SportsNation Blog ArchivesSN Blog Archives Detroit Pistons

DeAndre Jordan redefined "Lob City" Sunday night with an incredible throwdown on the Pistons' Brandon Knight. Jordan entered the night with 135 dunks, the third-most in the NBA, but none were quite as impressive as this one. Even Jordan's fellow NBA players were impressed, taking to Twitter to react to the dunk heard 'round the league.

Join the conversation and follow us on Twitter @ESPN.

Comment »

Rudy Gay

The Grizzlies, who've been looking to shed payroll without damaging their postseason chances too much, are on the verge of completing a trade that would send Rudy Gay to Toronto, Jose Calderon to Detroit and multiple pieces to Memphis, sources told ESPN.com's Marc Stein. Fans were mixed on who got the best of the trade, and whether the 26-year-old Gay was worth the contract that pays him $16.5 million this season.

Join the conversation or respond by signing in or creating a profile and blogging.

Comment »

We can understand if you don't want to take the time to grade your tech-support help on the other end of the telephone, but when we're talking about the dollars and emotion you've invested in sports, we think it's worth the effort. It's time for ESPN The Magazine's Ultimate Standings, in which SportsNation grades organizations on everything from ticket prices and stadium experience to the talent on the field, court or rink. Which team will end up on top this year? It depends on what you say.

Take part in the 2011 MLB survey
2010 MLB Ultimate Standings
1. Los Angeles Angels (Overall: No. 3)
2. Tampa Bay Rays (Overall: No. 6)
3. Colorado Rockies (Overall: No. 13)
4. Minnesota Twins (Overall: No. 14)
5. Atlanta Braves (Overall: No. 15)

Take part in the 2011 NFL survey
2010 NFL Ultimate Standings
1. New Orleans Saints (Overall: No. 1)
2. Indianapolis Colts (Overall: No. 4)
3. Green Bay Packers (Overall: No. 9)
4. Arizona Cardinals (Overall: No. 19)
5. Baltimore Ravens (Overall: No. 20)

Take part in the 2011 NBA survey
2010 NBA Ultimate Standings
1. Orlando Magic (Overall: No. 2)
2. San Antonio Spurs (Overall: No. 7)
3. Cleveland Cavaliers (Overall: No. 10)
4. Dallas Mavericks (Overall: No. 24)
5. Oklahoma City Thunder (Overall: No. 25)

Take part in the 2011 NHL survey
2010 NHL Ultimate Standings
1. Pittsburgh Penguins (Overall: No. 5)
2. Detroit Red Wings (Overall: No. 8)
3. Washington Capitals (Overall: No. 11)
4. San Jose Sharks (Overall: No. 12)
5. Chicago Blackhawks (Overall: No. 16)

Comment »

Carmelo Anthony's name has been attached to more teams this season than we can count -- we even heard a brief rumor that he'd be the next striker for Manchester United (note: rumor may or may not be total lie). Now, it seems like there's a final destination for the iconic Denver forward -- the New Jersey Nets. Everything is in place for the massive 15-player trade, which also involves the Detroit Pistons. Everything, that is, except Anthony's approval.

The Nets don't want to trade for Anthony if he bolts at the end of the season -- their plan may be to build around Anthony, potentially adding Chris Paul once he becomes a free agent as well. Anthony's preference is supposedly to be traded to the New York Knicks, but will visions of Paul feeding him assist after assist sway his opinion at all?

Cameron (Galesburg, IL)

If the Nets can pull off the Melo deal and get Anthony, Billups, and Hamilton do you see any chance of them getting the 8th seed?

Chad Ford
Chad Ford

Yes, because of the weakness of the rest of the East. Top 5 in the East are pretty strong, and the Knicks look like a lock for the 6th seed. After that it's wide open and the Nets would be in that mix. But do you go through all of this trouble for a quick first round exit? Will it get much better in 2011-12? Heat, Magic, Bulls, Celtics and possibly Hawks and Knicks look like better teams. In summer of 2012 ... Nets won't have a ton of space because of Brook Lopez's cap hold ... so how, exactly do they land Chris Paul. In other words, Melo will add excitement, but I don't see him delivering a title to the Nets. Full transcript

Comment »

3. Would the Nets be a respectable team with Carmelo Anthony?

You know a blockbuster trade is in the works when we're discussing a team that's 10-27 and the words "future draft pick" aren't involved. The New Jersey Nets could be the architects of such a trade, as the team is seeking to add Carmelo Anthony, Rip Hamilton, and Chauncey Billups in a move that could see 15 players changing their uniforms. Is this a good potential trade for New Jersey?

Comment »

1. Do you believe Kevin Garnett or Charlie Villanueva?

Neither Kevin Garnett nor Charlie Villanueva had the best night on Wednesday. It's almost as if the two big men had something on their minds. Villanueva said Garnett called him a "cancer patient" during a recent game. Garnett responded that he called him "cancerous to his team and our league." Who do you believe?

Comment »

It's just like the census, only this one is fun and doesn't come in the mail. And nobody from FOX News or MSNBC will yell at you about it. It's time for ESPN The Magazine's Ultimate Standings, in which SportsNation grades organizations on everything from ticket prices and stadium experience to the talent on the field, court or rink. Which team will end up on top this year? It depends on what you say.

