The Pistons are looking to avoid the season sweep at the hands of the Bulls tonight (8pm, ESPN) at the Palace. Will no Big Ben mean no buddy ball in the first quarter? Let’s hope so — the Pistons have been smoked in the first quarter in two of the last three games. I’ll be covering the game for HOOPSWORLD, but feel free to leave your thoughts on the game in the comments.
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We look pesky and energetic on defense but too much one on one on offense. I looooooooove an aggressive Tay, but don’t keep the ball for 10 seconds and try to shoot on 3 guys. We may need some pep from the Zoo crew today. Chauncey looks good early. Very aggressive. I like it.
That was a major league throwdown by Max to end the quarter! Nice work. I’m liking the way we are looking tonight. There’s some energy, bout time!
Doesn’t hurt to be at home, with some rest. I hope we don’t hear too many “Fire Flip” sentiments tonight - cuz that will mean we’ve won!
Flip is terrible. To his credit though, without him we wouldn’t be leading the league in coach mullets.
Why are people bitching about Flip? Really, I’m at a loss. Anyone want to state their case for him being “terrible?”
Must be the 45-record and the first place standing in the Central Division.
Oops. 45-17. My computer is actually posessed. Seriously.
Where is everybody?
I am tired of watching Antonio’s 16-foot bricks.
If McDyess could hit a shot this game would be over already.
With Flip Murray and Nazr Mohammed gone, there’s no one else to heap their abuse upon. I’m guessing that’s why it seems like the Flip hatred grows with each win.
QD, I want one of them, Antonio or Rasheed, to act like a 5. 10 foot game, get in there, play in the paint. They can’t both be jacking from outside. Rasheed’s the better shot. Antonio’s gotta get in there.
Tayshaun needs more funny bone scares. Damn did he get aggressive after his right arm lost feeling.
Nice throwdown Tay!!
C’mon, can’t somebody give Gordon a nice, HARD foul?
Oh relax everyone. Flip is just an easy target but I am still convinced he’s the weakest link in the organization. I also believe there are very few times when real coaching comes into play, especially with this Piston team, and when it does he doesn’t adjust well. I could coach that team to a 45-17 record in the East! O.k, that’s exaggerating but you get my point.
I did not recognize James Edwards without hair or the ’stache. Man does the Buddha look different.
John Salley looks pretty much the same though, from earlier in the FSN broadcast.
That was the quietest 35 pts I’ve ever seen the Pistons give up in a quarter.
Man, the Bulls as a team is just a hot mess! It’s pretty clear that none of those players have any respect for Boylan. Paxson really mishandled that group.
Why is Rip Hamilton getting torched on D? Is he in foul trouble?
That’s the kind of Antonio I want to see. Those rebounds are what Detroit needs. Antonio can clearly give up his shot outside the rest of the way if he keeps playing the interior like that.
Man, Ratliff is lookin’ like a steal. That block-that-shouldn’t-have-been-called-a-foul he had on Gooden was impressive.
QD, yes, Theo’s been great so far. Vet minimum, pro-rated, is way better than 12 million a pop. The blocks have always been there.
I am wondering if Theo can stay healthy and play like this the rest of the way. Last full season was 02-03. Been injured for years.
The Contract does look like he has more in the tank than advertised. Even though he’s almost 35, he only has 690 games on the odometer, with only 21 playoff games. That, in spite of the fact that he played 85 (!) games during the 2003-04 regular season.
Very nice game for the trio. I loved Tay & Chauncey’s aggessiveness tonight. Stuckey seems to have disappeared. He’s giving Chauncey some rest but doesn’t seem to be blowing minds like he was. But he seems to make a timely play whether pass or drive when needed. But if he’s going to drive and get to the line a lot, he needs to shoot at least 75% from the line. Amir had a rough night with 4 pts, 0 rebs and 5 fouls. Ratliff does look good but are we going to lose Amir once Sheed gets back? Theo has to take somebody’s minutes. Dice’s 10 boards were nice, but 1-10 shooting…..ouch. Another solid win. We just keep going about our business as usual. Missing an important starter, no problem, just keep on ticking like a Timex. Good game boys. We gave up a lot of points, but got the win.
Stuckey disappeared? I guess you could say that, if you call leading the team well, driving to the hole, and drawing fouls disappearing…
qd, i came to the site simply to comment on the ratliff. how does dumars keep doing this? i just watched the sequence in the 2ndQ where he dug a rebound out between three bulls and the next play set a glorious pick to clear billups for an easy jumper. i didn’t think theo had anything left in the tank.
and he just hit a jump hook. joe d should win exec of the year every year until they rename it “executive of the year not named joe dumars.”
and then he’ll have two nba awards named after him.
