I rarely pay attention to preseason rankings, but seeing as it’s the middle of August without much happening in Pistonsville, I’m going to make an exception. So, Marty Burns of Sports Illustrated, what say you about the East?
1. Boston
2. Cleveland
3. Magic
Bold! You bumped Detroit out of your top 3! Boston obviously belongs there and Cleveland did get better by getting Mo Williams. I’m not entirely sure what Orlando did to make the jump, but sure, it’s your list, I’ll play along …
4. Philadelphia
Okay, I see what you did there. You must be an Elton Brand fan, but, um, aren’t you forgetting someone?
5. Washington
Yeah, that’s not who I was talking about …
6. Detroit
Seriously? Sixth? Explain yourself, man!
Logic says they should be ranked higher, since they suffered no significant losses (other than coach Flip Saunders) from a team that won 59 games last season. But even president Joe Dumars seemed to think this present group had run its course at the end of last season and needed some new blood. Kwame Brown isn’t likely to light a fire under anybody. And how will all those Pistons vets react to hearing their names in trade talks all summer? Unless Dumars has something else up his sleeve, the Pistons just seem like a team headed for a decline.
Dumars thinks some “new blood” might help the team make the jump from losing a contested Conference Finals to hoisting the Larry O’Brien — it’s not like he’s worried this team will suddenly turn in a .500 record. The Raptors finished sixth in the East last year by going 41-41 — do you really think a few veterans hearing their names mentioned in trade rumors will cost this team 18 games?
That’s crazy talk. All of a sudden, I just remembered why I avoid these things. Let me save you five minutes: 7. Raptors; 8. Pacers; 9. Hawks; 10. Bobcats; 11. Heat; 12. Bucks; 13. Bulls; 14. Nets; 15. Knicks.
I think he got his team jersey sales rankings mixed up with his conference rankings.
This is the first year, in oooooh about 7 years, that I agree with the media predicting Detroit will sputter. I like Curry, but in my opinion are team has finally gone past the tipping point in age. Yes, we have some young guys coming along, but you can’t replace CB, Rip, Sheed, AND McDyess with late first and second round picks. At some point you have to stick your neck out there and take a chance on someone(aaaaaahem, *cough* Josh Smith) even if you are giving up a little too much.
What I really fear is that our age REALLY starts to show or a couple guys get injured and we approach the trade deadline with a .500 record. If Joe thought teams were low-balling us now… sigh.
Even if Detroit drops, it won’t be to 6. Even 5 would be a stretch in my opinion. I don’t have that much faith that Mo Williams will give Cleveland all that much help, and I think assuming Philadelphia will pass Detroit because they got Elton Brand is a little premature too. There is no way Washington finishes above Detroit, either. Looking a little lower on the list, I personally think Indiana is going to be one of the worst teams in the league, and it has them sneaking in the playoffs at 8. T.J. Ford is a good player, but I just don’t see him being enough to take that team above Atlanta, Chicago, or even Milwaukee (who picked up more overall than they lost this summer).
Yeah, I read that article too and couldn’t understand how he could rank us 6th. Even from his view point where he considers Flip a significant loss (many here at DBB would argue that point) and wonders how our starters will react to hearing their names in the papers this summer (a little extra motiviation?), you still can’t justify us dropping to 6th.
Barring a couple major injuries, I’d be pretty shocked if we didn’t win at least 50 games (I think we’ll be much closer to 60). We only have 4 players over 30 now, and any potential decline by our core group should be more then offset by the growth of Stuckey, Amir, Afflalo, Max, and potentially Kwame and Herrmann.
Hey everybody, Brad’s back! Wonderful, now I can hear about how the sky is falling. Seriously, what is it about this summer?
Off topic: I was watching the USA-Greece game and USA was using the old NBA on NBC theme song and it was glorious. Gloooooooooorious.
Wow. What a horrible list. Really, the Pacers in the playoffs? Really, the Bucks over the Bulls? Really, Cleveland will turn the corner after regressing last year?
Not only did they have the Bucks over the Bulls, but suddenly the Bobcats are tenth? As in barely missing the playoffs tenth?
See, this is the problem when sportswriters value narratives over reality. Steve Nash wins two MVP awards and the Pistons are projected to finish sixth in the conference.
Let’s be optimistic and say that sixth place equals 45 wins. You are counting on some cosmic idea of tired blood to result in a 14 game swing?
Let’s look at the teams who saw a 14+ win deficit from season to season over the last two years. It has happened five times.
