I don't think they got bamboozled. Chandler was a foul machine compared to Ben.

There is something to be said for having a veteran player on a young team, someone who has been in the trenches of the NBA Finals, and gets a lot of friendly whistles.

After seeing Dwyane Wade punk the Mavs in the Finals from the free throw line, a guy who gets friendly whistles is extremely valuable.

Besides, they paid Ben without going into luxury tax territory, and they structured his annual salary to de-escalate.

You're also forgetting that Chandler was moved for PJ Brown, another veteran presence and 2 second round picks...

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I too agree with TaShawn/Mercury that the bulls could have done just as well by just keeping Chandler. The question is would Skiles have used him the way BScott does in NewOr to have the break out season.

Would we have been better with Ben? Who knows for sure. The stats say we are better, but the record doesn't indicate it. In the end we may only be 12 games worst than we were last year, but Ben could have been the difference as Roscoe says in the post season.

Also agree with Mercury...we appear to be a tad slow at key positions to keep up with some teams. CB was just plain embarrassed out there last night and despite the successful three balls by Sheed, he seem slow and aloof especially with the bandaged hands

That game was flat out embarrasing. All the easy point blank shots from chic, getting out boarded without Ben. No energy or seemingly any will to win. You would think that being down 1-2 in a series with one blowout already would have meant something. Not to mention the fact that it was Bens old team. It meant something to the fans to win that game and its too bad the players did not feel the same way.

Wonder if the Pistons will get fined for the Palace Punk throwing a lip balm at Tyrus as he was escorted out through the tunnel after he was thrown out.

Both PTI and Around the Horn spotlighted it, so you wonder if Stern is looking for more ways to take some more money out of Davison's pockets??

Missed that. I was unfortunate enought to be at the game. Don't know if they showed it on tv or not but Tyrus only acted tough when he was being restrained. Unrestrained he did not want anything to do with Rip and walked away from him.

Really?

We call Carmelo, Carmella now for almost that very reason. Should we call Tyrus.......Tyra??

Don't know. It was ridiculas. I have not seen anything like that since grade school. You knew and Rip knew that he was not going to do anything. I think thats why Rip kind of taunted him a bit.

I saw the massive overreaction on PTI. It's not the Pistons' fault that one idiot threw something at Tyrus. TONS of people were hurling stuff at the Pacers during and after the brawl, which was awful...but after two and a half years without any other incidents, one punk throwing something means that there's a "pattern" that the Palace is responsible for? Give me a break.

I thought the Indy game was a wakeup call, but the Pistons won that game. They got away with poor basketball so they didn't get that wakeup call. I think this slap in the face should do the job.