We Are Not That Close

[FlyDog]

So, what if...Kobe (yeah, he's a tool, but...) sees that the Lakers are not drawing any interest from other all-stars before he resigns.  What if he sees how good the Pistons are with the young group they have and decides to sign SIGNIFICANTLY less money to be our SG?  NOT at 30M/year rate he is currently getting.  Can you imagine our lineup?

Yeah he is old, but he also is still good defensively.  I also believe that a championship team oftentimes consists of a balance of rookie/young guys and veterans with experience.  

Your thoughts?

(If know...and monkey's could fly out of my butt...)

If Kobe were to take less money and sign with a contender, there are at least a dozen teams in the NBA who are closer than the Pistons, imo.

[Go Stones!]

So, what if...Kobe (yeah, he's a tool, but...) sees that the Lakers are not drawing any interest from other all-stars before he resigns. What if he sees how good the Pistons are with the young group they have and decides to sign SIGNIFICANTLY less money to be our SG? NOT at 30M/year rate he is currently getting. Can you imagine our lineup?

Yeah he is old, but he also is still good defensively. I also believe that a championship team oftentimes consists of a balance of rookie/young guys and veterans with experience.

Your thoughts?

(If know...and monkey's could fly out of my butt...)

[lemonpen]

Italian Stallion = Manu Ginobili reincarnate.

[lemonpen]

Spacing can become much less of an issue if we are able to truly dominate the defensive paint and glass. With Jennings, Josh, Andre and a youthful SG we may be able to successfully and consistently push the tempo for quick easy buckets. Maybe this roster flips the script and has a backup squad that slows the pace to beat up and/or bomb the crap out of the opposition.

[lemonpen]

Lemon, I really hope it's Jennings.

Me too.  

[lemonpen]

Why do we want to trade Stuckey and CV now? They're expiring contracts that we desperately need next year. Using the excuse to "showcase" them is a piss-poor reason to force them onto Cheeks rotation, if he and his coaching staff don't want them there. They won't be the first veterans that rookies came in and out performed them, nor will they be the last; it would be a great injustice if a 29 win team didn't honor the potential superiority of talent upgrades because of favoritisms, and allowed the team to continue to under-perform. I want to see KCP and Datome featured proximately, in the lineup.

Yeah but ........

Typically showcasing involves playing a guy for no more than several games just to prove to the interested party that he is healthy. The last thing the trading partners wants to do is have an injury occur during that shakeout process. I believe most if not all coaches understand and support the needed interruption to their rotation.

[lemonpen]

Maybe, just maybe, he was really washed up and not cruelly boned by the former coach.

[deusXango]

Lemon, I really hope it's Jennings.

[lemonpen]

"On Thursday, xxxxxxx was introduced along with several other new xxxxxxxx. And he was asked about his efficiency and volume. The answer... was interesting.


“I don't really have to shoot the ball as much on this team,” xxxxx said. “The previous team I been on, like I said once before, I had to do 60 percent of the work no matter what the situation is. I think with this team here, I don't have to do as much or take as many shots because sometimes they're going to stop me and xxxxx is going to be open, xxxxx [xxxxx], xxxxx [xxxxx], the list goes on and. So I don't think I have to do as much as I had to do in the previous years.

“So that's going to get me back to being efficient, that's going to get me back to being more consistent and it's going to get me back to playing xxxxx basketball.”



Funny how Monta Ellis sounds so much like Brandon Jennings during his introduction to the Maverick fans and media.  

So, which guy is telling the truth.

