At Atlanta Feb. 12th, 7:00 PM

TV20 Detroit HD, NBALP

The Pistons head down to the ATL, looking for their league leading 9th win in a row. The Piston starters may be looking ahead to rest and All Star weekend, but the "Zoo Crew" needs to handle their business against Josh Smith, Joe Johnson and their freinds.

Nice avatar Dlev!

Another early game. I could get used to this. So sleepy lately!

I found out it's on NBAtv as well.:hoops:

I hope that this is not a

"Help Mike Woodsen Save His Job" performance by the Pistons.


ASG (BRUCE LEVENSON PLEASE READ), FIRE MIKE WOODSON NOW! (http://www.realgm.com/boards/viewtopic.php?t=754813&start=0&postdays=0&postorder=asc&highlight=&sid=37d0594dd71cfd7cd00b23c679b1b0be)

RealGM :: (http://www.realgm.com/boards/viewtopic.php?t=754813)

:hoops:

I found out it's on NBAtv as well.:hoops:

Which means I can get to watch it streaming thru the net although I got to work during the game is being played. http://www.pistonsforum.com/images/icons/icon9.gif

......said you can get it in the A, A, A, A, A.....

http://img522.imageshack.us/img522/7764/vmcr810323323ss100lc0.jpg

tHE Hawks should be undefeated at home....if it wasnt for the fact they probably wear themSELVES out:MusicBigGrin:



note that might be important to some of yall, as well: ATL known as the "D-L" capitol of the USA....yeeuch! and why!!!??

Chat is open!

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

Win or lose; this game was screwed when Dolphin didn't put Amir Johnson in in the 2nd half.

We're getting killed on the boards, by length, offensive boards, and 2nd shots = Shades of the BOS game, and it doesn't occur to him to put in our best rebounder.

Genius!

Big baby x 2

......said you can get it in the A, A, A, A, A.....

http://img522.imageshack.us/img522/7764/vmcr810323323ss100lc0.jpg

tHE Hawks should be undefeated at home....if it wasnt for the fact they probably wear themSELVES out:MusicBigGrin:



note that might be important to some of yall, as well: ATL known as the "D-L" capitol of the USA....yeeuch! and why!!!??

Great photo ...can you blow up and send it to me:MusicBigGrin:

Great win! Gutty finish by the Pistons!

CB came alive finally in the 4th Q, and scored 10 straight to give the Pistons the lead, and then like the veterans they are, they closed out the kids.

If I told you Rip and CB would play bad, Dice would get hurt, and Sheed would foul out on the road, you wouldn't think we would have won.

BUT WE DID! :D

Win or lose; this game was screwed when Dolphin didn't put Amir Johnson in in the 2nd half.

We're getting killed on the boards, by length, offensive boards, and 2nd shots = Shades of the BOS game, and it doesn't occur to him to put in our best rebounder.

Genius!

Big baby x 2

http://assets.espn.go.com/media/apphoto/75e78085-f7d6-4793-875e-1e47c5ab30d5.jpg

:hoops:

Win or lose; this game was screwed when Dolphin didn't put Amir Johnson in in the 2nd half.

We're getting killed on the boards, by length, offensive boards, and 2nd shots = Shades of the BOS game, and it doesn't occur to him to put in our best rebounder.

Genius!

Big baby x 2
Agree lp, AMir should have been in there in the second part of the third, but as you can see Flip still does not trust him in crucial situations. He only had one foul??

At least Flip recognized that CB was thinking about Bourbon Street in the third and brought Stuckey in to start the comeback. CB finally came back to the ATL in the 4th and scored 10 straight points to solidify his all-star status and put this one away in the W column.

The bench did their thing for the 3rd or 4th straight game in a row with 31 points and Stucky had another excellent game. If he had not missed those 25 games, the Pistons would have been sitting at 48-3 (with only 3 losses to the bulls :))


Credit the 4th qtr defense from both the bench and the starters that won this game, holding the Hawks to 14 points after they had given up 58 in the previous two qtrs. I said in chat at the beginning of the 4th that we would need about 92 to win and I was right on:whoo:. Nine in a row baby and hopefully an allstar close out W vs the pacers tomorrow at home for 10!!!

I like Stuckey more every day...

Agree lp, AMir should have been in there in the second part of the third, but as you can see Flip still does not trust him in crucial situations. He only had one foul??

At least Flip recognized that CB was thinking about Bourbon Street in the third and brought Stuckey in to start the comeback. CB finally came back to the ATL in the 4th and scored 10 straight points to solidify his all-star status and put this one away in the W column.

I'm happy he recognized that and played AA extensively as well. It's just so frustrating we recognize everything and then it takes him a year and half to do the same. Baby steps i guess.

edited to add;

Stuckey had an interview on NBATV, and mentioned we were going for that #1 seed.

Atlanta was 15-5 at Home so its not like they were pushovers that the Pistons should have blown out.

Great execution in cruch time, thats all that matters in the end. Well rested starters. Even with the Refs picking on Sheed.

Stucky is looking like he may even be better than Wade someday. Going to get to the point where he will be hard to take out of games.

