(Anyone object if we hit the reset button and start over? What, that’s not allowed? Damn it. If only the NBA were a video game.)
The Pistons and Sixers will square off in Game 2 tonight. Flip Saunders called it a must-win, but Chauncey Billups disagrees. Is that some of the team’s trademark cockiness shining through? Some might think so, but I don’t.
Think about it: if Billups puts all of the cards on the table after one game, what does that tell the Sixers? That if they come out and connect with another K.O. tonight, the Pistons will be ready to admit defeat. If you remind the opponent that it’s a long series, they’ll be that much more likely to roll over in Game 2 knowing that they already accomplished their goal of eliminating home court advantage.
Assuming, that is, that players decide whether they get up to play or not based on what’s on the bulletin board, which isn’t really the case. But hey, it makes for fun fan discussion, doesn’t it? While the win may have emboldened a handful of Sixers fans to speak up in the comments, it hasn’t completely convinced Philly’s media that the Sixers can hang for long. From Bob Ford of the Philadelphia Inquirer:
As a group, the Pistons got good shots in the fourth quarter and converted just four of 17 from the field, including eight misses in their last nine attempts.
“That’s Detroit. They turn it on, and they turn it off,” Andre Iguodala of the Sixers said.
The Sixers don’t do that and should be commended for it. But the problem is that the Pistons can play a lot better than they did on Sunday, and the Sixers really can’t. That was very likely their best effort against Detroit’s defense and it got them the win - with some help from everything that could have gone right that did go right. Which was everything.
It was fun for them. It was uplifting. It was a payback for all they have endured during this season. It was also just one game out of seven.
Now the real work begins. The bear is fully awake, and he’s in a bad mood. The Sixers, unfortunately, have to hang around and find out just how bad.
He’s right, the Pistons are angry. Let’s see if they do anything about it tonight. The game’s on TV20 here in metro Detroit and NBATV nationally. Ball tips at 7:30. Leave your thoughts in the comments.
Damn, I have to watch on the local Philly network (even though I’m not really local to Philly). I better take my blood pressure pills just in case.
Fellow League Passer’s, who’s calling the game on NBATV?
lets do this!!! i expect pistons starting backcourt to be agressive from the beginning of the 1st quarter.
othermatt, im watching it on mojo channel. not sure who the commentators are.
Big ups to the Philly feed, showing the Pistons intros, they most definitely didn’t have to do that. I take back my negative comments about it. Plus the Philly play by play guys are pretty good.
Bob Ford is right.
Okay, I hope that he is right. The loss was very disappointing, but I am kind of hoping it smacks some sense (of urgency) into our favorite team. The good news from game one was that we got to see that, when mildly focused, the Pistons are better than any team in the playoffs. The bad news is that we only got to see it for maybe a quarter or two.
Same old story, I guess. I hope that game 1 lesson from the 76ers will lead to a happier ending.
We didn’t score on the first possession, EVERYBODY PANIC!!!!
They are not going to be able to not double Sheed. He’s going aggressively to the basket, that’s a nice adjustment by us.
Where can I watch the game online? Channelsurfing.net is redirecting me to NBA League Pass Audio. Please advise. And quick! Thanks!
David
I can’t vouch for it, but I know people have used Sopcast with some success in the past.
Sopcast seems to be working for me. Channel 22260. Thanks for the tip.
Now that is some STIFLING defense.
Part of me wants to be like, “yeah, they bounced back from game 1!” Another part of me is thinking, “but they led by 15 the last time, too …”
That quarter was a reality check not only for Philly, but the Pistons. That was exactly what we needed. If we can maintain that level of defensive focus for the next two quarters, we’ve got this game in the bag. The rest of the series should fall like dominoes…
Great to see the defensive focus. If they could’ve got a few more stops in the second half last game it wouldn’t have mattered that they missed all of those shots.
good first half………were not reclaiming victory yet!!!! so hopefully no lapse.
mike payne….i agree that they will fall like dominoes, only and only if they play within this level.
Our bench needs to step up in the second half if we are going to maintain this lead. I like the energy from Stuckey, but if Maxiell can’t get himself going, I want to see Amir.
…and Hayes frustrates me. That shouldn’t be any surprise to DBB readers though.
Killer half, DET. Let’s close this series out, starting right now.
Is the game on right now? I’m just getting lots of ads on SopCast for BenTV or whatever on channel 22260. Boo-urns.
The game just came back less than a minute ago …
Oops. My bad. Now it’s playing. Thanks for confirming that I’m a knucklehead, Matt.
you’re no knuckledhead, Garrett. You’re not a Boston fan!
Billups hit a 3 as his first basket. About time!
I’m actually in Myrtle Beach on vacation right now! Woo! I’m in America!
Seeing McDyess hit that baseline jumper off the pick-and-roll, combined with the earlier post about Terry Mills, reminds me of Otis Thorpe. Man, that guy was automatic from the baseline.
Oooo, a T on Rip.
(taking a chance here…)
I love how the Pistons shut us all up with one game.
Stuckey to Sheed for threeeeeeeeeeeeeee!
The Pistons are finally playing ball like I expected them to. Thank you, for looking interested for once.
Man, these guys are attacking the rim and getting offensive rebounds. Where was this in game 1?
AMIR!!!!
Oh, an Amir sighting …
AMIR!!
