Amnesty Provision ...

[Sebastian]

Amnesty for this?

BTW, Seb & Wise, this is likely the best career move Josh could ask for!

Yo, Oracle, the Amnesty Provision was only available for teams, who had signed players prior to the 2011 CBA and that player was still a member of the team, which signed him.

This move will live with OUR Pistons through the 2020 season. It is like having a Mid-Level Exception player signed, but he want be on the roster through 2020. Yes, hindsight is indeed 20/20.

Another dumb move by Tom Gores and GM Stan!

[WTF]

Amnesty for this?

BTW, Seb & Wise, this is likely the best career move Josh could ask for!

Oracle I'm really excited for Josh and hopefully he lands with a serious contender he didn't need to be here. I look at it like the Sheed deal and him landing here and getting a chance when with us and be on a contending team. Josh has talent and just need to be on the right team where he can shine.

Just think this was a dumb way to handle this even though I think we need to tear this squad up.

[Oracle]

Amnesty for this?

BTW, Seb & Wise, this is likely the best career move Josh could ask for!

[WTF]

Is excited for Josh Smith and please as a fan, as a fan of the team how **** stupid to just buy him out and get absolutely nothing in return. Josh will end up with a contender and I'm happy for him hopefully Cavs. Miami, on the East and looks like Clipper, Rockets, Kings, Portland are all ready to jump on him as well.

What make this silly is that in addition to likely losing Josh for nothing is that the team will likely lose Moose for nothing as well. I'm all for tearing the team apart but we should be at least getting picks back in return if not players.

[cool breeze]

The best thing about this news of the release of Josh Smith is the fact that our Pistons might now draft a future All Star player in this next draft. With Smith, perhaps our record might be a bit better. Now if Van Gundy removes Jennings from the team, we might get to see more of Dinwiddie, Jerebco, and perhaps a promising D leaguer. I am much more excited about this team now than I was before this news broke. My biggest worry now is the possibility that the Pistons might start winning a lot more games. I recall the last two weeks of last season on how Detroit suddenly looked like they were having fun playing ball and actually won a lot of games with Smith on the bench. However, Jennings was also on the bench with Will Bynum. So this team might keep losing with Jennings leading the show which is what I want. I just want to see Piston players prepared to play and to give a great effort. I am not upset losing a tight game like last night. That game was exciting after the first quarter ended. Think positive and have faith Piston fans.

[Phil-Good]

Your next B.Jennings. So pack your bags and get ready to hit the road. You just move to the front of the sacrifice line.

Good luck on wherever you land buddy...

[cool breeze]

I just finished watching the last half of the Nets game. I was going to again provide all the reasons why Josh Smith is a liability playing in crunch time. He jacked up that 3 ball with no hesitation knowing he is only shooting around 200% in a close game with lots of time left in the shot clock. My guess that might have been all Stan Van Gundy could tolerate. But maybe it was the missed free throws that were not even close at the end. I was going to state why Josh misses so many free throws. If he reads this perhaps he might work on the free throw with all his free time this winter. If you have long arms and have trouble controlling the direction and loft of your free throw shot, why make it harder than you need to? Last season Josh stood about one foot in back of the free throw line. This season he is bouncing the ball two times and then centering the ball around his hip area before lifting his arms in a gigantic motion before releasing the shot. Why not dribble twice while looking at the basket, then place your shooting hand behind the ball while your off hand loosely touches the side of the ball. His arms should be placed forward slightly above his head and he should release the ball with his shooting hand using mostly wrist and hand movement - not arm movement. With long arms, by making this extreme motion, you have almost no feel for the free throw shot and will shoot at below 50% most of the time. In all those years as a pro, where have his coaches been? What do the NBA coaches do? Are they afraid to approach players like Josh Smith to offer any suggestions? No player that I ever coached shot below 70%. We have pro players who get to play basketball for a living shooting the ball like idiots. Notice Drummond is forming his own style at the line that involves a simple motion. Soon he will be shooting the free throw well. He will not end up like Josh Smith having zero confidence at the free throw line. Missing should have humbled Smith but it must be that he is not a very coachable person.

