Hi, my name is David Vincent....

[Oracle]

Rodney Stuckey, Ben Gordon, Charlie V... you fill in the blank!

They are Invaders, sent here to take over our world!

I discovered this while driving, searching for a short cut... that I never found! But why listen to me now, here is my video!

[Sparma]

Wise, you're going out on a limb with Stuckey!

You say you'd only place two above Stuckey "talent wise."  Singler may well be less talented than Stuckey but he was a better player last year, made more of a contribution to the team.  I expect him to do so again this year.

Similarly, Stuckey may have more talent than Bynum, but Bynum played better last year.

The appeal to "talent" can become vague quickly.  Can that include size and strength relative to the average at a position?  That seems to be part of what folks have in mind when thinking about Stuckey's potential.  If the norm becomes that loose, Stuckey fares real well, better than Singler and Bynum.  But what I was addressing was where to rank Stuckey on the best player list.  For me, all in all, that's going to be at #7, but I'm receptive to an argument in the 5-7 range.

But Wise, ahead of Drummond and Monroe??!  

If the standard is "talent" than Drummond's well ahead of Stuckey.  If it's the current level of productivity, I'd still take AD way before Stuckey.  Already last year, he was a tremendous difference maker (in spite of his flaws).

If the argument is that Stuckey's more talented than Monroe, well, maybe.  But if the standard is current productivity, Monroe's way, way, ahead of Stuckey.

[WTF]

Okay in typical fashion of the Wise one I present chaos to this Stuckey nonsense. There are only 2 players on the roster that are currently better than talent wise than our Mr. Stuckey and those 2 players are Jennings and Smith

I could put both Monroe and Drummond ahead of him but I won't and here is why. Potentially Drummond could be a franchise player and he reeks of that potential, but as of today it's not there. Don' get me wrong I wouldn't trade away Drummond for all the Rodney's in the world but today he' not better than Stuckey.

Stats wise I could put Monroe ahead of Stuckey but I won't because it's possible he has peaked which is why he often ends up in discussion of being traded or not. Really Monroe career numbers aren't that far above Stuckey's but what Monroe doesn't have is the heart of Stuckey and neither does he have the ceiling of potential as Stuckey. As Oracles said give Stuckey Chauncey brain and you're looking at an All Star. I think it easier to learn to play than it is to grow a pair.

Sparma mentioned Singler and I can't agree there either for this reason. Singler logged more minutes last season than Stuckey and produced less stat wise. Neither is he a better defender than Stuckey at this point. Singler is a tweener who don't play any of the position well (SF, SG, or PF). I won't call Stuckey a tweener but while he doesn't play PC, SG, or SF great he's at last serviceable in all three roles.

[Murph]

Yikes! This scouting report on CV makes me look like the Vice President of the Charlie Villanuva Fan Club, in comparison.

This is brutal:

http://www.detroitbadboys.com/2013/9/5/4671378/charlie-villanueva-2013-14-detroit-pistons-preview

[Oracle]

This is a LG TV prank that pretends there's a meteor shower ... funny sh!t 

[Oracle]

First Don reports,

"If you look closely Oracle, you will see that there is nothing between his legs. Was Andre the Giant a woman forced to hide her identity while wearing fake whiskers to get those parts in the "007" movies? Great photos Oracle." - Don

Then word from Fennis, btw, welcome back Fennis!

"He immediately pointed the finger at the usual suspect Charlie V. As it turns out the V man had an iron clad alibi.  He was in Vienna, Austria for the World Championship Sausage Eating Contest." - Fennis

Coincidence? I think NOT!!!
 
Everybody's seen the Terminator, where a robot goes back in time to perform a retroactive abortion on his enemy!

Since we know that Andre the Giant is dead, did Charlie V go back in time and chew off his sausage before those photos?

