It didn’t really get a lot of press because I don’t think many people really knew what to make of it, but Rasheed Wallace didn’t stick around very long after Saturday’s loss to the Celtics — he didn’t even shower and apparently left the arena still wearing his sweats. He was at Monday’s practice but (not surprisingly) decided against clarifying to the media what was going through his mind.
Chris McCosky spoke to Flip Saunders, though, and doesn’t think there’s really anything to read into:
But, as Saunders said, [Wallace] was mostly upset at the way the Pistons faltered in the final four minutes of that game. He was mad that he didn’t take advantage of his offensive mismatch with Glen Davis. He was mad that Chauncey and Rip Hamilton were firing up so many quick shots, not allowing him time or opportunity to get into scoring or rebounding position. He was mad that the perimeter defenders couldn’t stop Paul Pierce from penetrating, which made him and McDyess look bad when they had to come up to help, leaving Davis alone for lay-ups. He hates to lose, especially a game like that where he felt the Pistons beat themselves.
But please, don’t read any more into it than that. I have already gotten letters from people assuming Wallace is mad at Flip again, or that he has abandoned his teammates. Nothing could be further from the truth. It was one loss in an 82-game schedule. Nothing more, nothing less.
A lot of people still think that Wallace is some kind of ticking time bomb, but that’s really overblown. Maybe I’ll get worried if he stops dancing, but otherwise he’s probably one of the biggest reasons why the Pistons are so loose in the first place. And seriously, dodging the media after a game is one of the least disruptive ways possible a player can vent his frustration.
since no one else seems to be commenting today I’ll just give sheed some credit. i’m afraid i’m in the camp that thinks his mental state is a huge liability in the playoffs, but this is a good sign. he didn’t lose it on the court, he didn’t get a tech, he just yelled on the sidelines and went home pissed. granted, it was the last minute of the game that crap really went down, but if that’s the worst he does in the playoffs we’ll be in good shape.
if you have nothing good to say, then u shouldn’t say anything, that’s how i see it, especially without saying anything to the press. im sure few of his teamates will talk to him about it, but its something it’ll stay in the locker room that we probably won’t find out. i support sheed on this one wheather flip’s info. is accurate or not.
I’ve been a Sheed detractor, but he’s been great this year and played a great game.
He should get on his teammates case for not executing down the stretch. These guys seem to trust each other to enough to be able to take criticism.
I do think the pistons players were upset over the loss and nothing more, namely sheed and dyess. I don’t know if anyone noticed, but at the end of the game when ties fouled out I remember him slamming something to the ground at the end. Maybe Rip and Chauncey looked a little lackadaisical, but there are starters on our team who were definitely upset by the loss.
*Dice not ties
On a team that is so prone to emotional ruts, this just seems like deja vu. We had a game where we had the team down, but couldn’t deliver the knockout.
Flip made bizarre substitutions, putting Stuckey AND Afflalo in the backcourt at the apex of our run and failing to keep Maxiell in when he was eating everyone alive. We let a second-tier player beat us. We allowed the refs to jump on the Celtics bandwagon, and now Sheed is angry.
At their best, the Pistons are literally unbeatable. There is no other team about whom that can be said. By the same token, they need to become more adept at dealing with stressful situations.
Some of us have already gone over this. I still give Sheed props for not wasting his time speaking to the media after the game. The less Sherdian material, the better.
“At their best, the Pistons are literally unbeatable. There is no other team about whom that can be said. By the same token, they need to become more adept at dealing with stressful situations”
Couldn’t agree more kevin.
As far as stressful situations are concerned, Detroit needs to pull a page from the Spurs’ book. Instead of allowing themselves to fall apart when the calls aren’t going their way or their defense is failing, they need to buckle down.
I know the Spurs get a lot more love from the refs in general, but there have been times I’ve seen things start going against them and it makes them better. A few years ago, that was Detroit’s mo. That’s why they were so hard to beat. No matter what the other team or the refs did, superb team defensive and offensive execution won Detroit a lot of tough battles. As far as the last couple of seasons go however, the pressure and stress of the playoffs have proved too much for them.
Kevin S., don’t you think it’s more important to get Stuckey and Afflalo experience in a big time game against a great offensive and defensive team (when the starters have already played 12 minutes) or trying to extend a lead in a game in January?
“Kevin S., don’t you think it’s more important to get Stuckey and Afflalo experience in a big time game against a great offensive and defensive team (when the starters have already played 12 minutes) or trying to extend a lead in a game in January?”
I think it is important to find minutes for those guys, but a wholesale backcourt substitution was unwise. In the playoffs, a three guard rotation will make the most sense, so lets figure out how that is going to work.
1) Let’s face it, the Pistons are lousy front runners. They need that chip on their shoulder.
2) I admire Sheed’s passion, he obviously took the loss harder than he’d cared to admit.
2a) IMHO, more about Sheed being made than what it’s really worth.
3) Nothing wrong with playing Stuck and Spellcheck together. Flip was quoted as saying Max got tired towards the end (Max denies this).
4) I believe they’ll be fine come May (and June). The evidence is clearly out there that at this point, they’re a better team than Boston. Pierce, Allen and KG are all great individual talents, but has been pointed out here repeatedly, what have they won?
I love the Pistons and believe they are better than the Celtics, but asking “what have they won” is a bit of a trick question. I’d counter with “what have they won that they’ve had the opportunity to win?” The answer of course is that they’ve won everything thats come before them so far. You can’t win what you havent faced, a fact that shouldn’t be held against them.