Piston Powered Patrick Hayes True Hoops - LaVine

[cool breeze]

Are you kidding Patrick? I has to be true that this guy hasn't watched many UCLA games this past season. LaVine was the 3 string point guard on that team. He was not a key player for UCLA last season. Anderson was the most effective point guard followed by the coaches son. LaVine got playing time at the 2 guard spot and was extremely easy to guard at least by the Arizona team. This pick might turn out to be another Darko or White result. No Patrick this might be a nightmare rather than a draft dream. LaVine must have a lot of promotional qualities. It is amazing that a player like that could be considered for the first round of the draft while players like Nick Johnson who completely shut LaVine down in all meetings is only qualified to be a 2nd round pick. LaVine couldn't play within the framework of the UCLA team. He was not a good defender. His teammates didn't like the fact that he seldom passed the basketball to the open man but would rather launch a low percentage shot. That UCLA team was loaded with talent last season. LaVine was the guy who pervented that team from winning the conference championship. Say no to LaVine please whoever the new GM might be.

[cool breeze]

MONROE: If Monroe is not an offensive threat he is a liability on the floor. Noah was the guy who stopped the Pistons cold in the 4th quarter. He not only denied the ball to Monroe very easily as Greg was not moving with purpose but he was also able to step into the lanes when any of the Piston guards thought about driving to the hoop. Monroe was easy to guard. What a player Noah has become. Everyone is looking at Gibson who was really dominate as well but it is Noah who drives this Bulls team. Why was Gibson so dominate? None of the Piston big men tried to box him out on the boards. Basic basketball that we saw from Chicago players was not there with our big men in crunch time. It was amazing to see that Monroe could not defend in crunch time and seemed lost on defense. He was not able to box out or even get close to grabbing a defensive rebound. 

DRUMMOND: There is a huge difference between Monroe and Drummond. Drummond does have the will to compete. He needs more work on the basics of playing NBA defense but as team chemistry builds I have no doubt will be doing some of the stuff Noah is now doing on defense.  

JEREBCO: Jonas looked really good in the first half of that game on both ends. But he was also ineffective on both ends during crunch time. Jonas is more of a threat on offense than Monroe in crunch time and can run the floor better. He has improved his outside shot but Jonas failed on the defensive end when defending Gibson. He was not able to get key defensive rebounds. The Bulls have what the Pistons used to have - great heart and chemistry. Easy shots by Chicago were the result of their playing supreme defense. This Piston team is not set up yet to play that way because of the players currently under contract thanks to Joe Dumars the man who somehow forgot that defense wins real games. 

JENNINGS:Jennings is not effective in crunch time against a team like Chicago. He never will be a player the coach can call on when the other team plays really good defense. He stops running the offense and tries to get his shot too much. This causes his teammates to stop their movement. And Jennings is a liability as much as Monroe is on defense in crunch time. 

STUCKEY was more involved emotionally in this game than at any time in his career with the exception of his first season as a Piston. This was only one game and when it comes to Rodney Stuckey nobody can predict the kind of involvement he will have from game to game. And that is the problem our new GM will have when it comes to making the decision as to if we let him go or keep him. He tanked the season after he signed his last new contract. Will the new GM gamble again or look at the history?This is a tough call. For me, I would be looking for a shooting guard who is more dependable moving forward with this young team. 

SINGLER: I predict that Kyle Singler will develop into a premier small forward next season if he is given the opportunity. Kyle is a glue guy who is a much better player in all areas compared to last season. He has the right stuff and many players like him have had breakout seasons in their 3rd year. 

SIVA made mistakes especially fouling Augustine beyond the 3 point line in the 4th. But in defense of both Siva and Jennings, our other Pistons on the floor were not doing their jobs on offense in that no screens were set and very little movement was taking place without the ball. Our big men were standing looking tired. But for most of the game, our players did do those things. So I was impressed and hopeful for the future. Siva is a smart player who was able to penetrate in crunch time and find the open man. Those shots didn't fall. He did hit a nice 3 point shot late in the 4th as well. Siva to me is the shinning light to bring hope for the future. He has go to through the learning phase of playing against all the other point guards in the league a few time before we will see the real Siva. But it is clear that the Pistons on the floor playing with him like what he does. They move faster with more purpose and they are setting screens and playing like a real team.

[Phil-Good]

"Fu@k Moose and trying to motivate him." 

I can't say I don't agree with most of your post about G.Monroe and how lazy of A guy he is. But I think you giving up on this guy too soon. I really do. I have seen guys with less talent who are just as lazy as Greg and they are doing well in the NBA. And the Kid is only 23 years old.


