Michael Curry FIRED!

This just in on ESPN Micheal Curry has been fired. Due to his inability to work well with the players and his basic refusal to smooth things over with Rip Hamilton for benching him without speaking with him, preparing him for the decision before telling the rest of the team. He is done.

The coaching replacement search allegedly will not take long because they have coaches in mind. Jeff VanGundy, Bill Laimbeer, Avery Johnson, Sam Mitchell and Paul Silas among a few.

Summer Dayes...

Well, it has been set in motion. Joe Dumars announced today that all three draft picks will be on the Pistons roster at the start of training camp. He feels that they all have first round talent and can have roles on this team.

The initial Summer league roster was also released today and it includes: Austin Daye, Dajuan Summers, Jonas Jerebko, Walter "Sleepy" Sharpe, Deron Washington, Trent Plaisted, Will Bynum, Ibrahim Jabber, Clay Tucker, Matt Freije and Dwayne Jones.

Side notes-Charlie Villanueva was not given a QO (qualifiying offer) making him an unrestricted free agent. I expect the Pistons to offer him a deal starting at about 6.5 per.

Return Performance for Okur?

On the eve of the free agency period it is beginning to look more and more like Mehmet Okur will opt out of his contract, becoming a free agent. I believe that this is one of Dumars' primary targets and his choice over, Boozer and Milsap. The other players I think the Pistons will target are: Charlie Villaueva, David Lee, Ramon Sessions, Hedo Turkoglu and our own Antonio McDyess. Who do you think we should target?

2nd Round

31. Jeff Pendergraph-SacraSmento Kings Pendergraph is a nice complimentary piece. Not real mobile but has a decent low post game. Hard worker, nice pick. Jeff Pendergraph is being traded to the Trailblazers for Sergio Rodriguez and the 38th pick.

32. Jermaine Taylor-Washington Wizards Nice 6-5 sg. wone of the top scorers in the NCAA's. Not bad.

33. Dante Cunningham-Portland Trailblazers Improved his game nicely this year. Another tweener at 6-8, he's a 4 who needs to be a 3, but can't play on the perimeter.

34. Sergio Lull-Denver Nuggets European point guard. Has nice court vision.

35. Dajuan Summers-Detroit Pistons Nice pick for the Pistons, athletic. Long wingspan, physical, can finish at the rim, shoot from range and is a nice defender.

36. Sam Young-Memphis Grizzlies Nice player, good athlete. How much upside does he have left?

37. Dajuan Blair-SA Spurs Nice banger down low. He'll go get the ball and add to your possessions.

38. John Brockman-Portland Trailblazers Another rebounding machine. Undersized at 6-7 but he knows how to get position. This pick goes to Sacramento to complete the earlier trade.

39. Jonas Jerebko-Detroit Pistons Has a nice game, solid player. Smooth stroke on the pull up and from long range.

40. Derrick Brown-Charlotte Bobcats Good player, this guy is a baller. Watch out, I think this might be a sleeper pick down the road.

The Wizards trade the draft rights of Jermaine Taylor to the Houston Rockets for cash.

41. Jodie Meeks-Milwaukee Bucks Solid shooter, moves well without the ball scored 54 points in a game this season.

Chad Ford has reported that the Amare' Stoudemire to GS trade discussions are dead. Joe D, jump in there and get Stats!

42. Patrick Beverly-LA Lakers Point guard with nice handles and nice quickness, suspect jumper. Defends well.

43. Marcus Thornton-Miami Heat Great scorer, with a nice defensive mentality.

44. Chase Budinger-Detroit Pistons Chase is a Richard Hamilton type of player using screens and moving to th open spot on the floor. Needs to improve defense.

45. Nick Calathes-Minnesota T-Wolves Nick has signed a contract with Greece is he going to stay overseas or play in the NBA this season?

46. Danny Green- Cleveland Cavaliers Good shooter with good range, good defender, good passer, does everything good, but nothing great.

