As you’d expect, the Pistons are big in the national media today, and it’s not pretty. Here’s a quick run-down of some of the more notable articles:
Phil Taylor of Sports Illustrated: Busting at the seams
Maybe the Pistons are out of sorts because they realize that they’ve lost their edge, that this time they won’t be able to flip a switch and escape the jam they’ve created for themselves. Maybe it’s just too much to expect a team to maintain the kind of all-for-one esprit de corps that they once had indefinitely. But it’s sad to see them go out this way, exchanging looks of annoyance with each other when a pass goes astray, searching individually for someone to blame instead of searching collectively for a solution to their problems. They are the Pistons, after all, and we remember when they were so much bigger than that. If only they did.
Ian Thomsen of Sports Illustrated: Identity crisis
No doubt the next era of the Pistons will become a joint venture between Saunders and his team president, as Dumars must not only share Saunders’ vision going forward but also find a way to implement it.
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But does that mean — barring a comeback over the next week — breaking up their starting five with a trade this summer? That’s a question for Dumars to consider over the month to come, in consultation with Saunders. But Dumars’ philosophy is renowned: Whether it’s moving Jerry Stackhouse after his finest year or replacing Rick Carlisle and Larry Brown in spite of big successes, he will do whatever he thinks the Pistons need to improve. He won’t make a move just to shake things up — he might have to wait until next season to find the right acquisition — but if he believes that this team has lost its killer instinct, then he won’t let the malaise fester.
Scoop Jackson of ESPN’s Page 2: The death of a ‘do, and a dynasty
Throughout these playoffs the Detroit Pistons we’ve seen are not the Detroit Pistons. They’re something else, some other team. A shell of what’s actually inside.
No more playing better when their backs are against the wall, no more “wait until we get back to the Palace to ball,” no more “we only play to the level of our competition,” no more “all we have to do is take care of business at home,” because as of right now — win or lose this series against Miami — the gig is up. The mystery and mystique is over. The invincibility is gone.
The Larry Brown factor that reeled them out of situations like this is no longer there to rescue them, to save them.
It’s past Ben Wallace’s free throw shooting percentage, or Sheed’s scoring average, or the under-80 ppg they’ve been scoring as a team over the past nine games, or the fact that it doesn’t seem like they’re running any baseline plays for Rip to score off (zero points in the second half Monday night), or their lack of defensive intensity, or that they are often playing D with their hands (reaching like an AAU team) instead of their feet — or their heads.
Or the fact that, as Mark Jackson said, “They messed up the identity of their basketball team.”
It’s past all of that.
Complex, it’s a team in search of a soul lost somewhere in Cleveland. Simplified, it’s the reality that the DPs are no longer the hungriest team in the NBA. And it shows. And without that hunger — or the behavior of being hungry for 48 minutes at a time — they have reduced themselves to what they used to reduce other teams to: a poor shooting team that has no idea how to make stops on the defensive end.
ESPN: Experts weigh in on the demise of Detroit
Why can’t the Pistons score?
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Bucher: Same reason their defense was mediocre the entire season: They don’t play with any urgency. The transition points that made them so giddy during the regular season have dried up, as they do every postseason, and the Pistons aren’t being efficient at all in their half-court sets. Time after time, 15 seconds come off the shot clock and the offense starts over from a standstill. Multiple possessions go by with the ball never leaving one side of the floor. Flip isn’t an isolation offense-type coach, so I know this isn’t by design.
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Sheridan: They’re not playing together on offense as they did during the first two-thirds of the season, Rasheed Wallace’s ankle injury is severely limiting his offense, and when the Pistons find something that works — such as Tayshaun Prince’s scoring prowess in the first quarter of Game 4 — they don’t stick with it. We’re already at Game 5, and they still seem to be trying to figure out the Heat. It’s probably too late.
I’ll be the first to admit that being down 1-3 is an extremely dangerous spot to be in, but in these playoffs alone we’ve seen two teams come back from such a deficit to force a Game 7: the Suns did it against the Lakers in the first round and the Spurs did it to the Mavericks in the second. The Spurs weren’t able to win their Game 7 and advance like the Suns did, but it just goes to prove that 1-3 isn’t a death sentence.
I’m somewhat surprised more people in the media haven’t referenced the Suns and Spurs when talking about the Pistons, though I’m guessing that’s in part the fault of the team airing its dirty laundry in the public. There is one thing I’m sure of, though: if the Pistons of old were fueled by the notion of being underdogs, well, they’re back in that familiar role, starting tonight. Let’s see what happens.
