Re: FORUM

[cool breeze]

What does a team need to win?

1. Any team that shoots well from the perimeter can win! If that team can do it consistently, they will make the playoffs!

2. Any team that shoots well and has bigs that can protect the rim can not only make the playoffs, but has a chance to get out of the first round.

3. Any team that shoots well and has bigs that not only protect the rim, but are offensive threats, can challenge for conference leadership!

Golden State proved that if you can shoot, you're in ANY game, so our chances rise and fall with the guards since our bigs are known brick layers!

How about guards who are capable of preventing dribble penetration or give a strong effort on defense? And you didn't mention the number on characteristic of any good team. Players need to like and respect the players they play and travel with. They have to have the feeling that they are Brothers.

[cool breeze]

It appears that the Lions still have mental issues relating to the quantity of penalties they rack up from game to game. My favorite player who never gets to play is Moore. I have followed this guy since he was a kid. He completes over 75% of his pass attempts while playing with 2nd string players in his NFL history. However, in college and highs school, this guy was almost a perfect football player outsmarting opposing teams game after game and season after season. Meanwhile, while Stafford can throw the football with a lot of pace, he lacks the brains to ever be an outstanding quarterback. He often panics and makes bad decisions. While Moore might not even make this Lion team, Stafford is still the golden child. Life isn't fair. Moore has never had a real chance to show his stuff and possibly might never be given the chance. Any way you cut it, in this last game, Stafford was horrible. Both of the backup quarterbacks looked like they would give the Lions a better chance of winning more games.

[cool breeze]

@Seb - I like what you said! If SVG can convince Monroe to sign, even a 2 year deal, and promise to attempt to trade him ASAP, that would be a huge win for SVG the GM. The QO is an epic fail, IMO!

@Wise - You said, "Jennings and Meeks isn't the next Chauncey and Rip or Zeke and Joe", which is so true! However Dinwiddie and KCP would have the best opportunity since we dreamed that the combo of Stuckey & Afflalo would be our next great guard duo!

IMO, you're 100% right! We can keep dreaming about Drummond, but our history(and the Bulls) has shown that great guard play makes even serviceable bigs a lot better, and good bigs great! So let's hope Dinwiddie heals soon and Jennings gets religion

@Don - You're combining things that you shouldn't! First, you need to judge SVG as a GM, then as a coach! Also, you can't cut him slack as coach if he screws himself up as GM!

BTW, why do we need to wait 2 years to judge him? Shouldn't we look for positive signs of progress, or do you assume that what he did this offseason was bad already?

If Joe was mandated to make the playoffs, and Gores knew who was on the team, even said they were under performing, then why wouldn't SVG be expected to make the playoffs?

In short I don't want to lower expectations, and I don't think SVG wants that either, I believe he can field a competitive team and we will be better, possibly a lot better! I believe that Bynum will either get almost no minutes, or will be moved. This is likely Jennings & Augustin's team PG wise initially, Bynum is injury insurance at best!

Oracle I have talked to several Piston fans lately who are pissed off that SVG hasn't made wholesale changes in the roster. They are all former basketball players themselves and are still irritated with many of the Piston players who clearly faked playing at least 30% of the games last year. They want them gone from Piston Land and never want to watch them again. My point in writing my post was to respond to those fans who want the impossible from our new GM/coach. The media primed by Joe Dumars had previously created a lot of hype that his players were much better than they really turned out to be. Ben Gordon couldn't be moved without giving up a very important number one pick in this strong draft. Charlie V has been identified throughout the league as a slacker and a guy nobody should add to their team even for the league minimum salary. Yet the press often quoted Charlie V after games as if his view of things was worth telling the world. Then comes the mystery of Rodney Stuckey who Dumars was so worried might sign with another team before Joe gave him that 8.5 mil contract. Now he is playing for the league minimum this season. It seems that for the past 6 years management has build up false hopes for fans to sucker them into buying season tickets while signing some of the worst players in the league. Fans want to believe what is being written by the press and quotes from a highly respected former player/President. Enter SVG who now has to try to make sense of the roster he inherited. Fans now expect a lot just like they expected miracles from 4 former coaching staffs. While you believe that a great coach can change any player, I don't especially at the NBA level. In the end, a great coach can really help a great NBA player but they can't create something out of nothing because the quality of the players supreme. NBA players who continually lose games know that the reason they are getting their butts kicked has nothing to do with a coaching staff. Those players just have too many flaws in their game and really good NBA players will always identify those flaws and create a game plan around the flaws. For instance, notice that many NBA teams backed off from Josh Smith last year and crossed their fingers that he would launch a long range bomb instead of posting up in the paint? It happened over and over in most games last year. Smith never wised up and kept making a fool of himself.

