At Philadelphia 7PM

tv: FSN

This game is going to mean something to the Sixers as they are trying to hang onto the 6th seed. Piston starters should be fresh since they sat out most of the NY game.

At Philadelphia 7PM

tv: FSN

This game is going to mean something to the Sixers as they are trying to hang onto the 6th seed. Piston starters should be fresh since they sat out most of the NY game.

Pistons must have been looking towards this game as the starters didn't bother showing up against the Knicks. Hopefully this game will be worth watching.

Yeah Sheed will be close to home as will Rip so maybe both play and are inspired...

No rest for the wicked!

Yeah Sheed will be close to home as will Rip so maybe both play and are inspired...

Definitely about time for Rip to starting shaking off the rust.

Definitely about time for Rip to starting shaking off the rust.
Has his hip healed by now?

Has his hip healed by now?

Seems like last week they were saying that he would play if it were the playoffs so I'm assuming so. Haven't read anything though.

I was hoping Philly would get the 5th seed, but not at our expense!

Chat is open!!!

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

Well there goes our 60 win season....two games in a row, we score 94 points and lose...

So that's seven straight losses on Wednesday, but what else is new? We got one more loss scheduled for next Wednesday vs the Cavs and then we need to go the NBA playoff scheduler and make sure they don't schedule any playoff games on Wednesday:)

Another ho-hum effort from the starters, but better effort than last night. Once again Flip played the bench in the 4th and they made a mini run, but this was an end to end win for the sixers and Philly played their big 3 to the end to thwart any zoo crew comeback..

The Sixers win keeps them in sixth spot and some say maybe the Pistons were sandbagging to avoid the sixers in the first round....well maybe as we were only 3 to 4 decent plays from beating them even though it appeared they were getting every shot and every break. They look good enough to beat the Magic IMO and guess what? We may see them anyway..but in the second round....:sssh:

well, seems everything was going the Sixers' way this game. Flipper seems to still be tinkering a bit, but I hope he doesn't go playing Theo too much against teams that run a lot. Despite having a frustrating game on both ends, the Pistons kept it fairly close for most of the game, which is somewhat encouraging. Not a lot of good to take away from this game, really.

When is the exhibition season overwith?

If you watched the NY game, well, this was pretty much the same thing. Afflalo started along side 4 disinterested players. And then Afflalo was pulled early in the 1st quarter for Dixon, so Philly had lots of easy scoring ops. Yes, again, the unit of Dixon, Stuckey, Amir, JMAX, and Herrmann looked good toward the end of the game. And Dixon was part of that. But he got burned so many times in this game, its hard to ignore the fact that him playing got us in this hole in the first place.

One difference is that Theo did play in this one. Nothing all that much from him. Just getting some minutes to keep the rust off.

Amir did well enough. Maxiell barely played in the first half, drawing two quick fouls and sitting. He did fine in the 2nd half.

Afflalo played some good D in the 3rd quarter, but did not play in the 4th. Another blown opportunity to get him some shots. Now Rip is coming back. Will Flip keep playing Dixon so the other team can score readily? Or will he play a good defensive player in Afflalo? The annoucers just keep oohing and aahing about Dixon's scoring, and indeed the guy can shoot the ball, no doubt. But they ignore the simple fact that at stretches Dixon was getting us killed by not even being to start to guard anyone.
Hayes played. Maybe hit a shot or two. At this point, I still say Amir should be playing small forward for us. Time is slipping away, and Flip still has yet to try someone other than Herrmann or Hayes at small forward to backup Prince.

Sheed did score inside a bit. But we kept getting into trouble for him choosing long rangers, regardless of how certain it was that that was the wrong shot. Tay got the ball stripped more than anything else in this game. Dyess was totally and completely worthless. Billups did hit some shots at least.

Amir's slam on a cut to the basket was his offensive highlight. Afflalo hit one pullup jumper in the lane. Maxiell and Amir got blocks. Stuckey hit a couple of outside shots and got to the line a few times. Good free throw shooting by the whole team tonight.

I hate to see losses. But Afflalo, Stuckey, Amir, and JMAX all got plenty of time on the floor. (Though Afflalo and Amir continue to need a lot more shots.) Just four games left. Apparently Rip will practice tomorro and be in the game Friday.

The two biggest concerns I have tonight: Will Flip unwisely choose to go with Dixon in the playoffs, regardless of how bad he is on defense? I mean, the other Pistons on the floor might as well take a nap. They don't have to play a bit of D. The other team is going to go right after Dixon like he is a piece of steel in a room full of magnets.

