This makes two games in a row where it appeared the officials were corrupt

[cool breeze]

How could the official standing under the basket miss the body contact Whiteside put on Morris as drove to the hoop and attempted to release his shot. Morris was knocked to the ground. I clearly saw Wade intentionally commit at least 8 fouls pushing and shoving. But he always get his get out of jail free card with the NBA front office. Still it was hard to take Wade's attempt to kick Drummond in the testicles and then getting the call against Andre. Go up with the shot and kick one foot out is an age old dirty play only attempted by the nastiest of the nasty. During my playing days if a opposing player attempted that dirty trick we used to huddle up on the next timeout and with the full blessing of our coach, get the player back with a knee in the back or our center doing a hard jump stop on the players feet.

The refs had their blinders on in the previous game against Chicago. In previous seasons our players would have wilted but not this group. How about Stanley Johnson, Steve Blake and Antony Tolliver bringing it against the Heat? This group of Pistons have the ability to get a lot better as this season moves forward. And next year will be even better. But Reggie Jackson is truly Mr. Big Shot these days. He gets into the lane so easily and finishes so well to keep the team in the game during tough moments when nothing is working on offense. Keep that edge Piston players.

[cool breeze]

Well, KCP's road woes are officially OVER!!!

KCP willed us to this win, hitting big shot after big shot!

This is yet another statement game for this young team... we belong!!!

Oracle me buddy and I were very displeased with the way Pope was defending failing to stay in front of Wade all night long. Failing to force Wade to shoot his unreliable jump shot was not part of Stan Van Gundy's game plan. And Pope could be seen standing and watching after Wade blew by him instead of trying to recover in the paint on help defense. But out of nowhere, Mr. Pope provides some offense that saved the game for our Pistons. Even though our players have some extremely bad moments, we can never count them out. Great win!

[merc]

After 7 str8 years of 50+ wins it seemed like the fanbase was becoming jaded... the crowds were more like corporate suits at a sushi bar.
We were missing the excitement of the 2001-02 season after Joe D pulled off the Ben and Uncle Cliffy deals   ... Jon Barry, Zelly & Damon Jones and the alternators supplied the energy off the bench... the fans were load & proud.
The last few years has been humbling... our one time idol Joe D. became hated and disrespected   ...numerous forum feuds to follow    ... a bitter few years  
Now the sense of entitlement has gone and there's a new appreciation... The crowds are back and full of juice.
There will surely be letdowns with a team this young but ya gotta be proud of this scrappy bunch... maybe it's time for a good nick to match their character... so far the "cardiac kids" seems to fit ... what do ya think?
Guess that it for tonight...Ran outta emos

[Oracle]

Well, KCP's road woes are officially OVER!!!

KCP willed us to this win, hitting big shot after big shot!

This is yet another statement game for this young team... we belong!!!

[BallinD]

Major props to RJ east player of the week, for showing all the naysayers how silly they were for totally disregarding what he did last year and pissing on his 80 million contract.  Kudos to SVG for recognizing an upcoming stud.

Also kudos to Jackson and Swag for supporting each other, making this team a potentially special group of guys.  Jackson going to see Swag play in GR and complementing him.  

Jennings tweeting today that RJ is the best guard in the east...so much for all the talk about his attitude.  Been nothing but a team player since he got here.  Could there be a three-headed monster guardwise in our future?

Who will be lead the team...dare we say eastern conference, in player of the week, Dre or RJ?  Nice competition.

Surprising PER lowlights.  Worst active NBA players with more than 100 games:

Dellavadova, 18th worst at 10.4
Kyle Singler, 13th worst at 9.9
Joel Anthony, 10th worst at 9.6
Anthony Bennet (former #2 pick) 9th worst at 9.4
Ben Mclemore 8th worst at 9.32

[Oracle]

Before I start, let me say congrats to Reggie for winning ECF Player of the Week for the 2nd time, giving us two players winning it multiple times this early in the season! Don't look now, but we have two players that are looking like for sure all stars... what a wonderful development for this town, franchise, and young team(Go Lions )!


