Whether it be in 2011 or 2013, Adam Silver rarely has good news for the Detroit Pistons during the NBA Draft Lottery. (truthaboutit, Flickr)

Every year lately following another failed Detroit Pistons’ season, the NBA Draft Lottery comes back to tease us with another silly yet captivating game of basketball chance.

Somehow each year, the Pistons always manage to sit on the edge of lottery contention, tantalizingly close to perhaps landing a top pick. When the order is revealed, however, they rarely have the combination to move up. If they move up, they botch the selection ala Darko Milicic. This year, they actually managed to move backwards, which was very good news in a weak draft class.

The Pistons have been so maligned within this draft lottery process, Bill Simmons actually named them the number one pick for his “karma lottery selection” during the telecast. For about five minutes, the ESPN crew openly lobbied for the Pistons to get a high pick, because in their minds, Detroit’s franchise needed something positive to happen, and it’s good for the league when the Pistons are good.

Conspiracy theorists likely jumped from their chairs following the random outpouring of love. The Pistons, it seemed, had finally done it. With ESPN’s love and blessing first, they had managed to crack the top three. Then, Adam Silver, the bald, bespectacled deputy comissoner, held up Detroit’s logo eighth overall. Lottery dreams were deferred for another year, and hopefully many, many years into the future.

Though it’s probably an illogical hope, just once, I’d like to see the Pistons actually win a draft lottery. After so many near misses, it’s actually managed to crack the top three on my sports bucket list, along with a Detroit Lions’ Super Bowl and a Detroit Tigers’ World Series victory. For some reason, thanks to so many near misses and one big Milicic mistake, it’s become something that needs to happen in my lifetime.

This wasn’t the right year for it to happen, though. With the lack of a superstar talent, the Pistons are just as close to landing a dominant player with the eighth selection as the Cleveland Cavilers are with the first pick. The Cavaliers will have first pick of the inconsistent Ben McLemore or an injured Nerlens Noel. Though each could eventually become nice players, neither are star caliber NBA talents on the level of LeBron James.

Besides, Joe Dumars seems to do much better with picks seven through nine anyway. He’s landed Greg Monroe, Brandon Knight and Andre Drummond at each of those spots the last three seasons, and stands to find another solid prospect this season. All of Monroe, Knight and Drummond slipped in the draft, and chances are, Detroit will see another top name or two fall in 2013. In need of a wing, the Pistons could nab Anthony Bennett or Shabazz Muhammad. They also might select a point guard like C.J. McCollum or gamble on the potential of another front court talent like Cody Zeller.

Detroit, thanks to constantly losing the NBA’s version of the Powerball jackpot, always has solid options without the added pressure of picking near the top. For a franchise that’s been in need of a quiet rebuild position by position, that’s been the best news. It’s almost as if the NBA knows not to trust Dumars with a high selection. 2013 will hopefully provide another chapter in this confident rebuild.

Still, when you’re entered into a lottery, you always want to win it. That’s just human nature. Someday, hopefully when I’m pushing 40, the Pistons will be coming off two decades of dominance and will stink bad enough and be lucky enough to win the draft lottery. That year, James’ son Bryce Maximus will be the big superstar prize that Detroit will win. Finally, the long wait will be rewarded.

Of course Dumars will be long gone by then, meaning it will finally be okay to have a top choice again.

Max DeMara is a senior editor at The Detroit Sports Site. You can find him on Twitter @SportsGuyTheMax

Michael Carter-Williams (left) struggled badly in an NCAA Tournament matchup with Trey Burke, but he should still be on the Pistons’ draft radar.

The Detroit Pistons were dealt a tough hand at the 2013 NBA Draft lottery, sliding down from No. 7 to No. 8 after the Washington Wizards leapfrogged them by nabbing a top-three pick.

But Detroit has done well in recent seasons in similar spots. The Pistons selected Andre Drummond at No. 9 last year, Brandon Knight at No. 8 in 2011 and Greg Monroe No. 7 in 2010; their last top-three pick, coming in 2003, was used on Darko Milicic.

Of course, sitting in the top 10 for four consecutive drafts does not speak highly of the Pistons’ recent on-court success. However, with some young pieces in place and money to spend this offseason, the Pistons have a chance to make some noise.

