Looks like it will be on October 10th
6:00PM for Kids clinic followed by the free open practice @ 7:00

Open practice (http://www.nba.com/pistons/news/200506ticketsonsale.html)

Hopefully a lotta folks can make it down and fill us in.

[micro: smaller download videos posted for members in Posts 39 & 40 of this thread]

Thanks for the thoughtful heads up Merc! Me and my nephew/protege will definitely try to be in the house on time this season. I should have a full report for everyone that night.

GO PISTONS!!!!!!

Just realized that the 10th is a freckin Monday for cryin out loud?!? What's the deal with that crap, they usually have the open practice on a Saturday so more working folks can make it out to see the guys... DAMN that really freckin sucks!

As far as I know, I will be coming down for the Open Practice. I have been looking forward to this for almost a year since I heard that it occurs.

It is at the Palace, is it not? I mean, they don't have another facility where this happens, do they?

You will know it's me. I will have my Piston hat on.:eyebrows: :doh:

i'll be there w/my buddy

In case you missed it... Open practice will be televised on WB20 starting at 7:00PM

In case you missed it... Open practice will be televised on WB20 starting at 7:00PM

so what are we missing? :eyebrows:

I can't afford the gas to get there so I will rely on everyone's expert reporting skills.I expect some good reports with accompanying pics and possibly some video.Those of us who cannot make it expect nothing less or you will be beat with a wet noodle.:whip:

I can't afford the gas to get there so I will rely on everyone's expert reporting skills.I expect some good reports with accompanying pics and possibly some video.Those of us who cannot make it expect nothing less or you will be beat with a wet noodle.:whip:
Oh man, just tell me where to send the gas money... ;) :D

Oh man, just tell me where to send the gas money... ;) :D

Idaho please :P (jet fuel)

In case you missed it... Open practice will be televised on WB20 starting at 7:00PM

Bless, you, Merc! I didn't know that.:thumb:

I thought it should also be mentioned that Admission and Parking are free.

Single Game Tickets
Players will work at the Box Office for the first 45 minutes of tonight's 6:00 p.m. on-sale for all 2005-06 games before hosting their 5th Annual Open Practice at 7:00 p.m.

Man, I would do anything to be able to go! :frusty:

Took one of the boys down tonight... just got back.

Impressions:
Glynny ain't no elephant slow scrub... he moves very well and had a good shot inside and out today... he actually looked more polished under the basket than Darko.... fairly athletic for his size.

Darko looks much more willing to mix it up down low... he's getting to rebounds he wouldn't even try for last year.
Don't know if you guys saw his lil hook shot... but this could be a nice weapon (Ben didn't even come close to blocking it.... there is noone on our team that can push DMC around anymore (including DD).
He still looks unnatural in the post though (fumbles the ball or missing bunnies... he was able to get in for a couple slams.
Darko played a lot at PF... playing against JMax mostly... Jmax could only get transition buckets and a perimiter shot off against him (naturally)

Delfino mad a put back slam that was absolutely sic.
He does indeed get to the rim well... a little more mobile than last year... still not very good on "D" though (just ask Rip tonight)
But that is Rip we're talking about... would have luved to see more Dupree against Delfino

Dupree was doing everything right... he's just hard for others to match his athletisim... those dunks are all earned by beating his man to the rim.... I'm officially rooting for him to make it (but damn I don't want any of our draftees to go either).

Acker missed some of his 3's that we saw him make during the SL... he handles the ball with his left as well as his right (can't tell which hand he is).... I don't see him being this lock down defender though... Arroyo was able to get by him on a few occasions (most were picks).. but Carlos was able to get to the rim and finish.

Both Jmax and Evans look very comfortable in making their outside shots
Evans looked pretty good... he's solid at getting to the rim and finishing in with the big boys.

Sheed is just funny as hell... he's all over the refs face ...slamming the ball down (smiling the whole time) and working the crowd.

They couldn't start practice till Ben nailed a couple 3's (made about 2 of 6)

Rip is in mid season form hitting from everywhere.

Amir didn't play as much as some of the others... he finished a couple put back dunks... but that funky release is still there.. IMO, he's not ready yet.

What else?

They played with excelent intensity considering the nature of the scrimmage... a lot of running on just about every shot.

I saw a couple of new high screen plays at the top of the key where the big rolls to the basket for the easy dunk...
There were definately some zones that started off as man to man.

Tayshaun played a lot at PG... this hurt Ackers effectiveness as e was trying to get past the great wall of Tay.

