Monday, February 23, 2009
BIG NEWS!
Friday, February 20, 2009
It's panic time
Well, I can't say this loss wasn't expected. Even without making a deal at the deadline, the Spurs are still at top 3 team in the NBA. That's right, one spot ahead of the Cavs. Tim Duncan was his usual robotic self, going for 18 and 18, but the thing that always catches me off guard is how good Tony Parker is. He had 19 points, 11 assists, and 5 rebounds. He should at least be in the conversation for the third best point guard in the League behind CP3 and Deron Williams. I would put him up there with Nash and Billups
Both teams showed up defensively last night, as each was held to about 40% shooting. Iverson was hot with 31 points, but he couldn't hit a 3-pointer at the end of the game, when he had two tries. That really kind of makes him useless at the end of close games. Most refs will swallow their whistle at the end, and teams won't let AI drive in and make an easy 2. He is only a 31% shooter from 3. He needs to work on his range
The Spurs unveiled a new secret weapon last night. Matt Bonner killed us, going 5-8 from downtown. Not bad for a center.
We played the Spurs close in basically every facet of the game, with the exception of perimeter shooting. I think the real reason we lost is because our most important scorer, Rip, never got into sync, going 2-10 from the floor. This is not coincidence. This is Bruce Bowen. We are not that great of a team at creating our own shots, so Bowen can seek and destroy.
Hopefully, the Pistons to get something out of this loss. I am not kidding about panic mode. We are now 1 game above .500. We need to make some changes. Perhaps move Rip into the starting lineup again, because Stuckey is really not playing very well lately. If we had won this game, everybody would have talked about how it righted the ship, but now we know for sure that we have major problems.
Also here is a quick review of the Bucks game from Tuesday:
We got off to a bad start, trailing 29-17 at the end of the first. Most of this was Richard Jefferson, who finished with 29 points on only 13 shots. Iverson, Stuckey, and Rip weren't shooting well (a combined 12-38), so we had to rely on McDyess to score. He did, getting 24 points and 14 boards, and we started to come back. But we were stymied by Milwaukee's defense all night. Sessions played well against us again, scoring 17, with 9 rebounds and 7 assists
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Trade Deadline!
Anyways, today is the trade deadline. I will try to keep this updated to the closest as humanly possible. Some very interesting deals have already gone down. Let's back things up to Monday.
I did not know this but a Pistons trade went down on Monday. Nothing big but still, I don't know I haven't heard about this. Alex Acker was sent back to California, the L.A. Clippers, for a 2011 second round pick and a conditional 2013 second round pick. Maybe he will get a chance to play over there
On Tuesday, I announced that Tyson Chandler would be traded to OKC for Joe Smith and Chris Wilcox. No Dice! Apparently, Chandler has a messed up toe. Now, this is gonna create a really awkward situation for everyone involved.
Boston traded Sam I Am Cassell to the Kings for a 2015 second round draft pick. Yes, 2015, the same year Sam Cassell will turn 60.
The biggest trade so far went down last night. The Bulls dealt Drew Gooden, Andres Nocioni, Michael Ruffin, and Cedric Simmons to the Kings for John Salmons and B-Rad Miller. The Kings immediately released Sam Cassell and then pulled off a steal in acquiring Ike Diogu from the Blazers for Michael Ruffin. This trade doesn't really seem like it will help the Bulls all that much. Miller doesn't play much defense, so I don't see him making much of an impact. The Kings get three nice players out of this deal in Gooden, a good rebounder, Nocioni, a tough defender, and Diogu, a decent post player. Plus, they can now let Spencer Hawes develop
Chris Mihm got shipped to the Grizz for a draft pick. Apparently the Lakers were protecting their superstar player, D.J. Mbenga
Sources from ESPN are saying that the Kings will send Shelden Williams and Bobby Brown to the Timberwolves for Calvin Booth and Rashad McCants. Sources from Motown Ballin are saying whoopdee freakin doo.
Yahoo has a small blurb that says an Eastern Conference official is saying that the Bulls have dealt Larry Hughes to the Knicks for Jerome James and Tim Thomas. I believe that Hughes still has some game left. I like this trade for the Knicks. Jerome James is a walking example of buyer's remorse.
