Izzo is Again Rumored for the NBA, Pistons Take On the Cavaliers

With their 26-44 record, the Detroit Pistons are trying to finish the season on a strong note and then possibly trade up for a better coach. One name that is again in the rumor mill is none other than Michigan local, Michigan State coach Tom Izzo. He’s been been part of the conversation before to make the jump to the NBA and this year is no different.

But for now, they’ll have to wait until Izzo’s NCAA season ends as his team is in the Sweet 16. While he’s happy in his current role, the coach hasn’t shot down the possibility or as he likes to say, never say never.

Tom Izzo

On Tuesday he said via ESPN’s Sport Center:

“There’s been so many rumors over the years. I look at people I used to recruit against years ago [that] said that I’d be gone, but I’m still here and some of those schools have had three different coaches. I’ve always said I’d never say never to anything because you never know what it brings. But I got so much more work to do here…Ain’t broke, so why fix it?”

Izzo has always said he’d like to win another National Championship and who’s to say this isn’t the year (9/2 odds)? It’s one game at a time and on Friday, the No. 4 Spartans will play No. 1 Virginia; they will get another win (-2, 127 o/u).

Meanwhile, the Pistons will play the Cleveland Cavaliers (28-44) on Wednesday.

Both teams are again unlikely to see time in the playoffs as Cleveland sits in the 10th spot for the Eastern Conference, 4 1/2 games behind the No. 8 Atlanta Hawks (a three-year drought) while the Pistons are one game behind as team No. 11 (a four-year dry spell).

Cleveland does have some momentum going as it has won two straight games. On Tuesday, it defeated the Toronto Raptors (39-31), 102-100. Dion Waiters again showed up and scored a team-leading 24 points. In his last four games, Waiters has a 25.5 point average (50.6 percent shooting), along with a 5.3 assist average.

In his three career games versus Detroit, Waiters has 26 points.

The young player’s improved play comes as Kyrie Irving has been out in the five previous games thanks to a strained biceps tendon. There is no return data for Irving but Cavaliers coach Mike Brown has said he is “closer.”

Andre Drummond

As for Detroit, well, they’ve lost their last 15 of 19 games. So far this week has been a good one as the team defeated the Utah Jazz 114-94 on Monday (snapping a 10-game at Utah losing streak) on a season-high 55.4 percent shooting from the field. For the night, 37 points and 25 boards came from the combined efforts of Andre Drummond and Greg Monroe.

Over his three previous games, Drummond is 22 for 29 from the floor and for the season, has 62.3 percent shooting. Against Cleveland, in his three earlier games, he has a 19.7 point and 13.0 rebound average.

Factor in the team’s 54 points in the paint–a record–on Monday and the Pistons played well.

But will it continue against the Cavaliers? In their two earlier matchups, each team won a game. On Wednesday, Detroit gets the win (-6, 204.5 o/u).

In other NBA Central division action, the leading Indiana Pacers (51-20) will host the Miami Heat (48-21) on Wednesday.

At the top of the headlines for this game is news that Dwyane Wade will play. This comes as the player has been on the sidelines for the last two games from a sore Achilles and knee.

A playoff seed is on the line for this game as Indiana sits in the top Eastern Conference spot. Should the team win, they would sit three games ahead of Miami; however, a Heat win ties them in the number of losses.

Vegas is uncertain for tonight but the Heat sit at 5/7 to win the Eastern Conference while the Pacers are 6/5.