Take part in the 2010 MLB survey
2009 MLB Ultimate Standings
1. Los Angeles Angels (Overall: No. 1)
2. Milwaukee Brewers (Overall: No. 7)
3. Tampa Bay Rays (Overall: No. 16)
4. Minnesota Twins (Overall: No. 23)
5. Philadelphia Phillies (Overall: No. 24)

Take part in the 2010 NFL survey
2009 NFL Ultimate Standings
1. Pittsburgh Steelers (Overall: No. 3)
2. Green Bay Packers (Overall: No. 13)
3. Indianapolis Colts (Overall: No. 14)
4. Tennessee Titans (Overall: No. 15)
5. New England Patriots (Overall: No. 19)

Take part in the 2010 NBA survey
2009 NBA Ultimate Standings
1. Cleveland Cavaliers (Overall: No. 5)
2. San Antonio Spurs (Overall: No. 9)
3. New Orleans Hornets (Overall: No. 12)
4. Houston Rockets (Overall: No. 17)
5. Orlando Magic (Overall: No. 18)

Take part in the 2010 NHL survey
2009 NHL Ultimate Standings
1. Carolina Hurricanes (Overall: No. 2)
2. Detroit Red Wings (Overall: No. 4)
3. Washington Capitals (Overall: No. 6)
4. Pittsburgh Penguins (Overall: No. 8)
5. St. Louis Blues (Overall: No. 10)

Comment »

Realizing that life with an icon of the American sports landscape worth more than a billion dollars isn't all it's cracked up to be, a European with plenty of name recognition and few public appearances is heading home. That's right; Darko Milicic is leaving the NBA. Who did you think we were talking about?

Showing a knack for brutal honesty, if nothing else, Milicic told the New York Post, "I'm not going to get it done in the NBA." So closes one of the worst stories in NBA draft history, considering the Pistons picked one spot ahead of Carmelo Anthony in 2003.

But was that even the worst No. 2 pick a Detroit team made that year? A few months before the Pistons took Milicic, the Lions took Charles Rogers one spot ahead of Andre Johnson. At least Joe Dumars eventually got a first-round pick from the Magic for Milicic.

Darko Milicic (the Big Apple)

Why haven't things worked out in the NBA for me? When I get time, I generally play pretty well, right? That being the case, why don't I get more time!?

John Hollinger
John Hollinger

Are we sure this isn't Chad posting under an alias? Sorry, Darko hasn't played well even when he's had the time. He looked terrible in the limited burn I saw him get with New York. He's been given about a hundred more chances than most other players and he's failed in all of them. Maybe KK Zadar or Buducnost Podgorica can get a better year out him next season and he'll become a useful backup in the Adriatic League. Full transcript

Blake (Los Angeles)

"As for Turkoglu ... he's really turned the Raptors around, hasn't he." Do I detect some sarcasm here from you, Mr. Ford?

Chad Ford
Chad Ford

You know that the apocalypse is upon us when Bill Simmons of all people is arguing for teams to overpay a 30 year old soft European ... and Chad Ford, of all people, doesn't agree. Full transcript

Comment »

Lakers fans are understandably excited about the new season, and the defending champs are a popular choice to repeat among bloggers in the ESPN.com community.

"I've never been more excited for the opening of any season, any sport," blogs kurtnaphansen. "The combination of being on the heels of the Lakers winning the NBA championship, of all the trash talk from Cavs, Celtics, Magic, Spurs and even Blazers fans, and of a very new interesting development with the addition of Sheed to Boston, Shaq to Cleveland and Artest to LA."

Below are fan blogs and predictions about the season, which tipped off this week. Click through to respond. If you don't already have an ESPN profile, create one now and start blogging.

More fan blogs

Bulls preview | Cavaliers preview | Celtics-Cavaliers | Cuban best owner in sports | Eastern Conference predictions | Jordan among untouchables | Jordan memories | Letter to LeBron | Magic preview | NBA questions | No worries in Lakerland | Remember the Bulls? | Teams to watch | Traveling rule | Western Conference predictions | Wizards' issues

Fan pictures

Lakers fans Magic fan Cavs fans

Comment »

Doug Collins doesn't want it. Avery Johnson might, and Bill Laimbeer may or may not even be a candidate. But is Jim Calhoun the name Pistons fans really ought to be talking about for their coaching vacancy? There may not be a pizza joint on every corner or a motorcycle at every stoplight, but Auburn Hills, Mich. is starting to look like Storrs, Conn.

Just days into the search to replace Michael Curry, the Pistons have reportedly agreed in principle on free-agent deals for Ben Gordon (five years, $55 million) and Charlie Villanueva (five years, $40 million). Jake Voskuhl's whereabouts remain unclear.

Gordon is an undersized offensive juggernaut, which sounds suspiciously like Allen Iverson. But if managing Iverson and Richard Hamilton proved part of Curry's undoing, voters are convinced Gordon and Hamilton can coexist on the roster.

That said, if signing Gordon means eventually moving Hamilton, it appears the Pistons made the popular choice in getting the guy who nearly carried the Bulls past the Celtics.

drackoe28

Stop justifying poor moves with the mantra "Dumars has something up his sleeve." I heard that all last year after the Iverson trade and nothing materialized. Joe D brought us a championship, but he's made absolutely no good moves since 2004. Particularly regarding coaches.

-- drackoe28
MexDomer

Trading Rip makes the most sense but maybe Joe D wants a solid 3 guard line up. They cannot trade Prince...he's staying there's no doubt in my mind but from what Broussard says they are willing to listen to offers on anyone. Trading prince makes no sense and opens up a huge hole where one didn't really exist

-- MexDomer

Comment »