Ballin

[Oracle]

"I wonder if SVG loves KCP as much as he says, or will he dangle him for a trade",  Ballin

When I hear SVG praising KCP, it sounds a bit phony to me. I believe he likes KCP right now, but if he could get a knock down shooter at the 2, he just might pull the trigger.

It's a tough call because KCP gets better every year, so you have to look at your window of opportunity.

To be honest, I'd move almost anybody on this team if the right player or combination of players were available. Hell, if Cousins head was screwed on straight, I'd move Andre for him, but he's a nut case.

Playoffs Notes: Indy lost(good), but the Bulls won a close one in Houston(bummer).

[BallinD]

First Things First:  "Who Cares About Detroit....  We would have beat the hell out of them."  Maybe True, but you gotta crawl before you walk, and the Pistons crawled past a depleted Thunder team ending their eight game winning streak. I agree with you, WTF, nothing wrong with RJ celebrating, but choose a better time you wouldnt look so silly after we struggled to beat em down the stretch.  We didn't clench a playoff spot, but it was our 40th win, something pundits and many fans said was not possible this year.  Big milestone.

All the team has to do is win out, and my 47-win prediction is intact:    

I remember after the trade when so many were still on the Singler "Buckets" bandwagon, only a few wondered if Middleton should have been getting Singler's minutes.  It was obvious even then that Singler should have been the throw in.  Wow. Singler was fools gold.  I like KCP's defensive focus and his energy, imagine being able to run Middleton out as SG with KCP.  Who would start?  KCP or KMD

I wonder if SVG loves KCP as much as he says, or will he dangle him for a trade, especially if he tries another fast break leading pull-up triple?  Probably not, more likely to move Meeks.  Even so, we need somebody who can shoot from the SG spot.  If KCP could become a rich man's version of Tony Allen, then I could live with him.  . Stay in your lane Bro.  Defend, slash, pull up, assist, leave the threes for now, get stronger.  He may grow into a decent 3pt shooter down the road.

SVG, give Bullock some burn.  You may need him again down the road.  Potentially another Middleton languishing on the bench.

[WTF]

Struggling to hold on to an 7th or 8th seed is hardly anything to be celebrating. I might feel different if this was an actual playoff game and a player celebrated. Reggie did this in a game that OKC gifted them by resting 2 starters hardly a reason to celebrate a game like this. Games like this you just quietly walk off the floor and take the win.

Don't get me wrong trash talking is okay, high 5's on the sideline after a nice play is okay.

Reggie say's he wants to bring back that Bad Boy image then he needs act like it.

[WTF]

I still would have selected Burke over KCP because I think and it's just my own opinion that in the long run Burke will better and have a better career. I think landing in Utah was good and bad for Burke. Good that going to Detroit at the time wasn't the best place to land but neither was Utah.

Funny thing both Burke and KCP will be getting their first taste of post season.

KCP issues are caused by SVG offense but I KCP has to recognize it as well and not force what he's not capable of being and that's a shooter. He really need to find a way to be a consistent impact on this team every game. Oppose to thinking he's Reggie he might be better off defining himself as an Artest or some player along those lines, hell he can be a Tayshaun at least.

[Oracle]

But now I see that there's something strange about Westbrook & Durant! Forget the mess on the side about what Durant said and dissing Detroit, it goes much deeper than that.

Reggie saved their season one year with a 32 point game that got them into the playoffs. OKC reporters really wanted to interview him, it's what's called a players Podium moment. The Thunder would not allow Reggie to have his moment and refused to allow him to speak to the press. The history of this problem is told by OKC reporters in this podcast.

What's at the heart of this growing Reggie Jackson, Russell Westbrook spat?

But even Shaq has weighed in on the celebration, and as a reporter said,

"Question: Is there anyone in the NBA who celebrates more than Russell Westbrook? When was the last time he hit a 3-pointer in the middle of a game and it wasn’t accompanied by an elaborate routine? Westbrook is so out of line here that he’s got me nodding my head in total agreement with Shaquille O'Neal."