JackDutch - just you wait til Tay throws down on Gooden, then calls timeout - for the Bulls. It’s the most badass thing I’ve ever seen him do. I didn’t know he had it in him…
“With our style of play, there’s no reason we shouldn’t have beaten that team,” Joakim Noah said. “I think Detroit’s a great team, but I still think we are better than them, really. I feel like we’re a better team.”
The D’Antoni gene is becoming ubiquitous, apparently…
Imagine if one of our rooks acted like that.
A THEO RATLIFF quote from Matt’s HoopsWorld coverage…
“It’s going to be real scary once I get my full health and get my legs up under me,” he said. “I think it’s going to be a surprise to a lot of people throughout the league.”
I concede Rob G. I was a wee bit off the mark. I only get to see the Stones when they play nationally. So when I get to see Stuckey, I hope for the 13 pt, 6-7 assists game with 1 or 2 memorable plays. Call me greedy man :-). That lazer pass to Maximus underneath the basket was sweet though. And Maxs finish was a posterization for sure. Stuckey’s stats against the Knicks were nice. Greedy on my part to want Stuckey to be player of the game whenever I get to see him. Man enough to admit when I’m not being rational.
Only, Theo needs to keep accepting league minimums for anyone to be surprised.
E-Double: Ah, civil discourse. thank you for reminding me that it is still possible on the internet…
(Yes, I know. This from a guy who made fun of Kevin S for engaging in statistics! Sorry, Kevin…)
AJ looked like he was feeling the affects of his first two weeks on the road as a NBA player in the rotation.
Ratliff looked pretty good for a 35 year old out of game condition. I agree he was a great pickup and hope we keep him for next year.
Dyess will break out of it.
Dixon is our worst nightmare. Flip Murray returns.
do you think that ratliff is going to take the young guys’ minutes away?
I mean not that i’d blame anyone if he keeps playing like he did tonight. he put up numbers better than either maxi or amir and the two of them had a foul every 5 and 2.5 minutes respectively. considering they come of with fresh legs off the bench, i don’t want to think how often they foul if they have to play for long stretches when they’re more tired….
…and to joakim noah, you got outplayed by a 35 y/o player who was injured for long stretches in the past. when you make you presence felt you can decide who’s the better team..
Noah pwnt Ben Wallace during Cle/Chi’s last meeting. What does that say about Cleveland’s ‘improvement?’
I thought Coach Saunders managed the game well and mixed in Theo, Amir, and Max well. It was a professional victory at home, always close but never bad. It was an odd game to watch because there were very few big runs and the game had a weird sameness to it throughout.
Tayshaun went crazy after the Funnybone Incident. That was fun.
I see Theo playing more against tall bigs and Max playing more against meaty bigs.
In short, fun game. It’s nice to see Rasheed get healed up without it entirely discombobulating the team and the Big Three tonight was big indeed.
Who told me tayshaun couldn’t be a weapon on o? Kevin s? YOU’RE FINISHED! Go back to telling me jason kidd sucks… Or something
“Dixon is our worst nightmare. Flip Murray returns.”
Seriously? huh? A pesky defender who can pass and score? That’s a nightmare?
I’m about ready to abandon DBB for more rational pastures. Next someone is gonna say that Chauncey is playing bad.
No really, he’s not joak-ing:
“With our style of play, there’s no reason we shouldn’t have beaten that team,” Joakim Noah said. “I think Detroit’s a great team, but I still think we are better than them, really. I feel like we’re a better team.”
Wow, I think that’s the biggest problem for teams not winning is thinking you’re better than what you really are. It’s pretty obvious with Chicago… I believe Detroit has the same problem.
You know I’ve been screaming about starting Amir, but maybe we should start Theo next to Sheed instead.
RATLIFF: “It’s going to be real scary once I get my full health and get my legs up under me. I think it’s going to be a surprise to a lot of people in the league.”
If he’s truly healthy, and does improve between now and the playoffs, AAAAND McDyess keeps shooting like pooh, then it might not be a bad idea.
I guess my main point after watching the Celtics game is that we have to get better somehow. Maybe Theo’s the answer. Right now I think we lose to Boston with McDyess as a starter. To say we’re better than Boston would be Joakim-esk.
Start Theo over Dice?
Goddamn. Something tells me that when this team goes through a bad couple of years - maybe if they miss the playoffs - this comment area is just gonna get weirder and weirder…
So, Rob, do you think we’re better than Boston? If we’re not what changes would you recommend to get to the finals this year?
I think I will watch all the games from here on out, root for my team, cheer if they win, and get stone drunk until I can’t see straight if they lose. Not a lot I can do about it…
Rob, I don’t think starting Theo over Dice is that far out of the realm of possibility. He is no 2004 Ben Wallace but he definitely minds the painted area instead of straying out to 15ft or so to drift on a jumper, only to have it hit front rim 9 out of 10 times.
