Rose will drop 56 and 24 on AIs “defense”

you know things are getting bad when……
http://www.stubhub.com/detroit-pistons-tickets/pistons-vs-bucks-2-17-2009-691131/

Anyone have any links to watch the game???

@Gabe,
Oh wow. That’s sad.

Man, I really wish that Bucks game were a weekend… I’d be there in a heartbeat.

As usual, good tips for winning, Matt. However, I sincerely doubt we can keep Rose out of the paint…given how well the past 15 games have been going.

AP via ESPN says AI to sit tonight.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=3898063

My favorite part about that article is that it is written in the past tense so that it seems like the game already happened.

This is gonna be hilarious – If we win all the traditionalists can scream I Told You So and if we lose, the fanboydom can do the same. Let the games begin.

Hopefully we tie!

Did I just hear that AA is starting?

Iverson is out!!! Iverson is out!!!! YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAHHHH!!!!!!

Is Iverson out……………because we’re trading him for Amare? :D

The Suns don’t have any interest in AI, do they?

I think Sheed + Max/Amir or possibly Tay is the only thing they’d be interested in.

Yuck. League Pass is showing the Bulls broadcast.

Here’s to a blown ACL for Tyrus Thomas so we can get Amare! And because he’s a dick.

Ok, that article said that Rip would start. Actually it said he did start (the AP apparently has a time machine). But Mark Champion just said Afflalo is starting. OMFG Or maybe he’s just smart enough to know that if he starts Rip and it goes really well that there will be pressure to bring AI off the bench. Shoot me now.

Colin, it’s because the game has already been decided. Stern picked the winner last week.

MCIAFGenius

NOT!

Does anyone have a link that will allow me to view what has already been decreed, rather than listening to Mark Champion reading David Sterns approved play by play.

I remember when I’d get excited for this match-up…

I wish Sheed would run the floor. He didn’t even make it past half court last possesion.

I want Garret’s tshirt that says:

MCIAFI

And I know he owns it because I saw it on him at DBB suite night.

All the Chicago fans are pretty quiet. I suppose the warmer weather plus polish sausage really tuckers a guy out.

I love Amir’s activity and energy so far.

why doesn’t he play more?

these jersey colors are confusing me. isn’t footbal season over?

Continuation (n): See Rodney Stuckey.

I don’t think the Bulls can handle Stuckey. Could he score 50?

Pippen and Jordan are at the game… think they can still play?

Laughton, Rodney could easily score schfifty.

Tyrus Thomas may make Kevin’s prediction for him look conservative…

smart foul sheed. smart foul.

I JUST realized what brgulker was talking about when he mentioned the jersey thing.

God, we suck.

Maxiell just blocked Deng straight up on a jump shot, then ran the floor to receive an alley-oop. He didn’t dunk it but got fouled and is now shooting 2. Why doesn’t this guy play again?

Noah and Varejao are the same player.

this no ai thing actually seems to work out =)

@Garret

bcMCIAFI

a blown nine point lead already. the 2008/0 piston trademark. losing leads. every night. against all opponents.

link?

brgulker: Haha, yeah, it’s like a scientific truism. Anyone have an english feed by any chance? I finally just muted the atdhe.net one.

let’s start timing how long it takes for us to get into our offense

With 12 seconds on the shot clock, Dyess set a screen for Rip. It was the first meaningful action of the possession.

Our offense is totally inept (which still makes absolutely no sense whatsoever).

http://www.myp2p.eu/broadcast.php?matchid=29799&part=sports

No passes, with 14 seconds, STuckey hucks up a contested jumper

I might have to switch to the Marquette game.

I CANT CHOOOSE

comcast chicago or whtever there channel is has 10 times better quality but there commentary is crap compared to fsn detroit

omg

Hehe, Blaha can’t pronounce Thabo.

With 20 seconds on the clock, Max gets a layup

It takes until 14 seconds on the clock (after an offensive board) to get Rip around a double screen

Whoa, I got nervous when Rip pump faked and put the ball on the floor. Luckily he got fouled.

http://www.justin.tv/lyrictrtrcx

its in turkish but its still good

Herrmann sighting with 15 seconds left in the first!

there is a method to my madness (it’s not just spamming).

my thesis is: when we get into our offense early, we get good shots. when we don’t, we don’t.

NO FRICKING WAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Turkish commentators are giggling about something, and I suspect it’s because of Herrmann’s beauty.

Just punt the fucking ball into the stands, please.

I like this no AI shit…

hopefully a deal is in the works…

with AI ending up in Memphis or OKC

Sarah Kuster you’re dirty.

sheed +7 amir +3. just look at the rest. i can’t believe what’s happenin. is the team really that bad? or is it the coaching? i mean havin no clue what to do at both ends of the floor, especially the offense is the coach… isn’t it?

yeah boney the bulls are destroying us and u like it. seems like u have no clue of whatsoever. just proven.. thank u

I’m 100% convinced it’s the coach.

Kian… learn sarcasm first

second, realize that I was saying that for you to react to.

third, stfu

AI is sick with flu like symptons.

Does anyone else think that sometimes Blaha gets a little TOO excited about the Pistons?

And yes, I am trying for inuendo here…

Ok. I’m back. Is boney causing trouble?

MFWB!

WE scored, Bynum layup, but our first screen was set with 8 seconds on the shot clock

Bynum with the sweet drive and finish! Wait, why is Bynum in the game?

Entity,

Let’s hope it’s season ending

By’em’s lookin’ good out there

Curry is giving everyone some good time.
Good Time!

with 13 on the clock, tay sets a ball screen for bynum, we get a lucky look from the corner

what happened to walter? Thats just insulting

lucky look?

rookie mistake to leave his man

Herrmann is a sad panda.

whenever i see bynum play i feel like he is actually our best point guard..

Etroit.

ABC EFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ

What’s missing, kids?

dyess + sheed = no help defender who can block a shot

whenever I see Bynum play, I actually see layups being made after contact… unlike those drives taken by our guard who isn’t playing tonight

Rip begins running off screens with 16 on the clock. we end up with a 6 foot jumper in the paint.

I’m getting very tired of Tayshaun.

At this point, I don’t care who gets traded. As long as it’s someone… God damn.

Gabe….How so?

We could use Iverson tonight.

Ooh, I know what we should do, we should play Tay a ridiculous number of minutes. Even though he had his thigh wrapped in the Suns game.

If MCIAFI costs Tay his streak, I’m going to be mildly upset.

Ubi sant.

Where is the defender?
Where are the points in the paint?
Who will get the rebound?

Ubi sant.

when sheed’s feet are set, he makes 3s. when his feet aren’t set, he’s broke.

Either Max or Amir should be on the floor at all times, except for the last 2-3 minutes of the game.

Tay has the greatest pump fake in the entire league.

Another buzzer-beater from a Pistons opponent! Is there a site that tracks those? Every other stat is tracked. I bet we’d be leading the league.

At least it wasn’t a buzzer beating lay-up. That’s our specialty.

i’m glad it’s not just me noticing that.

we are absolutely horrible at closing quarters, and especially prone to giving away easy shots at the buzzer.

And at the half, Tay has 22 minutes…

they’re showcasing him Shinons

hey… an update on the Billups/AI trade

the Nuggets are 32-14 with Chauncey Billups in the lineup…

just wanted to let you guys know

So Boney, does this officially mean Denver got the better end of the trade?

We won’t know how Detroit did on the trade until the FA craze of 2010 is finished.

Diablo,

As soon as Chauncey Billups put on that #7 jersey was when Denver got the better end of the trade.

Tay turns down open shots like they’re infected by the bubonic plague. Plus, when the ball gets swung to him, even if there’s not a single defender in the same hemisphere; everyone on the court, everyone in the stands, everyone watching on TV, everyone listening on the radio, they all know that damn slo-mo pump fake is coming. Then he’ll think about what to do for a while, then probably just pass it back to someone at the top of the 3 point line, who then has to reset the offense.

at which point there are only 2 seconds left on the shot clock

damn… Mavs turn down Davis and Kaman for Kidd?

jesus

we need to create a new word to describe how washed up Lindsey Hunter is

link boney?

man, this halftime show is making me wax nostalgic…

anyone else remember when we were sweet?

Billips with 23 pts. against Miami so far. Plus some assists. and they’re winning.

Boney…link or it never happened.

“anyone else remember when we were sweet?”

If ever want to remember, I just fire up NBA 2K5 with Ben Wallace on the cover and totally dominate

The Pacers beat Cleveland.

/Nelson laugh

The Pacers are scary, especially when they play good teams.

damn, Obama shows up to honor Kerr.

Keegan and brgulker… it was just reported by Chris Broussard on NBA Coast to Coast

errr, shows up on the screen.

“damn… Mavs turn down Davis and Kaman for Kidd?”

Do you have a link?

