At Dallas Jan 9th 9PM

tv: ESPN/tv20

Here we go. It does not get any easier for the Pistons as they take a mini 2 game trip through Texas with stops at Dallas and SanAntonio. Yee Ha.

I was at the American Airlines arena last December 06 when the Pistons beat them. The current Piston team is better than the one and the Mavs team is still searching for the team that almost won the finals in 06.

We can beat these guys as long as we have forgotten about last nights game and not dreaming about Genobli in the next one. Don't expect any garbage time as Flip will rely on an 8 man rotation assuming that the 3 days rest was enough for his starters....:yellowprison:

this might be a tough one folks...
if we play DEEAETTRROIT BAASSSKKETBALLL!!!!!!
we can do it
we need it

i feel good about this game. We are not going to have to L in a row.

Goo Pistons

Great scheduling. Does San Antonio or Dallas have to play Detroit and Boston back-to-back this season?

In March, the Celtics have an awfully tough week where they play at San Antonio, at Houston the next night, at Dallas two nights later, and at New Orleans two nights after Dallas.

Dallas actually does play at Detroit the next game after they go to Boston later this month, although they get a couple of days off in between (Thursday night at Boston followed by Sunday afternoon at Detroit). Then they play at Orlando the next night after being at the Palace.

San Antonio is at Boston in February, in the middle of a 9(!)-game road trip. The Spurs play at the Palace a month later, in between games at New Orleans and at Philly. They actually get Boston again three days after playing in Detroit, although that Celtics game will be in San Antonio.

I think February is rodeo time in San Antonio. The Spurs get kicked out of the building for a couple of weeks.

I think February is rodeo time in San Antonio. The Spurs get kicked out of the building for a couple of weeks.
Kind of like circus that kicks Bulls out of Chicago on an early road trip.

Great scheduling. Does San Antonio or Dallas have to play Detroit and Boston back-to-back this season?
naw, zoo......they only have to play Utah, Phoenix, New Orleans, each other, Golden St, denver and The Lakers back to back.......

In March, the Celtics have an awfully tough week where they play at San Antonio, at Houston the next night, at Dallas two nights later, and at New Orleans two nights after Dallas.

Dallas actually does play at Detroit the next game after they go to Boston later this month, although they get a couple of days off in between (Thursday night at Boston followed by Sunday afternoon at Detroit). Then they play at Orlando the next night after being at the Palace.

San Antonio is at Boston in February, in the middle of a 9(!)-game road trip. The Spurs play at the Palace a month later, in between games at New Orleans and at Philly. They actually get Boston again three days after playing in Detroit, although that Celtics game will be in San Antonio.

Good work, D4E.

Mavs favored tonight.

Last year we won by 10 in Dallas and then lost at home to them.

In Dallas Tay and Sheed both had a big game in our 10 point win.

Maxey was a DNP and Davis had 14 minutes off of the bench

:hoops:

i love the fact that this game starts at 9pm like when I used to live in Houston (geeez I miss that place). Here's why I like it late:

1. I got time to actually get some good scratchin in.
2. I can 'beer me' myself some 48 ounces by game time.
3. I can yell at the kids and the woman and still have time to chill.
4. I can watch PTI, King of queens, and Howard Stern b4 the game.
5. If I have to I can 'handlmybiznizz' and not be disturbed during the game cuz she'll be sleep.

I CAN GO TO THE CHAT ROOM 'LIVE' FOR A CHANGE!!!:greenapple:

i love the fact that this game starts at 9pm like when I used to live in Houston (geeez I miss that place). Here's why I like it late:

1. I got time to actually get some good scratchin in.
2. I can 'beer me' myself some 48 ounces by game time.
3. I can yell at the kids and the woman and still have time to chill.
4. I can watch PTI, King of queens, and Howard Stern b4 the game.
5. If I have to I can 'handlmybiznizz' and not be disturbed during the game cuz she'll be sleep.

I CAN GO TO THE CHAT ROOM 'LIVE' FOR A CHANGE!!!:greenapple:
Thats' cool, HQ. I gotta tape it since I'll be somewhere between work and home at that time, like I usually am. It sucks being Piston fan and living on the west coast since the games most of the time begin early and you have an agreement with wife to watch games only after baby goes to sleep (that was the condition of me being able to buy the NBA cable package). :yellowprison:

Thats' cool, HQ. I gotta tape it since I'll be somewhere between work and home at that time, like I usually am. It sucks being Piston fan and living on the west coast since the games most of the time begin early and you have an agreement with wife to watch games only after baby goes to sleep (that was the condition of me being able to buy the NBA cable package). :yellowprison:

I am glad my "babies" are 17 and 21...and oh yeah I work from home:eyebrows:

I am glad my "babies" are 17 and 21...and oh yeah I work from home:eyebrows:
Well, I could theoretically work from home from time to time, but there's still daycare issue, and other things as well, so... :gun1:

Well, I could theoretically work from home from time to time, but there's still daycare issue, and other things as well, so... :gun1:
Don't worry you are still young and will have all of the perks and teenage issues still to come...:heh:

Devin Harris worries me in this game. He is lightning quick and we don`t have an answer for him.

I would like to see if AA can stay in front of him.

This stupid Duke game is still on ESPN, but chat's open!

There's no link to the chat, and i don't know where the link is on the actual board (and i'm too lazy to look)

but can i get some props here for my Hermann love? :) jk. He's done a great job on Nowitzki. Jarvis better watch out.

Other than that, nice comeback. Typical lousy 1st quarter effort. Let's see if they come our with some fire in the 3rd.

edited to add; Prince's slump is KILLING us. It screwed up in the BOS game, and still is. For some reason i think he's the one most affected by the lesser minutes. He's a rhythm player.

Who knew herman could play some D....I guess being a Piston has rubbed off on the guy and how about maxiel getting dunked on.....whats up with that and stuckey with a driving dunk.Hopefully the starters can keep their heads in the game in the second half and put this one away

Who knew herman could play some D....I guess being a Piston has rubbed off on the guy and how about maxiel getting dunked on.....whats up with that and stuckey with a driving dunk.Hopefully the starters can keep their heads in the game in the second half and put this one away

He could always play D. He's from Argentina. It's like a requirement. LOL

There's no link to the chat, and i don't know where the link is on the actual board (and i'm too lazy to look)

but can i get some props here for my Hermann love? :) jk. He's done a great job on Nowitzki. Jarvis better watch out.

Other than that, nice comeback. Typical lousy 1st quarter effort. Let's see if they come our with some fire in the 3rd.

edited to add; Prince's slump is KILLING us. It screwed up in the BOS game, and still is. For some reason i think he's the one most affected by the lesser minutes. He's a rhythm player.

