Rotations - Page 24 - Detroit Pistons Fan Community

buddahfan · #**231** (**permalink**) 08-12-2007, 04:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lee356

Is Mohammed what you want at center? Or are you just resigned to mediocraty for us next year at that position?

Ramadan starts 11 days earlier this year and runs through the first week of of the exhibition schedule. So he definitely should be shape by the time the actual season starts.

Ramadan on the Net - Islamic Calendar 2004 - 2009

Lee356 · #**232** (**permalink**) 08-12-2007, 04:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BillLaimbeer

I'm going to agree with Linwood and predict that Samb will not play for the Pistons this year and Nazr will start the season as the starting center. It's not a matter of what you want as a Pistons fan. When you look at the current roster, Nazr is simply the best option as the starting center, unless you throw McDyess into the starting lineup.

Mohammed did not go completely out of the rotation just because Webber arrived. Mohammed represents zero threat in the post. Lack of size or not, you are better off using JMAX vs. Mohammed. Sheed can play center, while JMAX can play power forward. Defensively, JMAX gives up more height vs. Mohammed for sure, but JMAX provides way more defense overall. Mohammed can not get over, ever, to help out on anyone driving to the basket.

Dyess has problems with lateral movement too, but is not as bad as Mohammed, and Dyess can score inside some at least. He is a lot tougher than Mohammed, and I would much rather have Dyess play any center minutes Sheed can't handle.

People tend to underestimate what they have not seen. They assume that because a guy like Amir has not been playing for us that he must not be all that ready to play. Prepare to be pleasantly surprised. And finally, people assume Samb will not play. That might have been a legit assumption before we signed him. There was talk about leaving him over in Europe for a year. But we did sign him. Yes, maybe he will spend some time in the D-League, but don't be surprised at all to see him in the rotation this season, at least to some extent. Samb is improving very fast, so do not judge what he can do this season based on what you may have seen in summer league. Remember, the guy virtually just started playing, and already has gotten very far, very fast.

round · #**233** (**permalink**) 08-12-2007, 04:56 PM

samb won't see any real time in a pistons uniform this year unless its a 12th man while we have a serious injury bug. the question wasn't wether he was ready to help us, but whether he had made enough progress that he was at a point that is was better for him to spend his time in the states then to go back over seas.... i am hoping he's a 10 min guy in 2 years and anything over that is a bonus.

as for Amir I won't be suprised if he gets 1 out of 3 games in, or if he gets 15-20 mins.... i think he could give us a nice 15-20 a game but whether that thing we call a head coach will live with the mistakes that young players bring is another question... I think we have 4-5 that could play upwards of 20 a game and you just wonder how many of them will get the chance to shine.

buddahfan · #**234** (**permalink**) 08-12-2007, 04:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lee356

People tend to underestimate what they have not seen. They assume that because a guy like Amir has not been playing for us that he must not be all that ready to play. Prepare to be pleasantly surprised. And finally, people assume Samb will not play. That might have been a legit assumption before we signed him. There was talk about leaving him over in Europe for a year. But we did sign him. Yes, maybe he will spend some time in the D-League, but don't be surprised at all to see him in the rotation this season, at least to some extent. Samb is improving very fast, so do not judge what he can do this season based on what you may have seen in summer league. Remember, the guy virtually just started playing, and already has gotten very far, very fast.

I have seen AJ play a number of times. The only surprises he will bring for me will be his 'talking in tongues plays" that he has one or more of a game. Not the fact that he is having them, but you will never know when he will just wow you.

Re Samb: I think he starts out in the D league. What happens from there I would not care to vernture a guess.

Re Nazr: My point is that there won't be the Ramadan excuse this year like there was last year. I pretty much agree with you, but I think that if he could stay out of foul trouble he would be serviceable for 15-20 minutes a game.

However, I am not sure that he can do that because as you know you play defense primarily with your floor location, feet movement ability (rotation etc) and balance and fourthly with your hands (elbows downward) and lastly with your hops, especially as a big.

ocellatus · #**235** (**permalink**) 08-12-2007, 05:30 PM

None of the starters should average more then 33 MPG.

