Archive for May, 2008

Brief thoughts

Published by Matt Watson on May 31, 2008 in 2008 Playoffs. 76 Comments

The season ended much earlier than I thought it would, so I’m going to let this marinate a little bit and try to enjoy the rest of the weekend before posting some kind of grand finale. But first, some brief reactions:

  • Congratulations to the Celtics, who convinced me they’re the better team. Even when Detroit got going on all cylinders, the Celtics always found a way to hang around until the very end (Game 4), keep the Pistons at bay (Game 5) or weather the storm and seal the deal (Game 6). There’s no quit on that team from top to bottom. I don’t appreciate the way the team came together in just one summer, but you can’t argue with the results.
  • Antonio McDyess is taking this hard. Really hard. I implore you to read this.
  • This was easily Flip Saunders’ best year on the sidelines, and Tayshaun Prince did his best to deflect criticism from Flip after the game, but I think he’s probably gone — even if for no other reason than the fact that he’ll be entering the last year of his contract next season. I don’t think Dumars/Davidson wants to can him before his contract is up, but I don’t think they want to extend him, either, and bringing back a lame duck coach who’s allegedly struggled to earn the respect of everybody in the locker room doesn’t make sense.
  • Who do I think will replace him? Michael Curry or Avery Johnson are my guesses. Plus, Curry would be dirt cheap as a first-time coach, which would offset the expense of paying Flip to leave.
  • Did Rasheed Wallace play his last game as a Piston? I’m leaning toward yes. He can still produce and is an underrated defender, but he’s not consistent and (most importantly) will be entering the final year of his contract. That said, I don’t think Dumars will give him away — it’d have to be the right package, and it’s difficult to get full value on one of the most misunderstood players in the league.
  • Another guy who might be moved: Rip Hamilton. Not because he doesn’t fit this team, but because his trade value is still sky-high and the Pistons could probably enter next year with Rodney Stuckey playing next to Chauncey Billups and still expect to compete for a title.
  • If the Pistons do start making trades, they better not block Amir Johnson. I know it’s easy to scoff at the hype (though even I laugh at the “Amir LeKobe” nickname one of you came up with), but he’s absolutely the team’s best rebounder and shot-blocker. Even if that’s all he ever will be — and there’s no reason to think it is — that’s worth 25-30 minutes a game.
  • I’ll weigh in more on all of this later this weekend and throughout the summer, I just wanted to get some quick thoughts up lest you think I’ve abandoned ship.

Last but not least, thank you.

This site exists because you guys read it, and I never expected in my wildest expectations that it would draw such an intelligent, loyal and respectful community of readers. It’s extremely humbling to see so many of you guys to claim this little corner of the internet as your preferred destination to talk hoops and watch games. I hope you all stick around this summer — things should get really interesting.

Game 6: This is for everything

Published by Matt Watson on May 30, 2008 in 2008 Playoffs, Celtics and Previews. 585 Comments

I’m at the Palace for FanHouse. Leave your thoughts in the comments.

Rip Hamilton: “There’s no way in hell I’m not playing tonight”

Published by Matt Watson on May 30, 2008 in 2008 Playoffs and Injuries. 7 Comments

From A. Sherrod Blakely of Booth Newspapers:

Richard Hamilton’s strained right elbow is still not feeling great, but it won’t keep him out of the lineup tonight.

As he was making his way off the practice floor to receive treatments, he told me “there’s no way in hell I’m not playing tonight.”

And from Dana Gauruder of the Oakland Press:

“This is now or never,” he said. “I talked to my dad and he said, ‘Man, just spit on it. You’re all right.’ We’re at war right now. You ain’t go no choice to sit down or anything like that. I feel all right. I feel good enough to go out and play.”

Last but not least, from Keith Langlois’ blog:

“My arm got stuck when we were wrestling to try to get that last rebound,” Hamilton said. “My arm got stuck, my hand went down and my elbow came up and I felt something like pop in there. I thought I could shake it off, but I couldn’t do it.”

After attempting a few shots – “nothing really deep, just trying to get range of motion on it,” he said – Hamilton had words of advice for his teammates.

“Don’t look at me as no handicap. That’s what I told the guys and I told the coach. Don’t say, ‘OK, Rip can’t shoot.’ No. I’m good. I’m fine. I’m ready to roll.”

And if Game 6 comes down to a final shot, would Hamilton be prepared to take it.?

“Yessir.”

Friday’s Layup Drill

Published by Matt Watson on May 30, 2008 in 2008 Playoffs and Around the Internets. 26 Comments
  • Rasheed Wallace was fined 25 large for his profanity-laced tirade. Over at FanHouse, I revealed what I think to be a pretty ingenious solution to future fines.
  • Speaking of bleeps, Michael Rosenberg writes for the Free Press:

    As he stood in the Pistons locker room Wednesday night, after a painful Game 5 loss to Boston, Wallace told the media to start asking questions so he could “get rid of you (bleepers).”