LPGRL, tomorrow you can get to the chatroom by hitting Quik Links above and then scrolling down and hitting FlashChat... see you tomorrow and hopefully a victory over the Spurs

Terrible loss tonight. The starters just stunk it up as a unit, way too many forced jumpers and not getting out to the perimeter on defense. The first quarter was a disaster, but strangely enough, a small lineup with Herrmann on the floor for the last 8 minutes of the first half (Sheed was the only big man) led to a nice run to close the Dallas to lead to 5 at halftime, with Herrmann mostly helping by annoying Dirk on D. But the starters blew it again in the third, almost a repeat of the first quarter. They did actually came out of the half with good defense for the first few minutes of the quarter, but the forced jumpers put them back in the hole again and Dallas never looked back after catching fire from behind the 3-point arc. Now they have to win in San Antonio tomorrow night just to avoid a 3-game losing streak.

I guess the one silver lining of the evening was that the Pistons didn't lose as embarrassingly as the Celtics did...no Ray Allen, but that's not much of an excuse for losing at home to the Bobcats, which happened tonight as JRich dropped 34 on them.

I left and didn't see the second half, other than the last 3 minutes of the game, but the first qtr was ugly defensive wise as the Mavs literally hit almost all of their outside shots and inside jumpers. Dirk was Dirk until Fabio decided to check him in the second. Meanwhile we were even missing shots in the paint with a bunch weak shots by both Tay and CB. The defense suffered from Sheeds 2 first qtr fouls.

Fabio sparked a second qtr offense as the Pistons came back to within 5 at the half. I will have to watch the tape to see what happen after that, but I bet the interior defense was exposed again and we probaly got out manned in and out pointed in the paint:yellowprison:

i wish the starters woulda told me before the game that they were mailing this one in, because then i would've mailed it in as well and not bothered watching.

not much else to say. the starters didn't care, they jacked up long shots early in the clock with no chance of rebounding. max has to recognize a double team and pass out of it. if brezec is being shopped, fine, but if not, why is he getting minutes over amir johnson in garbage time?

Listening to Flip's post game "we didn't give enough effort" blah-blah, blah-blah

He always passes the buck and never takes any blame.

^

I actually left mid 3rd quarter, and went to get Starbucks so i didn't see the rest of the game, but in generally speaking;

There was no cohesiveness out there. It looked exactly like when the team was fractured throughout the ECF last year. It seems like half the players have quit on the coach, and the other half are just apathetic. When the team isn't on the same page, they usually look like what we've saw tonight.

Flip isn't cutting it. We found a defensive match-up that worked against Nowitizki (which is well-known around the league) and abandoned it. I also don't think it's coincidental that our defense getting worse (esp perimeter) coincides with AA not playing more. That line-up in the 2nd was holding it's own defensively. The starters just didn't have it. They took jumpshot after jumpshot with no repercussion. Tay is killing us, and i also thought his quotes before the game were quite telling. Don't have a link but something about not knowing if the Pistons have the mind-set or hoping they did before going into Texas.

Flip doesn't care apparently about points in the paint or points given up in the paint even though getting/giving easy baskets is CRUCIAL to a championship team.

The difference in energy with the bench/starters is so drastic sometimes, it's palpable when you're watching it. I still think the starting line-up needs to be shaken up. Amir NEEDS to play. We desperately need shot-blocking, and rebounding. Sheed can't do it by himself, and frankly looks as fed up with the quick jumpshots/getting burned on the perimeter as we are.

This team isn't going anywhere with Flip, and even though it's early in the season i've been convinced for awhile. You can't teach an old dog new tricks, and i'm getting sick of watching the prime of this team go by with his incompetence.

My faith in Joe D is taking a hit as well. I keep holding onto the fact that it's a money issue, but that's not really a good excuse anymore.

Thanks Dre for the link. I eventually figured it out LOL. I'll be watching tomm. I must be masochist or something.

edited to add;
Does anyone remember the last time we got beat, and came out swinging LB style?

i wish the starters woulda told me before the game that they were mailing this one in, because then i would've mailed it in as well and not bothered watching.

not much else to say. the starters didn't care, they jacked up long shots early in the clock with no chance of rebounding. max has to recognize a double team and pass out of it. if brezec is being shopped, fine, but if not, why is he getting minutes over amir johnson in garbage time?

This is the most baffling thing to me of all this. Joe D said he would play. Amir said he would play. The beat writers say he will play. Hell, even Flip said he would play at one point. Who's really in control here?

We need to start Maxiel. The good teams get into our jumper oriented start and so Dyss cannot help us as they get out on his jumper. We need Maxiel on the block.

Dyss's defense does not make up for not helping offensively.

Sanders offense does not fly against the good defenses as we open with a series of jumpers. The good teams get out on us and we are in trouble.

We will need to add a big. The coaching staff is still an issue. What has happened the last two years may not be fixed yet.

Most lopsided loss of the season. The starters just didn't show up, they played lackadaisically on both sides of the ball most of the night. Play like that against San Antonio and you're toast, Pistons.

A 3-big rotation isn't enough, that's been made obvious by at least 2 of our losses. And, Flip's excuse of Max/Dice/Sheed playing sooo well as the reason Amir doesn't play has been proven to be BS all the way. Kid needs to put on some weight, certainly, but he's better at guarding jumpshooting big men than any of our bigs outside of Sheed (who didn't show up tonight) and he's better than frickin' Tayshaun at stopping dribble penetration. Brezec coming in before him pissed me off. Even in garbage time, Flip? Cripes. That spaz should just be cut. He has no D to speak of, and he may have a jumper, but no one's gonna pass him the ball. I give no value to height without mobility/skill.

Our starting guards couldn't guard a pole either, and neither could Tayshaun. The coach needs to show some balls and yank some of these guys for performances like this one. He certainly has no qualms about yanking bench guys who're actually helping.

Did you guys notice Flip's interview right before halftime where he basically threw out his weak sauce analysis "... yeah, I thought that they did a good job hitting shots, and we didn't hit as many shots, so that is something that we are going to have to do better in the 2nd half..." yeah. He always does that.

Anyways, Herrmann being the Dirk stopper and also leading the team in assists was pretty unexpected.

Stuckey with 3 steals.

Whatever, Dallas was hitting shots and we weren't and we have to do a better job of improving that ...