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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In other strange news: Tristan Thompson is shooting 20 percent better on free throws after changing shooting hands

[Fennis Dembo]

Everybody relax.  It's not a big deal.  Dumars found out that six dozen donuts were missing from his unlocked file cabinet.  He immediately pointed the finger at the usual suspect Charlie V. As it turns out the V man had an iron clad alibi.  He was in Vienna, Austria for the World Championship Sausage Eating Contest.  He had the lead but was unfortunately disqualified after doing his best spewing volcano imitation. He had a second eruption when Dumars said the word "donuts" to him over the  phone. Then Dumars texted Gores telling him that his file cabinet had been ripped off.  Gores called L. Brooks Patterson who had everyone in the Piston organization questioned by local Oakland County police departments. Cheeks was interrogated interrupting his viewing of some 3D zombie flick at a Birmingham theater. So as of now nobody has been charged with the crime. As Willie Shakespeare put it, it was much ado about nothing, but donuts in this case. FYI they all had sprinkles or so Joe D claims, the donuts not the zombies.

[deusXango]

HEAD LINE: Jonas Jerebko scores 8 in Sweden's opening loss.
AFTER THOUGHT: Oh, by the way, Luigi Datome led the Italian team past Russia by scoring 25 points and grabbing 8 rebounds.

Jerebko is a veteran who comes off the bench (if the coach allows it), so every time he goes to the bathroom or something, it's news worthy; hype!!
Datome is a rookie free agent, who happens to be the reigning MVP of the Italian League (a feat that wasn't accomplished with smoke and mirrors), but because we got him at a bargain price, his efforts and basketball contributions are downplayed; sheesh!!

Down the line players like KCP, Siva, Mitchell, and to a certain extent, Singler, their potential and need for playing time will be minimized like Datome's, in favor of playing tried and wanting veterans; veterans who have been consistently ineffective in the past, or are just too old or one dimensional. Joe wants to save a job that he's neglected to do his best at for years, but as a fan, I want to see that improving rebuild that was talked about, but never materialized, until now...let it happen as it should!!

[cool breeze]

Interesting discussion about Stuckey.  I've never been much of a Stuckey fan, but when I'd place with real confidence the current playing capacity of only 4 Pistons above that of Stuckey: Drummond, Monroe, Smith, and Jennings. Scary thought!

Of course, Billups has been much better, but he's aging and injury prone.  KCP should be better than Stuckey, but not yet this year.  I'm torn on Bynum -- he outplayed Stuckey last year and may well again this year.  Similarly, Singler outplayed Stuckey last year, so that's a tough one.  I like a CV who's on his game over Stuckey, but how often is he on his game?  Luigi?  Let's hope Datome can be that lethal outside shooter we need, but I'd be reluctant to bet on him over Stuckey.  JJ?  Maybe?  Mitchell?  Seems doubtful he advance beyond Stuckey this year.  Siva??  Harrellson???

So, I can't agree that Stuckey our 4th best player, but I'd put him in the 5-7 range.  I like Bynum, but I have a sneaking suspicion he going to have to establish his minutes this year over the likes of Stuckey.  In my book, Singler probably does drop Stuckey a spot.

Many others might/ should leapfrog Stuckey, but he ranks higher than I would like now in the list of the Pistons' best players.

Sparma your post is well thought out as usual. My dismay relating to lack of quality guards on the Piston roster for several seasons makes me too emotional to think rationally. When you put it on paper like you have done, it is clear that Stuckey as bad as he may be, might have more talent although inconsistent than many of the other players Dumars has signed. It is scary as you said because Detroit might just miss the playoffs and perhaps a rebuilding team like the Bucks might surprise Piston fans. There has never been any doubt in my mind that Stuckey is far superior and more important to the team than Bynum. I hate being so critical but Dumars is the man who has placed so many fringe players on this team in the past and built them up suckering so many fans that few bother to attend the games anymore. If Detroit tanks early on, won't that be something for the owners to swallow? There is one dead giveaway that I see. The group of Piston guards Dumars has placed on this team cannot hold their own with many teams in this league including the really bad teams when considering all the plus and minus stuff because the guards present a clear liability that we have all witnessed with players like Stuckey and Bynum in the past. I know at least we do not have Daye around this season but now we have Jennings. There is no stopper a coach can bring in to help shut down a hot shooting guard. Stuckey, Bynum and Jennings have not been able to stop dribble penetration which means our big men will always be in foul trouble. Most teams have those players who can light it up almost every night and they will look forward to playing Detroit. KCP might see a lot of action after all and I won't be opposed to that idea even if he can't shoot a high percentage from long range.

