Murph

[Oracle]

Melo is playing like a man who wants to opt-out of his current contract.  When this season's over, Melo and his lovely wife are going to jet off to LA, or some other promising destination, and try to win a Championship there.  He'd be crazy to re-up with the Knicks.

With Jennings, less is more.  I can't wait for Jennings to get older and slow down his game.  The team plays so much better when he's not frantically dribbling around the court in circles and chucking up 22 shots a game.

Next up?...the Hawks in Atlanta.  Tonight's game is going to be a tough one to pull out.  Remember, it's a process.

I agree, the Knicks have a strange roster, and Melo's considerable talents are wasted on that team! He needs to get somewhere where they're one superstar player away from winning it all!

When Melo wants to score, he's almost impossible to stop!

Jennings: Yeah, it was amazing how much better we were without Jennings as you said, "frantically dribbling around the court in circles and chucking up 22 shots a game"!

The thing that bothers me when he does that is it keeps the whole team standing around wondering what the fu#k Jennings is doing and gets people out of rhythm. It's possible to get that to work, but I just don't like guards that pound the air out of the ball and assume each possession is about them!

Tonight's Game: Sorry Murph, I cant go along with the process thing this time. If they're the team we think they are, this is a game they should and can win!

IMO, we saw the same thing tonight that we're going to increasingly see... teams are getting up for the Pistons and playing harder against them! We've got to do better.

It's not a question of us playing harder, we play hard enough! It's a question of focus and valuing each possession!

We've got to ensure that our passes are crisp and that they get to the person we want to receive it. Too many times we implode with bad passes like last night! It was a turnover almost 3 possessions in a row that saw our 15 point lead turn into 8!

You may get away with that at home, but it won't work on the road!

It's time to tighten up our mental focus and then the road wins will come!

[Oracle]

1- J-Smoove is the best SF that WE have had, since Grant Hill.
I totally agree!
2- Singler is getting way, way too many minutes to do hardly nothing.
Ditto!! When's he going to be traded? - Say What? Before you trade Singler, wouldn't you want to trade JJ & CV? The whole team is in a shooting slump, let's not throw everybody out just yet!
3- KCP needs to continue to start and receive 26-28 minutes each night.
Yea, Cheeks.
4- Moose is not a max player. He shot well from the field (6/ and the line (4/4), tonight, and had 11 rebounds, but had 5 turnovers and 4 personal fouls. He had problems guarding Bargnani and broke down ass, Stoudamire. There were times that he just looked weak.
No, the Moose is not a max player (I don't see any on our roster), but he is a valuable piece going forward; his game needs a lot of work, but he's good. - He is if they pay him the max, and somebody will!

Good analysis, Sebastian.

The bottom line is that Singler is not a problem, the Knicks were playing small and that meant that Singler was getting torched by SG's basically, and we know that isn't ever going to be pretty!
 
However, it was pretty disturbing the way Bargnani was driving on Moose early on! It was looking like he was going to have a career night for a minute, and Amare picked up where he left off!
 
As Seb said, not only did he look weak, they were going by him so fast that all he could do on a couple of plays was just turn around and watch them dunk!
 
Defensively, Monroe appears to be a center at best because he can't guard frisky PF's! Offensively he's a capable big, but he did get defended rather easily by Bargnani!
 
The scary part for us is that without Moose, Josh is not PF material, and that would leave us with a gaping hole in the team unless a trade netted us a decent PF!
 
So Wise may eventually turn out to have been right about Monroe, but it's still a dismal thing for the team because we'll never get equal value to the many things Moose does right!

[Murph]

A win is a win is a win...

That was certainly a grind-it-out kind of game.  And with a little help from the refs we managed to hang on for the win.

Drummond played his usual very efficient game.  His defense was better also, although he only had Bargnani to cover.

Both Drummond and Monroe registered double-doubles.

Smith got under Melo's skin, and wouldn't back down on defense.

Melo is playing like a man who wants to opt-out of his current contract.  When this season's over, Melo and his lovely wife are going to jet off to LA, or some other promising destination, and try to win a Championship there.  He'd be crazy to re-up with the Knicks.

Stuckey played great off the bench.

With Jennings, less is more.  I can't wait for Jennings to get older and slow down his game.  The team plays so much better when he's not frantically dribbling around the court in circles and chucking up 22 shots a game.

Next up?...the Hawks in Atlanta.  Tonight's game is going to be a tough one to pull out.  Remember, it's a process.

[Phil-Good]

Happy to see the Pistons win. Not happy about all the bitching and crying by the NY Knicks.

I pay for my league pass so I want to see players play not bitch and cry to the Referees.


Melo was crying like A straight up B...I..T..C...H.. tonight! He did not decide to play ball till the end of the 4th qtr.

It worked out for the Pistons   

[deusXango]

1- J-Smoove is the best SF that WE have had, since Grant Hill.
I totally agree!
2- Singler is getting way, way too many minutes to do hardly nothing.
Ditto!! When's he going to be traded?
3- KCP needs to continue to start and receive 26-28 minutes each night.
Yea, Cheeks.
4- Moose is not a max player. He shot well from the field (6/ and the line (4/4), tonight, and had 11 rebounds, but had 5 turnovers and 4 personal fouls. He had problems guarding Bargnani and broke down ass, Stoudamire. There were times that he just looked weak.
No, the Moose is not a max player (I don't see any on our roster), but he is a valuable piece going forward; his game needs a lot of work, but he's good.

