Summer Plans

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

With the season complete the content of this blog will obviously be quite different during the next several months. Posting will be slow for the next couple weeks as I allow the NBA postseason to sort itself out while I tend to the real world. However, any break with posting will be short-lived. Beginning in mid-May, I plan to begin several offseason series that will include, but not be limited to:

  • Player Profiles: I would like to assess the play of each Piston this season with an eye toward how said player should fit into the team’s future plans. I will focus on the progress (or regression) each player showed both from last season to this season and within this past season.
  • Potential Targets: I will analyze the roster situation on every team in hopes of determining which players the Pistons should target. I will try to answer questions such as: “Which free agents would make sense for the Pistons?” and “Who is a logical trading partner for the Pistons?”

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Pistons vs. Cavaliers, 4.26.09, Round 1, Game 4

Sunday, April 26, 2009

Matchup: Detroit Pistons vs. Cleveland Cavaliers
Series: 3-0, Cleveland
Spread: Cavaliers -8.5

All season long, Sundays have doomed the Pistons. The team went a dreadful 4-12 on the first day of the week. Sundays featured embarrassing losses to teams such as Memphis, Minnesota, and New York. It is only fitting that this season will likely on the day that saw so much misery.

Detroit has looked helpless the first three games of this series. Cleveland has dominated in every aspect of the game and there is little reason to believe things will be different today. Barring an injury to King James, the Cavaliers should complete the sweep today.

My Pick: Cavaliers by 13

Update:
Final Score: Detroit 78, Cleveland 99
Notes:

  • Say goodbye to an era. It was great while it lasted.
  • Joe Dumars has a massive rebuilding project ahead of him. For the next several months, this blog will be dedicated to covering just that.

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Pistons vs. Cavaliers, 4.24.09, Round 1, Game 3

Friday, April 24, 2009

Matchup: Detroit Pistons vs. Cleveland Cavaliers
Series: 2-0, Cleveland
Spread: Cavaliers -5

After suffering a second embarrassing loss to the Cavaliers, the Pistons had two days to regroup between games. Every prominent player on the roster sounded dejected after game two, so hopefully the team has used the time off to stop whimpering and start developing a plan of attack.

Unfortunately, the Pistons’ problems are much deeper than an inferiority complex. They have no answer for LeBron James and no ability to overcome their offensive shortcomings on the other end. Michael Curry will probably look for a spark from his bench early and often, but the talent disparity between Cleveland’s starters and Detroit’s backups will render that plan ineffective.

If the Pistons are going to a steal a game in this series, tonight will be their best chance. In all likelihood, the Pistons are not all that eager to make another trip to Cleveland and are thus resigned to a sweep.

My Pick: Cavaliers by 12

Update:
Final Score:
Detroit 68, Cleveland 79
Notes:

  • There isn’t much left to say. The Cavaliers are more talented, better-coached, and hungrier than the Pistons. Also, they have the best player on the planet playing at an insanely high level.
  • In many ways this series is an opportunity for Joe Dumars to determine which players deserve to be part of the future in Detroit. If that is indeed the case, Rodney Stuckey appears to be the only starter worth keeping around. RIP Hamilton has enough talent to be a part of the core, but he’s on the wrong side of 30 for a team that probably is a few years away from returning to prominence.

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One Step Back, How Many Forward?

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

It would be easy to use the Pistons’ play in the opening games of the playoffs as an indictment of the trade for Allen Iverson. Based on the way Chauncey Billups dominated his first playoff game this season, it seems crazy that the Joe Dumars traded him for a player who was mostly trouble for the Pistons. However, when the big picture is taken into account, the start to the playoffs has justified the trade more substantially than anything that happened during the regular season.

The Pistons have been utterly dominated by Cleveland. Save for the fourth quarter of game two – a quarter in which Cleveland relaxed with a 27-point lead – the Cavaliers have outscored the Pistons in every quarter. In game one, Cleveland did whatever it wanted offensively. The following game, the Cavaliers shut down the Piston offense; Detroit did not reach 19 points in any of the first three quarters.

What the Cavalier domination has proven is that Detroit is nowhere close to fielding a contender. While Chauncey Billups easily would have been the best player on the team, the Pistons had no chance to contend this season, with or without Mr. Big Shot.

Had the Iverson trade not happened, Billups likely would have led Detroit to a top-four seed and a second round exit. Dumars saw the writing on the wall and elected to jumpstart the rebuilding process by creating financial flexibility. The Pistons could have slowly faded into oblivion much the same that the Dallas Mavericks have fallen from the league’s elite. Thanks to Dumars’ foresight, that slow descent appears to have been avoided.

As much as the Pistons have struggled this season, several teams should be envious of the team’s ability to clean house this summer. Detroit has young talent and the financial flexibility to put together a completely new core as early as this summer. While teams like the Suns, Knicks, and Kings are forced to wait for bad contracts to expire before they rebuild, the Iverson trade has put the Pistons in a position to re-toll right away.

Dumars will accept nothing less than a team that can compete for a Championship. In order for a capable roster to materialize, Dumars made a trade that hurt the Piston roster in the short term. That has been a tough pill to swallow this year, but if the Pistons are back amongst the league’s elite by 2011 instead of 2014, the trade will be worth every embarrassing loss this team suffers over the next couple seasons.

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Pistons at Cavaliers, 4.21.09, Round 1, Game 2

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

I will be participating in a Live Blog (link) on PistonPowered.com during the game. Piston Powered is a Detroit Piston's blog that is a part of the ESPN.com TrueHoop blog network. During the Live Blog, I will discuss the game, the state of the team, and will be available to answer questions. Thanks to Dan Feldman of Piston Powered for helping set this up.


Matchup: Detroit Pistons at Cleveland Cavaliers
Series: 1-0, Cleveland
Spread: Cavaliers -11.5

The Pistons will attempt to even the series after suffering a beat down in game one. Detroit’s offense had some success in game one, but the defense was brutal. The team has likely paid quite a bit of attention to shoring up its defense during the two days between games. Hopefully, the concentration on defense will not lead to a drop-off in Detroit’s offensive production.

While the Cavaliers are heavily favored once again, recent history may be on Detroit’s side. The Pistons are a remarkable 9-0 in the second game of a playoff series over the last three years. Flip Saunders took plenty of heat for his inability to get to the team to the finals, but he deserves praise for that 9-0 record. In the first game of a playoff series, teams employ their series strategies and feel out their opponents. It is in that second game that coaches have a chance to break down their opponents and make adjustments to their schemes. The fact that Saunders had a perfect record in such games while in Detroit reflects well on his ability to make in-series adjustments.