[deusXango]

Sebastian, Stones, Oracle, gentlemen, I'm sorry that I've been commenting on something that, obviously, I missed and you guys didn't; the greatness in Stuckey that gives him chance, after chance, to fail at PG, SG, SF, and most recently, 6th man, but he's viewed as a better prospect than KCP for our new coach to start his career in Detroit with.
I see him undermining the best efforts of all our investments for the future, simply because of his style of play; "style of play" being the operative phrase. He's stated time and again, and made a stink about it, that he's effective with the ball in his hands; where does that leave Jennings in the starting lineup as our PG? How often will our Big 3 see the ball early in the shot clock?
What's he going to show from the beginning of the season until the trade deadline, that he hasn't shown for the last six years? Play him alongside Billups? That's a hoot and just what Chauncey would deserve for opening his mouth and championing the merits of Stuckey's game.
One of the chief reasons our cast of clown coaches looked so bad is they all tried to coach around having Stuckey in their starting lineups, instead of coaching with him as an asset; that has been Joe's most glaring failing as a GM, sticking with this particular player through thick and thin, like there was no possibility for an upgrade for him! Well guess what? Joe's now drafted a substantial upgrade over Stuckey, but his legion of supporters are finding fault in his game already while overlooking the obvious flaws and shortcomings to Stuckey's game. Joe just did a sign and trade for an upgrade that we're gradually easing toward the bench in favor of starting Stuckey, one more time!
Kyle Singler took Stuckey's place last year and looked better doing it; why can't Stuckey play behind KCP, Jennings, and Billups until such time they prove to be grossly ineffective? At this juncture, what does the Pistons owe Rodney Stuckey?

Why do we want to trade Stuckey and CV now? They're expiring contracts that we desperately need next year. Using the excuse to "showcase" them is a piss-poor reason to force them onto Cheeks rotation, if he and his coaching staff don't want them there. They won't be the first veterans that rookies came in and out performed them, nor will they be the last; it would be a great injustice if a 29 win team didn't honor the potential superiority of talent upgrades because of favoritisms, and allowed the team to continue to under-perform. I want to see KCP and Datome featured proximately, in the lineup.

[Oracle]

Because KCP has an opportunity to be the ROY, and that would be nice for us!

Pistons' Kentavious Caldwell-Pope a Rookie of the Year candidate, ESPN says

[Oracle]

Stuckey will be encouraged to start and make a big splash with a new coach...slate wiped clean...(we all say together) AGAIN!  There are reasons, however, for this.  

1) Joe D can say "he was our starter" when negotiating a trade and get extra credit points.
2) The more we can get out of Stuckey the better we are as a team.
3) He played for some pretty crappy coaches...why not do this for a coach who was an All-Star NBA guard?

That.Is.All

That's about the ONLY reason to start Stuckey, but it's still a TURRIBLE idea!

With Stuckey in the lineup, we'll have absolutely NO SHOOTING at all!

Teams will be able to pack the paint without any fear what so ever!

I would prefer using Stuckey in the 2nd unit with Billyups at PG, or Billyups & Stuckey switching up as PG/SG!

Then we bill Stuckey as a 6th man of the year candidate in trade talks!

[Oracle]

Can't find any info on the training with Drummond & Monroe... Hakeem's site still says he's got the two on his schedule but no date.
NBA training camp starts in 6 weeks.

After working with Howard, he's completely burned out!

Something about a old dogs and new tricks!

IMO, Howard is incapable of changing at this point, he's still stuck in his HS moves!

[Go Stones!]

Stuckey will be encouraged to start and make a big splash with a new coach...slate wiped clean...(we all say together) AGAIN! There are reasons, however, for this.

1) Joe D can say "he was our starter" when negotiating a trade and get extra credit points.
2) The more we can get out of Stuckey the better we are as a team.
3) He played for some pretty crappy coaches...why not do this for a coach who was an All-Star NBA guard?

That.Is.All

[Sebastian]

Sebastian, I remember that Stuckey scored 40 pts. against Derrick Rose, once; I thought the announcer said that, prior to this game, his season high was 24 pts.; I remember him scoring 24 pts. against Russell Westbrook, once. Wow. How often does that happen for one to average 15 pts.?

Who do you take on your team, Damian Lillard or Rodney Stuckey? Derrick Rose or Rodney Stuckey? Russell Westbrook or Rodney Stuckey? I personally would rather have one of the games elite than an average 15 pt. a night combo guard, who shoots less than 43% from the floor; a guard who dominates the ball, but doesn't facilitate an offense. A guard who makes the players round him look bad, not play better. I'm glad for those who get excited watching Stuckey play, because I damn sure don't!! "A broke clock is right twice a day;" I'd rather have a more consistent player on my team, who was less of a ball hog.

