Orlando

MON. April 23rd - 7:00 PM

TV: TV20 Detroit
Radio: WDFN 1130 AM

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Game 2 will be one of adjustments. Brian Hill will make no fundamental adjustments, so there is not much to worry about. He probably will play some of his bench guys more, but not enough to worry us too much. For the most part, he will keep his inept starters in the game and make it easy for us.

On Saunders part, he will adjust things as needed to make sure we win the game. He will show Orlando as little as possible, just barely getting the job done. Another close game coming up, should be fun to watch.

Can we stop Darko? Will Tony Battie step up?

Is Pat Garrity or Bo Outlaw a X-factor?

The best question may be, can Grant Hill go 4 games against Rip?

On Saunders part, he will adjust things as needed to make sure we win the game. He will show Orlando as little as possible, just barely getting the job done. Another close game coming up, should be fun to watch.
I like that idea. Maybe he's coming into the playoffs just a little bit craftier than last time.

I got my RED X ready for the countdown.

GO Pistons!!!!

Can we stop Darko? Will Tony Battie step up?

Is Pat Garrity or Bo Outlaw a X-factor?

The best question may be, can Grant Hill go 4 games against Rip?

roscoe, you cannot stop Darko; we merely have to hope to slow him down a little :stirthepot: :stirthepot: !!

How many times shave you heard that old bromide?

I am not looking for a blowout but the Pistons will win because they have better players.

And Brian Hill (:nerd2: ) will not make any changes that matter much.

Game 2 will be one of adjustments. Brian Hill will make no fundamental adjustments, so there is not much to worry about. He probably will play some of his bench guys more, but not enough to worry us too much. For the most part, he will keep his inept starters in the game and make it easy for us.

On Saunders part, he will adjust things as needed to make sure we win the game. He will show Orlando as little as possible, just barely getting the job done. Another close game coming up, should be fun to watch.

Can Magic actually make adjustments, even if they wanted to? Do they have the personnel to do that? They'll still turn the ball over, they still can't shoot free throws, and Howard can rebound and dunk, Nelson is still undersized, Grant is not the same, and Battie... If we pay a bit more attention to Milicic he won't be nearly a factor. Just get it done, close game or not, and don't overplay the starters.

I agree with Lazy. Darko will get his points. We really have to accept that Darko will hurt us and hope that the other players don't get into some kind of Darko-zone.

Orlando has been trying to make adjustments all year to stop the turnovers and they just can't do it. Either 1) they don't listen to their coach, 2) the coach has no idea what he's talking about, or 3) their personel is not capable of changing.

I've been on basketball teams with turnover problems, and based on that experience, I'd put the blame on the players. You can talk about it all you want, but these guys (Howard, Nelson) just don't value possessions. They probably never have in their lives at any level of bball. They shouldn't need a coach to point this out to them.

They probably think they are still playing AAU ball.

This %%%%ng sucks I have to go to dumbass seminiar tonite for a continuing education credit so more than likely I will miss the game. You guys enjoy the game for me, anyway, Go Pistons!!!!!!!!!!!

Orlando has been trying to make adjustments all year to stop the turnovers and they just can't do it. Either 1) they don't listen to their coach, 2) the coach has no idea what he's talking about, or 3) their personel is not capable of changing.

I've been on basketball teams with turnover problems, and based on that experience, I'd put the blame on the players. You can talk about it all you want, but these guys (Howard, Nelson) just don't value possessions. They probably never have in their lives at any level of bball. They shouldn't need a coach to point this out to them.Have to blame the coach. He refuses to replace the players making the turnovers or to adjust his offense to better fit the players he has.

The first game went exactly as I thought. Pistons dominated, then let Orlando get close like they were crossing the finish line jogging backwards. Game was never in doubt.

Expect tonight to be more of the same. CB and Rip abuse Jameer. Dwight makes 5 or 6 turnovers, and other than dunks, can't score. The only Orlando players worth anything are Hill, Turk, and Darko. And Hill is broken, Turk has no basketball IQ, and the coach doesn't play Darko enough.

Things I'd like to see: More Sheed/Darko 1 on 1 matchups; CB breaking Jameers ankles; Delfino with another solid game; Murray playing under control; Amir and JMax getting some cleanup time.

Game 2 will be one of adjustments. Brian Hill will make no fundamental adjustments, so there is not much to worry about.

I'm more a Darko neutral than anything else, but I just don't see how in the world Hill cannot start him.

But yes, Hill has a lot fewer levers to pull.

Found this interesting site.

GAME 2: Orlando Magic over Detroit Pistons (04/23, 7:00 pm)

Probability 16%
Historical Trend of this prediction
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Where does this prediction come from?
The likelihood of this prediction is computed in real time by a prediction market (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prediction_market). The prediction is treated like a stock that traders can buy and sell. The transactions are conducted with virtual money (X$) according to the following contract rule:

Each K4237ORL contract that you buy will be worth X$100 if the Orlando Magic defeat the Detroit Pistons in game 2 (04/23, 7:00 pm ET), X$50 if the teams tie or if the game is cancelled, and nothing otherwise.
While the outcome is uncertain, traders negotiate the stock price according to supply, demand, and the latest relevant news. The stock price, between x$0 and x$100, is a good indicator of the likelihood of the predicted event.


GAME 2: Orlando Magic over Detroit Pistons (04/23, 7:00 pm) (http://sports.us.newsfutures.com/market/market.html?symbol=K4237ORL)

In 48 playoff games with the Detroit Pistons, Darko averaged 44 seconds of playing time. It all added up to 35 minutes.

He currently has logged 27 minutes with Orlando. So, barring injury, he is set to break his personal record of most playoff minutes with 1 team in tonight's game. He will probably stop the game with an intentional foul so that he can cellebrate his achievement.

Maybe he will try the mysterious eye gouge again...

How about some suggestions from Orlando Magic Fan : Fan resource covering news, opinion and rumors (http://www.orlandomagicfan.com/)?

Aside from the obvious reducing turnovers and improving on the free throw line, the Magic need to make a few minor tweaks in order to beat the Detroit Pistons. Here are a couple things that I think the Magic could adjust to help their chances of beating the Pistons.

