Why The Pistons Are A Better Team For Sure...

[KG Living Legend]

Wide load. Don't you think that this could possibly be the best TEAM That iverson has ever played on???

Denver bad experiment, talent but no team defense And Anthony is Awesome but a knucklehead.

What he did with Philly and Larry brown was astonishing.

Nothing at all on offense accept the answer, but a great Defense first mentality.

Now If they can play, and get Iverson to buy into the same concept that Detroit has played for years. And add to that a Scorer who can create His own shot that Detroit has never had.

Don't you think it's a great opportuninty For Both Detroit and Iverson??

[hoopaddict08]

If Iverson and Rip, learn to play together, there is no question this team is dangerous. Iverson worst season of his career, is better than Billups best season of his career. There are definitely questions for this new look Detroit team, but there were also questions for last years Celtics team. They aren't going to be answered until after these guys start playing together. We will see how Rondo does this Sunday, when Celtics play in Detroit.  

[Who]

What about Stuckey as a PG defender? Billups is not a great defender at all.

I regard Stuckey as a superior defender than Billups.

The biggest difference will be minutes played, and if Stuckey is on the floor with AI he's likely defending the two guard position. So how many minutes does Stuckey get defending the point now? 10-15 minutes? Versus the 48 minutes the Pistons had with the Billups/Stuckey combination. Big difference.

As I said yesterday I'm not ready to rule out Iverson's defensive contribution on the Pistons, I think there's a chance he provides good D for them - it is more likely that Iverson doesn't provide good D. I'm just not ready to rule it out.

Detroit have been using a lot of full court pressure, I'm looking forward to seeing if AI can pressure the ball well nowadays. I'm excited about whether or not AI can do this. I like the idea of someone trying to get AI to play D. So many possible consequences here for the Pistons and Michael Curry, both bad and good.

[wdleehi]

Wide load. Don't you think that this could possibly be the best TEAM That iverson has ever played on???

Denver bad experiment, talent but no team defense And Anthony is Awesome but a knucklehead.

What he did with Philly and Larry brown was astonishing.

Nothing at all on offense accept the answer, but a great Defense first mentality.

Now If they can play, and get Iverson to buy into the same concept that Detroit has played for years. And add to that a Scorer who can create His own shot that Detroit has never had.

Don't you think it's a great opportuninty For Both Detroit and Iverson??

I think it is an opportunity for Iverson to get his stats up for his new contract.


I think it is an opportunity for Detoit to create cap space next year to rebuild.


I think it is an opportunity for Boston as one of the tougher teams in the East just got weaker. 


AS for what he did in Philly, it was a defensive team that Brown put around him.  He found a large defensive PG to go next to him that didn't need to shoot  (doesn't exist in Detroit).  He put a big time rebounder/shot blocker who didn't need many offensive touches  (doesn't exist in Detroit).  He put together a team of defensive players that didn't need the ball on offense. 

Other differences.

1) Larry Brown was the coach.  Detroit has a rookie coach.

2) The East was terrible.  He had to get past the Isiah Thomas lead Pacers (with a pre-allstar O'Neal) Vince Carter Raptors, and the Bucks (Cassell, Ray and Big Dog).

That team would have been at best, the 4th seed in the East now.  (Probably 5th since the Cavs and the Pistons before the trade were better) 

3) AI is older with more wear and tear. 




This deal is not about this year.  It is about next year.  I wouldn't be shocked if Rip was the next to go.

[crownsy]

Wide load. Don't you think that this could possibly be the best TEAM That iverson has ever played on???

Denver bad experiment, talent but no team defense And Anthony is Awesome but a knucklehead.

What he did with Philly and Larry brown was astonishing.

Nothing at all on offense accept the answer, but a great Defense first mentality.

Now If they can play, and get Iverson to buy into the same concept that Detroit has played for years. And add to that a Scorer who can create His own shot that Detroit has never had.

Don't you think it's a great opportuninty For Both Detroit and Iverson??

I think it is an opportunity for Iverson to get his stats up for his new contract.


I think it is an opportunity for Detoit to create cap space next year to rebuild.


I think it is an opportunity for Boston as one of the tougher teams in the East just got weaker. 


AS for what he did in Philly, it was a defensive team that Brown put around him.  He found a large defensive PG to go next to him that didn't need to shoot  (doesn't exist in Detroit).  He put a big time rebounder/shot blocker who didn't need many offensive touches  (doesn't exist in Detroit).  He put together a team of defensive players that didn't need the ball on offense. 

Other differences.