Chris Wilcox has been traded after all. He will be headed to the Knicks in exchange for Malik Rose. Wilcox and Lee should be fun to watch
The best news I've heard all frickin day, at least for a Rockets fan like myself. The Rockets have traded Rafer "Skip to my Lou" Alston to the Magic. The Magic will send a first round pick to the Grizz, and the Rockets will receive Kyle Lowry and Brian Cook. I don't really like Cook or Lowry that much, but Rafer getting exiled is just awesome. Plus, now Aaron Brooks gets his shot.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Weekly Preview
Tuesday Feb. 17th vs. Milwaukee
Well, last time we played the Bucks, it turned into an overtime fiasco. We are better off after that game because now we know that Ramon Sessions must be stopped. The Bucks still have a ton of injuries, so once again, they shouldn't give us a whole lot of trouble. Plus, they may be distracted by the Richard Jefferson trade talks. All in all, I like us to score a little less than the last time we met, but win by 17 points after getting a bunch of rest
Thursday Feb. 19th vs. San Antonio
This is gonna be tough. As of right now, these guys are my pick to win the title. They just showed how good they can be by getting a W over Boston. We should be able to hang with them though, as now we have both Manu and Rip going at it off the bench. This is going to tell us a lot about whether or not we can contend. Whatever we do, just don't let Roger Mason get open in the corner. I do not like us to win this game, but I really think we can stay close. I have us losing by 5.
As for other news, the NBA is full of ridiculous trade talks. However, I haven't yet seen the newest NBA commercial showing a picture of Raef LaFrentz "The NBA: Where expiring contracts happen."
As previously mentioned, The Matrix is now a Dnosaur, and if said Dinosaurs do not trade Chris Bosh, they are not only a threat to make the playoffs, but will be very dangerous when they get there. I picked them to win the East this season. I still think they are very capable of doing that.
Now, the Thunder have acquired Tyson Chandler. He has been awful this year, but when he gets healthy, the Thunder will start beating playoff teams. The Hornets received Joe Smith and Chris "Ill Wil" Wilcox. Sorry my nicknames are terrible. This trade really benefits both teams.
Also, the Nets and Rockets are currently trying to work out a deal that would send Vince Carter to the Rockets. As a fan of the them, I'm not sure of whether or not to support this.
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Sorry
The big news as of late has been the Marion-O'Neal trade. Honestly, I think this makes the Heat worse. O'Neal isn't capable of doing much anymore, and he is constantly on the fritz. On the other hand, I love this move by the Raptors. I wouldn't be surprised if they start to make a playoff push right now.
For now, let us root for AI in the All-Star Game that he should not be in.
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Choke!
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Game 50 Preview
Advantage: Draw
SG: As long as Gordon get hot, we should take this matchup. AI isn't exactly Bruce Bowen though
Advantage: Pistons
SF: Here is another close matchup. Deng is the better shooter, but Prince is way better defensively. I don't know why the Bulls are so hesitant to give up Deng
Advantage: Pistons
PF: These two guys play a similar style of ball. Both are very athletic. Right now, Tyrus is better defensively
Advantage: Bulls
C: I really don't think Joakim Noah should be a center, at least not right now. Sheed should take advantage of him all night
Advantage: Pistons
Overall: In their last 6 games, the Bulls have won 4. In the two losses, they have lost by a combined 8 points against the Mavs and Rockets. Now they are well rested, not playing since Saturday. We could be in trouble. However, we beat them by 6 last time we played and Stuckey had 40 points. I would be surprised if he scored 25 points tonight, but I think the Pistons will escape with a 5 point win
Trade Needs: Western Conference
Denver Nuggets: This team is going to start falling off eventually, right? I don't think they can win a playoff series in the West. They could use a PF to put next to Nene. I don't favor K-Mart starting. He would be better in a Jason Maxiell type role. They need some defensive help too.
Golden State Warriors: Speaking of needing defensive help, this is the worst defensive team by far. They have more than enough wing shooters, but they either need a real PF who can rebound and play defense, or a distributing PG. Marcus Williams could eventually be one, but Monta Ellis is definitely shoot first. A backup C would be nice too.
Houston Rockets: Ah, the Western equivalent of the Pistons. This may be the best team in the league on paper. However, McGrady is now a play-every-other-day time waster, and Artest is struggling to stay healthy. They could use another backup at that position. They really need a PG, but I don't think they think they do. Whoa, now I'm confused.