If Gores gets the right people in place and builds this team right. You can ride G.Monroe and Andre Drummonds into the East Finals. But the Pistons have to get back to defense first. Go out and find A real NBA Point Guard, some athletic wings who can shoot the ball and play defense. DETROIT IS RIGHT BACK IN BUSINESS!!

[cool breeze]

With that lineup listed above, Chicago really struggled. The Bulls came out flat and for sure the starting lineup played really well. But I thought that Chicago was working as hard as they can work to get back in the game during that 2nd quarter. But the Piston lineup really did some things on defense that I haven't seen all season. Siva was getting through the screens over the big man who set the picks. Jerebco was playing his ass off if you bothered to watch his footwork in the paint. He was going all out. And Singler shut his assigned man out almost completely. Drummond was everywhere. He was talking with Siva if you noticed. Those two are really good friends and I could see the chemistry building within that group. What we are finding out is all is not lost with the point guard position. Siva is learning how to play and gaining confidence. He is one tough minded player who I believe will turn out to be a really good leader. I liked his hesitation movement where he feels the defense and keeps his dribble until he finds the open man. His teammates were all moving. But that group of players are smart players. They all move without the basketball. God it is good to be able to say something positive about the current players. One thing is clear to me. Either Smith or Monroe needs to be traded. And if Smith does stay management must stand firm and not allow that man to ever play small forward again. 

Where does Stuckey fit in? The problem with Stuckey is that he will not play hard once he gets his new contract. That much is proven by his performances in past seasons. And we do not need a Will Bynum. We need Payton Siva or a player like him as he brings good defense and gets all of his teammates involved. 

I will be pulling for the Bulls in the playoffs.

[Sparma]

Nary a mention of Drummond and his 26/26 in the early write up posted by SI (below).

(In the WGN broadcast, he did earn a mention alongside Wilt, when the announcers said he was within sight of the record for rebounds by an opponent, 34, by Wilt.)

"Bulls rally to beat Pistons 106-98

CHICAGO (AP) D.J. Augustin scored 24 points, Taj Gibson added 17, and the Chicago Bulls rallied from 18 down to beat the Detroit Pistons 106-98 for their seventh straight win on Friday night.

Carlos Boozer finished with 18 points. Mike Dunleavy Jr. scored all of his 14 in the second half, and the Bulls kept their longest win streak of the season going.

They moved a game ahead of Atlantic Division leader Toronto for third in the Eastern Conference, with the Raptors losing to the New York Knicks. The Bulls also clinched home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs with Brooklyn falling to Atlanta.

They trailed 56-38 at the half but turned things around in a big way after that.

Chicago outscored Detroit 32-24 in the third quarter to pull within 10 and went on a 15-0 run in the fourth to turn an eight-point deficit into a 90-83 edge."


Read More: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/basketball/nba/gameflash/2014/04/11/33971/#recap#ixzz2ydX16kmf

[Sparma]

Drummond with the monster game, in spite of his 4-9 for FTs and appearing to fade for much of the second half. He perked up at the end -- it was great to see various Pistons seek him out on O at the end. He made some moves.

For the most part, the second half was depressingly familiar. The Bulls began to force themselves inside, also against AD. Taj Gibson had some authoritative dunks. On O, the open plays dried up and the shots stopped falling. Siva struggled. To his credit, he kept looking for the open guy, but there wasn't much to be found.

But 26/26?!! How many better games have there been in the NBA this year? And it was enough to earn Drummond a +1, the only Piston with a positive score.

Haven't doublechecked, but I think that earns the 8th spot, alone, for the Pistons.

[Sparma]

19 rebounds for Drummond at the half!! I saw Siva look for him three times on offense, about ten feet from the basket, with good results. Jennings found him once too. They should try that more often. I think he could do some good things in the high post (although not on a permanent basis).

Jerekbo's looking pretty bad, being too quick to look for his own, distant, shots.

Siva helped a lot, even though he's clearly a mixed bag. He made about the worst pass I've ever seen, well into the stands (claiming, wrongly, a Bull had deflected it). He couldn't keep up with Augustin on D. But he impressed me as a decision maker on O, taking his shot when it was there, working hard to pass the ball to the open guy. He didn't connect with AD with the spectacular alley oops a la Bynum, but simply got him the ball when he was in a good spot, trusting Drummond be able to move the ball to the basket. He looks like a marginal NBA talent to me, yet potentially valuable, simply because he does the right thing, an all too rare commodity on this team.

Plenty of time to come down to earth, but so far so good.

[Sparma]

Jennings dribbles most of the time off the clock, then makes a bad pass for a turnover. Next play he cuts to the middle, making a beautiful pass to Singler for the bucket. Shortly after, he makes heaves an off balance shot early in the clock, which the announcers designate as not being a good shot. What's with the guy? So erratic. (btw, evidently he'd be a better coach than Loyer what with their respective remarks about the final games).