So I say SVG is very limited with this team as a GM and as a coach. He can't trade some of the players that need to be traded for the same reason that Dumars couldn't make a any trade for Charlie V and only one bogus trade involving Ben Gordon. Now we have Monroe who has been way over rated by Piston media. Monroe knows that he can't defend anyone in the NBA and so do all the GMs in the league. The only thing Monroe has going for himself is the fact that there are many other big men who can't play defense well either. As for me, if we lose Greg Monroe and get nothing, I will not be upset. The team has lost big with this guy. He did workout more last summer trying to lose some weight to try his luck playing power forward but that didn't work well at all because he is a much worse defender of power forwards than centers. If you really want to make an impact in the NBA in today's game, you cannot have a lot of flaws in your game. Coaches cannot be as effective in changing NBA players as they can be with high school and college players. Therefore, I am tired of placing blame on Piston coaches when our team has a losing season. I can't blame the players either. They are trying hard at times but they are just never going to be good enough to beat players who are really good players. The NBA is the highest level there is in basketball. This Piston roster is full of players who have several flaws or limited development of their God given abilities. One of the biggest flaws many of our current players have a most of our players last season had was the huge flaw of not being a person who can create good team chemistry by themselves. They need somebody else to create a climate of harmony on the court. Only certain personalities are capable of pulling that off but in the NBA there are actually many who have it. They have to be not only fantastic players themselves but also need to be unselfish and really care about their teammates and be pull for their success. All of the great ones have this trait. Smith is the best player on this Piston team but he doesn't have that beautiful gift. Labron James has it. Zeke had it along with others on his team.

Give SVG time to create his own team with his own players. Our previous coaches didn't have that chance. Now SVG has the duel role and he might be able to get it done because of that. But not with this group.

[Sebastian]

I'm with you, Oracle, Dre's selection to the World Cup team can be great or it could not, but as a Pistons fan, of course I'm hoping that Dre's contribution to the Team's success is heavily pronounced.

You got to think that Dre made the squad, because he has a pair of fabulous hands and he can change ends, quickly. Oh, and he will dunk on anybody. But, with the ability to take the ball off of the rim, Coach K had to make a roster spot for Dre.

Now, if Dre has a successful run with the Team, Moose will surely then not sign a Qualifying Offer.

If Dre returns to Detroit as a World Champion and he has significant moments along the journey, Moose will not sign the QO. If he does, he will forever mark the ceiling of his per year earning to roughly $6 million per year. A back-up Center's salary is obviously much less than a starter's salary.

Now, I hope like hell that Dre doesn't get hurt seriously or at all even, but if Dre suffers an unfortunate, season ending injury, then Moose can become a rich man.

Note: I would like for Dre to ballout and be able to get off of his feet before camp starts in Oct. 1. These World Games run through Sept. 14 and then the players have to regain their biological clocks from mid-September until the start of fall.

But, WE will see if Moose will put his money where his mouth is and sign a QO or will SVG come up with a S/T that Moose, David Falk, and the team(s) that would be involved would approve of, or if SVG pulls another trade involving other members on the roster while resigning and keeping Moose.

The count down is on, as the suspense thickens!

[Oracle]

Congrats Andre, just be safe!!!

[Oracle]

Pussy???

It appears that that happened to two guys we know well...

Jason Kidd and Jim Jackson
When Toni Braxton sung ‘Un-Break My Heart’ you have to wonder if that was about Jason Kidd and Jim Jackson. Everyone loves a good love triangle, except if it’s going to put a wedge between your team. Well this real life soap opera happened between two guys  that were supposed to bring the Dallas Mavericks back to the promised land. Unfortunately for the Mavs, their energy for making magic wasn’t on the court, it was off of it, trying to win the affections of the same woman. Enter Toni Braxton into the story. It was rumoured that Kidd had a date with Braxton in Atlanta. But when the singer showed up at the hotel, Kidd’s teammate took her out. After the incident, Kidd threw comments out about his teammate being selfish. Makes you wonder if he was talking about ball distribution? - 10 Teammates Fights You Didn’t Know Happened

[Oracle]

What does a team need to win?

