Just thought I would start out your day on a happy note. Go PISTONS!!!!! If you recall last year “my BOYS” were 2-1 against the Heat. Repeat, repeat, repeat. Have a good one today ;D

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. – Michigan’s record-setting temperatures might have recalled the May-June meetings the Pistons and Miami have had in the Eastern Conference finals – and the meetings in Miami, at that – but the Heat’s travel team screamed “preseason” all the way.
Minus the biggest names on their roster – Shaquille O’Neal, Dwyane Wade, Alonzo Mourning and comebacking Penny Hardaway – Miami put up minimal resistance for a Pistons team at full strength minus Amir Johnson, out with a sprained ankle, in a 103-86 preseason-opening win Monday night at The Palace of Auburn Hills. Led by 28 in first half

It wasn’t really even that close. The Pistons opened up a 26-point lead before halftime and were up 28 early in the fourth quarter before Miami made it a little more respectable. But wins and losses pale in preseason next to the overriding objectives of keeping those with secure roles healthy and learning who’ll fill the available spots behind them. And on those fronts, the Pistons got pretty much nothing but good news out of the opener.

The players expected to contribute to the makeover of the Pistons’ bench – rookies Rodney Stuckey and Arron Afflalo, third-year forward Jason Maxiell, holdover veterans Nazr Mohammed and Flip Murray and free-agent pickup Jarvis Hayes, primarily – all had their moments.

“The young guys give great energy,” Pistons coach Flip Saunders said. “It really gives us a different look both offensively and defensively. There’s a comfort level playing those guys. They make plays, they’re intelligent and they play hard.”

Stuckey led six Pistons in double figures with 15 points in 19 minutes, making 5 of 7 shots and going 5 of 6 at the free-throw line. On more than a few occasions, he flashed the strength and quickness that allows him to get to the basket and draw contact. When Saunders sent him into the game midway through the first and third quarters, he reminded the rookie that the Pistons were already in the bonus and to be aggressive so he could get to the line.

“That’s one of the things the other guys tell me,” Stuckey said. “When it’s the bonus, you’ve got to be more aggressive because it’s two free throws every time. It was great. I felt good out there. Being around Chauncey (Billups) and all these guys at practice, when it comes game time you’re feeling comfortable already.”

Afflalo, the other rookie first-rounder, scored on a nice post move and made another nice power move to score and draw a foul, finishing with nine points, three rebounds and two assists in 20 minutes. He also flashed the defensive skills that enamored the Pistons of him, stripping the ball once and converting it into a Detroit fast-break basket among his two steals.

“He really got out and ran,” Saunders said. “He had some plays where he did things that don’t show up in the box score. He gets out and runs the wing hard when they have to cover him and it opens things up for somebody else.”

Hayes said he was a little anxious and missed a few shots he’d normally make, but he showed the Pistons the scorer’s mentality they’ve lacked off their bench in recent years. Hayes shot 5 of 13, giving them 11 points, six boards and three assists in 23 minutes. At a powerful 6-foot-8, Hayes also showed a little post-up game that opens up the possibilities in Saunders’ playbook.

“He’s a good shooter and shooters are supposed to shoot,” Saunders said. “He’s got the ability to not only play outside, but also post up and rebound. He gives us a different dimension at that position with his strength.”

“I feel like a rookie again,” said Hayes, a fifth-year veteran who got squeezed out in Washington by a loaded cast of perimeter players. “I can’t stop smiling. I was a little anxious at times and missed a few open shots, but overall I thought it was great. It was just good to be out there playing with these guys.”

Tayshaun Prince and Rip Hamilton scored nine first-quarter points apiece and finished with 13 and 11. Billups added 12 and Maxiell 11 and 10 rebounds in 23 minutes after being limited to two points in seven foul-plagued first-half minutes. Rasheed Wallace took only four shots and finished with three points, but corralled nine rebounds in just 20 minutes.

“Detroit played with a lot of depth and quickness with their young guys,” Heat coach Pat Riley said. “When you play these young guys with the others, they get a lot of confidence. Detroit looked very solid.”