What’s Going on Pistonscast Posse?

We all know that Allen Iverson is (supposedly) willing to go to the bench. Oh yeah, Episode 95 is here!

For Allen to be effective, we can’t just treat him like Rip. What I mean is I don’t want AI out there with Stuckey or even out there with Rip for any significant time. AI and Stuck and AI and Rip just don’t mix. AI not only needs but wants to be AI, so he needs four other players who will help him to play his game.

With all of that said, name your 5, including AI.

What’s your perfect AI-Team?

Wait, Wait, Wait.

I have a few stipulations.

-You must include at least 3 bench players.

-You can have up to one other Pistons starter on the court with AI.

Check out Episode 95 for our AI-Team and Deven’s Stanky Leg. (If you listen to the show you will get it.) 

Peace,

John W. Davis

www.pistonscast.com

What’s Going on Pistonscast Posse?

John W. Davis here. This is an exclusive text message I received from the Detroit Pistons this afternoon.

“The Pistons announced today that Allen Iverson will miss the next 2 weeks due to a sore back. For more details, visit pistons.com.”

*UPDATE:

Allen Iverson to Miss Two Weeks with Sore Back

The Detroit Pistons announced today that guard Allen Iverson will miss the next two weeks due to a sore back at the request of doctors at Georgetown University. Iverson’s condition was evaluated at Georgetown today and it was recommended that he suspend basketball related activities for two weeks. He will not travel with the team to prevent stress on his back and will be re-evaluated again by the doctors at Georgetown following the conclusion of the two-week period.

The doctors at Georgetown University have been in contact with the Pistons’ medical staff and Iverson will begin treatment for his sore back upon his return to Detroit on Thursday.

Read more at Pistons.com

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What happens now?

Have we seen the last of Allen Iverson?

Is his back really hurt?

Who knows… but I want to hear your opinion.

Peace,

John W. Davis

www.pistonscast.com

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:

————–

” 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?”

————–

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

Peace,

John W. Davis

www.pistonscast.com

Pistons.com Detroit v. New Orleans Quote of the Day:

Rip Hamilton…

On Playing Most of the Game Without Allen Iverson: “The way we’ve have been starting, is the way [head coach Michael Curry] wants. I’ve said I’m happy to come off the bench as long as we’re winning. But we’re losing. We’re now 4-12 with me coming off the bench. Something’s got to give. I’m all for doing whatever it takes for the team, but coming off the bench with us not winning, something’s got to change.”

(Thanks to Matt from the AU for all the great pics and the link.)

*Other Pistons Points to ponder…

 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?

 
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

Allen Iverson VIA the Detroit Free Press:

Detroit, 27-26, will play five games in eight days starting on Sunday night in Cleveland.

“Obviously it’s crucial because we’re not winning,” Iverson said after Thursday’s loss to San Antonio. “But all we need to concentrate on is one game at time. We got to get the first one.”

Home court advantage is always talked about, but Iverson is excited about entering some hostile environments.

“I think the most important thing is on the road you concentrate a lot more,” Iverson said. “A lot of times guys feel like the game’s going to be won by the fans.

“But on the road you are playing against their team plus 20,000 other people, and the level of concentration is there and the distractions are not there. It might be a good thing.”

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