Atlanta was 15-5 at Home so its not like they were pushovers that the Pistons should have blown out.



Max, I think they are 15-11 at home.

Good win. Nine in a row. CB missed his first 8 shots, but still helped us by getting to the line some. Then he took over the 4th quarter to win it for us, attributing his good showing to getting plenty of rest from Stuckey in this game. Billups hit a three to tie. Another to go ahead. 12 points in all in that 4th to end up with 16 in all. (4 made free throws earlier.) Billups also had a very efficient 8 assists to no turns.


Its questionable if Rip should have been in this game, as he did not seem to me all that recovered from the food poisoning he ws suffering from earlier today. But he still managed to make some shots. A clutch fast break layup against 4 defenders was his highlight.


Afflalo got plenty of time, including some defensive sub ops in this close game. Afflalo played some good D, hit an outside shot and made some free throws. He also had a nice drive and dish inside. He came in very early for Rip in the 3rd as our starters were not getting it done. We lost the 7 point lead we started the 2nd half with.


Stuckey hit an outside shot or two, got to the hoop for a layup here and there. 5 for 8 shooting in all. Two nice passes for scores too.
Amir scored 6, only playing the last 7 minutes or so of the 2nd quarter. Four of his points came on offensive rebound putbacks. He got to post up once at the end of the quarter, missing on a difficult hook shot.
Hayes hit one outside shot that I remember. He did not seem to have much impact on the game.


Maxiell did some board work, drew some fouls. Not many shots. No outside shots that I recall for him.
Tay did not do that much in this one. One important hoop going inside was his highlight.


Josh Smith did a lot of damage against us. None of our bigs could stop him consistently, as he has come up with a quite effective hook shot that looks pretty hard to block. Probably would have to double team the guy a lot in a playoff series if he can keeps making that shot. Amir had a turn trying to stop him to, and Smith got past him for scores.


Dyess hit a shot or two, not really a whole lot from him other than contending with some pretty good inside offensive players in Horford and Smith.



How would I grade this one on preparation for the playoffs? About a B. Amir did get a good stint in the first half. Stuckey played a ton and more importantly was counted on to play late into the 4th in a tight game. Afflalo ended up playing plenty after coming in there early in the 3rd. Maxiell keeps getting all the minutes he can handle. Hayes, like him or not, played enough minutes to keep Tay from getting overplayed. Thats a ten man rotation pretty much. To earn an A, yes, Amir could have played a few minutes in that 2nd half. Now, grading for the last few games as a whole: A +. the last nine games as a whole: A. It ain't been perfect. Been some C's in there. But a couple of A+ 's to balance those out. I say we remain on the right road. Championship ahead.

GO PISTONS!!!!!

I see I forgot to mention Sheed. He had a monster 1st quarter. He did good work inside and great work from the 3 point line. I see we got outrebounded badly in this one. Amir had 4 rebounds in his 7 minutes including 3 offensive boards. Maxiell had 2 offensive boards. Our starters: 2 offensive rebounds between them and just 10 total rebounds. Sheed ended up fouling out after getting 3 quick fouls to open the 4th quarter. When he fouled out, I think it was a makeup call as the refs missed a foul call on us a second earlier. Just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Good thing Sheed did not pick up a tech there as there was little wiggle room in our lead at that point.

Max, I think they are 15-11 at home.

They have beaten some very good teams at home

Lakers
Mavericks
Suns
Jazz
Cavs
Nuggets

Atlanta Hawks - Schedule - NBA - Yahoo! Sports (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/teams/atl/schedule?v=list&m=02&y=2008)

I'm happy he recognized that and played AA extensively as well. It's just so frustrating we recognize everything and then it takes him a year and half to do the same. Baby steps i guess.

edited to add;

Stuckey had an interview on NBATV, and mentioned we were going for that #1 seed. yeah I heard that too...he must be listening to Flip a bit too much. I will be happy if we finish one game behind the Celtics in the regular season and a game ahead of them or whomever in ECF and Finals:cheerlie-GOAL:

Glad they pulled this one out. Looked bad at the end of the 3rd like they were out of sync from foolin around too much. Be a real game tomorrow against the Pacers who also are coming off a back2back and against the Celts to boot.

Pistons win! now that was a fun game. Here are my "Q"lights:

1. Sheed was vintage as he went west coast on a brutha in the 1st qtr. Hawks broadcast had excelelnt highlights of sheed's only game in a Hawk uniform from 04.

2. I would trade Atlanta's play by play guy for Blaha ANY time. He doesnt overpump his young team and really sounds like he likes the Pistons. we know my former Eastside buddy Steve Smith does.

3. If you could combine Tay's demeanor with Josh smith's skills, you'd have one helluva player. Josh smith has the brains of yogi Bear.

4. Amir smoked the second quarter and would have dominated in the 4th. Flip HAS to have some kind of brain deficiency or something. Amir had an offensive rebound putback where he leaped, caught with two hands and layed it in with one that was so pretttty. Damn!

