Archive for the 'Guest Writer' Category

So, Kwame Brown happened

Published by Matt Watson on July 30, 2008 in Guest Writer and Transactions. 57 Comments

By Kevin Sawyer

With the acquisition of the 26-year-old-first-draft-pick-cum-journeyman-center, Joe Dumars has… Well, what has he done exactly? I’ve been vocally critical of Kwame Brown in the past, but now that he’s our 26yoFDPCJC (how’s that for a nickname?), let’s check the teeth on this deal.

Let’s get this out of the way. Kwame Brown hasn’t done particularly well at the NBA level. He isn’t a good rebounder, which is baffling given his physical attributes. Unfortunately, he is also most productive off the glass on the offensive end. The upshot is that he isn’t very productive on the offensive end, period.

Worse, he doesn’t seem to recognize that his bread and butter consists of putbacks and dunks. As such, he is rather prolifically unproductive. He showed promise in this area two seasons ago posting an excellent true shooting percentage of 57%, then reverted to form last season, settling for fifteen foot jump-shots that he doesn’t make with any particular frequency.

Brown’s lackadaisical attitude is well documented, though a reasonable argument can be made that he has been handled poorly by coaches and management at various levels. After all, his third season was his best, an atypical trajectory for a 19 year old draft pick. Further, his progress has been hampered by frequent injuries, which have a way of making a hard-working player appear disinterested.

To his credit, Brown is regarded as an above average defender, which takes some of the sting away off of his offensive deficiencies. While not an excellent shot blocker, Brown keeps his man in front of him without posting an excessive foul rate. Given that Joe D. has kept this type of player on the back burner since taking over as GM, perhaps we should not be too surprised at this pickup.

So what can the Pistons expect from Kwame? The word “serviceable” gets thrown around a lot in the NBA, particularly as it relates to players who are unlikely to start. Frankly, serviceable doesn’t win championships. That said, there are reasons to think we might have a solid rotation player here.

Statistically speaking, ages 26-28 are the sweet spot for big men. Combine this with Arnie Kander’s penchant for reviving ailing big men, and it seems probable that we will see the best Kwame Brown has to offer while he is in a Piston uniform. With consistent playing time and earthbound expectations, can he at least approach his output from the 03-04 or 06-07 seasons? If Kwame can simply hold court on the offensive end, then he will be a bargain.

And, speaking of bargains, this off-season has been devoid of them. In spite of Dumars’ insistence that he was ready to deal, the asking price for second tier stars and role players has been staggering. Short of taking pennies on the dollar in trade (Harrington for Billups, anyone?) or throwing $30 million at James Posey, of all people, the options have been limited.

All things considered, then, this is a great business move. While $4 million per year might be a bit spendy for a center with a well-deserved reputation as a stiff, snagging a two year deal that expires in 2010 is a major coup in and of itself. Teams will be scrambling to get under the cap come the 2010 trade deadline, and a $4 million expiring contract will be ideal for facilitating three way trades.

There remains even the very slim possibility that Kwame Brown could actually fulfill his initial promise. Given that this will be his last shot at a big payday, he’ll have every incentive to put in the effort. This at least partly answers the tricky question “what can he give us that Theo Ratliff does not?”

That, of course, is a legitimate question, and there are legitimate concerns here as well. Dumars’ insistence on signing backup centers invariably clogs the rotation. It is hard to reconcile this acquisition with a mandate to find more minutes for Amir Johnson. Further, Kwame has a high enough profile to become a side show if things go badly, particularly if they begin well. If he starts out on fire, should we find him more playing time? Move another piece? You see the potential for drama. Drama sucks.

But let’s give Joe Dumars some credit for not hitting the panic button. He didn’t fall for the lowball offers from the Golden States and Atlanta Hawks’ of the world. He wasn’t going to part with a piece of the core for the Ron Artest wild card. Kwame Brown may not be the piece that gets us back to the Promised Land, but he unlikely to represent a step backward.

This is the textbook definition of tweaking the roster. This signing, paired with the publicized meeting between Dumars and Billups, seems to indicate that Joe D. is done looking for suitors for a would-be blockbuster. I had thought that Dumars would eventually put the “closed” sign on the storefront, and this certainly does that.

He’s moving forward, and if teams want to make a deal, they can call us. And it had better not be about Al Harrington.

