Who's going to be the odd man out? (Roster discussion)

[Glenn]

Looks like it's Fitch.
http://www.nba.com/pistons/news/lang...og_071015.html

The Pistons trimmed their roster to 16 on Monday, one above the regular-season limit, by waiving guard Gerald Fitch. Fitch played three minutes in the preseason opener against Miami, going 1 for 2 at the free-throw line and picking up an assist.

Also, no, it's not, since someone else still has to go.

Fitch appreciation thread?

[Big Swami]

please oh please flip murray oh god i don't believe in you but i might start if you intervene to throw flip murray off this squad

[Zekyl]

Its going to be Dupree. Unless they decide not to keep Mejia around, Dupree doesn't stand a chance. I always loved his hustle but he's just not showing that he deserves to be on this team. Then again, I haven't seen much of Mejia so I don't have anything to go on there.

[Glenn]

Breaking down the Pistons' roster

by A. Sherrod Blakely
Monday October 22, 2007, 7:27 AM

AUBURN HILLS -- Despite a 3-4 preseason record, Detroit Pistons coach Flip Saunders isn't fretting about his team's losing record.

"You have to understand, these are learning experiences," Saunders told reporters following Detroit's 104-80 loss at San Antonio on Saturday. "I don't look at the score, I look at how a guy is playing in situations."

Indeed, Saunders' expectations for each player depends on their level of experience as well as the role they are expected to play this season.

Here's a breakdown of how each of Detroit's 16 remaining players have fared in camp thus far:

STARTERS
Chauncey Billups -- He came into the preseason looking to be more aggressive. Although his preseason numbers don't reflect this, Billups seems more eager to attack teams offensively by driving to the basket and looking to score.

Richard Hamilton -- A left ankle injury sidelined what had been a very positive preseason for Hamilton. Like Billups, he too is looking to be more aggressive offensively this season.

Tayshaun Prince -- Expected to become more of a focal point offensively, Prince looked a lot like the Tayshaun Prince of the past. He still is Detroit's most versatile player, but he still appears to have at least two or three teammates ahead of him in the scoring pecking order.

Antonio McDyess -- Not surprisingly, McDyess has had no problems adjusting to playing with the team's starting five after spending the past three seasons as a valued Pistons reserve. His defense and rebounding still are strong, but his jumper has been shaky, which is the norm for McDyess this time of year.

Rasheed Wallace -- Detroit's "new" center came into camp in great shape having lost close to 25 pounds. A solid rebounder and defender in the preseason, the Pistons will need more of the same from Wallace when the regular season begins.

BENCH
Jason Maxiell -- Arguably Detroit's best player in the preseason, Maxiell was a force at both ends of the floor. Consistency remains his biggest hurdle.

Rodney Stuckey -- The prized rookie has shown both the potential and problems that come with the job for first-year players. Like most rookies, the key for his development will be in how quickly he learns from his setbacks that are sure to occur at various times this season.

Jarvis Hayes -- Maybe the biggest surprise of training camp, Hayes averaged 12.6 points while playing a team-high 28 minutes per game. He should see 15-25 minutes per night.

Nazr Mohammed -- A calf injury shelved Mohammed for all but two preseason games. He's the team's lone backup center with experience, but expect for Mohammed's minutes to be scarce again this season.

Flip Murray -- Had some really strong performances, and others that were less-than-memorable. Murray officially will be listed as a backup to Hamilton, but expect Hayes and Stuckey to fill in for Hamilton while Murray will be used sparingly.

Arron Afflalo -- Known as a defensive stopper, Afflalo has proven he can be a decent scorer as well. He won't be a part of Detroit's regular rotation, but he's shown enough promise to make Saunders comfortable playing him, if needed.

Amir Johnson -- No Pistons player suffered more in the preseason than Johnson, who missed the first seven games with a left ankle injury. The Pistons will start the season unsure of what to expect from Johnson, who might be healthy enough to play in the preseason finale gainst Washington.

Lindsey Hunter -- He'll be playing more of a mentor role with the team this season. He'll be used more as a substitute in special situations, like when Detroit wants to cool off a hot-shooting guard.

Cheikh Samb -- Displayed good instincts defensively and a nice-looking baseline jumper. Is at least another year away from helping the Pistons; will spend most of this season with Detroit's Development League affiliate in Ft. Wayne, Ind.

Others currently on roster: G Sammy Mejia and F Ronald Dupree.

[Kstat]

Stuckey, Maxiell and Hayes are locks for the 6-8 spots.

Nazr's incompetence is competing with Amir's ankle for #9.

For the spot minutes at #10, Afflalo has clearly won first crack. He's had the best October of anybody.

[Glenn]

I wonder if anyone will even sign Dupree once he is cut?

Maybe Charlotte now that Morrison is hurt?

[Glenn]

Houston is apparently considering waiving Jackie Butler to get down to the roster limit.

If he can keep his weight under control, there is a lot of potential there.

I'd waive Dupree and Mejia to sign him.

[Glenn]

I'm too lazy to look it up, but is the roster deadline Monday or tonight?

I've seen both reported in multiple places.

I would guess Monday.

[Glenn]

Rip is back

Rip Hamilton returned to practice today and looked no worse for wear after missing the last two weeks with a left ankle sprain. He pushed himself extremely hard and pronounced himself ready to go. So, other than Rodney Stuckey, the Pistons are at full strength.

The fallout from Stuckey injury won't be completely known for a couple of weeks. Initially, it looks like Flip Murray will back-up both guard spots. It seems like, at least at first, that Flip Saunders will use a three-guard rotation rather than throw Arron Afflalo into the fire. I think Saunders, wisely, will pick his spots when to use Afflalo.

Something else to look for: To ease the burden on Murray, you might also see Jarvis Hayes and Tayshaun Prince on the floor together with Chauncey Billups. The two are interchangeable between the shooting guard and small forward spots, though Prince would draw the tougher of the two defensive assignments.

It looks like Ronald Dupree will be the odd man out, again. Third time in five years the guy will have gotten cut from the Pistons. No official decision will be made until Monday, but the writing is clearly on the wall for Dupree. It may be the best thing for him, though. He was never going to get much of a chance to win a rotation spot here, and his $825,000 is guaranteed. Hopefully he can catch on with another team and double his salary. He is, like I have said, one of the real good guys in the league and you want good things to happen to good people -- at least once in a while.

If Dupree is out, that means rookie Sammy Mejia is in. He would spend most of the year in the D-League with Cheikh Samb -- which is nice because they both speak Spanish, giving Cheikh somebody to talk to. Sammy could make an extra buck or two serving as his translator. When I was watching them play in the summer league in Vegas, Cheikh wouldn't let me interview him unless Sammy was there to translate. Sammy has a great sense of humor, by the way. He's always smiling, singing or dancing in the locker room before and after games. The guys seem to like him. He says everybody calls him Sam or Sammy, except one person. Guess who. Rasheed calls him Stanley. Who knows why?

[Cross]

LMFAO at the last sentence at of the article.

Why doesn't dup ever think about going to Europe