Which player will they add to the mix at No. 8 overall? Here’s a look at five possibilities:

1. Michael Carter-Williams, PG, Syracuse: We can go ahead and assume that Trey Burke will be off the board before this pick — Orlando at 2, New Orleans at 6 and Sacramento at 7 all could use the Michigan point guard. So, there’s a chance that Carter-Williams, the second-best PG in this draft, also will be off the board.

Carter-Williams shot just 29.2 percent from downtown last season, so he’s not exactly a light-’em-up guy from the outside. What he is, though, is a rangy 6-foot-6 point guard who averaged more than seven assists per game. His height and athleticism could make him an impressive defender, too, which ought to appeal to Joe Dumars.

2. Cody Zeller, PF/C, Indiana: There really are three prospects — Georgetown small forward Otto Porter, Indiana shooting guard/small forward Victor Oladipo and Zeller that seem to fit the bill for Detroit, though Zeller probably is No. 3 on that list. All three might be gone in the top seven, but it appears that Zeller is most likely to be around.

He played center at Indiana but at 7-foot-0 and 230 pounds may not have the bulk for the NBA interior game. So, a move to power forward appears to be in order. In Detroit, that’s a thinner spot now that Jason Maxiell appears set to move on, and Zeller could team up with Greg Monroe and Andre Drummond to give the Pistons a versatile and exciting frontcourt.

3. Anthony Bennett, PF, UNLV: This is the Pistons’ pick in the mock draft issued by ESPN’s Chad Ford following the lottery. “The Pistons’ biggest need is at the three, and if Bennett falls this far, I could see Detroit convincing themselves that Bennett could make the transition,” writes Ford of the 6-8, 240-pound Bennett. “While Bennett looks like a power forward, he can really shoot and handle the basketball.”

Ford goes on to say that a recent rotator cuff surgery has dropped Bennett’s stock slightly — but that he’s talented enough to be the top pick. Detroit could use the offense that Bennett provides.

4. C.J. McCollum, PG/SG, Lehigh: The danger here is that the Pistons might be taking another swing guard — a player like Brandon Knight or Rodney Stucky, who’s more of a two-guard than someone who can run the show.

That said, McCollum played both spots at Lehigh and he proved himself to be one the country’s best scorers, averaging more than 20 points per game for each of his final three seasons. Especially if the Pistons are ready to move on from the Stuckey experiment, McCollum’s ability to light it up (he shot a staggering 51.6 percent from 3-point range last season before suffering a foot injury) might open Detroit’s eyes.

5. Shabazz Muhammad, SF, UCLA: If the Pistons’ main goal is to find a pure scorer that fits their needs, then Muhammad could be the selection. The 6-foot-6 small forward poured in 17.9 points (and grabbed 5.2 boards) per game in his one season at UCLA, and he has the tools to be an elite scorer in the NBA.

The Pistons also have a mish-mash of guys at the three — Kyle Singler, Jonas Jerebko and Khris Middleton — but no definite starter for the future. Muhammad’s offense plus Singler’s defense might be the way to go.

He received some help from reigning Triple Crown winner Miguel Cabrera, who launched his fourth home run in two games — this one a bomb to straightaway center off Indians starter Corey Kluber, a drive that stood as the eventual game-winning hit.

Andy Dirks knotted the game at one two batters before with a solo homer to right field. The Tigers tacked on two insurance runs in the ninth on RBI singles by Dirks and Prince Fielder, before Jose Valverde finished things off in the bottom of the inning.

Tigers’ MVP: Scherzer. The Tigers’ starting pitchers had struggled lately, so seeing Scherzer step up with a two-hit, seven-strikeout performance has to be a big boost. Scherzer seemed to get stronger as the game went, too, finishing with 118 pitches.

Tigers’ Goat: Matt Tuiasosopo. Given a chance to start against a right-handed pitcher, Tuiasosopo turned in an 0-for-3 night with two strikeouts and four guys left on base. Get ready to see more of Don Kelly in center against righties, because Jim Leyland surely was not impressed by Tuiasosopo’s work. The Tigers’ left fielder did make a nice sliding grab in the outfield.

Checking the Standings: The Tigers closed the gap in the AL Central to 1.5 games, with a chance to move even closer on Wednesday night.

What’s Next: Now that Scherzer has gotten himself back on track, it’s Justin Verlander’s turn. Detroit’s ace did not make it out of the third inning in a loss to Texas over the weekend, but he has a big chance to get his team a two-game sweep Wednesday vs. Ubaldo Jimenez.

