***Official Detroit Pistons Thread***

[Steve_OS]

Re: ***Official Detroit Pistons Thread***

Looking forward to the Jazz game tonight, the 3 game winning streak has some potential, if they can beat them.

[Steve_OS]

Re: ***Official Detroit Pistons Thread***

Huge shot by RIP to force OT. Hopefully they build off of that in OT.

[Steve_OS]

Re: ***Official Detroit Pistons Thread***

Wow, double OT. I thought Stuck was gonna make that shot.

[Kruza]

Re: ***Official Detroit Pistons Thread***

I thought AI should've kept the ball and took that shot no matter what at that moment. But oh well. This was a tough game to see the Pistons lose despite the great effort.

Kruza

[poster]

Re: ***Official Detroit Pistons Thread***

The Piston big men are awful. I have backed these guys, but it is time to start over up front. They are not winning anything this year, so they need to be sellers at the deadline. If guys are not in the plans next year, then get what you can now. People may not like that, but the goal is to win titles, not to be average.

Sheed better be gone. Every game I watch, I just get more pissed. If Joe D brings him back and overpays him, I will lose confidence in his ability to build a team.

Dice fits his role well I guess. Maxey is decent, maybe next to a real post player he would be better. Still way undersized which isn't good no matter how you slice it. Amir is young, but have no clue what we have with him. I know it is hard to find big guys, but they are solely needed.

[Eton Rifles]

Re: ***Official Detroit Pistons Thread***

Poster, perhaps A big Man how can score in the post would be best?

[Kruza]

Re: ***Official Detroit Pistons Thread***

The Piston big men are awful. I have backed these guys, but it is time to start over up front. They are not winning anything this year, so they need to be sellers at the deadline. If guys are not in the plans next year, then get what you can now. People may not like that, but the goal is to win titles, not to be average.

Sheed better be gone. Every game I watch, I just get more pissed. If Joe D brings him back and overpays him, I will lose confidence in his ability to build a team.

Dice fits his role well I guess. Maxey is decent, maybe next to a real post player he would be better. Still way undersized which isn't good no matter how you slice it. Amir is young, but have no clue what we have with him. I know it is hard to find big guys, but they are solely needed.

I understand the points you're making poster, but I think you're being a little hard on Sheed. He's actually been playing very good defense, rebounding, and communicating with teammates to get everyone in their right places. But I agree with the problems you're mentioning about him though. The Pistons definitely need Sheed to get in the post and score down there on a regular basis and he simply isn't providing that. What doesn't help is that he isn't a banger-type of post player who can repeatedly back down, grind, and draw contact on post defenders, and officials rarely give him benefit of a foul call because of his (well-deserved) sour reputation with them over the years. The team is currently relying too heavily on scoring from perimeter players and sorely needs more scoring punch from all the frontline players. There are going to be times where outside shots won't be falling and an opposing team does a good/great job of preventing any dribble penetration. Situations where an opposing team basically force this Pistons team to play mainly in a slower tempo and work out of the half-court offense. In this case, consistent and reliable low post scoring will be needed and there will be problems if there isn't any.

I hate to disappoint you, but I have to say that I really don't expect Sheed to be traded before the deadline this season unless another team makes a crazy offer for him that Joe D absolutely cannot refuse. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if he ends up signing a 1- or 2-year deal with the Pistons after the end of this season.

Kruza

[FlyRice]

Re: ***Official Detroit Pistons Thread***

Have the Pistons won on Sunday yet?

[Kruza]

Re: ***Official Detroit Pistons Thread***

Nope. And the Pistons are losing to the Hawks right now going into halftime, 52-41. Gotta do a better job of contesting 3s as Mike Bibby is scorching hot from outside the arc.

Kruza

[Kruza]

Re: ***Official Detroit Pistons Thread***

Still 0-for-Sunday as the Pistons lose to the Hawks 85-78. Despite the loss, it was encouraging for me to see the team lock down defensively during the 4th quarter and watching Sheed actually go down to the post throughout and be productive. But once the Hawks started doubling down on Sheed every possession, the Pistons couldn't make them pay for it. Dice blew way too many bunnies near the basket and I thought those misses turned out to be the difference in the game. He should've been subbed out for Amir. And Bibby was a killer behind the arc. He was the only guy who got it going offensively against the Pistons.

Kruza

[AI3]

Re: ***Official Detroit Pistons Thread***

They shouldve gave Iverson the ball more often, seeing what he has done to the hawks at ATL in the past.

[Kruza]

Re: ***Official Detroit Pistons Thread***

They shouldve gave Iverson the ball more often, seeing what he has done to the hawks at ATL in the past.

The Pistons tried getting AI and Rip going to the basket early in the game. After making their defensive adjustments following the Pistons hot start it became a situation where the Hawks did a great job of converging on AI and Rip then altering or blocking their shots whenever they drove to the basket. Plus officials weren't bailing him out by giving either player calls. The only Pistons player who was able to convert on drives to the basket against the Hawks throughout the game was Rodney Stuckey because he was strong enough to finish despite some contact.

Kruza

[poster]

Re: ***Official Detroit Pistons Thread***

Good points guys. Sheed has been very good on defense, but the teams needs him to do something and he will not do it. He is a team player and a great teammate, but as those things why isn't he in the post more? This isn't a new problem for him, but this year the team needs that more than at any time since he has been with the Pistons.

I kind of feared this would happen if without the trade. They have gotten away with a lack of an inside game, but now they cannot do it anymore. Very preplexed by our young bigs not getting minutes.

I guess I am trying to look to the future as this year looks bleak.

[rockchisler]

Re: ***Official Detroit Pistons Thread***

Rodney Stuckey goes for 40 against the Bulls, nice

[AI3]

Re: ***Official Detroit Pistons Thread***

yeah.
iverson only played 24 minutes. groin injury.
stuckey played so good!