NBA Predictions: Playoff Edition

With the NBA Playoffs set, it's time to look at the matchups and see who is on the right road to the NBA finals. It's been a fun and entertaining regular season, but is now time for the top sixteen teams in the league to make their run at the Larry O'Brien Trophy. The playoff seeding came down to the last game between the Rockets and the Lakers and now it is time to see who will go the farthest in their playoff run.

Eastern Conference First Round Series:

1.) Miami Heat -vs- 8.) Milwaukee Bucks
- The Miami Heat are the reigning NBA Champs and the league's best team during the regular season winning a league high 66 games. On the other side, the Milwaukee Bucks have the least amount of wins out of all the playoff teams and the only team  under .500 in the playoffs. On April 17th, Bucks star Brandon Jennings came out and said that he sees Milwaukee winning the series in six games. A rather gutsy comment, but you have to stay confident this time of year. I don't see the Heat laying down at all this series, so I don't see this series getting extended at all.

Verdict: Miami over Milwaukee (4-0)

4.) Brooklyn Nets -vs- 5.) Chicago Bulls
- This is going to be a fun series between the Nets and Bulls. These teams are totally opposite when it comes to how they play the game. Tom Thibodeau and the Bulls are an all defensive team, and win their games on the defensive side of the ball. Bulls are one of the lowest scoring teams in the league but always find themselves in to the very end of a game through their defense. On another note, the Nets, like to run and gun with their elite backcourt of Joe Johnson and Deron Williams. I see this series going down to the last game with a surprising twist.

Verdict: Bulls over Nets (4-3)

3.) Indiana Pacers -vs- 6.) Atlanta Hawks
- With the young up and coming Pacers going against a mix of young guys and veterans in the Hawks, it should be fun to see who comes out of this series. The Pacers have one of the best defensive teams in the league and the Hawks love to run with their athletes and shooters that they have on the wing. Josh Smith and Al Horford will have to come up big if the Hawks want to upset the young Pacers. Jeff Teague will be the "x-factor" in this series if the Hawks want to beat the Pacers. This should be a fun series, but I don't see the Hawks soaring over the Pacers at the end.

Verdict: Pacers over Hawks (4-2)

2.) New York Knicks -vs- 7.) Boston Celtics
- Another great playoff series is about to take place between these two sport rivals in Boston and New York. With the tragedy that has taken over Boston over the last few days, I expect a much better and more inspired Celtics team here in the playoffs than we saw in the regular season. Even with all-star point guard Rajon Rondo out, I feel the Celtics are the toughest matchup the Knicks could have gotten in the first round. Doc Rivers and the savvy Celtics will look to upset the Knicks in the first round and I think they can do it behind future Hall of Famers Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett.

Verdict: Celtics over Knicks (4-2)

Western Conference First Round Series:

1.) Oklahoma City Thunder -vs- 8.) Houston Rockets

- The NBA could not have gotten a better one versus eight first round matchup, it's James Harden's return to Chesapeake Bay Arena. The Rockets loss to the Lakers on Wednesday drew them this series and it won't go too well in Harden's case. The Rockets don't matchup well against the Thunder in many key positions. Jeremy Lin, Rockets point guard, will have a fit trying to stay in front of all-star guard Russell Westbrook and Chandler Parsons will, have to try and stay in front of the second best player in the league, Kevin Durant. I don't see this series going far, but it should be a fun one.

Verdict: Thunder over Rockets (4-1)

4.) Los Angeles Clippers -vs- 5.) Memphis Grizzlies
- This should be one of the best series of the first round, if not the playoffs between these two heavy weights. Run and gun Lob City will take on the slow it down Memphis Grizzlies. Whoever takes control of the tempo and plays the game their way will win the series. I expect a great matchup between rivals Zach Randolph and Blake Griffin, and it will be fun watching former teammates and NBA Finals champs go at it in Chauncey Billups of the Clippers and Tayshaun Prince of the Grizzlies. I expect this series to go to the last game in an exciting 7-game series. I just think the depth of the Clippers bench will be all too much for Marc Gasol and the Grizzlies to handle.

Verdict: Clippers over Grizzlies (4-3)

3.) Denver Nuggets -vs- 6.) Golden State Warriors
- This is a matchup between two very well coached teams. They also are two of the best teams on their home court. the Nuggets were an NBA best (38-3) on their home court and the Warriors were (28-13) on their court. These two teams love to run and gun and fire at will outside the three point line. The Warriors have probably the very best three point shooting back court in the entire league in Klay Thompson and Stephen Curry. Curry just recently passed Ray Allen for most threes made in a season with 272. This should be a fun and entertaining series with not many road wins.