For the Pistons’ game-two winning streak to reach 10, the defense must find a way to turn LeBron James into a volume scorer. The Pistons can live with him scoring 38 points again, so long as it takes him upwards of 30 shots to do so. If James is again able to score nearly two points per shot attempt, the Pistons are doomed.

As Magic Johnson explained during the 1991 finals, the margin of victory is meaningless. If the Pistons can eke out a win tonight, the series will be tied in spite of Cleveland’s dominating performance in game one. As much as I’d like to see that happen, I can’t imagine this Piston team beating LeBron James on his home floor.


My Pick: Cavaliers by 14


Update:
Final Score: Detroit 82, Cleveland 94
Notes:

  • LeBron James is playing basketball at a higher level than any perimeter player this millennium.
  • If this Cavalier team has a weakness, I can’t spot it. Their bench is a little thin, but they have enough quality players to fill out a playoff rotation. Aside from that, this team does everything well.
  • The difference between the current Pistons and the contenders from the past several years starts with the interior defense. Ben Wallace is gone and the remaining players – Rasheed Wallace, Antonio McDyess, and Tayshaun Prince – look older and slower by the day.
  • Will Bynum, Arron Afflalo, and Amir Johnson led a 20-2 fourth quarter run. When the Pistons finally pulled within single digits, Amir Johnson was pulled and Cleveland immediately regained control.
  • Delonte West and Mo Williams were the primary beneficiaries of all of the defensive attention LeBron drew.

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Piston Powered's "Pistons Roundtable"

Monday, April 20, 2009

Dan from Piston Powered was gracious enough to include me in a question and answer session featuring several prominent writers who cover the Pistons. The panel included the following writers, each of whom answered six questions.

Be sure to check out the entire Pistons Roundtable, which can be found here.

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Pistons at Cavaliers, 4.18.09, Round 1, Game 1

Saturday, April 18, 2009

Matchup: Detroit Pistons at Cleveland Cavaliers
Series: 0-0
Spread: Cavaliers -12
My Pick: Cavaliers by 11

The Pistons open the playoffs in Cleveland. Cleveland is heavily favored for good reason. Excluding the meaningless final game of the season, the Cavaliers went 39-1 at home this season. For what it’s worth, the Pistons beat the Cavs once during the regular season and kept two other games close. The Pistons best hope of keeping this afternoon’s game close is if the Cavaliers perimeter shooters play erratically under the pressure of the top seed. Don’t count on it.

Update:
Final Score: Detroit 84, Cleveland 102
Notes:

  • I’ve seen teams play worse defense than Detroit played yesterday -- for instance, I watched the Knicks play this game -- but I can’t remember ever seeing playoff defense as porous as what the Pistons displayed yesterday.
  • King James scored 38 points on 20 shots, committed zero turnovers, and added eight rebounds and seven assists. LeBron scored 25 straight Cavalier points to decimate the Pistons’ championship aspirations two seasons ago. Since then, he’s improved mightily. At this point, any NBA analyst who calls Kobe Bryant “the best player in basketball” is an analyst I can’t take seriously.
  • Antonio McDyess and Tayshaun Prince, among others, looked a step slow defensively.
  • Rodney Stuckey was aggressive, but he needs to do a better job trying to finish plays instead of hoping for a whistle.
  • Kwame Brown and Arron Afflalo both had nice games off the bench.
  • Detroit did a nice job of taking care of the basketball, thus limiting LeBron’s opportunities in the open court. Unfortunately for the Pistons, Cleveland did an even better job avoiding turnovers.

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Pistons vs. Cavaliers, Playoff Preview

Beginning this afternoon, the eighth-seeded Pistons will take on the heavily favored Cleveland Cavaliers in the opening round of the NBA playoffs. If the Pistons are to extend their streak of conference finals appearances, they will need to pull off a major upset. What follows is a breakdown – player by player – of the series.

Point Guard: Rodney Stuckey vs. Mo Williams. Stuckey had an up and down sophomore campaign. While the circus surrounding his second season was nothing like his relatively calm rookie year, his per-minute statistics were almost identical, save for a nearly 4% improvement in field goal percentage. Williams was given an All-Star spot after his teammates, coaches, and owner bickered about the fact that was (correctly) excluded from the initial roster. While he may not have deserved that honor, he had an excellent first season in Cleveland. According to NBA.com’s “Hot Spots,” Williams converted a remarkable 45.9% of long twos and 43.6% of threes. He made defenders pay for doubling LeBron all season long.

Stuckey should be able to use his superior size and strength to get past Williams; however Cleveland has a fierce frontline protecting the paint. Stuckey did not reach double figures in scoring in any of the four meetings with Cleveland this season. On the other end, Stuckey would normally be able to handle Williams, but LeBron James changes that equation. Every Piston defender has to be conscience of James. As a result, Williams should have several open jumpers each game. Based on his track record, that could prove to a major thorn in the side of the Pistons.

Shooting Guard: RIP Hamilton vs. Delonte West. Hamilton is the Pistons’ best hope on offense in this series. Unfortunately, as John Hollinger pointed out, West is among the league’s most improved defenders. Hamilton has three inches on his counterpart, but the Piston offense too often stagnates when they run post plays through perimeter players. Detroit should run plenty of plays for RIP, but expect West to hold his own. On the other end of the floor, West is another excellent shooter who is vital to Cleveland’s floor spacing. He cannot quite match Williams’ accuracy, but few can. West knocked down a career-high 39.9% of his threes this season.

Small Forward: Tayshaun Prince vs. LeBron James. Tayshaun Prince is one of the better small forwards in the league. The only small forward who can be reasonably compared to LeBron James is Larry Bird. James averaged 25.8 points and 6.5 assists per game against Prince this season. For a normal player, that production would be outstanding, but for James, that constitutes a drop-off from his regular output. On the other end, Prince, who is usually a weapon in Detroit’s offense, should probably try to conserve energy and simply spot-up for his jumper. Normally it is a good idea to make opposing stars work on defense, but with James, “normal” gets thrown out the window.

