Dallas Feb. 3rd, 2:30 PM

TV - ABC

A nice nationally televised matchup on Super Bowl Sunday afternoon. The Pistons will seek revenge from a 16 point loss in Dallas. Avery Johnson has tinkered with his starting lineup looking for a spark.

if Pistons lose, my super day will be a bummer!

it's payback time!!

Should be a good game.

It always pains me to watch Prince get overpowered by what should have been our 2nd first rounder in 2003.

DET seems to be the only team that lets Nowitzki catch the ball on O. Herrrrrman had success because he bodied him prior to receiving the pass and took his legs away. If they go with Wallllllter, how will that impact the rest of the rotation?

Chat is open! See you guys soon!

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

Watching Sheed put on a clinic in the 3rd Q. Dude is so good when we wants to be.

http://widget-6f.slide.com/fsnapshot/AAAAAAAAAACJFUKdpRRkN9kKfRpqFqU-/1/image.jpg?w=290&h=230&iw=0&ih=0&p=0&bg=FFFFFF hahahah funny

http://widget-6f.slide.com/fsnapshot/AAAAAAAAAACJFUKdpRRkN9kKfRpqFqU-/1/image.jpg?w=290&h=230&iw=0&ih=0&p=0&bg=FFFFFF hahahah funny

It always pains me to watch Prince get overpowered by what should have been our 2nd first rounder in 2003.

Prince was the one overpowering people today!!

67 points for Dallas today on 30 percent shooting. Four blocked shots for Sheed.

I only watched bits and pieces. Was the Pistons' D that good or did the Mavs just have an off shooting night?

Great game! Vintage performance by the Pistons tonight.

Sheed was fantastic. Tay owned. Was it me or was Jarvis suprisingly OK on defense? Only 2 blow by's

Stuckey is starting to impress me, and i haven't been a big fan thus far.

Only 1 criticisms
No Amir in the 2nd half except GT

So what if he had 3 fouls in the 1st half?

Also wish we could find minutes for Hermann sometimes. Maybe when Hayes is off.

67 points for Dallas today on 30 percent shooting. Four blocked shots for Sheed.

I only watched bits and pieces. Was the Pistons' D that good or did the Mavs just have an off shooting night?

Mostly good D IMO. They missed shots, but we did a good job of limiting their easy oppurtunities sans a stretch in the 2nd when we couldn't stop fouling.

I LOVE Fabio's effort!

The announcer said that he was playing like it was a tie game in OT during garbage time. Now THAT is Piston's DNA!

I LOVE Fabio's effort!

The announcer said that he was playing like it was a tie game in OT during garbage time. Now THAT is Piston's DNA!


I like that too. Apparently there are no cultural restrictions for playing hard at the end of games.

Walter ALLWAYS plays hard...:yellowprison::gun1:

I agree, I want more. I want to see 11-12 guys playing a night. You always here the aggressors get the whistles, but once again the only thing keeping it a game was DET being in the penalty.

Good defensive effort today after getting embarrased by the Mavs three weeks ago and allowing the Lakers free will in the second half of Thursdays game.

67 points for a team that averages 100...Dirk 3-18 :)

Our allstar guards didn't have a good game shooting wise 8-25, but had key hoops in the second half to keep the lead in double digits. Sheed and Tay made up for the guard play and for the second straight game Sheed comes back in the second qtr to lead a spark after the offense had stalled and we allowed the Mavs to come within 1 pt at 29-28.

Once again stellar play by the bench (32 pts) as Max also provided some spark in the first qtr as the first guy off the bench. Stuckey started inconsistent, but had a very good game and a career high 11 points. Right now he looks more comfortable playing the 2 than the point. Hayes also looked good today and Fabio proved that he still belongs on the team if for some reason hayes goes down.

Flip jr was activated, but did not get in since Avery didn't throw up the white flag until the 3 minute mark and FlipSr wisely kept his youth in there to play together.

