Posts tagged ‘AI’

Pistons coach Michael Curry won’t rush guard Allen Iverson’s return from a sore back.

Curry said on Tuesday that he wants Iverson at ease with the injury before he returns to the court.

“Hopefully we’ll know more (today), but it’s about him getting to a comfort level with the diagnosis of what’s going on with him,” Curry said. “We’re like that for all our guys.

“We want to make sure that anything they feel, any point of discomfort, we want them to feel comfortable with how their body feels so that when they step on the court, they can give us everything they got.”

Iverson is scheduled for a third exam on Wednesday at Georgetown, the school at which he starred.

VIA DETROIT FREE PRESS.

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My man Mike Curry, selling the sizzle.  LOL.  Come on, what do you expect him to say?

by Steve Kays

Hey Pistonscast Posse,

PART 1

It’s the end of an era of Detroit Basketball. The Pistons that everyone knew and loved are changing. The “Bad Boys 2” of 2002-2009 will soon be a distant memory. But I’ve enjoyed the ride. It’s hard to remain competitive in the NBA for several years at a time, unless you’re the San Antonio Spurs. But the Detroit Pistons have had an awesome run. Think about it: 6 straight years of Eastern Conference Finals, 7 straight 50-win seasons, 2 NBA Finals, and 1 championship. That is a truly incredible run by essentially the same core of players, none of whom would be considered “superstars.”

But let’s look at the current contenders and see how they were just a few seasons ago.

L.A. Lakers: Missed playoffs in 2005; eliminated in first round in 2006 and 2007.
Boston Celtics: Eliminated in first round in 2004 and 2005; missed playoffs in 2006 and 2007.
Orlando Magic: Eliminated in first round in 2003; missed playoffs in 2004, 2005, and 2006.
Cleveland Cavaliers: Missed playoffs in 2003, 2004, 2005; eliminated in second round in 2006 and 2008.

There is a common theme among all these contenders: They were all really bad before they got really good. Cleveland and Orlando both won draft lotteries, drafting LeBron James and Dwight Howard, respectively. L.A. drafted Andrew Bynum from the lottery and basically stole Pau Gasol from Memphis. Boston traded away several young players that they selected from all the lotteries they had been in and turned them into Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen.

The Pistons didn’t build their mini-dynasty on one single dominant player. And maybe that was their mistake.

It’s been said that Pistons General Manager Joe Dumars messed up in the 2003 Draft when he selected Darko Milicic over such players as Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, and Carmelo Anthony. And it seems that he’s admitting he was wrong as he’s going to try this summer to acquire a dominant big man, like Bosh, Carlos Boozer, or David Lee. One thing that’s for sure is that this current season wouldn’t be this bad if Bosh were starting for Detroit.

I recently read about two other areas that really cost the Pistons. One was Larry Brown. The Pistons just haven’t been the same since Brown was relieved of his coaching duties. It doesn’t really matter whose fault it was, but it’s clear that no other coach has had the same effect on the players, nor have they gotten the same results out of them.

The other area was that of Ben Wallace. Now, Dumars was right in not re-signing Wallace to an overinflated contract. That’s not the issue. It was that he never replaced what Wallace brought, which was a tough, intimidating defensive paint presence at the center position. Dumars has tried though with a variety of players: Nazr Mohammad, Chris Webber, Rasheed Wallace. None have worked out as a successor to Ben Wallace, even though the stats say that the Pistons have been just fine defensively without him.

Now if the Pistons miss the playoffs this year or get eliminated in the second or even first round, then that shouldn’t be a great shock to their fans. You can’t play into late May every single year. It’s just not possible. Ask the Lakers. After winning three straight titles from 2000-2002, the Lakers were either eliminated in the first round (2006, 2007), second round (2003), or missed the playoffs entirely (2005). Yes, I know that they did make it back to the Finals in 2004 and 2008 (losing both), but the point still stands. It just goes to show that it’s incredibly difficult to remain competitive when you’re drafting in the lower 20’s every NBA Draft.