[Oracle]

Stuckey: I agree with Murph that Stuckey deserves a chance on a good team with a decent coach(or at least one that appears to believe in him). But don't hold your breath, he's currently one of our lower tiered players, I think Sparma was generous, I put him closer to 7th or lower.

Don't confuse where he is with his talent level! Talent wise, Stuckey is in the top 5 on the team, he just can't seem to harness the considerable talent he has! If you put Chauncey's brain into Stuckey's body, you'd have an all star!

Don on Knight: Don, this was absolutely a panic move by Joe, and it's also a hail Mary, because if Jennings doesn't change, it's going to get ugly around here! Unlike the AI trade, Jennings has plenty of game left, and if he does change, he's going to be very good for us in a lot of areas that Knight wasn't.

However, I do agree that longer term, I think Knight is the better player, but being the better PG is debatable! I still think that we would have been better served(knowing what I know now) drafting Burke, but Joe was too scared to do that and live through Burke's learning curve!

JJ scores 8 points? On a team that basically looks to him to lead them? Man, that doesn't look too good and may impact how he's viewed for PT this season! He does that while Datome goes for 25 & 8 and hits 9/13 shots, including 3/4 from 3 and 4/4 FTs... oh yeah, I can see who's getting the PT up in this MoFo!

Gores out with Drummond & McCurdy? Tell me they were pulling a train... tell me!!!
 
This Cheeks investigation is smelling like, well, cheeks!

[cool breeze]

DX wrote: "... only the blind hero worshiper or out-right foolish can call Rodney Stuckey one of the most talented players on this Pistons team."

Yo, DX, cool breeze, Don, Wise, merc, FlyDog, let's see did I leave anyone out, you can put me down as "out-right" foolish, because Stuckey is easily the 4th best player on OUR roster; and 4th best is right where WE need for him to be.

Trust me fellas, WE will all be pleased with the play of Rodney Stuckey from the season tipoff, through the All-Star break. And, none of my fellow Piston Pals, will want to move Stuckey for a late first round pick, come the Trade Deadline.

If not, I will eat my laptop.  

Sebastian, I'm offering this for you to honestly consider (skills, I.Q., and athleticism) as criteria for the "best players on our roster." Regardless of experience, which has hurt Stuckey's standing more than anything else, but what these players are to bring to the team. In no particular order:
Andre Drummond, Josh Smith, Greg Monroe, Brandon Jennings, Kyle Singler, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Chauncey Billups, Luigi Datome; IMHO that leaves Stuckey to fight it out for #9 with the likes of Will Bynum, Jonas Jerebko, and Tony Mitchell. If you refuse to except that Stuckey should be that low on the teams pecking order, then you can certainly respect my opinion that he's not the 4th best player on this team.

Yo, DX, et. al., I promise not to bring up the Stuckey topic, again, until the start of Training Camp.  

I, respectfully, disagree with my fellow Pistons Pals concerning the value of one, Rodney Norvell Stuckey. What I will do is provide a monthly report on my boy, Stuckey. The first report will be submitted to this Board at the start of training camp, the next to be submitted at the start of the season a each month, thereafter.

As I noted previously, if Stuckey doesn't prove to demonstrate his worth to team, I will not be bashful about typing so; and I will eat my laptop. 

But, on this day, September 4, let's just all agree that WE all have OUR favorite Piston players ... for some it is Dre Drummond, for others it is Moose, others may grow to appreciate J-Smoove and B. Jennings. Others are even fond of Will B., Singler, Jerebko; while others have fallen in love with Peyton Siva after four summer league games in the Magic's tiny practice facility.

Some are still crying over transaction that sent B. Knight to Milwaukee.

So, WE all have OUR favorites. Can you believe there is even one sole that pines for the weekly performances of Charlie V.? 