Verdict: Nuggets over Warriors(4-3)

2.) San Antonio Spurs -vs- 7.) Los Angeles Lakers
- Until after the last game of the year, the Lakers did not know if they would even be in the playoffs, but now they stand as the 7th seed ready to take on the San Antonio Spurs. Without Kobe Bryant the Lakers will have to try and find a way to be one of the best teams in the league. Even with injuries, the Spurs shouldn't have as much of a problem as people seem to think. Dwight Howard and Pau Gasol will have to be phenomenal if they want to make some noise in this series. Steve Nash, who is a game time decision for game 1 will have to hold his own against NBA MVP candidate Tony Parker. The series should be very entertaining and draw a lot of media attention, but don't expect it to be extended beyond a few games.

Verdict: Spurs over Lakers (4-1)

Eastern Conference Semi Finals Series:

1.) Miami Heat -vs- 5.) Chicago Bulls
- With former league MVP Derrick Rose most likely sidelined against the Nets, if Chicago makes it out of the first round, we may see Rose back in action, and that could make this series extremely interesting. The Heat are the best team in transition so the Bulls will have to try and keep Miami playing in the half court, where the Bulls thrive. I expect a much more competitive series in the semi finals for Miami, but nothing that will make them fear elimination.

Verdict: Miami over Bulls (4-2)

3.) Indiana Pacers -vs- 7.) Boston Celtics
- After upsetting the Knicks in the first round, the Celtic's confidence are at an all-time high and that should make for an extremely exciting series between two of the best defensive teams in the League. The two deciding factors in the series will be who wins the matchups between Paul Pierce - Paul George, and Kevin Garnett - David West. With the whole state of Massachusetts behind them, don't expect the Celtics to go down without a fight.

Verdict: Pacers over Celtics (4-3)

 Western Conference Semi Finals Series:

1.) Oklahoma City Thunder -vs- 4.) Los Angeles Clippers
- The Clippers draw another NBA heavy weight in their next matchup against the best in the West, the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Clippers will test the Thunder in every game and could very well upset the reigning Western Conference champion Thunder. The Clippers will have to try and slow down Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook if they want to have a chance in this series, and it is pivotal for the Thunder that Serge Ibaka frustrates Blake Griffin and not allow many show time dunks to get the crowd involved. This series may be the two best teams in the West going at it, but you still have to give the nod to the Thunder to win the series even without James Harden.

Verdict: Thunder over Clippers (4-2)

2.) San Antonio Spurs -vs- 3.) Denver Nuggets
Another great Western Conference playoff matchup, as the best home team in the league takes on the third best home team in the Spurs. These two know how to win on their home court and it will be extremely difficult for either team to win in the others arena. With the Spurs having home court advantage in the series, I'm not sure the depleted Nuggets without Danilo Gallinari, will be able to withstand the talent of the Spurs big three in Manu, Parker, and Duncan.

Verdict: Spurs over Nuggets (4-1)

Eastern Conference Finals:

1.) Miami Heat -vs- 3.) Indiana Pacers
- The Indiana Pacers have come a long way since their first playoff series with this group of guys three years ago. Three years later, they are playing for a trip to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2004. The Pacers young star Paul George will have to deal with MVP LeBron James coming off yet another career season. This series will be competitive to the very end and will have some bad blood between the two just like last year, but I just can't see the Pacers pulling out upset against the reigning champion Miami Heat.

Verdict: Heat over Pacers (4-2)

Western Conference Finals:

1.) Oklahoma City Thunder -vs- 2.) San Antonio Spurs
- Just as last year's Western Conference finals, the Spurs and the Thunder will meet once again with a trip to the NBA Finals on the line. Only this time, the Thunder will have to win it without James Harden. The Spurs, before all of the injuries and Miami's 27-game win streak, had the best record in the NBA. The Spurs when healthy, could take out the Thunder unlike last year. The Spurs failed to take advantage of their 2-0 series lead last year, but don't expect that same thing to happen again if the same scenario occurs.