    This is hard to explain, since I was standing next to Wallace at the time and was therefore the lead bleeper, but I took no offense. Maybe I’ve been around him too much. But he was clearly mad about the game, not the reporters.

    Two minutes later, I asked Wallace if the Pistons’ fourth-quarter comeback would stick in the Celtics’ heads if tonight’s Game 6 or a Game 7 is tight down the stretch. He didn’t even pretend to answer it. He just went off on Mauer and Callahan.

    There is a lesson in there somewhere. As Abe Lincoln famously said: You can call all the men bleepers all of the time, but some of them cats don’t like it.

  • There’s not much news on Rip Hamilton. Flip Saunders spoke to reporters yesterday morning before having a chance to check in on Rip’s progress, but Keith Langlois did get this:

    “He’s going to be sore today,” Saunders said. “If we had to play today, I don’t think he’d play. It’d be different if it was his left arm, but it’s his right arm – his shooting arm. You know, the golden arm. So I think that he’s going to need to get it polished up a little bit before he can play.”

    If Hamilton can’t play, Saunders said “more than likely (Rodney) Stuckey” would start in his place. Juan Dixon would be the likely candidate to come off the inactive list and get minutes behind Stuckey at shooting guard with Jarvis Hayes and Arron Afflalo also in the mix.

  • This didn’t get too much play, but apparently Lindsey Hunter was “furious” at Flip Saunders immediately after being replaced with Chauncey Billups in the fourth quarter in Game 5. Hunter was providing a nice spark, but it turned out to be the right move as Billups went on to score nine straight. From the same Langlois link as above, Saunders emphasized that he had no problem with Hunter’s reaction:

    Saunders brushed off any deeper meaning over suggestions that Lindsey Hunter and his teammates were upset when he sent Billups back in the game for the stretch run.

    “I told (Hunter) after the game, I want my guys to play. When he’s out there, he’s a competitor. But as I said after the game, as coaches we make decisions that players question, you guys question, everyone questions. And not ’til it plays out do you find out if it’s good or bad or whatever. … The other thing you have to understand, too, is if it’s close and you don’t play (Billups), then the question is, ‘Why didn’t you play him?’ Because he’s Mr. Big Shot. So there’s never any easy decision.”

  • Chauncey Billups and Rip Hamilton are big in the U.K.
  • James “Buddha” Edwards played for eight teams over 19 seasons in the NBA, but I’ve always thought of him as a Piston. Turns out, he feels the same way: “I’m a Piston for life.” Fans of the original Bad Boys will appreciate the entire Q&A.
  • Jeff from CelticsBlog respectfully disregards my optimism for Game 6:

    Like it or not Pistons fans, your team lost. It doesn’t matter how the last game finished because the score is 0-0 to start the next game. We’ve seen the Celtics win in the Palace already. It was an important game then too. And a game after a supposed momentum shifting win by the Pistons.

    If the Pistons think they can lean on experience to help them win, fine. I’ll just point out that their experience has only gotten them a 2-3 record in Eastern Conference Finals and a 2-3 deficit in this one.

    Maybe this team has had to fight for every inch they’ve crawled in this post season, but they are still moving forward. All those games means a whole lot of experience of our own. It feels like we’ve had a whole second season playing together, and that should count for something.

    Bottom line, we only need one win to move on to the Finals. They need two. Let the Pistons and their fans be encouraged by a moral victory. I’ll be encouraged by a victory.

    He’s right, of course. Both sides have reason to feel optimistic, but only one will have champagne on ice waiting just in case they win. I wish I could counter by pointing out that Chauncey Billups is healthier now than he was when the Celtics won at the Palace in Game 3, but Rip Hamilton’s injury kind of makes that a moot point. But (cliche warning!) that’s why they play the games. This should be a good one.

Last but not least, here’s surprisingly sane conversation between Stephen A. and Lindsey Hunter, swiped from PistonsNation. The good stuff is at the end — seems Hunter and Rip aren’t too happy with Rasheed being so friendly with Garnett:


“It’s all (bleeping) entertainment”

Published by Matt Watson on May 29, 2008 in 2008 Playoffs, Celtics and Sheed said it. 106 Comments

Rasheed Wallace wasn’t impressed by the officiating last night:

“All that bull(bleep)-ass calls they had out there. With Mike [Callahan] and Kenny [Mauer] — you’ve all seen that (bleep),” Wallace said. “You saw them calls. The cats are flopping all over the floor and they’re calling that (bleep). That (bleep) ain’t basketball out there. It’s all (bleeping) entertainment. You all should know that (bleep). It’s all (bleeping) entertainment.”

If I had to guess, I’d say the David Stern will be giving him a (bleeping) fine. It’s too bad, because Sheed is (bleeping) right.

Update: Need4Sheed found video of Sheed’s comments.

Update 2: Nice (bleeping) moving pick, KG.

NBA will enforce the No Ginobili Rule!

Published by Matt Watson on May 29, 2008 in Alley-Oops. 8 Comments

The NBA will fine egregious floppers starting next year. There really will be a No Ginobili rule!

