This recent link includes a NBA like combine -for potential
high draft picks -

interesting reading -

http://nbadraft.net/duffy001.asp

This recent link includes a NBA like combine -for potential
high draft picks -

interesting reading -

Everyone: I tried to put together a post earlier today but still didn’t know what to say — and I didn’t want to bump this thread down since it contained some of the most intelligent analysis I’ve seen about the future of this team. In other words, you guys f-ing rock. I’m just the emcee, you guys are the show.

TheMicrowave: You added some solid points about Flip’s problems. I did see it as inflexible, but your observations help. I’m not sure if posting up was the ultimate solution or not, but I did see a complete unfamiliarity from guys like Rasheed when, during Larry’s days, Rasheed spent way more time in the blocks than he currently does.

The following is a set of statistics compiled by 82games.com for Rasheed Wallace’s shots. The percentage I’m trying to point out is the “inside” percentage.

http://82games.com/03DET11A.HTM (Rasheed 03-04 Detroit reg season) 23 percent inside

http://www.82games.com/04DET13A.HTM (Rasheed 04-05 Detroit reg season) 27 percent inside

http://www.82games.com/0506/05DET13A.HTM (Rasheed 05-06 Detroit reg season) 16 percent inside

http://www.82games.com/0607/06DET13A.HTM (Rasheed 06-07 Detroit reg season) 19 percent inside

Especially in 2006, a large spike in Rasheed’s 3-ball attempts happened . . . also, what’s significant is the dwindling number of shots which were dunks and tip-ins.

It seems like Rasheed spends way too much time out on the perimeter.

I am not sure if the dunks and tip-ins decline is due to his play usage changing under Flip, or if he’s just not capable of ramming it home and hounding for rebounds like he was back in 04-05.

With this inside game . . . every time Webber, Wallace, or McDyess got the inside pass . . . they seemed to take forever to make a decision whether to post-up the guy, turn around to face the defender, made a fadeaway jumper, or pass out of the situation. By time, it seemed like they were taking seconds instead of knowing what to do with the ball the moment they received it. By the time they did get that decision made, Zydrunas or Gooden or Varejao or Marshall and company would come on over to double-up on defense.

It reminded me a lot of what was happening with the two Wallaces in the 04 Finals, when Shaq would get it in the paint. He also spent too much time making a decision with the ball, as well.

With Rasheed, though, he’s been a power foward in this league for almost 1,000 games. He’s been through Larry Brown’s inside-out system to remember what to do inside . . . so what was it? Was it Rasheed’s declining athletic ability, or was it that Detroit’s Flip Finesse Jumpers and Cuts system was run so much for so long that when it came back to getting dirty in the paint - Rasheed hadn’t had enough reps to readily remember?

@Sauce - Nice post. I don’t think that Saunders is inflexible. I just don’t think he coaches a proven playoff offense or defense. The idea of doubling and tripling LeBron was so stupid, because not only are you daring his teammates to score (open shots) but you are playing into the strengths of Cleveland which are mid and long range jumpshots.

I would have rather he gambled on Lebron scoring 50 points each night instead. That seems like something he wouldn’t have been able to do in 4 games out of 7.

Larry showed us that if you remove the role players, the stars will tire and eventually miss shots. It’s winning basketball to remove multiple options, not one option.

The offense is a finesse scheme that looks great during the season when the games are meaningless in the grand scheme. Teams are on back to backs, you play all of the lotto teams and with some skilled players (which we have) you can easily coax out 90+ PPG.

How totally retarded was it that we started playing post up basketball in the ECF? That’s not who we are, even if it is a system that could work.

The man is a chameleon. He says one thing and does another. He claims one thing and his players say it is not true. We had guys play bad, but it is hard to argue that they were put in a position to win. And he is absolutely, terribly horrible during the game. No feel for when to call timeouts, when to challenge the refs, and a complete inability to make adjustment calls on the fly. Couple those failures with his un-inspirational demeanor and it’s a wonder we didn’t lose to Chicago.