The 2nd thing is will Flip ever try benching Hayes for a game and trying anything else? Time is a running out.

Oh, and one more pet peeve of mine of late. Still we are not seeing even a moment of Stuckey and Afflalo in the backcourt together. Now that is a good defensive combo there that we should be seeing regularly.

The two biggest concerns I have tonight: Will Flip unwisely choose to go with Dixon in the playoffs, regardless of how bad he is on defense? I mean, the other Pistons on the floor might as well take a nap. They don't have to play a bit of D. The other team is going to go right after Dixon like he is a piece of steel in a room full of magnets.

Still we are not seeing even a moment of Stuckey and Afflalo in the backcourt together. Now that is a good defensive combo there that we should be seeing regularly.

The first thing really scares me. The one awful thing that has come out of these games, and Rip's absence has been the use of Dixon, and he's making it worse by scoring. Flip won't be able to differentiate anymore. If we're back to square one after this, it just sucks.

As for the 2nd hopefully when Rip comes back, we'll start seeing it. I'm looking forward to it, but i'm not sure if we will see it much. The dreaded 2 rookies together.

Also Hayes/Dixon together are an awful combo

Doom, gloom, toil and trouble. :stirthepot:

Doom, gloom, toil and trouble. :stirthepot:

If we don't get this rotation sorted like right now we won't even make the playoffs :pound:

I'm not convinced Afflalo is ready for the NBA playoffs.

I'm not convinced Afflalo is ready for the NBA playoffs.

He doesn't have to do anything except play defense.

If we don't get this rotation sorted like right now we won't even make the playoffs :pound:

:pound::pound:

If we don't get this rotation sorted like right now we won't even make the playoffs :pound:

Well, they are taking the serious risk here.

I'm not convinced Afflalo is ready for the NBA playoffs.


I somewhat concur here. You think him starting with the vets would improve his game somewhat, but although the defense is there, his shot has been a little short. Maybe he is playing to many minutes and he is worned out:)

Also I apreciate Stuckey attacking the rim, but he still is not getting enough calls to warrant 3-4 attacks in a row. . If he his going to do this somebody needs to hovering around the baseline and be prepared to receive the quick pass for the handoff and ez baseline layup. I guess it is probably to late to add this to Flip's playbook for this season:confused:

I somewhat concur here. You think him starting with the vets would improve his game somewhat, but although the defense is there, his shot has been a little short. Maybe he is playing to many minutes and he is worned out:)

Also I apreciate Stuckey attacking the rim, but he still is not getting enough calls to warrant 3-4 attacks in a row. . If he his going to do this somebody needs to hovering around the baseline and be prepared to receive the quick pass for the handoff and ez baseline layup. I guess it is probably to late to add this to Flip's playbook for this season:confused:

both AJ and max do not read game well..jet, vets have got many quick passes from stuck, they know where to be.

And for dixon critics: he is in this roster only sg who can create his own shot. And you cant defend against of faastbreaks. And name me one, who in this game defended well. He And struckey are adequate scorers, max, AJ,AA are opportunists.

It is tough going without your leading scorer for so long and its starting to show. The other starters are just not stepping up.

There goes the 60 win season.

I'm not convinced Afflalo is ready for the NBA playoffs.

What, you think Dixon is? Dixon can score, but if you have paid attention to the last two games, you would also notice that Dixon can not defend. Not even at all.

Sure, Afflalo does need to take a lot of shots between now and the playoffs to get his comfort level up.

Here is how it goes. The coach is suppose to have a plan about how to win. Then you follow that plan. What is Flip's plan? To play Dixon, regardless of how many points he gives up on defense? Very poor plan. Lots of points given up, and foul trouble on our bigs since everyone drives right by Dixon and gets inside.

Here is a good plan: Play Afflalo extensively in the playoffs. To that end, he should be getting a whole lot of playing time, and asked to take about 14 shots a game these last 4 games.

Look at the 3rd quarter last night. Very solid defense from Afflalo. Contrast that to what we got from Dixon - some points on offense, and a ton of points given up on defense. Not to mention how disheartening to the team it must be to try to play D to no avail since they are going to go right thru Dixon for scores.

Afflalo can score too. If given all those shots, he just might score as much as Dixon. He is taller and more able to get a shot off in many cases. But hey, maybe he would not score quite as much. Maybe a coupleof buckets less per game. But Affllao will give up a lot less points than Dixon.

What, you think Dixon is? Dixon can score, but if you have paid attention to the last two games, you would also notice that Dixon can not defend. Not even at all.

Sure, Afflalo does need to take a lot of shots between now and the playoffs to get his comfort level up.

