***Official Detroit Pistons Thread***

[youvalss]

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

The Pistons have become Bad Kids instead of Bad Boys. SMH

[pietasterp]

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

This group never was the Bad Boys...

Honestly, the signs were all there in seasons prior, it was just glossed over because we were winning. The guys hated Rick Carlisle, turned on Flip at the drop of a hat, drummed out Michael Curry after a season, and now are riding Kuester out on a rail. And to what end? Have we gotten better because of it? Quite the opposite.

Ben Wallace was openly disresectful to Flip way back in 2006, and Hamilton has become increasingly belligerent with each passing season (all those Technical fouls were a sign, in retrospect). Tayshaun has also become more-or-less a malcontent, with hostile media statements and turning his back on the coach. Those visible, in-game arguments between players and coaches are just boil-overs from what goes on in practice. It's gotta be ugly. The reports of Hamilton berating Coach Q at practice and calling him a failure, while the rest of the team just stood by and watched? Well, that tells you everything you need to know about this group.

I've seen Pistons teams I've loved, Pistons teams I haven't loved that much, and Pistons teams that just outright confused me (David Wood and Olden Polynice????)....but never have I seen a team that I was embarrassed by, or that I actually felt animosity toward. Players getting power and forming superteams is just one symptom of what's going on in the NBA right now; this is another, less-talked-about one. It's to the point where I just don't know that it's worth it to spend my time anymore, if this is how the league is gonna be. I feel totally disrespected as a fan of the team.

Nobody involved in that mess deserves to ever put on the Pistons jersey again. Benching for the rest of the year I would say is the minimum that should be done; in reality, I think we should just take the financial hit and cut/release every last one of those jerk-offs. These guys are just players on the team passing through; but in the end, it's our team. Or I thought it was. We, as Pistons fans, just don't deserve this.

[youvalss]

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

I think Larry Johnson has created a monster. Once he signed his contract back in 1993 (I think it was the best contract ever back then), a new era began - the era of unlimited power to players. I didn't realize it back then, but gradually NBA players have become the bosses. It used to be different - college players would dream of playing in the NBA. Now, some college players who were drafted have their own shoe before even playing one professional game. It's all part of it. Players have too much power today.

It will definitely get worse...

[l3ulvl]

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

The young Pistons played great tonight. No Tayshaun, Big Ben, or Rip, and we managed to beat Utah for the first time since 2005

[pietasterp]

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

The young Pistons played great tonight. No Tayshaun, Big Ben, or Rip, and we managed to beat Utah for the first time since 2005

I'm with you on that...Love to see the young guys get in there and hustle. I see no reason to do anything other than play that group the rest of the way.

[rdnk]

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

The young Pistons played great tonight. No Tayshaun, Big Ben, or Rip, and we managed to beat Utah for the first time since 2005

I love it! Keep using the young guys. Bring up D-leaguers if you have to.

[pietasterp]

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

This may be a blessing in disguise; gives us a chance to completely sever ties with the old, surly, entitled vets and start over again with a team that will get back to the Motown and Pistons ideals of hard work and hustle. I could get excited again...

[l3ulvl]

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

from another thread:

Sort of an unpopular opinion and off-topic, but I'm not convinced that the Charlie V and Ben Gordon signings were that bad...it definitely hasn't made the impact we wish it would have, but it's only the 2nd year of the experiment and with all the craziness surrounding the team right now, I think it's difficult to evaluate. With the proper roster, I think those 2 guys could be solid if not excellent contributors. I know the contracts aren't great, but I got into that a ways back and I won't wade back into it (maybe we can talk in the Pistons team thread).

Joe D is definitely culpable in letting the players run the last 3 coaches out of town, but I feel like he's earned the opportunity to try to right the ship after the ownership issue is finally straightened out. He has been absolutely handcuffed for the last 2 years since the passing of Mr. D.

Yeah, I'm getting somewhat annoyed with people saying we should get rid of Joe D. Take a look around the NBA at the teams who will finish around 30 wins this year. If giving those teams the choice of having a team be strongly competitive within 2 years, make the conference championship 6 years in a row, win an NBA title and come "oh so close" to a second one, all in a span of 8 seasons, then be a poor team the next 3 years, would they take it?

Dumars took his first project, a very weak Pistons team and remade the roster into winners almost immediately. Not just winners for a year or two, but 7-8 straight basically. Now he's beginning his 2nd roster makeover and the team is bad. Now some people want him gone? I don't get it. He's 1 for 1 so far with a ring (as pres/GM). This current makeover is incomplete and even if he eventually fails with his end product he'd still be 1 and 1. That review shouldn't be for years from now, so why are people judging him at this point?

[pietasterp]

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

Couldn't agree with you more, l3ulvl...truth spoken from Sag-nasty. Hey, is Darvin Ham's mom still mayor up there, BTW?

Anyhoo, I pointed out before that every move that people whitewash and say was a terrible move at least had some logic at the time. I'm not gonna go back through it all again, but with Charlie V and Ben Gordon, we were trying to get ahead of the curve, get younger, and lock what we thought would be a really good core down prior to the prices on free agents getting inflated during the "Summer of LeBron" (hate to refer to it like that, but everyone knows what I'm talking about....). We accomplished 2 out of 3 (got younger, got 2 guys at what theoretically would have been below market contracts the year before prices went up), and if you ask Meat Loaf, that ain't bad. I think the jury is still out as to whether they fit here long-term, but I thought it was worth a shot when we made the move.

Joe D, like any general manager, is gonna have ups and downs. Unless we have someone exceptional ready and willing to come take his place (I don't even know who...maybe Donnie Walsh?), I think there's no sense in dumping him at this particular juncture. The thing I'm more concerned about is what the new owner is gonna be like, since no one will ever be Mr. D....

[l3ulvl]

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

Couldn't agree with you more, l3ulvl...truth spoken from Sag-nasty. Hey, is Darvin Ham's mom still mayor up there, BTW?

nope we've had 2 or 3 mayors since her lol.

[pietasterp]

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

nope we've had 2 or 3 mayors since her lol.

I'm obviously not very well-informed on the local Michigan politics since not living there in some time...

[rdnk]

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

Draft pick wise, do you think Minny, Sacramento, Toronto or Washington will catch us by the end of the year?

[l3ulvl]

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

Draft pick wise, do you think Minny, Sacramento, Toronto or Washington will catch us by the end of the year?

I don't think so. I figure the just the Nets.

[rdnk]

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

I don't think so. I figure the just the Nets.

I thought that was a given. So barring no changes, we'll pick 6th in the draft.

We play Toronto tonight, oddly enough.

[Kruza]

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

There's a pretty good article by Vincent Goodwill posted at The Detroit News regarding the Pistons new team ownership and what it means to the franchise. I can't wait to see what moves Joe D make this offseason.

Kruza