Power Forward: Antonio McDyess vs. Anderson Varejao. McDyess was awesome the second half of the season. He will need to match his March production if the Pistons hope to be competitive. Varejao will start in place of injured former Piston Ben Wallace. While Varejao’s stats have remained relatively unchanged, he is playing smarter basketball and better defense than earlier in his career. McDyess has a better shot and is a better rebounder than Varejao, but Varejao is a much better help defender. Varejao is not much of an offensive threat, but he will make teams pay by finishing in the paint if opponents ignore him. On paper, this matchup appears to be a draw.

Center: Rasheed Wallace vs. Zydrunas Ilgauskas. Wallace’s gentle decline continued this season, as he posted his first season with a PER below the league average in more than a decade. While Wallace is clearly not the player he once was, his shooting stroke and his interior defense remain stellar. On the other end, Cleveland’s center has many of the same strengths and weaknesses that Wallace possesses. Like Wallace, Ilgaukas is a deadly outside shooter who protects the paint on defense. Both players lack the quickness to defend the pick and roll. As is the case with the power forwards, neither team should gain a significant edge via this matchup.

Backup Point Guard: Will Bynum vs. Daniel Gibson. The Pistons’ biggest edge in the series comes in the battle of backup point guards. Gibson is a nice outside shooter (career 41.2% on threes), but he brings little else to the table. Bynum is the exact opposite. He struggles to shoot the three, but he does everything else well. Bynum should be drive to blow past Gibson at will. If he does not need to help on LeBron, Bynum should also be able to shut down Gibson, thus creating a mismatch Detroit must exploit.

Backup Wing: Arron Afflalo vs. Wally Szczerbiak. Afflalo has greatly improved his shooting accuracy and is a rapidly improving defender. Szczerbiak is a deadly outside shooter (notice a pattern?) who brings little else to the table. This is another matchup that would favor the Pistons until one considers all of the open looks LeBron will create for Wally.

Backup Power Forward: Jason Maxiell vs. Darnell Jackson.
Maxiell kills opponents on the offensive glass. He hurts his own team with his inability to control the defensive glass or defend taller players. Jackson saw minutes because Ben Wallace and J.J. Hickson were sidelined with injuries. The guess here is that Jackson winds up the ninth man in a competition for eight rotation spots in the playoffs.

Backup Center: Kwame Brown vs. Joe Smith. In the battle of former top picks, Smith will attempt to use his sweet stroke and veteran savvy to outplay his bigger, more athletic counterpart. Brown’s ability to defend the basket may prove useful, but his shortcomings on offense will keep him from playing extended minutes.

Series Prediction: I believe the Pistons will play well, but it is not going to matter against the Cavaliers. LeBron James is on a mission to win a championship and I do not see any team denying him in 2009. Defensively, Detroit lacks the athletes to shut down Cleveland. Meanwhile, Cleveland’s defense has the potential to dominate a Piston offense that struggled all season long.

In each of the first two games, I expect the Pistons to remain competitive early, only to watch Cleveland slowly build a lead, and then pull away in the fourth quarter. In game three, I see Detroit playing its best game of the playoffs as it attempts to extend the series. With that said, I don’t think Detroit’s best is enough to overtake Cleveland. Cleveland wins a close one in game three. The Cavs finish off the sweep with a blowout after Detroit mentally checks out before game four. I hope I’m wrong. Cavaliers in four.

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How's That Back Injury?

Just in case there was any remaining doubt about the real reason Allen Iverson is no longer playing for the Pistons:

Pistons president Joe Dumars reiterated Wednesday via e-mail that Iverson's leave from the team -- granted on April 3 after Dumars and Iverson met to address the 33-year-old's increasing frustration with a reserve role -- will remain in effect for the duration of Detroit's stay in the playoffs.
ESPN.com’s Marc Stein
The back injury was a convenient excuse, but the facts got in the way of anyone believing that. Piston doctors found no structural damage in Iverson’s back, Iverson had played through pain his entire career, he returned from the alleged injury to play three games just as effectively (or ineffectively) as he had earlier in the season, and he repeatedly complained about his role. When he was shut down for the season, his back injury was reported as the primary culprit. It never made sense. It is unclear if the decision for Iverson and the Pistons to part ways had to do with Iverson’s refusal to accept a bench role, Dumars’ refusal to accept a player who was doing more harm than good while in the game, or a combination of the two. However, it is more clear than ever that Iverson's professed back injury had little to do with the separation of player and team.

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Playoff Schedule

Thursday, April 16, 2009

The first round playoff schedule has been released.

Cleveland vs. Detroit

  • Game 1 - Sat April 18 Detroit at Cleveland 3:00PM ABC
  • Game 2 - Tue April 21 Detroit at Cleveland 8:00PM TNT
  • Game 3 - Fri April 24 Cleveland at Detroit 7:00PM ESPN
  • Game 4 - Sun April 26 Cleveland at Detroit 3:30PM ABC
  • Game 5 * Wed April 29 Detroit at Cleveland TBD TBD
  • Game 6 * Fri May 1 Cleveland at Detroit TBD TBD
  • Game 7 * Sun May 3 Detroit at Cleveland TBD TBD

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Pistons at Heat, 4.15.09

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Matchup: Detroit Pistons (39-42) at Miami Heat (42-39)
Spread: Heat -2
My Pick: Pistons by 4

Three reasons the Pistons will win:

  1. The Heat Don’t Care. They are locked into the fifth seed. The Heat is already focused on the Hawks.
  2. No D-Wade. Wade, Udonis Haslem, and Jermaine O’Neal sat out last night are not expected to play tonight. As Peninsula Is Mightier noted, this is “meaningless game number 2” for Miami.
  3. Strong Depth. The Pistons won’t be playing their regulars, but Walter Sharpe is the only Piston incapable of holding his own in an NBA rotation. The Pistons will be fine playing Will Bynum, Arron Afflalo, Walter Herrmann, Jason Maxiell, Amir Johnson, and Kwame Brown heavy minutes.

Three reasons the Pistons will lose:

  1. The Pistons Don’t Care. The team is locked into the eighth seed. This game will be little more than a glorified scrimmage.
  2. No Sheed. The Iverson-free Pistons play their best with Rasheed in the lineup. Sheed will be joined by RIP and Antonio McDyess on the inactive list as they rest for the playoffs. (Update: In contrast with early reports, Sheed started the game.)
  3. Michael Beasley. The dynamic young forward could go off for the Heat. Neither Watler Herrmann nor Jason Maxiell is up to the task of defending him, although Amir Johnson might have a chance.

