The New-Look Pistons: Something Special

It's easy to like Joe D's new-look Pistons
Something Special
by George Blaha

When I heard that Will Bynum wouldn’t be able to play against Denver last night, I knew right away it would take a Herculean effort to not only win the game, but to even stay in it. Denver was coming off a disappointing loss in Charlotte, they were in Detroit waiting for the Pistons, had a chance to watch the Philadelphia game the night before and had their legs under them. The Pistons had tired legs and barely enough guys to field a team.

But to tell you the truth, I knew they would lay it all out there. I just wasn’t sure enough shots would fall and enough passes would land on the mark for them to hang in there with Denver. And if you’d have told me Carmelo would score 40 and the Pistons would still win, I would wonder if you’d been paying attention.

There’s something special about this basketball team and the win over Denver was a special night at The Palace – the kind of night the fans who were there will remember for a very long time.

I’m sure most fans in the league haven’t really realized what’s going on here. Undoubtedly, coaches and scouts have seen this team let it all hang out night in and night out. They know that the Pistons are really performing most nights at the top of their ability. Maxing out in any sport is very, very difficult to do on a consistent basis. These guys do that and now you just wonder how good they’d be if Rip and Tayshaun hadn’t virtually missed the entire season so far.

To those who really haven’t had a chance to see the Pistons yet and wonder just how they’re doing what they’re doing without four big-time players in the lineup like Rip and Tay and Ben Gordon and Will Bynum, maybe the first thing I’d tell them is we’ve been getting some outstanding play from two guys on the frontline that the average guy wouldn’t expect to see play this well – Ben Wallace and Jonas Jerebko, Ben because he’s an elder statesmen and Jonas because he’s a rookie.

Ben Wallace has played like Ben Wallace. If you’re a Pistons fan or even an NBA fan and you saw the Goin’ to Work group go to the Finals two years in a row and win in 2004, you know all about Ben Wallace. And most nights this season, he has looked like the guy who led the Pistons to the Finals twice. He’s been incredible.

And Jonas Jerebko, he’s a rookie – from Sweden! He’s an international guy who’s never really competed against NBA players and not only is he competing, he’s making plays to win games. He’s playing so well, you don’t want to take him out if you’re John Kuester and Q hasn’t.

The way Jonas Jerebko has played has been remarkable. It’s probably remarkable to most of us, at least, but maybe not to Jonas. The great story about Jonas meeting Joe back in 2001 in Sweden when he was a youngster and following him around and telling him one day he was going to play in the NBA, I guess it was meant to be. This could be another one of those movies.

This is a team that clearly believes in itself, and I think that starts with John Kuester. He repeatedly says – and I heard him say it again after the great win over Denver – that he believes in each and every one of his players.

I don’t think he’d say that if he didn’t really mean it. I think Q was favorably impressed with the roster Joe D had put together for him when he got to training camp. I think he saw in Jonas Jerebko some of the things we’re seeing now and saw in Austin Daye and DaJuan Summers guys who can play in the NBA and even make winning plays as rookies. I think he also saw that Ben Wallace had something left in the tank.

You look down that roster, it’s full of high-quality NBA players and if you treat them like that – and John Kuester does – they’ll max out for you. That’s the best thing about the NBA.

This summer, when we got together with some sponsors and our new radio station, 97.1 The Ticket, Tom Wilson said this team could very well remind people of the Pistons teams in the early ’80s – a new team with a lot of parts, a lot of enthusiasm, and one that could beat almost anybody on a given night and would play exciting basketball. And one, hopefully, on its way to contending for a championship down the road. I think Tom hit the nail on the head.

That’s what is so much fun about this team. They not only play hard and challenge everybody they play against, they’re fun to watch. Look at a guy like Will Bynum. I’m a huge Will Bynum fan and I’m really sorry he’s been banged up and hasn’t been at the top of his game, but he’ll always give you what he’s got. Rodney Stuckey is starting to play like a legitimate NBA All-Star. Chucky Atkins looks like he’s 25 again, even though he’s 10 years older than that. And all the other parts on this team, including Ben Wallace – one of my all-time favorite Pistons.

This is the kind of team I like. There are no issues here. There were way too many issues last year. And it goes without saying that when last season was over, it was time to turn the page. The Pistons have certainly done that.