Official Detroit Pistons thread

[Cody_Russell]

Dang, Phili didn't go back to their old color scheme.... "every" NBA team has to use a red, white, and blue color scheme... 76ers, Clippers, Pistons, Pelicans, Wizards, and the Hawks.
Not to mention the number of teams that use red and white or blue and white.

Sixers score with Ben Franklin logo

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/12865822/sixers-score-ben-franklin-logo

Not saying that is a bad color scheme... it would be nice to see a variety.
I do like the changes Phili has made though... seems like good timing considering they might start to put everything together to be a competitive team in 2015/2016.

[Deuce]

Kstat argues every point like the world will go up in smoke if he fails to convince the masses.

[CGVT]

He's a dumbass.

And his logic is beyond stupid. If a first baseman is called on to pitch, he had better be able to pitch. If he is not called on to pitch, there is no need to worry about that segment of the game.

Every basketball player will be called on to shoot a fucking free throw. Learn to shoot them or sit on the bench when the fouls start. Pretty fucking simple, really.

Shooting the ball is the main fundamental in the game

The purpose of the game is to put the ball in the basket. Putting the ball in the basket is a fundamental that every professional basketball player should master. If not the player is a liability. How much of that liability is a team willing to put up with is the question.

Free throws are part of the game

Make your free throws. Stop the hacks.

[Cody_Russell]

Yes, but the NBA is an entertainment business. I would assume (though I don't have the facts) that a majority of people don't like to watch a free throw contest. That's why I think rule changes are coming.

That Houston vs LA game was still in the 3rd quarter at 11pm (the time the game was suppose to be done).
82 free throws by the 3rd quarter = not good.

That is why I LOVED that Cavs vs Bulls game a couple days ago when hardly any fouls were called. The flow of the game was perfect to me.

[froot loops]

The thing is they do have an intentional foul call. Fouling somebody away from the ball is nothing but intentional. If a guy gets the ball and you hack him to send him to the line that's fine. But continually fouling people away is stupid. It doesn't seem to work anyways.

[Kstat]

He's a dumbass.

And his logic is beyond stupid. If a first baseman is called on to pitch, he had better be able to pitch. If he is not called on to pitch, there is no need to worry about that segment of the game.

Every basketball player will be called on to shoot a fucking free throw. Learn to shoot them or sit on the bench when the fouls start. Pretty fucking simple, really.

Shooting the ball is the main fundamental in the game

The purpose of the game is to put the ball in the basket. Putting the ball in the basket is a fundamental that every professional basketball player should master. If not the player is a liability. How much of that liability is a team willing to put up with is the question.

Free throws are part of the game

Make your free throws. Stop the hacks.

You just summed up your knowledge of the sport in this one post. Which is to say, you don't understand it at all.

Playing proper defense is also a basic fundamental. So is passing. So is rebounding. So is setting a proper screen. There are plenty of proffesionals who excel in shooting free throws, but are terrible in those areas.

And if a team puts the ball in the hands of a player, he should be able to shoot FTs. The other team should not be able to arbitrarily pick which player on the floor has to shoot them.

The baseball analogy (please try to follow along) would be the other team's manager being able to pick which player currently playing defense gets to pitch.

I don't know how to make this more simple for you. I'm not good at dumbing things down.

[CGVT]

*sigh*

I'll type slowly so maybe you'll understand.

The baseball analogy is just a strawman that doesn't apply, because an opposing manager can't pick the player. No reason to even discuss it.

Shooting the ball is the most important fundamental of the game.

Conversation in the Ktwat household:

Little Ktwat: Dad, can you put up a basketball hoop in the driveway?
Ktwat Daddy: What would you need that for? Shooting is just one part of the game. No more important than any other fundamental. Instead I will draw a lane and key in the driveway so you can work on moving without the ball and setting screens.
Young Ktwat: Gee thanks! When I grow up I want to be just like you!

Make free throws. Stop the hacking.

Dumbass.

[AMP]

You're both wrong. And stupid.

Checkmate!

[chemiclord]

Actually, what you are seeing is that teams are realizing that even if you are a "decent" foul shooter, there comes a point where it is STILL a better play to foul anyone with the ball and preserve time rather than play straight up.

Even if you are a "decent" foul shooter (in the 75% range), it's still a better play for a team through much of the 4th quarter to foul you and figure that you'll miss enough to make the intentional fouling worth it.

