OT: Pistons. I can't look.
December 17th, 2010 at 10:16 PM ^
Much of this has to do with the signing of two garbage FA two years ago.
December 17th, 2010 at 10:22 PM ^
and giving them HUGE offers right off the bat instead of lowballing them (Because every team was pining after Charlie Villanueva).
December 17th, 2010 at 10:30 PM ^
December 17th, 2010 at 10:37 PM ^
I said much, not all. I am not blaming BG or CV, I am blaming Joe D for thinking they were good.
December 17th, 2010 at 11:12 PM ^
This team is a mess, it's poorly constructed, the pieces don't fit, Kuester is a bad coach, Stuckey isn't a point guard, the young guys hate the old guys and vice versa but Charlie V. has actually been a bright spot. He's gotten himself in to great shape, he's playing defense and unlike everyone else on the team, he's been a good team guy who isn't taking shots at the coach. He's not a bargain a 7mil but he's worth it. Gordon on the other hand to pay him 11mil/ to back up Hamilton is, well hard to explain.
December 17th, 2010 at 11:22 PM ^
I've been watching Charlie V since I lived in Milwaukee, and he's soft defensively, he can't guard the 4, he's a chucker with no post game, he's not athletic, he has no competitive edge or mean streak, i.e., Rasheed, and now he's way overpriced. The Bucks couldn't get rid of him fast enough. He gets his points, but is rarely efficient.
December 17th, 2010 at 11:30 PM ^
I heard Charlie V was a cancer to his team.
December 18th, 2010 at 12:52 AM ^
lol or something like that right
December 17th, 2010 at 11:52 PM ^
I don't think you are watching this team, he is the best post player on this team and it's not close and he's their second best post defender not too behind what's left of Wallace. But that's not saying much this team is really bad especially up front. All I am saying is that him and his contract are hardly one of the biggest reasons this team is so awful.
December 17th, 2010 at 11:53 PM ^
And by the way if you are not watching this team I don't blame you.
December 18th, 2010 at 12:19 AM ^
I doubt charlie was paid 50 mill to be a bench player...
December 17th, 2010 at 10:18 PM ^
Once they find a way to get some young talent or picks for Tay or Rip or whomever, we should be alright. There's a decent young core there I think, but it's going to take some time.
December 17th, 2010 at 10:57 PM ^
With ownership in limbo, this type of season was kind of expected. Kuester isn't a very good coach, and Joe D can't make any moves until they sell the team. Once that happens, I wouldn't be surprised if they finally blow the team up and start over.
December 18th, 2010 at 9:29 AM ^
Glad you brought up "Kue." I think he is horrible. I thought the Curry hire was a buddy-buddy "I'll give him a shot and see if he can get hired somewhere" move. When I watch Kuester coach I find myself wondering if he is even remotely qualified... he never breaks up runs with time-outs. He can't really connect with the players, can he? I wonder. I just think he has done a horrible job. I also HATED the CV signing. the guy can hardly run. I mean he is just terrible. My opinion.
December 18th, 2010 at 11:27 AM ^
I kind of miss having Flip Saunders around and making the Eastern Conference finals every year by default......that doesn't sound so bad right now does it?
December 17th, 2010 at 10:19 PM ^
I am 100% convinced that John Hammond was the brains behind our whole management because as soon as he left we seemed to fall apart. Now look at Milwaukee, they are definitely an up and coming team in the East. If John would have still been here when Joe D wanted to trade Chauncey Billups he would have just slapped him across the face and said no. Last hope we can have is the #1 overall pick and draft an amazing point guard (should have done this last year so we could have gotten Wall, but oh well)
December 17th, 2010 at 10:20 PM ^
NateVolk wrote:
Anyone who watched us fight Boston for half a decade before finally toppling them in the 80's, has to be sick watching what we've become?
acnumber1 thought:
Would be sick, but stopped watching when Iverson got inked...not hating on AI, but that deal was the opposite of the answer (not the question, but the WRONG answer).
December 18th, 2010 at 11:29 AM ^
It was more of a deal to unload Chauncey off the books than to bring in AI.....there was no intention of keeping AI and Dumars had thought Stuckey was going to be the future due to his performance against Orlando in the playoffs.
December 18th, 2010 at 3:00 PM ^
if Joe D would have used the extra cap space to sign good players that fit well together.