HERE COMES AMIR!!!!!
And DBB readers rejoice.
Since nobody else seems to have mentioned this….
AMIR!!!!!!!!
Also, where are the knuckle heads calling for Stuckey and Afflalo to start? I’m just sayin.
Maxiell just ate a baby by blocking a shot.
Jason Smith (who is he, again?) tried to bring some weak-ass lay-up and Maxiell spiked it off the glass. Even the Philly announcers were like, “OHHHH SNAP!”
No Lindsey and no Theo so far … think Joe pulled Flip into his office sometime this week?
Meanwhile, back at Thorpedo HQ, crow is being served.
“Jason Maxiell and a Dynamite Dunk!”
babies of the world, be fearful.
Maxiell is opening a buffet on Jason Smith’s babies. Nice dunk.
The only negative to what is looking like a blowout win: hearing DBB reader Mike say it was because Flip played Amir and Afflalo.
That aside, I’m hoping Amir has a huge quarter. Like 12 points, 9 rebounds and 300 blocks.
I’m glad that Lindsey is on the bench (even though he DID play well last game), but I always like to see Theo on the floor. Maybe it’s nostalgia, though.
“The only negative to what is looking like a blowout win: hearing DBB reader Mike say it was because Flip played Amir and Afflalo.”
lmao. yes, give Amir and Afflalo all the credit for grabbing this win for us.
And Amir throws one down.
Too bad Walter Herrmaan isn’t dressed for the game. Although he IS stylin’ and profilin’ on the bench.
And Amir just had a nice dunk over Evans. Eat it, Reggie. That’s what you get for making a jumper and some free throws in game 1.
Mike Payne, I’ve been thinking the same thing, but didn’t want to say it and invite him to come charging into the comments with some serious BS.
Funny enough Garrett, I think Herrmann would be more effective than Hayes in this series. I knock Hayes frequently, but here its just a case of Herrmann being able to handle Philly’s energy, plus add some more to the box score other than the occasional trey.
Okay, Amir wasn’t the difference … but that hook shot was damn pretty.
This Bensports.tv ad has the catchiest music ever. I feel like I need a Fruity Oaty Bar.
Amir for 3? C’mon now.
Yes, it was Matt!
You know he’s getting shit for that right now, in the time-out. Ha.
omg. ugly herrmann doppelganger.
I’m not liking how the Sixers are being allowed to make the score look respectable …
Too many turnovers.
And Jarvis catches fire.
While we did let them close that margin a bit Matt, 17 points is our biggest win over Philly since March 20th of last season…
I think every time McDyess hits a shot it makes the Pistons better. It seems to stitch together the team on offense in a way that frees up every other player to play their own game but always with an outlet to kick out of pressure to McDyess for that elbow jumper. On nights when McDyess shoots worse than 50% the team seems out of sorts. I’m going to run the numbers and see what the Pistons winning percentage is with McDyess shooting over 50% and under 50% and get back to everyone.
Oh, I forgot something: fire flip and trade rip.
Could anyone who is familiar with SOPcast e-mail or call me. Let me know and I’ll send some details. Would really, really appreciate it.
“Mike Payne” fire Flip I can understand but trade Rip? what the hell for? are you stoned?
HB: not stoned, sarcastic. I was poking fun at all the “sky is falling” comments on DBB that were calling for flip to be fired and rip to be traded after game 1.
Mike Payne, ok got it
Oh, and I believe you might be one of the people I was poking fun at. In fact, you were the first one to mention that flip should be fired after Game 1.
Not trying to be a dick, just seeing if this game has given you a little more confidence in Flip.
Yes it did gives me confidence in Flip knowing when to subs and adjust. But as a coach I am not that confidence. He hasn’t brought the Pistons to the Promised Land called the “Finals” yet. This was just one game. There’s three more the Pistons has to win and then they’ll face the Magics and then Celtics because ain’t no way in hell LeBron is going to be able to win a single game against them.
I wanna know where all the people are that were about to call time on the ‘Stones season. Also, I have absolutely no idea what ‘eating crow’ means! (being aussie and all)
Laughton: they’re all sucking their thumbs, waiting until the Stones lose again so they can spit venom.
HB: I’m glad to hear it, I think he’s done a brilliant job this year. I have to stress that I am not on the Flip bandwagon, but I am proud of him and will defend him until the playoffs are over. If we do not get a trophy this year, I will stop defending him and call for his head. Until then, I support the guy, defend the guy, and in fact– I’m damn proud to have him at the helm of our team.
As a friend of mine said to me recently, I’m “guardedly optimistic” about Flip.
“Laughton” I don’t have time to search back but when after game one a moron was singing the death of the BIG FIVE core unit. I however was pissed that the players let it slipped and pointed out that Flip was a disaster in subbing. This game he did it correctly. Thank god.
I don’t think Flip did any of the subbing for this game.
I think Joe D handed him a set of rules with a note written in the margin, basically saying “do it thusly or I will take you out into the Palace parking lot and you will not be seen or heard from ever again”.
Ahhhh, Plan B for the Flip bashers, the conspiracy theory. Seriously, guys, get off it. Let’s let this thing play out and see what happens. The one thing I can confidently say is that if we get eliminated before the Finals, I think 100% of everybody commenting here will be calling for Flip’s head. It’s just that right now, 50% of us would like to see how this plays out before we fly off the deep end.