The NBA Summer League Drinking Game

Published by Mike Payne on July 14, 2008 in Guest Writer, Miscellaneous and Summer League. 5 Comments

las vegas strip

(image courtesy: pbo31)

It was a lazy Sunday evening. The Pistons NBA Summer League squad was preparing to face off with the LA Clippers. The Clippers were missing their draft pick, Eric Gordon, and I was missing something as well– a good beer to crack while the game tipped off. I grabbed the last Bell’s Oberon that was waiting for me in the fridge and had barely popped the cap when Cheikh Samb lost the first possession from the tip.

Half way through that Bell’s Oberon, half way through the first quarter, your friendly DBB guest blogger had an idea. The NBA Summer League Drinking Game. Here it is, at it’s most simple: with every possession that ends with a foul — you drink. If you’ve watched any Summer League games yet, you just threw up in your mouth a little… Its okay, it’ll put hair on your chest.

In last night’s game between the Pistons and the Clippers, there were a total of 57 fouls and 55 free throw attempts. While the box score may not provide enough data to determine the number of possession ending fouls, we’re willing to put that number in the upper 30s, low 40s. The important factor about this number of drinks per game is the volume per drink. We’re not talking car bombs, Jager bombs or sake bombs, we’re talking liberal sips of beer/wine/cocktails. If a possession ends in a foul, you take a healthy sip from your drink.

Beyond the basics, the possibilities are endless. On an “And One”, everyone in the room passes their drink to the left. In more germaphobic households, they drink twice. If you prefer to drink lightly, drink on possessions that end withOUT fouls (or baskets as well, for the lightweights). For some real fun, put an empty glass in the middle of the table and have everyone pour a sip of beer in whenever the announcer says “upside”, “potential”, or “expectations”. At the beginning of the game, each drinker must select the player they think will lead the team that game. He/She who chooses correctly decides who drinks the nasty “upside” glass at the end of the game…

After all, its summer time. As the song goes, the living is easy right now. For us die-hard, wake-up-in-the-middle-of-the-night-in-a-cold-sweat NBA fans, this is the most excitement we’ll have until the tip-off of pre-season play (barring any blockbuster trades, of course). So take it in stride, take it easy, and make the most of the NBA Summer League with friends, fanatics, and plenty of booze… Salut!

NBA Summer League 2008: Pistons vs. Clippers

Published by Mike Payne on July 13, 2008 in Guest Writer and Summer League. 79 Comments

As promised, here’s your game thread. With Clippers draft pick Eric Gordon sitting out with a strained left hamstring, the competition should be a little lighter than expected. Instead, the defensive focus should be on Walter Sharpe, who will face a trial by fire tonight– he’ll have his hands full defending Al Thornton. As always, leave your thoughts in the comments!

The game is available as a live stream from the NBA’s Summer League scoreboard.

The Rumoured “Jarvis Hayes is No Longer a Piston” Post

Published by Mike Payne on July 11, 2008 in Former Pistons and Guest Writer. 87 Comments

Almost one year in, it appears that Detroit’s Jarvis Hayes project has come to an end. Late Thursday evening, Yahoo! Sports writer Adrian Wojnarowski reported that Pistons free agent Jarvis Hayes has agreed to a two-year deal with the New Jersey Nets. This move will likely surprise very few Pistons fans, as Hayes’ name came up blank in nearly every rumor that involved Detroit’s ambition at the backup small forward position.

While this guest blogger has openly shared his own opinions on Jarvis Hayes, this is as good a time as any to reflect on the better part of Hayes’ tenure in Detroit, and to wish him the best of luck with the Nets of New Jersey. With Hayes out, speculation can begin en force: who should replace Jarvis Hayes as Detroit’s backup small forward? With Corey Maggette, James Jones and Mikael Pietrus off the block, that leaves us with a few options…

Walter Herrmann

Starting with the lowest hanging fruit, current restricted agent Walter Herrmann has the potential to be a solid backup small forward behind Tayshaun Prince. The greatest data set available for Herrmann is his dynamite closeout of the 2006-07 NBA season in Charlotte. As a starter, Herrmann provided the dead-accurate three point shooting and to-the-basket slashing that, ideally, Detroit would kill to have off the bench. If Herrmann doesn’t return to back up Tayshaun Prince, it is likely that either a) the Euro League has offered him more than we can afford, or B) Joe knows something we don’t.