Reggie vs Jennings: Ok, not much of a contest right now(and I don't want it to be), but watching Jennings play with the Drive, it reminded me of just what it was that he brings that's radically different from Reggie!

Jennings has SWAG, but it's swag wrapped around something that's very solid! Jennings has by far the better court vision over Reggie, and coupled with that riverboat gambler approach, when it's controlled, he can make others around him much better!

It's that swag and gambler that totally throws defenses off, they just don't know what to expect!

For damn near everything else, I like Reggie a bit better, but if Jennings can embrace that off the bench, possible 6th man role, at the right price, he may want to stay and we may want to keep him! If we have the look of a team that could get to the finals, players have been known to make a few concessions to stay!

Unfortunately, if Jennings gets really good, I don't like our chances to keep him, as other teams will surely throw boat loads of money at him, which he would be a fool to ignore!

Doug McDermott is still looking for Reggie



For good measure, here's new Piston vs Old Piston, as KCP spins Amir around

[cool breeze]

Only got to see the 1st qtr... but I had the same impression as ballin about Jennings being tentative on D... he didn't want anything to do with contact (might be wise the first time out).
SVG was not willing to commit to when he will play "when we feel he's ready"... I'm thinking he doesn't want to rock the boat too much with the way the team has been playing... frankly Blake has not been a liability lately.
You gotta believe that BJ will get a good look b4 the deadline to make sure if he's worth the playoff run (damn that sounds good) or moving his expiring deal.
Some other forums are getting all excited about a D-League limited performance... ZZZzzzz

I like this post a lot Mercury. Brandon Jennings has put in a lot of work to overcome his injury. Stan Van Gundy noted that Jennings lateral movement is not good. Brandon's recovery has been faster than i ever expected. But playing the point guard position or the 2 guard requires a lot of lateral movement especially on defense. I like what Steve Blake offers the 2nd unit - STABILITY. He is an old pro who still plays tough defense and sure is able to get the 2nd unit players organized on offense. My big worry is not if Jennings returns this season but how much better the current 2nd unit players can become especially Big Man Baynes and Big Bomb Tolliver. Baynes was just rounding into shape when he got the nose smashed again. Tolliver has had a rough time hitting his 3 point shots but now seems to be getting back on track. The 2nd unit does not have any cream puff defensive players. jennings was once a cream puff defender before his injury. He needs to prove to Stan Van Gundy that he will not be a liability on the defensive end and will not turn the ball over on offense. Blake adds his high basketball IQ to the 2nd unit and Stan Van Gundy loves that about him.

I really believe that Stan Van Gundy will do the right thing to keep the Pistons moving forward in a positive way. Every player needs to be more consistent with their energy and mental approach to every game. Stan seems to be able to be teaching these players to find a way to motivate themselves through the tough NBA schedule. He is limiting Stanley Johnson's minutes so as to not burn him out and keep him hungry. There is still a lot of work to be done with the big men to dig down deep and become better defenders.

Kick ass and take names Pistons!

[lemonpen]

I'm lovin our growing mental and physical toughness. I don't know what our ceiling is but BOY has this team grown a lot in a little over a hundred games. Way to go Stan.

[Sebastian]

Pistons Pals: OUR roster of 5 1/2 players is looking better with each outing. This group (Reggie, KCP, Dre Drum, Marcus, and Illy) are becoming tough and durable as hell. They are developing a real chemistry and respect for each other, which are the hallmark ingredients of a competitive NBA team.

Did you'll notice the confidence and assurance that OUR 1st-Round pick played with; especially during critical moments of the 4th quarter? Stanley "Built to Last" Johnson is about ready to breakout, folks. He played his best game, against the Bulls, in my opinion. He scored, rebounded, dished, and played quality defense against accomplished vets, D. Rose and Jimmy Butler.

Also, I was pleased to see more of B. Jennings and it was very significant that Reggie and Dre took the drive to watch Jennings and the Drive in Grand Rapids.

OUR roster is almost complete with the return of B. Jennings and the emergence of Stanley. But, WE need one more dude to complete the roster.