Here is how it goes. The coach is suppose to have a plan about how to win. Then you follow that plan. What is Flip's plan? To play Dixon, regardless of how many points he gives up on defense? Very poor plan. Lots of points given up, and foul trouble on our bigs since everyone drives right by Dixon and gets inside.

Here is a good plan: Play Afflalo extensively in the playoffs. To that end, he should be getting a whole lot of playing time, and asked to take about 14 shots a game these last 4 games.

Look at the 3rd quarter last night. Very solid defense from Afflalo. Contrast that to what we got from Dixon - some points on offense, and a ton of points given up on defense. Not to mention how disheartening to the team it must be to try to play D to no avail since they are going to go right thru Dixon for scores.

Afflalo can score too. If given all those shots, he just might score as much as Dixon. He is taller and more able to get a shot off in many cases. But hey, maybe he would not score quite as much. Maybe a coupleof buckets less per game. But Affllao will give up a lot less points than Dixon.

There is no question that AA is a better defender than Dixon, however, he would foul out in a quarter during the playoffs. The rookie "booga boo" would get him!!!!!!!!!

What, you think Dixon is? Dixon can score, but if you have paid attention to the last two games, you would also notice that Dixon can not defend. Not even at all.

Sure, Afflalo does need to take a lot of shots between now and the playoffs to get his comfort level up.

Here is how it goes. The coach is suppose to have a plan about how to win. Then you follow that plan. What is Flip's plan? To play Dixon, regardless of how many points he gives up on defense? Very poor plan. Lots of points given up, and foul trouble on our bigs since everyone drives right by Dixon and gets inside.

Here is a good plan: Play Afflalo extensively in the playoffs. To that end, he should be getting a whole lot of playing time, and asked to take about 14 shots a game these last 4 games.

Look at the 3rd quarter last night. Very solid defense from Afflalo. Contrast that to what we got from Dixon - some points on offense, and a ton of points given up on defense. Not to mention how disheartening to the team it must be to try to play D to no avail since they are going to go right thru Dixon for scores.

Afflalo can score too. If given all those shots, he just might score as much as Dixon. He is taller and more able to get a shot off in many cases. But hey, maybe he would not score quite as much. Maybe a coupleof buckets less per game. But Affllao will give up a lot less points than Dixon.

Sorry, lee, but game isnt one-man-herioc -defence. Iguadola penetrated against of everyone and dixon actually helped to keep somewhat decent score( not falling below -10). Yep afflalo is fantastic defender but... you cant "schedule" how to gain shooting touch. Afflalo works surely hard on his shot but sometimes hard work pays off, sometimes not. Nobody knows "sharpshooters recipes", thats why even in NBA are so many bad shooters, etc.

Of course, I'd like to see afflalo over dixon but afflalo has just too many glaring minuses for being decent backup to rip. and "thanks" to afflao inabilities flip has to play dixon.And vice versa.

Was anyone else pretty impressed by how Philly looked? That's a fun team to watch, I'll have to do it more in the future.

Is there any stat to show this that Dixon's offense is lesser than his defense? and vice versa for AA?

Is there any stat to show this that Dixon's offense is lesser than his defense? and vice versa for AA?

There are quite a few stats that do this. All of the stats seem to show that Dixon is more productive on the court on both ends than Afflalo.

Detroit Pistons NBA stats and data from 82games.com (http://www.82games.com/0708/0708DET.HTM)

Dixon's defense is not as bad as Lee claims while Afflalo's defense is not as good as Lee claims. It's just a subjective view of things. It will be interesting to hear Lee's rationale for "How the stats lie".

I am thinking that AA/Dixon will be a two headed backup 2 once the playoffs get going, if scoring is needed more dixon gets the call if defense is needed more then AA will get the call. Both are playing a bit out of position at the moment when your saying there taking part of the 35 or so mins that Rip will be in the game once he returns and by what was said last night that will be Fri night.

In terms of AA/Dixon, i rely on what i see. More often than not Dixon gives points to the other team whether it be turning the ball over (which he has cut down) or getting scored on. He gets blown by, he gets lost in screens, and he's short. He scores points and then gives them right back. He's a weak link on defense that will exploited in the PO's. The fact that he plays with Hayes makes it worse.

What we need in the PO's is defense. We already have one weak link in Hayes. We don't need to add another. Dixon can be useful at times, but if he's going to play over AA, we're in trouble. You can't afford to just give the opposition a way to get points. Dixon at times might as well be wearing a "If you want to score" sign with an arrow pointing at him.

AA also has value on offense. He's a good ball handler, he can push the break, and i just look at any points he gives as an extra bonus.

