Pacers drop Knicks, head to first Eastern finals since '04

Source: The Detroit News by Michael Marot Associated Press

Indiana is 6-0 at home in the playoffs, but this one sure wasn't easy. Next up is a rematch with Miami, the team that eliminated Indiana last season. Game 1 will be Wednesday at Miami.

2nd-Round Draft Prospects Guaranteed to Interest the Detroit Pistons

Source: Bleacher Report

In the 2013 NBA draft, the Detroit Pistons will have the No. 8 pick in the second round. Players available that late rarely turn into All-Stars, but the Pistons should be able to find a player who can play valuable minutes in their rotation next season.

The Pistons need to upgrade their starters on the wing, but they also need to find reliable backups at point guard and in the frontcourt. Here is one player at each position that the Pistons should strongly consider drafting in the second round.

 

Point Guard: Myck Kabongo, Texas

The Pistons only have two players under contract that can play point guard, Brandon Knight

Heat star Dwyane Wade surprises fan at prom

Source: The Detroit News by Associated Press

Wade walked into a ballroom with roses and hugged Nicole Muxo on Friday night as her classmates from Archbishop Coleman Carroll High School cheered. Muxo posted a YouTube video in April asking Wade to the prom.

Detroit Pistons' contact list, workout probabilities from NBA Draft Combine participants

Source: Michigan Live by David Mayo | dmayo@mlive.com

Of the 63 combine participants, 39 said they have had contact with the Pistons, while 21 of those have individual workouts scheduled or expect to have them scheduled with the team.

NBA Draft Combine: Detroit Pistons are the grillmasters, according to guard curiosity Ricky Ledo

Source: Michigan Live by David Mayo | dmayo@mlive.com

Teams have plenty to ask about Ledo, who attended four different high schools and decided to leave Providence College after one season during which he was academically ineligible and never played a game.

Former Michigan star Trey Burke expects to play big in NBA

Source: The Detroit News by Vincent Goodwill - The Detroit News

If age is only a number, then height serves the same meaningless purpose for Michigan's Trey Burke, the national player of the year. He feels his skill set and accomplishments should speak more to NBA teams than the concerns about how tall he is.

Victor Oladipo says he'd be good fit with Pistons

Source: The Detroit News by Vincent Goodwill - The Detroit News

Oladipo rose up the draft boards this past season because of his stellar play on both ends of the floor, especially his ability to disrupt offenses by being perhaps the best perimeter defender in college basketball.

Friday's NBA roundup: Tony Parker emerges as Spurs' leader

Source: The Detroit News by Associated Press

Danny Green failed to step up quickly enough on a pick, allowing Golden State's Stephen Curry to hit an open 3-pointer. The roar of the Oracle Arena crowd Thursday night was nothing compared to Tony Parker's tirade at Green over the defensive lapse.

Detroit Pistons #DraftDreams: Jeff Withey

Source: PistonPowered by Brady Fredericksen

Discuss Draft Dreams on Twitter using the #DraftDreams hashtag.

Info

• Measurables: 6-foot-11, 240 pounds, senior center from the University of Kansas
• Key Stats: 13.7 points, 8.5 rebounds, 3.9 blocks per game; shot 58 percent from the field.
• Projected: Mid-first round.

Random Fact

There are a lot of scatter-brained, potentially inebriated ideas that college students concoct — some great and some bad. But you’ve got to give it up, the cult following that Withey had during his four year’s at Kansas are pretty hilarious.

Not only did he have a parody Twitter account called @FakeJeffWithey, which is how I really

Numbers Crunching

Source: NBA.com

Physical measurements and drills testing numbers don’t define a player, but when players like Indiana’s Cody Zeller and Victor Oladipo put up the kind of results they turned in at the NBA draft combine, it can’t hurt their draft stock.

On Point

Source: NBA.com

Because their cap space will allow them to plug urgent needs, the Pistons can spend their lottery pick on the best talent regardless of position. Three point guards – Trey Burke, Michael Carter-Williams and C.J. McCollum – just might fit the bill.

Measuring Up

Source: NBA.com

Kim English remembers what he was going through a year ago, on the eve of the NBA draft combine, and the process that led to the Pistons taking him with the 44th pick in the 2012 draft

Detroit Pistons Announce “Pistons Academy” Youth Basketball Summer Camp Schedule

Source: NBA.com

The Detroit Pistons announced today the summer schedule for “Pistons Academy” youth basketball camps which begin Wednesday, June 17 at Seaholm High School in Birmingham, MI.

Pistons Mailbag - May 15, 2013

Source: NBA.com

Andre Drummond’s All-Rookie snub, loads of draft names, questions on the timeline for a coaching search … it’s time for the latest edition of Pistons Mailbag.

