Grading Joe's Offseason So Far

Outstanding post. Address everything about standing in a holding pattern. JD is all about stability and squeezing out the last remnants of a lucky ending where his odds of coming out of the East is slim. Most of the latter contenders have added strength and confidence levels will gain the edge against the Pistons. This, in the final outcome, comes down to a "wanting", and not the depth of talent, which gives you an uncomfortable seat on the merry-go-round bench instead of riding a horse scanning the higher horizon.

agreed, i don't see the conference finals teams from either conference making huge changes... and cleveland for one should have turned over atleast 2/5 of there starting lineup and 2 big bench players

We have failed to live up to expectations. The last three seasons have had their moments, but Joe needed to hold somebody accountable. 95% here would have loved a new coach. I preferred a revamped starting lineup with three new starters, or at LEAST Billups and another starter replaced. I really expected more this off season. Even LETTING go of Saunders may have been better than doing NOTHING at all. He seems to have drafted adequate talent, but still the team has needs that went unfulfilled............................I give Joe a "B"........
because he's smarter than I am, and I believe in him even though I disagree with this off season's moves......................

If Stuckey and Afflalo turn out as good as everyone hopes. Then the Pistons had a great offseason. And if Amir and Max live up to even 75% of the hype. We could make it back to the Finals next year.

Bingo.... The starters havn't lacked talent the last 3 years... they have lacked energy/interest.... well the rocks and the young forwards address that directly. The other problem is the coaching and I really think Joe had a few heart to hearts this summer and maybe thats why we have had a lack of sightings out of flip this summer... I wouldn't even be suprised if joe gave him the option to agree to some changes or "retire". Maybe thats wishful thinking on my part, but we shall all see shortly.

Bingo!

It would be interesting for those who give Joe any grade less than a "C" to say what he should have done to get an "A."

I maintain that you don't break up a 5-time EC champion just cause you're tired of lookin at em. Flip was retained because he has two years to run on his contract. Seems to me that grade should be earned in the year Joe hired him. But then again, after LB left...who was out there save Laimbeer?

Just like in chess, somtimes the best move is to sit on your hands. Joe knows what he's doing.

Agreed. This was Joe's key...either start making incremental changes starting with the winter trades, or advance over the position that needs to be made. Adding untested youth (which on the average needs three years to contribute consistent stability) might qualify for aggressive movement, but this is setting up a straw dog.

Simply, you have no introduction toward a team system outlook that says," look, even though most of you starters are making high salaries and many might be chagrined about cut playing minutes, it is of managements opinion that we spread and experiment with different combinations of players irrespective of contract obligations that may lessen some of your bonus clauses."

Why are you emphasizing the physical? On physical abilities, the Pistons had the front line and mature depth from the bench to reach the top of the Eastern conference....which they did. It could not be sustained. Why? Because the team has had a mind set where attainment is directly proportional to playoff contention. This is where the window has gotten hazy. Over the last two years, this teams vision is getting more translucent where blurred effort has obtained a right of clear respect. A whole lot of emphasis has been on another straw dog, it consistent attainment (measured in consecutive years of being in contention)that develops into a dependency where ascension is merely good enough.

Their strength is no longer internal, it merely something that bounces off the media machine. The media beat them because the "event" was focused against their strength (team confidence and maturity) and a story line media "McGuffin", which beat them. Can it not be said that the individual hype machine, focusing on a particular individual (of some combinations of sets involving that individual), was enough? In 2006 it was Wade, in 2007 it was James.

Do we have a management organization that is perceptive enough to overcome this? Who will it be in 2008?

In jazz, they say that it's the notes you don't play that makes you great.

I believe that that varies based upon the culture and the structure of chordal consonance or dissonance intervals and the resolution of dissonance that are pleasing to the ear in that particular culture that determines the greatness of the jazz artist in their music.

For example Duke compared to Bird.

That is how I understand it.

No,no,no...its notes all the way down.

Naw the biggest slap in the face would be to lose to the Nuggets in the Finals and watch Carmelo hoist the finals MVP trophy after averaging 35ppg/15rpg and Tay avg's 5ppg/3rpg. NOW THAT WOULD BE A SLAP. And then next season Bosh knocks us out of the 1st round in a season where the Heinrich led bulls own us in the regular season. If all that happened I may very well go postal and look for Tony Ronzone, Chad Ford and Darko with an assault rifle.

I think a bigger slap in the face would be for Brown to become the Grizzlies coach during the year and start Darko in the Finals against us.

It's been a pretty poor offseason, IMHO.

Stuckey was a great pick in the draft and while Afflalo and Meija are good picks, they simply provide an unneeded logjam at the 2.

Still don't believe Stuckey is going to be the primary backup PG we need (Hunter should retire).

No legitimate backup for Prince even if Hayes has been signed.

No post scorer, if Webber doesn't resign.

Say what?

AJ; He's got the sweetest post up spin moves and foot work you'd ever want to cast your eyes on and when he gets to the rack he makes it shake like a 7.0 on the Richter. His moves make Kobe look like he's stuck in the mud. LOL