Miami (06-07 to 07-08) - Not hard to figure this one out. Heat - Wade - Shaq = Terrible.
Dallas (06-07 to 07-08) - Dallas’ win total in 06-07 was inflated (they’re point differential was actually smaller than the Pistons in 07-08). Then they decided to blow up the team for no reason.
Clippers (06-07 to 07-08) - Losing a star power forward and your starting Point Guard will result in a bit of a dip.
Memphis (06-07 to 07-08) - Lost Pau Gasol, the guy who elevated the Lakers from first round fodder to Western Conference champion.
Chicago - (06-07 to 07-08) - This is the only drop that can be attributed to intangibles. That said, each important player missed significant time, with Deng missing 19 games. At any rate, does a young, Euro-style team that relies on jumpshooting really fit the Pistons profile?
Let’s put the Pistons in persepctive. Prior to 07-08, you have to go back to 04-05 to find a team witha +7.4 point differential. They were actually better last year than they had been the two years prior. On what basis can you predict a sixth place finish?
“And how will all those Pistons vets react to hearing their names in trade talks all summer? ”
That’s a great point. Just look at Kobe and KG last year. For crying out loud.
I love over-reactive media, if for no other reason than the impact on Pistons futures odds. I’ll say no more than that.
Same story every year, but this rationale is worse than most.
“The Pistons just seem like a team headed for a decline.”
Come on, at least pick on the rookie coach or use tired aging arguments. No one cares about your intuition.
I agree with kevin s. This was the strongest Pistons team we’ve fielded in a while, and there’s little to suggest the team falling off a cliff like this unless he believes the rest of the east made huge improvements this offseason.
What does it matter if we’re not going to win the championship? This team needed changes after the cavs series 2 years ago. Dream on about amir, we’re still not good enough to win. Does it really matter what we do in the regular season if we can’t win in the playoffs? We’re pheonix east.
Craig,
Its pointless to say, “What does it matter if we’re not going to win the championship?” If that were the mentality then plenty of teams in the NBA would have just given up a long time ago.
Joe D. has no effect on what other teams do in the off-season or how other teams play during the regular season. All he has is an ability to shape his own team.
The Celtics were better than us last year, and who knows, they may end up being better than us this year, but if Joe D. isn’t given an opportunity to improve this team through a trade, then he shouldn’t be making those changes to the squad.
The only way I see the Pistons ending up in the 6th slot is because the teams above them are playing so well that Detroit simply doesn’t keep up.
Cleveland has done little to improve their team, meanwhile Ilgauskas and Ben Wallace are a year older and slightly less productive than they were last year. They still have Wally on their team so he’s pretty much a liability as well.
Orlando lost Mo’ Evans to Atlanta, who wasn’t even worthy of a starting position in the first place, and as far as I know they haven’t done anything to replace him in the starting 5.
Phili has a LOT of potential, but that is all they have right now. Elton Brand is coming off a season long knee injury, and most of Phili’s improvement after Brand is based on significant jumps in production from Lou Williams and Thaddeus Young.
Finally, Washington did a good job of re-signing Jamison and Arenas, and assuming they all stay healthy could end up being a very solid team, but again, what has Washington done to dramatically improve themselves? They haven’t done anything outside of re-signing the guys they already had.
Detroit beat all of these teams last year and as far as I can tell, with the exception of Phili, none of these teams has done anything to make themselves significantly better than they were last year.
James B: Elton tore his achilles.
I don’t think much of the rankings. We go thru this every year, “Pistons declining” routine. I think it’s just an example of some sportswriters saying the equivalent “there’ll be an earthquake in CA” At some point it will happen, just not this year with the Pistons.
As for Philly, everyone is reading into their last month play of the season and projecting forward. Elton will help, but someone will be getting less shots. Let’s see how they handle that. And to my knowledge, I don’t see where anyone has helped themselves over last year to actually say, “yeah, they’re moving up.” Exception: possibly Toronto with O’Neal.
Orlando has no answer for Billups, Stuckey or Rip while Tay can contain Rashard Lewis, and our bigs can still contain Howard. So I can’t see how this is not a matchup advantage for Detroit.
Philadelphia gave Detroit problems in the regular season and initially in last years playoff series. They are a very athletic team and have more shots in the paint but still suffer a little from the perimeter. Detroit has good perimeter shooting and now will place more emphasis on getting to the paint. This one is a tossup to me. If Stuckey is everything we hope for and Amir and/or Maxiel plays well we could still be better than these guys but I’m just not sure. I’m leaning to Philly though.
