Archive for the 'Preseason 2007-08' Category

Pistons Preview: The Bench

Published by Matt Watson on November 6, 2007 in Guest Writer and Preseason 2007-08. 12 Comments

Last week, Kevin previewed the starting lineup, describing what the Pistons needs from each player in order to lock up another title. This week, he previews the bench.

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by: Kevin Sawyer

Rodney Stuckey

Well, an unbroken hand, for starters. What they really need is consistent production from their backup guard. Stuckey proved in the pre-season that he can be aggressive in driving to the basket, and if he can get to the foul line regularly, he should be extremely effective. In order to do that, though, he’ll have to prove that he can shoot the ball well. If his FG% dips below the 43-44% range, those trips to the lane are going to result in charges as defenders simply beg him to shoot open jumpers.

Jason Maxiell

The Pistons can live with last year’s production, so long as he cuts down on fouls, turnovers and goaltending. His aggressiveness is admirable, and he is certainly fun to watch, but those three elements will limit his effectiveness (see: Mohammed, Nazr). Maxiell will be the first starting option behind McDyess and Wallace, which means he will probably start 10-12 games. That makes staying out of foul trouble all the more important.

Flip Murray

Honestly, I think the Pistons should give Flip the starting nod when Billups and/or Hamilton are unavailable. Over the long term, the difference in efficiency would be ruinous, but Murray does play better as a starter, and isn’t going to choke in the spotlight. If he can fill the spot starter role, he should provide value, in spite of the fact that he doesn’t shoot very well, and (like Maxiell) could see 10+ games in that capacity.

Amir Johnson

Really, the Pistons need defense from Amir. His offensive game will develop over time, but his height and athleticism should allow him to be very disruptive on the defensive end, especially against the 2nd and 3rd stringers he is likely to face. For all his talents, Maxiell is a defensive liability and a mediocre rebounder. Johnson can earn his minutes by blocking and altering shots and hording defensive rebounds. One key stat will be his bpg/foul ratio. If he can stay north of, say .80 in that area, it will be a sure sign that this season was a success.

Nazr Mohammed

That this guy has DNPs next to his name is absurd, but it appears that the trend may continue. What’s worse is that even if Mohammed or Johnson fail to take the next step, it appears as though Chris Webber has a rotation spot secured for him. It’s tough to say what the Pistons will need from him, because they won’t play him even if he provides it. That said, most teams would kill to call this guy their 12th man.

Aaron Afflalo

Spellcheck’s pre-season hinted that he might have an offensive game after all. Judging him by his two starting gigs is a bit unfair, and Saunders was awfully quick to pull the hook on him. Afflalo brings a reputation as a defensive stopper. If he can bring lockdown defense to the table, and maintain an efficient (if not prolific) offensive game, he could find minutes as our new Lindsey Hunter. But he is 23, and playing for a loaded team. His chances to succeed will be very limited, and he had better make the best of them.

Lindsey Hunter

Welcome to the world of management. Here is your key to the executive washroom. Oh, and keep in shape, cause you’ll probably wind up seeing heavy minutes in the Eastern Conference Finals anyway.

Ronald Dupree

Not a rotation player. However, circle March 29 on your calendar, when the Cavs come in town. Can’t you just see LeBron, frustrated with his .500 ball club, on the verge of eruption? That’s Dupree time baby! Take him down with a flagrant 2, and enjoy watching yourself on ESPN for the next two weeks as the Cavs go down in flames.

Key moment: Zydrunas Ilgauskas pounding the top of Sheed’s head while Sheed throws his hands in the air yelling “ I ain’t doin’ nothin’! I ain’t doin’ nothin’!” To the refs. Sheed gets a three game suspension for excessive bleeding.

[Update: Whoops … last but not least: ]

Jarvis Hayes

The Pistons need three point shooting off the bench in order to spread defenses an mike life easier for Max, Stuckey, and whatever starter happens to be anchoring the second unit. As limited as his game has been, Hayes has shown that he can meet this particular challenge, which should provide a boost. He won’t shoot 40% for the season, but a few more open looks might get him into the high 30s, and that should be enough to convince him to abandon his mediocre midrange game.

Pistons Preview: Starting Lineup

Published by Matt Watson on November 1, 2007 in Guest Writer and Preseason 2007-08. 8 Comments

by: Kevin Sawyer

We all know what our guys can do. With many folks predicting the team’s demise (as usual), I thought it would be useful to explore what they will NEED to do in order for the Pistons to lock up another championship. Here’s a player-by-player rundown.

