The Warriors ...

[Sebastian]

Yo WTF, it is like Rudy T. said some 20 years ago: "You can never under estimate the heart of a champion."

Oh and Clay and Curry are NBA snippers.

CAN YOU SAY CHOKE or CONSPIRACY!!!!!!

All I know is OKC  had this game in hand and the series should have ended last night.  It easy to conclude at times the fix is in   when watching games like this same as who would've thought the Raptors could even win 2 games after watching the Cavs win 10 straight.  

[WTF]

CAN YOU SAY CHOKE or CONSPIRACY!!!!!!

All I know is OKC had this game in hand and the series should have ended last night. It easy to conclude at times the fix is in when watching games like this same as who would've thought the Raptors could even win 2 games after watching the Cavs win 10 straight.

[WTF]

I've only been saying that KCP was not a lock down defender.  I could never figure out why many spoke so highly on his defense when we seen what lock down defenders look like.  Rodman, Big Ben, and perhaps Dumars are lock down.  KCP isn't even at a lesser level of a Tayshuan or Hunter IMO. But hey what do I know.

Also don't blow a gasket over SJ cool.  You don't need stats to know that the defense suffers quite a bit when SJ is on the floor.  SJ is a rookie and he has a lot to learn.  He plays hard, and full of energy but that doesn't draw a conclusion that he's a good defender.  


Both could become great defenders I just don't see at the moment.  One is average at best and the other is a rookie with tons to learn.

[cool breeze]

Indeed, the Pistons’ defensive rating worsened by almost a full point when he was on the floor, going from 103.4 points surrendered per 100 possessions when Johnson sat to 104.2 points surrendered when he played.

Also, is KCP a lockdown defender? SVG says NO, in that same article!

This stat is insane and to draw a conclusion that whenever Stanley is on the floor, Piston defense gets worse. How is that possible? I watched every Piston game last season. Johnson was often matched up with the best skill player when Johnson played. The question one has to ask is who was on the floor with Johnson during Johnson's minutes? What I saw was that Johnson often covered up for other players screw ups in the paint and then picked up fouls because he was the only guy who challenged shot attempts on players he was not originally assigned to guard. Stanley gets back quickly on defense unlike some of his teammates like Tolliver, Blake, Jackson, Drummond, etc. Johnson has never been known to not be an above average defender at any level so what was the purpose of creating that stat. Is is possible that Johnson is on the trading block and management is trying prepare Piston fans for Johnson's departure? Of all the Piston players, why is it that Johnson is targeted with this silly stat. How many variables would be in play relating to this ignorant flawed stat? Show the idiot who created this stat who's boss Stanley. Ignore the fools who try to smear your name. Get the offensive game up to the level of your defense and you are solid.

Speaking of defense, how is it that Drummond of all players is now considered to be a top defender among big men? It was Drummond who missed rotations about 50% of the time during the regular season. He started out pretty good early in the season and then became very lazy on the defensive end. Then he was not able to use the energy he had saved up during crunch time because of his inability to make free throws. Piston management is about to give Drummond a max deal. That scares me more than anything knowing Drummond's past lack of interest on the defensive end for his entire playing career. I am reading a good book written by Bill Walton. In that book Bill identifies real players (those who only are concerned with winning games and making teammates better) from the fakers who just concentrate on building stats for their own individual image. When Bill was in high school a friend and future roommate at UCLA attended on of Bill's high school games to see what kind of teammate Bill would be. He stated that in that game, Walton never took a shot but scored 45 points off missed shots, blocked more shots then this guy could count and made every free throw attempt. Better yet, Bill's future teammate saw that Walton played smart basketball. That is what winning big men do but Drummond has never shown interest in playing with that kind of selfless passion. Nor has he ever been known to be a smart basketball player. Andre is young and has amazing potential but he sure looked comfortable two seasons ago playing mindless defense with Greg Monroe. For the Pistons to win, Drummond needs to make a complete transformation with his entire focus on playing defense and rebounding. He doesn't need to be a go to guy on offense but that he what he wants most of all it appears.