First, get Hedo the ball. Hedo appeared to score without any problem when he had the ball. The Magic need to get him involved early in the offensive play and run him off screens when he's not.
Where's JJ? Without a serious 3 point threat, it's pretty easy to defend Howard. I'd like to see Hedo and JJ on the floor at times to help spread the floor and make the other team pay for doubling up on Howard.
Stop the unnatural substitution patterns. Having Howard play until 8 minutes to go in the second quarter is not the brightest idea. Get him out towards the end of the first so he gets the extra time between quarters and then bring in back in with 9 to go in the second part of each half.
Point guard play. I think we have to start Dooling at PG in order to have a chance. He's not a long-term solution for the Magic, but he's all we got to play the position for now. This opens up room for Trevor and JJ to come in at natural positions ( for Hedo/Grant). Nelson/Arroyo can split time behind Dooling depending on who's playing the hardest.
Ariza. Real simple here. Ariza has to show up and has to play 20+ minutes in order for this team to have any real chance. He's not the answer, but a big part of the answer. His length and quickness will create problems for the Pistons.
Tony Battie (http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?statsId=3176). The guy only averages 24 minutes a game this year for us. But his leadership will help - especially in late game situations. Let's try 30 minutes and see where things go. No one thing is going to make the Magic contenders overnight. But the Pistons can get lazy and the Magic can get lucky. The team needs to turn up the intensity and make some minor tweaks in order to have a chance. I just hope the coaching staff is capable of understanding the issues and adjusting the roles accordingly. Let's GO Magic!!!

Just what do they think Trevor Ariza's going to do? He's a good defensive small forward, but he's not quick enough to guard Rip and not big enough to guard Rasheed. He might be able to check Tayshaun, but if Detroit are running their offense through Tayshaun Prince they've got bigger problems than Trevor Ariza.

And he has no jumpshot or go-to post up move on the other end, either.

I just found out I'm going to the game tonight. My wife's work has rented a suite and they had extra tickets. I can't wait.

Yes, although it may be sacreligious I will be wearing my Pistons Darko jersey and rooting for the kid to play well in a Piston's victory.

I hope we show the Magic who is boss tonight and take away any hope that they have of winning a game this series.

But I will still root hard for Darko because I think he's a fine player and got a raw deal in Detroit.

Besides, the better he plays, the more Orlando will have to pay to keep him. Him signing a bigger deal means they have less money to put pieces around Howard and Milicic. It's a good thing for Piston's fans.

I'm pumped, I just wish my mother in law would get here soon so I don't miss the opening tip. Oh well, I guess that's what happens when you need to get the "emergency babysitter" in a hurry.

GO PISTONS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That's cool, man. Have fun at the game for all of us that can't go.

Take pictures Jack! I want exclusives! And not all Darko pictures either, ok? :)

Just what do they think Trevor Ariza's going to do? He's a good defensive small forward, but he's not quick enough to guard Rip and not big enough to guard Rasheed. He might be able to check Tayshaun, but if Detroit are running their offense through Tayshaun Prince they've got bigger problems than Trevor Ariza.

And he has no jumpshot or go-to post up move on the other end, either.

He did have that one crazy awesome dunk in Ben's face a couple of years ago with the Knicks.

Chat is open.

http://www.pistonsforum.com/misc.php?do=flashchat



If you can't access chat, please read this
http://www.pistonsforum.com/news/6234-2007-playoff-chat-announcement.html

Orlando must realize that by cutting their mistakes, they can make the game much closer. They'll win if the Pistons fold at the end like an I-96 bridge. Same prediction as last time. Pistons win 95-92............

Pistons take care of business at home. Great work fellas. :)

Magic did take much better care of the ball tonight, with only 9 turnovers, but the Pistons contained Howard for only 8 points and 11 boards. Bad discipline on penetration was the one thing that hurt the Pistons on D, as Turkoglu got way too many good looks off drives into the lane by Jameer, Grant, and others. Hopefully the familiar "better on the road than at home" dynamic of this season will play out in Orlando for a Pistons sweep.

Another 8 point win. Impressive defensive job on Howard who was regulated to pushing guys out of the way to get into rebounding position. If not for Turkoglu this game would not have been close.

2 Wins. Fantastic. I enjoy watching Darko, Arroyo and Hill get beat.

Shut down the Ho. I should have some audio for you guys later.

I actually have been impressed with Darko, he has a very nice hook shot. Gets it off quick and accuratly. As someone else pointed out this is what LB was trying to teach him back when he was trying to be the next Dirk.

One of those hook shots was not quick enough around Sheed though as Sheed stuffed it back. Another one I liked is when Arroyo flopped right behind Rip and Rip quickly turned and hit the now open uncontested shot. I think Arroyo got a call similiar to that in game #1 against Billups. Better ref crew tonight, you can't model your game on getting cheap calls.

Just like last game. It ended up close but the Magic were never in it.

• Very nice game from Rasheed up until Darko blocked his jumpshot from the right block.
• Tayshaun had an impressive shooting game but I'm not sure he can move his feet fast enough to guard a dribble drive from Yao Ming anymore.
• One of Webber and McDyess is going to have to get his game on track pretty soon if the Pistons are to win in the next round.
• Chauncey and Rip were sleepwalking but not imprecise – only one turnover between the both of them.
• Saunders has almost no confidence in either Lindsey or Flip Jr, and rightly so.
• Fino clang.
• Better defensive scheme this time around, set up by a clock management game that forced Orlando to try to win on the merits of their guard talent.

Good for a start but we cannot just exhange baskets with the good teams. Orlando has trouble scoring but has out-executed us down the stretch on both offense and defense.

I like what Chauncey has been doing and Sheed also. That little free throw line jumper has been there all year for Sheed. We don't always need the 3-ball. We need to keep Murray sharp and use him over Hunter. We will need Murray's offense against the better teams when the points will not be as easy to come by. Good to see Rip in his mid-range game. His best play was that first quarter fast break pull-up 10 footer. Swish. Tay needs to take his time when he gets in the lane. He is missing some near bunnies.

