Better to Be Lucky

[BallinD]

If it’s better to be lucky than good, we’re happy campers till the next game; but...

Like me you want more. Can this team really be good if we have Luke on board and the dreaded injury bug stays away? Is there a trade in the works? If we are 8th in def rating and 23rd in offensive rating, can we take this soft stretch in the schedule to iron out the kinks? Go Stones!

[cool breeze]

FG%:  We shoot 48% between 16' & 3pt distance and 31% beyond the arc.  Unfortunately we take 6% of our shots from the former and 37% from the latter.  Whoever suggested taking one step toward the basket might be on to something.

We rank third in the L for % of 3pt shots taken from the corner.  That is the shortest distance, but we are 24th in the L converting them.

I agree with you. This is becoming silly ball with the Pistons. There were several possessions where both Bullock and Galloway decided to take a 3 point shot when they had a clear path to the basket with no defender in sight. I see Casey on the sideline occasionally gestering to players when they hesitate in shooting a three point shot when they have possession of the ball. Shouldn't a player look inside to see if a teammate might be open. Has the game become that retarded?

Another problem that is bothersome to me is how Smith plays at the end of the third quarter and the start of the 4th. Smith should know that he needs to get his teammates involved in the offense especially at the start of the 4th. But game after game I see Smith going solo from end to end and usually with a bad result. Last night Smith did it 3 times in a row make one pass on 3 straight possessions and then forcing a low percentage shot against good defensive pressure. Where is the head coach?????

Blake Griffin might have scored a lot of points in this game but his performance in crunch time leaves a lot to be desired. With the score tied with one minute to go Blake was on the top of the key being heavily guarded. There was no place he could go and Bullock was wide open on the right wing while Johnson was also wide open behind the 3 point line at the baseline. The pass has to go to Bullock in that situation and Griffin has to trust his teammates. He looked and decided to do it all on his own and threw up and impossible shot at the end of the shot clock. Several times in this game. Griffin would have the basketball and actually see teammates un guarded on the wing or baseline and ignore them as they were waiving to him. What are these players thinking? Oh that is Blake he trusts nobody but himself.

While AD had a miserable first half, he dug down and had some positive moments in the 2nd half. He got a steal after Johnson had hit a 3 point shot by moving his hands as Toronto was trying to inbound the basketball. AD was engaged.

Casey should be credited for calling two really good out of bounds plays at the end. The lob pass to Robinson was a great idea and it looked to me that he was fouled. Then of course the sweet play under the basket where Bullock made a great cut to get that look that won the ball game. Casey still is AWOL at times though while failing to change combinations that are horrible. Casey reluctantly played Johnson in the 2nd half instead of his favorites so at least he was not sleeping. Did anyone but me notice that Johnson is a leader when he plays. He was talking to Reggie Jackson and Blake a lot. He motivates players he is on the court with. In the previous loss Johnson got 16 or 17 minutes. He was not on the floor in crunch time. I know it is a long shot that Stanley will be signing a new Piston contract but I still want to see him be a big part of this team before he is forced to leave. The Pistons front office are clearly complete idiots. Nobody plays Lenard as well as Stanley Johnson. That is why he is going to be in high demand by a lot of NBA teams. He can shut down opposing team's best skill player. That counts a lot with most GMs and coaches. But maybe this head coach doesn't believe that is true. And perhaps Tom Gores won't spend the money Johnson will command. It does no good bitching but to me the Piston's leadership is the worst in the entire NBA at this point in time.

It is good to celebrate this win but Toronto did not have all of their key players and our Pistons did not play for most of the game like a good team. They got lucky but did play really hard towards the middle of the 4th quarter.

[lemonpen]

FG%: We shoot 48% between 16' & 3pt distance and 31% beyond the arc. Unfortunately we take 6% of our shots from the former and 37% from the latter. Whoever suggested taking one step toward the basket might be on to something.

We rank third in the L for % of 3pt shots taken from the corner. That is the shortest distance, but we are 24th in the L converting them.

[lemonpen]

Raps:  GREAT win last night.  Our star was as good or better than their star.  Our coach twisted the right knobs at the right time.  Everyone else was juuuust good enough.  I hope they have discovered another gear.

Dre:  JMO but I'm beginning to sense that his dude is likely all he will ever be.  It is apparent  he wasted all but one summer on who-knows-what BS.  He did use one to inch up from worst ft shooter in history.  Big Whoop.    I will complement Dre for becoming more focused on staying in his lane ever since the beat-down. Three point shooting !, damn damn damn.

Stafford:  I don't like him, but he was doomed from the start.  The organization never did two things for / to him that could have rocketed his early development.  (1) carry a seasoned vet to teach him to read defenses pre-snap, also show him nuances like pump fakes & nifty ball handling, and (2) provide positional competition.   Matt rarely had true motivation to improve or excel.

[cool breeze]

Although AD scored 7 points in the first half, his lack of work ethic on defense caused the Pistons to fall behind more than any missed shots by other players. Andre looked like the same player we watched for the past two seasons after the Christmas break. He was not engaged. The Raptors scored 44 points in the paint. Detroit scored 28 in the paint. Toronto was 2/11 on 3 point field goals but shot 52% overall because they scored on layups or from two feet from the basket without resistance by our center. Toronto out rebounded the Pistons in the first half 30 to 20. Toronto built up a 12 point lead which could have been 20 or more if not for Blake Griffin scoring 20 first half points. This first half reminded me of the games Gortat and Anthony Davis used to have against AD. AD needs to show he can stay engaged on defense when he is having a rough night on offense instead of looking meek and out of sorts like he has the flu. But maybe AD did have the flu. If so, I apologize AD.