Sebastian you must have some inside information but are not sharing with us. What is it that makes you think that Stuckey has transformed his former self into a player we can respect? The rest of us are basing our opinions on facts from Stuckey's previous play since he arrived in the draft through last season. What has changed to make this player the 4th best player on the team? He wasn't good enough to start on several really bad teams in the past according to 3 different coaching staffs. Some sports writers are saying the same thing you have said so there must be something to it. But what is it?

[Sebastian]

DX wrote: "... only the blind hero worshiper or out-right foolish can call Rodney Stuckey one of the most talented players on this Pistons team."

Yo, DX, cool breeze, Don, Wise, merc, FlyDog, let's see did I leave anyone out, you can put me down as "out-right" foolish, because Stuckey is easily the 4th best player on OUR roster; and 4th best is right where WE need for him to be.

Trust me fellas, WE will all be pleased with the play of Rodney Stuckey from the season tipoff, through the All-Star break. And, none of my fellow Piston Pals, will want to move Stuckey for a late first round pick, come the Trade Deadline.

If not, I will eat my laptop.  

Sebastian, I'm offering this for you to honestly consider (skills, I.Q., and athleticism) as criteria for the "best players on our roster." Regardless of experience, which has hurt Stuckey's standing more than anything else, but what these players are to bring to the team. In no particular order:
Andre Drummond, Josh Smith, Greg Monroe, Brandon Jennings, Kyle Singler, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Chauncey Billups, Luigi Datome; IMHO that leaves Stuckey to fight it out for #9 with the likes of Will Bynum, Jonas Jerebko, and Tony Mitchell. If you refuse to except that Stuckey should be that low on the teams pecking order, then you can certainly respect my opinion that he's not the 4th best player on this team.

Yo, DX, et. al., I promise not to bring up the Stuckey topic, again, until the start of Training Camp.

I, respectfully, disagree with my fellow Pistons Pals concerning the value of one, Rodney Norvell Stuckey. What I will do is provide a monthly report on my boy, Stuckey. The first report will be submitted to this Board at the start of training camp, the next to be submitted at the start of the season a each month, thereafter.

As I noted previously, if Stuckey doesn't prove to demonstrate his worth to team, I will not be bashful about typing so; and I will eat my laptop. 

But, on this day, September 4, let's just all agree that WE all have OUR favorite Piston players ... for some it is Dre Drummond, for others it is Moose, others may grow to appreciate J-Smoove and B. Jennings. Others are even fond of Will B., Singler, Jerebko; while others have fallen in love with Peyton Siva after four summer league games in the Magic's tiny practice facility.

Some are still crying over transaction that sent B. Knight to Milwaukee.

So, WE all have OUR favorites. Can you believe there is even one sole that pines for the weekly performances of Charlie V.? 

[Sparma]

Interesting discussion about Stuckey.  I've never been much of a Stuckey fan, but when I'd place with real confidence the current playing capacity of only 4 Pistons above that of Stuckey: Drummond, Monroe, Smith, and Jennings. Scary thought!

Of course, Billups has been much better, but he's aging and injury prone.  KCP should be better than Stuckey, but not yet this year.  I'm torn on Bynum -- he outplayed Stuckey last year and may well again this year.  Similarly, Singler outplayed Stuckey last year, so that's a tough one.  I like a CV who's on his game over Stuckey, but how often is he on his game?  Luigi?  Let's hope Datome can be that lethal outside shooter we need, but I'd be reluctant to bet on him over Stuckey.  JJ?  Maybe?  Mitchell?  Seems doubtful he advance beyond Stuckey this year.  Siva??  Harrellson???

So, I can't agree that Stuckey our 4th best player, but I'd put him in the 5-7 range.  I like Bynum, but I have a sneaking suspicion he going to have to establish his minutes this year over the likes of Stuckey.  In my book, Singler probably does drop Stuckey a spot.

Many others might/ should leapfrog Stuckey, but he ranks higher than I would like now in the list of the Pistons' best players.