Stuckey with some good bull runs (the Chicago announcers repeatedly referred to his upper body strength). Maybe they don't know the Pistons real well though, because they called Stuckey a good defender.

[Oracle]

It appears that Jennings is a good guy who does care about the team and the rookies according to the Detroit News article. So I ask the question why in hell did the coach play Stuckey, Monroe and Jennings so many minutes when Detroit won those back to back games that sealed their fate relating to not having a shot at the 7th pick? It seems that the vet players believe that it would have been a smart thing to play the rookies after the Pistons were eliminated from the playoffs but somehow our inept owner, GM and coaching staff felt differently. Is the owner under some guideline he must follow or be fined by the NBA front office if he doesn't play his best players? I can't believe there could be a rule so it appears that the owner and his idiot underlings just dropped the ball. But could it also be true that this owner is bent on resigning Stuckey and wants to make it perfectly clear to Piston fans that we cannot get our hopes up to see any change in the backcourt next year. Maybe Mr. Gores believes that if Bynum rests for the remainder of the season he will be more explosive next year. And perhaps he believes that Monroe and Stuckey need more time on the court to figure things out going forward to next season. I hope none of this could be true but how can we trust in any decisions after the owner agreed to sign the current back court last summer. It appears that both Dumars and Gores had full trust in Jennings, Bynum, Stuckey and KCP. The fact is our owner, GM and coaching staff screwed up our chances of obtaining the 7th overall pick in this important draft. Why can't the press writers tell the truth? Will they now pick another Darko from Europe?

Don, you've got to read this!!!

John Loyer is stunningly STUPID!!!

You won't believe the BS that's coming out of his mouth! Can somebody PLEASE slip this dude a Mickey!

John Loyer: No youth movement for Pistons

[Fennis Dembo]

I think we all agree that this season has been totally aggravating. So why is Loyer torturing us to the bitter end? Where the hell is Tom Gores' leadership? I have the bad feeling he does not have a clue about how to build a winning team in the NBA. Joe couldn't care less, since he will be out of a job soon. I am completely disgusted with this mess.

This reminds me of a Seinfeld episode. George was working for a company where nobody cared. "Hey, I work for Kruger Industrial Smoothing. We don't care and it shows." Just change the name and it fits, "Hey, I work for the Detroit Pistons. We don't care and it shows."

[cool breeze]

Here are my reasons in some order.

1. How soon will we need a new GM and coach after Joe swallows that flame thrower and gets fired? IMO, pretty quickly because the draft will be coming up, summer league, and there are a boat load of things we need to do while the trading and dealing irons are hot! So we need a GM & Coach ASAP!

2. Have there been ANY rumors linking us to any candidates for the job, other than the speculation about Zeke? Not that I'm aware of, so right now, Zeke looks like the only target!

3. What other GM could hit the ground running and immediately command the respect in this town than Zeke? Nobody, so the combination of that, and the short time frame makes Zeke a highly probable candidate.

But who will be his coach?

IMO, it would come down to a contest between Hollins & Laimbeer!

There should not be any drama relating to Joe's departure. He will announce his plans for retirement after the close of the regular season. And I agree with you that the new GM has to be Zeke. The big clue is that Thomas has not told the press that he is not interested in the job. He also gave a nice speech during the Bad Boys celebration when the Pistons played that horrible game against the Heat. I am happy. Zeke will bring a new needed spirit to the Piston organization. He will not go into hiding like Joe. And I doubt he will tolerate inept guard play or players who are not showing that they are prepared to play basketball. I would love it even more if Laimbeer would become the head coach. Laimbeer would know that his GM has his back if players act out like babies. It seems that Joe rewarded players who did that stuff. I am excited about the coming change! I am sure Laimbeer already knows everything he needs to know about the players and Thomas has been following Detroit all year so it would be shocking if those two men wouldn't shake up the roster as soon as possible. If Mr. Gores does hire Zeke and Laimbeer I will love that man and will believe he is the best and smartest owner in the entire world.

[cool breeze]

It appears that Jennings is a good guy who does care about the team and the rookies according to the Detroit News article. So I ask the question why in hell did the coach play Stuckey, Monroe and Jennings so many minutes when Detroit won those back to back games that sealed their fate relating to not having a shot at the 7th pick? It seems that the vet players believe that it would have been a smart thing to play the rookies after the Pistons were eliminated from the playoffs but somehow our inept owner, GM and coaching staff felt differently. Is the owner under some guideline he must follow or be fined by the NBA front office if he doesn't play his best players? I can't believe there could be a rule so it appears that the owner and his idiot underlings just dropped the ball. But could it also be true that this owner is bent on resigning Stuckey and wants to make it perfectly clear to Piston fans that we cannot get our hopes up to see any change in the backcourt next year. Maybe Mr. Gores believes that if Bynum rests for the remainder of the season he will be more explosive next year. And perhaps he believes that Monroe and Stuckey need more time on the court to figure things out going forward to next season. I hope none of this could be true but how can we trust in any decisions after the owner agreed to sign the current back court last summer. It appears that both Dumars and Gores had full trust in Jennings, Bynum, Stuckey and KCP. The fact is our owner, GM and coaching staff screwed up our chances of obtaining the 7th overall pick in this important draft. Why can't the press writers tell the truth? Will they now pick another Darko from Europe?

