Detroit Pistons Blog – Page 32 – NBA Blog

Pistons will soon retire jersey of Chauncey Billups

Here’s Michigan Live reporting on the Detroit Pistons and retired guard Chauncey Billups, who currently does TV broadcasting:

Wednesday marks the jersey retirement for former Detroit Pistons point guard Chauncey Billups, the second this season for a player who flourished in Detroit after previous stops in the NBA.

Billups averaged 16.5 points and 6.2 assists during his eight-season tenure with the Pistons, numbers he continued to produce in the four or five seasons after.

Which begs the question: Why didn’t his previous stops in Boston, Toronto, Denver give him more time to develop?

“People always criticize the Celtics on that one, for giving up on him,” Pistons coach Stan Van Gundy said. “But it was also, I look, and it was two different systems. It’s very possible that Chauncey, as good as he was, would not have been as good staying in that system. It’s not just patience, sometimes it’s fit.”

Pistons beat Warriors 113-95

Before the game, Detroit coach Stan Van Gundy said Golden State simply has more margin for error than other teams, meaning the Warriors can win even when they don’t play their best.

Not on this night against Van Gundy’s Pistons.

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope held his own against Stephen Curry for most of the night, scoring 20 points as the Pistons handed the Warriors their second loss in three games, 113-95 on Saturday.

Much of the pregame talk centered around how well Caldwell-Pope might be able to defend Curry. The Golden State star scored 38 points, but Caldwell-Pope gave the Pistons a boost offensively.

“I think we know that we’re capable of beating anybody,” Van Gundy said afterward…

Drummond had 14 points and 21 rebounds, and Reggie Jackson scored 20 points for Detroit. The Pistons had six players in double figures, while Golden State had only three. Klay Thompson scored 24 points for the Warriors.

— Associated Press

Pistons unable to upset Spurs

As is usually the case in this era of the NBA, the San Antonio Spurs are one of the league’s best teams this season. On Tuesday they won their 9th game in a row. Here’s Michigan Live reporting:

Stan Van Gundy could only shake his head.

Tony Parker had just scored a season-high 31 points, newcomer LaMarcus Aldridge 25, and the aging San Antonio Spurs, playing some of the best basketball in the NBA today, handed the Detroit Pistons a 109-99 defeat Tuesday night in front of 14,273 at The Palace of Auburn Hills.

His team had only played to their potential half the time, Van Gundy said, making it a game down the stretch before the Spurs used their multiple scoring threats to bludgeon Detroit for good.

“Look. They’re very, very good,” Van Gundy said. “But we came out, started the game … we played hard with good energy, defended. Then they went to their bench and their bench destroyed us in the first half. Then our starters came with nothing to start the second half defensively. Absolutely nothing.”

Marcus Morris and Paul George fined

Detroit Pistons forward Marcus Morris has been fined $15,000 for shoving Indiana Pacers forward Paul George, and George has been fined $10,000 for contributing to the altercation, it was announced today by Kiki VanDeWeghe, Executive Vice President, Basketball Operations.

The incident occurred at the conclusion of the Pacers’94-82 win over the Pistons on Jan. 2 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.

Brandon Jennings has big praise for Reggie Jackson

Detroit Pistons guard Reggie Jackson is averaging 20.4 points, 4.2 rebounds and 6.4 assists per game this season. Guard Brandon Jennings is just set to return from injury and should be in the mix soon. Here’s Michigan Live with more:

Brandon Jennings was back in uniform and active, though he did not play against the Heat. Jennings said his role until Pistons coach Stan Van Gundy calls upon him is “to be a great leader on the bench and cheer guys on, things like that.” Jennings, who is one of the Pistons’ leaders in social-media use, posted on Twitter that he believes Jackson is the best point guard in the Eastern Conference right now. “He’s definitely living up to what people thought he was going to be. That’s why I say, right now, he’s playing like the best point guard in the East,” Jennings said. “Two-time player of the week, that’s pretty hard to get. We’re over .500 and things like that, so I think he’s doing a great job. Me, I keep it real on Twitter. I don’t care. I say what I feel and I just feel like he’s the best point guard in the East. First-time starter, a guy who’s had a lot of pressure on him, I think he’s handled it really well.”

Reggie Jackson, Kawhi Leonard named NBA Players of Week through Dec. 20

Detroit Pistons guard Reggie Jackson and San Antonio Spurs forward Kawhi Leonard were today named NBA Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Week, respectively, for games played Monday, Dec. 14 through Sunday, Dec. 20.

Jackson led the Pistons to a 2-1 week, averaging 29.3 points (first in the conference), 6.3 rebounds and 7.7 assists (second in the conference). He scored 30 or more points in two of the three games and had 23 points in the third. On Dec. 18, Jackson scored 13 of Detroit’s 20 points in the fourth and final overtime period to lead the Pistons to a 147-144 win over the Chicago Bulls.

