Category: Detroit Pistons Blog

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Nuggets waive Antonio McDyess

The Denver Nuggets have waived F Antonio McDyess, team Vice President of Basketball Operations Mark Warkentien announced today.

It was a buyout. McDyess will take less money than he was actually owed, in return for the right to sign elsewhere. Though, if he wants to go back to the Detroit Pistons, he has to wait 30 days.

McDyess was acquired by the Nuggets from Detroit on Nov. 3 along with G Chauncey Billups and C Cheikh Samb in exchange for G Allen Iverson.  McDyess did not appear in any games for Denver.

Nov 9: Celtics 88, Pistons 76

The AP reports: Tony Allen scored 12 of his 23 points in the pivotal second quarter, lifting Boston to an 88-76 win on Sunday night… Allen Iverson finished with 10 points on 4-of-11 shooting with four assists and four turnovers… Ray Allen had 17 points, Kevin Garnett scored eight on 4-of-15 shooting and Paul Pierce added seven on 3-of-10 shooting. Rajon Rondo scored 13 points and Eddie House had eight points as one of four reserves with at least six points for the Celtics… Detroit’s Tayshaun Prince had 23 points and eight rebounds… Rasheed Wallace had 10 points on 4-of-17 shooting and 11 rebounds. Reserve Will Bynum added 11 points. Richard Hamilton, who was 0-for-8, scored just three points on free throws.

Nov 7: Nets 103, Pistons 96

The AP reports: Allen Iverson’s first game with Detroit turned into the best night of Devin Harris’ career. Harris scored a career-high 38 points Friday night, outplaying Iverson in the second half and leading the New Jersey Nets to a 103-96 victory over the Pistons… Vince Carter and Josh Boone each scored 18 for New Jersey, which got its first home win after two losses. Boone also pulled down 14 rebounds. Iverson had 24 points and six assists after finally getting to suit up… Richard Hamilton scored 22 points, while Tayshaun Prince added 19 points and 11 rebounds.

Pregame from first Iverson Pistons game

Raw and unedited notes from New Jersey where the Nets are hosting the Detroit Pistons. It’s the first game for Allen Iverson since being traded to Detroit from the Denver Nuggets.

The Pistons pregame locker room scene was the usual for Detroit: loose and loudly filled with rap music (old Redman songs) and random entertaining remarks from Rasheed Wallace.

I asked Sheed, who was playing the music from a speaker-connected ipod, if he was playing Redman, who is from Jersey, because they were here, or if it was just a coincidence. It was the latter, Sheed informed me.

Iverson, in the corner, had about 17 reporters circling nearby. ‘Go ask him a question’ yelled Rasheed at us after we stood waiting in silence for a long time. ‘They know no questions before the game’ said Iverson. (Note: those two quotes are paraphrases.)

It is now tipoff. Iverson got a great cheer from Nets fans when introduced.

Talk to you after the game.

–Jeff

Nov 5: Pistons 100, Raptors 93

The AP reports: Tayshaun Prince more than made up for Allen Iverson’s absence, making sure the Detroit Pistons remained unbeaten. Prince scored 16 of his 27 points in the second quarter, and Richard Hamilton had 22 to help the Pistons beat the Toronto Raptors 100-93 on Wednesday night. Iverson was unavailable for Detroit because Chauncey Billups, one of three players traded to Denver in exchange for Iverson, hadn’t completed his physical with the Nuggets. Iverson didn’t sit on the team bench. Rodney Stuckey added 14 points, and Rasheed Wallace had 11 points and 12 rebounds for Detroit (4-0)… Chris Bosh had 26 points and 13 rebounds, and Jose Calderon had 24 points for Toronto (3-1) in its unsuccessful bid for its first 4-0 start.

