Ahhh, Det, Bos, Lakers, and Spurs. If spurs were, well, one of the teams LAL played every year (houston, pheonix), this would be a real 80s reunion.
=============
I think that somehow, being on the road team in this series is helpful. Here is how it woudl happen if pistons had home court. Pistons blow out game 1. Pistons stop worrying and give away the 2nd game--bolstering Boston's confidence, quelling any on-road doubts. and giving them homecourt for the last 5. Boston feeling good, wins two at home, and closes in 5 or 6.
Here's how it plays out if Boston has homecourt. Detroit steals one on the road. Boston no longer feels invincible at home. Detroit up 2-1 gets soft and loses game 4. Detroit feeling serious after losing at home, gets it back winning in Boston. Detroit goes back home and puts it away in 6.
That was not a prediction, jsut some fun. Of course, I firmly believe we are going to sweep them;D
==========================
Look for Chauncey and Stuckey to dominate Rondo and House, and maybe Cassell if they ever let him play again. Though House has looked really good the last two games, i gotta say.
Maxiell has been off and on lately offensively, maybe guarding Howard was wearing him down. Hopefully he can get his famous energy to return for his usual offensive rebounds and plays to the rim.
Chauncey said his hammy is 100%. But he is the kinda guy that is gonna say that everytime if he is playing. Plus he paused for like two seconds, thinking about it, before saying 100%, hehe. So who knows, we'll see how good it really is.
19 comments:
oh man that picture is priceless. it looks like some aliens are trying to abduct bird and he's petrified so whats his face is protect him from the invaders.
great pic
I think Kyle put it best when he asked how many games will Boston win.
I say 2.
Boy i hope so. I take some solace that as bad as the pistons played last night, they still were within stricking distance.
Chauncey sure didn't look no "100%." That was his first game in two weeks; so i hope got all of his bad ball out in that game 1.
We we need different from game 1.
Rip, more screens/catch and shoots. Billups and Rip, more post ups, a little more posting from Prince too. More Blocking out. More side to side passing/extra pass. Less fumblerooskis.
Pistons actually started out with good energy while missing all their first shots and going down 8-0. They then had a big run, followed by one by Boston. From that point on, their energy seemed kinda down.
agreed. after playing his best year in recent history, its a shame that chauncey is hurt now for the finals. he looked terrible.
if he doesn't pick it up, i think SA may end up playing the Cs after all
man tayshaun is awesome
go chauncey! woot!
(to be honest, i was kind of hoping his leg would keep bothering him. i'd rather play the Cs!)
I imagine game 2 was a little tough to watch for non-Det/BOS fans. Well, the first half anyway. During the first half i felt like i was only seeing points come from freethrows.
But, obviously, that was a great game if you are a pistons fan. I felt like, they were having a little trouble (despite shooting a high percentage) in the first half. But they relied on basketball IQ (experience, blah blah) to get to the line and get points there.
If there is a dirty (not that dirty thoguh) player on the pistons it is Rip. Probably all NBA guards pushoff their defender at times to create space. Lately i been seeing it called as a foul a couple times a game. Put when rip is in his marathon mode, and is going through multiple screens and curling, he and his opponent foul each other as much as centers. Put i think it starts with Rip pushing off and irritating his defenders first, than it goes both ways.
I bring this up, because the last two series i have seen a game where Rip gets guys to the bench by suddenly drawing quick consecative fouls on them while running around off-the-ball. Rip does emballish fouls at times, but what i am talking about here, he actually draws the other team into making the foul. It does seem kinda unbasketballly(new word bonus). But when it is detroit, and we are struggling to get good looks: It jsut seems like the clever way to keep the points going up during an offensive lull:) And, nuts to the other team for falling for Rip's tricks and fouling him.
=============
Boston defense:
All three stars on their team had good offensive games. Even Ray Allen came out of his leeengthy shooting slump(a game i have feared) and had great shoots at key moments. But, 103 points allowed. They played pretty good defense most the first half, not sure what happened to it though. Detroit made 7 of their last 8 field goals in the game. Including a crazy hamilton runner from kinda far out. I dont' see that shot from him much, so that was scary, and, then awesome.
==============
I fully admit i am suddenly more talkative (bloggative?)after a piston win, and then kinda subdued after a loss.
Oh yeah, and Maxiel is still invisible. But he is finally playing at home next game. Even though this is his third year, this is like his first year playing a lot and being a true key player. And so in some respects he has a rookie type game. Including the fact he tends to be much more hype and play way better at home.
Unlike Stucky, who seems to be a optimal confidence at all times. When he first started playing (after his broken arm injury),he would constantly drive to the rim and get his shot blocked. But he never cared and jsut did it over and over again, getting blocked every time. While it was kinda funny, i knew that once he got accustomed to NBA speed, size and timing he would be dangerous. He has been outstanding in 3 of the last 4 games.