Verdict: Spurs over Thunder (4-2)



NBA Finals:

1.) Miami Heat -vs- 2.) San Antonio Spurs
- The Heat and the Spurs came into the season with championship aspirations and each will have a chance to achieve that with just four more wins. The Spurs were built through the draft and have grown together over a long period of time. While the Miami Heat were assembled just two summers ago. The Spurs may have better chemistry and coaching than the Heat, but Miami has two of the best players at their position on their side. This series is bound to be extremely competitive as long as injuries stay out of play. Here is how I see each game playing out:

Series:
- Game 1: Heat over Spurs 105-96
- Game 2: Heat over Spurs 92-88
- Game 3: Spurs over Heat 88-80
- Game 4: Spurs over Heat 90-89
- Game 5: Heat over Spurs 101-94
- Game 6: Heat over Spurs 110-98

Verdict: Miami beats San Antonio (4-2)

Detroit Pistons: The Future is Now

As another painful season winds down for Detroit, it is time to yet again look towards the future for this young Pistons squad. With an awful 24-50 record, if the season ended today, they would have the worst winning percentage since the 1993-1994 season when they posted a 20 win season.

With that being said, the Pistons are still in the best position that they have been in a while to build a winning culture yet again. After three consecutive trips to the NBA Draft Lottery, The Pistons have laid down the foundation for the future by drafting Greg Monroe, Brandon Knight, and Andre Drummond.

These three have Piston fans thinking positive about the future of this franchise. Along with those three players, Dumars and his staff have drafted a few talented second rounders as well in Kyle Singler, who is now the starting small forward, and shooting guards Kim English and Khris Middleton.

Singler has played very well in his starting role at small forward since the trade that sent long time Piston Tayshaun Prince to Memphis back in February. The trade opened the doors for other rookies as well. Middleton and English have had increased roles since the deal. In limited minutes, Middleton has played well and has gained the trust of the coaching staff. As for English, well he has struggled shooting ball, only shooting 38% from the field and 30% from three point range in about 10 minutes of playing time.

With the increased roles for the young guys, that means someone is left out, and that someone is veteran small forward Corey Maggette. Maggette, who was brought over in the Ben Gordon deal with Charlotte back in June, has yet to see playing time since December. Even without receiving playing time, Maggette has been a calming presence in the locker room for Detroit and has been a role model for the many young guys on the team.

Head Coach Lawrence Frank seems determined to give remaining minutes to his young guys in an effort to help mold a better future for the Pistons, instead of giving them to aging veterans like Maggette who probably won't be with Detroit after this year.

Another bright spot for Detroit this year is the surprising season they have gotten out of rookie big man Andre Drummond. Drummond has surpassed everybody's expectations when it comes to how his college game would translate to the NBA game. Drummond plays and average of 19.8 minutes a game and posts almost 8 points, 8 rebounds, and 2 blocks a game. Drummond has recently grabbed the starting center position from Jason Maxiell, and has had a gradual increase in his minutes during the year.

As the Piston players try to improve internally, Dumars and his staff are gearing up for yet another trip to the NBA Lottery, but this time with likely the highest pick since 2003. With a high pick in a weak draft, the Pistons will have to be on their "A-game" to find yet another diamond in the ruff.

Along with another addition to this young team, Dumars has close to $30 million to spend on free agents over the summer. Likely targets for Detroit are players like Dallas guard O.J. Mayo and Denver forward Andre Iguodala, as they try to improve their wing positions. The Pistons have enough money (if the amnesty Charlie Villanueva) to sign both players to big deals. These two players can provide the scoring that the Pistons have missed this year and move Brandon Knight back to the position I feel fits him better, the point guard spot.

With the biggest off season in recent years for Detroit, Dumars will try to fix his past mistakes and help the Pistons make a run for the NBA Playoffs in 2014 with a solid draft and some free agent splashes.

Detroit Pistons: 3 Pistons Who Might be Dealt by the Trade Deadline

With the 2013 NBA Trade Deadline upon us, it is time to look at a few Detroit Piston players that are most likely to be traded by Thursday. Vincent Ellis of the Detroit Free Press wrote in his Sunday Column, a conversation he had with a league source about how likely the Pistons are to make a deal. The source said, "You have already had the main course. You aren't getting seconds," but, the source added, "You might get dessert."

