Memphis has the 7’0″ forward Pau Gasol, who averages 20 points and 9 boards a game, but obviously they think their play down low is lackluster. Either that or Memphis is expecting to get trade offers for Pau from other teams very soon, since Gasol is not a free agent.

     It looks like Darko might have another shot to prove himself with an NBA team. Nothing is for certain yet, and this is just a rumor, but it looks like the Grizzlies are getting a little bit desperate in their search for a center.

     Now that the Pistons hopefully are done negotiating with Chauncey Billups, they need to look at their other players who need to be re-signed. One of these players is Chris Webber, who came to Detroit last season and signed just a one-year deal.

     My question is, should the Pistons even bother bringing Webber back? Sure, he is a home-grown player, and fans like him, but he isn’t getting any younger. His legs are just getting older and with one more year added on to Webber’s age he will more than likely just become more of a liability than an asset. I do realize that Webber averaged about 11 points per game and about 7 rebounds per game last season, but I don’t think he will be able to do the same next season. Even though Webber did help out on the offensive end for the Pistons, he just weighed them down in transition defense. Chris can’t run like he used to be able to, which left Detroit a man short many times when the possession changed.

     If I were Joe Dumars, I wouldn’t bring Webber back for next season. There are some decent unrestricted free agent centers on the market right now. Here are the guys that I would go after to replace C-Webb.

     Chris Mihm did not play in the 2006-2007 season, but he had been a very decent big man up to that point. In 2005-2006, Mihm averaged 10.2 points per game, 6.3 rebounds per game, and 1.2 blocks per game. At seven-foot tall, Mihm is a giant, something that the Pistons haven’t had at the center position in a while. Although Mihm is coming off right ankle surgery last year, I still think he can be effective down low. I think that the Lakers are done with Mihm, so the Pistons should have a good shot at signing him if needed. If Detroit does not re-sign Webber, Mihm would be my first choice to replace him.

     If Mihm could not be acquired by the Pistons, Jamaal Magloire would be the second option I would look at. Over his seven years in the NBA, Magloire has been a stable big man. He is coming off his worst season since his rookie year, averaging just 6.5 points per game snd 6.1 boards per game. However, for his career Magloire has averaged about 9 points per game and 6 rebounds per game. Last season, the Trail Blazers were a very bad team. If Magloire was brought onto a better team, such as the Pistons, he might start playing like he did in his younger days. Portland probably has more salary cap room than Detroit does, so stealing him away from the Blazers could be difficult.

     If all else failed, there is one more guy who I would look at to sign in place of Chris Webber. And that guy is P.J. Brown. Brown is a very veteran guy, with 14 NBA seasons under his belt. But P.J. can still be effective. Last season with the Bulls, Brown averaged 6.1 points per game and 4.8 rebounds per game. Since Brown is as old as he is, giving him the bulk of the minutes may be out of the question. If Brown was signed, P.J. and McDyess would more than likely have to split minutes playing center. I’m not so sure how willing Brown would be to go play for the Pistons, after giving them a run for their money in the Playoffs with Chicago last season. Then there is also the fact that Detroit wouldn’t be able to offer Brown a big contract, which might not be enough to lure him away from the windy city.

     If Webber is re-signed or if one of these players is signed in his place, Detroit’s solution at the center position is only temporary. Some time in the near future, Detroit needs to draft a promising, young big man to play as their starting center. Until then, the Pistons will continue to struggle with their play in the middle.

     Earlier tonight, Detroit won it’s first Summer League game against the Philadelphia 76ers. The final score of the contest was 91-89. Four quarters wasn’t enough to settle this game, so it went into over time. Here’s a recap of the action.

     The story in this game was Jason Maxiell. Being the only Pistons who has actually played in an NBA regular season game on the floor tonight, Maxiell scored 22 points. Arron Afflalo and Rodney Stuckey started off their NBA carriers well also, scoring 14 points each. Sammy Mejia, the Pistons second-round draft choice, scored 12 points, as well as the game winning three-pointer at the buzzer.

     This game really means nothing, since there was no one extremely talented on either side of the floor. You can see this by looking at Jason Maxiell, who isn’t the most offensively talented guy in the world, dropping 22 on the Sixers. However, this was a good time for the Pistons to gauge how well their draft picks can play. Although Afflalo and Stuckey have already signed contracts with the Pistons, Mejia has not. This game and the rest of the Summer League games may be how Sammy earns his way onto the team.

     The next time the Pistons play is on Monday, against the Memphis Grizzlies. I’ll have a recap of that game for you on Monday.

     According to the Detroit Free Press, Chauncey Billups and the Pistons have agreed to a deal. The new contract will keep Billups on the team for five years (with the fifth year being a team option). Billups will make 60.5 million dollars with this contract.

