Sparma & Don

[Oracle]

@Sparma, anything is possible, but my point is that what you & Wise are talking about is so very unlikely, it's not worth thinking about! No, I'm not calling you guys crazy, I'm just saying, this is coming off as a real stretch, there's so much more that's possible to think about, IMO.

@Don - Ok, your point has been proven! After watching the Clippers lose to the Grizzlies, I'm totally impressed with the level of play of BOTH teams bigs! I also have to admit that our bigs aren't capable of playing in a series like that right now, beasd on experience alone!

I was impressed by Griffin, he's really matured from the human highlight stuff. He's a way more complete player now, and where he used to fade under the ZBo attack, he's manning up really well! As a matter of fact, he was the main Clipper to show up, the rest of them faded, including Chris Paul!

Our bigs will get that experience, but it takes a lot to compete at that level in a series! I'm really loving this series because it's like watching the Bad Boys era all over again... real physical play!!!

[Phil-Good]

Stan can coach. That's no secret but Stan's number 1 problem is him. Nobody likes him. He is the master of panic. He can't deal with the NBA ego as well as other coaches can. He is the type of guy players get burn out on after 1 or 2 seasons.

I remember the NBA players union did A poll asking the players what coaches they would like to play for and what coaches they would not like to play for.


I believe Doc Rivers was number 1 coach players would like to play for.

Stan Vangundy was number 1 coach players would not like to play for.

I don't just talk. Here is the link:http://www.waitingfornextyear.com/2012/04/nba-player-poll-byron-scott-among-least-preferred-coaches/

Pass On VANGUNDY

[Oracle]

"News: Lawrence Frank was fired after a 23-59 record this season. With a less-than-inspiring field of replacements, staying with the status quo could have been the safe move.

Views: The bar was low for Frank this season. The last thing Pistons owner Tom Gores wanted to do was to fire his hand-picked head coach two years into it, and it wasn't because Dumars convinced him Frank was never the right choice.

Platinum Equity representatives Phil Norment and Bob Wentworth saw the effect Frank's approach, negative demeanor and micromanaging had on everyone. All Frank had to do was show minimal improvement and he would be returning for his third season but at every crossroad, Frank failed miserably." - [Only admins are allowed to see this link]

[Oracle]

"Gilbert, talking during a morning business breakfast at the Detroit Athletic Club, said fans will flock to a downtown setting even when teams are doing poorly, taking in local restaurants, bars or a casino.

"It's an experience," Gilbert said. "Let's face it, (arenas) don't belong in a farm field in the suburbs."

The Cavaliers finished with a worse record than the Pistons this season, but Gilbert said the team still drew about 15,000 fans a game to its downtown arena, while Gores' Pistons at times were noticeably bringing in only a few thousand." - [Only admins are allowed to see this link]

[WTF]

"Gilbert, talking during a morning business breakfast at the Detroit Athletic Club, said fans will flock to a downtown setting even when teams are doing poorly, taking in local restaurants, bars or a casino.

"It's an experience," Gilbert said. "Let's face it, (arenas) don't belong in a farm field in the suburbs."

The Cavaliers finished with a worse record than the Pistons this season, but Gilbert said the team still drew about 15,000 fans a game to its downtown arena, while Gores' Pistons at times were noticeably bringing in only a few thousand." - [Only admins are allowed to see this link]

Gilbert makes sense here, it would definitely increase attendance and give a jolt to the economy in the city if there was a downtown arena. I'm sure Ilitch would gift him the space to build an arena right next to Ford Field and Comerica Park. There just a crap load of space sitting there that's big enough for a new Wings arena and Pistons arena

[WTF]

If Joe is seriously considering Hunter, then Hell Yes! he should be considering Laimbeer for the coaching position as well. It's like these that speak poorly of Joe and makes him come of as the arrogant ass-hole he truly become since becoming the president of the team.

Not that I'm promoting Laimbeer but he's just as qualified perhaps light years more but he can't get consideration. I'll give Joe the benefit of doubt that perhaps there's no real need to interview him again considering he interviewed 2 years ago and not much has changed but at least acknowledge him as being a potential choice

[WTF]

Stan can coach. That's no secret but Stan's number 1 problem is him. Nobody likes him. He is the master of panic. He can't deal with the NBA ego as well as other coaches can. He is the type of guy players get burn out on after 1 or 2 seasons.

