PISTONS CORNER: Rip thrives in mobile offense; Stuckey to meet doctors again, Dec. 7

Stuckey is out "per his doctor", not "per Flipper".

I would like to see Hunter retire as much as the next guy. If you're going to keep him on the roster, however, you have to throw him some minutes here and there to see if he can still help you in situations.

Well, since I'm not a member of the 2H Club (Hunter Haters), I'm ok with him getting some minutes.

Hunter is probably in for the rest of the year.

I think that the Pistons want to see if he can still compete? that is why they have set back Hot Rod's return.

I don't think that the doctor is operating in a vacuum here. (excuse the pun). I am sure that this decision was discussed with Pistons' management.

I have posted on another thread why I think Hot Rod is probably out of the rotation for the year.

Flipper doesn't want to risk playing a rookie without experience at the point with Boston already 3 up in the loss column. If Boston gets the home court advantage in the playoffs it appears to me that they will make it to the Finals because that is what Stern and his minions along with the media want.

Flipper is smart enough to know that it will be very difficult for us to get out of the East if we don't have the best record.

Hot Rod got hurt and in my opinion missed his chance. If Boston wasn't off to such a good start or if we had started hotter than maybe things might be different. But I just don't see Flipper giving major minutes to a rookie at the point guard position when we are trying to catch Boston for the best record. Play Hot Rod at the #2 you say. Murray has more experience and can also play the point.

This is just how I see it unfolding based upon the circumstances involved.

Of course I will be the first to tell you that forecasts and prognostications are fun to do and are rarely accurate, except when the odds are overwhelmingly in favor of the forecast working out, like the upcoming Mayweather - Hatton fight. Hatton has about as much chance of winning this fight as Mayweather did of winning the Dancing With The Stars competition this year.

i thought hunter did well last night (although still managed to be the only player with a negative +/- haha), but i can't see stuckey being out of the rotation for the year

If Flip is hell bent on the best record in the conference then it will not matter who the league would like to see in the finals. In 03-04 and 04-05 they did not have the best record in the conference and came within some dubious officiating in the 4th quarter of G7 of winning back to back titles. The next two years they had the best record and were dominated in the conference finals.

I would rather have a deep, rested and peaking team entering the playoffs than the best record in the conference. Flip plays for the best record because it pads his resume. He knows he doesn't have what it takes to win a championship. That is why they were playing a trapping zone in the 2nd quarter last night when CLE had LeBron on the bench. They can't beat Z, Gooden, Devon Brown, Damon Jones and Ira Newble playing straight up man? Nope, he's got to give them a good look in November at one of the few adjustments he is capable of making. God forbid he surprises them in the playoffs.

If you are right about this, he's needs to be fired immediately..like tommorrow. Deciding not to integrate a top pick after the first month in the season and a Boston hot start in my opinion is foolish. Its also the same mistake he's been charged with during his tenure here as coach. Too much concentration on the regular season and not enough on the post season ramifications.

Slow down guys.

Flip loves Stuckey.

Stuckey will be the man come playoff time. No way Hunter can play 20 minutes a night any more.

I don't think Dec 7 is pushing back his return date. I believe the original date was right on around that date, but reports came out about Stuckey healing quicker than expected. So really, nothing has changed. They just decided (and probably correctly) not to bring him back early.

Buddahfan loves to stir things up with at least one new "Fire Saunders" thread per day.