My opinion on this release of our highest paid player is neutral. I am not in the locker room or traveling with the team to those away games. I do not hear the comments players make or the relationships they form with each other. I do not know how the interaction went between Smith and the coaching staff. I have not attended any practices. I did not have the opportunity to hear the coach give the players instructions relating to the game plan before each game. And I have no knowledge as to what Josh Smith does off the court in his personal life or how he prepares for games. The devil is in the details. Smith is a powerful athletic human being who played hard much of the time. But being the highest paid player on the team, he did not set a really good example relating to good decision making on the court when it mattered. Maybe it was the quality of the other players around him, but based on the entire experience with Josh Smith, I don't believe he was worth one quarter of the contract that he received. Did he give enough good things to earn even 5 million per season? Stan Van Gundy has been in the trenches and knows everything I stated that I don't know. He didn't have to give up a first round pick which is what our former idiot GM would have suggested to Tom Gores. The release won't hurt the organization moving forward relating to cap space. My big question now is what is going to happen to Greg Monroe? Monroe and Drummond are pals. Will we be seeing Monroe next season or is Stan about to make a trade? I am now feeling much better about Stan Van Gundy. Something had to be done. I only wish that somehow he could move Brandon Jennings. But now that Smith is gone, maybe Jennings will change his style. If not, then I am sure Jennings will be history before long.

[Sebastian]

Vincent Goodwill  @vgoodwill
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The stretch provision allows Smith's $25+ million to be "stretched" over twice the years of his contract, plus one year

Vincent Goodwill  @vgoodwill
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The #Pistons will have a $5.4 million cap hit over the next 5 seasons due to Smith's remaining $27 million

With a GM like this, we're going out of the association back door bleeding from the ass!

Seb, Sissy, Somebody explain to me how in the world this makes any sense?

SVG says the focus will be on the youth, but that means Dinwiddie, but what about JJ, it would also seem that his minutes should shoot through the roof, and possibly Datome might squeeze out 5 minutes a game!

SVG has blown so many opportunities in such a short time.
1. Failed to follow up and get Isiah Thomas from the Kings
2. Failed to trade Josh to the Kings
3. Failed to sign Monroe or trade him... DUMB
4. Making Meeks the top FA for this team... DUMB
5. Signing a heart attack victim... Grey

Yes, there were other assorted dumb things, but wow, how do you eff up this badly right out of the gate?


And on top of all that, his coaching is more than suspect!!!

Gores is a total FOOL!!!

I was never a member of the Josh Smith Fan Club. Somehow, I never got around to paying my membership dues.

But, I also was never in the 'Let's Get Rid of Josh Smith for Nothing Camp".

Oracle, this is a dumb ass move, no matter how you slice it. Although, it appears that every comment on the topic posted at ESPN, mlive, and RealGM thinks that this was a genius move by Gores and GM Stan?

Well, it is not a smart move.

First off, Josh Smith was not the reason why the L's have been mounting. Secondly, waiving Josh doesn't all of sudden improve OUR chances to win or increase the playing time of OUR youth. The only young guys on OUR roster that are not receiving adequate playing time are arguably, Dinwiddie and T. Mitch. Last time I checked, Spencer Dinwiddie is not a PF or even a SF and T. Mitch may not be able to play basketball on a professional-level. So, Stan can take that weak ass reason and stuff it up his ass.

If you thought the Ben G. trade for Corey Maggette was dumb, then this has to be classified, likewise.

Why waive Josh Smith and not receive a warm body or bodies in return, but rather pay him to play on another team for the next 4-5 years, while OUR salary cap takes a $5.4 million hit for each of the next 4-5 hears.

I'm telling you Pistons Pals: Gores will sell OUR Pistons to the Seattle group sometime during the summer of 2016 or 2017. It is coming.

[Oracle]

Vincent Goodwill  @vgoodwill
Follow
The stretch provision allows Smith's $25+ million to be "stretched" over twice the years of his contract, plus one year

Vincent Goodwill  @vgoodwill
Follow
The #Pistons will have a $5.4 million cap hit over the next 5 seasons due to Smith's remaining $27 million

With a GM like this, we're going out of the association back door bleeding from the ass!

Seb, Sissy, Somebody explain to me how in the world this makes any sense?

SVG says the focus will be on the youth, but that means Dinwiddie, but what about JJ, it would also seem that his minutes should shoot through the roof, and possibly Datome might squeeze out 5 minutes a game!

SVG has blown so many opportunities in such a short time.
1. Failed to follow up and get Isiah Thomas from the Kings
2. Failed to trade Josh to the Kings
3. Failed to sign Monroe or trade him... DUMB
4. Making Meeks the top FA for this team... DUMB
5. Signing a heart attack victim... Grey

Yes, there were other assorted dumb things, but wow, how do you eff up this badly right out of the gate?


And on top of all that, his coaching is more than suspect!!!

Gores is a total FOOL!!!

[Sebastian]

SVG likely did the right thing, as he eliminated a major source of trouble and CRUSHED the Josh Smith fan club of one with a single masterful stroke!

