Less Experienced? Still have the same bench players Hunter/Dyess/Arroyo from last season. The only experience loss was Campbell but Davis has a few years of playoff experience himself. I also believe too much emphasis is being placed on Brown vs what the players themselvs accomplished.
wins ironically i think we should still see around 54 wins this season, but the key difference being we will be better prepared for the playoffs. there should be the initial bumpy phase adjusting to new players, new coach, new system, etc. also, we will hopefully see more playing time for the bench, both of which will cost us some victories early on, considering 8 of 13 games in the first month are on the road (5 of those out west). but i predict a strong finish to the season, especially if a mid season trade goes down. i break it down roughly like this: 15 road games versus West - 8 losses 15 home games versus West - 4 losses I'd say split season series with Indiana, Miami and Cleveland - 6 losses Then another 10 losses to other Eastern teams giving a total of 54-28. But if we beat the scrubs like we should (unlike last season), then we could see the pistons pushing the 60 barrier.
I think we will beat "the scrubs" unlike last season because I think all of our players had to of learned that EVERY game is important after they lost the championship to the Spurs.
Let's hope so. Let's hope that we do win the wins we're supposed to win. Hehe. But I do still think we can get those 50+ wins if not more. Hmmm, dare I say 60? Still possible. Our bench is deep, with Arroyo, Dyess, Hunter, but our young guys are unproven. I'm looking forward to having Acker, Jmax, Darko, Delfino, Johnson really make cases for themselves to stick around.
58 wins, but it means nothing. 58 wins - Flip has proven in the past that coaching his team to victories during the regular season won't be an issue with the appropriate talent. That said, it is still no indication of how well we will perform in the postseason.
Less than 50 more than 42 As much as I would like to see the Pistons win more than 50 games I don't think it will happen. The 5 starters and 6th man (AM) will be ready, but my fear is the same as last year, who is going to step up? LH can play D, but let's face it, he is way past his prime. We need any combo of the following to step up: Darko, Delfino, JMax, Evans, Arroyo (I don't think Acker or Amir play much, if at all). If Darko can step it up it would be a huge advantage for Detroit, but are most pressing need isn't a 4 or 5. It is a 2/3 and the question is can Delfino and/or Evans step it up. I don't know enough about Evans to make that decision, but I have and will continue to be very hard on Delfino until he proves otherwise. However, we still have a minor need at the 1, but I do think that Arroyo will flourish under Flipper. Regardless of what happens with Darko, Delfino/Evans and Arroyo, I think that JMax will be the perfect utility man. I don't expect to see him get a lot of minutes, but I think he will make the most of his minutes. I decided on a less than 50 over 42 record because the teams ability will be dependent on the development of Arroyo, Darko and Delfino/Evans. Even if 3 of the 4 pan out it will take time and if they do I think we will be a better playoff team because of it.
Maurice will be great off the bench. I remember when the Pistons went to Sacramento to play the Kings first game without Webber, and we got blown out and Maurice was a big part of it by getting a lot of offensive boards, and putbacks he also hit some 3's. I don't know how I remember this, but for some reson I remember it clearly.
I remember that game as well because I was expecting us to kill them and instead we got slaughtered. I think my jaw dropped after the 1st quarter and I didn't pick it back up until the end of the 4th!
Flip Flip maybe another Phil Jackson. When Phil arrived in Chicago, no one would have ever believed that the guy would garner that many championships. He came to a team with a great player and a lot of role players and consecutively went to the ship. He then went to LA and did the same thing. I can see Flip coming into a situation with excellent players and team chemistry. Hopefully he will be able to get us 6 or 7 trophies.
Great point. Oh yeah so did Chauncey, and Ben know look at them. I really hope Flip proves everyone wrong. Because we all have some doubts.
The over-under on victory totals in the NBA has the Pistons at 50.5. Miami is No. 1 in the East at 58.5 with Indiana next at 54.5. San Antonio is No. 1 in the West, also at 58.5. http://www.detnews.com/2005/msu/0510/16/C02-350273.htm I'd definitely take the over on this one.
Over. Way over. Unlike the last 2 seasons I see this team not only blazing at the end of the season, but the beginning. The season we won it all we didn't have Sheed early on so we just did "good" then after the trade we did great. Last season we struggles early maybe because of the brawl, getting the feel of how to defend a championship, not being as hungry. It doesn't matter we just screwed up. This season I see the Pistons being very hungry, and winning the whole time this season. Guys we were only 7 wins off the best record, and thats when we were fighting for the 8th seed 1/4 of the way through the season,
a pattern? I just noticed something. 2002 we were 50-32 under Rick and lost in Conference Playoffs 2003 we were 50-32 under Rick and lost in Conference Playoffs 2004 we were 54-28 under LB and won in Finals 2005 we were 54-28 under LB and lost in Finals so if the pattern continues, does that mean that.... 2006 we'll be 58-24 under Flip and win in Finals 2007 we'll be 58-24 under Flip and become a dynasty? At which time Joe D will fire Flip and it starts all over again....
We must avoid the early season problems . . . . . . but I think we will and can be on the way to a 60 win season. I am predicting we will flirt with the 60 wins but will fall just short at 58. If we need the 60 to gain home court all the way through, Flip will go after it and we will get it. With the tough games stretch at the start of the season, imagine we get through that at like 15-9. we should be a real force the rest of the year. The main thing still, in my mind, is that we arrive at the playoff tipoff with a team that is 10 deep and the starters have had enough time to get sharp and not be worn down. It seems to me that more teams are a little better so we might not need 60 wins to get home court throughout. We need to resist Sheed drifting out too much and we need to resist the backing off of our shut-em-down defense, but with a ten-deep team, everyone can play all out and still have gas left in the tank. It takes a lot of endurance to play the kind of defense of which we are capable. We just need to do it.
Over 57, although that could be generous. That "50.5" estimate is way low. If we only win 50 games this year, I will be very disappointed. We can do that on talent alone.