But Sports Illustrated’s Allan Muir took exception to the strategy of Chicago coach Joel Quenneville in the waning moments.

• Garbage move by Quenneville to throw Shaw and Bickell out there at the end of the game. There was still a chance for Chicago to cut into Detroit’s lead, but he goes with guys who are frothing at the mouth. Bickell, who’d been running around for most of the third, was called for cross-checking (Danny) Cleary repeatedly at 19:00, effectively ending any chance the Hawks had of mounting a comeback. Shaw then hopped over the boards and earned a misconduct 47 seconds later for general hooliganism. If there was a message being sent there, it wasn’t that the Hawks would battle to the end. It’s that the Red Wings are completely in their heads.

Bickell and Cleary were chirping at each other for the majority of the game — “I don’t think we’ll be exchanging Christmas cards any time soon,” Cleary quipped on NBC Sports Network following the game. Bickell’s penalty more or less forced the Blackhawks to wave the white flag in Game 3, with Crawford having to return to the net as the face-off moved into Chicago’s zone with Detroit on the power play.

That was Bickell’s second penalty of the night. He and Detroit defenseman Kyle Quincey received offsetting unsportsmanlike conduct minors in the first period, following a separate scrum at the net. Shaw was sent to the box at that point, too, for roughing — the Wings failed to cash in on the ensuing power play.

Game 3 was ferocious right from the opening face-off, with both teams throwing their weight around in an effort to set a physical tone. The refs’ decision to let that style of play go early backfired late, though the scrappy atmosphere was nothing new for the Detroit-Chicago rivalry.

Of course, Cleveland also led the division at this point last season, only to fade as Detroit and Chicago fought it out for the title. Will history repeat itself this year? Or are the Indians a legitimate threat to Detroit’s hunt for a third consecutive division title?

Those are the questions posed to our writers in this week’s Detroit Sports Site roundtable …

Chris Burke: Well, based on the answers you’ll see below, I guess I’m in the minority (and maybe I’m being naive) but the Indians don’t concern me yet. Would I prefer the Tigers have gone wire-to-wire in the division? Of course.

But a tough Detroit series in Texas coupled with the Indians winning 18 of 22, including three straight pretty fortunate outcomes against Seattle, hardly has me panicking. I just don’t see any way that this Cleveland team maintains its pace with what is an average-at-best staff.

Ryan Raburn is not going to hit .300 all year; Mark Reynolds eventually will regress to the .190 free-swinging guy he’s always been. In other words, the lineup is pretty solid but stacked up against Detroit’s? No way.

Cleveland might take this series, maybe even open the division lead to five or six games. Come August, though, the Indians will be looking up at Detroit.

Max DeMara: As I said in the beginning of the year and reiterated a week ago in Talkin’ Tigers, the Cleveland Indians are definitely cause for concern. They probably shouldn’t be considered a serious threat to win the Central Division just yet, but they have enough pieces to give the Tigers a run for their money and steal plenty of games if Detroit isn’t careful. This looks to be a changed team mentally, which was the Indians’ biggest problem under Manny Acta. Now that they’ve figured out how to win, they’re getting a bit more dangerous as the season wears on.

They’ll have to prove they can stick around during the second half of a season in July and August which has been their recent downfall, but the Tigers should have plenty of attention affixed to Cleveland starting with this week’s series on the road. Another series loss by Detroit will provide plenty of reason for concern.

Rob Starrs: I guess the easy answer is yes, I am worried about the Indians. But I am more worried that the Tigers’ pitching staff won’t pick it up.

The offense will be there — Prince Fielder and Victor Martinez need to pick up the pace, but I don’t see that as a long-term issue. I am worried about the way things have been going. The Indians will have to prove that are deserving of their spot. They went on a nice streak early last season and fell off the ledge at a certain point. Can Cleveland keep it up? Can the Tigers fix their problems? Time will tell, but for now there is some cause for concern.

Andrew Tomlinson: I’m worried about everyone at this point. Detroit has established itself as a clear powerhouse in the American League, yet it has yet to really grab the reins and runaway with the lead in the division. This weekend in Texas, I’m willing to write off as a hot team catching the Tigers at the right team, but it still doesn’t help calm the fears about the Tigers being able to live up to potential.

