Piston defense is improving and that is a good sign

[cool breeze]

While the Detroit News reporters are concentrating on the fact that the Pistons have lost a lot of games, it is clear that they know nothing much about how things work. Frank is teaching the young players how to play help defense. I haven't seen a guard move over to stop dribble penetration and get back over to cover his assigned player in over 3 years until the last few ball games. Brandon Knight is doing it. He helped out Stuckey a number of times last night and also against the Heat. Knight is going to be an outstanding leader and the Pistons haven't had a leader since Billups left. I see Ben Wallace getting excited on the floor because he is noticing the change as well. This is the start of something special. I have been so down on the Pistons because it was clear that Joe Dumars had signed a bunch of guys who did the same thing poorly among other things. Lack of effort and knowlege as to how to react on defense is the common thread. Last night the Pistons didn't allow a lot of points in the paint. The Pistons were beaten by low percentage long bombs. Daye and Stuckey messed up big time at the end of regulation but both of those players seem to be fitting in with Monroe, Knight and Jerebco. You will be seeing Jerebco play 40% better next season. That will be his breakout year. You can say the same for Monroe. I have to credit Murph and others for grasping what Monroe could bring to the Pistons. I didn't see it when he played college ball. We can say what we want to about Dumars but he gets credit for making the picks for Jerebco, Monroe and Knight. All three are tuned into improving and moving on when things don't go well on the court and having focus on the next possession. Dumars has spent a load of money on players who cannot perform well on defense. As the young guns take over this team, they as players will demand accountability just has Zeke did. Remember how Thomas reacted when Rodman was traded and Sean Elliot arrived in Detroit? Isiah and others were worried that Elliot was soft on the glass and playing defense. He didn't last long with the Bad Boys. I really like Sean Elliot and he performed well for the Spurs after leaving Detroit. But the Pistons core who controlled how the team played the game wanted things done there way. That is what our young guys like Brandon Knight will be doing as time moves forward. This is a new era. I can feel it. Good things will happen. sure Dumars needs to admit his mistakes and clean house with the over paid guys who have put the Pistons in the toilet. It is just a great thing that Charlie V cannot perform. They will ruin the chemistry if they are allowed to get into the rotation. Gordon just cannot play defense well enough to make the Pistons stable when playing with either Stuckey or Knight. Also, when the alleged big guns are on the sidelines licking their wounds, the young guys feel like they have to take charge and that is what is happening. Big Ben fits right in so well with this group. I just wish that Singler were on this team right now. He is a guy who would be diving on the floor for loose balls and competing hard evey night. Now get Macklin in there with this group of winners to see what he can bring. Go Pistons. There is no pressure to win any games this seaon. The more losses the better but keep improving that defense. That means you Mr. Daye!

[Oracle]

Dear Joe:

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Fly, I LOVE it, LOL!

Just remember to wash it off, that day old jelly is a killer!!!

[cool breeze]

Has anyone else noticed the odd way Knight shoots at times?

Blaha called it a cork screw shot, but it looks awfully strange, and I don't remember seeing him shoot that way in college, even though I only saw a few of his games.

Oracle I didn't see Knight shoot that quick shot just outside the dotted line when driving in the paint during his college career. Knight must have been doing his homework before the season even started. He combats size and the added quickness of NBA players with some skullduggery of his own. He knows the importance of being able to get his shot off quickly in the NBA and must have worked his butt off this past summer. I like his drive out wide on either side using the board while moving at blazing speed sometimes getting that shot off when two big men are following him know he is going to put that shot up. Last night, Brandon quickly drove from the wing, came to a jump stop at about 12 feet out and used the board to bank in his jumper which he released so quickly I had to yell. You can't help but get excited watching those type of plays. Knight has great timing. His 3 point attempts are almost set shots but he gets his feet set quickly and uses the same motion everytime which indicates that he must have put up thousands of practice shots over the summer. I think that Knight is an amazing athlete. Did anyone see the hard foul he put on a big man last night making sure that Hawk did not make an easy shot? I just hope that he stays injury free. He is playing a lot of minutes but doesn't seem to get tired. I love watching this guy play basketball.