[deusXango]

DX wrote: "... only the blind hero worshiper or out-right foolish can call Rodney Stuckey one of the most talented players on this Pistons team."

Yo, DX, cool breeze, Don, Wise, merc, FlyDog, let's see did I leave anyone out, you can put me down as "out-right" foolish, because Stuckey is easily the 4th best player on OUR roster; and 4th best is right where WE need for him to be.

Trust me fellas, WE will all be pleased with the play of Rodney Stuckey from the season tipoff, through the All-Star break. And, none of my fellow Piston Pals, will want to move Stuckey for a late first round pick, come the Trade Deadline.

If not, I will eat my laptop.  

Sebastian, I'm offering this for you to honestly consider (skills, I.Q., and athleticism) as criteria for the "best players on our roster." Regardless of experience, which has hurt Stuckey's standing more than anything else, but what these players are to bring to the team. In no particular order:
Andre Drummond, Josh Smith, Greg Monroe, Brandon Jennings, Kyle Singler, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Chauncey Billups, Luigi Datome; IMHO that leaves Stuckey to fight it out for #9 with the likes of Will Bynum, Jonas Jerebko, and Tony Mitchell. If you refuse to except that Stuckey should be that low on the teams pecking order, then you can certainly respect my opinion that he's not the 4th best player on this team.

[cool breeze]

From day one I have loved the way Knight played the game once he was drafted and put on a Piston uniform. Many Piston fans saw him differently believing that he would never become a good point guard. Fans ignored what he brought to the defensive end and his drive to become a better player. The coaches all respected him and trusted him even though he made a lot of mistakes. Payton didn't have it that good but was a similar player in his first two seasons in the NBA. He was a good defender but coaches didn't trust him on offense because of the mental errors he made. Knight is about as athletic as they come. He is 6 foot 3 inches tall and growing. He is a really high IQ and a fantastic work ethic. But it is Knight's feet and hands that I recognized right away. He has the feet of Gary Payton. Lightning quick feet I should say. Of all the players that Joe Dumars as given away, this trade might be rated right up there with the Darko mistake when thinking about Piston history. Knight could have had the ability to play with Billups who could have helped Brandon as much as George Karl did with Payton. Knight would improve as a point guard automatically because of the upgrade in talent. He is a better outside shooter than Jennings which the Pistons now need. And he is the lock down defender who will only gets better on defense which is missing from this current Piston team which is full of weak defenders. No team goes very far without great defenders in the playoffs. Joe is a gambler for sure but it is not a good bet to trade for a small guy who cannot defend any starting point guard in the NBA.

By the way, Payton said that the player that bothered him the most and the basketball player he respected most was John Stockton. My best guess is that Dumars would have traded both Payton and Stockton without the slightest hesitation for someone like Jennings or Stuckey. This is why Joe Dumars should not be Detroit's decision maker. Joe's crystal ball is very cloudy and has been for many years when it comes to picking players and coaches.

[cool breeze]

I follow what's going on with the Pistons on Twitter, and word out of camp is that Singler is draining 3's regularly...

That's certainly good news for Singler and the Pistons.  Hopefully this season, Singler will live up to his nickname, "Buckets".  IMO, Singler has a huge oportunity here.   Josh Smith will need to play many minutes a game at PF, which will leave many reserve minutes available for Singler at SF.

Singler needs to step in and do all the little things he did to help the team last year, and then he needs to hit his outside shots.

Singler could be a very valuable 8th or 9th man for OUR Pistons. If Singler can indeed begin to drain the three, like Steve Novak then he will prove to be a serious weapon.

I doubt that Sebastian. Singler will be playing major minutes at small forward. Smith will play most of his minutes at power forward where he belongs. Singler is too good of a defender to be sitting on the bench. And Detroit will need his outside shooting which is greatly improved.

[Sebastian]

I follow what's going on with the Pistons on Twitter, and word out of camp is that Singler is draining 3's regularly...

That's certainly good news for Singler and the Pistons.  Hopefully this season, Singler will live up to his nickname, "Buckets".  IMO, Singler has a huge oportunity here.   Josh Smith will need to play many minutes a game at PF, which will leave many reserve minutes available for Singler at SF.