Los Angeles Clippers: As it turns out, Baron would have been screwed even if Elton Brand would have stayed in town. This team would be decent if they were healthy, so I wouldn't advise dealing too many players. Trading for someone to play defense would be wise though. Camby can't do it alone. They need a backup SF as well.
Los Angeles Lakers: The question right now is if they want to trade for a big man during Bynum's absence. I think I would leave it alone. Just concentrate on getting Bynum healthy and leave the roster intact. Their bench is playing phenomenally, so I don't want to screw with the chemistry. Plus, now they have Adam Morrison. That's all you really need.
Memphis Grizzlies: Well, this team has needs, but they probably won't fill them when they are this far out of contention. They need a starting PF more than anything. They also do not have a competent PG, but they are hoping that Mike Conley or Kyle Lowry can become one. A backup C is needed as well.
Minnesota Timberwolves: Well, this team is toast without Big Al Jefferson. They really need another scoring threat that can form a tandem with Al. Mike Miller is not that guy. He is best at coming off the bench, a fourth or fifth option. Randy Foye is still a questionable PG too. Oh yeah, we will see who backs up Al. They need someone better than undersized Kevin Love (a PF), Calvin Booth (terrible), Jason Collins (more terrible), or Mark Madsen ( even more terrible, plus a really bad dancer.)
New Orleans Hornets: This team can contend for a championship with the current roster. A better starting SG would put them over the top, but defensive backup big men is what they really need.
Oklahoma City Thunder: Well this team has tried to address their major need. They just fail horribly every time they try to draft a center. So far they have Saer Sene, Robert Swift, and Johan Petro. Now, Petro is gone, and replace with Nenad Krstic. No improvement what so ever. A legit C would put this team in contention.
Phoenix Suns: This team is also very hard to understand. I don't know what they need. The roster they have is fine. Maybe a defensive specialist would help, but where do you put them in the rotation. I would just leave the lineup in tact and see what happens
Portland Trail Blazers: Every team around the League knows what they need, because they have basically announced it. They are looking for a starting PG and SF, and they have the talent to work out any trade.
Sacramento Kings: This might be the least talented team in the League. The only player worth anything is Kevin Martin. John Salmons is only scoring because he puts up 15-20 shots each night. I would build around Martin and Thompson, and just get rid of everyone else. Well, maybe Spencer Hawes and Donte Greene are worth keeping around, but not much else.
San Antonio Spurs: This team is playing excellent basketball right now. I don't see them making any trades, unless it is something very minor. They could use a center, but they can make it work with just about anybody
Utah Jazz: This team looks good, but they just don't have it. In this case, "it" is a scoring wing player. Ronnie Brewer is a good player and C.J. Miles isn't bad, but they could use somebody better. A backup C is another need
Monday, February 9, 2009
Nash destroys Pistons, 107-97
Rip did his best again to keep us in the game, going 11-19 for 27 points, but the Suns were relentless, and we were tired from OT with the Bucks. All of their starters scored in double digits, even Grant Hill looked impressive. Just when the Pistons made it look like a game, they would usually committ a dumb turnover and give up the momentum. The Suns just made us look bad, tallying 31 assists to our 19. They weren't really shooting many 3's, they were dropping the ball off in the paint and letting Amare and Shaq do work. Overall, we got outscored 66-26 in the lane. They combined for 38 points and 17 rebounds (or 1 Al Jefferson stat line.) My big night never came for Amare, but that is because Michael Curry tricked me. About a week after he said he was done using Kwame in the starting lineup, voila, there he is. So Rasheed defended Amare, and kind of kept him in check.
Iverson had 25 points and 7 assists. For those of you that appreciate the finer things in basketball, check out this bounce pass. Maybe he learned it from Steve Nash. I mean he is a big fan after last nights game. He was quoted saying "Who's been down on Steve Nash, He’s definitely an All-Star and he’s still playing like an MVP."