[WTF]

Why a veteran of so many NBA campaigns would do this is beyond me, but Joe did it regularly and the results were awful!

Leaders aren't proclaimed, leadership is EARNED!

Joe says that Stuckey & Afflalo are the future backcourt for the Pistons before they've laced up for the first time. He trades Afflalo for peanuts and Stuckey is a failure!

Joe says Stuckey & Amir will usher in a new era for the Pistons... Amir is gone!

Joe says that Monroe & Knight are the new leaders of the Pistons... he trades Knight for a circus act, and Monroe is just about out of the door!

Need I mention the Darko debacle?

The common thread is that Joe puts a lot of pressure and expectations on both the players and fans to expect certain things, and it always leads down the wrong road.

Players have to grow and mature into leaders, and it's a natural process which can't be decreed from on high, or gleaned from a fortune donut!

When players fail to meet Joe's hype, he has the perfect situation that he's milked for years. First the fans, believing the hype turn on the player, then Joe enters with knife ready to plunge into the players back!

Joe looks like a white knight, saving us from a loser player, but the reality is that the mistake was artificially created by Joe!

Even while I was loving Joe's successes, I never liked the way he always threw players under the bus while never taking any responsibility! Even the 2004 team suffered from his crap!

Oh well, it's over now, but that part of his tenure is a sad chapter, and so unnecessary!

Great post Oracle, while many of his choices had the talent they had none of the things that indicated they could be future leaders of team champions or otherwise.

The really sad thing is that many of the players he threw away were better than many he kept. Keep Maxwell over Amir was bad, keeping Stuckey over Affalo was also horrible even though I strongly supported Stuckey. That tandem IMO should still be playing together today, I would not be bother by a back court of Stuckey and Affalo starting. That tandem would be right there with Zeke and Joe, Chauncey and Rip had they been able to mature together while learning from both Chauncey and Rip.

The only time you put that kind of pressure on a rookie is when they're coming from and lead winning programs which is why I'll never understand the passing on Burke. Monroe was likely the weakest mentally un-tough premier big man to come out of Georgetown.

Drummond has been the biggest surprise and find and is the only player that could develop into a leader. Everyone else has been basically role players that have been misused.

[Oracle]

Why a veteran of so many NBA campaigns would do this is beyond me, but Joe did it regularly and the results were awful!

Leaders aren't proclaimed, leadership is EARNED!

Joe says that Stuckey & Afflalo are the future backcourt for the Pistons before they've laced up for the first time. He trades Afflalo for peanuts and Stuckey is a failure!

Joe says Stuckey & Amir will usher in a new era for the Pistons... Amir is gone!

Joe says that Monroe & Knight are the new leaders of the Pistons... he trades Knight for a circus act, and Monroe is just about out of the door!

Need I mention the Darko debacle?

The common thread is that Joe puts a lot of pressure and expectations on both the players and fans to expect certain things, and it always leads down the wrong road.

Players have to grow and mature into leaders, and it's a natural process which can't be decreed from on high, or gleaned from a fortune donut!

When players fail to meet Joe's hype, he has the perfect situation that he's milked for years. First the fans, believing the hype turn on the player, then Joe enters with knife ready to plunge into the players back!

Joe looks like a white knight, saving us from a loser player, but the reality is that the mistake was artificially created by Joe!

Even while I was loving Joe's successes, I never liked the way he always threw players under the bus while never taking any responsibility! Even the 2004 team suffered from his crap!

Oh well, it's over now, but that part of his tenure is a sad chapter, and so unnecessary!

[WTF]

Sorry Pee Boy but it hard to change lazy, when you're kicking someone in the ass those someones are generally already hard working and your kicking them to motivated that something extra. The problem with Monroe is that he's naturally lazy and has been his entire life of basketball from AAU, College to the NBA so it's not much you can do to motivate him. He's one of those players that knows even if he half asses it his entire career he's going to make millions of dollars.