1. Any team that shoots well from the perimeter can win! If that team can do it consistently, they will make the playoffs!

2. Any team that shoots well and has bigs that can protect the rim can not only make the playoffs, but has a chance to get out of the first round.

3. Any team that shoots well and has bigs that not only protect the rim, but are offensive threats, can challenge for conference leadership!

Golden State proved that if you can shoot, you're in ANY game, so our chances rise and fall with the guards since our bigs are known brick layers!

[Oracle]

@Seb - I like what you said! If SVG can convince Monroe to sign, even a 2 year deal, and promise to attempt to trade him ASAP, that would be a huge win for SVG the GM. The QO is an epic fail, IMO!

@Wise - You said, "Jennings and Meeks isn't the next Chauncey and Rip or Zeke and Joe", which is so true! However Dinwiddie and KCP would have the best opportunity since we dreamed that the combo of Stuckey & Afflalo would be our next great guard duo!

IMO, you're 100% right! We can keep dreaming about Drummond, but our history(and the Bulls) has shown that great guard play makes even serviceable bigs a lot better, and good bigs great! So let's hope Dinwiddie heals soon and Jennings gets religion

@Don - You're combining things that you shouldn't! First, you need to judge SVG as a GM, then as a coach! Also, you can't cut him slack as coach if he screws himself up as GM!

BTW, why do we need to wait 2 years to judge him? Shouldn't we look for positive signs of progress, or do you assume that what he did this offseason was bad already?

If Joe was mandated to make the playoffs, and Gores knew who was on the team, even said they were under performing, then why wouldn't SVG be expected to make the playoffs?

In short I don't want to lower expectations, and I don't think SVG wants that either, I believe he can field a competitive team and we will be better, possibly a lot better! I believe that Bynum will either get almost no minutes, or will be moved. This is likely Jennings & Augustin's team PG wise initially, Bynum is injury insurance at best!

[cool breeze]

It is not possible to judge SVG isn't it Piston fans??? Joe Dumars is still being judged by many true blue Detroit basketball experts. After all, it has been Dumars signees who have been impossible to trade so far. If SVG believes that we have no real leader on the team and big men who do not fit well together, then he is not alone. Trying to get other teams interested in a sign and trade with either Monroe or Smith has failed. That is not Stan's fault. Figuring out how to work a lineup with one player (Monroe) who doesn't want to play for Detroit will not be easy. Detroit still has two small guards in Jennings and Bynum who are among the worst defenders in the league while wanting to be a one man show on offense. What coach would look forward to coaching this mess? As I see it, SVG should have zero pressure for two years based on how Dumars has screwed up with works. Did I mention that somehow, previous management and our current owner managed to screw the team out of a number one draft pick in a strong draft?? We shouldn't forget that blunder moving forward just as we should never forget the Darko pick. Good luck Stan. I fee for you. It will not be easy to coach a bunch of players who faked playing basketball for an entire season last year. I do not include Drummond, Singler or KCP in that group.

[WTF]

I don't have a problem with the roster as is short of getting a proven SF but then I'm not all that down on that at the moment because Singler could be proven to be as serviceable as Prince was during his time. Like I said most of us was predicting a well above .500 season last year and I don't see much cause to feel differently about them this season even though last season was a disaster.

Drummond is a work in progress still but has improved but by no means is he go to material from an offensive stand point. If we can continue to get 13 and 13 and he becomes a better rim protector then I'm okay.

Josh Smith is a solid period, and if used properly can be an All Star for us. I'm not concerned about Josh jacking up 3's and highly doubt we'll see a repeat of last season. What were likely to see is that Josh we saw putting up 30 more and he likely can be that 20-10 PF everyone wants and I think SVG can get Josh back playing as he did in 2009 and 2010.

Kyle Singler, has the potential to produce the same offensive numbers Prince provided the team. No he's not as athletically gifted and Prince and not the same defender. I would start Singler at SF until he gets it right and comfortable with Butler coming off the bench or getting starter minutes if need be

Jodie Meeks, while I like his numbers I'm not fully sold that he's actually a shooter and think he just may be a score who happens to have respectable FG% numbers from long range. Something says he's a scorer much in the way KCP is and will require a green oppose to a set play to be effective most times.