I say offer Houston OUR 2017 1st Round pick for Terrance Jones. T. Jones could back-up either Marcus or Illy or start at either the SF or PF position.

Yes, GM Stan go get Terrance Jones, now!

[merc]

Only got to see the 1st qtr... but I had the same impression as ballin about Jennings being tentative on D... he didn't want anything to do with contact (might be wise the first time out).
SVG was not willing to commit to when he will play "when we feel he's ready"... I'm thinking he doesn't want to rock the boat too much with the way the team has been playing... frankly Blake has not been a liability lately.
You gotta believe that BJ will get a good look b4 the deadline to make sure if he's worth the playoff run (damn that sounds good) or moving his expiring deal.
Some other forums are getting all excited about a D-League limited performance... ZZZzzzz

[BallinD]

Here are the things that caught my eye:

Ball Distribution? Check! Jennings dished 12 assists, with one a very flashy off the backboard slam!

Hot Dogging? Yeah, but it was under control!

Offense? Not really on display, but we know he can when needed, but a 2nd unit PG that can put up 11 points with 12 assists is damn good in my book!

Defense? Well, he wasn't known for his defense before he got hurt, and to be kind, it hasn't gotten any better!

Conditioning? Nowhere near where it needs to be, but easing him in with 10-15 minutes will fix that!

The acid test: Is he better than Steve Blake? Not right now! SVG says he needs to show better lateral movement on defense, but he's as good as Blake defensively without trying too much.

Conclusion: Jennings needs more work, but I can't see why he shouldn't be getting 10 minutes a game to get his feet wet depending on game situations! I'd use Blake if I had any concern about losing a game, but use Jennings if I thought we had some margin for error!

It's really tough to keep a player out that thinks he's ready, but the middle ground is to let him play his way back into the rotation gradually. SVG knows what to do and I trust him to make the right decision!

I'd be interested in the opinions of other posters that managed to catch the game! BTW, I watched the game loosely, DLeague action isn't the most exciting stuff I've ever seen! I basically knew when the starters would be in the game and ditched the rest

Oracle, Jennings wants to play and I agree he is not ready to guard NBA lead point guards, or even backups. He looked tentative on defense, as if he was playing at about 80%. SVG said his lateral movement is not there, and I would agree. I did not see him handling screens very well, either, somewhat tentative. but it was the D League, so hard to say. Defense was not really played by anybody out there.

His playmaking alone though, and his pushing the ball was what I saw could inject serious octane into the second unit. It seems like based on that alone, he could be an upgrade over Blank. Also, his three shot would open things up for Stanimal. And we sure could use more fast breaks in the offense, with Stanimal again, benefitting.

Overall, I would say he is third option pg right now, but I would, if possible, make it my business, if I was SVG, to get him some burn, especially if the team is lifeless. His enthusiasm, push and swag could be infectious.

Tough call. Only SVG sees him in practice. He would have to be outplaying Blank in order to get in. Otherwise, not fair and probably not gonna happen.

With Miami and Atlanta on deck, my guess is he won't get burn till NY game.

[Oracle]

Here are the things that caught my eye:

Ball Distribution? Check! Jennings dished 12 assists, with one a very flashy off the backboard slam!

Hot Dogging? Yeah, but it was under control!

Offense? Not really on display, but we know he can when needed, but a 2nd unit PG that can put up 11 points with 12 assists is damn good in my book!

Defense? Well, he wasn't known for his defense before he got hurt, and to be kind, it hasn't gotten any better!

Conditioning? Nowhere near where it needs to be, but easing him in with 10-15 minutes will fix that!

The acid test: Is he better than Steve Blake? Not right now! SVG says he needs to show better lateral movement on defense, but he's as good as Blake defensively without trying too much.

Conclusion: Jennings needs more work, but I can't see why he shouldn't be getting 10 minutes a game to get his feet wet depending on game situations! I'd use Blake if I had any concern about losing a game, but use Jennings if I thought we had some margin for error!