Chauncey Billups

What they need: The Pistons need Billups to be Billups. His lucrative new contract was based on the premise that Billups is durable, and that his game will translate well into his thirties. It is unlikely the Chauncey will add any new elements to his game this year, and it is further unlikely that he will suddenly decide to turn the ball over. Last year’s production placed him firmly among the leagues elite point guards, and the Pistons need more of the same.

Richard Hamilton

What they need: The best mid-range shooter in the game is slowly developing into a consistent longball threat, as his last two seasons each represent an improvement in this area. While there is little evidence to back up the contention that opposing defenses have “solved” Hamilton’s game (how do you solve the problem of someone running faster than you?) if he is able to shoot 37-38% form three point range, it should open up the rest of his game, even if he loses a step. Oh, and he needs to stop imitating Rasheed with the, you know…

Rasheed Wallace

What they need: I don’t buy the standard narrative that Sheed has been underachieving all these years. Wallace is a tremendous talent, and his numbers are unspectacular, but he has always played for teams that were stacked from top to bottom. He also possesses an inside-outside game, which tends to look less dominating than it is. Wallace possesses on of the most diverse skill-sets in the NBA, and he is the perfect fit for this club.

He does, however, take himself out of games with his notorious temper. He simply has to reign that in this year. If he can do that, it will add a couple of games to the win column, and could find himself in his 4th all-star game.

Tayshaun Prince

What they need: Prince, on the other hand, needs to be a bit more aggressive. He is tremendously difficult to defend, and his low turnover ratio gives him the latitude to run the offense. He is a deadly accurate shooter from the corners, which he can use to spread defenses. Webber’s arrival had an impact on Prince’s game (he was having a career year through mid January), and one hopes that Flip will remember this fact when he is fine-tuning the playbook.

Antonio McDyess

What they need: The light finally went on in someone’s head, and now the 2nd best big man on the team is going to be in the starting lineup. Hopefully, this will help him shake off the (understandable) early-season cobwebs that have plagued him the last couple of seasons. McDyess played out of his mind after the all-star break, and if he can deliver that kind of production for a full season, the Pistons are going to be the extremely difficult to beat.

Past, present and future predictions

Published by Matt Watson on October 31, 2007 in Preseason 2007-08 and Site Announcements. 20 Comments

First things first: remember that “Predict the Roster” game we played back in June? Go read the post for details, but basically I asked you to list the opening day roster, and I awarded points for each player depending if they were already under contract, a free agent, a draft pick or a trade.

There were a whole bunch of responses, but I just did the math and found that we had two winners: Canuck and Stones4Life each had 17 points. Tom was a close second — the only one with 16 points, near as I can tell — and a whole slew of us (myself included) finished with 15. (Feel free to double-check my math, but I used a spreadsheet and everything …).

So Canuck and Stones4Life, expect an email soon — you each get to pick out a DBB t-shirt, gratis. If you didn’t win, don’t feel bad, you can still buy a shirt …

Fun stuff, right? Of course, everyone loves making predictions, especially when they turn out to be correct. So with that in mind, leave your predictions for this season in the comments, including: 1) the final record; 2) place in the Central and the East; and 3) the most surprising development of the season.

That last one is a complete wild card — have fun with it. There’s nothing at stake for this one but the respect and admiration of your fellow DBB readers, and you just can’t put a price on that.

Blakely: Amir Johnson out for season opener

Published by Matt Watson on October 30, 2007 in Around the Internets, Injuries and Preseason 2007-08. 14 Comments

A. Sherrod Blakely has a disappointing update on Amir Johnson in his blog today:

The setbacks just keep on coming for Amir Johnson. The $11M man will probably sit out the season opener at Miami due to a sore Achilles tendon. It doesn’t appear to be too serious, but serious enough to where you don’t want to risk him making it worse.
[…]
It’s too soon to write this kid off as being injury-prone. But at the rate he seems to be coming back, getting hurt, coming back and then getting hurt again, it’s a label he might be tagged with very soon.

I’m curious, if this injury happened to a starter, would it cause him to miss time? Or can the team afford to be extra cautious with Amir simply because he was only expected to play 5-10 minutes (if that) in the first place? I don’t know the answer to that yet.