     Hopefully this is the last of the negotiations between Billups and the Pistons. Chauncey can officially sign a contract next Wednesday, which I hope he does with Detroit. This new contract is only slightly more than what was reported to the media a few days ago. Billups’ agent hasn’t renounced this agreement yet, which may be a good sign.

     Be sure to check back here on the 11th to see if Billups does in fact re-sign with the Pistons.

     According to a rumor I read about on NBA Fanhouse, the New York Knicks may be looking to pick up Sacramento’s starting small forward, Ron Artest via trade. As of right now, New York has 17 players signed to contracts on their roster, and the maximum they can have in an NBA season is 15. This means that New York has to get rid of two players before the start of next season.

     It looks like Isiah Thomas may be looking to deal some of his young talent for the veteran Ron Artest. Players the likes of David Lee or Jared Jefferies could be on the table during New York’s discussions with the King’s organization.

     If the Knicks could land Artest, I think that they would complete what is the most dynamic starting front-court in the NBA right now. If that is going a little too far, it would at least be the best front-court in the Eastern Conference. However, I’m not sure if Isiah wants to deal with the character problems that Ron would bring into New York. Old Zeke already has Zach Randolph to attend to, and adding Artest might be too much.

     But no one can deny that teaming up Eddy Curry, Zach Randolph, and Ron Artest looks like a great group of big men on paper. If the Knicks do land Artest, thinking of how much damage those three could do to opposing Eastern teams is all most scary. I know that Curry, Randolph, and Artest would rip the Pistons bigs to pieces on the boards.

     If and when the Knicks land Artest, I’ll be sure to let you all know.

     Detroit drafted Amir Johnson in 2005, straight out of high school. Last season, Johnson only played in eight games all year, due to the fact that he was assigned to the NBA’s Developmental Leauge for most of the year. However, in the Pistons final regular season game, Amir Johnson played 37 minutes against the Bostons Celtics, and scored a season-high 20 points. In the D-Leauge last season, Johnson averaged almost 19 points per game and almost 10 rebounds per game.

     If Amir is giving some quaility minutes off the bench next season. I can see him as a big energy guy coming into a game. Johnson has young legs, which is something the Pistons have become unacustomed to. Also, I think that Johnson is big enough to put in minutes as a power forward, but also has the skill and the swing-man ability to play small forward when Prince needs a rest. I really see good things in Amir Johnson. All I need to see now is if the Pistons will give him a steady dose of minutes coming in off the bench now that Delfino is gone. And for that I will have to wait for next season.

     If you still want to know who Amir Johnson is, check out this video.

     This is not anywhere close to being “news”, because it happened on June 15th, but I thought I’d let you know anyways. Detroit’s former small forward from last season, Carlos Delfino, has been traded to the Toronto Raptors. In return, the Pistons receive two second-round draft picks from Toronto, one in the 2009 NBA Draft and the other in the 2011 NBA Draft. Personally, I really didn’t like Carlos Delfino anyways. He’s defense was weak and he was never really all that consistent. Although he came off the bench in all 82 games this past season, I don’t think he will be missed with the drafting of Aaron Afflalo. Also, look for Amir Johnson to be on the roster full-time next season, instead of playing in the D-League. Overall, I think two second-round picks is all anyone would have offered Detroit for Delfino.

     Since it is now the off-season for the NBA, there really is only one thing that keeps people interested in basketball right now. And that thing is rumors. Trade rumors, free agency rumors, anything that is being whispered about gets peoples attention. Well, I guess I have to get in on the rumor business as well if I want to have anything to write about, so here it goes…

     It looks like Grant Hill is going to be leaving the Eastern Conference after spending his entire career to this point near the east coast. Apparently Hill has agreed with Phoenix’s offer of a $1.2 million deal, which was the best offer the Suns would give the veteran. Even if this deal goes through, which it looks like it more than likely will, this wont have a real impact on any NBA team. I don’t even think Hill will help out the Suns much. Grant isn’t getting any younger, and his body isn’t losing any of the wear from all those surgeries he’s had over the years. Add that to the fact that the West is a much more competitive Conference than the East, and I think it’s clear that Grant Hill won’t have much of an impact out West.

     Here’s a free agent case that might be good for the Pistons. Cleveland’s flopping big man Anderson Varejao has reportedly gotten an offer from the Memphis Grizzlies that is more than the Cavaliers want to offer him to re-up his contract. Personally, I hope that Varejao goes to Memphis. Let them have him. It’s just one less flopper that Detroit has to deal with.

     Wait, not so fast, another flopper may be packing up and shipping out for Memphis. Andres Nocioni of the Chicago Bulls has reportedly been talking to the Grizzlies’ organization, although no money has been talked about yet. Hey, if all the floppers are gone, what will we be left with in the Central Division? A bunch of basketball players who play standing up? No way.

