What’s Going on World?

John W. Davis here.

23 points+5.3 assists+4.5 rebounds/game= Eastern Conference Player of the Week.

I know the Pistonscast Posse is excited because frankly every Pistons fan in the world should be.

Stuckey and the Pistons were 4-0 last week. If going undefeated isn’t impressive enough, consider that Stuckey played without Rip all week and without Sheed for three games.

If that’s not deserving I don’t know what is!

VIA PISTONS.COM:

“One thing about Stuckey is that when he sees an opportunity to attack, regardless of what the play call is, he attacks,” Pistons’ Coach Michael Curry said after Stuckey’s 38-point effort in the win over Sacramento last week. “Those are the things we saw withim him and that’s why he’s becoming a really, really good point guard. He’s picking and choosing when to be aggressive.”

Peace,

John W. Davis

www.pistonscast.com

We have an updated report from one of the Pistonscast Posse.

Richard from Howell, MI

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*First of all I want to say that Dwight Howard is RIPPED.  I managed to get his autograph by the tunnel and his arms looked like they were about to explode.

Now on to the pistons.  They played with great intensity in the first have and rolled onto an 11-point half time lead.  I thought Jason Maxiell did a great job off the bench, like that sick block on morcin gartet or whatever his name is.  That should buy him some playing time.

Rodney Stuckey had another good game making me even happier with his change to the starting lineup.  They did a good job playing without their co-captain and my boy, Rip Hamilton.  You gotta wonder if this lineup without Rip is the best way to go, we seem to play better this way and we can only get better when Rip comes back.  To me it’s the obvious choice of what lineup we should go with. Overall the best part about the first half was how well they were able to shutdown Superman Dwight.  His huge stat line with one first half point proved it.

Unfortunately there was the second half.  Right out of the gate they looked flat, bad body language, lazy Sheed (a.k.a. Rash) and they continually had possessions where they let the shot clock get low, causing a bad shot.  They couldn’t stop Rashard Lewis or Dwight Howard.  I lost count at somewhere around 50 three pointers for Lewis including the one that he nearly converted to a four point play after being tackled by Dyess.  The game was physical all night long, it was unusual how many injuries we saw.

The Good: First half intensity, good play without Rip, energy off the bench, no Superman in first half,   Rodney Stuckey, win pushes record to 18-11, MC seems to be getting more comfortable and more involved
The Bad: Second half, couldn’t stop Rashard Lewis or Dwight Howard, Rash…eed, poor execution, Iverson didn’t play well, we didn’t see either of the Walters but I guess I didn’t really expect Razor Sharpe to play anyway, Amir was quiet.

Peace,

Richard

Howell, MI

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What’s Going on World?

John W. Davis here.

Here is your official discussion blog for tonight’s game against the Orlando Magic.  Hopefully we can play some of that outstanding 3rd Quarter Milwaukee Bucks defense tonight and get a big win!

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VIA MLIVE:

Big or small?

“When we have the bigger lineup, we’re better defensively, we’re better defensive rebounding and it gives us an opportunity to block more shots,” Prince said. “It’s just kind of pick and choose.”

Said Iverson: “It’s something we have to work through, work on our rotations and take advantage of it (small lineup) on the offensive end and use our speed against those bigger guys.”

Injury report
Pistons guard Richard Hamilton, who did not play Saturday because of a left groin injury, is questionable for tonight. If he does not play, Amir Johnson once again will start at power forward with Tayshaun Prince back to small forward and Rasheed Wallace at center. The backcourt will consist of Rodney Stuckey and Iverson.

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*Personally, I’m looking for Stuckey to eat up Jameer Nelson tonight like he did D. Rose!

Who do you think is the key to victory?

Peace,

John W. Davis

www.pistonscast.com

What’s Going on World?

How is my Pistonscast Posse doing. I hope you enjoyed the win against the Bulls because I surely did. Watching Stuckey destroy a great young player like Derrick Rose speaks volume to how good Rodney Stuckey really is.

If Derrick Rose is a young offensive minded J-Kidd the Rodney Stuckey might just be a smaller version of say… LEBRON JAMES!

Let me stop now before I get all excited.