Nuggets trade draft rights of Sergio Lull to the Houston Rockets for cash considerations.

47. Henk Norel-Minnesota T-Wolves Nice fluid big man, who plays with energy.

48. Taylor Griffin-Pheonix Suns This is the second year that the Suns have taken the less talented brother in the draft.

49. Sergy Gladyr-Atlanta Hawks Euro shooting guard. Don't know much about him.

50. Goran Suton-Utah Jazz Tough player, nice rebounder with a good face-up shot out ot about 20 feet.

51. Jack McClinton-SA Spurs They get a lights out shooter here.

52. AJ Price-Indiana Pacers Another player with character issues. Don't they already have a player like this that they can't get rid of?

Pistons trade the draft rights to Chase Budinger to the Houston Rockets for a future 2nd rounder.

53. Nando De Colo-SA Spurs Solid back up point, he'll be able to come in and play behind Tony Parker and learn the NBA game.

54. Robert Vaden Charlotte Bobcats Would have went higher had he come out last year. Was this down season a fluke?

55. Patrick Mills-Portland Trailblazers Nice pick this late in the draft. Lightning quick point guard.

56. Ahmad Nivins The Pistons should have taken him with the final pick. Oh well.

57. Emir Preldzic-Pheonix Suns Nice prospect. He may be ready to contribute in a few years.

The LA Lakers trade the draft rights to Patrick Beverly to the Miami Heat for a future 2nd rounder.

58. Lester Hudson-Boston Celtics The Celts get a flat out scorer at 58. Think Flip Murray with a better J.

The Bobcats trade the draft rights of Robert Vaden to the Thunder for cash considerations.

59. Chinemelu Elonu-LA Lakers Hard working rebounder, shot blocker.

60. Robert Dozier-Miami Heat Nice combo forward. Able to rebound, defend, block shots and shoot with range.

PEACE!

It's time baby, it's time. The draft is here and as we already know Blake Griffin is going #1. The Clipshow is about to make their pick so we can officially begin the draft.

1. Blake Griffin -LA Clippers (unless they have a brain seizure). The question is who doyou think the Clippers are going to be able to move in the front court to make room for him?

Here's the pick. And it's Blake Griffin surprise, surprise! Dude is rockin' a black two piece with a purple shirt and black tie, that's funny. Who picked that? Just ball dude, just ball.

2. Hasheem Thabeet-Memphis Grizzlies The Griz take Thabeet with the 2nd pick, right now my mock is 100%.

Well I guess the Griz just got better defensively.

3. James Harden-OKC Thunder The Thunder take Harden a very polished lefty two guard, nice basketball IQ. They just got a little better.

4. Tyreke Evans- Sacramento Kings Well they took Evans, a bit of a surprise but he's a baller. We'll see if he sticks or they move him.

5. Ricky Rubio-Minnesota T-Wolves Well no surprise here either. Once he fell to the T-Wolves I knew he wouldn't fall any further. Nice court vision, but the Wolves a really young.

6. Jonny Flynn-Minn T-WolvesThat's a surprise. Wow they take two point guards with their back to back picks. That would be a small backcourt if they plan on playing them together.

7. Stephen Curry-GS Warriors Best shooter in the draft. Warriors told Ellis they weren't taking a point guard with this pick. Will there be issues here?

8. Jordan Hill-NY Knicks Rumors swirled about him possibly falling out of the top 10. Not gonna happen. Nice pick for the Knicks. He'll thrive in an uptempo game.

9. DeMar DeRozan-Toronto Raptors The most athletic player to grace Toronto since Vincanity. Will he play the two or the three?

10. Brandon Jennings-Milwaukee Bucks This is going to be the eventual replacement for Ramon Sessions. Does this mean that they don't plan on matching offers for Sessions? Sessions to the Pistons maybe?