[Oracle]

Don, do you know when Middleton became someone anybody noticed? He toiled as the #2 banana on the Bucks, playing Robin to Knight's Batman. He wasn't very reliable or much of a scorer, but he was better than anybody else there shooting the ball.

Once Knight got traded, Middleton became Batman and that's when his fortunes rose. He was given the keys to the team and a green light to do whatever he wanted.

If you read my reply to Phillip, I see the same things in the way you post about KCP, expecting a low shooting option to break the offensive design and freelance.

But your posts are a bit more confusing, because when Singler was our 2 guard, he was a lot worse than KCP in most areas, but you almost never had any criticism of him.

This is a young team, they have a lot to learn, and I could sit here and pick apart any players game on the team, so could everybody else on this board... but to what end?

Edit: One thing to note is that as soon as Middleton started scoring more, the Bucks immediately became a worse team. I don't blame that on Middleton, but the coach. Teams need more balanced scoring, but it's odd that Kidd wanted MCW to distribute the ball and then turns around and complains that he can't shoot. Poor Knight, he made the Bucks a good team, then goes to Phoenix where management causes a total collapse and Bledsoe goes down... again!

Imagine if the Detroit Pistons had Middleton now. Forget Brandon Knight who was far better than Brandon Jennings at the time of this bogus trade. I still can wrap my mind around this trade being that everyone who worked in the NBA and most fans knew that the Bucks were willing to give Jennings away. Jennings teammates did not like playing with Jennings at the time because he didn't share the basketball. He did share the basketball when he played for the Pistons but how could Dumars have known that? We fans all saw the games that year before the trade. Jennings was not a player many teams would want. So Dumars bid against himself and I still wonder why. Who was he protecting? That is how Dumars always operated. He didn't like the idea of competition in training camp. He wanted his selected players to play. Joe was determined that Austin Daye would bloom into a All Star so why put the guy under the pressure of competition?

If we had Middleton now, I could relax more because the way KCP plays as the starting 2 guard, who knows which player will show up? The 2 guard has to always be a threat to score from 10 feet and out. If opposing players can slack off on the 2 guard, it makes things very difficult for Reggie Jackson to get into the painted area where he needs to get or the offense blows up in a bad way. And the game plan for the Thunder was to slack off Pope knowing that he would not assert himself into the offense. Maybe it was Pope's fault for not making any contribution at all to the offense in the first half or the coaching staff's fault. If we had Middleton at that position, you can bet that this team would look very different. He is a dead eye shooter and can drive it. He knows floor spacing and can find holes in the defense. KCP is still very much in the learning mode like the rookie Stanley Johnson. Billups had Hamilton. Jackson has KCP. Big difference at this time of the year where you have to show up and play better than the competition or you are out of the playoffs.

Joe Dumars could have signed Jennings without making that stupid trade at all. Fans were bitching about Brandon Knight and Joe wanted to appease the fans who usually know next to nothing about what is really going on. When Knight and Middleton played for the Pistons, Joe had his prized big men, Greg Monroe and Jason Maxiell. Neither player could perform the pick and roll play. Dumars decided to change out the guards and keep his big men. Did he actually ever watch one game the year he made that trade?

[Oracle]

No disrespect. If Pope is A top 5 player in his draft class then that shows you how bad his draft class really was.

Every game now I'm waiting for Pope to decide to become pope and stop trying to be Ray Allen, R.Miller, K.Thompson, S.Curry or any of those guys.

Focus on what you can do. Defend, mid range, attack the paint, shoot with your feet set not moving. Become A better re-bounder, become A better passer. Get more assist. Stop jacking up 3BOMBS like Ray or Reggie would do. That's not your game Pope. Your not A shooter!!!!!

None taken, in fact I agree that the 2013 draft class wasn't one of the better drafts!

However, you're asking for things you should know are hard for KCP to do.

Remind me again which offensive option KCP is? Right, he varies somewhere between 3-5 on this team, and worse yet, the paint is mostly reserved for these options.
1. Drummond
2. Reggie
3. Morris
4. Harris

So while I agree that he's a scorer, not a 3 point shooter(yet, he gets better at something during every offseason), he has to p within the offense the coach draws up, and I know you what that is, which is why your complaint baffles me.