I think Dice is a great player, and a great locker room presence but… more rebounds come with guys who don’t play the perimeter are on the floor (see: Maxiell and Sheed, Amir and Sheed, Maxiell and Dice). Dice is a great dude… heck he’s so great that I’d let him babysit my kids, fondle my wife, and housesit for me while I’m gone overseas… that’s how much I trust the guy.
Well, have fun cheering Detroit on, and getting blind drunk, when we lose the ECFs. I see no reason not to believe that’s exactly what’s gonna happen if we maintain the status quo.
Something needs to change, and if you have a problem with people comtemplating options, then maybe you should move on to another sight where you just want deliriously optomistic blind rah-rah support. I mean you CAN control that, right?
The good thing is that we’ll know if maintaining the status quo is the proper move to guide us to a championship because we know, for sure, that Flip will maintain that course come hell or high water. I have supreme faith in Flip 9_9
Does anyone check stats? Isn’t Dice our best rebounder? Or am I missing something? Isn’t Dice a near 50% shooter (who, yes, is going through a slump). Isn’t Dice a solid, if not very good, defender? What am I missing?
Something needs to change? Like what? Three months ago, Brad, you probably were excited about Dice in the starting lineup, because it was a change.
Change for change’s sake is flat out wrong here. If you’re concerned about Boston, may I remind you - second night of a back-to-back, in Boston, after a snowstorm, Pistons got in at 4 am, Sheed’s ankle. Tell me that any of those (besides the ankle, knock on wood) would be a factor in a long, drawn out, aired-on-ABC series. Name one factor.
Rondo, you say? I say, Dixon and Hunter.
KG? Well, I want Sheed and Dice in there on him, not Theo.
Big Baby? I want Theo on him.
If you want change so bad, back my boy Obama.
I wouldn’t change a thing about these Pistons. I like their chances in a playoff series. Period.
If we lose, we lose. Period.
We aren’t coaches. We are blog-readin’ goofballs.
I’m out like civil discourse…
Brad,
You want change? Just wait until Stephon Marbury is stealing Stuckey’s minutes next season.
Regards,
Flip Saunders
War Rob G wanting Theo Ratliff to guard Big Baby. As long as someone knocks that fat sumbitch on his ass, I don’t care who guards him. He flops on the floor more than Anderson Varejao, and he’s 290lbs of goo. It’s pathetic that flopping like that is allowed to happen…
(Random sidenote: Davis is not 290 pounds of goo. He’s at least 320 pounds. I’d stake my life on it.)
Starting anyone over Dyess is an overreaction (especially an Amir Johnson who will put the other team in the bonus in three minutes because refs hate him, or Ratliff who is still learning the plays).
But, there is something to be said for cutting down Dyess’s minutes leading into the playoffs. He hasn’t played this much in years and maybe he’s hitting the wall. Some rest might help his jumper.
Best perspective I can offer:
I wasn’t happy we lost to Boston and yes I’m worried about them in the ECF… Frankly I’m still a bit worried about CLE because Lebron is walking and we all know CLE doesn’t ACTUALLY need anything else to beat anyone. Sure its a long shot, but so was last year and all THAT took was some questionable fouls for Boobie Gibson and Lebron deciding he would NOT lose game 5….
Its pro basketball, one can ONLY assume there are other teams out there that COULD beat the Pistons in a playoff series.
Otoh for people to be saying “WILL” beat the Pistons, because of one lousey game in difficult circumstances?
Come now, be real. Even the year SA lost like THREE GAMES TOTAL on home court, we took them to 7 and had the series in the BAG with half the fourth quarter to go…. Nobody, is EVER a lock for anything… that’s life and it’s DEFINATELY NBA basketball.
Our 33 year old starters need rest and our front court reserves need playing time. I don’t care who starts as long as those 2 things happen.
Personally I’d throw the kids in the fire to see how they react. Amir got some bad calls on him, but he also had some dumb contact that made it easy for the officials to call. I think if you committed to playing Amir A) the officials would take note and give him the benefit of the doubt more so than now, B) Amir would refrain himself from making those stupid fouls as the year progressed, and C) You set him up playing in the playoffs. I’m not saying you start him in the playoffs, but he’d definitely be more prepared.
I will say I was pleasantly surprised by Theo’s hops… and if thinks he still needs to get “his legs underneath him” then I’m curious to see him at full strength.
PG4L kills it again. She says everything I want to say in a concise manner. Kudos and welcome back to you, Miss PG4L.
You gotta admit though… when Tayshaun is playing like last night, this team is hard to beat. If I had my druthers, I’d deal a #1 and Rip for a young stud next season if the opportunity comes available.
dribbling it down to 5 seconds on the shot clock my backside… he took it to the rack with authority last night, it’s almost as if he heard me talking about him.