     Looks like the Billups deal isn’t through with yet. Billups and his agent deny any accusations that he agreed to a five year deal with the Pistons. I don’t think anyone will know what is really going on until July 11th when contracts can officially be inked by the players themselves.

     That’s all the free-agent news for right now. If anything else interesting comes up, I’ll be sure to post something about it.

     Starting on August 22nd, the 2007 FIBA Americas Championship will begin. As of right now, there are thirty NBA players, as well as two players that are not yet in the NBA, that are trying out for the USA team. Only 12 of these men will make Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski’s final cut. Here is a list of all the players trying out for the team:

Carmelo Anthony- Forward- Denver Nuggets

Gilbert Arenas- Guard- Washington Wizards

Shane Battier- Forward- Houston Rockets

Chauncey Billups- Guard- Detroit Pistons

Carlos Boozer- Forward- Utah Jazz

Chris Bosh- Forward- Toronto Raptors

Bruce Bowen- Forward- San Antonio Spurs

Elton Brand- Forward- Los Angeles Clippers

Kobe Bryant- Guard- Los Angeles Lakers

Tyson Chandler- Center- New Orleans Hornets

Kevin Durant- Forward- University of Texas

Kirk Hinrich- Guard- Chicago Bulls

Dwight Howard- Forward/Center- Orlando Magic

LeBron James- Foward- Cleveland Cavaliers

Antwan Jamison- Forward- Washington Wizards

Joe Johnson- Guard/Forward- Atlanta Hawks

Jason Kidd- Guard- New Jersey Nets

Shawn Marion- Forward- Phoenix Suns

Brad Miller- Center- Sacramento Kings

Mike Miller- Guard- Memphis Grizzlies

Adam Morrison- Forward- Charlotte Bobcats

Greg Oden- Center- Ohio State University

Lamar Odom- Forward- Los Angeles Lakers

Chris Paul- Guard- New Orleans Hornets

Paul Pierce- Forward/Guard- Boston Celtics

Tayshaun Prince- Forward- Detroit Pistons

J.J. Redick- Guard- Orlando Magic

Michael Redd- Guard- Milwaukee Bucks

Luke Ridnour- Guard- Seattle SuperSonics

Amare Stoudemire- Center- Phoenix Suns

Dwyane Wade- Guard- Miami Heat

Deron Williams- Guard- Utah Jazz

     All of these players are extremely talented. I wouldn’t want to be the guy who had to decide which of these players I had to cut from the team. However, I have made my own mock list of who I would put on the 12 man roster, and it was pretty difficult for me to decide who to put on this little list that doesn’t mean anything. But here was the final list I came up with.

Starting FivePoint Guard- Jason Kidd

Shooting Guard- Kobe Bryant

Small Forward- LeBron James

Power Forward- Dwight Howard

Center- Amare Stoudemire

     These first five guys weren’t so tough to decide on. I chose Kidd as the starting point guard because he is a guy who can dish assists to the bigger scorers and rebound as well. Also, if you get in a tight squeeze Jason Kidd can score a few baskets himself as well.

     Kobe Bryant would be my choice for the starting shooting guard for the simple reason that he is Kobe Bryant. If Kobe can make the team and take those 50 and 60 point showings to the FIBA games, I think he could almost beat the opposition single-handedly. Plus there is also the fact that Kobe is a huge fan favorite, and that might raise ticket sales and publicity for the FIBA Americas games.

     LeBron James is an obvious pick for the starting small forward for the USA team. Besides the fact that he was on the team last year, the way James played against the Pistons in the Eastern Conference Finals was outstanding. Although the Cavs were swept in the NBA Finals by San Antonio, LeBron has proved that he is ready to be a serious basketball power. Maybe he can be as dominate against international teams as he was against the Pistons.

     Dwight Howard would make my cut as the starting power forward on Team USA. I think that Howard has established himself as a young dominate big man in the NBA, and the United States team needs a young strong big man to get down in there and scrap for rebounds. Dwight can also intimidate opponents with monster dunks and blocks. Overall I just think Howard is the best power forward who went out for the USA team.

     Amare Stoudemire is the man who makes my cut for the starting center for Team USA. One reason why I chose Stoudemire for my “mock list” starting center is that in the 2006 FIBA World Championships Team USA had only one player (Brad Miller) that played center as his primary position. There were a lot of really tall power forwards, but only one guy who was listed as a center. But the main reason why I chose Stoudemire was that he is a good scoring big man who can do a lot of things. Amare can rebound, set picks well, and block shots. I think with a point guard like Jason Kidd at the point, a lot of pick-and-roll opportunities would be available. This would leave Stoudemire with a lot of easy baskets, and that might take some of the scoring load off the other scoring stars on the team like Kobe or LeBron. Also, Stoudemire is another intimidating center who just might scare other players into staying away from him.