Singler needs to step in and do all the little things he did to help the team last year, and then he needs to hit his outside shots.

Singler could be a very valuable 8th or 9th man for OUR Pistons. If Singler can indeed begin to drain the three, like Steve Novak then he will prove to be a serious weapon.

[Sebastian]

DX
Trust me fellas, WE will all be pleased with the play of Rodney Stuckey from the season tipoff, through the All-Star break. And, none of my fellow Piston Pals, will want to move Stuckey for a late first round pick, come the Trade Deadline.
 

Sebastian...I hope you're right.  Rodney Stuckey deserves to have a good season.  He's toiled away in Detroit for bad teams and bad coaches.  He's tried to do everything that's been asked of him.  He tried to be the heir apparent to Chauncey Billups at the PG position.  He willingly moved back over to SG, when Joe drafted Knight.  And he agreed to come off the bench with no complaints.   And through it all, he  hustled and played his hardest.  And he certainly has some valuable skills that, if utilized properly by the right coach, could help the Pistons, such as dribble penetration, the ability to draw fouls, and solid defense and rebounding for a guard.

Murph has stated the Rodney Stuckey matter, just as I have been attempting to convey.  

[Murph]

DX
Trust me fellas, WE will all be pleased with the play of Rodney Stuckey from the season tipoff, through the All-Star break. And, none of my fellow Piston Pals, will want to move Stuckey for a late first round pick, come the Trade Deadline.
 

Sebastian...I hope you're right. Rodney Stuckey deserves to have a good season. He's toiled away in Detroit for bad teams and bad coaches. He's tried to do everything that's been asked of him. He tried to be the heir apparent to Chauncey Billups at the PG position. He willingly moved back over to SG, when Joe drafted Knight. And he agreed to come off the bench with no complaints. And through it all, he hustled and played his hardest. And he certainly has some valuable skills that, if utilized properly by the right coach, could help the Pistons, such as dribble penetration, the ability to draw fouls, and solid defense and rebounding for a guard.

[Murph]

I follow what's going on with the Pistons on Twitter, and word out of camp is that Singler is draining 3's regularly...

That's certainly good news for Singler and the Pistons.  Hopefully this season, Singler will live up to his nickname, "Buckets".  IMO, Singler has a huge oportunity here.   Josh Smith will need to play many minutes a game at PF, which will leave many reserve minutes available for Singler at SF.

Singler needs to step in and do all the little things he did to help the team last year, and then he needs to hit his outside shots.

[cool breeze]

How can anyone say that Rodney Stuckey is one of the most talented players on this Piston team? That is what one writer said in the Free Press. How does he know? What has Stuckey done to merit that kind of statement. When Stuckey was drafted it might be OK to say he has potential because he is athletic. But Stuckey has been playing in the NBA for a long time now and he has never been a consistent quality player like many of the other NBA players with his same experience. Every summer we read this stuff about Rodney. WHY? Is this stuff placed in the papers by Stuckey's agent? Is his agent paying off the Detroit writers? Somehow Stuckey has been able to survive on the theory that he is a fantastic talent but hasn't had good luck in his coaches noticing his talent. The writers seem to see his talent but his coaches haven't and Stuckey has been on the bench a lot. Curry, Kuester, and Stuckey's recently departed coaching staff all were at fault for delaying Stuckey's selection to the All Star game. All those coaches had their jobs on the line but still didn't trust Stuckey in games. Maybe they lost their jobs because Joe was mad that they didn't see what Joe saw in Stuckey. Is that it Joe???Then answer this question please. WHY IN HELL WERE STUCKEY'S TEAMMATES HAPPY WHEN THE VARIOUS COACHES SENT RODNEY TO THE BENCH? THAT IS RIGHT PISTON FANS. PISTON PLAYERS DIDN'T IIKE PLAYING WITH STUCKEY AND WERE ON THE SAME PAGE AS THE COACHING STAFFS ABOUT STUCKEY. THIS IS WHY THE STATEMENT MADE MY CHEEKS IS SO STUPID. CHEEKS DIDN'T DO HIS HOMEWORK BEFORE HE STATED THAT HE EXPECTS THAT RODNEY WILL BE A TEAM LEADER THIS YEAR. CHEEKS IS GOOD BUDDIES WITH JOE. MAYBE CHEEKS WILL GAIN 100 LBS BEFORE THE SEASON IS OVER AND WILL BE FIRED ALONG WITH DUMARS. If Stuckey had ever played two games in a row when they counted WELL, then I wouldn't be saying this negative stuff. Instead of placing Stuckey on the first team before the season begins, he should be on the 3rd team based on his past performances. How about trying that Detroit sports writers??

