Little known Easter secret!

[Oracle]

[cool breeze]

I have been mouthing off relating to how meaningless the games are for the Pistons and other non playoff bound NBA teams during the last two weeks of the season. I am now re evaluating that statement. This group of Pistons that seem to hate losing are making the extreme effort teams need to be successful. Jackson, Pope, Drummond, Tolliver and Prince are showing a mindset that we haven't seen in a long time. They look like they are serious. There is no clowning around. The rotations on defense are crisp. Relating to offense, Reggie Jackson put the team on his back much like Billups did when the Pistons started their move up to greatness in this game. But all of the other players were in it to win it. The opposing team the Miami Heat looked worried when Detroit turned on the juice. Miami had the lead and the ball with time expiring. After the timeout, our old sacred hero, T. Prince came out on the top of the key to guard Wade who had a serious look on his face determined to score or get fouled. No way that was going to happen. Prince looked like he was 23 years old moving his feet and not giving Wade a chance to get penetration or a shot off. That was some special defense that I haven't seen out of any Piston player in a damn long time. I don't want to forecast the future here. I only want to talk about the present and Prince is helping this club in so many ways, I am almost shocked. It is not about the scoring. Players are listening to him on the defensive end and are much more active on the offensive end. It is if Detroit has a coach on the floor. The chemistry is outstanding with this group. Right now nobody wants to play the Detroit Pistons. In this game, if you were watching you just knew that somehow Jackson would get down the court and make the winning shot. And he did. Our draft prospects might be damaged by winning so many games at the end but if Stan Van Gundy can bottle this current chemistry and somehow freeze it and thaw it out at the start of the regular season next fall, we Piston fans might be in for something really new relating to being confident that our players will be bringing EXTREME EFFORT TO THE PALACE AND ELSEWHERE. Way to go Detroit Pistons!!

[deusXango]

I don't know maybe it's just me but I don't think any of our players truly fit to what SVG is doing and that includes Andre, but if SVG starts coaching to the level of talent he has with his players oppose to forcing them to fit in his offense (3's or else) I can see Kaminsky being a great option next to Andre.

Wise, my friend, your title says it all; "SVG has to get his mind right first," if this team is going to become anything more than a collection of talent. The reason I rage against Van Gundy is because of the stupidity of stubbornness that he practices...the "3's or else" mentality sucks when you don't have quality starters who can consistently hit them and insisting on using a non-scoring SF as a glue guy, instead of a slashing two-way threat, but get a high I.Q. PF with multi dimensional offensive/defensive skills to act as our glue guy (Drummond ain't seasoned enough...he ain't a bad kid, but a kid he is!). Why can't he devise an offensive scheme, to fit the players skills, all while demanding they adhere to his defensive philosophy? Wouldn't that be simpler?

I remember this 6' 5" fat boy from southern Alabama sitting on the court, crying his eyes out, because his team couldn't beat a national powerhouse, led by two 7 footers (Melvin Turpin and Sam Bowie), who he personally dominated; Charles Barkley was that fat boy who was fondly teased with nicknames like, "the Round Mound of Rebound" and I remember Jack McCloskey saying in a pre-draft interview that his knees couldn't stand up to the rigors of a NBA season with the weight he was carrying, and if he was available to the Pistons, he'd pass on him. Frank Kaminsky is no Charles Barkley (he doesn't have the fire), but he is coming into the league with a more diverse skillset than Dirk Nowitzki came into the league with (he didn't possess that deadly step back, one leg, jump shot, but developed it with a great shooting coach) and I believe he can flourish under sound coaching like Wise has said. I think he's more of a steal at 8-10 in the draft than a chance.

[WTF]

I like Kaminsky but not so sure he's a Top 10 selection in the draft. For sure I'll prefer him over Monroe's sorry ass but hell I'll take the Easter Bunny over him.

There is a ton I like about Kaminsky from his size, ability to play inside and out, and his stats are great and he something neither Monroe nor Andre was at the time we drafted them and that's fundamentally sound but what I'm not so sure about is he doesn't seem to play with a lot of heart. I'm not saying no heart at all just not a lot of it and if I was picking 11-15 I would draft him without any hesitation but selecting in the Top 10 I would have to think long and hard before I took him.

Kaminsky would be great in a more traditional setting IMO then he would be in SVG jack up 3's at all cost system. If we were being coached by LB, Flip or a coach like Pop then I would likely want Kaminsky. Watching how SVG misuses KCP, he'll likely do the same thing to Kaminsky and ruining any chance of success the kid might have as a pro.

I don't know maybe it's just me but I don't think any of our players truly fit to what SVG is doing and that includes Andre, but if SVG starts coaching to the level of talent he has with his players oppose to forcing them to fit in his offense (3's or else) I can see Kaminsky being a great option next to Andre.

[Oracle]

It would seem to this untrained eye that Frank Kaminsky has something to offer, beyond being a backup, role player, and can step in to replace Monroe, regardless of the prejudice against him and the blind loyalty for Monroe. I wish the Moose well, wherever he goes, but go he must; Drummond is the center of the Pistons future and all resources should be channeled toward developing his game and surrounding him with the best at their positions...Monroe ain't the best PF we can get for this team, hell he ain't even a PF! I don't want to talk about Frank's lack of defense, unless Monroe's is going to be discussed; I would like to talk about the need for an inside/outside, driving to the rim game from our 7 footer, playing alongside Drummond.

