The Pistons are going for the knockout punch tonight in Philly. Ball tips in just a few (TV20 and TNT) — leave your thoughts in the comments.
Archive for the '76ers' Category
As mentioned earlier this week, I was part of a panel of Detroit sports bloggers on WDET’s Detroit Today Wednesday morning with host Craig Fahle along with Billfer of The Detroit Tigers Weblog, Big Al from the Wayne Fontes Experience and Matt Slaer from the On the Wings. I think it went well, and I appreciate the opportunity. In case you missed it, here’s the clip:
The last topic we discussed was the “should bloggers have access?” question. I didn’t have time to delve into my situation of having one foot in, one foot out in terms of access this year (ie, credentialed for other outlets but not for DBB), but that’s probably a good thing — I’m a better writer than speaker, and it’s a topic that deserves a thoughtful explanation (which unfortunately I don’t have the time to offer right now).
(Speaking of access, I was at the Palace on Tuesday for FanHouse. These are already a day old, but in case you missed them, here’s my post on the game, as well as Mo Cheeks’ role as a teacher and Flip Saunders on why young teams can be so dangerous.)
Before the series started, I thought Tayshaun Prince’s biggest contribution would be slowing down Andre Iguodala. Instead, Prince has flat-out stopped Iggy while still having the energy to carry Detroit’s offense for long stretches. From Marc Narducci of the Philadelphia Inquirer:
“Whenever I get by [Prince], there is always somebody there, and they do a good job of drawing charges,” Iguodala said. “It is kind of playing with my mind, trying to find out where everybody is on the court.”
There is too much thinking going on and not enough instinctive reacting. The Sixers should let Iguodala run off screens and run the break, but should take the decision-making out of his hands and have him concentrate on defense.
Prince, by the way, has shot 19 for 21 in the last two games. It’s about time the Sixers focused on stopping him, because most of his teammates have been inconsistent.
Also, I found this interesting — Flip Saunders isn’t the only coach in this series being second-guessed for his rotation:
In the playoffs, coaches shorten their benches. Cheeks should be subbing more and having the Sixers pressure Detroit all the time, trying to wear down the older players.
That means giving Rodney Carney, one of the most athletic players in the league, a few more minutes. Is it any coincidence that Carney’s longest stint - 21 minutes, 24 seconds - came in Game 3, the Sixers’ best effort of the series?
Kind of sounds like our infatuation with Amir Johnson, if you ask me. In any case, I’ll be at the game tonight for FanHouse, but leave your thoughts in the comments.
I didn’t see Chris Webber’s comments on TNT at halftime, but I certainly heard about them. Fortunately, The Starting Five has the transcript (via PistonsNation):
Webber on the lack of intensity by the Detroit Pistons: “(The Pistons) are really nonchalant and that’s why I felt we lost last year (in the Eastern Conference Finals). It sounds crazy, but they could care less. That locker room is crazy, disciplined and unruly. Disciplined because they police themselves, they are all veterans, they know they’ve got to be in bed, they know they’ve got to work hard, I’m not talking about on the court. They come from a coach like Larry Brown, they look at him like the epitome of basketball, and they feel they can wait until the last game or the championship and they won’t lose. I’m not saying it’s right, but that’s how it is.”
Webber on the feeling in the locker room during halftime: “No disrespect to Flip (Saunders), but it doesn’t matter what Flip says, because they take on the personality of Joe Dumars. Rip (Hamilton), Chauncey (Billups), Tayshaun Prince, Rasheed (Wallace) and (Antonio) McDyess are very mad right now, they probably aren’t even talking and they are probably just saying, ‘ok we’re going to go win this game.”
Webber: “Joe will come down to the locker room and tell everybody I don’t know what you think you’re doing, I’ll trade everybody.”
The idea of Dumars addressing the team at halftime seemed surprising (if not laughable) to me, and Chris McCosky of the Detroit News agrees:
[Webber] was asked what Saunders might be saying at halftime and he said something like, whatever Flip says won’t matter, intimating that the players don’t listen to him. Charles Barkley, bless him, challenged Webber on the statement and Webber backtracked a bit saying that it would be Joe Dumars in that locker room talking to the players. Wrong, wrong, wrong. Dumars talks to the players all the time, but never during a game, at halftime or immediately following a game. If he has issues with what Flip is doing, which he has in the past, he will talk directly to Flip. But he would never interfere with the coaching of a game.