Can't really say why but I've never like Chauncey or Rip.
I do really really like Tay. I've always liked Wallace and McDyess. And Stuckey has grown on my big time.
And I agree - Boston lost because they got too focused on Offense and played pretty crappy D, especially Paul Pierce down the stretch. He seems to think jumping and landing flat footed (making a loud pop) is as effective as getting a hand in da face... Maybe JVG will start teaching people to defend that way?
Speaking of Hand-in-da-face - anyone see rondo (I think) cover Tayshaun's eyes! That was great; definitely glad he was called though. At this point, I'm tired of all of the cheap shit. Grapping jerseys, pushing down on shoulders, all 9 types of flops, whining to refs, all of it. I love me some Horry but he (and probably a few others) really opened the floodgates.
From comments to articles on ESPN.com, i know a lot of people really HATE Chauncey. But they seem to like RIP for the most part. I always thought that was funny, cause rip is really the only starter someone could make an argument for their play being dirty.
I like them both though. Both are very standup guys, and i think they both make the most out of their physical talent. by playing to their strengths well, and avoiding their weaknesses.
Chauncey is not even close on the natural offensive talent of a Darren Williams, or Parker. But i still think he has found his own way to be as effective is they are, (i like to think even more so in the case of Williams.)
And Rip basically uses his ability to run miles and miles around screens, combined with his skill at hitting midrange jumpers, that is about it. Probably the best piston off his own dribble is Prince (tough call though.)
Anyway, back on point. I can see why you may not like Rip. Chauncey, i don't know. I know a lot of people hate him for drawing fouls with leaners and on rare occasions, kicks. He does the leaner consistantly, but not frequently. I would say he consistantly leans toward the defender 0-2 times a game. He draws way more fouls by getting people in the air on pump fakes; that is their own fault for not staying down:D.
Others don't like Chauncey cause they are not thrilled by jumpshots and freethrows. I don't mind how he has a good game though, jsut as long as he has one.
I don't know if any of these are the reaasons you don't like them, thought i'd just take a stab.
=====================
I was laughing out loud during the hand on the face play. It was just a funny image. And the thinking of, "Hey, if i just put my hand on top his eyes, he can't see! Brilliant!" At least thats how i figure his thoughts went
Oye, The team that loves to torture its fans does it again. The intensity we had in game 2 was absent for all but the final quarter of game 3.
So, i think any lingering hope anyone may have had that the last two years were a fluke can finally be put to rest. This is jsut the way the Pistons are. Every series with this squad will be a see-saw battle, rising and falling, depending on the intensity and focus they bring. They can still win it. But it is going to take a lot more luck than it would if they just played their hardest everynight.
What makes a team relentlessly run 1-on-1 plays when they know that is their weakness? I'll never know.
Game 4: Damn Mcdyess is a stud. Really he has been the most consistant (piston) all playoffs. So far through the playoffs, the mvp has probably been Rip or Mcdyess. I'd go with Dyess. Tay was awesome the first two rounds, but has slowed a bit lately. Dyess is the one player whose talnets and effort have not been wavering.
If every piston was playing with as much tenacity as Mcdyess (i kow this is a complete fantasy) we would be unstoppable. Though that would probably true for any team if they could all have the heart of Mcdyess.
======
Ray Allen is kinda a baby. In between plays he was showing the ref bruises on his arm, lol. Oh noes, its the EFC and i'm getting bruises!
===========
Maxiel finally exploded again. 100% shooting, and a crazy block on KG.
=====
Billups still not shooting to hot, but he did everything else well. And i was glad to see Bill and Rip post up occasionally, i think that is a big part of our game, and we went away from that in games 1 and 3. And Rip was back at the marathon. He was in motion off the ball a bunch, for some reason, that was not happening last game.
Yea, I gotta say, Mcdyess is my favorite player on the Pistons. What a game he had last night.
game 5: I
I'll jsut say that was a rough loss. Both teams played decent, neither played great.
What i hated, was Boston made like 9 out of 10 beat the shotclock desperation shots. Those dudes just would not miss. It seemed like everytime we had an awesome defensive possession, Boston ended up with a score. bummer. Sometimes that is just the way shots go.
Rough loss for the Pistons is right. I read that Rip is questionable for game 6.
First Chauncey, now this. I thought that if Stuckey continued playing at a high level, they could probably still win with Chauncey hobbled. But Rip? I know this year's team is deep but can they win without him? He's usually so efficient and uses his offense as a defense (in that he wears his defender down by running so much on the offensive end that his defender doesn't usually have the energy to fight back on their offensive possessions).
Before the game, I agreed with Avery's pregame comments. Boston needed game 5 more than Detroit. Neither was likely to win 2 in a row but Detroit was more likely than Boston. You obviously know this team best Tom, what do you think? Can they win tonight?
