I think (I hope) that is what this is leading up to. We're in our 3rd season of the inmates running the asylum, and while losing is never pretty, the lack of hustle, focus and execution is starting to really bother me.
I was only using Stuckey as an example, it's not that I think tat line-up is the cure. I specifically am saying stop hitting the snooze button an try something. Speed the game up, get some easy scores and for the love of God stop getting the same 22' J with 4 seconds left on the clock. The Pistons deadline inactivity is grabbing on to these losses and making mountains out of mole hills.
Another coaching loss. However, Flip got religion in the 4th and we almost pulled off a great comeback. Amir got fouled and did not get a call, and that call might have kept us from winning this one. Billups was fantastic in the 2nd half to keep us close, and Sheed then nailed 4 straight triples to get us to within 3 points with about a minute to go in the game. Amir was the other hero, just playing flat out hustling defense, and hustling with length and height to really make a difference. Not to mention he was gathering in a ton of rebounds, or at least fighting for them sometimes such that the ball ended up in our hands. Tay also was being quite helpful in the 4th. Rip was the our lone star who just could not get it going to help any in the 4th. Which goes back to why this was a coaching loss. Flip chose to lose the game the moment he decided to put Rip back into the game with 10 minutes to go still in the 2nd quarter. You just don't do that. Let Rip rest. The game gets won in the 2nd half, not the 2nd quarter. Now, you know Flip chose to do this before the game even began, so we never did really have a chance in the game. It was not something done from the way the game was going. This is Flip's poor rotation, to give Afflalo about 4 minutes and yank him regarless of anything. Our starters came out poorly. We got behind. We got a nice little spurt of energy though when Afflalo and Maxiell came into the game for the last few minutes of the 1st quarter. Afflalo left on a down note, but during his stint, we did not lose ground to Milwaukee. No way he should have sat, since he had done better than the starter, and again, it was the 2nd quarter. As some have mentioned, of course Dyess should not be starting for us. Starting two centers when no team in the league really has much beef up front is kind of ridiculous, and yet this decision was made before camp even began. Nobody looked at what would help us. Nothing was tried. Minutes were not fought for. Dyess was simply given the starters role. It ain't anything sacred having Dyess start. It should be reversed ASAP. Just to be clear, the unit that almost got all the way back was Billups, Rip, Tay, Amir, Sheed. Yeah, a very good defensive unit. Absolutely I think this should be our starting unit. Our bench did very little offensively in this game. Dyess got nothing in the first half, made a couple of jumpers in the 2nd half. He also got a lot of rebounds. But he can't rebound nearly as well as Amir. He can't patrol the perimeter nearly as well as Amir. Dyess is better at guarding the Shaq's in the league, but hey, Sheed is better and we only need one center in the game at a time. Hayes did hit a three to start the 4th quarter, but here is another player who could be replaced. Early on in the season, it was decided to go with Hayes. Permanently apparently. But again, Amir could be playing some small forward minutes, giving plenty of time for Amir ans Maxiell to play along side each other - with either Sheed or Dyess at center. Orlando yesterday, and Milwaukee today, did shoot well. But its not that either team is that good. The Pistons need better perimeter D. The kind they had in the 4th quarter with that unit out there. That was an exciting finish, despite the loss. And despite Flip's coaching mistakes to start the game, like not playing Amir until the last 2 minutes of the first half, and only giving Afflalo such short minutes, he ended the game well. He brought Amir in to start the 4th, giving us a chance to win the game. And just maybe he has learned something. Amir is one fine player. Not playing him is not a good thing.
Part of the problem may be the trade deadline. Hayes may be getting his last chances to show something.
I know I said I wouldn't watch, but I couldn't help myself..although I only caught the tail end of the third up to the end of the game. I'm not sure what's up, but our bench collectively sucked when they first came in. The starters' lack of D to start was a pain to watch as well. Stuckey hasn't played well these last 2 games. He seems to be forcing a bit, or maybe he's just in a bit of a post-break slump. I dunno. Jarvis actually shot fairly well, going 2-4. Amir, though, played fairly well down the stretch with the starters, though and I was shocked to even see him in the fourth in this one. But we needed his energy and hustle, and he did very well providing that, grabbing 6 boards in 14 minutes..and zero fouls.
The starters didn't play with much energy or hustle. Tay in particular was a step slow most of the night, and Sheed didn't get serious until the last 5 minutes. A coach can only do so much, when people are missing shots, and running sets where Rip sets up for corner 3s, but doesnt see the ball. This game was lost on defensive effort. There was none.
Thanks for the recap. I want to challenge the word "unfortunately". Kind of sounds like luck? Hey, there was no rule at all preventing Flip from playing Amir earlier in the game. We did not just all the sudden get lucky in the 4th. We took out our worst defender among our starters and replaced him with a darn good defender. Its a simple choice, not luck. This is not to say Dyess is not a good player. He is a fine backup center. Just not, in any way, a very good starting power forward. Not in this league where the opposing power forwards are simply quicker than him.
I stopped watching in the 2nd qtr , so i dont even know what the final score is/was. But I know this: 1. flip will NOT lead this team to the 'FINALS". Watch and see. I'm just waiting for the inevitable. 2. CHAUNCEY will not lead this team back to the finals. He hasnt dived for a loose ball ball since The new jersey series 5 years ago. 3. Tay needs to go and McDyess and J-max can go with him. We need a shakeup . Id trade all 3 for Artest, the devil , right now. I know this league...and no one is scared of us ...right now, anyway
At least not until the 4th quarter. Who on the Piston team is an outstanding defender other than Sheed? Who in the backcourt? Rip perhaps, Tay has been looking overrated the past couple of years. Billups has his faults with the quicker guards. Maybe its time to get Hunter back into the rotation. He used to turn games around for us on nights like this, maybe he still can.
Maybe it's time to invest in a coach who doesn't let the inmates run the asylum Somehow i don't think Flip's strategy of threatening the starters with more PT when they're ineffective is working.
If anything, the 4th qtr was the best they have played since they went on vacation. Since it appears that no 11th hour trade is forthcoming, maybe an internal trade is needed with swapping Amir and Dyess from the bench to starter and vis-a-versa. Dice might be better off playing with second unit at this point as he is extending to much energy starting and just doesn't have it in the second half.
Lee, how many times it has to be said to you: Amir can't play SF, AJ has said when team tried him at SF, he hated it . Nuff said. It's easiest target to blame coach for loss, but IMO these 2 losses are starting 5 's fault. And starters have bigger responsibility: it's their job to make up for bench poor play but it is not bench's job to "repair" mess what starters have created.
