Recap:

Ok folks; let’s get this thing off and running. Here are a few first impressions:

- Amir Johnson doesn’t look like he’s bulked up visually, but physically speaking he seems to be a bit stronger than last year.

- Samb makes Amir Johnson look like Ben Wallace. He also sat near the coaching staff on the bench and was pretty quiet, but didn’t really look like he didn’t fit with the rest of the guys.

- Mateen appears to have kept himself in awesome shape

- Maxiell doesn’t really seem to be any more defined than last year. I wonder if he’s been hitting the weights.

- The PA announcer is struggling…hard.

- The timekeeper needs to form a working relationship with the shot clock.

- Upon approaching Mike Abdenour, I got the “Oh wait, I don’t know you…ok, what do you want?” look. Fun. (See previous commentary about guys making you feel like a tool.)

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Hey kids, I just wanted to drop a note and say hello to everyone from VSL. I’m taking a moment to take advantage of the wireless access (free which makes me a big fan of Thomas & Mack / Cox Pavilion) to let you know that all is well.

The Pistons are down 31-36 at the half to the Wizards. Getting close to any pistons is almost a no no as far as interviews are concerned. I was promptly shooed off by Mike Abdenour when requesting any contact/interviewing prospects and told to find the PR Director and send all requests through him.

The 2nd half has started so I will be posting a few unimpressive photos and my full recap after the game (but probably not until after I get home).

Enjoy folks, we’re underway!

-Low

Ok Pistons fans, time to head out into the heat, brave the fans at Cox Pavilion, and see who’s ready to make some noise in this year’s Las Vegas Summer League.

Now, granted the festivities have already started, but now is the time you’ve all been waiting for. The Detroit Pistons. So, are you folks ready to see who’s going to make an impact this season or who will be heading to Europe?

Now that the roster is set we can begin focusing on those fresh legs that may or may not get a chance to shine this coming regular season. Therefore, they are undoubtedly planning to make a bit of noise for themselves just off the Las Vegas Strip. The roster is as follows (per my main man roscoe over at PistonsForum.com):

• #01 ~ Rodney Billups - PG 5′10″ 165 lbs., Denver
• #05 ~ Rasheim Wright - SG 6′3″ 190 lbs., District of Columbia
• #06 ~ Alex Acker - SG 6′5″ 185 lbs., Pepperdine
• #07 ~ Frank Williams - PG 6′3″ 212 lbs., Illinois
  –Replaced by: Mateen Cleaves
• #08 ~ Sam Hoskin - PF 6′8″ 245 lbs., DePaul
• #09 ~ Wayne Wallace - C 6′9″ 215 lbs., Virginia Union
• #10 ~ Will Blalock - PG 6′0″ 205 lbs., Iowa State
• #12 ~ Nik Caner-Medley - SF 6′8″ 240 lbs., Maryland
• #17 ~ Marko Jovanovic - C 7′0″ 248 lbs., Serbia & Montenegro
• #18 ~ Cheikh Samb - C 7′1″ 195 lbs., Senegal
• #25 ~ Amir Johnson - F 6′9″ 210 lbs., Westchester HS (LA)
• #54 ~ Jason Maxiell - PF 6′7″ 260 lbs., Cincinnati

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Now as a rule, I’m not going to start off by regurgitating all of the hype that has been tossed about regarding these guys. No one cares and has probably heard it all already. What I will focus on, is the fact that we have “expectations” and what we really want to know is what these guys are going to do to live up to those same expectations. So, let’s get the ball rolling because come Saturday, it’s time for the newest Pistons to hit the hard wood. I think it’s much more important for you fans to get reports from me based on what I see on the court, not so much what a player’s “potential” or “hype” is. With that said, here’s the prep sheet:
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