Nov 3: Pistons 101, Bobcats 83

The AP reports: Richard Hamilton scored 19 points and the Pistons toyed with Larry Brown’s Bobcats, improving to 3-0 and perhaps showing Iverson that he’ll have plenty of scoring options when he takes over at point guard… Rasheed Wallace added 15 points and four other players scored in double figures. Rodney Stuckey replaced the departed Billups at point guard and had nine points and three assists as Detroit shot 50 percent… Shannon Brown came off the bench to score 16 points, and Gerald Wallace had 15 points and 12 rebounds for Charlotte, which couldn’t build off Saturday’s win over Miami in the beginning of a week of reunions for the well-traveled Brown, who has his own problems… Held most of the time to one shot, the Bobcats were outrebounded 42-31.

Iverson to be traded for Billups

The Denver Nuggets don’t appear to be championship-bound with a core of Carmelo Anthony and Allen Iverson. The team is good, but may never be great. With Melo the younger player, the Nuggets are giving up on the combo and sending Iverson to Detroit. In return, the Pistons will send point guard Chauncey Billups and power forward/center Antonio McDyess to Denver.

InsideHoops.com first got wind this deal, which has been reported as a rumor in the past, would actually happen from Marc Spears’ Boston Globe blog.

Looking at the trade for the Pistons: Detroit gets a big-time scorer in Iverson who is a natural shooting guard but can pretend to be a point guard. Chances are, Iverson will start at PG, with Richard Hamilton staying at shooting guard, and young talented point guard Rodney Stuckey continuing to come off the bench. Hamilton is too undersized to play small forward for more than a few minutes. Billups is a better floor general than Iverson, but Iverson’s the quicker player and better scorer. As for Antonio McDyess, he was coming off the bench but still important for Detroit. Amir Johnson and Jason Maxiell will have to step up more with Dice gone. And Kwame Brown becomes more important.

Detroit also gets tons of extra salary cap space in the deal.

Looking at the trade for the Nuggets: Gone is Iverson and in comes Billups, who is better than Iverson at running an total team offense. Billups is also a stronger, more physical defender. Billups doesn’t draw defensive attention like Iverson does, but he can do a better job setting up JR Smith, Carmelo Anthony (who can also create his own offense anytime he wants), Kenyon Martin and Nene.

Also, Billups is a Denver guy.

Nov 1: Pistons 117, Wizards 109

The AP reports: Walter Herrmann, always a fan favorite with his Fabio-like long, blond hair, had the Palace crowd chanting “Wal-ter Herr-mann!” as he scored 16 points off the bench to help the Pistons improve to 2-0 with a 117-109 victory over the Washington Wizards… Richard Hamilton and Rasheed Wallace, both former Wizards, were the only Detroit starters to play well—combining for 41 points and 18 rebounds—but Herrmann and his fellow reserves helped out with 55 points… Antawn Jamison led Washington (0-2) with 24 points and Nick Young added 23… Kwame Brown, picked No. 1 overall by Washington in 2001, had eight points in eight minutes for the Pistons.

Pistons sign Jason Maxiell to contract extension

Detroit Pistons President of Basketball Operations Joe Dumars announced today that the club signed forward Jason Maxiell to a contract extension.  Per team policy, terms of the contract were not disclosed.

Last season, Maxiell averaged career-highs in points (7.9), rebounds (5.3), assists (0.6), blocks (1.2) and minutes played (21.5) in a career-high 82 games.  In seven games as a starter, he averaged 11.1 points, 6.3 rebounds, 1.6 blocks and 30.4 minutes per game.  Maxiell led the Pistons bench players in scoring and ranked 30th in the NBA in blocks (1.2 bpg) in 2007-08.  He finished ninth in NBA Sixth Man of the Year voting and ranked third among NBA non-starters in rebounding (5.3 rpg) behind New York’s David Lee (8.9 rpg) and Utah’s Paul Millsap (5.6 rpg).

Maxiell was drafted 26th overall by the Pistons in the 2005 NBA Draft from the University of Cincinnati.  In 175 career NBA games coming into this season, he held averages of 6.0 points, 3.7 rebounds, 0.4 assists and 0.9 blocks.