I had to laugh afterwards when I say Rip Hamilton interviewed on TNT, and he was asked if Dumars talked at halftime. “Not at all,” Rip said. Then, I caught the very last segment of the studio show and Webber was in complete back-peddle mode. He said what he was trying to say is that the Pistons are a veteran team and they police themselves.
That’s true, but that’s not what he was saying at first. He was getting his licks in on a coach he didn’t like.
So what did Saunders say at halftime? From ESPN’s Chris Sheridan:
When it came time to save his job, and that’s pretty much what the situation boiled down to in the moments after the Detroit Pistons exited the court at halftime trailing by 10 points, coach Flip Saunders ripped into every single member of the team — except one.
“I told them: I looked at us playing in the first half, and we’ve got Antonio McDyess, who got operated on yesterday in Detroit, flew back and was throwing up all night, and he’s competing harder than anybody,” Saunders said.
“I said: ‘That should show you how bad he wants it, and we all should look at what he’s doing, and we’ve all got to be willing to make the same sacrifices.’”
By Kevin Sawyer
I had to Tivo the game, so it was fun watching the amateur general managing from the peanut gallery in the last one. So what happened? We won. Why? Here goes.
For all the talk of this team being hot and cold, this was an outstanding defensive effort from start to finish. Having a bunch of nobodies drain 20 footers to close the shot clock is not a sustainable offensive scheme, so a better second half was inevitable. Under ordinary circumstances, the Pistons are up 39-37, and just waiting for their patented third quarter push.
We finally looked for the outside shot. Philly had been packing it in (intentionally or no), and we finally saw the great perimeter passing that allows us to exploit matchups against cobbled-together squads like this. Twice, we saw that little pass around the world until Prince buries an open shot in the corner that invariable makes announcers compliment our unselfish play.
Help defense! We were able to disrupt Philly’s dribble penetration by having a backcourt help defender deflect the ball as ball-handler turned the corner. This was a great move, which the Pistons employed to disrupt Duncan’s to-the-basket game in the ’05 Finals. And, um, Willie Green is no Tim Duncan.
Chauncey played the point. He didn’t shoot well, of course, but he finally became more aggressive about setting up the half court sets. As a result, Hamilton was finally able to play off screens and do all those other things that make Rip good. If you want to know if Billups had a good night, add Free Throw Attempts to Assists, and divide by Rip Hamilton’s turnovers.
Tayshaun Prince has been ridiculous. The Sixers don’t have answers for long, athletic players. If only the Pistons had another long, athletic player on their squad. One who could alter shots, grab offensive rebounds, and exploit the defense’s myopic focus on our backcourt players? Sigh, maybe the Pistons should look to the draft. We have a second round pick this year, right?
We finally stopped treating Andre Iguodala like LeBron James. Perhaps the team is still smarting from the slaying at the hands of the LeBrons last year, but the goal isn’t simply to stop one player from hanging 40 on you. The Pistons have been effective to a fault against Iguodala, allowing role players to post big nights. Tonight, they finally let Andre play a bit. In an ideal world, Iggy shoots 11-28, and notches 27 points with 4 assists. If that happens, we win.
We beat them at their own game. Controlling the tempo is something that announcers talk about. It’s gobbledygook. Passing up solid looks because it might allow Philly to run is a stupid idea. Want to keep Philly from running? Knock down your shots and get back on defense. The Pistons play at the slowest pace in the NBA. They don’t need to make a conscious effort to do so.
So to the heart thing. In the first half, I didn’t see a team without heart. I saw a team overthinking and overplaying every single half-court set. Unforced turnovers are the product of nerves, not ennui (ever seen a player dribble off his foot during shootarounds). The Pistons have a nasty habit of getting very tense at inopportune times, which has killed them as much as anything these last few seasons.
So here’s hoping the Pistons get back to their mad defense, three-point shooting, 42 mpg playing selves. This team can win a championship. There is too much talent here for pedantic psycho-analyzing. If the Pistons want to phone in game 5, they may do so, and might even be right to do so… So long as their dialing the right numbers.
It’s funny, but tonight’s game is the difference between this series being just a small speed bump in the Pistons’ legacy or the catalyst for the end of an era. Seriously, that’s the difference between 2-2 and 3-1.