Billiups 33 mpg
Rip 33 mpg
Sheed 28 mpg
Tay 33 mpg
Nazr 12 mpg <-- needs to be traded

Dice 22 mpg
Max 25 mpg
Amir 15 mpg
Hot Rod 23 mpg
Afflalo 12 mpg

buddahfan · #**236** (**permalink**) 08-12-2007, 05:35 PM

Nazr forum link

Nazr Mohammed Forums - Topix

Nazr Mohammed News - Topix

buddahfan · #**237** (**permalink**) 08-12-2007, 05:41 PM

Sorry that this is a double post on this thread.

I also thought putting the whole post here rather than just the link and as I did on the other thread was okay to do.

Quote:

Pep in their step

Pistons banking on young reserves for energy boost

Posted: Thursday July 12, 2007 2:31PM; Updated: Thursday July 12, 2007 5:48PM

The Pistons believe first-round pick Rodney Stuckey (right) has the ability to play either guard spot at the NBA level.
AP

LAS VEGAS -- Is Dallas still relevant after losing in the first round to Golden State? Do the Suns have another run at the title in them? Are the Cavaliers likely to build on their Eastern Conference championship?
You may answer "yes'' to all such questions, but for the teams themselves, the future is never assured. Even Spurs coach Gregg Popovich admitted -- shortly after winning his third championship in five years -- to worrying earlier in the season that he might have lost his team, that it might be tired of hearing his demands. As much as the Spurs dominated the playoffs, Popovich had questioned a few months earlier if they could regain their form.
Joe Dumars understands. "If you've ever walked that championship road, you know how hard it is, how fortunate you have to be to get there,'' the Pistons' president said. "You never hear champions talk casually about what it takes, and when you miss an opportunity, it's devastating because you never know when that opportunity will come again.''
Dumars considered making a major trade to improve his starting lineup after Detroit ceded its 2-0 lead to Cleveland in the conference finals. "If the right opportunity had presented itself, I wouldn't have hesitated,'' he said. But he was never going to tear down his lineup and start over.
Instead, he is planning to make another run with the 2003-04 championship core that has reached the last five Eastern finals. For all of the talk that the Pistons are yesterday's news, Dumars notes that his team lost three games to Cleveland by a total of 12 points. Instead of a makeover, maybe all Detroit needs is a little extra push to get through its conference and back to the Finals.
That's why he is presenting coach Flip Saunders with four young players off the bench -- Jason Maxiell, Amir Johnson and first-round rookies Rodney Stuckey (No. 15 overall) and Arron Afflalo (No. 27) -- to provide jolts of caffeine to a team that has seen and done everything already. The Pistons have played 99 postseason games over the last five years, and Dumars is empathetic.
"These guys are human,'' he said. "We ask them to play into May or June every single year for the last five years, and so when they get into January, February and March, they need something to get excited about.''
The 6-5 Stuckey has emerged as one of the best players at the NBA Summer League here, averaging 19.3 points, four rebounds and 2.7 assists in his first three games for the Pistons. During his two years at Eastern Washington, he was forced to take on all roles to help his team win -- scoring, playmaking, rebounding and defending.
"When you play for the Eastern Washingtons and the McNeese States of the world,'' said Dumars, whose Hall of Fame career began at McNeese State, "no job is too big. There were times on the floor he would make big-time plays and he just didn't have the talent around him to complete the play. I watched him closely for his reaction to his teammates, and he always reacted the right way -- he never showed an attitude or a negative reaction.''
Dumars envisions Stuckey as a combo guard capable of playing alongside Chauncey Billups or Richard Hamilton. Afflalo will take over for inconsistent Carlos Delfino, who was recently moved to Toronto to open up a backcourt spot for the 6-5 rookie from UCLA. Others in the Pistons' front office see in Afflalo the same traits of character and leadership that Dumars brought as a Pistons player two decades ago.
Dumars is following a simple formula. When Billups, Hamilton and Ben Wallace were young, he complemented them with veterans off the bench. Now that his starters are in their late 20s to early 30s, the bench needs to grow younger. That's why Dumars is anticipating bigger roles for young forwards Maxiell and Johnson, both of whom are highly valued within the organization. Against smaller lineups, the Pistons may follow the Spurs' lineup and shift Rasheed Wallace to center with Maxiell starting at power forward; depending on free agent Chris Webber's future with the team, the Pistons could also go traditionally big with a front line of Nazr Mohammed and Rasheed Wallace. It's obvious that the Pistons are trending away from waning veterans like Webber in order to revitalize their team with younger, lively legs.
The transition to youth off the bench will present issues. There will inevitably be ugly stretches and frustration with how much Stuckey and the others have yet to learn. But the Pistons' goal will be to finish April with a better second unit than they've had in recent years, one that could ultimately inspire their elder starters.
"The question has to be, Are we good enough?'' Dumars said. "When we were swept in the 2003 conference finals by New Jersey, I said we're not good enough. I look at us now and I see that we're still good enough.''

