You know who could have ran out there and contested those 3's? Our 2nd best defensive player (statistically), who got the night off.

Here is what bugs me about tonight, besides everything else that was already mentioned here. Why was this game so important that we abandoned our formula?

Did Utah present any match-up difficulties that were out of the ordinary? To me, it seems like the only unusual match ups were that they have a 7' three point shooter who would be a bench player for us, a young energy player in Milsap who would be a DNP for us, and a pretty good point guard. Nothing to freak out about.

Were we trying to send a message by going with our big guns to get a win? We're not going to see these guys in the Finals, so who cares?

Bogus flow weak sauce attack no balls bad tie wearing coaching clinic attendee.


Please don't tell me he's gunning for the #1 seed. If that is the overiding motivation, then our ship has sailed.

__________________
"I’ll just say this: We’re not talking to teams about their second- or third-best players." Joe Dumars talking about his plan to get other teams' 4th best players.

Comments from a Spurs fan;
And

Isn't that swell? Even other teams fans can see it.

Man, that grates on my nerves.

Well, at least Flip revealed his true self again, so I don't have to get my hopes all up just to be let down by another post-season failure.

I agree with you all on this one. No excuse to give Amir a DNP. I am still touched by Dumars reassurances of no more DNP's and how much Flip recently said he likes him. It does not make any sense.

Well, we lost so Flip can learn something from this. Jason Maxiel 11 points 2 boards and 0 blocks in 21 mins. I hate how I was actually getting upset at Maxiel at times because he is not going to cut it as a 3rd big in a 3 big rotation. Thats not going to get it done and its not his fault.

Count me as another who was pissed that Amir wasn't put in the game down the stretch. I can't understand it. Is Flip really this clueless? He's been coaching for years and years, surely he must understand these fundamental things. Maybe Shaq hurt Amir and he had to rest up. The difference between that sweet, sweet Piston flow of the first half and the trainwreck in the second was sad to watch.

OMG it was sheer torture. I was on my feet pacing around talking to the tv for the entire second half. And I just had this absolutely sickening feeling that we will be seeing exactly this in a pivotal game in the playoffs. I am just heartsick about it.

I don't see how Flip can change. I mean for him to panic like this and make such poor decisions trying desperately to win a game that still means nothing to us in the long run. Utah isn't going to the Finals. What a total idiot he is. How can the team trust him when this is the way he responds to pressure?

I am both distraught and furious. I hope he can get his act together enough so that we can at least see some more fantastic intelligent basketball games and wins from our Pistons (starters and bench). I'm pretty much writing off the playoffs, extreme as it might sound. I don't have the heart for it. We are really hitting our stride with a very strong team and to watch him trash them out of his stubborn insecurity. Too tired to play D and too tired to make jumpshots. Where have I seen that before?

Um...where is that panic button?

Honestly, this is unbelievable, what I'm reading here... Ok, knee-jerk reactions are nothing new here, but still...

Look raxrets you must admit that that game was ridiculously unecessary. Why not just stick to the idea of using the regular season as a laboratory for the playoffs and not get all spooked by the Jazz? Rip is struggling and looking desperately exhausted and throwing up bricks and just one half earlier he's looking like the MVP of the Finals. It just was not necessary. It's not a knee-jerk reaction, it's just disgust at waste and any erosion of the gains we've made since Flip saw the light or Joe made Flip see the light. I don't care which it was. I just don't care to see another game where our players are not treated as precious resources instead of some kind of life insurance policy against Flip's Achilles heel as a coach.

We SOOOO could have won that game if Flip hadn't panicked. He's the one with the panic button. To me it's just the same old frustrating same old. Besides, I'm allowed to have strong emotions. I'm a fan. I think our team has been looking fantastic, really fantastic. But I'll tell you that game tonight was not their fault, unless you believe that players should be able to perform miracles when their coach is getting outcoached.

Are you a new fan or have you actually seen the Pistons the last few seasons in the playoffs? You remember seeing Sheed leave Horry?