Detroit Pistons @ Cleveland Cav's 3/5 7:00

• devil1197

  Stuckey going down was rough, but Cleveland had the momentum before hand and was going to come back anyways imo.
• ytownfootball

  

  Stuckey is set to return to Detroit, awaiting a few further tests, but all done so far have returned negative. Something going on with Rodney, he needs to find out what the deal is imo.
• hoops23

  

  KnightXC1 wrote: Tough game for the Pistons. Play so well for most of it then Stuckey goes down and they can't hang on. Defense hurt without Ben in their tonight so hopefully he and Rodney get back soon.

  I'm not trying to be an ass, but Detroit sucks. They DON'T have the right mix of players and Dumars (one of the most overrated GM's in the NBA) Waaaaaaaay overspent for two role players in CV and Gordon.
  
  It doesn't matter if they're healthy or not, this is not a playoff team, especially in an improved Eastern conference..
  
  I said after the Pistons made their moves they'd be an 8 seed at best, and that was before Milwaukee and Charlotte showed promise.
  
  The only way Detroit gets any better, is if they can find some teams to swap some players around with. I didn't like what Dumars did to begin with, then he dug the Pistons grave even deeper this past offseason.
• KnightXC1

  

  Seeing as you probably watch them about 4 times a year, I take what you say with a grain of salt. Had they been healthy all year, they are in the playoffs right now. The only thing they truly lack is low post prescence who can score. Their guard depth is as good as any in the league and they have some skilled young players. I realize it's a rebuilding year now but if Rip, Gordon, and Prince don't miss a combined around 100 games, this team is in the playoffs.
• Footwedge

  KnightXC1 wrote: Seeing as you probably watch them about 4 times a year, I take what you say with a grain of salt. Had they been healthy all year, they are in the playoffs right now. The only thing they truly lack is low post prescence who can score. Their guard depth is as good as any in the league and they have some skilled young players. I realize it's a rebuilding year now but if Rip, Gordon, and Prince don't miss a combined around 100 games, this team is in the playoffs.

  The Pistons run officially ended when management sent Mr. Big Shot to the Nuggets for AI. Billups was the best player of your team during your run.
  
  Uncharacteristically, Billups had a bad series a few years ago, helping the Cavs in upsetting the favored Pistons.
  
  I think that the addition of Billups, makes the Nuggets a really dangerous team to win it all.
  
  As for the Piston injury problems this year, your team has had their fair share. But Ltrain is right in his overall assessment of your team. You could have remained healthy, and still not made the playoffs. Last year, your team was healthy, and the Cavs blew out the Pistons 4 straight...none of the games were even remotely close.
  
  Ben, Rip, and Prince are all in the twilights of their careers....and as such, your team needs a major overhaul.
  
  Just be happy that your team had a couple of good runs including winning titles over the past 22 years.
• KnightXC1

  

  ^^ Obviously the run ended when they traded Billups Mr. Obvious. But to bring up last year in the playoffs when the team was in turmoil because of Iverson and had a moron of a coach is completely different from this year. I will again reiterate that Hamilton, Prince, Gordon, and Bynum have missed almost 100 combined games this season. How well would the Cavs be doing if Lebron, Shaq, Williams, and Varejao missed that many games with Lebron and Shaq missing the most? The injuries have devastated them this year and it took Lebron to drop 40 to beat them last night. The team does not need an overall since they are relatively young now with the only veterans being Wallace, Hamilton, and Prince.
  
  Maybe you should get your next Cavs rant ready for when they lose again so you can turn on your team again. Baseball is right around the corner too so plenty of hopping on and off the bandwagon for you
• SQ_Crazies

  

  The only thing I think of when I think of what happened to the Pistons, is imagine what the rivalry would be like had they drafted Melo, Wade or Bosh instead of Darko. Would have been much tougher for the Cavs to unseat them from the top of the Central and the East, but man that would have been a ridiculous rivalry.
• hoops23

  

  KnightXC1 wrote: Seeing as you probably watch them about 4 times a year, I take what you say with a grain of salt. Had they been healthy all year, they are in the playoffs right now. The only thing they truly lack is low post prescence who can score. Their guard depth is as good as any in the league and they have some skilled young players. I realize it's a rebuilding year now but if Rip, Gordon, and Prince don't miss a combined around 100 games, this team is in the playoffs.