Sizes: (we were 4 rows from the court)
Dice looks exactly as tall as DD
Glynny is at least one inch taller than Darko.
Ben was just a smidge shorter than Amir
If Glynny is 280LBS then so is Darko...
Glynny needs to bulk up his upper body...I hope we can hang onto him in some fashion and see him get regular PT somewhere.

Stand out in the scrimmage... Rip, Glynny, Delfino (offense), Dupree
I never even noticed DD out there... he was invisible.
Ben looked excellent...other than a couple missed fadeaways.

crap i was in the middle of a reply and...accidentally clicked away from the page. while i rewrite my responses, here's a crappy-quality pic of sheed from today. (http://beta.whgl.net/images/sheed_open_practice.jpg)

Wanted to get this down before I forgot what I was thinking. I really tried to pay attention to the whole floor and think I was able to do that, even if most of you will believe that I want to see Darko and saw only him.
First of all, the entire team looks to athletic and appear to be in tremendous condition. Everyone looks sleek and no pudge in the whole bunch.
In the game, a four 10 minute quarter affair, everyone was missing easy shots. Just maybe not concentrating or not quite into the rhythm yet. DMC blocked a JMaxx shot, a Ben shot, a Davis shot and also one of Dice's, which was called a foul, but was not. When that foul call was made, Sheed want off like a rocket (smiling all the while, and slammed the ball down so that it rebounded at least 30 feet in the air). Then Dice, Sheed and several others slapped hands with DMC to indicate that it was not a foul.
Ben also got one shot over DMC, a really pretty jump shot. He did not seem to fake him out, but just jumped out of the building to get it off.
Rip was hitting with regularity, Dupree was flying around and was really looking very effective. Sheed was Sheed and Prince was Chauncy, a lot of the time. He played more than a little at the 2. In fact, DMC and Taysh brought the ball up the floor a couple of times.
Not to forget, DMC, he had several really good blocks, was getting to rebounds regularly, passed well, missed a couple of close ones but made some slams and a neat baby hook. He is so quick on his feet that on several occasions darted out to deter a guard and got back to his man so quickly. He swished his free throws effortlessly and hit a couple 3s after the whistle. Didn't attempt any on the clock.
Glinny is very light on his feet, as well, and although he has a really gross free throw shot, they go in. I think he could be good in the future but am afraid he is not going to stick.
Chaunc and Rip looked like they just willed themselves to the right places and Dice looked quite good, too. I don't think any of the rookies made much of a difference, but it is early and after all, only one game.
Not once did Flip jump around or berate anyone. He did not, as far as I could tell, not ask for the phone so he could try to get a better job during the game.
Maybe some could tell me who the short, heavyset, bald guy is that coached the white team. The players were standing righ up against him when he tried to talk and he could not even make any gestures so he had to talk without using his hands.
The white team won handily, mainly with Sheed, Darko, Taysh, Rip, Dos Los,and I can't remember which of the rookies. The blue team had Ben, Chaunce, Davis, Dice, I think Evans. I cannot remember the full two teams.
It was entertaining and although they were not going full out, their pride got them going a little harder at each other than you might think. I was trying to watch everyone so I might have missed, but I believe DMC must have played all but a couple of minutes. He seemed to be on the floor a LOT of the game.
Another surprise on leaving. I got in the car and drove straight out of the parking lot and onto I-75 in about three minutes at most.
Anyway, it was fun and I am wondering if others saw things differently.

Alright I'll write my response in here to discuss how the practice went. There was a really good fan turnout - Darko, Davis, and Dice were working the counter while Delfino signed autographs out front. The intensity of the scrimmage was great, everyone scrapped for loose balls, played very tough defense, and everyone looked pretty good for the most part. Anyone trying to just run into the post and slam it over people got stuffed every time, the post was like a wall. it took awhile for the shots to start falling which is natural, but everyone looked in great shape. I didn't really see much zone defense, looked all man-to-man to me. People were missing a lot of easy shots, especially early on, but that's not really something to be concerned with.

Microwave, Sheed actually looked pretty darn thin, and Tayshaun was the same size - but had more facial hair (probably hasn't shaved in 8 months to get to that point :D). The starting 5 + McDyess were fine, and Dale Davis didn't really play...not surprising, they know what to expect from him. Onto my observations and opinions of individual players (remember: just my opinion based on limited analysis).