[Oracle]

Indeed, the Pistons’ defensive rating worsened by almost a full point when he was on the floor, going from 103.4 points surrendered per 100 possessions when Johnson sat to 104.2 points surrendered when he played.

Also, is KCP a lockdown defender? SVG says NO, in that same article!

[Sparma]

Given your remark (with which I agree) about football, can you imagine what 7 game playoffs in the NFL would be like? I'm guessing there'd be extremely few upsets, apart from the reconfiguring caused by attrition through injuries.

Interesting comment about hockey. I'm a fair weather Wings fan rather than any kind of expert. I gather one player --the goalie -- being on fire for a few weeks can make an enormous difference in the hockey playoffs.

And I realize there's a time clock difference between the NBA and NCAA basketball, but I feel like Captain Obvious in suggesting the reason there are far fewer upsets in the NBA is primarily due to the 7 game vs the 1 game series. My memory is that Villanova shot 78% in a finals to beat a much better Georgetown team, having lost to them twice in the regular season and once in the conference playoffs. The freaky things that happen in one game tend not to be decisive in a 7 game playoff.

All that said, I really enjoyed Mayo's answer about the 24 second clock. I'd say he's my favorite among writers about the Pistons.

Sparma, I really hoped you would respond because you have a good grasp on baseball, and I wanted your feedback.

His answer doesn't apply to football, the best team usually wins, and only when a team gets "Hot" do upsets occur, which isn't very often.

Hockey is absolutely a freak sport, where teams come out of nowhere in the playoffs and knock off better teams, baseball is solid compared to hockey, IMO.

While I didn't feel that baseball was anywhere near as bad as hockey, I always feel that in the playoffs anything can happen. I've seen years when I thought the Tigers were the better team, only to get knocked off by a lesser team.

I trust the regular season record in baseball a lot, as he said it evens out, but in a 7 game series, the better team may not win if silly things go wrong.

Good point on his answer being incomplete, but I thought it was a good start, and added a good essay on the 24 second clock that was eye opening for me.

[Sebastian]

What should GM Stan do regarding the PG position? If it was me, I would throw some bones about $13 million for three years at Rajon Rondo.

That's right: Rondo. I would start Rondo and bring Reggie off the bench, as OUR 6th-man where he is best cast, in my opinion.

Rondo is a leader, a fantastic passer, and still a great defender at the position. Rondo is a cerebral player, who has won Title.

GM Stan should throw maybe $9 million at D-Mo. I don't think that the Rockets would match.

OUR 9-man rotation would consist of: Dre, Morris, Tobias, KCP, Rondo, Reggie, Stanley, D-Mo, and Bullock. This rotation would compete seriously for that Larry!

[Oracle]

Don, I have to agree in general that we should avoid Jennings, and I have 2 reasons, with one exception.

1. He never found his form over the time he played. He may indeed find it again, but who knows, it's a gamble. If he had decent defense to offset the other things, I'd have a different opinion.

2. This is the big one! Jennings makes way too much 8M for a backup PG with what he's shown. Factor in that he's likely looking for a raise in pay, he's clearly out of the range of any sane GM.

The only exception is if Jennings would take a pay cut and sign a 1 0r 2 year deal for just under the MLE. Even then, I'd take Augustin over him at that price, but at least that would make him worth considering!

[Oracle]

Sparma, I really hoped you would respond because you have a good grasp on baseball, and I wanted your feedback.

His answer doesn't apply to football, the best team usually wins, and only when a team gets "Hot" do upsets occur, which isn't very often.

Hockey is absolutely a freak sport, where teams come out of nowhere in the playoffs and knock off better teams, baseball is solid compared to hockey, IMO.

While I didn't feel that baseball was anywhere near as bad as hockey, I always feel that in the playoffs anything can happen. I've seen years when I thought the Tigers were the better team, only to get knocked off by a lesser team.

I trust the regular season record in baseball a lot, as he said it evens out, but in a 7 game series, the better team may not win if silly things go wrong.

Good point on his answer being incomplete, but I thought it was a good start, and added a good essay on the 24 second clock that was eye opening for me.

