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Pistons-Grizzlies Preview

Oct 27, 2009 - 4:15 AM By JEFF MEZYDLO STATS Senior Writer

Detroit (0-0) at Memphis (0-0), 8:00 p.m. EDT

Allen Iverson wasn't the answer the Detroit Pistons were looking for to help them contend for an NBA title in 2008-09. He likely won't be on the court with his new team to face Detroit to open this season.

The new-look Pistons begin their quest to return to prominence in the Eastern Conference on Wednesday night at Memphis, which might have to wait for Iverson to make his Grizzlies debut.

Iverson averaged 17.4 points and 4.9 assists in 57 games after being acquired in a trade with Denver for the popular Chauncey Billups in a cost-cutting move last November, but the Pistons opted not to re-sign him.

With teams expressing little interest in the 34-year-old, 10-time All-Star, Iverson eventually signed a one-year, $3.5 million deal with the Grizzlies, but it's uncertain if he'll dress Wednesday as he recovers from a torn hamstring.

"They're saying it's a possibility, but it's also a long shot," Iverson said. "You know that's one of the ones I definitely want to play."

With Iverson in tow most of the way, the Pistons went 39-43 for their first losing season since 2001, and were swept in the first round of the playoffs by Cleveland. Detroit had reached the conference finals the previous six seasons and the Finals twice in that span, most recently in 2005, when it lost to San Antonio in seven games.

In another move to free up salary-cap space, Detroit let go off aging forward Rasheed Wallace, leaving Richard Hamilton, Tayshaun Prince and recently re-acquired Ben Wallace remaining from the 2003-04 championship team.

Hoping to improve on the offensive end after ranking near the bottom of the league with 94.2 points per game, the Pistons signed young scorers Ben Gordon and Charlie Villanueva - reunited after leading Connecticut to the 2004 NCAA title.

Gordon, 26, averaged 20.7 points last season to lead Chicago in scoring for the fourth straight year, and 24.3 during an exciting seven-game, first-round playoff series against Boston.

The 25-year-old Villanueva, who joins his third team in five seasons, averaged a career-high 16.2 points and 6.7 rebounds for Milwaukee in 2008-09.

They join a young nucleus that includes 23-year-old guard Rodney Stuckey (13.4 ppg, 4.9 apg) and 6-foot-11 first-round pick Austin Daye, who averaged 12.7 points and 6.8 rebounds for Gonzaga last season.

Though the 31-year-old Hamilton spent a portion of last season coming off the bench, he averaged a team-leading 18.3 points.

"They're making a lot of changes," said Gordon, who signed a $55 million, five-year contract and has averaged 19.3 points in 10 games versus Memphis. "They still have a few pieces from the championship team, but there's definitely some new blood and we're hungry."

The biggest change might be on the bench, where longtime NBA assistant coach John Kuester replaced the fired Michael Curry to become Detroit's sixth head coach in 10 seasons. Kuester has spent 13 years as an assistant for five teams, most recently with Cleveland. He was on Larry Brown's staff when Detroit won its last title.

"For the last seven years, the criteria for success here has been making the finals," said Joe Dumars, the team's president of basketball operations. "That's not the gun that will be held to John's head. Right now, we're looking to move this franchise back in the right direction."

That quest begins Wednesday against Memphis, which went 24-58 in 2008-09, after winning 22 games in each of the previous two seasons.

Like the Pistons, the Grizzlies struggled to score, averaging a Western Conference-low 93.9 points per contest.

Memphis has individual talent, but will likely need those parts to come together as a whole in order to make the playoffs for the first time since 2005-06.

Iverson, when healthy, could help if he remains content playing behind point guard Mike Conley (10.9 ppg, 4.3 apg). The Grizzlies also traded for forward Zach Randolph, who proved to be a distraction at times during previous stops with the Clippers, New York and Portland.

Randolph averaged 20.8 points and 10.1 boards last season, which he split between New York and Los Angeles.

He'll join a starting lineup that features returning leading scorer Rudy Gay (18.9 ppg, 5.5 rpg) and rookie of the year runner-up O.J. Mayo (18.5 ppg).

With that experience and 7-foot-3 first-round pick Hasheem Thabeet, the Grizzlies feel they have a team that can be a playoff contender.

"We'll surprise people. It's us against the world," Randolph said. "Everybody's got us picked last, but we've got to show them different."

The Pistons have won their last four visits to Memphis.