DETROIT PISTONS BASKETBALL

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AP PhotoDetroit's Rodney Stuckey, right, drives against Milwaukee's Michael Redd on Saturday night.

MILWAUKEE -- When Richard Jefferson got in Arron Afflalo's face in the second quarter for being too physical with him, the second-year guard didn't flinch.

When Jefferson kept chirping, even after both received technical fouls, Afflalo kept his cool and composure.

And when the Milwaukee Bucks started to make the game close in the second half, it was Afflalo's level-headed demeanor -- and some timely baskets -- that helped Detroit pull away for a 111-99 win while Jefferson spent most of the second half back in the locker room following a second technical foul (an automatic ejection) in the third quarter.

MILWAUKEE - Chauncey Billups suffered a sprained right ankle after he stepped on the foot of Milwaukee's Andrew Bogut in the third quarter. He was unable to return. The injury doesn't appear to be too serious.

I'll have more later on in the Booth Newspapers and on mlive.com.

AP PhotoPistons' Will Bynum, left, tries to steal the ball away from Washington Wizards' Antonio Daniels (6) during the second quarter Friday.

WASHINGTON -- Rasheed Wallace scored 12 points to lead the Detroit Pistons to a 73-62 preseason victory over the Washington Wizards on Friday night.

Wallace had nine points in the first quarter and added a 3-pointer in the third as the Pistons, who never trailed, outscored the Wizards 19-11 to take a 57-47 lead entering the fourth. They extended their lead to 71-53 with 4 minutes to play.

Chauncey Billups had 10 points, Kwame Brown added nine and Richard Hamilton had eight for Detroit (3-0, which is undefeated under new coach Michael Curry.

AP PhotoChauncey Billups is one of eight players Pistons coach Michael Curry says will play "heavy" minutes.

AUBURN HILLS -- Between now and the end of the preseason, Detroit Pistons coach Michael Curry will continue to experiment with different lineups and rotations.

But don't be fooled.

Curry already has made up his mind about who will be in the Detroit Pistons' rotation this season.

He will go with an eight-man rotation that includes Antonio McDyess, Jason Maxiell and Rodney Stuckey off the bench.

AUBURN HILLS -- When it comes to figuring out whether a player is performing well, it's easy to fall back on their statistics.

Fortunately for Amir Johnson, the Pistons don't see things that way. Despite some less-than-stellar numbers as a starter, head coach Michael Curry has been pleased with Johnson's play thus far. In two preseason games, Johnson is averaging three points and three rebounds.

"Throw his stat line out the window," Curry said following Detroit's 85-71 win on Wednesday. "You saw the intensity in which he plays and the speed, the athletic ability he brings to that starting unit ..."

AP PhotoArron Afflalo scored 15 points in Detroit's exhibition win over Milwaukee on Wednesday night.

AUBURN HILLS -- Second-year guard Arron Afflalo already is thought of as a solid NBA defender. But on Wednesday, it was his scoring that helped pave the way in Detroit's 85-71 preseason win over Milwaukee.

Afflalo led all Pistons with 15 points on 6-for-7 shooting, which included a 3-for-3 performance from 3-point range.

Last season, Afflalo only made 10 3-pointers and shot a meager 20.8 percent from 3-point range.

AP PhotoDetroit Pistons coach Michael Curry shouts instructions from the bench as assistant Darrell Walker, left, looks on in Wednesday's preseason home opener against the Milwaukee Bucks. The Pistons beat the Bucks 85-71.

AUBURN HILLS -- One of the more subtle changes Michael Curry has implemented is a grading system for all his players.

Curry revealed the grading system after I asked him a question about Rasheed Wallace, and the fine line that all coaches seem to walk between allowing him to be his emotional self, but not letting it become a problem.

"It's not just Rasheed who gets emotional," Curry said. "I know that Rasheed gets emotional. The thing that we always tell them, whether it's Rasheed or anyone else, your technical fouls or your mistakes can't harm us. It'll go against the grading system."

AP File PhotoDetroit's Rasheed Wallace tends to lead with his mouth in practice.

AUBURN HILLS -- Kwame Brown has been criticized so much that he has become an expert on the subject of criticism.

So as Rasheed Wallace delivered one verbal shot after another near the end of Tuesday's practice, Brown wasn't phased.

Not only did he take Wallace's verbal blows, but he threw a couple back.

"We were jawing all day," Brown said. "I told him he was in the trunk -- he did not score -- he won't talk about that."

AUBURN HILLS -- Most of us around here are still getting to know Kwame Brown. But the one thing that's pretty obvious already: the kid has developed a fairly tough skin when it comes to being criticized.

That's why when Rasheed Wallace ripped into him throughout the end of this morning's practice, Brown wasn't the least bit phased.

"He's trying to make you better," Brown said of Wallace's taunts. "It actually fires you up."

AP File PhotoPistons coach Michael Curry expects Antonio McDyess to be a more efficient scorer off the bench.

AUBURN HILLS -- Antonio McDyess has every reason to expect his role will be reduced this season.

The Detroit Pistons have several young frontcourt players who seem ready to play meaningful minutes. By McDyess' own admission, "I don't do all the things I used to do out there, as well as I used to do them."

While all agree that McDyess' role this season might change, his value to the Pistons remains high. This was evident in Detroit's first preseason game, a 95-91 overtime win at Miami.