I remember the NBA players union did A poll asking the players what coaches they would like to play for and what coaches they would not like to play for.


I believe Doc Rivers was number 1 coach players would like to play for.

Stan Vangundy was number 1 coach players would not like to play for.

I don't just talk. Here is the link:http://www.waitingfornextyear.com/2012/04/nba-player-poll-byron-scott-among-least-preferred-coaches/

Pass On VANGUNDY

Shat Up You Ass Lick, if Joe was to hire Van Gundy you would almost immediately go into ass kissing mode saying how great of a job Joe did in hiring a coach. You Arse Kisser

[lemonpen]

Beauty being in the eye of the beholder would make each of you correct. Who is to say which element a team desires more in a trade scenerio. In ranking "value" I would submit that cheap, young, proven talent stands alone at the top, evidenced by an observation of it being the most infrequently exchanged commodity.

But, looking at your trade pairings, I submit for your consideration that offering a combination of cheap, young, proven talent AND an expiring contract seems an awful lot like giving up the farm, unless the return is GOSHDARNGOOD.

[Oracle]

BS meaning the great Barry Sanders!

Sparma was correct, they picked the long, fast and tough Ziggy Ansah!

[Only admins are allowed to see this link]

[WTF]

BS meaning the great Barry Sanders!

Sparma was correct, they picked the long, fast and tough Ziggy Ansah!

[Only admins are allowed to see this link]

I'm hoping somewhere there's a WR to compliment CJ. Yeah Barry for making the cover of Madden.

[cool breeze]

@Sparma, anything is possible, but my point is that what you & Wise are talking about is so very unlikely, it's not worth thinking about! No, I'm not calling you guys crazy, I'm just saying, this is coming off as a real stretch, there's so much more that's possible to think about, IMO.

@Don - Ok, your point has been proven! After watching the Clippers lose to the Grizzlies, I'm totally impressed with the level of play of BOTH teams bigs! I also have to admit that our bigs aren't capable of playing in a series like that right now, beasd on experience alone!

I was impressed by Griffin, he's really matured from the human highlight stuff. He's a way more complete player now, and where he used to fade under the ZBo attack, he's manning up really well! As a matter of fact, he was the main Clipper to show up, the rest of them faded, including Chris Paul!

Our bigs will get that experience, but it takes a lot to compete at that level in a series! I'm really loving this series because it's like watching the Bad Boys era all over again... real physical play!!!

Me too Oracle! This is real basketball not the stuff we see during the regular season from many teams. Let us hope that our young Pistons are watching and realizing how much work is ahead before they will be able to play like that. One final observation about Stuckey and why he has not elevated into one of those tough players. Stuckey never plays with an edge. He never looks upset with the way a game is going while playing. You seldom see the facial looks of those players from both teams that played last night. Maybe Stuckey just doesn't hate losing enough. Stuckey is a nice guy and it seems is not bent on going to the crazy state good players need to go to before they rise above and stand out. Stuckey shows the exact opposite emotions on the court as Knight. Knight beats himself up when things are not going right. But that is the secret thing great players need before they can get to the highest level and make their bodies and minds do incredible things.

[cool breeze]