1) Larry Brown was the coach.  Detroit has a rookie coach.

2) The East was terrible.  He had to get past the Isiah Thomas lead Pacers (with a pre-allstar O'Neal) Vince Carter Raptors, and the Bucks (Cassell, Ray and Big Dog).

That team would have been at best, the 4th seed in the East now.  (Probably 5th since the Cavs and the Pistons before the trade were better) 

3) AI is older with more wear and tear. 




This deal is not about this year.  It is about next year.  I wouldn't be shocked if Rip was the next to go.

I thought rip just got an extension? am i wrong on that? (entirely possable)

[indeedproceed]

Wide load. Don't you think that this could possibly be the best TEAM That iverson has ever played on???

Denver bad experiment, talent but no team defense And Anthony is Awesome but a knucklehead.

What he did with Philly and Larry brown was astonishing.

Nothing at all on offense accept the answer, but a great Defense first mentality.

Now If they can play, and get Iverson to buy into the same concept that Detroit has played for years. And add to that a Scorer who can create His own shot that Detroit has never had.

Don't you think it's a great opportuninty For Both Detroit and Iverson??

I think it is an opportunity for Iverson to get his stats up for his new contract.


I think it is an opportunity for Detoit to create cap space next year to rebuild.


I think it is an opportunity for Boston as one of the tougher teams in the East just got weaker. 


AS for what he did in Philly, it was a defensive team that Brown put around him.  He found a large defensive PG to go next to him that didn't need to shoot  (doesn't exist in Detroit).  He put a big time rebounder/shot blocker who didn't need many offensive touches  (doesn't exist in Detroit).  He put together a team of defensive players that didn't need the ball on offense. 

Other differences.

1) Larry Brown was the coach.  Detroit has a rookie coach.

2) The East was terrible.  He had to get past the Isiah Thomas lead Pacers (with a pre-allstar O'Neal) Vince Carter Raptors, and the Bucks (Cassell, Ray and Big Dog).

That team would have been at best, the 4th seed in the East now.  (Probably 5th since the Cavs and the Pistons before the trade were better) 

3) AI is older with more wear and tear. 




This deal is not about this year.  It is about next year.  I wouldn't be shocked if Rip was the next to go.

I thought rip just got an extension? am i wrong on that? (entirely possable)

He did. Rip isn't going anywhere. Amir Johnson has been playing very well.

I think Rasheed will be the next to go, if there is a next to go.

Guys that aren't going anywhere: Stuckey (he's a cornerstone), Hamilton (just got extended), Amir Johnson (21 yrs old, already starting), and Maxiell (he's a tweener that won't get fair value)

The rest of the roster is open, but Im confused. Is Dumars going to make a play this coming offseason? If so, for whom? Boozer? Marion? None of those guys pack anywhere near the star power of James, Wade, Bosh, etc.

[hoopaddict08]

Wide load. Don't you think that this could possibly be the best TEAM That iverson has ever played on???

Denver bad experiment, talent but no team defense And Anthony is Awesome but a knucklehead.

What he did with Philly and Larry brown was astonishing.

Nothing at all on offense accept the answer, but a great Defense first mentality.

Now If they can play, and get Iverson to buy into the same concept that Detroit has played for years. And add to that a Scorer who can create His own shot that Detroit has never had.

Don't you think it's a great opportuninty For Both Detroit and Iverson??

I think it is an opportunity for Iverson to get his stats up for his new contract.


I think it is an opportunity for Detoit to create cap space next year to rebuild.


I think it is an opportunity for Boston as one of the tougher teams in the East just got weaker. 


AS for what he did in Philly, it was a defensive team that Brown put around him.  He found a large defensive PG to go next to him that didn't need to shoot  (doesn't exist in Detroit).  He put a big time rebounder/shot blocker who didn't need many offensive touches  (doesn't exist in Detroit).  He put together a team of defensive players that didn't need the ball on offense. 

Other differences.

1) Larry Brown was the coach.  Detroit has a rookie coach.

2) The East was terrible.  He had to get past the Isiah Thomas lead Pacers (with a pre-allstar O'Neal) Vince Carter Raptors, and the Bucks (Cassell, Ray and Big Dog).

That team would have been at best, the 4th seed in the East now.  (Probably 5th since the Cavs and the Pistons before the trade were better) 

3) AI is older with more wear and tear. 




This deal is not about this year.  It is about next year.  I wouldn't be shocked if Rip was the next to go.

I thought rip just got an extension? am i wrong on that? (entirely possable)

He did. Rip isn't going anywhere. Amir Johnson has been playing very well.