I won't discuss Alejandro Sanchez / Todd Day (sp?) as they really didn't play. First, I'm going to disagree with Mercury on Glyniadakis...I thought he was pretty atrocious. He's really thin for his size, got manhandled in the post and committed fouls constantly, was very uncoordinated, ran funny (arms flailing), and couldn't handle the ball offensively in the post without losing control of it or getting beat up. He was quick but had 'happy feet' and looked pretty nervous. To say he looked more polished under the basket than Darko...I have to 100% disagree with that. On the plus side, he has good form on his shot (4/4 on free throws), but only when setting himself with no one defending him. In any case he's not NBA ready, and don't expect to see him past the preseason.

Maxiel is simply a beast. He blocked several shots, could hit the open ones, and pushed several guys around in the post. Most impressive was getting out of a double team down low, looked like they were going to wrap him up for a jump ball, but he managed to get away from it and pull off a nice fadeaway jumper (didn't go in but it was a good play). A putback slam after one of the plays was called dead was just sick...he slammed it down HARD.

Evans is ripped, the guy is strong. He looked pretty explosive, did well defending, and had no problems hitting the open shot when given to him.

Amir Johnson didn't play a *ton*, but he could definitely leap and was very athletic. He has a very funny release on his shot...kind of like a set shot.

Acker was serviceable at point, played good 1v1 defense on Rip, looked natural/comfortable, and didn't make mistakes. He was about 1/5 on 3-pointers, but the ones he missed were on-target, just an inch or two short. I can see why the Pistons want to keep him, but unless he can light up the 3-ball, I don't see him overtaking Hunter this year for the playoff run.

Arroyo did fine at point, made some sweet no-look passes, and should do well this year running the 2nd team, hitting Dice and Darko on the pick-and-roll.

Dupree was simply outstanding. Simply athletic and finished strong around the basket. It'll really be too bad if he isn't in the Pistons plans, because some team will get him for cheap and it'll be a steal. Same as mercury, would love to keep him but don't want to lose any of the draft picks.

Delfino offensively looked pretty good, had some nice cuts to the basket, the putback slam was awesome, and he really looks ready to play and contribute this year...jury's still out on whether he'll have the attitude problem in time, but so far he didn't look selfish and played pretty well.

As for Darko...I thought he played great. His first back-to-the-basket post play was a left hookshot over Ben that was undefendable...almost looked like something Shaq would do (no I'm not trying to compare the two players lol), and if he can develop that weapon - especially left-handed - look out. He got a bunch of rebounds, and actually charged to the basket to get them. He was much more assertive and no longer looked lost, although he still manages to be the last player on his team down the court. :) He had a couple solid dunks as well, and played solid defense. His length definitely bothered / altered some players jumpshots and he made guys miss them.

Most impressive though was his blocking ability and play from the weak side. A lot of his rebounds and blocks came from that side. He had an absolutely SWEET block on McDyess...Dice was on one side of the basket going to the hoop hard, Darko came from the other side of the paint and blocked it mid-air while spinning. It was a clean block but naturally he got called for the foul by some Asian Rob Schneider look-alike, which everyone playfully went NOOOOOOOOOO at. But the block brought some people to their feet, and when he completely stuffed Evans going hard to the basket a couple minutes later, people in the crowd were actually saying stuff like "better not go in that post, Darko's got it locked down." His play and the fan reaction should be good to maintain his confidence.

Overall a very impressive practice. It looks like the fierce competition for roster spots and playing time is really paying off, everyone is in great shape, playing hard defense, going after loose balls and hustling, and playing really well. Maxiel and Acker didn't look like rookies at all. Not only will we have an extremely deep team this year and give the starters more rest, but I really think we'll come out of the gates firing and win a LOT of games early in the season. I have a good feeling about our 2005-2006 Detroit Pistons. :)

Impressions:

Darko ...Don't know if you guys saw his lil hook shot... but this could be a nice weapon (Ben didn't even come close to blocking it.... there is noone on our team that can push DMC around anymore (including DD).

They couldn't start practice till Ben nailed a couple 3's (made about 2 of 6)

Stand out in the scrimmage...
I never even noticed DD out there... he was invisible.

Wow! Thanks for the detailed report Merc!!!!

Are you saying that Darko is the next KAREEM with his sky hook?????

LOL j/k:faint:

Good thing you didn't have to wait for Ben to hit 2 free throws. You would still be there waiting. :frusty:

Oh, and according to Micro, you could have found Dale Davis easily...he was talking to Blaha giving an interview the entire time. I heard it was even better than anything going on out on the court. :bored:

Great reports Lazy & warthog. I feel like I was there after reading all 3 reports. Much appreciated!