Not sure how the financials work out, especially what that does for our CAP space, but Josh had to go, even if he's only here because SVG is such a piss poor GM!

The Pistons will have to pay the remaining 2 years, plus the remaining 10 million or so for approximately 4-5 years. The Pistons will be on the hook for about $5.4 million over the next 4-5 years, while Josh rebounds, dunks, and block shots for another NBA owner. This was a dumb GM move. And, the lame ass reason for the move, by GM Stan/Head Coach Stan makes no sense either.

Stan says something like: He want to play the youth more. What young player on this roster can now assume to role that Josh was fulfilling? Is Dinwiddie or Tony Mitchell going to take his spot. Hell, these are the only two young guys that are currently on the roster that are not receiving any playing time.

Bottom line: Waiving josh does not make OUR Pistons a better ball club, plain and simple.

[Sissy1946]

[quote="Oracle"]SVG likely did the right thing, as he eliminated a major source of trouble and CRUSHED the Josh Smith fan club of one with a single masterful stroke!

Not sure how the financials work out, especially what that does for our CAP space, but Josh had to go, even if he's only here because SVG is such a piss poor GM![/quote.   SBNation said his contract would be spread out over 5 years with the hit on the cap, depending on if anyone signs him, tough decision but one that had to be made, subtraction is addition for this team.

[Oracle]

SVG likely did the right thing, as he eliminated a major source of trouble and CRUSHED the Josh Smith fan club of one with a single masterful stroke!

Not sure how the financials work out, especially what that does for our CAP space, but Josh had to go, even if he's only here because SVG is such a piss poor GM!

[Sissy1946]

They've finally listened to us, Stan, I love ya Man! I've begged for the three Ball Hogs to be traded or released since last year & they were Wil Bynum, Josh Smith & Brandon Jennings, well I'm singing so far "Two out of three Ain't bad", one more to go but at least we can finally push the reset button now that the two of them are gone.
This is better than the release of Brandon Inge & Ryan Raburn so Happy Day indeed, Ding Dong the Witch is Dead, chemistry is just over the rainbow now & reachable. What a happy change for this team, nobody wanted him so the release was imminent. Thank You Stan Van Gundy.

[Sebastian]

What?!?!

http://www.sbnation.com/nba/2014/12/22/7434377/pistons-release-josh-smith

Why would GM Stan go the route of waiving Josh, while paying his salary over the next 4-5 years? Another bad move by GM Stan. If anyone, he should had waived Jennings, who makes far less. Why in the hell would GM Stan think that it would be smart to pay Josh's salary to play on another owner's team. This is a dumb ass move.

What the hell is Stan Van Gundy doing?!?!?!

[Oracle]

Could the Pistons and Hornets be on the verge of making a big trade?

They both get a new start, and Lance gets to be the man on a loser and hopefully toughens up the perimeter guys. Maybe even kicks Jennings ass and makes him tow the line(hell, I can always dream ).

[Phil-Good]

Let's get this team cleared out and ready for the future.

It's clear that Detroit will not get much for some of these guys so don't get your hopes and dreams up.

Who would have though B.Jennings career would take A death turn? This guy has turn into pure TRASH!!

I never thought B.Jennings would become this worthless!!

Van Gundy can't totally bench Jennings because he is trying to trade him. But I would list Jennings on the DNP coaches decision every night in favor of the 6'6' Dinwiddie kid. If I have to lose, it has to be with guys who go down fighting, tooth and nail.

[Sissy1946]

If you're a Lions or Piston fan, it burns when you pee and hurts like hell sh!tting those bricks!

Lions: Their offense is straight up offensive, and unless the defense damn near shuts out GB, they're going to lose! I seriously don't know who in the playoffs I would have them the favorite over. Their saving grace is that defense, which I can't say for the Pistons! We don't need a great QB, just an accurate steady QB, and that isn't Stafford!

Pistons: SVG is sounding EXACTLY like Joe Dumars(Stan Van Gundy doesn't feel a deal is mandatory for the Pistons)! The interesting part of that article is that they question how almost any deal could make this situation any worse. With Lance Stephenson & Joe Johnson on the block, if anybody would take Josh or Jennings, we should be all over it!

Finally: You bring up the Three Dog Night, and we should have taken their advice(Even though I was 2 years old when they released this in 1970)!!!