DON MANN former Seal Team 6 member and director of BUDS. If you get a chance read his book "Seal Team 6". I recently had the honor of meeting him and then listening to him speak. He said that to him you test your body when you run a 26 mile marathon. You test your mind when you do a 50 mile run. When you go to the 100 to 500 mile events you test your spirit. I have done the first two of those mentioned and cannot imagine doing more. Yet this guy made everyone think that they could do it before he stopped speaking. This guy is intense. He is in his 50s but looks to be in his 30s and still tests his mind and body in crazy ways. My thought here was about who can inspire young athletes to become the best that they can be? I look at some of the coaches in both college and the NBA and wonder how some of them can ever get the respect of the players they are coaching. All of my coaches in football and basketball growing up were tough men and players shut up and listened very carefully to everything they would say. Then for my first year in college, my coach was a numbers guy who never seemed to see the human side of anything. You were just filling a spot. What is it like at the pro level for players with their relationship with coaches? How much trust and respect do they have with their coaches? Mike Dunlap just got fired by the Bobcats. I know Mike. He is a tough minded guy who expects a lot from his players. He has run some marathons himself so knows a lot about getting the body in proper shape to perform. As I watch the young NBA players, I can see that many have no clue as to what they need to do physically to get in proper shape so they can compete with other players who are in shape. Then I look at most of the coaches in the NBA and you can't help but notice that those coaches have never had the experience themselves of pushing themselves physically. They are over weight and out of touch with the young guys who have to be in shape. It becomes a business where the players separate themselves from coaches as much as possible and fake it a lot in practice. They fake listen when the coach talks at timeouts. So in the NBA to have a good team, you need actual players who can direct their teammates in the right direction. I recall Billups taking Prince under his wing after his rookie season and spending an entire summer working out with him. Somehow GMs need to find those leader type players who other players follow by their example. Remember Michael Jordon's famous workouts with his team during the pre season. They played full court press practice for hours in the pre season practices no less. Jordon demanded a lot from his teammates. Zeke did the same for the Pistons. Who do we currently have on this team who can fill that role? So much is being make about the coach. Larry Brown did not win the title. Billups pushed his teammates to the title. Take a guy like Don Mann and put him with a young NBA team. He doesn't need to know the Xs and Os. This guy can motivate because he is tougher than any of the players. Jerry Sloan had that personality. God would I like to see him coach the Pistons. But we have a GM who doesn't believe in physical fitness for himself. He has 200 extra pounds on his body right now. Who knows what kind of person Dumars will pick this time? It won't matter though until we have at least one stud leader who plays the game.

[Phil-Good]

The latest 2013 cracked softwares supplied.

What is that TRASH? Somebody get in this place and clean that stuff up!

[Sparma]

No idea, Philip, but it's not looking good.

I like the Lions draft a lot, in spite of reservations about picks, particularly the top two. High in the second round, a torn menicus is no small matter (as I can attest from personal experience). I love the apparent shift by the Lions from insisting on best player available always to balancing act between best player available and need, which strikes me as the way to go in the NFL, generally. I'm optimistic about an immediate return to .500 or above (9-7?).

[Oracle]

No idea, Philip, but it's not looking good. - What are you guys talking about? What cracked software?

I like the Lions draft a lot, in spite of reservations about picks, particularly the top two. High in the second round, a torn menicus is no small matter (as I can attest from personal experience). I love the apparent shift by the Lions from insisting on best player available always to balancing act between best player available and need, which strikes me as the way to go in the NFL, generally. I'm optimistic about an immediate return to .500 or above (9-7?).

Sparma, I'm really excited about the Lions draft! As I understand it, he has a SLIGHTLY torn meniscus, but I don't know how bad that can be, I've never known anyone with that injury, but anything knee related scares me!

I have to believe that the Lions know what they're doing on that one! However, I feel that your prediction is a tad low! I'm looking for a 11-5 season because we only need a marginal improvement of the defense to win a lot of games we've been losing!

We never seemed to be able to pressure any QB's, and looking at the new front line now, I have to believe their play will make the CB's look a whole lot better!

I'm ready for the season to start now, LOL!

[Oracle]

Clippers put out an APB for the massive SEMI that rolled over them in Memphis!

20+ point win for the Grizzlies!

If the Nets lose to these Bulls, somebody needs to get fired, and Larry Frank may get the gig!

A triple overtime thriller in the Bulls favor has the Nets sucking wind(and other things) to the tune of a 3-1 deficit!

Wow, WTF went wrong?

[deusXango]

I read the other day that Lil' Larry was a great guy and great coach, and should have been given another year to finish what he started. I don't doubt that he's a great guy around the people that know him or would encounter him in general but, "a great coach?!" Based on what exactly? His performance here for the last two seasons? The last few years in New Jersey? I wish someone would let me in on the inside skinny.