Both teams were 27-21 heading into this game. Now, we are starting to get very close to falling out of playoff contention. Don't laugh. Sometimes even the worst teams can put together win streaks, and right now we have lost 11 of 17. Meanwhile, the Suns are fighting for a playoff spot, but I think if they get in, and still have Amare, they are very dangerous
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Game 49 Preview
PG: Well, this will be fun. Nash really doesn't play much defense at all. To me, Rodney's defense is still suspect. There should be a ton of scoring
Advantage: Suns
SG: My bad. I meant to put former Spartan Jason Richardson up there, but I really wasn't thinking. Barbosa is one of the few guys that is faster than AI. Richardson is not. He thinks he is a shooter, which he isn't
Advantage: Pistons
SF: This is a past and present matchup. Tayshaun is going to lock down Grant. I don't expect much scoring out of either of these guys
Advantage: Pistons
PF: Well, here we go again. Amir should not be a starter at this point in his career. He got embarrased by Villanueva, and now things are only going to be worse. This could get ugly, even with McDyess in
Advantage: Suns
C: I really don't know how we plan to defend Shaq. We have nobody on our team who can stay with him down low. These type of things will hopefully be adressed at the deadline
Advantage: Suns
Overall: Hopefully, this is an audition for Amar'e ( Spelling his name is so stupid) Anyways, he is probably going to score at least 30, and maybe Joe D. will be impressed enough to trade for him. I think the guys are still going to be fatigued after last night's game, so we will lose tonight, by about 8
Sessions vs. Rip City
- My boy, Adam Morrison, was traded to the Lakers along with former Spartan Shannon Brown for VladRad. Rufus on Fire believes the Lakers only really wanted Brown
- New Jersey obliterated Denver, 114 to 70
- Disco Dirk scored 44 as the Mavs beat da Bulls in OT
Saturday, February 7, 2009
Game 48 Preview
Friday, February 6, 2009
Trade Needs: Eastern Conference
Atlanta Hawks:
I believe with one more piece, this team could be legitimate. They got valuable playoff experience last year and I think they could win at least one playoff series this year. Currently they would be matched up with the Pistons. I believe that this team needs an actual center to contend. Al Horford could slide down to power forward, and Smith could be a SF.
Boston Celtics:
They really don't have a major need, but the Lakers just exposed them. If anything, I think they should add a veteran PF or C, just in case KG gets in foul trouble. However, they should be set with Powe and Big Baby
Charlotte Bobcats:
I think this team has a good shot at making the playoffs. If the new guys start to play together well, they are an average team. I think they would be better if they added a PF or C. Okafor can play either, but Diaw is best at SF, or coming off the bench. They also need a bench wingman.
Chicago Bulls:
Just looking at the Bulls roster, they have one of the largest collections of starting caliber players of any team. They are of course missing a legitimated big man. Noah has not proven that he can play center. Other than that, there is no reason why they shouldn't be winning games, other than Vinny Del Negro
Cleveland Cavaliers:
I don't see this team making a trade before the deadline, but they could really help themselves out if they did. I think they could definetly upgrade at the SG position. Sasha Pavlovic plays defense, but a threat at that position would make them very dangerous. However, Delonte West will be back shortly
Detroit Pistons:
The Pistons sadly have many needs. First and foremost, a big man. They need somebody who will bang in the low post and grab double digit rebounds every night. If not that, then we need a distributor, a point guard that is not shoot first. Also, we could use a back up point guard.
Indiana Pacers:
Like almost every other team, the Pacers need a good big man. It could be a a PF or a C, because they have complementary big men, Jeff Foster and Troy Murphy who are capable of starting, but are not good scoring options. A first rate shooter would also help this team out.
Miami Heat:
Even with this team's vast improvement, they still have two big holes. One is a good starting point guard. Not necessarily a distributor, but a good ball handler. Chalmers can start, but if they are serious, they need a better point. Even more of a concern, they need a center. They do not have one decent center. Udonis Haslem can't do it all by himself.
Milwaukee Bucks:
Well this looked like a playoff team, but I don't see them getting there without Michael Redd. I think they would be best off at just trying to get younger and athletic. They should not view themselves as contenders. A young SG or C would be nice
New Jersey Nets:
This team could make a playoff push. But they are not even closer to serious contenders with the current forwards they have. I don't think they should try to build a good team at the deadline right now either because they are more than a few pieces away. Their whole bench is pretty underwhelming too.
New York Knicks:
I think this can be a legitimate playoff team...next year. Mike D'Antoni is starting to work his magic, but they need to get some playoff experience before they can make some serious noise. If they don't trade Lee, I think he is okay at C. I would like him to play PF, but with him there, they are quick. However, they really need a SG. This would allow them to put Q-Rich at SF and Jared Jeffries to the bench.
Orlando Magic:
This team is playing well beyond their expectations. I don't think I would mess with that. I would just hope that Jameer Nelson's return is the boost they need for a playoff push. A backup big man would help for the playoffs too.