[cool breeze]

I find it puzzling that anyone who watched the Pistons last season or even the Magic, that any team would want to sign Jennings to play point guard in the NBA. Jennings had one brief period of time two years ago before he suffered a serious injury that he was a force for the Pistons. It is very sad for him that he has not been able to re gain the form he had in that brief run but Jennings has plenty of money to last for the rest of his life unlike millions of Americans who are working their asses off to keep their families safe and warm in those cold Michigan winters. Jennings would be a huge mistake and I am sure that SVG has no plan to do it. The Pistons need a guard who can defend other NBA point guards. Imagine if the Pistons made the playoffs next season and we had Jennings coming off the bench. He would be the target or the weak spot in the Piston defense. Jennings is a very fragile man in the world of the NBA. I was thinking that he would be retiring. This is something he mentioned before training camp last summer.

Wait and see what happens with the draft and free agency. We might be real lucky and get a stud who will push Jackson for playing time.

[Sparma]

That is a great question, with a very good, but also, incomplete answer by Mayo.  A lower number of players dominate in basketball than in the other sports, even hockey when the shifts are taken into account.  In playoff basketball, maybe 8 or 9 players get the bulk of the minutes, allowing two guys to dominate in a way that's much tougher say in baseball.  Beyond that, I think that chance plays a much greater role in baseball than in basketball (I'm not sure about football and hockey), with minimally different contact with the ball (at a level that's beyond routine human control) making a great difference.  But I'd agree that the 24 second clock is a major factor too.

Q: Reading a few articles on the NBA playoffs, only two teams lower than fourth seed ever made the NBA Finals: No. 6 Houston in 1995 and the No. 8 Knicks in the shortened season 1999. Over 80 percent of NBA Finals teams have been No. 1 or No. 2 seeds. In contrast, wild card/lowest seed teams have won championships in the NHL, NFL, and Major League Baseball. Any ideas why it is harder for lower seeds to win in the NBA, and therefore needing to truly "climb the ladder" before making the Finals? Thanks. -- Ishmael

A: Yes, the 24-second shot clock. It is the great divide that makes certain that lesser teams are not often falsely elevated in individual games, and far more rarely in a seven-game series. Put a 30-second shot clock in the game, like college basketball, and Golden State wouldn't win 73 times this season, and Philadelphia wouldn't lose 72 times. The more possessions, and the more the rules contribute to honest and aggressive play, the more likely that the better team wins, whether it's an individual game or a best-of-seven.

The 24-second clock is one of the great innovations in sports history. The interval is perfect to create a balance between transition havoc and having time to run an offensive set, yet still set a pace requirement that forces aggressive play. It's just enough time that it seems a little rushed offensively and a little too long defensively. No one is completely comfortable. That's the ideal.

I was thinking just the other day about this topic, and how few series upsets there are in the NBA, relative to other sports. The NBA has the purest playoffs in U.S. professional sports for just that reason. The rules of the game already are predisposed to identifying the better team, night in and night out, more reliably than other pro sports. Extrapolate that out over a best-of-seven and it is almost impossible for a true underdog team to find four wins.

That's why every time baseball expands the playoffs, the purists howl, and rightly so. Baseball and hockey are mistake games. Bad pitches land in the outfield seats. Tips and deflections and vision-obscuring traffic put pucks in nets. Scores are low and one run or goal can change momentum, often irreversibly. Over the course of a long season, those mistakes and clangy bounces might even out, but the likelihood of it evening out in a best-of-seven is not great. So the lesser team wins frequently. And the more playoffs are expanded, the less purity in the results.

Baseball and hockey teams can do so much to change tempo. A baseball game can take two hours or four hours. You can use one or four pitchers. A hockey team can play aggressively or passively.

In basketball, you're either going to shoot in 24 seconds, or the other team will.

You could let all 30 NBA teams into the playoffs and, barring injuries, the best two teams are going to play for the championship more often than not.
Not all U.S. sports are ideal for best-of-seven series, even if many use them, but the NBA is made for it.

