The Pistons Should Be Embarrassed
I’m not sure whether it’s fair to be critical of Detroit or not right now. On one hand, you’re looking at a team that was showing such little effort in games one and two against Cleveland that fans in the cash-strapped Detroit area wouldn’t dish out $11 for tickets to a playoff game at the Palace. You’re looking at a team that was resigned to getting swept before this series started.
“The Pistons are so dead, this series should be called on account of carcass,” wrote the Detroit Free Press’s Michael Rosenberg.
“The judging panel on “American Idol” would have played tougher than the Pistons’ starters in the first three quarters of their game against Lord LeBron James and his merry Cavaliers in Cleveland Tuesday night,” wrote the Free Press’s Mike Brudenell.
On the other hand, this squad knew that they were going to be disassembled right after the season ended. They were still feeling the sting of the Chauncey trade - especially when watching him dismantle New Orleans in the first two games of that series.
But was it such a horrible experience playing on the Chauncey-less Pistons that these guys had to bring the season to a close as soon as possible?
Rasheed Wallace played some of the most atrocious interior defense imaginable. It was so bad that it actually overshadowed his anemic offensive output - 6.5 ppg on 36% FG. In game four Tayshaun (3.8 ppg over the series) and Rip Hamilton were equally horrendous, combining for 8 points. If it weren’t for Will Bynum playing with something to prove, Detroit would’ve gotten cracked by 40.
Three guys completely quit on their team. That’s embarrassing.
April 27th, 2009 at 1:08 pm
Rafa23 says:
hey dime, nothing about the bulls’ hometown refs last night?
April 27th, 2009 at 1:17 pm
Tbone says:
How STUPID does McDyess feel right now? lol. If he had just gone to Denver like he was supposed to, his season would still be going. Got what he deserved.
April 27th, 2009 at 1:19 pm
Mikey B says:
went down to Detroit to watch the Cavs route the Pistons had the Pistons played Bynum, Stuckey, Affalo, Maxiel and McDyess the actually might have won a game in this series.
April 27th, 2009 at 1:27 pm
Michorizo says:
They need Isaiah back…
April 27th, 2009 at 1:30 pm
craig990 says:
The Pistons should be embarrassed!
But I bet my ass, they’ll blame this one on Iverson too.
The Pistons quit on their own season a long time ago. Iverson just got an early vacation.
Detroit needs some new blood. They became too complacent after their championship run…they always thought they could just flip the switch on and off as they please.. and they would go all the way. But it didnt happen. And now the rest of the East has caught up to them.
It will be exciting to see what Joe Dumars does next.
April 27th, 2009 at 1:36 pm
nic says:
It was disgracefull how they quit but do not forget about the incredible run they just had for the last 6 years. I want to see other teams replicate that.
Also the season WAS over when we traded Chauncey for AI and Joe Dumars knew that the moment he made the trade. He also knew with Chauncey we would probably have lost again to Cleveland in the playoffs eventually if it wasn’t the first round.
Dumars played on a dominate team that held it’s core together for too long and suffered the consequences of not making the playoffs for years after. With that experience he learned that you have to bite the bullet, and make moves even if it means taking your team out of contention for a year. AI’s worth to the team will finally be valued now that his contract is expired and it’s 15 mil of the books.
I love Sheed he helped us get that Chip but his time is up too. I wish he would have gone out with a little more dignity but oh well, I wish him all the best and I’m going to thank him for that other 15 mil off the books. The Stones will be back on top soon enough. I look forward to a productive off season by Joey D.
April 27th, 2009 at 1:57 pm
E$ says:
Nothing to be embarrassed about, you took down a dynasty (Shaq / Kobe) - I will always luv the Pistons for that, oh yeah & THE BAD BOYS era
April 27th, 2009 at 2:01 pm
nathan says:
well i agree that they were embarrassed, you are being way too harsh on rip and especially prince. prince has been dealing with very dehabiliting injuries. i’m not sure if you even watched any of the games but if you did, especially the last two, you would have seen prince barely being able to move. so let’s not be too rash and say he quit on his team.
cleveland has owned detroit’s offense over the last three postseasons, one reason billups was traded. expecting hamilton to make something out of nothing, esp when you do have zombie sheed on the court and few other weapons, on that defense is absurd.
April 27th, 2009 at 2:03 pm
nic says:
HIGHLIGHT OF THE DYNASTY TAKE DOWN COULD HAVE BEEN WHEN ELDEN CAMPBELL WENT COAST TO COAST AND DUNKED STICKING ONE LEG OUT. AMAZING. ALSO ANYTIME KARL MALONE AND RICK FOX LOSE IS A GREAT DAY
April 27th, 2009 at 2:05 pm
Kobeef says:
Can we start proposing the off-season plan?
Obviously Iverson and Wallace are gone which gives them lots of cap space. The tough decision is what to do with Rip and Tayshaun. Both players are 30 or almost 30 years old and would probably be better with a contender than with a rebuilding team. I’d trade RIP for sure and think about Tayshaun.
April 27th, 2009 at 2:11 pm
Taj says:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JlAyvoIpEEk
April 27th, 2009 at 2:22 pm
Rafa23 says:
great win in 04, but the lakers dynasty was ended in 03 with the spurs beating the lakers.
April 27th, 2009 at 2:23 pm
Dukesman2000 says:
People gassed Joe Dumars up as this great executive so he started smelling himslef and felt anything he touched would turn to gold. Trading Billups has got to go down as one of, if not, the worst trade in the history of the NBA.
Dumars Isaiah-ed the Pistons.
