I have nothing to say about tonights Piston game. I bet Kid Rock was there, and I bet he was drunk, which was probably WAY more exciting then the actual game. With that said, let’s talk about something not related to the Pistons being throttled by a certain team in Florida shall we?
The last few weeks have been great for NBA fans. Pau Gasol was traded to the Lakers, Shaq and Shawn Marion swapped uniforms, Mike Bibby goes to the Hawks, and now, Jason Kidd goes back to the team that drafted him. No matter what you think about the moves (Bad in the long term for the Suns, Great for the Lakers, significantly better for Atlanta, and only slightly better for the Mav’s in case you were wondering,) this kind of off court action is what makes pro sports so fun. If the games begin to bore you, just like Michigan weather, wait five minutes and some player somnewhere will change addresses. Free agency, and the trade market in the NBA and other pro sports, humor those of us who are in a constant state of discontent. It is the kind of entertainment tailor made for a genration of people who only have to wait 30 seconds for their dinner to be done. Still not satisfied with the current make up in the NBA? The trade deadline ends next week. Expect more players to be moved before then.
Gotta go my T.V dinner is ready
Rodney Stuckey is really beginning to show why the Piston’s drafting him was a VERY wise decision. In Tuesday night’s win over the Atlanta Hawks, Stuckey scored 12 points in 19 minutes. During that time, he was the go to guy on offense, fearlessly attacking, and more importantly, finishing around the basket. Over the last five games Stuckey has averaged more then 10 ppg, including a 13 and 12 point performance over his last two games. Just as coach Flip Saunders had hoped, as Stuckey’s minutes have increased, so has his productivity. Not only has his consistency proved crucial while on the floor, it has also helped the play of Chauncey Billups. Tuesday’s win is a perfect example. Billups started the game missing his first eight shots from the field. After given a 19 minute breather however, Chauncey had fresh legs going into the fourth quarter. Fresh legs meant Billups scoring 12 of the Pistons final 15 points in crunch time to seal the 94 to 90 win.
If Tuesday night is a sign of things to come, Billups and Stuckey may turn into one of the most feared point guard tandem’s in the NBA. Maybe Joe D can draft after all.
The East and West All Star were announced so without further adeu
Here they are!!!!!
East Starters West All Stars
PF Kevin Garnett PF Tim Duncan
SF Lebron James SF Carmelo Anthon
C Dwight Howard C Yao Ming
SG Dwayne Wade SG Kobe Bryan
PG Jason Kidd PG Allen Iverson
Most of these selections are pretty reasonable. Luckily many of the players that the fans vote in consistently, are consistently deserving of their selection. The only real gross example of All Star fan voting gone awry, is Allen Iverson. Both Chris Paul and Steve Nash are far more deserving of starting at point guard for the Western Conference, as is Tony Parker. Besides that however, the picks look pretty solid. As far as seeing your favorite Piston player in the All Star Game? Let’s just be thankful that the coaches pick the reserves not the fans.
Its been a while, I apologize for the delay but I’m back!!!!!
Since the Boston Celtics snapped the Piston’s 11 game win streak, things have been kinda
eh!
That’s right, eh. The Pistons haven’t plunged to the depths of despair, nor have they recaptured the stellar play which left them after the Celtics rolled into town. Since January 6, the Pistons have won games in Charlotte, Toronto, and most impressively, a 90 to 80 victory against the World Champion Spurs. Unfortunately, the Pistons have suffered equally ugly losses to the Dallas Mavericks, and that stink fest against the New York Knicks (It may take a while to block that game from my memory.) It’s a long NBA season and things like this will happen. There will be ups, and there will be downs. Not every game means absolute doom for the Pistons, or that fans should start guarantsheeeeding that the team will win the NBA title.
Now that I have that off my chest, let’s switch topics a bit, and discuss the development of the Piston’s first guard off the bench, Rodney Stuckey. Honestly, I would like to see more from Rodney Stuckey then he has shown so far but, I do see enough to stick with the opinion that he has a real future in the NBA. Although not yet consistent, Stuckey has proven that he can get to the basket, and quick! Stuckey has also quieted skeptics by showing he can also pass the basketball. The Pistons have benefited from having Stuckey and Jason Maxiel on the floor at the same time, perhaps giving fans a glimpse of a future dynamic twosome. Besides consistency, which should come the more games Stuckey gets under his belt, he also must improve his perimeter shot. The form is good but the results haven’t been so good thus far. To truly be a great point guard, which is something I believe Rodney Stuckey can be, he must develop a serviceable jump shot. Otherwise opposing teams will focus purely on crowding the lane so Stuckey can’t attack the basket, or dish the ball off to his post players. A jump shot that will keep teams honest will allow Stuckey to capitalize on his strengths, and make him a much better player overall. Rodney Stuckey can get there, but it will takes patience from coaches and fans, and a whole lot of hardwork from him.