It's really tough to keep a player out that thinks he's ready, but the middle ground is to let him play his way back into the rotation gradually. SVG knows what to do and I trust him to make the right decision!

I'd be interested in the opinions of other posters that managed to catch the game! BTW, I watched the game loosely, DLeague action isn't the most exciting stuff I've ever seen! I basically knew when the starters would be in the game and ditched the rest

[Oracle]

They say the live stream of the game will be here - http://dleague.nba.com/games/20151219/IWAGRD/

[Oracle]

Out with the old and in with the new. Our Pistons made a ton of mental mistakes but still managed to keep fighting through 4 overtimes to win this game. Crazy things happened. Drummond took the entire first half off then came back to make some great plays. If this man only knew how special he could be on the basketball floor our Pistons could be in the finals. I think it's fair to call out what Drummond does wrong because he needs to develop. I am also encouraged because his jump in growth from last season is more than any other player on the roster! He's improved in so many areas it boggles the mind!

He was a ZERO offensive threat, and throwing the ball in to him in the post was equivalent to a turnover! In this game when he manned the high post, he became a decent passer, and in general he will pass the ball lately if he doesn't have anything going! Obviously his rebounding has jumped off the page, and he is no longer abused by every bum center in the league! This kid has shown a lot of improvement.

But you're right, he can be something really special, but it's not going to happen overnight, he still needs seasoning, and let's see where he is near 3/4 of the season, but mostly next year he should be totally uncontrollable!

 It appeared that the Chicago mafia had paid off the refs. Suspicious fouls were called at critical times against Piston players where no contact existed. Stanley Johnson did not commit his 6 foul. There was no contact. Also, there were several fouls called against the Pistons when Chicago missed free throws. The ball came off the rim hard and the result was long rebounds that our Piston players legally snagged but somehow fouls were called that didn't exist. Detroit got one break in one of the overtimes when Morris held the basketball for more than 7 seconds in the sideline out of bounds and no five second call was made against Detroit. That was about all the breaks our Pistons got in that game. The refs were pretty bad, but impressively, these guys may complain a little, but the just keep fighting!

Jphnson had the hot hand in the 2nd half but somehow he was shut down by his own teammates as they failed to pass the basketball to him when he was hot and open. I do not believe anything was intentional but rather players just not paying attention and getting the ball to the player who is making shots. Stanley gets absolutely no benefit of the doubt from the refs! No matter what he does, the refs know he's a rookie and assume he did something wrong... unfortunately it comes with being a rookie, not drafter 1-5 in this league!

Pope is still a mystery to me. He made some great shots in this game in overtime. Then after showing that he had become a better free throw shooter in previous games, he suddenly develops a hitch in his shot and misses two huge free throws in the last overtime. And directly after missing those free throws he allows Butler to go to his right once again and got in Butler's air space making contact as the shot was being released. That easily could have been a 4 point play for Chicago. Fatigue had to be involved for sure but to make matters worse, Pope complained to the refs that he was hit. Butler did nothing wrong. Pope allowed him to get to his spot on the floor and he when up solid to knock the ball in the basket. Reggie missed two game winners, but we aren't competitive without him! We don't get to the 4th OT if KCP doesn't his that 3! KCP had to guard the best Bull player in Butler, and that's no easy assignment! It's hard doing it on both ends, but KCP kept us alive to win this one.

The Piston free throw shooting was insane in this game. The only player I trust at the line right now in the clutch is Reggie Jackson. Stan Van Gundy is smart as hell to have snagged our new Mr. BigShot. And the other pick up I love is Steve Blake. Blake is a smart basketball player who is older but his work ethic is outstanding which allows him to still have that edge in his game. He loves to play. He loves to pass the basketball and do all the little things that help teams win. Maybe he will go to the bench once Jennings returns, but Blake brings positive team chemistry everywhere he goes and he is finally a Piston. Joe Dumars would never have thought about signing Blake years ago. Stan Van Gundy is so damn smart I never question who he plays or what he decides anymore. The guy is in the game unlike any of the previous coaches the Pistons have had in many years. I was in favor of getting Blake, but his early play was clearly not what I thought we were getting from the Steve Blake I remembered. He's improved a lot lately, but he hasn't gotten much better, but a lot smarter about his limitations! He's playing within himself and smartly moving the ball, which is a real good thing! Now I'm really confident when he comes on the floor, but will be even more confident in the team with him as a backup to Jennings!

