Pistons’ Open Practice gives fans unique experience

By Adam Debrowski
Western Herald

(Adam Debrowski/Western Herald) Detroit Pistons Ben Wallace, Richard Hamilton and Tayshaun Prince at their open practice this past weekend.

The complete Detroit Pistons team is gathered near the scorer’s table. Each player wears a blue or white practice jersey with their numbers printed on both sides.

With a basketball in his hand, backup guard Will Bynum steps out of the group and firmly plants his feet just outside the right wing. He glances upward, then heaves the ball 25 feet into the Palace air. Thousands of fans watch, each one standing and momentarily silent. Bynum takes off running. The ball lands near the free throw line and bounces back up above the rim.

Bynum, all 6 feet of him, gathers and jumps – the No. 12 on his jersey almost touching the front of the rim. He grabs the ball, cocks it back with one hand and viciously slams it into the basket.

The crowd erupts; sounds of awe and stunned expletives resonate through the stands for a good 60 seconds following the dunk. And this wasn’t even planned.
The impromptu dunk contest was one of the highlights of the Pistons’ Open Practice at the Palace of Auburn Hills Saturday.

Not only did the practice provide fans with an expense-free opportunity to see NBA players in the flesh, but it also delivered a chance to see the “new-look” Pistons in action.

“The people who don’t get a chance to see us during the regular season get a chance to see us firsthand for free,” said Chris Wilcox, a former Thunder big man who signed with Detroit in July. “It’s a good way to give back to the community.”

“It’s fun to have the fans here watching what we do every day,” said rookie forward Jonas Jerebko, who took part in his first Open Practice Saturday.
“They can see a little bit of [our] personalities. It was a fun time having the fans watch us practice.”

The event, which is held during or slightly before the preseason every year, has been held at Oakland University for the past two years, but was moved back to the Palace this year. In addition to free parking and admission, hot dogs and Coke were also provided free of charge. A Pistons “garage sale” was also held in the Palace’s West Atrium, where fans could find clearance merchandise from Pistons past. Everything from basketballs signed by Rasheed Wallace to game-worn Antonio McDyess practice jerseys to autographed photos of Corliss Williamson were up for grabs.

Even a used pair of Walter Herrmann’s size 15 shoes was available for purchase.
As unique and interactive as Open Practice was for the fans in attendance, new head coach John Kuester took a moment prior to practice to stress the importance of what the team was doing.

“We have a game tomorrow at six. In that short amount of time, we need to get a lot of things done,” Kuester said over the Palace sound system.
“This is a practice day for us. I know it’s an open practice, but it’s also a practice day where we’ve got to get better.”

The fact that it was still a real practice became evident when Kwame Brown took a shot to the face during a half court drill. Brown left the floor with trainer Mike Abdenour at his side and a bloody towel at his nose. Although he returned 10 minutes later, the incident was a public reminder that on the professional level, even practices can be painful.

Before the drills, the players went through a lengthy stretching regimen, which Kuester and Assistant Coach Pat Sullivan spoke of as a key component to every practice. The stretches were followed by various offensive and defensive segments, a fast break drill, and two 10-minute scrimmages.

The team was split into a blue team and a white team for the scrimmages, one team coached by Sullivan and the other by assistant coach Darrell Walker. Rodney Stuckey led all scorers with 10 points as the white team won 28-22. Kwame Brown and Will Bynum each finished with six points.

Charlie Villanueva, who is recovering from a minor hamstring injury, was the only player who did not take part in the scrimmages.

The games gave fans a rare opportunity to see Pistons play Pistons, as well as a tiny glimpse into what the team will look like come regular season time.

“As the season goes on, other players will have to pick it up,” Kuester said afterward.
“We have a ways to go, but I’m really pleased with the energy and effort our big players have given us so far. In time, I think we have a chance to be a very good defensive team.”

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Posted by heraldstaff on Oct 11 2009. Filed under Sports. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry

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