Everybody's screaming Sam Dekker, but Kaminsky is and has been the man in Wisconsin; I believe we need a skilled PF more than an athletic SF out of the draft, considering where we'll more than likely be drafting, but who knows what the Great Van Gundy will do. Draft Kaminsky, pay Jackson, let Monroe walk, and let's see what Miller can do...take that CAP money and buy some bona fide shooters, since that's what SVG is all about. 2015-16 looks promising from there.

IMHO the Wisconsin win was anticlimactic...Notre Dame had already kicked Kentucky's ass, for the world to see, they just didn't win the game. Fo' real.

Kaminski is on my short list, the dude has balls, and played his ass off last night! True Dat, Notre Dame beat them like they stole something, but didn't get the win!

Dekker is good, but he's not the man, but if they win it all, we likely won't get a chance at Kaminski, unless as you keep saying he's getting no respect!

BTW, at this point I don't give two sh!ts if we get a S&T for Monroe! If we can, fine, if not, just take the money and let his ass walk! He's just not good enough to go through any Diva drama. He's likely on LA's list, but not the short list as they're still hoping to get Love to come there, and if he wins a championship, he just might go to LA to build his own legacy!

But we do have a good core, and shades of Jennings last second shots, Jackson's was not as last second, and not as big a game, but still sweet anyway! My money is on SVG doing well in the draft, and even better in trades & FA action! I also believe that Drummond, Jackson & KCP will come back much improved next season!

[deusXango]

It would seem to this untrained eye that Frank Kaminsky has something to offer, beyond being a backup, role player, and can step in to replace Monroe, regardless of the prejudice against him and the blind loyalty for Monroe. I wish the Moose well, wherever he goes, but go he must; Drummond is the center of the Pistons future and all resources should be channeled toward developing his game and surrounding him with the best at their positions...Monroe ain't the best PF we can get for this team, hell he ain't even a PF! I don't want to talk about Frank's lack of defense, unless Monroe's is going to be discussed; I would like to talk about the need for an inside/outside, driving to the rim game from our 7 footer, playing alongside Drummond.

Everybody's screaming Sam Dekker, but Kaminsky is and has been the man in Wisconsin; I believe we need a skilled PF more than an athletic SF out of the draft, considering where we'll more than likely be drafting, but who knows what the Great Van Gundy will do. Draft Kaminsky, pay Jackson, let Monroe walk, and let's see what Miller can do...take that CAP money and buy some bona fide shooters, since that's what SVG is all about. 2015-16 looks promising from there.

IMHO the Wisconsin win was anticlimactic...Notre Dame had already kicked Kentucky's ass, for the world to see, they just didn't win the game. Fo' real.

[lemonpen]

That was easily the most biased NATIONAL broadcast I've ever heard. Rex Chapman must be replaced for Monday night.

[cool breeze]

Well I hope the Pistons are not stupid this year. NBADRAFTNET has our Pistons taking a foreign small forward at the 8th spot. Please please don't take that guy Stan. Our Pistons might have a chance to get Stanley Johnson who I believe is going to be an All Star caliber player in the NBA. But for sure Sam Dekker is going to get a long look from every GM now. That guy is clutch. What a string of fantastic basketball for Wisconsin and especially Sam Dekker. I like this Badger team. The players are tough and smart. They stopped Kentucky cold in the last 5 minutes. That one stretch around the 3 minute mark when Kentucky took the shot clock down to almost zero and missed a shot that barely hit the rim, snagged the offensive rebound and then took off another 34 seconds but still didn't get a good shot was an incredible test of will by Wisconsin players. Everything was going against these guys before the 5 minute mark and then they played so damn hard who wouldn't love them? I hope Wisconsin wins this championship in the final against Duke but this game was one of the best in NCAA history.

[Oracle]

The Pistons won... whoop tee effing  doo!!!

[Oracle]

Wisconsin WINS, knocking off the mighty undefeated Kentucky Wildcats!

How fitting that a Big 10 team stopped another team from going undefeated like Indiana did... you have to love it!

[Oracle]

This is the worst I've seen an Izzo team play in a tournament!

Great start, and all down hill after that! Once Duke turned up the defense, State lost their minds! Trying to dribble out of pressure instead of moving the ball with passes to break the pressure!

Oh well, there goes my dream of a big 10 championship rematch!

Go Wisconsin!!!

[WTF]

Quincy Miller finally got some PT and I'm unimpressed; I have no problem with his performance, but the light he was shown in...2 damn minutes in a blowout?! If that's all SVG is willing to give him then what's his chances of making this team, I mean really? I'm glad Sparma made the observation that he's too skinny to be playing PF (which SVG tabbed him to do the day he signed him...career killer?) and those comparisons to Austin Daye are unfair; Daye was 6' 11" and weighed less than 200 pounds! He wasn't as athletic, could run the floor as fast, or had the overall skillset that Miller does, he was just tall/long and skinny, that's all they had in common.

Oracle, I honestly am not trying to put you on the spot, but am relying on your fair minded and astute opinion on this; where's the evidence that SVG knows how to evaluate, pick, and coach forwards? Moose was Moose before SVG got here and the Moose's staunchest supporters complained about his games shortcomings and realized he wasn't a max player, but SVG came in singing his praises and talking him up like he was the best thing to come along since white bread! Now his ass is backed into a corner as far as having a real PF for the future. He badly misjudged Josh and really struck out in his handling of that situation, IMHO. Singler, Butler, Martin, and now Prince as starting SF's?? Were they good enough to not give Datome and J.J. a fair shot, and were they good enough to justify not signing Covington and when we did sign a D-Leaguer in Miller, exile him to the bench? All the excuses given for not playing Gigi, J.J., and Miller didn't apply to Tolliver or Williams (playing Williams at all boggles my mind!!). Old folks and journeymen have been the apple of Stan's eye, but what have they done for the team, the fans, and is Gores happy with them?