Mark Cuban recently posted a piece saying that Jason Kidd is the second most effective player in the NBA. I mean, you wouldn’t trade Devin Harris for Kaman and Davis, and Cuban thinks Kidd is better than Devin Harris.

Haha, Paxson gets bood at halftime. suxzor.

Then the Mavs are ridiculous.

it was reported by Chris Broussard on NBA Coast to Coast kevin s.

okay, this halftime is longer than the super bowl’s

if it was reported by chris broussard, then at least we know it’s bull shit

Was that the longest halftime ever?

heh, Rip starts the 2nd half.

curry is such a wimp

Garrett, do I hear an echo?

Good defense, lots of hustle. I don’t mind this at all.

Baron’s insane contract plus Kaman versus $20 million plus in an expiring contract? Baron penetrates and distributes well, but he’s a terribly inefficient scorer.

Fun fact: March 12, 2008 was the last time Baron Davis shot over 50% from the field in a game. 58 games and counting.

Would we take Baron and Kaman for AI? I hope not.

brgulker: Wimp or lacking a direct vision?

Again, the Pistons are going into the post for an automatic 2 from Sheed. Why don’t they do this FOR AN ENTIRE GAME? Or at least until the other team reacts to Sheed scoring at will.

LawyerBoy:

Both. A wimp because he second guesses the decisions he does make

Lacking direct vision because he can’t seem to make any decisions that last longer than a few games at a time.

If Rip is going to be your 6th man, then let him be your sixth man. I actually liked that AA started, to be honest, because it solidified Rip’s role for the season…

Or did it? Starting him in the 2nd half means that our bench won’t have any scoring punch whatsoever, which means we’re back to the same problem we’ve had for the past 3 seasons.

Seriously, man, I don’t know why I’m so into this right now.

I’d roll the dice on a Kaman-Dirk front court. Baron Davis… not so much. Barea’s been playing pretty well, off and on.

Fun Fact:

Del Negro is translated into English, “Of the black”

When a guy drops 17 in the first half, he starts the second half, no matter what. Curry isn’t that stupid.

“Again, the Pistons are going into the post for an automatic 2 from Sheed. Why don’t they do this FOR AN ENTIRE GAME? Or at least until the other team reacts to Sheed scoring at will.”

Because then we would win, duh.

It’s not so bad. Detroit struggled in those early minutes wit Affalo on the court. That’s why Curry decided to start Rip in the 2nd half.

brgulker: McDyess kinda provides scoring punch. Just like in, the Pistons are “kinda” good.

I still contend that Blaha gets too excited when the Pistons play well…

brgulker: McDyess kinda provides scoring punch. Just like in, the Pistons are "kinda" good.

Yeah… Dyess is such a potent scorer. What was I thinking?

don’t misread that as disrespct for Dyess. I love the guy, his effort, dedication, loyalty, etc. But he’s not a scorer, which I know you know :P

I wonder if MC is this schizophrenic and noncommittal to his wife…

If he is, I doubt he’s getting any anywhere else… I mean, he’s not exactly a looker

what a fucking bullshit call on amir. that sucks

brgulker: Yep. McDyess has got a great elbow jumper. He has nothing else. He’s very good at his one dimension on offense and better than anyone on the squad at hitting the boards. Despite reports stating otherwise, Rip isn’t one dimensional on offense at all.

If I’m Max or Amir, I’m hoping to get traded…

Sheed’s having an outstanding February.

Does anyone ever get the feeling that Bill Davidson has been ruled incapacitated and that there’s now a evil, kinda hot woman running the show, insisting that MCIAFI be AFI so that she can get the Pistons moved to a tropical climate…?

Shinons wins this thread.

lawyer: I agree. I think Rip’s game is multifaceted and includes solid defense, and I think he should be starting.

But our coach thinks otherwise.

So, for the sake of Rip adapting to his new role, shouldn’t he come off the bench to start both halves?

These refs ever gonna call an offensive foul tonight? Dude just tackled Rip while taking that shot. Not to mention Tyrus putting the stiffarm out last possession.

brgulker: Rip starting for AI or Stuckey? Because I still say Stuckey, despite a large portion of DBB deriding Mark Jackson for saying the same thing.

Is sheed playing hard so he can be traded?

All we need is the poster of the evil hot woman that we can tear pieces of her outfit off with each victory the Pistons accumulate. At this rate we might see some leg by the end of the season.

@shinons:
I lol’d. hi-larious. :)

“Give me Vaughn. Give me Rip Vaughn.”

lawyer: Rip for AI.

Here’s my reasoning:

Rip, Stuck, and Tay appear to be the future of the franchise (which migth change, who knows).

If they are, then it makes the best sense for the future of the franchise to play them together as much as possible.

If AI is around for only this season, which it seems he is, then there is little sense trying to blend his game into the style of our starters. His style of play is so different fron anything we’ve played with in the past few seasons to integrate easily.

However, that does not mean AI’s style can’t benefit us.

I say, let AI be AI, but let him be himself with the second unit — with guys like AA (great defender), Maxiel or Amir (who can defend, rebound, and finish on the break and around the basket) and Rip/Hermann/Tay (who can spread the floor by shooting the 3) and Dyess (who can spread the floor by hitting the mid range jumper.

That seems to make the most sense for the short term, at least to me.

Let AI be AI without fussing with integrating his style of play into our long-term chemistry.

That’s probably as poorly as I’ve articulated this on these forums, but that’s because I’m paying quite a bit of attention to our offense tonight…

Noah just got OWNED!!!

Nice third quarter… can we keep from giving up a layup at the buzzer?

Someone should also count how many times you could insert a “that’s what she said” after Greg Kelser finishes talking

We were the buzzer beaters that quarter, not the buzzer beatees! Feels good for a change!

@ Shinons—

I’m envisioning a Pootie Tang narrative for this year’s Pistons. Lectercorp’s minions stole Sheed’s championship belt, and the Pistons have to go in exile to downstate Illinois, where a conversation with a cornstalk rejuvenates Sheed and company, following which they make a triumphant return to the city and kick everybody’s ass.

Greg Kelser:

“That is a good tap folks”

That’s what she said

Now, THAT’S how you end a quarter.

Time to bring in AA and Max (crosses fingers)

Also, on ending that quarter, it was nice to see a fully executed play off the inbounds. McDyess had a great look, but unfortunately missed. I wonder if that was by design, or if he just happened to shake free of his guy?

One would hope that it was designed… it’s sad we have to ask

rip just rolled nocioni’s ankles

brgulker: I think AI/Rip starting gives us the best chance to win more this year, but if the greater concern is the future I’d go ahead with Stuckey. Maybe I’m naive, but I think this team has the talent to make the ECF, it’s just not using the talent optimally.

Too many possessions in which Stuck is the only Pistons to touch the ball

Hahaha, the Turkish commentary is pretty funny. They are joking around the fact that Detroit is having an offensive explosion now that their lead scorer (AI) is on the bench.

brgulker: I chuckled. That was pretty sweet.

WTF is Prince doing?

I’m getting very very tired of Tay

brgulker: I think AI/Rip starting gives us the best chance to win more this year, but if the greater concern is the future I’d go ahead with Stuckey. Maybe I’m naive, but I think this team has the talent to make the ECF, it’s just not using the talent optimally.

I agree, in part.

I don’t think we have enough talent to make it to the ECF if we are the six seed, and here’s why: If we have to go through Orlando, then Boston, then Cleveland (in any order), then we don’t have a snowball’s chance.

However, if we can rally and get the 4th seed; and, if we can manage to figure out our chemistry; and, if we can find a way to limit the minutes of Tay, Sheed, and Dyess; then, we might have a chance.

But, I don’t think AI can be AI with a starting backcourt of Rip and AI. AI has to worry too much about running the offense with that lineup, because our offense is still constructed around Rip running off screens; and ultimately, it’s most effective when Rip is moving well.

I blame Curry for Tay’s offensive stagnation.

@ Garrett: there’s more where that came from.

At least once a game, Kelser talks about how much “penetration hurts”…

Too bad they don’t keep track of causing shot clock violations as part of box score. Prince could become a double-double machine if they did.

“But, I don’t think AI can be AI with a starting backcourt of Rip and AI. AI has to worry too much about running the offense with that lineup, because our offense is still constructed around Rip running off screens; and ultimately, it’s most effective when Rip is moving well.”

I thought that initially, as well, but they have been playing pretty well lately and Rip has been scoring in a variety of ways – not just curls etc. Also, Stuckey has been awful lately. It might be a slump, or it might be a sign that he’s not quite ready to be the starting pg of this team. In that case, maybe bringing him off the bench wouldn’t be so bad.

Then again, AI’s defense changes the whole equation.

brgulker: I agree that letting ai be ai is the best solution. but I think in all comes down to wether sheed is going to play hard and be a dominant pf. he can do it, it just a question of will he?

MAAAXXXXXXX!