With that in mind, don't expect the Pistons to be involved in any massive blockbuster deals come Thursday afternoon, but don't be surprised if Detroit does make some rumbles before the deadline passes. Over the years, the Pistons have been notoriously quiet at the deadline since the famous Rasheed Wallace trade back in 2004. Don't expect the Pistons to make any big acquisitions till the offseason, but here are a few players that General Manager Joe Dumars and his staff may deal by February 21st.

1.) Will Bynum

Will Bynum has been one of the lone bright spots during what is, yet another rough season for the Pistons. Bynum has put his stamp on this season while playing in limited minutes and being in and out of Head Coach Lawrence Frank's dog house. Bynum could be a starting point guard for a number of teams in the league, and would help a lot of teams in their push for the playoffs.

A few teams that have expressed interest in Bynum are the Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers. Bynum could provide a spark off the bench at the guard spot behind Nash, to help the Lakers make that final push for the playoffs. On the other side, the Celtics, lack a starting point guard ever since Rajon Rondo tore his ACL. The Celtics start shooting guard Courtney Lee at the point guard spot, but run most of their offense through veterans Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett.

Will Bynum could net the Pistons a possible draft pick or a young talent in returns for his services if the right team wants him bad enough. The Pistons will shop the market and get a feel of what they might receive in a possible deal. The Pistons may lose some production this season, but with Jose Calderon and Brandon Knight at the guard positions, the Pistons are in good hands.

Potential Trade:
Detroit Receives:
- Desagana Diop
- Jimmy Butler
Chicago Receives:
- Will Bynum
- Reggie Williams
Charlotte Receives:
- Richard Hamilton
- Jonas Jerebko

This trade helps fill the whole at the three spot for Detroit by adding an up and coming player in Jimmy Butler and also gives them another hefty expiring contract. Diop's $7.4 million contract is set to expire this offseason. The Bulls also get an upgrade at the point guard spot over Kirk Hinrich as Rose may be out the entire year. Chicago also shed themselves of Richard Hamilton's contract  and assure Luol Deng that the small forward spot is his for the long haul. The Bobcats also get some much needed talent in Jerebko, and some veteran leadership in Richard Hamilton.

2.)  Rodney Stuckey

Ever since the beginning of the 2012-2013 season, it seems that guard Rodney Stuckey has taken a few steps back after taking such a big leap forward last year. His struggles have Pistons fans counting down the days till the Pistons decide to cut ties with the struggling shooting guard. Of the players on the roster, Stuckey is one of the players that the Pistons have been getting the most calls about as the trade deadline nears

Stuckey has 2 years left on his contract that will pay him $8.5 million a year. A lot of money for a player coming off the bench and not a part of this team's future. Teams that might be interested in Stuckey are teams such as the Celtics, Bulls, Jazz, and Cavaliers who could all use an upgrade in the backcourt. The struggle the Pistons are going to have in moving him, is trying to find a partner who doesn't want to shed salary as well.

Detroit will not make any moves at the deadline that will have them sacrifice their financial flexibility, Dumars has worked hard to create this flexibility and will have to use his money right this time around to keep his job. I don't expect Stuckey to be moved by Thursday, but if he does, it won't surprise me.

Potential Trade:
Detroit Receives:
- O.J. Mayo
Dallas Receives:
- Rodney Stuckey
- Kendrick Perkins
Thunder Receive:
- Chris Kaman
- 2nd Round Pick (Dallas)
- 2nd Round Pick (Detroit)

This trade gives the Pistons a player that they can go to and score in the closing minutes of a game and can average 20 point a game, and take some of the scoring load off of Greg Monroe. Dallas receives a combo guard that can replace Mayo in the starting lineup, and also lock up a very good center in Perkins for 3 years. The Thunder get a big man that can get his own on the block in Chris Kaman, and get a pair of 2nd round picks to keep surrounding their core group of guys with young talent.

3.) Jonas Jerebko

The 2009 Draft may turn out to be lost in the history books for Dumars and his staff as they seem to have given up on forward Jonas Jerebko, their one hit in that draft. Jonas "The Swedish Eagle" Jerebko, has been in Lawrence Frank's dog house almost all year. He has only played in 22 games all year with an average of 14.5 minutes a game. In those minutes, he only averages about 5 points per game.

At 25 years old, Jerebko is still developing as a player and has yet to hit his prime as a player, but is stuck behind Kyle Singler at the small forward spot, along with Rodney Stuckey who has shared time at the spot as well. A team like the Oklahoma City Thunder or the San Antonio Spurs could be a potential suitor for Jerebko. These teams have been known to trade for young talent who have over stayed there welcome. Jerebko also does not have a hefty deal, and can be a contract a team can just absorb without sending back a player.