Jennings, we know he has the ability to put up huge numbers, we know when focus he can run a team. This would be SVG biggest challenge and he may have already made first big step in signing Augustin to push him into playing more consistently.

I'm okay with this being our starter for next season and though Jennings and Meeks isn't the next Chauncey and Rip or Zeke and Joe but they should be the ones that carry this team to whatever success they'll have. It always been that way and it should change that our guards lead us so if everyone else do what their suppose to do and play hard and smart good things can happen.

[Sebastian]

It's too early to tell, but he isn't getting off to a good start, and we can only pray that he comes close to the start Dumars did!

What went wrong? SVG made a CRITICAL error right out of the gate that has basically destroyed our best chance to compete next season... he focused on Monroe to the exclusion of common sense.

He either totally misread Monroe, didn't listen to him or both! Either way, he let a rookie RFA bend him over and put him into a very bad situation(and the franchise), while claiming that he had every case covered!

Because of this early mistake, SVG mismanaged his available spending cash, and gave us the time wasting and silly attempt to sign Thomas of the Kings.

This is a really bad start from the perspective of being a GM, and a GM who put his coach in a bad position, which is what combining the two jobs was supposed to prevent!

Hit him hard, Oracle. Tell it homes. I still believe that SVG has made only one single, good player acquisition, to date. The B. J. Augustin signing was a very good signing. B.J. had a very respectable first couple of seasons with the Bobcats, when he found a way to be productive while playing alongside Raymond Felton on the floor together a lot of minutes. His career hit the floor, while with the Pacers, but resurrected last season while saving the Bulls' season. B.J. Augustin makes for a decent choice to a true starting PG. But the jury is on a undetermined sabbatical on whether B. Jennings can play a 48-minute NBA game with total concentration and effort.

F@ckin' Jodie Meeks could have been signed any time after August 1st. And, he better not start F@ckin' Jodie Meeks over KCP!

The Caron Butler signing was just straight dumb. SVG could have gotten a player like Mike Scott (RFA - Hawks) for that price. By the way, Mike Scott is still unsigned.  

Cartier Martin could have been signed, yesterday. And, Aaron Gray could have been given a 10-day contract during any ten day period of the season. Heck he could have earned 4-set 10-day package contract.

The move that SVG makes involving Moose will directly affect his ability to continue his successful seasons as a Head Coach.

SVG, still has one more gangster move that he can pull. His next move must truly be a GM Pimp move, if it is a move that is on the level of the aforementioned questionable signings, then SVG will struggle mightily as a Head Coach of OUR Pistons and the Palace is going to be an even more vacant structure during Home games.

I have personally researched and promoted each the following trade proposals, in no particular order as I see each one smart decisions:

1- Sign Moose to a contract of reasonable proportions: $48 million/4 years, while putting David Falk to work at arranging a S/T with the Suns. Falk's client is a Center and the Phoenix Suns need a starting caliber center to truly compete in the West. In return, WE get Goran Dragic and my boy, T.J. Warren. I am sure that the Pacers will gladly take Jennings off OUR hands, now that their offense is pretty much going to putrid without Paul George and Lance Stephenson. My boy, Stuckey is good, but he and that damn good.

2- If Moose wants to sign the QO, then force him to sign, now before the 23rd. SVG can be a GM Pimp, if he intercepts the Anthony Bennett to Philly part of the proposed Kevin Love trade. SVG needs to convince Moose to agree to be traded to the Cavs, because the Cavs are expected to be a title contender. Moose would have to believe that his NBA days would be easier, while playing with the great, Lebron James. WE could play Bennett and Josh, together. Josh could play closer to the basket, when on offense and Bennett can start his offensive game from the perimeter. Bennett can shoot the long ball, he can put the ball on the floor. He can post; rebound. This kid can become way better than what folks think.