Until Detroit beats Boston consistantly Boston is better and until Detroit beats Cleveland in a playoff series (which I think they will do this year) Cleveland is better.
Toronto is better than they were last year but they lack the depth necessary to beat Detroit. No one else in the East is worthy of mention …
@Other Matt:
Just checked in to DBB on my little vacation, saw Brad came back to comment, and was happy to see my brother Other Matt say what I wanted to. That guy loves to hate our squad.
As for sportswriters hating on the Pistons, its an annual tradition. “Getting older”, “washed up”, “too complacent”. While the latter is inarguable, these same predictions are proven wrong, year after year.
this is crazy talk!!! marty burns must be on crack!
James B.: Mickael Pietrus can not possibly be worse than Mo Evans. I’m not sure how Pietrus wouldn’t be an upgrade for Orlando.
I agree re: Washington though I like JaVale McGee’s chances to make an impact this year. Besides, he’s a Flintstone (the Mateen Cleaves kind)!
Philly isn’t just better on potential, they’re a deeper team. If they kick Willie Green out of their starting lineup and insert Thaddeus Young at SF, shifting Iguodala to SG it’d essentially be the coolest thing ever. Reggie Evans is a regrettable starter, but a very capable backup. Health in-tact, I don’t see how this team isn’t much better.
I still think Mo Williams will do what LeBron says to win. Answering to Redd and a revolving door of bad coaches is one thing, but LeBron James already carried a team to the NBA Finals at 22 years old. I think he’ll listen to what LeBron and Mike Brown have to say. And Wally as a “liability” is kind of a harsh characterization to the guy who was scoring with ease in Games 3 and 4 wins against Boston. He played well after being traded to Cleveland. At least, that’s what I thought.
Mark: Philly has done more than just get Brand’s help (who will likely increase Iguodala’s efficiency). Speights and Rush will have a positive impact for their team this year. I don’t see this team winning less than 47 games this year, and I think more likely they go 52-30 like Orlando did last season. Then again, a lot of things I foresee don’t end up coming to pass.
Oh, and if Marty Burns could name me an example of said NBA player(s) that has “reacted” to “trade talk” by subsequently causing his team to suffer even a handful of extra losses, I’d like to know who that guy(s) is(are). No Piston is that guy anyway.
Did anyone else look at that position calculation link under Alley-Oops. They had Chauncey listed as a pure perimeter player and Sheed listed as a pure interior player…
@kevin s: I like your take on the matter. Seeing what it takes to formulate such a drop makes me more confident that we’re not gonna go through it this season…
Not that i was so worried in the first place but i’m a little worried with the new coach.
Just had an idea. maybe we signed kwame and bynum in order to cook up another KG like deal. maybe we’re bringing in stoudemire for a dime and a half or something
MarkButter,
Yup you’re right. I knew it was a season-long injury, and that it was either the knee or the ankle…just couldn’t remember which one.
Lawyerboy,
Forgot about Michael Pietrus…he’s definitely an upgrade over Mo’ Evans, but can he really upgrade that position enough to be a concern for Detroit? I would say no.
And as far as Marty Burns, did he not read Chauncey’s interview from a month or so back about wanting the core team to get another shot with Curry at the helm? Has he not read Tayshaun’s interview about not even thinking about trade talks or off-season rumors since he’s in freaking China? Rasheed doesn’t let the media bother him ever, and McDiggidy just wants some trophy love…
He went with Marty. Really? He sounds like a Marty (apologies to any male Marty’s out there). Martin Burns would have present logical arguments thoughtfull observations as to why the 5 time eastern finals squad with a new big & a second year standout will loose “15″ more games this year than last. Martin would have put time & effort into analyzing such a uncommon prediction and could have presented such material. But this isnt Martin Burns. Its Marty Burns and marty has a feelin’. I got no respect for this guy.
James B: Your analysis seems like that of a Hardcore Pistons fan whose slightly blinded by their love of the Stones. I respect that.
I agree with LBoys team analysis with the exception of washington. I know the Mateen comment wasn’t analogous, but next time please reference one of the good flintstone NBA’ers.