Don, in my neck of the woods a guy had to be able to not only jump "out of the gym," but contort his body to avoid his shot being blocked, or switch hands with the ball in mid air, or hit an open team mate with a pin point pass, in order to be called talented and athletic; there are some high school kids who do this on a regular basis so this is not an over the top expectation for a professional. You can find some factory workers, city workers, and office workers, who are 6' 5" and playing recreation league basketball who can finish at the rim much, much better than Stuckey, and out shot him from distance with consistency. Stuckey should have been traded before Knight, but the Bucks didn't want him anymore than the Raptors did; I don't believe that Joe can get anybody in the class of "fantastic talent" for Rodney Stuckey, regardless of position played, and Stuckey being an expiring contract makes it that much more obvious he's not well thought of, as a player, by GM's around the league. The only thing that makes Stuckey a special player is, he's Joe's stupid ass mistake, that fans, sports writers, and casual observers have watched continue to muck up the Pistons chances of improving.

Don, it's my humble opinion that only the blind hero worshiper or out-right foolish can call Rodney Stuckey one of the most talented players on this Pistons team!! He wasn't good enough to stand out among the scrubs so you know damn well he'll be lost with real talent surrounding him.  

dX I am amazed that the owners are not as pissed off as some of us fans about this Stuckey thing. He is coming back on this team and it appears he will have a big role according to the Detroit writers who have lunch with Joe. The owners are concerned with ticket sales. Who wants to watch some of the same old players who boycotted that practice two years ago and then stunk the Palace up last year? Maybe they will buy tickets just to watch Joe sweat this year.

[cool breeze]

First he endorses Stuckey, and now he's questioned by the cops and no details?

So the cops show up just because they were in the neighborhood and heard Cheeks had moved in?

Something is going on here, and it doesn't smell good!

Maybe the cops didn't like the idea that Cheeks endorsed Stuckey. They might be Piston fans after all Oracle.

[cool breeze]

IMO, KCP(or should I say his position, more than the individual) is the key to how far we can go in the playoffs!

However, since KCP is our ONLY true SG, we really need him to get off the ground running!

I also believe that Stuckey is useless as an SG even if he physically fits the role! If you want to effectively showcase Stuckey, it would be as  PG unless the potential partners are looking for an SG!

So after looking at the possibilities, the fact is that Stuckey continues to pose more problems for us than solutions! There is no easy way to get rid of somebody like Stuckey or Jennings unless someone comes along with a pressing need.

Jennings was going to rot on the vine, nobody wanted him until Joe came along with a pressing need. Stuckey will be the same way, but so far, even with his expiring contract, which is like money, it hasn't been enough to get anyone interested... except Cheeks & Joe!

So we have a decision to make! Risk what Merc says, which will surely happen around these parts and we sour on KCP, or risk not playing him enough to be of value to us when we will need him the most!

Sitting in the background with a really good opportunity to get PT is Singler! Singler's weaknesses as a SG aren't nearly the problem in this new lineup! The SG we want needs to be a spot up shooter that can take it to the hoop if necessary, and Singler can do both!

Murph noted that KCP was already getting the up Joe's arse reporting treatment, but there's a reason for that.

