As I’m sure many of you have already seen, Joe Dumars sat down with Keith Langlois for a rather lengthy Q&A for Pistons.com on Wednesday morning. Every time he does this I want to quote the entire article on DBB, but instead I’m just going to pick a handful of highlights and urge you to read the entire thing.
Langlois: At this point last season, you were going into the conference finals with an 8-2 playoff record. This year, pretty similar – you’re 8-3. Yet I get the sense that you feel better about where you’re sitting this year than you did a year ago. Is that so?
Dumars: No question. No question. I feel better about it. The difference in that record, the 8-2 and 8-3, the first game we lost in the playoffs, against Philly, was probably more beneficial to us than what happened last year. It got our attention. We had every guy’s attention the next day at practice. Guys knew. We cannot go back down this road, inconsistency and a lackadaisical approach. It made it easy to hammer home that point to guys from that point on. So I feel better – you’re absolutely right. I feel better about where we are right now heading into the conference finals than I felt last year.
Also worth mentioning: the Pistons entered the ECF last year having just lost two of three. Now, the Pistons have won six of their past seven. In other words, yeah, the Pistons have one more loss than a year ago, but they also have momentum.
Langlois: My next question was going to be was last night especially satisfying when you see Stuckey come in and not just hold down the fort, but to make plays in the fourth quarter and to have the ball in his hands for 30 minutes under pressure situations and not turn the ball over once, to take it at Dwight Howard the way he did.
Dumars: The answer to your question is yes. And that’s why you stand strong and do not waver in January and February when the kid might have some rough patches and you hear, “Well, maybe you should pull back.” No, no, no. No. Let him get through this, because there’s a bigger purpose. And the bigger purpose is a closeout game where he has to start. If you don’t stay with that kid through the season, through his ups and downs, if you panic, if you become impatient, if you go away from him, kill his confidence, he will never play like that in Game 5. That’s why, in the middle of January, you have to make those tough decisions and stay with him and assure everybody that this is going to work out. By the way, I’ve got to say this, too. You make that decision, I create a mandate that young guys are going to play, we still wound up with the second-best record in the league. We won 59 games – more than anybody in the West, more than everybody but one team in the entire NBA. It’s not like we suffered in the regular season for it. Sometimes that gets lost. How many more games do you think we’re supposed to win?
After reading that, my first thought was, “well, that’s nice, but why hasn’t the same strategy been used with other players (*cough* Amir *cough*)? But later in the interview, Dumars explained what sets Stuckey apart from most young players:
Dumars: In my eight years here, I’ve never seen a young player, a rookie, have the composure he has from the first day he got here. He didn’t just develop this composure over the course of the season. The first day he walked in here, he had that composure and air of confidence about him that lets you know he wasn’t in awe and he was never going to shrink when the moment came. It’s not like you saw it unfold over the season. Day one. He’s possessed that. I was telling my wife last night, he has that certain thing that lets you know when the big games come, he’ll be there. He’s going to be there. I don’t know how to describe it, or what “it” is, but he has that certain “it.” You never see him nervous. He may make a rookie mistake. But it’s not that he’s afraid or nervous, it’s that he’s unfamiliar with how to handle certain things. From day one, he’s had that.
Last but not least, Dumars thinks Tayshaun Prince’s block on Hedo Turkoglu was more impressive than his storied block on Reggie Miller:
Dumars: This was impressive. Miller never saw it coming. This was a mano-a-mano play. Hedo turned the corner and decided “I’m throwing it down. I’m not going to try to lay it up. I’m not going to try to float it.” And that’s a mano-a-mano thing you say to yourself on the court. And Tayshaun said, “I’ll meet you at the rim.” You have plays like that where both guys make up their mind that “I’m going to impose my will on you.” Hedo made up his mind and Tayshaun made up his mind. Those are the most impressive plays. Because there is no surprise element here. It’s one guy saying, “I’m coming.” And the other guy saying, “OK, I’ll be there.” And that’s impressive.
“I’ll meet you at the rim” — that’s classic.
Stuckey and Prince are going to be prime candidates for MVP of the Finals when all is said and done. Both were equally awsome in game 5.
You mean in future seasons, right? Because there’s no way Stuckey will be considered for MVP of the entire playoffs after one and a half good games. Tayshaun for sure. Maybe even Rip (he’s been lighting it up lately). But Stuckey will have to wait his turn. Plus, we all know that Amir should win the MVP because of his athletic ability. I kid, I kid.