Ahb, right, Webber seems to have trouble against the taller centers and we need to find some spots on the floor for him. They are coming out on Dyss and he will have to fake and get into the mid-range.

Still a coaching issue on Turgolu. He scored too much last game and way, way too much this game. Yes, the idea is to stop Howard but please, notice when a guy is getting hot and jam that up. This is playoff basketball.

Good for now, but we will need to be a lot tougher defensively in the next series and play some vintage Piston playoff basketball.

Hey folks, I'll take it. We're 2-0, we took care of homecourt, now we have to contest with the horde of mouseketeers in Orlando, but any doubt that we might not make it past this series should now be erased.

As expected, Brian Hill made no adjustments worth mentioning. Perfectly content to lose, as long as he does not have to change anything. Got to be thankful the guy is so inept. Just 14 more wins to go for a championship.

The game in a nutshell. Jameer Nelson finally hits a shot late after going 1-9. Billups comes down and simply shoots a three, pretty much uncontested as Jameer stares helplessly. Jameer, the starting point for Orlando, pretty much assures the Pistons can always get easy shots.

Rip started out slow, ended up with a very bad shooting night but made many free throws. Billups hit some threes, and made a clutch bucket with a drive in that pretty much put this one away. Sheed hit some triples. Tay a few too. I'd say the biggest difference these days from last season, as far as our 4 stars returning from last season, is Tay's new found confidence in his outside shooting.

Our bench was completely ineffective. Delfino had the one free throw, Dyess shot horribly to give us at least some bench scoring. Thats it. Murray and Hunter barely played and neither scored. No Maxiell. No Davis. Delfino played just a bit more than Hunter and Murray, but not that much at all. We are getting awful close to just using 6 guys. Bad sign. Anyone remember the discussion about who has the better bench? Orlando continues to use theirs heavily.

Darko went 5-5 for Orlando in the fourth. No outside shooting, even though he was open repeatedly in a spot that he does not miss from. More excellent coaching from Hill. Got to love it.

Dyess did rebound well and Delfino did play some good D, but thats mighty little from the bench.

It will be interesting looking at the game flow tomorro. I am sure it will show the Orlando's starters, against the Pistons starters, did horribly, and then the Orlando bench made a comeback. Both halves. I'd guess at one point the Pistons starters were plus 17 or so vs. the Orlando starters. Expect more of the same for next game on Thursday, cause why? Brian Hill will not adjust. So don't even worry. Pistons in 4. GO PISTONS!!!!!

Nice win, but two things stand out.
The bench is only providing minutes but no points and the Hunter curse has reared it's ugly head again.

The bench shot 2-16 tonight scoring a total of 10 pts. Dice, Delfino, Hunter and Murray were in there and only Dice with his 2-11 shooting was able to connect from the floor. Hope a better shooting Dice and at least one other bench player shows up to Disney world.

Billups and Rip played 41 and 44 minutes and we needed them out there for every minute. I am not going to blame Hunter for the second quarter collapse, since he was on the bench, but the Magic shaved 7 quick points off that 15 point 4th quarter lead for the 2+ minutes he was in there then. Flip sr's best move of the night was to yank Hunter at the next time out. CB came back and restored order after that.

Funny thing is that during the regular season, Flip would have let that run get up to 11 points before calling a time out, so he has learned something...The question is why hasn't he learned his lesson with Hunter??? He only plays well when he is out there with Billups, but without a another quality PG, that can't happen, since Hunter is the designated driver out there when Billups needs a blow. .

I think a big part of the problem is all of the time Hunter missed and Flip did not establish a two PG platoon with Hunter/Murray.

At first glance, it seems we are really in need of a quality PG, but after a second look, I wonder how much better Hunter and Murray could be if we had a legit 2G that can play off the ball and work the baseline screens, play the mid-range game.

The guaranteed day's rest and extended timeouts allow us to push our guys a couple minutes longer than usual.

I'd just like to say to the Run-Rasheed-Out-On-A-Rail contingent that he is playing very under control. The refs seem to have backed off a bit in the Joey Crawford aftermath, and his forays into the paint are paying big dividends.

It's no joke that as Sheed + Billups go, so go the Pistons. Let's hope they can both stay hot, healthy and focused.

I predict that Hunter will tear it up the next game. Everyone is down on the feisty pill popper right now, and when the chorus is near crescendo, Mr. Hunter always soothes the mob with a very strong game.

I actually have been impressed with Darko, he has a very nice hook shot. Gets it off quick and accuratly. As someone else pointed out this is what LB was trying to teach him back when he was trying to be the next Dirk.

lb hindered darko's game more than anything. lb didn't teach him anything except how to demand to go to another team. yes darko has a post game now but coaches still aren't letting him use his originals skills which was the jump shot and playmaking. orlando should be running the offense through darko instead of d. howard. darko is an inside and outside threat like rasheed. stuffing him in the post and not getting him shot attempts is dumb that's why hill will be fired the guy simply can't coach.

add sheed and mcdyess to the list of nba big men that darko defends very well.

I predict that Hunter will tear it up the next game. Everyone is down on the feisty pill popper right now, and when the chorus is near crescendo, Mr. Hunter always soothes the mob with a very strong game.


You are right there Lin...Hunter always plays well in one out of every three games. That may well be the next game where helps us to a commanding 3 games to none lead!!!
Go Hunter :cheerleader: (you can take this meaning two ways):)

Kudos to Flip Saunders for employing the hyperbolic zone effectively against the Magic's interior scorers.

Nelson was kept off balance. Howard was for all intents and purposes shut down. Darko was huge, but if Darko is huge, then you have a chance. Not too many games are won by dominant 6th man performances.

Sure Turkoglu had a great night, but that's almost what you want. Turk is a volume scorer (needs shots) and a bonafide chucker (many nights, he'll shoot a lousy %). You can live with him having a couple good games in the series. He's not so special that his contributions cannot be overcome.

Right now, Hedo is hot. Once he cools off, you can trust he will keep tossing up shots like the 3 point line is about to be eliminated.