If the Pistons have just one bad transition year, it won’t be the end of the world. As great as the core of Chauncey Billups, Rip Hamilton, Tayshaun Prince, Rasheed Wallace, and Ben Wallace were, it could only go so far. This same group lost from 2005 to 2008, with the last two losses coming without Ben Wallace as he took a 4-year, $60 million contract offer from Chicago. Now, Joe Dumars got a lot of flak about it at the time, but Ben Wallace circa 2006-2010 is in no way worth $60 million. If Dumars had re-signed him then, he would have been severely restrained by his huge contract and probably wouldn’t have been able to re-sign Billups the next year.

PART 2
There’s been a great outcry against the Pistons management and General Manager Joe Dumars ever since the trade for Iverson which sent Billups to Denver. No one doubts Billups’s greatness at the point guard position, but let’s imagine for a second that Dumars would’ve kept the same core together for this current season. Fast forward to May, and what do you have? Another playoff exit in the conference finals, maybe even in the second round. And then you would have fans and the media blasting Dumars, saying how he should have blown it up last year. You can’t have both. That core has failed 4 straight times at this point. It was time for a change. And Dumars has made the kind of trade that will keep the Pistons competitive. He remembers all too well back in the early ‘90s when the Bad Boys disintegrated. He remembers all those ugly years in those teal uniforms. He won’t have another 10-year period of non-competing Pistons teams.

This was a great trade, make no mistake about it. It’s going to be a win-win either way. It was either that Allen Iverson would provided the scoring punch that the Pistons had lacked in the playoffs the past few springs or that his huge expiring contract would be used to totally reshape the team on the fly. Now, it’s becoming painfully obvious that Iverson just doesn’t fit in with the Pistons as they are a dismal 27-28 as of this writing. Maybe it’s that Iverson’s not being used the right way. Maybe Billups’ leadership was undervalued. Whatever the reason is, the point is that the Pistons stand a real chance of missing the playoffs altogether. So it looks like Iverson’s contract is much more important than his on-court play.

The Detroit Pistons team didn’t blow their chances to win a title this year with the Iverson-Billups trade; they blew their title dreams in 2006, 2007, and 2008. In 2006 the Pistons were the #1 seed in the entire playoffs but still lost in six games to the Miami Heat. In 2007 Detroit was up two games to none on Cleveland when they let the Cavaliers win 4 straight games. And in 2008 the Pistons had an opportunity to take control of the series against the Celtics but dropped Games 3 and 6 at home in devastating fashion.

Why keep putting effort into a losing product? Why are people so against change when clearly that team roster wasn’t getting it done? Before the Iverson trade, I didn’t have a lot of faith that the Pistons would finally make it back to the Finals. Boston was still dominant, Cleveland had greatly improved, and Orlando gained experience. As previously said, Detroit already blew its many chances with the old core. After the Iverson trade I thought that it might be enough to get over the hump. While that seems like a far-fetched idea at this point, Dumars is preemptively trying to rebuild the Pistons on the fly to compete with these teams.

As for getting rid of Billups, there’s a saying that goes: “Getting rid of a star one year too early, is better than one year too late.” And it’s true. Had the Pistons decided to keep the core together, it’s unlikely that they would have been able to acquire such a large expiring contract that would enable them to totally remake the team. If Detroit acquires Chris Bosh this summer, then it was a great trade. But you can’t get Bosh unless you trade Billups.

It’s been a disappointing season to be sure. It looks pretty bleak right now. Fans need to realize that this is a rebuilding team. It may not be as evident as it is in Minnesota and Memphis after they traded their franchise players (Kevin Garnett and Pau Gasol), but it is what it is. Most of the core is gone or will soon be. Billups is gone, Ben Wallace is gone, Rasheed will soon be gone, as will the recently-acquired Iverson. Even steadfast Antonio McDyess has recently talked about possibility leaving after this season.