[cool breeze]

Imagine if the Detroit Pistons had Middleton now. Forget Brandon Knight who was far better than Brandon Jennings at the time of this bogus trade. I still can wrap my mind around this trade being that everyone who worked in the NBA and most fans knew that the Bucks were willing to give Jennings away. Jennings teammates did not like playing with Jennings at the time because he didn't share the basketball. He did share the basketball when he played for the Pistons but how could Dumars have known that? We fans all saw the games that year before the trade. Jennings was not a player many teams would want. So Dumars bid against himself and I still wonder why. Who was he protecting? That is how Dumars always operated. He didn't like the idea of competition in training camp. He wanted his selected players to play. Joe was determined that Austin Daye would bloom into a All Star so why put the guy under the pressure of competition?

If we had Middleton now, I could relax more because the way KCP plays as the starting 2 guard, who knows which player will show up? The 2 guard has to always be a threat to score from 10 feet and out. If opposing players can slack off on the 2 guard, it makes things very difficult for Reggie Jackson to get into the painted area where he needs to get or the offense blows up in a bad way. And the game plan for the Thunder was to slack off Pope knowing that he would not assert himself into the offense. Maybe it was Pope's fault for not making any contribution at all to the offense in the first half or the coaching staff's fault. If we had Middleton at that position, you can bet that this team would look very different. He is a dead eye shooter and can drive it. He knows floor spacing and can find holes in the defense. KCP is still very much in the learning mode like the rookie Stanley Johnson. Billups had Hamilton. Jackson has KCP. Big difference at this time of the year where you have to show up and play better than the competition or you are out of the playoffs.

Joe Dumars could have signed Jennings without making that stupid trade at all. Fans were bitching about Brandon Knight and Joe wanted to appease the fans who usually know next to nothing about what is really going on. When Knight and Middleton played for the Pistons, Joe had his prized big men, Greg Monroe and Jason Maxiell. Neither player could perform the pick and roll play. Dumars decided to change out the guards and keep his big men. Did he actually ever watch one game the year he made that trade?

[Phil-Good]

Who's better than KCP? Oladipo, McCollum are the obvious, but everyone else is not as good or just close.

KCP is in the top 3-5 in that draft.

No disrespect. If Pope is A top 5 player in his draft class then that shows you how bad his draft class really was.

Every game now I'm waiting for Pope to decide to become pope and stop trying to be Ray Allen, R.Miller, K.Thompson, S.Curry or any of those guys.

Focus on what you can do. Defend, mid range, attack the paint, shoot with your feet set not moving. Become A better re-bounder, become A better passer. Get more assist. Stop jacking up 3BOMBS like Ray or Reggie would do. That's not your game Pope. Your not A shooter!!!!!

[Oracle]

Who's better than KCP? Oladipo, McCollum are the obvious, but everyone else is not as good or just close.

KCP is in the top 3-5 in that draft.

[Oracle]

We really appreciate this gift-wrap game. And Detroit almost lost to Westbrook and the 3rd strong unit. But who cares? A win is A win. I would really love to see more PT for Hillard and Bullard and less KCP but I will have to live with it for now.

Morris looks good but the guy who is also impressive is Tobis Harris. That kid was A steal in that trade. I hate to see Illy go but B.Jennings has been playing like PURE TRASH. Jennings looks lost in the NBA right now. And to think Detroit gave up Brandon Knight and C.Middleton. TWO All Star level players... Atleast T.Harris soften the blow of that Franchise destroying trade.

 

I don't know, when a superstar goes 8 for 28 (28%fg) after having a green light for 48 minutes it only seems fair that someone ought to receive a smattering of credit for playing a role in causing it.  Yes / No ??

This W made the Bulls / Pacers contest a win - win proposition.  Dang I didn't expect this. !!!