This next series against the Indians could be a two-game set that outlines what at least the next few months will look like. Cleveland is a veteran team, adding guys like Michael Bourn and Mark Reynolds, that seems to know how to win. The biggest concern about the Indians is they keep getting healthier. Detroit has yet to really get hit with the injury bug, but the Indians already have had a slew of injuries and are still in first in the Central. The biggest question is: Can the Tigers keep up the pace when they lose a starting pitcher or another key bat?

Do I think the Indians will win the division? No, but the Tigers need to get the bats going or they could spend the summer in yet another pennant race.

Given the Blackhawks’ star power led by Marian Hossa, don’t expect them to go away quietly despite some early series adversity against Pavel Datsyuk’s Red Wings. (Julie Rubes, Flickr)

With back to back, dominating performances on the ice, the Detroit Red Wings have poked a few sizable holes in the Chicago Blackhawks’ supposed playoff invincibility cloak, nothing more nothing less.

Suddenly, the team which was apparently set to be swept after game one is said to be on their way. Here’s a friendly reminder: this series is three games old and despite Detroit’s excellent play thus far, further pendulum swings are likely coming minute by minute, period by period. Overreactions, either way, are premature until one team manages to win four games and the dust finally settles.

Meaning? If Detroit should lose game four on home ice, Chicago, contrary to what would become popular belief within the media and fan circles, would not be on the faster track toward ending the series. Conversely, if the Red Wings managed to win game four, they would be no closer to finishing the Blackhawks off despite a commanding series lead and definite series momentum.

As it stands now, the most encouraging thing about Detroit’s two consecutive victories is the fact Chicago looks flustered before, during and after the game. They’re blaming the referees, resorting to goon tactics and talking about what must be done to beat the Red Wings game to game instead of actually doing it. They outplayed Detroit in game three but still managed feel dominated. They’re not getting enough secondary scoring from one of the deepest lineups in hockey. All of that definitely has a way of leading to some debilitating frustration during a tough playoff series.

Yet, with Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews and Marian Hossa on the ice, supported by an ever dangerous cast including Viktor Stalberg, Marcus Kruger, Bryan Bickell and Andrew Shaw, the Blackhawks have enough finesse and sandpaper to turn things around at any time. In that way, they’re not unlike the Red Wings of old, who needed a bump here or there in the playoffs to serve as an attention grabber, but were always talented enough to shove back at any point during a seven game series and rip off multiple victories in a row.

Expecting Chicago to simply shrink and give up given this bit of adversity would be foolish. Let’s face it, the pressure was on the Red Wings to win Monday night’s game so they weren’t in the unenviable position from last round, just desperate to leave home with a square series. Now, they’ve only turned that pressure around to the Blackhawks end for game four. Knowing this, expect Chicago’s best effort of the series yet to come on Thursday night. It’s up to Detroit to exceed and feed off that intensity once more.

No matter who emerges victorious then, quoting the legendary Yogi Berra, “it’s never over until it’s over.” This series, for all it’s early ebbs and flows pleasantly in Detroit’s direction, is still only half done.

Max DeMara is a senior editor at The Detroit Sports Site. You can find him on Twitter @SportsGuyTheMax

Kane’s goal came about because Niklas Hjalmarsson somehow avoided a penalty despite burying Franzen from behind into the glass with a two-handed cross check. As Franzen lay shaken up in the Chicago zone, Kane took a long pass and went five-hole on Howard.

The Blackhawks were not as fortunate on the Shaw play. Viktor Stalberg circled back from the goal line and fired one on Jimmy Howard — the puck appeared to ricochet in off Shaw’s leg or forearm, but the goal was waved off immediately, with Shaw cited for being in the crease and preventing Jimmy Howard from making a save (there was no penalty on the play).

Here’s the video. Judge for yourself:

“I disagree with the call,” Chicago coach Joel Quenneville said in his postgame press conference. “He didn’t touch the goalie.”

Whether or not two wrongs make a right here (do the no-call on the Franzen hit and the questionable call on the Shaw interference equal out?), the Wings certainly had to be relieved to get the whistle the second time. Pavel Datsyuk then bumped Detroit’s lead back to two goals with a dazzling goal, and the Blackhawks never again pulled within one.

Johan Franzen carried the puck into the Chicago zone, flipped it over to Datsyuk and the Wings’ sure-handed forward ripped one home.

There’s little question left that we are watching one of baseball’s all-time best hitters play the game. And now the question becomes: If he stays healthy, just how great can he be?

