I didn’t see Chris Webber’s comments on TNT at halftime, but I certainly heard about them. Fortunately, The Starting Five has the transcript (via PistonsNation):
Webber on the lack of intensity by the Detroit Pistons: “(The Pistons) are really nonchalant and that’s why I felt we lost last year (in the Eastern Conference Finals). It sounds crazy, but they could care less. That locker room is crazy, disciplined and unruly. Disciplined because they police themselves, they are all veterans, they know they’ve got to be in bed, they know they’ve got to work hard, I’m not talking about on the court. They come from a coach like Larry Brown, they look at him like the epitome of basketball, and they feel they can wait until the last game or the championship and they won’t lose. I’m not saying it’s right, but that’s how it is.”
Webber on the feeling in the locker room during halftime: “No disrespect to Flip (Saunders), but it doesn’t matter what Flip says, because they take on the personality of Joe Dumars. Rip (Hamilton), Chauncey (Billups), Tayshaun Prince, Rasheed (Wallace) and (Antonio) McDyess are very mad right now, they probably aren’t even talking and they are probably just saying, ‘ok we’re going to go win this game.”
Webber: “Joe will come down to the locker room and tell everybody I don’t know what you think you’re doing, I’ll trade everybody.”
The idea of Dumars addressing the team at halftime seemed surprising (if not laughable) to me, and Chris McCosky of the Detroit News agrees:
[Webber] was asked what Saunders might be saying at halftime and he said something like, whatever Flip says won’t matter, intimating that the players don’t listen to him. Charles Barkley, bless him, challenged Webber on the statement and Webber backtracked a bit saying that it would be Joe Dumars in that locker room talking to the players. Wrong, wrong, wrong. Dumars talks to the players all the time, but never during a game, at halftime or immediately following a game. If he has issues with what Flip is doing, which he has in the past, he will talk directly to Flip. But he would never interfere with the coaching of a game.
I had to laugh afterwards when I say Rip Hamilton interviewed on TNT, and he was asked if Dumars talked at halftime. “Not at all,” Rip said. Then, I caught the very last segment of the studio show and Webber was in complete back-peddle mode. He said what he was trying to say is that the Pistons are a veteran team and they police themselves.
That’s true, but that’s not what he was saying at first. He was getting his licks in on a coach he didn’t like.
So what did Saunders say at halftime? From ESPN’s Chris Sheridan:
When it came time to save his job, and that’s pretty much what the situation boiled down to in the moments after the Detroit Pistons exited the court at halftime trailing by 10 points, coach Flip Saunders ripped into every single member of the team — except one.
“I told them: I looked at us playing in the first half, and we’ve got Antonio McDyess, who got operated on yesterday in Detroit, flew back and was throwing up all night, and he’s competing harder than anybody,” Saunders said.
“I said: ‘That should show you how bad he wants it, and we all should look at what he’s doing, and we’ve all got to be willing to make the same sacrifices.’”
That is another why Flip should have kept the Zoo Crew in tack for the playoffs, because they are young and I guarantee you they want it and would want it even more if given the chance to show it on the court.
cwebb comments last night draws a fine line between being honest or being frustrated/depressed of not being in the playoffs….furthermore, a decision he has made that ended his career. in other words, its human nature to criticize a company you worked for and rejected you from getting re-hired. in consequence, wheather he was telling the truth or not reflects on him with a bad reputation.
He may have embellished but he is not the first person to say that the Pistons starters have “Flip the Switch” the heck with coach attitude.
This in fact seems to be the general consensus of just about everyone.
In CWebb’s defense, when I watched the half time show, it sounded like when he said that Joe D would come down to the locker room and say “I’ll trade any of you” he meant that in general, and not necessarily during half time of a playoff game. It looked like the other commentators misinterpreted what he said but he didn’t correct them.
The idea of Joe D addressing the players at halftime seems completely out of character, and so maybe I’m just running all these comments through a “that sounds crazy” filter. But that’s how I interpreted what was being said…
Everybody lets wake up and smell the roses!!! The pistons have always been a secret society, point being they are not going to tell you what happened behind closed doors at halftime last night. I find it very Ironic tat Joe D was standing near the entrance of the locker room with a scowl on his face in the second half when he is usually sitting down in the stands. The bottom line is something was said that got these guys playing like Larry Brown was on the bench and I bet every dollar in my pocket that it was not Flip Saunders.
OH!! and by the way I believe that was Chris Webber that was on the team last year and in the locker witnessing all this and not Charles , Kenny, EJ, Me, or all of you including Chris McCosky!!
Anybody around watching the Boston-Atlanta game? Somebody save me from my grad school project.
I’m surprised Webber would stoop to something so catty, but I’m not surprised that his feelings are a little hurt. He’s always been pretty sensitive, and the curtain has finally closed on his disappointing career. The fact that the Pistons had no interest in picking him up for a playoff run had to sting a bit.
I’m doing that thing where you tape the game and watch it at the same time. Is there a word for that? There really should be…
It would be great to see the Hawks win, and take some heat off the Pistons, but the chances of that aren’t looking too good.
This is some good basketball. Boston is getting Sixer’d if you will. When I see Josh Smith guarding KG one on one and blocking him as he goes to the rim, it’s hard for me to figure out whether or not Boston is losing this or Atlanta is winning it.
Joe Johnson is having a major coming out party. This is some good stuff.
Something’s brewing in Atlanta. They’ve got a backcourt that can keep composure for the last two minutes…
You forget how loaded the Hawks are, but they’ve been drafting top ten talent for the last like, 20 years in a row.
Tiny, the term would be TiVoing it.
This is a pretty entertaining game. Just maybe in these playoffs some of the younger “bad” teams in the East are starting to figure this whole “basketball” thing out.
