Round 2 Game 5 - 7pm Mon May 17 Clev at Det

Here's my eternal optimism....:fingerscr .....We just flat out have to have our backs against the wall in order to perform at a high level. It's a HUGE conspiracy going on. See since we are favorites we have made a concerted effort to make ourselves the underdog in a controlled environment so that we can propell ourselves into a championship. I don't know why I was so upset last night, this should have been so clear to me instantly. Here I am blaming Flip for going small when we were being hammered on the boards, blaming Chauncey for TO's that killed our momentum, when all the while they were doing what was neccessary to make us underdogs, so we could become champions.....oh yeah Flip and Chauncey have made the greatest playoff adjustments of all time with this move.

I'm on the fence on this one.

We're clearly the better team, and normally this team rises up to challenges and is clutch in the clutch. But that hasn't been the case the past 3 games, which is very uncharacteristic of this team. Ok, the boys have a tendancy of taking a game off (usually game 3), but 3 in a row?? We haven't lost 3 in a row all freaking season!! And this is the playoffs. This is what the team has been working towards since the end of game 7 of last year's finals.

So which team will show up for game 6 (and hopefully game 7)?

Lets go boys. Enough messing around. Its time to get back to playing DEEEEtroit BASKETball!!!!

How I still believe

i think everyone's adequately covered the problems and i certainly don't have any substantial disagreements. as i think micro pointed out, there's more than enough blame to go around for the three losses in this series. And y'all have done a very thorough job of making sure it gets where it's supposed to go.

unlike DarthTater I am by nature an optimist. But even someone like me occasionally needs some supporting grounds for their faith -- if only to defend against those, like my students in class today, who were (sadly for such young folks) writing the team off and even looking to erode my own faith. So that's what I want to share with my friend in this post: a perspective -- however delusional it may appear to the non-believers -- from which we optimists (or reluctant pessimists) can view Friday's night's game without anxiety and even with a degree of confident equanimity.

by the way, i'm not interested in fueling further argument, so if you're interested in countering these facts with others that point to the likelihood of a Pistons loss, i suggest you ask yourself why you are so interested in finding support for your pessimism (especially since pessimism in this area hardly lacks foundation these days). i'm also not pretending that these facts -- especially concerning last night's game -- outweigh in value the fact of having lost the game. it would have been better if we'd have won.

i'm just offering a modest buffet of facts -- some of which have already been mentioned here or there (and corrections are certainly welcome as I could easily have miscounted something on the play by play script) -- from which someone so inclined might assemble a little platter of faith prior to the game tomorrow night:

Facts: (going from the more distant to the most recent past)

1.The last time the Pistons lost four consecutive games was during a stretch in the 2004-2005 season: (between January 18, 2005 and January 24, 2005 they played and lost four games in four different cities: to Orlando by 2 the day after beating Phoenix; to Milwaukee by 3; to Chicago the next day; and to Minnesota 2 days after that).

2.The Pistons were trailing Miami 3-2 last season. They won game 6 by 25 and went on to win game 7 88-82.

3.The Pistons were trailing the Spurs 2-0 last season, losing the first two games by an average of 18 points. They won games 3 and 4 by an average of 24 points.

4.The Pistons were trailing the Spurs 3-2 going into game 6 in San Antonio, where the Spurs had a regular season record of 38-3 and playoff record of 6-2. The Pistons won that game by 9.

5.The Pistons were trailing New Jersey 3-2 during the 2004 playoffs. They won game 6 81-75 in New Jersey, then went on to win Game 7 in Detroit by 21.

6.The Pistons were trailing Orlando 3-1 in the 2003 playoffs. They won the next 3 games by an average of 20 points.

7.During last night's game 5, the Pistons were trailing by 9 with 8:14 to go in the game. Over the next 20:14 the Pistons outscored Cleveland 35-28.

8.During that stretch, Detroit forced Cleveland into 10 turnovers and 33 % shooting from the floor (8-24); Detroit shot 43 % (the Pistons' unacceptable 9 turnovers have been covered elsewhere in the thread).

9.During that stretch Detroit got 25 boards (14 def, 9 off, 2 team) vs 18 for Cleveland (7 def., 6 off., 5 team).

10.During that stretch, Chauncey was 5-7 from the field and 3 for 3 from the line for 14 points.

11.During that stretch, McDyess was 5-6 from the field and 1 for 2 from the line for 11 points, pulled down 9 rebounds and had 2 blocks.

12.During that stretch, Tayshaun was 2 for 2 from the field and 2 for 3 from the line (for 7 points), with 4 rebounds (3 offensive) and 1 block.

We are spoiled. Living here in land for the past 26 years, I saw the laker fans go through the same arrogance in 2004 : "NOBODY can beat us, we will roll over the Pistons". Now we are in the same mode: How can the CAVS beat us"?