Wise, I know you're not sold on Jackson, but allow me to point out a few things that has won me over; as impressive as Jennings was for 15 games after Smith left, none of those games were as impressive as Jackson's performance last week...even his 20/20 game wasn't equal to Jackson's. Not only is Jackson doing well without Smith, but he's doing well without Monroe also, and his floor game is more balanced...numbers don't lie. No Augustin backing him up, nothing but Drummond up front and he has Dre' dialed in like never before. KCP has had his best games (albeit still inconsistent) playing alongside Jackson. I believe if we just pay the man, get him a set of starting quality forwards, and give him a complete season as leader, we'll all be convinced he's the real deal.

DX, I wouldn't say I'm not sold on Jackson I'm just not seeing him or his credential as being paid as a Max Player. I certainly not oppose to keeping Jackson and letting him lead the team. Overall I like him far more than I have with any of our recent PG including Jennings, but Jackson has a swag that's more defined than Jennings, he has better floor awareness and a willingness to do the right things. In my mind Jennings success was always attached to a wing and a prayer even when things went right for him.

I'm of the opinion that currently with our record the pass few season and the progress of many of our players that we don't have players warranting a Max Deal. Jackson could be the next Chauncey and I hope so, but even Chauncey wasn't paid before his time.

[cool breeze]

Last night's effort by key players gives me new hope that next season things will turn around a lot. There appears to be a more hard nosed look on the faces of Jackson, Pope and Drummond. Prince has also had a positive effect on how these young guys appear to be playing with more of an edge. Last night our Pistons played fast and with purpose and even though they lost this game, there appeared to be something different with their body language. Maybe we have a core of at least 3 young guys in Jackson, Pope and Drummond who will set the tone for what will be expected of them and their new teammates. I just watched another documentary of The Bad Boys. Early film of Zeke before Laimbeer and then Jack Mc our great GM from the past noticing Bill Laimbeer before he traded for him. The thing Jack noticed about Laimbeer was that he had the same mindset that Zeke had. They came from different backgrounds but had the same pissed off attitude on the court. They showed one game with Laimbeer on his former team that was really bad but Laimbeer was playing his ass off fighting and pushing all the way to the end of the game. So if Jackson, Pope and Drummond bond together before training camp and set their goals for the team and then come into training camp to enforce the RULES on the incoming players on what will be expected of them, we might see something beautiful in Piston land for a change. It appeared that there was something a bit different with those 3 players last night. I especially liked how Pope drove inside and finished with is opposite hand at the rim after messing up a minute before letting a floater slip out of his hand missing the rim entirely. Pope had something to prove and he looked determined. And then that look on Jackson's face after that play was priceless. Jackson and Pope are damn quick and might become a very powerful back court force. And Drummond showed me something too when he made those big free throws at a critical time in the game. Gaining confidence individually by implementing a great work ethic together on the court when it matters is a sweet thing. I think all the players were feeling that last night including our old hero Mr. Prince. He might move on to a contender or retire but for sure he is providing some wisdom with this young group of players now.

[WTF]

For Don & Wise, you guys were feeling what SVG was feeling about KCP, and it ain't good!

Caldwell-Pope got in early foul trouble and scored two points in 14 minutes of a 102-78 rout at the hands of the Charlotte Hornets.

That continued a season-long trend of extreme downticks on the road.

"All year, it's just been a huge difference between him at home and him on the road," Van Gundy said. "He's got to get it figured out, I've got to get it figured out. But we can't go long term with a starting point guard who only plays half your games."

Van Gundy quickly corrected himself, adding, "I mean starting two-guard."

Caldwell-Pope declined comment after the game.

SVG has officially put KCP on notice, and I agree, you can't have a starting SG that's a pussy on the road! I really hadn't made the road vs home connection, but evidently SVG did, and has the data to back it up!

I really didn't make that connection either, I just been simply noticing the inconsistencies with his game. Not surprise that he plays with more confidence at home but even those games lack some consistency as well. IMO though SVG is trying to make KCP into a shooter and I've been saying that this kid isn't and may never be a pure shooter because he's a scorer. I liken it to having a player like Rip and then only allowing him to jack up 3's when you know he's a better player 10-8 feet in. So SVG system isn't meant for KCP.

KCP shooting will get better from the 3 range over time but even then he still won't be a shooter.

[cool breeze]

If not for Drummond's inability to rotate back in time after doubling Jimmy Butler, Gasol wouldn't have had that easy put back and foul shot to put the game away. Our Pistons were fun to watch and for sure if they had looked like last night all season, there would be no way the Pistons would not be in the playoffs. What impressed me was How well Jackson and Pope played together. They looked fast. Sure Arron Brooks made two big shots at the end but Jackson and Pope played hard nosed basketball. And for those of you who believe Prince is no longer effective think again. He played like a kid at times and never took a second off. Prince still enjoys bringing a strong effort on the defensive end. And even though Drummond messed up with his rotation back to allow the key basket plus a foul, Andre played hard on defense and was not standing around on offense. Good job by Lucas and Tolliver as well. It is going to be interesting what kind of team Stan Van Gundy fields next fall. I like the style last night where we really saw athletes playing on our team. They played fast and everyone was moving without the basketball. Again, great job Detroit Pistons!

[Oracle]

[cool breeze]

"Making the trades involving Augustin, Singler, Jerebco and Datome only helped the other teams involved in those trades. Thanks again Stan." - Don

I agree that trading those players helped the teams they were traded to and weakened us!