I really thought Hill wasn't made to work hard enough early by Billups, and Grant totally got some superstar calls from the Ed Rush led referee crew. Overall, the officials were pretty lousy, but again, if an older Grant Hill is going to be your leader the chances of getting beat are pretty small. In his prime he had trouble getting over the hump. Eliminate Howard and Hill doesn't have the supporting cast.

Go Hunter :cheerleader: (you can take this meaning two ways):)

I am looking forward to Lindsey at his new front office job. :)

I am looking forward to Lindsey at his new front office job. :)
he has one more year left..

he has one more year left..

Guess I'll have to look a little more forward.

:ohwell: :cheerleader:

Guess I'll have to look a little more forward.

:ohwell: :cheerleader:
:pound::pound::pound:

Guess I'll have to look a little more forward.

:ohwell: :cheerleader:

This series is not a good fit for him. He will be usefull as the playoffs continue.

yessir

lb hindered darko's game more than anything. lb didn't teach him anything except how to demand to go to another team. yes darko has a post game now but coaches still aren't letting him use his originals skills which was the jump shot and playmaking. orlando should be running the offense through darko instead of d. howard. darko is an inside and outside threat like rasheed. stuffing him in the post and not getting him shot attempts is dumb that's why hill will be fired the guy simply can't coach.

add sheed and mcdyess to the list of nba big men that darko defends very well.

I am not a big LB fan either. But give credit where it is due. LB and his staff put in a lot of hard work and long hours with that kid. If nothing rubbed off then thats his fault. That kind of expert instruction is not easy to find or cheap. All he did was waste everyones time.

I am not a big LB fan either. But give credit where it is due. LB and his staff put in a lot of hard work and long hours with that kid. If nothing rubbed off then thats his fault. That kind of expert instruction is not easy to find or cheap. All he did was waste everyones time.

I have to mention, though, that if you are being taught to play a game such as bball, using those moves against your own teammates, who are being taught by the same coaches, does not do much good. You have to get the chance to use them in game situations against other teams before you really learn them. That is why he is still not up to where he should be.

I might compare it to taking batting practice. You know the moves of your opponents and they know yours. You gotta go up against real opponents before you really validate it.

That is what he is doing now.

Just finished watching the game. Seems like the game was never in doubt, even in the 2nd quarter when it got really close. Magic still can't hit the free throws, Howard looked scared, Arroyo is flopping around like a bird, and the coach is clueless. Sheed is staying true to his form - everything for the playoffs. Dyess' shot is off, so is Delfino's. Although both played hard, went to the boards and chased after all the loose balls.

Flip Saunders says that he CB is out few minutes and the lead is dropped. I look at the box score and CB played 41+ minutes and Hamilton played 44+ minutes. If we need our guards to play this much in the first round with the magic, then this was not an easy game. I am more worried about what to do against the MAVS in the Finals. We need our bench to play better ball.

I am not a big LB fan either. But give credit where it is due. LB and his staff put in a lot of hard work and long hours with that kid. If nothing rubbed off then thats his fault. That kind of expert instruction is not easy to find or cheap. All he did was waste everyones time.

You do not know what you are talking about here. I know what was really going on between Darko and Brown. Although I am not at liberty to say exactly, just believe me when I say Brown never did Darko any good at all.

I got to watch the game;
my thoughts:
Darko played decent- the playoffs are the ultimate test for him and this far he' showed that he's able to handle the pressure. His defense against Sheed in the 4th was just great. He's also becoming a real low post threat.
Next season, he'll just be fine.
Billups was extremely important yesterday. Every time when it seemed as if the Magic could start a run to get back in the game, he nailed an important shot.
Dyess has become a softie. He really has only one offensive weapon in his fadeaway jumper. If this jumper ain't fallin', he can't get anything going.
But he showed nice D against Howard again and he's the only real rebounder on our team right now. He deserves the minutes, even if he's ineffective on the offensive end.
Webber is running like a 50 year old. His jumping ability has completely gone and so has his once powerfull game. On the bright side, he still has the basics. You can give him the ball to work in the post and, at times, he penetrates and shows he's still a thread- somehow. I wonder if he'll be able to sustain the entire playoff run. To me, he seems totally messed up.
For the Magic, their guards are simply weak. Every time Arroyo tried to play some aggressive D, Billups abused him for a stupid foul or got past him. Same for Nelson. We still don't know if Billups will be able to carry the team like that against teams with stronger guards.
Currently, we'd be totally lost without him- you can watch that every time he's off the floor.

I got to watch the game;
my thoughts:
Darko played decent- the playoffs are the ultimate test for him and this far he' showed that he's able to handle the pressure. His defense against Sheed in the 4th was just great. He's also becoming a real low post threat.
Next season, he'll just be fine.
Billups was extremely important yesterday. Every time when it seemed as if the Magic could start a run to get back in the game, he nailed an important shot.
Dyess has become a softie. He really has only one offensive weapon in his fadeaway jumper. If this jumper ain't fallin', he can't get anything going.
But he showed nice D against Howard again and he's the only real rebounder on our team right now. He deserves the minutes, even if he's ineffective on the offensive end.
Webber is running like a 50 year old. His jumping ability has completely gone and so has his once powerfull game. On the bright side, he still has the basics. You can give him the ball to work in the post and, at times, he penetrates and shows he's still a thread- somehow. I wonder if he'll be able to sustain the entire playoff run. To me, he seems totally messed up.
For the Magic, their guards are simply weak. Every time Arroyo tried to play some aggressive D, Billups abused him for a stupid foul or got past him. Same for Nelson. We still don't know if Billups will be able to carry the team like that against teams with stronger guards.
Currently, we'd be totally lost without him- you can watch that every time he's off the floor.
Billups did score twice against Arroyo, but he also missed several times shooting against him. Compared to Nelson, Arroyo defended Billups fine. Which is a problem. Coach Hill could always wise up and remove Nelson from his rotation, and there would go most of our easiest shots. And if he took Battie out of the game, there would go a considerable number of easy shots too. (Sheed shot far too easily over Battie.) But note, not a single Orlando fan, as far as I can tell, has one drop of faith that coach Hill cares a bit about winning. They feel this loser needs to be run out of town after this season, and are looking forward to next year.