You can tell me to eat crow all you want. Rip doesn’t attack the rim like he did tonight unless someone gets in his ass. Rip needs to realize his contract is coming up and he’s likely done as this team’s SG unless either him or Billups come off the “we’re the best” mentality. I ain’t eating shit… I haven’t liked Hamilton since UConn, even though he’s done more for this team than Stackhouse ever could, and I absolutely HATE Stackhouse.
My goodness otherwise… Flip bringing in Stuckey in the 1st quarter when Lindsey usually comes in during the playoffs. What a NOVEL concept! Utilize another one of the team’s strengths, youth! WOW FLIP!
Amir didn’t really impress too much tonight, still the same old steady Amir. I don’t think anyone said Afflalo and Stuckey should start, but you’ll understand why I think Afflalo should play over Hunter by watching how quiet Rodney Carney got after Rip sat his non-defense playin ass down and Afflalo was on him. Rip got served a facial on a dunk, turned the ball over for a dunk, and had a 3 buried in his mask by Carney. Afflalo held him to 0.
Great game by the guys though, really great. Especially considering Billups didn’t take many shots.
HB, I agree on the subbing, compare minutes played between the two games and its pretty clear that Flip got it right this time. He had a bad game 1 and adjusted for game 2, he has shown the capability to do that this year.
What really gets my goat is the over-reaction to a loss that was by four points. You win some, you lose some.
I thought the Pistons were in trouble after the last game, and they still aren’t out of the water, though they have risen above coin-flip status. I wondered if game one wasn’t the result of some rust, and this would certainly lend credence to that theory.
We can also take some comfort in the fact that the Pistons have been in control for about 86 of the 96 minutes of this series so far. That said, we are one big game from Iguodala away from having a second loss in this series.
oh and I want Morty to tell me how it felt to see Stuckey take the ball to the rim on Dalembert… I called it, except there wasn’t an and 1 called.
More on Antonio McDyess (78 games played) in the regular season.
The Pistons are 24-14 when McDyess shoots less than 50% from the field.
The Pistons are 13-6 when McDyess shoots from 50-59% from the field.
The Pistons are 20-1 when McDyess shoots 60% or more from the field.
The Pistons are 29-15 when McDyess scores fewer than 10 points.
The Pistons are 28-6 when McDyess scores 10 points or more.
It’s not that McDyess is scoring a ton of points. He scored more than 15 points only 5 times this year. I just think that when McDyess is clicking then it opens up the game for his team as a secondary option.
Amir needs to learn a move on offense. Right now he’s just out there doing stuff, but nothing specific it seems. Especially if you compare him to Sheed, who has a pretty polished back-to-the-basket game.
Thanks, joejoejoe, for providing those stats. I had the same feeling coming away from this game — that Dyess’s ability to make a good percentage of shots opens up Detroit’s offense in lots of good ways. Nice to see that backed up with, you know, facts.
Also good to see Stuckey so aggressive. That end-to-end drive he did when Philly tried to press him early was a great sign.
So, great game all around. Still, Philly got what they wanted — a split. It would be great to take two in Philly; I hope we don’t settle for a split. Because Boston is just killing Atlanta. Maybe Toronto will get a game or two when they go home and give Orlando more of a series?
a lot less comments in a game 2 blowout win.
@JackDutch: Exactly. It’s too bad a lot of Detroit fans are win-or-bust.
Amir for 3? C’mon now.>>
He not only makes them in practice but he wins three point shooting contests in practice.
People don’t think Amir can shoot because of the way that Flip uses him on offense.
Amir needs to learn a move on offense. Right now he’s just out there doing stuff, but nothing specific it seems. Especially if you compare him to Sheed, who has a pretty polished back-to-the-basket game.>>
His whole life he has played with his face to the basket not as a post up guy.
If Flip used him correctly Amir would score a lot more.
Right now he is scoring on put backs, pick and rolls and hook shots across the lane.
Flip needs to put Amir at the elbow on offense and let him get the ball facing the basket. He has an incredible first step and it only takes him one step from the elbow in order to dunk it.
I’m hoping for a “five game” sweep. Enough messing around with these guys. Yeah, the Sixers have energy, but come on - “you’re better than that.”
Very good game by Detroit. Good ball movement from everyone (more than 25 assists, automatically a win), excellent shooting percentage (only fair after last game´s sucktitude), and above all, defensive attitude and hustle. This time, Saunders had an efficient rotation pattern. Congrats to the Pistons, they had a good game.
The bench gave us exactly what we have come to expect of them, energy, game-changing plays, and a very acceptable level of basketball when on the court. Maybe we can´t just say that Detroit won because Afflalo and Amir played, but this time, the Pistons used their bench the way they have during the entire season. Infusion of youth, involving at least 10 players so that there would be a change of pace for the other team. It worked then, it worked now.
As a fan, beautiful to see!
Back home. Good times. Team effort, team domination. Wore the Amir shirt for the first time . . . saw Amir play his first playoff minutes on TV 20’s feed . . . I’m glad Antonio McDyess turned it around . . . instead of being hesitant around the basket, after a couple misses, he totally nailed those 16-footers AND the inside stuff. Good for him. Gotta pull out those stops, Antonio.