I decided not to watch the second half and just review the box score...the rebounds were even, assists about the same. About the same number fouls called on each team too. The difference of course was in the shooting., plus of course they beat us in the paint 38-26 so what else is new.>?? You know if tay gets stuffed on a dunk attempt in the opening minutes, it will be long game for him and yep he was 1-7 from the field including one real weak shot in front of the hoop after grabbing a rebound. The posteration of JMAX by Bass in the second qtr must have have damaged his psyche as he was 1-5 from the field.

Our bench got out pointed 41-31 and it is obvious bringing JTerry off the bench is working great for the Mavs....Stackhouse sat out last Sundays game with a injury just so he could torch us tonight and sure enough three pops from beyond the arc did some damage. but alas it was the Dirkster who did us in with array of rainbow shots over Sheed and Dice.

One positive tonight was that Fabio broke out with a nice defensive effort on dirk in the second qtr..otherwise Dirk ,may have scored over 30...plus Fabio led the team in assists with 4

Young players. The announcers really made something out of the garbage time our young players got. Sorry, touting the party line does not make it any less painfully obvious that Amir Johnson did not get to play, even in a blowout, until less than 3 minutes left in the game.


Just to give everyone a taste of what Saunders thinks of young players playing, Zaret started the broadcast by saying Stuckey and Afflalo were making mistakes from being nervous in the Boston game. (Quoting Saunders) Really. Did Zaret watch the game? Afflalo only played 3 minutes of that game. Stuckey had his minutes limited, never getting any chance to really get into the game. Neither player showed any signs of nerves. Indeed, neither player has yet to do so this year. These two are a couple of very poised players. But, hey, back to this game.


Dyess started the game. Why? He made a couple of jumpers after we got way behind in the 1st quarter. He drew no fouls. He played no D. He was basically a very bad fit for this game.


Anyone else notice that during our comeback in the 2nd, Tay and Rip were missing their shots? Some help. Now, for the game, Rip did make some shots at least. Can't complain too much about his performance.
Billups hit his share of shots too. Sheed did too, while playing decent D, sometimes all alone though.


Hayes was invisible. Another guy Flip just automatically gives minutes to, regardless of the situation.


JMAX gave us some energy, but had somewhat of an offnight on his scoring. But then again, he did not play that much either. He should be starting. (While Dyess fights for minutes between him, Brezec, Herrmann, and Amir.)


Hermann got to play a lot. But yet, as many have pointed out, he could have come in early in the 3rd quarter after it was obvious he could guard Dirk. Indeed, really he should have started the 3rd quarter. Yes, and on the subject of getting prepared for the playoffs, the fact that Herrmann played is a very good thing. To me, its more important that he got the minutes he did vs. the outcome of this still early in the season game.


Amir had a highlight, getting a fast break rebound putback slam. Afflalo got hot shooting in the 4th. Stuckey got to double figures. Stuckey played 22 minutes. And since Dallas did for some odd reason keep some of their starters in during garbage time, it was better than usual garbage time practice for Stuckey at the end of the game.


Our starters should be rested for SA at least.

IMO, what RIP, Flip and others need to understand more fully is that the bench needs to play more is NOT just so the starters can be fresh for the playoffs, it is because the BENCH will need to contribute IN THE PLAYOFFS for the Pistons to win a championship.
In other words, starters, no matter how rested you are, you are NOT good enough to win this alone. It is not just about getting RIP rest, it is that we NEED the production of the Afflalo and Stuckey and Maxiell etc. It will take a total team effort to get it done this year.
Flip needs to realize this too. Just like back in the day. There were nights or stretches within a game where maybe Isaiah or Joe did not have their "A" game, or there was a match-up that clearly favored Vinnie, and Daly knew it and made the move, and Vinnie would come in and light it up. Without Vinnie we don't win those games. It is the same now with the zoo crew. We need them to play well to beat the best teams.
Right now, Boston is the perfect example of this. There is no way the Celtics could handle constant pressure from Afflalo, Stuckey and eventually Linsey on its ball handlers.
And there is no way the Celtics, with their lack of athleticism on the bench, could handle Maxiell and the rest of the zoo crew if the Pistons committed to a ball pressure up tempo game against them.
Big Baby would be renedered useless. Boston is a half court team period. The Pistons can play up tempo (and should against Boston)--and with their young depth and athleticism--can do it for an entire game.
There is no question who is the better T-E-A-M, and now it is time for the coach and veteran players to give way even more to the young guys that they NEED now and will need to win their second belt.


Found this on mlive's comment section. Guy has some great points.

I think they still are in Toronto and forgot to leave. At least that's what it looks like. Ringing up wins against weaker opposition, and when going gets tough the team just falls apart. Hey, I'm not going to call this panic time, but it's just not looking good. I will allow that team can have a couple of bad games after an 11-game winning streak, but why wouldn't the youngsters get the playing time when the game is over?

I think they still are in Toronto and forgot to leave. At least that's what it looks like. Ringing up wins against weaker opposition, and when going gets tough the team just falls apart. Hey, I'm not going to call this panic time, but it's just not looking good. I will allow that team can have a couple of bad games after an 11-game winning streak, but why wouldn't the youngsters get the playing time when the game is over?


As they said in the old days Right on Mik. 11 wins over a few non contenders and now they come up against some real comp and their weaknesses are exposed. But lets not past judgement yet until we see what team shows up tomorrow night...the second best team in basketball or the sixth best behind the Celtics, Mavs, Suns, Spurs and Lakers. :sssh:

As they said in the old days Right on Mik. 11 wins over a few non contenders and now they come up against some real comp and their weaknesses are exposed. But lets not past judgement yet until we see what team shows up tomorrow night...the second best team in basketball or the sixth best behind the Celtics, Mavs, Suns, Spurs and Lakers. :sssh:

At least I got lucky to watch the game with that FF button.

I just read an article where Flip said Hermann was the only guy that oculd stop Dirk. So why didn't he start the 3rd quarter, or come in after a few minutes?

:doh:

I just read an article where Flip said Hermann was the only guy that oculd stop Dirk. So why didn't he start the 3rd quarter, or come in after a few minutes?

:doh:

Because he does not sit a starter unless he has multiple fouls or misses the bus. Otherwise you get to start and there are no lineup changes no matter how bad the designated starting five are playing. I mean these are grown men and he shouldn't worry about hurting anybody's feelings, but Flip is stubborn and relies on vets whether they are rundown or not and that is why he has never got that 12th victory in the post season:sssh:. I sure hope he has his laptop with him and reads this tonight :)

It just sounds retarded. I have a guy who can neutralize the best player on the opposing team, but I'll keep him stuck to the bench because I have the "designated starters". Oh yeah, I also have a defensive stopper on the team, but I'd rather keep him on the bench too because I may hurt Rip's feelings. Is it a coincidence, but Pistons best defense was played in the 2nd quarter with mainly reserves on the floor.

