Intrepid blogger Patrick Hayes of the great Detroit Pistons-focused site PistonPowered wondered Tuesday afternoon if the team had teased a new uniform in a Facebook photo that showed three jerseys hanging in the locker of forward/center Greg Monroe — the familiar home whites and road blues, plus another, darker version bearing Monroe's name and No. 10 in the back of the locker. On Wednesday afternoon, the team dispensed with the suspense in a clever little video on its Instagram account:

Yep, that's a new, alternate jersey, all right — a dark, navy blue affair that replaces the team's standard wordmarks ("DETROIT" on the road jerseys and "PISTONS" on the home whites) with "MOTOR CITY," the famed nickname Detroit earned by establishing itself as the automobile manufacturing capital of the world. Hit the jump for a static look at Monroe in the new kit.

Personally, I think the dark blue is a much sharper alternate jersey look than the bright red the team last used a few seasons back. (I'd be very willing to see red more often if it meant the Pistons bringing back the '95-era alternates, but I might be in the minority on that one.)

I also love the idea of moving away from static city name/team name choices across the chest — it was great when the Golden State Warriors wore their "The City" throwbacks in 2006, it's great whenever the Portland Trail Blazers wear their "Rip City" alternates and I think it's great to honor Detroit's manufacturing-muscle legacy here. (And if it opens the door to a "MOTOWN" variant, so much the better.)

The Pistons will wear the jerseys on Sundays, according to the team's Twitter account, and while they're not on sale yet, you can sign up for a waiting list if you're just dying to get your hands on a Monroe, Andre Drummond, Josh Smith, Chauncey Billups or Brandon Jennings third jersey.

The new duds couldn't come at a better time for a Pistons team that, thanks to the risk/reward offseason acqusitions of Smith and Jennings, are poised to enter the 2013-14 season as one of the most intriguing and closely watched teams in the NBA. Hey, if people are going to be looking at you, you might as well give them something new and fresh to look at, right?

Then again, I'm nobody's idea of a style genius — I mean, I'm kind of embarrassed to admit this, but I thought Russell Westbrook's Teen Choice Awards outfit was a bit much. What's your view on the third jerseys? Let us know in the comments below, on Facebook or on Twitter.

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