That is the inquiry at the heart of a short post on the Wall Street Journal’s website, wsj.com. Specifically, Darren Everson wonders, is Cabrera the player who can threaten Pete Rose’s all-time hits mark of 4,256?

Caveats and disclaimers: There is a long way to go to 4,256, Rose’s all-time career hits record. Laughably long. Others also have been well ahead of Rose at this age, according to Baseball-Reference.com. Like Alex Rodriguez.

But if anyone is ever going to break Rose’s record, three attributes will be required: skill, durability and a head start. Cabrera—a .320 career hitter who became a major-league regular at age 20 and has played at least 150 games every season except his rookie year—has all three.

Cabrera remains a whopping 2,387 hits behind Rose — more than double his current career total of 1,869. Still, as Everson points out, Cabrera also is on pace to reach 2,000 hits at the age of 30; Rose did not eclipse that milestone until age 32. Cabrera, then, would be on pace to get to the 4,256-hit mark at age 42, three years before Rose got there and then hung up his cleats.

ESPN jumped in with some Cabrera hype of their own during Sunday’s broadcast, comparing the Tigers’ slugger’s stats at age 30 to those of Hank Aaron:

Those Cabrera numbers were from before he blasted three homers and drove in five runs Sunday.

Avalanches of runs have doomed the Tigers in Texas recently. Over the past three seasons, the team has given up 22 runs in 2012, 40 in 2011 including the playoffs, and 45 in six games during the 2010 season. That’s not a great run of success, and it speaks to other elements at play rather than exclusively poor Detroit pitching. Certainly, the Tigers have been at fault, but it might not be completely on them given those statistics.

The Tigers entered their series with the Rangers after having given up seven runs in a loss to the Astros Thursday, but were coming off two solid performances in the previous two games after a tougher run against Cleveland. Things were looking to be back on the right track as the team headed out of town, that is, until the charter was headed for Texas.

For some reason, it’s not easy for Detroit to contain the Texas bats during series in the Lone Star State. Whether it be a potent lineup, different ballpark or the overwhelming heat (every single game this weekend was played in the high 80 degree temperature range) Detroit doesn’t look comfortable playing on the road against the Rangers, and hasn’t in some time.

For the purpose of this discussion, I’m betting the Texas heat is the culprate. As everyday people, we don’t like the intense temperature changes the spring brings. Imagine what it feels like to be the Tigers, traveling from the ever-changing midwest (where temperatures routinely go from the 50s to 70s overnight) to humid, scorching Dallas, where it can feel like 100 degrees in the shade, even during May.

It’s certainly easy to see why the Tigers might wilt against the Rangers on the road, especially from the pitchers mound. The Texas lineup, top to bottom, produces plenty of stress on a staff. Add to that the heat and you’ve got a lethal combination which sets up for trouble. Even the Rangers’ staff has shown the propensity to struggle in their own park during victories, meaning it might not be entirely the pitchers’ fault.

Next up for Detroit is an important bounce back series in Cleveland, which should provide Detroit a return to midwest temperatures and normal humidity. If the staff gives up double digit runs multiple times at Progressive Field, it might be time to panic a bit more about the direction of the Tigers’ pitching early in 2013.

For now, chalk this past weekend’s struggles up to arm stress aided greatly by the influence of Mother Nature, which is par for the usual course against the Rangers in Texas.

This past week, Justin Verlander had a second straight tough outing, leading us to question whether or not Detroit’s ace is feeling the affects of some arm trouble. Naturally, this produced some interesting Facebook feedback. Here’s a few passionate opinions from our fans from both sides of the fence:

Terry Greig: 2 bad games doesn’t make for a SEASON. He’ll be fine, and likely win the Cy Young award again.

Eric Daugherty: Said for a few seasons now that Jim Leyland has over pitched him. Too many innings, too many pitches and sooner than later, that’s gonna catch up to him. Looks like that may be this season. Leyland is horrible at handling a pitching staff.

James Conklin: He needs Mrs. Upton back in his life!

Like Terry said, watch Verlander’s next start Wednesday in Cleveland very closely. We’ve never seen Verlander have three straight clunkers in a season, so that might be a tell tale sign of more serious trouble. Eric is right, as there have been plenty of pitches the past few seasons which may be leading to some fatigue. For his part, James is also right as well. We could all use a little more positive Kate Upton mojo in our life, and maybe Verlander is no exception!