December 17th, 2010 at 10:20 PM ^
I stopped watching their games the year before Sheed left. It's not like watching UM lose where it's just disappointing because they lost. It's disappointing because they put seemingly no effort in and seem satisfied to collect their paychecks. Remember before Billups left and people talked about their window closing with a team with Rip, Tayshaun, Stuckey, Maxiell? Who's still on the team? Dumars has made some great moves in the past but his bad decisions have finally caught up with him
December 17th, 2010 at 10:26 PM ^
It's sad, and I am ashamed to admit it, but I have stopped watching the Pistons altogether. I grew up with the Bad Boys (born in '83) and would watch every game I could when I was a kid, often sneaking out of my room after going to bed so I could catch the end.
However, the product on the court has become unwatchable -- the effort is non-existent. I love Joe D, he is my favorite Piston of all time, but this team has become an absolute train wreck.
December 17th, 2010 at 10:25 PM ^
Blot out the years of Teal Uniforms, horse's heads, and #3 picks? It's ugly, but it's been ugly before. I mean, the list of GM's after McCloskey and before Dumars roll right out of the HoF list...
December 17th, 2010 at 10:29 PM ^
The main problem is that Detroit is not a preferred destination for free agents in any sport that doesn't involve ice and sticks. Usually, basketball involves neither. The FA signings were terrible, and Joe seems to have lost his "magic touch" on trades. Mostly, though, I think Joe got the best of so many trades that clubs are now afraid to offer him a bona fide deal, and he eventually takes lowball offers because he has to.
Besides the FA's, though, Joe's real mistake was the Darko Debacle. The Pistons probably would have won at least one more and possibly two more NBA Championships with Melo. To me, that was the deal that started the downward spiral. Sadly, the spiral is now at its "fast" end where the tail is about to break the sound barrier.
Maybe Tom Izzo gets that "offer he can't refuse" at the end of this season. If his Spartans continue to disappoint him and play with no effort, he may be more likely to take it. I think he would only have a fifty-fifty chance of success in Detroit, but that's about fifty percent more than Kuester has.
December 18th, 2010 at 10:02 AM ^
Garbage post.
Detroit can't attract free agents? Look at all the Tiger signings of recent years. And until this past summer, free agency didn't drastically alter the league's landscape in the NBA.
December 18th, 2010 at 11:36 AM ^
Free agents like teams that are good and pay well. If you build it...
December 18th, 2010 at 11:34 AM ^
Being the coach of the pistons isn't exactly a job you can't refuse.
December 17th, 2010 at 10:29 PM ^
Ya i really dont know how Joe D still has a job with the pistons...I mean seriously. Horrible drafts, signings, and trades. its embarrassing and i have watched just 1 game and that was the opener.
December 17th, 2010 at 10:32 PM ^
Does he even have a boss to fire him right now? Is it Davidson's daughter?
December 17th, 2010 at 11:09 PM ^
Karen Davidson was Bill's... wife? Yeah, she's definitely young enough to be his daughter, or even granddaughter, but she's not. I believe she was an administrative assistant before marrying the billionaire Bill.
Bill Davidson was the best owner Detroit could've asked for, and I was very sad to see him go. I don't blame him for marrying a relatively young woman with no real business experience. However, leaving her in charge of an NBA franchise has crippled the organization and done damage to the Davidson name.
Dumars has his hands tied at this point and is just waiting to be fired by the next owner.
December 17th, 2010 at 11:22 PM ^
Multiple times when asked in his later years what his plans were for the Pistons after he was gone, Bill always said it was for his kids, and would stay in the family. Then before the ground was even hard over Davidson his wife is selling off everything he owns. He left her in charge with the idea that it wouldn't be a fire sale. Little did he know...
December 17th, 2010 at 10:35 PM ^
December 17th, 2010 at 10:37 PM ^
even though he has only seen one game, he is accurate about the bad signings, horrible drafts, and silly trades. is he not?
December 17th, 2010 at 10:37 PM ^
double post...but ya the sale of this team is really holding this team back.
December 17th, 2010 at 10:34 PM ^
it's about time joe takes a rainbooooooow outta town.
lol wut?
December 18th, 2010 at 8:33 AM ^
my oldest son was born. That clip was great though... even the arcaic CBS opening music got me excited and brought back memories of when I actually did like the NBA...
I just cannot stand the modern NBA game and long for the days where a premium was had on playing solid, physical defensive game (ie. Bad Boys). The game back then was as much about strategy and "out smarting' your opponent on the floor.
This in stark contrast to todays game, which demonstrates an extreme lack of defense, highlight driven behavior, game intelligence lacking on court play that causes me to react as strongly as one can/has to "The Horror" or seeing "The Doom" on the field at the Big House.
Its a shame too, given that players physical ability has evolved. NBA players are so gifted athletically but given the above, these abilities have been wasted away. The only way I go to a Pistons game anymore is if the tickets are free and I have nothing else to do.
The only time I watch a NBA game on TV is to catch Charles Barkley at the breaks.