I hear you DX, I would rather have the guys that you have named, too, but the reality is WE don't have any of those players.

But, WE do have Stuckey. I tell you, the more I think about it I am convinced that Stuckey should start alongside B. Jennings, as the SG. Stuckey can score, when he is required to do so. The guy can put the ball on the floor and get to any spot on the floor that he desires. He can get to the line, where he shoots a career 83%. He can get the opposing player in foul trouble and he get US in the penalty, early in the quarter. He can play the point in a pinch, for full quarters, halves, and games, if needed.

Yeah, I think the guard rotation should be:

Starters: B. Jennings (PG), Stuckey (SG/PG)
Reserves: KCP (SG), Chauncey (PG/SG)

Here's a brief reminder of Stuckey's ability to play this game.  

[deusXango]

Sebastian, I remember that Stuckey scored 40 pts. against Derrick Rose, once; I thought the announcer said that, prior to this game, his season high was 24 pts.; I remember him scoring 24 pts. against Russell Westbrook, once. Wow. How often does that happen for one to average 15 pts.?

Who do you take on your team, Damian Lillard or Rodney Stuckey? Derrick Rose or Rodney Stuckey? Russell Westbrook or Rodney Stuckey? I personally would rather have one of the games elite than an average 15 pt. a night combo guard, who shoots less than 43% from the floor; a guard who dominates the ball, but doesn't facilitate an offense. A guard who makes the players round him look bad, not play better. I'm glad for those who get excited watching Stuckey play, because I damn sure don't!! "A broke clock is right twice a day;" I'd rather have a more consistent player on my team, who was less of a ball hog.

[Sebastian]

March 16, 2013

[Sebastian]

[merc]

Can't find any info on the training with Drummond & Monroe... Hakeem's site still says he's got the two on his schedule but no date.
NBA training camp starts in 6 weeks.

[Go Stones!]

I'm inclined to agree with the 42 which has been mentioned (Go Stones?), but to differentiate and to show what an optimist I am, I'll predict 43-39.  

My son has a basketball card of Jennings after he played in the league in which it said it's not a question of whether he'll be a superstar, but when.  I'm not going to go that far, but I like his chances of making nice progress in a different setting.

[Go Stones!]

In my mind there are only 3 viable options for the 15th spot: Ben Wallace, Vernon Macklin, or Ivan Johnson, not a punk in the bunch!  

 
...we have signed Josh Harrellson for our backup CENTER position.
 
 
Bio Stats
 
 

[Sparma]

I'm inclined to agree with the 42 which has been mentioned (Go Stones?), but to differentiate and to show what an optimist I am, I'll predict 43-39.

My son has a basketball card of Jennings after he played in the league in which it said it's not a question of whether he'll be a superstar, but when. I'm not going to go that far, but I like his chances of making nice progress in a different setting.

[deusXango]

Yo' Fly, I missed you Dog! Fresh humor from the beach.

[deusXango]

In my mind there are only 3 viable options for the 15th spot: Ben Wallace, Vernon Macklin, or Ivan Johnson, not a punk in the bunch!  

[deusXango]

Any doofus can win in a strike year!

It'll be fun to keep records for this year, that's why I'm going to try and get a public spreadsheet somewhere for us to keep track!

This year has a lot of wild cards! I have to say I'm intrigued by your 37 prediction, because, IMO, it implies that Jennings is a dud.

I'm still on the fence, and that's probably why I'm waiting to see how he plays in preseason.

Oh well, good luck to all predictors

I see a collection of individuals.  Much like Deus, I just think that a team with Rodney Stuckey on it will basically suck.  Hopefully I'm wrong and Cheeks can whip these vagabonds into shape.  I ain't drinking the koolaide yet.

OUR record will be 49-33 in large part, because of Rodney Stuckey!

Sebastian, are you saying that if Joe trades Stuckey, we can win 60 games??!! Wow! That's quite a turnaround.

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