3- Sign Moose to a contract of reasonable proportions: $48/4 years and convince Danny Ainge that Josh, T. Mitch, and Linguine for Jeff Green and Jared Sulllinger. Josh Smith added to the Celtics defensive core of Rondo, Gerald Wallace, Bradley, and Smart would be a pretty good defensive team. Rondo would probably resign with the Celtics with the chance to play at least two additional seasons with Smith. Acquiring Green and plugging him in as the starting SF would probably make Moose a more engaged and better player. One thing that Moose has over Josh is that he (Moose) has a cerebral approach and understanding that could possible be sharpened with Jeff Green added to the roster. Sullinger would be an excellent option off the bench at the PF position. And, OUR Center rotation of Dre Drummond and Moose would be superior in the League.

SVG can't afford to be the bitch, any longer. He must be the Pimp!

[deusXango]

Oracle, if memory serves me correctly, Joe spent his first year as GM doing nothing but, learning how to make excuses for doing nothing ("I'm going to watch Rick Sund and see how things are done." Rick Sund hadn't done a damn thing worth mentioning, that's why Joe was being given a chance!). SVG is at least trying to be cautiously proactive and hasn't wasted any money as yet....I don't think Meeks was over-paid, for the record.

If Monroe is signed for the Q.O. or to a max contract today, how much better in the win/loss column will the Pistons be? Those 15 points and 9 rebounds in the frame work of a team as putrid as we were last year can be very misleading (mediocre offense for a guy 6' 11" and no defense) and we may be better off without him; no one talks about replacing him with a SF that gives us 12 and 6 that plays defense may be a much better fit! Singler? SVG hasn't caved in to unreasonable contract demands and that suggests to me he is prepared for the foolishness of the present.

I must admit that Thomas fiasco was a dumb move IMHO. Other than that, I'm impressed with all that SVG has done in the short period he's had to get things done; let's wait and see what results come from this.

[WTF]

Labron James mentions one of his high school games against Oak Hill Academy in his Jr. year. The game was played on the same day as the NBA All Star game. Labron's says that most NBA teams had GMs and scouts in the stands to see the two best high school players at the time. Those two players were wildly known as James and Anthony. GMs were all trying to figure out how to get one of the two top draft choices to get one of those players on their team. Labron scored two more points than Anthony in that game and was MVP but Anthony's team won the game which was a really big thing. Of course in the wings was Dwane Wade who was widely known by college coaches two years later to be one of the top three players in the game. So please someone explain why Joe Dumars and his amazing staff of experts decided to pick the unknown Darko who had never been a key player on any team in his entire life. Many people who were in touch with the top high school teams during this horrible draft by the Pistons felt that Darko couldn't have made the starting lineup on any of the top 5 high school teams in the country at the time. But Joe Dumars selected Darko as the overall 2nd pick in the draft. Other GMs had created this smoke and mirrors idea that Darko was some once in a lifetime player. It is clear that Joe Dumars and his staff didn't do a lick of real work to determine the truth about Darko. Thus, our Piston team has felt this mistake for many years. How many championships could Detroit have won if we had had a different GM at the time of this draft?????????????

Yes...several months ago, Wise went through a very detailed scenario of how the Pistons and Carmelo Anthony probably could have won anywhere from 2-6 NBA Championships had Joe made the obvious choice of taking Melo at #2 in the 2003 draft, instead of Darko.  And that Melo should be more pissed than anyone else that Joe ruined his chance at NBA immortality.

That said, Pistons fans should be pretty pissed themselves.

Sadly Murph everyone was too busy celebrating 2004 and 2005 seasons that spent the next 9 seasons making excuses for his ass and living in past glory of those 2 seasons. It was easy to see that those teams even in the midst of back to back final appearances were far from perfect. I'll say it again that I can imagine Carmelo sitting quietly even today and saying what the f@ck just happen when Joe selected Darko because he knows what the possibilities would've been for himself and the team had Joe selected him.

Yes Don Joe did the team a great injustice selecting Darko and it should go down as the dumbest thing in NBA history, Portland can make a real case for taking Bowie over Jordan, Portland can even make a case of Oden over Durant, MJ can make a case fro taking Kwame #1. but Joe can never justify the selection of Darko over Wade, Bosh, and Melo ever in my lifetime and any other life time.

[WTF]

It's too early to tell, but he isn't getting off to a good start, and we can only pray that he comes close to the start Dumars did!

What went wrong? SVG made a CRITICAL error right out of the gate that has basically destroyed our best chance to compete next season... he focused on Monroe to the exclusion of common sense.