[Oracle]

Q: Reading a few articles on the NBA playoffs, only two teams lower than fourth seed ever made the NBA Finals: No. 6 Houston in 1995 and the No. 8 Knicks in the shortened season 1999. Over 80 percent of NBA Finals teams have been No. 1 or No. 2 seeds. In contrast, wild card/lowest seed teams have won championships in the NHL, NFL, and Major League Baseball. Any ideas why it is harder for lower seeds to win in the NBA, and therefore needing to truly "climb the ladder" before making the Finals? Thanks. -- Ishmael

A: Yes, the 24-second shot clock. It is the great divide that makes certain that lesser teams are not often falsely elevated in individual games, and far more rarely in a seven-game series. Put a 30-second shot clock in the game, like college basketball, and Golden State wouldn't win 73 times this season, and Philadelphia wouldn't lose 72 times. The more possessions, and the more the rules contribute to honest and aggressive play, the more likely that the better team wins, whether it's an individual game or a best-of-seven.

The 24-second clock is one of the great innovations in sports history. The interval is perfect to create a balance between transition havoc and having time to run an offensive set, yet still set a pace requirement that forces aggressive play. It's just enough time that it seems a little rushed offensively and a little too long defensively. No one is completely comfortable. That's the ideal.

I was thinking just the other day about this topic, and how few series upsets there are in the NBA, relative to other sports. The NBA has the purest playoffs in U.S. professional sports for just that reason. The rules of the game already are predisposed to identifying the better team, night in and night out, more reliably than other pro sports. Extrapolate that out over a best-of-seven and it is almost impossible for a true underdog team to find four wins.

That's why every time baseball expands the playoffs, the purists howl, and rightly so. Baseball and hockey are mistake games. Bad pitches land in the outfield seats. Tips and deflections and vision-obscuring traffic put pucks in nets. Scores are low and one run or goal can change momentum, often irreversibly. Over the course of a long season, those mistakes and clangy bounces might even out, but the likelihood of it evening out in a best-of-seven is not great. So the lesser team wins frequently. And the more playoffs are expanded, the less purity in the results.

Baseball and hockey teams can do so much to change tempo. A baseball game can take two hours or four hours. You can use one or four pitchers. A hockey team can play aggressively or passively.

In basketball, you're either going to shoot in 24 seconds, or the other team will.

You could let all 30 NBA teams into the playoffs and, barring injuries, the best two teams are going to play for the championship more often than not.
Not all U.S. sports are ideal for best-of-seven series, even if many use them, but the NBA is made for it.

[Oracle]

Pistons:
We really need to get more firepower and play better defense!

3 of the final 4 teams are very far ahead of us, only Toronto, IMO, is an imposter in this group.

Each of the 3 have a big 2 or big 3 that are better than anything we have on our roster, unless we get some major growth and a couple of our guys hit the next level.

The good news is that we have candidates that can get to that level, but predicting which one gets there first is tricky. Drummond, Reggie, Harris, KCP and Stanley form my list of potential stars depending on how well they develop.

West:
If OKC can keep playing like they have, especially Westbrook, the minimum is that they push it to 6 or 7. The maximum is that they win in 6/7. It's hard to tell until we see how they play the Warriors, but they have a huge size advantage, and I wonder if they can exploit it to its fullest!

In case you missed it:

[BallinD]

Good read on ESPN: Stan The Man

SVG didn't reveal much, except he's watching a lot of playoff hoops and plotting his next moves.

I didn't think Westbrook could lead his team through the tough, big games deep in the playoffs with his style of play, but after his epiphany at SA, looks like he could.  This bodes well for RJ  (who I think patterns his style after RW, even though he would never admit it) to grow to the next level.

[Oracle]

A trade will be made.  SVG systems is still missing a bona-fide perimeter shooter and I don't see SVG playing that wait and see scenario everyone talks about having for KCP especially since SVG isn't willing to adapt his scheme to the players on hand.  

IMO he allows Jackson far to much freedom hence our offense seem more free-lance than structured.  PG need to be upgrade but it's pointless if we don't have a consistently good perimeter game.