Do you feel more comfortable with Dixon or AA on Ray Allen? Hell on Eddie House?

Also using Iguadola is not a valid example. He's an SF. Mo Cheeks plays him at SG at times to create matchup problems which seems to work very well against us. So of course defending him out of position will be hard for both players.

There are other ways to look at it too. It's all well and good to say that any points from AA are a bonus, but as of now, he can't jumpers--AT ALL. And that has an effect on everyone else on the floor. Teams can sag off him to double the post or leave him open in the corner when they're trapping on the other side of the floor, and he simply cannot make them pay for it. I do hope he can do that in the future--he was a good scorer in college and people can certainly improve their jumpers in the NBA, as Stuckey has already done this season--but as of now, AA simply cannot hit ANY outside shots. Dixon is clearly a lot more reliable in that department.

On defense, AA is obviously bigger and stronger than Dixon, which is clearly an advantage for him. But he's also a rookie and more prone to get fouls called on him, especially in the playoffs.

AA does have good things about his game that I like. He works very hard and I'm confident that he'll get better; by this time next season, I'm willing to believe that he'll solidly be a better option than someone like Dixon. But as of right now, i.e. the playoffs that start in about 10 days, I simply don't see him being much better than Dixon. It seems to me that splitting the spot duty between one or the other in the upcoming playoffs, depending on matchups, might be the best way to go.

The coach is suppose to have a plan about how to win. Then you follow that plan. What is Flip's plan? To play Dixon, regardless of how many points he gives up on defense? Very poor plan. Lots of points given up, and foul trouble on our bigs since everyone drives right by Dixon and gets inside.

Actually, Flip's plan is worse. It's to pace the players (starters) who will win in the playoffs and find a good balance between our reserves, based on individual skills. What a weirdo, huh? :stirthepot:

So that's seven straight losses on Wednesday, but what else is new? We got one more loss scheduled for next Wednesday vs the Cavs and then we need to go the NBA playoff scheduler and make sure they don't schedule any playoff games on Wednesday:)



You know what? I don't think any team would go 16-0 in the playoffs. Therefore I don't mind that they lose all the games on Wednesdays in the playoffs, as long as they win all the other games not scheduled on Wednesdays.:)

It seems to me that splitting the spot duty between one or the other in the upcoming playoffs, depending on matchups, might be the best way to go.

Totally agreed. It's all about MATCHUPS and ADJUSTMENTS in a playoff series.

Bottom line is if Rip gets injured again then we are in big trouble. AA or Dixon are both fine in a reduced role off the bench but you can't rely on either of them for quality extended mins.

Lee - Its amazing how you can always come up with all these excuses as to why you favorite players are not playing well.

Totally agreed. It's all about MATCHUPS and ADJUSTMENTS in a playoff series.
Pistons will need a lot of Joe input if that's the case. We've all seen (pun intended) adjustments that Flip has made in previous playoffs.

Pistons bench gets schooled by Philly | Freep.com | Detroit Free Press (http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080410/SPORTS03/804100445/1051/SPORTS)


Pistons bench gets schooled by Philly
Reserves can't stop motivated 76ers

Did the guy actually watch the game? Bench was what kept the game close I thought. The starters came out disinterested and spotted Philly a lead. I dunno, sometimes the writers go McKoskey on us.
On the other hand, is it realistic to expect our bench, which is no doubt getting better, to come back against a playoff caliber team?

Here's another opinion, this one from outside:


The Pistons' backups and bench-enders finished up against Philly's starters (and it's a testament to their talent that they cut a double-digit deficit to five at one point).


David Aldridge: When starters sit, fans have a right to gripe | Philadelphia Inquirer | 04/10/2008 (http://www.philly.com/inquirer/columnists/david_aldridge/20080410_David_Aldridge___When_starters_sit__fans_ have_a_right_to_gripe.html)

why do people refuse to acknowledge poor play from their pet players? willie green was eating afflalo up last night. he even got a fast break on AA because AA wasn't paying attention. and his shot is consistently short lately. dixon is a much worse defender but he's also a much better scorer (although he turns it over a lot more). i'm not advocating one over the other, just trying to state facts from the game that others seemed to have missed.

i want stuckey to continue driving...he HAS to learn how to finish at the rim sooner or later, and when he does we'll be all set. he is achieving a better balance - 6 assists last night, but there were times where he drove and foolishly put up a shot rather than kicking it out. but that takes time. he's had 5 or more FTs in his past 4 games, so he is getting some respect, and he might as well keep doing it so the referees know. plus he's shooting his FTs much more consistently now.