Monroe isn't one of these players that have the fire in him to say I want to be the best at what I do, he really doesn't care if he's the best PF/C, he doesn't care if he leads the league in points or rebounds, he doesn't really care if he's the highest paid player, he doesn't care if he's a great defender and more disturbing is he doesn't care if he's a champion or not. There's not a single coach in the world that will be able to motivate him.

The only way I could think of to motivate a guy like Monroe is to bench him and even then I don't think he would give a real sh!t as long as he's cashing a check. This guy just watched Charlie pocket 9 million for doing next to nothing. Monroe is one of those guys that has to be put on front street by stronger players and on full blast by the media but a coach or GM will never be able to change this guy.

He couldn't half ass on a team that had players like Zeke, Lamb and Horn, he couldn't do that sh!t on a team with players like Sheed, Ben and Chauncey. Sure Chauncey and Sheed is around but Sheed can't impose his influence from the bench as an assistant and Chauncey can talk his ears off but can't have any real impact because he's not on the floor. The one player that did try to light fire under him Josh Smith had no impact whatsoever.

Fu@k Moose and trying to motivate him.

[Oracle]

Here are my reasons in some order.

1. How soon will we need a new GM and coach after Joe swallows that flame thrower and gets fired? IMO, pretty quickly because the draft will be coming up, summer league, and there are a boat load of things we need to do while the trading and dealing irons are hot! So we need a GM & Coach ASAP!

2. Have there been ANY rumors linking us to any candidates for the job, other than the speculation about Zeke? Not that I'm aware of, so right now, Zeke looks like the only target!

3. What other GM could hit the ground running and immediately command the respect in this town than Zeke? Nobody, so the combination of that, and the short time frame makes Zeke a highly probable candidate.

But who will be his coach?

IMO, it would come down to a contest between Hollins & Laimbeer!

[Phil-Good]

The Moose is one lazy muther-F.U.C.K.E.R! He is! But the boy can play basketball. He needs A KICK in the AZZ!!

Put G.Monroe on A team coached by Pop, Larry Brown, Doc Rivers or Pat Rile and then tell me he lazy. He will have career numbers.

I look at Greg Monroe like Z.Randolph or Paul Gasol. You don't trad away A talent like Monroe just because he not at his best right now. The Pistons need to put the best leadership in place to help these guys be successful.

The Pistons need A GM and Head Coach who can kick everybody in the AZZ and make guys perform at the MAXIMUM level of their abilities.

THEN, we can decide if Monroe should stay or go. Not after this ABOMINATION over the past 4 years.

Keep Monroe, Drummonds, Singler, Jones Jerebko, All the rookie contract guys. AFTER THAT, CLEAN HOUSE!!!! Everything must go. I'm taking 1st round and second round picks. Expiring contracts, young vets are welcome as well.

If the Pistons make the playoffs it will be off the great improvements and leadership of G.Monroe, A.Drummonds and A standout season by A young guy nobody can name right now. Let's get back to rebuilding this team.

[WTF]

I'm hoping that every current player take the time to sit watch this so they understand what it takes to be champions in the NBA.   But they also need to understand the culture and foundation that was establish and laid during this era. It's important that they get this back soon next year they'll be honoring the 10 year anniversary of 2004 Champions,  Chauncey, Big Ben and Sheed may all be getting their jersey up in the rafters and these young guys should want that for themselves as well one day in the future.  

Man can you imagine Lamb or Big Ben half ass like Monroe does almost on a consistent basis,  could you imagine Zeke, Joe, VJ, Rip and Chauncey feeling that all been accomplished just because they were the uniform, but this is how KCP feels about being in the league.    Really he should be sitting there on the bench in awe saying damn this is spot that Zeke sat, this is where Joe sat and this is where Chauncey sat, this is where Rip sat and want the the same things they've accomplished in the league and for this team.  Man this is why I wanted Burke, even over MCW because he has that heart and will of a Zeke, and the ability to be clutch like a Chauncey.  As talented as MCW is I don't think he has that same drive and mindset to will and lead like a champion.  

I hate listening to these players, interviewer would ask Big Ben a question and his answer was usually start of with him say this is what we do!  meaning they win! even the bad boys spoke with that same arrogance and backed that sh!t up.  This group is always with an excuse.