PopcornMachine's GameFlow - Orlando @ Detroit (http://popcornmachine.net/cgi-bin/gameflow.cgi?date=20070423&game=ORLDET)

PopcornMachine's BoxScore - Orlando @ Detroit (http://popcornmachine.net/cgi-bin/boxscore.cgi?date=20070423&game=ORLDET)

(On lulls): “We’ve had the lulls when we’ve taken Chauncey out of the game. That’s been a big lull for us so that’s something we’ve got to work on and do a little better job running some of our sets…I thought for the first time in the series in the second half tonight we started fighting. Playoffs are a time you have to fight; that’s what it boils down to. I thought we played the first game and even the first half like a regular season game at times. But I thought that the second half tonight our energy started improving a little bit.”

You do not know what you are talking about here. I know what was really going on between Darko and Brown. Although I am not at liberty to say exactly, just believe me when I say Brown never did Darko any good at all.

You can't just leave that floating like that. How bout a hint?

As for the game, Pistons look bored, Brian Hill is really, really bad. And G Hill made a cut on Delfino that reminded me of just how good he used to be.

As for the D Man, Orlando has outscored the Pistons in every quarter that Darko has played significant minutes. In two games he's +5 and +10; Battie is -11 and -10. Has played Sheed well, has shown good moves in the paint, yet BHill still starts Battie, and the guards still won't pass him the ball.

Like Roscoe said, let Turk keep shooting. Every good game he has like last night, means he'll take that many more bad shots when his stroke is off. Wouldn't be suprised to see him go 3 for 20 next game.

Sheed's buzzer beater heave courtesy of Need4Sheed
Sheedtastic Again (http://www.need4sheed.com/2007/04/sheedtastic-again.html)

You do not know what you are talking about here. I know what was really going on between Darko and Brown. Although I am not at liberty to say exactly, just believe me when I say Brown never did Darko any good at all.

:pound::pound::pound:

Actually, I know what REALLY went on between Darko and Brown because my source trumps all others, but I am more not at liberty to say than you are, so therefore this is conclusive proof that I know the truth and this should end all arguments.

You do not know what you are talking about here. I know what was really going on between Darko and Brown. Although I am not at liberty to say exactly, just believe me when I say Brown never did Darko any good at all.Did it have anything to do with Darko and Shelley Brown?:stirthepot:

"We seem to have lulls every time we take Chauncey out of the game," Pistons coach Flip Saunders said. "We had a 15-point lead, took Chauncey out and it was down to seven in a couple of minutes. That's something we have to get better at."

Now this kinda ticks me off. You KNOW this happens. ITS HAPPENED ALL SEASON LONG!!!!! What was done about it??

I love Hunter but he's been able to hand in 1 good game in like 5. Playoffs blah blah, playoffs blah blah. The SAME THING IS GOING ON. Hello! You don't just magicaly transform into a great team!

Murray gave a good account of himself in the late season. Why not play him more. If neither can run an offense, use someone else. Feature Cwebb at the post while the PG attacks. Let Tay,Rip and Delf take turns initiating. DO SOMETHING.

I can only hope that this is part of Flips poker strategy and I am just being fooled.

Turkoglu shot ZERO free throws. What does that say about a player when he has one of his best games and doesn't get to the line?

I don't think Dyess' shot went cold, I just think that Orlando is affecting it with Battie/Darko. Also, don't expect Dyess to get down and dirty in the trenches unless we really need it. This guy wants a ship as bad as anyone... and he's not going down with an ankle sprain in the first round when we have the lead.

Sheed- He's really playing smart right now. Orlando is a perfect team to take his game outside until they prove they can defend it.

Chaunce- I love it when he looks for the 3-ball in the first 3/4 of the game. He is one dangerous man out there and should make them respect it early.

All in all, the game didn't have much intensity and it looked like we were scrimmaging. I'll take it.

Playing starters with heavy minute in first round to win less than 10 points ain't no easy game at all. I may be wrong, I wish the strategy is to get a quick first round winning and all players would have a good rest before facing Bulls/Heats. Stay healthy and go, Pistons.

Flip should give the starters and Dice a day off to rest. Training should resume on Wednesday. However, the bench should come into training. Hunter, Delf and Murray should start taking more shots at training. (and please make them):stirthepot:

Flip, time to show your coaching skills and win game 3.

playing long minutes isn't a big deal...especially in the playoffs with longer timeouts, 4 minutes longer for halftime, the fact that we get 2 days off before our next game, and that the chicago/miami series is going at least 6.

i got to the palace early, but it was really weird because at 7 PM when they were getting ready to do the national anthem, starting lineups, and tip-off, there were literally no more than 5,000 people in the stands. i'm not even kidding. these 7 PM start times are hard...traffic is always slow on I-75, and no one cares about the 1st round. i'm amazed how many people left the game early too.

anyway, this was another easy victory. yeah hunter was -7 in 2 minutes, but i'm not going to place all of the blame on him. the carrying call was bogus, and the other 2 possessions we passed the ball around and got good shots, they just didn't go in. plus orlando will live with lindsey's shooting, so when he's on the floor they just pack the paint. and on defense, we don't need lindsey ... in fact we WANT nelson and arroyo shooting. so i again advocate flip murray for this series. his poor man-to-man defense will get nelson and arroyo shooting more, and he can penetrate the lane better.

dice is playing great, even though we're not getting much offensive production from him. orlando is doing a very good job pushing him out 2 feet past his range, and he's becoming hesitant to shoot. at least he made all his free throws, rather than watching everyone else hit 1 of 2 the whole night.

arroyo is a flop machine, and i'm glad they didn't call the one late in the game. i still did not like the officiating at all, if only because it was so inconsistent. when they let the players play, as in the 1st quarter, we get in a good offensive rhythm and assert ourselves. when the whistle blows non-stop, we revert back to 1 on 1 play and slowing the game down even further.

hats off to flip, because we did good after timeouts...especially when we were doing the 1-on-1 thing and you could see he forced the pistons to pass the ball around 4-5 times minimum before taking a shot.

pretty boring series overall...i just hope we sweep. if i was orlando i'd bench nelson (he should be a backup PG) and bench battie, and start darko and dooling, or darko and arroyo. but either way it doesn't matter - orlando can't win no matter what they try. today they hit free throws and didn't turn the ball over, correcting problems from game 1, and we still won easily.