Anyway, It’s very simple Episode 75 is here!

WHO ARE YOU SENDING TO THE BENCH?

1. AI.

2. RIP.

Tell us who and why?

Peace,

www.pistonscast.com

Hey guys.

Here’s Part II on A Few Thoughts on the Detroit Pistons. Click here for Part I.

The fact that Allen Iverson is a Piston still hasn’t really sunk in for me. Now I don’t know if he makes the Pistons necessarily better, but he definitely makes them different. If he can make the Pistons less predictable offensively in the playoffs, then he will have done his job.

However Iverson’s tenure in Detroit goes, this trade can’t be fully judged until the summer of 2010. Everyone knows that the cap space that the Pistons gained with this trade was a major reason for it. If the Pistons are able to acquire Chris Bosh, LeBron James, or another premier player, then this trade will have been a success. As for Denver’s end of the trade, you already know how I feel about that in my previous posts found here and here.

I honestly don’t like the Detroit Pistons chances of winning the NBA title this year. Then again in December 2003, who would have said that the Pistons would have won the title that following spring? I’m guessing no one. Most would have said that the Pacers, Spurs, Timberwolves, Lakers, or Kings were going to win the championship that year.

So maybe the Pistons need to be considered the underdogs. But with each passing day it seems more and more likely that the title will be won by the Celtics, Lakers, or Cavaliers. Now I’m not counting out the Pistons by any means. Remember that the Pistons are basically in training camp with Iverson since he was acquired during the season.

Also recall that Antonio McDyess, who was included in that trade, was resigned by the Pistons this week. I’m not claiming that time and McDyess are the answers to this team’s problem, but McDyess’s return does affect several things.

It allows Rodney Stuckey to more effectively lead the second unit and to slash and penetrate better since opposing teams will have to respect McDyess’s jumpshot. It also allows Rasheed Wallace to player fewer minutes as he won’t have to burden being the only big man with above average defense and a reliable jumper. And it also takes the burden off Kwame Brown, Jason Maxiell, and Amir Johnson as they won’t be counted on to score consistently or do anything else outside of their expertise.

So maybe time and McDyess will be all the Pistons need, but I sincerely doubt it. However, if the Pistons continue to struggle, even with more time and McDyess, there might be another trade in the near future or at the very least lineup changes.

I don’t think LeBron James becomes a Detroit Piston anytime soon, but it’s definitely a possibility. If he really wants to play for multiple championships then he has to consider Detroit. In 2010 the Pistons’ likely roster will look as follows: Rip Hamilton, Tayshaun Prince, Rodney Stuckey, Arron Afflalo, Jason Maxiell, and Amir Johnson.

That’s not a bad lineup already. Throw in a LeBron or a Bosh and you can start talking about a serious championship run. I do think that the Pistons will have a great chance to acquire either Carlos Boozer or Chris Bosh. Either way, from now until July 2010 is going to be a very interesting and exciting time in the NBA.

In summary, this season for the Pistons is exciting and new, but also frustrating sometimes. Nothing is guaranteed anymore but maybe that’s a good thing. In the past the Pistons would fall apart in the conference finals of the playoffs. Now I don’t know if even that’s going to happen as they might lose in the second round or even the first round. But they might also make it to the finals and win a championship.

The trade for Iverson is hopefully a positive thing for this season and for future seasons. It should make Detroit a less predictable team in the playoffs and also allow the Pistons to sign or trade for a major free agent of 2010 (or 2009), such as LeBron James, Chris Bosh, Dwyane Wade, or Carlos Boozer. I don’t know what the future holds but I’m excited and optimistic.

Go Pistons!

-Steve Kays

www.pistonscast.com

YOUNG STUCK/50 CENT JR: ST ST ST STARTER UNIT!

What’s Going on World?

John W. Davis here. It’s official, and now starting at Guard for the Detroit Pistons!!!! Rodney Stuck-ey!

Yup, thats the word from Coach Curry today.

MC (HAMMER) VIA MLIVE:

“I like the fact that Stuckey is running the point, and I get A.I. and Rip more in their natural positions of being able to just run the wings,” Curry said. “They have someone to create the offense for them. Stuck also gives us a guy that can get the ball to where we want to get it to.”

