While I don't have any problems with Flip playing the starters in a game like this, this particular justification just doesn't hold water. None of the bench players except Davis played badly in their time in the game, so you can hardly excuse Flip by blaming them - particularly with Rip having one of his worst games of the year.

Yes but there has been so many games when Rip bounced back late in the game and made a difference. This game we did not need that. He also made a difference on the defensive end.

I have heard both Billups and Rip comment on how they are focusing on not playing long stretches of games this year. Not so much total mins, rather not leaving a guy out there too long. In a game like this with the long timeouts you can play Hunter or Delfino for a 3-4 min stretch add in a timeout and you have a nice 10-12 minute break for a starter.

Pavlovic only scored three times in the paint on successive layups. The first was a screen-roll situation where Delfino correctly played him left into the screen, and backside help never came (hint: McDyess and Webber were the bigs at this point in the game).

The second and third were isolation drives from the free throw line area where Delfino and Hamilton gambled wrong and backside help never came from either McDyess or Webber.

It could be that Flip had instructed the Pistons to allow layups from anyone except LeBron, but I think it's more likely that McDyess and Webber are just extremely slow.

Pavlovic created nothing when those two were not in the game together. I don't care how good a perimeter defender you are; in the modern NBA you cannot guard 3-on-5.

A nice win indeed.

This win tells me more about the Cav`s than the Pistons. They (the Cav`s) are not ready to contend for the EC or the Final prize!!

On the other hand the Pistons did exactly as they are supposed to do against an opponent like the Cav`s; not let up and play to win. Sheed had a very good game. For the most part he was very active. (15 points and 13 rebounds).

Just watching Sheed the last couple of games I sense a change of attitude in him. Asking Flip to take him out of the Milwaukee game and his post play and rebounding in this game leads me to believe he has realized his value to the team and how successful the Pistons can be with him playing at a certain level. Well, it may be too early to tell, however, the next two weeks will prove me right or wrong.

I`m looking for a blowout of the Celtics, and at least 3 wins out of four at home against the Raptors, Lakers, Spurs and Clips in the next week 1/2.

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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.

Maybe they overlook the Raptors and they surprise us eh?

I have been busy defending Sheed over on the other board. I won't go into all the details except to say this: I review the games. Any time Sheed is said by someone to have slacked off on effort, I look a little closer at Sheed's play. The result: Not one game so far where Sheed took a game off. Instead, I see him covering for other's lack of intensity/ or ability. (mostly ability in Mohammed's case, mostly a choice to sit out defense in Flip Murray's case.-and yes, lately some lack of ability on Webber's part. Oh, and CB is hurt, not covering his defensive assignments-Sheed is covering that up a lot too.)

Lee I don`t review the games like you do, and maybe that`s why I don`t see what you see. According to what you say above, Sheed is the only player playing defense.

His defense kind of comes and goes during a game, IMO. I am saying the last couple of games his overall play on both ends of the court has improved, not to mention his BBall IQ looks much better.

Sheed lacks the athleticism to play that roaming, quick, shot blocking big man (Ben Wallace) we were so accustomed to seeing; that in addition to C-Webb and Dyess`s lack of speed = poor interior defense at times.

I disagree that Sheed doesn`t take a day off from time to time. Didn`t he say himself that the regular season doesn`t mean anything?

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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.

Locker-room material for Ben Wallace. Interesting comment from James:

"When Ben Wallace was there, you could kind of relax on the offensive end when he was on the floor," James said. "But now they have five guys that can easily score 20 points. They are a much better team with him (Webber)."

Artest, if I recall, said the opposite.

LBJ is a Nike clown anyways. His opinion is worthless.

I hope Ben blocks him back to 1987.

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To all of my friends, comrades and companions at PF.com

Thank you for another great season!