Potential Trade:
Detroit Receives:
- Brandon Bass
- Gerald Henderson
Boston Receives:
- Marreese Speights
- Will Bynum
Charlotte Receives:
- Luke Walton
- Jonas Jerebko
Cleveland Receives:
- Ben Gordon
- 2nd Round Pick (Charlotte)

This trade provides Detroit with a player they have had their eyes on for a while in Gerald Henderson and can try to convince him to stay after this year. Detroit also gets another big to take Jerebko's spot in the rotation. The Celtics get a point guard to run the team while Rondo is out and get a valuable big man to help with production off of the bench. Charlotte gets an expiring contract in Luke Walton to help give the Bobcats some flexibility moving forward, and they also get a young talent in Jerebko to help build around Kemba Walker. The Cavaliers get a shooting guard to help share minutes with Dion Waiters and help the bench production. They also receive a fairly decent second round pick from the Bobcats as well.

Detroit Pistons: Why Detroit Needs to Keep Jose Calderon

When the news broke on January 30th about the departure of long time Detroit Piston Tayshaun Prince and the addition of Toronto Raptors guard Jose Calderon and his $10.5 million expiring contract, it was assumed across the league that this was just a rental for Detroit. The Detroit Pistons already have their point guard of the future in Brandon Knight and have no room on the roster for another point guard, but it seems that might not be the case.

 

While Jose Calderon was getting his visa issues solved, coach Lawrence Frank made it known, prior to his debut, that Calderon would be the starting point guard. With this move, he would slide Brandon Knight to his more natural position as a shooting guard, and shift rookie Kyle Singler to the small forward position to fill the hole left in Prince's absence. With these slight adjustments to the rotation, Frank seems to have given the reigns of this young team to Calderon.

 

At age 31, Calderon gives Detroit a type of veteran leadership and passing ability at the point guard spot that they haven't had since the trade that sent Chauncey Billups to Denver back in 2008. With the skill set that Calderon has, age is something that will not deteriorate his skill over time. Calderon is not overly athletic and does not lean on his athleticism to affect the game. He is a very good shooter, a gifted passer, and a voice on the court that can calm the waters when a young team like the Pistons get rattled.

Over his first few games as a Piston, he has already jumped into the role as a leader on the floor and has shown how much the Pistons have needed a "true" point guard. He helped this young Piston team knock off the San Antonio Spurs Friday evening with an up tempo style of play not seen very much around Detroit. During that game, the Pistons put up a season high 119 points against a very well coached Spurs defense. Calderon finished the game with a solid 7 points and 8 assists to go along with 0 turnovers.

One night later, playing their fifth game in seven days, the Pistons headed to Milwaukee on a high note. Calderon would once again lead the charge for Detroit. He poured in 11 points in the first quarter to go along with 3 assists and 3 steals as well. Jose lead the Pistons to an early double-digit lead against the Bucks that they would later give up in the second quarter when Calderon got a rest. The 2nd half saw the Bucks take a 10 point advantage, but like Detroit, couldn't hold on. Calderon came up huge down the stretch as he helped the Pistons rally in the fourth quarter and steal a win at the Bradley Center. Jose had his first double-double as a Piston as he posted 23 points on 10/13 shooting. He also added 10 assists and 3 steals. Calderon showed off his veteran savvy late in the game by slowing down the offense when it needed to, and pushing the ball at the right time without forcing the issue.

Through 4 games as a Piston, Calderon has posted 30 assists as well as 5 turnovers, that is a 6/1 assist to turnover ratio. Though this is just a small sample size, it shows how much the Pistons benefit from having a pass-first point guard as their leader on the floor. Calderon provides head coach Lawrence Frank a chance to let his team run more and push the tempo as he now has a point guard that he can trust to not force the issue as much as a younger guard might.

Even if the franchise still sees Brandon Knight as the future at the point guard position it is still a good idea to retain Calderon pass this season to help further his development at the position. Calderon can help Brandon Knight dissect certain situations and help improve his decision-making. Knight has an assist to turnover ratio of 1.63, which is among the worst ratios at the point guard position among starters. Calderon can become a good mentor for Brandon Knight and help slow down the game for him.At the right price, Detroit should consider bringing back Jose Calderon past this season. Detroit has over 30 million dollars to spend in the offseason, and possibly more if they decide to amnesty veteran power forward Charlie Villanueva. Even at age 31, Jose still has plenty of basketball ahead of him with his skill set of passing, shooting, and superior decision-making.