Update:
Final Score:
Detroit 96, Miami 102 (OT)
Notes:

  • Michael Curry did not take this game for granted. He played his top-five bench players most of the game in hopes that the experience will pay off in the playoffs.
  • The Pistons outplayed the Heat in the second quarter, but were outscored when Miami hit several contested three pointers, plus a difficult 22-foot jumper by Chris Quinn. Only five of Miami’s 22 points in the quarter were scored within 20 feet of the basket.
  • Michael Beasley combines a high release point with an extremely accurate jump shot. He’s flown under the radar a bit this season, but he and Wade could form an awesome one-two punch for several seasons to come.
  • Chris Quinn and Michael Beasley both hit several difficult shots. Those shots proved to be the difference in the game.
  • Jason Maxiell and Kwame Brown had nice games. Both were very active in the paint.
  • I don’t want to beat a dead horse so I’m not going to mention that Amir Johnson was a menace disrupting the entire Heat offense whenever he was on the floor.

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A Reason to Hope

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Last night’s devastating loss to Chicago has relegated the Pistons to a playoff series with LeBron James. It also clinched Detroit’s first below-.500 season since 2001. As mediocre as the Pistons’ final record may be, the current incarnation of the Piston roster has actually been performed very well. As David Berri explained, Allen Iverson is an even worse basketball player than people realize.

    • Iverson left Philadelphia and the Sixers got better.
    • Iverson was expected to transform the Denver Nuggets into a title contender. Denver, though, never got out of the first round of the Western Conference playoffs.
    • Iverson left the Nuggets and the team got better.
    • Iverson has arrived in Detroit, and the team got worse.
      –David Berri, Wages of Wins
This season, Iverson played in 57 games (three of which were with Denver). His team was 25-32 in those games. Denver has excelled without Iverson. Before too much of that success is attributed to the arrival of Chauncey Billups, consider how well the Pistons have played when Rasheed Wallace has played, but Iverson has not.

This season, in the 17 games when Rasheed Wallace has played while Iverson has not, the Pistons are 13-4. In a sample size large enough to warrant one’s attention, the Pistons have won more than three fourths of their games. The chart below lists the results of every game the Pistons have played with their starting center and without their alleged superstar. (Road games are in italics, losses are in red.)



In those 17 games, the Pistons have a scoring margin of +6.1 points per game. Extrapolated over the course of an 82-game season, a team with that scoring margin would be expected to win roughly 58 games. To a certain extent, the Pistons benefitted from a less than intimidating schedule, however they did earn road wins against Boston and Orlando, as well as home wins over Denver and Orlando. Of the four losses, three came against playoff teams and none were by more than five points.

This probably does not mean much for the playoffs because LeBron James is ridiculously awesome. It also can only shed so much light on the Pistons’ future considering that Wallace’s days in Detroit are probably coming to end in the near future. What it does say is the team the Pistons bring into the playoffs is probably the fourth-best in the East.

In a season where so much has gone wrong for the Pistons, the team is not that far from returning to contention. Rodney Stuckey, Arron Afflalo, and Amir Johnson should each continue to improve. Will Bynum and Kwame Brown should be better next season when there is more certainty regarding their roles. RIP Hamilton and Tayshaun Prince should remain effect for several more seasons, even though the decline phase of their careers has begun in subtle ways.

The only concerning components of the Piston rotation are Rasheed Wallace and Antonio McDyess, both of whom could potentially depart this summer. If Amir Johnson is given the opportunity, he is capable of taking up the slack for Dice. The drop-off in jump-shooting and veteran savvy would be compensated for with Johnson’s superior athleticism and defense.

If the Pistons can replace Rasheed Wallace, the team may find itself hosting a first round playoff series as soon as next season. The task may be easier than it sounds given the state of the economy. Players like Carlos Boozer and Paul Millsap will struggle to find reasonable offers, while several team owners will be looking to trade away valuable players in exchange for financial relief.

The Pistons lost more than half of their games and are likely headed toward a very brief postseason appearance. Regardless, the Pistons sans Iverson are better than people realize. A return to prominence may not be as far off as common wisdom would suggest.

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Pistons vs. Bulls, 4.13.09

Monday, April 13, 2009

I will be participating in a Live Blog (link) on PistonPowered.com during the game. Piston Powered is a Detroit Piston's blog that is a part of the ESPN.com TrueHoop blog network. During the Live Blog, I will discuss the game, the state of the team, and will be available to answer questions. Thanks to Dan Feldman of Piston Powered for helping set this up.

Matchup: Detroit Pistons (39-41) vs. Chicago Bulls (40-40)
Spread: Pistons -4
My Pick: Pistons by 5

Three reasons the Pistons will win:

  1. No More Noc. The Pistons had to be thrilled to see Andres Nocioni sent to the Western Conference. Nocioni. Nocioni averaged 17.3 points with a ridiculous 67.9% effective field goal percentage in his last nine games against Detroit.
  2. Return to Health. RIP Hamilton and Rasheed Wallace did not play when the Pistons fell to the Bulls in March. With those two back, Detroit should play much better tonight.
  3. Homecourt Edge. The home team has won the first three meetings of the season between these teams. As hot as the Bulls have been, they team has had most of its success at home. The Bulls have dropped nine of their last 11 road games, with the only wins coming against doormats Oklahoma City and Washington.

Three reasons the Pistons will lose:

  1. Midseason Acquisitions. Brad Miller and John Salmons, who allegedly was Joe Dumars’ backup plan in the 2002 draft had Tayshaun Prince not been available, have led the Bulls to an 11-3 record in their last 14 games. The two players acquired from Sacramento have been the Bulls’ best players during that stretch.
  2. Ben Gordon. The notoriously streaky shooter is locked in right now. He has averaged 24.6 points in his last 7 games as he auditions for a new contract. He is 11-20 from behind the long line in the last two games.
  3. Tyrus Thomas. Chicago’s developing young forward saves his best for games against Detroit. The Bulls have beaten Detroit twice this year because Thomas has averaged 20 points and 11 rebounds in those games.