[Sissy1946]

Then commercial comes on about Vanilla Ice coming to the palace, get your tickets but we're not going to put a good product on the floor but we got Vanilla Ice, Whew Boy, That Says it all. Gores wold you fire Joe & get this Schitt over with.

[Grizz]

While the Detroit News reporters are concentrating on the fact that the Pistons have lost a lot of games, it is clear that they know nothing much about how things work. Frank is teaching the young players how to play help defense. I haven't seen a guard move over to stop dribble penetration and get back over to cover his assigned player in over 3 years until the last few ball games. Brandon Knight is doing it. He helped out Stuckey a number of times last night and also against the Heat. Knight is going to be an outstanding leader and the Pistons haven't had a leader since Billups left. I see Ben Wallace getting excited on the floor because he is noticing the change as well. This is the start of something special. I have been so down on the Pistons because it was clear that Joe Dumars had signed a bunch of guys who did the same thing poorly among other things. Lack of effort and knowlege as to how to react on defense is the common thread. Last night the Pistons didn't allow a lot of points in the paint. The Pistons were beaten by low percentage long bombs. Daye and Stuckey messed up big time at the end of regulation but both of those players seem to be fitting in with Monroe, Knight and Jerebco. You will be seeing Jerebco play 40% better next season. That will be his breakout year. You can say the same for Monroe. I have to credit Murph and others for grasping what Monroe could bring to the Pistons. I didn't see it when he played college ball. We can say what we want to about Dumars but he gets credit for making the picks for Jerebco, Monroe and Knight. All three are tuned into improving and moving on when things don't go well on the court and having focus on the next possession. Dumars has spent a load of money on players who cannot perform well on defense. As the young guns take over this team, they as players will demand accountability just has Zeke did. Remember how Thomas reacted when Rodman was traded and Sean Elliot arrived in Detroit? Isiah and others were worried that Elliot was soft on the glass and playing defense. He didn't last long with the Bad Boys. I really like Sean Elliot and he performed well for the Spurs after leaving Detroit. But the Pistons core who controlled how the team played the game wanted things done there way. That is what our young guys like Brandon Knight will be doing as time moves forward. This is a new era. I can feel it. Good things will happen. sure Dumars needs to admit his mistakes and clean house with the over paid guys who have put the Pistons in the toilet. It is just a great thing that Charlie V cannot perform. They will ruin the chemistry if they are allowed to get into the rotation. Gordon just cannot play defense well enough to make the Pistons stable when playing with either Stuckey or Knight. Also, when the alleged big guns are on the sidelines licking their wounds, the young guys feel like they have to take charge and that is what is happening. Big Ben fits right in so well with this group. I just wish that Singler were on this team right now. He is a guy who would be diving on the floor for loose balls and competing hard evey night. Now get Macklin in there with this group of winners to see what he can bring. Go Pistons. There is no pressure to win any games this seaon. The more losses the better but keep improving that defense. That means you Mr. Daye!

Please dont fall in love too deeply over Frank's instilling of DEFENSE into this team ... NOT YET ... 76'ers are shooting 49.2% for the game at this moment .. and the Pistons as a team are 2nd to dead last in FG % in the NBA this season .. So please .. Reality Check .. MAYBE we will get there and be a great defensive team .. or maybe not ... EFFORT is there BUT .. the end result is the bottom line ..and right now we DONT PLAY GOOD DEFENSE .. Of course in 2 months maybe they will .. Hold off the defense love letters till you see more .. The lack of 2 Defensive BIGs MAY be the primary reason we will NOT stop anyone very often .. and have nothing to do with the effort of the players on the court playing D .. and Coach Frank's defensive schemes and tactics .. The fact we are so bad in defending shots does not lead me to love the team's defense ..