ALSO DICE IS BACK!

In other Pistons news, Antonio McDyess was not at practice today because all the paperwork for his contract had yet to be completed. However, the Pistons still expect to have everything done in time for him to play against Washington tomorrow night.

I like the move. I just wish Stuckey was starting for Iverson instead of Killa Kwam Kwam Brown. I think we need a Pistons A team with Hamilton and a Pistons B team with Iverson.

Can you imagine how sweet we would be?

Peace,

John W. Davis

www.pistonscast.com

What’s Going on World?

John W. Davis here.  So I have to give a big shoutout to the Message Board Messiah Adam Lader.  He was trolling the net and found this great video over a Yardbarker.com.  Rasheed Wallace’s nicknames for his teammates.

Check it out:

My favorite nickname has to be Young 50 or Curtis Jackson Jr.  Adam and I have always said that Stuckey looks just like 50 Cent.

If you enjoyed what Sheed had to say, check out this full NBA Celebrity Look-A-Likes page. Part 1.  Part 2.

Peace,

John W. Davis

www.pistonscast.com

What’s Going on World?

John W. Davis here.

• • After the game Shaq had a science lesson for all:

  “The law of physics states that a body in motion stays in motion,” O’Neal said. “And if you have two objects that meet in the air, the smaller object is going to fall much harder at the same rate of speed it was going. I’ve never been the type of player to take anyone out. I was going for the ball.”

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Shaq, that’s pretty whack.  I know you are Superman, therefore you have super human strength but come on.  Don’t try to take out the future of the Pistons because you are retiring in less than two years.  That’s not cool.  Shoutout to Shaq, his free throw percentage is sky high this year, 58.7%!!!

Good Job big buddy!

Peace,

John W. Davis

www.pistonscast.com

YOUNG JEEZY SAYS: "IVERSON IS HARDER THAN A DINNER PLATE!"

What’s Going on World?

John W. Davis here.  The Pistons are on the road tonight against the Brooklyn-New Jersey Nets.  Tonight is definitely AI’s debut.  I’m looking forward to it.  Iverson completed his first PRAC-TICE on thursday.  The starting lineup is supposed to be Iverson, Rip, Tayshaun, Amir and Rasheed.  I’m not opposed to Iverson off the bench but I’m pretty sure that will never happen.

Coach Curry had this to say in the Detroit News about the Pistons starting lineup and where Stuckey stands on the starter’s learning curve.  “Stuckey is still learning,” Curry said. “He has a lot of talent, but he still has a ways to go. I’ve always said, if you don’t give young guys things and you make them earn it, they will keep it.  “If you give them something, you can take it away. He’s earning his keep, and he’s earning his time on the court.”

The Detroit Pistons are 4-0 and the Nets are coming in at 1-2.  Coach Mike Curry went deep into the rotation last game playing 11 B-ballers against the Raps, so look for at least 10 players to hit the floor (and score) in the IZOD Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey.  I expect a win against the Nets but you never know what will happen away from the Palace.

Check out this cool photo gallery of Iverson in his new Pistons duds.

*Also Rip misses Chauncey.

Peace,

John W. Davis

www.pistonscast.com

Chauncey Billups sent a message that he is still the man in Detroit when the game is on the line, the Detroit News is reporting.

Billups scored 8 points in the final 2 1/2 minutes to trigger the Pistons’ 85-81 comeback exhibition victory over the Mavericks at The Palace on Thursday.

“Listen, when it gets to crunch time, I am going to have the ball, and I am going to be initiating sets,” Billups said Friday. “That’s just how it’s going to be, and it’s not just me saying that; it’s everybody saying it.”

Via Detroit News

Should Chauncey still be in charge in crunch time?

Should he take the last shot?

Starting Amir

The 2008 playoffs ended for the Pistons in the Eastern Conference Finals.  Again.  For the past three seasons the Pistons have advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals, only to lose in six games.

After seeing the Pistons lose to the Celtics last May, Joe Dumars appeared to promise major changes.  He was quoted as saying “everybody’s in play. There are no sacred cows here.” As noted at True Blue Pistons: “the message is clear: If Dumars has his way, the Pistons are going to look significantly different by the time they convene for training camp in October.”