Is that the excepted term? I feel old.
Did you see that weird sequence where the players kept switching sides before Pierce’s free throw? What was up with that?
Damn — ATL look like they’re going to take this one.
I wonder what the odds were a couple weeks ago on BOTH the Bos-Atl and Det-Phi series being knotted at 2-2 right now…
Kevin, it’s kind of hard to watch these games and figure out how Atlanta and Philly finished under .500 for the season. It’s not like either has really played poorly in the post-season. You look at their roster and you see Joe Johnson and Al Horford (who’s for real) and Josh Smith and Josh Childress (who I’ve always thought was a little under rated) and you realize they have some guys who can ball.
Actually, Other Matt, the correct term is DVRing it. Tivo is a trademark, and the product is a Digital Video Recorder (DVR).
HA! Celtic fans now know our torment!
I’m really into their old school arena with the organ and air horn. I keep expecting the sandman to run out on the floor and sweep Kevin Garnett back into the locker room.
Wow, what’s up w/ Boston???
The thing about the Celtics is that I feel like when I’m reading a story about them it’s always about ‘the big three’ but when I’m watching them play I’m just watching Rajon Rondo, who can be very good, but also very mediocre.
Smith and Johnson scored the last 32 points. That’s both unreal and inexcusable.
*For Atlanta, obviously.
Great game happening down in Atlanta. Figured Boston would have rotated the shooters in earlier and won this — they waited too long to do that, now they’re looking at 2-2…
PS. Word, EJ.
Keegan — have you *seen* some of the shots JJ has been throwing down? He’s literally been on fire for ATL — it’s like he’s playing a game of NBA Jam and everything he throws up is going in.
Wow. I’m so happy. Mike Woodson just stood up out of the hotseat for the rest of next year.
I can’t believe Boston just lost to ATL, I guess I don’t feel that bad about DET now. LOL.
BOOMSHAKALAKA!
That’s a rap.
*wrap.
Holy crap, I should lay down.
Looks like the Eastern conference is a lot more competitive than people supposed… if LBJ can close out the Wiz, then Boston is gonna have a dogfight in the next round (assuming they get past ATL). Very interesting…
In the meantime, our presumed next-round opponent gets to rest while we struggle with the 6ers.
Keegan, I’m sure somebody has rapped ‘boom shackalacka at one point or another.
PS. For those of you who don’t read lips well, when Zaza Pachulia went nose-to-nose with KG in the 1st half after KG threw his elbow out at him, it was “you do that again and I’m going to f— you up”.
The Hawks and the Sixers are showing signs of what I used to love about Detroit back when I was a brat school kid at Stellwagon and Finney, and hope we see a return to.
Think about it, none of the big three really have a lot of playoff experience. It took Garnett like 7 years to get out of the first round, and when he did it wasn’t really because of him. Pierce had a run that one year, but he was ultimately called out by Walker for not stepping up. Allen has some expereince, but he never really took over any any of the series that he’s ever played in. The regular season is one thing, but the playoffs is another beast.Their all LOSERS.
With that being said, BOS IN 6
Yeah, Pierce went out like a punk in this one, especially after Horford called him out at the end of the last game.
Similar to our series, I have no doubt the Celtics will still take it, but every game the Hawks win is just an embarrassment. I’m always happy to see the Celtics embarrassed.
One thing I noticed about those last few minutes. The only time Atlant got burned was when they double teamed Garnett and left Posey wide open. Otherwise, it was solid man to man with a little bit of trapping Rondo.
That is EXACTLY how to defend the Celtics. Slow them down into the half court set, and make them beat you one on one. The “let’s all watch Rajon Rondo run layups” show is over.
Welcome to our world, Boston fans. Join us. Commiserate with us. Slit your wrists with us.
Also, didn’t I say the Pistons should pick up Josh Smith a few posts back before he was really lighting it up? Yeah. I’m the best.
Followed this one on the ‘net. I already called the possibility of the Hawks taking at least one game as I consider Bibby and Johnson to have good previous playoff experience and they have good young talent to lead. The Hawks, much like the Sixers are probably better than their record, (at least with Bibby anyway.)I do see the Celtics taking the next two games. I’m less sure of the Pistons ending it in six games though.
I liked the idea of Webber coming to Detroit last season.. now I see why Philly fans don’t like him. Webber bandwagoned himself onto the best team in the East last season…
What an asshole
1)Nat’s totally on time, I’ve been saying that for months. Someone remind me exactly how many rings Boston’s Big Three possess? They just got a reality check tonight. I expect them to win, but it may well go 7. They were up 10 late in the 3Q and couldn’t close it out. That’s not a good sign.
2) The one guy Flip can outcoach is Doc. Atlanta’s management doesn’t like Woodson for some reason, but I don’t understand why. He’s done a good job for them.
Hey Garrett,
If I am not mistaken, Josh Smith was taken with a pick that Detroit traded to Atlanta in the Rasheed deal way back when. So technically, he could have been ours all along.
What’s weirder is that Josh Childress was the 6th overall pick that year.
The thing about Atlanta is that their back court is substantially better then Boston’s. Further, the Hawks are decisively better at the Center position.
We know that Josh Smith can play like a superstar when he puts his mind to it, which makes the matchup with Garnett close to a wash when the Hawks are at home, and it Pierce/Posey v. Williams/Childress is close to even.
Which reveals a problem for the Celtics. In terms of talent, this is not a 66 win team. Sorry. They won by shutting teams down from day one and outhustling. As a result, they started with a gaudy record, which scared teams (like us) into playing them incorrectly.
In the playoffs, everyone plays hard. Atlanta can’t win on the road, but LeBron James can. And if Ben Wallace can find seven more games in him, Boston’s on-paper deficiencies might ultimately haunt them.