You know how they always ask celebrities in magazine interviews who they would invite to dinner if they could invite anyone?
JoeD should be on everyones list.
He will teach you.
Not to be gross or anything, but couldn’t “I’ll meet you at the rim”
mean something else entirely?
Also, isn’t it mighty suspicious coming after Tay said Turk goes both ways?
Finally,
I apologise
A small hijacking action…
If you want to download game 5 of magic-pistons:
http://bt.davka.info/index.php
and umm, stuckey for MVP?
I think his minutes will diminish when C-bill makes his return to the starting lineup
OMG i just got a perspective on rashad lewis’s contract:
http://www.hoops4life.com/home/index.php/Ryan/Is-Rashard-Lewis-Overpaid.html
i can’t belive this guys make more than kobe or duncan per year. My god, someone over at magic headquarters needs to lose his job for that one…I’d take a lot of forwards before him.
Good interview. As to Tayshaun, I’m a broken record on this subject, but as brilliantly as he’s played, I’m worried about him being able to keep it up when we have no real backup for him. My only real disappointment in the playoffs so far (aside from being witnessing live the Pistons blow a big half-time lead in game 1 of the Philly series) has been the disappearance of Jarvis Hayes. It’s great that the Pistons will get a few days off before the ECF, but if Tayshaun has to play 45 minutes a game in the ECF and them maybe the Finals, that’s not good for him or the Pistons.
Good lord, several typos in the above. Should be (1) “aside from witnessing live the Pistons blow a big half-time lead”; and (2) “and then [not “them”] maybe the Finals. . . .”
Off to get some coffee.
lawyerboy and the rest of the LA people…..so are we meeting in a sports bar for the ECF???
Marc Jackson has used the “I’ll meet you at the rim” line in every other one of his telecasts. The line is a close second to Jackson’s description of a cross-over dribble in the open floor: “He just gave him the Beyonce, ‘to the left, to the left’ and said goodbye with that one”
while i don’t think it will happen, if everyone just plays average but stuckey manages to average 20pts and 5 assists in the finals, i could possibly see him stealing the mvp, but the odds against that are enourmous.
i would like to point out that once again joe states that it was his mandate to play the youngs more and not flip’s choice.
that being said though, other than choking up on his rotation at the beginning of the playoffs and not testing max’s mid-ranger jumper more i think that flip and the team are doing an amazing job. the celts and their fans fear us, it’s time to show them why.
Let’s see…Stuck? Not his time yet, but a couple of quick points…I like his game and his heart. If he can hit the 3 with regularity, he’ll be an All-Star eventually. Reminds me a little bit of Dumars himself and a little bit of DWade (must be the beard). I think he’ll end up more as a 1 than a 2 in time.
Joe D made a really good point about Stuck’s getting playing time in the interview. You likely wouldn’t have seen this type of performance had Flip played the regulars as much as he did last year.
Tay? I think it was Game 4 where I think it was Doris Burke (and get used to hearing her name, she’s strong) said that Flip told Tay it could be his team if he wanted to. Tay has one of the highest BB IQs in the league, and very Dumars-like just wins. I predict an all-Star appearance next year; it’s long overdue.
The final point, and I’ve made this several times, is that he’s really grown Flip into a successful coach. He’s not going to let Flip fail, where another GM might not have had such a hands-on approach. (and LB, you’re invited to coffee with me next time the Pistons are on and I’m in Little Saigon. You’ll enjoy, I guarantee it)
I never get tired of reading interviews with Dumars, the guy is not only supersmart about BB, but about being successful in life. I know most of you know this, but he’s a frequent guest on Chad Ford’s podcasts for ESPN.com. I always make it a point to listen to him when he’s on.
HB, Garrett: The MVP award given at the end of the Finals isn’t for the entire duration of the playoffs, it’s simply for the NBA Finals series. If NBA Finals MVP dealt with the whole playoffs, Chauncey would have had never gotten it in ‘04 with lame showings against Indiana and New Jersey. My theory is that because Chauncey had such an awful series against Indiana, the juxtaposition between the two consecutive series tricked those that award the Finals MVP to give it to Chauncey because his Finals performance looked that much better when put up against a poor Conference Finals showing. I believe an equally (or more) compelling case could have been made for Rip (equal) or Ben (more) to win the award. Ben averaged 13.6 boards and 10.8 points in that series. Considering how the Pistons dominated that series (through defense) and who affected that the most, my vote was for Ben.
ric: I suppose we will, but we should probably address it in the proper thread.