[cool breeze]

Looking at those two draft boards it appears to me that when both have zach LaVine in the first round and NBADraft Net listing him in the 12th spot, those boards cannot be very reliable. For West coast players I believe the top 4 players based on their play this last season would be Arron Gordon, Kyle Anderson, Jordan Adams and Nick Johnson. No guard out played Nick Johnson in the PAC 12. He was voted the most outstanding player in the PAC12 this season and was a top 5 Wooden Finalist.  To see him listed as a late 2nd round player is crazy. Nick played both point guard and shooting guard. He was the player on the Arizona team that had the ball in crunch time and won several games at the end when he broke down the defense and made a shot or got the assist on a great pass. And Johnson has always been an elite defender always guarding the opponents best player if they played point guard, shooting guard or small forward. Johnson moved over to small forward on offense after Ashley had a season ending injury. Johnson is more of an elite player with really good quickness and is a great jumper and shot blocker. Because he is only 6 foot 2 inches tall, draft boards have ignored what he has done in actual games. And he has modeled his game after his uncle Dennis Johnson. Whoever gets Johnson will have a rotation player next season. He knows the game much like Kyle Singler but is much more athletic. Compare Johnson with Zach LaVine and watch game film of both of them in games against each other. LaVine was not a key player for UCLA. Kyle Anderson beat him out at the point guard position and another freshman who was the son of the UCLA coach was the backup for Anderson. LaVine is listed as a point guard/shooting guard. He is not ready to play in the NBA. HE cannot defend and is a weak passer, driver and shooter in my opinion. LaVine needs two more years of college. Anderson and Adams are really solid players who will impact the NBA. They should be in the first round. Johnson should also be in the first round.

Whoever our new GM is going to me, please do the homework for this draft. Please contact the college coaches to get their opinion and do not listen to Joe Dumars scouting team.

[cool breeze]

Don, thanks for telling it like it is (Wise too)... we're talking about 1/3 of the team's salary going to a limited player.
I am ok with signing him and trading his lazy ass before the deadline next year... there will be several teams willing to give back talent for a center... at this time it's about getting best value (vs letting him walk and competing with teams in better markets for FAs).
Here are the priorities as I see it.
Start Siva to see if he's worth retaining... Jennings is toast... possibly untradable until his expiring year.... get him off this **** team ASAP.
Smith is having his worst year (yet still might be better overall at PF.... if you can get an expiring in return take it... otherwise wait til Monroe is gone and try him at PF to make sure.
Use FA $'s for a veteran PG that can defend and understands the importance of distributing (remember our pick is gone next year we need to win).
Draft a 3 & D SF or trade for one
Let Stuckey go and finally find out what KCP can do with consistent minutes (what a waste of a down year not to know by now).
To the next GM... Welcome to the jungle

Monroe:
Ok, I'm late to the party(about wanting the trade), and Wise has been leading this parade, so he gets a lot of props, but Monroe is on my last nerve!

The incident Don described is really bad, but could be overlooked if I hadn't seen it so many times! Greg gets in a funk when he thinks he was fouled, but to just give up on playing is a crime, and immature!

Monroe has a ton of talent, but it's severely limited by his lack of hops and horribly slow foot speed, of which his lateral foot speed is likely the worst in the NBA!

My biggest gripe with Wise was just giving him away, because bigs ALWAYS have value(see Darko)! Monroe will get max or near max money from somebody, and we WILL be able to do a sign & trade, but we need a smart savvy GM to maximize our return.

Team:
Why Stuckey is playing is a real mystery! I agree with Don give the youngsters a chance, but also give CV a chance to get another contract. It probably won't work, but it's the right thing to do!

Siva should be getting as many minutes as Jennings, and KCP should be unleashed in the starting lineup and told to defend and score in the flow of the game, don't just look for 3 pointers. IMO, KCP just needs the right opportunity to how his stuff.

Drummond: Don is right, Drummond is a horrible defender. However, the difference is that Drummond has demonstrated the will, desire, and capability to learn and get better! Besides, his only problem is technique, he has all of the tools to become an elite defender!

But what can we expect from this crew a sabotage artists? A blown season where as Merc said, we not only lose, but we learn nothing in the process... WOW!

Putting Monore's crappy defense and lack of mid-range aside my biggest issue at that point has always been with his work ethics and his character.  He has been true to form since being drafted as being one who is lazy, and underachiever and all the signs were there when we drafted him.  IMO I think we would have done better with Paul George or Henson but I came around for a moment about drafting him.  Monroe seemed okay his rookie season and looked like a keeper but quickly in his second season you could see all the things that we're seeing today.

Don't get me wrong fellas if we didn't have Drummond then I could live with Monroe as the team starting center and wouldn't cringe as much in paying him a Max Deal.  There is no way Monroe shouldn't be a 20-10 guy on a consistent basis and I believe if he played exclusively center he could do that.  He won't get those numbers in a line up with Andre and Josh  and is exposed defensively playing out of position.  

No doubt he'll end up elsewhere and put up those stats for another team playing center.  I don't beat him because he's isn't talented I do it because he's a Lazy Diva and Bad Fit.  Andre is clearly a better center with more upside and Josh is clearly the better all around PF.  