Great win Piston players. We finally have some players who hate to lose. How sweet is that?

I thought this was a real classic because of two additional reasons.

1. We used to lose games like this in regulation, and even if we got to OT, the most experienced team generally wins, and we never came close to bucking those odds! So this was a true test of who we are, and they passed that test with flying colors!
   
2. It's one thing to win, but what made this a classic for me was how we won! It wasn't because the other team just couldn't get it done, this was a contest where each team made tough shots and ran great plays to score! If you didn't score, you were out of this one, and if you didn't defend you were out! Big shot after big shot, that's what makes a classic! The Bulls played a great game, but this was a chess match and we won, which tells you that the talent and leadership on both teams is fairly equivalent.
   

We're on our way, and that feels good!

Note: The Drive game in on League Pass for those who have it, I'll be tuning in, wife willing !

[cool breeze]

Out with the old and in with the new. Our Pistons made a ton of mental mistakes but still managed to keep fighting through 4 overtimes to win this game. Crazy things happened. Drummond took the entire first half off then came back to make some great plays. If this man only knew how special he could be on the basketball floor our Pistons could be in the finals.

It appeared that the Chicago mafia had paid off the refs. Suspicious fouls were called at critical times against Piston players where no contact existed. Stanley Johnson did not commit his 6 foul. There was no contact. Also, there were several fouls called against the Pistons when Chicago missed free throws. The ball came off the rim hard and the result was long rebounds that our Piston players legally snagged but somehow fouls were called that didn't exist. Detroit got one break in one of the overtimes when Morris held the basketball for more than 7 seconds in the sideline out of bounds and no five second call was made against Detroit. That was about all the breaks our Pistons got in that game.

Jphnson had the hot hand in the 2nd half but somehow he was shut down by his own teammates as they failed to pass the basketball to him when he was hot and open. I do not believe anything was intentional but rather players just not paying attention and getting the ball to the player who is making shots.

Pope is still a mystery to me. He made some great shots in this game in overtime. Then after showing that he had become a better free throw shooter in previous games, he suddenly develops a hitch in his shot and misses two huge free throws in the last overtime. And directly after missing those free throws he allows Butler to go to his right once again and got in Butler's air space making contact as the shot was being released. That easily could have been a 4 point play for Chicago. Fatigue had to be involved for sure but to make matters worse, Pope complained to the refs that he was hit. Butler did nothing wrong. Pope allowed him to get to his spot on the floor and he when up solid to knock the ball in the basket.

The Piston free throw shooting was insane in this game. The only player I trust at the line right now in the clutch is Reggie Jackson. Stan Van Gundy is smart as hell to have snagged our new Mr. BigShot. And the other pick up I love is Steve Blake. Blake is a smart basketball player who is older but his work ethic is outstanding which allows him to still have that edge in his game. He loves to play. He loves to pass the basketball and do all the little things that help teams win. Maybe he will go to the bench once Jennings returns, but Blake brings positive team chemistry everywhere he goes and he is finally a Piston. Joe Dumars would never have thought about signing Blake years ago. Stan Van Gundy is so damn smart I never question who he plays or what he decides anymore. The guy is in the game unlike any of the previous coaches the Pistons have had in many years.

Great win Piston players. We finally have some players who hate to lose. How sweet is that?

[Oracle]

@Ballin & @Cool - Yes, we're all seeing the same thing about Drummond! I believe the schedule has more of an impact on the biggest men than it does on smaller guys! Drummond had lost a lot of weight just before the season, but gained a lot of it back when the season started. IMO, dropping 5-7 pounds would do him a world of good and improve his conditioning.

The good news is that unlike Monroe, he can really bring it when he wants to, and other than his FT shooting, his improvement over last year is dramatic, and much better than I thought he could do!