Leonard led San Antonio to a 3-0 record behind averages of 22.7 points (eighth in the conference), 6.3 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 2.0 steals. He shot 56.4 percent from the field and scored 22 or more points in two games. On Dec. 16, Leonard made four three-pointers on his way to 27 points and added four assists, four steals and three rebounds in a 114-95 victory over the Washington Wizards.

Other nominees for the Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Week were Atlanta’s Paul Millsap, Cleveland’s LeBron James, Detroit’s Andre Drummond, Golden State’s Klay Thompson, Minnesota’s Andrew Wiggins, New York’s Carmelo Anthony, Orlando’s Nikola Vucevic and Toronto’s DeMar DeRozan.

Pistons recall Brandon Jennings from D-League

The Detroit Pistons announced today that the team has recalled Brandon Jennings, Reggie Bullock and Darrun Hilliard from the team’s NBA Development League (D-League) affiliate, the Grand Rapids Drive.

Jennings, seeing his first game action since suffering a ruptured left Achilles at Milwaukee on January 24, 2015, recorded 11 points (4-9 FG, 2-5 3FG), three rebounds, a game-high 12 assists and 27 minutes in a 130-104 Drive win over the Iowa Energy on 12/19.

Bullock, in his first D-League assignment as a Piston, scored a game-high 29 points on 10-12 field goals including going 6-8 from beyond the arc. He added five rebounds, five assists, four steals and one block in 36 minutes. Bullock has appeared in 14 games with the Pistons this season averaging 5.6 minutes a game.

Hilliard scored 23 points to go with two rebounds, three assists and one steal. He’s now scored 20-plus points in all three games with the Drive and is averaging 25.7 points, 3.7 rebounds and 2.7 assists while on assignment. Hilliard has appeared in seven games for the Pistons this season, averaging 3.0 points and 0.9 rebounds in 6.5 minutes per game.

Pistons assign Darrun Hilliard and Reggie Bullock to D-League

The Detroit Pistons announced today that the team has assigned guard Darrun Hilliard and forward Reggie Bullock to the team’s NBA Development League (D-League) affiliate, the Grand Rapids Drive.

Hilliard has appeared in seven games for the Pistons this season, averaging 3.0 points and 0.9 rebounds in 6.5 minutes per game. Bullock has appeared in 14 games averaging 5.6 minutes a game.

In two games with the Drive, Hilliard has averaged 27.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 3.0 steals in 31.0 minutes per game. He scored a team-high 23 points with four rebounds, three assists and three steals in 33 minutes in his last appearance vs. Fort Wayne (12/13). Bullock is making his first appearance with the Drive this season.

Brandon Jennings to use D-League for physical rehab

The Detroit Pistons announced today that guard Brandon Jennings has been assigned to the team’s NBA Development League (D-League) affiliate, the Grand Rapids Drive. Jennings, who is continuing his rehabilitation process, will see his first game action on Saturday, December 19 vs. the Iowa Energy.

The six-year NBA veteran missed 41 games last season and has not played this season after suffering a ruptured left Achilles tendon at Milwaukee on January 24, 2015. The 6-foot-1, 170-pound guard was acquired in a trade from Milwaukee on July 31, 2013 and has averaged 15.5 points, 2.9 rebounds, 7.3 assists and 1.2 steals in 121 games with Detroit.

“This is a great example of the many benefits our D-League team offers, supporting Tom Gores’ vision to push for a hybrid affiliation with the Grand Rapids Drive,” said Jeff Bower, general manager of the Detroit Pistons. “It gives Brandon an opportunity to go play in a game, work on his conditioning and compete in a similar system that’s being run by Otis Smith and his staff.”

Jennings will join Festus Ezeli of the Golden State Warriors as one of the most notable NBA players to play in a D-League game on a rehab assignment to date. Ezeli played in two games with the Santa Cruz Warriors in late January 2015 after missing 16 games due to sprained left ankle. He returned to help the Warriors win the 2015 NBA Championship. Other prominent NBA players who practiced with D-League teams, but did not play, while on rehab assignments include Rajon Rondo, Amar’e Stoudemire, Kawhi Leonard and Carl Landry.

Brandon Jennings may use D-League for physical rehab purposes

Here’s the Detroit Free Press reporting on Pistons guard Brandon Jennings, who is still in recovery from injury but expects to return soon:

Detroit Pistons point guard Brandon Jennings told reporters he is planning a rehabilitation stint with NBA Development League affiliate Grand Rapids.

And as he nears a return to the NBA from the ruptured left Achilles that ended his 2014-15 season, Jennings is set on playing Saturday, when Grand Rapids hosts the Iowa Energy.

“There’s about an 80% chance I will be playing in the D-League on Saturday,” he said at the Pistons practice facility after team preparations for tonight’s game against the Boston Celtics (7:30 p.m., FSD). “I don’t care. I just want to play, man. I just want to get out there and hoop and see where it’s at.”