There is a glimmer of hope however. And it’s that the Pistons are in a position to improve. It’s not like they’re locked into this current underachieving roster for the next several years. They have several draft picks, young players, and expiring contracts, all of which can be used to change this team for the better. You can expect that the Pistons will be the busiest team in the NBA come summertime. And I fully anticipate this team to look dramatically different for the better come fall.

Peace,

Steve Kays

www.pistonscast.com

(VIA DET NEWS:)

Pistons guard Allen Iverson is feeling better, and hopes to return to the court on Tuesday night against the Nuggets.

“He says he’s feeling better,” said coach Michael Curry who exchanged messages with the guard on Saturday. “We will see where he’s at when we get back into town. Hopefully he will play Tuesday.”

Iverson visited a doctor about his sore back on Saturday and the Pistons were still waiting on the results as of Sunday morning.

An MRI that Iverson took on Friday came back negative.

UPDATE: ALLEN IVERSON PROBABLE TO MISS TUESDAY’S GAME.

Detroit guard Allen Iverson will miss his third straight game with a back injury Tuesday night when the Pistons host the Denver Nuggets, sources told ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith.

Iverson will see a specialist in Washington to get a second opinion on his injury, which he fears may be more serious than first thought, sources said.

VIA DET NEWS:

ORLANDO, Fla. — Allen Iverson will not play tonight against Orlando, and he is questionable for the game Sunday in Boston.

Results of an MRI on his ailing back Friday came back negative, but the team has sent him back to Detroit for more tests.

Coach Michael Curry announced Friday that Iverson would be coming off the bench the rest of the season, with Richard Hamilton moving back into the starting lineup.

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What’s Going on World?

John W. Davis here.  The Pistons have finally made the shake-up that they desperately needed.  It’s not just because of his ailing back but Allen “AI” Iverson is going to the bench for good!  That’s right, for the rest of the season.  I can say I saw this coming… AH HA!

Check out an excerpt from yesterday’s post:

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” Stuckey will continue to start. I repeat he will continue to start.  (SIGH…)  Coach Curry says he’s not considering sending Stuckey to the bench.  Rip is obviously not happy coming off the bench and losing.  I know that Iverson is hurt right now with his back injury but could a starting lineup change be on the way?

Are the Pistons finally going take the reins away from Iverson?”

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The Pistons finally made a move.  Something had to give and I’m glad it did!

Peace,

John W. Davis

www.pistonscast.com

 
What’s Going on World?

John W. Davis here. It’s time for some drastic measures. I’ll get right to the point.

Here is the Pistonscast: Deven and John 3-point plan to salvage this season.

1. Let the young guys play every game. Afflalo, Amir, and Max need their playing time like Rip needs his mask.

2. Let AI lead. Simple enough. He wants to do it. At this point, we can’t get worse.

3. Rodney Stuckey: Don’t be afraid to sit him down to send a message to him. As super as Stuck was at the beginning of the season he is still a young player. Don’t be afraid to teach him a lesson.

Honorable Mention: Continue to let Rip Hamilton lead off the bench. Let Rip be Rip.

*Also listen to Episode 89 for a special edition of Calling Coach Curry.

Peace,

John W. Davis

www.pistonscast.com

Hey Deven and John,

I read something from Keith Langlois recently on True Blue Pistons, and he had an interesting take on the Billups for Iverson deal. He said that even though Chauncey is not a Piston anymore, he’s still helping us stay elite because the shedding of his contract allows the Pistons more flexibility, not to mention that they still certainly have the talent to compete for the championship.

I thought this was both an interesting and positive take on a decision that many people have basically condemned since November. Even though the Pistons will most certainly have a worse record this year compared to last year, the future is bright. We still have Stuckey, Maxiell, Amir, Afflalo, Rip, Rasheed, Antonio, and Tay. If Rasheed and A.I. decide to leave after this season, it gives Detroit a lot of options for the future.