However, that is over the short term! The only players I could see as pieces of the future would have been Singler for sure and possibly Augustin. That's not to say that I didn't like JJ, but moving on isn't a bad thing for him or us!

Over the long term, I don't see the horror you apparently see. We have two primary positions to fill, and filling them with the right players will have positive effects everywhere else. Those two positions are PF & SF! Once those two positions are filled, and filled with shooters, it will take a lot of pressure off of the rest of the team to do what they do well!

I'll confess that I didn't think that Josh Smith would destroy our spacing as much as he did, but it's also unfair to place all of the blame on Josh. If we didn't need him to do so much it would have been better, although we never could have gotten him to come off the bench like in Houston.

I also see the SG problem in KCP, and next season is make or break for him as a starter! He's going to have to put up or come off the bench! I like Meeks, but only as a microwave type player. He has great movement, but he's very small for a 2 guard, and he's overpaid.

But here's my biggest issues with your post.

1. I fully expect to see Drummond get better! A lot of people, me included, were expecting Drummond to make these huge strides each year, just because he looked so good his first season. The fact is that we were lucky to have a player with his level of talent, but ignored the fact that in reality, having little college discipline, he was very RAW! There are issues here, but not enough to fear that we won't be competitive at that position.

2. If SVG does his job, you may be correct that we won't be the Spurs, Cavs, Atlanta, or the Warriors, but are you seriously expecting that? If we could have wiped out that 5-23 stretch, and went 10-18, we'd be in the playoffs, and if we just won half of those games, we'd be solidly in the playoffs.

Finally, I am concerned that SVG gets us the 2 players needed for SF & PF, but IMO, as big an issue is having him strengthen the bench after the loss of so many good role players, and recognizing that the ones we have aren't competent enough moving forward.

I don't want it to sound like a complete rebuild, but it is sounding like a near complete rebuild of the bench!

So SVG has a good start, but there is work to do... wasn't that expected after the mess Joe left?

Good response Oracle.

I have a real concern that Drummond may never be focused on defense or have the instincts necessary to become a top end defender and when I say this I mean defensive rebounder as well. You stated that we need a top end scoring power forward. That sure would be nice but this team lost most of their games because they had no big man who could defend the painted area in crunch time or should I say in any quarter of any game. We need a great two way power forward before our team will kick ass and take names. If we get a really good defensive minded power forward, maybe Drummond could become interested as well in playing that part of the game more fundamentally sound.

KCP and Meeks did not play good enough on either end to win many games. Both would be sitting on the bench on most good teams this season. Pope is much like he was last season relating to going through long stretches playing flat and failing to shoot the ball at better than 25%.

Small forward was the least of my concern this season even after Singler was traded. But our two men who fill that position are not getting any younger and most likely will not be back.

My point in writing the previous post was to express my unhappyness with the overall plan or lack of plan to make our Piston team elite again. We should not build a team that only win as many games as they lose. By placing so much emphasis on trading for another point guard in Jackson, I believe this shows me that management is not looking long term at all in building a winner. Why a point guard instead of trading for another number one draft pick or an experienced highly rated small forward or power forward or 2 guard for instance. No Van Gundy did not address our real problem. Augustin and Dinwiddie would have worked well and we would have made the playoffs if Stan had traded for a really good power forward, two guard and kept Singler. Or he could have traded all the players he traded for some more number one picks. That would have showed me he was not playing us fans with more smoke and mirrors just to sell tickets for a bad product. You are really right on with the horrible bench Oracle. Van Gundy has three point guards and a young promising center. Will he offer us another group of fringe players and say he is building a superior team of the future? Does he have little patience for college players coming in as NBA rookies so he will accept those fringe players instead to address immediate worries about next season and how he will be viewed?

I like the management of the Celtics and the Suns right now. Those two GMs are outworking a lot of other GMs. I also like Steve Kerr the smartest man I know in basketball. Is Stan Van Gundy only planning on working for another year before he hangs it up? I wonder sometimes if he has had enough and wonders why he took this job in Detroit.

[Oracle]

"Making the trades involving Augustin, Singler, Jerebco and Datome only helped the other teams involved in those trades. Thanks again Stan." - Don

I agree that trading those players helped the teams they were traded to and weakened us!

However, that is over the short term! The only players I could see as pieces of the future would have been Singler for sure and possibly Augustin. That's not to say that I didn't like JJ, but moving on isn't a bad thing for him or us!

Over the long term, I don't see the horror you apparently see. We have two primary positions to fill, and filling them with the right players will have positive effects everywhere else. Those two positions are PF & SF! Once those two positions are filled, and filled with shooters, it will take a lot of pressure off of the rest of the team to do what they do well!

I'll confess that I didn't think that Josh Smith would destroy our spacing as much as he did, but it's also unfair to place all of the blame on Josh. If we didn't need him to do so much it would have been better, although we never could have gotten him to come off the bench like in Houston.

I also see the SG problem in KCP, and next season is make or break for him as a starter! He's going to have to put up or come off the bench! I like Meeks, but only as a microwave type player. He has great movement, but he's very small for a 2 guard, and he's overpaid.

But here's my biggest issues with your post.

1. I fully expect to see Drummond get better! A lot of people, me included, were expecting Drummond to make these huge strides each year, just because he looked so good his first season. The fact is that we were lucky to have a player with his level of talent, but ignored the fact that in reality, having little college discipline, he was very RAW! There are issues here, but not enough to fear that we won't be competitive at that position.

2. If SVG does his job, you may be correct that we won't be the Spurs, Cavs, Atlanta, or the Warriors, but are you seriously expecting that? If we could have wiped out that 5-23 stretch, and went 10-18, we'd be in the playoffs, and if we just won half of those games, we'd be solidly in the playoffs.