Since he's been let go there has been an uproar to fire Joe Dumars; how did their fates become inextricably locked together? Joe didn't want him hired and didn't call for his firing, so what's the deal? It's like a delayed love fest where the broken hearted are bitter and vengeful, because their baby's gone.

Joe's job is to find the right coach now and make the expected improvements with the resources he has at his disposal, failing that, fire his ass!

I was over on MLive and that site is full of Igoudala fans (I like his game too but, I'm not ready to talk money with another SG, especially one who's walking away from $16 million to enter FA), who are jocking him to be signed by the Pistons. They love Iggy but, hate Josh Smith; I remember when James Harden was with OKC and pending trade, these same posters talked him down saying all sorts of ridiculous things like "his beard was unclean (had bugs in it), his teeth were crooked, and he only looked good because he was playing with Durant and Westbrook." I'm looking at what he's done for Houston and imagine he'd have done more with the Pistons, considering what could have been with Monroe, Drummond, and practically anyone in the backcourt with him, playing in the east. Long story short; I think Smith is a better prospect than Igoudala for the money that's sure to hit the table.

Sebastian, this is not to shake your confidence in the player you like but, Danny Granger is not an answer for the Pistons; IMHO the Pistons don't need a physical reclamation project in the midst of rebuilding. If push came to shove, would anyone have a problem with sending BK7 home to Florida (Orlando Magic to be exact) with our #7-8 pick for the #1-2 pick for the purpose of drafting Trey Burke? Everyone's falling in love with that Greek kid but, has anyone given the Croatian kid (Dario Saric) a look yet? Those two young fellas are gonna be something special, mark my words!

[Oracle]

For the past few years Joe has reported that there is someone that has been following him! Detectives have been stumped in the quest to find the perpetrator!

It took a bank of cameras to finally detect the stalker!

Once the cameras were set up, they told Joe to press a button on his cell phone app that would trigger the taking of the pictures, and it worked.

It turns out that Joe has been confused all these years!

The person following Joe is his ass!

Police suggest that Joe try the famous Atkins Diet if he really wants to get rid of that stalker!

[Murph]

Clippers put out an APB for the massive SEMI that rolled over them in Memphis!

20+ point win for the Grizzlies!

If the Nets lose to these Bulls, somebody needs to get fired, and Larry Frank may get the gig!

A triple overtime thriller in the Bulls favor has the Nets sucking wind(and other things) to the tune of a 3-1 deficit!

Wow, WTF went wrong?

If the Nets lose this series, which they will, PJ Carlisimo needs to be fired immediately.

Also, Derron Williams needs to lose about 15 or 20 pounds and get much quicker. He can't possibly guard anyone as quick as Nate Robinson. Williams is highly over-rated. And he has a bad attitude also.

And cut CJ Watson for crying out loud. That guy sucks.

[deusXango]

Oracle, first things first; thanks for the early morning chuckle, that stalker piece was priceless....you really had me going until the END.

Murph, couldn't agree with you more on your post about the New Jersey Nets; this is an overpriced team of wanna be's and once was's, who can't get out of the first round! Tom Gores and Joe Dumars should be taking a lesson from what's happening in Jersey. A strange sidebar: Deron Williams, who's now the "Poppin' Fresh Doughboy" look alike is still better than Calderon, Knight, and Stuckey; we've got a long way to go.

Now to my point. If the Pistons are serious about a true investment in Middleton, then he should be groomed by the new coaching regime as the Pistons SG of the future!! Is there a SG going in the top 10 of this years draft (McLemore, Mohammad, or Oladipo) that has more proven potential than the Pistons own Khris Middleton? His length, outside shooting, athleticism, and professional attitude makes him a prime candidate for the second round steal of 2012-13, and put him in the running for "Most Improved Player" next year, if only given a chance. If Kyle Singler can be trotted out for extended PT at SG, why not Middleton? Imagine a starting backcourt of Burke and Middleton once they jell, gain confidence, and become aggressive on both ends of the floor. I think that would be a wise investment, if the Pistons made it.

