Posts tagged ‘Pistonscast’

What’s Going on World?

John W. Davis here.  Let me update you on the Pistonscast Haiku Contest.  We have had eight entries so far.  

Check out the comments section here http://www.pistonscast.com/blog/2008/08/08/pistonscast-haiku-contest/#comments to read all the great Piston inspired Haikus.

Whose Haiku is best?  Deven Khrucell, John W. Davis and a special guest host from SLAM MAGAZINE will judge our top entries and determine the winner on an upcoming episode.

As always, drop a comment or shoot us an email at hosts@pistonscast.com.

Peace,

John W. Davis

Whats up World?

John W. Davis here. Check out our audio interview with Marcus Stout Episode 61.

Marcus is a Detroit native who played collegiately at Fordham University. Marcus played his high school ball at Detroit Renaissance where he was a state champion. He played with the likes of Malik Hairston (San Antonio Spurs), Joe Crawford (Los Angeles Lakers), and Tajuan Porter (University of Oregon star point guard). Basically his team was loaded and he was over looked. After getting an invite by Joe Dumars to a pre-draft workout, he was invited to play for his hometown team in the Summer League.

Marcus talks about his summer league experiences, what’s next for him and what he needs to show NBA personnel to make it to the NBA. (Spoiler: The Pistons’ front office see him as a point guard.) Marcus also stuck around after his interview to host the rest of the show.

Our thanks goes to Marcus Stout and we wish him the best in the future. He is welcomed back on Pistonscast anytime!

Off the Cuff Audio Chat with Marcus Stout

http://www.pistonscast.com/podcasts/pistonscast061.mp3

Peace,

John W. Davis

www.pistonscast.com

Walter Sharpe interviewed on Pistonscast.com

Posted by Dave Dial July 29, 2008 17:01PM

Mystery Guest Revealed!  Episode 60

When we recently spoke to Walter Sharpe he said his mindset would separate him from all the other 2008 Draft Picks. All 59 other picks. He feels that his self confidence and desire will make him a very valuable Detroit Piston. We caught up with Walter Sharpe who was out to dinner at home in Alabama on his way home. (That should speak to you about his character.)

Off the Cuff Audio Chat with Walter Sharpe

http://www.pistonscast.com/podcasts/pistonscast060.mp3

Interview Recap

Pistonscast: Thanks for coming on to the show. When you were drafted by the Detroit Pistons, Joe Dumars, you knew he was going to pick you the whole time…

Walter Sharpe: I had an idea but you never know, with things like Darrell Arthur falling in the draft you never can be too sure.

Pistonscast: How did you feel when you saw guys like DeAndre Jordan, Chris Douglas-Roberts and Bill Walker go after you?

Walter Sharpe: It wasn’t amazing to me, but with nobody really knowing me, it made it a big thing, but I never felt like any of those guys were head and shoulders above me or anything like that. You know I go into every workout just like I don’t know anybody.

Pistonscast: You definitely carry yourself in a poised manner. A lot of people are comparing you to Tayshaun Prince. What do you think about that?

Walter Sharpe: Aww man Tayshaun is a great player man. So being compared to a player like that how can you complain.

Pistonscast: Are their any players in the league now or in the past that you would pattern your game after?

Walter Sharpe: That’s tough man, because it makes it so different because I’m playing the three now, what I used to play the 5 and 4, a three man, a small forward in the game, I like McGrady man.

Pistonscast: Walt, you played inside a lot in the past, in high school, at Mississippi State and at University Alabama Birmingham you played the four and five. Then Joe Dumars and the Pistons are like we need a backup to Tayshaun Prince, What is that transition like?

Walter Sharpe: Its been tough, its not tough like so much as just having the ability to do it, I think I have the offense ability to do it, it’s the transition with the little things like defense, the positioning, moving all the time. Its so much constant movement with the guard spot that it is with playing the 4 and 5. Its more than just shooting the ball and offense doesn’t get you on the court its more defense.

Pistonscast: Walt how would you rank yourself as a defense player, do you consider yourself a defense stopper, do you enjoy playing defense?

Walter Sharpe: Its new to be playing the three, but defense stopper… I wouldn’t quite say im a defense stopper yet…

Pistonscast: Not Yet! But you will be, because the buzz that going around is look at him now and he still doesn’t know how to play the position yet..

