espn insider said we might have mike james back by next week. he'd be about as ideal as could be as far as final pieces go.

We'd be officially ready if that happened.

something is really wrong with me if I am over here geeked out about Mike James.... Right?

http://images.usatoday.com/sports/_photos/2005/11/21/inside2-2005-11-21-mike-james.jpg Mike James says NO!!! to Bubbles remark

Did ESPN mention what it would cost us?

They did want Nazr. If they won't do straight up, maybe Nazr and a second for James? I'd make that deal.

I have only one problem with this trade. I think Mike James certainly gives us a better chance to win now. But after this season, we are going to have one highly paid backup, with not much upside, and no expiring deal for awhile. That's the difference with big men. An average big man is rarely considered overpaid at 6 mill. James clearly will be an overpaid, older backup PG. I still like the guy and think we have a better chance of winning this year with him, but Joe will have to rely on some superior skills to move that deal later.

Pistons lose the contracts of hunter and webber next year. With the possibility of Billups.

Do whatever you can to make this team better right now. It's our last big run.

I have to agree with Bubbles here. If Billups leaves after the season, I can see us blowing the team up (meaning the older guys).

if billups leaves after this year, which i believe to be likely, at the very least we wouldnt be a complete joke at pg, especially if we S&T for jameer nelson.

supposedly, this draft is deep with big men, so it would be better to reload the big men through the draft, rather than having to draft a guard as a reach.

and i agree with bubbles. the future is now.

Why all the pessimism about Chauncey leaving?

If they just want Nazr straight up, I think Joe already would have pulled the trigger. Even Nazr and a second, deal should have been done. Hell, Nazr, Flip, and a second.. do it haha. Not saying James is worth a lot, but those are three things I can live without.

billups ain't leaving. we'll give him whatever he wants to stay IMO and i think he wants to be in detroit.

but in any case, i personally don't see the deal for james happening. nazr for james.....? don't think they'd do that myself but i could be wrong.

Why all the pessimism about Chauncey leaving?

Because Ben left.

Hunter has another year on his contract after this one. If he moves to the front office next year James is basically the same as Hunter and Davis' contract.

If they just want Nazr straight up, I think Joe already would have pulled the trigger. Even Nazr and a second, deal should have been done. Hell, Nazr, Flip, and a second.. do it haha. Not saying James is worth a lot, but those are three things I can live without.

Maybe they were playing hardball and wanting to ditch Jaric for a while.

I'd pay to watch McHale try to play hardball, real or metaphorical.

I'd pay to watch a day in the life of McHale, period. If I got a specific choice of days, I'd pick draft day, closely followed by trade deadline day.

I'd pay to watch a day in the life of McHale, period. If I got a specific choice of days, I'd pick draft day, closely followed by trade deadline day.

In this pay per view dream scenario, would there be an option to choose which Cosby Show sweater he wears that day?

For an extra few dollars.

Whoa!!!

Look what you can find if you Google "Cosby Sweater":

Cosby Sweater:

The sexual act of eating Fruit Loops, Fruity Pebbles, Trix, and Boo Berry- or any other 'bright, colorful' breakfast cereals- and then vomitting the tacky, dazzling mixture onto your partners chest. The result should look similar to the incredible sweaters that Bill Cosby wore during his highly successful 1980's sitcom "The Cosby Show".

:mccosky:


I am getting a lot of emails about Mike James -- as usual. He might be the most popular ex-Piston ever. People have a real over-inflated sense of what kind of player he is. He was perfect for the Pistons in 2004. He was a high-energy guy who teamed with Lindsey Hunter to wreak havoc off the bench with their trapping and pressing. He would be perfect in that role for the Pistons again this season. Except, understand, he doesn't see himself as that guy. He sees himself, and he is being paid as, a starting point guard. He sees himself as a No. 1 or No. 2 option. Not a role player.

That said, I am sure Joe Dumars has made inquiries about him. As I wrote in the Burning Questions that went up on the website Tuesday, James and Nazr Mohammed both signed mid-level exception contracts last summer, James for four years and Mohammed for five. James has been benched in Minnesota. Minnesota wants front court help. So, there is a chance. But listen, Kevin McHale is going to do all he can NOT to trade James to the Pistons. First of all, he has to think he can get a better deal. Second, why would he want to help the coach he fired two years ago (Flip Saunders) win a championship? Dumars will have to work some magic to make that deal happen.

:langlois: update on James from the PG thread: http://wtfdetroit.com/forums/showpost.php?p=157697&postcount=42

Hunter has another year on his contract after this one. If he moves to the front office next year James is basically the same as Hunter and Davis' contract.

Hunter is going to retire after this season.

does langlois/mckosky (not sure who authored) know that mchale and saunders are (were?) lifelong friends, and that it was mchale who did the firing? mchale would be a real son of a gun if he didnt do a mutually beneficial trade just to spite the guy he fired. i call bs on author's point.

I agree with b-diddy. They didn't fire Saunders out of spite. They fired him because his message stopped getting through to the players. I remember reading multiple articles about it, both when he got fired and when the Pistons hired him, saying that "you can only use the same speaches on guys so many times before they stop listening" It was a "no hard feelings" kind of firing.

Judging from his recent firing of another coach who was getting .500 ball out of his team, McHale can be an idiot. Flip was given volatile pieces to work with in Spree and Sam-I-Am. It was obvious to everyone that you just don't leave their status hanging in a contract year at the peak of their remaining value without a breakdown, and that's what happened. It didn't help that Cassell was injured again, which obviously no one could have predicted. Those are GM mistakes, along with:

- the Joe Smith scandal
- the picks they've gotten until Foye. I can hear it now... "Let's surround KG with a project and a hothead"
- snagging a 4th PG without dealing one of the other three, because it's not like they need a C in the worst way

Word is that Minny is making it a requirement that if you want James, you need to take Eddie Griffin too.

That said, Nazr & Flip for MJ & Griffin is a match, and Griffin could just be waived.

That would open a roster spot too, if Joe wanted to sign somebody (maybe roster cut prior to March 1?).

Houston seems to have interest in Mike James...

I don't see why they would unless Head or Alston or that Spanish point guard is on the move...