The Boston Celtics got their revenge on Sunday night beating the Pistons 92-85. The win snaps the 11 game streak of dominance the the boys from Mo Town exhibited over their competition. The game was intense, but certainly not free of mistakes. On this night the Pistons just made too many.
Ok I know what you’re gonna say. “C’mon Gary give the Celtics some credit.” My response of course would be “NO AND YOU CANT MAKE ME!!!”
Just kidding.
Of course the Boston Celtics deserve credit for the win. The Pistons jumped on them early with a 22 to 12 lead after the first quarter. But the Celtics kept fighting and kept it close enough in the fourth quarter to earn the victory. The sign of a good team is one that capitalizes on the mistakes of the other team. The Celtics did just that and deserve praise for it. With that said however, the Pistons did make critical errors that no doubt impacted the outcome of the game.
Chauncey Billups, who has the reputation of being a clutch player, and a excellent free throw shooter, missed three critical free throws down the stretch, and took a hasty three pointer that got nothing but air in the final 30 seconds. The Pistons were also outscored in the paint by a inexcusable 26 points in the second half. Many of these baskets were scored by first year forward Glen “Big Baby,” Davis who had 16 of his 20 points in the fourth quarter. None of these things should have EVER happened, and I highly doubt they will again. Perhaps the only silver lining here is that the Pistons got beat because of boneheaded moves that shouldn’t repeat themselves, not because of being clearly outperformed by a superior team.
After two games the budding rivalry between the Pistons and the Celtics is all tied up. The two Eastern powers meet up for the final time in the regular season on March 26. One thing is for sure, the Pistons need to perform far better then they did Sunday night.
I hope everyone had a good Christmas. I certainly did. Anyway, it’s time to get back to it.
Fortunately for me and all you fellow Pistoneers ( I just made that word up tell your friends) out there, the Pistons are still on a role. Eight wins in a row, holding six opponents in a row under 90 points. It isn’t exactly holding the competition under 70 points, like the 2004 Pistons did five consecutive games, but it does make the statement that the Pistons are still a defensive minded team. “Defense wins championships,” it’s an old school addage but a true one nonetheless.
After defeating the Indiana Pacers 98-92 for their eight straight win, the Pistons stand at 23 wins and only 7 losses. For those not used to regular season success, this record would be cause for jubulent celebration. But let’s be honest Piston fans, we’ve been here before. Does 2006 ring a bell? It should because the Pistons were nothing short of dominant, coasting through the 82 game schedule with 64 wins. The end result however, was a puzzling choke job in the Eastern Conference Finals, losing to the eventual champions the Miami Heat. Last year? 54 wins and a even worse performance againt BY FAR the weakest team to ever advance to the NBA Finals. Early success means very little. in fact, it’s a little scary to see considering the history I just mentioned. So, the Pistons have a great regular season record. Is there any reason to believe things will be different this time? Call me a hopeless optimist but I say yes!
I have stressed the importance of a strong bench as much as I can, and I really like what I see so far. The two newest Pistons, Walter Herman, and Primo Brezec, were starters for their previous team the Charlotte Bobcats. Now? Brezec is getting mostly garbage minutes at the end of games, and Herman has seen only one game of action so far. Believe it or not, this is great news. The Pistons have so many options off the bench, there aren’t enough minutes to go around. This was certainly not the case in years where the bench included players like Darvin Ham, Carlos Delfino, Smush Parker, Will Blaylock, and (ugh) Darko! The success the Pistons have experienced so far has been a total team effort. None of the Pistons starters rank in the top 50 in minutes played. In short? This team is going to fresh, and ready to roll, come playoff time.
Keep hope alive!
There isn’t much that needs to be written here. When the Pistons mauled the Memphis Grizzlies 94-67 on Friday night, not only was the statement made that the Pistons are really really good, and that the Grizzlies are really really well…..
NOT GOOD! But also the the message was sent that Darko Millicic just doesn’t have what it takes. Two points in almost thirty minutes and four turnovers.