Oh this game. The starters allowed the Mavs to get into a great shooting rhythm early in the game, at that point there was no way we were going to win this game, it was lost in the first 8mins.

The bench actually brought us back into the game and got us to within 5. The starters gave it back.

The Lineup for this game should have been real easy to figure out once we saw the benfit of Fabio. Move Rip to the 3 spot to get Stuck and AA mins and glue %%%%%%%% to the bench.

PLEASE HELP ME ANSWER THIS ONE
OK, CB has got to be one of the worse P&R PG's I've ever seen, yet he runs it ALL THE TIME!!! Anybody other than me notice he's TOO SLOW to actually get the ball into the paint, and Sheed/Dyess NEVER bother to roll at all. So what gives....Now on the flipside...Stuckey is like a blur on the P&R, and DOES get into the paint, while Max is more than happy to roll his way into a MONSTER THROW DOWN!!! Yet, Flip wont let Stuck call that play, but Chauncey can run it 387 times/game????? WTF??? Please Pistons Forum, help me out on figuring this one out.

Oh this game. The starters allowed the Mavs to get into a great shooting rhythm early in the game, at that point there was no way we were going to win this game, it was lost in the first 8mins.

The bench actually brought us back into the game and got us to within 5. The starters gave it back.

The Lineup for this game should have been real easy to figure out once we saw the benfit of Fabio. Move Rip to the 3 spot to get Stuck and AA mins and glue %%%%%%%% to the bench.

PLEASE HELP ME ANSWER THIS ONE
OK, CB has got to be one of the worse P&R PG's I've ever seen, yet he runs it ALL THE TIME!!! Anybody other than me notice he's TOO SLOW to actually get the ball into the paint, and Sheed/Dyess NEVER bother to roll at all. So what gives....Now on the flipside...Stuckey is like a blur on the P&R, and DOES get into the paint, while Max is more than happy to roll his way into a MONSTER THROW DOWN!!! Yet, Flip wont let Stuck call that play, but Chauncey can run it 387 times/game????? WTF??? Please Pistons Forum, help me out on figuring this one out.

We talk about Flip being to stubborn to play the bench?? Well lets blame Joe for being to stubborn to fire him..just like he was to stubborn to move Darko earlier.

Joe may have the best talent 1 thru 13 in the league but to stubborn to admit that he has the wrong coach leading them...:frusty::crossed::twitch: at this point I may even trust Joe of doing a better job at coaching the team with no experience than Flip :idea::confused: Afterall, in 1982, Pat Riley came out of the Lakers broadcast booth to lead the Laker Showtime to seven finals appearances in 8 years including winning 4 of them.


oh yeah "Gayshuan":fear: :pound::laugh:

Shot selection over the course of a game will be the downfall of this team for the 3rd year in a row. Whenever the Pistons start struggling it seems they start shooting quicker shots, and deeper shots. There was a 5-6 minute section of the third quarter where the Pistons didn't take a single shot inside of 19 feet. When the Pistons aren't hitting those shots is Flip just waiving the white flag? Why do we have the only coach on the planet that won't tell these guys to attack the rim?

And the set-in-stone 1st and 3rd quarter rotations are ridiculous. When a guy isn't getting it done out there (Dice, Tayshaun I'm looking at you), get someone else in there. Herrmann played stellar D on Dirk in the 2nd quarter, yet he never even got a 2nd look when Dirk was lighting up Dice in the 3rd.

I won't even get into the Amir ordeal.

PLEASE HELP ME ANSWER THIS ONE
OK, CB has got to be one of the worse P&R PG's I've ever seen, yet he runs it ALL THE TIME!!! Anybody other than me notice he's TOO SLOW to actually get the ball into the paint, and Sheed/Dyess NEVER bother to roll at all. So what gives....Now on the flipside...Stuckey is like a blur on the P&R, and DOES get into the paint, while Max is more than happy to roll his way into a MONSTER THROW DOWN!!! Yet, Flip wont let Stuck call that play, but Chauncey can run it 387 times/game????? WTF??? Please Pistons Forum, help me out on figuring this one out.

Somebody corect me if I am wrong; but it`s not a "pick n roll" it`s a "pick n pop"

I say that because nobody ever rolls to the hoop, someone just pops out for a jumper.......................80-90% of the time.

You can't have 2 of the starters Prince and Dyess having such bad games and expect to win out West. Maxiel made such of a difference when he came in. Maybe its time to bite the bullet and realize that he may get bigger offers next year if he starts but that the Pistons need him to start.

Looks like even Herman has surpassed Amir on the depth chart.

It just sounds retarded. I have a guy who can neutralize the best player on the opposing team, but I'll keep him stuck to the bench because I have the "designated starters". Oh yeah, I also have a defensive stopper on the team, but I'd rather keep him on the bench too because I may hurt Rip's feelings. Is it a coincidence, but Pistons best defense was played in the 2nd quarter with mainly reserves on the floor.

You know what? Like Flip said bout Max not there to finish the game against the Celtics, coincidentally he was playing so well, is because Max was tired. Maybe, Hermann too was tired playing all those 'D' on Dirk in the 2nd. That's our Flip.

I can't recall being less excited for a game in a long time. Maybe after they lost to MIA last year w/out Wade. Even during the game I found myself watching repeats of Rob & Big and Made.

Enough complaining though. I thought another strategic gem was to call a timeout to stem the tide then come out and run a play for Tay. He was 1-6 at the time and soon to be 1-7.

%%%%%%%%

OMG :pound::MusicBigGrin:

Somebody corect me if I am wrong; but it`s not a "pick n roll" it`s a "pick n pop"

I say that because nobody ever rolls to the hoop, someone just pops out for a jumper.......................80-90% of the time.

The Bad Boys ran the Pick and Pop very effectively with Bad Boy Bill. The Pick and Pop is a Pistons tradition.

:hoops:

yeah one of the things i wish flip would do, is pull a guy who isn't playing well. if tay is going to bring an effort like that, sit him out. if chauncey is going to run the offense like a moron again, bring stuckey in. if they're pissed at you, put your foot down. they'll get the message real quick that they can't play dumb and lazy because they'll find themselves on the bench. flip wasn't afraid to do it earlier in the year with rip, don't be afraid now.

the mavs are a pretty scary team. they've found a pretty good mix for who starts and who comes off the bench, and they're really deep as well. i really don't like how we match up with them. avery johnson had a good gameplan too. ya know how no one ever doubles maxiell and he can kill you off the bench? avery employed a quick double team any time he got the ball in the post, and with not being used to it, max either took a bad shot or gave up the ball.

the positives from the game - now that max has seen a real double-team he can be better prepared for it next time, afflalo looked great again, even looked smooth on that 3-point attempt, at which he had been struggling all year, stuckey continues to develop, and we've discovered that herrmann could definitely be useful as an agitator/defender/shooter and can play both the 3 and 4.