5. Hawks came back because Woodson is a GREAT coach. Piston DNA.

6. Where are all the Acie Law, the 4th peeps at!!???:pound:

7. 25 ct put on a show that was so good, chauncey was able to dominate the 4th qtr. I just hope Flip was watching. Steve Smith said stuckey remind him of Joe D and that when Joe was scouting him , Joe said "Hey...that's me!":pound:Then smith said Cent doesnt have dumars' "stroke' yet, but he looked pretty on an open j later on.

8. I love how sheed kept himself in the game after his tech. If he does that in cleveland last year, he'd have another ship right now.

9. Nice 4th qtr tease by the Hawks and my wife liked how "I was just sitting there' as Hawks took the lead. my response? "Puh-thehell-leeeze!"

10. Atlanta fans showed Pistons their usual love. great reaction to Billups' j's in the 4th. Mr Bigshot yay-es!

The Good- Sheed in the 1st, Amir in the 2nd, Cent with the Krazze left hand shooting and BigShot late

The Bad- AA made three awful decisions, Flip not playing Amir in the 4th, JMax regressing to last year.

But it was funnnn........

Atlanta was 15-5 at Home so its not like they were pushovers that the Pistons should have blown out.

Great execution in cruch time, thats all that matters in the end. Well rested starters. Even with the Refs picking on Sheed.

Stucky is looking like he may even be better than Wade someday. Going to get to the point where he will be hard to take out of games.

I get this sense as well. Him playing the entire 2nd seems like it's becoming a normal thing, and in the 4th when he's not in sometimes he's missed.

His penetration is fun to watch. It's been so long since we had someone like that. Also his mid-range is alot better than i thought it would be. He has the tools to be a good defender. He slacks occassionaly, but he's young. I like him alot.

i'll have my thoughts on the game later. in the meantime, i just wanted to express my disappointment at not seeing briana from the a-town dancers on the broadcast. she's got a nice 1280x1024 picture that is my current wallpaper stretched out to 1920x1200 :)

http://www.nba.com/media/hawks/briana_beach07_26.jpg - potentially NSFW

i'll have my thoughts on the game later. in the meantime, i just wanted to express my disappointment at not seeing briana from the a-town dancers on the broadcast. she's got a nice 1280x1024 picture that is my current wallpaper stretched out to 1920x1200 :)

http://www.nba.com/media/hawks/briana_beach07_26.jpg - potentially NSFW
ohthehellmygod!!!!!!!!!!!!!:cold:

Max, I think they are 15-11 at home.
typo.




I get this sense as well. Him playing the entire 2nd seems like it's becoming a normal thing, and in the 4th when he's not in sometimes he's missed.

His penetration is fun to watch. It's been so long since we had someone like that. Also his mid-range is alot better than i thought it would be. He has the tools to be a good defender. He slacks occassionaly, but he's young. I like him alot.

It really is amazing when you think that this is only the 2nd month of the season for him.

I'm happy he recognized that and played AA extensively as well. It's just so frustrating we recognize everything and then it takes him a year and half to do the same. Baby steps i guess.

edited to add;

Stuckey had an interview on NBATV, and mentioned we were going for that #1 seed.

Oh crap. Nooooo. The number 1 seed is overrated. There has been no number 1 seed in the NBA Finals for at least the last 4-5 years. Do they really wanna run into LeHype in the second round and then the Celts in the ECF (if we win)? I'm starting to think that seed is jinxed.

On the game - My internet fizzled out in the middle of the game. It was a good game for the young guys, and Flipper's probably still a bit shaky on Amir. I don't like it, but what can you do. At least he's playing the young guys.

Some will only be happy if we win with Stuckey, AA, and AJ playing 24 mins and getting triple doubles. While The starters play the other 24 mins and shoot 92% from the floor - with 75% of all shots coming in the paint, 15% from inside of 15 feet, and the occasional trey ball. In the process the team must not give up a single offensive rebound, and we should rebound all of our missed shots for putback dunks. On defense, everyshot needs to be blocked, and zero dribble penetration is allowed. We should win all games 125-0.

AA played, AJ played and Stuckey BALLED!!!! We have a solid TEN man rotation. We won this game because of how Flip is using this bench. Billups had much game in the 4th because of the rest he's been getting (not just tonight, but all season) from Stuckey's stellar play......last time I checked Flip did put Stuckey in the game right? Take it from me, be happy, the young'ns ARE PLAYING and CONTRIBUTING. Don't allow AJ not getting 5 2nd-half mins effect your perspective.

Fun game. Like what I saw of Stuckey and Amir.

We got outboarded badly. Is it just a regular season game and not to worry? Maybe. But that may be a problem for us.

They really got up into our offense in the 3rd. I hope the coaching staff will be ready as teams try this in the playoffs.

It was a good game for the young guys, and Flipper's probably still a bit shaky on Amir. I don't like it, but what can you do. At least he's playing the young guys.

Maybe, but I really don't think so. If Flip looks out there and sees Horford pushing Dyess and Max around, does one really believe Amir "Still light in the pants" Johnson is the remedy?? I mean I was screaming for the kid too, and IMHO I would have subbed Max for AJ, but I do see Flips logic in this one.