Bottom line is if Rip gets injured again then we are in big trouble. AA or Dixon are both fine in a reduced role off the bench but you can't rely on either of them for quality extended mins.



I agree that the Pistons cannot afford an injury. They could win it all if everything clicked perfectly, but there is not a huge margin for error. They need everyone healthy and contributing, as well as the coaching staff doing its part. I can't wait for the playoffs!

There are other ways to look at it too. It's all well and good to say that any points from AA are a bonus, but as of now, he can't jumpers--AT ALL. And that has an effect on everyone else on the floor. Teams can sag off him to double the post or leave him open in the corner when they're trapping on the other side of the floor, and he simply cannot make them pay for it. I do hope he can do that in the future--he was a good scorer in college and people can certainly improve their jumpers in the NBA, as Stuckey has already done this season--but as of now, AA simply cannot hit ANY outside shots. Dixon is clearly a lot more reliable in that department.

On defense, AA is obviously bigger and stronger than Dixon, which is clearly an advantage for him. But he's also a rookie and more prone to get fouls called on him, especially in the playoffs.

AA does have good things about his game that I like. He works very hard and I'm confident that he'll get better; by this time next season, I'm willing to believe that he'll solidly be a better option than someone like Dixon. But as of right now, i.e. the playoffs that start in about 10 days, I simply don't see him being much better than Dixon. It seems to me that splitting the spot duty between one or the other in the upcoming playoffs, depending on matchups, might be the best way to go.

Afflalo just hit three jumpers in a row, just two games ago. He needs to shoot more, to get comfortable shooting. But look, even if we simply don't have him shoot outside shots, he is still a threat to drive in. As long as he is surrounded by scorers, it should not matter much whether he can shoot or not. You do not need five scorers on the floor.

Whether Afflalo plays or not, Dixon playing is bad news. He is such a poor defender, it negates any good defense anyone else plays. No matter how good you are at D, it really does not matter if the other team is just going to ignore you and pick on someone like Dixon. Dixon also means our bigs get into foul trouble because he is so easily gotten by. Dixon improves the other teams outside shooting, because everyone is leaving their guy to help out Dixon. Its plain ugly.

One last thought. The same thought. If Afflalo does not play, and a lot, we are going nowhere in the playoffs. Without him, we just do not play enough defense to win. If Afflalo is taken out of the rotation for the first series, whether we play Toronto or Philly, we will lose in the first round.

I agree that the Pistons cannot afford an injury. They could win it all if everything clicked perfectly, but there is not a huge margin for error. They need everyone healthy and contributing, as well as the coaching staff doing its part. I can't wait for the playoffs!

This is not true. And it is really an insult to our bench players. We did not lose the last two games due to Rip not playing. We lost them because of who did play. Dixon giving up way too many points. Theo maybe playing a bit too much just to get mintues. Hayes playing regardless of his poor D. Dyess playing the whole 1st quarter, just because he needs the work to stay sharp.

What you saw in the last two games: Starters barely interested in playing, out there getting their minutes. Bench players being given minutes just because they are vets. Dyess getting his minutes regardless of his performance. These last two games by no means are any poor reflection on the play of Afflalo. (Though Stuckey did have quite a bad stretch in the NY game, despite shining in the 4th quarter.)

And one more, thing, so far, Billups and Stuckey playing together has not worked. Stuckey and Afflalo playing together does work. But you have not seen any of Afflalo and Stuckey playing together as of late. Not any. So don't be too quick to judge our young bench players.

One last thought. The same thought. If Afflalo does not play, and a lot, we are going nowhere in the playoffs. Without him, we just do not play enough defense to win. If Afflalo is taken out of the rotation for the first series, whether we play Toronto or Philly, we will lose in the first round.

...You're HILEERIOUS!!! :pound::lol::pound:

why do people refuse to acknowledge poor play from their pet players? willie green was eating afflalo up last night. he even got a fast break on AA because AA wasn't paying attention. and his shot is consistently short lately. dixon is a much worse defender but he's also a much better scorer (although he turns it over a lot more). i'm not advocating one over the other, just trying to state facts from the game that others seemed to have missed.

i want stuckey to continue driving...he HAS to learn how to finish at the rim sooner or later, and when he does we'll be all set. he is achieving a better balance - 6 assists last night, but there were times where he drove and foolishly put up a shot rather than kicking it out. but that takes time. he's had 5 or more FTs in his past 4 games, so he is getting some respect, and he might as well keep doing it so the referees know. plus he's shooting his FTs much more consistently now.