Even I have to admit that playing Amir in the second and third would have been a good thing.

Go Fabio! I like that guy.

yeah one of the things i wish flip would do, is pull a guy who isn't playing well. if tay is going to bring an effort like that, sit him out. if chauncey is going to run the offense like a moron again, bring stuckey in. if they're pissed at you, put your foot down. they'll get the message real quick that they can't play dumb and lazy because they'll find themselves on the bench. flip wasn't afraid to do it earlier in the year with rip, don't be afraid now.

the mavs are a pretty scary team. they've found a pretty good mix for who starts and who comes off the bench, and they're really deep as well. i really don't like how we match up with them. avery johnson had a good gameplan too. ya know how no one ever doubles maxiell and he can kill you off the bench? avery employed a quick double team any time he got the ball in the post, and with not being used to it, max either took a bad shot or gave up the ball.

the positives from the game - now that max has seen a real double-team he can be better prepared for it next time, afflalo looked great again, even looked smooth on that 3-point attempt, at which he had been struggling all year, stuckey continues to develop, and we've discovered that herrmann could definitely be useful as an agitator/defender/shooter and can play both the 3 and 4.



The negatives from the game - Maxiell can be taken out of his comfort zone by the double team and he is not "experienced" enough to learn what to do. (Flip's thinking) I better not play him in games where the opposition brings a double team or even if there is a chance they could bring a double team. Max's minutes are reduced tonight!!!

Well, there's some silver lining. People managed to find positives in the game. I was kind of struggling with that, especially knowing Flip's tendencies not to look to past performances. How many times last year Delfino came in and had a good run in the first half and then never came off the bench in the second? Well, who says that good play by Hermann and Afflalo will earn them any additional playing time? Back to the bench they go. And stay there.

^

Afflalo is the most upsetting one to me b/c he did actually EARN the time. Amir just makes me mad, and Hermann we'll have to wait and see if he plays.

I can sum it all up with this statement: This team has a lot of depth and a coach who does not know how to utilize it.

We're only 35 games into this; I'll be interested to see how Flip uses the personnel the last 47 games. It would be insane to fire the guy with the team having won 74 percent of their games. The media would blow the story out of proportion and it would make it even tougher to get a quality coach here.

To outsiders, it would appear that Flip is doing a good job. As Pistons fans, we know better. After a game last night, a coach who gave a crap would do a little shake-up in the lineup. Tay has been underperforming on offense. This starting 5 is way too comfortable and Flip has allowed that to happen.

I'd wanna see a fiery coach who gets in the players' faces a little (Laimbeer) and lets them know if they are lackadaisical, the bench is where they will reside. If Laim was the coach, no way would they be launching that BS from the outside all the live long day.

Laimbeer would have called a timeout 2 minutes into last nights game and ripped the starters a new ARSE last night. I can see the image in my mind of Bill telling them they are all a bunch of prima donnas that didn't deserve to be in the same building with the Mavs playing like that (spitting while he talks the whole time)

The bench at least got plenty of PT tonight. Ten guys played at least 13 minutes (yes, I know Amir wasn't one of them). And Flip played the subs most of the 4th quarter when he could have kept the starters in for a final surge.

I'm giving Flip some credit for bringing in Herrmann in the 2nd quarter. He really got into Dirk's head, causing Dirk to try to force up some crazy stuff at least a couple times hoping to draw a foul. It reminded me of Sideshow Bob matching up against us when we play the Cavs.

The most confusing thing to me is why Flip doesn't sub in the 1st and 3rd quarters like he did in that 2nd quarter. When Flip called that timeout midway through the 3rd quarter I thought for sure we'd see a substitution. It seemed like the perfect time to bring Herrmann back in. But alas the lineup was unchanged. So what did they talk about during that timeout? The starters hadn't been playing with any fire up to that point, so why did Flip think anything was going to change after that timeout? They continued to play like the paint was roped off, firing up lame jumpers.

This kind of game I've come to expect *at times* from this team over the last few years. The kind where I'm yelling "the jumpers ain't falling, take that s**t inside!", but the players on the floor aren't listening. During the regular season I can shrug them off, but it seems like we see at least one of these per playoff series, maybe more when they don't have that chip on their shoulder.

Here is what I noticed. Herrmann was very good about staying close to Dirk's body on the shot and not reaching upward. You could say that he was up in his grill.

Dirk is tall enough to get his shot off against almost everyone and he is very used to seeing hands up near his release point.

Herrmann's technique was sort of the same as what Bowen does and I think that it threw Dirk off. Pretty sure he'd get used to it after a while and start hitting again.

But it is good to see the tenacity. And at least we have a guy who seems to defend a little differently, which is good if you are looking to stop a forward who is on a roll.


One thing that I thought was strange was that Herrmann and Hayes were out there together almost the whole time. It was almost as if Saunders didn't want to make Hayes think that he was losing PT to this guy.

I can sum it all up with this statement: This team has a lot of depth and a coach who does not know how to utilize it.

We're only 35 games into this; I'll be interested to see how Flip uses the personnel the last 47 games. It would be insane to fire the guy with the team having won 74 percent of their games. The media would blow the story out of proportion and it would make it even tougher to get a quality coach here.

To outsiders, it would appear that Flip is doing a good job. As Pistons fans, we know better. After a game last night, a coach who gave a crap would do a little shake-up in the lineup. Tay has been underperforming on offense. This starting 5 is way too comfortable and Flip has allowed that to happen.

I'd wanna see a fiery coach who gets in the players' faces a little (Laimbeer) and lets them know if they are lackadaisical, the bench is where they will reside. If Laim was the coach, no way would they be launching that BS from the outside all the live long day.
I have joined a Warriors board since I live in a bay area, and they have similar views of Flip - good regular season coach that doesn't have what it takes to finish the job. Not good at adjustments and gets flabergassed when going gets tough. And quite inflexible to boot.

I have joined a Warriors board since I live in a bay area, and they have similar views of Flip - good regular season coach that doesn't have what it takes to finish the job. Not good at adjustments and gets flabergassed when going gets tough. And quite inflexible to boot.