Things looked bleak for Detroit when the first half ended. However, one play I got excited about was a side out of bounds play for the Pistons in the first half. Johnson entered the ball on the wing then faked going to the baseline and instead received a nice screen and made a great cut using that screen to lose his man and get the ball back to drive to the basket on the opposite side for an easy layup. This is what I have been writing about. There have been no designated plays created for Johnson's strength as an offensive player. If the Pistons can get some action by setting screens for Johnson on the opposite side from Griffin, and Stanley makes those cuts and gets a pass, he can go to the basket with power and either make a layup or pull up jump shot or dish the ball to AD cutting to the rim from the middle of the paint. The Pistons need to get some easy point points instead of settling for those long jump shots or forcing Griffin to go up against two or three defenders. If Johnson becomes a threat to drive it, that creates more options for shots closer to the basket and forces opposing players to play defense. How easy are our Pistons to guard on most possessions? How much work does it take to guard out players when they only concentrate on shooting the 3 point shot? Casey has to get a lot smarter to get the most out of this roster. As everyone said, Blake Griffin cannot carry this team for even half a season. He can only have a performance like this one once every 10 games at most.

[cool breeze]

I was waiting to see who noticed what was radically different in this game, and Ballin picked right up on it.

This is why you hire the COY, this was a coaching win if I ever saw one. Casey totally out coached the Grasshopper attached to his mommy's Nursie 

The coaching difference:
1. Casey experimented with lineups all game and came up with 3 distinct lineups that critically changed the game, using players that many of us had written off like Leuer and Galloway. none bigger than the lineup that finished the game, but I'm really impressed with how he's playing GR3 & Stanley.

2. It takes time for a coach to imprint his personality onto a new team, but we can see it starting now, and this is what Ballin picked up on. Casey is doing what SVG never did, he's drawing up fantastic situational plays. Those two final out of bounds plays were pure genius. To get two great plays back to back with the game on the line was HUGE!

Stanley Johnson: I'm officially off the kids back, he's showed me something in this game that really gives me hope that he can turn his putrid career around. IMO, when you build confidence on one side of the ball, it's only a matter of time before you figure out the other side when you're young.

Here's some quotes:
"I **** loved it," Pistons forward Stanley Johnson said of Casey's intense demeanour down the stretch. "I **** loved it. He's always super competitive. That's how he is, but knowing his history here, - I didn't even know he knocked off all the accolades he did until I watched the video. He was amped, and it helped us amp up more, too. When you see a coach into the game - and he came to play - you have no choice but to put your mind in the game as well. I was really happy we could do it for him." - Casey's triumph in Toronto far from just another game for Pistons

And this one speaks to what we have in Casey...
"In retrospect, we should not have been surprised that a Casey-led team showed no quit right up to the dying seconds. And so now we arrive at the final minute, with the Raptors down four. Kawhi ties it up on a jump shot, has his inexplicable turnover, and the Raptors reel. In the final sequence, Pascal Siakam, who finished with 17 points and seven rebounds, makes a striking swat to break up an alley-oop attempt first. Then the Pistons reset, and that cruel twist of fate arrives to deliver a victory to Detroit.

Go figure a Casey-led team would also execute down the stretch, find the open man, and get a good look. The Raptors were just a step slow as Reggie Bullock swooped in for the winning bucket. Of course, cameras were quick to capture the revenge game celebration." - Raptors choke away lead, lose to Pistons 106-104

Red Flags: This was a great win, but there were some issues that we need to get corrected.
1. We're still too dependent on Blake in situations where everybody knows we're going to him. The final plays were a very smart use of the fact that teams think that's where we're going, so I hope to see more of that.

2. We shot, or more accurately jacked up 33 3 point attempts where Toronto only attempted 20. There is this old thing called a 2 point shot that's still worth 2 points, we need to use it a LOT more. We get down in games mainly because we can't hit 3 point shots and won't take the easy deuce.