I concur with your first statment hog which is why I have no favorites or pet players on this team. If a scrub or stud is stinking it up then we have to recognize it and lay the criticism on them if warranted. I recognize that we need the contrubutions of Max, AA, Stuckey , Dixon and Amir in the playoffs, but once those games start, no one other than Stuckey and Max will get more than 15 mins of PT and Hayes and Dixon will get more only if they are affective while out there.

The problem is that Flip's hook will be quicker than Jim Leylands if any of the guys under the age of 26 lay an egg while out there. The starters got a lot of rest and it will give Flip an excuse to play them 38-40 mins in the playoffs and over 40 if the games are tight or we are still behind midway thru the 3rd.....

As far your comments on Stuckey, I do want him to drive too, but I would rather see Tay, Billups and Rip follow that lead sometimes and do it too, as they should surely get the calls and more and 1 situations than Stuckey. If you have two players on your team hitting close to or over 90%, those guys should be going to the line a combined 20+ times a game...I am old school here and I saw Magic and Jordan steal and seal games and rings at the charity stripe in the 80's and 90's.

It did not matter who was on the floor last night. The Piston's D was shredded. The story of the game was the absolute ease that Philly scored with versus DET's O which couldn't get closer than 20' from the hoop. I don't think Dixon or Hayes had anything to do with it.

Aside from AA, Green beat Stuckey backdoor repeatedly.

It did not matter who was on the floor last night. The Piston's D was shredded. The story of the game was the absolute ease that Philly scored with versus DET's O which couldn't get closer than 20' from the hoop. I don't think Dixon or Hayes had anything to do with it.

Aside from AA, Green beat Stuckey backdoor repeatedly.


And if we face them in the second round AI2 and Green will beat Stuckey, AA and Dice repeatedly again......Also we will need to box out Sam Dalembert too, dude got 13 boards on our so called leapers...:messer:

why do people refuse to acknowledge poor play from their pet players? willie green was eating afflalo up last night. he even got a fast break on AA because AA wasn't paying attention. and his shot is consistently short lately. dixon is a much worse defender but he's also a much better scorer (although he turns it over a lot more). i'm not advocating one over the other, just trying to state facts from the game that others seemed to have missed.

i want stuckey to continue driving...he HAS to learn how to finish at the rim sooner or later, and when he does we'll be all set. he is achieving a better balance - 6 assists last night, but there were times where he drove and foolishly put up a shot rather than kicking it out. but that takes time. he's had 5 or more FTs in his past 4 games, so he is getting some respect, and he might as well keep doing it so the referees know. plus he's shooting his FTs much more consistently now.

It's not lack of acknowledgement. It's not basing your opinion on one game. If AA doesn't play well in one game, it doesn't negate how well he's played ALL season.

There are other ways to look at it too. It's all well and good to say that any points from AA are a bonus, but as of now, he can't jumpers--AT ALL. And that has an effect on everyone else on the floor. Teams can sag off him to double the post or leave him open in the corner when they're trapping on the other side of the floor, and he simply cannot make them pay for it. I do hope he can do that in the future--he was a good scorer in college and people can certainly improve their jumpers in the NBA, as Stuckey has already done this season--but as of now, AA simply cannot hit ANY outside shots. Dixon is clearly a lot more reliable in that department.

On defense, AA is obviously bigger and stronger than Dixon, which is clearly an advantage for him. But he's also a rookie and more prone to get fouls called on him, especially in the playoffs.

AA does have good things about his game that I like. He works very hard and I'm confident that he'll get better; by this time next season, I'm willing to believe that he'll solidly be a better option than someone like Dixon. But as of right now, i.e. the playoffs that start in about 10 days, I simply don't see him being much better than Dixon. It seems to me that splitting the spot duty between one or the other in the upcoming playoffs, depending on matchups, might be the best way to go.

You make it sound like AA is Ben Wallace on offense.

And if we face them in the second round AI2 and Green will beat Stuckey, AA and Dice repeatedly again......Also we will need to box out Sam Dalembert too, dude got 13 boards on our so called leapers...:messer:

If you taped the game, rewatch the 3rd quarter. Some pretty good defense was played there, with Afflalo doing a fine job on Greene.

It's not lack of acknowledgement. It's not basing your opinion on one game. If AA doesn't play well in one game, it doesn't negate how well he's played ALL season.

that's what i meant. these are game threads, so why not acknowledge when a player has an off-night in those threads? i'm not talking overall. look, i love afflalo's defense and he's played great against some awesome players, without knowing their tendencies or anything. but green lit him up in the 1st quarter, and i was the 1st (and only) person to say something about it.

You make it sound like AA is Ben Wallace on offense.