See? I wasn’t too hard on the guy.
I hate beating a dead horse, talking about an an issue that has been discussed over, and over, AND OVER again. With all that said, I have to mention Darko Millicic here. Needless to say (but I will anyway) I was looking foward to seeing Darko get eaten up like raw meet by the Pistons, further cementing in my mind the opinion that Millicic just plain sucks! As the final buzzer sounded on a 113 to 103 victory by the Pistons however, my opinion changed, and not necessarily for the better.
When the game began Darko was virtually unstoppable. Using some very allusive spin moves and hook shots Millicic scored 12 points in the first quarter. At about this time, I figured he would score at least 20 points, and probably love every minute of rubbing it in to his old team’s face. How many points did Darko finish with? 12 measly points! In fact, Millicic sat out the fourth quarter, having nothing to do with the mini comeback his team tried to mount against the Pistons. It was like Dr Jekyl Mr. Hyde. One minute Millicic couldn’t be stopped, the next, he couldn’t be found. It reminded me of all the talk about how Darko would just wow his teammates in practice, but you wouldn’t know it watching him play when it counted. When it comes to Dark Millicic the issue doesn’t seem to be talent. The issue is whether he will use the talent that is clearly there, to good use. More common then watching Darko make his opponent look silly, is Darko giving a half hearted effort that stops him from earning consistent minutes. He is a perfect example of when talent only takes a player so far. Desire and drive, accomplishes the rest. Darko Millicic seems to have little of either.
Five games doesn’t make a season, I understand this. Still, there has been plenty to be encouraged about watching the Pistons torch their opponents over the last five games. 109-74, 117-91,118-95, 106-95, and 91-75. These scores represent Grade A dominance over the competion. How have the Pistons done it? Here’s where it gets good.
The much improved bench deserves just as much credit for the Piston’s latest winning streak as the starters do. Jason Maxiel seems to have turned the corner, developing a level of consistency and production that we have yet to see from him. Playing Lindsey Hunter more frequently has paid off as well. Rumor has it that Hunter is old, but you would never know it watching him play. Still one of the quickest players on the Piston’s roster, Hunter has a nice chemistry with his fellow benchmates, being able to play the high tempo style they excell at. Another plus worth mentioning is that when the Pistons administer butt whoopings like they have been doing lately, this means much needed rest for the starters. It has been a common occurance over the last five games, to see the starting five sitting most, if not all the fourth quarter. Considering all the early injuries that the Pistons have dealt with, rest is exactly what their impact players need. Also, it means more minutes for Amir Johnson who needs all the seasoning, and experience he can get.
We are three days removed from Thanksgiving. With that said, it is only appropriate for me to share what I’m thankful for most as a Piston fan. To rebel against the system, I have created not a top five, or top ten list, but a top six. Just doing my part to stick it to the man. Here’s the list.
Things to be thankful for (in no particular order)
1. Rasheed Wallace dancing in the middle of a pregame huddle. If you have yet to see this, the three or so seconds of Sheed doing a Jig is well worth it. Maxiel tried to fill in for Wallace, do to his injury. Let’s just say nobody can bring the funk like Sheed can
2. Loyalty. Alan Houston, Grant Hill (twice) and Ben Wallace. What do they all have in common? All three were made famous playing for the Pistons but conveniently forgot this fact when it was time to resign with the team. Luckily Motown has at least one player who knows where his bread is buttered. Chauncey Billups showed real loyalty this off season, resigning with the Pistons for the next five years. Yes, the contract may be too steep, and yes Billups may have very little left in a few years, BUT that’s not the point. The point is, Chauncey remembered the team that made him the player he is today. Ben Wallace forgot that. How are the Bulls doing anyway?
3. We are not the New York Knicks. This one doesn’t require much explanation.
4. We are not the Miami Heat. This one doesn’t require much explanation either except to say that Shaq should be able to get the senior discount at Denny’s fairly soon.
5. The best Public Address Announcer in sports hands down. I happened to watch the Spur’s ring ceremony this year. It had everything the Piston’s ring ceremony did, minus the pumped up crowd, and exciting atmosphere. If you wanna find someone more boring then Tim Duncan, just listen to the Spur’s Public Address Announcer. Thank God for Mason!
6. Joe Dumars. He is the straw that stirs the Piston’s drink. I think his plan to develop talent from within will pay off. When Rodney Stuckey comes back Joe’s master plan should look a lot clearer. God Bless Joe Dumars.