Doesn't the play of Reggie mitigate the loss of BK7 in some minor (or MAJOR) way(somewhere in between, but I'm happy with Reggie).  Reggie's plays & delivers with awfully BIG nuts.  (spelled F*** Westbrook)

T. Harris might be the deadline deal of the year(Hell Yeah!!!).  I'll be the first to admit having questions.  Now, seeing how well Harris & Morris work together I wonder what motivates GM Stan to seek a another stretch PF.

Lost in the blame KCP at any cost is the fact that while he didn't do well scoring, he had a stellar(for a SG) night assisting with a big 6 assists, and Reggie had 6 assists as well! That steal on the pass to Westbrook that left him sprawling all over the floor was a thing of beauty NOBODY else on this team is capable of!

KCP used to shoot FT's in the low 70% range last year, this year he's a solid 82% FT shooter. Last year he was total trash on the road, this year he shoots slightly better on the road, as his scoring goes up each year!

He's not a star yet, but if he keeps on this trajectory, he could be an all star one day when we start winning.

Morris: I simply have to say... Apologies! When SVG got him I said he was the lesser Morris... then he bloomed under the watchful eye of SVG! IMO, the addition Harris has helped him as well, even though I really would like a real PF on this team.

Don & Others: Don has been the most out spoken about SVG's rotations, and I have to agree. KCP & Morris need more rest! Yes they're young and will endure, but why? We have decent bench players to use, and it serves two goals by using them. They get experience and our starters get rested in a long season. Come on SVG, make it happen!

Btw, OKC played us for chumps and thought they could win and rest players, it didn't work out, but they are the better team at full strength... this year! They'll be looking for revenge next year, but we won't be the same team, we'll be stronger, so look out!

[lemonpen]

We really appreciate this gift-wrap game. And Detroit almost lost to Westbrook and the 3rd strong unit. But who cares? A win is A win. I would really love to see more PT for Hillard and Bullard and less KCP but I will have to live with it for now.

Morris looks good but the guy who is also impressive is Tobis Harris. That kid was A steal in that trade. I hate to see Illy go but B.Jennings has been playing like PURE TRASH. Jennings looks lost in the NBA right now. And to think Detroit gave up Brandon Knight and C.Middleton. TWO All Star level players... Atleast T.Harris soften the blow of that Franchise destroying trade.

 

I don't know, when a superstar goes 8 for 28 (28%fg) after having a green light for 48 minutes it only seems fair that someone ought to receive a smattering of credit for playing a role in causing it.  Yes / No ??

This W made the Bulls / Pacers contest a win - win proposition.  Dang I didn't expect this. !!!

Doesn't the play of Reggie mitigate the loss of BK7 in some minor (or MAJOR) way.  Reggie's plays & delivers with awfully BIG nuts.  (spelled F*** Westbrook)

T. Harris might be the deadline deal of the year.  I'll be the first to admit having questions.  Now, seeing how well Harris & Morris work together I wonder what motivates GM Stan to seek a another stretch PF.

[cool breeze]

Gather yourselves Piston players. You need to start playing with more confidence. You cannot turn the ball over so foolishly. And players who do not have the ball on offense cannot stand around like you are doing. Set a screen and run hard though screens when they are set for you. It is amazing that this Piston team has been able to put together so many wins when it counts when the team is not playing like a real team at all. Mental breakdowns with defensive rotations at this time of year shows that the coaches are talking to deaf ears. If not for the solid play of Morris and Harris, and Jackson's amazing ability to kill teams in the last 3 minutes, the team would be on the outside again looking at the lottery for excitement. I cannot imagine this Piston team winning one game in a playoff series but who knows. If the players cannot come together now, they never will and Van Gundy will need to make another roster change to upgrade the basketball IQ of the team.

Pope and Jackson cannot play another first quarter like they did last night. It seems that KCP gets pissed off with himself when he plays like a rookie and then comes back strong the next game. Lack of confidence or skill in recognizing situations on offense take your pick. And guessing instead of watching his assigned man's stomach to stop dribble penetration has me wondering how he could be nominated as a strong defensive player at any time in NBA history. Pope has the ability to be great on both ends. But he needs to put in the physical and mental work to get there. And I think he can get there. Jackson needs to start the game playing like a point guard instead of a guy who thinks he can do it all on his own. He needs to get his teammates involved but he needs help by his teammates who stand around too much in Van Gundy's lame offense. How about reversing the basketball and use all of your weapons Mr. Jackson playing both sides of the court in the half court set?