Super win for this super Sunday. Superbowl party at Sheeds house, Mavs invited!!:burp::chef2:

Stuckey started inconsistent, but had a very good game and a career high 11 points. Right now he looks more comfortable playing the 2 than the point.

It really doesn't matter what you call him, just put him on the floor, and put the ball in his hands. He can defend the 1 and 2, and coming off bench, you don't really need a true pass-first PG anyways. A guy you can count on to come in and attack the paint effectively is more important. Flip's offense has always been based around a scoring PG rather than a pass-first guard anyways. Especially with the sets he runs while the bench is in the game (a lot of iso's for whichever starters are remaing in the game).

1st half:


Sheed starts out working the post, airball, turnover, miss. Then he hits a pair of triples. Later, he does get us a basket by giving the ball up from the post to a cutter. Then later, he does score in the post, and hits a short jumper later. And another triple. Did his post game help us any? Well, it got us in the right mind set. Tay came on to do some good damage in the post. And, of course, just as important, all this trying to go inside meant few fast break ops for Dallas.


Defensively, we made them miss 16 times in a row starting from shortly before Maxiell came into the game (Dyess got his 2nd foul with 4 minutes left in the 1st quarter) to well into the 2nd quarter. We went up to a 26-17 lead. Pretty much all of it went away though due to us letting Hayes play, in a game where he has no place being. If you can't guard anyone, you should not be in the game.


Hayes did hit one 3. But who knows, just maybe whoever took his minutes could have made a bucket too. For certain, they could not have done any worse defensively. Dallas attacked Hayes from the moment he entered the game, and it scrambled our defense into non-existance.


Tay came back in for Hayes and we ended the half with a decent run and are up 6 at the half. This is a low scoring game, as Rip has not scored yet. In all, holding Dallas to 38 points in the half is some pretty good D.


Stuckey came in with 2 minutes left in the 1st quarter. He missed a couple of outside shots. He drove in a lot with mixed results. Not a lot of scoring. But Dallas was not hitting any shots while he was in for his first 5 minutes. he can play some good D.


Amir Johnson joined the subs to start the 2nd quarter. But Amir sat with 3 fouls just 3 minutes into the quarter. Not good, but again, Dallas did not score a bucket while Amir was in so it was not all bad. (Although, we did get into the penalty way too fast, and it hurt us later in the quarter.)


Billups came in for Rip shortly into the 2nd quarter, and played shooting guard while Stuckey continued to play the point. Afflalo did play some minutes later in the quarter though. (I think about 4 minutes in all. I don't think he took a shot.)
Good game so far. I predict we will not see Hayes in the 2nd half.


2nd half. Well, Hayes did play, not that it mattered that much. We had complete control of the game to go into the 4th quarter. Anyone else notice who was out there during that 10-0 run to end the 3rd quarter? Afflalo. Nice to see him first guard off the bench after a first half where he did not enter until late. Anyway, Hayes did not do too bad defensively in the 2nd half, or maybe we just found him better matchups. And he hit some shots.

Stuckey just continued to drive in again and again. It resulted in a career high 11 points for him. Nice game overall on offense, and good solid D. Oh, and the one drive, he came from the right and layed it up right over Nowitzski. Stuckey got some serious talent.

Yeah, Amir did not get in the rotation in the 2nd half. And this despite us having a big lead to enter the 4th. Not a good thing. I'll let it pass if its just once. In all, our four main youngsters we want to see get minutes, got minutes. Lots of them. Can't complain majorly on that ground today.

Maxiell is missing his outside shots all the sudden, but just like last game, he did plenty, especially on defense. When called upon to guard Dirk or Josh, he did very well indeed. Maxiell also tore up on the boards and got some slams.

Amir did get quite a few bounds, and a block, while in.

Rip put together a bit of scoring in that 3rd quarter, all of his 10 points I think. (Did he play any in the 4th - don't think so.) Rip also had 7 assists. Rip was scoreless in the first half, but I don't think he took that many shots either.

