NBA Finals: Lakers vs. Celtics - Page 20 - Detroit Pistons Fan Community

TheeTFD · #**191** (**permalink**) 06-18-2008, 09:23 PM

Yeah some one said the Celts Dee was as good as the '96 Bulls, ESPN.
Right now they are BOSS.
I realize the LakeShow came up flat, but offense would bring a tear to Flips eye.

TheeTFD · #**192** (**permalink**) 06-18-2008, 09:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dba

Well, one thing for sure, it wasn't quite what I expected.

- The ultimate anti-Stern series. Yeah, top names and storied rivalry, but what Stern has always pushed is local (divisional) rivalries and home grown talent. The league has worked for years to make it hard for players to switch teams with the intent that fans will get to know the players.... And what does it get him??? A finals filled with hired guns. And lesser teams so strapped by the cap that they can't make moves. The league needs to do some thinking. I don't see that dba, Ainge pulled off the deals of the decade. That's how I see it's meant to work.

- So much for building up your European scouting organization. Bring in the best of the best and all they do is complain about how hard the other team is playing. So much for all those fears that American players were on the way out.

- You kind of expected Gasol, Radmanovich, and Sasha to fade when the going got tough, but Kobe??? The Jordan legacy is intact. For now Kobe aint done.

- And for the Pistons. Seems pretty clear now the best two teams were in the East like that pesky regular season record always showed. Either Boston or Detroit could have taken LA out. A better coach, a better gameplan, a point guard who could move, a little more bench play and who knows. Move a piece if you need to Joe, but don't discount the big move you've already made. Right

- And for the Celtics. Those guys can't play those kind of minutes for another season. Look for some time lost to injury and a very slow start they will spend the rest of the season trying to recover from - say 7-15. Not sure they win without Posey this year, and he won't be back. He's got a couple of rings and will be looking for a payday somewhere, and someone will give him one.

-
I thought they would break down this year, and their bench would fail them. Didn't happen. Eat the rich.

LA Dre · #**193** (**permalink**) 06-18-2008, 09:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by anakin

Correction. Joe has not upgraded the bench since the Championship. Every year since then he has had an assortment of scrubs coming off the bench, or in case of this year, playoff rookies as the main bench support. IMO he has lived off the Championship legacy and done pretty much nothing to take the team over the top in terms of talent and depth. Let him put his money where his mouth is and actually show meaningful roster changes this off-season.

With the tradition of the old school Celtics hanging over their heads, this years champions will be back next year to defend and the Pistons have to make moves to counter it or gulp!, keep up with them.

Picking up a scrub to add to an aging core, will not do the trick this summer. The C's have the big three, but the other guys 21 year Perkins and 22 year old Rondo matured during the season and should be better next year. The six man Posey was the man off the bench. Don't expect Cassel or PJ to be there next year, but some other FA may sign there with the chance to get the riing...

Listening to Laker radio all day today, they realized that even though they got to the finals, they need to get tougher next season and their listeners proposed more trades today than I have read on our forum pages since we were eliminated... OK I am fibbing here., but bottom line they want to move Odom and they are shooting for Brand, Artest and even Posey. These are the guys we need to be targeting too for toughness. Mello and Tmac are scorers and go to guys, but we still need someone who can rebound when Amir and dice are in foul trouble and can show some toughness. In other words somebody off the bench that is going to give us more than Arvis or Max or Hunter.....

Heard John Barry on one of the local shows too, and he basically told the Laker fans they were not good enough to contend right now and the Pistons would have beaten them too!!

Ernie the Slow Adult · #**194** (**permalink**) 06-18-2008, 10:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LA Dre

Heard John Barry on one of the local shows too, and he basically told the Laker fans they were not good enough the Pistons would have beaten them too!!

These are the worst things that can happen when it comes to adding and/or changing the team. The last thing they need to hear is they would have won if only.........

anakin · #**195** (**permalink**) 06-18-2008, 10:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LA Dre

Mello and Tmac are scorers and go to guys, but we still need someone who can rebound when Amir and dice are in foul trouble and can show some toughness. In other words somebody off the bench that is going to give us more than Arvis or Max or Hunter.....

Yep, we need a true scorer who is willing to be the go to guy , preferably a low-post player, and atleast one QUALITY veteran bench guy. Give playing time for the youth to develop but their development is icing on the cake. You can't expect Amir to step in and slow down the likes of KG. Stuckey showed some good progress but no one knows what his ceiling is going to be. It's not like we have Paul or Williams at PG and a lock down defender in AA. They are still learning the game.

The Pistons could have won it all this season and it chaps my arse that they couldn't step it up when it counted. Joe has settled for the status quo the last few seasons. I din't like all the Tigers moves this off-season, but atleast they are going all out trying to win. I don't see that effort from the Pistons organization.

roscoe36 · #**196** (**permalink**) 06-19-2008, 10:02 AM

Joe has been living off the championship. It's a source of much frustration for me.

**max** · #**197** (**permalink**) 06-19-2008, 10:37 AM

I think one has to give the Celts some credit. They went out and won the necessary games to get this title. Every team had the same opportunity and they were the ones who got it done.

Although, I do think they owe the Pistons a thank you for giving them he confidence to win on the road. I could not help thinking how the Pistons had their foot on the Celts throats and layed up in game 3. The Celts became a better team after that. And Dumars once again underestimated his teams resolve.

One thing is clear. Danny Ainge has replaced Dumars as the new wonder kid GM. I don't think it would be wise to assume that the Celts are going to just go away.

BallDon'tLie · #**198** (**permalink**) 06-19-2008, 10:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by roscoe36

Joe has been living off the championship. It's a source of much frustration for me.

I don't see it as Joe living off the Ship as much as I see it as Joe being HYPERsensitive to slipping into a teal-era slump for a few years.

I think Joe's primary objective is to make sure that his team can contend for a championship while being afraid to make risky moves that might backfire and cause the Pistons to slip to a level where they feel the need to change the team colors to stimulate ticket sales.

Have Joe's final years as a "Teal-Era" Piston have left him scarred as a GM?

I still trust the guy though and there aren't too many other execs that could do a better job with what he has to work with.

roscoe36 · #**199** (**permalink**) 06-19-2008, 11:20 AM

Joe is an excellent GM. I mean that in the broadest definition of the role. He's running a high level, elite program.

That said, he's only been able to do that, because winning has not been his primary focus. He's avoided taking risks for several years now.

**max** · #**200** (**permalink**) 06-19-2008, 11:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by roscoe36

Joe is an excellent GM. I mean that in the broadest definition of the role. He's running a high level, elite program.

That said, he's only been able to do that, because winning has not been his primary focus. He's avoided taking risks for several years now.

Is it so much avoiding risk or underestimating his core's will to win? On paper we looked pretty darn good last year.