Down, but not out

Published by Matt Watson on May 29, 2008 in 2008 Playoffs, Celtics and Games. 14 Comments

Wow. That game was … wow.

As Henry Abbott pointed out on TrueHoop, Pistons fans are no strangers to suffering through heartbreaking Game 5 losses. But you know what? I’ll take this. This feels different.

Believe me, there’s plenty of frustration and a tinge a regret for the missed opportunity, but really, nothing has changed: the Pistons are still alive, and they still need to win twice.

Yeah, they have a smaller margin of error, but that’s overrated; had they won last night and instead lost Game 6 at the Palace, Boston would have all the momentum, fans would be jumping off tall buildings and everyone would be ripping the Pistons for backing into a Game 7. Instead, playing in a Game 7 will be a feel-good story … and after watching the Celtics fall apart in the fourth quarter for two straight games, you know there will be a Game 7.

Boston has been wilting under pressure, and you have to believe they’ll crack in front of a frenzied Palace crowd. What, do you expect Doc Rivers to rescue them? Not a chance — he’s as big of a reason as any why the Celtics have already played 20 games in the playoffs.

I loathe the idea of relying on past performance to carry a team into the future, but as Chauncey Billups points out, this is where experience actually matters:

“Our experience of being in so many of these situations will help us and being in front of our fans will help us,” Billups said. “Those are the things you’ve got to lean on when you are facing elimination. We’re going to scratch and claw and do the things we’ve been known to do and try and get back here (to Boston) for Game 7.”

A lot of things went wrong last night — getting killed on the boards 42 to 25 being my biggest gripe — but a lot of things went right. Rasheed Wallace and Chauncey Billups have officially busted their slumps; Rodney Stuckey continues to improve in leaps and bounds; Lindsey Hunter is playing like he wants to earn his entire salary in one series. Those things bode well for Game 6.

And while there are still some serious questions — will Rip Hamilton play? why is Tayshaun Prince passing up open shots? — I’m feeling surprisingly confident. Maybe I just don’t want the season to end, or maybe the window just seems to be open wider than a year ago thanks to the young bench, but I think there’s more to it.

After watching this team battle and claw their way back in the fourth, I can’t even fathom losing on Friday — not one bit.

Rip Hamilton has a strained elbow

Published by Matt Watson on May 29, 2008 in 2008 Playoffs and Injuries. 9 Comments

The Boston Globe posted the entire transcript of Flip Saunders’ post-game presser — here’s his answer when asked about Rip Hamilton’s elbow:

Q. Just give us an update on what you know what Richard did to his hand.

COACH FLIP SAUNDERS: Rip strained a right elbow. It’s sore a little bit. We’re going to have to wait and see how it is tomorrow and how it is in 48 hours. He got a little bit of, I think, hyperextended in there on the rebound on that one defensive sequence that we had. He was great again tonight, especially in the last three quarters. Hopefully he’s going to be ready to go for us.

Chris Silva of the Free Press reports that X-rays taken after the game were negative and Rip will receive treatment between now and Game 6. Cross your fingers, because he’s been nails so far in the conference finals, shooting over 50% and scoring at a 22.2 point per game clip.

All in all, a tough break for a guy who just recently became the Pistons’ all-time leader in playoff games.

Minnesota will keep their second-rounder

Published by Matt Watson on May 29, 2008 in 2008 Draft. 2 Comments

From A. Sherrod Blakely of Booth Newspapers:

The Pistons were hopeful that they would have the Minnesota Timberwolves’ second-round pick in next month’s NBA draft, which is at the top of the second round, and 31st overall. But Joe Dumars, Detroit’s president of basketball operations, said that is not going to happen.

“The T-Wolves have informed us that they’re going to keep the pick this year,” Dumars said via e-mail. That means the pick, which was acquired in exchange for Ronald Dupree, will belong to Detroit in the 2009 NBA draft, regardless of where it falls in the second round.

I’m pretty sure ASB is mistaken — it’s the 34th overall pick, no? — but it’s a moot point. The Pistons currently hold the 29th overall and 59th overall picks, and only their first-rounder has a snowball’s chance of making the roster.

Flash forward to 2009 and the Pistons will have four draft picks: their own first and second, this one from Minnesota and one from Toronto as part of the Carlos Delfino deal. Who knows what the roster will look like by that point, but I have to imagine some of those picks will eventually change hands yet again.

Previously on DBB:
Joe Dumars looks back, plans ahead

Walter Herrmann is a wanted man

Published by Matt Watson on May 29, 2008 in Alley-Oops and Rumors. 3 Comments

Courtesy of PistonsForum comes the news that Pamesa Valencia, a team in Spain’s ACB league, wants to sign Walter Herrmann, who’s set to become an unrestricted free agent. Chris McCosky thinks Herrmann “will get the first crack” at being Tayshaun Prince’s backup if he wants to return, but if that’s really the case, it’s a little surprising he’s been put on moth balls in the playoffs this year. Valencia can obviously offer more PT, and thanks to the weak dollar, they may not be too far off with the money. Stay tuned.

« Older Entries