I never bought into the Rip & AI are both used to the man argument, because they are two totally different type of scorers...It would make more sense if Rip used iso's and created shots of the dribble more, but he gets most pretty much all of his points from coming off screens, being spot up shooter, or free throws...I remember several times when the pistons first got AI that he was setting up Rip a bunch of times, but he just wasn't hitting his shots. Stuck really did hit a wall...look at the whole month of Jan, besides 3 or 4 games he played bad in every other game..in fact he didnt play well in the atl game either...It's not like if Stuck got 25-30 min a game off the bench instead of 35-40 min, he still couldn't be a great player for Det next year as a starter. As stubborn as Curry has been to make changes with some aspects of the Pistons this year, I still don't understand why he was so quick to hit the panic button and make a change with the AI/Rip backcourt..
Because he has to get his shots in certain places. Which ironically, everyone knows about and prevents in a 7 game series.
Speaking frankly, I'm not sure we're going to be in the ECF next year. I don't see Joe spending a bunch of money in a bad economy to field a winner. And I don't think that if he does, the team will come out of the gate next year standing shoulder level with Cleveland and Boston. What I am saying is, Rod or any player's development is ongoing. It can't all be crammed into one .500 season and next year he will be DWade or CP3.
Yeah, those damn 7 game series have really been our downfall. WNBA format would really favor the Pistons.
Maybe it's the name "Stuckey". As in gets stuck a lot. Thank you, thank you. I'll be here all week. PS: Box of rotten tomatoes are by the left wall. Have at it.
Over 7 games, coaches have plenty of time to know and implement everything they can to stop another team from doing what they like to do. What are easy shots off screens in the regular season, become tougher shots to make, and spots to get to when there is a concerted effort to prevent that. The difference between the regular season, where you get to play Memphis a couple times, Oklahoma, Minny and the results there are going to be different than the results in 7 games against Boston. With LB, our attack was diversified. Our PG did not put up 8 assists every second game. We shared the ball, we made a point of getting a guy like Ben going. We were harder to game plan for. That is why we went to the wire against the best defensive team of the last decade (SA). So no, the problem is not that the series should be shorter, but the rotations deeper and the playbook more creative. What pressure Rip has had to diversify his game has only made him better, as a 3 point threat, posting up, and even off the dribble. He is a much more complete player than he was 4 years ago, but he still leans heavily on getting his shots where he wants them, when he wants them. And in that regard, he's no different than AI.
I did feel pretty comfortable with LB strategically. Not with Flip. And so far not with MC. And I agree that the coaching is more important when going head to head game after game. It's like the old battles. Sometimes it mattered with army was more ferocious and had the technology, other times it came down to who had the better strategy. The longer the conflict, the more strategy played into the outcome.
It makes me think of that rumor that players were upset that Joe D was "telling" Curry who to play. My feelings on who plays better starting in the SL are clear, but i never heard anyone say that particular angle in reference to the players' feelings before. Granted it SAS, but still.
Yea right it seem like AI wasn't giving Rip the ball in the right spots coming off his screens, but that's something AI would've learned with time...if only Curry would've given them more time to gel.
It would have been good for this stagnant team to start stretching their skill sets while they get comfortable with each other. But like a rubber band, these guys like to go back to what they like to do, regardless of the coach, opponent or gameplan. It drives me bananas sometimes.
Over the summer I watched games 6 & 7 of the '05 finals. At various times DET had a line-up of Elden C, Darvin Ham, Hunter, Rip & Tay and their offense looked way better than it has in the last 4 years. It wasn't really close either. Sheed had 3 less assists than Stuckey tonight.
The trilogy would not let it happy. Rip is always moving and so is AI. They would have eventually meshed. What wouldn't mesh was Sheed getting lonely (and more importantly, obvious) on his favorite perches. The same goes for Tay, who has no lateral quickness and does not know how to create space as movement is flying about him. With Tay winding up to get his movement, he looks like a scaled ruler with no markings...where playoff incremental moves could open up passes laterally from nearby quick cuts. Everything is dead on his side. Movement stops on the wings and compacts toward the middle, because he jams up everything. Thereby the defense cheats off their man and packs the paint. Lag time increases and the wing players can't get extra time needed to start another movement loop. There are those who can open loops (AI, Rip) and there are those who close them (Sheed, Tay). It is most fortunate that we have someone like Dyess who feels at ease during the main course or picking up the left-overs. If it gets too slow though, he can't get himself free to cherry-pick his 15-18 ft. jump shot.
What's to figure out. It should be obvious to everyone that Stuckey is not a point guard. If JD can't see that, then is is going to be a very long season next year. Since AI is now out of the picture, there is only one player I would go after to solidify this position and he is available. Of course, all those important, strategic minds might have to figure out what they want their team to look like next year. I know the direction I would take; then again, I don't get paid to think for them.
Rammond Sessions is free agent,is asequible sign,Stuck is PG/SG, he can complain with Sessions playing 1 or 2 position,Detroit won title with real PG,Cahuncey,one assist player guard with 3 point shoot. Stuck would be better 3 point and assist but it´s not Chris Paul kind of player,Sessions is better to rule one team. It´s easy with our salary cap sign free without draft selections problems of this years.
on ESPN Classic, Georgetown vs Conn 1996 Iverson vs Ray Allen It is AMAZING that Iverson's game in 13 YEARS has not changed one bit. There is a lil thing in ball called the game within the game. Some like Magic, Zeke, Jordan, Bird know how to play this game. Watching Iverson play in this game really shows that , yes he can play basketball, but he is not a good basketball player. I wish u all could see this game. Especially since his hair was cut.
It's on YouTube in 5 or 6 chunks. I watched it last week. I thought AI was a much better off the ball player in college.
For the most part of I think most players are....just because the Nba is more iso's and the college level is more about team ball so there has to been more movement since it's harder to win with an iso focused offense with the different zone rules...
His G-Town coach prolly helped that a bit. For some reason, Michael Curry doesn't seem to command the respect that John Thompson does.
to be fair to curry.... he played like this under alot of nba coaches.... probably more to do with the nba players in general think there above the coach.... if its the coach vs player we all know who wins.