11. Terrence Williams-NJ Nets No surprise here, this guy jumps out of the gym and can D-up positions 1, 2 and 3. Nice pick up.

12. Gerald Henderson-Charlotte Bobcats Well surprise here, nice skill set but a group of Tarheels taking a Dukie? What is the world coming too?

13. Tyler Hansbrough-Indiana Pacers The Pacers just got a lot grittier. Now we will see if his game translates to the NBA. Will there be 11 that regret not taking him?

14. Earl Clark-Pheonix Suns I guess the Pistons won't be taking Earl Clark at 15. Detroit is on the clock.

15. Austin Daye-Detroit Pistons I am so glad that we passed on BJ Mullins here. Daye has questions about his strength but his skill is unquestionable.

16. James Johnson-Chicago Bulls Nice player, is he a 3 or a 4. He's got range, but what about his quickness? Can he guard 3's?

17. Jrue Holiday-Phila 76ers Philly takes Holiday who has a lot of questions. He didn't really produce at UCLA. He's really the same type of player as Louis Williams.

18. Ty Lawson-Minn T-Wolves (again) Another point guard? What are they doing? Who picking the players for this draft, somebody with alzheimers? Note:Ty Lawson is being traded to the Denver Nuggets for a future pick.

19. Jeff Teague-Atlanta Hawks Good player on the offensive end. Not so good on the defensive end. But has the tools to be a lock down defender.

20. Eric Maynor-Utah Jazz Maynor is a true point but he likes to play an uptempo game. Utah likes to play in the half court. This will be an interesting marriage. Will they coincide?

21. Darren Collison-New Orleans Hornets NO gets their back up point in Collison. Nice pick up, to back up Chris Paul.

22. Victor Claver-Portland Trailblazers Athletic, lottery pick talent. Will possibly remain in Spain for another year or so, nice pick.

23. Omri Casspi-Sacramento Kings I like this pick for the Kings, this guy can flat out play and has room to improve. First they had Peja then they had Hedo and now they've got Omri.

24. BJ Mullins-Dallas Mavericks He's 7-1, 265 but don't they already have a soft 7 footer on their team? How many cake boys do you need?

The Knicks are discussing a trade to get Ricky Rubio from Minnesota.

25. Rodrigue Beaubois-OKC Thunder This kid isRajon Rondo lite. I like his game, but he needs to improve his basketball IQ. This pick is being swapped with the Mavs pick, BJ Mullins.

26. Taj Gibson-Chicago Bulls I like Taj Gibson he's a hard worker, kind of reminds me of Vin Baker around the basket. But nicer on the defensive end.

27. DeMarre Carrol-Memphis Grizzlies Nice energy player, the Junk Yard Dog reincarnate. Has a good work ethic.

28. Wayne Ellington-Minnesota T-Wolves They finally address their needs at the 2. Ellington can flat out shoot the rock, very nice pick this late in the draft.

Gizzlies trade Milicic to the Knicks for Q Richardson.

29. Toney Douglas-LA Lakers This pick was bought by the Knicks. Combo guard out of Florida State University.

30. Christian Eyenga-Cleveland Cavaliers Who!!?? Where did they find this guy?

Well that's the end of the first round. Get ready for round 2.

Play by Play

For all those unable to watch the draft tonight I will be providing a play by play of the draft and all team trades conducted during the draft here on detroitballers.

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Step Yo Game Up!

The latest rumor on yahoo sports, Joe D says he's talking to multiple teams about trading up into the 1st round using either two or all 3 of the Pistons second round picks. Meanwhile Cleveland pulls off a blockbuster, getting Shaq for Big Ben and Sasha Pavlovic and cash considerations. Do you think Joe D is gonna counter this move, or will we again be dominated by Cleveland in 2010?

Big Shaq-tus to Cavs!