Carlos Delfino

DBB favorite Carlos Delfino might just be wearing the Pistons red and blue again next season. While a restricted free agent, Delfino is the odd man out in Toronto, and may find an unmatched deal from Detroit in his future. The question for DBBers, who are long-time fans of Delfino– is Carlos an improvement on our bench behind Tayshaun and Rip?

C. J. Miles

I don’t pretend to know a lot about C. J. Miles, other than his unreal improvement when given consistent playing time. Should a player like Miles be available to Detroit, in comparison to those listed above, this might be a no-brainer. The kid shot 48% from the field when given consistent, game-by-game minutes as a small forward. He’s having a tough time finding a niche in Utah, and while Detroit is no solution to that problem– he might be the rare player that fits like a glove.

James Posey

While James Posey is still available, I hope that there are many other DBBers that cringe a little bit when they hear that name. The two-toned mouthpiece, the dirty fouls, those relentless threes… It sure would be nice to have that kind of annoyance on our team. The money will likely not work out, as Posey is probably due a MLE+ contract from another team. While I may not agree Posey is worth the full MLE, he is a pesk at every level, and has tipped a few teams into championship territory in his day.

A Blockbuster

With Hayes likely gone, Delfino unlikely to return and Miles/Posey a tough sell based on our available budget, we may find a change at the backup three coming along with a blockbuster trade. I’d much rather leave the speculating to the professionals, the DBB readers who are way more qualified and informed than I am. Yet many more options remain. Should Detroit decide to tango with Denver, we could wind up with Linas Kleiza behind Tayshaun. If the Josh Smith rumors are true, we may need to find a player behind Smith instead. The point is, aside from the top four (plus one) shown above, there may be other and better options available to our team after this freak agency calms down a bit…

Until then, I have two questions for you:

  1. In an ideal world, what three available small forwards in the league would you love to backup Tayshaun Prince? (by free agent signing or small-scale trade)
  2. Should Detroit go the blockbuster route, is Tayshaun your first option as a trade piece?

Notice I made it through this whole post without mentioning any Tracy McGrady rumors? (I totally just failed that…)

(thanks to DBB reader LawyerBoy for the tip)

More suggestions for Dumars

Published by Matt Watson on June 20, 2008 in Guest Writer. 118 Comments

By Kevin Sawyer:

The NBA: Where an offseason that’s as interesting as the regular season happens. While I remain unconvinced of the need to make roster changes before the season begins, here are some moves that would justify such hasty behavior.

Trade Tayshaun Prince for Josh Howard

Could it happen? Howard is the better player by any objective assessment, but Cuban has to be looking to make a change. After Howard’s dismal playoff performance this year, Cuban may well be looking to move him, especially if he can get an outstanding defensive player in return

Pros: Howard would be a dramatic improvement on the offensive end, and is a solid defender as well. He would instantly become a go-to scorer, and should help the Pistons convert in transition. He is versatile enough to play the 3 and the 4, which will be valuable if the Pistons utilize the three-guard lineup this year.

Cons: Like Chauncey and Stuckey, Howard is at his best when he is taking it to the basket. Also, while Prince may have the highest trade value of any of the core, he also has the most respect from the fans. What does it say about the Pistons brand when we respond to playoff defeat by sending away the consummate team player who thrives on the defensive end?

Sign Andris Biedrins for the MLE

Could it happen? Biedrins has to want out. With as few as 2-3 teams expressing any willingness to use cap room on a free agent, I suspect either Biedrins or Atlanta’s Josh Childress will have to settle for the MLE.

Pros: In only 27 minutes per game, Biedrins nearly averaged a double-double, and played like an all-star over the last several games last season. Add to that a scrappy offensive game that would be a nice compliment to our rotation. At 22, he has steadily improved each season, and he would figure to factor into our long term future as well.

Cons: Take his numbers with a grain of salt. Not only did Biedrins play for the fastest team in the NBA (meaning more rebounding opps.), he also played for one of the smallest. If he does settle for the MLE, he won’t do so immediately, meaning any team will have to wait until the fall only to be among half a dozen contenders for his services.

Sign Trevor Ariza

Could it happen? Ariza is probably the best player in the NBA who doesn’t actually play. He has a player option on his contract, and might decide to head for greener pastures (financially and professionally) while he is still young enough to have “upside”. A forward-thinking team might offer the full MLE and a starting gig, and the Lakers have plenty of money if they can recognize the talent, but the Pistons should take a look.