I think Rasheed will be the next to go, if there is a next to go.

Guys that aren't going anywhere: Stuckey (he's a cornerstone), Hamilton (just got extended), Amir Johnson (21 yrs old, already starting), and Maxiell (he's a tweener that won't get fair value)

The rest of the roster is open, but Im confused. Is Dumars going to make a play this coming offseason? If so, for whom? Boozer? Marion? None of those guys pack anywhere near the star power of James, Wade, Bosh, etc.

If Joe wanted, he could sign Carlos Boozer, and in 2010 have enough yet to sign another big free agent (Lebron, Wade, Bosh, etc...). I'm not sure what he will do. I would sign someone like Bosh and a couple nice role players.
He has plenty of options to work with, and if he does sign a couple big names he could sign some veterans for cheap and have yet another title contender. The guy sure knows how to work a trade.
1. Rodney Stuckey
2. Hamilton/Afflalo
3. Prince
4. Bosh/Maxiell
5. Amir

[KG Living Legend]

Wide Load, It's not all about next year. Especially if this works. But the bottom line is Detroit was stale as a bag of open potato chips.

And they were not gonna make it to the finals as constructed. Joe does not want to have a good team. he wants to win titles. So Your wrong.

[crownsy]

Wide Load, It's not all about next year. Especially if this works. But the bottom line is Detroit was stale as a bag of open potato chips.

And they were not gonna make it to the finals as constructed. Joe does not want to have a good team. he wants to win titles. So Your wrong.

This gives them an outside shot to do that, and Sets them up to have an incredible team again, so you could just as easily be wrong about them thinking they have a championship team right now.

thier is no way they make this trade and then extend AI and wallce. ergo, it IS a trade about the future, not the present because the driving force for joe isn't the talent in the trade, its the expiring $$ and the ablity to replace wallace with boozer (i belive this will be his play) and then hopefully get in on the FA bonanza in 2010 for another great player.

of course it gives them a shot this year, we are 3 games in, everyone not named thunder or bobcats has a shot, but this trade was made more with an eye to the future than now. They'll be competitive this year, drop A.I and wallace over the summer (or at the trade deadline for a disgruntled mega star) and reload and be good for the forseable future.

Great trade by Joe, it gives them something to put butts in seats this year and sets them up for the future, great move.

[jgod213]

To reiterate what a few people have already made mention of, i don't think that Dumars went into this trade trying to improve his teams title chances this year.  Dumars isnt stupid, he won a couple of titles in his days playing along side a true point guard and (despite the antics of some of his other teammates) did it quietly and efficiently - these a few traits that AI doesn't possess.

I believe that this trade was made strictly because it's time for a youth movement in Detroit; he didnt want to have to pay Chauncey for another 4 or so years while Stuckey emerges as the better player.  Rasheed is the next player to go, and i wouldn't be the least bit suprised to see both AI and 'Sheed gone by the trade deadline.  There will be several teams salivating at the chance to land one of these two players come the stretch run, giving Dumars a tremendous opportunity to free up a ton of cap space and get a crop of young guys in return.

Sports are a copycat business, and i think that Dumars is trying to execute the blueprint that Danny designed a few years earlier.  Manifest a ton of cap space and young talent and control your own destiny.  the FA class of '09 isnt all that great, so i'm not sure that they'll put all their chips into that basket, but their are some guys to make note of for Detroit, which includes: Lamar odom, Shawn Marion, Carlos Boozer, Josh Childress, and Danny Granger.

[indeedproceed]

Wide load. Don't you think that this could possibly be the best TEAM That iverson has ever played on???

Denver bad experiment, talent but no team defense And Anthony is Awesome but a knucklehead.

What he did with Philly and Larry brown was astonishing.

Nothing at all on offense accept the answer, but a great Defense first mentality.

Now If they can play, and get Iverson to buy into the same concept that Detroit has played for years. And add to that a Scorer who can create His own shot that Detroit has never had.

Don't you think it's a great opportuninty For Both Detroit and Iverson??

I think it is an opportunity for Iverson to get his stats up for his new contract.


I think it is an opportunity for Detoit to create cap space next year to rebuild.


I think it is an opportunity for Boston as one of the tougher teams in the East just got weaker. 


AS for what he did in Philly, it was a defensive team that Brown put around him.  He found a large defensive PG to go next to him that didn't need to shoot  (doesn't exist in Detroit).  He put a big time rebounder/shot blocker who didn't need many offensive touches  (doesn't exist in Detroit).  He put together a team of defensive players that didn't need the ball on offense. 