Philadelphia 76ers:
The Elton Brand experiment did not work this season. I think I just throw out this season and hope that next is better. However, I think they should consider trading for a SF. Iguodala should be a SG, and Willie Green should be benched
Toronto Raptors:
Well, so much for my prediction about the Raptors going to the Finals. Jermaine O'Neal has been a huge, huge disappointment. If they can get a SG or SF for him, than I would pull the trigger. They need to set up an inside-outside threat, somebody that can slash. A backup PG and PF are needed as well
Washington Wizards:
The Wizards are in a really weird situation. They think they have the current team to compete in the East, but Agent Zero keeps screwing them over. They really need a center, but who doesnt? I think they should consider any trade sent there way, because they need a breath of fresh air into the team.
For a different perpective, Hoopsworld also did this.
Dyess might be a starter
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Heat-Loss
- LeBron outdid Kobe in scoring 52 at the Garden, while also tallying 11 assists and 10 rebounds. I really hate LeBron. However, this just goes to show that Mo Williams does not deserve the hype. He had 9 points last night. Essentially, he just lives in LeBron's fantasy world, where his stats depend on the King's decision of how many points he wants to collect on any particular night. Last night was a statement, so there was no time for Mo
- Without Andrew Bynum, the Lakers have become an Army of Two. Last night they beat the Raptors with Kobe and Pau combining for 67 points
- Stephen Jackson also had a triple double last night
- With our win, we are now back in the 5th spot in the Eastern Conference
- To quote famous thespian, Terrell Owens "Getcha popcorn ready." TNT has a delicious double header. First up, Lakers versus Celtics. I got the Celtics in that one. After that, the Jazz meet the Mavs. The Mavs will continue their roll again tonight.
- Blockbuster alert: A swap of Keith Bogans for Tyronn Lue is currently in the works
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Game 47 Preview
H-O-R-S-E!
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Statistical Analysis via 82games
Good:
- Detroit PG, SG, SF positions all rank in top 10 (out of the 30 teams) in points
- For FG%, Detroit SG ranked at 4, Detroit PF ranked at 6
- SG and SF both ranked at 4 in assists
- SF, PF, and C all ranked in top 10 in T/O
- SG and SF ranked in top 10 in PER Difference
Bad:
- PF ranked at 29 in points
- PG ranked at 27 in FG%
- No position listed in top 14 in rebounding. Only team with equally consistent bad rebounding is Golden State
- SG ranked at 29 in T/O
- PF and C ranked at 24 and 27, respectively, in FTA
Monday, February 2, 2009
A Distraction
Here, watch Allen play!
Have you heard about this?
Another 4th Quarter Collapse
With this loss, we move to 25-21. Yahoo had a pretty interesting fact in their game recap. This is the first time losing 4 home games in a row since 2001. We are playing like one of the worst teams in basketball. The Pistons are not playing good defense. They should have watched and learned from the Cavaliers last night.
There really isn't a whole lot more to say about this. Right now, we suck. Iverson commented on the dreadful play "Our whole thing is, it better be figured out by the time we get to the playoffs." He should stop worrying about then, and start winning some ball games, because at the pace we're at, we might miss the playoffs. We are currently 6th in the East, and 13.5 games behind Boston. The current 9th seed is New York, who is 17.5 games behind Boston. We don't have much of a cushion. We must get our act together, and quick
Other things of note:
- The Cavaliers beat us in rebounds and assists. Every Cavs starter grabbed at least 4 rebounds. Why can't we do that?
- Stuckey and Sheed combined for 15 points. Way to show up guys, shooting 6-20
- Rip had 16 points in 26 minutes
- Amir had a good game, statistically anyways. He had 10 points and 9 rebounds
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Game 46 Preview
Saturday, January 31, 2009
We need a bench quick!
Good Stuff
Good News and Bad News
We actually gave the Celtics a game. Their last 7 wins have all come by double digits, so I guess that is sort of a small victory for us, right? I expected the game to have more points, but the gap between the teams was as I expected. The Celtics don't blow us away. They lull us into thinking that we are close enough to come back at any time and we never do. They never stop defending, never. Marc Jackson pointed out that when the game finished, the Pistons were attempting just to score before the horn, even though it didn't matter at all. The Celtics shut them down. Not many teams do that.