At this point, Stuckey is a great consolation prize for losing out on the 2003 crop in the draft. To know that we still have been able to maintain 50+ wins after “botching” that draft, Stuckey will definitely be able to keep this team at the peak of the mountain long after our bigs get old(er).
I loved what Joe D. did for Detroit as a player, and now he continues to prove why I liked him so much back in the day. He’s smart, he knows what his limitations are but that does not stop him from getting what he wants.
This coming ECF is SO huge for this organization. It’s looking pretty clear (win or lose) that this team still has what it takes to win it all. This justifies JoeD’s decision not to blow it up. Next year should be interesting in terms of a further reduction of the starters’ minutes.
The young players have showed that they are definitely capable of handling their playing time. It’s not out of the question to think that Stuckey and Afflalo will be playing a minimum of 15 minutes a game during the regular season next year (maybe 12 for Afflalo). That would bring Rip and Chauncey down to around 33 minutes.
Amir will probably get a similar boost in minutes, cutting into Sheed and Dyess’s minutes (although they are more apt to welcome this than Rip and Chauncey).
JoeD has made all the right roster moves and the only real question left is whether he has hired the right coach to help the players win it all.
Any thoughts DBB community on what things will be like in the off-season and next year if the Pistons flame out? If they win it all? If they play hard but are clearly not as good as the team that beats them?
@QD: “Any thoughts DBB community on what things will be like in the off-season and next year if the Pistons flame out? If they win it all? If they play hard but are clearly not as good as the team that beats them?”
This is something I talked about with LawyerBoy the other day on IM. I only have one fear about the Pistons not getting a trophy this season– that is if they lose due to injury.
If we win it all, Joe D has reason to change nothing, save for pushing for more youth minutes next season.
If we lose because we’re not the better team, I have faith that Joe D will make changes where they are necessary– either with coaching staff or players.
If we lose because of injury (and I pray that this doesn’t happen and Chauncey is at full health in the ECF), this is another story. The Pistons would have something to blame the loss on– it wasn’t flip, it wasn’t the players, it was a fluke: someone got injured. Flip would likely keep his job, Joe likely wouldn’t make any noticeable player moves, we’d be stuck.
In short, if we’re going to lose, I want to find out the hard way that we’re not the best team in the league– and make changes accordingly. I don’t want any excuses. But more than anything, I want a championship. Its clear to me, and has been since early this season, that we’re built and ready for a championship. Thanks to Philly, we’ve gotten our bloodletting out of the way. Now we can get another ring.
so whats proper LB?
Interesting question re what should happen if the Pistons lose in the ECF. I’m predicting nothing too dramatic. Winning 59 games and getting to the ECF is no reason to blow up a team, even if Detroit fans would be frustrated by no Finals for the third straight year. Also, this is a tough team to re-arrange in a way that’s obviously advantageous. We’re not a Cavs or Lakers type team that can shuffle around the “supporting cast” around a superstar or two. And we don’t have a glaring hole at any starting position like some teams (cough, Orlando) do. Maybe McDyess is the weakest link of the starters (despite his very solid playoffs), but with Maxiell coming on and Johnson in the wings, I don’t think Detroit should add a veteran power forward and they certainly shouldn’t give up the value they would need to in order to get a really good vet.
If Boston or the Cavs embarrass the Pistons in the ECF, or even if Detroit gets embarrassed in the Finals, there will be a call to do something, but it will be tricky to figure out what. Some big trade involving a couple of starters for a couple of other starters? Hard to know if that would help.
In broken record mode, I would still like to see a better backup SF.
“Chauncey Billups will be b-b-b-back in the starting lineup” - via Langlois’s blog.
YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!
ric: lb’s talking about this thread:
http://www.detroitbadboys.com/archives/2008-05-07/where-do-fans-in-los-angeles-watch-pistons-games/
Hayes is an uptempo player. He loves to run, catch, shoot, as far as I can see. Naturally, playoffs and the half-court make that a general impossibility unless it’s a transition play, of which he rarely has anything to do with starting the transition, no block, steal, nothin’ at all.