A couple follow ups...
It sounds like we're mostly on the same page as far as what we saw.
I was very interested in seeing these guys go up against each other... there's only so much you can trust from the beat writers... but they were right on about Delfino, Darko, Evans & Dupree... even Jmax & Amir..

Warthog & Lazy nice analysis's...
Warthog the only thing we disagree with is on Glynny... I have no loyalty to him...if we look at some of the preconceptions about him (can't score... slow... a long way away) I was pleasantly surprised... he finished 3 shots in the paint (a hook a putback & close shot)... he hit the one perimiter shot he had... he blocked a couple shots and he ran the court agressively (and well) the whole time... he talked on defense... I didn't see much wrong with what he did ... sure he ran goofy and got knocked on his azz a couple times ... but the guy definately showed up and contributed today.
Yeah he prolly won't stick because of the numbers... but he's worth another look ... another day.

Forgot to mention how well Arroyo distributed the ball... we don't have anyone else that can come close to his setup ability... this should not be taken for granted... getting the ball to guys in their comfort spots.

yeah, perhaps i was hard on him but he is definitely far away from competing against NBA-caliber talent, he finished his easy putbacks but that should be a given. he's definitely not slow and tries very hard, but he is clumsy and undisciplined on defending. in either case we agree...not this year.

Great reports Lazy & warthog. I feel like I was there after reading all 3 reports. Much appreciated!

...yes yes yes. much better than that damn broadcast.

(Let it go, me. Just let it go.).

Here is a link to some video I took of the open practice game tonite:

http://www.damnnation.com/pistons/

[micro: thanks Mister Z. I'll add these here so your hosting doesn't get too beat up by all the downloads.]

I took my nephew out there and we had a pretty good time. Hopefully I'm not
talking too much junk in these clips ;) These clips were shot on my digital photo camera and are in chronological order.
I didn't have any time to edit or compress them, but I did sort out the important
footage. The baskets scored account for about half the point-total of the game. There
are also some good defensive highlights as well. Micro, Feel free to host these on your server if you like.
Enjoy the footage!

-Mister Z

[micro: smaller download videos posted for members in Posts 39 & 40 of this thread]

Thank you for that Mister Z. It is really cool that you went to all of that trouble.

for the excellent coverage of the practice. Sounds like we are going to cause some major unexpected damage to the "favorites". Our deep is going to prove too much to handle for everybody.

you're too kind. thanks for all your trouble.
It sucked trying to catch glimpses of the scrimmages behind the interviews on tv.

Thats some sweet work! Muchly appreciated for giving those of us who couldn't be there the insights we desire.

I have some playoff action from last season, pm me if theres a game you want.

Just spreading the love, caring is sharing...

This is just so beautiful.

You guys have made me the happiest guy on the Earth.

Excellent coverage.

I love you PistonsForum.com. :)

Yeah, thanks for all the info guys. I never would have made it too unless someone else sent me some jet fuel as well.

Anyway, all the stuff being said out here and out there and that I've always been a big supporter of him since he was in training camp for us the first time, I don't want Dupree to go. He works hard and plays hard and he can score. We just didn't see it last season.

I really don't think Glinny is gonna be around, and I really don't know who we should cut. I'm thinking we should keep Dupree.

Is Amir really all that cracked up to be? I know I know, he could be the next Kevin Garnett. Oh well, I just don't want us to be the team Dupree blows up 40 points against. :ohwell:

Yeah, thanks for all the info guys. I never would have made it too unless someone else sent me some jet fuel as well.

Anyway, all the stuff being said out here and out there and that I've always been a big supporter of him since he was in training camp for us the first time, I don't want Dupree to go. He works hard and plays hard and he can score. We just didn't see it last season.

I really don't think Glinny is gonna be around, and I really don't know who we should cut. I'm thinking we should keep Dupree.

Is Amir really all that cracked up to be? I know I know, he could be the next Kevin Garnett. Oh well, I just don't want us to be the team Dupree blows up 40 points against. :ohwell:

I've always been a Dupree fan myself. I echo your sentiments. I sincerely wished there was a way to keep Dupree. Looks like it will be between him and Amir. ..and I just don't see Amir being released due to his tremendous upside.