That would be a great opening to Van Gundy's Presser: Want some sugar in your water & whiskey in your tea, "what's all these crazy questions your asking me"? You guys know about it as much as me, why do we suck, well probably because I don't play Dinwiddie or play Josh as many minutes as possible, I don't know about you but it seems like every time that Josh & Brandon touch the ball I get ill, knowing they'll lose the ball or shoot up another ridiculous shot with no actual thinking in what they should do on the team aspect of the game.
That right there builds bad chemistry, the fans have had it with them & Van Gundy for doing his "Ground Hog Day" Routine everyday, we see it's not working & he doesn't so we continue to rot as a team. SVG could have prevented most of this, he had the chance to trade Josh, Brandon & to not sign Monroe yet we sit 5-23 & counting. As bad as we are something has to happen sooner than later.
Why Dinwiddie or Datome doesn't get any time with this team being this bad is hard to fathom, one thing is for certain: their next game will have Josh, Brandon & Monroe in it & Spencer & Datome will be on the bench again, etc., etc.= BORING. Talk about going through the motions or not having nothing to look forward to, Stan takes the cake.
I'm sorry but when it comes down to the worst coach in the NBA I've got Stanley Van Loser as my pick hands down, sure he was handed this roster but he could've changed it & still has that chance but does anyone feel he'll do anything to make it better? I surely don't Go Pistons or give me the team for a week & sit back & watch this.

As for the Lions, Stafford is the one in control here, if he comes out of his funk then we'll have a chance but then there's the confidence level in him again, can he do it: Absolutely, will he? If indications of the last two weeks are on the drawing board then I say he'll get Slaughtered both games coming up but if he wakes up & plays to his potential which we all wish he would then the sky's the limit, it would be such a shame if he folds again, when will we ever have another chances Ike this one again, the stars are aligned & I'm pulling for him to wake up & beat those Packers outright & go from there.

[Sebastian]

Stan is delusional. It is not even Christmas and the season for OUR Pistons is already over. You just keep cashing them checks, Stan. Damn!

[cool breeze]

It was like night and day relating to the way Augustin, Monroe, Jerebco, Butler and Meeks played the game of basketball after the starters went to the bench. At one point before Van Gundy brought back some of the starters, Detroit was 10 for 11 shooting. The biggest reason for this was the work of Monroe and Jerebco with their interior defense and Monroe's oustanding work in the paint on offense. However, Augustin made a noticeable change in his style of play from his previous appearances. Some of us have pointed out individual flaws relating to fundamental mistakes being made by certain players. I have picked on Augustin a lot. But it appears that someone is reading our posts. Maybe it is the coaching staff or certain players. But last night in the 2nd quarter, Augustin became a pass first point guard who did not over penetrate. He saw the court well and made some great passes while getting his teammates in proper spots relating to floor spacing. Then Augustin took some high percentage shots where he was wide open and made those shots. Good job DJ!

Detroit's starting unit was pathetic on both ends of the floor. Much of it had to do with Josh Smith and Andre Drummond's inability to play defense or offense effectively. But Jennings was the main person responsible for the collapse. He was not a floor leader and played horrible defense. Jack made a fool of Brandon. You could also say that SIngler sucked but he only touched the ball twice and missed one shot attempt. My main thought when watching the first quarter relating to the shooting guard and small forward positions was that KCP and Singler did move around but it was clear that they didn't feel part of this weird offense that Jennings had created. It looked as if both of those players knew that they were insignificant players even though KCP was a hot shooter at the time when he did get a pass. The offense was dominated by Jennings, Smith and Drummond. And all three of those players were horrible on both offense and defense.

You have to wonder what would happen if Augustin, Monroe, Jerebco, Butler or Singler and KCP started and finished games. Perhaps Smith, Drummond, and Jennings would look better and support the team better by coming off the bench.

If Monroe is traded, Detroit needs to get a big man in return. How about Plumlee? That guy runs the court hard and is fundamentally sound on both ends. But I suspect the Nets do not want to trade him or cannot offer Monroe the contract he is looking for.

The glue type player who has been under the radar for many years is J. Jack. It is only fitting that Joe Dumars never thought of trying to sign him. He had the amazing Rodney Stuckey, Ben Gordon, Austin Daye, Brandon Jennings, Will Bynum - should I go on? I think that Jack is a high character high quality basketball player who a coach never has to worry about not being ready to play the game.

[Oracle]

If you're a Lions or Piston fan, it burns when you pee and hurts like hell sh!tting those bricks!

Lions: Their offense is straight up offensive, and unless the defense damn near shuts out GB, they're going to lose! I seriously don't know who in the playoffs I would have them the favorite over. Their saving grace is that defense, which I can't say for the Pistons! We don't need a great QB, just an accurate steady QB, and that isn't Stafford!