Joe’s Big Changes

When the summer ended, though, significant differences were hard to find.  Here are the changes made to the roster:

• Kwame Brown - the first player taken in the 2001 draft - was added via free agency. Brown has never lived up to his lofty draft status and is expected to be a back-up center with the Pistons
• Walter Sharpe — as second round draft choice of the team formally known as the Seattle Supersonics - was acquired on draft night. Sharpe might become the primary back-up at the small forward position. Then again he might not.
• Trent Plaisted - another second round draft choice by the team formally known as the Seattle Supersonics - was also acquired on draft night. Plaisted currently plays for Angelico Biella (in the Italian Serie A).
• Deron Washington was selected by the Pistons with the 59^th choice in the draft. It’s not clear where he is playing. He is listed on Detroit’s current roster but has yet to log any playing time in the pre-season.
• The Pistons also gave two-year contracts to Alex Acker (the team’s second round draft choice from 2005) and Will Bynum (an undrafted player). Each player appeared briefly in 2005-06. Acker played 35 minutes with the Pistons while Bynum played 162 minutes. Each player might occasionally be seen off the bench for the Pistons in 2008-09.

When it comes to player acquisitions, this is about all the Pistons did.  From this list it appears Dumars has concluded that the Pistons primary problem in 2007-08 was the players sitting on the bench.  Apparently Dumars believes that a better cheering section on the bench will be enough to push the Pistons past the Celtics and Lakers in 2008-09.

In all seriousness, Dumars did more than just change Detroit’s cheering section.  Dumars fired head coach Flip Saunders (who I think is a good coach).  And the Pistons have indicated the following two changes to the team’s rotation.

• First, Amir Johnson has been inserted into the starting line-up.
• And secondly, there are indications that a more concerted effort will be made to give additional minutes to Rodney Stuckey.

Are these moves, though, going to be enough to push the Pistons to the top?

Can Amir Really Make Detroit Fans Happy?

To answer this question, let’s start with the Amir Johnson story.  It was only a few days ago that the Pistons announced that Johnson will be inserted into the starting line-up.   Here is how John W. Davis of Pistonscast responded to this news: I am so freakin happy.  I am excited.  I feel stupendous.  I feel like going for a 7 miles run in Amir’s honor.  Okay, IM HAPPY.

John was not the only one to have this reaction.  In general, fans of the Pistons see Amir starting as a reason to be optimistic about the 2008-09 season.

At first glance, it’s hard to see why the decision to start Johnson would generate such a sentiment.  Johnson was only a second round draft choice in 2005 and has played fewer than 1,o00 minutes in the first three years of his NBA career.

But as detailed last February (see Meet Amir Johnson), what we have seen in these minutes has been quite impressive.  To illustrate, here is how the Pistons returning to the team in 2008-09 (who played at least 500 minutes last season in Detroit)  rank in terms of WP48 [Wins Produced per 48 minutes] from 2007-08.

• 1. Chauncey Billups: 0.304 WP48
• 2. Amir Johnson: 0.244 WP48
• 3. Antonio McDyess: 0.172 WP48
• 4. Tayshaun Prince: 0.143 WP48
• 5. Rasheed Wallace: 0.142 WP48
• 6. Jason Maxiell: 0.141 WP48
• 7. Richard Hamilton: 0.131 WP48
• 8. Arron Afflalo: 0.079 WP48
• 9. Rodney Stuckey: 0.069 WP48

When we look at this list we see that the Pistons return seven players who were above average last season (average WP48 is o.100).  So this is an impressive roster.  And in terms of WP48, only Chauncey Billups was more impressive than Amir.

Amir only played 764 minutes last season.  So this list - at first glance - suggests that giving more minutes to Amir will lead to many additional wins in 2008-09.  I am not sure, though, that this first glance is really accurate.