Greg KElser:

“He (maxiel) shot it downward”

That’s what she said.

and it just gets better:

“Once maxiel found the gap, he elevated and shot it downward”

that’s what she said

Wow. Tyrus Thomas just leaped out of the gym to grab that offensive rebound over Maxiell!

i feel the lead is slipping…..once again

Curry sucks. this is where you call a timeout to give your team a quick rest and regroup.

will the pistons blow another big lead?

IN YOUR FACE GABE!!!

I kid, sort of

this is decent.. will it be a strong close? can it be a strong close to this game? or will we get to squirm in the final 2 minutes?

Colin:

“Also, Stuckey has been awful lately. It might be a slump, or it might be a sign that he’s not quite ready to be the starting pg of this team. In that case, maybe bringing him off the bench wouldn’t be so bad.”

My response would be: Letting Stuckey play through tough stretches, without benching him and hurting his confidence, is the best thing for our team in the long run.

I reiterate, AI is here for this year, and unless Joe D has something planned we don’t know about, this year only.

Why start a guy that we are essentially renting when we have other players signed to long-term deals and have proven they can be effective within our system?

The AI trade is unlike the Sheed trade in that AI is simply not capable of putting this roster over the top… maybe he would have been elsewhere, but not here.

So why start him? Why not play him in the Jason Terry role, where he can run wild, push the ball, dominate the ball on offense, and create shots for everyone else? Pair him with AA when you can for defense and Rip in short bursts. It just makes sense to me…

If they don’t box out and bebound, they’ll certainly blow this lead again.

that was a sweet move by tay

Also, the refs have really started to make this game hard to watch. I can’t wait until David Stern is gone (not the poster, the commish), and his taint on the game can be removed. Fuck random touch fouls :(

Yep! Looks like it’s time for the nightly

NBA: Where 10 points lead disappear to horrible teams.

is anyone else worried that we are about to throw this game away?

please put rip back in the game…

this is obviously the part of the game where MC decides to be MCIAFI and benches Rip. clearly, that makes so much sense

caset ..detroit where leads getting blown happens ..alot

I love how Stuckey (and Afflalo) take it hard to the rim.

The reason AI should is because he is for now. If he wasn’t for now, then they should’ve just kept Billups. They made the trade, seeing cap space, but wanting to work something out with the now. AI is not simply a 1-year rental. He was brought in to try to bring Detroit over the top. Even if you don’t believe you can, you g2 go thru with it because that’s what you made the trade for. Why put the season on your guards if they are basically rookies and can’t lead the team too far right now. In the future of course, but for this season, they should go all out with AI. If not, they always got cap space and their core.

wtf?

Dyess and Sheed cannot control the paint… they can’t elevate to block shots anymore. we need some youth out there

Where’s the sensurgency???!!?

1oo puntos!

it seems together, but yes i am worried. it is so easy to pick up a quick 5-8 points if a team (stones) commits a turnover, offensive foul, missed two freethrows, etc…

some nice moves by stuckey.. even the one that didn’t finish where he totally faked the guy out (can’t makeout the players too well on the feed I have)

“The reason AI should is because he is for now. If he wasn’t for now, then they should’ve just kept Billups. They made the trade, seeing cap space, but wanting to work something out with the now. AI is not simply a 1-year rental. He was brought in to try to bring Detroit over the top. Even if you don’t believe you can, you g2 go thru with it because that’s what you made the trade for. Why put the season on your guards if they are basically rookies and can’t lead the team too far right now. In the future of course, but for this season, they should go all out with AI. If not, they always got cap space and their core.”

except that AI is clearly not putting us over the top or anything close to it… we are much worse off this season than we were last season, and the only significant change is AI … well that and MC and one year older legs

WTF! Can’t we just PLEASE put Max back?

Fourth-Quarter Collapse. Just a little late this time.

yep. where leads get blown. just once put a sucker away. step on the punks when they are down dammit!.

DANGIT WE NEED AN ATHLETIC BIG GUY IN THE GAME!

Thomas is owning us, and Sheed and Dyess just can’t stop him.

are we actually gonna blow this one?

I think we should go to smallball.

/ducks

If this were a European soccer team, the fans would be raiding the practice facility and beating the crap out of the entire team after every game.

Weeetroit Basketbaaaaal

Lol @ Walter

Rip needs to make that bunny

brgulker: you are making too much sense… do you think mc can figure that out

here we go…..! : ) 4 point game

I feel no emotion. I am dead inside.

these free throws are getting ridiculous.

Walter: Are the Turkish commentators baffled as to why we’re letting them back into the game? Have they questioned Curry’s ability to coach an NBA team yet?

No, wait. Still feel hatred.

What’s Turkish for MCIAFI?

@ czm: No, I don’t think MC will figure that out, because I think he’s a pansy. He won’t stand up to a hall of fame player, because he was little more than mediocre as ap layer himself. he lacks the stones to make the tough decisions, and he’s short-sighted to boot.

seriously, Tay has played this fucking game like we’ve been up by 30 from the moment the ball tipped off.

and…. we can’t get a fucking foul call, when every time a Bull player goes barreling out of control into the lane, they get the auto-call.

ughhhhhhhhh… this is going to end badly

1 possession game! woohoo! they need to get these games on TNT more, where “DRAMA HAPPENS”

Not only are we giving this game to the Bulls, but we’re ensuring that Amare becomes a Bull as well. No team makes TT look like a beast as much as the Pistons. Argh.

brgulker: Stuckey averaged 19 minutes last year and 31 (35 minutes in his starts) this year. That’s part of the difference too. AI isn’t the only variable.

bgrulker:

Yeah, I can’t really get too worked up about who starts anymore because I think we suck no matter what…..so I guess that means Stuckey should start or something.

Yeah, let’s wait until NOW to call a timeout.

my god we suck, its so sad

this is unreal… what will it take for MC to put a lineup on the floor that makes sense?

who is to blame for this crap?

why am I not surprised?

Garrett,

No, the Turkish commentators are both idiots. They were just saying that Prince has one of the best post games in the league. There are much more knowledgeable basketball guys in Turkey, I have no idea why these two schmucks are doing the commentary.

Right now they are talking about how great Chicago is playing.

i would prefer for us to let them win on a 4 point play, lets see… how about sheed fouling someone as they shoot 2 foot behind the three point line—and they make it and the freethrow!

We are the worst 4th quarter team in the NBA right now.

Is Chauncey watching in the visitors’ locker room in Miami and just shaking his head right now?

Curry is an idiot

And

McDoos Sucks

brgulker: Stuckey averaged 19 minutes last year and 31 (35 minutes in his starts) this year. That’s part of the difference too. AI isn’t the only variable.

I should have been more clear.. what I meant was the totality of the AI trade, not just AI himself, and I didn’t express that clearly.

did rose really just stand there for a while ask for da ball, wait for thomas to attack nd dish it back to him (which every1 could’ve saw comin) nd still shoot dat shoot by da free throw line wide open?

Hey you dont have to hold back go ahead tell me how you really feel

Night of tragic?

@Casey,

You are right. This game probably convinced Kerr to swap Amare for TT.

Fire Curry and buy out McDoos

did rose really just stand there for a while ask for da ball, wait for thomas to attack nd dish it back to him (which every1 could’ve saw comin) nd still shoot dat shoot by da free throw line wide open?

did u rly jst post one long run on sentence without any nglish wrds in it?

Boney: please tell us what Curry is saying to this incompetent team. You know, in bebound talk.

I’m ready for baseball season.

brgulker: I’m not even trying to blame Stuckey, though his February has been horrible and his Janauary wasn’t too stellar either. I’m just saying, it’s not just one thing like trading AI. And if tonight’s any indication, it’s our TEAM defense, not Mr. Iverson’s personally, that makes us lose.

Watch Prince screw this up.

Worse coach – Curry or Amaker?

We suck at defense, but Rose made a pretty awesome play there. Although it really looked like he traveled at the top of the key….

are you serious??

I can’t believe we’ve won 27 games (well, 23).

What the fuck was that Sheed?

ABC EFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWYXZ

What’s missing, kiddies?

That’s right! the “D”!

You’re so special!

WHAT.
THE.
HELL.
SHEED.

The keys to beating to Detroit:

Sign a better-than-average guard who can attack of the dribble. He will eat the Pistons defense alive.

Sign a worse-than-average but athletic young big an and insert him into the game everytime you see Dyess and Sheed on the floor at the same time.

Pretty simple, really.

For sources: see Milwaukee, NJ, Chicago, anyone I’m forgetting?

WTFallaway time!

Even the Turkish commentators are baffled at that shot by Wallace. They are saying he left his brains at home today. LOL.

We’ve been outrebounded 17-5 this quarter.

what in the fuck is wrong with sheed? that was the dumbest thing i’ve ever seen in my life.

WTFallaway 3 by Rasheed with 12 on the shotclock. Now that is a sign of a poorly coached team. MCIAFI.

damn i am getting dinner ready (west coast).. missed the last few seconds, what the hell happened with sheed?

this has got to be the worst six minutes of pistons basketball in memory…and that is impressive considering this shitty season.

