The Pistons are in Chicago tonight (8:30, TV20) looking to shake off last night’s loss to the Kings. But be warned: Chicago always seems to have the Pistons’ number in the regular season, even when they don’t have anyone else’s. Plus, when the Pistons drop a game, they tend to do it in pairs: eight of their 11 losses this year have been part of a back-to-back defeat. (Is there such a thing as a “reverse jinx?” I hope so …)
Kirk Hinrich is likely to sit out for the Bulls, which puts Thabo Sefolosha in the starting lineup next to Chris Duhon. I have no clue who the Bulls plan to guard whom in Detroit’s backcourt, but either Rip Hamilton or Chauncey Billups will have an advantage all night long, even (especially?) when Ben Gordon comes off the bench.
Also, like I said last night in my post-game post for HOOPSWORLD, I’m curious if Walter Herrmann’s PT last night was an effort to get him sharp for matching up with Andres Nocioni tonight. Those guys are teammates on the Argentinian team, it should be fun to watch them go at each other, even if it’s only for a few minutes.
That’s enough pseudo-analysis for now: as always, leave your thoughts in the comments.
“Kirk Hinrich is likely to sit out for the Bulls, which puts Thabo Sefolosha in the starting lineup next to Chris Duhon.”
Yikes. And to think, we have every reason to think we’ll have a tough time winning tonight. Come on D, let’s ring this one up.
The WGN pregame show just interviewed Joe D. after the interview, when they sent it back to the host at courtside, he put Joe over as “one of the few Pistons that Bulls fans have admiration for”. Are you listening Heinsohn? It’s called broadcast journalism, you scab. Leave your overwhelming bias at the door.
wow, the bulls entrance is dramatic. a long animation leading to a match-on-action shot with the pyro, which just happens to fade out right in front of the many championship banners. dang.
I think teams have gotten smart to Jmaxx real quickly. He’s been stuffed multiple times in the past two weeks when at the start of the season he was eating babies without any contention.
Yeah, he wouldn’t have blocked it, if Max didn’t cock the ball back. He keeps trying to tear the rim down. Ruined a great dime from Stuckey.
Hayes has his mojo back.
Hermann v. Nocioni.
Can we hit a f’n free throw?
just looks like they dont wanna win again….
I love this team, but when it comes to playing Chicago, they just need to pull their heads out of their asses.
Well, part of it is that Flip is saving the zone.
It kind be frustrating to watch a team that you know is superior to their opponents, yet they just don’t show up and prove it.
I’ll admit, I got a couple of Bulls fans that I call “friends”, and having to take another one on the chin from Chicago will have me in a bad mood for at least 48 hours.
*It can
I’m so angry (again.) My poor dog Maxwell aka Maxiell is freaked out. I’m not screaming you little buddy!
Matt, I’m curious if you have a hypothesis as to why the Pistons refuse to attack the basket or hell, do anything but take jump shots?
January sucks!
I want December back!
Okay Flip, I’m sick of losing to this team. Sic that zone on them and make their offense fall apart.
No Luol Deng and Prince still can’t get into a rhythm. We suck! No, I take that back — Flip Saunders can’t coach when we find ourselves down.
I’ve turned off the game at Halftime and am not watching. I said if the Pistons played like this Im gonna choke someone. Granted I really dont agree with a lot of the calls, the fact that the Bulls use the Pistons as a doormat while still being a mediocre team is sickening.
The sad thing is the guys probably think they still own the Magic. Watch them blow that game as well.
January sucks and its my birthmonth…..
is it the coach or the players who make the baskets and work on the court? No offense but the pistons have played this up and down game, high quality wins and blow outs, juxtaposed with getting blown out and losing to teams they should have no problem with. I guess where is the definitive evidence this is a deal with the coach being unable to keep players with a continuity of such play, or the players being lackadaisical, having gotten a good way into the plays regardless of how they played in the regular season-so long as it was well enough to make the playoffs?