Sauce:
That’s a fair critique of Hayes. I just think — and repeat ad nauseum — that what the Pistons need most in terms of personnel is a decent backup SF — something we haven’t had since Corliss W. I was hoping Hayes could be that guy, but he doesn’t seem to be. Still, I hope that in the next round or two he and/or Herrmann can at give Detroit 10-12 minutes a game that doesn’t hurt us too much, because I’m worried that Tayshaun will get tired playing 42-45 minutes a game.
Thanks JD.
OT: Jim Rome just said no one is winning on the road in the NBA Playoffs. Pistons are 3-2 on the road so far. Typical media stance of sweeping us under the rug until we force them to talk about us by winning a title. I know it’s kind of our preferred method, but grrrr, makes me angry when people ignore us.
Also, on Toledo Joe’s subject of gunning for a backup-SF … I very much like doing that through free agency has he suggests. In the draft I’d like for us to go for Cal C DeVon Hardin. DraftExpress claims that Joe D. promised to take Hardin at the pick that eventually became Afflalo had Hardin come out last year. I’d like for us to take him instead this year if he’s still on the board. A back-up SF is certainly a priority that for me, is better addressed through FA. I would say in the next 1-3 years, we’re going to be a lot thinner at C than we are at SF. At least we have one guy locked up long-term at SF who gets the job done. Do we really have one in Cheick Samb in terms of realiability? Doubt it. Besides, we MUST find a way to draft Sam Young next year, he’s poor man’s Tayshaun, ie: his perfect back-up.
look for rip to play small forward and give tayshun some rest with Stuckey coming in at the 2
I also expect to see more of afflalo in the finals at the 2 and 3 with chancey at the 1 whenever Afflalo is in.
this whole interview sounds like a veiled indictment towards flip
rj, Dumars doesn’t make veiled indictments. If he didn’t think Flip could get the job done, he’d have fired him when he had the chance. And if he had a problem with the way Flip was doing things, I’m sure he would say something.
It amazes me how people just think Flip is going all cowboy on him.
QD, I’d like to agree with you, but it’s well known the other Mr. D has made it clear he doesn’t want to be paying for coaches who no longer coach for the Pistons. In which case, Joe D is stuck with Flip.
That being said, who would replace him? Flip was best available at the time he got hired, and probably is the best now (although somehow I see Michael Curry coaching the Pistons sometime down the road).
Actually, Flip has done a better job this year, but I still think Joe D has had a lot to do with it. A lot of the regular season’s strategy about playing the bench and developing the younger players came from Joe, not from Flip.
TJ,LB, IP: Afflalo at 3 makes more sense than drafting or trading for a back up SF, he has the ability to guard all three perimieter positions and his offense is coming around, the young man has game! I would prefer to get a good high shooting percentage 2 to back up Rip (Shooting Guards that may be available and will complement our roster are Courtney Lee (Western KY), Bryce Taylor (Oregon) and Kyle Weaver (Wazoo).) LB: I haven’t been able to follow Cal so I do not have much to go on, doesn’t DeVon Hardin have the same type of game as Dwight Howard? In the little I have seen of him, he seems to be a defensive stud, but get one foot out of the paint and he lays bricks. I don’t think that would meld well with the youngsters we have. I think a better fit would be Roy Hibbert although I predict he will be gone, then there is JJ Hickson out of NC State, he would be a good fit (again I have seen him play only a half dozen times or so and have NO CLUE about his character-something that seems important to Joe D.) As far as threes though, there is a chance Brandon Rush may fall to the bottom of the first round, or with Hayes, Hermann and the Delfino 2nd round picks, we may be able to trade up for Rush or Hibbert. Thoughts?
DJ: Roy Hibbert is slow footed and there is no doubt in my mind he is mediocre on his best day. Joe D. is not dumb enough to trade up for him. Here’s a guy who was as high as #5 on DraftExpress’s mock draft at this point last year and since he’s had a forgettable senior year exposing his weaknesses, he’s now slated to go at #20. Once people really got to see that he’s dominant because his size is a rarity in college, not his limited skill set, they realized he’s not special. DraftExpress says that best case is he’s Big Z and worst case is he’s Boniface Ndong. They’re exactly right. He has NO athleticism (sounds like Big Z to me), but I don’t think he quite has the savvy of Big Z or the shooting consistency. If he does and his jumper holds up, he’s Big Z 2.0 at best (which isn’t that bad in a plodding half court offense I suppose), but he’s really a slightly stronger/thicker version of Big Z (all strength, no mobility). I wouldn’t want to put my first round eggs into that basket. He plays face-up to the basket like a mobile guy (and Z), but he’s built more like a huge tank. Bad news by me.
