Okay, we don't know what sort of PT promises Joe has made to Delfino in the past. So we need to stop speculating.

The guy busted his butt last offseason to rehab and to get into good shape. And he wants to play in the World Championships, against NBA players, instead of in the SL for what 5 or 6 games, where they get 10 fouls each, against guys trying to make the NBA (didn't we have this argument before). So we shouldn't question his dedication.

Darko didn't complain about playing time? Arroyo didn't think he should be a starter on another team? Memo didn't leave for more money (granted he actually played)? Get real, Delfino isn't the first foreign player to want a larger role, and if the Detroit papers would actually want to interview him, he may be nervous about expressing himself in his 2nd language.

The guy is young, and his life is basketball. LB actually played him some decent minutes before his injury. Flip treated him like Mo Evans was his son, and Delfino was the red headed step child, and they played the same position on the little league baseball team that Flip coached.

He's trying to rattle the cage. He's trying to explain to his home country fans why one of their golden boys isn't playing.

When he played, he played well. But how do you explain him playing 10 minutes in one game, and playing well, with energy, and defense, and hustle, and then sitting for the next 3 or 4 games? Coaching.

And if you think we have a lot of players that can get to the hole on this team, you need to watch some game film. If you watch it, or if you even saw any of the games, you'd realize, aside from the occasional Rip to Tay on the fast break, we have very little penetration, and Flips offense, with his "huge" playbook is inexplicably one dimensional. Which also explains why teams, in a 7 game series, figured us out.

I don't know if Delfino will ever become a superstar in this league, or if he'll ever really catch on to the "NBA game", but I think he has the skills and the mindset to do it. And as far as he knows, he's done what he needs to do, and what's been asked of him. If he needs to improve certain aspects of his game to play, the coaching staff should be telling him and working with him. His contract is a bargain, and he has the potential to make an impact off the bench.

So as he sits on the bench and watches another year of his prime development time pass him by, I can understand why he is frustrated.

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Superstarov, agree, our guys rarely get to the whole and I will go a step further, Flip had no offense in the playoffs. Larry, had an offensive plan/strategy. I didn't agree with it but you knew that Larry was going to pound the ball in and work the clock. It was our will against theirs. What was Flip trying to do???

Micro, the Detroit writers don't ever seem to take an independent stance. It happens in LA, too, but here there was at least one guy in the LA Times who blasted the Lakers about Shaq and called the team a rebuilding team as soon as he left-- while Laker management was pushing a championship run with Kobe that first year. Many Laker fans were duped into thinking that because they had Kobe, they were still a good team.

We are still a good team but what the heck has been happening since the all-star break???

[quote=Superstarov]

Good thoughtful post. I am sick of people wanting to kick the guy to the curb because he tries to answer a question honestly. I have seen Bull Durham, I know he is supposed to say "I am so in awe of the uniform I am wearing that I am happy sitting the bench and helping the team any way I can". I would rather have the guy be honest.

I think you're right on the point throughout your post.

And very good point about the summer league. I've never really paid attention to any of the SLs before (but now I can ), but so far you really do have to ask if this is the best place to get experience. It's cobbled together teams with some pretty funky rules. I'm not sure how anyone can show what they can do / progress on their game with a foul called on average every 30 seconds.

Granted, Delfino would have played on the Piston's SL team and he may not play as much in the WCs. But still...

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"But first, are you experienced? Or have you you ever been experienced? Well, I have."
Jimi

I know where you're coming from with this, but I wonder if that would really be the case or not. Would the coaches actually play a guy who's already under contract that much, and who they think they know, more than a guy who was undrafted, a FA, or a fresh young rookie with their job being to place him for the next season.

I mean we know Delfino will be with the Pistons , but there are guys on the SL team who are trying to prove they should be on the Pistons, and not on the DL team, or that they should be on the DL team and not bagging groceries. And if a guy dominates in the SL... so what? That doesn't mean much. No clear coaching plan, jumbled rotations, tons of transition baskets, and as you mentioned, constant fouls.

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I agree that the Pistons need to go to the whole more.

Plus if he were in Vegas it would have also cut into Acker and Amir's minutes significantly. (Besides, I think there is a 3-non rookie limit per team)

I agree. They need to use the whole court more. As in getting out on the break. Delfino could help with this. The guy is swift.

That Speedy guy is pretty swift, too.