Articles worth mentioning II - Page 5 - Detroit Pistons Fan Community

buddahfan · #41 (**permalink**) 12-16-2007, 05:24 PM

According to Hollinger's ratings of PG

C-Bill is ranked #2 behind Paul

ESPN - John Hollinger's NBA Player Statistics - NBA Basketball

TaShawn · #42 (**permalink**) 12-17-2007, 03:01 PM

http://http://money.cnn.com/gallerie...mbest.fortune/

Not really bball related... except Isiah does make the list. So does Imus and OJ, so I figured it would have an audience here.

They are all pretty amusing really.

mikhail1973 · #43 (**permalink**) 01-14-2008, 01:13 PM

Monroenews.com - Informing Monroe County, Michigan, for more than 180 years

Quote:

The negatives:

1. They settle for jump shots too often. There isn't a legitimate scoring threat in the paint.

Don't say Dumars should have kept Ben Wallace. He wasn't an offensive threat, anyway, and his skills are diminishing. He was supposed to be the missing piece for Chicago, but the Bulls have a much worse record than the Pistons in the last year and a half since Big Ben moved to the Windy City.

2. Rasheed Wallace. Yes, he's a positive, but he's also a negative. He's like a volcano, ready to explode at any time. His value as a teammate has rubbed off on the others, but so has his whining at the officials.

3. Flip Saunders. He doesn't have a firm enough hand to control Wallace and hasn't proven that he's a good playoff coach.

This team is on pace to win 60 regular-season games and the division. Can it win the NBA title?

Probably not when you consider No. 1, No. 2 and No. 3 under negatives.

mikhail1973 · #44 (**permalink**) 01-14-2008, 01:18 PM

Here's a look from outside:

Quote:

Now there are two real powers in the East, the Celtics and Detroit Pistons, sharpening their swords to resume their old rivalry after all these years.

The Pistons, attitudinal as usual, have a solid operation under Joe Dumars, who reinvigorated his cranky old team with an entire young platoon: Jason Maxiell, Jarvis Hayes, Rodney Stuckey, Arron Afflalo and Amir Johnson.

However, they still don't get many easy baskets, especially against good defensive teams -- like Boston -- and they still have Rasheed Wallace.

Only Philadelphia fans can challenge Detroit fans' belief that everyone and everything is arrayed against them, which resonates through the Pistons.

As tough defensively as the Pistons always are (No. 2 in the league), they get relatively few fouls (No. 19) because they move their feet instead of hacking.

Not that they appreciate the officials' discernment. The Pistons are always among the leaders in technical fouls -- last season they had 73 to No. 2 Indiana's 58 -- with a team-wide commitment to complaining about everything.

Wallace can go off at the mere sight of an authority figure (as Stern once sighed when asked about Wallace's latest conspiracy rant, "If it's Friday, it must be Rasheed Wallace.")

Of course, not everyone can get 23 points and 15 rebounds against Tim Duncan as Wallace did in the Pistons' win in San Antonio last week.

Rasheed is actually mellowing with age. Unfortunately, he has a long way to go and he can't play until he's 70.

Late in the pivotal Game 5 of last spring's East finals when LeBron James scored his memorable 48 points, Rasheed called off Coach Flip Saunders' defense leaving a timeout huddle, telling his teammates to play man-to-man.

In the confusion, James drove in for an uncontested layup.

It shouldn't be surprising that after winning the first meeting in Boston, the Pistons weren't happy after the Celtics shut them down in the rematch in Auburn Hills.

A Detroit Free Press headline asserted: "Celtic mocks Detroit fans; Piston says: 'They're acting like they won the title' "

It was awful. Several Celtics popped their jerseys. James Posey chanted "Deee-troit basketball!"

"They're a little more happy than I know we were when we won our game out there," Chauncey Billups said.

"It was just like a regular game for us with two good teams playing. They were kind of playing like it's the Super Bowl, man."

Actually, the Celtics, who are assuredly edgy on the floor but humble off it, were respectful.

Paul Pierce called the Pistons "a great team," noting, "We're still learning from them what it's like to be in these type of games."

Wallace did one of his patented head-back, eye-rolling despair numbers, left without showering, noting later it was "just a lot of stuff I ain't going to mention."

He meant Saunders' small lineup, which he hates, and the guards not throwing him the ball.