Also, regarding the “coming back, getting hurt, coming back and then getting hurt” cycle … we’re only halfway there, right? The sprained ankle was the first injury (and in fact, his first sprain ever), and the sore Achilles is his first setback, unless you count missing most of the preseason as a setback, but that was to be expected given the severity of the injury. This is just bad timing, not a reputation builder.

Update: Keith Langlois has an update on Pistons.com:

Amir Johnson sat out the last 45 minutes of Tuesday’s practice when he continued to feel pain in his left Achilles tendon, which he said is the result of the sprained ankle he suffered on Oct. 5 that cost him the first seven preseason games. Johnson said his ankle is fine and that the residual pain in his Achilles, according to Kander, is typical and nothing that should linger or risk further injury.

Pistons cut Sammy Mejia, give final spot to Ronald Dupree

Published by Matt Watson on October 29, 2007 in Preseason 2007-08. 27 Comments

Earlier today I asked, “Does Sammy Mejia have the edge over Ronald Dupree?” We have the answer: no. From Keith Langlois at Pistons.com:

The Pistons got down to the 15-man roster limit at Monday’s deadline by waiving rookie Sammy Mejia, something of a surprise since they signed him to a partially guaranteed contract after his performance in the Las Vegas Summer League.

Mejia, a 2007 second-round draft choice out of DePaul, lost out in his battle for the final roster spot with veteran Ronald Dupree.

The waiving of Mejia means the Pistons will carry three rookies on the roster – first-round picks Rodney Stuckey and Arron Afflalo and Senegalese center Cheikh Samb, a 2006 second-round choice who spent last season playing professionally in Spain.

It’s likely too late for Mejia to earn a contract overseas, but he should find a spot waiting for him in the D-League. It wouldn’t be as lucrative, but the D-League would keep him closer to realizing his dream of playing in the NBA.

Who will be the 2007-08 MVP?

Published by Matt Watson on October 29, 2007 in Guest Writer and Preseason 2007-08. 9 Comments

by: Kevin Sawyer

I think the most useful and meaningful discussion to have on the eve of the start of the NBA season is a baseless, pre-emptive breakdown of the MVP Race. Here are the top 10 candidates as I see them.

1. Kobe Bryant

Kobe has everything going for him. He has never won the award. He is unquestionably a top 5 talent. He lights up every statistical category, and plays his teams into playoff contention. What really puts Kobe in the pole position is the fact that he is likely to be traded to a team that will assuredly improve upon his arrival. Can’t you just see the stories now about Kobe putting the team on his black, and willing them to the playoffs with his surprisingly unselfish play? I can.

2. Yao Ming

Yao was getting MVP buzz before he went down with injury last season. This year, the Rockets look very solid on paper. If they get an obscene number of wins, it will be easy to credit the 7’6” guy, especially if he can break the magical 10 rpg number and maintain his gaudy scoring numbers. A healthy Yao is not a given, but all he really has to do is be himself and stay healthy to stay in contention.

3. Gilbert Arenas

Arenas was actually just as productive as Steve Nash, LeBron James and Kevin Garnett were last season. He also has the “as he goes, so does his team” factor that allows sportswriters to throw out stats like “Washington is 17-3 when Arenas scores 40+ points”, as though readers ought to be stunned to learn that there is a correlation between points scored and victory. He’s also beloved for his eccentric personality. If he can keep said personality on this side of nauseating, he should stay in the MVP race.

4. Dwyane Wade

I think the Ricky Davis giveaway (I think Kevin McHale and Isiah Thomas should team up for a buddy picture in which they play Santa Claus for other sports franchises… Antoine Walker? Are you kidding me?) propels the Heat back into the contention discussion. Wade is arguably the best player in the NBA, and Shaq isn’t going to be taking away any votes this year.

5. Kevin Garnett

Like Kobe, he will have the “new team” factor going for him, and he also fills out a stat sheet. Unlike Kobe, he carries with him a tremendous amount of goodwill after spending a decade in McHale’s Gulag. He will also have the “MVP in both conferences” narrative going for him. The Celtics will have to overachieve for KG to enter the discussion, and we can no longer argue that he is the best player in the NBA, but he will assuredly be in the discussion.

6. LeBron James

He’s a one-man team, and that will keep him in the discussion. But one-man shows don’t ever seem to take down the prize (see Kobe) and LeBron will have to fight the perception that he will have about fifteen opportunities to be MVP. That said, the dude clearly has yet to realize his potential. He could put up some numbers that will make it impossible to turn him down.