Who was shooting the ball then? Some guy named Sheed. He burned Dirk early and often in the post in the 2nd half. Lets call the first half a warmup for him. Between Tay and Sheed, we had plenty of postup power today.

Billups had a so so game. Of course, he did not play in the 4th quarter as Stuckey finished out this blowout win.

Fabio did look pretty active on D. His drive in looked great. Considering he sat the whole game until garbage time, hitting his 3 try impressed me.

I see Murray was dressed? I hope this does not spell some kind of trouble brewing. (No Brezec)(Trade maybe?)

To those who think Stuckey is not a point guard just because he drives in a lot. Hey, as a point guard, you do have to establish your offensive game. Once, if ever, the other team stops your game, then you pass off. I would not worry about Stuckey. He seems to pass the ball and pass it well whenever someone gets open under the basket.

GO PISTONS!!!!!

To answer a question I just read: Dallas was trying to go inside, but we just would not let them. They ended up settling for outside shots, and even these were heavily contested. A darn good defensive effort. (If you leave out the bad stretch for Hayes in the 2nd quarter, it would have been one amazing game.)

It really doesn't matter what you call him, just put him on the floor, and put the ball in his hands. He can defend the 1 and 2, and coming off bench, you don't really need a true pass-first PG anyways. A guy you can count on to come in and attack the paint effectively is more important. Flip's offense has always been based around a scoring PG rather than a pass-first guard anyways. Especially with the sets he runs while the bench is in the game (a lot of iso's for whichever starters are remaing in the game).

Stuckey played the point, even when Billups was in with him to start the 2nd quarter. Stuckey is the guy who was making the decisions on offense. He brought the ball up. Sure, he called his own number a lot. Good call. Until a team like Dallas, with poor defense, goes out and trades for someone who can stop Stuckey, he should charge in there and ram it down there throat every single time.

Good win. Good variety on offense. Sheed is a difference maker for our team it seems. When he is on, the team is at another level. Good to see Stuckey continue to drive. Glad they have stopped trying to make his game fit a mold.

My concerns for the playoffs? We are not getting much from that center position. If Dyss is not going to score, we would be better off with a big body because we are undersized.

Maxiel has to get that jumper back. He is so positive for us defensively. But we need him to be able to hit that jumper or teams will start to sag on him.

Good win. Good variety on offense. Sheed is a difference maker for our team it seems. When he is on, the team is at another level. Good to see Stuckey continue to drive. Glad they have stopped trying to make his game fit a mold.

My concerns for the playoffs? We are not getting much from that center position. If Dyss is not going to score, we would be better off with a big body because we are undersized.

Maxiel has to get that jumper back. He is so positive for us defensively. But we need him to be able to hit that jumper or teams will start to sag on him.

I concur here. We are getting boards from Dice, but you are right not that much scoring lately or stops. Need to give AJ some of those minutes for more development here prior to the break.

Hey, Dre,

How about those Lakers (I know not the place). I would now trade Odom as never felt he could score enough.

On the Pistons, right, Dyss is getting boards but we are giving up size to have him in there at center. That could wear us down in a playoffs. The advantage of Dyss is suppose to be that he can score and spread the opposition defense. We are going to have to contain Z on the Cavs. I would give Amir more burn but am hoping Joe is shopping for a big body. I would like Prisbilla...

Hey, Dre,

How about those Lakers (I know not the place). I would now trade Odom as never felt he could score enough.

On the Pistons, right, Dyss is getting boards but we are giving up size to have him in there at center. That could wear us down in a playoffs. The advantage of Dyss is suppose to be that he can score and spread the opposition defense. We are going to have to contain Z on the Cavs. I would give Amir more burn but am hoping Joe is shopping for a big body. I would like Prisbilla...

Prizbilla is a good option, but i remember us pursuing him when Ben left and him not wanting to come here. He loves POR i guess, and i don't see him leaving or them trading him now that Oden is down.

Kurt Thomas has been discussed who i love, but we probably don't have what it takes to get him.