Sticking with the theme of respect, I’m giving Miami more than anyone I’ve read or talked to. They have a lot of long athletic players led by a top 5 superstar whose a proven winner (Wade), one of the best basket defenders in the league (alonzo), an all star in a contract year who plays best with a chip on his shoulder(Marion should buy stock in Lays); add in the Beasley, “the most talented player in the draft”, whom I think has the build and athleticism to guard most SF’s & PF’s and you have a team that should win. -(after getting that ESPN show, Beasley should be thanking Derrick Rose’s personality for having a negative 50 point off court appeal rating)
I think Miami will deliberately play just well enough to make the playoffs so they can work in young players & rest older ones. They could beat an Orlando in the first round.
Disclaimer: i dont like the heat or wade and I loved the footage of Sheed mocking wades flopping ’style’in the 06 ECF’s.
DaveJ,
I do try from time-to-time to present a more unbiased argument, but admittedly I bleed pistons red, white, and blue so it’s not always the easiest to do.
I will admit that in my assessment I didn’t take the time to research my points to confirm their validity (ie - Michael Pietrus being signed by the Magic as an improvement over Evans and Brand injuring his achilles not his knee).
I still stand by my assessment that the majority of Phili’s success right now is based on the potential of their up and coming players and the health of elton brand.
And Cleveland getting Mo’ Williams will definitely help since they have always had a void at the PG position, but that doesn’t address the fact that Ben Wallace’s productivity dropped WAY off after he left Detroit, and has dropped off even more since being traded to Cleveland. Ilgauskas will be 33 and he had one of his most productive season’s of his career last year which I would be surprised if he replicates. Ben Wallace will be 34 and his numbers have dropped off considerably. Joe Smith will be 33 and his numbers have been consistently dropping off since the 03-04 season. As for Varejoke, well sure his averages have gone up every year, but with the new flopping policy in place, we can expect his productivity to drop off and I’m not convinced that Varjoke has what it takes to be a starting PF in the league.
In the end, this all pretty moot considering we’re taking the time to discuss the analysis of a moron.
James B: I still feel that if Orlando can learn to believe in themselves instead of wilting under pressure, that they can absolutely beat us. Everyone knows Howard is a beast (even if we kept him in check last year), but Turkoglu is a fantastic player who really choked against us these past two playoffs. Pietrus won’t be the thing to put them over the top, playing confidently will. But having Pietrus in the mix should help some.
DaveJ: Sorry about the ill-conceived choice of Mateen, my findings anecdotally among MSU fans still find him to be the most beloved Flintstone, hence the selection. As for JaVale McGee, the Flintstone in question, that dude looked incredible to me in the Summer League. He’s got an NBA body, enough strength and grit to play passably in the post, three-point range, and pretty exceptional handles for a C. He would continually put the ball on the floor from a position of his back to the basket with much success in Vegas. Dude was, um, well, wow. He has guard-like shooting touch and basically the handles to match. His turnaround off glass is gorgeous. I think his defense could be the only thing that could trip him up in the NBA.
James B: Sorry to pile it in, but Joe Smith was sent to Oklahoma City in the deal, so that’s pretty poorly researched too. Cleveland seems to be putting their money on rookie J.J. Hickson at backup PF. I know he had a really successful summer league, but I didn’t get a chance to see any of it with my own two eyes. Varejao is pretty much their backup C with Ben starting at PF. This team made it to the NBA Finals 2 years ago with only Gooden and Hughes as the other different factors. I think that getting Wally last year, Mo Williams now, and having Ben’s defensive prowess, however declining, is better (in an admittedly tougher East) to produce success. The games aren’t played on paper of course, so it should be interesting to see what actually happens.
I don’t know why anyone is surprised by this. Sports analysts have picked Detroit at 4th or below in the East every preseason since Larry Brown was fired. In that time they actually finished first, first and second respectively.
However, the East should be more competitive this year, this much is true. Detroit should wrap up the Central (I don’t see that Clelevland squad gitting anything more than 50 wins), which would give them the fourth seed at worst.
i don´t mind if the stones finish sixth as long as they face orlando in the first round
I read this article this morning and it didn’t really piss me off. Although, ranking the Pistons 6th is ridiculous (and not having Miami in the playoffs is even moreso), I do think the Pistons win total will decline.
Curry will have some growing pains and so will the young players. I thing 4th is a more realistic prediction. And I think we’d all agree that that’s okay if it means getting the young guys some minutes because the only way this team wins a championship is if they step up bigtime.
After hearing everyone weigh in, this is where I’m at right now.