Other differences.

1) Larry Brown was the coach.  Detroit has a rookie coach.

2) The East was terrible.  He had to get past the Isiah Thomas lead Pacers (with a pre-allstar O'Neal) Vince Carter Raptors, and the Bucks (Cassell, Ray and Big Dog).

That team would have been at best, the 4th seed in the East now.  (Probably 5th since the Cavs and the Pistons before the trade were better) 

3) AI is older with more wear and tear. 




This deal is not about this year.  It is about next year.  I wouldn't be shocked if Rip was the next to go.

I thought rip just got an extension? am i wrong on that? (entirely possable)

He did. Rip isn't going anywhere. Amir Johnson has been playing very well.

I think Rasheed will be the next to go, if there is a next to go.

Guys that aren't going anywhere: Stuckey (he's a cornerstone), Hamilton (just got extended), Amir Johnson (21 yrs old, already starting), and Maxiell (he's a tweener that won't get fair value)

The rest of the roster is open, but Im confused. Is Dumars going to make a play this coming offseason? If so, for whom? Boozer? Marion? None of those guys pack anywhere near the star power of James, Wade, Bosh, etc.

If Joe wanted, he could sign Carlos Boozer, and in 2010 have enough yet to sign another big free agent (Lebron, Wade, Bosh, etc...). I'm not sure what he will do. I would sign someone like Bosh and a couple nice role players.
He has plenty of options to work with, and if he does sign a couple big names he could sign some veterans for cheap and have yet another title contender. The guy sure knows how to work a trade.
1. Rodney Stuckey
2. Hamilton/Afflalo
3. Prince
4. Bosh/Maxiell
5. Amir

How would you say he'd get around signing both a Boozer and a Bosh (or Wade, whatever)?

The salary cap this season is 58 million and some change. Next season lets say its 63 (just guessing). Next season w/out resigning any of their guys they're at 38 million (and some change) and 8 guys under contract. The next season Amir Johnson runs out also.

Seems like they've got 1 star and 2-3 high quality role players in their future.

[Slugger]

To reiterate what a few people have already made mention of, i don't think that Dumars went into this trade trying to improve his teams title chances this year.  Dumars isnt stupid, he won a couple of titles in his days playing along side a true point guard and (despite the antics of some of his other teammates) did it quietly and efficiently - these a few traits that AI doesn't possess.

I believe that this trade was made strictly because it's time for a youth movement in Detroit; he didnt want to have to pay Chauncey for another 4 or so years while Stuckey emerges as the better player.  Rasheed is the next player to go, and i wouldn't be the least bit suprised to see both AI and 'Sheed gone by the trade deadline.  There will be several teams salivating at the chance to land one of these two players come the stretch run, giving Dumars a tremendous opportunity to free up a ton of cap space and get a crop of young guys in return.

Sports are a copycat business, and i think that Dumars is trying to execute the blueprint that Danny designed a few years earlier.  Manifest a ton of cap space and young talent and control your own destiny.  the FA class of '09 isnt all that great, so i'm not sure that they'll put all their chips into that basket, but their are some guys to make note of for Detroit, which includes: Lamar odom, Shawn Marion, Carlos Boozer, Josh Childress, and Danny Granger.

I dont think theyre giving up hope on a championship for any of the "young" bunch of players you have mentioned.  They will suck next year, and look for the big splash in 2010.

[zerophase]

remember though that iverson's contract is soon to be expiring so if it doesn't work out, they can abandon ship and actually set up for the free agency 2010 class.

[housecall]

Rumor has it C.Bosh is on J.Dumars radar for 2010..sources say he has had his eye on Bosh for awhile but just couldn't get him in the pass.It would make more sense to go after Bosh than LJ or Wade.They will need a BIG bad if or when Sheed go off the books.

[JBcat]

Getting back to this year I'd like to make the point that you could argue AI has never played on a team with this much all around talent surrounding him.   We've all seen great players change their game for the better when they are on very good teams.   Just look at our own Ray Allen and for the record  AI did average more APG than Billups last year so I think he can lead an offense at times.  His defense we'll just have to see but looking at the box score last night it sure didn't look like he got off to a good start in that area.   Devin Harris had 38 points against the Pistons. 

I also question how attractive the Pistons will be for a big time superstar 2 years from now.   Rip and Prince will be 2 years older, Wallace and AI most likely gone.   Much of how attractive they will be for a superstar that wants to win is how much Stuckey and the rest of their young guys develop and if the Pistons team at that time is any better than their current teams or other teams  out there that have big cap space.