Warthog....that was nice to see Arroyo's flop act fail and Rip hitting the wide open shot.

That one was just waaaay to obvious and right in front of the offisial.

:pound::pound::pound:

Actually, I know what REALLY went on between Darko and Brown because my source trumps all others, but I am more not at liberty to say than you are, so therefore this is conclusive proof that I know the truth and this should end all arguments.
Come on, Darth. You left out the magic phrase "just believe me when I say..." When you use the magic phrase, people will just believe what you say. Usually.

Interesting blog entry by Terry Foster on Detroit News website:

The Pistons are doing what they've done all series. They jump to a double digit lead, watch it get down to four or five points and then make another run. This game looks too scripted. Although the Magic make it look close you never get the feeling they are really in the game. They are a puppet on a string and the puppet master decides when and how they are going to move.

I tend to agree. That's exactly what it looked like. You know, the proverbial carrot to keep 'm interested.

Come on, Darth. You left out the magic phrase "just believe me when I say..." When you use the magic phrase, people will just believe what you say. Usually.

Believe me when I say I don't even need to say "believe me when I say" in order for people to believe me when I say what I say. Believe me when I say this.

Fershtay? (google it):pound:

Here's another post by Terry. Sometimes he has some interesting thoughts I have to admit.


The Pistons remind me of the teenage kid who does not want to clean his room.

You nag him and beg him to do his duties and eventually the room gets cleaned --after you threaten to ground him for a week. It seems as if they don't really want to clean up the Magic, so they kind of pout and horse around before getting the job done.

That's the way its been the entire series. But the Pistons don't care about style points. All they care about is owning a 2-0 lead following Monday night's 98-90 victory over the Orlando Magic at The Palace. The Pistons watched double digit leads slip away all night, only to turn up the heat at their leisure.

Now the series shifts back to Orlando where the Magic hope to find some -- pardon the pun -- Magic. They will need more from Dwight Howard who disappeared and finished with eight points and 11 rebounds.

The Pistons bigs swarmed him and made it difficult for him. His teammates also forgot he existed after the first quarter. Hedu Turkoglu (22 points) was hot from the outside and kept the Magic in it by making 10-of-14 shots. Former Piston Grant Hill played a nice all around game with 19 points, eight rebounds and four assists.

For the second straight game the Pistons placed five players in double figures but failed to put the Magic away when they should have. The tried to waste a 15-point fourth quarter lead, allowing Orlando to pull to within 88-82 in the final 1:14.

But Chauncey Billups (21 points, eight assists) hit a twisting lay up that resulted in a three-point play that dashed the Magic come back hopes.

The Pistons should win this series in five games because they are the better team. But they don't seem to be clicking on all cylinders. Something is missing. I am betting some harsh words were exchanged at half time because Coach Flip Saunders did not look happy when he walked onto the floor. Whatever happened seemed to revive the team just enough to win.

I know what went on with Larry Brown and Darko but I'm not at liberty to say either. Few people know what a prankster LB was..I'll tell you that much....

Well O.K. ...I'll tell a little bit more. One of Larry's favorite pranks was to unscrew the lightbulbs in Darko's hotel room causing Darko to think there was a power outage. This caused Darko to call the front desk and try to explain that his power was off...and he wasn't very fluent in English at the time. Larry and Gar Heard would be outside Darko's door rolling on the floor laughing.

That's all I'm gonna say.

In both games the Magic cut into the Pistons lead when Hunter took over at point. Hunter had a hard time bringing the ball up and making his 1st initial pass, by the time he ran the 1st play the Magic had plenty of time to get into their defensive positions and it was a struggle from that point. Usually ending in a long jump shot.

This can be corrected. Flip Murry is not the ideal choice but he is all we have. When Murry was in earlier the offense seemed to run ok. Not something you want extended minutes of but its good enough to give CB his 5 minute breather. if Flip insists on playing Hunter then either have someone else bring the ball up or have Hunter bring it up and immediatly pass it to someone else to run the play.

Overall we have nothing to complain about. Pistons are up 2-0 which had not been happening in prior 1st rounds.

The problem with Murray is that he can't guard Nelson. So, you may get better offensively but you'll downgrade defensively. What is better or worse? Who knows. So far it translated into Chauncey and Rip playing over 40 minutes. I wonder, why not have Delphino bring the ball up? He seems to be quick enough and makes intelligent decisions with the ball. He is a streaky shooter, but that is not necessarily going to hurt if he is distributing the ball.

I know what went on with Larry Brown and Darko but I'm not at liberty to say either. Few people know what a prankster LB was..I'll tell you that much....

Well O.K. ...I'll tell a little bit more. One of Larry's favorite pranks was to unscrew the lightbulbs in Darko's hotel room causing Darko to think there was a power outage. This caused Darko to call the front desk and try to explain that his power was off...and he wasn't very fluent in English at the time. Larry and Gar Heard would be outside Darko's door rolling on the floor laughing.

That's all I'm gonna say.
:pound: Believe me when say I can see you cannot be trusted with confidential information.:blah:

See if I ever tell YOU any secrets.

But now that the CAT has been let out of the bag, believe me when I say Larry Brown is not a good person.

OK, Roscoe. I'm done. I promise.:victory:

Fershtay?
Ye. :)

I know what went on with Larry Brown and Darko but I'm not at liberty to say either. Few people know what a prankster LB was..I'll tell you that much....

Well O.K. ...I'll tell a little bit more. One of Larry's favorite pranks was to unscrew the lightbulbs in Darko's hotel room causing Darko to think there was a power outage. This caused Darko to call the front desk and try to explain that his power was off...and he wasn't very fluent in English at the time. Larry and Gar Heard would be outside Darko's door rolling on the floor laughing.

