Detroit Pistons sign Jarvis Hayes.

[Now_Im_Not_Banned]

Pistons' Hayes ready to play for titles

August 20, 2007
By KRISTA JAHNKE
FREE PRESS SPORTS WRITER

As Jarvis Hayes tells it, he is eager and ready – as well as healthy enough -- to show Pistons fans and the rest of the NBA that he can be an integral part of a championship team.

Speaking with local media members today, the Pistons' newest roster addition, a fifth-year swingman, said that once he knew the Pistons had interest, he wanted to be nowhere else.

What better place is there than Detroit for a former lottery pick who wants to make a new name for himself after four less-than-perfect seasons?

“It was a destination that I told my agent I wanted to be,” Hayes said at the team’s practice facility in Auburn Hills. “And once the initial call was made, it took off from there. (I like) just the style of play, it’s unselfish, no one cares who gets the credit. They’ve got a lot of guys who love playing together, and it shows.

Hayes also said team president Joe Dumars’ track record of reviving the careers of castoffs “was a big selling point.”

After a fine rookie season, the former No. 10 draft pick lost almost two seasons to a kneecap fracture. He recovered to play 81 games last season and said the injury is in his past.

But some damage to his image had been done. He has heard the label “injury-prone” attached to him. That’s unfair, in Hayes’ opinion. The knee injury is the only major ailment he has had in his career.

“It was just one injury that I had that unfortunately didn’t heal correctly until I had the surgery,” Hayes said. “I’m past that now, and I’m ready to start over.”

That’s not to say he was happy with his performance as one of the Wizards’ key players last season. He averaged 7.2 points and 2.6 rebounds as the Wizards struggled with other injury problems and exited in the first round of the playoffs.

“I was disappointed,” he said. “It took me a while to get back used to playing and getting full confidence in the leg. I got that confidence at the end of the season, but it wasn’t enough time. … I think I got a lot left in my tank.”

Perhaps that lack of productivity led the Wizards to pass on re-signing Hayes.

“It’s a business,” Hayes said. “You really don’t get surprised by anything anymore. Anything can happen. I have no idea (why they didn’t want me). I guess that’s a question for (Ernie Grunfeld). They wanted to go in other directions.”

Hayes signed a one-year deal last Thursday for a small portion of the Pistons' mid-level exception. He said he sees this season as a chance to re-establish his value and finds no reason he can’t do that while playing a role off the bench behind Tayshaun Prince and, at times, shooting guard Richard Hamilton.

“It won’t be hard,” Hayes said. “This is a championship organization. I’m here to help win another championship in whatever capacity I’m needed. I feel like I can fill that need."

Hayes said he has prior relationships with Prince, from their college days, and Hamilton. He also spoke on the phone with the team captain, Chauncey Billups.

“It’s a different game, it’s all about winning championships,” Hayes said about Billups' message. “Joe told me that as well. It’s a championship aura, everything about this organization is about winning championships.”


C Nazr Mohammed...Antonio Mcdyess/Cheick Samb
PF Rasheed Wallace...Jason Maxiell/Amir Johnson
SF Tayshaun Prince...Jarvis Hayes/Ronald Dupree
SG Richard Hamilton...Rodney Stuckey/Arron Afflalo
PG Chauncey Billups...Flip Murray/Lindsey Hunter


Not bad for the east...Still needa work on getting some reliable bigs instead of concentrating on swingmen though...PeACe