You would either have to ask Amir to battle the very strong Horford or defend the hot Josh Smith.......not the most ideal situation for the kid. HOWEVER .....he continues to JUST GET IT DONE. The BOY defies logic quite often.

AJ had a good six plus minutes.

He will be well rested for the Pacers. LOL

:hoops:

Fun game. Like what I saw of Stuckey and Amir.

We got outboarded badly. Is it just a regular season game and not to worry? Maybe. But that may be a problem for us.

They really got up into our offense in the 3rd. I hope the coaching staff will be ready as teams try this in the playoffs.


We got punked in the paint 54-34 too, missed 10 FT's and had only 15 dimes, but the better "team" still won because Flip has figured out how and when to play them...

Maybe, but I really don't think so. If Flip looks out there and sees Horford pushing Dyess and Max around, does one really believe Amir "Still light in the pants" Johnson is the remedy?? I mean I was screaming for the kid too, and IMHO I would have subbed Max for AJ, but I do see Flips logic in this one.

You would either have to ask Amir to battle the very strong Horford or defend the hot Josh Smith.......not the most ideal situation for the kid. HOWEVER .....he continues to JUST GET IT DONE. The BOY defies logic quite often.

I don't think he was the answer, I just thought he could help, at least in the rebounding department. I do see where Flipper was coming from, though. As long as he keeps giving the younger players minutes he's on my good side.

On that note...Amir had only one foul today (guarding matchup nightmare Josh Smith). That's the least number he's accumulated in a while. A sign of an improvement? ermm...I might need a bigger sample size.

I do see where Flipper was coming from, though. As long as he keeps giving the younger players minutes he's on my good side.


(Long Sigh) As Piston fans we're just like abuse victims. We've been lied to and lied to and lied to. Flip is not giving the young players minutes, they're earning them, and have solidified roles in the rotation. But much like an abuse victim we have no ability to trust or let our guard down. You know, all of this is a direct result of Delfino and Darko!!

Some will only be happy if we win with Stuckey, AA, and AJ playing 24 mins and getting triple doubles. While The starters play the other 24 mins and shoot 92% from the floor - with 75% of all shots coming in the paint, 15% from inside of 15 feet, and the occasional trey ball. In the process the team must not give up a single offensive rebound, and we should rebound all of our missed shots for putback dunks. On defense, everyshot needs to be blocked, and zero dribble penetration is allowed. We should win all games 125-0.



Crazy, man. That's just exactly what I was telling my friend tonight before the game. He said I was being unrealistic expecting the Pistons to win 125-0, since anything more than 105-5 was really just running up the score and being unsportsmanlike.

Maybe, but I really don't think so. If Flip looks out there and sees Horford pushing Dyess and Max around, does one really believe Amir "Still light in the pants" Johnson is the remedy?? I mean I was screaming for the kid too, and IMHO I would have subbed Max for AJ, but I do see Flips logic in this one.

You would either have to ask Amir to battle the very strong Horford or defend the hot Josh Smith.......not the most ideal situation for the kid. HOWEVER .....he continues to JUST GET IT DONE. The BOY defies logic quite often.

It's his length and athleticism. He had no problem rebounding when Horford was in the game in the 2nd. Took a few away IIRC.

I can't remember if they tried Horford posting him up. I do remember JS posting him up being successful the first 2 times, and then Amir forcing a tough shot the 3rd. To really know how to defend a guy, it's important to play against him and learn some of his tendencies.

The problem with Max, what's always been, is his lack of height. It really hurts him against some of the taller teams. That's why i'm so adament for Amir. What he lacks in strength, he makes up for in height, quickness, and jumping ability.

You put Amir Johnson and Rasheed Wallace in a game against Big baby, and KG, and i would bet money what happened wouldn't have happened. At the very least it would have been a wash in terms of rebounds/2nd chance points.

I love Max, but lately he hasn't been playing his usual game. The Sheed/Dice lineup doesn't cut it against a great rebounding team. That's what worries me in the PO's. There are going to be times when it would be better for Stuck or Amir to finish the game. Does Flip have the stones to do that or the comprehension to realize it?

There's still plenty of time left in the season to go.

edited to add;

I'm not trying to devalue what Maxiel does. I just think it would be nice to have both options and use whats needed at the time.

I would be so frustrated if other teams had a guy like Chauncey Billups. He really is a cold blooded 4th quarter killer. Did you see him going for the block in the last minute? He didn't get it, but he caused a big miss. Earlier, I thought to myself, well, this is Chauncey's worse game of the season. Turns out that he was the hero.

Sheed was crazy at the start. Then, he went into super unselfish mode, which was some sort of personal protest against success. He really left Tay hanging a few times when he declined the post move with no double and passed back out with a low shot clock. At the end, I would have bet my bippy that he was going to get tossed. The things that he was screaming to Crawfor must not have been that bad. "You're calls upset me, but yet they are fair. In the future, please make calls in my favor." Or something like that.