There’s your four-point play…

Maybe Sheed doesn’t get on the block because nobody knows how to make an entry pass to the post.

3rd quarter against Milwaukee: 37 points allowed.

Tonight’s 4th against Bulls: 30 and counting.

Anyone else remember when we used to hold almost everyone in the 80s?
?

………………………………….

As predicted, ending badly.

OMG!!!!! No friggin way!

The idea was to get two for one.

WHAT.
THE.
HELL.
STUCKEY.

I am dying inside.

oh… sheed with a three… oh well hell how about that.. i called it… stuckey with a foul and a made 3 pointer… you didn’t expect me to call a 4 point play for chicago to win! psychic skills

I’m switching teams.

This game is on Rasheed.

will this be the last time i torture myself with this crap for awhile?

who yall got to blame now? AI didnt play

I hate this team.

LOL.
This is the absolute worst loss I have ever seen in my life.

Wow…

This game is just more evidence that this season doesn’t matter, which is just more evidence that we shouldn’t be starting AI.

This season has to be about the future, not the present, and AI is not a part of that future.

Right now, we are a slightly better than average team that has no legitimate chance of winning our conference or the title.

please do something

worst game ever

This game makes baby Jesus cry.

boston wtf was that is that the play we drew up

roflmfao. i’m sorry, but that was funny. pinon lopez look at that. you asked for it, and you got it. i really want to know what boney has to say about this.

Also, I don’t care how bad Curry is (and he is bad), that doesn’t explain what Rasheed did and what Rodney Stuckey just did. I really want this win, but all this stuff tells you something.

Derrick Rose is crying? Haha.

We were ahead 92 to 77!!!!

It’s now 102-105.

Anyone want to do that Math? If I do it, I’ll just get pissed.

Throws away his Sheed jersey, puts on a LeBron jersey

Rasheed +14. Amir +13. Dyess -21.
That’s my summary, right there.

sad

These guys have no pride. No fire. Even if you have the worst coach in the universe, at some point you say, “I’m better than him. I’m going to stop him. They won’t score.” Michael Curry should absolutely, without a doubt be fired. These guys aren’t even playing to win under his guidance.

So did Stuck get really hurt on the 4-point play?

BLOW THIS FUCKING TEAM UP!!! Trade anyone, everyone.

yikes

brgulker, the game ends 102-107. That’s a 30-10 run by the Bulls.

yeah, the game is on Sheed, but it never should’ve come to that. The first time TT blew by Sheed an Dice, MC should’ve called TO and put Maxiell in the game.

Scoring by quarter:

Pistons: 22 29 34 17
Bulls: 30 20 21 36

36 points… to the Bulls… in crunch time.

I’m sure I’m a little biased at this particular moment, but I think it’s safe to say that we are no longer a contender…

They should be embarrassed and disgusted with themselves. I’d love to see/hear the post-game.

Keegan: How about “lost a 15 point 4th quarter lead because no one made a bucket at the while our best clutch scorer had the flu and our defense played terribly per usual”? That covers more ground while remaining concise.

Can’t wait to see the commentary in the papers late tonight (PT)

i wish they would finish breaking up the 2004 squad. this slow death is torture. no a.i. to blame tonight.i thought defense was the priority this season. wha happened? FIRE CURRY! he does not know what he is doing.

4th quarter score: 36-17 Chicago. That’s unbelievable.

I feel like taking a power drill to my eye.

cant wait to see the people on this post get over the AI hate and realize this team has some serious poblems other than AI

WE WERE AWESOME LAST YEAR THOUGH!!!!! AGRJKR@!GHRrh3lhg3klrh3hhk3jl

Sorry, but I’ve got to disagree brgulker. We are a below average team at this point. I’m beginning to think we’re all a bunch of masochists as we continue to invest in this trainwreck of a team.

These guys have no pride. No fire. Even if you have the worst coach in the universe, at some point you say, "I’m better than him. I’m going to stop him. They won’t score." Michael Curry should absolutely, without a doubt be fired. These guys aren’t even playing to win under his guidance.

You’re only right if Joe D cares about this season…. I honestly don’t think he does, in spite of what he says on FSN every week.

Trading CB was the start of blowing this team up, and that’s been the case since day 1.

The roster might not get blown up until the season is over and the contracts expire, but that’s exactly what’s happening.

This era of Detroit basketball is undoubtedly, decisively over… would it be if CB were still here? Hard to say, but what’s done is done.

Good point, but I saw a lot more of Tyrus Thomas absolutely shredding Rasheed and Dyess through the late 3rd and early 4th, and a complete inability to neutralize Joakim Noah. You potato, I say po-ta-to.

Hire Isiah!

M to the C to the I to the A to the F to the… I, y’all

brgulker,

I agree, we are no longer a contender – for the 8th playoff seed.

Good point, but I saw a lot more of Tyrus Thomas absolutely shredding Rasheed and Dyess through the late 3rd and early 4th, and a complete inability to neutralize Joakim Noah. You potato, I say po-ta-to.

That’s why Dyess and Sheed no longer work together. They are simply not athletic enough anymore.

Ben Gordon and Derrick Rose combine for 47 on 18 of 33 shooting (54.55%). As dsfk says, this team has got “serious poblems”.

Either way, gimme postgame comments from MCIAFI, and pronto!

Michael Curry makes me want to punch a baby.

brgulker does your conspiracy theory include tanking to miss the payoffs?

I gave this Curry guy a chance. Up until now. He blows.

I wonder if AI is at home, chuckling with glee?

Well, at least I still have Keith Langlois there to tell me everything’s OK, tomorrow.

Derrick Rose cried. He cried.

@Keegan:
I’m actually waiting up to hear Curry’s post-game press conference. It’s a little masochistic, but I just honestly can’t wait to hear “bebounds,” and “sensurgency,” and all those other beauties. They’ll make me feel better about absolutely not caring whether the pistons win or lose until Curry is fired (a point that I think sub-consciously I have already reached).

brgulker does your conspiracy theory include tanking to miss the payoffs?

I don’t think it’s really a conspiracy.

First and foremost, this trade was about cap space, regardless of what Dumars says.

However, I don’t think Joe D expected things to go this badly. I think he overestimated Stuckey’s ability to fill CB’s role, and I think he expected AI to gel better with a group of veterans.

At best, AI was a calculated risk — but it was always a risk, not a sure thing.

Best case scenario: AI fits in, STuckey blossoms, and we get hot in the playoffs.

Worst case scenario: we have lots of money and a depleted roster.

Unfortunately, the latter has come to fruition, not the former.

This team is ripping my heart out, spitting in the bloody cavity left behind, then taking my still beating heart, passing it to Amir on a fast break, where he runs over a defender and gets a charging foul. Then, my heart is tossed to the ref, who discovers that it is not inflated properly. He pumps it up. I watch in absolutely indescribable pain. Then, the other team gets to shoot a free throw, cuz the Pistons are in the penalty. And the other team’s player misses, and Sheed yells, “Heart don’t lie!” Then I die.

“I wonder if AI is at home, chuckling with glee”

I actually feel kinda bad for AI… he didn’t ask to be traded to a team that doesn’t give a shit about him fitting in.

and, yeah Keith Langlois is hilarious. It’s always a fun exercise to try and guess how he’ll spin the latest horrible collapse into some kind of positive…

This team is ripping my heart out, spitting in the bloody cavity left behind, then taking my still beating heart, passing it to Amir on a fast break, where he runs over a defender and gets a charging foul. Then, my heart is tossed to the ref, who discovers that it is not inflated properly. He pumps it up. I watch in absolutely indescribable pain. Then, the other team gets to shoot a free throw, cuz the Pistons are in the penalty. And the other team’s player misses, and Sheed yells, "Heart don’t lie!" Then I die.

That is the stuff of legend. It actually made my night worth having.

That’s a pretty sound summary, brgulker. I had high hopes for AI (and Curry, because he seemed like the anti-Flip) but now I just want one, or both, of them gone. In my perfect world, I’d like to see Curry fired for Jeff Van Gundy, Sheed and Amir traded for Amare, and AI sent to the bench.

How in the span of one season did we go from a team that goes deep into the playoffs every year to this? We look pathetic, beaten down, confused. We are making turnovers we haven’t seen in YEARS. The defense is horrible.

The offense is totally and completely out of sync. It use to be so pretty to watch the ball swing around for a wide open shot. Now it’s all one on one and Sheed launching threes.

For the record I am a fan, and I will continue to watch this team even if they don’t make the playoffs. I just want to see some change somewhere.. What is the problem? The coach? As much as everyone hated flip we were winning games and made the ECF. MC can’t coach for shit and we all know it. He doesn’t have the X’s and O’s knowledge. I’m sure the players like him and he has some really great suits but who cares. The reason Flip didn’t win in the playoffs is because he couldn’t make in-game adjustments. MC can’t even sub right. Its real sad to see a guy like Max come in the game and blow an assignment or f-up a switch on a pick and roll and then get pulled. It’s not his fault MCIAFI and can’t have aregular rotation where guys play every night.