He either totally misread Monroe, didn't listen to him or both! Either way, he let a rookie RFA bend him over and put him into a very bad situation(and the franchise), while claiming that he had every case covered!

Because of this early mistake, SVG mismanaged his available spending cash, and gave us the time wasting and silly attempt to sign Thomas of the Kings.

This is a really bad start from the perspective of being a GM, and a GM who put his coach in a bad position, which is what combining the two jobs was supposed to prevent!

I had to think about this closely before commenting and I agree to start SVG made a couple of bonehead mistakes concerning Monroe and this made me think about Joe coming out of the gate after 1 year removed playing with Grant Hill. I think two advantage Joe had that SVG seem to be missing is that with Grant Hill is Joe already knew the intention of Hill and also had the benefit of an offer being made and agreed upon by Hill and Orlando so all it was to do was consider a sign and trade.

SVG screwed up with his initial ass kissing fest of Monroe without fully assessing the situation, I think time was his biggest enemy so he immediately went into Phase II as his back up and mismanaged his time. IMO SVG had already made up his mind that Monroe wasn't the fit he was looking for but felt pressured to address the Monroe situation and cover his ass at the same time. I do believe that SVG has all his I's dotted and T's crossed moving forward and think the only thing he didn't get right was the timing on this situation which now gives the impression that it's all jacked up. I think his thought were he would have had this resolved weeks ago.

I still like a lot of what SVG has done to date with the signings of Meeks, Augustin and Butler. As much as I think Monroe over values himself I think SVG made the mistake over valuing him as well and if a lot of the rumor deals were on the table he should have jumped on them especially if the initial rumors with Portland (Batum) and New Orleans (Ryan Anderson) had any chance.

[Oracle]

It's too early to tell, but he isn't getting off to a good start, and we can only pray that he comes close to the start Dumars did!

What went wrong? SVG made a CRITICAL error right out of the gate that has basically destroyed our best chance to compete next season... he focused on Monroe to the exclusion of common sense.

He either totally misread Monroe, didn't listen to him or both! Either way, he let a rookie RFA bend him over and put him into a very bad situation(and the franchise), while claiming that he had every case covered!

Because of this early mistake, SVG mismanaged his available spending cash, and gave us the time wasting and silly attempt to sign Thomas of the Kings.

This is a really bad start from the perspective of being a GM, and a GM who put his coach in a bad position, which is what combining the two jobs was supposed to prevent!

[Murph]

Labron James mentions one of his high school games against Oak Hill Academy in his Jr. year. The game was played on the same day as the NBA All Star game. Labron's says that most NBA teams had GMs and scouts in the stands to see the two best high school players at the time. Those two players were wildly known as James and Anthony. GMs were all trying to figure out how to get one of the two top draft choices to get one of those players on their team. Labron scored two more points than Anthony in that game and was MVP but Anthony's team won the game which was a really big thing. Of course in the wings was Dwane Wade who was widely known by college coaches two years later to be one of the top three players in the game. So please someone explain why Joe Dumars and his amazing staff of experts decided to pick the unknown Darko who had never been a key player on any team in his entire life. Many people who were in touch with the top high school teams during this horrible draft by the Pistons felt that Darko couldn't have made the starting lineup on any of the top 5 high school teams in the country at the time. But Joe Dumars selected Darko as the overall 2nd pick in the draft. Other GMs had created this smoke and mirrors idea that Darko was some once in a lifetime player. It is clear that Joe Dumars and his staff didn't do a lick of real work to determine the truth about Darko. Thus, our Piston team has felt this mistake for many years. How many championships could Detroit have won if we had had a different GM at the time of this draft?????????????

Yes...several months ago, Wise went through a very detailed scenario of how the Pistons and Carmelo Anthony probably could have won anywhere from 2-6 NBA Championships had Joe made the obvious choice of taking Melo at #2 in the 2003 draft, instead of Darko.  And that Melo should be more pissed than anyone else that Joe ruined his chance at NBA immortality.

That said, Pistons fans should be pretty pissed themselves.

