Pistons Preview Part I: The future is NOW for the Pistons!
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by Oneflydude
The preseason is over, so that means its time to share Part I of the 2 part series of the 2007-2008, Pistons preview.
The Detroit Pistons open up their season on agianst the Miami Heat on the first of November. With a 4-4 record in the preseason, the Pistons know that they have a team that can bring them back to the NBA Finals. The Pistons have 4 young, key players that can come in and give you a good performance off of the bench. Here is a review, and a preview of what you can see from the Pistons in the 2007-2008 season.
(C/PF) Amir Johnson- The Pistons front office see something special in forward, Amir Johnson. Over the offseason, Joe Dumars re-signed Johnson to a 3 year, 12 million dollar contract. Johnson came right out of high school as the 56th overall pick in the 2005 NBA Draft. He has only played in 11 games over two seasons with the Pistons, but you can expect to hear his name a lot during this season. In the last game of the 2007 season against the Boston Celtics, Johnson showed off his talent with a career game, scoring 20 points, grabbing 12 rebounds, 4 blocks and 3 steals. He has also been involved in the Development League over parts of the last two seasons. He shot 62% averaging 18.9 points, 9.7 rebounds and 3.1 blocks per game. Johnson is recognized by his athleticism and he has all of the components to become a great player. The 20 year old has a 6'9 figure and once he develops into a starter, he could give you a double-double almost every night. He can dominate in the post, he has a short jumper, he is starting to get comfortable around the 3 point line, and he plays great defense. Expect to see him make an impact on the Pistons this year.
(C/PG) Jason Maxiell- Jason Maxiell has already proven that he has what it takes to become a dominant player, its just a matter of time until he breaks out into the star player that he is. Though he still has a couple of things to improve (but again, who doesn't), when he come into the game, he is a threat in the paint. Maxiell has a built figure and he can bring that intimidation factor down by the basket, something that has been missing from the Pistons since Ben Wallace left. The future looks bright for the forward since the Pistons picked up his option for 2008-09. He is improving on his ball handling skills and he is also working more on his post game. Along with rookies Rodney Stuckey and Aaron Afflalo, Maxiell was involved with the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas. Maxiell averaged 15 points per game along with 5 rebounds per game. He also lost 30 pounds to give himself more quickness on the floor. You can expect to see him get more involved with Pistons in the 2007-08 season. This guy has a bright career ahead of him.
(PG) Rodney Stuckey- The Pistons selected Rodney Stuckey out if Eastern Washington with the 15th overall pick in the 2007 NBA Draft. Stuckey was a real star at Eastern Washington. He averaged 24.6 points a game with 5.5 assists a game at the collegiate level. Out of a college that isn't very well known, Stuckey was a big suprise to people. He is big, strong and very capable with the ball in his hands. One thing that the Pistons lack is a player that isn't afraid to take the ball to the basket and go hard in the paint. He can draw the foul and sink the free throws unlike Pistons starting point guard, Chauncey Billups who isn't really known for driving the ball to the rim, as he is known for his perimiter shooting and his ability to create shots for his teammates. Stuckey has the ability to do all of that. His style is similar to Allen Iverson of the Denver Nuggets. Stuckey played in the NBA Summer League and averaged 19 points a game, leading all Pistons players. In the preseason, Stuckey had 12.1 points a game, but only shot 38% from the field. He needs to work on his field goal percentage and his shot selection, but other than that, he is what the Pistons have been looking for. For now, the Pistons will have to wait to see Stuckey in the regular season. In last night's preseason game, Stuckey broke his hand on a screen play. Doctors say that the rookie will be out for up to 6 weeks.
(SG/SF) Aaron Afflalo- Aaron Afflalo had a lot of success at UCLA scoring 16.9 points a game. He was selected in the 1st round of the 2007 draft after the Pistons chose Rodney Stuckey. Afflalo seemed to be a helpful pick for the Pistons. He has terrific 3 point range, he is clutch, he plays hard until the end of the game, plays good defense, has great quickness and great stamina. In the Summer League, he scored 14.4 points a game and showed that he wants to play for the Pistons. He averaged 9 points a game in the 2007 preaseason. He impressed people with his ability to knock down the three pointer and his field goal percentage (47%). Afflalo doesn't really have the ability to take the ball to the hole like Rodney Stuckey does but he is working on that and he will become an impact player off of the bench for the 2007-08 season. His style is compared to the Phoenix Suns guard, Raja Bell. Afflalo has range all over the court and as a rookie, he is not scared to take a shot. His head is ready for the game and he plays like he is ready to take on a big role in Pistons lineup. Expect big things to come from Aaron Afflalo.
These young players are looking to bring the Pistons back to the NBA Finals for this year, and many years to come. These are the players to be looking out for in the future. Once they mature into better players, they will all be something special to see.
Pistons Beat #1
All stats are from http://www.nba.com