AI for Billups? Billups had his issues but AI didn’t solve any of them. It was a salary move but it sacrificed the present. Billups was an efficient scorer, a leader, and a decent defender. AI is none of those things. Only time will tell if Joe can spin this turd into gold. It really f’d the chemistry and balance of TEAM piston though.

I just wish we could have gotten Dice a ring in 05. I love that guy.

Go Stones!

man is mc burying sheed

I’m pretty sure he is not. AI’s definately about winning, regardless of stats. Check this out though. I warned of this. I said just his presense alone makes defenses struggle. I also said that Rodney Stuckey was having out of world performances and would return to earth. I know Boney doubted me. Look at December, January, and February. his stats have gotten worse.

I agree with what LawyerBoy has said. for all those that blamed Iverson (Boney, I know you’re out there), please explain this. Also, MCIAFI does not excuse Rasheed’s shot, Stuckey defense on Rose, and on Gordon that last play, and Rip throwing the ball away. It explains bad pick and roll defense and a pace too slow for the team in hand, as well as other things.

I loved the one where he vehemently defended the small-ball experiment, and thought everyone was crazy for jumping to judgment, when it was obvious that it was a disasterpiece .

MCIAFI

“I just wish we could have gotten Dice a ring in 05. I love that guy.”

My money’s on Dice going to SA or Boston… think of how well he would fit in at either of those places and how much better both teams would be with him.

For that matter, think about Sheed signing in SA after this season ends. That would be absolutely scary good.

It was a bad sign at halftime, when Eli Zaret was interviewing Cowens or whoever. He asked “what do you have to do to keep up with this team?” Since when did come to the point where its almost taken for granted that we’re always constantly adjusting to what other teams do, and not the other way around? And adjusting to bad teams too, not imposing your will, just adjusting to them? That my beef.

We’re still 4-1 without AI…

I think mc has lost the team and he wont make it through this season

“We’re still 4-1 without AI…”

That was full of win. +100

Anything good in the post-game? I’m watching New York/Golden State, wishing we had David Lee.

lets hear sme quotes, what is Curry saying about Rasheed and probably the most bonehead shot ive ever seen.

I’ve watched so many Pistons games this season that watching two other teams is like system shock. What is this offense? What is this defense? Some of these guys are hustling! What?!

I guess I’ve got to become a Lakers fan now. I just want Boston and Cleveland to lose.

I guess Curry called out Sheed on that shot. The MLive board’s a-popping. It was on the Chicago feed, I guess.

Keegan – link?

http://www.mlive.com/forums/pistons/

It’s all heresay at this point. Beware.

Thank you, brotha. I’d say the whole season is heresy. harharharhar

I didn’t even think about the Del Negro vs. Curry battle of wills! Ha!

Wow, I forgot he even coached them.

David Lee is a lefty. Didn’t know that. Does that make him even more valuable?

this wouldn’t be happening if we still had tony delk

@TDP:
DON’T GO OVER TO THOSE TEAMS! If you have to, root for the Spurs. Seriously… Rooting for the Pistons, we all know this feeling already- its that hard to describe joy you get from rooting for a contending team that David Stern absolutely does not want to succeed.

It is okay for mc to bury sheed. it was an ill-advised shot with plently of time left on the clock. Now it is time for the players to bury curry.

After a debacle like that Joe should’ve gotten rid of Curry at the post-game presser.

In lieu of that, I demand a WWFesque press conference tomorrow. Curry’s talking fritos, sensurgency and bebounds…when Bill Davidson comes out from behind the curtain to say, “YOU’RE FIRED!!!” Cue the gospel music. Chris McCoskey: “Good Gawd, could it be? That’s Avery Johnson’s music! Looks like business is about to pick up.” Steel chair to the head the whole shebang.

That’s how I want to see it go down tomorrow. A man’s allowed to dream isn’t he?

It is okay for mc to bury sheed. it was an ill-advised shot with plently of time left on the clock. Now it is time for the players to bury curry.

Casey: Chris McCosky is no Jim Ross. And Bill Davidson isn’t one thousandth the showman that Vince McMahon is.

Don’t cross the boss!

Ugh, Curry’s press conference wasn’t enjoyable at all, it was just depressing. All Curry’s defiance and self-assuredness from earlier in the year is gone. It just seemed clear that he knew he’s lost the team, and it seemed clear all the reporters in the room knew it too, and it seemed clear that Curry knew the reporters knew. It was a weird few minutes; nothing of consequence was actually said out loud, but watching it from beginning to end, IMO a lot of depressing info was communicated non-verbally.

Also, just wanted to give everyone a heads up- there’s still a bunch of available, cheap tickets for tomorrow’s game:
http://www.stubhub.com/detroit-pistons-tickets/pistons-vs-hawks-2-11-2009-691128/

I’d personally prefer JVG over Avery. Avery is just a more seasoned version of MC, IMHO. The one plus about Avery, Stuckey would become better at PG in a hurry.

Well, under Avery and Van Gundy, AI and Rip would be the starting backcourt. They said it themselves.

V having avery work with stuckey is good enough reason for me

Just saw the box score. 4th quarter malaise, indeed.

Wow, did I pick a good time to spend time with my kids or what.
Glad I didn’t waste my time with this trash that is Pistons second half basketball.

Seriously, if I don’t see Curry fired by the All-Star break I might just stop watching completely this season. It aggravates me no end watching this sinking ship. MCIAFI and he is responsible.

(I would never actually stop watching, it hurts too good)

wait, so are some of pistons fans finally beginning to realize AI is not completely to blame for all this team’s defensive struggles. chicago had 11 points with about 4 minutes to go in 1st quarter when rip was inserted into the game. they finished the quarter with 30 points. ’nuff said.

I would be surprised if MC got fired before season’s end, for any number of reasons. Most importantly, what’s the point, especially when the team is probably losing money and Mr. D is probably tired of paying for unemployed coaches. Yes, he’s overmatched, now, but what worries me is that judging him from his interviews and being miked, his upside is limited. He’s a poor communicator, much worse than you’d think the former head of the NBAPA would be. Yes, the situation has been unfair to him, but I’m not seeing anything that shows me he can run any team.

I prefer JVG over Avery because I think he’s the better coach, with the better resume. Personally, I don’t even think it’s close. Remember Avery’s tenure in Dallas and how it mirrors MC’s here on a number of different levels. Avery was Cubes’ guy, and the anointed successor to Don Nelson. Avery also lost his team fairly quickly.

Finally, let’s go back to the trade for AI. I think Dumars knew exactly what he had when pulling the trigger on the deal, and it’s showing in the team’s recent play (although I think under a Pop or LB, you’d see 7-8 more wins). Dumars is only concerned about rings, and understands that the only way you are going to beat Boston is to be as physical as they are. The Pistons are really undersized up front; there’s virtually no post presence, and Kwame is your one legit big body. So he decided to blow the team up and it’s pretty obvious now. If AI could come in as a saviour, great, but I think that was less than a 50-50 proposition. Which reminds me, Amare gives us more balance, but I don’t think he’s going to be the answer at center.

I have no idea what Dumars has in mind for 2009, there are only 3-4 FA’s that intrigue me (you can have the fragile Carlos Boozer; he’s probably headed to Miami anyway, but I wouldn’t mind Memo returning); Memo, David Lee (restricted) and Anderson Varejao (a young Ben Wallace, with slightly better FT accuracy). You might also be able to pick up an Elton Brand, who was supposedly on the market before hurting his shoulder, and who would be a much better fit with Detroit’s system than Philly’s.

There’s been a lot of criticism of Dumars, but I still trust him, and I think the only GM in his class is SAS’s R.C. Slocum, and Slocum has a HoF coach working for him. I’m thinking while Dumars is saying “judge us after our season, not during it”, he’s got something in mind for the future.

“yeah, the game is on Sheed”

Well, no. As Keegan wrote:

Rasheed +14. Amir +13. Dyess -21.
That’s my summary, right there.

Roscoe’s last shot was obviously a bonehead maneuver, but the Pistons got out to that big third quarter lead only because Sheed was fucking unstoppable.

I’ll happily take a game like tonight’s from Sheed any day of the week.

“I gave this Curry guy a chance. Up until now. He blows.”

Yup. I gave up on Curry about a week and a half ago.

He’s in waaaaay over his head. Every player on the Pistons looks worse than they really are right now, (with the exception of Rip), because Curry isn’t giving them any of them role where they can succeed.

“I wonder if AI is at home, chuckling with glee?”

You guys really are kinda weird. Believe it or not, it’s a team sport.

“I actually feel kinda bad for AI… he didn’t ask to be traded to a team that doesn’t give a shit about him fitting in.”

