Monday, July 8, 2013

Brandon Knight believes he's the 'best man' to be the Pistons' point guard

Detroit Pistons guard Brandon Knight has probably heard the howling about how the team should trade him and upgrade the team's point guard position.

He definitely heard it around draft time when many fans felt the Pistons should have taken Michigan point guard Trey Burke. To Knight's credit he hasn't started popping off to the media about how good of a player he is or hasn't complained. But he does believe he's the 'best man' for the Pistons at point guard.

“I don’t really pay attention to that stuff; you hear it here and there. It’s expected,” Knight said. “Trey Burke, being from Michigan, it’s expected. It’s all good, it’s all motivation for me, though.”

In fairness to Knight, he did only play one year of college basketball followed by a lockout shortened season which stunted his development as a NBA point guard.

“If you think about it using common sense,” said Knight, who averaged four assists and shot 37 percent from 3-point range last season. “First year (2011-12) was a lockout, didn’t have that summer. Next year, played half the year (at point guard). I pretty much played it for a full year. Some of the best point guards don’t take a year to develop into what they are. They are given an opportunity to develop. Using common sense, I played it (around) 80 games.”

“A lot of great PGs, first they’re given an opportunity then have time to grow into that role.”

That is very true but many see it as a crutch. In Detroit many fans believe this year is now or never for Knight. Knight uses all the chatter as motivation, but if he doesn't prove it on the court it's all for nothing.

Memo to Knight: Don't talk about it be about it. Let your game do the talking and prove that you can be the player many thought you were coming out of college.



'It' girl of the week: Jessica Kylie

The 'It Girl' of the week is Jessica Kylie.











Detroit Lions don't want to be on HBO's Hard Knocks

Last season it took awhile for HBO to find an NFL team to participate in it's 'Hard Knocks' series. Eventually the Miami Dolphins decided to take part in the show.

Plenty of teams don't want anything to do with the show, citing it as a distraction. The Detroit Lions are one of those teams. Team president Tom Lewand stated that he still doesn't want his team to do the show even though commissioner Roger Goodell is exploring having a "formal rotation" among all the teams.  

“You guys asked me how I felt about it,” he told reporters, “and it’s the same way I felt about it last year.”

The NFL gets enough exposure as it is but Goodell would like for 'Hard Knocks' to continue because it puts money in his pocket and the NFL coffers.  I certainly don't feel the league should mandate any team to except it. These guys are not role models, not heroes. They are athletes and as we already know they are all too human. They are already overexposed, and I think the NFL will do just fine without the HBO money.

I don't blame Lewand for feeling the way he does and not wanting the Lions to do the show.

The Lions have been the butt of many jokes over the years and I'm sure Jim Schwartz and the Lions brass wouldn't like seeing what goes on behind closed doors exposed to the nation.