I ventured onto another site, championing the Pistons signing of Josh Smith, and a poster replied to me that Smith never played SF and it would be a waste of time and money to sign him; he then went on to say that Iggy was the answer for the Pistons. His words were "Smith is a luxury but, Iggy is a need." I just ain't feelin' Iggy when it comes to defending James, Durant, or any powerful or highly skilled SF. In my minds eye Smith looks better than Iggy does on the frontline with Drummond and Monroe, and on top of that, Smith gets up and down the court as fast as Prince did and is more powerful and athletic than he ever was, and the Pistons won a championship with Prince. He didn't know anything about me backing that White boy (as in Royce White), so I just can't win no respect.

So as I go down in flames my cry is Burke at PG! Middleton at SG!! And Smiiiiith.

[cool breeze]

Fans never really notice the 2nd tier players who actually create winning NBA teams. As many of us have said, when breaking up the team that won the last Piston championship, Joe Dumars took no stock in toughness it seems. He wanted the players who do not like contact. Players Joe liked were big men like Charlie V standing out beyond the 3 point line instead of being part of the nuts and bolts in the paint where real men rule and the weak stand where Charlie has stood. Since the beginning of the rebuilding period, Dumars could have signed players that I like such as Hinrich and Nate Robinson. Chicago has both of them. Notice in this last game where Robinson got into a little pushing match? Robinson was a college standout football player. In basketball, his Washington team was the toughest team in the PAC10 every season that he played there. There is such a huge difference between Robinson and Bynum. You can't even compare the two if you look at their impact in college and on their respective teams. Hinrich is the same type of player and has always been a pest as many players call him. Is he blessed with great athletic talent. Maybe not but this guy plays so damn hard any basketball fan should appreciate him. Dumars could have had either player but passed. Why? What was he thinking? Bynum was small and cheap to sign. He is exciting when he has the ball in his hands at times. But it is players like Robinson and Hinrich that make the team look good. Damn what happened to Joe Dumars? He should know that you can't win with Charlie V and Ben Gordon type players. He can't win with Bynum who is not a team orientated player with defensive skills. No we have circus performers. That is what Joe has given us. The Pistons need a 2nd unit made up of tough knock you in the mouth type guys. Then and only then will the fans come back in big numbers. People will not pay money to watch Monroe put up 25 points and slack off on defense. They won't be fooled when Stuckey and Bynum drive out of control to the rim. I love this Bulls team. They play with heart. Chicago fans sure are lucky. Who cares if they don't win it all. Fans just appreciate the effort and style those Bulls players bring game in and game out. If Jerry Sloan became the Pistons coach you can bet that he would insist on his type players of he wouldn't come to Detroit. That is why Joe wouldn't hire him.

[cool breeze]

Oracle, first things first; thanks for the early morning chuckle, that stalker piece was priceless....you really had me going until the END.

Murph, couldn't agree with you more on your post about the New Jersey Nets; this is an overpriced team of wanna be's and once was's, who can't get out of the first round! Tom Gores and Joe Dumars should be taking a lesson from what's happening in Jersey. A strange sidebar: Deron Williams, who's now the "Poppin' Fresh Doughboy" look alike is still better than Calderon, Knight, and Stuckey; we've got a long way to go.

Now to my point. If the Pistons are serious about a true investment in Middleton, then he should be groomed by the new coaching regime as the Pistons SG of the future!! Is there a SG going in the top 10 of this years draft (McLemore, Mohammad, or Oladipo) that has more proven potential than the Pistons own Khris Middleton? His length, outside shooting, athleticism, and professional attitude makes him a prime candidate for the second round steal of 2012-13, and put him in the running for "Most Improved Player" next year, if only given a chance. If Kyle Singler can be trotted out for extended PT at SG, why not Middleton? Imagine a starting backcourt of Burke and Middleton once they jell, gain confidence, and become aggressive on both ends of the floor. I think that would be a wise investment, if the Pistons made it.