That's all I'm gonna say.
Bills, your avatar and this post were meant for each other.

OK, Roscoe. I'm done. I promise.:victory:
Yeah, please be done. It sets a bad precedent.

Bills, your avatar and this post were meant for each other.

And that's a good thing..right? The doggie is cleaning up the poop.

The first two games averaged 88 possessions for each team. That is about as slow a tempo as you can get in an NBA game.

Orlando is playing right into our hands by making it an execution contest. They have turned the ball over on 23% of their possessions (regular season was 18%, which was the highest in the NBA) and we have turned it over on 12% of ours (vs. 13% in reg season). They have 10 ball handling turnovers to our 4.

How predictable. If I were Brian Hill, I would do something different, even if it's doesn't seem like a good idea. The system they are using is putting a lot of pressure on their worst players... their guards.

Also, take a look at the position by position breakdown of the first 2 games. As expected, Chauncey is annihilating Nelson. +13 PER!

Detroit Pistons team performance by position for the 2006-2007 season from 82games.com (http://www.82games.com/0607/playoffs/0607DET5.HTM)

The problem with Murray is that he can't guard Nelson. So, you may get better offensively but you'll downgrade defensively. What is better or worse? Who knows.

it's better if murray can't guard nelson. first of all, nelson is a terrible shooter. second, he's been getting into the paint anyway against chauncey...we've done a great job of collapsing and not giving him anything, so he either runs along the baseline back to the 3-point line, or he tries to dish to howard who has had stone hands in this series.

basically we want the ball in nelson's hands as much as possible, so i'll go with flip in this case.

btw, the pistons have lulls but so do the fans. people were so bored in game 1 that they were doing the wave in the middle of play (even while sheed was shooting free throws), and the arena was extremely quiet in the 2nd quarter when orlando was coming back. i admittedly stopped being loud as well and was contemplating closing my eyes for a couple mins during halftime.

and what's with hill getting the superstar treatment? part of the reason it's hard for delfino to defend hill is that delfino gets no respect and can't play his usual defense.

Bills, your avatar and this post were meant for each other.

Slippy, I can't tell what your avatar is supposed to be? :confused:

Slippy, I can't tell what your avatar is supposed to be? :confused:


Maybe Slippie's avatar and his posts were meant for each other too?:)

I think it is supposed to be a fat samurai.

Maybe Slippie's avatar and his posts were meant for each other too?:)

I know he composes his posts (composts) when heavily inebriated. Do you mean to imply he picked his avatar when he wasn't sober too? :MusicBigGrin:

:burp: <-----------Slippy in writing mode.

I hate it when Slippy is the on duty moderator. Here is an example of the latest pm warning he sent me:

Deerest Darsh,

Shtop acteeng like an ash.

---Shloopy-----

playing long minutes isn't a big deal...especially in the playoffs with longer timeouts, 4 minutes longer for halftime, the fact that we get 2 days off before our next game, and that the chicago/miami series is going at least 6.

I agree. I don't mind playing the starters heavy minutes at home. You usually have the juices flowing and running on adrenalin with the crowd. Plus you need to make sure you win those home games. On the road you are basically trying to steal one, but you've got to take care of home court.

arroyo is a flop machine, and i'm glad they didn't call the one late in the game. i still did not like the officiating at all, if only because it was so inconsistent.

I don't like that Willard guy. Reminds me of that Seinfeld episode with the tip calculators. "Thats not a Wizard! Its a Willard!!"

pretty boring series overall...i just hope we sweep. if i was orlando i'd bench nelson (he should be a backup PG) and bench battie, and start darko and dooling, or darko and arroyo. but either way it doesn't matter - orlando can't win no matter what they try. today they hit free throws and didn't turn the ball over, correcting problems from game 1, and we still won easily.[/quote]


btw, the pistons have lulls but so do the fans. people were so bored in game 1 that they were doing the wave in the middle of play (even while sheed was shooting free throws)

At a cricket game its awesome. At a basketball game its an insult to do the Mexican wave. Can't say I've seen it happen too often.

Got to see the first 2 games. We are just doing enough to win, but the intensity level does look better, especially from Sheed.

I like what Magic said during the TNT broadcast about how his Lakers goal was to get the starters on the bench for the fourth quarter and sweep the teams that you have to sweep. I think the Pistons should be playing the same way. They need to see that there are veterans that need as much energy as possible in upcoming rounds. (Webber, etc.)

I hope I never get to a point in my Pistons fan career when I think any series in the Playoffs is boring.

The Magic are so loathsomely boring.

Darko fatigue.

Howard, another young super specimen lacking any refined skills.

Nelson. An experiment gone horribly wrong.

Turkoglu, has trouble being the man.

Hill, smiling his way to elimination.

There is little emotion. The Pistons are trying to put together solid 48 minutes and stay healthy. When the games get desperate, and we feel afraid that the Pistons might lose, then it isn't boring anymore.

It's ecstasy.

I guarantee that the next game will be more exciting. The Magic will play better, the crowd will be more into it, and the odds are that the Pistons won't get such an all around performance from so many different players.

All it takes is for 2 Pistons to be on, but in the last 2 games, hardly anyone had an off game. We had 6 difference guys coming through for us.


As far as Howard... I know he's fun to watch. But was he really deserving of an All-Star appearance this year? He has less finesse than Shaq, can't shoot free throws, and turns the ball over every other touch.

I think he is 3 more years away from real domination.

I think the fans and the media are making this series seem boring because everybody knows the Pistons are the superior team. The players know it, the coaches know it, the fans know it, and the experts know it. As a player, I'd probably find it hard to play with intensity if I felt it was going to be a walk in the park, everyone saying it ought to be a sweep. But as a fan, I'm 5 kinds of excited just to be watching the Pistons ball. Say what you want, but in my mind, Detroit basketball is never boring.

