NBA Schedule Release, Malik Beasley, and the Atlanta Hawks | The Weekly Drive
Are the Atlanta Hawks better than the Pistons? We see the argument, but respectively disagree. For now.
Hey Pistons fans, remember me? At long last, welcome back to the Palace of Pistons Weekly Drive.
After a brief hiatus while the NBA-sphere enjoyed its summer slumber, the calendar has finally turned to September. That could only mean one thing.
Well, yes, football is back. But the NBA returns to our screens next month.
Major League Baseball playoffs, crisp fall weekends for football, and the NBA ramping up for what should be another great season in The Association. Its the best time of the year, so lets get into it.
Malik Beasley Update
It feels like an eternity ago now that the best free agent signing of last summer (in the entire NBA, perhaps), Malik Beasley, had his lucrative contract pulled by Detroit’s front office due to a federal investigation into sports betting. While Beasley is no longer considered a “target” by federal authorities, he isn’t out of the woods yet. There is still no timetable on his ability to sign with an NBA team, let alone get on the court for actual minutes. We talked about it on the latest edition of the Palace of Pistons Podcast.
Will the Atlanta Hawks be Better than the Pistons?
Speaking of the latest edition of the podcast, Aaron and I talked about if the Atlanta Hawks, who are betting favorites on FanDuel to finish above the Pistons in the Eastern Conference, are actually a superior team. Let us know in the comments what you think.
Signing MORE Cavaliers?
This won’t make angry YouTube comment guy happy, but the Pistons reportedly signed yet another former Cleveland Cavalier, this time Javonte Green according to ESPN’s Shams Charania. Green signed with Cleveland last season after agreeing to a buyout, mostly soaking up minutes as an end-of-bench player.
Green is a largely inconsequential signing for the Pistons, as he isn’t someone that could/should be trusted in a playoff setting. But he can be an innings eater of sorts in the event of an injury or foul trouble. He isn’t much of a shooter, but he can bring some energy in a helpful —if somewhat harmful at times — way.
Schedule This
After a pop-off season last year, coupled with a heavily-depleted Eastern Conference this upcoming season, the Pistons are looking like a playoff team once again. Add in a bonafide star like Cade Cunningham and its very clear why the Pistons have 16 “nationally” televised games on the docket.
I say “nationally” because there quite a few streaming services (NBC/Peacock, ESPN, and Amazon Prime Video) listed here, which may not be accessible to some people. Nevertheless, Detroit gets on more screens around the country in some fashion, which is a huge testament to how far they have come less than two years ago.
Oh, and the preseason schedule was released as well. The Pistons will play four games prior to the regular season: at Memphis (October 6th), at Milwaukee (October 9th), at Cleveland (October 14), and at home versus Washington (October 16th).
Were you expecting a really long Weekly Drive? I’m still getting bearings after many weeks off, shaking away the cobwebs as the weather shifts from muggy and sweaty to brisk and comfortable. Can’t wait for Pistons basketball? Refresh yourself with the Palace of Pistons podcast, which unlike me has not taken time off.
See you next week.
Mike