Finally, I am concerned that SVG gets us the 2 players needed for SF & PF, but IMO, as big an issue is having him strengthen the bench after the loss of so many good role players, and recognizing that the ones we have aren't competent enough moving forward.

I don't want it to sound like a complete rebuild, but it is sounding like a near complete rebuild of the bench!

So SVG has a good start, but there is work to do... wasn't that expected after the mess Joe left?

[cool breeze]

When a GM or owner has a really weak dysfunctional team, what do they usually do? Well for example Joe Dumars featured Will Bynum to appeal to non basketball people who just want to eat popcorn and have a good time at the Palace. Bynum dribbled around and as a small powerful player could so some amazing things when driving into the paint against the tall trees. Was there ever a chance in hell of the Pistons willing with the best point guard in the world at the time considering who Will's teammates were at the time? No way so why not just provide entertainment for the masses and see if you can trick fans into buying a ticket.

Knowing the above is true, then what in hell has changed over the past few years? Detroit went through the Josh Smith ordeal. Smith played with inferior teammates at every position so he tried to be the super hero like Labron but was no way in Labron's category. Smith leaves and the Pistons go on a winning streak. One of the players who responded well right after that change was Jonas Jerebco. But after several really good games, Jonas missed some shots and sure enough he went to the bench for a month. But still Brandon Jennings played his ass off as did many of the other players and Detroit went on another winning streak. But then Jennings went down with an injury. We thought all was lost but then Augustin played some amazing basketball. We had a young guy at small forward who shot the 3 pointer at over 40% as well. The defensive was looking better too. Our Pistons started another winning streak.

But throughout the entire season one clear weak spot that prevented our Pistons from winning in crunch time was LACK OF INTERIOR DEFENSE. Monroe and Drummond both have no ideas how to box their man on the defensive boards. 2nd chance opportunities can be easily tracked to our two big men for failing to have the fundamentals down or just being lazy. A player can get 15 rebounds a game but it means nothing if you can't get a defensive rebound when it count during the last 5 minutes of a game. That is the NBA. Stats mean nothing except to players agents. That is why I am still not getting too excited about Drummond's amazing rebounding stats. He still doesn't bother to check his man when the opponent's shot goes up. He is so athletically gifted that Drummond will get a lot of rebounds but his team will still lose. So Stan Van Gundy saw the hand writing on the wall and realized that there was no way the Pistons would win crap this season or enough at least to get in the playoffs in the weak East. So he made the stupid trades involving Augustin, Singler, Jerebco and Datome. What did he get in return? More smoke and mirrors Piston fans. He obtained Reggie Jackson. WOW! And how did that work out relating to winning crap? Not very good. Our Pistons are much weaker now. Jackson hasn't really proven anything. But he looks exciting to the fans. So the formula for an extremely weak basketball franchise is to bring in a flashy fast point guard to sucker the fans into buying a ticket just like Joe did with Will Bynum. Joe also gave up a hard working tough minded non flashy point guard in Brandon Knight to obtain the flashy offensive minded Brandon Jennings when he became worried that fans would not buy very many tickets. Piston fans nothing has changed at all relating to the way our Piston management does business. Just think next season our Pistons will lose big again but we will get to watch 2 amazingly fast offensive minded point guards in Jennings and Jackson. The real truth is that Spencer Dinwiddie would be the best long term fit to build a playoff caliber team. Dinwiddie is a team orientated guy who only cares about winning. He can play defense. He is not flashy but will be able to run an offense well once management obtains competent players at the other positions. The point guard position is the least of a bad team's problems. We still have no superior big man who can defend well and protect the paint or is interested in protecting the paint. We have poor quality shooters at both the 2 & 3 positions. And we have a low quality back up to come off the bench at either center or power forward. Making the trades involving Augustin, Singler, Jerebco and Datome only helped the other teams involved in those trades. Thanks again Stan.

[cool breeze]

From ESPN.com (via Bleacher Report):

From Elias: Andre Drummond pulled down 13 rebounds in the Pistons’ victory over the Hawks – six on offense and seven on defense. That gave Drummond 102 offensive rebounds and 122 defensive rebounds this March. The only other 100/100 calendar month of that kind in the NBA over the last 17 seasons was by Drummond himself in December 2013 (102/119). Aside from Drummond, the last NBA player to record at least 100 rebounds on each side of the court in a calendar month was Jayson Williams for the Nets in January 1998.

I know we complain about his FT shooting, his defense and other things, but DAMN... just put more talent around this kid, and let him do what he does, and we'll DOMINATE possession of the ball so much it'll be ridiculous!

Amen Oracle, amen. I've long said that we should leave this young man to do what he does best and stop complaining about him not playing like a 10 year vet (he'll get better as time goes on)...I've also had the feeling many overly dissect his game to try and put him on more equal footing with Monroe, as a center, but there's a big difference, IMO. I'm so happy and proud with his progress so far, it gives me hope for the future.

Oh, here's a late news item by Zack Buckley I came across that'll put a smile on someones face.
"Detroit Pistons center Andre Drummond's offensive range doesn't extend beyond the restricted area. Power forward Greg Monroe does his best work on the low block. Point guard Reggie Jackson is only a scoring threat if he's attacking the basket.

Assuming the Pistons are moving forward with at least two of those three—both Monroe (unrestricted) and Jackson (restricted) are headed to free agency at season's end—they're going to need shooters to clear up congestion in the paint.

