You don't want to read too much into opening night. Milwaukee came into The Palace two years ago and stomped the Pistons. But there were some things about this opener, a six-point win over Indiana, that might foreshadow what we'll see this season:
1. Reduced minutes - No one played more than 35 minutes. Michael Curry is going to rely on the bench a lot, with 10 or 11 seeing action every game.
2. Tay town - Tayshaun Prince could lead the team in scoring. That's not a wild conclusion. With Antonio McDyess coming off the bench, Prince will get more touches with the starting lineup. And he'll have the ball in his hands a lot more.
3. J to the Max - It's hard to see Kwame Brown playing much with Sheed, Amir Johnson, McDyess and Maxiell in front of him. Maxiell brings too much to the table to get his workload significantly reduced.
4. Herrmann's head - Fabio wasn't healthy most of the preseason but he took advantage of his opportunities, showing a nice 3-point touch. He'll play more than he did under Flip Saunders, who stuck with the defenseless Jarvis Hayes until Hayes' lousy defense made him a playoff liability.
5. Biggest disguise - Some Palace workers were dressed in Halloween gear on opening night. Some seats in the upper regions behind the basket were disguised as, well, empty seats. Economic conditions and three straight empty trips to the conference finals have made Pistons tickets a tougher sell than I've seen in 6 or 7 years.