So whats are depth chart shaping up to be? Assuming there is no blockbuster trade which there does not appear to be or we would have heard something.

Roster: 1)Billups, 2)Rip, 3)Prince, 4)Sheed, 5)Dyess, 6)Mohamed, 7)Davis, 8)Delfino, 9)Murry, 10) Hunter, 11) Maxiel, 12) Dupree, 13) Johnson 14) Acker/Blaylock

PG: Billups, Hunter, Murry,Acker/Blaylock
SG: Rip, Murry, Delfino, Dupree, Acker/Blaylock?
SF: Prince, Delfino, Maxiel, Dupree,Johnson
C: Mohamed, Sheed, Davis
PF: Sheed, Dyess, Maxiel, Johnson

Equals around 47-35..........2nd round and out...........making it to ECF with this squad would be a major achievement...........

That appears to be a likely scenerio. Who do you see beating the Pistons? If Shaq slows down, Ben does not recapture his youth and the other Cavs do not help LeBran out enough then we could still take the East.

But its all very dependant on what the other teams are going to do. ( Hence my sig )

I see the usual starters + Mohamed. Off the bench Dyess, Murry, Delfino, Hunter, Maxiel. Probably not going to go much deeper than 10 with the other guys given burn every so often with Davis only being used in certain situations. There will be some opportunity though and I am not sure how much Hunter is going to want to play.

Advantages

1) More paint points. Sheed will not be doubled as much which should free him up to go inside more. Flip had talked some about going through Sheed in the post last summer - never really happened but perhaps now it will. Also throw in Mohamed, a less doubled Dyess and Maxiel who some have been saying reminds them of Corliss.
We should have a decent frontcourt as long as Sheed has a good year. Without Sheed we are looking pretty average.

2) Team stepping up to make up for Ben. Our rebounding/defensive problems may not be as bad as some think.

3) Quicker team? Thats what I hear anyway. How is replacing Mohamed with Ben when Mohamed has never on a fast breaking team going to swing it?

4) Deeper bench and more production from the bench. Looking forward to seeing how Delfino will play with the extended PT, we could use a good slasher and he should be more comfortable with his jump shot.
Dyess is supposed to play more and Flip seems to think he is poised for a throwback season.
Murry? say what you want about him but he is capable of carrying the team for a quarter. Murry appears to be kind of hot/cold type of guy. 2 points one night and 20 the next. Every 20 point game could be another Pistons win.
Maxiel - looking forward to seeing what the "Brahma" can do given a shot.
- Always a chance for Acker or Johnson to surprise us.

5) Intangibles. Chicago has 1 guy Ben Wallace seeking to play more inspired. We have the 5 remaning core Pistons with something to prove.

6) Greater opportunities for the young guys to succeed. Its more their PT to lose now.

7) The reg season just got a lot more interesting. No win is guaranteed on any given night and we will not be sure who is going to step up and who will get better as the season goes on. For the Fan - we will not be on auto pilot until April this season. Every game is going to be a new experience.

Excellent breakdown Max. It would be nice if all these things go our way.

I see Miami giving the Pistons problems. We will probably double Shaq more often next year, leaving Wade and co. to operate on offense, not good. I really don`t see the Cav`s doing any better this upcoming year. Afterall, have they improved from last year?

I like the mix of vets and young guys on our team. The key is for Joe D and Flip to play the youngsters and create some chemistry between the two.

What Miami was very successful at last year was playing the half court EC style ball, and being able to run whenever they wanted to.

The Pistons may be able to play that way also. Sheed, Rip, Tay, Nazr, CB in the half court game and Delfino, Flip, JMax, Dyess, Acker in the running offense.

Not a lineup inked in stone, however, there are some interchangeable players that can play both ways, so feel free to tinker with the lineup!!!!!!

But as Max said, it depends on what the other teams do, not nessecarily on what the Pistons do. We will need much luck in addition to good play this season.

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"We are going to be really good offensively and definsively, we are going to be a team that can beat you 120-110, or beat you 80-70" Coach Michael Curry on the 2008-2009 Pistons.

We'll definantly fall short with this group, but there is just no way Joe D. is going to overload the roster and keep it like that. He knows everyone won't get pt so he has to be trying to work out a trade.

If we keep the group like this we might win, but that's if everything Max said is right. Dallas almost won and they started Adrian Griffin and Diop. For us to have a good season like Dallas did Flip needs to do better, Sheed needs to enforce his will, and the bench needs to step up.

Come midseason I now think the Pistons will try pulling off a trade. I have no idea for who though.

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"That's the end, man." Rasheed Wallace

I know guys play multiple positions, but I dislike depth charts that list guys more than once. They are confusing. It makes it look like there are about 20 guys on the team.

Just modifying slightly what Max has done:

PG: Billups, Hunter, Blaylock
SG: Rip, Murray, Acker
SF: Prince, Delfino, Dupree
PF: Sheed, Dyess, Maxiel, Johnson
C: Mohamed, Davis

Thanks BillLaimbeer. I was trying to sort all that out myself, not knowing what position some of the guys play the most. I didn't realize Hunter would be at 1, and for some reason I thought Delfino at 2.

No one lists Cato. Are we out of money now or no one thinks he is good enough anymore? It seems strange to have paid so much money for him and never use him last season. And couldn't he still help against Shaq, esp now Ben is gone?

Thanks - We could use some luck, about due.

Himat - I am starting to think that this will be it!!

Thing about Miami. They are the team to beat, no doubt about that.

Can anyone honestly say that Ben was a big factor against the Heat? This could be the one team where not having Ben really does not matter much.