Pros: Ariza is a solid defender, and a great rebounder. He’d be a great fit with a more uptempo second unit. Given his size, he should be able to find minutes at the three or the four, if the Pistons decide to play small, which they will have to if they keep their trio of guards. After a series of stopgaps, Ariza would be a permanent solution with starter potential down the road.

Cons: At 22, Ariza’s game is still raw, partly because teams have inexplicably denied him playing time. Speaking of playing time, we don’t exactly have that to spread around at present. Also, the upgrade from Hayes to Ariza is no sure thing to put us over the top. One also has to wonder whether his injuries will affect his game in the long term.

Trade Sheed for Shawn Marion

Could it happen? This might be a long shot. Marion has a few more days to decide whether to opt out of his existing contract. Marion could get a Chauncey Billups type of contract right now, and jeopardizes his long term stability if he doesn’t take the money. If he opts out, a sign and trade for Rasheed allows Miami to maintain the flexibility of owning an expiring contract while remaining competitive.

Pros: Marion is one of the best rebounders in basketball, and can score without having to be the focal point of the offense. Additionally, he is three years younger than Sheed, which expands the championship window significantly.

Cons: While the evidence is rather slight, Marion has earned a reputation as a locker room problem. He also has a lot of wear on his tires after a decade as an 80 game guy. Miami would want goodies on top, and Marion will want a four year contract. Draft picks are expendable, and Marion’s worth $10M, but what is the squeal point here?

Sign J.R. Smith

Could it happen? You’d have to think so. “Nuggets Match offer for Smith” wins my vote for least likely headline ever.

Pros: Reputation aside, J.R. Smith is an outstanding shooter, nailing 40% of his three-pointers while shooting them (extremely) prolifically. Smith is only 22, and can be a star shooting guard if he keeps his head together, which he began to do last year. As such, he fits well with the now and later make-up of this squad.

Cons: Well, he’s J.R. Smith. There is also a fair question of whether we need another shooting guard. I think we do, and there is no question that we need another three-point threat. At 6-6, you’d have to think Smith could handle a second-string small forward in some matchups.

In search of dance partners for Joe Dumars

Published by Matt Watson on June 16, 2008 in Guest Writer. 100 Comments

Continuing in a series of cameos by DBB readers, here’s LawyerBoy — MW

By: LawyerBoy

Let me start off with a disclaimer as to avoid subsequent questions/criticisms. All trades were verified by the ESPN TradeChecker (Draft picks can’t be included in the program. If restrictions exist on them that I’ve failed to take into account, my bad). The ESPN TradeChecker still represents this year’s (2007-2008 season) salaries into trade plausibility, but it takes subsequent years’ salaries into account too. That being said, I only pursued trades that are of interest to me (You won’t see me propose a trade involving Carmelo in any article this off-season).

While I examined countless trade possibilities, plenty that I liked (involving teams not subsequently listed) didn’t make this article. Please keep in mind that this is by no means an exhaustive list of what I would suggest better serves the Pistons and their trading partner for the future. This is simply a (somewhat organized) list of trades that captured my interest as well as hopefully that of the DBB community.

I’m not expecting everyone to agree with my subjective determinations of fairness, but I included draft picks when I thought it to be necessary to make the trade fair to both teams. I’ve decided to break the subject matter up (hopefully) over two posts. First up, I will investigate multiple trade possibilities with two of the trading partners I find most worthwhile: the Philadelphia 76ers and the Los Angeles Clippers. The second post will (likely) deal with (only) the Portland Trailblazers and the Denver Nuggets.

PHILADELPHIA 76ERS:

Truthfully, I believe this may be the best trading partner on the market. The Sixers have a true post-presence in Samuel Dalembert, a legitimate point guard in Andre Miller should we choose to swap point guards, and plenty of other assets (Willie Green, Thaddeus Young, and more) that could have Joe D.’s interest.

Proposed Trade:

  • Samuel Dalembert/Willie Green for Rasheed Wallace/Arron Afflalo

Possible Variations:

  • Dalembert for Wallace
  • Dalembert/#16 pick for Wallace/#29 pick (I almost picked this trade as the top choice and I think it’s quite fair to both teams)
  • Dalembert/Thaddeus Young for Wallace/Arron Afflalo/#29 pick
  • Dalembert/Andre Miller/Young for Wallace/Chauncey Billups/future second rounder(s)
  • Dalembert/Miller/Young for Wallace/Billups/#29 pick
  • Dalembert/Miller/Green for Wallace/Billups/Afflalo/#29 pick

Why the Pistons do it: The most insightful Pistons fans in the world (read: DBB community) have been clamoring for a real post-presence at center who cares about rebounding. Enter: Samuel Dalembert. He’s an instant fit on the Pistons defensive-minded, blue-collar composition and he won’t venture out of the paint (I’m looking at you and shaking my head, Sheed) while averaging a double-double. I think a center that stays in the paint and doesn’t get called for six Ts during the playoffs may actually end up preventing a lot of cardiac arrest among Detroit fans even if he’s not nearly as offensively gifted as Rasheed.