I follow what's going on with the Pistons on Twitter, and word out of camp is that Singler is draining 3's regularly, while KCP is still struggling! IMO, this is driving the reporting of lower expectations for KCP. It's Joe getting out in front of the cries for KCP to start when they clearly see he isn't ready!

I think that they're worried too early, but that's what they do! If they don't see instant results, they go dark on a player and start looking around for the next Joe arse saver!

Very good stuff Oracle.

I especially liked what you wrote about Stuckey and Jennings. For those who have read any of the Bucks blogs, there is plenty to worry about when it comes to this guy. It really puzzles me relating to why Dumars would sign another weak defender after Charlie V and Ben Gordon. But defense is not what bothers me most. Jennings has been a headache for his coaching staffs much like a guy we know who is named Rodney Stuckey. Joe traded Billups for a nightmare in Iverson. Now Brandon Knight was traded for Jennings. Will we have the same result?

KCP is a rookie who played on a bad college team last year. He is not a guy who should be playing with pressure this season just so Joe can keep his job. Dumars passed on Michigan's great point guard. If he didn't like him, he still could have drafted Burke and traded him for two other first rounders which the Timberwolves did. This is where the pressure cooker starts to shake for Dumars if his number one selection is not ready to contribute. The media will be on this real strong so will Joe start churping to his new head coach and telling him who to play again? I didn't see anything special about KCP in the summer league. He was OK on both ends of the floor but that was just a weak summer league venue. It is really tough to come in and make a rotation at shooting guard in your first season. We have a shaky new point guard in Jennings who cannot play defense. The pressure should be on Jennings and Stuckey, not KCP. Let the young guy take his time early on and maybe make some type of impact by January. You pointed out the problem well in that Stuckey is not a capable shooting guard. He is a point guard all the way and not good enough to make it at that position in the NBA. But someone said that Stuckey was one of the most talented players on the team. If that is true, then expect the Pistons to miss the playoffs again.

I wouldn't be surprised to see Dumars panic and trade Monroe for Rondo before Christmas. But Jennings might play well for the first few months. I doubt that he can play at a high level for an entire season or be effective in a playoff situation. I hope that I am wrong. Or Toronto might part with Gay in time for Charlie and Rodney. My problem is that I find it difficult to bond with some of the players Dumars likes. This has been my problem for 4 years.

[Oracle]

First he endorses Stuckey, and now he's questioned by the cops and no details?

So the cops show up just because they were in the neighborhood and heard Cheeks had moved in?

Something is going on here, and it doesn't smell good!

[Oracle]

IMO, KCP(or should I say his position, more than the individual) is the key to how far we can go in the playoffs!

However, since KCP is our ONLY true SG, we really need him to get off the ground running!

I also believe that Stuckey is useless as an SG even if he physically fits the role! If you want to effectively showcase Stuckey, it would be as  PG unless the potential partners are looking for an SG!

So after looking at the possibilities, the fact is that Stuckey continues to pose more problems for us than solutions! There is no easy way to get rid of somebody like Stuckey or Jennings unless someone comes along with a pressing need.

Jennings was going to rot on the vine, nobody wanted him until Joe came along with a pressing need. Stuckey will be the same way, but so far, even with his expiring contract, which is like money, it hasn't been enough to get anyone interested... except Cheeks & Joe!

So we have a decision to make! Risk what Merc says, which will surely happen around these parts and we sour on KCP, or risk not playing him enough to be of value to us when we will need him the most!

Sitting in the background with a really good opportunity to get PT is Singler! Singler's weaknesses as a SG aren't nearly the problem in this new lineup! The SG we want needs to be a spot up shooter that can take it to the hoop if necessary, and Singler can do both!

Murph noted that KCP was already getting the up Joe's arse reporting treatment, but there's a reason for that.

I follow what's going on with the Pistons on Twitter, and word out of camp is that Singler is draining 3's regularly, while KCP is still struggling! IMO, this is driving the reporting of lower expectations for KCP. It's Joe getting out in front of the cries for KCP to start when they clearly see he isn't ready!

I think that they're worried too early, but that's what they do! If they don't see instant results, they go dark on a player and start looking around for the next Joe arse saver!

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