Stuckey really has that split the defenders move down. Once he gets through there, we score every time. Also, he has that ability to hang on his short jumpers that makes it almost impossible to block him.

Amir. What can you say. 3 offensive rebounds resulting in immediate put-backs in an incredibly short period of time and he gets benched. I hear the arguments about Horford... but why not keep him in with Sheed or Dyess?

What is going on with Maxiell? I think he hears footsteps.

(Long Sigh) As Piston fans we're just like abuse victims. We've been lied to and lied to and lied to. Flip is not giving the young players minutes, they're earning them, and have solidified roles in the rotation. But much like an abuse victim we have no ability to trust or let our guard down. You know, all of this is a direct result of Delfino and Darko!!

I don't know if you were being sarcastic or not, but I do feel that way sometimes. I just never know what's gonna happen next. All I know is Max and Stuckey are safe. Darko WAS given minutes he didn't earn, however. That guy had no work ethic to speak of (or maybe LB just ruined him. Who knows). Delfino's more of an enigma, but he's a Raptor now. I don't really care what the reasons are, as long as the kids are playing, and playing well. It's all about the playoffs, and none of these kids are like Darko or Delfino. That's a good start.

Will some of y'all please go watch that Boston game again. Why is everybody acting like Boston threw the ball too Big Baby in the post???? He was scoring because Pierce was getting into the lane, drawing defenders and dumping it off to the guy. What, was Dyess not supposed to rotate?? Was he to concede the lane to Pierce? We have yet to lose because Dyess and Sheed get man handled inside, but we do often lose because our perimeter players cant stay in front of their man on defense.

Sheed was crazy at the start. Then, he went into super unselfish mode, which was some sort of personal protest against success.



:pound:Awesome

Did anybody here watch Big Baby vs. Duncan the other day? He's good.

Could you imagine Sheed leading a PETA protest, with a bull horn???

Will some of y'all please go watch that Boston game again. Why is everybody acting like Boston threw the ball too Big Baby in the post???? He was scoring because Pierce was getting into the lane, drawing defenders and dumping it off to the guy. What, was Dyess not supposed to rotate?? Was he to concede the lane to Pierce? We have yet to lose because Dyess and Sheed get man handled inside, but we do often lose because our perimeter players cant stay in front of their man on defense.

I remember Tay being mainly at fault that game, but didn't Big Baby have like 10 rebounds or so (? don't remember how many offensive). And we were outrebounded that game as well ?

Rebounding is a problem for us in the PO's. It was againt CLE. It was against CHI in games where TT played extensively. I'm sick of seeing another's team's big guy come in and dominate us on the boards when we have a guys who's just as capable of doing it to the other team sitting on our bench.

Also young, quick legs can rotate and recover faster.

Will some of y'all please go watch that Boston game again. Why is everybody acting like Boston threw the ball too Big Baby in the post???? He was scoring because Pierce was getting into the lane, drawing defenders and dumping it off to the guy. What, was Dyess not supposed to rotate?? Was he to concede the lane to Pierce? We have yet to lose because Dyess and Sheed get man handled inside, but we do often lose because our perimeter players cant stay in front of their man on defense.

This I agree with. The perimeter breakdowns are what hurt us the most in that game. Dice, Sheed - whoever was in there had to go and help, leaving that "Worse than Boobie" nicknamed guy wide open for dunks and layups. And, they had KG. You can't leave KG to go guard that rook. Sheed had to stay with his man. If drafting 3 guards (keeping 2) is not an indication that Joe thinks his team's perimeter D is what's lacking, I don't know what is.

Lastly, Sheed and Dice are both 33 and can't rotate as quickly as maybe a guy like Josh Smith or Al Horford or AJ can. It's just not physically possible, so the onus is on the perimeter guys to not get beat.

A lot of the penetration by guards is caused by the other team's designed plays. Most of the time, it isn't that Chauncey can't stay in front of his man, it is that he gets picked off of him. Same with Rip and Tay. Our bigs have a tough job, but they aren't the lumbering Ilgauskas types. They are coordinated athletes with several all-star appearances under their belts. Their job is to play help defense and rotate accordingly.

Some teams have players that are next to impossible to stop. That is why those players are getting boatloads of money and also why they have a bunch of crappy other players to compliment them (salary cap). There will be games when the LeBrons of the league go off. That is when the Pistons need to punish the other team with the mismatches that we create.

I remember Tay being mainly at fault that game, but didn't Big Baby have like 10 rebounds or so (? don't remember how many offensive). And we were outrebounded that game as well ?

Rebounding is a problem for us in the PO's. It was againt CLE. It was against CHI in games where TT played extensively. I'm sick of seeing another's team's big guy come in and dominate us on the boards when we have a guys who's just as capable of doing it to the other team sitting on our bench.

Also young, quick legs can rotate and recover faster.