Wilcox maybe? Collison is serviceable, although his defense leaves much to be desired. Petro, i havent seen play much. It does seem like SEA is overloaded with bigs so maybe something with them.

I can't think of any other bigs at the moment.

AJ does need more time.

67 points for Dallas today on 30 percent shooting. Four blocked shots for Sheed.

I only watched bits and pieces. Was the Pistons' D that good or did the Mavs just have an off shooting night?

No Devin Harris and no Stackhouse.

We can defend and beat any team almost any time we want if they don't have fast guards. We did a real good job on Terry and the rest of the defense fell into place.



:hoops:

No Devin Harris and no Stackhouse.

We can defend and beat any team almost any time we want if they don't have fast guards. We did a real good job on Terry and the rest of the defense fell into place.



Exactly correct. Dribble penetration by quick guards is the Pistons achilles (unless you can double-team or zone and the opponents outside shots aren't falling).

I didn't watch the very end yet, but as soon as I left chat, things seemed to go well.

I hope everyone is sated with the play of the young fellas, and the defensive effort. It was refreshing to hear the sideline capturing a very vocal Flip Saunders working hard to keep his guys on track.

If we can continue to improve and play this level of defense, we are title contenders.

I didn't watch the very end yet, but as soon as I left chat, things seemed to go well.

I hope everyone is sated with the play of the young fellas, and the defensive effort. It was refreshing to hear the sideline capturing a very vocal Flip Saunders working hard to keep his guys on track.

If we can continue to improve and play this level of defense, we are title contenders.

Roscoe, make sure you watch the finish. Even the last couple minutes of garbage time were exciting, as all of the Piston reserves were making plays and having fun.

I just want to point out that 23 FG's was the least we've given up all year long. And it is also the same number that we made against the Knicks in that horrible game.

If you don't count free throws, the Mavs are sitting on 48 points. They got smothered. Glad that it was on national TV.

Not only does Stuckey look like 50 cent, but he's apparently got the attitude down as well.


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"I'm not going to let no one do that to me, punk me out there on the court," he said. "I'm going to stand up like a man and face him." I like guys who play with a chip on their shoulder, but you also have to pick your battles, and letting a 6-foot-nothing (Stuckey didn't even refer to him by name after the game, simply calling him "the little dude") third-stringer rattle you isn't worth it.

Stuckey seems to be getting his shot off pretty well against taller players in the paint lately. That shot over Dirk was very unlikely.

Roscoe, make sure you watch the finish. Even the last couple minutes of garbage time were exciting, as all of the Piston reserves were making plays and having fun.

They played hard even though it was a blow out, which is impressive.

Notice that Herrmann didn't get in this game until Dirk was on the bench. I understand that Avery filed a complaint with the NBA league officials after the last game claiming that it was unfair to have a guys pony tail flop in in his superstar's face.

:hoops:

Good win. Good variety on offense. Sheed is a difference maker for our team it seems. When he is on, the team is at another level. Good to see Stuckey continue to drive. Glad they have stopped trying to make his game fit a mold.

My concerns for the playoffs? We are not getting much from that center position. If Dyss is not going to score, we would be better off with a big body because we are undersized.

Maxiel has to get that jumper back. He is so positive for us defensively. But we need him to be able to hit that jumper or teams will start to sag on him.

Dyess needs to play defense and get his rebounds 12 + a game will work. His offense is a plus.

:hoops:

Hey, Dre,

How about those Lakers (I know not the place). I would now trade Odom as never felt he could score enough.


Next to Kobe, Odom is their best all around player, even better than Paul minus the L.

:hoops:

I just want to point out that 23 FG's was the least we've given up all year long. And it is also the same number that we made against the Knicks in that horrible game.

If you don't count free throws, the Mavs are sitting on 48 points. They got smothered. Glad that it was on national TV.

It was the same thing in the first quarter when we played the Magic recently, but the officials evened things out quickly and made what would have been a blowout a close game.