If Willie Green comes over in the package, you get an instant hometown hero off the bench who spells Rip. Green would probably be the best shooting guard coming off the bench this side of Ginobili and Gordon. Andre Miller is a fascinating player as I think perception of him varies quite widely among basketball enthusiasts. I’m pretty fond of Miller because he doesn’t give up a ton of size to Chauncey and I don’t think he’s a dreadful downgrade from Billups either. I’m happy with swapping point guards in the aforementioned scenarios. A platoon of Stuckey and Miller strikes me as a favorable construction.

Why the Sixers do it: Rasheed is a Philly native. If there’s any city he’d immediately be accepted in, it’s Philly. Philadelphia gets to add a veteran presence at center, one that is a huge upgrade on offense from Dalembert. Sheed is comparable to Dalembert on defense even if he may be slightly worse in my view (though some may argue he’s not and is in fact better than Dalembert). Iguodala would appreciate the scoring support Rasheed provides from anywhere on the court.

If Willie Green is jettisoned, the Sixers can switch Iguodala to shooting guard and bring Thaddeus Young in to start at small forward. That may even be an improvement upon last year’s starting lineup. I imagine Philadelphia is reticent to part with their All-Rookie Second Teamer, Thaddeus Young (or Willie Green for that matter). Having Andre Iguodala on the squad makes any such deal a lot easier to swallow. If Philly got Chauncey and Rasheed in a package, they’d have two championship veterans around to support Iguodala.

LA CLIPPERS:

I think (especially out here in Los Angeles) that people forget this squad won a playoff series in 2005-2006 against Denver (4-1) and took Phoenix to seven games in the next round. This team has essentially the same players as it did then, some of whom in my eyes would be worthwhile additions to the Pistons. Unfortunately, about half of the Clippers’ contracts are no longer on the books come July, so making a deal with them is tougher until all of that is settled. Regardless, I’ve constructed multiple scenarios without involving Elton Brand or any other Clipper who is a free agent this summer. Unfortunately, we always end up acquiring Cuttino Mobley no matter what I do.

Proposed Trade:

  • Chris Kaman/Cuttino Mobley/Tim Thomas for Chauncey Billups/Rasheed Wallace/#29 pick

Possible Variations:

  • Kaman/Mobley/Al Thonton/Brevin Knight for Billups/Tayshaun Prince/Cheick Samb/Arron Afflalo/#29 pick & future first rounder
  • Kaman/Mobley/Tim Thomas/Knight for Billups/Rasheed Wallace/Samb/Afflalo/#29 pick & future first rounder
  • Kaman/Mobley/Thornton/Josh Powell for Billups/Prince/Cheick Samb/#29 pick
  • Kaman/Mobley/Thomas/Al Thornton for Wallace/Prince/Amir Johnson/future first rounder
  • Kaman/Mobley/Thomas/ for Wallace/Billups/Samb/#59 pick and future second rounder
  • Kaman/Mobley/Thomas/ for Wallace/Billups/Samb/future second rounder

Why the Pistons do it: Chris Kaman is another true center that ought to be on Joe D.’s radar. I imagine Pistons fans would hardly complain if he came back to his home state at these prices. Mobley has a bad contract ($9 mil. this year, $9.8 mil. next), but he’d make for a hell of a backup shooting guard for the next couple years, wouldn’t he? And Rasheed would move to starting power forward or backup center if he wasn’t shipped to the Clippers.

I think Tim Thomas is a solid pro (though I get a lot of resistance to that claim) who can back up Tayshaun (or Thornton). Rasheed is jettisoned in most of these scenarios though, and that would result in an automatic reduction in technicals for the Pistons. If Tayshaun is moved in this deal I demand Thornton in return. At its absolute worst, I believe it to be a lateral move in terms of talent, possibly an upgrade of a very similar skill set.