Based on records not playoff seeding:
Philly
Boston
Orlando
Detroit
Cleveland
Miami
Toronto
Chicago
QD: I like the top half of that lineup, as long as the gap between Philly and Detroit is no more than 7 wins, I think we can still make a run in the playoffs. If at the end of the season we’re 10+ games off of the #1 seed (be it Philly or other), even if we’re the 4 seed, I’ll be really nervous.
blah blah blah blah Wally “He played well after being traded to Cleveland. At least, that’s what I thought. ”
36% from the field, 30% from 3… not as good as Rip
I think Marty is right.
This team sucks.
Go Clippers!
Turkoglu had the season of his life until the playoffs. His playoff performance reflects his career norms, so I don’t see why we wouldn’t expect a very average season from him. Pietrus fills the gap left by Evans, but not much more.
Keyon Dooling and Carlos Arroyo were both solid off the bench, and both are gone, so they are losing a lot of production there. The Magic, of any team in the East, would seem to be likely candidates for a major slide.
Not that I would expect Marty to take any, you know, information, into account. Better to go with the gut, I say.
Oh, and here were Marty’s preseason rankings last year.
1. Detroit
2. Boston
3. Chicago
4. New Jersey (!)
5. Toronto
6. Washington
7. Cleveland
8. Miami
Well, zero out of eight ain’t bad.
Boney: He had a few bad FG% games against Boston. So did every player on the Cleveland team. Good one, Sherlock Holmes.
Kevin: I love Turkoglu, no secret. This year was what I’ve been waiting/expecting to see from him for the prior few. I think the playoffs (which was certainly an aberration when put into the context of “2007-2008″ as a whole) are a problem for him.
There is absolutely NO way Philly wins more games than we do. Save that someplace because it’s “The m*therf*ckin truth”…
LB,
Basketball-reference.com apparently was not updated when I looked earlier today because I looked at Cleveland’s roster page and they still had Joe Smith on there. Oh well.
I agree with you that Cleveland is in a better place now than they were two years ago. I don’t think I ever said they weren’t. But that doesn’t mean that they are in a better position to win than this current Pistons team which was the point of my post. I also don’t think they’ve done enough in the off-season to warrant a large enough improvement to place them above Detroit. However, if Marty Burns had said “I’m ranking Cleveland ahead of Detroit because Lebron was carved from solid marble by Michaelangelo himself,” then I would have no problem with his ranking.
Ranking them over the Pistons when they haven’t done a lot this off-season and their most recent move remains to be tested still seems a bit ludicrous to me.
James B.: Just playing fact checker re: Joe Smith. I think the Cavs have done a decent job this summer, especially with Ferry at the helm. Then again, with an $85 million payroll, the Cavs should have a much better team to show for it. Gilbert should fire Ferry for the fact that he’s going to pay close to $10 million in luxury tax on THAT roster. Still, I think it’s got a shot to win the East. Between Philly, Detroit, Boston and Cleveland, I have no idea who to favor. I’d give an outside shot to Orlando too if they can put it all together.
Detroit finishes second, plays Boston again and loses in the ECF. Again.
I wish I could be more optimistic.
Sorry, Olympic basketball has me a little down
LB
Those were regular season statistics, not playoff stats.
I don’t have a witty name to come back with so I’ll stick with an oldie but goodie, douche.
oops, I did quote the playoff stats…
he still shot 35% from the field and 36% from 3
still not as good as Rip
Least effective use of “Douche” ever.
Jussayin
Other Matt,
We lost in the ECF’s… to Boston… just like I said. How is that “sky is falling” mentality? I was… for lack of a better term… right.
A better analogy would be if we were on the Titanic and I kept telling you it was sinking and we’d better do something…. anything… to get out of this jam, while you kept telling me I’m such a “sky is falling” guy. Then after the Titanic sank and we’re on a row boat in the middle of the Atlantic, I mention again that our situation is dire and you respond, again, that I’m such a “sky is falling guy.”
Fact is what I said was gonna happen, tragic as it was, happened. Sorry if reality crashes your parade float from time to time Joey Sunshine.
Huzzah!
Australia (95) beat Russia (80)
Next stop, USA in the quarterfinals!
@Brad:
Let’s take another friendly analogy. We all sit around a firecracker. None of us know what said firecracker is going to do when it explodes.
There are two options for said firecracker: 1) it flies to the heavens and sends pretty fireworks down to the ground, and 2) it fizzles on its way out of orbit.