:hoops:

i thought this was a great game. stuckey impressed - and as expected - is making a difference and just needing time and experience to get comfortable. i think he was surprised at the skill and athleticism and shot-blocking ability of some players (remember in the preseason he was saying there wasn't a big adjustment to the nba?), and he lost confidence. i think he's realizing what he's got now, and i like his aggressiveness and confidence.

maxiell showed why he's going to be a big help in the playoffs, as long as he doesn't get back into a little funk (not like he was playing badly before, just not getting the jams and spectacular plays).

and everything else has been said already.

Dyess needs to play defense and get his rebounds 12 + a game will work. His offense is a plus.

:hoops:
Funny how for some folks those type of numbers were OK when Ben did it. Now when Dyess does it, we need another Big Man, go figure.

I agree, but what Ben did is (rebounding, defensive pressure) is at a much higher level then how Dyess does it. Dyess can't change a game defensively as Ben did. Dyess is not playing at a high level right now. He gets the bounds, but so does AJ.

Funny how for some folks those type of numbers were OK when Ben did it. Now when Dyess does it, we need another Big Man, go figure.

Dyess does not get Ben's numbers. Ben did a lot more than rebound. He was among the league leaders in both blocks and steals as well. Ben put fear into the hearts of anyone even thinking about driving the lane on us. Dyess sends out invitations with flowers, and everyone drops in, as invited and has a great time.

Dyess does not get Ben's numbers. Ben did a lot more than rebound. He was among the league leaders in both blocks and steals as well. Ben put fear into the hearts of anyone even thinking about driving the lane on us. Dyess sends out invitations with flowers, and everyone drops in, as invited and has a great time.

Given that we are second in points allowed and 3rd in defensive FG percentage it must be entirely due to Sheed and Prince, because we know it ain't primarily due to our guards and now we know that Dyess has nothing to do with it.

Based on this we can expect to see both Prince and Sheed make NBA all-defense 1st team this year. Thanks for the heads up, I can't wait to see Sheed's interview when he gets the award.

:hoops:

I'm pretty sure Chauncey has the best defensive #'s on the team with Dyess in 2nd place by a very narrow margin.

If Dyess got a little more respect from the refs, he'd truly be a defensive force.

I'm pretty sure Chauncey has the best defensive #'s on the team with Dyess in 2nd place by a very narrow margin.

If Dyess got a little more respect from the refs, he'd truly be a defensive force.

You could be correct on C-Bill. I haven't checked the numbers, but I do know that he gets beat an awful lot on penetration plays but that may be by design of the defense, expecting one of the bigs to rotate over to stop the penetration.

:hoops:

You could be correct on C-Bill. I haven't checked the numbers, but I do know that he gets beat an awful lot on penetration plays but that may be by design of the defense, expecting one of the bigs to rotate over to stop the penetration.

:hoops:

We do defend the 3-point line very well, so that could be the case. Overplay the shooters and let our mobile bigs clean up the drives.

I agree, but what Ben did is (rebounding, defensive pressure) is at a much higher level then how Dyess does it. Dyess can't change a game defensively as Ben did. Dyess is not playing at a high level right now. He gets the bounds, but so does AJ.

First off it's obvious that we were a better team with a 29 year old Ben Wallace. The things Ben used to do for us were extrordinary. I don't want to knock Ben, but I'm sick and tired for the lack of appreciation that some folk around here have for Antonio McDyess. The guy is a very consistent shooter (FG%= 49%), he battles inside, he gives 100% everynight, and BTW as of late he's been grabbing about 12 rebs/game. Go look at the NBA stats and see who else in the league is snagging 12 boards these days and see if they're also getting 8.4ppg on 49% FG shooting, AS THE 5TH OPTION!!!!!!!

The best thing about the 29 year old Wallace, besides his enormous impact on the game, was that we weren't paying him anything close to his market value. We had a great deal.

The Bulls, well, they have the opposite situation going on. The one thing that they did right is that they made his contract reduce over time. Maybe it will be possible to unload it next year.

