Round 2 Game 3 - 5pm Sat May 13 Det at Clev

Hey guys i usually don't post because i really don't sweat our pistons when we lose which is the only time i have the urge to post. However, in saying all that i feel that we are in trouble in losing a second game to these Cavs. We are not playing to win most games except for games we are playing at home so far in these playoffs. If this trend continues i surely believe that we will not win the title until we make a concerted effort to win and play hard in every single game. There are going to games where you struggle offensively or defensively. But if you play hard you give yourself a chance every single game. I want to say that I expect us to win but in this game I don't know if i can make such a risky proposition. Dont get me wrong Cleveland will not beat us in this series but why force yourself to play more games when you don't have to. We need to conserve our energy for a team in my eyes is much hungries then we are, the miami heat. We better get our act together.

our record in Saturday games this year is 6-8 btw.

Our record on the road after a GauranSheed win ...2-0.
He usually makes these bold predictions after a bad personal performance... now if he could gaurantee a good game by himself that would be newsworthy.

Well after 24 hours, I have finally calmed down. In the meantime, glad that the Mavs and Clips won, but wished the Nets hadn't folded down the stretch like the Pistons did Saturday night.

No time to panic yet, but I hope after hugging their moms and their baby mamas, the Pistons sat down and reviewed the tapes, and saw what the real problem was. Passive defense and lack of inside presence on the offensive end.

The cardinal rule is that you don't rely on the three ball on the road!! if it falls Ok, but establish the inside game first and then try the outside. The Cavs beat us in the paint 44-26 with most of that damage coming from James and Varejeo who with 16 pts, outscored our entire bench. All of his points of course were in the paint and when James brought them back in 4th, there were the drives right to the basket. Flip fell to respond here and left Ben on the bench too long and as LBJ waltzed right by the first line of defense in Prince and second line in Dice or Sheed. He scored three stroaight buckets during this stretch.

The 16 TO's really hurt..especially in the first half where the Pistons should been up 12-14 at the hakf instead of 6. Although the lead was stretched to 10 midway through the third, you could tell with only scoring 14 pts in the third, this was going to be tough ending.

Tay and Sheed's 7-21 shooting didn't help matters so both need to more aggressive around the hoop on Monday. The starters need to give the bench a cushion to work with before Hunter comes out there and starts throwing up bricks and not allowing anyone else to shoot. If I were Flip, I would bring in Dice, Delk and then Hunter and then Mo only if Tay is off.

To much writing here from me..I am starting to sound like nature boys drivvile.....Pistons...Just Win Baby!!!:fingerscr

LaDre I was trying to decide what I wanted to post about this game and these two points you made really stood out for me. I am a fairly new basketball fan on a steep learning curve, so sometimes it takes me a while to figure out when something is really amiss with our Pistons.

I watched the Pistons all season and didn't notice this, but when one of the commentators said that we were 30th in the league in points in the paint all the alarm systems went off for me. I think this is a real problem. I realize that alot of our shots are just outside the paint in the mid-range but I still think being a "perimeter jump shooting team" is only going to work if we have outstanding defense too. I think it might be a little late in the season to turn into an "attack the rim" team. Maybe next year. It looks to me like we are going to live and die by the jumpshot.

Like you, it took me about 36 hours to recover from that loss. All day when I was gardening and fixing my car I had the image of LeBron waltzing down the lane and right to the basket. And most of all the unnecessary and sloppy turnovers. I actually hope that the inability to defend in the lane was because some decision was made by Flip or team that they didn't want to give up all kind of King LeBron free throw points. But regardless, it was embarrassing and they certainly did not look like a team that is going to win a title in a month or less. But of course they are!!!:fingerscr

All of that said, I still adore them. They just did not look like the Pistons in that 4th quarter. I am really not into conspiracy theories and this idea of throwing a game to win at home, or for tv time, or whatever. However, they did not look like they were trying to win late in the 3rd or in the 4th qaurter. Lack of effort and lack of focus.

What an emotional rollercoaster it is to love this team.

So IMHO they need to take care of the ball, defend the paint, and stop playing only to the level of opponents. Didn't they get beat by the Knicks and Orlando doing that stuff?

Oh they need to do a few "send a message" hard fouls there on the King. As an apology to their fans, who had to watch him in replay after replay for the last day and a half. Jeez, I have to avoid SportsCenter.

GO PISTONS!!! DEE-TROIT BASKETBALL!

Aurora, you are right it is too late in the season to start attacking the rim as a norm, but if all they got back there is Z & V, at least try it. if the long ball is not falling drive stop and pop or just drive and get somebody in fouil trouble.

Lay off the double team on King James unless it is absolutely necessary, reduce TO's and this a win, but probably a "Labron nailbiter" to the end!! See you in Chat