MUCH MUCH BETTER GAME.
The demand for results still stands. Detroit is 1-1 in this series, and they need to get to the Finals. If they’re the better team, then they are on the radar, and they need to put teams away like champions. Maybe this is just a learning process . . . how to be a front-runner 24/7/365. The world demands a goliath. May Detroit give them one.
Jackdutch: i had the same thoughts as well…I thought it had something to do with the philly comments not appearing. Seems now that half the comments are about when (not if) we should fire flip.
Anyone know where i can watch the game but not live? I don’t want to get up at 4am for it but would rather do it at a normal hour…
Mike: At 6′11″ or whatever, don’t you think Amir should learn a few post moves? Not every player on the floor can start at the 3-point line on offense. And if he’s breaking guys down off the dribble (which I don’t necessarily want to see ANY big man doing), who’s rebounding? I’m just saying I still haven’t seen any credible offensive skills from Amir in all the games I’ve seen him play. Kid has talent, kid has raw ability, kid can jump out of the gym, but kid can’t go one-on-one against a lot of players in the league from what I’ve seen. At least he got some burn this game, though, and the Pistons did what they should have done in game 1.
What did I say yesterday? Old-fashioned beating, was it? In my opinion, the most impressive change in play overall in Detroit’s game would have to be the absolute contest of every shot. No easy buckets baby!
Kudos to Lawyerboy for predicting the win but more importantly for telling it like it really is
he’s got great touch around the rim. if he has a good face to the basket game i’d like to see some of it, but for production i think he’s more useful to us in the post.
this was a great game. giving stuckey lindsey’s minutes was a good move by flip. he can handle the extra load, he’s tenacious on d in his own right and he doesn’t get as many silly handcheck fouls in the open court.
more when i get to work
I’d just like to point out my comment from the other day:
“My prediction: Pistons shoot over 50% from the field, Philly shoots under 40%, Pistons win big. If it were still a 5 game series I might (but probably not) be a little nervous. If we were playing a Western Conference 7 seed (not to mention, a team with a record over .500), I’d be nervous. But no to both counts.”
I’m never right on predictions. Yay for me. Oh yeah, and yay for the Pistons too.
@Brad Bice
“I love how the Pistons shut us all up with one game.”
No. In fact, even w/ the win as commanding as it was, I’m angry that they can’t find it in themselves to play at that level all the time. Ok, more realistic? Play at that level when it counts. And in the playoffs, everything counts.
Drew Sharp has a great article up on Freep.com today, says exactly what I’m thinking. Core has been together too long.
Just wanted to tip my hat to the Pistons, hard to say they could have played better.
remember when the spurs gave the first game of their series up to the nuggets in 2005?
how far did they get after that again?
It’s funny that you mention that rj, the Spurs have notoriously lost their first games, and won 3 titles with each playoff run. It’s odd, really. Detroit is obviously not San Antonio however.
I believe the fire that was lit under the ass of the D was absolutely necessary, as I’d rather of seen it come sooner than later. Unfortunately, it seems more and more that Detroit REQUIRES a fire to ignite their ass and balls into a burst of flames in order to hand out the extraordinary beating that the 76ers took last night.
They cannot rely simply on “proving the media wrong”, or making a “comeback” to pep them up to play to championship level; because Boston sure as hell won’t hold back. The Cavs didn’t last year, and we were blown out in 6. The Pistons need to play with more consistency, or we’re going to run into the same issues again BEFORE the Conference Finals.
I’m excited to pre-order my 2007-2008 Detroit Pistons NBA Champions DVD. I can hear the narrator now:
“Facing tough criticism after losing game one at home against Philadelphia, the Pistons roared back, showing signs of the trademark defense and balanced offense that helped win a championship in 2004.”
Incredible. Flip was told how to sub by Joe D. That’s the only way he could’ve won this game. You guys are ridiculous. Make sure you never give him his due. I hate having to defend him at all, because he is a mediocre coach, but when the comments are so absurd, I feel like I have to. Good work by the starters and reserves and the coach. They won a game that they should have won. Here’s hoping the conversation stays a little more even after our next loss. But until then, FIRE FLIP! AMIR should start! Cut Lindsey!
craig, if the comments are extreme and absurd there should be no need for you respond against them. i give flip his due, he made the right adjustments for this game. forcing tay’s offense on ai and giving stuckey lindsey’s minuntes were smart and profitable decisions.
listen to yourself though. lindsey got a dnp-cd and we won. amir played and did damn well. flip needed a game to learn that maybe sheed and tay aren’t that productive in their 40th minute. you can boil all the criticisms down to ridiculous exclamations, but that doesn’t mean they weren’t correct.
SAAAAMB ^^
Kyle, we didn’t win because Lindsey got a DNP.
Flip didn’t switch his rotation… he cut it down to 7 guys plus a few minutes of Jarvis. I know they were looking to make a point against Philly but our top 7 can’t keep up those kind of minutes for the 2 month long playoffs. The starters would have had some serious minutes if the blowout didn’t take them out of the game in the 3rd quarter. I don’t want to complain about a NICE win but I’m not sure its the formula to winning a championship.
We didn’t win becasue Lindsey got a DNP-True.
We didn’t lose because Amir played-Also true.
We won because Detroit played good, solid, Detroit-TEAM-Defense.