Hmmm... Nice to know Flip isn't fooling people. I'm sure Wolves' fans know about him, too.

I have joined a Warriors board since I live in a bay area, and they have similar views of Flip - good regular season coach that doesn't have what it takes to finish the job. Not good at adjustments and gets flabergassed when going gets tough. And quite inflexible to boot.

Those have been the biggest criticisms of him going back to his days in Minnesota. I remember watching a rerun of the Kings-Wolves WSMF from '04 - and the problems he had then are the same ones he has now. His offense was geared towards jumpers then, too; one analyst even commented about it - of course, he didn't have the personnel 1-12 he has now, but they won that game on KG's sheer will, not because Flipper outcoached Adelman or made any adjustments. It's just the way he is. He buckles under pressure - that's not gonna cut it when he's matched up against someone who can actually coach championship ball - or Mike Brown. :yellowprison:

Those have been the biggest criticisms of him going back to his days in Minnesota. I remember watching a rerun of the Kings-Wolves WSMF from '04 - and the problems he had then are the same ones he has now. His offense was geared towards jumpers then, too; one analyst even commented about it - of course, he didn't have the personnel 1-12 he has now, but they won that game on KG's sheer will, not because Flipper outcoached Adelman or made any adjustments. It's just the way he is. He buckles under pressure - that's not gonna cut it when he's matched up against someone who can actually coach championship ball - or Mike Brown. :yellowprison:
This team does have players that can go inside - Sheed, Stuckey, Chauncey. But Sheed prefers hanging out at the 3-point line, and the rest of the team settles for forced jumpers when going gets tough. Maybe it is not just Flip, but the whole team is not mentally strong enough to pull through the difficulties and takes an easy way out. Lots has been written about that, and not in just local press, that if you take Pistons out of the comfort zone, they'll begin jacking the jumpers and their offense will grind to a halt. And the team is vulnerable to pick and roll.

Laimbeer would have called a timeout 2 minutes into last nights game and ripped the starters a new ARSE last night. I can see the image in my mind of Bill telling them they are all a bunch of prima donnas that didn't deserve to be in the same building with the Mavs playing like that (spitting while he talks the whole time)

Former NBA coach John Calipari and now coach of the undefeated # 2 Memphis tigers did just that in a game last Thursday vs Siena.

Siena led early as Memphis coach John Calipari (http://gotigersgo.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/mtt/calipari_john00.html) was so dissatisfied with the way his starters were playing, he made wholesale substitutions a minute into the game. After about 3-4 minutes of watching the bench, the starters got the message and Calipari put them back in....they won 102-58

I don't think Flip has the balzz to do that!!

This team does have players that can go inside - Sheed, Stuckey, Chauncey. But Sheed prefers hanging out at the 3-point line, and the rest of the team settles for forced jumpers when going gets tough. Maybe it is not just Flip, but the whole team is not mentally strong enough to pull through the difficulties and takes an easy way out. Lots has been written about that, and not in just local press, that if you take Pistons out of the comfort zone, they'll begin jacking the jumpers and their offense will grind to a halt. And the team is vulnerable to pick and roll.

Yeah. I've read those too. It's just we don't have a true inside presence who will spend time in the paint 90% of the time unless it's demanded of them. A lot of our failings are on the players for sure, but Flip can't get off scot-free. He needs to put his foot down and make them do what he wants, or else. LB could do that. Pop could. Riles could even make Shaq do what he wanted (lose weight prior to last season) - Flipper doesn't have the hardware for that, though. Dude doesn't even care where the points come from, so no, I don't believe he's demanding more interior play from the guys either. Haven't we been dead last in points in the paint the last 2 years, as we are now?
Sheed is our only real post presence - but he's almost 34; he can only do/take so much. Particularly when there are so many defensive lapses on the perimeter (I'm looking at you Chauncey, Tay) that he has to cover for as well. If he were 22 like D12, sure, why not - but he's not.

When matched against quicker players, Chauncey gets burned everytime. If he's being played by bigger players, he's pretty ineffective as well. He can post up or drive the lane, but he can't explode to the basket; he's a low precentage shooter, even from inside, and he's not always gonna get the call. Rip's handles suck. He's not a penetrating guard, and he shouldn't be. He's just gonna get himself beat up and we don't need that. Tay's a viable option, but he's so passive, and he's not exactly gonna beat his man either. Dice usually only shoots 12-15 footers. At this point, Stuckey/Max are our best hope for that paint scoring.

Flip Saunders said he was extremely disappointed with his team's effort. He said missing shots is expected, but failing to play with desire is unacceptable. He hopes to see a better effort tomorrow night in San Antonio.

HOOPSWORLD | NBA News, Rumors and Information (http://www.hoopsworld.com/Blogs/CourtsideBlog.asp?GAME_ID=21516&LEAGUE_CODE=NBA)

I've got a solution for Flip - play guys who want to play and have desire to be out there and do whatever it takes to earn minutes that he won't give them anyway.

^

I actually left mid 3rd quarter, and went to get Starbucks so i didn't see the rest of the game, but in generally speaking;

There was no cohesiveness out there. It looked exactly like when the team was fractured throughout the ECF last year. It seems like half the players have quit on the coach, and the other half are just apathetic. When the team isn't on the same page, they usually look like what we've saw tonight.

Flip isn't cutting it. We found a defensive match-up that worked against Nowitizki (which is well-known around the league) and abandoned it. I also don't think it's coincidental that our defense getting worse (esp perimeter) coincides with AA not playing more. That line-up in the 2nd was holding it's own defensively. The starters just didn't have it. They took jumpshot after jumpshot with no repercussion. Tay is killing us, and i also thought his quotes before the game were quite telling. Don't have a link but something about not knowing if the Pistons have the mind-set or hoping they did before going into Texas.

Flip doesn't care apparently about points in the paint or points given up in the paint even though getting/giving easy baskets is CRUCIAL to a championship team.

The difference in energy with the bench/starters is so drastic sometimes, it's palpable when you're watching it. I still think the starting line-up needs to be shaken up. Amir NEEDS to play. We desperately need shot-blocking, and rebounding. Sheed can't do it by himself, and frankly looks as fed up with the quick jumpshots/getting burned on the perimeter as we are.

This team isn't going anywhere with Flip, and even though it's early in the season i've been convinced for awhile. You can't teach an old dog new tricks, and i'm getting sick of watching the prime of this team go by with his incompetence.

My faith in Joe D is taking a hit as well. I keep holding onto the fact that it's a money issue, but that's not really a good excuse anymore.