[cool breeze]

Labron James mentions one of his high school games against Oak Hill Academy in his Jr. year. The game was played on the same day as the NBA All Star game. Labron's says that most NBA teams had GMs and scouts in the stands to see the two best high school players at the time. Those two players were wildly known as James and Anthony. GMs were all trying to figure out how to get one of the two top draft choices to get one of those players on their team. Labron scored two more points than Anthony in that game and was MVP but Anthony's team won the game which was a really big thing. Of course in the wings was Dwane Wade who was widely known by college coaches two years later to be one of the top three players in the game. So please someone explain why Joe Dumars and his amazing staff of experts decided to pick the unknown Darko who had never been a key player on any team in his entire life. Many people who were in touch with the top high school teams during this horrible draft by the Pistons felt that Darko couldn't have made the starting lineup on any of the top 5 high school teams in the country at the time. But Joe Dumars selected Darko as the overall 2nd pick in the draft. Other GMs had created this smoke and mirrors idea that Darko was some once in a lifetime player. It is clear that Joe Dumars and his staff didn't do a lick of real work to determine the truth about Darko. Thus, our Piston team has felt this mistake for many years. How many championships could Detroit have won if we had had a different GM at the time of this draft?????????????

[Oracle]

 Keith_Langlois
   
Grant Hill, after an @AndreDrummondd lob dunk, making him 6 of 7: "Stan Van Gundy is somewhere right now licking his chops."

NBA.com ‏@NBAcom 1h
Andre Drummond soars for a huge, one-handed alley-oop from DeMar DeRozan: http://on.nba.com/1nbWonJ  #USABasketball pic.twitter.com/1uPL8flIB8

[Oracle]

[cool breeze]

What agent Jeff Schwartz is telling his client  Charlie Villanueva and the translation of what he really means.

Schwartz: It needs to be a team where Charlie is going to play.
Translation: So that definitely rules out the NBA.

Schwartz: Be patient and have trust.
Translation: Quit sending me freakin' text messages every five minutes.  Quit busting my balls.

Schwartz: Anticipating early September for team meetings.
Translation: Anticipation and reality are two completely different concepts.  So don't hold your breath or your bubble will burst.

Schwartz: Doesn't know where yet, but knows Charlie will be on a team.
Translation: I hear the Ukraine is really lovely during the winter.

As PT Barnum once said there is a sucker born every minute. maybe Joe Dumars never had the opportunity to go to the circus. And it is still amazing that there are still some Piston fans who believe that the coaches didn't use Charlie the right way. The classic statement will stay with me for a long time. Charlie to the press---Our losing has nothing to do with our talent. Within the non fiction book "Shooting Stars" Labron says that his 8th grade team played over 80 games that season and Labron blamed himself when his team lost their final game. James has never used "the coach" as an excuse for stinking it up on the hardwood. Where our hip hop point guard, Brandon Jennings, believes that Kobe is the best player of all time, I know it will be Labron James. And it is interesting that Jennings would idolize Bryant, who has not only a checkered past in hotel rooms but also is not too popular with his past teammates. James always builds up his teammates and knows the greatest feeling a basketball player can ever have is when he makes his teammates better. James is a fantastic role model for kids and adults alike. And he has returned home to his roots where his old buddies who he played with since the 5th grade live. Why is it that few of our high profile NBA players who played ball in Michigan never wanted to come back and help the Pistons? Cleveland fans sure are lucky. Meanwhile players on our Piston team seem to be unable to bond as teammates. They are pros without the good stuff that Labron James has in his heart. Labron had more upstairs in the 8th grade than Charlie V had when he made that stupid statement.

[Fennis Dembo]

What agent Jeff Schwartz is telling his client Charlie Villanueva and the translation of what he really means.

Schwartz: It needs to be a team where Charlie is going to play.
Translation: So that definitely rules out the NBA.

Schwartz: Be patient and have trust.
Translation: Quit sending me freakin' text messages every five minutes. Quit busting my balls.

Schwartz: Anticipating early September for team meetings.
Translation: Anticipation and reality are two completely different concepts. So don't hold your breath or your bubble will burst.

Schwartz: Doesn't know where yet, but knows Charlie will be on a team.
Translation: I hear the Ukraine is really lovely during the winter.

