From Chris McCosky:
“We have the starting five (Rasheed Wallace, Amir Johnson, Tayshaun Prince, Rip Hamilton and Chauncey Billups), and then Max (Jason Maxiell), Dyess (Antonio McDyess) and Rodney Stuckey — those eight guys are going to play heavy minutes,” Curry said Thursday after putting the team through a rare light, no-contact practice. “I count anything over 15 minutes as heavy minutes, so those guys are going to play over that every night and I don’t see that changing.”
Curry said Arron Afflalo, Walter Herrmann and Kwame Brown would also work into the mix on a nightly basis.
“One or two of those guys will play big minutes, as well, depending on the matchups,” Curry said. “We are going to have 10 or 11 guys that will be playing regular minutes and we want to try and keep consistent with that all through the season.”
I’m happy with this rotation, seems a good mix of young and vets. I’m guessing Max is the first big off the bench with him replacing Amir (once he racks up his two fouls at the beginning of the 1st quarter). Sheed slides over to Center and Max plays PF?
Actually speaking of getting 2 quick fouls in the 1st quarter. I’ve seen Sheed do that a few times last year. That could be problematic if we have 2 bigs in foul trouble in the 1st quarter. I guess that’s a situation where Kwame gets to play. Hehe
I can’t wait to see Stuckey’s improved game this year.
It’s been a long and boring summer… c’mon November already!!
how am i supposed to feel about the kwame signing now? the guy is making more than amir for being the 9th or 10th guy off the bench. i think i’m going to try to buy into that “trade asset” theory that floated around this summer…
@Tronk: Actually, Vince Ellis of the Freep says the first guys off the bench will be Stucky, Dyess and Max, in that order. I can’t imagine that’s set in stone, though, and I’m sure it’ll depend on whether Amir or Sheed is the first to hit the bench.
So JackDutch by similiar logic you had to pretty upset that Amir was getting 3 per to rot on the bench while Maxiel, Hayes were paid less and played more.
@Tronk:
“That could be problematic if we have 2 bigs in foul trouble in the 1st quarter.”
Fortunately, our frontcourt is so stacked we don’t really have much to worry about with early foul trouble– at least compared to the other 29 in the league.
@JackDutch:
“i think i’m going to try to buy into that “trade asset” theory that floated around this summer…”
While his early play has been unremarkable, I think we’ll see some surprises and possibly even some consistency out of Brown as a backup. If he’s not a trade asset, he could be trade insurance– another big body on our squad if we move one of the players in front of him.
Princes’ PT should be cut by at least 10 minutes a game to preserve his sexy for the playoffs.
Across the board, if you make more than a couple million and you’re on the bench, you’re a bad idea the GM hatched.
If Amir finally earns his keep, then more power to him.
Don’t expect this team to stay the same by the trade deadline. I just hope desperation finds itself willing to deal to us, not the other way around.
jj- not at all. because the money spent on amir was an investment in the future. (which they’re trying to pay off now.) kwame not so much. i’m not sure what paying kwame 4mil per season is an investment in.
@MikePayne - It’s true that we’ve got enough bigs to cover off any major foul trouble. I just remember getting frustrated the past couple of years watching sheed pick up 2 quick fouls in the 1st quarter and be sent to the bench with like 6-7 mins remaining. If Amir follows this example, then we’ll be really toying with the rotation during those games.
Sauce
Most bench guys make the MLE (5.58 mil) not 1-2 million. Max has been offered a contract at 5 per to come off the bench- is he a bad idea?
Either lift cap entirely, or suffer 80 million dollar roster miseries.
I’m along the lines of thinking that Kwame was signed not so much for a trade asset as a reasonable banger. Perkins killed us last year, at the end of the year Big Baby killed us in a game (though the record and at that point were mildly in doubt regarding seeding).
If theory holds, the Lakers make the Finals and you’ll need a banger against Bynum (assuming Sheed guards Pau). Kwame typically did a half way decent job on Duncan. He’s athletical enough to bang against Howard. Yeah, I know Max did a great job on him, but I’m not willing to call him the next Rodman after only one series.
At the end of the day I really think this is more about Sheed focusing on playing PF while Amir, Kwame, McDyess play the 5 and Max comes in for Sheed or perhaps McDyess. Neither McDyess or Sheed are a season long answer at the 5. And right now or perhaps even in 8 months, I’d take my chances of having Kwame guard Duncan, Perkins, Chandler, Z in Cleveland, Dwight or Bynum than Amir. We’ll at least know by the end of the season after Amir has a chance to “slow-down” a bit by playing regular minutes if he truly is going to be a “player” in this league or a contributor off the bench. Or at worst a very good idea.
Mr. Sauce
I don’t see the Pistons dealing out of desperation this year. For that to happen our vets would have to spiral into a severe decline, I feel. The Pistons will win and win often this year, the desperation will not be coming out of Detroit. This is a great team.
The only possible candidate for a meltdown I can see is Curry, and I really doubt that as well.
Tronk
Oct 9th, 2008 at 2:22 pm
I’m happy with this rotation, seems a good mix of young and vets. I’m guessing Max is the first big off the bench with him replacing Amir (once he racks up his two fouls at the beginning of the 1st quarter).>>
Don’t be your happiness on it.
Maxiell needs to learn how to play defense and rebound.
I really think that the unfortunate situation with the Michigan economy, the disasterous year by the Tigers and the perpetual ineptitude of the Lions has negatively affected a lot of Pistons fans thinking.
Pistons fans need a bailout?