Glenn
08-14-2007, 09:00 AM
Mejia has been hanging out in Langloisland, apparently.
Great pic!
http://www.sportsline.com/nba/story/10293787
http://images.sportsline.com/u/photos/basketball/nba/img10293875.jpg
Dismiss Pistons' chances next season at your own peril
http://images.sportsline.com/images/author/3928.jpgAug. 13, 2007
By Tony Mejia
CBS SportsLine.com Staff Writer
Antonio McDyess cried over the passing of another title run on June 3, his dreams dashed for a third consecutive season.
He had joined Detroit on the heels of its first title, so he was reminded by his new team's accomplishment daily. All he had to do was glimpse over at Rasheed Wallace's locker, where a WWE replica championship was proudly hung.
McDyess, a superstar in Denver before a devastating knee injury in late 2001 ended those days, wanted only to take in that view from the top. He's still waiting.
San Antonio ruined that year's quest. Miami followed in 2006, and a few months ago, Cleveland broke the Pistons' spirit.
"Tonight, I accepted that I'm never gonna win," McDyess said after Detroit's elimination at Quicken Loans Arena. "I felt this team was the one to get us there. We had all the chances in the world and we blew it. It seems like it's over for me now."
Detroit was dead. I buried them. So did most of you.
C'mon, you remember. In Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals, LeBron James went through the entire Pistons team, carting them to the end of the road. In Game 6, the rest of the Cavs joined in and exposed them as washed up. Wallace lost his mind, almost eating referee Ed F. Rush. It was painful to watch, and the locker room scene was no prettier.
Chauncey Billups looked to be a goner. McDyess, too.
Joe Dumars wasn't about to repeat the mistake made following the run of the Bad Boys in the early '90s, where the team was allowed to age its way into inferiority. Not on his watch. Rebuilding made sense.
But as the dust clears and a new season looms, a sequel is indeed in the works.
McDyess was the first to stay, saying something to the effect of "where else am I going to go?" The Pistons signed him to an extension. Good buddy Billups followed, signing on to pilot the ship for four more years and declaring Detroit was "where he always wanted to be."
It looks like he'll get his wish. He's signed through his 35th birthday.
The current Pistons core is going to grow old together. That includes Wallace, despite rumors that management was fed up with his distractions. He's family, and they understand his tirades stem from his unwavering contempt for losing. I'd find it hard to believe he'll sign anywhere else when his contract expires in 2009.
Detroit is repeating history, but whether the team actually is history might be worth revisiting. For the short term, staying together doesn't look like such a bad idea.
Thanks, Eastern Conference.
That's the one major difference between then and now; there's no Michael Jordan in the equation. James and Dwyane Wade have done nice impressions against the Pistons in the previous two postseasons, but there's no way anyone can say they will have enough around them to accomplish what the Bulls teams that dethroned them did.
No, the Pistons aren't likely to ever flirt with 70 wins again, but if the Boston Celtics are being cast as the favorite of the weak thanks to their recent additions, it's conceivable a core of Billups, Rip Hamilton, Tayshaun Prince, Wallace and McDyess can get to another Finals.
The team is still on the fence about bringing Chris Webber back, though it doesn't bode well for him that they haven't acted yet. Even if the Pistons go on without him, the remaining core is good enough to win a conference that lacks an elite team.
Despite the presence of great young talent like James, Wade, Chris Bosh and Dwight Howard, there's no reason to believe anyone is going to run away and hide over the next few years, so Detroit should remain competitive by adding a piece here and there. This season, that figures to be rookie Rodney Stuckey, a link to the future who may be good enough to contribute now.
Given who's coming back, Flip Saunders will enter the 2008-09 season on the hot seat. He has been a target of criticism from players, media and fans because of the situation he stepped into following Larry Brown, and many blame him for the Pistons being unable to break through. He'll be under pressure to erase the memory of last year's collapse quickly and will be the fall guy if there's a slow start. You can't fire all the players, right?
In fact, in the Pistons' case, they brought them back for another run.
I'll be the first to admit it was dismissive to try to dig a grave for Detroit given where things stand today. Dumars might get criticized down the road for keeping an aging team together, but you won't hear any second-guessing coming from this direction. In starting to handicap the Eastern Conference field for preseason predictions, I surprised myself by finding no reason to dismiss the Pistons.
McDyess was wrong that night in early June. It's not over yet.