7. Tim Duncan

Now that he is finally getting his due as a defensive powerhouse, Duncan might be able to make a fresh case for another award. It’s hard to say that there is anyone else I would rather have on my team. Duncan never puts up splashy numbers, but he is widely recognized as one of the best players in basketball history. He and the Spurs will make their usual compelling case, and Duncan will probably finish somewhere in the top five.

8. Chris Paul

Yeah, I’m hitching my wagon here. If Paul is healthy, he’s going to be very, very good, and I don’t see NO finishing just out of the playoffs for a third consecutive year. Without a stellar supporting cast, Paul will get every ounce of credit for their success. His biggest limiting factor here might be the success of Deron Williams, who many regard as a comparable talent. If their numbers are similar, they may divide media allegiances here.

9. Pau Gasol

Memphis might be in for a big turnaround, which might be enough to get Gasol the credit he deserves. Savvy fans are aware of his tremendous gifts, but a conference stacked with big men has kept him even out of all-star appearances. But Gasol has led Memphis to the playoffs before, and another run might make him the sexy MVP pick.

10. Gerald Wallace

Speaking of sexy picks, Wallace is exactly the sort of player that writers pimp for the award when they want to seem smart. When healthy, he has been a multi-category beast, and he could put together the sort of season that Artest might’ve had in 04-05 if he hadn’t, you know, gone all Artest. The Bobcats have the tools for a playoff run, and Wallace stands a strong chance of making the All-Star game. He won’t actually BE the most valuable player, but that didn’t sop Steve Nash.

Does Sammy Mejia have the edge over Ronald Dupree?

Published by Matt Watson on October 29, 2007 in Preseason 2007-08 and Rumors. 3 Comments

It’s not yet official, but Chris McCosky of the Detroit News speculates on his blog that Ronald Dupree will be the guy the Pistons release to get their roster down to the regular-season limit of 15. An added bonus? Sammy Mejia is bilingual:

If Dupree is out, that means rookie Sammy Mejia is in. He would spend most of the year in the D-League with Cheikh Samb — which is nice because they both speak Spanish, giving Cheikh somebody to talk to. Sammy could make an extra buck or two serving as his translator. When I was watching them play in the summer league in Vegas, Cheikh wouldn’t let me interview him unless Sammy was there to translate.

If you’re the conspiracy theory type looking for clues (that may or may not actually mean anything), consider this: Mejia is the subject of a Pistons.com feature (that, incidentally, doesn’t even mention Dupree), and he was also the Piston selected to address the crowd prior to the last preseason game.

I can’t say I’m rooting for either player, but I’d like to see Mejia get the nod, even if only because he’s younger and more of an unknown (and as such, has theoretically greater upside). Plus, I like the idea that he played point forward during his four-year career at DePaul — you can never have too many ball-handlers. Dupree is a veteran with a guaranteed contract; if he’s the one who’s cut, he’ll land on his feet and likely latch on with another NBA team.

Rodney Stuckey’s injury in perspective

Published by Matt Watson on October 26, 2007 in Injuries and Preseason 2007-08. 19 Comments

Rodney Stuckey didn’t just break one bone in his hand, he broke three. Krista Jahnke has the gruesome details in the Detroit Free Press:

Here are some specifics: He broke his second, third and fourth metacarpals. Those are the long bones that start at the wrist and end at the first knuckle. According to strength and conditioning coach Arnie Kander, it’s somewhat rare to break three of those bones.

He called the break “spiral fractures,” because they occur when the hand gets twisted due to force – in this case, from getting caught in a jersey as a player ran past.

The bones can typically absorb a good deal of that torque, but this time, his fingers just bent too far.

The surgery, which Stuckey underwent Thursday morning, was needed to insert a plate that is held in with a number of screws.

Six weeks is the official timeline, but as Jahnke points out, it’s far too early to tell how accurate that really is. The silver lining? That it’s his non-shooting hand, I guess. And while the timing of the injury is unfortunate, it’s better that it happened now, a week before the start of the regular season, as opposed to later.

