When they showed stats how many minutes pistons rookies have got, two things are mentionable: 1. AA an AJ have each ALREADY played more minutes in their rookie season than Tay did. 2. Mateen Cleaves played 150% more minutes than AJ or AA: it says how much they put on this guy and therefore how big bust he turned to be. AJ needs really some muscle: when he gets ball, he has so much trouble to keep his position so he is not capable of making good shot.
Looks like the 1st half was good old Piston half effort stuff. Actually looked like they were trying to get into a scoring contest with the Heat and were trying to bury them that way but the Heat players were hitting their shots in the 1st half. Then in the 2nd half the Pistons started to play some D and got some great production off the bench. Riley was there for the game and it looks like this was one the games that he must of circled on his calendar as a game to try and win. Probably figured he would lose anyway so it was no real threat to his lottery ball hunt. Won by 16 and I would called it by a 15-20 point margin anyway given that Hamilton was out so it ended about how it should have. Great games by Afflalo and Amir. Especially AA, he has really been taking advantage of this golden opportunity to start. You have to be proud how these guys have been stepping up to show what they have for the playoff roster whenever they get the chance. Lot more than I can say for Past Piston young bench guys. Thanks for the correction on the tv schedule CloudWalker.
Tay got burried on the bench his rookie year, only to emerge in the playoffs. Michael Curry was starting ahead of him and he was about as good as Lindsey Hunter is right now. About the only good that came out of that season was that Tay put his name on the map.
Maybe the Heat played well for a while last night because of Shaq's recent remarks.... I love playing for this coach and I love playing with these guys. We have professionals who know what to do. No one is asking me to play with Chris Quinn or Ricky Davis. I’m actually on a team again. True perhaps, but why single out a second year end-of-the-bench player who by all accounts is a decent kid who plays hard. I had begun to think of Shaq as an elder statesman and was kind of starting to like him. These remarks though are utterly classless. What a jerk.
Wow. It is pretty unusual to single out players by name like that because of their ability. It's one thing if they couldn't get along personally, but to embarrass a guy like that is pretty low, I agree.
As was pointed out on Pardon The Interruption yesterday when they discussed those remarks, Shaq has pretty much thrown his previous teammates under the bus in public every single time he's switched teams--Penny from Orlando, Kobe from L.A., now those guys from the Heat.
he has grown up..... lol remember he normally throws the superstar of the team he leaves under the bus, he never said a word about wade..... well not yet anyways lol
So Chris Quinn isn't on Shaq's Fave Five? I'm really surprised by that. Maybe they are just too similar to get along.
Dice FTs lately is horrible, miss 5 in this game. Season average is lower than Max. Did i just say Max? The guy whom FTs were comparable with Big Ben early in the season? Wow, Dice. You better start makin your FTs cause the playoffs is coming soon. And FTs are very important in the playoffs.
You mean D. Wade; the greatest player in the Association? I think that is how Shaq was affectionately labeling him when they first got together every chance he got?
he also was referring to riley as the great pat riley.... don't think he talks that way anymore.... what is it about florida teams and there fall from the top when they win a title.... the heat and the marlins (twice now)
It showed up on the League pass via the FSN throughout the Diect TV network.. TNT was glad they switched out of that one. At one point the Heat had at least four D-league alumni and a 10 day contract guy running the Pistons starters off the floor. The TNT guys even joked during the highlights that they didn't recognized anybody out there other Ricky Davis and Pat Riley....just imagine the Flip fallout if TNT had televised it and these unknowns had beaten the Pistons!!
You can't excuse a lousy effort for any reason, but these young Miami guys are playing for future contracts and their livelihood. The Pistons don't have a whole lot to gain at this point. Sure, we would like to be executing more crisply heading into the playoffs, but the non-stellar play in that game by several Pistons didn't surprise me whatsover.
Saunders on giving Arron Afflalo start: 'No one works harder than he does' | Freep.com | Detroit Free Press bla
That's why they call him Showbe. Not sure how the hardest worker on the team can get DNP's though. I really enjoy watching AA play. It just seems like he makes it really uncomfortable for the man he's guarding.
Having missed the game and just looking at the boxscore, especially the +/- I must say I'm very impressed with Aflalo. although in Miami we were playing a 'decent' NBDL or equivalent to a 'very good' WNBA team last night.
Think about how unusual it is to have a rookie in charge of guarding the other team's best players. It's not like he always does it, but AA has done that several times this year and also he has been inserted to do so in a few late game situations. It's impossible to tell for sure, but he really does have the potential to become known as an Artest/ Bowen type. Both of those guys are athletically gifted, but more importantly take pride in their defense and have a strange edge to them on the court. If he turns out to be that type of player, then we have a chance at extending the legacy of the defense first mindset.
Could be. His heart does seem to be into playing defense. And he's a better offensive player than Bowen. The two inches Affalo gives up to both Bowen or Artest could be a problem though. If all else fails they can fall back on superior size to most ones and twos (and are generally equal to most threes).