3. We played Blake 39 minutes, highest usage... that has to stop!

Still, this was a big win for this team, no back sliding allowed

Oracle I want to hold you to your words relating to your statement that you are going to stop this nonsense about Stanley Johnson being a disappointment so far. the tragedy is gong to be how the Pistons front office handles Johnson's future with the Pistons. So far it appears they are willing to let him go which will be yet another blunder by the Piston's owner. Imagine Stanley Johnson playing for the Pistons in his prime when he is 24 or 25 years old. He does everything well except for knocking down 3 point shots. But I want to point out that Johnson seldom takes bad shots unless it is at the end of the shot clock. He takes wide open looks which he has to keep doing. Also, Johnson's shot release and his base relating to how he sets his feet before he shoots is 100% better than the last two seasons when SVG's coaching staff really screwed him up by making him change the release. In two more seasons, Johnson is going to be a big time player and the best player on this team if he stays. I am tired of the stupid Piston front office drafting kids and then letting them go before they reach their prime years. Amir Johnson, Knight before he suffered almost a career ending knee injury, Middleton etc. shows the Pistons keep signing or trading for players who have been rejects for other losing NBA teams. If you are on a losing team like Jon Leuer was in Phoenix and you are not in the rotation on that team, why would any rational person agree to sign that player to a $10M a year deal for 4 years? Galloway, Smith, Jackson, Brandon Jennings were on their way out of sub par NBA teams with no other team interested in their services yet the Pistons let their young talented players leave without hesitation. The Pistons are making a big mistake relating to Henry Ellenson as well. This kid has had no chance to develop even in the G League. He has all the tools to become a high scoring big man but he is a kid in a big body sitting on the bench in street clothes. Think how much better Henry could be now if he had played two seasons in the G League. Nobody can improve when you are not playing in real games for several seasons. The Pistons are a farm team that places little to no value in the draft or developing their young.

Great post Oracle!

[Murph]

Great win last night, but as Oracle pointed out, we need more than just Blake Griffin scoring 30 points, and playing 40 minutes a night. That isn't going to work for the full season. He'll wear down.

We need participation from everyone. We need a number of different contributors every night. Hopefully, this game will get Reggie Bullock out of his slump. We need him back and shooting like last year.

Stanley Johnson seems to have embraced his role of coming off the bench as a defensive specialist. And his scoring efficiency is improving also. Since he started coming off the bench SJ is shooting 44% from 2 pt range, and 38% from 3 pt range...right where he needs to be.

But we also need Reggie Jackson, GRIII, Ish, Galloway, Kennard, Leuer and Zaza taking turns and contributing on a consistent basis. Hopefully, Casey can build on this win, improve team chemistry and get everyone involved.

[Oracle]

I was waiting to see who noticed what was radically different in this game, and Ballin picked right up on it.

This is why you hire the COY, this was a coaching win if I ever saw one. Casey totally out coached the Grasshopper attached to his mommy's Nursie 

The coaching difference:
1. Casey experimented with lineups all game and came up with 3 distinct lineups that critically changed the game, using players that many of us had written off like Leuer and Galloway. none bigger than the lineup that finished the game, but I'm really impressed with how he's playing GR3 & Stanley.

2. It takes time for a coach to imprint his personality onto a new team, but we can see it starting now, and this is what Ballin picked up on. Casey is doing what SVG never did, he's drawing up fantastic situational plays. Those two final out of bounds plays were pure genius. To get two great plays back to back with the game on the line was HUGE!

Stanley Johnson: I'm officially off the kids back, he's showed me something in this game that really gives me hope that he can turn his putrid career around. IMO, when you build confidence on one side of the ball, it's only a matter of time before you figure out the other side when you're young.

Here's some quotes:
"I **** loved it," Pistons forward Stanley Johnson said of Casey's intense demeanour down the stretch. "I **** loved it. He's always super competitive. That's how he is, but knowing his history here, - I didn't even know he knocked off all the accolades he did until I watched the video. He was amped, and it helped us amp up more, too. When you see a coach into the game - and he came to play - you have no choice but to put your mind in the game as well. I was really happy we could do it for him." - Casey's triumph in Toronto far from just another game for Pistons

And this one speaks to what we have in Casey...
"In retrospect, we should not have been surprised that a Casey-led team showed no quit right up to the dying seconds. And so now we arrive at the final minute, with the Raptors down four. Kawhi ties it up on a jump shot, has his inexplicable turnover, and the Raptors reel. In the final sequence, Pascal Siakam, who finished with 17 points and seven rebounds, makes a striking swat to break up an alley-oop attempt first. Then the Pistons reset, and that cruel twist of fate arrives to deliver a victory to Detroit.

Go figure a Casey-led team would also execute down the stretch, find the open man, and get a good look. The Raptors were just a step slow as Reggie Bullock swooped in for the winning bucket. Of course, cameras were quick to capture the revenge game celebration." - Raptors choke away lead, lose to Pistons 106-104

Red Flags: This was a great win, but there were some issues that we need to get corrected.
1. We're still too dependent on Blake in situations where everybody knows we're going to him. The final plays were a very smart use of the fact that teams think that's where we're going, so I hope to see more of that.

2. We shot, or more accurately jacked up 33 3 point attempts where Toronto only attempted 20. There is this old thing called a 2 point shot that's still worth 2 points, we need to use it a LOT more. We get down in games mainly because we can't hit 3 point shots and won't take the easy deuce.

3. We played Blake 39 minutes, highest usage... that has to stop!

Still, this was a big win for this team, no back sliding allowed

[BallinD]

It was unlikely, but this team showed heart down the stretch for Casey. Gotta love it and the final plays He drew up. I fear they will continue to be streaky, but if they play this hard, they might win enough. Great job by the Staminal!

[Sparma]

Bullock was 1 for 8 when he took what became the winning shot. Shooters shoot!

[Sparma]

Yes, consistently excellent D by Stanley on Kawhi.

Nice win for Casey.

And Bullock!

Two good inbound passes by Calderon at the end, really (with 2 seconds, then 1.2). The first, to Robinson, could have been.

What a win for the Pistons!!!

Stanley forced Leonard to dribble the ball off his foot with great defense with 2 seconds left!