Which brings me to my next thought. I really hope we don’t sacrifice any of that talent to get a big name player at the trading deadline. Lots of rumors have circulated around Amar’e Stoudemire. I don’t think that would be a good deal at all. Porter is a former Pistons assistant who believes that you win with defense. Stoudemire is not a good defensive player primarily because he focuses on the other end of the floor. He mentioned earlier this year that he wanted to be the focal point on offense for the Suns.

He’s a great player and a star, but the Pistons don’t need that type of attitude on the team. The Pistons’ struggles this season are a result of the adjustment to a new style of play coupled with a lack of focus on the defensive end. Pound for pound, Detroit can compete with anybody on any given night. They just need to put four good quarters of basketball together on a consistent basis.

If they trade for Amar’e, they will only continue to be in the same spot they’re in now. We don’t need a guy who wants to be the man. The Pistons collectively as a team need to work hard for four quarters and just play basketball together. We already have enough scorers, so adding another one wouldn’t make sense.

I still have my doubts about the trade for Iverson, but at the end of the day I felt like it could give us a chance to get to the Finals again. When the offense breaks down in the playoffs because of tough defense, Iverson can create off the dribble and make something happen. Couple that with the surrounding talent Detroit has, and there’s no reason why Pistons fans should be cashing in their hopes until 2010. This team can still get it done.

Sincerely,

Mike B.

Erie, Mi

www.pistonscast.com

What’s Going on World?

How are you feeling about our Detroit Pistons?

We all know they are talented, but talent alone can only take you so far.  

-Defense wins championships. But to win a championship, you must first win games.

–To win games, you must win specific quarters.

—To win specific quarters, you must win offensive and more importantly defensive possessions.

—-Aggressiveness is the key right now because it just seems our opponents just want it more.  

It’s been a great run for the Pistons 2K Dynasty.  

*Is this end, or only the beginning of a great 2009 season?

Peace,

John W. Davis

www.pistonscast.com

What’s Going on World?

Allen Iverson has expressed a few feelings about the Pistons offense. He wants to the “focal part” of the offense.

Can you blame him?

VIA REAL GM:

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“I would love to be a focal part on the offensive end,” Iverson said after Detroit’s loss to Cleveland on Sunday.

“That’s where I’ve been all my career. And that’s why I play the game. That’s the type of competitor I am. In crucial situations, I want the ball in my hands. But like I’ve been saying all along: The calls they make, I trust my teammates and the coaching staff to be able to get us over the hump.”

The Pistons are 21-21 with Iverson, but he stopped short of claiming that the team would be better with him as the top offensive option.

“Don’t do that to me,” Iverson said. “You’re opening up a can of worms. I don’t even want to do that. I trust the way everything is going. I don’t have a choice. What I say don’t matter.”
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Peace,

John W. Davis

www.pistonscast.com

What’s Going on Pistonscast Posse,

This episode was recorded on Monday, January 19th,2009 in anticipation of the death of small ball.

The show is almost prophetic isn’t that right Mike Watson from Louisiana?

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Question of the day?

Did you believe small ball would die before January 21st or that the Pistonscast Posse would have to boycott?

(Please believe we were serious!)

Peace,

John W. Davis

www.pistonscast.com

What’s Going on Pistonscast Posse,

John W. Davis here. I for one, feel much much better. I’ve had alot on my Pistons mind and it was bound to get out sooner than later. It’s just so tough when you know your team can be the best in the league but they are obviously hindering themselves.

Its not because of injuries, or even the lack of a missing piece, its because we have too much of a good thing.

*How do you feeling about small ball part 2?

*Did John W. Davis go over board?

*Do you still trust Coach Curry’s judgement?

Where is your my mind at after listening to Episode 79?   Get in where you fit in!

Peace,

www.pistonscast.com