Really good post Oracle. Thanks! What really hurts in the fact that we got nothing for giving up Knight and Middleton. Monroe has been another bust. You are correct that we have to get something for him via sign and trade. After watching KCP for the last half of the season I am very disappointed. He has had a lot of chances to stand out. I can only recall where he had one really good half of a game where he shot the lights out in the first half. He needs to get a lot stronger and it appears if he really does have the necessary talent and drive, it will take at least two more seasons before we will know if he is a keeping. KCP is very young so this draft pick could still pan out. After last night's loss it appears we have a good chance of keeping our first round pick. 

[WTF]

Don, thanks for telling it like it is (Wise too)... we're talking about 1/3 of the team's salary going to a limited player.
I am ok with signing him and trading his lazy ass before the deadline next year... there will be several teams willing to give back talent for a center... at this time it's about getting best value (vs letting him walk and competing with teams in better markets for FAs).
Here are the priorities as I see it.
Start Siva to see if he's worth retaining... Jennings is toast... possibly untradable until his expiring year.... get him off this **** team ASAP.
Smith is having his worst year (yet still might be better overall at PF.... if you can get an expiring in return take it... otherwise wait til Monroe is gone and try him at PF to make sure.
Use FA $'s for a veteran PG that can defend and understands the importance of distributing (remember our pick is gone next year we need to win).
Draft a 3 & D SF or trade for one
Let Stuckey go and finally find out what KCP can do with consistent minutes (what a waste of a down year not to know by now).
To the next GM... Welcome to the jungle

Monroe:
Ok, I'm late to the party(about wanting the trade), and Wise has been leading this parade, so he gets a lot of props, but Monroe is on my last nerve!

The incident Don described is really bad, but could be overlooked if I hadn't seen it so many times! Greg gets in a funk when he thinks he was fouled, but to just give up on playing is a crime, and immature!

Monroe has a ton of talent, but it's severely limited by his lack of hops and horribly slow foot speed, of which his lateral foot speed is likely the worst in the NBA!

My biggest gripe with Wise was just giving him away, because bigs ALWAYS have value(see Darko)! Monroe will get max or near max money from somebody, and we WILL be able to do a sign & trade, but we need a smart savvy GM to maximize our return.

Team:
Why Stuckey is playing is a real mystery! I agree with Don give the youngsters a chance, but also give CV a chance to get another contract. It probably won't work, but it's the right thing to do!

Siva should be getting as many minutes as Jennings, and KCP should be unleashed in the starting lineup and told to defend and score in the flow of the game, don't just look for 3 pointers. IMO, KCP just needs the right opportunity to how his stuff.

Drummond: Don is right, Drummond is a horrible defender. However, the difference is that Drummond has demonstrated the will, desire, and capability to learn and get better! Besides, his only problem is technique, he has all of the tools to become an elite defender!

But what can we expect from this crew a sabotage artists? A blown season where as Merc said, we not only lose, but we learn nothing in the process... WOW!

Putting Monore's crappy defense and lack of mid-range aside my biggest issue at that point has always been with his work ethics and his character. He has been true to form since being drafted as being one who is lazy, and underachiever and all the signs were there when we drafted him. IMO I think we would have done better with Paul George or Henson but I came around for a moment about drafting him. Monroe seemed okay his rookie season and looked like a keeper but quickly in his second season you could see all the things that we're seeing today.

Don't get me wrong fellas if we didn't have Drummond then I could live with Monroe as the team starting center and wouldn't cringe as much in paying him a Max Deal. There is no way Monroe shouldn't be a 20-10 guy on a consistent basis and I believe if he played exclusively center he could do that. He won't get those numbers in a line up with Andre and Josh and is exposed defensively playing out of position.

No doubt he'll end up elsewhere and put up those stats for another team playing center. I don't beat him because he's isn't talented I do it because he's a Lazy Diva and Bad Fit. Andre is clearly a better center with more upside and Josh is clearly the better all around PF.

[Oracle]

Don, thanks for telling it like it is (Wise too)... we're talking about 1/3 of the team's salary going to a limited player.
I am ok with signing him and trading his lazy ass before the deadline next year... there will be several teams willing to give back talent for a center... at this time it's about getting best value (vs letting him walk and competing with teams in better markets for FAs).
Here are the priorities as I see it.
Start Siva to see if he's worth retaining... Jennings is toast... possibly untradable until his expiring year.... get him off this **** team ASAP.
Smith is having his worst year (yet still might be better overall at PF.... if you can get an expiring in return take it... otherwise wait til Monroe is gone and try him at PF to make sure.
Use FA $'s for a veteran PG that can defend and understands the importance of distributing (remember our pick is gone next year we need to win).
Draft a 3 & D SF or trade for one
Let Stuckey go and finally find out what KCP can do with consistent minutes (what a waste of a down year not to know by now).
To the next GM... Welcome to the jungle

Monroe:
Ok, I'm late to the party(about wanting the trade), and Wise has been leading this parade, so he gets a lot of props, but Monroe is on my last nerve!