  No, they wouldn't be in the playoffs. No height, volume shooters, no defense, and no consistency wouldn't have them in the playoffs..
  
  And I can guarantee you I've seen them more than 4 times.. I love the NBA and as a fan of the game, Detroit doesn't have the right mix.
  
  Also, guard depth doesn't mean a thing if none of them are truly breaking out.. A bunch of "solid" guards doesn't result to much of anything. Especially when you have no low post presence.
• devil1197

  This team wasn't playoff bound when they over paid for CV and Gordon imo to make it look like they had a great summer.
• KnightXC1

  

  SQ_Crazies wrote: The only thing I think of when I think of what happened to the Pistons, is imagine what the rivalry would be like had they drafted Melo, Wade or Bosh instead of Darko. Would have been much tougher for the Cavs to unseat them from the top of the Central and the East, but man that would have been a ridiculous rivalry.

  Would be nuts but at the time drafting Darko was the right pick after Prince had a breakout postseason the year before, which meant they didn't need Anthony. Had Billups and Hamilton so no reason to get Wade. Bosh would have made sense but everyone predicted Darko was the next big foreign player and compared him to Dirk Nowitzki. Looking back I would have taken Bosh.
  

  LTrain23 wrote:

  KnightXC1 wrote: No, they wouldn't be in the playoffs. No height, volume shooters, no defense, and no consistency wouldn't have them in the playoffs..
  
  And I can guarantee you I've seen them more than 4 times.. I love the NBA and as a fan of the game, Detroit doesn't have the right mix.
  
  Also, guard depth doesn't mean a thing if none of them are truly breaking out.. A bunch of "solid" guards doesn't result to much of anything. Especially when you have no low post presence.

  So how many full Pistons games have you watched then? Since they are 11th in the league in opponents PPG so obviously they play defense and have been solid defensively all year. They lead the league in offensive rebounding and give up the 4th fewest offensive boards and 9th fewest defensive boards. I again reiterate that if they had been healthy, they would be a playoff team. Easily would have ten more wins as they still managed to beat Orlando and Denver without about 50 points of scoring in each of those games. If you want to keep denying this fact, then you are ignorant. The only thing they don't have is the low post player. Which is fine since Jerebko will be a very good player and their other 2 rookies will be good as well once they get more experience.

• Footwedge

  KnightXC1 wrote: ^^ Obviously the run ended when they traded Billups Mr. Obvious. But to bring up last year in the playoffs when the team was in turmoil because of Iverson and had a moron of a coach is completely different from this year. I will again reiterate that Hamilton, Prince, Gordon, and Bynum have missed almost 100 combined games this season. How well would the Cavs be doing if Lebron, Shaq, Williams, and Varejao missed that many games with Lebron and Shaq missing the most? The injuries have devastated them this year and it took Lebron to drop 40 to beat them last night. The team does not need an overall since they are relatively young now with the only veterans being Wallace, Hamilton, and Prince.
  
  Maybe you should get your next Cavs rant ready for when they lose again so you can turn on your team again. Baseball is right around the corner too so plenty of hopping on and off the bandwagon for you

  I've never been a band wagon fan there Sleuth. And for the record, the Cavs have lost a ton of players over the course of this season without missing a beat. They also had major injuries last year as well.
  
  All teams have injuries..look at Denver...or LA. When your team is loaded, than they overcome unjuries. When your team sucks, they suck with or without injuries.
  
  You had a couple of good runs...congrats to you. But the Pistons are now garbage and won't sniff the playoffs for many years to come. Get used to it.
  