Why the Clippers do it: Assuming they re-sign Elton Brand (they will), the Clippers starting line-up looks like this if they make one of the proposed trades: Chauncey Billups, Corey Maggette, Al Thornton or Tayshaun Prince, Tim Thomas or Rasheed Wallace, Elton Brand or Rasheed Wallace. That’s one talented starting five by my estimation. If the Pistons offer a homecoming for Westchester High alum Amir Johnson, DBB will be collectively heartbroken (suck it up, sissies), but it will probably be worth it for both squads.

Even in the crowded West, with Chauncey holding their fort down the Clippers could certainly make (and possibly compete for series wins in) the playoffs. The Clippers are desperate for a reliable point guard. Chauncey will be very attractive to them and they might even overcompensate the Pistons to get him.

That’s Part One, folks. If I’m commissioned for a Part Two by Matt [ed. note — he is], it will come later this week. I hope this promotes some rational, healthy discussion and that the DBB community enjoys this article as much as I enjoyed (compulsively) compiling and analyzing it.

Two to Tango

Published by Matt Watson on June 9, 2008 in Guest Writer. 30 Comments

By: Kevin Sawyer

While the David Stern wet dream plays out on ABC, we have bigger fish to fry in Pistonland. Joe Dumars has intimated major changes for next year, which gives us all the chance to play amateur GM. Well, if you wanna be a GM, you have to play by the rules. Sheed for LeBron? Not happening.

Here are some guidelines and thoughts that should guide an antsy comments section for the next couple of months.

1) We won 59 games last year. 59-win teams are hard to improve upon, generally.

2) Unless something bizarre happens, the Eastern Conference will again be mediocre. The Cavs are stuck. The Bulls missed their moment. Atlanta and Philly won’t be ready. The Celtics will be back, certainly, but the Pistons could keep this roster intact and still be competitive.

3) Unfortunately, Chris Wallace and Kevin McHale are out of all-stars to piss away.

4) Teams tend to make bad deals closer to the trade deadline, when business interests and panic trump talent. Look at this past season. Phoenix and Dallas committed seppuku, Memphis gave away Pau Gasol for nothing. If the Pistons are looking for $1.25 on the dollar, waiting until the trade deadline might be the way to go.

Further, it gives Detroit the chance to see where they stand. If, by mid-February, Detroit has clocked 40 wins, Kevin Garnett has clocked a career-ending injury, and 2-3 ring-chasers are on the waiver-wire, doesn’t that change the paradigm?

5) This particular 59 win team is perceived to be greater than the sum of its parts. That makes it hard to get fair value for our players. Billups could never bring back a superstar, and it would be a break-even proposition if he did. Sheed will be difficult to move for the very reasons we want to move him. That leaves Rip and Tay. But both of them have great contracts, great conditioning, and no backups on the roster.

Whatever meta-narrative you want to assign to this team, it comes down to putting the best players on the floor. Addition by subtraction is a myth, unless you are subtracting a bad player, and we traded Darko a while ago.

6) This draft is deep and not at all top-heavy. We can get a lottery pick, but one gets the sense that we would do nearly as well with our existing 29 pick. Is there really a Rip Hamilton worth of difference between a Chris Douglas-Roberts and an Eric Gordon?

7) Right or wrong, we will have a new coach. Saunders was a great offensive coach. Most coaches are great at nothing at all. While our existing roster knows Saunders’ offensive schemes, any new blood will need to see a playbook. Can we expect an incoming player to respect a new coach enough to play ball?

8 ) Call me conspiratorial, but isn’t all a bit coincidental that the biggest heists of the last year went to the Celtics and Lakers, courtesy of small-market teams? I have heard rumors that the Heat are willing to send Dwyane Wade to the Bulls, possibly for the sole privilege of exchanging the second pick for the top pick. LeBron to the New York in 2010 is a foregone conclusion. The NBA has been willing to change rules to send the “right” teams to the finals. Would they lend some under-the-table dollars to the cause? If so, it’s a dangerous trade market for a team like Detroit.

9) Before the draft, teams with lottery picks call the shots. Miami, in particular, seems poised to hold the league hostage with tantalizing trade rumors. For several weeks, the NBA is going to be on hold, waiting for 2-3 teams to decide what to do.

10) To some degree, this applies to the decisions of some of the particularly bad GMs. While Isiah Thomas and Larry Harris are out of the picture, the vultures will be swirling around the Bobcats, Grizzlies and T-Wolves. Jason Kidd for OJ Mayo? Why deal with the Dumars’ and Colangelos of the world when you can steal candy from a baby?