Numbers Crunching

Source: NBA.com

Physical measurements and drills testing numbers don’t define a player, but when players like Indiana’s Cody Zeller and Victor Oladipo put up the kind of results they turned in at the NBA draft combine, it can’t hurt their draft stock.

Ask David!: Has the time come for Detroit Pistons to part company with Rodney Stuckey?

Source: Michigan Live by David Mayo | dmayo@mlive.com

Stuckey has spent his six professional seasons with the Pistons but could be the team's top trade prospect this offseason, and is the subject of multiple queries in this week's Q-and-A with MLive Media Group Pistons beat writer David Mayo.

Making Sense of the Latest Rumors from Detroit Pistons' Coaching Search

Source: Bleacher Report

The Detroit Pistons are searching for Lawrence Frank's replacement, the person who will become their fourth coach in five years.

General manager Joe Dumars has enlisted the services of coaching great Phil Jackson to help select the best man for the position.

Dumars has already begun to interview candidates despite the fact that many top assistant coaches are still in the midst of playoff runs.

The Pistons will likely have competition for the man they do want for the job. There are 10 other teams with head coaching vacancies

Georgetown's Porter praises Pistons, Indiana's Oladipo stresses defense

Source: The Detroit News by Vincent Goodwill - The Detroit News

Georgetown swingman Otto Porter is one of the Pistons' targets for next month's NBA draft, and Porter compared himself to a player who just left town.

Tim Hardaway Jr., Ray McCallum face tough questions as they introduce themselves to pros

Source: The Detroit News by Vincent Goodwill - The Detroit News

Questions about their respective athletic abilities is something Michigan's Tim Hardaway Jr. and the Detroit's Ray McCallum are being forced to answer for the first time in their careers.

John Niyo: Michigan's Trey Burke ready for NBA with help from trusted allies

Source: The Detroit News by John Niyo

The consensus national player of the year announced he was turning pro last month, and last week the point guard announced he was bypassing more high-profile sports agents to sign with his father, Benji Burke, a newly licensed agent, and his cousin, Alonzo Shavers, who has a relatively small list of NFL clients.

NBA Draft Combine prospects take different views of college and college basketball

Source: Michigan Live by David Mayo | dmayo@mlive.com

Indiana's Cody Zeller declined first-round money to return for his sophomore season, while Arizona's Grant Jerrett is a borderline draft pick who opted to leave after one year.

Thursday's NBA roundup: Carmelo Anthony, Knicks force Game 6; Spurs eliminate Warriors

Source: The Detroit News by Associated Press

Carmelo Anthony and the New York Knicks broke out just enough to stay in it. Anthony scored 28 points and the Knicks avoided elimination in the Eastern Conference semifinals with an 85-75 victory over the Indiana Pacers in Game 5 on Thursday night.

Georgetown's Otto Porter praises Pistons at predraft camp

Source: The Detroit News by Vincent Goodwill - The Detroit News

Georgetown swingman Otto Porter is one of the Pistons' targets for next month's NBA draft, and Porter compared himself to a player who just left town.

Tim Hardaway Jr., Ray McCallum Jr. face tough questions as they introduce themselves to pros

Source: The Detroit News by Vincent Goodwill - The Detroit News

Questions about their respective athletic abilities is something Michigan's Tim Hardaway Jr. and the Detroit's Ray McCallum are being forced to answer for the first time in their careers.

Carmelo Anthony, Knicks force Game 6 against Pacers

Source: The Detroit News by Associated Press

Carmelo Anthony and the New York Knicks broke out just enough to stay in it. Anthony scored 28 points and the Knicks avoided elimination in the Eastern Conference semifinals with an 85-75 victory over the Indiana Pacers in Game 5 on Thursday night.

John Niyo: Trey Burke, trust put to the test

Source: The Detroit News by John Niyo

The consensus national player of the year announced he was turning pro last month, and last week the point guard announced he was bypassing more high-profile sports agents to sign with his father, Benji Burke, a newly licensed agent, and his cousin, Alonzo Shavers, who has a relatively small list of NFL clients.

Shabazz Muhammad, who is on Detroit Pistons' first-round radar, confronts age flap at NBA Draft Combine

Source: Michigan Live by David Mayo | dmayo@mlive.com

UCLA product's season started with sanctions for improper benefits and ended with questions about how his age came to be listed incorrectly, but the wing player's potential could blend with Pistons' needs.

Grizzlies rest, prepare for 1st conference finals (The Associated Press)

Source: Yahoo! Sports

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) -- The Grizzlies are enjoying a day off after wrapping up the franchise's first berth in the Western Conference finals. Good thing, too, because they can use a little rest after all that hard work.

On Point

Source: NBA.com

Because their cap space will allow them to plug urgent needs, the Pistons can spend their lottery pick on the best talent regardless of position. Three point guards – Trey Burke, Michael Carter-Williams and C.J. McCollum – just might fit the bill.

