--The Pistons are carrying three 2009 draft picks on the roster: Forwards Austin Daye, DaJuan Summers and Jonas Jerebko. Daye could back up Tayshaun Prince but Jerebko, the 39th overall pick, might receive a surprising amount of playing time. The coaching staff likes Jerebko's intangibles -- his defensive instincts, the way he sets picks, his hard-nosed style, etc. Jerebko and Daye received one-game, regular-season suspensions for preseason altercations. Jerebko traded blows with Miami's Jamaal Magliore and Daye had an exchange with ex-Piston and current Milwaukee guard Carlos Delfino.
"They're not going to back down from anybody," Kuester said of his rookies. "Those guys are very competitive." --John Kuester, who was in charge of Cleveland's offensive schemes as a top assistant under Mike Brown last season, is focused on maintaining the Pistons' reputation for a being a defensive-minded unit. He is even considering the pairing of his best post defenders, Kwame Brown and Ben Wallace, at the start of games and third quarters. He liked the way those offensively-challenged big men blended during the preseason when Villanueva was sidelined with a hamstring injury.
"They set a tone for you defensively," Kuester said. "We have to have a mindset going into the season that we've got to defend to be successful."
MAIN REASON PISTONS CAN WIN: The Pistons could have the best guard unit in the league with Richard Hamilton, Ben Gordon, Rodney Stuckey and underrated Will Bynum breaking down defenses. They can also play a wide variety of styles and lineups because of a rotation that can go 10-deep.
MAIN REASON PISTONS CAN LOSE: Rasheed Wallace and Antonio McDyess were two of the toughest post defenders in the league. The last line of defense this season will often be Charlie Villanueva and Chris Wilcox.
QUOTE TO NOTE: "It opens up the floor when you've got three guards in there, guys that can create and score. You really can't load up because any guy can kill you." -- G Richard Hamilton, on playing with both Ben Gordon and Rodney Stuckey at times this season.