[frankied]

one of the big reasons that the defense is so bad is the lack of a shotblocker.
and because of the lack of a shotblocker, defenders cannot really get tight onto outside shooters.
teams with good shotblockers can cheat and guard outside shooters very tightly because they know that shotblocker is back there ready to wipe out their guy if he gets around them.
because the pistons lack that shotblocker, defenders cheat back a half step towards the basket and that is often enough to allow a guy to get an open look.

[Grizz]

one of the big reasons that the defense is so bad is the lack of a shotblocker.
and because of the lack of a shotblocker, defenders cannot really get tight onto outside shooters.
teams with good shotblockers can cheat and guard outside shooters very tightly because they know that shotblocker is back there ready to wipe out their guy if he gets around them.
because the pistons lack that shotblocker, defenders cheat back a half step towards the basket and that is often enough to allow a guy to get an open look.

Frankie .. Right .. and that is what I acknowledge in my posts .. but . my question is .. Is that really the sole reason for our defense being so bad? Is Frank really doing what needs to be done as far as instilling defense . Don says YES emphatically .. I am not so sure .. but .. enjoy that defensive effort in the meantime .. Lack of a shot blocker . is a problem and that is on Joe and not Frank .. and there are young players here who need to learn how to defend .. so .. please everyone who wants to enjoy the current Pistons' defensive efforts and progress . please do so and dont pay any attention to me .. I agree they are working at playing D .. I just dont concur yet that they are learning how to play D correctly .. and will wait until we see progress .. 2nd to last means we are not playing so great D . YET ..

[Oracle]

Trade Kaman!
Just heard it on NBA TV while watching the Kings/Jazz game!

[Grizz]

Once again in limited minutes .. Macklin does pretty darn well .. The 76'ers' announcers were really talking him up even on plays with no stats, screens and so forth...

[Grizz]

Bynum DNP - Strained Right Court Awareness
Gordon DNP - Sore Left Defensive Intensity

Villanueva DNP - Broken inner Motivation

Read more: [Only admins are allowed to see this link]

[deusXango]

one of the big reasons that the defense is so bad is the lack of a shotblocker.
and because of the lack of a shotblocker, defenders cannot really get tight onto outside shooters.
teams with good shotblockers can cheat and guard outside shooters very tightly because they know that shotblocker is back there ready to wipe out their guy if he gets around them.
because the pistons lack that shotblocker, defenders cheat back a half step towards the basket and that is often enough to allow a guy to get an open look.

Frankie .. Right .. and that is what I acknowledge in my posts .. but . my question is .. Is that really the sole reason for our defense being so bad? Is Frank really doing what needs to be done as far as instilling defense . Don says YES emphantically .. I am not so sure .. but .. enjoy that defensive effort in the meantime .. Lack of a shot blocker . is a problem and that is on Joe and not Frank .. and there are young players here who need to learn how to defend .. so .. please everyone who wants to enjoy the current Pistons' defensive efforts and progress . please do so and dont pay any attention to me .. I agree they are working at playing D .. I just dont concur yet that they are learning how to play D correctly .. and will wait until we see progress .. 2nd to last means we are not playing so great D . YET ..

Grizz and Frankie D., two of my favorite people having a meaningful discussion about our beloved Pistons. Grizz your logic is stunning in how simply obvious the facts are; this teams defense sucks! Wasted energy and effort is not playing defense. It's running around like headless chickens! Mathmatics is an exact science. Our offense is so putrid that teams don't have to score a bunch to beat us, and low scoring games by our opponents gives the false illusion that we're stopping someone when we're not. Look at the numbers and what's happening on the floor.

Speaking of observations, there is no one I respect more for their powers of observation than you Frankie. Shotblocking is an intimidating factor usually done by a specially gifted athlete. A team is fortunate to have one, and a perpetual contender with two! I offer for your consideration, a blocked shot can begin with a blocked or tipped pass. What I'm talking about is quick hands, alert minds, and knowledge of passing lanes. That standing up, bodying up, with hands in the air is not pro defensive play and all too often it gets you embarrassed. I see a lot of that on the perimeter, and the NBA marksmen shoot over it. Where are the tactical fouls? When do we swarm and trap? When do we switch from man to zone, and zone to man? I personally don't see any evidence Lil' Larry and his staff is teaching the key members of our future defensive principals. I'm not going to single out any particular players because we have some athletic specimens that are capable of playing great defense....if they're taught!