We blew a alley oop and was left with 1.2 seconds and we make the shot!!!

They played their hearts out for this coach and that's a really good sign, and took out the BEST team in basketball in the process!!!

I'll sleep good tonight 

[Oracle]

What a win for the Pistons!!!

Stanley forced Leonard to dribble the ball off his foot with great defense with 2 seconds left!

We blew a alley oop and was left with 1.2 seconds and we make the shot!!!

They played their hearts out for this coach and that's a really good sign, and took out the BEST team in basketball in the process!!!

I'll sleep good tonight 

[Oracle]

Pistons up by 2 with the ball on a short clock, but this is a GOOD game!!!

Don, Stanley is playing GREAT defense on Leonard down the stretch, the kid is impressive defensively!

[Oracle]

@Murph: You're seeing the same thing I do! I think Blake feels like he landed in HELL. I don't think there's a person on this team that he has any real respect for, and looking at the talent he used to play with, it's hard to fault him. If you go position by position, other than Drummond, who's about a wash(maybe a bit better), every other position is a huge talent drop.

@Don: I'll be laughing my azz off while Stanley will be eating real authentic Kung Pao Chicken over in the China league, still bricking shots from deep.

Having said that, I don't wish him ill, I truly wish him the best, because I would prefer that we keep him, but he's got to show something.

Of course if his name was KCP, you'd have a 180 degree turn about his performance. You'd see a million defensive mistakes, bad basketball IQ and a severe case of donkey breath.

[cool breeze]

Not the problem: These guys have not been the problem so far, Drummond, Reggie, Ish, all have been plus contributors.

Part of the Problem: These guys are problematic, Casey and Bullock, for different reasons

Seriously Hurting the team: This players are just rotten, Stanley Johnson

Honorable Mention: Kennard doing his best impression of Avery Bradley in the injury department and Blake running out of gas so early in the season.

Stanley is the worst player by far, but in our situation, we can't afford to lose him unless we decide to blow it up, in which case I don't want to see him brick another shot in a Pistons uniform.

Oracle Johnson is going to make you eat crow once he lands on another NBA team. You cannot actually be watching most of the games. Johnson has had several outstanding games so far this season. He is the only player on this team who knows how to defend his assigned man and who can help other teammates who cannot defend. He is always the 5th option in this offense so what in hell do you expect with happen when the coach has no plays for the weak side or strong side for that matter within the half court offense. There actually is no half court offense at all. The Pistons have a simpleton type of offense that is designed for AAU kids. Johnson has a high basketball IQ who is not a good fit for this coach or the players he is forced to play with. The Pistons are losing because Griffin, Drummond, Jackson, Smith, Bullock, Galloway, and Robinson are among the weakest defenders at their positions in the entire NBA. Some of those players might make a rotation on another team that is stacked with good defenders. But to have so many players on this roster who have the same defects makes it impossible to ever have a winning caliber team. Detroit's only chance to win is if Stanley Johnson becomes a prime time player. But if you play with either Jackson or Smith, Johnson is always going to suffer. Notice that when Calderon is playing point guard, Johnson becomes part of the offense. Otherwise Griffin, Jackson, Smith and others shut him out. That is why we are not seeing the real Stanley Johnson. I saw this same thing with Harris two seasons ago after the players only meeting. Harris lost his mojo big time. He could not hit a shot to save his life for the last half of the season. That affected his defense as well. But then he was playing with the same crew that Johnson is currently playing with. For Johnson's sake, the best thing that could happen for him is to be traded. For sure he is not coming back next season. And the kid has so much potential to kick ass and take names being he is experienced and is only 22 years old. No Johnson is not "rotten". He is a victim or casualty of being on the same team as the Piston stars as defined by Tom Gores. We lose so many young kids with great potential while keeping the left overs nobody else wants. Many teams want Stanley Johnson. He will get a lot of offers. And you are even picking on Kennard who also doesn't have any chance of success once he returns either. And don't forget Henry Ellenson who according to the head coach is all washed up because he didn't do well in the summer league games. How many games has he played in since he arrived in Piston land? I wish Johnson could ignore everything that is bad about his current team and play his ass off for every minute he gets, He should be playing much better and I have stated that before. But he needs out of this insanity created by Tom Gores.

Get ready for Dwane's next game plan featuring Leuer, Galloway, Smith, Jackson, Robinson, and Griffin. All of those listed players could never fight their way out of a paper bag when it came to playing defense. All are known as very weak defenders including Robinson who was always in foul trouble at Michigan. And among that group Robinson is far superior to all of them relating to playing defense. He has actually improved since leaving college. Even AD must be wishing for a one way ticket out of Detroit. I think Blake will give us a good effort for 3 out of every 10 games until the season is over. He will coast for the entire first half and then play bully ball in the 4th. The rest of the guys will jack up 3 point shots and dribble around a lot for their shots. Johnson is not part of that plan. That much is very clear to me now. So get off his back please.

Oracle I know you are just venting so perhaps I shouldn't take a poke at you for targeting Johnson for being "Rotten". I have to say that I don't recognize him as being the same player I watched in high school and college. This team sucks on most nights. This has been the way it has been for the last 3 years even with Tobias Harris. With that said, we all know now that it wasn't the fault of Harris as to why the Pistons collapsed while he was here. Harris has always had great character but someone or perhaps two players could be the "rotten" apples instead of Johnson. There is some cancer somewhere relating to players who create bad team chemistry. This coach has acted like a complete fool so far with his circus act. What else do we have in store for us???