Update:
Final Score: Detroit 88, Chicago 91
Notes:

  • The Pistons led most of the second half, but the offense went cold down the stretch. The Pistons scored just three points in the final 5:57.
  • A first round date with Cleveland is assured, as is the 15th pick in 2009 draft.
  • Once again, Amir Johnson received a healthy DNP.
  • Derrick Rose put an exclamation point on a season which will earn him Rookie of the Year honors.
  • The Pistons failed to match the overall quickness the Bulls possess.
  • Detroit’s bench was very quiet in the loss.
  • Ben Gordon is a poor defender, but his jump shot is flawless. Few shoot better than Gordon off the dribble.
  • Rodney Stuckey had a nice game, but the shot he had blocked in the final minute was a shot he should never have taken. Either Michael Curry diagrammed a terrible play or Stuckey made a very costly decision.

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Fastbreak Buckets 4.12.2009

Sunday, April 12, 2009

This edition of Fastbreak Buckets is all about Allen Iverson's separation from the Pistons.

I’ve had mixed feelings about posting much more than I already have about Allen Iverson, mainly because most everything that can be said, has been said. Nevertheless, one week after Iverson was sent home, I’m going to highlight some of the opinions from around the internet, and offer up a few points of my own.

  • The piece on Iverson that has garnered the most attention has been Jason Whitlock’s brutal attack on Iverson’s career.

    Winning has never really mattered to Allen Iverson.

    Iverson is a one-man, no-country Army, more than likely the victim of a dysfunctional upbringing that left him incapable of embracing the concepts essential to teamwork, winning and sacrifice for the benefit of others.
    I have been as harsh on Iverson as anyone (Wages of Wins has given me a run for my money), but I take exception with a few of Whitlock’s suggestions, namely that Iverson never cared about winning. Iverson doesn't play selfishly (dribble and shoot too much) because of his upbringing or his race, as Whitlock suggests. Iverson plays that way because he believes it is the best way to help a team win. He is wrong.

    The same unbridled confidence that allowed a 5’11 man to succeed in a league that employs more people above seven-feet than below six-feet is also Iverson’s biggest fault. Iverson believes that the best way to lead a team to victory is for him to dominate the offense and fill up the score sheet. At one point, his one-man offense was able to match that of most NBA teams. At age 33, he has reached the point where any offense he leads will be a terrible one. The gap between his skills and his perception of his skills has only become more pronounced as his game has deteriorated, but his confidence has not.
  • Over at Piston Powered, Dan Feldman explains that Iverson’s back injury had little to do with the early ending to his season.

    Iverson isn’t playing again for the Pistons because he doesn’t want to play again for the Pistons. Sure, his back may be hurting. But he just complained about not getting enough minutes. If he wanted to fight through it, he could.
    While it is hard to imagine the back injury was a deciding factor, I think Iverson’s desire to leave the team was matched only by Joe Dumars’ desire to get rid of him after it became clear he was not capable of helping the team in a bench role.
  • For those who wonder why a former MVP was incapable of serving as a useful role player, Fanhouse’s Matt Steinmetz breaks it down.

    Even if Iverson is ready, willing and able to lower himself a rung on a team's scoring ladder, that doesn't mean he'll do it well or that he's best suited to do it.As a general rule, role players are better at being role players than stars are at being role players.
    While that does not apply to all players – David Robinson, Grant Hill, Reggie Miller, and Ray Allen, among others, have been effective as complimentary players after being go-to guys earlier in their careers – Iverson is clearly not suited to be anything other than a team’s primary scoring option. When Iverson was effective earlier in his career, his remarkable scoring ability overcame his several weaknesses, notably poor defense, poor decision-making, and a ball-hogging style of play that takes a team out of its offense. As he has aged, that scoring ability has deteriorated, but the weaknesses remain. What’s left is a player whose cannot help an NBA team unless he drastically changes his style of play. Iverson's only skill is his ability to score. The problem is that he scores in such a horribly inefficient manner that he is a hindrance to team success on both ends of the floor.
  • The mainstream media has plenty of coverage of Iverson’s final days with the Pistons. Larry Brown says that plenty of teams will want Iverson. Either several teams have misguided GMs, Brown is wrong, or Brown is telling a white lie as not to offend “The Answer.” “He's still a starter in this league; he's going to have a lot of success," Michael Curry told The Detroit News. Again, I cannot imagine that Curry truly believes what he is saying. Marc Stein says he has talked to several league executives who do not believe there will be much of a market for Iverson. The market for Iverson will be limited, but it only takes one bad GM for a player to a contract disproportionate to his ability to contribute. Chris McCosky rails against the way Iverson handled the move to the bench. In light of what has transpired, it is hard to disagree.
  • Lastly, for comedy’s sake, here is Rick Kamla (via Pistons Nation) making us question whether paying attention to the NBA is part of the job description for hosting a show that analyzes the NBA. “He’s a Hall of Fame player who’s still in the prime of his career,” Kamla said. If Iverson’s play this year is indicative of the prime of a Hall of Fame career, I can think of a few hundred players who deserve a plaque in Springfield. In 2009, Will Bynum is a better basketball player than Allen Iverson. The fact that Kamla has not watched enough Piston basketball to know this led him to go on national television and reveal his ignorance while shouting.

One last thing I'd like to mention. Brian Packey has launched Motown String Music as the Piston blogosphere's representative on SB Nation. MSM is off to a great start and has some exciting ideas that should strengthen the Piston blogging community. Be sure to check the site out.

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Pistons at Pacers, 4.11.09

Saturday, April 11, 2009

Matchup: Detroit Pistons (39-40) at Indiana Pacers (34-45)
Spread: Pacers -3
My Pick: Pistons by 4

Three reasons the Pistons will win:

  1. Streaking. The Pistons have won three in a row. With Iverson sent home, the Pistons appear to be hitting their stride just in time for the playoffs.
  2. Stability. Michael Curry announced that his recent rotation will be his permanent rotation. While I wish Amir Johnson was a part of that rotation, the clearly defined roles will benefit the players.
  3. Rodney Stuckey. In the two games Stuckey started against Indiana, he averaged 25.5 points, 7 assists, 6.5 rebounds, and 2 steals. He also posted a ridiculous 80.4% effective field goal percentage in those games (50% is roughly average).

Three reasons the Pistons will lose:

  1. Offensive Firepower. The Pacers have scored at least 117 points in all four of their April games. The Pistons need to dictate the tempo and slow the game down in order to push Indiana out of its comfort zone.
  2. Danny Granger. The fourth year forward can score with the best of them. He missed time with a foot injury, but he is averaging 29 points per game since returning to the starting lineup 11 games ago. He has lit up the Pistons for 33 per contest this season, although that is partially a result of Michael Curry’s decision to use a small ball lineup earlier in the season. With the small ball lineup, Granger was able to dominate the much small RIP Hamilton.
  3. Finishing Strong. The Pistons may be finding their rhythm, but the same could be said of the Pacers. Indiana has won six of nine.