Thanks Dre for the link. I eventually figured it out LOL. I'll be watching tomm. I must be masochist or something.

edited to add;
Does anyone remember the last time we got beat, and came out swinging LB style? The 2nd half of the Golden State game was classic.

HOOPSWORLD | NBA News, Rumors and Information (http://www.hoopsworld.com/Blogs/CourtsideBlog.asp?GAME_ID=21516&LEAGUE_CODE=NBA)


I've got a solution for Flip - play guys who want to play and have desire to be out there and do whatever it takes to earn minutes that he won't give them anyway.

So flip was disappointed huh? I hope he expressed his disatisfication in angry yelling words:swear2: and not the soft twitching clueless responses he gave to the ESPN sideline reporter...

Here is what I noticed. Herrmann was very good about staying close to Dirk's body on the shot and not reaching upward. You could say that he was up in his grill.

Dirk is tall enough to get his shot off against almost everyone and he is very used to seeing hands up near his release point.

Herrmann's technique was sort of the same as what Bowen does and I think that it threw Dirk off. Pretty sure he'd get used to it after a while and start hitting again .

But it is good to see the tenacity. And at least we have a guy who seems to defend a little differently, which is good if you are looking to stop a forward who is on a roll.


One thing that I thought was strange was that Herrmann and Hayes were out there together almost the whole time. It was almost as if Saunders didn't want to make Hayes think that he was losing PT to this guy.

You would think that, but it worked again with Jackson in the GS series as well. That's the way to defend Dirk. If you let him get a rhythm early, you're screwed. And i read somewhere that he only went to Hermann to manage the foul situation so it's not like he actually came up with a bright idea. And that was proven when Hermann sat in the 3rd.

So flip was disappointed huh? I hope he expressed his disatisfication in angry yelling words:swear2: and not the soft twitching clueless responses he gave to the ESPN sideline reporter...
I wouldn't really expect him to say anything worthwhile to the reporter, or if that's what he's really thinking then he's going to lose this team.

The 2nd half of the Golden State game was classic.

I almost forgot about that. I would count it except i don't think GS is very good. Their defense is awful, and we had a definite advantage in the post. Also Sheed went off.

I'm talking got your ass kicked by BOS, came out with a team wide intensity and fire, and beat DAL down (or 2 similar caliber teams) Those are the Pistons i miss.

edited to add;

Mikhail, i think he's already lost this team.

And i read somewhere that he only went to Hermann to manage the foul situation so it's not like he actually came up with a bright idea.

That's not true. Neither JMax nor Dice were in foul trouble when Herrmann came in during the 2nd quarter; in fact Dice ended up not committing any fouls at all for the whole game, and JMax only had one. Sheed was playing with 2 fouls, but he was the one big man out there with the small lineup as Herrmann guarded Dirk.

Now, I agree that something should have changed in the third quarter once it became clear that the starters were reverting to the same crappy play from the first quarter. I'm not sure that bringing Herrmann back in would have been such an obvious answer--the starters did play pretty good D at the beginning of the quarter, but fell behind because of stupid forced Js. But an adjustment should have been made nonetheless.

I almost forgot about that. I would count it except i don't think GS is very good. Their defense is awful, and we had a definite advantage in the post. Also Sheed went off.

I'm talking got your ass kicked by BOS, came out with a team wide intensity and fire, and beat DAL down (or 2 similar caliber teams) Those are the Pistons i miss.

edited to add;

Mikhail, i think he's already lost this team.
I sure hope it's not true, but it could be that way.

I sure hope it's not true, but it could be that way.

Going into the Celtics game, the Pistons had won 18 of 20. There are a couple of teams in the NBA that are actually better than Detroit. The Pistons just happen to be playing 3 of them in a row.

Going into the Celtics game, the Pistons had won 18 of 20. There are a couple of teams in the NBA that are actually better than Detroit. The Pistons just happen to be playing 3 of them in a row.
We're not talking about wins and losses. I am happy with the record of the team. We're talking about the adjustments necessary to win. Flip didn't even try - he has that blind faith in the starters that hurt them two years in a row in the conference finals, and that's where it will end this year as well unless something changes. He has to at least try something different if the "good old way" is not working. He is at the frontline and he has to fight the complacency. If player is not performing and his head is not in the game - sit him, don't stick with him until the game gets out of hand. For the most part, Flip has done good job managing the minutes, but he has to be firmer with starters. Nellie kept his three top players on the bench for the most part of the Portland game because they didn't produce.

Laimbeer would have called a timeout 2 minutes into last nights game and ripped the starters a new ARSE last night. I can see the image in my mind of Bill telling them they are all a bunch of prima donnas that didn't deserve to be in the same building with the Mavs playing like that (spitting while he talks the whole time)

Maybe if Lambieer was coaching a young lottery team. He would not take that approach with a veteran team like the Pistons.

Don`t get me wrong, I am not saying it shoudn`t be done, just not by a rookie coach like Lambieer.

The Bad Boys ran the Pick and Pop very effectively with Bad Boy Bill. The Pick and Pop is a Pistons tradition.

:hoops:

The issue is about the pick n roll, and getting into the paint. Not Piston tradition!!

Brandon Bass was impressive.

I like Stuckey.

Brezec was a lot faster than I remembered him as being. Not that he's Amare Stoudemire, but he's not completely stiff.

Maybe if Lambieer was coaching a young lottery team. He would not take that approach with a veteran team like the Pistons.

Don`t get me wrong, I am not saying it shoudn`t be done, just not by a rookie coach like Lambieer.

Laims seems to me he would be a "no nonsense" coach who would tell it like it is. It wouldn't matter if it was year 1 or 21.

Do you think any one of those players would have been able to argue they were playing like garbage?

Laims seems to me he would be a "no nonsense" coach who would tell it like it is. It wouldn't matter if it was year 1 or 21.

Do you think any one of those players would have been able to argue they were playing like garbage?
The problem is that this is players league. If players tune out the coach, who do you think loses his job? Joe's not going to trade the entire team.

The problem is that this is players league. If players tune out the coach, who do you think loses his job? Joe's not going to trade the entire team.

If the team is not performing and a tongue lashing gets them out of the funk?

The issue is about the pick n roll, and getting into the paint. Not Piston tradition!!

The issue is what I was responding to.

:hoops:

Laims seems to me he would be a "no nonsense" coach who would tell it like it is. It wouldn't matter if it was year 1 or 21.

Do you think any one of those players would have been able to argue they were playing like garbage?

I don`t know how many times we have to visit this topic of Laimbeer becoming an NBA coach.