In any case, McDyess will play but will not start. From A. Sherrod Blakely:
Antonio McDyess will play tonight, but he won’t be in the starting lineup. Pistons coach Flip Saunders wouldn’t say who would replace him in the starting lineup, but it’s going to be Jason Maxiell.
I just spoke with Maxiell a few minutes ago about being in the starting lineup.
“With myself, it’s all about energy,” Maxiell said. “What I’ll try to do is bring energy the first quarter, with the starters.”
Also, there’s this from Chris McCosky:
In other news from shoot-around, Flip Saunders hinted that he may use some of his younger, quicker players more to offset the 76ers’ athleticism and quickness. That could mean more Amir Johnson and Arron Afflalo.
Godspeed, Zoo Crew. Ball tips at 7pm on TV20 locally and TNT nationally.
Leave your thoughts in the comments.
By Kevin Sawyer
So, let’s go ahead and panic. Sunday’s game is the very definition of a must win. If the Pistons win, they are in the driver’s seat, simply needing to win home games to advance. If they lose, they aren’t going to win the series.
Much has been made of the Pistons heart and attitude. These arguments are not unfair, but the Pistons have also been outplayed, which is scarier. Oh, and Iguodala hasn’t had his big game yet. So what should the Pistons focus on to avoid a loss that will certainly signal the end of an era? Here is my humble advice.
Turnovers - Philadelphia is great at playing the passing lanes. They are going to cause turnovers. And yet, the Pistons have been content to let Rip Hamilton (4 TO per game) essentially play the point. Billups needs to assert himself in leading the offense.
Three Pointers - The Pistons are shooting 11-39 against a team that cannot defend the three. Yet Jarvis Hayes has played 22 minutes? One of the great perimeter passing teams in history is suddenly has no idea how to set up a guy for the longball? This IS bad coaching.
Amir Johnson - The Sixers are going to get turnovers. That’s fine. You don’t get to the playoffs without possessing some abilities. But if those turnovers aren’t turning into fast break points, Philly can’t win. If only the Pistons had an athletic big man who good get back on defense, alter shots, and change the flow of the game. Amir was born to do damage against a team like this.
Posting up - Chauncey can post up just about anyone on this team. Seriously. If Billups can leverage his size against the cadre of pass-deflectors, it will open up the offense and lower the turnover count. This should allow Sheed to get his groove back.
Chauncey - Dude. I nearly crafted a post with evidence that Billups might just be the greatest point guard in Detroit history. Do you know how embarrassed I would be to have written that post at this point? Chauncey Billups can do the playoffs. His back-to-back 40/37 against the Magic initiated a new era. It’s time, dude, it’s time.
Lindsey Hunter - There is a time and place for Lindsey Hunter. This is not it. Hunter’s defensive game revolves around his potent on-the-ball defense in the half-court set. If the Sixers are resorting to half-court sets, they aren’t winning, turnovers or no. Stuckey hasn’t been wowing anyone on the offensive end right now, but he is doing the right things by holding onto the ball and getting to the line. He’s not perfect, but the Pistons won the whole damn thing with backup guards who couldn’t crack 40% from the field OR get to the line.
The entitlement thing - This is all a bit overblown. It is very possible for two seeds to lose to seven seeds. The Pistons have faithfully executed their half-court offense to date. I’m not seeing a whole lot of settling for contested jumpers.
That said, here’s where I see the heart issue coming into play. How many inlet passes did the Sixers deflect? If the Celtics had intercept two passes consecutively, you bet your ass the Pistons would change the game plan. The definition of insanity is doing the same thing and expecting a different result, yes? It is also a fairly apt definition of phoning it in. All the way around, the Pistons are not adapting to the flow of the game. Is that because they figure the same old playbook can beat a weaker team? It’s hard to say no.
The Pistons are the better team, right? Their experience will help them right their ship, right? We still have at least two more games to find out, but here’s what we already know:
- Including the regular season, the Pistons have lost four of five to the 76ers.
- Including last year, the Pistons have lost six of their last seven playoff games.
- Dating back to 2005, their proverbial switch has flipped only once in four tries.
In case that last point isn’t clear, let’s recap. Several years ago, the Pistons developed a reputation for playing their best with their backs against the wall. In 2004, they beat the Nets in the second round and the Pacers in the conference finals despite once trailing in each series. In 2005, they did the same to the Pacers in the second round and the Heat in the Finals.
