At 5-5, things could be a whole lot worse for John Kuester and company. Rip Hamilton and Tayshaun Prince have combined to miss 16 games already, with neither set to return anytime soon. Not to mention the fact, the new head coach is trying to blend eight new players together without the two key pieces left over from last season.

So, that being said, what have we learned about this team thus far?  A whole lot, actually.

One, all things considered, this team is a lot better than most of you thought it would be.  No one really got too excited when Joe D. went out and signed Ben Gordon and Charlie V on July 1st.  But as the young season has unfolded, you see why those were the two prizes Dumars coveted the most. 

Gordon is one of the best pure scorers in the game today. If you didn't believe it after seeing him almost single-handedly dismantle the Celtics in last years playoffs, you almost surely noticed from what you've seen thus far this season (Sunday's 1-for-16 not withstanding). He wants the ball, especailly in crunch time, and has proven he can deliver, providing this team another much-needed scoring option.

The same can be said for Villanueva, who has finally rounded into form after missing most of preseason with a bad hamstring. He's always been a scorer, but is slowly but surely coming around on the defensive end as well, as he trys to take the next step in becoming a more complete player.

That brings me to point number two about this team.  They are extremely well-coached.  Kuester and his staff have done a remarkable job, in the face of adversity, keeping this team afloat while they wait on Rip and Tay to return.  After Sunday's loss to Dallas, Rick Carlisle couldn't stress enough how well coached the Pistons are, which is something NO ONE said about them last season (Sorry, MC). Joe D. picked the perfect coach for this young bunch, and they have responded nicely.

Lastly, we have learned they are never out of a game, which is something the GM loves to see.  This team hustles night in and night out, even when they are seemingly about to get run off the court.  They have staged big second half rallies to give themselves a chance to win every game, and that hustle and drive will net them an extra five wins in the regular season, easily. 

For Pistons fans, it has to be a pleasure to watch this bunch, and we're gonna have a lot more fun watching them grow together throughout the season.

Ahhh, here we go again. Another season of Pistons Basketball is finally upon us, and there is a lot to be excited about. Team President Joe Dumars put it best when he talked about how for so many years, you knew how the script was going to play out. The Pistons were one of the best teams in the NBA, you knew they were going to go deep into the playoffs, with a great chance of winning the whole thing. That was then.

Now, as Dumars points out, we don't have any idea how this script will read. The Pistons have 8 new faces on the roster (2 familiar ones have returned in Ben Wallace and Chucky Atkins), plus a rookie head coach to boot. Dumars big free agent splash came in one day, when he landed both Ben Gordon and Charlie Villanueava. Throw in Chris Wilcox and three fresh-faced rookies, and you have a complete roster turnover.

What does all this mean?  We're not sure just yet, and that's the exciting part. Based on their 22 point win in Memphis in the opener, the Pistons will be, if nothing else, very fun to watch this season. John Kuester wants to push the tempo and he has the horses to do it. This Pistons team is not short on firepower, and should be able to score in bunches.

The question is, as we've heard all preseason long, can they defend enough to win? Individually, the Pistons are not a great defensive team, even with the return of Wallace to man the middle. But collectively, and this is the key in the NBA, they can be just fine. Defense in the pro's is more about schemes, and buying into team principle's and philosophies. Kuester has preached it since day one, and has harped on it ever since. What we saw in the opener was a solid collective effort against a Memphis team not short on firepower either. If the Pistons can set that same defensive tone throughout the course of the season, they could be a 5 or 6 seed in the East.

I'm predicting 44 wins, good for 6th or 7th in the East, barring a mid-season trade that could change everything. Either way, lets sit back and enjoy the ride, one that used to be so much more familiar, but is now even more exciting because it feels like a ride we've never been on before.