You take the low road. Before that firecracker is lit, once it is lit, and as it takes its skyward approach, you sit around with your 50% claim “its gonna fail, its gonna fail, its gonna fail, its gonna fail…”
Not a single person watching that firecracker climb thought there was a 100% certain chance of it making its apex and exploding. But we had faith, we had hope, we had a feeling beyond a reasonable doubt that this could be the time for our firecracker to explode to its fullest potential.
Here we are, two months later, and you’re boasting about being right that the Pistons failed to reach that apex. You took the easy road, Brad. You didn’t even roll the dice, you bet on failure. In Las Vegas terms, you wouldn’t have earned a dime. You bet on the Pistons losing with your negativity, your pessimism, you lack of faith. You win nothing. Your only consolation is pissing off a group of rabid, hopeful, intelligent and informed Pistons fans on this very blog.
I stand by Other Matt and the others on this blog that have hope for this team’s future. You, Prophecy Projectz and others can continue to rain on our parade. I, for one, am not going to give up so easily, to talk consistent shit against the team that I love. I tell you, I could easily suggest that my team will lose this year, but that is the easy route, that is the route of spineless little pigs, I could put my money on Detroit losing. But I will NEVER, EVER do that.
When our team is in the heat of a contested series, you were the first to quit. At the worst of times, you’re the first to point fingers. You’re a fair weather fan, and you’ll find no sympathy here amongst the real Pistons fans.
[excuse the dramatics, DBB regulars, I just need to defend our team in the face of adversity, its a shame it comes from one who calls us his own]
@Laughton,
If I could choose my 2nd place team, it’d be our neighbors down under in a heartbeat. If only you guys did the whole middle name thing that Argentina does… 
Congrats, buddy.
I’m not surprised, it sounds like the same predictions made every summer. Wasn’t it like two summers ago (when we lost Ben), alot of these so-called “sports analysist” predicted that we wouldn’t even make it back to the playoffs? I don’t take anything they say seriously no more, it’s almost pathetic how bias these people can be.
@MP - Thanks, the world seems brighter than yesterday now. I hate Argentina, not that I needed much of an excuse before (No Ginobili) Their style of basketball is dirty and really frustrating to watch. I hope Team USA eats them alive. Also, it was good to see Bogut play well. I was starting to feel a wee bit uncomfortable after pushing for the Stones to trade for him.
Anyway, I’m king of the world!
@Laughton:
“I hate Argentina, not that I needed much of an excuse before”
Was it all the flopping? Did they play ball or just fall on the floor when the ball was passed in their direction?
While I don’t REALLY want to pick sides or even enter this arguement… MP is right about one thing and the best way to show it to you is in my preseason rankings
1) Detroit
The team that will lose to the Pistons in the first round.
2) The team that will lose to Detroit in the ECF
3) The team that will lose to the team that will lose to the Pistons in the ECF
4) The team that will lose to Detroit in the second round
5) Some team I don’t care about because we won’t play them and first round losers are pathetic
6) See above and add “Plus they play in Canada”
7) See above and add “Plus Jameer Nelson did that shit on purpose last year”
9-Whatever) The team with Eazy Yi on it and all the teams that would actively consider trading for him because their season is that f-ed.
Done yo.
@MP - No, its their beautiful flowing hair. I wonder how many of them are actually girls.
Actually, I liked the centre. She looked hot
Nice, PG4L. And thanks for those highlight reel links for the Pistons roster (no Cheick Samb?). The Amir one gave me hope. I can finally say now that I’ve seen him hit a jumper (a tramp ball, no less). Plus, it had that windmill dunk in his first game that got us all so excited. And a nice drive from the elbow where he clearly took four steps but showed some nice handles. Hopefully, we’ll see this more confident Amir on offense this year. It’s crazy that he’s still the youngest guy on the roster.
37 points baby
*makes slant eyes with her fingers while hopping around to Let’s Get It Started by the Black Eyed Peas*
World Champion what? FIBA rules what?
This is what happens when we send someone who isn’t Starbury. World, you just got TOLD.
Can ya tell I’m excited?
Thoughts on US vs. Spain:
- It’s so nice to get to root for Dwayne Wade for a change. If he wasn’t once a teammate of a certain fat fuck that I despise, he’s probably be my fave player. He had one ridiculous dunk and looked like he was shot out of a cannon when he grabbed a loose ball and took it the other way.
- The announcers said it was Dwight Howard’s best game. Really? He was late on all his rotations.
- So great to see Tayshaun on this team.
- Ricky Rubio is a gamer, but I don’t think he’s a number one pick. He’s young but I don’t think he’ll have the athleticism to finish at the basket. Maybe if he grows some more.
