Vince Ellis

Detroit Free Press

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope found humor in Phoenix Suns forward Markieff Morris' verbal blast.

Detroit Pistons coach Stan Van Gundy questioned Morris' credentials.

But both obviously disagreed with Morris' assessment that the Pistons' second-year shooting guard "doesn't have any heart."

He said it after the Suns' 88-86 victory over the Pistons at the Palace when Caldwell-Pope missed a triple in the closing seconds that would have probably won it.

"Caldwell-Pope got it and you know he doesn't have any heart, so we knew he was going to miss," Morris said.

Van Gundy wasn't going to let such an insult slide.

"I'm not quite sure - maybe he knows - I'm not quite sure what Markieff Morris has accomplished in the league that gets him to the point of mouthing off," Van Gundy said after today's practice. "I mean, I don't like the mouthing off anyway.

"It seems to me you should at least participate in a playoff game before you do. But maybe not, maybe that's not the standard anymore."

The verbal volleys probably are because the two had to be separated after getting chest-to-chest to trash talk in the second quarter.

"A lot of emotions were running," Caldwell-Pope said. "We exchanged a few words with each other. So obviously, out of frustration, he said that."

Caldwell-Pope hit two triples down the stretch that helped the Pistons overcome a nine-point deficit. He finished with 15 points.

Caldwell-Pope was asked if he would remember the words when the Pistons face the Suns at Phoenix next month.

"I'll keep it at heart," Caldwell-Pope said.

Rookie update: Rookie point guard Spencer Dinwiddie got his second taste of playing time in the loss. He looked like a guy who had played in only two games over the last 10 months. He had to recover from a knee injury sustained in January while he was at Colorado. He made only two free throws in 14 minutes.

With the D-League season starting recently, Van Gundy raised the possibility of getting Dinwiddie and second-year forward Tony Mitchell playing time in Grand Rapids.

"He was a little tentative on the offensive end of the floor, but to be expected, we have to get him playing time – whether it's here or in Grand Rapids," Van Gundy said. "We got to get him playing time. He needs to play basketball. It's been a long time."

Note: Nike is pulling back on plans for a shoe that sneakily honors Allen Iverson after the former NBA superstar questioned whether the company could use his old number and team colors while he's endorsed by rival Reebok. Iverson says Nike used his identity, likeness and persona without permission for a sneaker out of the company's Zoom Flight '96 collection.

Free Press News Services contributed to this report