Watch out or I'll start calling him a malcontent next. :stirthepot:

that's what i meant. these are game threads, so why not acknowledge when a player has an off-night in those threads? i'm not talking overall. look, i love afflalo's defense and he's played great against some awesome players, without knowing their tendencies or anything. but green lit him up in the 1st quarter, and i was the 1st (and only) person to say something about it.

Point taken. I think it's maybe because he is usually great defensively, and there are others that are really bad, it just doesn't get mentioned. I'm sure if it it's a few games in a row, ppl will start talking about it.

Also, Flip tends to favor the no defense offense player. AA slips in and out of the rotation with no real reason. That's probably why i feel the need to defend him. Same reason there was a huge outcry about Amir.

I actually do think there are situations Dixon would be useful in. I just don't trust Flip to make the right adjustments.

Point taken. I think it's maybe because he is usually great defensively, and there are others that are really bad, it just doesn't get mentioned. I'm sure if it it's a few games in a row, ppl will start talking about it.

Also, Flip tends to favor the no defense offense player. AA slips in and out of the rotation with no real reason. That's probably why i feel the need to defend him. Same reason there was a huge outcry about Amir.

I actually do think there are situations Dixon would be useful in. I just don't trust Flip to make the right adjustments.

I haven't trusted his adjustments since he showed up at the palace in 2005...I am still waiting for him prove that he can coach a NBA team past round 3....but I am optimistic that this is the year.....

I haven't trusted his adjustments since he showed up at the palace in 2005...I am still waiting for him prove that he can coach a NBA team past round 3....but I am optimistic that this is the year.....
Welcome to my world, Dre.
:hoops:

If our chances of getting to the finals hinges on Afflalo then we may as well just pack it now because it ain't going to happen if thats the case.

I have to remain optomistic that the 3rd time will be the charm for Flip and the Pistons. They must have learned something from the past 2 ECF's.

If our chances of getting to the finals hinges on Afflalo then we may as well just pack it now because it ain't going to happen if thats the case.

I have to remain optomistic that the 3rd time will be the charm for Flip and the Pistons. They must have learned something from the past 2 ECF's.

Insult Affalo all you want. We still win when he plays, and lose when he does not.

that's what i meant. these are game threads, so why not acknowledge when a player has an off-night in those threads? i'm not talking overall. look, i love afflalo's defense and he's played great against some awesome players, without knowing their tendencies or anything. but green lit him up in the 1st quarter, and i was the 1st (and only) person to say something about it.

Warthog, not that your powers of observation are generally all that bad, but in this case, you are very mistaken.

Green only scored twice in the first quarter while Afflalo was in the game. Perhaps you failed to notice that Afflalo was taken out of the game five minutes in? One of those scores was Greene using a pick well and getting a quick shot off. Very hard to defend that. Greene was also hounded into a turn. And he had one layup. That is hardly lighting someone up.

You want to be fair, tell me how many times in this game Afflalo was burnt, then tell me how many times Dixon was burnt. This is a very fair comparison since they were both playing shooting guard minutes.

Now tell me how many times Afflalo let his man get inside, causing a guy to be open on the other team. Dixon? Now tell me how many times Afflalo let his guy get past him, and it resulted in one of our bigs having to foul. Dixon? I know the answers, do you?

Insult Affalo all you want. We still win when he plays, and lose when he does not.

How is that an insult?

When is the exhibition season overwith?
lmao. Hey, this is the equivalent of a Lion's Superbowl run!

I concur with your first statment hog which is why I have no favorites or pet players on this team.
Me neither. I suppose I like Sheed just a tiny bit more than everyone else.

How is that an insult?
It's super insulting max. If you keep insulting Afflalo like this, the Pistons WILL LOSE in the first round. :rolleyes: :pound: :hoops:

lmao. Hey, this is the equivalent of a Lion's Superbowl run!


Me neither. I suppose I like Sheed just a tiny bit more than everyone else.


It's super insulting max. If you keep insulting Afflalo like this, the Pistons WILL LOSE in the first round. :rolleyes: :pound: :hoops:
or maybe even in an earlier round

According to ESPN's Ric Bucher, David Stern is supposed to announce on Friday that the Pistons will not be eligible for the playoffs unless they promise to play Aaron Afflalo at least 15 minutes per game in the post-season.

"Without Afflalo, Detroit has absolutely no chance of getting past the first round," said Stern. "It isn't fair that all of the other teams have to battle in the first round while the team that matches up with the Pistons essentially gets a first round bye."

