Wolverines in the NBA/PISTONS/NBA in general

[*JD*]

He's the talent to be a starter however I don't think he's remotely coachable.

From last week:
Warriors working to make rookie Jordan Poole more than just a scorer

By Logan Murdock October 15, 2019 11:06 AM
The Warriors selected Jordan Poole in the first round of the 2019 NBA Draft in part for his offensive confidence.

During the onset of the preseason, Poole has rewarded those hopes, making 48 percent of his shots through his first two games.

In Monday's 104-98 loss to the Lakers, however, he momentarily regressed, going just 3-for-14 from the field, offering an early lesson for the rookie: Find other ways to make an impact when your shot isn't falling.

"Jordan is young and coming off two really good games," Warriors coach Steve Kerr said late Monday evening. "So this is inevitable, this is how it goes."

Poole missed his first six shots and committed five turnovers. Worse, he missed defensive assignments, which was put on display when he tripped over Lakers guard Zach Norvell Jr, falling as the guard made a shot, much to the delight of the Lakers bench.

Throughout his basketball life, Poole has displayed unwavering confidence in his shot. Over a year ago, he made a buzzer-beater to send the Michigan Wolverines to the 2018 Sweet 16. But through his first two games with Golden State, the staff is hoping to make Poole more than a scorer.

"I think tonight is a really good tape to show Jordan because he struggled with some of the physicality," Kerr said. "And I think some of the decision making defensively. He was slow to react on rotations."

For his part, Poole has bought into Golden State's plan. Last week against the Timberwolves, he was active. Four minutes into the second quarter, he barked out orders to D'Angelo Russell to switch onto his man before stripping forward Naz Reid. A minute later, guarding Jaylen Nowell, he shuffled his feet and blocked the shot out of bounds.

Poole is trying to change a longstanding narrative about himself. While he led the Wolverines in scoring last season, his defensive attention was maligned, leading to a reputation he's looking to shake.

"A narrative gets put out and that's kind of what you get labeled as," Poole told NBC Sports last week. "But you can always work on defense ... I'm just gonna to continue work on it day in and day out. I feel like I know I can score the ball and I'm really good on offense and be able to lock up on the perimete.

"I feel like that will take me to the next level."

As Monday's game drew to a close, Poole began to showed why Golden State remains intrigued in his game. Two minutes into the third quarter --- despite his poor start -- he calmly drained a 3-pointer off an assist from Steph Curry. A minute later, he took another pass from Curry and made a mid-range jumper to bring Golden State within six points. With three minutes left in the game, he made another 3-pointer to cut the Lakers' lead to three, displaying the confidence his teammates have encouraged throughout training camp.

"When you have [D'Angelo Russell] and Steph [Curry] and Draymond [Green], Klay [Thompson], Jacob [Evans III], everybody telling you to shoot the ball, that you're here because you can score. Shoot," Poole said following the preseason opener Oct. 5. "I think it's simple. Obviously, take smart ones, but if you're open, don't hesitate."

[RELATED: Steph Curry's leadership on display for Warriors]

Still, with Poole's evolution, the coaching staff hopes he can continue to grow an all-around game.

"Typical rookie stuff," Kerr said. "And we'll show him but really it's all good stuff and it'll help him get better."

[*JD*]

Moe buckets!

https://twitter.com/fredkatz/status/1195546352173932545?s=21

[*JD*]

Caris had 14 points through 3 quarters tonight...then scored 26 in the 4th, including 3 FT's with .2 seconds left to send the game into OT. In OT he scored all 11 of the Nets points and Brooklyn took down the Celtics in Boston. He's the first Michigan player to get 51 since Jamal Crawford got the same total last season in what looks like the final game of his NBA career.

[hack]

Crawford's 51 came in the last game of his career? Given the whole arc of his career, wow -- a Hollywood screenwriter couldn't have written a better ending. So many years later and so many accolades later and you're still wondering what could have been. I thought he was going to be a HOFer.

[*JD*]

Crawford's 51 came in the last game of his career? Given the whole arc of his career, wow -- a Hollywood screenwriter couldn't have written a better ending. So many years later and so many accolades later and you're still wondering what could have been. I thought he was going to be a HOFer.

He's in that Hall of Good to Very Good. I don't think he was ever an all-star but he was very talented and had some amazing games.

I was really surprised that a team like the Lakers didn't pick him up this season. Scoring off the bench was one of their few weaknesses.

Speaking of the HOF, Rudy T makes it in!

And Webber gets snubbed again. He's a no-brainer HOF player but politics is hurting his chances.

[lineygoblue]

An excellent read for fans of the Pistons in the Laimbeer/Isiah/Dumars years.