Well Joe, The onus is on you. The Cavs just inproved their chances for winning the 2010 NBA title with the addition of Shaquile O'neal. The Suns and Cleveland have agreed in principle to a deal that would send Shaq to the Cavs for Ben Wallace and Sasha Pavlovic, $500,000 and the Cavs 2nd rounder. Looks like you better, Step yo game up!

AIG (Alleged Improbable Guarantee)

BJ Mullins tried his hand at poker but bid too high. Somebody forgot to tell him no to go all in when you've only got a pair of 3's. Thinking about his ludicrous claim of the Pistons guaranteeing him the 15th pick in this years draft is asinine, the more I think about it the more I know its not true. Mullins isnt a Joe D guy. He doesnt have grit, determination, drive, hunger, just height. This is a no across the board for me. I guess we'll just have to wait until tommorrow to see.

Final Countdown

This is it. Less than 24 hours until Joe Dumars begins retooling the plant, so his employee can go back to work. They've appeared to be on a work stoppage in the playoffs for the last 3 seasons and were on a sick out of some kind, for this entire past season. Well they still have the same supervisor (unfortunately) but some of the more tenured workers have received their walking papers. No buy outs, just bye byes. Now it's time to punch the clock, get to your line and build something memorable.

Amir No More...

Today the Pistons made their first move of the off season. They traded Amir Johnson to the Milwaukee Bucks for newly acquired Fabricio Oberto. The word on the web is that the Pistons will waive Oberto clearing another 2 million off of their cap. Do you think they should keep Oberto?

Boston Giggler....

Reports have surfaced that the Bostons Celtics offered (LMAO) Ray Allen and Rajon Rondo to the Pistons for Richard Hamilton AND Tayshaun Prince AAAND Rodney Stuckey. I've got 5 words, YOU GOTTA BE KIDDIN ME! any GM who would agree to this trade would have to be on crack, taking prescription medication, an alcoholic and a suicidal lunatic. No more words.

My Mock Draft 5.0| NBADraft.net

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Is It Earl Clark or BJ Mullins?

The lastest buzz is that Earl Clark has a promise at 15 form Detroit. Now, BJ Mullins was reportedly promised to be taken at 15 by Detroit late last week. My take on the situation is that if Clark isnt available then they take Mullins, will Mullins be moved? I hope so, if not then we roll the dice on a guy who has questions about his Basketball IQ and his motor. So my question to you guys, would you take a chance on Mullins AKA "Darko lite"?

That's all I've got to say about that

This perpetual Ben Gordan rumor has to come to an end. Ben Gordan is a young version of Allen Iverson without the accolades of the career numbers or the same ability. The attitude, the thoughts on team and the approach to the game are all the same, me, me, me So I think we all should have learned from the Iverson experiment that that type of player, no matter how enticing does not fit the mold of this TEAM. He has no place here and should never be a Piston, in my humble opinion. End of story.

If your selling, we're buying

As a little sidebar. Nbadraft.net also claims that teams with multiple picks like Sacramento(23), Oklahoma City(25) and Chicago (26) are interested in selling their picks. Detroit has been named as one of the teams interested in buying a pick. Other teams reported to be in the sellers market are New Orleans(21), Minnesota(28) and Portland(24). I think Joe has something in mind and I don't think its just stockpiling young players. I smell trade, maybe the rumored Brook Lopez deal, I heard Jersey likes Mullins, or could it be something else? Stoudemire, McGrady perhaps? Only time will tell.

Promises, Promises

Nbadraft.net is reporting that two seperate sources claim the Pistons have promised to take BJ Mullins with the 15th pick in this thursdays draft. Not Chris Mullins the ex-Golden State shooting assassin, but BJ Mullins aka Darko light. This would be a very disturbing trend. Stay tuned.

Raptors hoping for sign and trade in 2010

Just reported on the net. Colangelo doesn't expect Bosh to resign with The Raptors in the summer of 2010. What he is counting on is the fact that his club can offer Bosh max money and then be moved in a sign and trade receiving better compensation than he thinks he can get now or at the trade deadline.