"We act as though comfort and luxury were the chief requirements of life, when all that we need to make us happy is something to be enthusiastic about."~Charles Kingsley

We're supposed to be the greatest, most loyal fans in the world so let's start acting it and get pumped!!! OWW!:cheerleader:

Chauncey said that on his resume he's missing one piece - playoff sweep. I wonder if he is implying that Pistons will go for the throat this time, something they haven't done in a long long time.

The Pistons are doing one thing right...that's staying away from Darko.

Still I like my take on the Grant Hill thing.
http://www.pistonsforum.com/detroit-pistons-general-discussion/684-bad-gm-vs-good-gm-raps-vs-stones.html

Darko should be bigger part of the Magic's offense - Orlando Sentinel : Orlando Magic (http://www.orlandosentinel.com/sports/basketball/magic/orl-bianchi2407apr24,0,2728606.column?coll=orl-sports-magic-special)

Article from the Orlando Sentinel.

The JJ Reddick quote was pretty sad:
"I've figured out over the course of the season that there's no rhyme or reason to anything," J.J. answers. "I have no expectations going into the game. That way, I can deal with it mentally."

What's sad about it? That's a commendable attitude that rookies playing for all but about three or four coaches in the NBA (and veterans playing for at least half of them) should take – although maybe they should be a little more dishonest when talking to the media.

For a pathetic little Dukie, he seems to have his head on straight.

It's a little sad that he is resorting to mental defenses to keep his coach from completely breaking him. He was getting a lot of playing time heading into the playoffs and was doing a pretty good job. Shot 42% 3's in April.

For a pathetic little Dukie, he seems to have his head on straight.

Do I detect a little bias here? Wait, it can't be biased if it's true, right?

Anyway, I'd go so far as to say that Darko has been their best player so far and ought to be starting. Let Battie bring some energy off the bench. And with the Pistons showing a lack of interest in getting up on jump shooters (can you say Turkoglu?), it does seem like stretching them even more with another shooter might be a good idea.

I stand by my prediction in another thread - if the Magic hadn't made the playoffs, Hill would have been the next coach out the door.

I don't where this boring thing started. Been hearing that a lot on talk radio, mainly on the Pistons flagship station ( way to advertise a series guys ). Maybe if we lost a game it would be more exciting. Granted its not as interesting as the later rounds but Its been more fun to me that playing Milw again.

Has to be some entertainment value in beating a team that has 3 x-Pistons on it? Hills 1st playoffs with the Magic.

Orlando is a bad team that tries to play like a much more talented team, and Detroit's not doing anything but trying to set shot-clock era records for slowest pace, running about five offensive sets and hacking away on D.

It's just bad basketball.

I don't get it. I really don't.

The Pistons are winning each game at home by about 10 points. So it is boring and nobody likes it.

If we totally blew them out it would be even more boring, I suppose.

If the games were any closer people would complain that we are doomed in round two when we play a good team.

I'm wondering...what is it exactly that we were expecting?

I'm not saying I am not happy, just that this series is boring because after following the Pistons all season, and being somewhat aware of who the Magic are, I don't feel the Pistons are threatened at all in this series.

And that tension, for someone who has been watching the NBA for over 20 years is necessary for me. I need to feel like every second, every shot counts. Against the Magic, I'm biding my time waiting for the real battles to come.

I'm with Tater. If the Pistons ran through the entire playoffs with every single series being this "boring" (which obviously isn't going to happen), I wouldn't mind it one bit.

We were the only team to score 100 points in the first game of the first round. I thought higher scoring = excitement.

Orlando just doesn't have any players that the general populus wants to see lose. They are nice guys with a sub .500 record who can't compete with a veteran team. Like it or not, that really is the recipe for a boring series.

The next series could be the highlight of the playoffs though! Det/Chi or Det/Mia would both have some storylines.

We were the only team to score 100 points in the first game of the first round. I thought higher scoring = excitement.

Orlando just doesn't have any players that the general populus wants to see lose. They are nice guys with a sub .500 record who can't compete with a veteran team. Like it or not, that really is the recipe for a boring series.

The next series could be the highlight of the playoffs though! Det/Chi or Det/Mia would both have some storylines.

I think the next series is Detroit and Chicago and I suggest that all you people who are bored :bored:should bring an extra pair of drawers to those games.

I remember being in chat for game one with Orlando. If I recall correctly, a few people were pretty nervous there at the end of the game. I guess they are they same people that like going on those amusement park roller coaster rides. Those rides are a ball...unless and until they derail...:scared:

I hear what you guys are saying, but I just want to win. That, in itself is very exciting to me.

I hear what you guys are saying, but I just want to win. That, in itself is very exciting to me.

I am with you on that one. Just win them games nomatter how beautiful or ugly and what the score is.

what about we win this series in 6 games? this could be an early warning that nothing can come easy. What happened last year was the extra confidence the Pistons had. They thought they can win any game any moment the turn the switch. I am ok with losing two games in this series.

I'm wondering...what is it exactly that we were expecting?
You shouldn't expect anything out of a series like this. That it's living up to the lowest possible expectations is itself boring.

The Pistons are doing the least possible to get a win, and I don't mean that they're being efficient; they're just trying to get through 48 minutes at a time against a team they seriously outclass.

For many our first extended look at DarkoBall. Let Darko go for 30 with a Piston loss and Magic fan will commit Har-Kari in delight. Leave me alone.

Not necessarily here. On talk radio a few days ago everyone was excited because of all the ex-Pistons and the fact that it was not Milw again. Then after game #2 it became boring.

If you are the #1 seed you are supposed to win the 1st 2 home games. it will be a little harder in Orlando, Howard/Hill will get more calls, someone will get hot.

Be carefull what you wish for. Blew NJ out in the 1st 2 homes games back in 04. Not saying that will happend again.

Compared to what the reg season was like this is much more interesting.

I don't think it will be possible for Hill to get more calls. The referees were treating him like royalty in Game 2. :)

Postgame presser audio. I like to listen to these in the background as I work.

I don't think it will be possible for Hill to get more calls. The referees were treating him like royalty in Game 2. :)
It will get worse over there. Pistons can handle it though. Game 3 will be the toughest but if its too bad the league will tell them to cool it. Lets hope we get a good ref crew.