Dyess does not get Ben's numbers. Ben did a lot more than rebound. He was among the league leaders in both blocks and steals as well. Ben put fear into the hearts of anyone even thinking about driving the lane on us. Dyess sends out invitations with flowers, and everyone drops in, as invited and has a great time.

Depends on which Ben we are talking about. The guy from 4 years ago who lead the league in blocks and rebounds? Then yes I would agree. Dyess for Ben right now? Would anyone make that deal?

Yes it was a great game. I don't think teams know what to do with or expect from Stucky and Amir quit yet. In Laker game they were probably wondering who Amir Johnson was. Nice to see Maxiel with his hops back.

Dyss is a good player and has a role on this team. I like him in certain situations later in the game when defenses get tired. He can pop the jumper as he spreads the floor.

But he is not a center. Playing him at center creates a series of potential match up problems for us. In a long series, say against the Cavs, Dyss cannot match Z and he is not mobile enough to even bother Le Bron on the drive. Sheed, who is already overworked, has to take on a bigger role. Sheed may also get in foul trouble as a result.

If Dyss is scoring and spreading the opposition defense, his contribution can overcome defensive liabilities. But, if he cannot score, we would be better off with a big body in the middle getting major minutes. Anyway,I question how well Dyss would hold up in a long series as our primary center. I also question having Dyss in the last few minutes of a game--I prefer Maxiel for defense, a real big (that we don't have on the roster) or even the young Amir who will move to the driver.

Yes, Dyss rebounds but so would Amir. And I don't think Amir can handle the big centers which is why I am hoping Joe makes a move. Maxiel is short but plays big. Taken together, Maxiel and Dyss, we are undersized. This all leaves a lot for Sheed to do. Sheed is our only true big as Amir is still very young. That is worrisome for a playoffs situation where we can get worn down.

As far as Ben, I don't think he gets his due in the Piston nation. Ben made the Pistons early on when the team started to get good. He could create havoc as a one-man defensive roaming menace. He was incredible in his prime...

As far as Ben, I don't think he gets his due in the Piston nation. Ben made the Pistons early on when the team started to get good. He could create havoc as a one-man defensive roaming menace. He was incredible in his prime...

I totally agree. Ben was incredible, and a big, big part of the Pistons success. Contracts and money aside, having Ben and Rasheed Wallace was the Real twin towers.

I don't know how the Pistons could do it, but I would like to see them pick up Jeff Foster from the Pacers. That guy can grab a ton of rebounds against big centers, and step in when Dice can't get it done.

Linwood,

I thought about Foster too. We don't need a great player to take some minutes in that center position. But it would be nice to have the option to put in a big if the situation called for it.

Yes, Ben in his prime and a younger Sheed together--didn't the team get something like 17 blocks in game 2 vs. Indiana the championship year?

The best keep secret about Sheed in the past: He is a big time defender.

First off it's obvious that we were a better team with a 29 year old Ben Wallace. The things Ben used to do for us were extrordinary. I don't want to knock Ben, but I'm sick and tired for the lack of appreciation that some folk around here have for Antonio McDyess. The guy is a very consistent shooter (FG%= 49%), he battles inside, he gives 100% everynight, and BTW as of late he's been grabbing about 12 rebs/game. Go look at the NBA stats and see who else in the league is snagging 12 boards these days and see if they're also getting 8.4ppg on 49% FG shooting, AS THE 5TH OPTION!!!!!!!

Didn't someone on the forum start a "Dyess Appreciation Thread" I think it got about 10 posts before it got moved down off the front page due to lack of interest.

:hoops:

Often times I wonder if some folk ever watch other teams other than the Pistons. It's as if folk think that there are tree's that grow 7'ers with mobility and an inside post game. Y'all really, I mean really don't appreciate what we have here, especially when it comes to Antonio McDyess, today's Piston fan is so spoiled and disillusioned these days its not even funny.

