Updated Thursday, October 16, 2008 at 6:52 p.m.
Pistons-Mavericks Pregame Notes
by Keith Langlois
Chauncey Billups will play against Dallas tonight – if he still feels little or no pain in his mildly sprained ankle after warming up. That was the word from Michael Curry as of a few minutes ago.
Other noteworthy items:
Curry said the rotation he’ll use tonight and next Wednesday against Cleveland will more closely approximate his regular-season rotation – meaning the five starters plus Antonio McDyess, Jason Maxiell and Rodney Stuckey get constant minutes and two from among the threesome of Kwame Brown, Arron Afflalo and Walter Herrmann carve up what’s left. Herrmann, though, remains out with sore ribs. Maxiell will be the first big man off the bench against Dallas, but Brown will probably serve that role against Cleveland, a bigger team.
Curry said that Rasheed Wallace and Antonio McDyess will be on the floor together at times during the season, but for the most part he wants one subbing in for the other because of the way their scoring ability complements the skills of the three young big men and reduces the pressure on them to provide scoring punch.
One of the reasons the Pistons foresee Walter Sharpe staying with them and not playing in the D-League is because of his narcolepsy condition and their desire to provide him a constant structure. Curry said that’s also a reason they’ve had such a structured preseason – meetings, travel times, practice times constant – and that it’s also benefitted other young players like Amir Johnson and Maxiell.
Check Pistons.com later tonight for the postgame report from Pistons-Mavs.