Had Flip used the same 10-12 man rotation he used during the regular season and we lost game 1, all you “fans” would have been complaining about how awful a coach Flip is because he went TOO DEEP into the bench during the playoffs! There is NOTHING ya’ll won’t complain about regarding Flip Saunders, I said it before the draft and I’ll say it again, I am VERY HAPPY to have Flip Saunders as our coach, there are not that many (if any) coaches who can take a DEFENSIVELY oriented team and increase the offensive productivity while still maintaining a stiffling defense year in and year out! Flip is a Hall of fame coach, and for all the Flip bitching I have seen on this site, I am yet to see a anyone offer a viable option for his replacement (albeit I did see Laimbeer’s name tosssed around to coach a mens team.)
I was utterly shocked that we lost game 1, but my guess is (as was pointed out in an earlier topic) that was THE BEST Philly could throw at us and we lost by 4, Sheed missed a bunny, and Reggie Evans hits 2 free throws in the same trip to the line, figure the odds of that happening! Several times this year, an unknown has comeout and given us what-for, Big Baby for Boston, and Reggie Evans in Game 1 are two quick examples, crap happens. Whomever wins game 4 wins this series….it should be Detroit, I am confident they can do it, but I was also confident last year Dallas would get by GS.
Starting Afflalo???? (also from a previous topic) Moroninc! We got one of the most efficient 2 guards in the NBA and the logic is to start a rookie who has not found his offensive game at this level??? Thank God those of you with that mindset are not anywhere near coaching an NBA team! I really dig Aaron’s game and think his upside is phenomenal, but he is not ready to take Rip’s place in the playoffs, if Rip gets hurt, you will see Stuckey at SG and Hunter backing up Chauncey and Juan Dixon will be active. Afflalo is a reserve this year and quite possibly next year as well, although with his defense, I feel he and Lindsey in short spurts have the ability to slow down any backcourt in the NBA today (including NO and GS) and change the pace and flow of the game.
On a side note, Amir playing the three for short periods could be interesting to watch.
i had a late night at work, so i only got to watch the game later on tivo, but right away, the movement and energy in the 1st quarter from the starters was night and day compared to game 1. it was so noticeable from the get-go, that it was like “oh. yeah, no wonder we lost game 1.” when’s the last time we saw a double-double like that from mcdyess that quickly? and every time rip or tayshaun drove to the basket, they went right to the cup. like they didn’t have time to waste by using glass. it was a breath of fresh air.
now, the question is which lesson did they learn? that THIS is the way we need to play to be successful? or “i guess we really can turn it on when we need to”? hopefully, the former, because i think the sixers were expecting what they got in game 2 and were more than happy to fold tents early and regroup in philly. we’ll get a better game from them on friday.
now, as a total aside, and maybe kicking a guy while he’s down (but it’s dwyane wade and i don’t care), here’s this link to which i can only respond “really? d-wade can’t do better than this?” and “ewwww”:
http://www.fannation.com/truth_and_rumors/view/47835
To all the friends I’ve made on this site over the last few days, nice game last night, that’s the team I had in mind when I predicted the Pistons in 4. But as some of you may have read in recent days, I changed my opinion on things after seeing a flawed Piston team in Game 1. Now a lot of the flaws were cleaned up in game 2, but I’ve watched almost all 84 Sixers games this years and last night was definitely the worst game they played in over 3 months. Granted, some of that had to do with the Pistons D, which was definitely in the Sixers shorts all night, but I also think the Sixers lacked the necessary energy to be competitve last night.
Everyone who is following this series, including the Sixers, were expecting a huge game from Detroit last night and they got it. End of story. Series tied 1-1, still not where anyone thought this series would be after 2 games. Someone above mentioned that Detroit got Philly’s “best” in Game 1 and yet the Pistons only lost by 4, well I think the real fans out there know that game 1 was far from the Sixers best. They played with energy, yes, but their best scorer, Iguodala was off all night (even worse last night) and Dalembert struggled as well. They also gave up way too many o-boards to the Pistons. YES, I’m still talking about Game 1. My point is, you didn’t get our best in game 1 and we won. You got our worst in game 2 and you won.
A LOT is still to be determined in this series and I anxiously await the 20,000 screaming fans who will all be dressed in white tomorrow night (yep, you heard it here first, its gonna be a “white-out” ALA PSU football games)…the first home playoff game for the Sixers in 3 years. Throw out games 1 and 2 cause we’re down to a best of 5 with 3 of those in Philly!
Isn’t it a distinct possibility that Iguodala wasn’t “off” both nights, but, rather effectively guarded? Can you really call it being “off” when TP is in your face every time you touch the ball?
Isn’t that like simply claiming that Kobe was off in game three (2004) because he didn’t score in the first half?
I know Philly fans will bring it. They got the rep, and it’s not a lie. Good thing Detroit wins most of their road games.
Iggy averaged 20 pts per game during the regular season vs the Pistons (same as against the league), this is his 4th year in the league which and 2nd playoff series vs the Pistons…so don’t think being guarded by Princess is something new to him. His shots were forced at times and even his open looks were off. I gave the Pistons credit for their D in game 2.