Yup. This is certainly the most depressing Iverson season I’ve seen, entirely because it’s the first time I’ve ever seen a team not even TRY to make the best use of his gifts.

“Ugh, Curry’s press conference wasn’t enjoyable at all, it was just depressing. All Curry’s defiance and self-assuredness from earlier in the year is gone. It just seemed clear that he knew he’s lost the team”

Curry has absolutely looked like a beaten man for the past couple of weeks.

I was reading that the Hornets are really having financial problems and looking to dump salary. What do everyone think of ’Sheed to NO for Tyson Chandler and Julian Wright?

Then you spend the AI money on a PF and you get…

PG – Stuckey
SG – Rip, Affalo
SF – Tay, Wright
PF – One of Amare/Boozer/Bosh
C – Chandler/McDyess

That’s pretty good young team.

“He’s in waaaaay over his head. Every player on the Pistons looks worse than they really are right now, (with the exception of Rip), because Curry isn’t giving them any of them role where they can succeed.”

Exactly.

(and that was me who wondered if AI was at home chuckling with glee. It was half-serious, half-joking. I’ve said numerous times before that I actually feel bad for AI because he probably thought he was coming to The Detroit Pistons, not their red-headed step child)

And if I get a chance to go to another game and Curry is still the coach, I might just have to make a shirt that says, “Michael Curry makes me want to punch a baby.”

That was the most depressing fourth quarter collapse I can remember, with the exception of game six of the ECF vs. Boston last year.

Yeah, it’s not all or mostly AI’s fault. I can’t even say for sure it’s all or mostly Curry’s fault. I just don’t understand how this team got SO much worse this year.

And just because nobody else has, I’m going to give the Bulls some credit. That’s not easy for me, because I don’t particularly like them, and I find Noah especially annoying. But after playing pretty poorly for most of the game, including some unbelievably dumb plays and turnovers, they didn’t give up after getting down 15 in the 4th. They needed everything to go right for them, and it did, but they kept working. We didn’t.

“That was the most depressing fourth quarter collapse I can remember, with the exception of game six of the ECF vs. Boston last year.”

Meh. I thought we were going to lose that game for most of the time it was happening. I did get optimistic when Roscoe went nuts in the third quarter, but by the time the Bulls had whittled the lead down to 12 in the fourth quarter, I said to myself, “Ben Gordon wins this thing at the end.”

Don’t get me wrong. I’m normally not psychic, but I did see this one coming a mile away. I couldn’t figure out where we were going to get any offense from in the fourth other than from Rip.

I do hope Chuck is able give it a real run tonight. We need to get some payback against Atlanta, not to mention that it’s actually a pretty important game in terms of playoff positioning…

Petey: Agree Sheed was unstoppable in the 3rd, but why wasn’t he doing that in the 4th? Lost the game? I doubt it, but this is the same kinda play he did last week with the Heat. 10+ seconds on the shot clock, a long 3 ball, the only difference is last week it went in. A bad shot is a bad shot.

It’s not the way you finish out games and that’s what counts. Like everyone else here, it doesn’t matter who starts but who finishes. And in to of the last 4 games he finished poorly due to shot selection. I don’t care how unstoppable he is in teh 1st – 3rd quarters. You play the game to put yourself in a position to win the game at the end thru execution.

As for MC, he’s over his head. He’s got a cheap contract so Mr. Davidson can pay him (1.5M/yr ??) over the next year or two like he did Flip this season and we hire JVG. I didn’t see the presser last nite, but if I’m Joe D, I’ve got to worry about a possible FA looking at not only the team but also the coaching staff. And right now I don’t know how anyone chooses to come here under MC.

Looking at the cup half full, after the reviews of the last 10 days and his performance last nite, I think it’s safe to say the Bulls aren’t parting with T. Thomas for Amare. And I think that’s the only way Kerr pulls the trigger on that deal is if he’s included.

“This is certainly the most depressing Iverson season I’ve seen, entirely because it’s the first time I’ve ever seen a team not even TRY to make the best use of his gifts.”
-Petey

It’s a shame, because I actually don’t think it’s at all intentional, it’s that Curry is an honest to goodness, awful basketball coach. There is not a single thing he is good at, and what he seems to be worst at is figuring out how to fit players with different styles into a single unit with a cohesive philosophy. His “knowledge” of coaching is just a hodge-podge of cliches and slogans. He brings less than nothing to the table.

Generally, for the whole team, not only for AI, this is turning out to be just a depressing season, and like you said- other than Rip recently, most of our players have not been put in a position to succeed, and as a result they have had some confused/bad moments. I’m genuinely curious to see if Joe steps in and changes coaches if things stay this bad or get worse. I’ll say it know: if he doesn’t, some measure of my faith in him will be gone.

“this is the same kinda play he did last week with the Heat. 10+ seconds on the shot clock, a long 3 ball, the only difference is last week it went in. A bad shot is a bad shot.”

Agreed. I HATED that shot against Miami, even though it went in.

Roscoe is a bit of knucklehead. That’s why he’s not Tim Duncan. But I still like having him on my team. He’s an elite big, he’s smart, and he wants to win. That’s enough for me.

“It’s not the way you finish out games and that’s what counts.”

Give guys well-defined roles, limit their minutes, and be about winning. Then players will do right by you at the ends of games.

Don’t give guys well-defined roles, wear out their legs, and don’t be about winning. Then players will freelance at the ends of games.

doh- i’ll say it now:

Petey: “Roscoe is a bit of knucklehead. That’s why he’s not Tim Duncan. But I still like having him on my team. He’s an elite big, he’s smart, and he wants to win. That’s enough for me.”

Elite? Some nites.
Smart? Some nites.
Wants to win? Answers to above can only mean this answer is – Some nites.

I’m not saying he doesn’t want to win. Everyone does. But it’s what you do nite in and nite out to put your team in a position to win and that starts with how you utilize your talent and how you play the game. From tip off to the final buzzer.

If I’m a Piston (OK, I’m dreaming) I’m damn mad at Sheed for that shot and I’m damn mad if Curry didn’t at least have a word with him last week vs. Miami. I understand wanting to have enough time at that point last nite for a twofer. But Christ, we had problems inbounding the ball on that play. That and the play ran is Curry’s responsibility and it sucked.

We’re getting beat up and down the court in the fourth to get outscored by almost 20, Gordon doesn’t go completely off and Amir and Max are on the bench? As was Rip for a good portion? I’m sorry, but you can’t get beat up and down court like that. Dead legs or not.

I think i and maybe many of us under estimated Chauncey’s role on this team. I thought AI would be a good move with Stuckey developing so well. But theres clearly lack of any leadership on this team. I don’t know if its clearly LEADERSHIP or maybe Chauncey just provided a calming presence. Who the hell knows but I say we go after Stuadimire. I like Bosh but waiting a year for him is a gamble. You can trade for Amare and thats a guarantee. Waiting for free agency and Bosh is a gamble. I just feel like we’re lost and a bunch of loose cannons right now and I’m not going to blame that all on AI. I say send Sheed and whatever 1 or 2 complimentary bench pieces they want (Afflalo, Amir, Max). For the record, I labeled myself the President of the I love Maximus fan club, but him and Amir can go man. They are so freaking inconsistent. I know Curry keeps jerking them around. Sunday I watched the Denver game and Chris Anderson (aka Birdman) was all over the freaking place. In 10 mins the guy had something like 8-10 pts, 2 blks, 4-5 rebs, and few good defensive plays. He looked like a freaking super hero. Hell no, he can’t do that for 48 mins. but for 10 mins the guys energy was totally ridiculous. That’s what I expect from Amir & Max, maximus your 10 mins genetlemen. Not saying they lost this game for us, I’m just venting. Haven’t posted in a while. McDyess has been having a very very solid year but -24 last night? Can you say Damn Dice. We appear to have no leadership on the court or sidelines right now.

E-Double: I agree about CB. But, and I’m going from memory here, how many times in the last 4 years during the last quarter did we let teams sneak back in and cause us trouble. I seem to remember far too many times we needed key baskets or whatever and got them from CB or somebody else because we had let teams back in with our “what, me worry” attitude. It’s just that we don’t finish games as well as we did then and certainly CB was part of that.

You are dead on with respect to no leadership on the floor. And I believe that’s in part coaching and making sure guys know who’s on the floor, what play(s) we’re running and who’s option 1, 2 etc, should things break down. MC doesn’t have any answers because I truly believe he didn’t have any answers before, and I think it’s finally caught up with him regarding how the team views him because they were willing to cut him some slack earlier in the season and adjustments regarding the AI trade.

Sheed is long and agile yet the last several minutes of the game last nite we couldn’t get a post pass into him on numerous occasions. And he’s being guarded by Noah? And he just went off in the third? He’s getting pushed out of the block further each time and then makes a lame shot?