But the key has always been Andre Drummond. He has a certain skill set that cannot be stopped unless the opponent installs the HACk Drummond strategy. If not, Drummond has to come prepared to play with supreme confidence on both ends. He has to block shots in the paint and get defensive rebounds or this team will lose. We recently saw Andre play his best game in his life. If he can somehow watch the game tape and get himself prepared to play the right way with everything he has in him, then our Pistons will be a different team. Right now the Pistons are a fringe team full of young guys who are still learning.

Steve Blake is another key player relating to helping the team win and make the playoffs. Last night he got a steal at a critical time in the game and played really good defense. Now Steve needs to get his confidence back on his jump shot. He has been in a real hole lately and it is time to come out of the hole. Go Pistons!

[Phil-Good]

We really appreciate this gift-wrap game. And Detroit almost lost to Westbrook and the 3rd strong unit. But who cares? A win is A win. I would really love to see more PT for Hillard and Bullard and less KCP but I will have to live with it for now.

Morris looks good but the guy who is also impressive is Tobis Harris. That kid was A steal in that trade. I hate to see Illy go but B.Jennings has been playing like PURE TRASH. Jennings looks lost in the NBA right now. And to think Detroit gave up Brandon Knight and C.Middleton. TWO All Star level players... Atleast T.Harris soften the blow of that Franchise destroying trade.

[BallinD]

Good Win! Exploiting mismatches, playing hard, being lucky = a win we needed. Beating Dallas is doable then to exceed expectations for our home stand.

Westbrook missed a lot of shots, but I think it would be a mistake to attribute it to KCP. He eluded our stud defender at will. We beat up on their scrubs, but I will take it.

Morris and Harris, steady as she goes for the Stones. They are becoming as consistent, if not more, than RJDrum.

Hate to keep bringing this up, but how many dang layups will Stanley Johnson BLOW! not dunking the ball. Even Kelser screamed on him: "You gotta dunk that one."

[cool breeze]

He's won at least 2 games on this homestand all by himself.  Westbrook goes 8-28......no ther OKC player took more than 8 shots, and we win a squeaker.  WHATEVER!  We won!

You are right FlyDog Morris has been the one and only stable player could not be stopped thank God. . But did you check out the stats on Reggie in the category of production in the last 3 minutes of games this season as pointed out by the Piston announcers? WOW! Reggie had a really rough time until the last 3 minutes in this game. There is no love lost between Reggie and many of the Thunder players. And Reggie was taking this game too personal. Emotions can do crazy things to players. Sometimes it brings out the best in us and other times we go brain dead like Reggie did to start the game. Maybe Reggie's vibe rubbed off on KCP because he played an ugly first half on both ends too. Thanks to Harris in the first quarter and then Morris in the 2nd half, our Pistons are now in 7th place at least for a night. I thought Stan Van Gundy had a brain fart when the Thunder brought in two 7 footers and Stan made no adjustment. There are only a few games left so the rotation system has to be altered to fit the situation and the Pistons needed Andre's big body. But that didn't happen and we lost a 10 point lead. Was Stan worrying that the Thunder coach was baiting Stan hoping he would bring in Drummond so the Thunder could foul him? Who knows but it was a big mistake not to do anything but watch the Thunder get 3 and 4 shots on each possession during that time period.

Ugly but hard fought win. Way to stay strong when it counted!

[FlyDog]

He's won at least 2 games on this homestand all by himself. Westbrook goes 8-28......no ther OKC player took more than 8 shots, and we win a squeaker. WHATEVER! We won!

[FlyDog]

Russell Westbrook 48 Detroit Pistons 46

Come on guys, this game is on a silver platter. TAKE IT.

[FlyDog]

Durant and Ibaka resting tonight. That is a huge break.

Don, I agree that SJ plays very hard and very well on Defense. Hard to believe that kid is only 19 years old.