DJ: While I am one of the most ardent Flip defenders on this board, even I know the sentence “Flip is a Hall of Fame coach” rings about as true as when my (idiot) friends say “Chauncey Billups is a Hall of Famer”. No DJ, Flip is NOT a Hall of Fame coach, not now and not after this season even if we win the title in convincing fashion. Flip would need (at least) 2 NBA titles before he’d be a HOFer. In spite of Flip’s rather brilliant CBA run, Chuck Daly he is not. Mike Payne (or his friend, technically) said it best, “guardedly optimistic” is the proper attitude toward Flip. Even as a constant Flip defender (or apologist to some of you), I’m really no more than “guardedly optimistic” myself.
IsraeliPiston: Thank you very much for the props. I’m sorry to get all psychological on this one, but it’s rather funny to me that I treat the Pistons in such a relaxed, faithful manner, because in matters affecting my personal life I tend to be very (over)reactive. For some reason, I just play it cool with sports (I didn’t worry for a second after the Tigs started 0-6, though I wouldn’t call them WS candidates just yet). In fact, today I’m wishing I’d actually put my money where my mouth is, and bet the house on a double digit victory for the Stones last night.
The fact is, this Pistons team is just far superior to the Sixers, and that will play itself out in the course of the series. Despite what kevin s. said, this has ALWAYS been way beyond coin-flip status (even after Game 1); this is inevitable. The only question that remains is do the Pistons take it in 5 games or 6?
Boney: Stuckey was more youthful than Lindsey in Game 1 if your definition of youthful is “looking lost on the court like many rookies do” and the term is not defined by superior energy and production, where Lindsey trumped Rodney in Game 1. Stuckey only looked youthful in terms of seeming lost. In Game 2, it was a completely different story from Stuckey. Rodney gets a pass for Game 1, but he better stick to what he did in Game 2 or he ought to be glued to the bench in favor of Lindsey (preferably Juan Dixon, but that’s not realistic).
Oh, and Rip played his ass off on defense (and get in down on offense too last night), but you’ll tack on every isolated example of failure he provides (newsflash: it’s not rare for the best to blow it on a few possessions/game). Just cut him some slack already.
Kyle: “Damn well” regarding Amir is exaggerated. Amir had a nice game, where he didn’t face top-notch defensive pressure. His hook shot (as pointed out by the beloved Matt W.) was pretty, but he also seems lost a bit in the flow of our offense. As Amir seems to admit, he’s still just trying to be a sponge and soak up all he can out there. Yes, he has potential to be the next KG or whomever you’d like to draw a comparison to, but right now he’s still a bit starry-eyed, and he’ll be the first to admit it. I mean, if he handled matters of ego the way Darko does, he wouldn’t be in the Pistons blue right now. That says something for patience. Also Sheed and Tay CAN play 40 (especially Tay) when called upon.
That being said, I’m all out of game-specific predictions for now, but I’d like to politely remind Brad Bice, that there were those of us who never wavered for a moment after Game 1, and I like to think of myself as their official, loudmouth, spokesperson.
BTW, that NBA video game list stunk. Bird vs. Jordan was lousy and cheap one-on-one action. No love at all for those Lakers vs. Celtics Genesis games, wow. And screw what anyone ever said, they hated Bill Laimbeer’s Combat Basketball because they hated Bill Laimbeer. That was a great game. Bill Laimbeer for HOF.
Laimbeer is/was/always will be a douche bag
David: You can throw out Games 1 and 2 if you’d like, most people will certainly throw out Game 1 when history reveals this series to be a dominant Pistons triumph. If you get one in Philly (good luck), kudos to your squad, but do not expect to have homecourt advantage (really, don’t expect to even have a tied series) after Game 4. I assure you, by then (at latest), you will no longer have it.
All I have to say is that I’m glad this guy is on our side.
David, I could see Laimbeer being a douche bag (though I’ve heard he’s actually a lot of fun off the court), but he’s our douche bag, damnit!
LB…way too confident buddy….amazing how 1 game changes your mind so fast. Talk to me after game 3 and I’m sure you’ll extend your prediction to 6 games.
oh the guy was a huge partier….on the court, especially when he wore the Hamilton mask, he was a mean SOB….top 5 dirtiest players of all time, up there with Stockton.
Barkley still has fever dreams about Laimbeer’s shoe in his ass.
Bill Laimbeer for commissioner of the NBA!!!!!
Barkley? You can rip him all you want…I hate him. Biggest sell-out in Philly history…”trade me, oh trade me”…hey Chuck how many titles did you win Phoenix? How about Houston?
Add AI to that list.
David: I don’t know if you’ve been reading my posts, but my mind hasn’t changed since the moment the first-round matchups became official. In one of the previous threads I had said that if Philly even makes it to a 6th game, the series should be considered an upset in spite of Detroit winning 4-2. I believed that from day one and continue to believe it today. Two wins in this series should be considered a success for the Sixers.
after watching the two games, i wonder if the 76′ers are hoping that sheed gets hot early. in game one he did just that and it caused flip to overplay him and wear him out. they stayed just close enough so that when he and tay started to fade they turned up the juice. we countered that by forcing tay’s offense from the bat in game 2, saving sheed and wearing out AI early.
but i think this is something we need to look at. other teams know flip doesn’t want to play the bench, they may try to make it so that he keeps our go to guys out there for too long too early.