[cool breeze]

Sorry to beat a dead horse, but I just can't get over how bad that Griffin trade was for the Pistons.  

As I stated yesterday, Tobias Harris having a career year and is still getting better.  But also, Boban is playing very well for the Clips in limited minutes.   And the Pistons #12 draft pick was eventually spent on Miles Bridges from Michigan State, who is having a great rookie season.  

What the Pistons should have done was trade Reggie Jackson along with Avery Bradley for a good starting PG, held onto their draft pick, and resigned Anthony Tolliver and Eric Moreland.  

Then we would have a rotation of:

PG acquired in a trade, Ish, Brown
Bullock, Kennard
Harris, Bridges, Johnson
Tolliver, Johnson, Leuer
Drummond, Moreland, Boban

And we wouldn't be all capped out from here to eternity.  


The other issue is that judging by Griffin's body language and facial expressions on the court and on the bench, he isn't having any fun and doesn't want to be here.  He was clearly hurt emotionally when the Clippers dumped him and his contract, and he hasn't recovered.  He stated how shocked and disappointed he was after the trade.  

And again, judging by his body language on the court and on bench, it is doubtful whether he likes his teammates either, including the Pistons other star, Drummond.  This is a dreadful situation that going to go on for the next 4 years, unless the Pistons can somehow unload his contract.

I watched my favorite former player from last season, Tobias Harris, when the Clips played Golden State on NBA TV. How about their starting center. He sure appears to play much like Ben Wallace. The guy was challenging every shot at the rim. How refreshing! And Harris is approaching elite status while playing teams far superior to those in the Eastern Conference.

Your comments on Blake Griffin is spot on. He is not playing with passion on defense and has not shown that he has a high basketball IQ on offense. It is as if he is frustrated so much with his teammates that he forces shots anywhere on the court. SVG was not in favor of the bogus trade the Piston ownership came up with to kill the future for the next 4 years for our Pistons. But for them to then not recognize the impact Tolliver and Moreland had on the team shows everyone that they are incompetent and reckless relating to how they make decisions. The two players this owner is determined to turn into big winners are AD and RJ. While Andre is playing hard consistently now, his impact on defense is not a difference maker. But then AD might be far better off playing on a different team. There is nothing to hope for but the 8th seed on the Eastern conference for the next 4 years.

Trade talk relating to Reggie Jackson means nothing. I would be shocked if any NBA team would take his contract unless the Pistons agreed to include AD. Nobody wants Blake Griffin. The Clippers didn't want him. He would not be a good fit for the current Clipper team that plays tenacious defense all of the time. They also play offense with pace and Blake couldn't keep up with that style. We have the dancers on defense who are afraid of contact especially the wing players and point guards. But there is no money left to secure better talent at point guard or the 2 or 3. We fans have slim hope for any positive change anytime soon. The day the news broke about the Blake Griffin trade after Bradley, Harris and Boban left for the West Coast, along with our number 1 draft pick, every Piston fan who actually had been watching the Pistons to that point should have known that this owner is crazy. As reported at the time, Mr. Gores son really loved Blake so that must have been the biggest reason for making the trade.

Tom Gores is the biggest reason why the Pistons suck. But we also have to give Stan Van Gundy a lot of credit as well for signing Jackson, Smith, Leuer, and Galloway to those killer contracts. And there can be no doubt that Casey is responsible for not wanting Tolliver and Moreland on his team this year. That shows me that Casey is not a person who really did his homework. Also, Casey is the person who is putting together those player combinations that are so bad opposing coaches must be laughing at him. When Jackson, Smith and Galloway are in the games at the same time, who cannot beat the Pistons???? Possibly on some off nights for opponents and when those 3 are shooting the lights out with low percentage shot attempts, Casey can brag that he knows what he is doing. What I see is that he has no control of his team at all. There are no consequences for players who turn the ball over a lot who have the big contracts.

For those who still want to blame Piston loses on Johnson take a look at the amount of minutes he got in the last game. While the team the Pistons were playing were scoring at will, Johnson, the only player on the team who can actually defend anyone, was on the bench for most of the game. He played around 15 to 17 minutes. Meanwhile the Clippers are playing their asses off on the defensive end and finally look like a formidable challenge for any NBA team right now. Stanley is the smartest player on this team in many ways. He is playing with the wrong players and the wrong coach. Johnson is the 5th option because this coach is too stupid to create plays for players on the weak side. If Johnson could be thrown a bone when is is standing on the weak side a few times per game, then he could drive baseline or off the wing and set up Drummond for easy dunks. But when Griffin is triple teamed he doesn't throw the ball to Johnson. Stanley has to depend on most all of his scoring by getting steals or running the lanes in transition. I stand by my belief that once Stanley Johnson leaves this group of losers and gets on a good team with a better coach, he is going to be a terrific player. Johnson is only 22 years old and plays every phase of the game well now but his confidence shooting the ball is still a work in progress. His release is finally really good. SVG's staff set his shooting back big time when they picked around with his release. It is only a matter of time now but the Pistons are not in a good financial position and the current roster would scare any young player away so Johnson's days are most likely numbered. He could be included as a throw in like Middleton in another Tom Gores block buster trade. I see why Johnson is not consistent based on what he has experienced since being drafted by the Pistons. It seems that everyone is very happy when either their contract expires or they get traded from the Pistons.