Pistons: SVG is sounding EXACTLY like Joe Dumars(Stan Van Gundy doesn't feel a deal is mandatory for the Pistons)! The interesting part of that article is that they question how almost any deal could make this situation any worse. With Lance Stephenson & Joe Johnson on the block, if anybody would take Josh or Jennings, we should be all over it!

Finally: You bring up the Three Dog Night, and we should have taken their advice(Even though I was 2 years old when they released this in 1970)!!!

[Sissy1946]

I believe that when this team moves to Start Again it will be without Josh Smith, Brandon Jennings & Greg Monroe off this team, all for different reasons. Josh is a stone cold chemistry killer & along with Jennings make them a Double Threat for the Chemistry Busters, if we kept one it would have to be Brandon, Monroe should have never been allowed to happen to this team which there was always a case to brew on this team for mutiny, some players & fans wondering why if he doesn't want to be here then why is he & he's taking spots from others who do want to be here, SVG let this happen, he has had a chance to relieve himself of Josh which should have been done, example last night he got fouled & had two free throws coming which he missed both, everyone knew that would happen especially with Josb's extremely low % average of 47% before the free throws, he also added his subpar 5-16 FG's, we've tried to
Like him but he's the worst fit for this, in all the years I've been a fan. Jennings is a complete Air-Head with a Gunner type attitude who could probably be saved but Josh needs to go immediately
I wish this was all over with this team who is now 5-23 they are not even fun anymore with SVG playing the same players over & over with their low percentages shooting & keeps on running out the same players, as of today SVG leads the NBA as the worst coach in the league & doesn't seem to want to trade anybody which is some sad shat.
As for the Lions they won a few games this year that they lost last year But: after these last two games of playing shameful football I've changed my predictions, they are that the packwrs will destroy them next week with this weak feeble offense, Stafford & Lombardi have got to be the worst combination we've ever seen even though we have a nice record, we got lucky the last two games & we can't play like this at GB but what says they won't? They haven't convinced me & I am a diehard Lions fan, after they lose at GB they will self destruct on the playoffs but this time it will be a team effort, I just don't see them having the stomach to compete with Stafford & Lombardi being both Inconsidtently Inconsistent. I wish I was wrong but will eat crow but I just don't see anything else, Stafford would have to do an about face. A piston & Liobs fan just trying to face reality & wondering van Gundy  when do you start coaching & GM ing? Make the trades, get rid of the excess non shooters. Will they win 10 games this these? By the way Stan how about more Jerebko  will someone give Datome a Freakin' chance or cut him & how about Spencer, he's better than both Jennings & Augustine yet he doesn't play, I know you said that would be taken care of this week but you've said that before. The Three Dog Night say your a "Liar" again.

[Oracle]

DX's loss!

I hope he finds some way to deal with this, it has to be very rough!

[Oracle]

Is a very, very good coach!

He has an excuse, but no one has articulated it, so I will!

Flip's problem that year was that the TEAM was way more famous than the coach, and Billups had more control over that team than Flip did!

But it was Flip that decided to bend over and let them run the show, so if you do that, I don't want to hear you running out of the showers, screaming that they made you do it!

[Oracle]

Q: Should he play the big 3?

A: Hell yeah, that's the ONLY strength of this team, but you have to do it right!

We have 2 bigs that can attack the basket very effectively, and one big that is an effing vacuum cleaner on the offensive boards!

He needs to play the big 3 and run a lot of plays for Josh & Monroe to attack the basket and let Drummond pick up the garbage, using the shooters as relief valves!

Screw all of the 3 point shooting until those moments, the effing team can't shoot on average, so attacking the basket "Like Cheeks Did" is the BEST formula for winning!

On the edges, Please Play JJ a lot more, and although Meeks has been smelling, his movement and the way he works with JJ will eventually pay off!

[Oracle]

Lions in playoffs for first time in three years

We have a SOLID shot at the #2 seed, and a decent shot at the #1 seed, but we need help!

All they have to do is win out over the Bears & Green Bay!

They should be somewhat loose, since they know they're in... GO LIONS!!!

LIONS will beat Green Bay next week and Caldwell win Coach of the Year  In Fact only Seahawks can truly beat this team but not at Ford Field

I'm not totally sold on them beating GB after that stinker today! Way too many costly silly mistakes, that will get you beat against good teams!

Secondly, the Seahawks are, IMO, the best team in football right now! They have a more consistent offense, and their defense is as good as ours, but in a different way! They have a superior secondary, but we have the superior defensive line!

Having said that Caldwell should be an easy winner as coach of the year if we beat GB, and possibly still in if we lose!

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