They were so good, that the NBA had to change their rules, in order to get rid of their domination of the league. "Air" Jordan had to 'soar', and the only way that could happen, was to change the rules.

And as a final jab of the knife, Snotty Drippen was placed on the Olympic Dream Team, instead of Isiah, because of Jordan's bellyaching about him.

The NBA has never been as good since.

http://www.freep.com/story/sports/columnists/shawn-windsor/2020/04/26/detroit-pistons-bad-boys-michael-jordan-bulls-the-last-dance-espn/3028110001/

[THE_WIZARD_]

The Bad Boys 30 for 30 was excellent.

[iam416]

The Pistons have a reputation they earned, cultivated and loved. And it's a shame, IMO, because they did play really nice offensive basketball. Laimbeer as a pick and pop big as WAY ahead of his time (along with Jack motherfucking Sikma!). Isaiah was a fantabulous player. Joe Dumars is one of my favorite players of all-time. A fantastic 2-guard. I wore #4 in for every rec-league team I ever played on until my knees eventually died.

James Edwards was a great post specialist. Vinnie was a great 6th man. I mean, they were really good. They played physical, but they still scored. Look at their scores in the Finals and you'll see lots of 100 point games.

That said, they got their ass kicked in 1991. No rules were going stop that train. The Bulls were just better. And to that end, after the Pistons faded the Bulls had to beat an almost carbon-copy team in Pat Riley's Knicks. Except the Knicks were way less offensively gifted and even MORE physical and MORE defensive minded -- AND the rules permitted so much grabbing and clutching that games were almost unwatchable. Look at the scores in the Playoffs from, say, 1992 to 1998 -- it's just brutal. The game absolutely favored DEFENSIVE teams and the Bulls still won.

[THE_WIZARD_]

Vinnie "The Microwave" Johnson

[Dr. Strangelove]

The Pistons have a reputation they earned, cultivated and loved. And it's a shame, IMO, because they did play really nice offensive basketball. Laimbeer as a pick and pop big as WAY ahead of his time (along with Jack motherfucking Sikma!). Isaiah was a fantabulous player. Joe Dumars is one of my favorite players of all-time. A fantastic 2-guard. I wore #4 in for every rec-league team I ever played on until my knees eventually died.

James Edwards was a great post specialist. Vinnie was a great 6th man. I mean, they were really good. They played physical, but they still scored. Look at their scores in the Finals and you'll see lots of 100 point games.

That said, they got their ass kicked in 1991. No rules were going stop that train. The Bulls were just better. And to that end, after the Pistons faded the Bulls had to beat an almost carbon-copy team in Pat Riley's Knicks. Except the Knicks were way less offensively gifted and even MORE physical and MORE defensive minded -- AND the rules permitted so much grabbing and clutching that games were almost unwatchable. Look at the scores in the Playoffs from, say, 1992 to 1998 -- it's just brutal. The game absolutely favored DEFENSIVE teams and the Bulls still won.

Weren't the Pacers in that mold too? Maybe somewhere in the middle between the Bulls and Knicks on both offense and defense.

[iam416]

Yeah, but they weren't quite as good. The Pistons get a lot of shit, but as noted, they played really good offense. And they had to. The Reilly Knicks ruined basketball. That, and the NBA allowing complete and total halfcourt muggings. For the Bulls "Last Dance," the Finals went 6 games and in those 6 games, a team scored over 90 only twice. And the Jazz scored 54 once. In a game. In an NBA game.

Awful.

[Dr. Strangelove]

Yeah, but they weren't quite as good. The Pistons get a lot of shit, but as noted, they played really good offense. And they had to. The Reilly Knicks ruined basketball. That, and the NBA allowing complete and total halfcourt muggings. For the Bulls "Last Dance," the Finals went 6 games and in those 6 games, a team scored over 90 only twice. And the Jazz scored 54 once. In a game. In an NBA game.

Awful.

lol...yeah I remember the Pacers-Bulls series that same year being better than the Finals

[iam416]

In their 2nd 3-peat, the Bulls played 18 games and topped 100 points twice. In their first series against Seattle. That was the NBA.

[iam416]

It culminated, IMO, with the Larry Brown Pistons. The Pistons-Pacers ECF in 2004 was so hard to watch. These are actual scores from two games: 72-67 and 69-65. The latter was the deciding game 6. 69-65. The NBA slowly started to move past that horror. Now they've way overcompensated, but such is life.

So, it's not the Bad Boys that were an afront to decent basketball. It was the early 2000s Pistons. But that was also just what the league had become.

[Dr. Strangelove]

Why did it get that way? Were teams just looking for a way to slow down the Lakers? And the Celtics, to a lesser extent?