I’m also skeptical regarding AI missing yesterday’s shoot around because of the flu. Nobody else on the team is sick? It’s gotta be some “bug” given Iverson’s competitiveness to make him sick enough to miss a shoot around. Hell, Kobe played Sunday. And then MC starts AA so to keep continuity of Rip coming off the bench? Since when is MC about continuity and consistency?

Michael Curry has ZERO credibility to bitch about Rasheed’s shot selection. ’Sheed’s minutes and 3-pt attempts are BOTH up. If Curry wants ‘Sheed to do something different he’s the damn coach, tell him what to do and if he doesn’t do it then sit his ass. I’m not going to listen to Curry whine about bad shots and then roll ‘Sheed out night after night playing minutes in the high 30s. That’s having it both ways and I’m tired of it.

FIRE CURRY. FIRE CURRY.

F
I
R
E

C
U
R
R
Y.

I’ve been really tough on AI since the trade, mostly because I don’t respect his game and it’s an absolute “square peg” in the “round hole” that was left open when we traded Chauncey. That being said, I can’t blame him for this anymore. I thought that yesterday, with him out of the lineup, we’d take care of the Bulls in an efficient manner, pick up a nice road win, and basically prove to everyone that we’re a better team sans AI (which I believe 100% to be true)— and what happens? Curry STILL can’t figure out how to get the bench onto the floor, plays the starters WAY too many minutes, and single-handedly puts us in a position to lose the game in the 4th. We were getting RAN by the Bulls for the last 10 minutes of that game. It was embarrassing. Not to mention I live in Chicago and was at a bar watching the game— absolutely humiliating.

At this point, I’m no longer looking for a trade. If it happens, great. If not, great. It’s not this team— it’s the leadership (ad nauseam at this point I know). Joe D is smarter than us and he’s watching these games too. If he doesn’t do anything about the coaching situation, and soon, I’m going to lose all my faith in the guy. The whole trade thing has already damaged him irreparably in my eyes— settling on a trade that was there in July two games into the season: this was asking for disaster. AI is a very unique player and if we’d had him through training camp, we might have actually developed some chemistry. Instead it seems to me like Joe D freaked out and settled for something that wasn’t good enough two months prior, and now we’re paying the price. That being said, if he wants to redeem himself, he needs to do something about Curry— he just doesn’t get it.

And does anybody else cringe in embarrassment every time they have a mic inside our huddle? You’d swear Curry was retarded (no offense to anyone who would find offense in that statent).

@Joel- Great, great, great post. I agree with every single thing you just said.

@ Joel: Agreed.

 “And does anybody else cringe in embarrassment every time they have a mic inside our huddle? You’d swear Curry was retarded (no offense to anyone who would find offense in that statent).”

It’s only an insult to retards.

The part of the MC situation that worries me is Dumars long history with him. Dumars would be firing his friend before even giving him a full season at the helm, possibly making any chance of MC bouncing back with another head coaching job impossible. It makes me think of when Bird fired Carslisle who were also teammates, but in that situation someone had to be fired and it was either going to be one of those two – so Bird saved his own skin. But in that situation, Carslisle had two semi-successful tenures and a Coach of the Year award under his belt – if he would want to coach again, they both knew he’d be able to. Maybe that made it easier for Bird to pull the trigger. Will Dumars have the guts to make that kind of a call?

@Shinons: I don’t think Joe D pulls the trigger until the offseason. The main thing is having a “coach in flux” problem when trying to lure a FA. do I think Amare would opt out and sign if Avery of JVG is the coach? No. both preach defense and from what articles state, that’s part of Amare’s problem in Phoenix.

I think we all agreed that MC would be on a learning curve this year, but having been an asst for several years and within this organization, the transition should have been easier than it has been. AI trade – if he can’t work him in after 3 months to a stable rotation and some semblence of an offensive philosophy, I thnk it speaks volumes.

At the end of the day, if the fan base is losing interest, games aren’t being sold out, advertising on local channels goes down, I find it hard to believe that Mr. Davidson doesn’t order Joe to pull the plug and then say blame me.

But it does absolutely frighten me that, as players talk around the league, MC as coach hurts our efforts to get a FA. This was the premise all along and Joe D’s gotta know if MC is an obstacle, friend or no friend, Joe D has tied the bulk of his plan to landing a FA. Joe D may fall on his sword, but it won’t be to keep Mc employed as a coach.

It’s been noted elsewhere as well but maybe part of the reason MC will be (sigh) safe is that Joe is also aware that he himself is also responsible for setting the man up for failure by trading CB and McDyess the first month. This depressing possibility makes it almost impossible for MC to be fired this year.

“Joe D may fall on his sword, but it won’t be to keep MC employed as a coach.”

I hope and pray that you’re right, but I just don’t know anymore. Don’t you get the vibe that there is some serious stubbornness going on with management? There seem to be really obvious things that need to change, yet we keep hearing the same bullhead-ish remarks from everybody about “staying the course” and “guys getting settled in” etc. etc. I feel like we might be experiencing Kubler-Ross’ “Five Stages of Death (of a great sports franchise)”:

Denial – Bringing in AI is exactly what we needed to get our complacent butts into gear! He’s going to “deform defences” and do other things that I don’t give a shit about and we’re going to push for one more championship this year with our new “tough-as-nails” defensive-minded coach!

Anger – Goddamnit, this isn’t working. AI sucks. Michael Curry is literally retarded. And what happened to the defense?

Bargaining – Okay, maybe if we ship some good pieces off we can get Amare or Bosh! Doesn’t change the fact that AI still sucks and he’s till on my team, but whatever! It’s like NBA Live fantasy draft! Any combination of players with a rating of 88 or above always results in wins!

Depression – A bath with a toaster sounds pretty good right now. We didn’t pull off any blockbuster deals, we’re still losing, and Joe D is still employing a Special Olympics coach.

Acceptance – Oh well. It was a great decade. At least we’ve got the Lions.

Wi-man: I disagree. Mr. Davidson is a smart man and I think Tay and his feelings will play a big part. But, I don’t know how a person can call trading for AI and getting Dyess back after 30 days can be called “setting the man up for failure.” All that means is what happens when something bad does happen? A little adversity or things don’t go perfect and MC can’t adapt to the situation? I think right there it is arguement #1 to let Curry go.

As I stated above, I don’t think MC has a philosophy. His mindset I think was just to be plugged in and the engine would hum along nicely. If this trade truly was available in July, then MC knew about it (at least I hope). And his inability to adjust rather than just roll the ball out and say go play, is disturbing 3 months after the trade.

And the biggest question not asked thus far: What happens if we do land Amare or Bosh? MC has proven to be not an efficient coach in my opinion. Landing Amare or Bash doesn’t change that. Again, I don’t think it’s a matter of personnel. We have talent, and should be more than barely above .500 at this point in the season in the eastern conference. And that’s coaching, whether it’s X & O’s, motivation, substitution patterns or whatever. It’s coaching.

@ Joel: I’m praying.

I also think that Mr. Davidson is smart enough to figure something out. I think perhaps (very small) that Joe D might have kept Larry B but Davidson said flush him after 05. I can see him doing the same here. Something tells me Mr. Davidson is very particular about his pocketbook and this will affect it.

You can tell by our play and the way we walk off the court to what is being done during time outs that nobody is buying into what’s going on. Trying as this year may be, it does give opportunity for guys to show what they can do in these circumstances, i.e., thrown a curveball. So far, MC has failed that test. Guys don’t appear motivated. Don’t seem to run plays consistently. And that’s coaching. Sheed is being Sheed, and that’s not a compliment.

Sure it sounds great in the preseason when GMs say: Well, this is a contract year so we know we’ll be getting the best." The proverbial playing for a contract mantra. Well if things go south, guys are still playing for a contract but they all know that they aren’t going to be getting as much as if the team was winning, akin to all star voting and guys on winning teams vs. losing teams. So might as well show off the individual skill, the season is what the season is.

All I have to say is Curry is a GENIUS!! Rip off the bench makes SOOOOOOOOO much sense. I see no reason to change.

Looking at the stats that support Curry’s idea of Rip coming off the bench, and ignoring the stats that contradict everything Curry wants to believe, gives undeniable evidence that Rip should be coming off the bench. I’m glad we don’t want to re-try and start that old lineup (besides that Stuckey kid) that used to win. I mean, why on earth would you want to do that?!? I’d rather sit back, never try it, and just say “It’ll never work… it’ll NEVER work.”… without, you know, actually trying it. Why do people keep suggesting this STUPID idea? I mean, it’s REALLY stupid.

signed,
Curry’s Biggest Fan

Petey says: “Meh. I thought we were going to lose that game for most of the time it was happening.”

Well, obviously you were right. But we were up 15 in the fourth quarter. We had outscored the Bulls in the second and third quarters. And the Bulls had only scored 17 TOTAL points in the third quarter. They were looking ragged as hell.