linwood · #**238** (**permalink**) 08-12-2007, 06:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lee356

Is Mohammed what you want at center? Or are you just resigned to mediocraty for us next year at that position?

It's not so much about what I want, as it is about what we have and what we can get.

I would like it if we had Baron Davis backing up Chauncey, Rasheed Wallace backing up Amare Staudamire, etc. But that isn't going to happen. Even though Nazr isn't what you want for the center position, at this point, he is worlds better than the inexperienced Cheik Samb. Maybe in a few years, that will change... but I doubt it happens this season.

Lee356 · #**239** (**permalink**) 08-12-2007, 09:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by linwood

It's not so much about what I want, as it is about what we have and what we can get.

I would like it if we had Baron Davis backing up Chauncey, Rasheed Wallace backing up Amare Staudamire, etc. But that isn't going to happen. Even though Nazr isn't what you want for the center position, at this point, he is worlds better than the inexperienced Cheik Samb. Maybe in a few years, that will change... but I doubt it happens this season.

I only expect to see Samb play maybe 10 minutes a game. I would rather see those minutes go toward the development of Samb rather than watch a guy with no upside take minutes just because he is here. Signing Mohammed was a huge mistake by Dumars. Ain't no hiding that.

Lets look at minutes. Lets be real light on the minutes for the starters, and Dyess. Sheed 30. JMAX 30. Dyess 24. There are only 96 minutes to cover at the bigs position. You play Samb the other 12 if you are not playing Amir some at power forward instead of small forward.

Lets say you add in 15 minutes a game for Amir at power forward and Samb does not even play. With Sheed playing 31 minutes, JMAX playing 26, and Dyess 24. Minutes covered. Even without Samb.

So I will ask you point blank-do you really think Mohammed is a better player than either of Dyess, Sheed, JMAX, or Amir Johnson? If not, why should he get any minutes?

DeetroitDynasty-e · #**240** (**permalink**) 08-12-2007, 09:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lee356

I only expect to see Samb play maybe 10 minutes a game. I would rather see those minutes go toward the development of Samb rather than watch a guy with no upside take minutes just because he is here. Signing Mohammed was a huge mistake by Dumars. Ain't no hiding that.

Lets look at minutes. Lets be real light on the minutes for the starters, and Dyess. Sheed 30. JMAX 30. Dyess 24. There are only 96 minutes to cover at the bigs position. You play Samb the other 12 if you are not playing Amir some at power forward instead of small forward.

Lets say you add in 15 minutes a game for Amir at power forward and Samb does not even play. With Sheed playing 31 minutes, JMAX playing 26, and Dyess 24. Minutes covered. Even without Samb.

So I will ask you point blank-do you really think Mohammed is a better player than either of Dyess, Sheed, JMAX, or Amir Johnson? If not, why should he get any minutes?

I think he is better than them at playing Center. I think that Center takes its toll, and if Rasheed is playing a lot at the 5 he'll pick up fouls and tax his body. Same goes for Dyess if they are put in that position more than they were last year, with Nazr and C-Webb out of the line-up, they will. I think Nazr can and will contribute between 23 and 18 minutes a game if or until he is traded or completely upstaged by AJ.

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