Detroit's Ray McCallum out to prove he belongs in the big show

Source: The Detroit News by Vincent Goodwill - The Detroit News

Reintroducing himself at the NBA Draft Combine was the main goal for Ray McCallum, the University of Detroit junior point guard who declared for the draft on the last possible day.

Measuring Up

Source: NBA.com

Kim English remembers what he was going through a year ago, on the eve of the NBA draft combine, and the process that led to the Pistons taking him with the 44th pick in the 2012 draft

Detroit Pistons Announce “Pistons Academy” Youth Basketball Summer Camp Schedule

Source: NBA.com

The Detroit Pistons announced today the summer schedule for “Pistons Academy” youth basketball camps which begin Wednesday, June 17 at Seaholm High School in Birmingham, MI.

Pistons Mailbag - May 15, 2013

Source: NBA.com

Andre Drummond’s All-Rookie snub, loads of draft names, questions on the timeline for a coaching search … it’s time for the latest edition of Pistons Mailbag.

Andre Drummond and Kyle Singler Named to NBA All-Rookie Second Team

Source: NBA.com

Detroit Pistons center Andre Drummond and forward Kyle Singler were both named to the 2012-13 NBA All-Rookie Second Team, the NBA announced today.

Ramping Up

Source: NBA.com

The Pistons never anticipated getting to draft Andre Drummond with the ninth pick last year but the timing of the draft combine and the lottery alters the equation this year, Keith Langlois writes for True Blue Pistons.

Ex-Michigan point guard Trey Burke 'surprised' he hasn't heard from Detroit Pistons yet

Source: Michigan Live by Nick Baumgardner | nbaumgardner@mlive.com

Burke says he measured in at 6-foot-1 with a 6-foot-5 wingspan at the NBA draft combine Thursday. He's interviewed with four NBA teams already, and has six more this week -- but the Detroit Pistons aren't currently on that list.

Otto Porter: It'd be 'beautiful' to play with Pistons' Greg Monroe

Source: The Detroit News by Vincent Goodwill - The Detroit News

Chicago — Georgetown swingman Otto Porter is one of the Pistons' targets for next month's NBA draft and Porter compared himself to a player who just left town: "Tayshaun Prince."

NBA Draft 2013: Cody Zeller's DBB scouting report

Source: Detroit Bad Boys by Packey

What would Zeller bring to the Pistons?

Shinons*: Brandan Wright is a trending favorite among DBBers as a free agency target. Zeller would bring many of the same qualities that Wright does. Efficient, versatile scoring with mediocre rebounding. The biggest difference is the defensive end, where Wright's length helps him as a shot-blocking threat. The only area where he really stands out is in getting to the line, which he does more than 7 times per game and converts 75% of the time.

Mike Payne: A productive offensive big man with room to grow. His ability to draw contact and convert well at the line makes him more valuable than he might appear at first glance.

Ben Gulker: If his game transitions to

NBA Draft 2013: Cody Zeller's DBB scouting report

Source: Motown String Music by Packey

What would Zeller bring to the Pistons?

Shinons*: Brandan Wright is a trending favorite among DBBers as a free agency target. Zeller would bring many of the same qualities that Wright does. Efficient, versatile scoring with mediocre rebounding. The biggest difference is the defensive end, where Wright's length helps him as a shot-blocking threat. The only area where he really stands out is in getting to the line, which he does more than 7 times per game and converts 75% of the time.

Mike Payne: A productive offensive big man with room to grow. His ability to draw contact and convert well at the line makes him more valuable than he might appear at first glance.

Ben Gulker: If his game transitions to

Measuring Up

Source: NBA.com

Kim English remembers what he was going through a year ago, on the eve of the NBA draft combine, and the process that led to the Pistons taking him with the 44th pick in the 2012 draft

Wednesday's NBA playoffs roundup: Heat down Bulls to advance

Source: The Detroit News by Associated Press

LeBron James scored 23 points, Wade added' and the Heat clawed back from an 11-point second-half deficit to beat the Chicago Bulls 94-91 on Wednesday night and close out their second-round series in five games.

ESPN '30 for 30' on Detroit Bad Boys is coming

Source: Detroit Bad Boys by Packey

The critically acclaimed ESPN series is about to get really close to home in a very good, Bad Boys way. Whatcha gonna do?

Our very own MF Matt Watson retweeted the news with an appropriate reaction:

Oh hell yes MT @richarddeitsch: Among the upcoming 30 for 30s: The Bad Boys (on the Detroit Pistons teams) ...

— Matt Watson (@mattwatson) May 14, 2013

(You know it's credible because it comes from a verified account!)