The Pistons moldered after Larry Brown left in 2005, basking in self-congratulation while blaming shortfalls on Saunders, so the Celtics are the wake-up call they needed.

Who knows what's going to happen? - Los Angeles Times

dba · #45 (**permalink**) 01-24-2008, 09:26 AM

This is pretty interesting about the day off in Philly before last night's game.

Spirited practice turns Pistons' fortunes

For me the really interesting part is the end, about Flip Murray.

"I've been in this situation before, know what they're trying to do here, as far as developing the young fellas, me being a veteran, I've seen that before. I know what it takes for a team to be able to do that."

"(Murray stays positive by) just knowing it's tomorrow. Tomorrow, I might have a chance to play."

Murray was asked if he thought his days with the Pistons were numbered.
"I'm not talking about that," Murray said. "I don't know. If I am (traded), I am. If I'm not, I'm not."

That's a tough row to hoe. "Tomorrow, I might have a chance to play." I guess it's important to remember sometimes there are real living, thinking, feeling human beings under those uniforms.

professor · #46 (**permalink**) 01-24-2008, 11:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dba

This is pretty interesting about the day off in Philly before last night's game.

Spirited practice turns Pistons' fortunes

For me the really interesting part is the end, about Flip Murray.

"I've been in this situation before, know what they're trying to do here, as far as developing the young fellas, me being a veteran, I've seen that before. I know what it takes for a team to be able to do that."

"(Murray stays positive by) just knowing it's tomorrow. Tomorrow, I might have a chance to play."

Murray was asked if he thought his days with the Pistons were numbered.
"I'm not talking about that," Murray said. "I don't know. If I am (traded), I am. If I'm not, I'm not."

That's a tough row to hoe. "Tomorrow, I might have a chance to play." I guess it's important to remember sometimes there are real living, thinking, feeling human beings under those uniforms.

excellent point. as maddening as murray was to watch out there, i've also felt a little sorry for him when i see him on the sidelines in a suit, or coming onto the floor (in his suit) to pat guys on the back when they come over for a time out.

two other interesting points: stuckey citing Joe telling him to stay aggressive and push the ball up the floor when he's in (that's something a number of forumites had already pointed out as critical to his success). And then chauncey asserting the team's need of Amir.

so who knows? maybe, at least for the time being, something's have shaken loose over the past few days and are now pointing in a better direction.

TaShawn · #47 (**permalink**) 01-24-2008, 11:29 AM

Quote:

"That's one thing (Joe) Dumars told me to do," Stuckey said. "Once I get the ball, to push it up the court and get into something. I think when I do that, I'm more at my advantage. I'm not just calming down and setting up a play. In college, we were always running up and down the floor. So that's what he wants me to do, to stay aggressive."

Again, why isn't the idea coming from Flip? Why does Dumars have to tell Stuckey how to play to his strengths?

mikhail1973 · #48 (**permalink**) 01-24-2008, 11:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TaShawn

Again, why isn't the idea coming from Flip? Why does Dumars have to tell Stuckey how to play to his strengths?

Does Flip actually know anything beyond his playbook?

mikhail1973 · #49 (**permalink**) 01-24-2008, 11:56 AM

Traverse City Record-Eagle - Pistons brawler sentenced to 45 days

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A man who allegedly helped spark a massive brawl at a Detroit Pistons basketball game in late 2004 is behind bars in Oakland County following a drunken driving incident in Garfield Township.
A Grand Traverse County judge sentenced John Frank Green, 42, of West Bloomfield, to 45 days in jail and two years' probation Jan. 8.
Green pleaded guilty to operating with a suspended license, second-offense operating while intoxicated and having an open intoxicant in his motor vehicle last month.

mikhail1973 · #50 (**permalink**) 01-24-2008, 12:03 PM

Let's Get Sheed a Vacation - FanHouse - AOL Sports Blog

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Rasheed Wallace would prefer a four-day vacation instead of being named to the All-Star Game. Problem: He's clearly the 2nd best center in the East, and will assuredly get named as a reserve by the coaches... unless we save him.

Attention Eastern Conference coaches! You do not want to put Rasheed Wallace in the All-Star Game. These other centers make much more sense.

Quote:

Kendrick Perkins, Boston: Team success matters, right? Clearly, Perk's Celtics are superior to Sheed's Pistons, both as basketball players and human beings.

Just when you think you've heard it all, someone manages to stoop this low.