A.I. might return earlier than expected

Personally, i want to see him running the zoo crew.
It’s either a total bust of a fast pace, in your face, eat your babies blast.
I mean how bad can it be?! It’s not like we’ll lose 7 in a row or something eh?!

We’ll see how it works. We’re still going to have trouble with Boston and Cleveland. While I won’t be so dramatic as to say this is AI’s last best chance to get a ring, if he can make it work as the sixth man, at the least he’s going to get to play at the pace he wants, it would make things interesting.

@ Ohad

Did you mean, “It’s either a total bust OR a fast pace, in your face, eat your babies blast…” ???

That would make more sense. And yes, you’re right. If AI come off our bench and does what he does, and does it well, as Matt said, he could be devistatingly effective.

Another win for the DBB Time Machine.

Seriously, what don’t the posters on this site predict several months in advance? If only Joe D. would let us coach by consensus…

Seriously, though, it’s nice to see that E V E N T U A L L Y Curry makes the correct decisions, or is allowed to make the correct decisions. We don’t win a championship without AI this year. We probably don’t win one even with him, but it’s nearly impossible to give up an All-Star point guard without replacing him and still compete with a squad that wasn’t able to get past Boston last year. With AI a weapon from the bench, we might just be able to throw enough firepower at some of the better to teams to win. Here’s to hoping!

I agree with pretty much everything in the comments above (four as of this typing).

One pretty obvious issue that will come up is whether Curry will, in fact, keep AI’s minutes limited and keep him mostly with other bench players. What if it’s close in the fourth quarter, either Rip or Stuckey is having a bad game, and AI has been lighting it up off the bench: who “finishes”? We’ll see.

pistons near fourth or fifth SEED, need extra PUSH to get there, and avoid GOOD team in first round. all-star guard coming off BENCH could key late season RUN. iverson best when HE is go-to GUY, put with afflalo, max, amir, or WHOEVER else, and he will be in BEST situation not only for HIM, but also for TEAM. just epinion

Good SUMMARY, coachDP. You make MANY good POINTS. I hope IT all WORKS out and that the PISTONS settle INTO the new ROTATION soon, so WE can EXTEND the current WINNING streak!

Detroit should try to win games, but for the record, I’m not convinced that Atlanta (our likely opponent if we get the #4 or #5 seed) will be an easier opponent for us than Orlando (our likely opponent if we get the #6 seed), just based on the way the teams match up.

The much bigger task, of course, will be trying to beat Boston and then the Cavs (or vice-versa) on the road. To be 100% honest, I’m not optimistic about that happening. But the last three games, plus the prospect of maybe AI finally being used correctly with this team, makes me think the playoffs could be entertaining instead of just embarrassing.

I think that while this team as is stands is far more cohesive than with him, our bench still lacks firepower. I think that if they get this to work we could really surprise a couple of teams in the post season. We could potentially be sending out two completely different teams each game making other teams adjust. It could work, i really believe that.

Yeah, I want Orlando in the first round. We own and have owned them for years. Atlanta? Scary matchup for us. Sixers? Scary matchup for us— they took us to 6 last year, and they’re better, and we’re arguably worse… I want to see Orlando. Then that gets us Boston in the second round— hurray!

I think it would interesting to have the Pistons run two lines, like hockey. Line 1 would be Stuckey, Rip, Tay, Max, and Sheed. Line 2 would have AI, Afflalo, Herrmann, Amir, and Dyess. Bynum and Kwame would play depending on match-ups. The finishing line up would probably have Dyess replace Max. Teams might have trouble adjusting.

Birdman:

Of course b-ball teams don’t do that complete sub everyone pattern that hockey does, but just out of curiosity, why start Max instead of Dyess?

Seriously, what don’t the posters on this site predict several months in advance? If only Joe D. would let us coach by consensus…

I don’t know, handling the Pistons roster doesn’t seem that tough. Most of it just seems common sense. Iverson doesn’t fit with the standard Pistons core for a plethora of reasons – however he might fit in as Zookeeper. Don’t run the starters over 35 mpg or else they will be tired in April. Max and Amir need consistent playing time and roles in order to perform consistently – same for Afflalo. Sheed gets apathetic and shouldn’t be out there when he is.

Which is why the Forty’s girlfriend for coach bit was around earlier…

Predictions? OK, I’ll say that Detroit plays significantly better during most of the remainder of the regular season and winds up with around 45 wins. AI is usually pretty productive off the bench, but when he’s not and Detroit loses (even if other Detroit players do poorly), people here call for his head.

Detroit wins the first round of the playoffs. I’ll say it will be against Atlanta, because I predict Detroit will get the #5 or even #4 seed — but I’ll predict that Detroit would beat Orlando or Philly in the first round too. Curry, for all his faults, lets the bench guys play more in the playoffs than Flip did. People here are happy.

Detroit then loses to Boston (I predict they will be he #2 seed and win their first round, although if the Cavs slip to #2, I think the same thing will happen). People here slowly come to grips with the fact that we can’t follow Detroit into at least the ECF, and start speculating about the changes they hope/think will come in the next year or two.

Toledo Joe, some of us are already speculating changes on the last thread.

@TJ

I’d start Max over Dyess because it would be good to have an high-energy big to pair with the older ones. Dyess would probably work well running pick-and-pop with AI.

Yeah, a rebounder who can hit 16 ft jump shots would sit very well alongside AI in the second unit. And Max in the starting unit should’ve been happening from the beginning of this season, in my opinion. The guy’s Millsap missing the consistent burn.

“pistons near fourth or fifth SEED, need extra PUSH to get there, and avoid GOOD team in first round. all-star guard coming off BENCH could key late season RUN. iverson best when HE is go-to GUY, put with afflalo, max, amir, or WHOEVER else, and he will be in BEST situation not only for HIM, but also for TEAM. just epinion”

I’m guessing this post is by Coach Curry himself. He lurks these parts in search of sound coaching advice and rotation schemas.

I think if that was Curry the bebound quotient would be higher.

I’d say that was at least 400 percent more analytical than I’ve ever heard Curry. Maybe if it were only saying that we had to try hard, play some basketball, and get the win, then I might think it really is MC…

Ha! So true, Shinons. So true. cries

@joel – OR, of course…

AP is reporting:

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. – Former Detroit Pistons coach Chuck Daly has been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.

The team says Friday that Daly “is being treated for the cancer and his family is requesting privacy.”

Daly coached the Pistons to NBA championships in 1989 and 1990. He also was the coach of the 1992 gold medal-winning US Olympic squad dubbed the “Dream Team.” He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1994.

Family spokesman Matt Dobek says in the release that as a coach Daly was “known as the Prince of Pessimism, right now Chuck Daly is the King of Optimism.”

This is sad news…

Q Dog