November 2
Detroit Free Press
columnist Michael Rosenberg
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After the Pistons lost their home opener, new coach John Kuester said his team "didn't have any ball movement and we didn't execute" and struggled with "ball reversals and spacing" and said "we were looking to get quick attacks" instead of running the offense. If you are an astute basketball mind, or if you have ever seen a game in your life, you might say the point guard was part of the problem. This was the kind of game the Pistons don't want from Rodney Stuckey. But it is also the kind of game they need. In his second year as a starter, Stuckey remains the most tantalizing talent on the roster. The Pistons need to find out whether he can be a star. And that means letting him make ..."
November 1
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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Brandon Jennings' opening acts could be tough to match. The Milwaukee Bucks rookie point guard followed his near triple-double in Philadelphia with a stunning third-quarter show as he rallied his team to a 96-85 victory over the Detroit Pistons in the home opener on Saturday night. Jennings finished with a team-leading 24 points, but it was the way he took over the game that had a crowd of 15,095 cheering for more than American Idol finalist Danny Gokey, who provided the halftime entertainment. The 20-year-old Jennings sank four consecutive shots, including a fast-break layup after he went behind his back with a nifty dribble, as the Bucks quickly turned around an 11-point halftime ..."
October 29
Memphis Commercial Appeal
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Lionel Hollins exited the Grizzlies' huddle after a timeout early in the fourth quarter wearing a scowl and wiping his brow. Unsettling was a 22-point deficit and the Grizzlies hadn't even scored a point two minutes into the final frame. The Grizzlies coach appeared anxious before the game Wednesday night and then spent most of his team's 96-74 loss to the Detroit Pistons agitated and disappointed. Rough start? Memphis did few things right in the regular-season opener for both teams before an announced crowd of 17,212 in FedExForum. "We just came out and laid an egg," Hollins said after a game in which the Griz trailed by as many as 25 points before losing their ninth straight home opener ..."
October 29
Memphis Commercial Appeal
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The Grizzlies started the 2009-10 season on fire before flaming out. As part of an elaborate pregame performance that featured Three 6 Mafia ... and "American Idol" finalist Lil Rounds ... and the dance troupe JabbaWockeeZ, pyrotechnics exploded behind both backboards. Big blasts that shook the building. Management spent much of the offseason working to add some sizzle, acquiring high-profile free agents Zach Randolph and Allen Iverson, and then showcasing the new-look Grizzlies at a series of open preseason practices across the city. And at FedExForum on Wednesday, the hope was to capitalize on all that good feeling and excitement. But an evening that started with fireworks ended with a ..."
October 29
Memphis Commercial Appeal
columnist Geoff Calkins
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He was sitting in the front row, enjoying the show and the opener. Lil Rounds was great. Three 6 Mafia rapped out an introduction. The Grizzlies came flying onto the court, looking snappy in their new blue jerseys. Yes, it was good to be a Grizzlies fan, especially one sitting smack in the front row. And then Michael Edwards, the new president of the Mid-South market for First Tennessee, saw the ball bouncing his way. "They say keep your eye on the ball," he said. They apparently never sat courtside. The ball bounced into the stands followed by Tayshaun Prince of the Detroit Pistons. Prince jumped over Edwards. Well, nearly. One sneaker did not make it over. One sneaker hit Edwards smack ..."
October 28
Detroit Free Press
columnist Michael Rosenberg
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The last time John Kuester was a head coach, he went 1-27. Not to put too fine a point on it, but: One. And. Twenty-seven. This was 20 years ago, and Kuester was the head coach at George Washington University. It would be silly to say this is relevant to Kuester's chances of succeeding with the Pistons; it was 20 years ago, after all, and just one season. But this is what interests me: What does 1-27 do to a man? What is it like to get stuffed like a turkey in virtually every game? What do you learn from it? "It was difficult for anybody to have to go through that," Kuester said. "But it's like life. You persevere. You just keep working hard." Kuester had been a successful coach at Boston ..."