     Here are the five players who I would sit on the bench as my second-unit:

The Second UnitPoint Guard- Chauncey Billups

Shooting Guard- Dwayne Wade

Small Foward- Carmelo Anthony

Power Forward- Chris Bosh

Center- Greg Oden

     I know this might seem kind of weird because I’ve sorta’ been ripping on Chauncey Billups ever since I started this blog, but he would be my choice as the back-up point guard for Team USA. My reason for this is that the team needs point guards who will be willing to sacrifice their scoring in order to dish assists instead. The team will already have enough scorers, and the team needs someone to give those scorers the ball. Billups is a good passer, and he is used to playing in an unselfish offence with the Pistons. I think Billups would be okay with sacrificing some points of his own to win a gold medal. Also, Billups is a more established point guard than other players such as Kirk Hinrich, Chris Paul, or Luke Ridnour, and you need to know what a player is capable of doing before you put him on the team. Billups is obviously capable of playing big, so that is why he is my choice for the back-up point guard.

     Dwyane Wade would be my choice for the back-up shooting guard. Wade is an explosive, high energy player, who can do multiple things on both ends of the floor. Wade can score points as well as throw assists on the offensive end. Also, he can guard players tightly, block shots, grab boards, and get steals. Dwyane is a player who will make plays that will get the home crowd into the game. All in all, Wade would make a good choice to even start for Team USA, let alone come off the bench.

     For the back-up small forward, I would choose Carmelo Anthony. During the NBA regular season this year, Anthony was second overall in scoring, just behind Kobe Bryant. If Carmelo had as much big game experience as LeBron James does, I would have picked him as the starting small forward instead of James. Last year, although both James and Anthony were on the USA team, Carmelo really stood out as the leader of the team and the best player on the United State’s roster. James made a lot of turnovers that hurt the team down the stretch last summer. But however, now that James has another year of basketball under his belt, and played on the biggest basketball stage in the world, the NBA Finals, I don’t think he’ll be the same international player this time around. Still, Anthony is too good of a player to keep of the roster of any team, and is a real gem to have coming in off the bench.

     My choice for Team USA’s back-up power forward would have to be Chris Bosh. I see Bosh as a big man who plays like Dwight Howard, although Howard has about 35 or 40 pounds on Bosh. Bosh is a great scorer, and can pull up with a mid-range jumper as well as take it to the hole for a rim-rattling slam. I think that Bosh can do too many things for a team on both ends of the floor to keep him off the roster. He can block shots, grab boards, and score points. He will more than likely be able to free up his teammates on offense with his ability to pull up with the jump shot if he gets the ball six or eight feet from the basket, or put the ball on the floor and take it to the rim. When Bosh gets the ball, he will more than likely be double-teamed, and if he is not, then he will seize the opportunity and rip defenses apart.

     Now this last pick is sort of a wild card. For the back-up center I would choose rookie Greg Oden. I think that Oden is a good shot blocker and rebounder, who is good for six or eight points off dunks and put-backs. But more than that, I want to see what Oden can do on a higher level than college. If he can get in the middle and scrap and intimidate players like he did with Ohio State, then he should be very effective for Team USA. Also, it’d be nice to see a player on Team USA who hasn’t yet made 100 million dollars.

     Well, that was only ten players, and there is a maximum of 12 on a roster. Every team needs a guy or two who can come into a ball game as more than one position. These last two players are guys I picked because they can do many different things, and can also come off the bench and play more than one spot. Don’t think of these guys as the worst of the best players, just think of them as the guys that I would want to use as weapons off the bench.

The Final TwoPoint Guard- Gilbert Arenas

Small Forward- Shawn Marion

     I chose Gilbert Arenas because he can come off the bench as a point guard, but he also has the size and the skills to come into a game as a two-guard as well. Gilbert can knock down threes, dish assists, as well as grab a few rebounds that come his way. I think that Arenas is a great player, and is someone that could be put into a game is the team is ever in a tight spot and score some quick points for the United States.

     In Phoenix, Shawn Marion already plays in a scheme where he is used as a small forward/power forward hybrid. If he was used for Team USA in the same way, he would be in a familiar situation. Marion can get to the rim for dunks with ease, and is a tremendous rebounder for only being 6’7″. Marion could really cause opponents some grief if he was coming off the bench.

     Keep in mind that this is just who I would have on the team if I were the coach. This means nothing and has nothing to do with what the final roster will be (although I hope it’s exactly the same). As soon as the final roster is announced, I’ll let you know.