Lambeer would be crazy to come into the NBA as a rookie head coach and be Mr Hard Ass. Players would tune him out in a heartbeat, as Mikhail said.

Again, the best advice for Laimbs is to get an assitant head coach job, learn the NBA ropes, then see what happens.

The issue is what I was responding to.

:hoops:

What were you responding to?

Somebody corect me if I am wrong; but it`s not a "pick n roll" it`s a "pick n pop"

I say that because nobody ever rolls to the hoop, someone just pops out for a jumper.......................80-90% of the time.

This

:hoops:

I don`t know how many times we have to visit this topic of Laimbeer becoming an NBA coach.

Lambeer would be crazy to come into the NBA as a rookie head coach and be Mr Hard Ass. Players would tune him out in a heartbeat, as Mikhail said.

Again, the best advice for Laimbs is to get an assitant head coach job, learn the NBA ropes, then see what happens.

I don't believe that at all. At the end of the day if he gets hired as head coach, he is the "boss." Teams with players who can't follow directions never win anyway so I don't think this guy has to win a title in the NBA to be listened to. It's the GM's job to fill the team with players that know how to follow instructions and have positive chemistry with their teammates.

I think it's ludicrous to think a guy can't be demanding because he's new. He is who he is and his coaching style would reflect that. So for Laimbeer to be an NBA head coach he has to be somebody else? If that's the case, the teams have already hired all the someone elses. The league is full of teams with crappy coaches who haven't won anything and aren't demanding. That's like saying Laimbeer has to essentially come into the game and be Mo Cheeks on the bench. Then what the hell would you hire Laimbeer for? Just keep giving Mo Cheeks new jobs.


The difference is what? Flip? Cola? Guys with a ton of NBA coaching experience that can't get the job done. A head coach is a head coach because he knows how to instruct/lead/coach players, not because he's in the NBA.

I don't believe that at all. At the end of the day if he gets hired as head coach, he is the "boss." Teams with players who can't follow directions never win anyway so I don't think this guy has to win a title in the NBA to be listened to. It's the GM's job to fill the team with players that know how to follow instructions and have positive chemistry with their teammates.

I think it's ludicrous to think a guy can't be demanding because he's new. He is who he is and his coaching style would reflect that. So for Laimbeer to be an NBA head coach he has to be somebody else? If that's the case, the teams have already hired all the someone elses. The league is full of teams with crappy coaches who haven't won anything and aren't demanding. That's like saying Laimbeer has to essentially come into the game and be Mo Cheeks on the bench. Then what the hell would you hire Laimbeer for? Just keep giving Mo Cheeks new jobs.


The difference is what? Flip? Cola? Guys with a ton of NBA coaching experience that can't get the job done. A head coach is a head coach because he knows how to instruct/lead/coach players, not because he's in the NBA.

I guess we will find out if he ever becomes a head coach.

He has been around the NBA long eneough to understand what to do and what not to do. He would probably be a good coach for a young upcoming NBA team with his rugged style. Sheed would tell Laimbeer to (insert your own sentence here) during a losing streak where he said anything he didn`t agree with, IMO.

I never said a coach has to win an NBA title to be listened to, just have some experience as an NBA coach, that`s all.

Everyone has their opinion on Lambeer becoming an NBA coach and mine is different from most, I guess we have to wait and see.

Lambeer hasn`t proved he can coach/lead/ instruct anybody, which is exactly my point. I take that back, he can lead/instruct/coach women.

This is a quote from an article I posted the other day by Sam Smith.
(http://www.pistonsforum.com/nba-stuff/7683-2007-08-general-league-thread-non-pistons-33.html)

I was thinking about this the other day after talking to Scottie Pippen about the possibility of him coaching someday in the NBA. I told Pippen he needed coaching experience first. He asked me why.

So why does someone have to sit next to a coach for years or coach in the minor leagues or overseas before becoming an NBA coach? Why isn't making split second decisions in the biggest games ever enough experience?
Pippen had a good point. Larry Bird never coached. But he got a pair of good assistants, went to the NBA Finals, and was coach of the year. Doc Rivers never coached and was coach of the year in Orlando. Avery Johnson barely was an assistant. Pat Riley was mostly a broadcaster. Don Nelson was trying to get into referee school. Isiah Thomas never coached and had a nice three-year run with the Pacers. Doug Collins was a natural without any real experience other than studying the game every day of his life and being an NBA All-Star.

So, Bill doesn't have any NBA coaching experience, so what? I agree with Sam. Knowing the game is more important than having sat beside a mediocre coach as an assistant.

Whether Bill could manage NBA players or not seems to me a very real question. Certainly the style of coaching I read about that he shows in the WNBA wouldn't fly. He'd lose the players in a week. (As he has lost some of the WNBA players. Perhaps there would have been more titles with that bunch with another coach, who knows.) But that all assumes that Bill isn't smart enough or able enough to know how to adjust his style to the situation.

That seems to me to be the real question.

I don't believe that at all. At the end of the day if he gets hired as head coach, he is the "boss." Teams with players who can't follow directions never win anyway so I don't think this guy has to win a title in the NBA to be listened to. It's the GM's job to fill the team with players that know how to follow instructions and have positive chemistry with their teammates.

I think it's ludicrous to think a guy can't be demanding because he's new. He is who he is and his coaching style would reflect that. So for Laimbeer to be an NBA head coach he has to be somebody else? If that's the case, the teams have already hired all the someone elses. The league is full of teams with crappy coaches who haven't won anything and aren't demanding. That's like saying Laimbeer has to essentially come into the game and be Mo Cheeks on the bench. Then what the hell would you hire Laimbeer for? Just keep giving Mo Cheeks new jobs.


The difference is what? Flip? Cola? Guys with a ton of NBA coaching experience that can't get the job done. A head coach is a head coach because he knows how to instruct/lead/coach players, not because he's in the NBA.


All of this is true, but Owners are looking for the Company man. Somebody who projects a good image and gets along with the others in the organization. Making the owner 20 million per season (mostly the GMs job) also helps clarify the image of the coach for most owners. I'm not sure how Laimbeer looks in the area of People Skills. This may be his downfall to landing that elusive Head Coaching gig.

All of this is true, but Owners are looking for the Company man. Somebody who projects a good image and gets along with the others in the organization. Making the owner 20 million per season (mostly the GMs job) also helps clarify the image of the coach for most owners. I'm not sure how Laimbeer looks in the area of People Skills. This may be his downfall to landing that elusive Head Coaching gig.

Skiles managed to find success using similar style. But he was working with a bunch of youngsters, his act would probably get old quick - just ask Ben. :)