Update:
Final Score: Detroit 102, Indiana 106
Notes:

  • Jason Maxiell continues to outperform Amir Johnson on the stat sheet even though Johnson consistently outplays his counterpart for the simple reason that there is no stat for forcing the opposition to take a difficult shot. Maxiell was -14 while Johnson was +9, thus widening the already enormous gap between the players’ +/- numbers.
  • The Pistons were hammered on the glass in the first half, when they allowed 14 offensive rebounds. In the second half, the Pistons committed to boxing out and limited Indiana to one offensive board.
  • One night after doing a masterful defensive job on the Nets perimeter players, the Pacers got 81 points from their four perimeter players.
  • The Pistons spent far too much of the game conforming to Indiana’s preferred helter-skelter pace.
  • Roy Hibbert should be a quality rotation player for the next decade. He had six offensive rebounds and four blocks in just 20 minutes.

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Pistons vs. Nets, 4.10.09

Friday, April 10, 2009

Matchup: Detroit Pistons (38-40) at New Jersey Nets (32-46)
Spread: Pistons -8
My Pick: Pistons by 10

Three reasons the Pistons will win:

  1. Flat Finish. The Nets have lost 11 of their last 16. This team is counting down the days until it can add a forward in the lottery. The forward rotation of Ryan Anderson, Yi Jianlian, Trenton Hassell, Bobby Simmons, and Eduardo Najera is as bad as it gets in the NBA.
  2. Road Trouble. The Nets have lost nine consecutive games played outside the tri-state area (they did win a road game in that stretch, but it was a short bus ride away against the Knicks). Also, the home team has won each of the first three games in the season series between the Pistons and Nets.
  3. Contain Carter. Vince Carter has had success against the Pistons in the past, but much of that success occurred when Tayshaun Prince had to defend Richard Jefferson. With Jefferson gone, Prince has held Carter to just 11.3 points per game in their three matchups this season.

Three reasons the Pistons will lose:

  1. Devin Harris. Harris has torched the Pistons to the tune of 25.3 points and 7.3 assists per game this season. He has taken an absurd 43 free throws in those three games. Removing Iverson from the defensive equation should help matters, but Rodney Stuckey and to a lesser extent, Arron Afflalo have had their problems with Harris.
  2. Momentum? Despite their recent struggles, the Nets played one of their best games of the season Wednesday in Boston. Playing against the defending champs, the Nets built a double digit lead early and had a chance to take the lead in the final seconds.
  3. They Won’t. The Pistons are playing at home against an inferior team with playoff seeding at stake. It would be inexusable for the team to not win this game easily.

Update:
Final Score: Detroit 100, New Jersey 93
Notes:

  • The bench won this game for Detroit. Kwame Brown, Arron Afflalo, and Jason Maxiell all played very well. Will Bynum was outstanding.
  • Bynum scored at least 20 points for the fifth time in 12 games. He is far more confident in his jump shot than he was earlier this year. As a result, he is consistently converting open looks that he typically passed up or missed earlier in the season.
  • Even ignoring the off-court issues, is there any rational argument that Iverson is a better basketball player than Will Bynum? If the consensus is that Iverson is worth the mid-level exception, would that make Bynum worth 7-8 million on the open market? (My answer: No, Iverson doesn’t warrant the mid level exception, although Bynum would.)
  • Despite the unremarkable final score, this game was an offensive showcase on both ends. Only a slow pace skewed the final numbers. The teams combined to make more than half of their shots, better than 40% of their threes, and committed just 15 turnovers.
  • Rodney Stuckey has taken heat for his defense at various points this season, but he deserves his share of credit for holding All Star Devin Harris to one point.
  • Rookies Ryan Anderson and Chris Douglas-Roberts played better than any other Nets last night. Anderson appears to provide everything the Nets hoped to receive from Yi Jianlian. CDR’s ability to get to the hoop and finish was positively Will Bynumesque.

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Pistons at Knicks, 4.08.09

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Matchup: Detroit Pistons (37-40) at New York Knicks (30-48)
Spread: Pistons -3.5
My Pick: Pistons by 2

Three reasons the Pistons will win:

  1. No Excuses. The Pistons had two days off, should have a fully healthy roster, and will face a bad basketball team. A loss tonight would be unacceptable.
  2. Midlevel Starters. The Knicks handed Chris Duhon and Jared Jefferies contracts worth the midlevel exception. Both are capable backups who play sturdy defense but struggle to score. Unfortunatley for the Knicks, both are starting as the team rebuilds. (Edit: Apparently Jefferies lost his starting spot after failing to score in his last start.)
  3. Giving Up. The Knicks have lost 11 of 13 and appear to have packed it in for the year. The good news for Michigan natives is that, partially as a result, two players with local ties may have a chance to score their first NBA points tonight. Former Wolverine Courtney Sims and Detroit Renaissance alum Joe Crawford should both be on the active roster tonight.

Three reasons the Pistons will lose:

  1. RFAs. Once again, soon-to-be restricted free agents Nate Robinson and David Lee are easily the best players on this team. When the Knicks won at the Palace four weeks ago, Robinson torched the Pistons for 30 points while Lee chipped in 16 points and 18 rebounds.
  2. Letdown Game. Sunday’s game against Charlotte was hugely important. It wouldn’t be a shock if the Pistons need to return to the brink of the lottery before they exert full effort again.
  3. No Swagger. Rasheed Wallace says the Pistons’ “swagger will come with the playoffs.” (Freep Article) Apparently fans will have to suffer through five more games of swagger-less basketball

Update:
Final Score: Detroit 113, New York 86
Notes:

  • There’s bad defense, there’s horrible defense, and then there’s what the Knicks played in the first half. The Pistons – who average roughly 23 points per quarter – scored 21 points in the first 5:44.
  • Every Piston starter had at least eight points before halftime.
  • The logic behind the “seven-seconds-or-less” offense is that teams should be able to find a high-percentage shot before a defense is fully set. The Knicks ignored the “high-percentage” part of the equation.
  • The Knicks committed just five turnovers, but some of the shots they took were about as bad as turnovers.
  • Wilson Chandler shot the ball nicely, but he was brutal defensively.
  • Several Pistons played well, but RIP Hamilton and Antonio McDyess stood out. Rodney Stuckey, Rasheed Wallace, and Kwame Brown also had very nice games.
  • The Pistons won the rebounding battle 57-33.