Walter Sharpe: Exactly…

Pistonscast: What thoughts when through your mind when you saw guys like DeAndre Jordan not get drafted, and the Pistons selected you at the 32^nd pick?

Walter Sharpe: Well first, what people don’t realize is that those guys are a lot younger than me. I don’t really watch a lot of college basketball, I know Bill Walker and the big name guys but I never really knew them from watching them play. So I never really had the fear or question myself like that. It’s basketball. That’s what I have been doing all my life. I’m looking at players in the NBA who I think I might be able to match up with not really college players.

Pistonscast: Who are you looking at? Are you looking at KG…

Walter Sharpe: Yeah! Yeah! I’m looking at KG and guarding guys like Kobe and T-Mac Im not really concerned with those (college) guys.

Pistonscast: If you can guard KG one night then T-Mac another night and then Kobe the next… They don’t have a digit made up for the amount of money that you are gonna be worth.

Walter Sharpe: Those guys its about containing its not about stopping Kobe, we wont even bring that up right now we’ll wait like two or three years to bring that conservation up…

We not even gonna talk about that man, Kobe and T-Mac man, I’m just saying that’s what I’m looking at as far as those guys should go before me. I looked at the guys in my class, I was in the class with Josh Smith and Dwight and all those guys. I was in the class of ’04 coming out of high school. I really like seeing their games and seeing them play.

Pistonscast: What is like then when you see Josh Smith and Dwight Howard guys you were in the high school class with, already excelling in the NBA?

Walter Sharpe: It’s like I seen them in high school and through out that process and all them was good now, I played with Dwight and all them guys but it makes you think like man, I should be there. It’s almost like motivation to go out and work harder and get there myself.

Our thanks to Walt Sharpe! We will catch him another time on Pistonscast.

Stay tuned for Episode 61 when Marcus Stout a member of the 2008 Detroit Pistons Summer League team will be a special co-host, only on www.pistonscast.com

Peace,

John W. Davis

www.pistonscast.com

What’s up world? John W. Davis here. Anyone who guesses the special guest gets to submit a question to ask him.

I’m not giving any hints either. Well okay. You know that he is a male. I will also tell you that he plays for the Detroit Pistons.

THAT’s IT! I’m not saying anything else other than I am excited. Email us at hosts@pistonscast.com or go to Contact and submit your guess.

I’m giving everyone 2 guesses. Thats it. 1… 2… and then you are out!

-John W. Davis

The Pistons Close the Gap

Does all this mean that the Pistons have closed the gap?  In the regular season the Pistons had an efficiency differential of 8.17.  In the post-season this differential has declined to 5.10.  Yes, the Celtics still boast a better differential even when we compare just the post-season performance of each team.

One should note, though, that the Pistons have faced better competition than Boston.  So one could argue that the Pistons have closed the gap.  Certainly as a Pistons fan I hope this is the case.

Had the Pistons maintained their regular season performance we would not have to discuss strength of competition.  If that were the case the Pistons would have thus far surpassed the Celtics.  Why were the Pistons unable to maintain what we saw in the regular season? One answer, as detailed in The Wages of Wins, is that playoff performance tends to be worse than the regular season (due to improved competition).  One Piston, though, has decline a bit more than we would expect.

Table Three: The Detroit Pistons after the First Two Rounds of the 2008 Playoffs

As Table Three reveals, virtually all of Detroit’s decline can be attributed to Rasheed Wallace.  In the regular season his WP48 [Wins Produced per 48 minutes] was 0.142. In the post-season his mark is only 0.031. 

Wallace is not the only one whose performance has changed.  Chauncey Billups is also offering less while Tayshaun Prince is now leading the team in Wins Produced.  If Wallace and Billups can return to form, and Prince keeps producing, the Pistons might just advance to the NBA Finals.  And if that happens, I think the Pistons might just win their fourth NBA title.  Or to put it another way, I think the winner of the Celtics-Pistons series should be favored over either the Lakers or Spurs.

Let me close by noting that fans of Boston and Detroit should look forward to a great series.  As I noted a few weeks ago, the current edition of each team is the best in each franchise’s history.  In sum, this should be real fun (and even more fun if the Pistons win).

David J. Berri
Associate Professor of Economics
California State University-Bakersfield

www.dberri.wordpress.com