The incident Don described is really bad, but could be overlooked if I hadn't seen it so many times! Greg gets in a funk when he thinks he was fouled, but to just give up on playing is a crime, and immature!

Monroe has a ton of talent, but it's severely limited by his lack of hops and horribly slow foot speed, of which his lateral foot speed is likely the worst in the NBA!

My biggest gripe with Wise was just giving him away, because bigs ALWAYS have value(see Darko)! Monroe will get max or near max money from somebody, and we WILL be able to do a sign & trade, but we need a smart savvy GM to maximize our return.

Team:
Why Stuckey is playing is a real mystery! I agree with Don give the youngsters a chance, but also give CV a chance to get another contract. It probably won't work, but it's the right thing to do!

Siva should be getting as many minutes as Jennings, and KCP should be unleashed in the starting lineup and told to defend and score in the flow of the game, don't just look for 3 pointers. IMO, KCP just needs the right opportunity to how his stuff.

Drummond: Don is right, Drummond is a horrible defender. However, the difference is that Drummond has demonstrated the will, desire, and capability to learn and get better! Besides, his only problem is technique, he has all of the tools to become an elite defender!

But what can we expect from this crew a sabotage artists? A blown season where as Merc said, we not only lose, but we learn nothing in the process... WOW!

[merc]

Don, thanks for telling it like it is (Wise too)... we're talking about 1/3 of the team's salary going to a limited player.
I am ok with signing him and trading his lazy ass before the deadline next year... there will be several teams willing to give back talent for a center... at this time it's about getting best value (vs letting him walk and competing with teams in better markets for FAs).
Here are the priorities as I see it.
Start Siva to see if he's worth retaining... Jennings is toast... possibly untradable until his expiring year.... get him off this **** team ASAP.
Smith is having his worst year (yet still might be better overall at PF.... if you can get an expiring in return take it... otherwise wait til Monroe is gone and try him at PF to make sure.
Use FA $'s for a veteran PG that can defend and understands the importance of distributing (remember our pick is gone next year we need to win).
Draft a 3 & D SF or trade for one
Let Stuckey go and finally find out what KCP can do with consistent minutes (what a waste of a down year not to know by now).
To the next GM... Welcome to the jungle

[cool breeze]

He did it again and got away with it. Greg misses a shot and maybe he thinks that he is fouled but there is no excuse for what he did after that. the camera doesn't lie. Greg can be seen standing out of bounds on his offensive end watching everyone else sprinting back on defense. If you haven't watched the game yet make sure you count how many seconds elapse until Greg reaches the foul line on his defensive end. He doesn't appear in the screen until 5 full seconds have passed. It takes Greg another two seconds until he arrives at the foul line for a total and two more seconds until is became involved. How can a player get paid and not have enough pride to get down the court faster than that?? I take it all back. There is no way that Detroit should try to sign Monroe. He is perhaps the worst power forward defender in the NBA. I can't think of any player who is worse. So this idea of Drummond and Monroe playing for years together is not a good idea. Drummond is not a capable defender either. We need a player who has quickness and desire to play for the Detroit Pistons that eliminates Greg Monroe from consideration in my opinion. 

Coach Loyer continued to play Stuckey, Drummond, Monroe, and Jennings trying hard to win this game. Cleveland is light years ahead of this Piston team. Jennings advised that he was going back to the way he played in AAU ball last fall. He didn't disappoint himself. Because Jennings was a ball hog shoot first no defense type player in AAU ball. Detroit will never win with Brandon Jennings or Stuckey or Monroe. I hope the new GM has already figured that out.

[cool breeze]

It must be true that Mr. Gores plans to resign Stuckey this summer. The coach has as much said so with the above statement. Why is he limiting the minutes of KCP or Siva? Where is Mitchell or Datome? How about Charlie V? Stuckey has been in a Piston uniform for a long time. There should be nothing that the coaches don't know about him. This coach is bent on winning the remaining games. He is playing the players that he believes can win games. Make no mistake about that. So our Piston organization must be trying really hard to lose this first round pick. The owner must really like Stuckey and Bynum and doesn't want to muddy the water at all by having to select a first round guy who might be better than his current players who couldn't win when it counted. These games are really important to Rodney Stuckey. But Charlie V also makes 8.5 million and he wants a new contract as well. Life just isn't fair Charlie. But life is especially unfair to the players who have been sitting on the bench all season watching their teammates fake it. Even now they don't get a chance to get a feel of a regular season game. Coach Loyer will be out to win this game tonight. He believes that he is a short timer so why not screw up the works for the Piston franchise?

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