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Starting Big

Tuesday, April 7, 2009

With the Allen Iverson fiasco taken care of, the Pistons are left with only one significant rotation question heading into the playoffs (assuming they qualify). Theoretically, the Pistons could consider starting the surprising Will Bynum ahead of Rodney Stuckey, but Bynum’s aggressive style has fit in nicely with the second unit. Michael Curry made it clear that he plans to keep Stuckey in the starting lineup. With the backcourt rotation settled, Michael Curry needs to decide which of his five big men to start and which two of the remaining three bigs will see the bulk of the bench minutes.

When Rasheed Wallace returned from injury last week, Michael Curry hinted that he may keep Kwame Brown in the starting lineup along with Antonio McDyess. As I see it, there are five possible combinations of big men the Pistons could start in the frountcourt.

  1. Rasheed Wallace and Antonio McDyess.
    Wallace and McDyess are the two best big men Curry has, but if he starts both, that greatly weakens his bench. Wallace and McDyess are the only Piston bigs with reliable outside shots. As a result, the Pistons like to have at least one on the court at all times in order to spread the floor. In the regular season – if Curry starts both – there will be stretches where the bench struggles to score. This is mitigated in the playoffs when Curry is likely to increase the playing time for both Wallace and McDyess, thereby ensuring that one of the two is on the court at all times.
  2. Kwame Brown and Antonio McDyess.
    Chris McCosky of The Detroit News and Matt Watson of DetroitBadBoys.com both endorsed this arrangement, although they stated their opinions under the assumption that Iverson would remain a part of the rotation. According to 82games.com, the Pistons have performed far better when Kwame Brown plays alongside either Antonio McDyess or Amir Johnson as opposed to playing with Rasheed Wallace or Jason Maxiell. If the Pistons intend to pair Brown and Johnson, they should bring them off the bench behind Wallace and McDyess. The more plausible way to start Brown would be to play him with McDyess. That arrangement gives the starting unit strong rebounding and interior defense, while it adds a scoring threat to the bench in the form of Wallace. While this makes some sense, I can’t support benching Wallace. His all-around game has been more valuable than the play of either McDyess or Brown and the +/- numbers back me up, even if PER gives the edge to McDyess.
  3. Rasheed Wallace and Amir Johnson.
    For all of the reasons stated above, it makes plenty of sense to play McDyess and Brown together. With that said, the Wallace/Johnson combination has been even more effective than the McDyess/Brown pairing. Also, Antonio McDyess has stated on numerous occasions that he is more comfortable with a bench role, while Wallace has started nearly every game he has played over the last 10 seasons. More importantly, in the playoffs, Wallace has typically played about 35 minutes per game, while McDyess has averaged less than two thirds of that amount. Even last year, with Ben Wallace and Chris Webber out of the way, McDyess played only 27.5 minutes per playoff game. Wallace has proven he can handle heavy minutes while McDyess has not, so if the Pistons are only going to start one of the two, it should be Wallace.
  4. Rasheed Wallace and Jason Maxiell.
    As much as I prefer the previous arrangement, Michael Curry would likely opt for this one if he decides to start Wallace but not McDyess. In my estimation, that would be a colossal mistake. Going back to 82games.com’s “player pairs,” the Pistons have not outscored their opponents when you pair Jason Maxiell with any player currently on the Piston roster. For the reasons outlined here, Maxiell struggles because he is a 6’6 player who cannot shoot or dribble well enough to overcome his relative lack of size. He does several things well, but defensive rebounding, shooting, and man defense are not among them. Maxiell should not be starting for a playoff team until those things change.
  5. Rasheed Wallace and Kwame Brown.
    If Curry decides he wants to separate Wallace and McDyess and start Brown, he may test this route for the reasons explained under option 3. Brown has been a force defensively and on the glass, so he could prove valuable enough to start during the playoffs. Wallace’s game would seem to compliment Brown’s nicely, but thus far the combination has not performed well. The downfall of this lineup would lie with the bench, as Wallace and Brown are the only centers on the roster.

In summary, Michael Curry has several logical choices, but the best move would be to start Wallace alongside either McDyess or Johnson. It appears that Johnson has fallen out of the rotation. If that is the case, Curry should maintain the lineup he used against Charlotte, which featured Wallace and McDyess. While this hurts the bench during the regular season, this should be less of a problem in the playoffs.

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Pistons vs. Bobcats, 4.05.09

Sunday, April 5, 2009

Matchup: Detroit Pistons (36-40) vs. Charlotte Bobcats (34-42)
Spread: Pistons -2
My Pick: Pistons by 6

Three reasons the Pistons will win:

  1. Road Woes. The Bobcats have been much better at home than on the road this season. Even with their recent hot streak, the Bobcats have only won two of their past six road contests. On the other hand, the road team has won each of the first three meetings between these teams this season.
  2. Boris Diaw. The Bobcat offense is usually only as efficient as its versatile forward. In his last five games against Detroit, Diaw has averaged a measly 6.2 points per game on 32.4% shoting. Over his career, he averages just 6 points per game against Detroit, but several of those games took place when Diaw was an Atlanta Hawk trying to find his footing in the league.
  3. If It Ain’t Rough... In recent years, a favorite cliché among Piston plays has been “If it ain’t rough, it ain’t right.” The implication is that when it matters most and the Pistons backs are up against the wall, they play their best. That will be put to the test today, as the Pistons play their most important regular season game in a long, long time.

Three reasons the Pistons will lose:

  1. 2009. Since the calendar flipped, the Pistons 17-29, while the Bobcats are seven games better, at 23-21. That says it all about how this season has gone for the Pistons.
  2. Back to Back. The Pistons have dropped nine of the last ten games they have played on the second half of a back to back. The Bobcats had the day off yesterday and will arrive at today’s game with younger, fresher legs.
  3. Rotation Stability. The Bobcats have one of the most clear-cut eight-man rotations in the NBA. Occasionally one or two additional players see spot minutes, but the same eight players see the bulk of the minutes every game. In contrast, the Piston rotation has been in constant flux all season. (Depending on Raja Bell's calf, Cartier Martin could crack the rotation for the time being. Still, under Larry Brown, each player's role on this team is more clearly defined than is the case with any other team in the league.)

