Will Pistons Be Next Mavericks?

A few years ago, Detroit Pistons star Grant Hill was on the cover of a national magazine with a headline that asked whether Hill could save sports.

Sports?

Hill is having trouble saving his own team from internal combustion and becoming the next Dallas Mavericks.

It wasn’t so long ago that the Mavericks, with their “Three Js” - Jason Kidd, Jamal Mashburn and Jimmy Jackson - were the team of the future.

Less than two seasons later, the Mavericks have none of the “Js,” only five victories, are in the midst of a 15-game losing streak and are headed nowhere - fast.

Hill’s Pistons have not dropped that dramatically, but they are not that far away.

On paper, the Pistons look as if they should be a contending team. To the squad that won 54 games last season, the Pistons added a legitimate center in Brian Williams, got rid of unhappy forward Otis Thorpe and retained the services of Hill, who, despite the Pistons’ record, remains one of the best players in the league not named Jordan.

The problem, it seems, begins with coach Doug Collins. He was one Hill phone call away from being fired earlier this season.

Essentially, Collins is a nit-picker and the Pistons have tuned him out.

It has gotten so bad, that after the Pistons’ defeated the Toronto Raptors (4-28) last week, the team showed no emotion or joy.

“It’s incredible when a team wins 54 games (last season) and can’t be excited about it,” Williams said. “It’s a trend that was set last year. I didn’t set the trend for joyless basketball. It’s not my chariot to drive.”

Hill, meanwhile, said he has come to the belated realization he needs to shoulder more of the scoring load.

“The way we are playing now is just not satisfactory,” Hill said. “It just shouldn’t be like this and maybe I have to start being more aggressive. Maybe I need to stop flirting with triple-doubles and start looking to score.”

-Frank Hughes, Tacoma News Tribune

Magic sign Maxwell

The Orlando Magic signed veteran guard Vernon Maxwell to a 10-day contract and waived guard Donald Royal. Maxwell, 32, played with the San Antonio Spurs last season, averaging 12.9 points, 2.2 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 72 games.