I ventured onto another site, championing the Pistons signing of Josh Smith, and a poster replied to me that Smith never played SF and it would be a waste of time and money to sign him; he then went on to say that Iggy was the answer for the Pistons. His words were "Smith is a luxury but, Iggy is a need." I just ain't feelin' Iggy when it comes to defending James, Durant, or any powerful or highly skilled SF. In my minds eye Smith looks better than Iggy does on the frontline with Drummond and Monroe, and on top of that, Smith gets up and down the court as fast as Prince did and is more powerful and athletic than he ever was, and the Pistons won a championship with Prince. He didn't know anything about me backing that White boy (as in Royce White), so I just can't win no respect.

So as I go down in flames my cry is Burke at PG! Middleton at SG!! And Smiiiiith.

Very good post dX. Iggy is not the type of player that the Pistons should bring in. No way! Who are the players that play with an edge? Who are the players who hate to lose? Has Iggy ever been that type of player? NO!

Middleton impressed me with his defense at times. He does have a huge upside for the future for becoming an athletic complete player.

As for Smith, if he did become a Piston, Dumars will need to hire a coach with special skills to get the best out of him. Does Smith really hate losing? Does he disappear in the 4th quarter most of the time? That is what I saw him do in the regular season much of the time playing and getting into foul trouble as if he didn't really care. If he wanted to, Smith could be a beast. My only reservation with Smith is that I am not sure what type of player he would be if he got a max contract. I would use him at power forward most of the time and not small forward. Detroit needs three players who can do dirty work in the paint to win. Drummond might become one of those players but he hasn't proven anything yet. Monroe has ignored defense and gotten away with it so far. The party would be over if Sloan or someone like him became the coach. These players don't need a smiling charming type coach like L. Hunter. They need a mean hard ass type coach for a change. They need a love/hate type coach to get that edge the Pistons have been missing for too many seasons.

[WTF]

22 consecutive seasons in the playoffs, that's an incredible feat to say the least. I can't help but think that he would have done everything to keep the team winning and competitive year in and year out. GO WINGS!

Lions: Drafting Darius Slay seems risky but this kid went into the combines with that injury and still out performed every CB there. I think now that he's drafted he can let it rest, they say surgery is not required. I kind of so so on the draft and will keep a wait and see attitude on our picks, I did felt we needed to get a WR much earlier.

I don't now what that crap was that was posted the last three days but it looked like a virus waiting to happen so I didn't touch it. Hopefully we have it resolved.

[WTF]

Iggy I don't want, and we don't need SG are a dime a dozen unless they're name is Kobe. At 16 mil Iggy should be carrying Denver.

DX, the reason way fans bash Smith is that they are so worried about who they might have to give up to get for him, or who minutes he might steal once he gets here. Basically our fans are just like Joe and always want something for nothing or wanting to do things on the cheap.

Don, Smith is really just another version of Rasheed that will underachieve most of his career. IMO Smith simply doesn't like his situation in Atlanta it's never really been a good place for him. He needs a change of scenery, a right fit on roster and a strong coach. Atlanta biggest problem is that they play him too much at the PF when he should always be played as a SF.

[deusXango]

Iggy I don't want, and we don't need SG are a dime a dozen unless they're name is Kobe. At 16 mil Iggy should be carrying Denver.
I think with proper grooming Khris Middleton could be our dime a dozen SG for years to come; he's got the ideal build and skill set for a successful SG.

DX, the reason way fans bash Smith is that they are so worried about who they might have to give up to get for him, or who minutes he might steal once he gets here. Basically our fans are just like Joe and always want something for nothing or wanting to do things on the cheap.
Fools don't realize that we're giving up Maggette and Maxiell, for Smith, and saving money in the deal; he's a FA signing for years to come, not a trade item. Who's going to be mad that time is taken away from Singler? We normally get nothing for something with Joe running the show.

Don, Smith is really just another version of Rasheed that will underachieve most of his career. IMO Smith simply doesn't like his situation in Atlanta it's never really been a good place for him. He needs a change of scenery, a right fit on roster and a strong coach. Atlanta biggest problem is that they play him too much at the PF when he should always be played as a SF.
Bringing Smith to the Pistons to play with Drummond and Monroe will renew his joy for playing the game; he won't be playing out of position anymore. Imagine how glad both Smith and Horford would be if Drummond was going to Atlanta to play center; neither one of them would have to play out of position anymore.

Wise, I'm in total agreement with 'ya.

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