Okay I can hear the moans I won't say KCP outside game won't improve, but this kid needs to be consistently attacking the rim to really reach his max ability, but he can't do that in SVG offense.  This make KCP a questionable fit, much in the way it happened for a lot of talent misused under Joe's regime. We should trade him now before we screw up his career by forcing him into a contract that he can't live up to. - Wise, oddly I do agree with you here! While I still think it's too early to call, KCP is young enough and smart enough to adapt to SVG's system, I see his ability really shining in a system that wants him attacking a lot more than spot up shooting. I wish SVG could see that, but I'm not holding my breath!

Alright! I'm at a lost with Dre  I seriously don't have the words to express what I'm feeling about his game as a whole.  He should be a game changer for us and sadly he is because it not for the good if 30 percent is the best you have to offer.  The difference between Big Ben and Dre and their crappy FT percentage is we didn't have to yank Big Ben because sending Ben to the line didn't assure you a score on the other end.  Because Ben biggest impact came defensively, not only will Dre blow the FT's he like going to give up a score on the other end. - Dre can make your head hurt! So much promise, but it's not coming together yet. Again, it's way too early to call, but we seriously do need to see a big change next season in both his defensive intensity and FT shooting. I still believe he will get there, but it's frustrating going through his growth!

Trades in general I can see Bower and SVG taking advantage of some obvious moves via trade with team dismantling their rosters and he might even make a surprise signing via free agency.

Duncan, as I said at the start of the season will quit after this season and that he didn't want to to steal the shine out of Kobe's retirement so his kept it to himself.  - Stick a fork in him, he's done! But I won't put this all on Duncan. Parker looks better than Blake, but not by a whole lot! Aldridge hasn't been a good fit, and hasn't looked like the dominant player he was in Portland all season. Manu is capable of looking like himself once in every 3-4 games. Ley's face it, age has finally caught up with the Spurs! Time to re-tool!

Pop just couldn't buy enough time between games to rest the many old carcasses on that team, the Spurs as we knew them is a wrap!

[WTF]

A trade will be made. SVG systems is still missing a bona-fide perimeter shooter and I don't see SVG playing that wait and see scenario everyone talks about having for KCP especially since SVG isn't willing to adapt his scheme to the players on hand.

IMO he allows Jackson far to much freedom hence our offense seem more free-lance than structured. PG need to be upgrade but it's pointless if we don't have a consistently good perimeter game.

Okay I can hear the moans I won't say KCP outside game won't improve, but this kid needs to be consistently attacking the rim to really reach his max ability, but he can't do that in SVG offense. This make KCP a questionable fit, much in the way it happened for a lot of talent misused under Joe's regime. We should trade him now before we screw up his career by forcing him into a contract that he can't live up to.

Alright! I'm at a lost with Dre I seriously don't have the words to express what I'm feeling about his game as a whole. He should be a game changer for us and sadly he is because it not for the good if 30 percent is the best you have to offer. The difference between Big Ben and Dre and their crappy FT percentage is we didn't have to yank Big Ben because sending Ben to the line didn't assure you a score on the other end. Because Ben biggest impact came defensively, not only will Dre blow the FT's he like going to give up a score on the other end.

Trades in general I can see Bower and SVG taking advantage of some obvious moves via trade with team dismantling their rosters and he might even make a surprise signing via free agency.

Duncan, as I said at the start of the season will quit after this season and that he didn't want to to steal the shine out of Kobe's retirement so his kept it to himself.

[merc]

LP, your post is on the money... agree on all counts... if we deal the 1st for a proven PG we'd have check out the FA list for PFs that fit the current mix.
Hey why don't we hire Shaq as a mentor for Dre?... show him how a dominant big plays in the post.
It's a good day when we're talking about backups and experience getting the team over the hump :^)

[cool breeze]

We knew the team would a lot tougher when Morris arrived. But who was talking about Bullock. This guy has a nice jump shot. He plays defense and runs the floor hard. I like Hilliard and Bullock a lot and they both play OK defense. It is so great to have young players like those who are hungry waiting in the wings for an opportunity to secure playing time. Bullock seems to have a nose for the ball and where to be on the floor. He might be a killer next season.

[lemonpen]

While I agree, a trade is likely for us, and is actually the best way for us to go, a trade will be, well, complicated!

The good news is that we only really need ONE trade this time to get what we need.