Good analysis, Sebastian.

[deusXango]

Stuckey is a tool. I heard Kelser, Mateen, and Stackhouse all say what I predicted back in July, Rodney Stuckey can become a serious candidate for 6th-Man of the Year.

Stuckey provides tremendous value to the Pistons, as a 6th-man. He can play both, the Point and Shooting Guard positions and guard the positions, effectively. He is the best free throw shooter on the team and (folks hate when reminded of this) is in a contract season. Yes, Stuckey, who is currently 27 years old (turns 28 in April) and the father of two, is playing for another contract.

Stuckey is a very significant member of the '13-'14 Detroit Pistons! 

Sebastian, I give you the respect you deserve for sticking by and supporting Stuckey, when damn near everybody had written him off (including myself); the man is balling, and it appears he's worked on his game also. I'm hoping that he's consistent, because we're going to need him in the days to come. Good call 'bro.

[deusXango]

Great win tonight, but the most impressive part of the win for me was, they held the Knicks under 90 points!!

GO PISTONS!!!

[Sebastian]

In no particular order:

1- J-Smoove is the best SF that WE have had, since Grant Hill.
2- Singler is getting way, way too many minutes to do hardly nothing.
3- KCP needs to continue to start and receive 26-28 minutes each night.
4- Moose is not a max player. He shot well from the field (6/ and the line (4/4), tonight, and had 11 rebounds, but had 5 turnovers and 4 personal fouls. He had problems guarding Bargnani and broke down ass, Stoudamire. There were times that he just looked weak.

[Sebastian]

Stuckey is a tool. I heard Kelser, Mateen, and Stackhouse all say what I predicted back in July, Rodney Stuckey can become a serious candidate for 6th-Man of the Year.

Stuckey provides tremendous value to the Pistons, as a 6th-man. He can play both, the Point and Shooting Guard positions and guard the positions, effectively. He is the best free throw shooter on the team and (folks hate when reminded of this) is in a contract season. Yes, Stuckey, who is currently 27 years old (turns 28 in April) and the father of two, is playing for another contract.

Stuckey is a very significant member of the '13-'14 Detroit Pistons! 

[Oracle]

Eric Vincent @IAmEricVincent
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Top in the NBA RT @idgachuck: Andre Drummond’s last 5 games: 74 points, 72 rebounds, 36/48 FGs (75%) #Pistons
10:03 PM - 19 Nov 2013

And they don't run a single play for him

[merc]

He has played Siva, and he has KCP on the floor to close out the game, and he rode the hot Stuckey until that horse dropped!!!

Smart subbing of Drummond to control his early frustration, and keeping him out of the game late!

This is great experience for our guys... good game!

Agree... nice job of mixing in the lineups... they played defense on a string for the first time.
Nice to see the extra pass... they only one forcing shots was RS... tonight his horse was worth riding.

[merc]

My expectations may have been lower than most (guesstimate 36 wins)... this start is hardly a surprise considering schedule & lack of PT together... throw in a new system (good or bad).... Not sure how anyone can draw long term conclusions based on what we have seen so far.

IMO we had the right starting lineup... let's give them a minute to gel

Merc, do you mean the starting lineup with Chauncey, or without?

Would like to see CB more as a mentor... less as a player.

The effort was there on the close outs tonight... not many open looks.

[Oracle]

He has played Siva, and he has KCP on the floor to close out the game, and he rode the hot Stuckey until that horse dropped!!!

Smart subbing of Drummond to control his early frustration, and keeping him out of the game late!

This is great experience for our guys... good game!

[Oracle]

Everybody he guards just abuses him something fierce!

However, Singler just wouldn't let Smith get that 3 pointer off, he guarded the line really well, but he doesn't have the speed to guard them off the dribble!

[Oracle]

I know he doesn't feel well, but I'm loving how Jennings is playing tonight.  I wish he'd play like this every night.

Clyde Frazier even mentioned that he'd never seen Jennings play so disciplined, and that "his teammates will see to it that he doesn't feel well every night."  Too funny.

LOL, ain't that the truth!!!!

[Oracle]

This Mother out!!!!

[Oracle]

Stuckey is ridiculous, plain and simple! Stuckey just dominates the 2nd unit scrubs of most teams!

Siva & Singler aren't lighting up the stat board, but both have done good things when most needed!

[Murph]

I know he doesn't feel well, but I'm loving how Jennings is playing tonight. I wish he'd play like this every night.

Clyde Frazier even mentioned that he'd never seen Jennings play so disciplined, and that "his teammates will see to it that he doesn't feel well every night." Too funny.

[Oracle]

Siva is on the floor!!!
 
Finally a pass first PG that can really help us!

Siva comes in, team immediately gets better!