They had a pair of rangy forwards in 28-year-old Jonas Jerebko and 27-year-old Luigi Datome. But they sent both to the Boston Celtics for 35-year-old Tayshaun Prince, a free-agent-to-be who might already be plotting an offseason move to a contender.

Go ahead and file this deal under the "Things That Make You Go Hmmm" category.

Prince's awkward return to his former club included confusion over whether a buyout was coming. With Detroit having dropped 12 of its 18 games since his debut, it's obvious this franchise can't scratch his itch for title contention.

Jerebko and Datome, meanwhile, have given Boston the spacing that Detroit needs. The pair have hit 42.7 percent of their three-point shots with the Celtics.

And unlike Prince, Jerebko and Datome are young enough that either could have played a role in the Pistons' future. But Detroit took that card out of its own hand and may have cost itself a simple solution to its shooting problem."
This is why I question SVG's ability to evaluate and thus acquire and coach quality forwards. I'm not hating on the man, as much as I'm quaking in my boots, because our greatest need is the acquisition of a pair of quality starting forwards to "bookend" Drummond with; the timing, decision on how to handle the popular Monroe's possible "walk away," his first first round draft being a lottery pick, and an exceptional amount of money to spend on FA's could result in a massive f@ck up that'd make Joe Dumars, at his worse, look like an absolute genius! His stubbornness has clouded the minds of many fans to the fact that he's f@cked up as a high end decision maker and it shows in his coaching decisions; his philosophy is sound, but his deployment of troops leaves a lot to be desired and if one takes a honest look at his first season, he lacks integrity...his actions don't match his words!

Happy Easter/Happy Resurrection Day to you all and your families, and enjoy the Final Four, it's sure to be a hoot.

My big question to Stan Van Gundy is why was Tolliver an upgrade over Jerebco? If Jonas had the blessing of Stan to fire up 3 pointers at the same rate of Tolliver my best guess is that Jerebco would have the better stats. His defense is superior to Tolliver. He runs the court better and is a better passer. And the biggest upside relating to the comparison of Jerebco to Tolliver is that Tolliver is a far inferior defender and defensive rebounder than Jerebco. Finally, Jerebco is now with a coach who believes in him. The coach is young and smart and a guy like Jerebco does not play well when he feels that he is under a microscope. This has been the case for Jerebco in Detroit now for several years. Whenever he made one little mistake, he was pulled from the game and then might sit without playing a minute for a month. Stan van Gundy was a complete fool to have picked up Tolliver in the first place. That was about as smart as signing Martin. Boston's GM is a hard working guy. Danny traveled around the country a lot this past winter trying to see for himself which college players would be the best fit for his team. He went out and hired an outstanding coach as well and Boston players will say to a man how much they appreciate their coach.

One final thought relating to Stan Van Gundy's judge of talent. I am not sold on Meeks going forward. He is so small in today's game for a 2 guard. If our Pistons did make the playoffs, I would think that Meeks would be a liability on offense and defense. Stan paid a lot of money for him. I feel no confidence in any way relating to 3 positions. The 2 guard with KCP and Meeks is inferior to current playoff teams. Power forward is up in the air but with Monroe we field a horrible defensive team and a guy with questionable mid range offensive game and no long range game. With Tolliver we field a horrible defensive team and a guy who can only jack up 3 pointers. The small forward position might be the weakest of any in the entire NBA with no young talented player in that spot who we might hope could i time be a force in the league.

So it appears that there is no way Stan Van Gundy will be able to address the needs of 3 positions in the off season. Therefore, most likely the Detroit Pistons will get another ass kicking and be out of the playoffs next year. So what in hell is new with the Pistons?????????????

[deusXango]

From ESPN.com (via Bleacher Report):

From Elias: Andre Drummond pulled down 13 rebounds in the Pistons’ victory over the Hawks – six on offense and seven on defense. That gave Drummond 102 offensive rebounds and 122 defensive rebounds this March. The only other 100/100 calendar month of that kind in the NBA over the last 17 seasons was by Drummond himself in December 2013 (102/119). Aside from Drummond, the last NBA player to record at least 100 rebounds on each side of the court in a calendar month was Jayson Williams for the Nets in January 1998.

I know we complain about his FT shooting, his defense and other things, but DAMN... just put more talent around this kid, and let him do what he does, and we'll DOMINATE possession of the ball so much it'll be ridiculous!

Amen Oracle, amen. I've long said that we should leave this young man to do what he does best and stop complaining about him not playing like a 10 year vet (he'll get better as time goes on)...I've also had the feeling many overly dissect his game to try and put him on more equal footing with Monroe, as a center, but there's a big difference, IMO. I'm so happy and proud with his progress so far, it gives me hope for the future.

Oh, here's a late news item by Zack Buckley I came across that'll put a smile on someones face.
"Detroit Pistons center Andre Drummond's offensive range doesn't extend beyond the restricted area. Power forward Greg Monroe does his best work on the low block. Point guard Reggie Jackson is only a scoring threat if he's attacking the basket.

Assuming the Pistons are moving forward with at least two of those three—both Monroe (unrestricted) and Jackson (restricted) are headed to free agency at season's end—they're going to need shooters to clear up congestion in the paint.

They had a pair of rangy forwards in 28-year-old Jonas Jerebko and 27-year-old Luigi Datome. But they sent both to the Boston Celtics for 35-year-old Tayshaun Prince, a free-agent-to-be who might already be plotting an offseason move to a contender.

Go ahead and file this deal under the "Things That Make You Go Hmmm" category.

Prince's awkward return to his former club included confusion over whether a buyout was coming. With Detroit having dropped 12 of its 18 games since his debut, it's obvious this franchise can't scratch his itch for title contention.

