Detroit Pistons Midseason Awards

It’s been a rough first half of the NBA season for the Detroit Pistons.  After the early blockbuster trade of Chauncey Billups for Allen Iverson it appeared that the team was set up for another championship run.  Unfortunately, team chemistry problems and an influx of injuries and starting lineup changes have taken their toll. 

Currently Detroit has a 23-17 record and are eight-and-a-half games back from the Central Division-leading Cleveland Cavaliers. 

Today Coach Michael Curry announced that he will once again be rearranging his starting lineup.  Time will tell if it will be enough to start the Pistons on another championship run. 

First Half MVP:  Rodney Stuckey

It is hard to argue against Stuckey. 

After Billups was traded, Stuckey was forced into the role of team leader and stepped into the job with ease despite his inexperience.  He put up 40 in Chicago and then just 10 days later had a 38-point game against Sacramento. 

Detroit sportscaster Eli Zaret said it best, “I’ve got two adjectives for Stuckey: unflappable and incorruptible.”

Sixth Man:  Antonio McDyess

It’s hard to pick anyone for this category since the Piston’s starting lineup has been a revolving door this season, but McDyess has always been a valuable component to the team’s success. 

McDyess’ return to the starting lineup helped stifle some of the angst that came with the Billups trade.  He gives the team a nice boost whenever he takes the floor and he averages seven points and eight rebounds per game.

Most Improved:  Amir Johnson

There were times last season when Johnson looked like he’d rather be anywhere else than on the court so it’s nice to see him flourish under Curry’s tutelage. 

Due to the many team injuries and lineup changes, Johnson has gotten quite a bit of playing time this season and he has seized the opportunity.  Although he still sometimes struggles offensively, he has brought a strong defensive mind to each game he plays in.

Johnson’s Pick-and-Roll dunk against New Jersey is one of the most exciting plays of the season so far.

Biggest Surprise:  The Chauncey Billups-Allen Iverson trade

After Pistons’ GM Joe Dumars failed to make any trades over the summer, fans were settling in for another season of same old, same old.  Imagine the surprise when fan-fave Billups was suddenly heading for Denver in exchange for premier player Iverson.

It’s still too early to tell what impact the trade will have on both, but it certainly has people talking.

Biggest Disappointment:  Jason Maxiell

After re-signing a pretty big contract with the Pistons, Maxiell seemed to lose the drive he showed over the past couple of seasons.

In the past, Maxiell had been a powerful force off the bench both offensively and defensively.  This season he has struggled from the line and has had very few of the power dunks that he is famous for.  He’s still getting rebounds but even those are few and far between.

Most Fun to Watch:  Allen Iverson

Despite his age, Iverson remains one of the top players in the league.  He has struggled to find his game with the Pistons, but when he is on he remains the player with the smoothest moves and most speed.

Most Memorable Win:  The Pistons Beat the Lakers 106-95

After the rough start to their season, no one was expecting them to put up much of a fight against the defending Western Conference Champions.  Boy were they wrong.

Rasheed Wallace’s superb coverage of Pau Gasol took him out of the game while the rest of the team limited Kobe Bryant’s shots.  All five Pistons starters scored in double figures and gave fans a glimpse of what this team could be capable of.

To top off things, the win broke the Lakers' undefeated streak.

Most Memorable Loss:  The Sunday Nightmare

It took the Pistons seven Sunday tries to get a win.  The fact that most of their six Sunday losses were at home did nothing to endure them to frustrated fans.

Technical Foul Counts

Rasheed Wallace is at 13.  Richard Hamilton is at 4.  Hamilton’s going to have to step it up if he wants to challenge Rasheed. 

Best Quote

“It’s all about winning, it’s all about being in the big dance at the end of the year and those are his goals along with ours.”

-Dumars on Iverson