Pistons News

- Greg's foot surgery went well and isn't supposed to interfere with his training schedule so I expect a Muscular Monroe come pre-season.

-The free-agency buzz has become more of a hum these days with all of the premiere free-agents and all the second tier guys and all the "didn't see that coming" guys (Hi, Darko) being signed to (mostly) huge contracts.

-Many fans and basketball "experts" are really down on the Charlie V. and Ben Gordon signings from last year. I don't know how many times this summer I've heard on t.v. and read on the Internet about what a waste the signings were and how they didn't work out and blah, blah, blah. Let me just say this, they were both injured for much of the season, actually, half the team was injured at one time or another. It's like all the good health from the last six years suddenly went bad and thundered down in a perfect storm of injuries. "Every Game a New Sprain" should have been flashing on the Jumbo Tron at The Palace. If the team stays healthy this year, the Pistons make the playoffs. And Ben Gordon and Charlie V. will have great years and while none of the naysayers will admit that they were wrong, they'll begrudgingly accept that maybe they weren't such bad signings after all.

-The Pistons are not getting Chris Paul. No one really wants to trade the future of the team for a star that will pull a LeBron in two years and leave Detroiters burning CP3 jerseys in the streets.

-And one final note, Pistons' fans are spoiled. The team has had so much success, so much stability, in the last six years that people are bewildered and unable to wrap their minds around the fact that we missed the playoffs last year. Some of that is pride in their team and I can respect that. The Pistons have set the bar pretty high and every year they miss the playoffs we shout, "unacceptable" and look for someone or something to blame. Some blame Joe Dumars for drafting Darko and trading Billups for Iverson, some blame Charlie V. and Ben Gordon for not having more of an impact in their first year.

I blame injuries.

The Pistons will make the playoffs this year.

Guaransheed.

Can I still say that?