I'm in the process of dialing my expectations back to the levels I had going into the 2004 season. A) This will allow me to enjoy a 45-52 win season, B) It will give me the patience to not cancel League Pass during the first losing streak.
Low, I think I might fall into this category you are describing (and, for the record, i don't take it as an insult at all), at least to some degree (though I don't think Ben has arthritis and a walker, nor even close). it's not so much, though, that I'm getting all excited not to win. It's more that I want to be excited about the team and so I discover my reasons from among the hands that i've been dealt during the off season. so if the only thing i can get excited about is that we've still got some talented players and that because of all the changes there will be more surprise, i'm good with that. last year, after all, the only surprises -- for me any way -- could have been negative ones.
To play so well during the season and fold like a cheap tent in the latter stages of the playoffs, makes it a kinda dubious mark.
i guess i was, but since that necessarily developed gradually over the season and they were headed for that record (and others) for most of the year, i didn't really feel the surprise in the same drastic way that i felt the surprise of their demise in the playoffs. you know what i mean? anyway, my point to TheLow was simply that given the disappointment of the offseason moves and the overriding desire i have to be excited about the season, i've got to find my reasons where i can. so i find them in the uncertainty of the upcoming season. but of course, others might have other good reasons to get or stay excited. and i can dig too how some people just can't feel excited about this season, or won't be able to until it gets started and the current bunch shows their stuff.
I have been in a wait and see mode and licking my wounds from our losing Ben. I am not that optomistic about our moves. It seems to me we went from an elite team to a very good team. But I do still like our other key guys and the team may be fun to watch. But I can't help but compare "fun to watch" and "very good" to the dominant force we have been these last few years. And I can't get on the "Ben wasn't that good" bandwagon on the other board as if he weren't a key ingredient in two finals appearances. Yes, I do miss NBA ball. The rule changes still rankle me.
It sucks that Ben left because he ot every fan excited, but Ben did not fit in Flip system at all. No doubt we wont have the regular season we had last year, but that does not matter. I will be surprised if this Piston team has a worse playoff performance than last year. Tayshaun, and Rip will be better next year. Chauncey and Rasheed has there worst playoffs last year and they will do better next year. Ben also had a horrible playoffs. Everyone here will get back on after the first week because someone is going to surprise us.
Hey guys haven't posted here in awhile and just wanted to add a comment or two. I think that everyone is going a little crazy with the loss of Ben. I too was a little dismayed at the fact that we are not going to be a good defensively this year with out Big Ben. In my mind and some of you might think I'm crazy but I think this could have been the best thing that could have happened to us this offseason. First of all we all knew that Ben is in the twilight of his career and is definitely not the same player he was in 2004 and prior. We will no longer play 4 on 5 on offense with the addition of Nazr. As a matter of fact I think our defense will be just as good as it was last year with an improved offense and better depth with Flip. You guys quickly forget that Ben was not the only all-star last year on this squad. Ben did not fit in this system and he is gone because he wanted to be, there is nothing we can do about that. We as fans need to move on and embrace this new Pistons team be ready to be suprised this year. I expect us to win at least 55 games and perform much better in the playoffs. There is no way we can play worse than we did last year taking the ECF to 6 games. I hate to see all of the pessimism running through the site and he have not even stepped onto the court yet. Wait and see through 40 games and then draw conclusions, until then we all need to shut up just observe. I'm saying this now and I want everyone to quote me "we will be fine and may even be better cause of the move." Everyone take it easy, remember all of the suprises that happened last year in the playoffs. Nobody expected both us and San Antonio to bow out before the Finals. Nobody gave Miami a shot against us and Dallas and look what happened. Alot of us proclaim to know the game but no one can predict the future, wait and watch. My two cents.