I see Amir in the future as more an Amare S. type player. Amir needs to add about 15 - 20 pounds of muscle and keep working on his game. Right now as far as I can determine the Pistons run two plays for him.
1. Pick and roll
2. Hook shot across the lane
In the past before he was with the Pistons I saw him make a lot of great moves from the elbow.
1. Dribble drive
2. Dribble dunk
3. Jump shot
4. Give and go with him passing
5. Running hook shot
6. Fall away jump shot.
I think next year we will see a lot more offense out of him out out the regular team sets. It will be interesting to see what he does in the Las Vegas Summer League this year. (I am sure he will be there this year). I would expect him to be working on his offense during the summer league and during the exhibition season next year.
He is the quickest guy on the team and a fair dribbler, however he still needs to learn who is guarding him and when he can put the ball on the fall. Even the bad defenders in the NBA are a lot better at defense than guys in the D-league.
LB,
i mean “damn well” when compared to all the people who claim it’s ridiculous to have him on the floor in the first place (10th man?!?! are you insane?!?! we’ll lose if we…). i don’t care if he hasn’t got a set offensive game, he’s not there to get his own offense. he’s there to defend, block, rebound and put back, things he did very well last night. good enough to earn more time against the 76′ers if you ask me. maybe even *gasp* in the first half.
if i said sheed or tay “can’t” go 40 minutes i misspoke. what i’m saying is that if we want Sheed to dominate the last 5 minutes of the game, for him they should be minutes 30-35, not minutes 35-40. of course they CAN go that long, but they don’t HAVE to. with this bench, any starter going 40 or over is a failure on flip’s part.
David, Game 1 we got Philly’s best from everyone BUT Iguodala. Did you really think that Iguodala is going to get that much with Tayshaun guarding him? I mean sure, LeBron got pretty much whatever he wanted but that’s LeBron. Iguodala is a horrible jump shooter (ala Larry Hughes), but he’s an excellent slasher.
Do you think Reggie Evans’ 14 points in Game 1 isn’t the best he can do? Detroit locked down the guys that needed to be locked down last night, Miller, Iggy, and Williams. It was evidenced in the free lanes Carney had to dunk in, and the shots Reggie Evans was making. Philadelphia has a solid young core, but they’re not much more than the team that used to have Gordan Giricek and Kyle Korver. They play a little bit better defense, but the perimeter shooting is still suspect, and it’s magnified when the dunking is not allowed.
Doesn’t it worry you that all the homer Philly fans thought that the 6ers beat Detroit in Game 1 while “playing Detroit’s game”? Last night Detroit ran the 6ers out of the gym by playing both styles, running and half court. The 6ers do not have answers for Tayshaun, Rip, Sheed OR Stuckey.
All I’ve read from Philly fans and blogs is how “well if the ball bounced here…” or “if we made a few more free throws there…”. It sounds like Detroit fans after Game 1. The difference? 4 point loss for Detroit and 19 for Philly. Perhaps the truth is on Detroit’s side with their 90% free throw shooter missing 2 free throws and their best post player missing a bunny. Noone would be talking about how tough Philly is if Detroit would’ve won by 1 in that game.
Do a white out if you want. Orlando fans wore all blue last season, and they got worked on their home floor too. It’s a best of 5 with 3 in Philly… last time I checked, Detroit won 59 games and a lot of those came on the road.
couple things, david:
1) white outs are for puff daddy parties. reference the miami heat playoff games from the past few years. it’s embarrassing. it’s a fashion statement you’ll regret.
2) philly fans have been complete fairweather bitches this year. they didn’t show up for 3/4 of the season, even though that team played its balls off all 41 home games. for a city that’s home to the friggin’ big 5, for them to abandon their home team the way they did, all because management was finally forced to deal iverson because matching someone to play with iverson is a lost call (see nuggets, denver), was like something dallas fans would do. even when the sixers were on a tear in march, the headlines were still all about the phillies. embarrassing for what is considered a legendary basketball town. even more embarrassing than a crowd of people dressed all in white.
LB: I appreciate (yet strongly disagree) with your comment. Flip has a better winning percentage as a head coach than Daly does(Daly .590, Saunders .598), and not all Head coaches in the Hall of Fame have won championships, as with players, the body of work is what he will be measured by, not the number (if any) championships he wins. CBA aside, his body of work with Minnesota is evidence of his talent as a coach, his body of work (so far) in Detroit is exemplary, as I stated in my previous post, he took a defensive oriented team, and improved them offensively without a loss on the defensive end, and did this while losing the defensive player of the year! I challenge you to name a current coach who has that ability. I can find none. As shocking as you will find this, Flip ia better developer of young talent (coach) than Phil Jackson, Everywhere PJ has coached, (super)stars have already been present, he did not have to develope anyone, hell I could have won an NBA championship with Jordan and his supporting cast! And this year, his Lakers were mediocre at best until the Laker management went out and stole Pau Gasol. Flip has not won a championship (yet), but there are a lot of HOF’ers who have not, players and coaches alike.
i think his HOF aspirations hang on winning a championship with detroit. if he doesn’t, he’ll be dragged down by the stigma of this wasted opportunity.
and comparing him to daly is unfair, no matter how good flip’s winning percentage gets. chuck raised the bad boys from a seed. flip stepped into a championship program and has yet to get them back to the finals.