DeVon Hardin on the other hand, is a little bit more of raw talent banking on that overused word: “upside”. He’s got freakish athleticism that needs to be molded. All signs point to him being of good character (obviously huge on our team). You are right that the guy is very limited offensively, but they aren’t things that can’t be coached to some degree, whereas with Hibbert you’re stuck with a lumbering body and you just gotta hope the shot falls. In Hardin, he’s more of a project, but that’s who the Pistons tend to have the most success with outside of Darko (Maxiell, Stuckey …).
Courtney Lee is a mildly better version of Afflalo offensively and maybe at best, equal on defense. I like him, trust me, but why draft him on this team? I also disagree with a contention that Afflalo at 6′5, 200 lbs. (Lee is 6′5 and 205) is a legit 3. He’s an SG in today’s NBA, period.
Brandon Rush is a (very?) poor man’s Rip. Is that enough for a backup SG? Maybe, I’m not going to say it’s not.
I came up with a solution for SF this morning: Matt Barnes. Dude would fit perfectly on our team and just happens to be an FA this year. Toss him ridiculous dough so he can’t say no ($6-7 mil/year) from Lindsey, Dixon, Hayes and Hermann’s contact, and bingo.
As an aside, for some more DraftExpress musings:
Brandon Rush - Best case: Eddie Jones Worst case: Kelenna Azubuike
DeVon Hardin - Best case: Nene Worst case: Jamal Sampson
Courtney Lee - Best case: Anthony Parker Worst case: Thabo Sefolosha.
I don’t take too much stock in these reports other than the current NBA players whose game they resemble. I mean Azubuike, Nene and Sefolosha, we have no idea who they’re going to end up being, so why compare players to them already?
i hate matt barnes. that is hands-down, your worst idea EVER, lb. he should be paying US for the honor of playing on the detroit f-ing pistons.
I say we draft Mamadou Samb and have the Twin Stick Towers.
LB: I see your not a Roy Hibbert Fan. I think your analysis is a bit flawed though, Detroit plays a slow half court game, the kids like to run, but I don’t see too many NBA franchises with a fast, athletic 5 starting or coming off the bench, although there are exceptions. Second, His numbers were down this year because he was working on extending his range, he has a good inside game and spent time in his Senior year developing some range (12′-15′), I don’t see a problem with that. Also, with regards to Draftexpress, they were pretty high on Darko Milicic and they appear to be wrong on his abiliities and impact, Hibbert has “upside” and would be a wonderful project in my opinion. Why is Afflalo relegated to SG? Solely because he is 6′5″? Afflalo may not yet be ready to start, but his defense is good enough to slow down any perimeter shooter, I think that is a significant point for a backup, his offense will come with time, he has the skills to develope into a fine 3. Also, with Hunter moving to the front office, we will another Guard, Kyle Weaver can fill that role (he too would be an intersting project). Regardless, I don’t think anyone seen the Stuckey pick at this point last year, Joe D probably has another hidden gem on his list.
DJ: Last year, Hibbert was consistently rated in the Top 5-10 prospects, now there’s essentially no chance he’s even taken in the lottery. It’s not because this draft class is miraculously stacked versus last year, it’s because Hibbert’s limitations are so glaring. The best this guy can be is Big Z (without making FTs like Z does), not because DraftExpress said it (I’m aware they don’t have a crystal ball), but because if you ever watch him play, he can’t move. There is no upside for that at all. None. He can’t be more athletic over time, he could only develop a post-up game he’s never used, and if that happens, it won’t happen in less than three years. If Hibbert’s jumper falls consistently as you suggest, on the offensive end he’s going to be spending all his time outside the paint. Have we enjoyed when Sheed does that? I haven’t. Hibbert is going to have a lot more immediate impact than other rookies, but it’s not going to be an awesome impact.
