Detroit Pistons Blog – Page 55 – NBA Blog

Guard Jonny Flynn signs in Australia

The Melbourne Tigers NBL club signed former NBA former top-10 draft pick Jonny Flynn on Monday to replace sacked import Kevin Braswell.

23-year-old Flynn was the sixth pick of the 2009 NBA draft and spent time with Minnesota, Houston, Portland and most recently Detroit.

He was waived by the Pistons last month, paving the way for the point guard to join the NBL.

The signing of Flynn, who made the 2010 NBA All-Rookie second team, is a massive coup for the Tigers, who are 1-4 in their first season under new coach, former Boomer Chris Anstey.

— Reported by AAP via the New Zealand Herald

Bill Laimbeer named GM and head coach of NY Liberty

The New York Liberty announced today that Bill Laimbeer, a WNBA Coach of the Year and three-time WNBA Champion, has been hired as the team’s general manager and head coach.

It was also announced today that John Whisenant, who served as head coach and general manager, will be leaving the team. In two seasons with the Liberty (2011-12), Whisenant compiled a 34-34 record, guiding the squad to a pair of playoff berths.

“We’re excited to have Bill Laimbeer join the New York Liberty as our general manager and head coach. He has brought his winning pedigree and passion to the WNBA and I believe he will play a large role in bringing a championship to the Liberty,” said Allan Houston, the New York Knicks’ assistant GM, who also oversees Liberty basketball operations. “We appreciate Coach Whisenant’s dedication to our team and the organization, and wish him well in the future.”

“I am very excited to return to the WNBA, and for the opportunity to join the New York Liberty,” Laimbeer said. “I missed the competitive fire of players like Cappie Pondexter and Plenette Pierson, two hard-nosed competitors for the Liberty. The commitment of our fans and the City will be invaluable in our quest to bring a WNBA championship to New York. After all, that’s really all that counts.”

Laimbeer previously spent eight seasons from 2002-09 as general manager and head coach of the Detroit Shock (now Tulsa Shock), where he earned WNBA Coach of the Year honors in his first full season as head coach (2003). He took over a team that finished 9-23 in the previous year and led them to a league-best 25 wins the following season. The 16-win improvement was the largest in WNBA history. Laimbeer led the Shock to a 137-93 (.596) overall record, including six-straight playoff appearances as the squad won the WNBA Championship in 2003, 2006 and 2008.

A 14-year NBA veteran, Laimbeer was a four-time All-Star for the Detroit Pistons. As a member of the famed “Bad Boys,” Laimbeer totaled 13,790 points and 10,400 rebounds in his career, becoming just the 19th player in NBA history to eclipse 10,000 in both categories. A integral member of back-to-back NBA championships in 1989 and 1990, he had his jersey No. 40 retired by the franchise in 1995.

Pistons rookie Andre Drummond looking good in preseason

The Detroit Pistons are getting closer to finalizing the rotation they’ll use in next week’s season opener against the Houston Rockets and rookie Andre Drummond is making a strong case to be part of it.

The 6-foot-10 center from Connecticut has appeared in all six preseason games and has been arguably one of the Pistons top players.

In 18 minutes per game, he leads the Pistons in shooting percentage (.651), rebounds (5.8) and blocks (1.5) while ranking third in scoring (9.8).

Coach Lawrence Frank isn’t ready to commit to a rotation – or even how many players will be in it – but with only two preseason games remaining, time is running out for him to make some decisions.

— Reported by Brendan Savage of Michigan Live

Corey Maggette to have MRI on sore left calf

Corey Maggette doesn’t know when he will return from a left calf strain.

Pistons strength and conditioning coach Arnie Kander and the 13-year veteran will know more in a couple of days when an MRI is performed after the swelling subsides.

But with 10 days and two exhibition games before the regular-season opener against the Rockets at the Palace, Maggette said he will be patient and isn’t worried about missing the rest of the exhibition season.

— Reported by Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press

Corey Maggette day-to-day after straining calf

Corey Maggette’s availability is day-to-day after he strained his left calf muscle, Detroit Pistons coach Lawrence Frank said Friday.

Maggette, the Pistons elder statesman in terms of age (32) and experience (13 seasons), was injured with 2:44 left in the first quarter of Thursday’s 105-78 loss in Miami.

Maggette had played just 2:07 when he landed awkwardly after attempting a shot. He was assisted off the floor and did not return.

“The good thing is he went off the arena on crutches and today there was no crutches,” Frank said. “So that’s a positive. It’s one of those things we’ll evaluate on a day-to-day basis.”

— Reported by Brendan Savage of Michigan Live

Pistons rookie Andre Drummond impressive through three exhibition games

Drummond capped off three games in four nights Saturday night with 19 points, 10 rebounds and two blocked shots in 25 minutes in a 108-91 loss at Milwaukee.

The performance comes behind a solid game in the exhibition opener Wednesday against the Raptors and a promising 6 minutes Friday night at Toronto.

“I can’t do it without the help of my teammates,” Drummond told Pistons.com after the loss to the Bucks.

— Reported by Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press

Former Pistons player, coach Donnie Butcher dies at 76

Former Detroit Pistons player and coach Donnie Butcher died today at the age of 76, according to his son, Denny, a basketball coach in Hartland.

Butcher was traded from the New York Knicks to the Pistons on Dec. 16, 1963 as a part of a three-team, four-player deal. He would play with Detroit until 1966. During the ’66-’67 season, he was named Pistons head coach, replacing then player-coach Dave DeBusschere.

— Reported by the Detroit Free Press

Youthful Pistons offense could have multiple weapons

The team might not have a superstar, but there is the makings of a team with many options.

“I think the strength of our team is that you don’t know where it’s going to come from every single night,” Pistons coach Lawrence Frank said after Saturday’s public scrimmage at Oakland University. “We’re not playing off one guy. We have a structure. We give our guys freedom to play to their strengths and each others’ strengths, but the ball has to move.”

On some nights the top option will be big man Greg Monroe. It’s apparent in the brief glimpses to the media that he has worked on his 15-foot jumper in the off-season. And the Pistons emphasized his passing ability in the high post in Saturday’s scrimmage.

— Reported by Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press

Swedish national team helps Jonas Jerebko stay versatile

You name it, Jonas Jerebko did it for the Swedish national team this summer.

Point guard, both forward spots, center, fetch Gatorade, sell tickets — whatever was needed, Jerebko did it in leading the Swedes to a 4-4 record in Eurobasket 2013 qualifying.

“All the jokes aside, it was a great experience for me because coach and my teammates let me do a little bit of everything,” Jerebko said Saturday after the Pistons’ open scrimmage at Oakland University.

Entering his fourth season, Jerebko sometimes can be a forgotten man, especially when it comes to media attention given to frontcourt newcomers Andre Drummond and Slava Kravtsov. And his story might not be as compelling as Charlie Villanueva and Austin Daye trying to salvage careers.

— Reported by Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press

Knicks to play Pistons in London this January

The NBA is coming back to London with a regular-season game between the Detroit Pistons and New York Knicks in January.

The NBA says the Pistons and Knicks will play on Jan. 17 at the O2 Arena, the site of this year’s Olympic gold-medal game.

The Toronto Raptors and New Jersey Nets played a pair of regular-season games at the same venue in March 2011, but the NBA skipped London on its preseason tour this year.

— Reported by the Associated Press