A special gift to us all from the most objective journalist in America other than Keith, that is.

:mccosky:


Chris McCosky's midseason report

Chris McCosky / The Detroit News

GUARDS

Chauncey Billups
Like all great captains, Billups continues to be a rock on the court and in the locker room. His scoring, shooting percentage and offensive efficiency (assists-to-turnovers) are up. He has made a concerted effort to keep opponents' dribble penetration to a minimum -- still a nightly struggle. But his size, skill and savvy, the mismatches he creates on a nightly basis, give Detroit a great advantage against the other primary contenders in the East.

Richard Hamilton
What a wacky first half. He missed a chunk of camp (ankle) and started the season inactive (birth of his son). It took him another month to get used to reduced playing time (33-35 minutes, from 38-40). He also had to get used to having a fifth scorer on the floor (Antonio McDyess). But from about Game 25, Hamilton has played some of his best basketball. His offensive efficiency improved greatly. He is passing better and more willingly. And his defense has been aggressive and contagious.

Rodney Stuckey
What impresses, besides his NBA-ready skills, is his unflappability. He doesn't rattle easily, if ever. A broken hand in the final quarter of the exhibition season and a lingering healing process didn't bug him. Learning both guard positions isn't bothering him much, either. He still is learning to deal with the pace of the game, his decision-making is tardy at times and his jumper remains erratic. But every day, he seems to make progress. His defense is ahead of his offense, and the Pistons will happily live with that.

Lindsey Hunter
What a unique weapon the Pistons have in this wily 37-year-old. As he showed in Detroit's two most impressive victories to date -- at Boston and at San Antonio -- Hunter can sit in a suit for a couple weeks, then come off the bench and be a game-changer. His ability to be disruptive on defense and steadying on offense will be invaluable in the playoffs.

Arron Afflalo
His contributions can't be measured by his statistics. His aggressiveness and all-out hustle in games and practices, his tough-nosed defense and willingness to guard anyone have been major additions. His offense still is a work in progress, but the Pistons did not draft him to be a scorer. Even though he has been temporarily displaced from the rotation, he remains an important piece.

Flip Murray
He took advantage of his opportunity early when Rodney Stuckey had his broken hand and played well as the first guard off the bench in November. But his efficiency waned, and once Stuckey returned, Murray lost his spot in the rotation and active roster. As the Pistons try to trade him, he has maintained his professionalism.

FORWARDS

Rasheed Wallace
He's been sensational on some nights, great on most nights. Rarely, maybe three or four games, was he a nonfactor. His consistency has fueled the Pistons' successful first half. He has provided more of a low-post presence on offense, while still knocking down 36 percent of his 3-pointers. But his greatest contribution has been on defense, where through 39 games he led the team in steals and blocks. He's also done a better job keeping his temper under control (six technicals).

Antonio McDyess
The offense isn't there every night, but the rebounding and the defensive effort is. The way he and Wallace play off each other has mitigated one of the biggest worries this season -- the absence of a true center. He is the team's leading rebounder and has been effective using his athleticism and smart positioning to negate the bigger frontcourt players on most nights. He's averaging 31 minutes, which should help keep him fresh down the stretch.

Tayshaun Prince
The ups and downs have been more pronounced this season than in the past, but overall, his statistics are above his career averages in everything except shooting percentage. If you were expecting Prince to have a break-out season and put up 18 points and eight rebounds a game, then you are disappointed. Nobody in the organization had those expectations, especially with the addition of another offensive option (McDyess) in the starting lineup. That said, nobody thinks Prince has played up to his standards.

Jason Maxiell
He already has played more minutes in a half season than all of last season, and the wear and tear was obvious recently, but he will continue to be a game-altering force off the bench. He is the team's best pick-and-roll defender and has improved his defensive rebounding, which is a key to his survival in this league. He has developed a better midrange game to complement his post game, and he has hit 68 percent of his free throws.

Jarvis Hayes
He's better than he's played, and at times he's played very well. Hayes, for the first time in his career, is being asked to play as hard defensively as he does offensively, and that has been a struggle at times. It would be disappointing if he doesn't find a more consistent rhythm in the second half. His ability to spread defenses with his perimeter jumper is a valuable tool.

Amir Johnson
Johnson seemed poised for a rotation spot before spraining his ankle in camp. That injury cost him most of November, and he still is trying to catch up. He has shown flashes of athleticism and ability to score at the basket but still hasn't shown enough consistency or court savvy to warrant additional minutes.

Walter Herrmann
The Pistons are searching for ways to use Herrmann's diverse skills. He is billed as a small forward but has the strength and athleticism to effectively play power forward -- which he showed with an impressive outing against Dirk Nowitzki. He clearly has an array of offensive skills but hasn't been able to show enough consistency. He will continue to play only in special or emergency situations.

CENTERS

Primoz Brezec
If only his on-court production matched his energy and desire. The guy wants so desperately to fit in and contribute, it seems he's trying to do too much. The result is that he hasn't done much at all. If he could settle in a bit and just rebound and defend, he would find his niche.

Cheikh Samb
Slow and not so steady goes the progress for the 7-foot-1 center from Senegal. He had one brief, 15-minute flash against the Lakers (two blocks, four rebounds) in November, but has spent the better part of the last two months recovering from an elbow to the mouth.

Well, he does a good job of putting a happy and positive spin on everything, I guess. Other than that, it was a very mediocre article.

:mccosky:


Moving on, judging from all the hate mail I received this week, apparently I should have shredded the Pistons in my mid-season review that ran Monday. I should have flunked the lot of them and campaigned for the firing of coach Flip Saunders. Apparently, when I did the 41-game midseason assessments, I should have only used the games in January. Because clearly, those 10 games were more of a reflection of who this team is than the other 31. Some people are just ridiculous. They were 29-12 at the mid-point. Second best record in basketball. Third best 41-game record in club history. But, my lord, they started January 5-5. Break them up.

Here's the thing -- and I know I've made this speech before. But I am not going to give you knee jerk reactions to things. I am not going to say they suck every time they lose and say they are great every time they win. My goal is to present this stuff with some perspective and level-headedness. Over an 82-game slate, they are going to suck and they are going to be great and they are going to be somewhere in the middle. The bottom line is, 29-12. You want to project a 5-5 January into a certain early playoff ouster, you go ahead. I am going to use a broader frame of reference. If that's OK with you.

This team has a body of work that spans five-plus years. That factors in. The fact that they have won a title, have been to two NBA Finals and five straight conference finals means something. The fact that they lost the last two also means something. I know this team isn't perfect and I have always pointed out its warts and blemishes. But even with the warts and blemishes, this team still looks better than anybody else in the East, all things considered. People see mistakes made this month -- not stopping dribble penetration, limited protection at the basket, stagnant one one one offense, a couple of low energy games from Rasheed Wallace -- and act like these are new developments. They aren't. They were things I wrote about in my first story about this team before training camp. The ruling fact is, though, despite all of that, they had a 29-12 record at the mid-point. And I am called a homer because I didn't rip them for that. Wow. My bad.

:emo kid:

What a condescending asshole.

I am going to use a broader frame of reference. If that's OK with you.
Someone woke up on the snarky side of the bed this morning!