Thats it. I am officially joining the Anti-Afflalo fan club. Look for me at the next Piston game, I will be the guy waiving the sign "Won Dixon Persecution must end", "Won for 4th guard"

According to ESPN's Ric Bucher, David Stern is supposed to announce on Friday that the Pistons will not be eligible for the playoffs unless they promise to play Aaron Afflalo at least 15 minutes per game in the post-season.

"Without Afflalo, Detroit has absolutely no chance of getting past the first round," said Stern. "It isn't fair that all of the other teams have to battle in the first round while the team that matches up with the Pistons essentially gets a first round bye."

That's right, this is not NFL. Nobody gets a first round bye. I want AA!!!

Look at it this way, Afflalo joins the ranks of Bird and Magic for the simple fact that, they too as rookies had to play to guarantee their teams success.

AA ought to be proud that in his first year he is mentioned with the greats of the game, well he deserves it. Doesn`t he?

According to ESPN's Ric Bucher, David Stern is supposed to announce on Friday that the Pistons will not be eligible for the playoffs unless they promise to play Aaron Afflalo at least 15 minutes per game in the post-season.

I read on HoopsHype that he's really announcing a special trade deadline exception so that either the Lakers or Celtics can acquire AA from Detroit, and that he would still be eligible for that team's playoff roster.

I read on HoopsHype that he's really announcing a special trade deadline exception so that either the Lakers or Celtics can acquire AA from Detroit, and that he would still be eligible for that team's playoff roster.


Oh crap! We're doomed! We're doomed! We're doomed!

Its been an honer watching this small preview of AA's greatness as he has been able to start the last 5 games.

Over the past 5 games in 24 MPG of action we have all seen.

PPG - 6.6 (0.315%), RPG - 2.6, APG - 1.0, SPG - 0.4, BPG - 0.2

All the great defenders are capable of avg over 0.1 Steals and blocks like he has been.

Most of all its been a treat watching him burn up the net with his 10-31 shooting over the past 5 games.

Its been an honer watching this small preview of AA's greatness as he has been able to start the last 5 games.

Over the past 5 games in 24 MPG of action we have all seen.

PPG - 6.6 (0.315%), RPG - 2.6, APG - 1.0, SPG - 0.4, BPG - 0.2

All the great defenders are capable of avg over 0.1 Steals and blocks like he has been.

Most of all its been a treat watching him burn up the net with his 10-31 shooting over the past 5 games.

Ohhhh I'm sure its the starters freezing him out... if he had played with the bench players he would have shot much better.... say 10-30 or 11-31 :pound:


He's a great late first round pickup with "potential" to be a solid player for years to come but it gets harder and harder to take Lee's pet players serious as the years go by...

Darko will be the starting center by game 13 of his rookie year

White who would make us forget about MJ... still the farthest from the target so far

these two are the two that jump out to me, but there are numerous others that lee and others seem to think are more important to our success then the starting 5. Were going to go as far as those 5 take us, not how a bench player that will get at best 10 mins a game in the playoffs performs.

Ohhhh I'm sure its the starters freezing him out... if he had played with the bench players he would have shot much better.... say 10-30 or 11-31 :pound:


He's a great late first round pickup with "potential" to be a solid player for years to come but it gets harder and harder to take Lee's pet players serious as the years go by...

Darko will be the starting center by game 13 of his rookie year

White who would make us forget about MJ... still the farthest from the target so far

these two are the two that jump out to me, but there are numerous others that lee and others seem to think are more important to our success then the starting 5. Were going to go as far as those 5 take us, not how a bench player that will get at best 10 mins a game in the playoffs performs.

Lee's Rodney White/MJ comment continues to this day to be the most absurd sentence that has ever been typed in an online basketball forum. ...Heck, I'll go a step further and say that it's the most outlandish comment relating to the sport of basketball in the history of the "internets".
:ranger:

Stop, Stop, you guys are killing me over here!!!!!!!!!!!!!:pound::pound::pound::pound:

According to ESPN's Ric Bucher, David Stern is supposed to announce on Friday that the Pistons will not be eligible for the playoffs unless they promise to play Aaron Afflalo at least 15 minutes per game in the post-season.

"Without Afflalo, Detroit has absolutely no chance of getting past the first round," said Stern. "It isn't fair that all of the other teams have to battle in the first round while the team that matches up with the Pistons essentially gets a first round bye."

Finally! It's about damn time someone did something.

On a serious note, while i don't think we'll lose in the 1st round if he doesn't play, he will be an important piece in the PO's. Watch and see. (That is if he's on the court to watch and see :))

Alright. I think Lee has been racked over the coals long enough in here. No need to bring up stuff that someone wrote years ago.