I did the same thing at a playoff game a couple years ago but was to far away for the vid to look decent, but good to know if you are close it works (where were you seat wise?) Also thanks for the info from everyone that went. With this forum its even better to be a pistons fan, we get to talk about the boys and we even have some perks. Go to more games mister z lol

I've always been a Dupree fan myself. I echo your sentiments. I sincerely wished there was a way to keep Dupree. Looks like it will be between him and Amir. ..and I just don't see Amir being released due to his tremendous upside.
maybe... just maybe.... how long after we release hunter till we can resign him? i mean dumars has said we don't want him to play basically till after the all star break. so we release him, he becomes a special assistant till mid season. By that point things will have shaken out to who we can release, or have traded away

maybe... just maybe.... how long after we release hunter till we can resign him? i mean dumars has said we don't want him to play basically till after the all star break. so we release him, he becomes a special assistant till mid season. By that point things will have shaken out to who we can release, or have traded away

Great idea. That's the solution I was looking for.

Nice reviews, and the video work was a plus. I thought that the competition was between DUpree and Delfino, but Dupree just seems to be one of those guys that just won't go anywhere. Ack may be the one on the outside. AJ's upside and youth are on his side, Ack would be the 4th PG behind CB, Arroyo and Hunter. Dupree can guard multiple positions, per Flip and really get up and down the floor, his athleticism can be a huge plus in this system.

Just wanted to add my voice of thanks for the detailed reviews and the videos! I wasn't able to watch this on TV, but it looks like I didn't miss much based on the broadcast. Got it all in here!

I also hope we find a way to keep Dupree.

It looks like the veterans are really trying to help out the young guys - deferring to them, cheering for them, arguing calls for them even in a scrimmage (why wouldn't everyone want a Rasheed on their team? :confused: ).

Thanks for the vids. My computer is going to be tied up all day downloading them. I have a 56K dial up, and it will be put to good use this day.
Having been there myself, I can visualize just about every one of the way you titled them. Can't wait to see them.

maybe... just maybe.... how long after we release hunter till we can resign him? i mean dumars has said we don't want him to play basically till after the all star break. so we release him, he becomes a special assistant till mid season. By that point things will have shaken out to who we can release, or have traded away

THAT'S WASSUP!

Pack it up, send it to Joey D., and lets keep it movin'.

I hate to say it...but Lindsey's effectivenivess after his rehab might be questionable. Lindsey is getting up there in age and without his quickness just how effective can he be for this team. I would love to have him on as an assistant coach..and in our back pocket in case we need him later on for the team. The upside of the rest of the players we have in camp just might be too much to risk letting them go for a player who is on the tail end of his career. All that being said, if Lindsey comes back as strong as ever, I still think you might have to take him back though. His defensive game changing ability for the Pistons is just an intangible that is too hard to replace.

Great job with the reports guys. It's very much appreciated. The practice wasn't aired on TV out here in Grand Rapids, but after reading about the broadcast, I'm happy to hear that I didn't miss much. I still would've liked to check it out though, if only just to hear the interviews.

And a big thanks to Mister Z for the videos! Just what we needed to wet our whistles leading into the game tonight. Well done sir! :nod:

Videos in this and the next post. These are compressed versions for faster downloading.

You have to be logged into your PF.com account to access these files! If you aren't a member, sign up and get involved in our community!

Second post for another lot of videos.

Thanks MisterZ for the video. Is showed kinda what I expected. All Star game type defense being played. Lotsa highlight type stuff. It's all good though.

Tonight things get serious and all of those smiles turn grim. Tonight they start playing for pecking order in some cases, and pure existance in others. :puke:

Thanks for all the reports and the videos! Must say that is the first dunk I have seen DARKO throw down that looked powerful. That was awesome!

Thank you for that Mister Z. It is really cool that you went to all of that trouble.

Nah, It's cool. I couldn't sleep at 4 AM and decided to make up for all my lurking around here and actually post something :p

-Mister Z

Nah, It's cool. I couldn't sleep at 4 AM and decided to make up for all my lurking around here and actually post something :p

-Mister Z

lol, well thanks just the same! :)

Mr. Z is a god. Many thanks.

The part I liked came after the triple-team block, when Darko actually dribbled the ball upcourt and threw a nice lead pass to a breaking teammate. Impressive how he kept his head up like a point guard and saw the play before it developed.

Excellent detailed report, wish I was there to see the Darko Miracle happen. I am so proud of the boy, looks like he is finally growing up. Went to the Wizards/Bulls game last night, that's newsfor another thread.

Too busy thinking about the game tonight, I mean Wizards/Cavs.

Bump for videos uploaded to posts # 39 & 40 of this thread. They are compressed for shorter download times and here in the event that Mister Z for any reason cannot keep hosting them.

I'd really like to thank Mr.Z one more time for going to the extra trouble and making Open Practice available to the people who got stuck with that infomercial Palace Entertainment called a broadcast.