Given that we are second in points allowed and 3rd in defensive FG percentage it must be entirely due to Sheed and Prince, because we know it ain't primarily due to our guards and now we know that Dyess has nothing to do with it.

Based on this we can expect to see both Prince and Sheed make NBA all-defense 1st team this year. Thanks for the heads up, I can't wait to see Sheed's interview when he gets the award.

:hoops:
Prince and Sheed are that good. And Rip and Billups are pretty darn good too at defense. Still, all season long, our starters themselves have had continuous problems on D. Go look what happens when Maxiell gets to play. Our field goal percentage against drops dramatically.

Yes, Dyess is the problem as far as our first unit. That does not mean he does not have a good game defensively now and then, depending on who he is matched up against, but those games are rare. Further, of late, he can barely move for being too tired, and he particularly plays badly even compared to what he was doing earlier in the season. A lot of the problem could be helped by simply having Dyess play less.

Dyess is their strongest rebounder by far. He gets reounds that nobody else can get in traffic, save for Sheed on rare occasions.

Dyess' shot is way more lethal when he receives a pass from the inside. Lately they have been feeding him off of one pass from the top of the key. He doesn't get the same space off of those.

The All-Defensive team is kind of a joke. Sheed is a better defender than any of the other 4 starters on their best night. If he scored 20 a night he'd have made the team by now. Billups is a lot more inconsistent in the effort he puts out on D.

If it is indeed the teams strategy to let the guards penetrate, what would DET's guards responsibility be on D?

If it is indeed the teams strategy to let the guards penetrate, what would DET's guards responsibility be on D?

Stop the shot. Guard bigger players on switches. Keep the other team's guards from posting up. Get defensive rebounds when our bigs keep them alive.

You guys are living in the past and comparing our defense to our old defense. Nobody plays like that anymore because it doesn't get rewarded. They are calling the games differently. Within the framework of the new NBA, our defense is just as good as our old defense was.

Stop the shot. Guard bigger players on switches. Keep the other team's guards from posting up. Get defensive rebounds when our bigs keep them alive.

You guys are living in the past and comparing our defense to our old defense. Nobody plays like that anymore because it doesn't get rewarded. They are calling the games differently. Within the framework of the new NBA, our defense is just as good as our old defense was.


Bingo..... everybody talks about how the bad boy defense would have handled james last year in the playoffs... heck we would be lucky if we had one starter left by the 4th quarter the way they call the games now compared to then....

This is the pattern of the NBA.. Detroit becomes the best defense team in the league, league changes rules so our way won't work.... lol

this team is a great defensive team in todays rules, and will only get better as the kids learn to play within the rules and start to get a little respect from the refs.

Stop the shot. Guard bigger players on switches. Keep the other team's guards from posting up. Get defensive rebounds when our bigs keep them alive.

You guys are living in the past and comparing our defense to our old defense. Nobody plays like that anymore because it doesn't get rewarded. They are calling the games differently. Within the framework of the new NBA, our defense is just as good as our old defense was.

But you are doing none of those things if he strategy is to let the other teams guard go by you. There is no one to switch with. You switch on a pick/screen & roll.

The Spurs managed to play D on LeBron. He didn't look like the same player. Saying you can't because of the rule changes is a cop out in my opinion.

But you are doing none of those things if he strategy is to let the other teams guard go by you. There is no one to switch with. You switch on a pick/screen & roll.

The Spurs managed to play D on LeBron. He didn't look like the same player. Saying you can't because of the rule changes is a cop out in my opinion.

I'm not saying that we are actively trying to let their guards by us. I think that we just have big guards. There are pro and cons to that. The cons are that we allow some penetration and don't get a lot on the offensive end either. The pros are plentiful. We are a team without a true center that is 2nd in all around defense and 6th in all around offense. And our guards are a huge part of that.

No other PG can post CB up. His height and strength allow him to take a lot of 3's away from his opponent and out muscle them for rebounds and loose balls. On the other end, his 3-point shot is one of our greatest weapons. Usually when CB gets inside, it is because the other team is so paranoid about him shooting that they overplay him. That is when he draws fouls too.