Missed free throws and missed layups.
Someone should steal Chicago’s uniforms and replace them with Spurs jerseys. That would probably do the trick.
Coupled with some very lucky shots from the Bulls.
What do you guys think of bringing Afflalo in? Might as well tell the kid to sick em’ and get him some burn against a perimeter-oriented team.
I think Flip needs to have the boys shoot some free throws next practice.
Oh man, I’m so sick of watching this right now, so sick! That’s it, I’m done watching this game! Any longer and I might develope cancer!
My momma always told me if I didn’t have anything nice to say…..so…..peace out DBB community!
Zone time!
Okay I lied!
Good call QD
Chauncey and Nocioni are dominating.
Well, let’s just hope they don’t become the 7th seed.
Is this game being played on a boat? Nocioni does seem able to keep his balance.
If that was Wade they wouldn’t have called a travel.
this has been painful to watch.
what happened to your pistons? PCP New Years party? Could go for some consistency.
chauncey did a great job cutting chicago’s lead to an easy 2point game that they could have traded baskets with until the end-but no, the rest of the team put that nice gift from chauncey straight into the trash in about 2 minutes.
What are the Pistons doing on offense?! Lets walk around and pass the ball until the shot clock winds down and than force it one on one? Come on Flip, earn your paycheck!
Tayshaun Prince is USELESS. Bad ballhandler, bad on offense, bad rebounder, very overrated defensively. Very frustrating player.
I’ve got some laundry to do, so I’m not going to watch the last three minutes. Plus, my ulcer is acting up. Fucking Chicago. I know that they do this to us in the regular season only to crumble when it matters, but it kills me, because for once I’m able to watch a game, it’s a big one, and they dissappoint me.
Seems like every looseball, every long rebound, every effort play comes out on their side. Not to mention the goddamn shots they hit.
Aaargh.
No legs tonight.
I sense a flat spot coming in season where the team chugs along playing .500 ball. I’d like to see the team experiment with Tayshaun as 6th man and start Herrmann or Hayes at SF. Keep the minutes the same but the team is flat and Tayshaun needs to be a bit more consistent and aggressive. I don’t know what’s going on. Sometimes this team looks like the best in the league and sometimes it looks like just another NBA team.
Since having there 11 game win streak snapped what have the Pistons done? Apart from the San Anotnio road win its been awful stuff
Have Glen Davis have his way with us
Blown out in Dallas
67 points against the Knicks….
Forced into Overtime by the Bobcats almost losing
Letting Artest hit 18 off the bench at home
Blown by Chicago
Does anyone think its worth Joe looking at Damon Stoudemire as a back up now that he has been released or does his style not fit? I mean Lindsey is too old and Stuckey is not really a PG, same with Tayshaun.
It doesn’t help that Pistons play like heartless bit*hes either. They’ll say it’s just another game in January, no big deal. If so, let the bench players play 30 minutes each! Let Amir have a couple plays run for him. Let Brezec dive for loose balls. Either play at 100% on don’t play at all. Instead playing 35 minutes at half speed, play 15 at full throttle.
Every season it’s the same thing. They coast through a third of the games (Sheed twice as much, I don’t think he runs 10 times in a whole game sometimes, and this is coming from a fan) and then say they are fatigued in the playoffs because of the minutes they played during the regular season. WTF?!
This kind of “coasting” is growing into a habit and will cost them again as it did the last season against the Cavs.
Prophecy_Projectz - I think Lindsey Hunter is in better shape than Damon Stoudamire so age isn’t an issue. I see what you are saying about the downside of getting Stuckey up to speed but Stoudamire turns the ball over too much for a Detroit PG.
How’s this for Crazy GM talk?