I don’t think DeVon Hardin is automatically the answer either, I’d like to take a long look at D.J. White who I’ve followed religious as an IU alum since he first set foot in Assembly Hall for Indiana University. As a five-star prospect (#15 overall in 2004 for Rivals.com) I was disappointed a lot in D.J. and thought he was inconsistent for the first three years of his career. This year however, the guy absolutely blew me away. I had no faith in him for this year and he wasn’t just good this year, he was DOMINANT during a tumultuous season where he got his 3rd head coach of his IU career mid-season! He has a weird game at about 6′8 245, but he’s like Maxiell minus the freakish athleticism (read: leaping ability & explosiveness) and plus a little more offensive savvy with his back to the basket. White plays his behind off on every single play on both sides. D.J. is incredibly strong and he has a nice midrange jumper with a full compliment of post moves. He could be a useful guy in the league, he may not be.
Point is, I dunno who the best guy is for this squad at #29, but drafting solely on height is a bad idea in my book. Roy Hibbert is NOT a good draft pick and the odds of him ever being a solid starter in this league are incredibly slim. Trading up for him would make me violently ill and I sincerely doubt Joe is that masochistic. DJ, do you like Robin Lopez?
JD: What is that bad in your opinion about Matt Barnes? Perhaps my suggestion of signing him for just over mid-level exception money was littered with hyperbole, but is he really worse than our options currently on our roster? Who’s the answer at backup SF?
LB: I think Robin Lopez is a young Ben Wallace, I wouldn’t want to see the Pistons go back to a four man offense.
I am not arguing that Detroit should trade up for Hibbert, I am only arguing that as a big, Hibbert would fit in with Detroits half court offense, with McDyess retiring soon (next year) and Rasheed’s career winding down, and Samb a question mark, Hibbert appears to fit our half-court-slow-it-down-style of play. Defensively, Hibbert isn’t a slouch, positioned on the low block, and with the tutelage of Rasheed, Maxiell, Ratliff and McDyess, the lad has serious upside. I only pointed out the obvious (…with Hayes, Hermann and the Delfino 2nd round picks, we may be able to trade up for Rush or Hibbert.) to simply throw some meat into the proverbial dsicussion pen. If I had my druthers, we would pack pounds on Amir, make him a 5 and work Samb into the lineup S L O W L Y, and during this next draft get a “…a (very?) poor man’s Rip” and work Afflalo at SF, keep all the mid level cap space for a mid season pick up IF we needed it. Hell lets get younger, and work to stay younger.
LB, What is your take on JJ Hickson? is he athletic enough to move from the 4 to the 3?
DJ: In my mind, it’s hard to make a convincing case for Hickson at 3. It’s not his athleticism that determines his NBA position (dude has a Tay-like wingspan and rather quick feet), it’s his lack of “3″ tendencies. He has no jumper and doesn’t like to face up to the basket; he’s a classic 4. I’m not sure that he feel comfortable guarding the perimeter on defense either. He’s really young and I think he’s as unpolished as Amir was coming out of HS. I’m not terribly interested in us going with a “project”; I’d prefer a more immediate impact even if the long-term upside is smaller. If we want a 4 who has less downside and less time to wait on, I say Richard Hendrix out of Alabama.
Obviously though, 4 seems to be one of the lowest concerns on the totem pole. I think it’s safe to say everyone wants either a 3 or a legit 5 (6′11 or taller), and at worst, maybe a 2. I love DeVon Hardin for this team. What can I say? I think his deficiencies aren’t terribly important in the Pistons game and his strengths are quite complimentary to our squad. I think there is a very real possibility of us taking him (perhaps based on my own hopes), and if it stays that way, we’ll hear about it in the manner we knew Stuckey was getting picked at #15.
I’m sorry to be so contentious about this point, but I just don’t think Afflalo (and though I like him, I think Courtney Lee is the same player, slightly better) can handle defending the 3. If Rush were available, I think he’s the most reasonable of the “3″ crop. He’s experienced, has a nice shooting touch. I don’t see him having a huge career (he is a Rush, after all), but I see him being solid enough to make a decent backup. I would be satisfied with Robin Lopez too. Outside of Hardin, the more I look at this draft, I don’t really see anyone in our pick range.
The 4 guys you have tutoring Hibbert can all move (even Dice looks like he jumps out of the gym and has the lateral quickness of in-his-prime Ben Wallace compared to Hibbert). Hibbert is a statute. I don’t see the comparison or what they can help him with (amid his athletic limitations) at all. His draft status is dropping like a lead balloon, and I couldn’t be happier. Joe is smart enough to take that as an indication to stay away.