Again I see Macklin getting scrap minutes during a blow out and I wonder if Lil' Larry is going out of his way to humiliate the man. There is nothing he can do at the point he's being inserted into the game, so what's the point? Is Lil' Larry trying to bait the man into saying something that can be used to discredit himself? Either give him a chance and play him, send him to the D-League, or don't play him at all. The only big man with less time on the floor is Villanueva, and he's sleep hobbling.

[frankied]

Once again in limited minutes .. Macklin does pretty darn well .. The 76'ers' announcers were really talking him up even on plays with no stats, screens and so forth...

macklin does look good. he looks very comfortable.
why he is not worth a try is a mystery.

[Grizz]

Once again in limited minutes .. Macklin does pretty darn well .. The 76'ers' announcers were really talking him up even on plays with no stats, screens and so forth...

macklin does look good. he looks very comfortable.
why he is not worth a try is a mystery.

I wonder if it is because he is the low man on the prestige totem pole ... Macklin plays the position the position the Pistons utterly need to fill ASAP .. yet .. in the case of our GM and HC, they are more concerned in giving minutes to keep the highest salaried players happy, rather than DOING WHAT IS BEST in developing a young player AND the team as a whole

[frankied]

Once again in limited minutes .. Macklin does pretty darn well .. The 76'ers' announcers were really talking him up even on plays with no stats, screens and so forth...

macklin does look good. he looks very comfortable.
why he is not worth a try is a mystery.

I wonder if it is because he is the low man on the prestige totem pole ... Macklin plays the position the position the Pistons utterly need to fill ASAP .. yet .. in the case of our GM and HC, they are more concerned in giving minutes to keep the highest salaried players happy, rather than DOING WHAT IS BEST in developing a young player AND the team as a whole

very true. no argument here...

[FlyDog]

Villanueva.............sleep hobbling?

BWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHAHAHAHA!

Grizz- I agree, the chickens with their heads cut off EFFORT is there, but the bottom line is the Defense sucks. Missed the game last night. Woe is me.

[Fennis Dembo]

The Real Notes and Quotes from the Philadelphia game not the stuff we get from the beat writers - by Biff Burns


Biff Burns: The Pistons’ locker room was full of tired, crabby people after the blow-out loss.

Joe Dumars: Not only do I not know what's going on, I wouldn't know what to do about it if I did.

Biff Burns: Why didn’t you put Macklin in earlier? He has played decently in limited playing time.
Coach Frank: For every action, there is an equal and opposite criticism.

Biff Burns: It looked as though you voiced your displeasure with some of the refs’ calls.
Coach Frank: You never really learn to swear until you learn to coach.

Biff Burns: Has Tom Gores tied your hands in making any trades?
Joe Dumars: I have as much authority as the commissioner, I just don't have many people who actually believe it.

Joe Dumars: Quote me as saying I was mis-quoted.

Charlie “Inactive” Villanueva: Show me a challenge and I’ll call in sick.

Biff Burns: Any other comments?
Joe Dumars: Next time I see you, remind me not to talk to you.

Biff Burns: The next game is Monday in the land of breweries and cheese heads. Hasta la vista, Baby; I'll be back.

[deusXango]

one of the big reasons that the defense is so bad is the lack of a shotblocker.
and because of the lack of a shotblocker, defenders cannot really get tight onto outside shooters.
teams with good shotblockers can cheat and guard outside shooters very tightly because they know that shotblocker is back there ready to wipe out their guy if he gets around them.
because the pistons lack that shotblocker, defenders cheat back a half step towards the basket and that is often enough to allow a guy to get an open look.