Jarvis Hayes, Primoz Brezac, Flip Murray for Sam Cassell
Sign free agent Chris Webber as 4th big man
Install Walter Herrmann as backup SF
Hey everyone, been reading here a lot this season but haven’t posted. I only caught a majority of the second half, so I didn’t get to see much good except for Chauncey’s performance. I agree with what’s been said about lack of heart and apparent laziness. I’m not actually mad or all that worried, but it is frustrating to watch.
My biggest gripe in so many losses has been the death of ball movement. I swear, I love our offense when it flows, but our slow half court play is so terribly easy to defend without ball movement. Perimeter passes to set up one-on-one showdowns doesn’t cut it. In my opinion Chauncey doesn’t unleash himself enough. This game in particular what happens when he actually does try to move in from the top; either he dominates by creating for himself, or it opens up the floor for others. I almost hate to be reminded of his abilities because I don’t get to see it all the time. I’m not pinning it all on him because I hardly see anyone else really creating, but I give him more attention because of the impact he can have by himself.
Gee, it’s a shame that Amir doesn’t know the playbook and can’t do all the great things our frontcourt starters do. You know, like mailing in these kinds of games.
“Does anyone think its worth Joe looking at Damon Stoudemire as a back up now that he has been released or does his style not fit?”
Moreso, his lack of ability doesn’t fit. Plus, some team is going to offer him a starting gig. Stuckey deserves quite a bit more time to earn his spot. He should be able to hit the jumpers he’s given with quite a bit more regularity once he has some time under his belt.
That said, the frontcourt is losing its legs. That Mohammed trade doesn’t seem so smart now. I think it would be a good time to reintroduce Amir Johnson, but apparently earning fouls is the new equivalent to strangling the coach.
0-3 against Chicago. It is what it is. Pisses me off that the Pistons allow a struggling team that has the potential to see them in the playoffs to have a psychological advantage over them.
Spurs are playing bad also. The difference? They won a title last year and can back up their claim that they’ll show up when it matters.
I love these Pistons, but I can’t stand this shit!
Im starting to grow on that stoudamire for sheed rumor on espn even though we all pretty much know it wont happen but if this play continues we will end up in the same boat last year….a lot of “should haves” and “could haves” but will fall short in the end with that terrible “we do good with our backs against wall attitude” garbage. Flip really needs to get some balls and tell the starters if thats your attitude have fun with it on the bench and whip them into shape.
I’m sorry to say but Stuckey isn’t performing half as good as he ought to. Shooting, guarding and assists aren’t up to par. i don’t know who’s to blame but it’s just not happening.
“How’s this for Crazy GM talk?
Jarvis Hayes, Primoz Brezac, Flip Murray for Sam Cassell”
joejoejoe: That IS crazy talk! Sam Cassell plays about 6 games every 3 years due to injury! When he’s healthy, he’s pretty unstoppable from the elbow with his little alien-powered jumper, but he’s rarely healthy any more. Perhaps he needs a probe.
We need something to happen to get us over the hump. I hope Joe D pull off a trade before the trade deadline. I am not saying move the core but Joe D did speak about this at the end of last year. Then again you don’t want your team to peak to soon. It may be ok.
What Ohad said. Yeah, some of the starters haven’t played well lately, but this “shorten the bench and give Stuckey more time” has meant some real problems when he’s in. He made a ton of mistakes last night. I know he’s a rookie, he’ll have ups and downs, and he needs to be developed. But if he doesn’t start getting better soon, they are going to need a “plan B” re the guard rotation.
So, Detroit is something like 6-5 in their last 11. Is it January doldrums, a lack of interest for a team pretty sure to get the #2 seed, trying out various bench players, indications of real problems, or a combination?
Okay, we’re exactly half way through the year. So some thoughts…
DO NOT PANIC PEOPLE. The Pistons have the 2nd best record and they are the only team capable of winning the championship that has played more road games than home games (and no, Phoenix is not capable).
WHAT DO WE NEED TO GET OVER THE HUMP? We don’t need a trade. We need two things to happen.