Jerebko and Datome, meanwhile, have given Boston the spacing that Detroit needs. The pair have hit 42.7 percent of their three-point shots with the Celtics.

And unlike Prince, Jerebko and Datome are young enough that either could have played a role in the Pistons' future. But Detroit took that card out of its own hand and may have cost itself a simple solution to its shooting problem."
This is why I question SVG's ability to evaluate and thus acquire and coach quality forwards. I'm not hating on the man, as much as I'm quaking in my boots, because our greatest need is the acquisition of a pair of quality starting forwards to "bookend" Drummond with; the timing, decision on how to handle the popular Monroe's possible "walk away," his first first round draft being a lottery pick, and an exceptional amount of money to spend on FA's could result in a massive f@ck up that'd make Joe Dumars, at his worse, look like an absolute genius! His stubbornness has clouded the minds of many fans to the fact that he's f@cked up as a high end decision maker and it shows in his coaching decisions; his philosophy is sound, but his deployment of troops leaves a lot to be desired and if one takes a honest look at his first season, he lacks integrity...his actions don't match his words!

Happy Easter/Happy Resurrection Day to you all and your families, and enjoy the Final Four, it's sure to be a hoot.

[Oracle]

From ESPN.com (via Bleacher Report):

From Elias: Andre Drummond pulled down 13 rebounds in the Pistons’ victory over the Hawks – six on offense and seven on defense. That gave Drummond 102 offensive rebounds and 122 defensive rebounds this March. The only other 100/100 calendar month of that kind in the NBA over the last 17 seasons was by Drummond himself in December 2013 (102/119). Aside from Drummond, the last NBA player to record at least 100 rebounds on each side of the court in a calendar month was Jayson Williams for the Nets in January 1998.

I know we complain about his FT shooting, his defense and other things, but DAMN... just put more talent around this kid, and let him do what he does, and we'll DOMINATE possession of the ball so much it'll be ridiculous!

[cool breeze]

Quincy Miller finally got some PT and I'm unimpressed; I have no problem with his performance, but the light he was shown in...2 damn minutes in a blowout?! If that's all SVG is willing to give him then what's his chances of making this team, I mean really? I'm glad Sparma made the observation that he's too skinny to be playing PF (which SVG tabbed him to do the day he signed him...career killer?) and those comparisons to Austin Daye are unfair; Daye was 6' 11" and weighed less than 200 pounds! He wasn't as athletic, could run the floor as fast, or had the overall skillset that Miller does, he was just tall/long and skinny, that's all they had in common. - DX, my comparison to Daye was very specific, and had nothing to do with how you read it! The comparison was STRICTLY LIMITED to finding a position to play consistently... nothing else!

Oracle, I honestly am not trying to put you on the spot, but am relying on your fair minded and astute opinion on this; where's the evidence that SVG knows how to evaluate, pick, and coach forwards? Moose was Moose before SVG got here and the Moose's staunchest supporters complained about his games shortcomings and realized he wasn't a max player, but SVG came in singing his praises and talking him up like he was the best thing to come along since white bread! Now his ass is backed into a corner as far as having a real PF for the future. He badly misjudged Josh and really struck out in his handling of that situation, IMHO. Singler, Butler, Martin, and now Prince as starting SF's?? Were they good enough to not give Datome and J.J. a fair shot, and were they good enough to justify not signing Covington and when we did sign a D-Leaguer in Miller, exile him to the bench? All the excuses given for not playing Gigi, J.J., and Miller didn't apply to Tolliver or Williams (playing Williams at all boggles my mind!!). Old folks and journeymen have been the apple of Stan's eye, but what have they done for the team, the fans, and is Gores happy with them? - I'm not going to defend SVG on this one, his behavior has be, well, sketchy at best, and I'm trying to be kind! Not signing Covington, not playing JJ, giving Williams anything other than a DNPCD is a crime, the dude has absolutely NOTHING! Remember that old saying? Police Baffled, News at 11! Well, I'm with the cops at this point!

Wise, I know you're not sold on Jackson, but allow me to point out a few things that has won me over; as impressive as Jennings was for 15 games after Smith left, none of those games were as impressive as Jackson's performance last week...even his 20/20 game wasn't equal to Jackson's. Not only is Jackson doing well without Smith, but he's doing well without Monroe also, and his floor game is more balanced...numbers don't lie. No Augustin backing him up, nothing but Drummond up front and he has Dre' dialed in like never before. KCP has had his best games (albeit still inconsistent) playing alongside Jackson. I believe if we just pay the man, get him a set of starting quality forwards, and give him a complete season as leader, we'll all be convinced he's the real deal. - I also agree about Jackson! With Jennings there was an iffy factor that was hard to put your finger on! He was making it work, but even I always had the feeling that the effect could wear off, even though he was doing all of the right things. With Jackson, it's just a lot more solid, and if you weren't impressed with the way he's been playing, you simply don't like good basketball! The scary thing is that he STILL hasn't figured it all out yet, so I'm more than optimistic that with better talent, we will be a BIG surprise next year!

Good Post!

BTW, we got some LOSING to do!!! Denver's schedule in the west is brutal, and they'll be losing a lot, and we've got to hope that they win 2 games and we lose all of ours!

Joe Dumars must have lost a lot of sleep before he removed Daye from his master plan. On the other hand, it is unlikely he blinked twice when he gave away Affalo. Austin Daye couldn't play a lick of defense in college and it was embarrassing at times for his coach Mark Few to watch him in action. But of course Joe Dumars knew something that nobody else knew just like he did with Darko. It is difficult to understand such nonsense and how any fan wouldn't still be pissed off with his lack of work ethic.

