LOL...Since Stuckey will only play 12 minutes a game,(1 quarter) , how bout "25 CENT" !!!!

Our starters played well enough in the first half. Not great, but well enough. Our bench stunk. Led by Hunter, they could not score. However, the bench at least stayed on the floor long enough to give the starters rest for the 2nd half. Good news, it won't be long before Hunter is not playing. Stuckey will get all the backup point guard minutes.


We were up by about 16 when Stuckey came in for the 4th quarter. (about a minute or two into the quarter.) The lead got up to 20 later. Stuckey made a nice assist or two, got inside some, made a free throw, and ever a jumper or two. Seven points. Even when Stuckey gets to the basket and misses, you say to yourself, wow, that was something.


Afflalo was in the rotation in the first half, but out in the 2nd half. In the 2nd half, Prince played shooting guard to back up Rip, playing along side Stuckey. Perhaps Flip felt Stuckey needed Prince's steadying influence.
JMAX had a decent 2nd half after an unproductive first half. (But JMAX played the whole 2nd quarter, giving Dyess and Sheed plenty of rest.


The 3rd quarter saw the Pistons dominate NJ. Rip was on fire, as he was in the first half too. Dyess had a good shooting night, but not enough times going inside. Solid rebounding from him as usual.


Billups won his personal duel with Kidd as usual. Not much to beat. Lots of assists by Kidd but he never made a basket.


Prince did a little of everything, not a lot of scoring.


Sheed was hitting his jumpers.


Hayes is still in a bad slump. The shots were once getting close, now they ain't.


JMAX is just getting steadier and steadier on his outside jumpers.


Amir did get to play, but only after the game was 100% wrapped up. Maybe 90 seconds worth. As further insult, Brezec came off the bench first.


Ok, what did we get from this game we can use in the playoffs? It was just ho-hum same ole same ole for the starters. Afflalo got a bit more time in the rotation when it counts. JMAX too. Stuckey played a whole quarter, mostly against their starters, where we had a lead but the game still in doubt. Three of our young players got time needed to improve their game. One did not. But this one is one of our best players, one we dearly need playing regularly when the playoffs get here. Should the coach be fired for not playing Amir. In my opinion, yes. Sure, there is still time for Flip to start playing Amir, but then again, I quit believing in fairy tales at age 5.


One thing we failed to do, find a different way to go at backup small forward. Hustle is fine, but Hayes has not been around long enough to deserve an unending amount of time to work out his shot problems. Besides, maybe if someone else got a shot a the time Hayes would try just a little harder.

I am not going to worry about Amir anymore. Things will work themselfs out.

At least Stucky and Afflalo are playing. Stucky looked great but shows his natural tendancies as a SG.

Great run in the 3rd quarter where the Pistons shot around 80%. Found ways to find the open man and Rip was fantastic.

6 straight wins. 21-7 record. Have to stop and appreciate that. 2nd best in the league.

GO shwaty...its yo birthday!

He did have 3 assists to 1 turnover. He can average that per 10 minutes like he was in tonight for, he will become an all star. Plus 2 steals.

HQ, check out the pics I posted in the Stuckey thread.

I think Brezec came in before Amir because Brezec was replacing Sheed, but Amir couldn't come in at the same time because JMax was on the line. After the next dead ball, about 20 seconds later when Stuckey got fouled, Amir came in for JMax.

Actually Hot Rod's game kind of reminds me of Zeke's when Zeke first came up, though Hot Rod is a lot bigger and probably will be a better rebounder than Zeke due to greater height and strength.

That seems to be the current scheme of things. AJ is 3rd on the #4 depth chart.

that is max's fault, if he had made his 2nd free throw he would have been in at the same time as brezec... i think max missed it on purpose

Amir was actually starting to get up at the 3 minute mark. Someone told him to sit back down. Brezec was clearly put into the game first. Only after we made another basket yet, and the game was truly out of reach, was Amir allowed to play.