If you listen to him (Cato), he's healthy enough to play right now. I think we'll see him activated within the next couple of weeks, and he'll get into a game I would say sometime this month. It'll only matter if the Pistons see the Heat in the playoffs, which is when every one of Detroit's bigs will see some action against him.


It looks like they're more comfortable, at least for now, with Delk playing at the off-guard spot. Because of that, you can expect to see Delfino probably impacted more than anyone else. Hunter's minutes should be cut some as well, although he seems to be getting closer to playing like his old self, especially on defense.
As far as whose minutes should Delk get, it really is a situational-type thing. If the starters are struggling to make shots and the defense is solid, I'd like to see him maybe get some of Hunter's minutes. If a team is going small across the board, I could see going with him a little more than Delfino or Evans.
Unless someone gets hurt, expect to see all three rookies well dressed and on the bench, or rather, behind the bench, during the playoffs.

I think you'll start to see Saunders pull the starters out of the fourth quarter of blowouts a litle bit earlier than he has in the past because now he's going to a bench that's filled with veterans who have a better sense of how important every minute on the court can be.


That bench needed someone other than McDyess who can actually make a shot from with some level of consistency. He (Delk) has played more of late because Lindsey's been under the weather (the flu and most recently, food poisoning). But I believe even when Hunter is healthy, expect Delk to still log most of the minutes behind Chauncey

I think what you'll see is Delk on the floor a lot with Tayshaun, who as you know, makes Delk's job of running the show at the point a lot easier. I think he's more of a scoring point guard who is a smart enough defender to know where to send guys if he's beaten off the dribble.

I like what Delk can bring to the floor with that second unit, which was definitely in need of another scorer. I'd like to see Flip look to the bench a little bit more in the second half of games. I guess what has been surprising to me is that there have been games when the second unit has played well in the first half, but didn't get an opportunity to do much in the second. There's still about a month's worth of games left to play, so there's plenty of time for these guys to figure out what works best heading into the playoffs.

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http://img207.imageshack.us/img207/6137/iverson2ue0.jpg

This is totally unacceptable. Delfino has "earned" a spot in the rotation with his consistant effort and production. He does everything the team asks- he plays great D, he hustles and gives good energy and unlike Darvin Ham or Ronald Dupree he has TONS of talent. Flip is doing the team a big diservice by keeping him on the bench.

I don't care what you think of Mo Evans or how he compares to Carlos...you can't deny that Carlos deserves to be in our rotation. It is becoming disturbingly clear that Delfino isn't in our future plans and that is STUPID. We can't keep giving young guys the Darko treatment or the age before beauty excuse.

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I have nothing to say.

As long as the Pistons win, I don't care who plays.

The future is now. Flip needs to be able to play who he wants to play if we are going to have a chance at a title. If he feels that is Mo, then so be it.

Delfino unlike Darko does not have a salary that makes him a tradeable asset. The cost to offer him a qualifying offer is relatively small. He's in the future plans if the fans could grasp that future might not be this season. The guy isn't even 2 years through his 4 year rookie deal yet, and there are a lot of ballers on this team.

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Competition is merely the absence of oppression.
- Frédéric Bastiat

I totally agree. Delfino has worked hard, contributed, improved...everything. At some point you have to let players feel like they have a stake in this team.

That's obviously true, but I like the Pistons chances in the playoffs quite a bit better in the playoffs if it's Delfino getting those 10-15 minutes over Mo Evans.

One of Flip's knocks has always been that he's a poor judge of talent. Wanted to keep Terrell Brandon over Chauncey, and wanted to trade Ray Allen and a 1st rounder for Stephon Marbury among others. I just don't see what he likes about Mo more than Delfino right now. Regardless of the future.

Dumars has always said that he'll trade a player if they ask for it. If Delfino has a repeat of last season where he gets left out in the playoffs (Which it's heading that direction), then I can definately see him asking for a trade. I can't say I'd blame him either. He has obviously earned the minutes. He is just getting stuck on the bench behind a lesser player. Even worse about the situation is that the Pistons won't be able to get a thing for him because he hasn't played enough to showcase his talent AND his deal is small.