[Oracle]

Just like with Drummond's FT's, Howard can't take one 2 week course and change into a post up machine! Reminds me of these clowns that take a 4 week course and think it's a PHD on the subject - Olajuwon: Howard back to old habits
 
DX, here is the link - Shouldn’t the Pistons Be Better?

[Oracle]

My expectations may have been lower than most (guesstimate 36 wins)... this start is hardly a surprise considering schedule & lack of PT together... throw in a new system (good or bad).... Not sure how anyone can draw long term conclusions based on what we have seen so far.

IMO we had the right starting lineup... let's give them a minute to gel

Merc, do you mean the starting lineup with Chauncey, or without?

I'm pretty sure that he didn't mean with Chauncey, but only Merc can clear that up!

[Oracle]

Andre Drummond: Glue guy extraordinaire This is a headline from Pistons Power and these kind of headline is what undermines Cheek coaching because this players believe there press clippings over their coaches instructions

How about a whole month of press clippings about not leading the league in blocks, and his **** FT percentage

 
 
These media guys are over the top! There's reality, and then there's articles like that.
 
Sure Drummond is on the right path and putting up good numbers, but if you look deeper, there are nagging issues with his game that could derail him if he doesn't get them under control!

[WTF]

Andre Drummond: Glue guy extraordinaire This is a headline from Pistons Power and these kind of headline is what undermines Cheek coaching because this players believe there press clippings over their coaches instructions

How about a whole month of press clippings about not leading the league in blocks, and his **** FT percentage

[WTF]

1. Pull a Flip: When was the last time that we went zone on an opponent? I'm sure we must have done it once or twice, but I can't remember it happening once, which means it's rare.
 
What I have seen is our guys falling for every pick and roll under the sun, and running around getting out of position!
 
Flip had an array of really inventive matchup zones that took advantage of athleticism on one end, and extended the ability of slower players to defend.
 
Cheeks never appears to change much, and they keep doing the same thing hoping for a different result... STOP!!! I think its still poor execution on the players part he has tried using a zone of course not of the Flip variety but Drummond, JJ and Singler constantly **** it up.
 
2. Drummond isn't capable of pulling 30 minutes... yet: So stop trying! Cut Drummonds minutes until his conditioning gets better, which should make him more effective when he is on the floor. This also has the side benefit of having Smith & Monroe playing the positions that they know best. IMO, Monroe just needs to pick up weight and build strength and be a center if he can't get a midrange game going. I agree 
3. The first half of the Lakers game was amazing: They played to the strength of this club... scoring in the paint, with crisp passing, ball movement, and athletic plays. Insist on ball movement and demand that Jennings be a pass first guard unless all other options fail, or he's as open for a layup! I'm sure he has just as he suggested Monroe get a mid-range shot and Drummond be more aggressive defending the rim.  
4. Stop looking for things you can't find: You're not going to find the lineups that work if you keep rigging the game. This is something that needs to evolve, but you can't get there by looking for a 9 man lineup until you've done the right amount of experimenting.
 
Stop picking winners and losers of PT, and start letting a players play determine PT! I understand that vets should get first shot, but when you're losing like this, you have a unique opportunity to further experiment and break the locker room code!
 
Give Datome a real shot at PT, and for Christ's sake, get that athletic monster Mitchell on the court and let's see how he operates.
 
5. Remember who you are: You're the fu#king coach of the Detroit Pistons, the big Cheese, the head honcho, the big kahuna, and on top of that, you're one of the great championship guards! Stop being afraid of a Detroit media that sh!ts their pants when Dumars looks mean at them.
 
This is not the philly media, these dudes are toothless and nutless! They'll carry your jock strap anywhere you want, so treat them like the chumps that they are!
 
6. Teams are getting up for the Pistons: Wake up, your press clippings are preceding you! Teams want to beat the NBA darling frontcourt! It's big news if you read the LA papers, they're high off of beating the vaunted Pistons(of course we take turns tormenting each others franchise)! That means that not only do we need to match their intensity, we need to beat it! This is a player issue and it time for them man up to these challenges when they come. 
7. Finally: Jennings and KCP are your starting guards! Make no apologies for this and run with them until they get it right! Stuckey is awesome off of the bench because he's beating the hell out of those 2nd unit scrubs. This is already in play 
Singler is your ace in the hole, but he's a glue guy, and until the team starts working right, he won't, so his PT should be limited as you experiment with other options. You can and should go back to him later.
 
Unless you're showcasing JJ, play Mitchell at either backup PF or SF... ditto Datome. Remember that Garbage Time = Bynum Time, and you can't go wrong.
 
Lastly, tell Joe Dumars that you're the coach and to shut the fu#k up talking to your guard about how to play the game... that's your fu#king job. Won't happen
 
Stand up to the bully because if you don't they'll all go to Joe for everything, and you'll find yourself searching for your Johnson in the palace latrine, but Joe will have it!
 
BTW, they're going to fire your ass unless you win, but if you win, they have no power over you, so listen to them, but do whatever you have to do to win, then you can get any job you want if they start acting stupid!

[PistonPete]

DX, That is the name of the article at http://wagesofwins.com/

Its also on the Sports Spyder about 2/3 of the way down the page  http://sportspyder.com/teams/detroit-pistons/news

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