A Pro/Con List for Tom Izzo

Published by Matt Watson on June 4, 2008 in Guest Writer and Rumors. 6 Comments

Here’s Kevin’s snarky semi-rebuttal to my call for Tom Izzo.

___________

By: Kevin Sawyer

As any loyal Wolverine would, Matt has made the case that Tom Izzo should take over the Pistons head coaching job. Here is a pro/con response:

Pro: Going to Izzo proves to the fans that Detroit is genuinely concerned about getting this right. This search isn’t about cronyism, it’s about finding the best person for the job, and Izzo might well be that man. Even considering him instills confidence in the players and fan base.
Con: If he wants the gig, Izzo would need to initiate this dance. An overture from the Pistons would generate a news story, which could not possibly end well (see: Magic, Orlando).

Pro: Izzo’s presence would open the door to bringing in Zach Randolph for pennies on the dollar and maximizing his top-20 potential. Maybe he’ll save Stuckey and Tay in a shootout. Who knows?
Con: Randolph could just as likely get Stuckey and Tay killed in a shootout.

Pro: Izzo shares Dumars’ ability to authentically relate to the press without tipping his hand. With Dumars, it’s just a nice hors d’oeuvres to his entree. Izzo, on the other hand, has a knack for leveraging the media to motivate players without throwing them (the players) under the bus.
Con: I suspect a Tayshaun Prince will be able to read between the lines better than a Goran Suton or Paul Davis.

Pro: Izzo! We all love Tom Izzo! Michigan (state) Pride! Woo!
Con: Mateen Cleaves.

Pro: Tom Izzo is great at pushing the tempo, leveraging his defensive emphasis to get his teams moving on the open court.
Con: Nobody on our team was in the top 20 in steals per game.

Pro: Tom Izzo is a strong recruiter, who can help bring fresh faces to the Pistons organization.
Con: This is a great skill to have at the college level.

Pro: Izzo is a proven winner, especially at the playoff level.
Con: Derrick Rose is headed for our division.

In which DBB reader Boney eats crow

Published by Matt Watson on May 5, 2008 in Guest Writer. 18 Comments

If you ever jump out of your RSS reader and read the comments on this site, chances are you’ve come across Boney. Hell, if you read the comments section of any NBA blog, chances are you’ve come across Boney. And if you have, you know he’s not afraid to out on a limb with an off-the-wall opinion. He tries to explain one of those below. Obviously, these are his opinions, not mine.

(Note: this was written before Game 1 of the Magic series.)

______

By: Boney

I’ve taken a lot of heat over the course of the last year or so (between the 2007 Eastern Conference Finals and now) regarding my thoughts on current Detroit Piston shooting guard, Richard Hamilton. My thoughts and words have been met with great defense and anger from fellow Piston fans and even UConn alums. You guys have to realize one thing though: I did not like Michael Jordan, and being from the Washington DC area I do not like the Washington teams. So you ask yourself, “Boney, what does your dislike for MJ and Washington have to do with Richard Hamilton?”.

Fast forward to 1:57…

That’s reason #1 why I don’t like Richard Hamilton. Hamilton was in his 3rd year in the league when he began emulating an aging Michael Jordan. He did the fist pump, he missed the 3 pointers just like MJ, and his dunks barely scraped over the rim just like MJ’s. A small forward at UConn, Rip was put in the shooting guard position with the Washington Wizards where shot a very “Larry Hughes” like 42%, 43%, and 43% from the field during his tenure with the Wizards yet he carried himself as if he was something special.

When he was traded to Detroit for Jerry Stackhouse and a plate of scraps I wasn’t excited. I thought the combination of Chauncey Billups with Jerry Stackhouse and the rest of the bench would give the Pistons one of the better backcourts in the league, even though Billups had only proven his value in the 1 year in Minnesota before signing for the MLE to become Detroit’s starting PG under Rick Carlisle.

Hamilton surprised me with his ability to come off screens and improve his shooting % 4 or 5 points by simply getting more open looks off the screens. You hardly ever see a guy improve his % while still shooting the same shots, but Hamilton did. Kudos to him, right? Continue reading ‘In which DBB reader Boney eats crow’

Pistons pull even with Philly

Published by Matt Watson on April 28, 2008 in 2008 Playoffs, 76ers, Games and Guest Writer. 15 Comments

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.

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