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Derrick Zimmerman didn't arrive at the Pistons' training camp until last Saturday, when management brought in the rookie guard after he had been cut by Golden State.
His first game as a professional was Wednesday, and he made the most of it,
scoring his first points on a fast-break dunk and handing out five assists in
12 minutes during a 123-95 exhibition victory over Boston.
"When they played the national anthem, I said, 'This is your first NBA game, right?' " coach Larry Brown said. "He said, 'Yeah,' and he looked a little bit nervous.
"He has been terrific in practice. He has a good feel. He knows how to
play and is unbelievably athletic. You saw it on that dunk." Ticketmaster
Zimmerman was a second-round draft pick out of Mississippi State, and the Warriors
cut him "because they had five point guards there," Brown said. "We
just thought he'd be an interesting kid to come in here with us because we had
great interest in him in the draft."
How long Zimmerman will remain with the Pistons remains to be seen, but he will
be in uniform for tonight's exhibition against Miami at the Palace.
"It has been a real quick transition," said Zimmerman, who's 6-feet-1.
"Coming over from Golden State I had to learn a lot, but the guys have
been helping me. I was like a kid in a candy store out there. After the dunk
the jitters went away."
HAMILTON OUT: Shooting guard Richard Hamilton will miss at least the next two
games with a small fracture in his nose, suffered in the second quarter against
Boston when he took an elbow from Celtics rookie Marcus Banks. Hamilton will
have an outpatient surgical procedure done today.
KEEPING HIS WORD: When veteran center Elden Campbell came to Detroit as a free
agent, he asked for a chance to show he still could play. Campbell turned in
a solid performance Wednesday night, grabbing rebounds away from teammate Ben
Wallace a couple of times. Ticketmaster
"He got seven rebounds in 22 minutes," Brown said. "The first
offensive play of the game he gets Ben going with a pass. I thought he played
great. He's out pressuring.
"I'm asking him to do a lot of things that he hasn't done in a long time,
and he's very receptive to it. He's earning the right to play."
TONIGHT: HEAT
Matchup: Pistons vs. Miami, exhibition, 8, Palace.
TV/radio: Fox Sports Net; WDFN-AM (1130).
Overview: The Heat has added Lamar Odom, who torched San Antonio for 31 points
and 14 rebounds in a 99-98 victory Tuesday.
Atlanta 92, Miami 78: Stephen Jackson scored 16 points for the host Hawks. Dion
Glover and ex-Piston Theo Ratliff scored 14 points apiece for Atlanta (2-2).
Houston 88, Sacramento 72: Steve Francis had 23 points and Yao Ming had 20 points
and 14 rebounds for the host Rockets (2-4). Also, the Rockets signed forward
Anthony "Pig" Miller (Michigan State). Ticketmaster
Phoenix 96, L.A. Clippers 93: Joe Johnson scored 22 points, and Leandro Barbosa
had nine of his 16 in the fourth quarter as the visiting Suns nearly blew a
19-point lead.
Chicago 101, New Orleans 91: Eddy Curry scored 25 points for the visiting Bulls.
Ex-Wolverine Jamal Crawford scored 16 points in 34 minutes for the Bulls.
Orlando 90, Utah 86: At St. Louis, Tracy McGrady scored 27 points for the Magic.
Notebook: Houston forward Eddie Griffin was suspended indefinitely after he
failed to show up for practice before Thursday's exhibition against Sacramento.
. . . Washington's Jerry Stackhouse will have right knee surgery next week.
It appears very unlikely Stackhouse, a former Piston, will be ready for the
start of the regular season Oct. 29 at Chicago. . . . Former NBA star Jayson
Williams' trial in the death of a limousine driver will be moved to a neighboring
county because of heavy publicity about the case. Judge Edward Coleman directed
that the trial, tentatively scheduled to begin in January, be held in Somerset
County, N.J., instead of Hunterdon County.