You can't break up a team that still has a chance to win.
Great pic!
http://www.sportsline.com/nba/story/10293787
http://images.sportsline.com/u/photos/basketball/nba/img10293875.jpg
Dismiss Pistons' chances next season at your own peril
http://images.sportsline.com/images/author/3928.jpgAug. 13, 2007
By Tony Mejia
CBS SportsLine.com Staff Writer
Antonio McDyess cried over the passing of another title run on June 3, his dreams dashed for a third consecutive season.
He had joined Detroit on the heels of its first title, so he was reminded by his new team's accomplishment daily. All he had to do was glimpse over at Rasheed Wallace's locker, where a WWE replica championship was proudly hung.
McDyess, a superstar in Denver before a devastating knee injury in late 2001 ended those days, wanted only to take in that view from the top. He's still waiting.
San Antonio ruined that year's quest. Miami followed in 2006, and a few months ago, Cleveland broke the Pistons' spirit.
"Tonight, I accepted that I'm never gonna win," McDyess said after Detroit's elimination at Quicken Loans Arena. "I felt this team was the one to get us there. We had all the chances in the world and we blew it. It seems like it's over for me now."
Detroit was dead. I buried them. So did most of you.
C'mon, you remember. In Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals, LeBron James went through the entire Pistons team, carting them to the end of the road. In Game 6, the rest of the Cavs joined in and exposed them as washed up. Wallace lost his mind, almost eating referee Ed F. Rush. It was painful to watch, and the locker room scene was no prettier.
Chauncey Billups looked to be a goner. McDyess, too.
Joe Dumars wasn't about to repeat the mistake made following the run of the Bad Boys in the early '90s, where the team was allowed to age its way into inferiority. Not on his watch. Rebuilding made sense.
But as the dust clears and a new season looms, a sequel is indeed in the works.
McDyess was the first to stay, saying something to the effect of "where else am I going to go?" The Pistons signed him to an extension. Good buddy Billups followed, signing on to pilot the ship for four more years and declaring Detroit was "where he always wanted to be."
It looks like he'll get his wish. He's signed through his 35th birthday.
The current Pistons core is going to grow old together. That includes Wallace, despite rumors that management was fed up with his distractions. He's family, and they understand his tirades stem from his unwavering contempt for losing. I'd find it hard to believe he'll sign anywhere else when his contract expires in 2009.
Detroit is repeating history, but whether the team actually is history might be worth revisiting. For the short term, staying together doesn't look like such a bad idea.
Thanks, Eastern Conference.
That's the one major difference between then and now; there's no Michael Jordan in the equation. James and Dwyane Wade have done nice impressions against the Pistons in the previous two postseasons, but there's no way anyone can say they will have enough around them to accomplish what the Bulls teams that dethroned them did.
No, the Pistons aren't likely to ever flirt with 70 wins again, but if the Boston Celtics are being cast as the favorite of the weak thanks to their recent additions, it's conceivable a core of Billups, Rip Hamilton, Tayshaun Prince, Wallace and McDyess can get to another Finals.
The team is still on the fence about bringing Chris Webber back, though it doesn't bode well for him that they haven't acted yet. Even if the Pistons go on without him, the remaining core is good enough to win a conference that lacks an elite team.
Despite the presence of great young talent like James, Wade, Chris Bosh and Dwight Howard, there's no reason to believe anyone is going to run away and hide over the next few years, so Detroit should remain competitive by adding a piece here and there. This season, that figures to be rookie Rodney Stuckey, a link to the future who may be good enough to contribute now.
Given who's coming back, Flip Saunders will enter the 2008-09 season on the hot seat. He has been a target of criticism from players, media and fans because of the situation he stepped into following Larry Brown, and many blame him for the Pistons being unable to break through. He'll be under pressure to erase the memory of last year's collapse quickly and will be the fall guy if there's a slow start. You can't fire all the players, right?
In fact, in the Pistons' case, they brought them back for another run.
I'll be the first to admit it was dismissive to try to dig a grave for Detroit given where things stand today. Dumars might get criticized down the road for keeping an aging team together, but you won't hear any second-guessing coming from this direction. In starting to handicap the Eastern Conference field for preseason predictions, I surprised myself by finding no reason to dismiss the Pistons.
McDyess was wrong that night in early June. It's not over yet.
You can't break up a team that still has a chance to win.