Will it be a package of our 1st round pick with less needed assets? The pick & some cash? I don't know.

The hard part is that the things we have of value can't be included... UNLESS... it returns significant value as well.

I hate to say this, but if a much better starting piece is available, I think SVG pulls the trigger. That piece could be available due to "Fit", a team moving in another direction, or just plain somebody needing a fresh start elsewhere.

Anything is possible because IMO, the SVG mission is to get better as fast as possible, and internally, they want to at least get to the ECF next season if at all possible. Getting there makes a statement, but also makes the team believe that they can do anything, and belief is a powerful thing!

To be honest, I'm just thrilled to be able to talk about us in the context of winning, and not hoping to tank to get a better pick!

I think a trade is almost assured. Meeks is a gonner as someones cap relief. I say sooner is better. Package him and the first pick for a higher pick or an experienced b/u PG.

I agree that the ECF is and should be in our sights. But, we can upgrade all we want to but unfortunately if Dre can't upgrade the ft% our ceiling will be severely limited.

It's working my nerves to see Bullock omitted from articles regarding sources of improved shooting next season. RB looked like our best deep threat.

Congrats to the young fellas (Stanley and KCP) for the recognition by USA basketball. Today you're high quality practice dummies, tomorrow you get the gold.

Boys you better get your final look at a LEGEND cause the BIG FUNDAMENTAL appears to be running on fumes. Looks like his right leg prevents him from getting off of the floor and rest is pretty U-G-L-Y.
Wade isn't far behind. Don't know how much longer he will last on old man moves and free throws.

Draft: Someone will offer Baynes a starting position in a year. Might as well get ahead of the need. Go get two BIGS with shooting ability. One might pan out.

I hope it rains like crazy this evening, cause I don't feel like playing softball yet.

[cool breeze]

Curry must be from another planet. I have never seen anything like this in a playoff overtime game especially considering he was coming back after two weeks rehabbing his injuries. Curry is not like Labron or Wade who are also great players but play more like bullies using brut strength to have there way with the cannon fodder in front of them. Even if you are pulling for the opposing team, you can't help yourself enjoying the game of basketball a little more when Curry is on the floor. His footwork and timing and confidence is so beautiful. Seth even got a put back off a offensive rebound in the overtime. This player is having FUN and his teammates are truly lucky to have him on their team. Can Golden State make it to the finals and then beat Labron's crew? Seems like it would take a miracle but then Seth Curry is back.

[Oracle]

While I agree, a trade is likely for us, and is actually the best way for us to go, a trade will be, well, complicated!

The good news is that we only really need ONE trade this time to get what we need.

Will it be a package of our 1st round pick with less needed assets? The pick & some cash? I don't know.

The hard part is that the things we have of value can't be included... UNLESS... it returns significant value as well.

I hate to say this, but if a much better starting piece is available, I think SVG pulls the trigger. That piece could be available due to "Fit", a team moving in another direction, or just plain somebody needing a fresh start elsewhere.

Anything is possible because IMO, the SVG mission is to get better as fast as possible, and internally, they want to at least get to the ECF next season if at all possible. Getting there makes a statement, but also makes the team believe that they can do anything, and belief is a powerful thing!

To be honest, I'm just thrilled to be able to talk about us in the context of winning, and not hoping to tank to get a better pick!

[BallinD]

I agree Merc. Stones will make a trade and it will likely be a good one.

I think they don't wanna rile up all the teams that are sensitive; feelin silly cause they might get straight fleeced by Stan Van Bower!

[merc]

Gotta disagree with local writers saying trades are unlikely... any playoff team that didn't advance will be forced to:
A) Count on a low draft pick
B) Compete with the entire league having big $'s for free agents
C) Make a deal
There will be team like the Hawks that will be faced with the reality they can't just wait for their vets to improve.
Bowers was talking about the 2011 draft with the Pistons having 3 starters who were picked after the lottery.
It will be interesting to see how patient SVG will be... does he wait for this years pick to eventually make a difference?... or does he think they are ready to make a serious run by adding a couple of vets?
IMO the Cavs are not fading away for a couple of years... the Pistons should be planing for a long run starting in 2018.
It's a strange year when moving cap space makes little difference.
Agree with OC about the team improving by having maturity in the system... it's a fine line with making improvements and upsetting the cart.
I'd like to see a young vet at the backup PG... someone that already can run a team... if we're gonna use the pick it should be for a backup PF that has upside as a defender and shooter.