My take on Terrence Williams

I think that TWill is going to be one of the better players in this draft. Offensively he may not be as aggressive as he should be, but he is a great facilitator, rebounder and defender. He also has Gary Payton as a friend and mentor preparing him for the NBA preperation in the NBA is half the battle. Guys who make it this far all have talent, that's no longer the issue. The issue in my opinion is preperation, hunger and dedication. Those three things make a NBA players career memorable for all involved.

Dedication to winning

Everyone in the L knows that Joe D is dedicated to winning and the Pistons have a history of winning. Not at the level of a Boston of L.A. but we have won 3 championships and have a five year long streak of eastern conference finals appearances. Why wouldn't a player like a Bosh, Josh Smith or Stoudemire want to be a part of this organization when the teams that they presently play for have never won anything and never had the level of success that we've enjoyed?

McGrady on the move?

The Detroit Pistons had conversations with the Houston Rockets during last summers off season. The Rockets are again sending out feelers for McGrady in order to free up cap space to resign Artest. Reports are they are looking for a shooting guard in return. Last summer they wanted Hamilton and Prince, this summer I think they'll take what they can get. Stay tuned.

More on the Josh Smith front

The word on the street is that Josh Smith has the last word in where he would go in a trade, because he was signed to an offer sheet by the Grizzlies he has veto power on any trade during the first year of his contract. That limits the teams in which he can go to, if it isnt to his liking it wont happen. Also his trade kicker is reported to be closer to 7 million that 6 million, but he has the right to waive a portion of or all of the kicker.

Pistons interested in Ariza?

After the amazing run that Trevor Ariza made in his first finals appearance, against his old team. A lot of teams are interested in his services and he stands to earn a substantial amount more the the 3.1 million that he made this year. The Lakers are interested in signing him but their payroll is already over the cap at 70 million. The question Ariza and Odom o will they be forced to choose between the two?

The New Orleans Hornets are reportedly interested in moving their 1st round pick again. Last year they sold their pick and moved out of the first round all together. If the Pistons have interest in more than one player in the first round, or are planning on moving the #15 in a trade, Johnson and #15 for Josh Smith, PLEASE! then buying back into the draft might not be a bad idea.

The hottest rumor on the net is that the Atlanta Hawks are trying to hawk Josh Smith in order to resign Mike Bibby, Marvin Williams and possibly Josh Childress if he's ready to return to the NBA. In other words they want to unload JSmooth for little or nothing and free up cap space now. Well the Pistons have cap space and Josh Smith is a more physical defender and able to knock Lebron off stride, unlike Tayshaun Prince. He's also a better rebounder (an area of concern for Detroit). I would take the chance on J. Smith, he's 24, and still has an incredibly high ceiling and the change of scenery might do him good considering he has been having issues with his coach and reportedly some of his teammates.

This just in. Bill Laimbeer has resigned as coach of the Detroit Shock. His reason for resignation? He says he could no longer coach in the WNBA, knowing that his heart was on coaching in the NBA. Attention Joe Dumars, your next coach is in your face, check the pedigree: 2 campionships as a player with the Detroit Pistons, 3 championships in five years as the Shocks head coach. After taking over in 2002 after the Shock posted the worst record in WNBA history, Bill Laimbeer took them from last place to the last standing. He has a tough, defensive mentally, so you better bring your lunch pail and be ready to work cause that's how he did it as a player and he expects nothing less from his players. I think comparing Bill to Micheal Curry is a no contest. Ask yourself this, has Michael Curry ever been to any big dance? High school, College, Pros? Does he know what it takes to get there? How many times did the team enter the fourth quarter with a substantial lead only to give it back completely before he called a timeout or made a substitution? If your happy with any of the following answers then maybe Curry is your guy. Me personally I'd rather have a guy that can tell players what they need to focus on to be a winner and you need to have some sort of hardware to get their attention. I'm not saying that you can't win with a coach who hasn't been to the mountain top, but it sure would help. I don't know how much time there is to decide either, there are reports that the T-Wolves are showing interest, it would be ashame for a franchise leading rebounder with so much to teach young players, taught them somewhere else.