I just don't know what Flip is looking at when he's evaluating these players.

Typical Micro. You refuse to have an opinion and simply accept whatever the Coach thinks. Delfino should be playing 20mpg EVERY game. It's not hard to find those type of minutes when you have such a talented player.

CB- 35 TD- 13
RH- 35 ME- 13
TP- 30 CD- 18
RW- 35 AM- 26
BW-35

Flip said at the beginning of the season that he likes to use a 9 man rotation. Of course he said a lot of things when he was hired that he never really followed through on.

I have an opinion. It's the coach's job to win. However he wants to do it, just win. If we were a .500 team, I would be second guessing Flip like a mother. But I care about winning, not who plays.

Not to sound as condescending as you were to me, but do you really think you know more about the players and basketball than Flip Saunders? He's a career coach. He's been in the NBA for over a decade. This is what he does every single day.

In business, I've seen disasters when management or popular opinion influences the instincts of the person running the show. You hire the best candidiate, give them as much as you can afford to accomplish their agenda and live with the results. That's reality. There are no backseat drivers on the road to success.

Look, I hated what came out of Delfino's mouth in the press last year, but I am not questioning his game. Just the same, he's played good to pretty good. He hasn't exactly been the second coming of Scotty Pippen, James Worthy or Larry Bird.

Yeah he's talented. He'll get his chance next year. If he doesn't and we still win, I'm ok with that. All I care about is the success of the franchise.

We're destroying Merc's thread with the Darko replacement debate (Evans vs. Delfino). But what's done is done. Let me drop a bomb and see how many forum members get shrapnel.

Is there a chance that Delfino is on the outside looking in because of his comments in the press last year? That Darko might have been trade bait once he was arrested?

Joe has shown a history of non-tolerance towards ANY negative drama reflecting on the franchise, from turning over Carlisle, Uncle Cliffy, Larry Brown. You get in the public eye negatively, your ticket out of town is punched.

I realize this is out of the box thinking. It's probably going to piss someone off. Deal with it. I'm not 100% sold on this, but I have considered that some of the personnel and management moves have been less about winning and more about personality/loyalty issues. So before anyone roasts me, take a minute to consider what I am writing and allow yourself the imagination to see it as a possibility.

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Competition is merely the absence of oppression.
- Frédéric Bastiat

The Delfino situation to the press was overblown. LB treated him like garbage, and tried to force him to come back and play through an injury. He also questioned his manhood in the press. As you can see with LB and his past (+ present)... He has a way of rubbing players the wrong way. I would not doubt that the things Delfino said were true. Not that he should have said those things. He shouldn't have. But I'm sure you've said things in the heat of the moment as well.

Besides, didn't Delfino have this big "epiphany" over the summer? You're gonna dilude the talent in your rotation just because he didn't like a guy that (gasp), even the owner didn't like (also bad-mouthed him to the press), and isn't even a part of the franchise anymore?

I agree with you, in principle.

Premise:

1. The coach is an idiot, and doesn't play the bench.

2. The ultimate goal: The complete domination of the National Basketball Association.

Conclusion:

3. The optimum way to achieve complete domination is to play personnel currently rotting away on the dark, splintery side of the bench.


Our premises are true. We both accept these as fact. On the above statements, we concur.

Here is where we differ:

You conclude:

The optimum unused bench player is Delfino. With his superior perimeter defense, and his undeniable slashing ability, The title would be insured, if we (Flip) would just give him a chance.

I conclude:

The optimum unused bench player is Hunter. With his superior "lock down" defense, and his veteran sensibilities, The title would be insured, if we (Flip) would just give him a chance.



Our premises are true. Our difference of opinion lies in the player most neccessary to win another championsip.

I argue that Hunter brings championships. In our dark days, we traded him away to a contender, and he won two championships. When we were ready, we brought him back, and won a championship.

Lindsey Hunter has more Championship rings on his fingers that any other Piston. His experience speaks for itself. His age does not deny him, it defines him. His record is impeccable. His experience speaks for itself. His resume is flawless. He no longer needs to speak of his potential. His defense is impenatrable.