- Marc Gasol looks like an average to low level starter in the NBA. He’s strong enough to battle in the post (although his moves are slow). He’s got a nice mid-range shot. He seems like a bad fit for athletic Memphis, but if he can grab rebounds and make outlet passes to those speedy guards…
- That block Kidd had on Rudy Fernandez that sent him to the floor was incredible.
- That Reyes guy looked fluid and mobile. He was Spain’s best offensive player. He’d be a good PF off the bench in the NBA.
- The teams that rocked the US in the past were great three point shooting teams. Didn’t seem like Spain shot a lot or particularly well from out there. Maybe Lituania will be a stronger test.
Note to any DDBers of Asian persuasian….
I consider that slant eyed thing the Spanish team did right before the Olympics to be terribly racist and deplorable.
It’s also insanely funny that several professional basketball players would fail to notice the public relations nightmare such a photo would produce…
IMHO Spain pretty much fuzzed up their own Karma with that one… and as a result I consider it pretty fair game to taunt ANY Spanish teams/players with said “Slant Eyes” gesture whenever they screw up/lose whatever… basically this will probably remain a good burn until the end of time.
That’s right Pau… when you finally do play the Pistons in the finals next year or the year after, EVERY time you miss a FT or foul on a late rotation, I expect 18 thousand Piston’s fans to make slant eyes at you and laugh.
You earned it.
Also, 37 POINTS… Gold medal preview INDEED.
It was nice seeing Kobe flatten Pau a minute into the game. He didn’t even try to go around him.
Also as for Amir… honestly?
I give up. The fact is if the kid was good enough to make a difference, he would have already. This isn’t Hockey, people don’t suddenly turn 24 and “Get it” in Basketball. You guys can all talk about how young he is all you want, the man is a professional basketball player and he’s what the FOURTH season since he’s been drafted?
He’s too skinny, he doesn’t seem to understand positioning very well, he’s RARELY in the right place at the right time and he accumulates fouls like The Candy Man…
Honestly watching everyone go nuts over this guy is just kinda embarassing now.
If he was GOING to do it? He would have done it by now. You can’t blame Flip for EVERYTHING. It’s not like Amir has been Marcus Allened or anything. He plays, he just doesn’t play better than MOST of our other bigs.
4Really, I understand this isn’t a popular opinion around here these days but honest to god, basketball isn’t a game where age really helps.. Amir probably isn’t getting better or at least MUCH better from here on out and well… right now? He isn’t good enough to make a difference consistantly.
Sorry.
And PG4L, I had the same thought. I actually did it at the TV screen once after a Spain turnover. I can’t believe they are actually defending that ad.
Wow, PG4L. I think this is the first time on here that someone said I was too high on Amir.
There is a clear “ball don’t lie” at the 25 minute mark or so in the NBC U.S. - Spain replay online. Is Sheed in China?
to be clear i mean “is he in the stands?”
@PG4L:
Please, please don’t bring up the Amir debate. In your absence, we covered that in VERY painful detail.
And in QD’s defense, he’s skeptical, but optimistic. I think that’s a healthy position.
QD, Sarcasm much?
MP, it’s cool. It’s an opinion like any other. Like I said “I give up.”… I totally understand if other people still have high hopes. I just no longer believe.
Basically I’m way way too busy trying to pronounce 37 point beat-down in Spanish to really care anyways.
Kudos to that, PG4L. *grabs spanish-english dictionary, looks up “genital mutilation”*
PG4L: Your ardent patriotism truly makes me smile (not a joke). Besides, when someone follows “douche” with “oops”, it probably is a nominee for “least effective use of douche ever”. +1 to you, m’lady. And yeah, generally agreed re: Amir. I’ll hold out hope like QD, but anything Amir brings beyond 9th man status would pleasantly surprise me. MP is right about the discussion though, we used about every word in the English dictionary to describe the rather large continuum of viewpoints re: Amir on DBB. I do wish you and I could convey our viewpoints in a more convergent style of discussion.