Now that the Lakers have won, it got me thinking. Aside from the conspiracy theories, what order would the NBA want the Finals to be between?
I'm pretty sure:
Lakers-Celtics
Lakers-Pistons
Spurs-Celtics
Spurs-Pistons
The middle two could be switched because I don't know whether they'd rather Boston or the Lakers make it. Because L.A. has such a huge fanbase, I defaulted to them.
The irony here is that since '05 (not this year of course), I've been rooting for another Spurs-Pistons matchup. I'm pretty sure the '05 Finals was the best all around competition in the Finals I've seen since I was a kid. I checked and the '88 Finals (Pistons-Lakers) was the last to go 7.
I know history is no real indicator but historical Finals head-to-head matchups:
Pistons: 2
Lakers: 1
Celtics: 8
Lakers: 2
Sorry, jeremy missed your post, but yeah, i thought Detroit would still win that game. Just cause it was in detroit.
Ironically, our two injured guys played great. Prince, who started off the playoffs with such solid jumpshooting, could not drain anything the last game and previous games. Sheed, well, sheed is either great our terrible. And he was not great enough times this year.
That kinda brings me to something i have wonder before, take this with a grain a salt. This is not so much what i believe as it a possibility i sometimes think on.
The pistons always say how it's great having so many talented players on their team. That they can ride anyone of them. So they just "feed the hot hand." But it almost seems like, they need at least a couple guys on fire cause a couple others are gonna be icecold. Rip is the most consistant. Chauncey is pretty consistant, but, sometimes forgets to be agreesive. Tay sometimes losses his shot. Dyess Sometimes losses his shot. And Sheed
sometimes dissappears.
This is all connected somehow to their lack of inside game. I always hope that detroit will get over 30 points in the paint when i watch them. I don't think 30 is that high, but for the Pistons it is. We have lots of games with 18 points in the paint. Pistons shoot high percentage shots still, but they tend to favor midrange jumpers.
When other (great) teams go cold, they can work the ball inside and try some post game, or they can give it to a great penetrator like Parker. Someone who can either make a layup, get fouled, or drop off the pass to someone else at the rim.
When detroit goes cold, they try to run through sheed for his high-release turnaround. Or they try to get Prince rightside of the hoop, so he can go left and shoot his jumphook, or if he's lucky, blow by his man on the baseline for a play at the rim.
When Rasheed and Prince are shooting well, these players in those spots are great. But when the team is cold, it seems like those players are probably going to be cold as well. So you can't fight throw a slump by going through those spots.
Just some thoughts. Basically, i am saying that Detroit needs to find a weay to be more paint oriented. (Stucky definately makes plays in the paint, he was such a great draft pick.) And detroit needs some kind of glue man or something--A guy that keeps the whole team good in the head.
As for Flip? i dont know. Fire him, extend contract, idk. Both sound fine to me. Probably wont find someone better. Maybe some young up-and-comer, like that new miami coach.
===============
It would be really interesting if in the next couple years, the Detroit starters just decreased their minutes until they were the bench. And the current underclassmen became the starters. Has something like that ever happened? Actually, the detroit redwings kinda did/do that.
I know not one thing about hockey except the name Gretzsky and I'm pretty sure I didn't even spell it right.
I agree with your assessment - they looked like they just lacked intensity at those final moments. Someone has to take the reigns and be agressive. My personal opinion is that it should be Billups. He's the only one I trust with great decision making skills so he's got to have the ball in his hands 75% of each possession. When it's not in his hands, the ball owner better be driving or shooting or passing back to Billups if neither is available.
I was first going to say that they need a closer but they've got plenty of talent so I think they just need a leader someone who's got their finger on the pulse of the team and when they know it's right tells Chauncey: "now." If they're doubling you, get it to: [i don't know, prince, sheed, or hamilton whichever has the best matchup] but no matter what Billups has to be the aggressor in a big game.
As for a coach - do you like Avery? I think he'd be a darn good fit in Detroit. I like Flip, I think, I just think Avery's got more potential.
And finally... what about JVG?? That's the best fit I've heard for JVG yet but I don't know Dumars well enough to know which direction he'll go.
Heh, i had to stay away from site cause i didn't watch game one until last night. Was just tricky getting in the mood after Pistons were knocked out. Very good game 1i thought.
=============
Yeah, i think we said something on leadership issues there on some old thread. Pistons are known for their troubles getting dialed in at times. This year i think they were actually a good deal better than last year in that regard. They started slow the first few games of the playoffs, but they were great after that up through their very nice wins against Orlando without Billups. Against Boston they finally had players struggle or dissappear. Tayshaun was suddenly looking like a true offensive force in the NBA there for a couple rounds. Then it was brickitis after that. Wallace was playing really amazing defense the first two rounds, he still played alright D in Boston, but his game was pretty quiet, while perkins was loudly grabbing every rebound possible and a few times he was the best player on the court.