It’s estimated that Stuckey will miss about 17 or 18 games. That sounds like a lot, but keep in mind that Brandon Roy managed to win Rookie of the Year honors last year despite missing 20 of the team’s first 25 games. In fact, if he hasn’t already, I wouldn’t be surprised if Stuckey receives a reassuring phone call or text message from Roy, a fellow Seattle native whose squared-off against Stuckey in college as well as summertime pickup games. Roy is living proof that just because Stuckey starts a season with a low note doesn’t mean he can’t finish strong.

In the meantime, Flip Murray will resume his duties as the primary backup point guard, and Arron Afflalo just moved up the depth chart behind Rip Hamilton. Afflalo hasn’t drawn nearly the same attention as Stuckey, but he’s had a successful preseason in his own right. Before his 1-7 night on Wednesday, he was shooting well over 50% from the field (he finished at 46.9%), and he’s been equally consistent from the free-throw line (20-23) and long distance (6-14). Giving him a shot to prove himself as a legitimate rotation option this early in the season may pay off down the road.

Update: DBB reader joejoejoe offered this insight about the injury in the comments:

I hope players like McDyess and Hayes talk to Stuckey about being injured and all that is involved in coming back because a healthy player who gets injured for the first time has doubt and hesitation that they aren’t even aware of when they first come back from injury. If you overcome that then you really are ahead of the game mentally. Heal up well Stuckey. You’ll come back better than ever. It just takes some healing, rehab, and hard work.

I broke my second metacarpal bone in a HS soccer game. The good news is there isn’t a lot of soft tissue in the hand and when the bones heal you are pretty much healed. If you want to know what bones were broken make a fist and then look at the back of your hand. Stuckey broke the middle three bones on the back of his hand that go from your knuckles back to the bones in your wrist. Metacarpals 2-4 attach below your index, middle, and ring finger.

Pistons win … but lose Rodney Stuckey

Published by Matt Watson on October 25, 2007 in Injuries and Preseason 2007-08. 12 Comments

Update: Six weeks. Six long weeks.

You know how everyone always used to talk about Detroit’s knack for avoiding injuries the past few years? Ah, the good old days … Lately, it seems no one can stay healthy. Amir Johnson missed all but 15 minutes of the preseason with a sprained ankle, Nazr Mohammed missed five games with a calf injury, Rip Hamilton missed the last three with a sprained ankle.

In hindsight, those were minor annoyances that did little more than disrupt the flow of training camp; the real pain happened Wednesday night when Rodney Stuckey busted up his left hand. X-rays were positive, revealing a break. No one knows how long he’ll be sidelined, but when they do figure it out, it’ll be measured in weeks, not days, which is disheartening with the season opener just seven days away.

Here are some of my other thoughts on the game, though Stuckey’s injury is obviously the most important story line that emerged. I see the venting has already commenced. Feel free to continue, just be grateful that Flip Murray is still on the roster.

Amir Johnson cleared to play

Published by Matt Watson on October 23, 2007 in Injuries and Preseason 2007-08. 5 Comments

Good news: Amir Johnson practiced with the Pistons on Monday and should be able to play in the preseason finale. From Joanne Gerstner in the Detroit News:

“I feel pretty good. I think I will be able to play the next game,” Johnson said, referring to the Pistons’ final exhibition game Wednesday against the Wizards at The Palace. “Arnie said for how bad it was, it healed pretty fast.” […]

“I feel pretty good. I think I will be able to play the next game,” Johnson said, referring to the Pistons’ final exhibition game Wednesday against the Wizards at The Palace. “Arnie said for how bad it was, it healed pretty fast.”

Johnson’s ankle injury has been a setback to him and the Pistons. Johnson, a third-year player, was looking to secure a spot in the rotation. The Pistons had hoped to use the exhibition season to assess his progress.

Saunders hopes to play Johnson Wednesday, but isn’t sure if he will get to see enough of him in one game.

“I’ll have to wait and see how he is,” Saunders said. “What’s fortunate for him is, we have the one game, then six days of practice after that. So, it’s almost like another mini-training camp You can’t sit on the sidelines and just pick this (Pistons playbook) up.”

It’ll be interesting to see just how much Johnson plays on Wednesday, as well as what kind of minutes he’ll see early in the season. If you remember, Jason Maxiell played in only 10 of the first 19 games last year before earning a regular spot in the rotation. I won’t be surprised if Johnson follows a similar path. Johnson said over the summer that Joe Dumars promised him no DNP’s this year, but obviously things change when you miss seven out of eight preseason games due to injury.

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