When I believed in the Pistons, I believed that Flip could adjust his system with five solid players to defeat any club of any comparable quality. You can’t find 5 guys who are worthy of 30 minutes in a starting role, these last two years, on any other club in the league.

My confidence eroded over the course of one series when everything Flip put into his game plans and adjustments turned out to be so inflexible against what really was a solid perimeter defense and trapping system. Any team in the league could have beat Detroit with that game plan on a minority of nights, but Flip’s system was so rigid that in the end, any playoff entry in this year’s series would have defeated them in seven games.

The players aren’t completely at fault.

I felt the same about Dallas when they dropped like a stone against Don Nelson’s game plan. Dallas’s roster is much better than Golden State’s. If the Spurs had faced Dallas instead of Utah, then San Antonio would have had some trouble.

The second season, the playoffs, is about matchups and adjustments. For two years, I’ve watched a man walking the sidelines who has been given more than most other coaches in the league have to work with . . . and I have watched that man fail.

All of the talk about trades for superstars . . . that’s born out of irrationality and frustration with the outcome.

Don’t tell me that Golden State was the better team. And don’t tell me the Cavaliers are the better team, either.

For over five years, for most of this decade, in wake of the Lakers, I’ve watched San Antonio and Detroit fly in the face of David Stern’s league of stars and high scores.

The Pistons aren’t wrong . . . the league is.

The system can be beaten.

And don’t underestimate who Joe can or cannot swing trades for. No one thought that he could get Rasheed and Mike James for Hunter, Rebraca, and Bobby Sura either.

And whoever said we need to trade Amir is crazy. Him and Max is where our future lies.

Ben Wallace would have made no difference in this series. Plain and simple dude.

I don’t enjoy watching the Cavs nor do I really enjoy watching the Spurs all that much. It’s not about whether I’m a Pistons’ fan or not, neither of those teams are worth it for me to stay up late for a game that starts at 9pm on the east coast and be late for work the next morning.

Whoever said trade Rip, Sheed and #27 for KG and #6 is crazy. Minnesota is not in a position to win now, whether it’s with or without Sheed. They’re not built to be a grind it out team. I can tell you went by the rosters when you were offering up those trades ideas because Cheik Samb is at LEAST a year away, if not 2 before coming to the NBA, if he even makes it at all. Plus, McDyess will break down if he is a starter. IT would be nice if Detroit got Kobe, but it’s not necessary.

If it could be worked out, I wouldn’t mind seeing a Rip for Lamar Odom deal if Kobe gets traded. If that happened, then you could probably swing a deal with ‘Dyess or Sheed to get a SG to take Rip’s place.

But, I’m not in the business of making trades. I’m just saying that Rip needs to go.

I believe if the Pistons picked up Zach Randolph, they’d have another Charles Rogers on their hands like the Lions had. The last thing you need for a guy with the attitude and history of Randolph is to have him around his boys.

I believe it’s time to get rid of Richard Hamilton while his value is at it’s highest. He cannot create his own shot, and is one of the only shooting guards in the league that I do not want to see shoot a 3 pointer because he isn’t consistent from deep. You risk getting older by trying to get Ray Allen and his big contract, but the Pistons need a Ray Allen type if they’re not going to want to go after a ball handler and shot creator. Noone respects Hamilton’s long range shot, and that should be one of the things teams should fear from a shooting guard that can’t create his own shot.

Green Bay Packers will still be able to sell tickets to the games when Favre retires. There’s no loss of cabin pressure and any interest whatsoever when Jerry Rice called it quits. When Barry Sanders retired, there was shock, but there was still plenty of interest in the Lions, despite no real reason for there to be any available from Detroit fans.

Such will be the case when Manning, Tomlinson, Urlacher, Brady, and the current stars hang up their game.