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There are 13 days until draft night and no trade rumors are swirling. I guess you could call this the calm before the storm, hopefully. All the Pistons fans, all over the world pretty much agree that this current roster no longer goes to work every night and the time for change is now. The question is will the change be for the better or for the worse this coming season? Do you hope that you can fleece a current NBA roster looking to unload talent or do you attempt to acquire another first rounder and try to build through the draft? This is all food for thought and I think Joe D is just as hungry as all of his franchises disappointed fans. What do you think Joe should do?

Here are 6 players unrestricted/restricted free agents that I would like to see Joe D go after (with commentary):

Ramon Sessions, 6'4" PG, played in 79 games this season and averaged 12.4 ppg with 5.7 dimes. He is a slashing point guard who gets into the lane at will finishing with a nice array of floaters and pull up jumpers. In his 1st full season in the L, he did an solid job running the point for the Bucks and they would love to keep him but can't justify going over the salary cap to resign restricted free agents, when you take into account their horrid record. They are already looking at players in this years draft to replace him. (Jrue Holiday, Eric Maynor and Jonny Flynn are possibilties).

Grant Hill, 6'8" SF, 12ppg, 4.9 boards and 2.3 dimes per. We all know who he is and what he does. But he can bring a calming influence to this club in limited minutes. Rip and Tay don't do that and may not be here.

David Lee, 6'9" PF, played for the Knicks last season and averaged a double double with 16ppg and 11.7 boards. The Pistons will show interest in Lee and the word is the Knicks are looking to unload him in a sign and trade for expiring contracts and a first rounder, or as a package in an attempt to unload Eddy Curry. Stay tuned.

Players on the radar if they opt out.

Jamal Crawford, 6'5", 19.4 ppg and 4.4 dimes. Crawford is more of a combo guard, a scoring threat from anywhere on the court, but defends like a matador, can you say defensive liability? Not my first choice but servicable, off the bench.

Mehmet Okur, 6'11" C, averaged 17 ppg with 7.7 boards per. He is who we thought he was and we let him off the hook!

Hedo Turkoglu, 6'8" SF averaged 16.8 ppg, 5.3 boards and 4.9 dimes. This is the guy that makes Orlando go. He says he's opting out and if I were Orlando mgmt, I wouldn't let this guy walk for anything in the world but, you never know.

Updated: My Mock Draft | NBADraft.net

My Mock Draft | NBADraft.net

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kacecarter's 2009 Mock Draft | NBADraft.net

kacecarter's 2009 Mock Draft | NBADraft.net

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Well, were 16 days away from the nba draft and the countdown has begun. The rumors are starting to swirl now and the Pistons stated yesterday that they have rounded the possible first round player options to 4, which were not disclosed but I beleive them to be: Jrue Holiday, Terrence Williams (TWill), Earl Clark (who is currently slipping in the draft despite his obvious talent) and Eric Maynor. There are posts on MLive.com and Draftexpress.com that state that Jordan Hill's draft stock is also falling and he may fall out of the top 10. If he falls to 15 don't expect this (Chris Bosh) clone to fall any lower.

Today is June 4th and the NBA draft is not until June 28. I am really ready for this thing to kick off. I think Joe is gonna do something big as far as trades and draft picks on the eve, or day of the draft. I can feel it in my gut. The teams that are rumored to be open to moving picks are as follows: the Twolves, Wizards, and possibly the Thunder.

Coming soon: My NBA mock draft.

Question, who do you think the Pistons should take with the #15 pick in this years draft?

What's up peeps. The Detroit Ballers blog is officially underway!