[WTF]

If Greg Monroe is all that, what was the common denominator that prevented the deals from going through? I know, I know, put that sh!t on SVG or Gores. According to the rules of the CBA, monies tied up in RFA offers is only for 3 days...72 hours! If someone wanted Monroe bad enough to pay him max money, wouldn't they be willing to wait 72 hours to find out if there efforts paid off? I think it's bull sh!t that anyone was willing to pay Moose a max contract and apparently no one was willing to part with a decent trade package either. All that's going to change by next year, right? Here's why I think there's been a reluctance to deal with Monroe;

"Regardless of the reported specific situations, Falk and Monroe have clearly looked into getting the power forward out of Detroit. He doesn't fit next to Josh Smith and Andre Drummond is unlikely to be the odd man out. The Pistons risk losing Monroe in a year for nothing, and it could be hard to move him with his impending unrestricted free agency restricting the return Detroit gets in a deal."-A CBS Sports Dumb Ass Reporter

Power Forward? Power Forward??!! What GM is willing to pay Monroe max dollars to come play PF for them? Can you imagine how disrupted that would be to a contending team if he came in to play PF? The Thunder was mentioned; Monroe for Ibaka straight up. How long would Durant be in OKC after that deal was consummated? How long do you think it'd take before Westbrook lost his mind? I don't think Falk is taking Monroe's negotiations seriously, that or he doesn't take Monroe seriously. At this point, Falk should be working with SVG on a deal that they both can live with and working on his client to return to Detroit, where his bread is buttered.

DX. most of the yakking concerning Monroe is coming from a bunch of local rags and I really do have a great load of respect for the folks over at Mlive but no one has nothing to offer as to what's really going on. These stories all read like the original when your reading on the local rags and team web sites PP and so on to this date only SI.com was willing to address the elephant in the room concerning Monroe real value to any team including ours.

As I said it's only the local fans that gets it bridges all in knot over this clown because they consistently and insistently over value him and the local rags follow this thinking to appease to readers oppose to reporting on the fact you stated concerning his real worth. I'm sick and tired of the insistence that he's a PF and better it at the position than Josh is currently there seem to be no common sense applied in anyone thinking on this. I'm not saying this because I'm a fan of Josh Smith either.

THIS STUFF IS CRAZY Please lets just get this guy gone and out of here.

[deusXango]

If Greg Monroe is all that, what was the common denominator that prevented the deals from going through? I know, I know, put that sh!t on SVG or Gores. According to the rules of the CBA, monies tied up in RFA offers is only for 3 days...72 hours! If someone wanted Monroe bad enough to pay him max money, wouldn't they be willing to wait 72 hours to find out if there efforts paid off? I think it's bull sh!t that anyone was willing to pay Moose a max contract and apparently no one was willing to part with a decent trade package either. All that's going to change by next year, right? Here's why I think there's been a reluctance to deal with Monroe;

"Regardless of the reported specific situations, Falk and Monroe have clearly looked into getting the power forward out of Detroit. He doesn't fit next to Josh Smith and Andre Drummond is unlikely to be the odd man out. The Pistons risk losing Monroe in a year for nothing, and it could be hard to move him with his impending unrestricted free agency restricting the return Detroit gets in a deal."-A CBS Sports Dumb Ass Reporter

Power Forward? Power Forward??!! What GM is willing to pay Monroe max dollars to come play PF for them? Can you imagine how disrupted that would be to a contending team if he came in to play PF? The Thunder was mentioned; Monroe for Ibaka straight up. How long would Durant be in OKC after that deal was consummated? How long do you think it'd take before Westbrook lost his mind? I don't think Falk is taking Monroe's negotiations seriously, that or he doesn't take Monroe seriously. At this point, Falk should be working with SVG on a deal that they both can live with and working on his client to return to Detroit, where his bread is buttered.

[Sparma]

Thanks. But it's all true! You can't make that stuff up.

[deusXango]

Thanks for the compliment!

I have an idea on your question about Jennings, but bear with me as I try to make a connection with a Piston.  Jennings partied with Nick Young of the Lakers, who's dating Iggy Azalea.  Iggy performed Problem with Ariana Grande, who in turn co-starred with Jennette McCurdy in Sam & Cat.  As we all know (drum roll!) Andre Drummond hung out with McCurdy for an ill-fated week.  

That's the most direct connection that occurs to me between Jennings and a teammate.

If you kick around in your backyard long enough you're sure to unearth a splinter of a dinosaur bone. Sparma, you've got a special sense of humor that I don't know if many people get but, I appreciate it...you're a funny guy!

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