The Pistons are definitely in a funk right now, to say the least. It’s frustrating how quickly the fans turn on their team though. I was listening to talk radio yesterday, and it was nothing but caller after caller blaming pretty much everyone within the Pistons organization. “All Rasheed does is complain”, “Ben has no more game and is all washed up”, “The Pistons don’t use their bench at all”, “It’s all Flips fault”, blah blah blah. If you ask me, it’s a number of factors, compounded by the fact that Miami has pretty much been unstoppable.
Anyways, I’ll be at the game tonight, cheering like crazy. I think if the Pistons can win very convincingly, they’ll have a good shot at forcing a game 7. GO PISTONS!, it ain’t over yet.
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“We’re in hell right now gentlemen. Believe me. And we can stay here, get the shit kicked out of us, or we can fight our way back into the light. We can climb outta hell… one inch at a time.”
- Tony D’Amato
Things like what the Pistons are going through occur in basketball all of the time. I REALLY hoped they hit this ‘lull’ during regular season to be honest because I expected it. I have to say, I kind of hope they have heard some of the negativity in the media so they will pull it together. The media was never for our home team!
Also, I don’t know what is going on with the ‘fans’ who would want to turn on the “BEST STARTING 5 in the NBA”. This is basketball and if you are a fan of the sport you understand that there is more than just ‘Rasheed’s complaining’ happening here! Game 7 WILL BE JUNE 4th!
I BELIEVE IN THE D!
I expect it from the national media, but for a city that is supposed to have the “best fans in the NBA” it kind of hurts. I understand trying to be realistic, but where is the hope? Why do the thundersticks say “WE BELIEVE” when it seems that no one does?
I BELIEVE in this team, even if they give me absolutely no reason to.
I think the national media is seeing it pretty straight. They aren’t influenced by their love for the team. Everything they are saying is true: Detroit is not hungry anymore and it’s showing up in every way, which is then spawning a new set of attitude problems. And it’s happening while they are playing against a team - peaking right now - with two of the best players in NBA history (Dwyane Wade will bear this out over the next ten years).
I just don’t think our boys have the fight in them right now to get past a team that is playing awesome.
“I’m somewhat surprised more people in the media haven’t referenced the Suns and Spurs when talking about the Pistons, ”
Because those teams were competitive even while falling behind in their respectives series?
Because they didn’t turn into the antithesis of what they were known for?
All I can say ” Haters!” The media loves to kick a team while their down. We have had a great run the last 4 years, and we have a few more coming our way. I really hate when these old NBA guys talk about the pistons. Mark Jackson and that guy Tim from EPSN, need not talk. They have never won a ring, so please. Everyone has taken their turn at taking shots at our boys. Even some fans. Win or lose I love this team and will be fine if they bring everyone back. We just need to add a low post player. If the Heat lose game 5, look out because I feel we can win a game in Miami. If we force a game 7 what will all the talking heads say. My guess they will jump back on the train and start jocking again. We just have to win game 5. Even the Spurs were down 1 to 3 and they managed to come back. They should have won game 7 but had a mental break down at the end by making a silly foul. Time to Man Up! Lets Go!
kinda a silly comment. however. what the pistons need is…
a tech. by sheed. or better yet, by flip. chew on that.
I say a tech by Sheed and a flagrant from Dale Davis on D Wade to set the tone tonight. We’ve been far too silent and this beast has been hitting the snooze button too long…Bring back bad boys basketball…Flagrant foul from Dale Davis is long overdue, he’s a dirty enough player.
Go crazy at the Palace Matt!!!!!
GO PISTONS!!!!!
It’s pouring rain in Detroit…. the last time it poured rain was Game 2. The Basketball Gods are on our side tonight. The Pistons by double digits! Lets go Stones!!!!!!
YMCA- Its hard for me to think after winning 64 games our boys have lost it that fast. Hungry? I think we are still hungry, but we are being out played by the HEAT. Everyone has put their 2 cents in about what wrong with the Pistons. I can look at two things and tell everyone whats the problem. O’Neal and Wade! These guys are just playing some really good basketball. I been waiting for the old O’Neal to show up, but he has not. He has played both ends of the floor. And for Wade, all I can say is wow! I am wishing these two start having some bad games, but it does not look like they will.
Good point. FINALLY some acceptance that Detroit has an opponent! You guys have climbed to a level of arrogance that sees every team want to beat because of that arrogance. Now you are seeing the results. You thought King James was a problem … stick Prince on Wade and there will be no motion towards the basket. Get Shaq out of his comfort zone (under the basket) and tire him out. He probably doesn’t move more than ten feet in a game at either end. So use some commonsense for once. However, comparing the Suns / Lakers series to this one is like comparing chalk with cheese. 3-1 yes … the Lakers are pretty bad … the Heat? A LOT better team.