[cool breeze]

How did Denver just pick up DJ Augustin off the waiver wire and he went off for 18 and 10 vs Clippers, while we are talking about picking up a backup pg in free agency.  Shaking my head at that one.  

Stan seems to be the old school coach who rides the same horses habitually.  Get Bullock or Hilliard in there when SJ and KCP don't have it.  Come on, our season is at stake.  No time for pussyfooting around.  I Like the recent efforts, except vs ATL, but come on, we don't have much margin for error here.

Ballin you are correct. It makes no sense to beat a dead horse but that is what Van Gundy has been doing at times. It all has to do with trust. Every coach makes subjective decisions on who he can trust on the floor. Players can always sense it when they are out of the circle of trust and this is something that can drive players crazy. Bullock played exceptionally well hitting 3 point shots and playing aggressive defense. Then he had a brief bad patch and that was it. I still think Bullock has some real skills that could help this team especially when the selected rotation guys are playing horribly. This is a team game with live humans. Van Gundy needs to take another long look at his decision making when things are going in the wrong direction during actual game situations. Like a lot of other NBA coaches, he watches in frustration instead of taking action. That is why I really respect the abilities of Boston's head coach. Nothing gets past that man. He can read players minds and when he doesn't like what they are saying inside their heads while on the playing surface, he yanks them out without hesitation. This coach also instills confidence in players as they all fight hard for playing time.

[cool breeze]

Well.........maybe not.  But it's nice to see the competition dying a slow death.

Article to the right says KCP is being considered for all NBA Defensive team.  Let's hope Don isn't on the voting committee!;-)

FlyDog thankfully I am not on the committee. I hope he does get the award and that might make him concentrate more. Much of KCP's defensive blunders come from playing too many minutes. That is on the coach. I notice at the end of games, he gambles less and concentrates on staying in front of his man more.

My vote doesn't matter but if I were a player and had to select one Piston I would not want to play defense against me, that player would not be KCP. That player would be Stanley Johnson. He physical, quick and has a wide body he likes to use. This season the refs are penalizing him a lot maybe because he is a rookie. Next season will be different. At Arizona, Johnson started out in pre season failing to give up his body on defense. Coach Sean Miller and Rondae Hollis Jefferson had to teach him the facts of life relating to how to earn playing time and earn respect with his teammates. Suddenly everyone hated playing against Johnson in practice. Bodies were flying everywhere. His body is like concrete. I hope the Thunder find that out tonight.

[FlyDog]

Well.........maybe not. But it's nice to see the competition dying a slow death.

Article to the right says KCP is being considered for all NBA Defensive team. Let's hope Don isn't on the voting committee!;-)

[Oracle]

IMO, the real threat to us comes from the Wizards. The Bulls are likely to lose their next 2 games, and the Wizards are likely to win only one of their next 2 games.

If we lose our next 2 we're still in but hanging by a thread, but if we can win 1 of the next 2, we'll likely be no worse off than we are right now.

But we really need to be looking to take advantage of the rest and start playing like we want to be in the playoffs.

I never though we'd be in this position, but the 8th seed is ours to lose, and the 7th seed is there for the taking!

We just have to want it badly enough, and it will show in how hard and smart they play!

[BallinD]

Several players were supposedly fatigued after the Charlotte game. Get the damn reserves in there Stan. Atlanta was on the back end of a back to back, when told that fact, Marcus Morris acted like he couldnt believe it. Our teams got a ways to go in effort, conditioning, and coaching. We're still in good position, but I don't feel comfortable at all with our playoff positioning.

[BallinD]

How did Denver just pick up DJ Augustin off the waiver wire and he went off for 18 and 10 vs Clippers, while we are talking about picking up a backup pg in free agency. Shaking my head at that one.

Stan seems to be the old school coach who rides the same horses habitually. Get Bullock or Hilliard in there when SJ and KCP don't have it. Come on, our season is at stake. No time for pussyfooting around. I Like the recent efforts, except vs ATL, but come on, we don't have much margin for error here.

[Sponsored content]