Update:
Final Score:
Detroit 104, Charlotte 97
Notes:

  • Will Bynum! Bynum almost singlehandedly secured a Piston victory in the most important game of the regular season. He scored a franchise record 26 points in the fourth quarter and he needed just six field goal attempts to do so. The man who could not find a place in the NBA a season ago now leads the Pistons in PER by a wide margin.
  • Two Piston guards carried this team to victory. Those Piston guards were not Rodney Stuckey, RIP Hamilton, or Allen Iverson, but rather Bynum and Arron Afflalo. Afflalo’s inconsistent jumper was dead-on last night and his defense keyed a 15-3 fourth quarter run.
  • The downside to losing Hamilton to an ejection was that with Bynum and Afflalo on the court, the Bobcats were able to play their two best guards – D. J. Augustin and Ray Felton – together. Neither is capable of guarding Hamilton, but with Hamilton out, Charlotte was able to play its five best players down the stretch. RIP’s inability to maintain his composure was unacceptable given the importance of the game.
  • Rasheed played well and showed no ill effects of playing 37 minutes. He should be fully healthy just in time for the playoffs.

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Pistons at 76ers, 4.04.09

Saturday, April 4, 2009

Matchup: Detroit Pistons (36-39) at Philadelphia 76ers (39-35)
Spread: 76ers -3
My Pick: Pistons by 8

Three reasons the Pistons will win:

  1. No AI. The Pistons are 9-1 in games where Rasheed plays, but Iverson does not. That recipe should be in play the rest of the season.
  2. Rest. Antonio McDyess and Tayshaun Prince, among others, badly needed the two-day break the Pistons just received.
  3. No Thaddeus Young. The über-athletic forward is on the shelf with an ankle injury. Without Young or Elton Brand, the Pistons have a clearly superior active roster.

Three reasons the Pistons will lose:

  1. Rough Stretch. The Pistons have lost eight of their last 11, so they don’t exactly have much momentum.
  2. Wachovia Center. The 76ers have won five of their last six home games. The Pistons wish Philly had won the sixth – a game against Charlotte.
  3. Distractions. If the Piston players have too spent too much time worrying about Iverson and too little time worrying about this matchup, they could struggle.

Update:
Final Score: Detroit 90, Philadelphia 95
Notes:

  • In a role reversal from last year’s playoffs, Andre Iguodala dominated Tayshaun Prince. Iguodala scored 31 points on 19 shots, many of which were dunks.
  • The Piston offense went through Kwame Brown in the first quarter. In the fourth quarter, they would have benefitted from an offensive force as consistent as Brown was early. That says more about the Pistons than it does about Brown, although Kwame did play very nicely.
  • Will Bynum was awesome in the first half, but invisible in the second.
  • Andre Miller went wherever he wanted with the ball.
  • The 76ers, without Elton Brand and without Thaddeus Young, badly lack reliable offensive options. The fact that they made 48 percent of their field goals in the game underscores how bad Detroit’s defense – especially in transition – was in this game.
  • If there’s a good reason Amir Johnson did not play, I’d like to hear it. His DNP is big part of the explanation for the previous bullet point.

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Iverson Sent Home.

Friday, April 3, 2009

Breaking News. Allen Iverson has played his last game as a Piston.

The Pistons announced Friday they were shutting the all-star and former NBA scoring champion down for the rest of the season, including the playoffs. Pistons president Joe Dumars met with Iverson and his agent, Leon Rose, over the last two days, and the feeling was that it was no longer in Iverson's nor the Pistons' best interest for him to continue trying to play.
--Chris McCosky, Detroit News

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Pistons at Nets, 4.01.09

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

Matchup: Detroit Pistons (36-38) at New Jersey Nets (30-44)
Spread: PK
My Pick: Pistons by 8

Three reasons the Pistons will win:

  1. Free Amir. With Rasheed Wallace out, Amir should get a chance to contribute against New Jersey. New Jersey lacks a power forward who can make Amir pay for any mistakes, so Johnson should see heavy minutes tonight.
  2. Tayshaun Prince. With Richard Jefferson gone, New Jersey’s small forward situation has been a disaster. Prince has averaged 17.5 points and 9 rebounds per game in the first two meetings of the season between these teams.
  3. Kwame Brown. The Nets only have three players who score. Kwame should be able to take Brook Lopez out of the picture. If Tayshaun can do the same to Vince Carter, the Nets entire offense will have to revolve around Devin Harris.

Three reasons the Pistons will lose:

  1. Could Curry Cave? When RIP Hamilton complained about a bench role earlier this year, Curry made him a starter (and rightfully so). Now that Iverson has complained about his role, there is a possibility Curry will again succumb to his stars. If Iverson’s role increases, the Pistons’ chance at a victory will take a major hit.
  2. Sheed’s Out. Rasheed is suspended for tonight’s game because he picked up his 16th technical foul last night. While Amir Johnson should pick some of the slack, he cannot abuse Ryan Anderson and Yi Jianlian on the block the way Sheed could have.
  3. Devin Harris. Harris dropped 38 points on Detroit earlier this season. The Pistons need to prevent that from happening tonight.

Update:
Final Score: Detroit 98, New Jersey 111
Notes:

  • The Piston defense was pathetic. The Nets have some nice pieces – three to be exact – but they have no business scoring 111 points in a slow game. Keyon Dooling and Brook Lopez, among others, torched the Pistons.
  • Allen Iverson was unspeakably awful. He then had the audacity to complain about his role after the game.
  • The heavy minutes Antonio McDyess has been playing have finally caught up to him. He is averaging 5.3 points and 7.7 rebounds over his last three games. With all of the talk about benching Rasheed, maybe it is Dice who is better-suited for a bench role that could limit his minutes.
  • At the risk of beating the metaphorical dead horse, I’ll point out that Amir Johnson watched several potential offensive rebounds bounce off of his fingertips, was a non-factor offensively, and nevertheless, Detroit outscored New Jersey by 6 the 25 minutes Johnson was on the court, but was outscored by 17 the other 23 minutes. He makes good things happen when he is on the floor, even if they sometimes aren’t obvious and don’t show up in the box score.

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About This Blog

Welcome to Count That Baby And A Foul. I am an obsessed Piston fan with a passion for sports journalism. Here at CTBAAF, I intend to offer opinions on the Pistons and the NBA as a whole.

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