So while I would not have bet my life on Detroit winning, I’ll admit to being surprised that the Bulls then went on a 30-10 run for the remainder of the fourth quarter. And they really did need pretty much everything to go right for them (some of Rip’s shots rimming out; a bizarre 4-point play at the end. . . )

Btw, Looking at the standings… I keep thinking “WTF?!? How can we STILL be the 5th seed in the East!?!? We’re AWFUL.”

What does this say about the rest of the league and the NBA in general? The reality is that bad basketball is a terrible thing to watch, and at least 2/3rds of the teams play bad basketball. I feel bad for those other franchises that have to deal with this kind of play year-in year-out.

My big takeaway from these last two games:
The biggest shot we missed in these two games was in showcasing our tradeable assets. Amir/Maxiell didn’t get the type of burn (or involvement in playmaking) you’d want to give in showcasing a player. Inversely, Tyrus Thomas continued his hot streak and we didn’t effectively shut him down (like we have in the past). If Phoenix had any interest in Amir or Maxiell before, it is now likely replaced with a focus on Thomas.

On top of that, more trade woes:
With everyone and their brother getting involved in the Amare lovefest, its pretty much going to be up to Steve Kerr to dictate how this trading season goes down. Are the other teams involved in talks— Portland, Toronto, Chicago, Golden State, etc — going to make a move with another trade partner BEFORE Phoenix moves Amare? Very, very doubtful. So we’ve got all these teams willing to move big assets for Amare, but are they talking to eachother? Will another trade be made independent of the Suns? It’s Kerr’s deal, and I’m afraid no one is going to make a move before the Amare card is dealt. If Kerr waits until the last minute, a lot of teams may be fucked. DET included.

Mike P: Kerr’s focus might be on Thomas, but the way he has played the last couple of weeks, I don’t see Pax parting with him, plus a an asset or two more. A core of Rose, Deng & Thomas might not be as pretty as Rose, Deng & Amare, but the other assets Kerr wants to make the trade work (hinrich, Nocs, Thebo gordon??) I would think would be a nonstarter for Chicago. Gordon is a possibility just because his contract comes off and he’s an UFA. But that would also come off Chicago’s books.

I also think it’s possible Kerr waits too long and then teams underbid. He’s stuck on a limb right now with what he’s said and all the rumors. The all star game this weekend put Kerr in a prime position since all the GMs are there. Plus with all the GMs there, you can have informal chats between GMs that might not otherwise have taken place (i.e., at a resturant and a “WTF, would you be interested in player X” off the cuff remark might spark something.

If I’m Kerr, I make this deal this weekend and don’t wait until the 11th hour. But once he puts his ball in play or takes it home, it will start a frenzy of deals I think.

The Bobcats have been better than the Pistons over the last month. I’m going to cut back on the amount of time I spend caring about this team because the organization sure has cut back on the amount of time it spends thinking about putting a quality team on the court.

For everyone saying the game last night made it more likely Kerr will be interested in Tyrus Thomas- I find it unlikely that any competent NBA executive would base a trade on one game alone, or even on a small handful of games. I’m sure he has a rough idea of Amir’s worth and Maxiell’s worth and Thomas’s worth and, if a trade involves any of those players, will base it on such, rather than on their performances in a handful of games this week.

Anonymosity: Agreed. But belieiving you know how player X will perform is obviously strengthened by how he has played recently. Consistency rules the NBA, i.e., what can a player do nite in / nite out. Seeing someone live up to that potential certainly alters a view. If for no other reason than the guy you’re trading with will brinig it up as an opportunity to ask for more in return (assuming said guy is playing well).

Why would Kerr take Thomas over Amir even in a straight up especially after last night.

When Johnson and Thomas were on the court together

Johnson was plus 13
Thomas was minus 13

When Thomas was on the court being guarded? by McDyess he was plus 17

However I would love to see Amir traded to the Thunder.

I think he would go great with

Durant
Green
Westbrook
Weaver

Well, it’s taken pretty much half a season, but this team finally has an identity.

We are the worst team in the league in the 4th quarter; both on offense and defense (please, someone look up the stats and prove me wrong). If you want to get all crazy about it, you can say we are the best team in the league at the 4th Quarter Collapse.

We also happen to be the only team in the NBA to be coached by someone who apparently believes he is coaching another sport. Perhaps cricket or curling; I’m still trying to figure out which sport Curry’s substitution patterns work better for.

I was glad when McDyess decided to rejoin the team this year. It was an almost unprecedented show of loyalty. Now, I’m just sad about it. I hope the guy either gets traded before the deadline to a contender, or signs with a contender next year. He deserves a REAL shot at the title.

I’m concerned about Stuckey right now. I’m not concerned because he’s struggling. I’m concerned because I’m worried he’s going to Curry for career advice. Who else on this team can he go to? Is AI known as a great tutor? Do we WANT Stuckey to turn out like AI (I’m being serious)? Do we even have a guard on the coaching staff? Is he going to Will Bynum for advice (oh, the irony)?

I’m also having visions recently. In these visions, McDyess, Wallace, and Prince are all old, like 75 years old. They all have gray beards and glasses on. Curry is still the coach. The Pistons are coming out of a time out and all three are going back into the game… in wheelchairs.

SOMEBODY WAKE ME!

Our perimeter defense sucks ass. A.I. and Stuck are lazy and lose focus. Rip is an ok defender. And A.A. gets no playing time. I am so tired of seeing the oposing team’s PG blow past us only to score, get fouled or get an assist to a wide open big man. Until we can play sum better D, especially our guards we will continue to lose. Our bigs need to get better on D too but it’s kinda hard when they have to guard/ block out their man and cover for A.I./Stuck’s
mistakes. Think about it. Team’s PGs/SGs are putting up career numbers against the Pistons.

And yes our offense needs some work. But if we keep Sheed in the post and keep Tay/Rip from playing the point down the stretch we should be fine.

They only way I can see us winning right now with A.I. and Stuck not really contributing on the defensive end is if we run and try to out score teams but that’s not going to happen because of old legs. Run and gun teams are not play off contenders.

“And yes our offense needs some work. But if we keep Sheed in the post and keep Tay/Rip from playing the point down the stretch we should be fine. "

That’s a pipe dream. Sheed will never stay in the post. Why bother with the rest.

“The whole trade thing has already damaged (Joey D) irreparably in my eyes– settling on a trade that was there in July two games into the season: this was asking for disaster.”

But the trade WASN’T there in July for the Pistons.

The Nuggets were going to keep Chuck, and changed their minds right after the first game of the season. Iverson had had an injury plagued off-season, missed the pre-season, and his conditioning looked lousy in the first game of the regular season.

That’s when the Nuggets finally said yes to the deal Dumars had had sitting on the table since July. It then took over the weekend for the Nuggets to further come to terms with the fact they were going to have to absorb a portion of Dice’s contract in order to get the deal done.

What’s happened SINCE the trade on the part of Curry/Duamrs has been a waste, but you’re giving Dumars a bad rap if you think he could’ve done the deal in July.

http://blog.mlive.com/fullcourtpress/2008/06/espn_denver_rejects_carmelo_an.html

Wrong, sir.

does anyone have a link for tonight’s game? i’m on the road, away from FSN…

Joel, not sure your link proves petey wrong. The context is that denver would’ve preferred tay and chauncy for AI. What’s more interesting is that we were offering them for Lazy Eye, and people on this board were debating how much better we would be with him. I think we made the better trade.

And it’s the little things in life, like this from espn “Bonner Breaks Out as Spurs top Nets again”. Somebody’s excited about these spurs….

brgulker: Keep an eye on http://atdhe.net and bookmark it for the future. They usually have a link (although not always in english).

thanks garrett

dang, internet connection might be too slow…

This link seems to be working:

http://albaaa.altervista.org/watch.php?id=202

What happened to Rodney Stuckey?

benched for boneheaded move last night

Rip with the face guard. Nice.

And by “face guard” I mean he was literally guarding the guy’s face with his hand.

And Flip Murray buries a jumper to end the first quarter against Atlanta with just 0.06 seconds left on the clock. We are the masters of this.

where the hell is everyone ?? you call yourselves fans
lets get pumped up!!!

DEEEEEEEEEEEETRoit BAAAAAAAAAAAASKETBALL!\

lolz

Sorry I was being lulled to sleep by the lack of sensurgency.
Everyone looks tired or disinterested.

Anybody else feel the futility of watching this team when we all know that even if they build a 35 point lead they are certain to let it all slip away during the 4th quarter?

did u see the ai hustle when he went to the floor for the steal?

Except Max, he just ate baby.

AI never comes into it. He is always intense, that can’t be denied. He just isn’t on the floor right now.

After last night, even watching all these babies being eaten fails to get me excited. Maybe I just need some Fabio to get me going. Get on that MCIAFI.

That was a sweet block on Horford’s dunk attempt by Maxiell. He’s pretty good at that sort of thing.

why in the world would Mcdyess even attempt to dribble the ball up court, that was very well a 5 point swing.

Sheed needs to be demoted. Start Max.
MCIAFI.