As the offseason draws closer and closer after every game, the Pistons have a lot of work ahead of them to get back into playoff contention. The Pistons have gotten their first taste of what a pass-first point guard can provide for a team, and I hope Joe Dumars and his staff make the correct call of bringing back Calderon for the right price.

Pistons Land Jose Calderon in 3-Team Deal

On a busy night in the NBA, the first major trade of the season occurred right before games tipped off Wednesday night. This was a 3-team trade between one of the best teams in the Western Conference, the Memphis Grizzlies, and two up and coming teams in the Eastern Conference in Toronto and Detroit. The Grizzlies shipped out star small forward Rudy Gay, big man Hamed Haddadi, and a second round pick to the Raptors in exchange for small forwards Tayshaun Prince, Austin Daye, and power forward Ed Davis. Also in the deal, the Pistons took in veteran point guard Jose Calderon and his 10.5 million dollar expiring contract. In this deal, I feel there is no clear cut winner, in fact, I believe all three teams in the trade got better. These teams seemed to accomplish what each team was trying to do prior to the deal. Now, lets break down how each team did in the deal and grade the outcome.

According to several reports prior to the deal, it was widely speculated that the Grizzlies were shopping Rudy Gay to avoid being in the Luxury tax. Similar to what Oklahoma City did with James Harden, the Grizzlies shipped out Gay and his mammoth of a contract for a veteran forward in Tayshaun Prince, and young pieces in Ed Davis and Austin Daye. In the end, this deal helps keep Memphis below the tax line and helps add young players to their roster.  The only downside to this deal for Memphis was giving up a second round pick to Toronto. The Grizzlies are already dreadfully low in future draft picks in the upcoming years, and I feel Memphis didn't need to throw in that pick to make the deal work.
Grade: B+

Toronto has been without a dominant wing player since the Vince Carter era in the early 2000's, and they now may be headed in that same direction with the newly acquired Rudy Gay. Toronto found the perfect team to strike a deal with given Memphis' desire to be under the tax line. With this deal, the Raptors take care of their point guard controversy by shipping out veteran guard Jose Calderon and giving the keys to this young team to Kyle Lowry. Also, with the acquisition of Rudy Gay, this team all of the sudden has a few of the most athletic player in the league on their roster, in shooting guards DeMar DeRozan, and Terrence Ross to go along with Gay. This team with the trade now becomes a team with a chance to sneak into that last playoff spot if Boston continues to loosen their grip on the spot. In the deal the Raptors also acquired a young seven footer in Hamed Haddadi and added a future second round pick. This was a deal the Raptors couldn't pass up on and now are a clear playoff contender moving forward. the only downfall to this deal for Toronto is with Gay's massive contract in the books, they lose their flexibility going forward to add to their young core.
Grade: A

Detroit Pistons' President of Basketball Operations Joe Dumars, said early in the year that he would not make any deal that could tarnish their flexibility on potential signings or trades in the future, and this trade did nothing but help create more flexibility for Detroit. The Pistons are now projected to have over 30 million dollars to spend in free agency this summer with Calderon's 10.5 million dollar deal set to expire this off-season. But this trade was not just a rental for the rest of the year as Joe Dumars made perfectly clear when he met with the local media early Friday morning. Dumars said "This is someone that we would have some interest in staying going forward," so this might not be just a salary dump like the Ben Gordon-Corey Maggette swap looks like was. With the addition of Calderon, the Pistons added one of the best set-up men in the NBA. Calderon is only second in the league in the turnover/assist ratio column, just behind Clipper guard Chris Paul. Jose also is averaging over 11 points per game this year and close to 10 assists a game in just over 28 minutes a game. Head Coach Lawrence Frank also said on Friday that when Jose Calderon's visa issues are solved and is available to play, that he will start at the point and slide Brandon Knight to the shooting guard position. Jose is a player that can help mold Brandon Knight into a "true" point guard that most fans would like to see Knight evolve into. This deal helps create flexibility going forward, and adds a quality player for the remainder of the season and possibly for longer. Joe Dumars got this deal right and has the Pistons in prime position to make a big splash in free agency this summer.
Grade: A+