Then I drink and find the clicker.
December 17th, 2010 at 11:09 PM ^
Please Mr. Illitch save this franchise. This is a train wreck.
December 17th, 2010 at 11:15 PM ^
was from a crash in Los Angeles, so it fits nicely with my other post in this thread about the Clippers. Compared to the Clippers train wreck, the Pistons are like a kid falling off his bicycle and skinning a knee.
December 17th, 2010 at 11:28 PM ^
The Clippers were a train wreck that never got cleaned up. The owner is cheap, so any talent that gets drafted gets lowballed on their next contract and leaves for free agency (also no good free agents get signed).
The Pistons have climbed the mountain, crashed, climbed and crashed again. It hurts all the more when you've seen Pistons playing championship quality ball, compared to what's on the floor now.
December 18th, 2010 at 2:45 AM ^
December 17th, 2010 at 11:41 PM ^
I had the privilege of sitting courtside for the first time in my life two weeks ago. Got to see the Clippers and Portland's own Trailblazers. Hearing Baron Davis talk shit was fantastic; too bad his team owner hates him. That been said, both teams are a hot mess. Throw Portland in the mix with Clip and Pistons.
December 17th, 2010 at 11:10 PM ^
The fact that Illitch lowered his bid because of some funky revenue projections says quite a bit about the state of the team. Until the ownership situation is remedied, this team will continue to struggle.
December 17th, 2010 at 11:13 PM ^
I realize this is a Pistons thread, but I live in LA and somewhat follow the Clippers. The alternative is the Lakers and Kobe, and let's just say, I'm not a fan. I've been amazed by Blake Griffin ever since we played them in the NCAA tourney. I realize that's not a long time, particularly considering he was out all last year, but that guy is just ridiculous. He practically gets eye-level with the rim on some of his dunks. I was just thinking today how the Spurs, Celtics, etc. had dramatic improvements when they added Duncan, Bird, etc., but the Clippers have only gotten worse, if that's possible.
December 17th, 2010 at 11:25 PM ^
This team is really tough to watch, no doubt. But we've been there before and we'll get back again. I'm not really sure which pieces we should keep, especially Stuckey... I like the way Charlie V plays, and as far as Ben Gordon goes, it's tough to say. We have like 5 two-guards, so he doesn't get the shots he needs to get hot and score a bunch.
By the way, I've watched probably 15 games this year. I think I've maybe seen two wins.
December 17th, 2010 at 11:42 PM ^
The team's biggest issue is redundancy. Its "point guards" are me-first scoring types (Stuckey, Bynum, and now even McGrady backing up on occasion). It has, as you say, too many 2's and 3's on the team (Rip, Tay, McGrady, Gordon, Daye, Summers, Jerebko, even Villanueva plays basically like a 3), and then you have posts with serious liabilities (Wallace with no O, Maxiell is basically Ben, trading worse D for slightly less abysmal O, Monroe who is too soft, Wilcox is worthless, and as I said, V playing out of position). Joe went way too crazy with this "versatility" schtick, grabbing guys that can play multiple positions. Lost the fact that he had complementary pieces in the prior run with Sheed and Billups and that's what works.
The problem is Joe has zero leverage with trading Rip and Tay because everyone knows they're easily available. I'd honestly just get rid of both for whatever he can get and just play the young guys (Stuckey, Gordon, Daye, Villanueva, and Monroe) and just play an up and down O-style to pick up some W's where you can and hope for a good pull in the draft.
December 18th, 2010 at 11:57 PM ^
Yup. Too many 2s and 3s. And as much as I've wanted to see Maxiell play well and respect what Ben USED to be, we don't have offensively skilled big men or sound positional defenders on the inside. Pick the few pieces you want to keep, and ship out the rest. Tay and Rip, I love you but you can't play like you used to.
December 17th, 2010 at 11:29 PM ^
I watched the game with my old man tonight. As we continually watched Blake Griffin and the the rest of the Clippers get uncontested dunks every other time down the floor, my dad mentioned how guys like Laimbeer and Mahorn would have never stood for that. Now I realize that basketball isn't as rough now as it was back then and there will never be another Bad Boys squad, but it would be nice (for the fans at least) for the players to show a little passion (and that doesn't mean Rip crying like a little girl to the refs every time he doesn't get a call). I usually don't condone booing at any sporting events, but the lack of effort tonight deserved it.
December 17th, 2010 at 11:38 PM ^
I certainly do miss the days of the Bad Boys, when opponents rarely got easy layups.
December 18th, 2010 at 7:13 PM ^
For your old man.
December 17th, 2010 at 11:47 PM ^
Brian Cook dropped 12 on the Piston's tonight.