Frankie D, I whole heartedly agree that we could use a shotblocker, in the worst way, but I seem to remember Lil' Larry saying in an interview that to compensate for the lack of a top tier shotblocker he would be instilling in his players the value of moving their feet, and stepping in and taking the charge. The perimeter players can play tight, harrassing defense if they trust their team mates to have their back and step in and take the charge should their man get around them. I haven't seem a lot of evidence that there is trust among a lot of players on this team on the floor. Not Bad Boy type trust. Not 2004 type trust, although I'll give you that 2004 team had one of the premier shotblockers and hard-nosed defensive anchors in the game, and tremendous length both starting and coming off the bench. Everything you say is what makes me convinced that Anthony Davis is the draft pick for us; we've got to stay in contention for him at all costs because he's the coming shotblocking beast in the NBA!

[Sebastian]

Trade: OUR 2012 fist pick for to the Wizard for JaVele McGee and Chris Singleton. Also, sign Jeff Green to a multi-year contract (remember Green is currently a free agent).

Move: Maxey and Daye to the Rockets for Hasheem Thabeet and Terrance Williams.

On March 1: Trade Tay to a contender for their late 2012 1st Round pick.

Trade: Ben G. to the Celtics for one of their two 2012 First Round picks (the Celtics have two first round picks in this year's draft).

Amenesty: Charlie V.'s ass the first chance WE get.

[merc]

You guys are right about Macklin deserving a fair shot... I'm just not sure that Frank is the reason.... Jmax has had a couple good games recently... anything that can build his trade stock (only as a filler to complete a deal) is worth it... or even JJ getting extra PT to be moved.
If Macklin keeps getting DNPs in March then it's on Frank.

[merc]

Drew Sharp with an honest assessment of our FA chances.
[Only admins are allowed to see this link]

[frankied]

DX,
what you say is very true. it is simply much tougher, however, to make a go of it without that big eraser on the back end of the defense.

[frankied]

sharp is right so far as he goes.
he studiously avoids, however, in classic detroit sportswriter fashion, does not mention joe dumars name when he talks about the sorry state of the francise.
at one point, lots of guys would have been willing to come to detroit, if they had been willing to spend the money.
at one point, joe d had pick of the litter, as far as coaches were concerned.
with the deterioration of the franchise, of course, players are now hesitant to come to a city that lacks some of the other attractive qualities of other cities.
but the reason - or at least one of the reasons - for the franchise's demise has been joe d himself. and to ignore that fact, by not even mentioning his name is ...curious, at least, and dishonest.
imho.

[deusXango]

You guys are right about Macklin deserving a fair shot... I'm just not sure that Frank is the reason.... Jmax has had a couple good games recently... anything that can build his trade stock (only as a filler to complete a deal) is worth it... or even JJ getting extra PT to be moved.
If Macklin keeps getting DNPs in March then it's on Frank.

Fair enough Merc. I'll be patient and see how this plays out. I'll never argue with anyone who speaks of building Maxiell's trade stock because they've probably got some "high cards" yet to be played.

[deusXango]

Trade: OUR 2012 fist pick for to the Wizard for JaVele McGee and Chris Singleton. Also, sign Jeff Green to a multi-year contract (remember Green is currently a free agent).

Sebastian, I agree 200% that we need a shotblocker, but not now, not McGee at the expense of our first round pick. You've got to be mad to really believe giving the Wizards two of the top three picks is worth JaVale McGee! To be truthful I'd rather give them Monroe for their first round pick, and the Moose is head and shoulders above McGee in skill, basketball I.Q., court awareness, and maturity. I ain't giving up Monroe and I ain't giving up our first round pick for nothing (maybe Dwight Howard), no way, no how! We've got Jeff Green in Jerebko and Macklin already and much cheaper than what it would take to sign him. You're frustrated like most of us are, that's all.

[deusXango]

DX,
what you say is very true. it is simply much tougher, however, to make a go of it without that big eraser on the back end of the defense.

Frankie, your point is well taken. Let's think Anthony Davis until the very end!

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