Under Carlisle, Prince didn't play until every other option was exhausted. Under Brown, Prince started. I would imagine Tayshaun likes LB better than watching Michael Curry's ass crawl up and down the court.

I think blowing up your salary cap would be a worse choice then letting Prince go especially when this team did pretty well while Prince played poorly in the last half of the playoffs.

While Sheed could play some offensive 3 and perhaps Evans or Delfino could also take up minutes there both offensively and defensively (if Delfino actually plays defense), losing Prince means going from a situation where our defensive 3 spot is so solid that we throw the SF at better 2s when his defense is not needed at the 3, to trying to platoon guys at the spot based on defensive match-ups.

Rasheed cannot play defensive 3 against any quick SFs and even trying to put him there means that he can't be playing defensive 4 or 5 (and we all know the Pistons like to put Sheed on the better offensive weapon of those 2 spots and let Ben rebound and play help-D).

How would a 3 big line-up work against contending teams?
Indy - Sheed might be able to gaurd Artest who produces a lot based on out muscling his opposing 3 but that takes Sheed off O'neal who he plays better than most.
Mia - I would imagine McDyess could guard Walker letting Sheed take his minutes on Shaq.
Spurs- anyone can cover Bowen out at the corner, its just a matter of if they stay on him out there when the quards cut or not. Leaving Sheed to guard Duncan where he should be.

KGreg-"They're probably arguing over the sixth year, which Detroit has being Tay's home squad, that would push Tay's contract to be worth around $60 million."

Probably closer to the real story than anything else written. Tay isn't going anywhere, no matter how hard some guys want to see a frontline spot open for their pet player.

Nor do I personally see the DMC heavy in the 5 spot. Far more likely he floats in the 3/4. He's a face up shooter. Saunders is going to force mismatches on other teams from 15-18 out and open up some interior passing lanes for Big Ben to get more chimes.

Tay is only beginning to play his game. He's going to get locked down in the red, white and blue for a long time. You shouldn't pre-judge his current value based on what you might think are excessive contract demands on the part of his agent.

The value of his contract has to be looked at from the bigger picture. Long-term. The guy is an anomoly. I wouldn't be trying to slam a round peg into a square hole to make some subtle argument for another player getting his minutes.

Ben at the 3? Did I slip through the looking glass?
Is a big rabbit serving tea? Off with your head.....

__________________
"Be nice to people on your way up because you meet them on your way down"...Jimmy Durante

On another team he may be an All- Star, but not on this team. We don't need anyone to be an All-Star. Well, Billups and Rip are gonna be upset when Darko gets voted in.

We will get Jalen for Tay!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Okay maybe not.

From the comments I heard Duffy and Tay seemed like they were starting to bad mouth the talks and wanted to look at other teams offers during the summer. When you make comments like: Well it is what is and that I will just play out my contract and see what is out there.
It was no need for all that to be even have been said. Joe opperates in good faith. All Tay and his agent had to say was that we are a ways apart on a deal but I hope something can be worked out. No need for the negative commentary or to even go further. No one else has gotten in the media with there agent and made comments like that.

Tay seems to not remember that a lot of teams pasted on him and he was offered a starters position and was allowed to grow when he really struggled alot and was allowed to contribute whatever he could provide and he is not asked to be THE MAN on this Pistons team. I would like to see him in New York some where and see how long he lasts makiing 70 or 80 million during one of his 7 or 8 game spells where he can't score to save his life or passes up shots and hides on offense. How much you want to bet he gets ran out of there so fast his head would spin.

Guys this is just like the re-up for Sheed. It didn't happen on our (fans) schedule so automatically we felt as if Sheed was trying to go to NY or grind us for an unrealistic contract. If you recall Sheed was almost wrapped up until Cardinal, Memo and K-Mart signed those STUPID %%%%% deals and that's when agents get leverage on GM's. When it was all said and done we got Sheed for a modest price when you look at what K-mart makes (compared to what he actually produces) and Memo and Troy Murphy. I have confidence that this will get done and we'll see that it was all over a mill here an extra year there. My gut tells me that they have year 1 $$$$'s figured but Duffy wants a 6 year, not a 5 year deal for his client.

Rip is scheduled to make a little over $9mill in the 06/07 season when Tay's new contract would start, I think Tay should be getting somewhere around 7.5-8 mill that year.

Tay was unhappy under RC, he was unhappy under LB. Even LB said he had to find new ways to get to Tay, because he wasnt responding to Larry's usual way of coaching.

Tay seems like a passive/aggressive guy. And even with Larry gone, I wouldnt be surprised if he was still simmering. Guys like Darko, Arroyo, and Delfino, who didnt keep their feelings to themselves last year, seem to have no problems moving on this year.

I dont think LB is causing the contract problems, but I do think he's one of several reasons Tay aint happy. If Tay was happy here, and really wanted to be in Detroit, this deal would have been done. Sheed got his deal done, so did CB and Rip.

Ya'll ought to factor in he made 1mil last season, will make 1.7 this season and is scheduled to make 2.5 next season. Dogbones for a starter in this league. That's 5.2 in total for those 3 seasons.

He's got some coming.

How's Tay's mom doing these days?? She OK, I mean you post everything like y'all talk a couple times a week. This is business, Tay has to get what he can when he can.....it's easy on the outside looking in to think a player should just leave $7-$8 mill on the table. But wait..... we are the same group of people that felt as if Jalen shouldn't excercise the last 2 years of his contract and forego abot $32 mill, so he could come home for the MLE, as a Backup SF and get a SHOT at a ring.

but anything over 7 million a year is too much in my mind. i like him. but I don't think he is worth 10 mil a year. if no extension is signed we will trade him this year.