Everyone of Davis' pts in that 4th qtr run were off of Pierce Asts, except one, when Pierce passed to KG and after the defensive rotation - KG passed to Davis. Davis had 4 rebs and only 1 offensive during that run and it was on his own missed layup - ala Moses Malone. We outrebounded Bos 36-35 that game, they beat us on the off glass 15-10, most of their off rebs (6) came from Rondo and Allen, Big baby had 3 (2 of which came in the 1st half and they did not score off of them) and Perkins had 4 early on. All I'm saying is, we lose more because of poor perimeter D than our bigs giving up offensive rebs.

A lot of the penetration by guards is caused by the other team's designed plays. Most of the time, it isn't that Chauncey can't stay in front of his man, it is that he gets picked off of him. Same with Rip and Tay.

Yes and No. Bruce Bowen once said that the reason he was so good defensively is because he was the best in the league at fighting through a screen and getting a hand in the face. AA, Lindsey,Stuck are AWESOME at fighting through picks and not allowing the defense to easily pick them. Watch, the contrast between them is fascinating. Being great on D has a whole lot to do with how much effort you're willing to expend on the pick and roll.

Everyone of Davis' pts in that 4th qtr run were off of Pierce Asts, except one, when Pierce passed to KG and after the defensive rotation - KG passed to Davis. Davis had 4 rebs and only 1 offensive during that run and it was on his own missed layup - ala Moses Malone. We outrebounded Bos 36-35 that game, they beat us on the off glass 15-10, most of their off rebs (6) came from Rondo and Allen, Big baby had 3 (2 of which came in the 1st half and they did not score off of them) and Perkins had 4 early on. All I'm saying is, we lose more because of poor perimeter D than our bigs giving up offensive rebs.

What game am i thinking of where Davis had 10 rebounds? That's stuck in my head, and now it's going to bother the hell out of me. Obviously it wasn't against us.

That wasn't the case tonight, but your right about the Boston game.

But it should be better in theory now that the starters will be rested, and we have Afflalo/Stuckey to stick on the quicker players. The only weak spot is again SF. Unless AA shows he can handle that, but somehow him guarding PP/LBJ doesn't inspire confidence. But it also doesn't inspire dread like Jarvis.

edited to add;

Amir seems like the type that can erase alot of the mistakes the perimeter D makes. Weak-side shot-blocking, quick help, etc.

Wouldn't zone solve this whole problem?

I'm pretty sure we aren't going to go with Lindsey and Stuckey down the stretch in the Playoffs.

Pistons are 10th in the league in rebounding diff at +1.48. Offensivly we are at +0.9.

Every game is not going to be perfect. One could probably always find something bad in every game. Point is the team found a way to win.

Its gets discouraging reading these game threads sometimes.

Good game, good win. Youngsters got some significant burn in a close competition. I didn't like that Amir didn't get in in the 2nd half, but lets be real. He was struggling defensively on Josh Smith (well, so was everyone else who tried) and he was pushed around under the defensive basket. He got a few offensive board, but clearly struggled on the defensive end. He will get better with time.

Pistons are 10th in the league in rebounding diff at +1.48. Offensivly we are at +0.9.

Every game is not going to be perfect. One could probably always find something bad in every game. Point is the team found a way to win.

Its gets discouraging reading these game threads sometimes.

There's plenty of positive stuff in this thread. It's just easier to debate and analyze the flaws and negative stuff. Tons of people talked about how much they like Stuckey, but what can you really say about that.

"I like Stuckey"

"Me too"

"He dribbles good"

"Yup"

:)

I like Stuckey! He dribble good!

I would be so frustrated if other teams had a guy like Chauncey Billups. He really is a cold blooded 4th quarter killer. Did you see him going for the block in the last minute? He didn't get it, but he caused a big miss. Earlier, I thought to myself, well, this is Chauncey's worse game of the season. Turns out that he was the hero.

Sheed was crazy at the start. Then, he went into super unselfish mode, which was some sort of personal protest against success. He really left Tay hanging a few times when he declined the post move with no double and passed back out with a low shot clock. At the end, I would have bet my bippy that he was going to get tossed. The things that he was screaming to Crawfor must not have been that bad. "You're calls upset me, but yet they are fair. In the future, please make calls in my favor." Or something like that.

Stuckey really has that split the defenders move down. Once he gets through there, we score every time. Also, he has that ability to hang on his short jumpers that makes it almost impossible to block him.

Amir. What can you say. 3 offensive rebounds resulting in immediate put-backs in an incredibly short period of time and he gets benched. I hear the arguments about Horford... but why not keep him in with Sheed or Dyess?

What is going on with Maxiell? I think he hears footsteps.

I like that phase "personal protest against success". Excellent read.
Sometimes we forget that players have personal lives. I remember reading in december that max has a relative that is sick. You never know, but I do not think it is amir's success.

What game am i thinking of where Davis had 10 rebounds?

It must have been when he was at LSU, because the most rebounds he has gotten in a game while with the meanie greenies is 9 vs the Kings on Dec 12th of last year.