Maybe chauncey's hesitant play in his return after two weeks out threw the team out of rhythm. One of those we'll never know the dealio. Well, maybe i'll glean something from the Det news, i haven't read any yet. Bad news just isn't as fun.
So basically what i'm saying is leadership seemed less an issue this year than last year; but still, I'm not convinced it is not an issue:) Someone with the ability to read the things you said, and get the Pistons dialed in to destroy would definately be handy on the roster.
Maybe Dumars, who strongly takes character into consideration when adding players, has too many nice guys. Maybe they need a real asshole to help them get that coldblooded killer mindset that is so helpful in winning.
I'm kinda old school. And honestly, i hate seeing opposing players respecting each other on the court. After the game or the series, i love the fraternity the NBA seems to share, and their respect for eachother is a true virtue. But i think to win at the highest levels you gotta want nothing for the other team and everything for your own.
Even when i played ball as a kid, i considered everyone on the other team a punk, and i had no qualms about getting a bit unfriendly. Maybe it was easier then cause most people on the other teams were complete strangers, but still...Sheed shouldn't hug the other team after they beat us down(i don't mean the final game, it's okay then)
==============
I wonder about avery. Sometimes i think he might be too much like the pistons. But i wouldn't mind him as a coach. I don't know much about him offensively, i jsut know he brought defense to dallas, and then, like the Pistons, his team had trouble executing three years in a row against teams they "were better" than. I think that alone kinda scares me of him. Whether that is his fault or not. However, avery does seem to have that constant fire/enthusiam that the Pistons lack.
================
JVG? Honestly, i never know to much about himn as a coach. I learn a lot about him solely because of the broadcasting he has been doing this year. I think he could be good in Det too. He is so goofy though, i am not sure what to think of him. While listening to him, i was sometimes really enjoying his commentary, and other times, thinking, "Man, shut up." I love his argumentative nature when it is that 'no nonsense, calling things as they are' version. But I hate it when he just invents things for the sake of argueing. Sometimes he even flat out puts words in the other commentators mouths, just to yell at them for a few minutes. Like we didn't hear what was said and know gundy is yelling about nothing. I like when he calls out refs too, but i hate when he goes on and on complaing about refs. Sometimes it seems like the whole game is jsut him complaining about refs. That is fine from fans, but from professional commentators, it is annoying, i rather have them talk about the game.
As a coach though, i coudl see that no nonsense mentality as a good thing in Detroit. Cause he will call the Pistons out on anything. He would get pissed off at the pistons when they seem to somehow not want to win. His yelling at them, may be the thing needed to offset their lackadasical tendencies.
Of course, this is all assuming Dumars wants to go with another coach. It is a nice feeling to have trust in the guy at the top. It is the exact opposite feeling detroit fans have about Mike Millan the guy at the top of the Lions organization, where we know every move will be a disastor. So, if Joey D is good with Flip, thats fine with me.
I wonder if the roster will be shook up at all. It feels like something could happen, but that is jsut my own intuition. Like i said, i haven't checked media lately. But there would have to be something good availble, pistons wouldn't just unload guys. I could see Sheed being shopped, but who the hell could possibly replace him, that isn't already taken?
Alright, i just read detroit news finally. Flip was fired last tuesday. The most likely new coahc is assistant micheal curry. Our other assistant is the new coach of pheonix. And dumars old righthand man(i forget actual job title) is the new GM bucks. So we got personal moving all over the place. Good thing detroit refused interview with Curry for the bulls.
Dumars siad he would talk to Avery too, but things are really pointed to Curry. Who Dumars says is great. He'd be a rookie coach, so you never really know how they will be until they get out there.
==============
Read a interesting lindsey hunter
interview. Here are some quotes from it that pertain to our conversation.
“I just think with the type of team and the type of personalities that we have you can’t give the guys as much leeway as he did. With some guys that’s good, with certain teams that good but with a team of peculiar characters like we obviously had you got to tighten the reins a little more.”
“I’ve played for several different types of coaches. I played for coaches that gave you a lot of leeway and I’ve played for coaches that really had the reins pulled back. I think it depends on the type of team that you have and I think as a coach you have to make that judgment on how much leeway you give your team and how hard you push your team and that sort of thing. I think you always push them hard in the beginning because you can always loosen the reins but you can’t start off loose then try to tighten them. That’s the hard part.”
“I think we need somebody with that hardnose attitude, that’s going to hold everybody accountable. I think that within it self helps a lot, when you don’t let guys to get away with things and you hold everybody accountable. I think it was a lack of that even with us. I’m not saying Flip didn’t hold us accountable for a lot of stuff. There is a lot thing’s, we’re grown men that we should hold each other accountable for ourselves.”
Post a Comment