MAXIELL NEEDS TO CONTINUE TO IMPROVE. We know what we’re getting from our starters. That’s not going to change. But with all the hype surrounding Amir, I think everyone forgets that Maxiell’s still developing.
Teams have figured him out and he needs to be able to respond. Watching the offense stagnate with Sheed on the bench with foul trouble reemphasizes the need for another low post threat.
STUCKEY NEEDS TO CLICK. This kid has really been thrown in the fire. While he was out 25 games, teams have already worked out a lot of their kinks. Enter Stuckey, without a single practice and protector over his hand. He’s been set up to fail and he’s having his troubles. The main thing he needs to learn is that he doesn’t need to take it all the way to the rim and start pulling up in the lane before a big man can rotate over to him.
Everyone knows the scouting report on him. He can get to the basket. So teams will force him to shoot jumpers. He needs to be able to hit enough of them to keep people honest.
Defensively, he’s really impressed me with how he D’s up with his feet and not his hands.
But, remember, if Stuckey doesn’t make progress. There’s a known and rested commodity in Lindsey Hunter waiting on the bench.
QD has become the counselor with the bullhorn, 20 stories below, talking me away from the edge of the building. “You have a lot to live for,” he says. “The Pistons will figure it out.”
QD, I’m not panicked, just annoyed that the main problems from last year are still present. You don’t panick in January, you just hope for improvement. Honestly, I think the Pistons will win 14-15 out of their next 20. But if they don’t, I won’t be panicking, as long as there’s a legitimate reason behind the losses. My problem now is, I can’t find any excuses for losing some of the recent games they’ve played in they manner they did.
Well WLM1, there were at least five times during last night’s game that I started to write a post, saw it degenerate into a series of expletives and then had to delete it. You’re not alone in getting pissed. But, I don’t think it’ll become a habit. I think they’ll have righted the ship by the time the Lakers come to town.
Well, counting that Lakers game, they’ve got 5 games left in the month. With two against Orlando, I’d be okay with 3-2, happy with 4-1, but know they should go 5-0. I’d consider 4-1 a strong indication that the “ship has been righted”.
if watching and losing games like this is the price of making stuckey a decent playoff backup i’m ok with it. stuck and max are trying their hardest and i have faith that they’ll both improve somewhat. hopefully it will be enough.
I was torn between wanting Webber back or not when we were on our streak in December, I leaned slightly towards not wanting him back. Now after how we played as of late, I’d lean more towards waiving Brezec and sign Webber to come off the bench (behind Maxiell). As much as I like our bench, I think we need to add a little more experience (Webber) to it. Our bench would benefit with having a vet that can pass and score in the paint. I also think Webber would help with our problem of going one on one when things get tough instead of playing team ball.
Unfortunately some VERY serious personal life issues have kept me away from here but if it means anything, I agree with almost EVERYTHING QD has said. I’ve seen most of the games (losses too) just haven’t had time to comment.
It’s a bad stretch of the season and teams are bound to have them regardless of age. I think the main cause here is that Sheed is looking a little slow and Tay is in a shooting slump. Funks end.
Ciao for a while, I’d explain but it’d take too long.
PG4L - Best wishes to you. Be well in all you do!
“Ciao for a while, I’d explain but it’d take too long.”
You married a Celtics fan?
PG4L–
We’ll be here waiting for your sage analysis, take care of yourself until then.
ALL ABOUT DETROIT, BABY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
PG4l - good luck - I miss your posts already
Hope all turns out well, PG4L. We’ll anxiously await your thoughts on Flip Saunders’ coaching skills, Terrelle Pryor signing with whoever, and other notable Piston/UM sport stories.
Haha QD, I echo everyone’s thoughts on the anxious await toward a PG4L return. I’m sure I speak for everyone (since they’ve already spoken anyway, zing!) when I say we hope things are okay. I hate to come off lazy, but I can’t really add anything more insightful. On to the Webber thread!