Stupid Pacific Time, still only three quarters through the game. For all the hype I’ve read, Ricky Rubio physically, is like a 2nd string point guard on a HS JV team. That laser to Fernandez on the alley-oop in the 2nd quarter was jaw-dropping though. That kid can distribute the ball. Collins/Breen keep raving about his basketball IQ and his defense. His intense effort is obvious. If all Rubio has to do is improve upon his body (he makes Tay and Rip look like Kimbo Slice), as it appears to me that’s his only real hindrance, I think he’ll still be pretty special even if QD is right about Rubio re: finishing. Come on, the BEST PG in the ACB and he’s only 17? Unheard of, how could he not deliver? And Rudy Fernandez better be getting 20+ mins./game come playoff time. Portland’s got a dangerous amount of offensive talent. Maybe Roy can play some of his time at SF with Fernandez at SG?
By the way Boney, you’ve demonstrated that you can’t seem to handle basketball stats or social tact with tangible success. There’s no reason for anyone (myself very much included) to pay attention when the logic that follows is “still not as good as Rip”. A simple “Yeah, I screw up a lot of times like all of us” instead of some juvenile rationalization would fit much better in the mold of the DBB community. I get the feeling I shouldn’t wait to see that come to pass. I suppose I can give up knowing I gave a commendable effort toward socializing your provocative behavior.
@PG4L - +5 for the Spain taunts. It’s rare that I literally laugh out loud while reading a blog, but that did it. +1 for your politically correct post-script. +1 for your power rankings - we need some more damn optimism around here. -1 for Amir flame war. I’ve done enough consoling of myself of his progress by looking at the skinny, athletic, late blooming Tyson Chandler that I don’t need to do any more of that, and I especially don’t need to be thinking about how the Bulls gave him away for P.J. Brown and J.R. Smith so that they could sign Ben Wallace. Shivers.
But yeah, nicely done overall though.
A provocateur only finds success in the actions of a reactionary.
Just for clarity… I happen to like Boney. His posts make me laugh and most of the time I can understand him I agree with many of the things he says. He seems to understand basketball reasonably well and really that’s all I ask from the internets. I assure you that at least HALF the NBA fans you’ll meet in your life simply do not understand the game of basketball.
That having been said I burst out laughing at the back to back “Douche” “oh wait, you’re right but still wrong somehow” posts.
Sometimes the bull gets you. It happens.
I just want to be clear though that I’m not participating in any sort of dog pile on Boney movement. He’s aight by me.
MP,
Why does it offend you when someone has a different point of view? It doesn’t bother me if people want to disagree with me… that’s what this public forum is for. No? This is America, right? Don’t we have the right to Free Speech so that we can openly disagree and show/convince others our point of view?
What DOES bother me is when someone continues to throw insults at me based on a discussion we had last year… where my opinion ended up being a fact. If Detroit won a ’ship you could continue to call me naysayer, gloom and doom, and sky is falling… I’d be all too happy to take those barbs. But when my prophecy ends up being right, I shouldn’t have to deal with insults from the person or people that were wrong.
Of course I didn’t want us to lose in the ECF’s… that’s why I tried to open up a discussion in the first place. Few people wanted to hear anything but “this is our year… we’re so awesome… another championship… Boston really isn’t that good.” Sorry if I have an opinion, and sorry if its not so rosey, and sorry if it becomes reality. Should I submit my posts to you for review so that you can add kool-aid and cornbread?
This is a public forum. I am a Pistons fan. I have an opinion.
MP: This much I know.
Shinons: Wow, I totally forgot about that. John Paxson acquired J.R. Smith (with two years left on his 4-year/$6 million rookie scale deal) in the deal for Chandler and then promptly shipped Smith over to Denver for Howard Eisley (who never played a game) and two-2nd round draft picks in 2007 which turned out to be Aaron Gray and JamesOn Curry. I don’t care what people think of Smith’s attitude, based on production/skills alone, that’s a straight mistake.
Then again, this is the guy who traded LaMarcus Aldridge and a future 2nd round pick (Pritchard has since turned that into 3 2nd rounders, including two from CHICAGO!) away for Tyrus Thomas and Viktor Khyrapa. Mr. Paxson, you just gave Pritchard two future picks to get back a pick that you had in the first place! I don’t think you should be in the GM business.
Just to tie that up neatly, with the inclusion of the Mike Taylor to the Clippers deal, the Blazers have these teams’ 2nd round picks in the 2009 draft: Knicks, Bulls, Clippers, perhaps even their own (I’m not sure about the status of their own).
@Brad,
“Should I submit my posts to you for review”
That’d be great.
@LB:
Paxson probably couldn’t be competitive in a DBB fantasy league
The fellows over at BlogABull would likely agree.
“so that you can add kool-aid and cornbread?”
I declare this quote offensive to Southerners and followers of the late Rev. Jones.
You horrible person you.