But that’s where their good luck ended.
They never led the series in the 2005 NBA Finals before losing to the Spurs in seven. They came from behind to beat the Cavs in 2006 but fell to the Heat in the conference finals. They blew a 2-0 lead against the Cavs in 2007 before losing the next four.
All of their playoff experience is supposed to keep the Pistons from being in this spot, because as we’ve seen the last few years, it doesn’t exactly help them claw back. I’m not ruling the Pistons out, but I’m also no longer confident they can win two straight. And did we really go through the first 82 games just to ensure Game 7 of the first round was at home?
Andre Iguodala has shot just 5-for-24 from the field and averaged half of his 19.9 points per game in the first two games of the season, but I’m convinced that at some point before this series is over he’ll have his breakout game. Tayshaun Prince is ready for the challenge:
Prince wasn’t about to give away any secrets about how he has kept 76ers leading scorer Andre Iguodala relatively quiet the first two games of this first-round series.
“I really don’t know,” he said Thursday when asked what he expected the 76ers to do to get Iguodala going. “Whatever it is, I just have to be ready for it.”
Conventional wisdom suggests that the Sixers will try to jumpstart Iggy by getting back to what they did for most of the year: running in the open court. From Marc Narducci of the Philadelphia Inquirer:
Coach Maurice Cheeks has emphasized the importance of getting easy baskets in transition. Yet Detroit rarely allows easy baskets. In the opening 90-86 win, the Sixers earned 16 fastbreak points. For a Pistons team that allowed 9.6 fastbreak points per game during the regular season, that was good production for the Sixers.
Without those easy baskets, Andre Iguodala has been struggling, relying too much on his jumper. He has had to shoot the jumper over the long-armed Tayshaun Prince and the results haven’t been pleasant. Iguodala is shooting 5 for 24 and he remains the key in this series. Yes, the Pistons did a good job of slowing down Andre Miller with a variety of traps in Game 2, but the biggest key is for Iguodala to get untracked on offense.
Now the Sixers have to adjust, which means Iguodala could be handling the ball more in the open court. And if he could get a few easy baskets early in transition, that would give the Sixers some needed momentum.
Can they succeed? That’s why they play the games. The ball’s about to tip on ESPN2 — leave your thoughts in the comments.
(Anyone object if we hit the reset button and start over? What, that’s not allowed? Damn it. If only the NBA were a video game.)
The Pistons and Sixers will square off in Game 2 tonight. Flip Saunders called it a must-win, but Chauncey Billups disagrees. Is that some of the team’s trademark cockiness shining through? Some might think so, but I don’t.
Think about it: if Billups puts all of the cards on the table after one game, what does that tell the Sixers? That if they come out and connect with another K.O. tonight, the Pistons will be ready to admit defeat. If you remind the opponent that it’s a long series, they’ll be that much more likely to roll over in Game 2 knowing that they already accomplished their goal of eliminating home court advantage.
Assuming, that is, that players decide whether they get up to play or not based on what’s on the bulletin board, which isn’t really the case. But hey, it makes for fun fan discussion, doesn’t it? While the win may have emboldened a handful of Sixers fans to speak up in the comments, it hasn’t completely convinced Philly’s media that the Sixers can hang for long. From Bob Ford of the Philadelphia Inquirer:
As a group, the Pistons got good shots in the fourth quarter and converted just four of 17 from the field, including eight misses in their last nine attempts.
“That’s Detroit. They turn it on, and they turn it off,” Andre Iguodala of the Sixers said.
The Sixers don’t do that and should be commended for it. But the problem is that the Pistons can play a lot better than they did on Sunday, and the Sixers really can’t. That was very likely their best effort against Detroit’s defense and it got them the win - with some help from everything that could have gone right that did go right. Which was everything.
It was fun for them. It was uplifting. It was a payback for all they have endured during this season. It was also just one game out of seven.
Now the real work begins. The bear is fully awake, and he’s in a bad mood. The Sixers, unfortunately, have to hang around and find out just how bad.
He’s right, the Pistons are angry. Let’s see if they do anything about it tonight. The game’s on TV20 here in metro Detroit and NBATV nationally. Ball tips at 7:30. Leave your thoughts in the comments.
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