Predicting a team without an inside presence to not win the finals isn't much of a stretch (three negatives=one negative :^) I'm predicting a bird will crap on my driveway today...Mercstradamus
Not quite, I was very specific all season about which areas this team would struggle in with Flip's gameplan. Not only that, I was dead on about they're playoff performance. I said at the beginning of the year, 2nd Round and POSSIBLY ECF with no chance to make it back to The Finals. They promptly proceeded to barely squeeze by the Cavs and get manhandled by the Heat. I brought up numerous points all season including: Lack of D (giving up layups) Too much reliance on the jumpshot (specifically the 3 pointer) Lack of scoring ATTEMPTS in the Paint Lack of adjustments in-game Call me crazy, but I saw this coming and nobody wanted to hear ANY of it. Now, it has come to pass and everyone seems to have "known it was going to happen all along..." yeah, right.
It seemed that teams were not as worried about Ben as we've seen before. Ben started to lose some of his prescence. With Ben gone this team better have more points in the paint because there will be much less double teams. It's the rebounding that will kill us. The Pistons were one of the worst defensive rebounding teams last year with Ben, and I just don't see how this team won't get manhandled on the boards every game. This team will score more, and have more points in the paint. They'll have mroe FTA, but the rebounding will suck. And you need rebounds to get more possesions.
It's up to Tayshaun and Rasheed. If one of these guys gets there game to the high level that we have not seen yet The Pistons will still be great. If Tayshaun and Rasheed play like they did last year there will not be a championship. If Tayshaun plays like he did in the playoffs, or if Rasheed plays at the high level he can we'll be fine.:fingerscr Ben made this team follow him by what he did. I think Tayshaun has that ability too and it's time for him to use it. You have to realize that Chauncey, and Rasheed had there worst playoff performances in their whole careeer last year. Rip and Ben had their worst playoffs as a Piston as well.
A) Ben was less effective because Flip was clueless as to how to utilize the best defensive player in the entire NBA. B) Ben was made less effective by a game plan that kept the other four guys out of rebounding position constantly; forcing him to rebound against 3 and 4 defenders on avg, and a lax defense that forced Ben to constantly play help out D when Billups, Hamilton, and Sheed let their men go by routinely. This accomplished two things: Getting Ben Wallace in foul trouble AND giving up a boatload more layups than previous years as he can't challenge every drive the guards give up otherwise he'd foul out in the first 10 min. of play. C. This team will see NO increase in points in the paint because Flip doesn't ATTEMPT to get points in the paint through his offensive sets. You will see almost identical production in the paint that you saw last season with Ben. IF there are fewer double teams you will only see a few more uncontested jumpshots, but nothing inside. D. If last season didn't convince you that scoring more doesn't matter...nothing will.
Exactly. We lost Ben with Flip still as coach so it won't hurt as much as losing Ben with LB as coach. I think we see Tayshaun scoring more in the paint with less double teams, but that really doesn't matter. I see a big time rebounding problem because we now don't have any above average rebounders on this team. That's a Big problem.
``If last season didn't convince you that scoring more doesn't matter...nothing will.'' IMO the lessons of this season are obvious: 1. coaching matters 2. offense wins games, defense wins championships #1 was new to me -- I thought the Pistons were good enough to overcome their coach. #2, though, should be obvious to any sports fan. What puzzles me is that there are still people and coaches who don't get this. It's true across all sports and there's a great example of it in every playoffs of every sport in every year. The leagues often tweak the rules to create more offense, but defenses still come out on top. Why is there anyone left who doesn't understand this already?
Eggs - actly. The whole thing is that the effort isn't even there. It isn't that they failed at playing defense, they simply didn't make the effort and that was more painful to watch than anything. Flip continues to confirm all my hard feelings by coming right out after Ben was lost and proclaiming that we should be better offensively now. When will it end (maybe he'll get Cola'd at the end of the season). and Thee: I don't hate Nazr's signing cause he's terrible...I hate Nazr's signing cause he's mediocre. Pick a side, Nazr!
I think Nazr will be pretty good. This offense needs a center who scores on putbacks, 8 foot jumpers and generally stays the heck out of the way. He's no Ben Wallace, but he's OUR no Ben Wallace.