The Celtics didn't do anything exceptional on the offensive end. We actually played pretty solid defense and held them to 45% shooting. The Boston 3 Party combined for 56 points, which is about average for them. Rondo had 12 assists, but we managed to keep Kendrick Perkins in check. He was getting so frustrated that he headlocked Maxiell and threw him down, so he was ejected. We stuck to one of my keys to success, not shooting more than 10 3-pointers. We shot 8, but only made 1. Overall, we shot only 40% from the floor. The Celtics defense just squeezed the life out of us.
Other things of note:
- The Celtics were able to score on us because of excellent ball movement. They had 25 assists, and were seemingly always able to find someone for an open jumper
- Iverson and Stuckey each had 19 points, but they combined for only 5 assists
- Tayshaun had a bad night, going 1-7 for 4 points. Paul Pierces defense is underrated
- Rip was instant offense off the bench. He had 14 points
- McDyess had 14 rebounds
- AI passed Charles Barkley for 16th on the all-time scoring list'
- In case you haven't heard, the Celtics have now won 10 in a row
Friday, January 30, 2009
Game 45 Preview
Thursday, January 29, 2009
The One We Call Amir
Boom!
Thanks for making me look stupid
- We only attempted 8 3-pointers. I think was a key to victory. We have to realize we are not shooters
- We only had 7 turnovers
- Rasheed had 5 steals!
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Game 44 Preview
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Change we can believe in?
Warriors get: Hakim Warrick, Marc Gasol, and Kyle Lowry
Grizzlies get: Rasheed Wallace
- Allen Iverson and Will Bynum for David Lee and Stephon Marbury
Monday, January 26, 2009
How did we give up 39 points in one quarter?
Yes, that is not a lie. The Mighty Mighty Pisstones defense allowed 39 points in the first quarter. Isn't the first quarter where we usually play out of our minds, then our play slowly declines as the game goes on tonight. Not tonight!
How was this scoring possible? Excellent question. First of all are not designed to be a jump shooting team. Without Yao, they were forced to be last night. Oddly, they were just hitting everything they threw up. They ended the game shooting near 53%. We just played lazy defense. No one really stayed down in the post, hence Luis Scola's 9-11 shooting for 21 points. In fact, every Rockets starter scored in double digits, even lowly Rafer Alston
One good thing coming out of this game was our shooting percentage though. We actually shot better than the Rockets, shooting 56%. I think if Yao had played that number would be much lower, but it still is ridiculous. Rip led the team with 27 points, while Sheed had 22 and 11 boards. Tayshaun was locked up all night by a combination of Ron Artest and Shane Battier.
Speaking of Ron Artest, I wasn't surprised when the boos rained upon him. It was kinda funny watching him sink the free throws that won the game. I really don't have a problem with the guy. He was just chillin on the scorers table when somebody hurled a beer at his face. I can't blame him for getting angry. Anyways, he and McGrady both looked good coming off of injuries. McGrady had 15, 4, and 4, while Artest had 24 points and 9 rebounds
Other things of note:
- We started Kwame Brown? I guess we were expecting Dikembe to start because Kwame only played 6 minutes
- The Rockets hit 12, yes 12 3-pointers
- Both teams grabbed 35 rebounds. The Pistons should have won this battle though because the Rockets didn't play an actual center at all. To start the game, Sheed tipped off against McGrady
- Stuckey had a quiet but decent game, scoring 14 points, with 8 assists and 5 rebounds
- Iverson had 17 points and 8 assists
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Game 43 Preview
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Torched by the Mavs, 112-91
See the picture above? This is what the Pistons knew was coming, yet could not stop in any way...at all. Amir Johnson summed up the fiasco
"I tried to stop Dirk, but when a 7-footer is shooting that fade, it is tough to do anything against him "
Our defense was terrible last night. The Mavs shot 55% last night compared to our 42%. It was just bad. They made us play out of tempo the whole game, and everybody struggled. Nobody was shooting all that well from the field. For instance, our 5 starters combined for 44 points. Josh Howard and Dirk Nowitzki scored 48 points. Rip led the team in scoring with 17, but it didn't make much of a difference. There was just sloppy defense all night long, especially in the post. Amir was outmatched all night long, and it killed us. Luckily, the next game will be against the Rockets, who lost to the Pacers because Yao went down. For those of you keeping track at home. There big 3 is now a big 0.