I guess CGVT expects that your entire lineup should be able to hit foul shots at a 90%+ rate... because that's what it would take to make the entire "hack-a-player" strategy NOT worth the effort.

[CGVT]

Actually, what you are seeing is that teams are realizing that even if you are a "decent" foul shooter, there comes a point where it is STILL a better play to foul anyone with the ball and preserve time rather than play straight up.

Even if you are a "decent" foul shooter (in the 75% range), it's still a better play for a team through much of the 4th quarter to foul you and figure that you'll miss enough to make the intentional fouling worth it.

I guess CGVT expects that your entire lineup should be able to hit foul shots at a 90%+ rate... because that's what it would take to make the entire "hack-a-player" strategy NOT worth the effort.

That has always been the case, at all levels. There comes a point where you foul regardless of the player's ability to shoot free throws. It is part of the game.

If a player is a 40% FT shooter, I'm fouling his ass if possible. If a coach doesn't want that guy shooting free throws, get him out of the game.

[froot loops]

The math doesn't really work for DeAndre Jordan and he's an awful free throw shooter. It never worked against Shaq. The strategy ignores numerous factors:

1. It puts the team in the bonus so it helps all the other players
2. It gives your players fouls which are a finite resource.
3. If you are putting your benchwarmers in there to foul to get around number 2, you have subpar players in there and it gives affects your offensive and defensive efficiency.
4. You have to rebound the miss, in the case of the Clippers they are very good at rebounding Jordan's misses.
5. When you employ that strategy, you have given up trying to score buckets in transition. Getting a steal for an easy layup or a wide open three is the quickest way to claw back.

There are a few games where a team may win employing that strategy, but it normally doesn't work.

[mn2009]

I just hate watching when that strategy is involved. It's a fans game, and I want to watch BB played. The only reason intentional fouling is done is that arcane rules support and do not penalize the tactic.

Change the rule so that intentional non-BB plays aren't rewarded.

Signed, many millions of fans.

[Deuce]

The math doesn't really work for DeAndre Jordan and he's an awful free throw shooter. It never worked against Shaq. The strategy ignores numerous factors:

1. It puts the team in the bonus so it helps all the other players
2. It gives your players fouls which are a finite resource.
3. If you are putting your benchwarmers in there to foul to get around number 2, you have subpar players in there and it gives affects your offensive and defensive efficiency.
4. You have to rebound the miss, in the case of the Clippers they are very good at rebounding Jordan's misses.
5. When you employ that strategy, you have given up trying to score buckets in transition. Getting a steal for an easy layup or a wide open three is the quickest way to claw back.

There are a few games where a team may win employing that strategy, but it normally doesn't work.

Also, the game in which the Rockets hacked nearly every play, they got beat by 20 points because it took them out of their rhythm. They are idiots for doing it as a game plan. They know that now. Deandre went from 34 FTs to 16 last nite. It's a nice diversion if you need it, but it can't be your defensive game plan.

[Deuce]

You just summed up your knowledge of the sport in this one post. Which is to say, you don't understand it at all.

Playing proper defense is also a basic fundamental. So is passing. So is rebounding. So is setting a proper screen. There are plenty of proffesionals who excel in shooting free throws, but are terrible in those areas.

And if a team puts the ball in the hands of a player, he should be able to shoot FTs. The other team should not be able to arbitrarily pick which player on the floor has to shoot them.

The baseball analogy (please try to follow along) would be the other team's manager being able to pick which player currently playing defense gets to pitch.

I don't know how to make this more simple for you. I'm not good at dumbing things down.

It still doesn't work as an analogy. In basketball players are expected to perform all the different skills of the sport. Not so in baseball, not so in hockey, no Forward needs to ever have goalie skills.

The Clippers are the ones who decided to let the Rockets use the hack-a strat, they kept him in. SVG takes Drummond out.

[froot loops]

Yeah this has been around for at least 25 years but it only remains a mere nuisance because it cannot be counted on to work effectively. Its really bad this year because Jordan is so awful at shooting free throws so coaches think it's viable. Popovich was doing that crap in the 2nd quarter. It didn't sway that series, but they did have Jordan out in the 4th quarter of game 7.

pANDs

I always get a kick out of the Kstat's willingness to question someone's knowledge of basketball when they disagree with him. It has to be filed in the same category as Godwins Law.