April 27th, 2009 at 2:50 pm
Bron42 aka Had Springs Before Slamball says:
ya its def gonna fall on AI, even though the team has been lookin lack luster since last years playoffs which brought the trade on in the first place. BUt ya, they sucked. If prince was soooo injured then he shouldn’t of played. I’d rather be hurt and let someone 100% try than, Be injured, get my ass lit up by lebron, look terrible AND get swept. The starters just played with no heart at all. Bynum was the only shinning spot since stucky looked average again.
April 27th, 2009 at 2:59 pm
SJ says:
Jayson Williams tasered and taken to the hospital:
http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=ap-williamstasered&prov=ap&type=lgns
April 27th, 2009 at 3:04 pm
DH says:
ABC mocking the Billups / AI trade:
http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/blog/ball_dont_lie/post/Photo-ABC-clowns-Billups-Iverson-trade;_ylt=AnFsQCBGapfvo2drN2l6Ium8vLYF?urn=nba,159199
April 27th, 2009 at 3:11 pm
nic says:
Dukesman….DO SOME RESEARCH BRO. We are in a financial crisis and that affects the NBA… Iverson has $20,840,625 off the books, and while Chauncey is a Detroit legend and is ripping it up, look at his contract and how much money he saved…
Billups vs AI $$$$$$
AI
08-09: $20,840,625
09-10: $0….FREE AGENT
vs.
Chauncey
08-09: $11,050,000
09-10: $12,100,000
10-11: $13,150,000
11-12: $14,200,000
SO WHEN YOU ARE REBUILDING AND YOU CAN GET 20 MIL OFF THE BOOKS THIS YEAR AND THEN SAVE DRUM ROLL…..
$39,450,000 OVER THE NEXT THREE YEARS AS WELL. WOW.
ADD AI’S $20,840,625 + SHEEDS $13,930,000 YOU HAVE $34,770,625 OF FREE CAP SPACE. That’s great GM work if you ask me.
Joey D has forsight or you could call it court vision, and he knew what he had can’t get it done. He understood his ship was slowly sinking so instead of patching it over and over again, he traded Chauncey and went down with the ship so to say. Now he has some money and he’s about to build another ChampionSHIP….it’s pun, couldn’t help myself.
source: http://www.storytellerscontracts.info/resources/08-09salaries.htm
April 27th, 2009 at 3:31 pm
BEAN aka BERN BROGDEN says:
GOOD WORK Nic.
April 27th, 2009 at 3:48 pm
Kobeef says:
I agree with Nic.
Billups wasn’t going to take this team back to the finals anytime soon. Instead of spending the next 3 years as a fringe playoff team while paying to watch Chauncey decline, the Pistons are building a new core.
Rip’s expiring contract (2010) will make him easier to trade and Tayshaun is a nice piece for a team in need of a SF (Toronto?)
April 27th, 2009 at 4:24 pm
Big V says:
Detriot is irrelevant again. They MIGHT be a 7 or 8 seed, but the days of doing anything beyond that are long gone.
Management needs to take a good hard look at the roster, say their goodbyes and start the dreaded “rebuilding” process.
April 27th, 2009 at 4:26 pm
BEAN aka BERN BROGDEN says:
This is how I feel about Detroit yesterday:
You know how you felt about RICKY on Boyz in da Hood?
When he got popped, you was like, “Nahhhhhh. I aint want him to go out like that! That’s corny.”
Said it in Smack.
April 27th, 2009 at 5:05 pm
Balla says:
The Pistons season wasn’t over when they traded AI for Chauncey…the season was over when the coaching staff for the Pistons decided to let AI start and have his way. I love AI, but he is not a leader. He is not a true PG, and he is undersized at the 2. He should have been six man of the year for the last 3 or 4 years in a row.
April 27th, 2009 at 6:15 pm
kevin k says:
It was AI’s fault that the Pistons got swept.
It was AI’s fault that Sheed aka Top 5 Talent in the League when Motivated is actually a role player that jacks up too many 3s and doesnt reb.
It was AI’s fault that RIP sucks and can’t create his own shot.
It was AI’s fault that T Prince is the most overrated defender in the league who can’t dribble or go right.
It was AI’s fault that Coach Curry is an IDIOT.
It was AI’s fault.
Rodney Stuckey is not a PG of the future and is vastly overrated. Best players for the Pistons were McDyess, Bynum, and Kwame Brown. Yes Kwame Brown.
It was AI’s fault.
April 27th, 2009 at 6:28 pm
danny says:
lets not talk about all the bullshit calls that went toward the cavs, the fact that every time the game was close i turn to see DELONTE WEST getting a block over stucky. DELONTE WEST. didn’t matter that in the replay it showed the ball hitting the backboard first, in lebrons eyes, its straight BALLin.. lmao at people thinking lebron will getta championship.
April 27th, 2009 at 7:52 pm
tim says:
Tay didn’t quit on the team…he was just too stubborn to not play with a bad back…
Here’s what I would like to see the Pistons do…
Trade Prince for Caron Butler-More offense, tough defense
Sign Boozer for the low post…
Stuckey
Rip
Butler
Boozer
Kwame Brown/Amir/whoever can start at Center
OR….
trade Rip and parts for a low post threat (Bosh?), move Stuckey to the 2, and sign Andre Miller to run the team.
Miller
Stuckey
Prince
Boozer
Kwame/Amir/ etc.
Not sure who they would run at Center in either case…
Whacha think of this Dime readers?
Getting Caron Butler would be great IMO… Toughness and energy the Pistons have been lacking…
April 27th, 2009 at 7:55 pm
tim says:
sorry i put Boozer in there twice, second set should have Bosh in there…
April 30th, 2009 at 5:20 pm
hhhhhhh says:
hell yah they should be…BUT…they did play a far superior team…so props to the Cavs for kicking the shit out of the “washed up” pistons…really..who even cares…maybe Rasheed can get a job making cars…or wait…there are no jobs in the states!