Fair enough, I didn't think you were being overly up tight about it. I just wanted to make sure that people understand I'm not taking shots at them. I make most of my statements with a fair amount of sarcasm and exaggeration for effect...but mostly for laughs because I'm a smart ass, not because I need to take a hammer and tongs to guys on here.
Nonsense, Low. There is a large part of obviousness to this whole situation. Oceans of Kool-Aid have beckoned over the last few years. Served up by JD's PR machine and lack of any perceptive sports writing on the Piston situation. Forums, blogs, and pod-cast now have the best alternative and interpretative insights. They do occasionally fly into the heavens at times, but organizational layers of information are locked down tighter than a Photoshop copyrighted composition. Sheed has been an obvious caricature of himself over the last few years. The obviousness of Sheed is his routine exposure (superficial) toward his status as one of influence or at the very least, the go-to guy that can prevent defeats. That routine is his exhibitions on the pre-game dance routine and his all-me focus when getting fouls. Sheed will test the market. He knows the level that will bring. He will be a bargain for any team that wants him. His asking price and acceptance might work out OK for us....providing: This teams obtains leadership. When transitions occur on a large scale, you best have a solid foundation to stabilize everything that will be absorbed, modified, and thrown off. This time around it must begin with the right coach. This time around it must focus on the big picture you see for this team. The right sponsorship, business needs, business requirements and business value toward something that can internalize flexibility and reproduction to reach goals. Only JD and the administration can provide this. JD has to open up.
The irony of this season is that we started it with a need for another low-post big body with guard being our strength; but instead of fixing anything, Joe created another problem. He traded a guard for another guard that created an influx of SG's and no PG. So now we're back to still needing a low post big and being weak at PG.
Merc's version: The pressing needs are for someone to man up on Bron & Pierce (Tay will never get this done)... we also need an active defensive force inside (that's not a complete liability on offense). Sign & Trade Sheed (6m each year for two years) & our 1st (plus protected future 1st) to Charlotte for Okafor... this is playing on the NC sentiment... it also helps spread the floor for the Cats... they can draft a project like Mullens nd get an LB type PG in the 1st round... they currently have two shot blockers in Diop & Ajincs (sp).... it also saves the cats 3M (they're losing millions this year while still in the lotto). Trade Afflalo, Jmax & Minny pick to N.O. for West & R. Butler. This saves the Hornets 8M and effectively takes them out of Luxland. Butler will be expiring. Sign Artest for just above the MLE for 4 years.... Yeah folks won't get over his past... however he has been a solid citizen for the last two years... sometimes you need someone a little nuts to intimidate opponents. Offer Dice the remainder of the available space for two years (this is close to what he would have lost when considering buyout and re-signing $'s)... extending his career. C- Okafor, Kwame, Dice PF- West, Dice, Amir SF- Artest, Tay, Butler, Sharpe SG- Rip, Tay, Stuckey PG- Stuckey, Bynum, Toronto Pick
Joe D has a lot of work to make this team competitive in the conference. First, if LBJ stays in Cleveland, they will continue to dominate the division. Chicago may have finally found a playmaker in Rose. The Magic are just missing the leadership, they are probably a good PG away from being consistent. Also, Howard needs to take charge, not just from a scoring/reb standpoint, but from a go to guy perspective. Wizards, no defense, but drafting Rubio and having the firepower they have will make them a pain in arse during the regular season. Talent wise the Hawks, 76'ers and Miami have enough to make the playoffs. The Pistons are really a mid-pack to lower tier team.
Nice work. Be great if something can be done to bring in someone like Okafor to rebuild the front court around and I hope that is the priority.
Hey guys Im new here but I have been a pistons fan my whole life, and it really hurt to watch this team play. You could just see these guys were ready to roll over! anyways my suggestion, let me know if this is possible. let Sheed and AI walk Sign Boozer and Artest (both free agents) find a way to add Battier Keep Dice I think those are all things JD can do if he wants, without worrying about outside help One more thing , fire CURRY!!! that guy doesn't even have communication skills! What a joke i think that line-up will begin to give the team an identity, no stars but some hard workers with skill.
MC's interview before the start of the 4th quarter was classic. "Coach, your big 3, Rip, Tay, and Sheed are 1 for 42 shooting today, who do you think can be the x-factor here in the 4th?" "Well, yeah, I believe that Rip, Tay, and Sheed can be that x-factor by hitting shots. We have been missing shots and we need to hip them in rhythm in the 4th quarter. They will all be in there playing and shooting. Thank you."
The only words that I actually heard for sure were "x-factor" and "shots"... which I heard about 5 times. The rest I made up to make it more dramatic.
Exiting this season I have a number of questions that need answering: 1. How do we rebuild our frontcourt? 2. Is ALL the basketball Tayshaun has played in the past 6 years (every regular season game + every playoff game of deeeep playoff runs + Olympic duties-he may not have played a lot but he practiced and conditioned heavily) with no good backup starting to take its toll? If so, will an off season of rest and rehab (from a relatively unreported back injury) as well as a real, competent backup re-establish him as the TP we knew and loved? 3. What is our backcourt of the future (our team has always been build from the back-forward)? 4. Do we have a chance at luring a superstar in 2010?
Here's what i think the answers are: 1. The frontcourt needs a 4 and a 5. The 4 should have a low post game that gives us around 20 points and the 5 should be able to body up and play good D, also the 5 should have the ability to single cover Dwight Howard. 2. No, Tayshaun must be replaced, he isn't enough to stop Lebron the monster, only Lebron the developing monster of '05 and '06. 3. Some combination of Stuckey, Bynum, Afflalo, and some drafted athletic 1/2 (Not really sure, but Stuckey an Bynum are integral to the future) 4. No, any team can have the money, but we don't have the market for a true superstar, MAYBE the organization could sell itself and convince a player to come and stay, but I wouldn't bank on it. With these answers, this is what i'd like to see us do: -Get Boozer. Preferably for a little over 10 mill, perhaps 11 mill with a long term deal. He has the low post game, he puts up the numbers, and hopefully our training staff will keep him relatively injury free. -Trade Tayshaun for a Center. It looks like Tyson Chandler will be available, he's a little over-priced, but if another Center with the ability to body up D-Howard becomes available with better value and better health we should make a deal. Consider a scenario where the Clippers win the Lottery and draft Blake Griffen. With Camby, Griffen, Randolph, and Kamen, one would assume something would have to give. -Sign Artest. With Artest on a 6-7 mill contract (just over the middle-level) we'd have a more capable cover for Lebron with under-rated skills and a chance to recreate his persona in the city where it all went wrong. -Try to trade picks to get good picks in next year's draft which will be way more talented than this one, I'd like to get a player like Cole Aldrich next year. -Keep Rip as the carryover from the last core to the new core. This requires Rip and Curry to make nice and pull it together.