Having said that, FT shooting is like the hose in a car! Yeah, it's a little thing, but if it's busted, the whole car is useless! He's got to get that under control! BTW, what's the deal with Illy, his FT shooting is suddenly totally unreliable!

@Ballin - Yes ESPN is starting to notice us and NBATV had a top 5 plays, and KCP was #2 only losing out to KD's Dr. J impersonation of his behind the basket shot in the finals! Dr. J's was a bit better, IMO, but it was sweet. KCP got there with his move to spin Amir around and drop the 3 on him! It was funny too because they put Amir on a loop while they sang a spin song

@Sissy - You're so right Sissy! Where would we be if we hadn't dropped games to those losers, and pulled out some of the other close games? But you're right, sometimes you have to lose like that to mature to where you need to be.

@Merc - Both Classics, although that 83' game set way more records that still stand today! Last night was the longest game in NBA history, and a real watermark for this young team! I'm really proud of these guys!

[BallinD]

Drummond's first half performance was pitiful on both ends of the floor. If he misses a shot or thinks he didn't get a break from the officials, Drummond mails it in. I would rather see anyone on the floor playing center than Drummond if he continues to display the same kind of effort he has shown in the first half of games for the past two weeks. He watches his teammates battle inside for rebounds. This is what Greg Monroe did and that is why our Pistons lost so many games with Greg wearing a Piston uniform.l Play Anthony please and let Drummond sit on the bench. He sure must be rested well to start the 2nd half of games. I watch players effort in transition. Drummond gives no effort when going from offense to defense. Remember when an over weight Shaq would often get back and just stand in the paint while opponents were trying to beat the defense in the half court. Drummond is a big man but lags behind everyone and thinks he can get away with that sorry effort because the man he is assigned to is behind him. No Andre, you need to be part of the defense and get your ass back into the paint so opposing skill players don't have an easy ride in for layups.

I will say this about this Piston team. Everyone is working their asses off for Stan Van Gundy with the exception of Drummond in the first half of games. We have hard nosed players at every position with the exception of Drummond. So Andre you have been exposed for what you currently are as a player. You are an extremely young man who should be in your prime condition wise. You should be running the court really hard in transition like your teammates are doing. Van Gundy threw his arms up three times in the first half after watching Drummond watch his teammates struggle for rebounds. Where is your focus lately Andre? Earlier on this season Drummond was running the court hard getting back and preventing a lot of 2nd chance attempts. This is the point in time where past Piston teams have really looked bad as Christmas approaches. They were playing at Greg Monroe's pace watching on defense like a fan watches from the stands. Maybe Andre has had some disappointment outside of basketball with his love life. Maybe he has had the flu. In the first half the 2nd unit playing without Andre really gave a supreme effort. Anthony made two free throws. The team looked exciting. If the free throws had been dropping our Pistons would have had a 18 point lead.

If Drummond gets his focus back and plays like the monster he is capable of being, then there is no stopping this team. If he fakes playing defense and makes no effort to get defensive rebounds or plays hard for only half of a game, then our Pistons will fail in the long run. How do you get a big man to play with 100% effort? That is still a mystery for all levels of basketball. The smaller players all seem to love giving maximum effort, but the big guys sometimes have a mind of their own and talk themselves into being just average players. Soon their careers are over and they never reached their potential. See the light Andre PLEASE!

I just renewed my league pass and have been appalled at Dre's effort. Early season games I watched, he was active and engaged and in shape. Lately, he looks like his dog died, or he is not taking kindly to Stan prodding him to make effort plays and avoid mental errors.

He is so gifted, he can coast and still get 15-12, but for us to become elite, he must bring it. With a 7-6 wingspan, he blocks so few shots, it is disgusting how little he protects the paint. Get Ben Wallace in there as a coach to help him! ASAP!

I know it is a long season, 82 games, but the great ones bring it night in and night out. These effort lapses are exactly why Dre fell to us in the draft. WE might just have to live with it until he matures.