[Oracle]

Quincy Miller finally got some PT and I'm unimpressed; I have no problem with his performance, but the light he was shown in...2 damn minutes in a blowout?! If that's all SVG is willing to give him then what's his chances of making this team, I mean really? I'm glad Sparma made the observation that he's too skinny to be playing PF (which SVG tabbed him to do the day he signed him...career killer?) and those comparisons to Austin Daye are unfair; Daye was 6' 11" and weighed less than 200 pounds! He wasn't as athletic, could run the floor as fast, or had the overall skillset that Miller does, he was just tall/long and skinny, that's all they had in common. - DX, my comparison to Daye was very specific, and had nothing to do with how you read it! The comparison was STRICTLY LIMITED to finding a position to play consistently... nothing else!

Oracle, I honestly am not trying to put you on the spot, but am relying on your fair minded and astute opinion on this; where's the evidence that SVG knows how to evaluate, pick, and coach forwards? Moose was Moose before SVG got here and the Moose's staunchest supporters complained about his games shortcomings and realized he wasn't a max player, but SVG came in singing his praises and talking him up like he was the best thing to come along since white bread! Now his ass is backed into a corner as far as having a real PF for the future. He badly misjudged Josh and really struck out in his handling of that situation, IMHO. Singler, Butler, Martin, and now Prince as starting SF's?? Were they good enough to not give Datome and J.J. a fair shot, and were they good enough to justify not signing Covington and when we did sign a D-Leaguer in Miller, exile him to the bench? All the excuses given for not playing Gigi, J.J., and Miller didn't apply to Tolliver or Williams (playing Williams at all boggles my mind!!). Old folks and journeymen have been the apple of Stan's eye, but what have they done for the team, the fans, and is Gores happy with them? - I'm not going to defend SVG on this one, his behavior has be, well, sketchy at best, and I'm trying to be kind! Not signing Covington, not playing JJ, giving Williams anything other than a DNPCD is a crime, the dude has absolutely NOTHING! Remember that old saying? Police Baffled, News at 11! Well, I'm with the cops at this point!

Wise, I know you're not sold on Jackson, but allow me to point out a few things that has won me over; as impressive as Jennings was for 15 games after Smith left, none of those games were as impressive as Jackson's performance last week...even his 20/20 game wasn't equal to Jackson's. Not only is Jackson doing well without Smith, but he's doing well without Monroe also, and his floor game is more balanced...numbers don't lie. No Augustin backing him up, nothing but Drummond up front and he has Dre' dialed in like never before. KCP has had his best games (albeit still inconsistent) playing alongside Jackson. I believe if we just pay the man, get him a set of starting quality forwards, and give him a complete season as leader, we'll all be convinced he's the real deal. - I also agree about Jackson! With Jennings there was an iffy factor that was hard to put your finger on! He was making it work, but even I always had the feeling that the effect could wear off, even though he was doing all of the right things. With Jackson, it's just a lot more solid, and if you weren't impressed with the way he's been playing, you simply don't like good basketball! The scary thing is that he STILL hasn't figured it all out yet, so I'm more than optimistic that with better talent, we will be a BIG surprise next year!

Good Post!

BTW, we got some LOSING to do!!! Denver's schedule in the west is brutal, and they'll be losing a lot, and we've got to hope that they win 2 games and we lose all of ours!

[deusXango]

Quincy Miller finally got some PT and I'm unimpressed; I have no problem with his performance, but the light he was shown in...2 damn minutes in a blowout?! If that's all SVG is willing to give him then what's his chances of making this team, I mean really? I'm glad Sparma made the observation that he's too skinny to be playing PF (which SVG tabbed him to do the day he signed him...career killer?) and those comparisons to Austin Daye are unfair; Daye was 6' 11" and weighed less than 200 pounds! He wasn't as athletic, could run the floor as fast, or had the overall skillset that Miller does, he was just tall/long and skinny, that's all they had in common.

Oracle, I honestly am not trying to put you on the spot, but am relying on your fair minded and astute opinion on this; where's the evidence that SVG knows how to evaluate, pick, and coach forwards? Moose was Moose before SVG got here and the Moose's staunchest supporters complained about his games shortcomings and realized he wasn't a max player, but SVG came in singing his praises and talking him up like he was the best thing to come along since white bread! Now his ass is backed into a corner as far as having a real PF for the future. He badly misjudged Josh and really struck out in his handling of that situation, IMHO. Singler, Butler, Martin, and now Prince as starting SF's?? Were they good enough to not give Datome and J.J. a fair shot, and were they good enough to justify not signing Covington and when we did sign a D-Leaguer in Miller, exile him to the bench? All the excuses given for not playing Gigi, J.J., and Miller didn't apply to Tolliver or Williams (playing Williams at all boggles my mind!!). Old folks and journeymen have been the apple of Stan's eye, but what have they done for the team, the fans, and is Gores happy with them?

Wise, I know you're not sold on Jackson, but allow me to point out a few things that has won me over; as impressive as Jennings was for 15 games after Smith left, none of those games were as impressive as Jackson's performance last week...even his 20/20 game wasn't equal to Jackson's. Not only is Jackson doing well without Smith, but he's doing well without Monroe also, and his floor game is more balanced...numbers don't lie. No Augustin backing him up, nothing but Drummond up front and he has Dre' dialed in like never before. KCP has had his best games (albeit still inconsistent) playing alongside Jackson. I believe if we just pay the man, get him a set of starting quality forwards, and give him a complete season as leader, we'll all be convinced he's the real deal.

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