To see the source of my doubts, let’s first consider how Detroit allocated minutes at the center and power forward positions last season:

• The primary rotation players - Antonio McDyess, Rasheed Wallace, Jason Maxiell, and Amir Johnson - played 7,168 and produced 24.2 wins.
• The bench players - Theo Ratliff, Nazr Mohammed, Primoz Brezec, Cheik Samb, and Walter Hermann - played 729 minutes and produced 0.9 wins.

Last season McDyess and Wallace played about 30 minutes per contest.  Even with McDyess moving to the bench, it’s hard to see how his minutes are going to decline substantially.  Therefore for Johnson to get many more minutes - assuming Brown gets the 729 minutes from the bench players (he probably gets more) — the team is going to have to transfer minutes from Maxiell.

Maxiell was above average last season, but not nearly as productive - on a per-minute basis - as Johnson.  Let’s imagine that the Pistons simply switched the minutes these two players played.  Specifically, let’s say Johnson played 1,768 minutes in 2008-09 (what Maxiell played last season) and Maxiell plays 764 minutes (again, what Johnson played last season).

Last year Johnson produced 3.9 wins last season while Maxiell produced 5.2.  If we reverse the minutes the players play -and production per minute doesn’t change - then Johnson will produce 9.0 wins and Maxiell will offer 2.2.  In sum, the combined wins from these two players will increase from 9.1 to 11.2.  Yes, the move to Johnson might be worth about two more victories.

Now it’s possible that the Pistons could give even more minutes to Johnson.  And that could lead to more wins.  But to take this step the Pistons would have to take minutes from McDyess or Wallace (and don’t forget Kwame Brown who is also going to see some playing time).  And I just can’t see the minutes of McDyess and Wallace falling far below 30 minutes per contest.

So let me summarize how I see the move to start Amir:

• Although Amir is the most productive big man on the Pistons (on a per-minute basis) most of the other big man are above average players. So the gain from switching minutes is less than what we would see if Amir was given the minutes of a truly below average player.
• In addition, I just can’t see the Pistons substantially reducing the playing time of McDyess and Wallace. Therefore the minutes Johnson will play - even as starter - will be limited.

Given these two points, the gains the Pistons will see from starting Amir will probably be quite small.

Can Stuckey Help?

Although these gains are small, at least the movement to Amir will likely take the Pistons in a positive direction.  The plan to play Stuckey more may actually hold this team back.

As we saw in the Amir story, minutes are finite.  If Stuckey is going to play more, someone else has to play less.  When we look back at the WP48 list - and see that Stuckey is the least productive returning Piston - it’s hard to conclude that giving more minutes to Stuckey will make this team better.

Before Stuckey fans get to angry about that last statement, let me note that although Stuckey was below average for an NBA player last season, he was above average for a rookie (rookies tend to post a WP48 that’s below 0.050). Furthermore, young players tend to get better. All that being said, Stuckey is going to have to get substantially better before an increase in his playing time is justified. As the above list indicates, Chauncey Billups is the most productive player on the team and the fifth most productive point guard in the league.  Although Stuckey will probably get better, it’s unlikely that he will start posting a WP48 in excess of 0.300.

Of course the Pistons could take minutes from Rip Hamilton.  Hamilton does offer more than Stuckey, but the difference is much smaller.  One should remember, though, that Hamilton didn’t seem happy that his minutes were cut by Flip Saunders. It may make Hamilton quite unhappy if Michael Curry - the team’s new head coach -cuts Rip’s minutes even more.

Getting Better?

When the off-season began, Detroit fans were promised substantial changes.  When we look at all that has happened, though, it’s hard to see how this team has closed the gap on the teams they must defeat to win a title.   Certainly the two big moves - regarding Amir and Stuckey - are unlikely to add much to the team’s victory totals.

All of this means that the Pistons are unlikely to win a title in 2000. Although I am a fan of Detroit (having been born there); I just can’t see this team catching the Celtics.  And I certainly can’t see this team catching the Lakers.

So the Pistons’ 2009 season - unlike the Detroit Shock’s 2008 WNBA season - will end with a loss.  And when that happens, I hope fans of the Pistons tune in to see the Shock try and defend their WNBA title.  If the Shock are successful, it will be their fourth title in seven years.  And that should help ease any pain the Detroit basketball fans feel from yet another Pistons failure.

- DJ