Could we improve and go from the 2nd best defensive team to the 1st best if CB and Rip were able to stay in front of their man? Probably not. Boston's edge is too much.

But you are doing none of those things if he strategy is to let the other teams guard go by you. There is no one to switch with. You switch on a pick/screen & roll.

The Spurs managed to play D on LeBron. He didn't look like the same player. Saying you can't because of the rule changes is a cop out in my opinion.

The Spurs played defense on Lebron because the officials called the games differently.

Now you may choose to disagree and that is your privilege. If you do however disagree, we have no basis from which to discuss this, which is of course okay.

:hoops:

I'm not saying that we are actively trying to let their guards by us. I think that we just have big guards. There are pro and cons to that. The cons are that we allow some penetration and don't get a lot on the offensive end either. The pros are plentiful. We are a team without a true center that is 2nd in all around defense and 6th in all around offense. And our guards are a huge part of that.

No other PG can post CB up. His height and strength allow him to take a lot of 3's away from his opponent and out muscle them for rebounds and loose balls. On the other end, his 3-point shot is one of our greatest weapons. Usually when CB gets inside, it is because the other team is so paranoid about him shooting that they overplay him. That is when he draws fouls too.

Could we improve and go from the 2nd best defensive team to the 1st best if CB and Rip were able to stay in front of their man? Probably not. Boston's edge is too much.

That is why Joe D. took Stuckey rather than Crittenton, because he wanted a big guard who could not only learn from C-Bill how to use his size but would use his size to an advantage.

That is one reason why C Paul and D. Williams would maybe not be as good for us as Stuckey will be, because he is bigger and stronger than they are and we use that advantage with our guards both on offense and defense.

Could we change the system? Why should we and even if we did there is no guarantee that would be better. In fact considering the whole roster has been put together based upon how Joe D. envisions an NBA team playing and winning in today's NBA environment we would probably have to redo the whole team and system around Paul or Williams and that will never happen as long as Joe D. is running the show.

Considering our success as a team compared to the other 28, not counting San Antonio, why should we? Besides the Spurs are old and getting older, whereas we are adding youth so over the next five years we could still be at the top while the Spurs become a lottery team.

:hoops:

I think it is not coincidental that Joe D. was a big guard too.

Did anyone notice that Rip did not have a single point in the 1st half?

Has Rip been scoreless in a 1st half since being a Piston? What I meant here is that he started the game and played at least 10 minutes in the 1st half.

I think it is not coincidental that Joe D. was a big guard too.
Big = chubby, not Big = tall. IIRC, JD was a 6'2" SG.

Big = chubby, not Big = tall. IIRC, JD was a 6'2" SG.

Isn't Chauncey 6'3"? They seem very similar to me. Both are strong, good defenders, can post up, and drop 3's with ease.

Obviously, there is no Zeke equiv here.

Big = chubby, not Big = tall. IIRC, JD was a 6'2" SG.

It was a smaller world then. Remember when the Redskins' offensive line was big?

It looks to me like Joe D was listed at 6'3", 190 lbs while Billups is 6'3", 202 lbs.

I have a hard time believing those weights though. They both seem heavier.

Isn't Chauncey 6'3"? They seem very similar to me. Both are strong, good defenders, can post up, and drop 3's with ease.

Obviously, there is no Zeke equiv here.

Joe D. was a lot better on defense with his feet and positioning than C-Bill is. No way could C-Bill could have done anywhere near as good a job on Michael as Joe D. did and if we had Joe D. guarding Lebron last year and Wade the year before in the playoffs, we would have gotten to the Finals each year.

C-Bill is a lot stronger than Joe D. and that extra strength helps him on offense.

:hoops:

All I'm saying is that Joe D understands that big guards bring something to the game, even if they have certain weaknesses. He understands it because he was a big guard.

Definitely not saying that one is better than the other, or that they are exactly equal.