Some of us were concerned earlier in the year that we lacked the killer instinct after February, but others said don't worry about it. The team was so full of it self, and some us us too, that they didn't give any team any respect. Sheed and CB have lead charge on arrogance. They don't respect the refs either and complain/biotch and moan about every call and that's every starter. At least Dice and Hunter laugh it off.

Although we have held the Cavs to under 90 points the last 3 games, was it is not really our defense? No these guys have no offense other then king James who knows how to get to the rim without difficulty and can find the open man when he is double teamed.

Or offense is stagnant because our starters are worn out & our bench is not trusted because they didn't get enough run time this year. We spent so much time on the perimeter during the year, no one knows how to attack the paint. Now the last couple of games thay gone awy from the 3 ball because they are playing in panic mode. 35+ TO's in two games is probably a big factor too.

We all have hope that they can some how did deep down in their pride tomorrow night sand pull it out like they did in 2004 with the Nets and last year games 6 vs the Heat and Spurs.

Sports Illustrated today had a one-page article on the Pistons and whether the starting 5 should rate among the best ever. Here's a few excerpts: "Detroit's success has led some to wonder where its starting five ranks among all-time quintets. Cavs coach Mike Brown recently called them one of the best in history. Billups says, 'I gotta rate us up there in the top five alltime.' Dumars sounds a more cautionary note: 'Until this team wins multiple championships, let's hold off on those comparisons.' "


Another interesting tidbit: "After two years under Larry Brown and season under Flip Saunders, these Pistons are almost self-coached or, as Saunders puts it "self-patrolled." On offense, Billups often calls plays unilaterally. Explains Ben Wallace, 'If Chauncey calls a play and Flip calls a play from the sideline, we're like 'Hold up, Coach, we already got one.' Timeouts are akin to comittee meetings, and a bad shot is fodder for peer review. ... 'Not taking anything away from Flip but it's easy for him,' says Billups. 'We have no ego battles out there. No one is out there complaining they need more shots or this and that.' "


Obviously, the article was written before the Pistons went down 3-2. Not that any of it is untrue but I'm guessing SI would have taken a different approach if they had more time before publication. At the time of publication, the series was tied 2-2.

Word. Hopefully the 3-2 hole which they are in will have helped deflate the balloon big time and galvanized the team. If not, they can go fishing. I am mentally prepared for either outcome tommorrow. Joe will do the needed changes in the off-season. I am just stunned by the collapse.

I figured it all out!!!!!!!!!! It is the dreaded S.I. Cover JINX!!!!!
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/magazine/cover/

Granted Ben only has a small part of the cover, but the 2 page article and S.I. Players peice on Mr Big Shot has cursed our beloved boys.

Seriously though the blame if it can be put anywhere right now it should fall squarely on the head of Joe Dumars. Our bench is being outscored by like 2-1 133 bench points by the Cavs and only 68 from the Pistons 43 of wich were in the 1st freakin game! Joe stood pat let guys that could have helped this team sign elsewhere. You seriously cant blame Flip for not having the guys he needs in order to get the job done. The best starting 5 in basketball cant play 48 minutes a game so someone has to come in and get the job done. You can say that if Flip had developed his bench more during the regular season this wouldnt be happening right now, but we "had" to have homecourt so this is the price we paid. NO BENCH HELP.

Professor has me believing!! Good one. I just posted this to anothr thread, but it warrants a repeat. The Odds makers still believe in Detroit.

http://www.wsex.com/line/BASKETBALL-SERIES.html

GO PISTONS!!!!!

Glad the post helped RM! But I'd say keep the odds-makers' opinion on the down low for now. I wouldn't want the Pistons to know that. In fact, I'd say that our odds of the Pistons actually showing up tomorrow night (and therefore winning) increase with every single media person/oddsmaker/pundit that counts them out, and that counts them out loudly and aggressively. ahhhh, the paradoxes of pistons fandom... gotta love it

Dre, we attacked the paint and got nothing. We don't have that kind of team. Nor can we rely only on Sheed down in the post. Cleveland blocked 10 shots in game 5. Those were down in the paint. Most of those blocks were then turnovers. We only shot 10 threes with Billips shooting most of those--but not after the ball came back to him but right away.

Watch the Spurs or the Mavs play or even the Heat. They take threes regularly. But their offenses have a purpose. We can score but only when we move the ball and when we take the jumper. How did we score in the 4th last game? Dyss took the jumpers. We had a play from Hunter to Rip to Dyss for the lay-in.

Larry's offense was pound it in and attack and we got like 28 points for a half at Indiana last year in the playoffs. Flips offense was suppose to correct this. That is why I am totally at a loss when I see what I am seeing. A lot of it started with Sheed who lost his rythym.

And Chauncey has wanted to look good instead of playing. He has thrown the ball away at key points or gotten blocked, etc. He needs to take a whole bunch of shots but in the flow of the offense. And a lot of those shots should be jumpers. If Barrejo switches to him, he can shoot as Barrejo must give him room.