[cool breeze]

@Don - Very good points, and I love it that we have options internally! We have a team that is going to be better simply through the process of natural growth and maturity! I agree that if we can't get high quality 4, I wouldn't mind seeing JJ come back, he's grown a lot and may be ready to be that guy that we need, and his price is right as a fall back position.

Drummond, KCP & Harris are all in a really sweet spot!

Drummond is only 22 years old, nowhere near his prime and he's already a load. I KNOW that he'll get smarter, better, and most of all more confident as he ages. I know this because the Drummond we saw to start the season was a monster in the middle! At 22, it's hard for a big man with his size to maintain that for a full NBA season, but as his body matures, he'll be able to sustain that high level for 82 games and beyond.

Harris is only 23 years old, also nowhere near his prime! he'll get stronger and he's already smart enough, and he's going to be hard as hell to stop!

KCP is also only 23 years old, and while some will disagree, I see all star written all over this kid! He's already one of the better 2 guards defensively, and once his offense catches up, this kid is a KILLER! Blessed with WAY above average speed and quickness, our window to true contention is looking pretty good to this poster!

Then there Stanley Johnson, a bull of a mismatch on both ends of the court, and he has absolutely no clue how good he WILL be. If he works hard, this is a dominant player, and he'll crack the starting lineup, likely after next season, as Morris becomes our 6th man.

@Lemonpen - Don't feel bad, I started liking them once they beat us, and I posted 2 things! That we forced them to figure out how to use Love, and that they were my pick to win it all if Curry doesn't come back, or if he's impaired!

BTW: The Cavs struggled to put us down, but they're killing the Hawks! If we can get some good 3 point shooters and KCP improves his shot from deep, I worry about the Cavs, but I don't fear them in a matchup with our guys!

I feel for the Atlanta players. It seems obvious that perhaps several players will not be returning. I thought they had a chance in this last game but that last possession was a killer trying to force something that wasn't there and then Labron getting the tie up and jump ball. I have seen few team leaders to that job as good as Labron James. He has ever player primed to be at their best mentally. How about the shooting of Frye? He drained the 3 ball a lot with the Suns. He suffers some serious injuries and comes back from hell to have that incredible shooting performance. How great is that? I still am hoping Golden State can win it all or even the Spurs. But one has to admire the teamwork the Cavs have shown in this Atlanta series. They might have another cake walk in the Conference finals and be well rested for the Finals. But anything can happen. That is what makes basketball great. I hope our young Pistons are watching how real playoff teams play on the defensive end. Next season has to be the season where we finally see a solid defensive minded Piston team again.

[BallinD]

ThreeeeTroit Basketball!!

Oracle, I like what you said. With the Cavs and the Dubs showing the way, our young franchise, already three-happy, could continue to climb the playoff ladder if Meeks returns to form, injury free and Bullock continues his 3 and D performance.

Oracle: I believe that this 3rd season will be the best and most important for Meeks! He's damn near as fast as KCP, runs the floor like RIP Hamilton did, and on nights can light it up with the best of them!

I really hope this works, because with him backing up KCP, it's really a game changer offensively! Playing them together may require slow motion cameras just to see the action.

Expect SJ, KC3, Tobias and Mook and RJ to potentially grow incrementally in three prowess as well, as all are below or approaching their prime.

Not to be unbalanced offensively, Tobias' dribble drive game, RJ's ability to get to the hoop and KCP's improved handles also bode well. SJ presumably will be working on his inability to finish well around the rim, per SVG.

Meeks dribble drive and lane floaters would set if off for our bench unit. BTW, a local story from last year stated that Meeks was faster than KCP, first and second on the team, respectively. Doug Collins actually stated he was the fastest player coast-to-coast in the NBA.

Plus, we know Stan Van Bower will pull a rabbit out of their hat. Go Pistons.

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