(Sorry, I was feeling nostalgic):

octothorpe.

I’d say Tayshaun did it against better competition.

But J Max swatting KG a couple years was mighty satisfying.

For real. He’s been a great Piston. I wish I could think of a scenario in which it makes sense for him to retire a Piston. Problem is, I agree with how you’ve described him 100%. He’s the perfect fourth banana, a solid glue guy who just produces. The problem is that we don’t have enough flair on the rest of the roster (IMO) to make it worth paying him what the market will dictate when his contract’s up.

But I hear you. Good points, ToledoHill.

I appreciate the sentiment for Tay and join you in respecting what he has accomplished. As one of DBB’s earliest and most fervent Tay detractors, my concerns with Tay are different than what you pointed out.

1. When Tayshaun has a difficult defensive assignment, he becomes nearly transparent on offense, a complete loss at his position. Example: in the Piston’s last three season-ending playoff rounds, Prince has averaged 26%, 32% and 24% shooting.

When the Pistons were eliminated from the playoffs in 07, 08 and 09, Prince was by far the weakest link. Early on, I was hoping for an upgrade at the 3 first and foremost long before Joe traded Chauncey.

2. He earned a reputation early as a staunch, lock-down defender. His performance against Tracy McGrady in ‘03, Reggie Miller in ’04 and Kobe Bryant in ’04 were absolutely stellar. Since then, he’s accomplished very little on a consistent basis against specific defenders. His defensive ratings saw a steep decline after the championship, falling to an average range for the rest of his career. His defensive talent is best against finesse players (mcgrady is a perfect example), and until Lebron grew up and the Celtics got serious, his brand of defense was great in the Eastern Conference. But it’s now about size and muscle, something Tayshaun absolutely cannot defend. With that, he’s a much better fit for a Western Conference team.

3. I don’t have a three. I think it’s reason enough that he was the worst player on our team when it mattered most, and feel that a change should have been made years ago. Add to that his declining defense and obsolete playing style in this conference… sorry Tay, but it’s been time to go for a while.

I love Tay, I love what he brought to Detroit and I love his character. I would love to see him retire in Detroit, I’d love to see his jersey retired here, but I’ve also wanted him moved out of the starting lineup for years. Whether that be to our bench or a different team, that’s up to Joe.