[cool breeze]

Drummond's first half performance was pitiful on both ends of the floor. If he misses a shot or thinks he didn't get a break from the officials, Drummond mails it in. I would rather see anyone on the floor playing center than Drummond if he continues to display the same kind of effort he has shown in the first half of games for the past two weeks. He watches his teammates battle inside for rebounds. This is what Greg Monroe did and that is why our Pistons lost so many games with Greg wearing a Piston uniform.l Play Anthony please and let Drummond sit on the bench. He sure must be rested well to start the 2nd half of games. I watch players effort in transition. Drummond gives no effort when going from offense to defense. Remember when an over weight Shaq would often get back and just stand in the paint while opponents were trying to beat the defense in the half court. Drummond is a big man but lags behind everyone and thinks he can get away with that sorry effort because the man he is assigned to is behind him. No Andre, you need to be part of the defense and get your ass back into the paint so opposing skill players don't have an easy ride in for layups.

I will say this about this Piston team. Everyone is working their asses off for Stan Van Gundy with the exception of Drummond in the first half of games. We have hard nosed players at every position with the exception of Drummond. So Andre you have been exposed for what you currently are as a player. You are an extremely young man who should be in your prime condition wise. You should be running the court really hard in transition like your teammates are doing. Van Gundy threw his arms up three times in the first half after watching Drummond watch his teammates struggle for rebounds. Where is your focus lately Andre? Earlier on this season Drummond was running the court hard getting back and preventing a lot of 2nd chance attempts. This is the point in time where past Piston teams have really looked bad as Christmas approaches. They were playing at Greg Monroe's pace watching on defense like a fan watches from the stands. Maybe Andre has had some disappointment outside of basketball with his love life. Maybe he has had the flu. In the first half the 2nd unit playing without Andre really gave a supreme effort. Anthony made two free throws. The team looked exciting. If the free throws had been dropping our Pistons would have had a 18 point lead.

If Drummond gets his focus back and plays like the monster he is capable of being, then there is no stopping this team. If he fakes playing defense and makes no effort to get defensive rebounds or plays hard for only half of a game, then our Pistons will fail in the long run. How do you get a big man to play with 100% effort? That is still a mystery for all levels of basketball. The smaller players all seem to love giving maximum effort, but the big guys sometimes have a mind of their own and talk themselves into being just average players. Soon their careers are over and they never reached their potential. See the light Andre PLEASE!

[BallinD]

The Pistons Bulls Rivalry is officially Back On!

ESPN mentioned how many time we have lost to the Bulls over the last few years.

They conveniently neglected to mention...We Beat em Twice This Year!!!

[Sissy1946]

Pistons now 16-12 & growing up right before our eyes, Reggie, well I was a little down on him earlier but this kid can ball, didn't hit the game winner though he had a few chances but he's nothing but a baller, to much Illy at the end for me, all those games they gave away have given them the experience they have now even back to the last Clipper game, the Memphis game, they were learning on the go, the stupid games they lost to the Lakers, Bucks, Brooklyn earlier they paid a stiff toll but seem to have survived & are learning on the run, great job guys & well deserved, well except for those freakin' free throws, hit a free throw will ya, it's the only way the Bulls stayed in the game, one thing at a time Boyz.

[BallinD]

Stone Balls, baby. We are officially 5-1 vs top teams in the east. Still not sure how we won, but our two-headed monster beat their three headed monster. Dre and RJ vs Butler, Rose and Gasol. With an assist from SJ, Illy and MM.

RJ is unconscious at crunch time. He is not a superstar, but he is super clutch. Dre is growing up before our eyes.

KCP missing two crucial FTs down the stretch.

Almost all the calls going against us.

And we still won.

[merc]

This game brought flashbacks to 83' vs the Nuggets
http://www.nba.com/pistons/history/highest-scoring-game-ever

[Oracle]

Hell, I'll sleep good tonight, this team is really coming together nicely!!!

[Oracle]

I love our chances in the playoffs, this team is very talented!!!

[Oracle]

Off we go to the 4th overtime!!!

Stanley Johnson becoming a man, Morris & KCP clutch 3 pointers, this game has everything!!!

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