a defensive-minded team that’s a work in progress with a promising point guard in Brandon Jennings who echoes Nate Archibald. The Pistons’ games with both teams were winnable, but were lost because the Pistons didn’t play team ball at both ends of the court for a full 48 minutes.

The young Pistons’ current problems are correctable with the proper mental focus on “playing the right way.” If they don’t refocus in time, they’ll be in for some long nights next week when they play the Orlando Magic twice this coming week at home and on the road with a road game in Toronto thrown in.

Richard Hamilton’s return would be good, too, though it all depends on his ankle at this point.

When he is not contributing content here at Midwest Sports Fans, Boris is the administrator of Club Pistons, one of the best Detroit Pistons fan forums on the web.

The video of Manu Ginobili swatting the bat that was a nuisance during the Spurs’ game on Halloween night.

Cleveland Cavaliers fans were excited on this Halloween Night to see Delonte West walk out of the locker room and onto the court with his team — for the first time this season.

Fans, dressed up as Ghosts, Ghouls, Goblins, Mummies, Cartoon Characters, Cavs Players, and Witches, all cheered as he did his shoot-around.

Those cheers spoke volumes to the Cavalier Organization, to Delonte West, and to his teammates. The cheers let them all know that Cavs fans gladly welcome the troubled West back into the fold.

And, he seemed to be in good spirits, focused on basketball, and ready to play the game. Also, he helped extend the Cavs winning streak to two, and improve their overall record to 2-2, with a 90-79 win over the Bobcats.

West coming off the bench in his first appearance of the season, received thunderous applause and a standing ovation from the crowd. He had a very good game, playing 24 minutes, scoring 13 points, and getting a pair of rebounds and assists.

Mo Williams lead the team in scoring with 24 points, LeBron James had 14 points, Anthony Parker had 13 points, Varejao scored 6 points, Shaquille O’neal had 8 points, Zydrunas Ilgauskas had 10 points, and J.J. Hickson added 2 points.

Boston is off to a great start.

Not that it wasn’t expected, but who knew that the Celts would hold the Charlotte Bobcats to a total of 59 points in the C’s home opener. This came right after the Celtics spoiled the Cavaliers season and home opener as well. Then last night the Celtics took down the young Bulls squad 118-90, barely breaking a sweat.

It’s scary how well this C’s team is doing.

People have been talking about how LA has brought in Ron Artest, and how Cleveland should be fueled up on enough Diesel power to win a ring this year, but most people do not talk as much about this Celtics team, whose main acquisition was Rasheed Wallace. Without a doubt, this wasn’t as big as a Shaq or Vince Carter deal.

Even though I say this,  I have one question.

Are the Celtics the best team in the NBA?

Here is a good point in support that they may be: the C’s are blowing out their opponents. They are averaging 101.7 PPG and giving their opponents an average of 79.3 PPG, a difference of 20+ points.

To me, this is staggering, because supposedly the Celtics were supposed to have a slow/rocky start. Glen Davis would be out, KG has not been on the court long enough to shake his rust off, and Doc still needed to find a way to incorporate his new additions:

• PF Shelden Williams
• PF Rasheed Wallace
• PG Marquis Daniels

No doubt, the Celts are showing us they are still a force to be reckoned with, but let’s take an in-depth look.

Cavaliers 10/27

The season opener.

Cavs fans and Celtics fans alike were waiting for this one. Heck, all NBA fans were, and it showed as TNT has it’s largest NBA audience in their history of showing the game. But back to the point.

The Cavs were coming in with all the confidence in the world, as the media had been feeding the world that the Cavs are the beasts of the east. But that night, Boston had other thoughts.

The Celtics did not start off the way they had hoped, as the Cavs seemed to be running the tables early, and finished the first quarter with a 21-28 lead over Boston. Then, it all went downhill.

Boston finished the half well, scoring 31 points in the second quarter and only allowing Cleveland a meek 17 points.

This proved to be the decider, as the Celts held off Cleveland in the final two quarters  by going blow for blow.

Final: BOS- 95 CLE-89

-Paul Pierce finished 23 points, and 11 rebounds

-Kevin Garnett added 13, 10 rebounds and 3 blocks

-Ray Allen put in 16, 2 rebounds and 3 steals and assists

and let’s not forget about the new face..

-Rasheed Wallace had 12 points, 3 rebounds and 2 blocks off the bench

A great boost of confidence for Boston, as they hold off the Cavs, even though having allowed LeBron to drop 38.

Bobcats 10/29

Time for the C’s home opener, and lucky for them they faced a non-playoff Bobcats team (insert NBA preseason Power ranking link)

Not really much to say about this one other than the fact that it was a damn embarrassment for the Bobcats.

The Celtics ran circles around Charlotte in nearly every aspect.

Defensively the C’s allowed Gerald Wallace, whom is Charlotte’s number one option, a team high 10 points. 10 POINTS!? Are you serious? Cmon Larry Brown, I think you can run your squad better than that!

Then the Bobcats were shooting up bricks from three, as they were 0-10 from the three point line. I’m no genius at math, but I believe that is 0%.

Then the Bobcats FG% was 31%. Absolutely disgusting! But don’t worry Charlotte, not your fault. The Celtics are just an amazingly good defensive team.

Let’s take a look at the score quarter by quarter:

Q1- Boston -22 Charlotte- 12

Q2- Boston -20 Charlotte- 18

(That is the closest Charlotte gets)

Q3- Boston -25 Charlotte- 10

(OUCH!)

Q4- Boston -25 Charlotte- 18

Poor Charlotte, but hey you tried right?

Final: BOS-92 CHA-59 (ew)

-KG had 10, Pierce had 16, Ray had 18

Chicago 10/30

A rematch of last year’s stunning first round playoff series.

But it wasn’t anything like last year..at all.

This was purely an offensive showcase for Boston. Chicago didn’t play badly either, even thought they lost. But you have to give this Bulls team credit, especially considering their best player is a second year player.

The game was intriguing in the beginning, as the Bulls were able to hang in there, as they ended the first quarter 21-17.

But from then  Boston poured it on, dropping 29 in the second quarter. The third was Paul Pierces quarter, as he dropped 20 of his 22 in the third.

Simply amazing!

In total, the C’s put  38 in the third,  and then the Boston  bench assisted in putting up 30 in the fourth.

Defensively, Boston did a nice job on the perimeter, as they help Chicago to 13% from downtown.

Not the showcase from last year, but was a good game for those of us who didn’t have anything to do on Friday night.

Final: BOS – 118 CHI – 90

-Paul Pierce put in 22 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 steals

-Allen dropped 20, and dished out 3 assists

-KG gave 16 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists and a steal

-Eddie House put in 22 off the bench.

Conclusively, Boston is playing great ball, and should continue that way, as their upcoming games are rather easy.

11/1 – New Orleans at Boston

11/3 – Boston at Philadelphia

11/4 – Boston at Minnesota

In the end, Boston has a complete team. They have leadership, veteran skills, three point shooting, post play, athleticism…everything!

Next time you call Cleveland or Orlando the beast of the east, don’t forget the 2008 NBA Champions, whom in my mind, have simply gotten better!

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* – Kevin Garnett photo credit: Getty Images