while we fans have no place to go, the Pistons are doomed to only get worse with their current roster of specialist shooters who can't shoot very well. The hiring of Casey was just another mistake by the owner. What should have happened is that the team retained SVG for another season but fired him from any front office involvement. At least SVG would have Tolliver and Moreland on the team this season. I read once when the hype was at a peak that Casey has the ability to adjust his strategy based on the type of roster he has to work with. Casey did have something to do with the composition of this roster and decided that he didn't want Tolliver and Moreland. And he doesn't like Johnson either it appears because Johnson is not making those 3 point shots often enough. Everything is based on shooting the 3 ball at any place on the floor even if all of the potential defenders are out of position and can't get back in transition. Tolliver selected the right time to shoot his 3 point shots and he could make those shots too.

[Murph]

Sorry to beat a dead horse, but I just can't get over how bad that Griffin trade was for the Pistons.  

As I stated yesterday, Tobias Harris having a career year and is still getting better.  But also, Boban is playing very well for the Clips in limited minutes.   And the Pistons #12 draft pick was eventually spent on Miles Bridges from Michigan State, who is having a great rookie season.  

What the Pistons should have done was trade Reggie Jackson along with Avery Bradley for a good starting PG, held onto their draft pick, and resigned Anthony Tolliver and Eric Moreland.  

Then we would have a rotation of:

PG acquired in a trade, Ish, Brown
Bullock, Kennard
Harris, Bridges, Johnson
Tolliver, Johnson, Leuer
Drummond, Moreland, Boban

And we wouldn't be all capped out from here to eternity.  


The other issue is that judging by Griffin's body language and facial expressions on the court and on the bench, he isn't having any fun and doesn't want to be here.  He was clearly hurt emotionally when the Clippers dumped him and his contract, and he hasn't recovered.  He stated how shocked and disappointed he was after the trade.  

And again, judging by his body language on the court and on bench, it is doubtful whether he likes his teammates either, including the Pistons other star, Drummond.  This is a dreadful situation that going to go on for the next 4 years, unless the Pistons can somehow unload his contract.

[WTF]

Stafford is a poor QB with a strong arm.

He's easily fooled the media, fans and my good buddy Wise by having Megatron make him look good for so many years! He hasn't been as good since...

It doesn't matter who you put around him, he can't hit receivers when it counts, and DX nailed it, the dude has no touch, it's gun the ball to the guy 3 feet in front of you or side arm the ball into the turf!

I get it why they had to pay him and why he's still around, but at some point they need to grow a pair and get rid of this clown.

BTW, I do agree that the team would have been better under Caldwell, but the loss of their BEST receiver has hurt them a lot.

I hope Casey gets better, but he did inherit this Frankenstein team of ill fitting parts.

There are times I wish I could be in charge of the Lions.  I won't argue that there are better QB's then Stafford but it the same sense I could argue that this guy could be a winner with the right things in place.  Most QB's if not all are flawed in mechanics I've seen QB's over years of watching the NFL that had far worse mechanics or played similarly.  Elway comes to mind as one of them but he has 2 super bowl rings in spite of.   

I can only think of a handful of QB's that actually had touch throwing in all the years of watching football.  Farve was another crappy passer perhaps the worse ever but I think he has 2 super bowls under his belt.   

The thing that is different with all this guys is that they all had pieces around beyond just having a good receiver, They were all backed by excellent run games,  and exception defenses.  More importantly great coaches.   

Stafford remains be of other good QB's that were great but just couldn't win, not because they were bad they just didn't have all the pieces.  Gunslingers have always been my favorite type of QB.  I loved Bert Jones of the Baltimore Colts days, I liked Elway, Dan Fouts,  and Jim Zorn these were gunslingers but they were assisted by very decent run games and corp of WR not just one.

My thing was why Stafford couldn't have 2 Mega-trons, and a run game.  Bradshaw was a crappy QB but he had 3 HOF WR and Franco Harris anchored by the Steel Curtain.   Fouts had more than 3 good receiver but then he had the bi-focal wearing Chuck M in his backfield but even thing the Chargers never had all things needed to him to the promise land.   

For me I get an old school feel about Stafford because he reminds me of a lot of those guys,  some which have one and others that just never could but not because they were horrible QB's.   I mean you could put all the top QB's on this current roster and they wouldn't win because there's not a lick of balance anywhere on this rosters.  

This the first season Stafford stats have not landed him in the top 10, he's currently ranked 16 in the league but I put that on Patrice and ownership. All Stafford ever had going for him was Mega and a kicking game.  That's It!!!!!

Question does this make Barry a crappy RB because he never won either? IJS because he was a suffer similar problems of being on an in-completed team as well.   Give Stafford half of what most of some of the QB's have or some semblance of balance and the Lions could win.

[Oracle]

Stafford is a poor QB with a strong arm.

He's easily fooled the media, fans and my good buddy Wise by having Megatron make him look good for so many years! He hasn't been as good since...