David Stern: How he changed the NBA for the better

David Stern has been one of the best things to happen to the National Basketball Association since the creation of the league. During David Stern’s 28 year reign as NBA commissioner, he has changed the league for the better. Stern has added 7 NBA franchises; he has dramatically increased national television exposure, and has created a growing fan base overseas. Stern joined the NBA back in the year 1974 as a General Counsel, and then became the NBA’s Executive Vice President in 1980. After four years in that position, Stern became head of the National Basketball Association in 1984. Stern became the commissioner on February 1^st, 1984, succeeding Larry O’Brien. Over his 28 years on the job Stern has done great for the NBA as well as the sporting world.

            One of the biggest landmark decisions of David Stern’s career came early on when the league and its players were questioned and judged on the drug problem in the game. Stern and the NBA player association tackled this problem and put an end to it as soon as possible. Strict rules were created to stop players from using performance enhancing drugs. Stern and the rest of the league council issued several new drug tests to combat this issue and clean up the game. Now, the league is praised and is modeled after for their job that they do to take performance enhancing drugs out of their sport.

            During the late 1980’s and early 90’s the NBA introduced the greatest player in NBA history in Michael Jordan. With the arrival of Jordan came a new era of commercial advertising for the NBA, the league also started shoe contracts which Stern turned into publicity for his league. Jordan, Bird, and magic took the league in the 1980’s to new heights, publicity, and profits. Since Stern has been a part of the NBA he has seen the league expand from 10 franchises to 30 (since 1966). Stern also saw the league expand into another country in Canada. The first franchise ever outside of the United States, the Toronto Raptors, was established in September of 1993. NBA brought yet another franchise across the border in 1995 when the NBA established yet another new franchise the Vancouver Grizzlies. The Grizzlies would not stay across the border though; they would later be relocated to Memphis, Tennessee.  

            David Stern has dramatically improved the NBA for the better while the NBA commissioner and the league will have to trust that the next commissioner, Adam Silver will be as good for the league as Stern was. Stern is set to retire from his duties as NBA commissioner on February 1^st, 2014, 30 years after his first day on the job. Since then, he has increased the league’s revenue 30-fold and has expanded franchises outside of the United States. It would be an understatement to call David Stern a “good” thing for the sport; he transformed the sport of basketball as a whole, and into the second most popular sport worldwide.

4-Day Grace Period

The Detroit Pistons have had a rocky start to the season, and seem to be headed in the right direction going into their lengthy 4-day break. Over their last eight games, the Pistons have won six of the eight and were poised to make it seven till the Charlotte Bobcats took over the Palace in Sunday’s 108-101 loss. The Pistons currently stand at (13-23); good for eleventh in the Eastern Conference, where the top eight teams make it to the post season.

            Players on the roster like Greg Monroe, Rodney Stuckey, and high flying rookie Andre Drummond welcome the 4-day rest as they see it as time to give their bodies a rest in a marathon of a season. Guard Rodney Stuckey said “Any time off is good time, just to relax,chill with the family, stuff like that so I’m ready for that,” Stuckey said. This team has been off to a rough start where some players viewed this season as “redemption” for how last season ended. I feel that this team is in a little bit of a rhythm and the momentum they have created over their last eight games can only help them the rest of the year. Coaches and players on the team have also noted that even though it is important to relax and take a step back for a few games. They also feel that this “mini break” is a great time to work on their offense and defense with practice, which has been few and far between early in the year. Piston guard Will Bynum noted that itdoesn’t matter whether they are playing or not, they still have a lot of stuff to clean up to get better, and get to where they want to be.

            The Detroit Pistons started the year off the worst in franchise history. They kicked off the year losing the first 8games of the season and have gone (13-15) since then. This young, up and coming team has seen plenty of downs during the last few years, but it finally seems like they are starting to turn the corner on one of the worst periods in Detroit Pistons history, known as “The Sad Boys Era.” With young stars like third year power forward Greg Monroe, second year guard Brandon Knight, and rookie sensation Andre Drummond, the Pistons will try to make a run at the postseason which they have missed each of the last three seasons. Now withFriday’s matchup against the Milwaukee Bucks quickly approaching, it will be interesting to see if this lengthy break during the middle of the season will help or harm this young team. With momentum on their side, Pistons fans have a sense of optimism that the long playoff drought will soon come to an end.