Official Detroit Pistons thread

[fontes91]

Charlotte has a nice core of young talent there. I like their roster.

With the Pistons, I think SVG is trying to break Jennings of his old habits, perhaps a bit like Brown did with Billups, and mold him into a complete player.

[Deuce]

Charlotte has a nice core of young talent there. I like their roster.

With the Pistons, I think SVG is trying to break Jennings of his old habits, perhaps a bit like Brown did with Billups, and mold him into a complete player.

We have a narrative and it's false! Jennings is attacking more and shooting more at the demand of SVG. Fans will want to give any credit to Jennings potential turnaround to him being a "complete player" who is headier and shoots less. Reality is the Jennings we are seeing is the Jennings of 2011 except he is on a hot streak. And that Jennings is better than the Jennings who is trying to make critics like him by shooting 4 times a game.

[froot loops]

I don't think Brown did anything for Billups, so the narrative is doubly false. That team was ready to go. Over the years its fairly evident that Rick Carlisle is the better coach, he couldn't get along with Piston brass and was sent packing. Brown is exiled to SMU.

SVG is trying to make Drummund into a post player. The results are not pleasing to the eyes.

[fontes91]

Lost by 14 at home to the lowly Orlando Magic.

3-8 now. How long before the ping-pong ball discussions start?

[froot loops]

Lets give them 20 games to see if SVG can work some magic, but it doesn't look good.

[nhwbrooklyn]

Yeah need more time yet.

So far...

The good -

Jennings is honestly playing smarter and reasonably well.
Monroe seems to have improved on his already good post offense (though not so much tonight)
KCP, I think, is trending up.
Butler seems like a very solid bench player.
Overall team hustle seems up to me. They appear, to me, to be playing harder then they have compared to this last season.

The Bad

Drummond's head isn't in it this season.. yet (flashed a bit tonight).
Not impressed by Augustine so far.
Josh Smith still takes too many bad shots.
Defensive rotations are still late.

[nhwbrooklyn]

Wish Detroit had at least tried to pry away Teague a couple years back. He's just such a quality and underrated PG.

That said, all this losing at least has them in range of the top tier SFs in the draft.

[FVD]

Do the 76ers win a game this calendar year? I really think they have a chance to record less than 10 wins all season.

[HenryTheDeuce]

Pistons just suck.

Stan must be losing his mind.

Can't hit a shot to save their lives.

[jaadam4]

I don't think Brown did anything for Billups, so the narrative is doubly false. That team was ready to go. Over the years its fairly evident that Rick Carlisle is the better coach, he couldn't get along with Piston brass and was sent packing. Brown is exiled to SMU.

When I lived in Denver I was good friends with one of CB's cousins and got to hang out with several of the stones when they played at the Pepsi Center. I never acted like I was a huge Pistons fan and didn't pry around the guys but one thing that always came up was how much they seriously hated LB. They talked a lot of shit like you would your immediate boss and how big of a pain in the ass he was. But on the flip side (not you Saunders) they respected his mind for the game no matter how much they couldn't stand him. His presence literally brought them closer together and say what you want but Billups excelled under LB.

It could have been the perfect blend of players, pure luck for stealing Sheed and giving up nothing or whatever you want to call it. No matter which way you spin things LB deserves as much credit for the championship and his players improving as he does blame for the loss the following year (that bs about taking the NYC job in the middle of the run was bush league)

[jaadam4]

and I don't think Carlisle would have taken this team the distance that year. Who knows about subsequent years because he's turned into a great coach but the Pistons got a ring out of it.

[fontes91]

I know it's still very early, but I thought they would improve. There are some nice parts, but the parts just don't mesh well. I'm hoping they find a suitor for JSmith and re-sign Monroe, but I think Smith stays and Monroe walks.

[jaadam4]

us missing out on this years first rounder really hurt this team in a big way. i know its a "no shit" comment but this is basically the same hodge podge as last season with SVG.

Poor SVG

[*JD*]

lol that was on the ESPN not top 10. Someone mispelled Milsap too.

I was looking at the NBA scores and I was impressed by the amount of depth a lot of teams how now (except for Phili of course).
Charlotte for example has Cody Zeller (#4 pick), Gerald Henderson (1st Round pick), Gary Neal (one time NBA Finals player that lit it up), and Bismack (1st Round pick) off the bench. They aren't even playing Noah Venleh. Idk if it has to do with less players retiring that has given teams more depth... or if it is because I'm now very familiar with most 1st Round picks since 2006.

Just because you've heard of these names doesn't mean they're very good. All of those guys are middling-to-below players and Vonleh is injured. Maybe the leagues' depth has improved in the last 10-15 years but don't confuse it with the 80's.

[fontes91]

The combined records of all the teams in the SW division is 44-17. If the Pistons were in the Western Conf they'd probably lose 65 games.