I’m with Rob G. Instead of spending time on Theo, Joe Dumars should spend time with melo-m and get these foreigners to do the introduction at the Palace.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IliwQImJrYE
Boney, you said it yourself, “when Tayshaun is playing like last night”. When says it all, because you can’t be assured that Tay’s going to score in mid-high double figs every night. When Tay is firing on all cylinders (pardon the automotive reference), he looks like an elite player who can take over a game. But Tay still struggles with consistently performing at the level he performed at last night on offense.
I like Tay, but the model for consistent scoring (and I’d say general play) on these Pistons is Rip and to a (very very very) slightly lesser extent, Chauncey (who is more dazzling than Rip when he’s dazzling so it works out anyway). And yeah Boney, Tay does spend significant possession time backing his defenders down more than a little. I’m not criticizing him for doing it so much as just trying to assert that he does it.
There’s been a PG4L sighting. No wonder the weather is so beautiful in Hot ‘Lanta today
Sauce, I still get goose bumbs every time I hear that tune man. I have flashbacks to the Bad Boys. Damn, that felt good. Do they still play that at the Palace? Wow, I just not realized we are almost at the 20 year anniversary of the ‘89 championship. WTH? I blinked and missed 20 years man. No more LSD for me. I agree LawyerBoy. Tay is the man when he wants to be. But he also does a damn good Casper the friendly Ghost impression and disappears a lil’ too often for my taste. I just need 14 pts from Tay on a consistent basis. Not 28 one night and 0 the next (net avg. 14 pts). He has all the skils. But I just want to know who’s going to stop that 240 lbs train on track 23 coming from Cleveland? Cause it aint (yes I said aint) going to be the boney brothers (Tay & Rip). I know Tay’s physique is not going to change, but 5 more lbs would be nice man. We’ve got about 20 games to go. I don’t need any of the starters averaging more than 30 mins the rest of the way. (If possible). I’m not saying throw the next 20 games and rest the troops. BTW, Brad & Rob G., I’m definately not a nay-sayer but Boston does worry me. I’m just having Cleveland and Miami hangovers from the last 2 years. Go Pistons!!!!!!!
The Final Countdown is still a part of Detroit’s introduction. It begins after John Mason’s opening words.
http://www.need4sheed.com/videos/2007_pistons_intros.html
One thing I wish the Pistons would can . . . Kid Rock. I can’t stand him. I suppose it could be worse . . . we could be treated to opening video junk with a theme song from ICP . . . inspiring thousands of Juggalos to suddenly spray Faygo all over the Palace.
E-Double, it’s nice to live somewhere warm man. Weather becomes one less thing to worry about in this crazy world we have. On the subject of Tay, I never said he dominates a game when he wants to. I don’t think it’s a want situation so much as a Tay not having enough energy on both ends of the floor all of the time situation.
Ha, that would be awful, Sauce. ICP is weird enough, but Juggalos should be outlawed. I’m not a huge fan of Kid Rock myself, but I like hearing them blast that bit “Ain’t no party like a Detroit party cuz a Detroit party don’t stop!” if only for the fact that it reps the city in a chest-thumping kind of way. You gotta give props to the guy for going to as many games as he’s went to. Also, if you ever saw the footage of him (with beer in hand no less) in the booth with Mickey Redmond and Ken Daniels during one of the intermissions during some random Wings’ game, you might change your tune on how much you can’t stand Kid Rock. It was funny stuff.
I’m feeling the love, unexpected but much appreciated boys.
Also don’t hate… Kid Rock, D12, ICP and all things Faygo are part of what living in Detroit means and dude……I miss home more every day. Trust me, you do NOT want to trade for The Rascalz and a bunch of winey yuppies worshiping a giant phalic symbol.
Those aren’t all the things that mean living in Detroit, PG4L.
Dear Sauce… if you read my above statement you will no doubt come to a phrase that says “Kid Rock, D12, ICP and all things Faygo are part of what living in Detroit means”
Suprisingly enough the clause “part of” covers your objection. By saying part of one implies INHERANTLY that it is not “all the”.
Thanks for taking English 101…
Dear PG4L,
I still hate Kid Rock (Romeo, lol), and you forgot Vernors. And J Dilla. AND POLAND.
Dude, I did forget Dilla……wow, I’m giving back my ‘Hood pass tomorrow, seriously I can’t believe I forgot Dilla……
I forgot the Belleville Three, we forget a lot of things. I just don’t like Kid Rock, no biggie.
TOWNE CLUB . . . NEVAR FORGET
http://ca-yd.com/images/bottles/aclcoll/SN1200121183.jpg
Los Angeles doesn’t really have Michigan lefts.
Now there’s something worth repping.