It doesn't matter who you put around him, he can't hit receivers when it counts, and DX nailed it, the dude has no touch, it's gun the ball to the guy 3 feet in front of you or side arm the ball into the turf!

I get it why they had to pay him and why he's still around, but at some point they need to grow a pair and get rid of this clown.

BTW, I do agree that the team would have been better under Caldwell, but the loss of their BEST receiver has hurt them a lot.

I hope Casey gets better, but he did inherit this Frankenstein team of ill fitting parts.

[Oracle]

Not the problem: These guys have not been the problem so far, Drummond, Reggie, Ish, all have been plus contributors.

Part of the Problem: These guys are problematic, Casey and Bullock, for different reasons

Seriously Hurting the team: This players are just rotten, Stanley Johnson

Honorable Mention: Kennard doing his best impression of Avery Bradley in the injury department and Blake running out of gas so early in the season.

Stanley is the worst player by far, but in our situation, we can't afford to lose him unless we decide to blow it up, in which case I don't want to see him brick another shot in a Pistons uniform.

[WTF]

I've never talked about the Lions, because I've been holding out hope that they'll eventually make some noise but, this year is the most disgusting (next to the 0-16 season) that I've witnessed and it ain't over!
STAFFORD: the highest paid meaningless stat machine in pro sports, but Drummond draws the heat. Neither one has any playoff victories...neither one makes the players around them better, and neither one is a real team leader. My problem with Stafford is this tremendous arm that's glorified so much lacks touch...it's not connected to his football brain...every pass is an offline rocket throw, whether a back, 5 yards deep (dropped pass) or a receiver 25 yards downfield (over throw or interception). No "touch passes," or timing routes (interceptions in the "red zone") or throws over the defensive backfield, eliminating the speed of his receivers. The face of the Lions.

I'll defend Stafford put some freaking players around him starting with RB quickly followed by a above average offline and he could win.  Also get a real coach QB's don't carry teams they lead them but if there are question marks all over the roster what's a leader to do.  

AD don't get this break while both are team sports football is a completely different beast,  and dependent on far to many variables but right now it's defense and coaching that's truly the Lions problem not the QB.   I can only imagine this team would be far better had they kept Caldwell.  

Almost can say the same thing about SVG and Casey because I don't see much difference yeah the team would still suck under SVG but maybe less

[cool breeze]

This is frustrating as a fan to watch year after year the same type of inept defenders playing the point guard and two guard positions for the Pistons. I don't even count Pope as a high quality defensive player because he could not guard either Wall or Beal at any time when he played for the Pistons. But Pope is far superior as a defender than Jackson, Smith, Galloway, or Bullock. They keep getting beat off the dribble and cannot anticipate opponent half court set plays. Or are they just not very interested in playing defense? Who knows but I would suspect that Casey knows what he has and feels that he needs to play these players to prove to management just how bad they are as NBA players who will always hurt their team on the defensive end. Teams are loading up on Smith whenever he is in the game. His size is a big factor. My question for the coach is how does he decide who will guard who when he plays Jackson and Smith together? Who will guard the opponent's strongest guard? This is a joke of course. Just draw straws is the answer. Neither guard can guard any opponent guard in the NBA for any length of time.

Fans want to trade Stanley Johnson who is 22 years old and is by far the most capable defender on this Piston team. Johnson has been inconsistent on the offensive end scoring. But his passing is outstanding and his knowledge as to where to be on the floor is outstanding. Meanwhile, Galloway, Jackson, Smith, and Bullock often look like chickens with their heads cut off the way they fail to get to the right spots, fail to set screens for other players, and have no conscious thoughts about getting back fast when they miss those low percentage three point shots and by the time they do set up, opponents blow by them easily leaving players like AD in a helpless position. All of the players mentioned use there arms and hands too much instead of moving their legs which of course takes more hard work. So is Casey playing these guys together to show the Piston Front office that they need to get real creative to dump at least two if not more of the 4 players that I have mentioned. No team can win with these players. And they are getting a ton of playing time with the Pistons.

Will Luke Kennard ever get healthy enough to help this team? Could he play point guard and do a better job than Jackson and Smith? Calderon looks to be in great shape and moves his feet much faster on defense than any of the 4 players that I have listed above. Is he too old to play 20 minutes a game? I believe he can play more minutes and the team would have a better chance of winning. The other beef that I have is how Jackson and Smith dominate the ball during a last possession in a quarter. They both decide as soon as the ball in inbounded regardless of the amount of time in the shot clock that they personally will dribble the ball until they get the final shot. By now every team in the league know their tendencies of being ball hogs. The coach could of course create a play that could involve another player which might shock opponents who believe the Pistons have the dumbest team in the NBA by now.

When will Piston players who have no defender within 5 yards just take a few steps in towards the basket before shooting the ball? I blame this coach who insists on the players having a lot of fun instead of focusing on ways to win games. Maybe our players are so retarded that Casey believes that he can't keep the players motivated to do any more than just show up unless the players are allowed to play with no discipline or restrictions. There are no consequences for players who cannot guard any opponent as long as they agree to shoot the 3 point shot.