Unless you are thinking of Dale Davis or Antonio Davis?

see links

Glen Davis - Boston Celtics - Split Statistics - NBA - Yahoo! Sports (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/players/4313/splits;_ylt=ApEEMV9_s4OQ_KaOmdDNbzSkvLYF)

NBA - Sacramento Kings/Boston Celtics Box Score Wednesday December 12, 2007 - Yahoo! Sports (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/boxscore;_ylt=Ag3E7JlsT9aHksZe.jkbznuQvLYF?gid=200 7121202)

:hoops:

I like Stuckey! He dribble good!

True, very true.

But he needs to learn to walk and get away with it, like Kobe, Lebron, Carmello, D. Wade, etc. LOL

:hoops:

well he does seem to step and hop sometimes, but on both feet rather than the wade shuffle, so maybe he's getting there :)

HQ, glad you liked my previous post...hehe. as for the game, i knew we were in trouble from the start. if it weren't for sheed in the 1st quarter we'd have been down 10 after 1 - rip being sick and chauncey being passive did not help at all. that guy has carried us in several games this year where we did not have energy.

afflalo had a decent game, but i think he's feeling a little left out of the 'zoo crew' because his game isn't based on strictly offense. he forced a couple times yesterday, and while one layup worked on the fast break, josh smith welcomed him to the NBA on the other - and he should've gotten the ball to the middle of the floor since Tay was ahead of him. he's been pretty poor on his FTs as of late too.

stuckey continues to look amazing. he's finishing strong *and* doing it over big men and great shot blockers. the ability to use his body to draw contact and then double-pump so his shot doesn't get blocked is awesome. his jumper is also looking better, and if he develops that...look out. i thought he made a mistake on the one play where he drove the basket and got blocked, because he could've dished to max, but hey he was feeling it so that one can slide.

amir continues to do the dirty work and contribute - 4 rebounds (3 offensive), and assist, and 3/4 shooting for 6 points...in only 6 minutes?? that's great. he is a big reason why the bench if scoring a lot and maintaining/increasing leads in the 2nd quarter, because even when our jumpers aren't falling we are getting a LOT of extra possessions. again flip said in the postgame that he's disappointed he didn't use amir in the 2nd half, but hey, it's going to take a little time to trust him and he's making the most of his minutes in the 2nd quarter. he's producing every time, which is going to keep him on the floor.

max isn't having as many spectacular plays as he used to, but that still doesn't mean he's doing a bad job. he grabbed some boards, got a block and steal, and made that crazy shot, along with some solid defense. you can see his rebounding limitations though...his size makes it difficult against some players like horford who is taller, or smith who can just leap out of the gym.

this game got close, but chauncey still only played 29 minutes, rip was under 36, tay under 34...i'll take it. you see how much better chauncey plays when he has rest, and he even said in his postgame interview with blaha that it really helped out. stuckey is getting better and better, and has the potential to be a very special player.

KGREG, please stop using "logic" and "rationality" in your posts.

I hate to say it, but I think playing 10 guys is the bare minimum for this team. They should get to 11-12 deep per game. I was interested to see what happened after Sheed's hot start. He has been coming out somewhere around the 4:30 to 4 minute mark. Flip left him out there this game. That isn't the end of the world except that he left the rest of the frontcourt out there as well. The end of the first was the first crack in DET's play.

Flip is reluctant (at best) to play certain combos together. He could probably break the ten man barrier (or at worst move the minutes from good to great) if he played Max and AJ together for just a few minutes at the end of the 1st. Provided the world doesn't end, Sheed could come back in for Max with 8 to go in the quarter as he has been. Dyess comes back in with 6 to go or so. (I do hate to see Dyess' 18 minute stretches end though.)

Flip had the same phobia about playing AA and Stuckey together and it limited the minutes they could play. That hasn't been an issue since. (I haven't noticed Flip twitching lately either. Is he saving that for CLE?)

While I like the overall minute distribution, I am not a big fan of guys sitting out entire quarters. It doesn't seem sustainable during the playoffs. I would much rather see the 13 minute CB runs end.

sorry, but those minute-based analysis are 20/20 hindsights: we already know what happpened and therefore is extremly easy to say "but this players should..." or "but coach should instead of this..." . C'mon, both players and coaches do not own a crystal ball... Game flows as it flows and I'm against of something like that "I must to put this boy in regardless of what 'cuz he needs to play 5 min in 1st Q".

No need to panick of every played minute (or minut distribution) and no need to overanalyze one or two moves.

I hate to say it, but I think playing 10 guys is the bare minimum for this team. They should get to 11-12 deep per game.

Hockey mentality. I like it.

Here is something that I've been thinking to myself. Why does the short bursts of energy with shifts of players cycling in the game every few minutes work in hockey, but not basketball? I always hear the argument that hockey is one of the most tiring sports, but wouldn't bball be just as tiring if you put in similar effort?

I guess I like the 10+ man rotation for a team like the Pistons because it seems like our guys are capable of playing extreme pressure D when they expend their full energy.