Kyle: I was not comparing Flip to Daly, I was merely pointing out his overall winning percentage as a head coach is better than Daly’s. You are probably correct though, if he fails to win a championship in Detroit he will be remembered as faiing to win with the Pistons. My point is his body of work is HOF worthy, I stand by that.
Each coach puts his signature on a team, Flip, an offensive minded coach was provided a championship wining defensive minded team, he taught them how to play offensive basketball while maintaining their defensive prowess, if you look at the players Joe D. has drafted and traded for they are (primarily) defensive players, Flip is charged with teaching them how to score, he does that, Afflalo is the perfect example of this, he is a strong defensive kid, with great upside, but as of this date, he has not figured out to score consistently in the NBA, a couple of years under Saunders, and he will develope into Tayshaun type defender with the scoring ability of Rip (imo), his roll will probably be Tayshaun’s back up and some 2 guard, he can already defend both positions, and he has shown he is not afraid to drive the lane, nor is he tenative to spot up outside the arc, he needs a little time to develope. Stuckey is no slouch on defense either, the difference is Stuckey has an NBA ready offensive game (limited range though). Maxiell, is an excellent defender who, under the tutleage of Flip (and asst coaches too) has greatly improved his offense, he already had a post game, now he is regulary naliing mid range jumpers. Amir, decent offense in the D-league and in garbage minutes in the show, defensively, he is HUGE, again, Flip’s coaching will mold him into an offensive plus. Mike commented earlier that he sees Amir more as an Amare S. type player, personally I see him more as a potential Rasheed, if he adds the 15-20 pounds, and maintains his quickness, he is going to be dynamite, time will tell though.
Flip Saunders is an excellent coach whose body of work is HOF worhty.
Now that Brown has stepped down from his position in Philly, I can’t wait for all the knuckleheads to call for him to replace Flip. Which brings me to Flip’s biggest fan, DJ.
DJ: Flip’s winning percentage has seen a solid increase by virtue of getting three seasons under his belt as Pistons’ head coach. He inherited a team that was within minutes of winning back-to-back titles. Even the worst of coaches were guaranteed 50 wins for at least the first season. Flip hasn’t done the most stellar job in previous playoffs, but I believe, moving forward, he can get the job done this season and bring us another Larry O’Brien Trophy. I think we all feel that he’s never had a cupboard this full since taking over.
Using Flip Saunders v. Chuck Daly in a comparison of regular season winning percentage is a ridiculous argument. While Flip’s career regular season record may be marginally greater (.598 to Daly’s .593 NOT .590, is a small difference), their postseason records show the real story.
Saunders’ postseason record: 38-45 (21-15 in Detroit). Daly’s postseason record: 75-51 (70-42 in Detroit). Daly is classes above Saunders when it really counts in the NBA. You have one coach who has 2 titles and another finals appearance on top of that going head-to-head with a guy who has no finals appearances. You can take Rick Carlisle to buttress this argument. Few people (if any) on this blog would claim Carlisle is a HOF coach and certainly none would mark him better than Daly. However, with your logic, Rick Carlisle’s career winning percentage of .654 (.610 in Detroit) puts him in a class that far exceeds Saunders and Daly. We all know that saying Carlisle is better than Saunders isn’t true. Why? Carlisle’s playoff record is 22-21 (12-15 in Detroit). A HOFer he is not. And neither is Flip Saunders. Q.E.D.
*I meant to say: “We all know saying Carlisle is better than Daly isn’t true”.
LB: Carlisle’s body of work outside Detroit is not all that steller either, and Saunders did lead Minnesota to the playoffs the majority of the years he was there, I do not understand your inclusion of Carlisle into the debate. Again, I was not comparing Saunders to Daly, only pointing out that Saunders has a better winning percentage than Daly. Again, sir, I ask, who else could have come in after LB and maintained Detroit atop the East? I really don’t beleive you are aserting that ANY coach could have won 50 games with Detroit, and what about the 64 win season? Could ANY coach have won 64 after losing the DPOY? Surely you jest!
Wizards are putting the wood to the Cavs right now.
Detroit better make sure this doesn’t happen in the first road game.
BRING BACK LARRY.
–
knuckleheads, inc.
If we´re discussing Flip Saunders´s value as a coach, I don´t see how beating Philly in the first round after a 59-wins season can be the measuring stick. Pistons fans believe the Pistons have what it takes to win it all. Maybe they won´t do it, but there are many reasons a team can be playing at its best level and still honourably lose a championship. Bad referees, physical problems during a crucial game, small things that go the other team´s way, you name it. After all, the NBA is competitive enough when we´re discussing its top teams.
What has many of us criticizing sharply the team and the coach is watching the Pistons underachieve. Yes, Flip´s record during the regular season in Detroit is outstanding. The playoffs are a different matter. THAT´S when a team shouldn´t plummet and crash. It happened the last two years. Let´s hope it doesn´t happen this year. So far, nothing conclusive, in one sense or the other. I do agree declaring the Pistons dead is awfully premature, and quite unfair. Every win should be praised as it deserves, because we as fans shouldn´t ever become jaded, be it with wins or losses.
The Wizards are better tham the Cavs, so tonight is to be expected. I am much more pleased to see the Magic lose a game. I could see Toronot taking them to seven, which would give us a nice scenario if we can take care of business here in six.
That