Other things of note:
- Jason Kidd had a double-double
- Brandon Bass looked impressive scoring 18 points and 6 rebounds
- Will Bynum is starting to get more minutes because of the starting lineup change. He played 21 mins last night and had 10 points and 4 assists
- Although Tayshaun scored 12 points, he only hit 1 field goal. He was 10-10 from the line
Friday, January 23, 2009
WTF! Who is voting for Iverson?
G: Allen Iverson
G: Dwayne Wade
F: LeBron James
F: Kevin Garnett
Game 42 Preview
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Guess Who?
The guards played well tonight too, even if they weren't huge in the stat columns ( Iverson 11 pts, 4 rebs, 6 ast- Stuckey 17 pts and 7 asts) Howeva, our bigs were out of sync (well at least the starters) were out of sync. Rasheed was 1-6 with 3 points and 2 rebounds. Amir had 2 points and 5 rebounds. Not to worry though
UNLEASH THE BEAST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hide the women and children!!!!!!!!!
The Baby Eater went off last night in 25 mins of gametime. He scored 16 points, grabbed 11 boards, and had 2 blocks.
Anyways, the game did not look good from the get go. We headed into the second quarter down by the five, but completely dominated the second and third quarters. In fact, Curry didn't really want to mess things up by subbing out the starters, so Rip only got 21 minutes
Other things of note:
- Antonio McDyess continued his rebounding his strong play, with 10 points and 8 rebounds
- I did not expect Jermaine O'Neal to play. He did, but not for very long, and he didn't make that much of an impact. Jose Calderon was also out for the Raptors
- This was the Pistons first double-digit win since Dec. 27th over the Bucks
- Everyone got a brief glimpse of Nathan Jawai, the only basketball player ever to be chased by a kangaroo
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Game 41 Preview
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
The News I've Been Waiting For
The Detroit Free Press has reported that Rip Hamilton will now be moved to the bench. I have been clamoring for this to happen ever since we got on that freaking losing streak. I don't hate Rip. He is one of Detroit's best basketball players of all time. But I think Allen Iverson needs to be given a chance to work with a normal lineup. Some people wanted Stuckey out of the lineup, but I think we traded Chauncey so we could see what we could do, and he has proved that he can be an All-Star caliber player in this League. The only thing I am worried about is that Rip will become angry over time about sitting on the bench. For now he doesn't seem to be upset saying
That’s how I look at it: Just a sacrifice sometimes you got to make in order to
win games.
Bottom line, I want to try to get back to the promised land.
Every day should be MLK day
We finally were able to shoot last night, which is always good. We shot 48%, while the Grizzzzz were at about 41%. This seems good, until you think that the Grizzlies best on ball defender is probably Quinton Ross. Tayshaun stunk last night, going 2-12 and only grabbing 3 rebounds. In fact everyone pretty much took the night off rebounding and left the job to McDyess, who had 16 rebounds. All in all, I don't think we should be too excited with this win, but hopefully we can take something out of this game
Other things of note:
- Stuckey bounced back well. He was 7-12 with 14 points
- Sheed somehow managed 3 steals
- Marc Gasol is developing into a double-double machine, not like his girly brother
Up Next: Wednesday vs. Toronto
Monday, January 19, 2009
Game 40 Preview
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Guess What? We lost again
- Both teams were terrible shooting threes. We went 6-19, they were 2-14. Sheed shot 8 3- pointers, while Peja took 6
- The Hornets made 19 of 20 free throws. We made 7 of 13.
- Besides Paul, the most impressive player on the floor was definitely David West. He has great range. He scored 20 points and had 7 rebounds
- Maxiell had 11 points and 8 rebounds off the bench
Saturday, January 17, 2009
An Analysis Of Centers
Spencer Hawes
Kosta Koufos
Game 39 Preview
The collapse is official
- As pictured above, I now consider Russell Westbrook second in the Rookie of the Year standings. He only shot 2-10, but he leaves an impact in so many different ways
- Rodney Stuckey killed us last night, shooting 1-10, for 3 points
- Tayshaun Prince played well as usual. Seing as how he is the only Piston consistently playing well, I think he should have top choice of what position he wants to play. He is not a PF
- Rip scored 18 points on 9-19 shooting
- If you were paying attention you noticed that I was wrong with my starters in the prediction for this game. Nick Collison did not play, so Nenad Krstic took his place.