This is going to be an

NBA rumors: Pistons to interview Brian Shaw

Source: Detroit Bad Boys by Packey

According to Tom Leyden at WXYZ Channel 7, the Detroit Pistons have contacted Brian Shaw about an interview. The Pacers, as you know, are in the midst of a playoff run right now and none of their coaches are allowed to interview for other jobs during such, but the Pacers' assistant coach is expected to ultimately have a formal interview for the

ESPN '30 for 30' on Detroit Bad Boys is coming

Source: Motown String Music by Packey

The critically acclaimed ESPN series is about to get really close to home in a very good, Bad Boys way. Whatcha gonna do?

Our very own MF Matt Watson retweeted the news with an appropriate reaction:

Oh hell yes MT @richarddeitsch: Among the upcoming 30 for 30s: The Bad Boys (on the Detroit Pistons teams) ...

— Matt Watson (@mattwatson) May 14, 2013

(You know it's credible because it comes from a verified account!)

This is going to be an awesome documentary. I just hope the Red

NBA rumors: Pistons to interview Brian Shaw

Source: Motown String Music by Packey

According to Tom Leyden at WXYZ Channel 7, the Detroit Pistons have contacted Brian Shaw about an

Combine will give Pistons a chance to see who's the best fit

Source: The Detroit News by Vincent Goodwill - The Detroit News

It's there where they can begin separating fact from fiction when they actually sit down with college players, beginning the delicate process of figuring out who's the best fit for the type of team Pistons president Joe Dumars is trying to build.

Detroit Pistons: Dumars, Pistons have a huge summer ahead

Source: Yardbarker

Alright, I’m not sure why I keep going on these Detroit Pistons tangents in the midst of one of the best NBA playoffs in recent years, but I can’t stress enough how huge this summer is for the this organization. With money at their disposal, a top 10 pick in the 2013 NBA draft and young talent that can be shopped around, the Pistons are in a great position to once again contend in the Eastern Conference. And while free agency is probably the biggest of the Pistons concerns going forward, whoever they select in the upcoming NBA draft could dictate their moves for the rest of the offseason. A few weeks back I put together an article that showed who I believe the Pistons should pick in the draft, and since then, my mind hasn’t changed too much. While a shooting guard and small forward are the Pistons primary needs, if Michigan point guard Trey Burke is sitting there when the Pistons select I think he will be their choice. Aside from his ties with Joe Dumars (Burke played briefly with D...

NBA Draft 2013: Nerlens Noel's DBB scouting report

Source: Detroit Bad Boys by Packey

What would Nerlens Noel bring to the Pistons?

Shinons*: How would you like to have the most exciting team in the league? One that leads the league annually in blocks, steals, and rebounds? One that features a potentially historically good defense? Even better than the Bad Boys or Going to Work eras? That's how highly I think of Noel.

This guy put up a combined 6.5 blocks and steals. He is the best defensive playmaking prospect I'm aware of. Davis last year had 6.1. Before these two, the next best that I can think of was Jarvis Varnado, who put up 5.4 his senior year. This number, 6.5, it's unbelievable.

Mike Payne: A

NBA Draft 2013: Nerlens Noel's DBB scouting report

Source: Motown String Music by Packey

What would Nerlens Noel bring to the Pistons?

Shinons*: How would you like to have the most exciting team in the league? One that leads the league annually in blocks, steals, and rebounds? One that features a potentially historically good defense? Even better than the Bad Boys or Going to Work eras? That's how highly I think of Noel.

This guy put up a combined 6.5 blocks and steals. He is the best defensive playmaking prospect I'm aware of. Davis last year had 6.1. Before these two, the next best that I can think of was Jarvis Varnado, who put up 5.4 his senior year. This number, 6.5, it's unbelievable.

Mike Payne: A defensive force

Chicago-born Dwyane Wade saves the damage for late, Miami knocks off the Chicago Bulls in Game 5 (Ball Don't Lie)

Source: Yahoo! Sports

Dwyane Wade may have entered the league less than a decade ago, and his youthful indiscretions may still making national news , but the man has been around for long enough to know how to drag a team to victory. The Miami Heat star worked his 158th playoff contest in Wednesday night’s Game 5, against a Chicago Bulls team he grew up rooting for. And despite a debilitating knee injury that forced him to hit the locker room to “re-adjust” (read: manually move his right kneecap back into place) during the third quarter, he still had enough to put his Heat over the top, and knock off the Bulls on Miami’s way to its fifth Eastern Conference final in the last nine years. Wade dunked once in that pivotal fourth quarter, but the biggest damage he did to Chicago’s attack came by way of a loping, veteran style of misdirection movement, setting the Bulls’ defenders off course while raised for either in-between drives or long jumpers. Game 5 didn’t provide Wade the finest box score of his playoff career, but the setting and the stumbling blocks were enough to remind Heat fans of what a special player they’ve had the pleasure to have known since 2003.