Afflalo, Rip, and Maxiell are all approaching that maximum effort right now. The other players seem to pace themselves a bit. Amir is in a different category. He may be trying really hard, but he just looks effortless.

i'll have my thoughts on the game later. in the meantime, i just wanted to express my disappointment at not seeing briana from the a-town dancers on the broadcast. she's got a nice 1280x1024 picture that is my current wallpaper stretched out to 1920x1200 :)

http://www.nba.com/media/hawks/briana_beach07_26.jpg - potentially NSFW

Warthog,

Being in the A, I have gone to many Hawks games I can say Briana is something special. The team only brings out the A-squad dancers for certain games - Lakers, Heat, NY, etc. that bring the best crowds. Brianna is the unofficial leader, and probably only dances in 25% of the games. Its crazy to since shes the cover girl for the calendar.

Hockey mentality. I like it.

Here is something that I've been thinking to myself. Why does the short bursts of energy with shifts of players cycling in the game every few minutes work in hockey, but not basketball? I always hear the argument that hockey is one of the most tiring sports, but wouldn't bball be just as tiring if you put in similar effort?

I guess I like the 10+ man rotation for a team like the Pistons because it seems like our guys are capable of playing extreme pressure D when they expend their full energy.

Afflalo, Rip, and Maxiell are all approaching that maximum effort right now. The other players seem to pace themselves a bit. Amir is in a different category. He may be trying really hard, but he just looks effortless.

common theory says star players need more time to keep in the flow of the game... so in the pro's and college you don't see it happen very often.... closest thing i can remember to what you want would be the hawkeyes of iowa in the late 80's they went 10-12 deep and every time there was a stoppage in play they were subing in 2-3 players all game long. with that kind of short bursts you are able to do a full court press the whole game and it was fun to watch.

Maxiell really needs this all star break.

It would be fun to see Amir in the Rook/ Sophmore game if he were still eligible.

KGREG, please stop using "logic" and "rationality" in your posts.
I agree. All of this balance and fairness is totally ruining the irrational arguments and unrealistic expectations. :MusicBigGrin:

I agree. All of this balance and fairness is totally ruining the irrational arguments and unrealistic expectations. :MusicBigGrin:

irrational arguments and unrealistic expectations keep this forum alive i.e. keep scoe alive. So , scoe it is your best for you to ban KGREG :gun1:

Hockey mentality. I like it.

Here is something that I've been thinking to myself. Why does the short bursts of energy with shifts of players cycling in the game every few minutes work in hockey, but not basketball? I always hear the argument that hockey is one of the most tiring sports, but wouldn't bball be just as tiring if you put in similar effort?

I guess I like the 10+ man rotation for a team like the Pistons because it seems like our guys are capable of playing extreme pressure D when they expend their full energy.

Afflalo, Rip, and Maxiell are all approaching that maximum effort right now. The other players seem to pace themselves a bit. Amir is in a different category. He may be trying really hard, but he just looks effortless.

I believe that there are three shifts in hockey. This however does not necessarily apply when the shift rotation gets messed up with penalties.

Hockey fans have come to accept their stars being on the ice for only a limited amount of the 60 minutes.

Basketball fans would never be satisfied with Lebron playing on 16 minutes a game (3 active players would have to added to make 15 under this scenario) or even 24 if you go to two shifts.

The drop off from the superstars to the bench guys is so dramatic that a basketball fan would never tolerate Lebron having to go to the bench just so some bench guy could get the same minutes as Lebron. No one would tolerate it including the bench guys who would feel too guilty for having to taken those minutes by fiat rather than by earning them.

:hoops:

Maxiell really needs this all star break.

The term all star break is not correct when applied to players who do not participate in the all star game.

The term is more correctly non all-star break or regular run of the mill NBA millionaire mid season break. LOL

:hoops:

Warthog,

Being in the A, I have gone to many Hawks games I can say Briana is something special. The team only brings out the A-squad dancers for certain games - Lakers, Heat, NY, etc. that bring the best crowds. Brianna is the unofficial leader, and probably only dances in 25% of the games. Its crazy to since shes the cover girl for the calendar.


So the Pistons team with 3 all-stars and 3 NBA titles, 5 straight ECF appearances was not good enough for Brianna to suit up and strut her stuff?? OK then I am going to delete her from my favorites folder on my computer!!..(The one I hide from my wife:sssh::))

I like Stuckey.

He dribble good.

I like Afflalo.

He defense good.

^

LOL

So the Pistons team with 3 all-stars and 3 NBA titles, 5 straight ECF appearances was not good enough for Brianna to suit up and strut her stuff?? OK then I am going to delete her from my favorites folder on my computer!!..(The one I hide from my wife:sssh::))

Deleting from computer is easy one but deleting from dreams...

I pray that it was because it was a Tuesday night and she had class the next morning.

you seem to know a lot about her. i need to meet her. let's make it happen!! :stirthepot:

So the Pistons team with 3 all-stars and 3 NBA titles, 5 straight ECF appearances was not good enough for Brianna to suit up and strut her stuff?? OK then I am going to delete her from my favorites folder on my computer!!..(The one I hide from my wife:sssh::))

I think we all have one or teo that get hidden. I have one that I came acroos by accident when looking at an MSN article about some model that had 42 plastic surgeries. It is not suitable for women or children but is soothing to the male eye.