  So take your crying towell elsewhare. The fact is, your team absolutely blows now.
• Footwedge

  Oh...and Knight....a couple more things...your Pistons have been outscired by almost 300 points this year. That is the 3rd worst in the entire league. And please spare me the bullshit on Rodney Stuckey. He is a God awful point guard. 40% from the field are Larry Hughes type numbers.
• SQ_Crazies

  

  Darko was NOT the best pick. Bosh/Melo/Wade were all better picks, and everyone seemed to know it even then except the Pistons. Darko is obviously considered a bust, but many people threw up major red flags with him before he was drafted. Personally, I thought it was pretty easy to see based on tape of him that he wasn't going to be worth the #2 pick. Regardless of what Prince did the year before, Melo was still their best option at the time.
  
  In hindsight, I think Wade would have been the best fit. But at that time Melo was the sure fire #2 pick.
• hoops23

  

  Coming out of Syracuse, Melo should have been the #2 pick.. Easily.
• pkebker

  LOL at Darko being the right pick. No matter how well Prince did, a team can always use a Melo. And since the pistons drafted a big, they should have drafted Bosh. Saying Darko was the right pick is absurd, and you probably lost all respect from the rest of us.
• KnightXC1

  

  Footwedge wrote:

  KnightXC1 wrote: I've never been a band wagon fan there Sleuth. And for the record, the Cavs have lost a ton of players over the course of this season without missing a beat. They also had major injuries last year as well.
  
  All teams have injuries..look at Denver...or LA. When your team is loaded, than they overcome unjuries. When your team sucks, they suck with or without injuries.
  
  You had a couple of good runs...congrats to you. But the Pistons are now garbage and won't sniff the playoffs for many years to come. Get used to it.
  
  So take your crying towell elsewhare. The fact is, your team absolutely blows now.

  Cavs have lost a ton of players? Outside of Shaq for this long of time, how many games have the rest of their team missed? Can't be more than 30 which is what Rip missed by himself. Take Lebron out of the lineup for 30 games with Shaq out for 29, Mo Williams for 19, and Varejao 19 and ALL of them being out at the same time. How good would the Cavs record then look. That's how bad the injuries were for the Pistons after the 1st game of the year. Comparing the Pistons to injuries the Lakers or Nuggetts have is laughable because Kobe, Anthony, Billups and the big stars for those teams weren't out. 4 of the top 5 scorers for Detroit were out at the same time. Sorry maybe bandwagon wasn't the word since you always show back up for the Cavs and Tribe once they start winning again but cry a river when they lose, such the first game with Jamison. I can bring up the thread if you like.
  
  

  SQ_Crazies wrote: Darko was NOT the best pick. Bosh/Melo/Wade were all better picks, and everyone seemed to know it even then except the Pistons. Darko is obviously considered a bust, but many people threw up major red flags with him before he was drafted. Personally, I thought it was pretty easy to see based on tape of him that he wasn't going to be worth the #2 pick. Regardless of what Prince did the year before, Melo was still their best option at the time.
  
  In hindsight, I think Wade would have been the best fit. But at that time Melo was the sure fire #2 pick.

  I remember watching the draft that night and EVERY analyst said it was the right pick and compared Darko to Dirk and said he could be a great player. The only knock was that he was young and would take a couple years to develop. Other than that, at the time, everyone in every mock draft had Darko going 2. Melo was only a freshman coming out of college which people had some doubt on and the same went for Wade. It's easy to criticize the pick now seeing what those other 3 guys have become. I agree it was a terrible pick but nothing you can do.
  
  

  pkebker wrote: LOL at Darko being the right pick. No matter how well Prince did, a team can always use a Melo. And since the pistons drafted a big, they should have drafted Bosh. Saying Darko was the right pick is absurd, and you probably lost all respect from the rest of us.

  They didn't draft Darko to come in right away and play since they had a very good team coming off of a 50 win season. They drafted him to learn under Larry Brown (terrible coach for young players) and Ben Wallace. They had plenty of big guys at the time with Wallace, Okur, Campbell, and Williamson which was before they got Rasheed during that season. So again I reiterate, AT THE TIME it was the right pick because they didn't need a player who had to come in right away and contribute and ride the bench behind Hamilton, Billups, Prince, Wallace, Okur, Williamson, and Campbell.