This might be the pre game talk by Casey. Please pretty please shoot the 3 for me. I love it. That is my style as a head coach so don't disappoint me. We loved playing that way in Toronto. Everyone had fun and I want you guys to have fun. I beg you keep on shooting it and I don't care if you are not able to get your legs set and tend to lean to the side when going up for the 3 ball. By the way Lanston you do a great job with that and I love it when you shoot those contested 3point shots. That is why we play you so much money. The fans love it. The owner loves it. Nobody cares if we lose 50% of the time. Nobody cares if you players don't bother to study game film or prepare yourselves for specific opponents from night to night. It is much better for you players to not worry about anything before our games. Just clear you heads and think about what you are going to do after the games. Then you won't feel as much pressure. Don't worry about the details. You are now in the NBA with guaranteed contracts. The fans are stupid. They will tolerate anything. For this game we plan to win by playing Ish and Reggie together as much as possible. You guys can really dribble and shoot it. I love the excitement both of you studs provide the fans when you are out there. I think you two can out shoot any team in the league so I don't worry about defense. Your responsibility is to shoot it. Now remember it is dog eat dog as far as I am concerned with you players. I play the players who shoot it the most so I want you to know that. If you are passing up throwing the ball to a wide open teammate, just know that I am watching how many points you score. The fans keep track of that stuff too so you won't be very popular in Detroit if you don't get your scoring average up. We study those stats but don't concentrate on your misses from beyond the 3 point line. Just don't miss any shots around the basket or pull up jumpers inside the 3 point line. I hate it when you are not shooting 3s.

Our Pistons are in good hands. Everyone is having fun now. Last year was a bitch. Players hated that coach. This year our game strategy is really cool. The players don't worry about anything. We should beat all the rebuilding teams this season most of the time. Who knows how good we can be next season. There is a lot of optimism out there regarding the Pistons chances of making the playoffs in the Eastern Conference.

[deusXango]

From the Sunday Funnies to todays Graphic Novels, there wasn't a more diverse, great, story teller than the late Mr. Stan Lee, and he worked with some of the most revered illustrators in the industry during his career; thank you, Oracle, for remembering a special talent that I was blessed to enjoy.

Sidebar. I was in basic training (Ft. Knox, Ky.) when the news came that we had lost the great Mr. Walt Disney...I was devastated then also...this man made it possible for me to watch a flower grow.

Before things get totally out of hand, make a blockbuster trade! I've been harping on trading Reggie and Leuer, but together they ain't blockbuster material; Blake Griffin and Stanley Johnson to the Lakers (to play with The King) for Kuzma, Hart, and Ingram. Who cares what goes on in the west, but we'd become instantly relevant in the east! Magic IMHO ain't all that in the front office and we need an infusion of young, top flight, talent, that we've missed out on over the years. Come on Big Ed, get us back in the game. We're playing .500 ball now and will probably be there, with the completed trade, by the trade deadline, but coming together as a team with young legs. This season and next, with Blake and Stanley, we will not be contending to get in the ECF, much less a top 4 team in the east.

Fans talk sh!t about Drummond for not blocking enough shots, protecting the rim, hitting FT, and lately he's been criticized for an outrageous double-double output, because those are meaningless stats (he's doing it with smoke and mirrors folks) and the bottom line is always about his contract and how he's not playing up to it. Not a G**damn peep about Jon Leuer and his contract, like he's doing volunteer work, year after year. Make of that what you will. When it comes to trades, it's like he's untouchable; the spirit of SVG lives on.

I've never talked about the Lions, because I've been holding out hope that they'll eventually make some noise but, this year is the most disgusting (next to the 0-16 season) that I've witnessed and it ain't over!
STAFFORD: the highest paid meaningless stat machine in pro sports, but Drummond draws the heat. Neither one has any playoff victories...neither one makes the players around them better, and neither one is a real team leader. My problem with Stafford is this tremendous arm that's glorified so much lacks touch...it's not connected to his football brain...every pass is an offline rocket throw, whether a back, 5 yards deep (dropped pass) or a receiver 25 yards downfield (over throw or interception). No "touch passes," or timing routes (interceptions in the "red zone") or throws over the defensive backfield, eliminating the speed of his receivers. The face of the Lions.

QUINN: is going out of the world backwards and suffering with a bad case of vagina envy ("Mama" Ford seems to know more about construction of a winner than he or any of the other men in charge do). Fixing sh!t that ain't broke, and doing what is in vogue in Detroit pro sport franchises, giving away talent to water down our competitive effectiveness in the name of cost cutting all while one player eats up the majority of the payroll. I'm not saying Patricia is a bad coach but, I do recognize that he's a rookie, unproven, coach replacing a veteran coach who was getting the most out of minimal talent. Why did we hold onto Ameer Abdulla (Mr. East/West) for so long and now that we have Kerryon Johnson, he can't carry the ball 20-25 times a game? That's on Jim Bob, riiight. He did snooker a 3rd round pick out of Philly. On it goes, we're a mess from the top down.

[Oracle]

Creator and Master of the Marvel Universe.

[Oracle]

Excellent observations on the defense!

Griffin: OMG, I was thinking the same thing, he's worn down having to do everything, but I didn't want to say it yet.

Hell to the Yeah: I'd trade Harris for Griffin and not even blink an eye right now.  We'd need a big man to replace him but I'm good with that trade.

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