Comments on: Myth: Reggie Miller and Ray Allen excelling late in their careers proves Richard Hamilton can, too

By: Dan Feldman

Dan Feldman — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 01:02:38 +0000

JGK, I wouldn’t do it. That makes the Pistons slightly better in the short term, but that’s it. I’d rather chance the Pistons drafting an impact player who can help them win a title in 3-4 years.

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Tue, 08 Feb 2011 22:51:06 +0000

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By: jgk281

jgk281 — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 20:33:29 +0000

To follow up, I was thinking maybe the Pistons could get involved in the rumored Lakers/Carmelo deal. Sources say they are looking for a 3rd team to facilitate a 1st round pick to Denver.

So what about Rip, Maxiell, and our 1st round pick to Denver for K-Marts EXP contract?

Theres also reports that Billups could go to the Lakers with Carmelo, as the Lakers are looking for an upgrade at PG.

So that would open up a guard spot on Denver for Rip. I know they already have JR and Afflalo, but both are EXP contracts, and I doubt JR would be back. So they could just re-sign Afflalo, and use Rip as a veteran back-up for a year, then hold a valuable EXP contract then next year when Rip is in the last year of his contract.

idk about this exact scenario, but if the Pistons become willing to give up that 1st pick, I think their options for trading Rip become much greater.

By: jgk281

jgk281 — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 20:25:42 +0000

I was thinking, could the Pistons get an expiring contract for Rip if they were willing to throw in this years 1st round pick, and would anyone here do it?

At this point I think I would because, imo, it looks like they could end up somewhere around the 10th pick, and as low as 15th if they sneak into the playoffs. There’s always great players scattered through every draft, but in a weak draft like this one, the odds of getting one of those greats players at 10-15 are not that great.

Instead, we could use the cap space immediately this summer to sign what we really need – an established elite big man, and this FA is loaded with them.

So I say we give up our pick in order to dump Rip’s contract. Go all in for the playoffs this year, so losing the pick wont be as bad, and then go shopping this summer for a big to pair with Monroe.

Agree/Disagree?

By: Dan Feldman

Dan Feldman — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 17:04:12 +0000

Laser, you don’t just get a team built around you when there are signs you’re in decline. I’ve never said Rip is finished. But he’s not nearly as good as he once was, and the Pistons don’t need to treat him like that by building around him.

By: Laser

Laser — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 16:59:30 +0000

yeah, josh makes another point that seems to fall by the wayside. yes, rip’s a hothead. yes, if not for sheed he would have been our tech king by a wide margin. but he’s a passionate player. on a team that always seemed to flip the switch on and off, he was the one guy who always seemed to have a chip on his shoulder. and that edge was a big part of what made this team so successful last decade.

but the thing is, i have a very hard time holding it against him too much that he’s got a bad attitude. his point guard was replaced by a shooting guard, he’s been forced to split time with his replacement, the offense has been geared completely away from what made him flourish… and the team keeps losing! he’s got an ego. all athletes do. he genuinely thinks the team is better with him on the floor with plays being run for him, and until they start putting together a significant string of winning basketball, how can you blame the guy?? maybe he’s right, maybe he’s wrong, but we just don’t know. we haven’t given him the chance to be the guy he was in the oughts.

so rip’s got a bad attitude. tayshaun does too. stuckey too. hell, i’ve got a bad attitude about this garbage team. most of the fans i talk to, as well. what’s to have a GOOD attitude about?? the team’s terrible, has almost finished squandered EVERY LAST ONE of its assets from when they elite team (that task will be completed once the trade deadline passes without capitalizing on tayshaun’s trade value). they’ve been in a completely avoidable free fall, and they continue down that path. three completely wasted seasons and counting…

By: Laser

Laser — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 16:39:04 +0000

no, whatever he did this season bears almost no resemblance to his role i’m talking about. he was splitting time with two other shooting guards in an isolation-exclusive offense, and he had nobody to deliver him the ball. it’s just not the same. for a guy like rip, not even close. yeah, he took a lot of bad shots, he missed from spots he’d been pretty reliable from… but he was forced to create off the dribble far more often than not. it’s a catch 22. he’s a shooter, so he’s got to shoot; if he’s not shooting he’s basically useless. so he forced the issue too much. but he went from being the team’s sure-fire leading scorer to being an afterthought in the offense. nobody with a clue would guess that rip was likely to excel in an isolation offense. i just think the guy was more-or-less doomed. but he’s had a role similar to his old one on just a handful of occasions this season, and of the three or four times i remember seeing it this season, he was downright spectacular in two of them (dropping 35 on toronto, carrying the offense in that one overtime win).

the “role” i’m talking about is one where he’s not splitting time with two shooting guards, being forced to create his own shot off the dribble if he’s to get any shots at all, having rodney “shoot it again” stuckey as a lead guard. i get accused of being a broken record, but i think i’ve stated this clearly about ten times already. you’re a smart guy. you may not agree, but you have to understand my stance. he hasn’t had his customary role for any extended period of time since chauncey left town.

By: Laser

Laser — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 16:27:00 +0000

hayes, there’s no reason for us to be combative here. it’s especially weird, since you should be moderating these comments, not picking fights. but that’s beside the point.

we both agree that the pistons have three more-or-less average shooting guards. i won’t deny that stuckey and gordon are younger, cheaper (slightly, in gordon’s case; temporarily, in stuckey’s) and better fits. but if we’re going to play fantasy coach/GM, isn’t the best and only stance that the pistons need to move one of the other guys? that’s really all i’m saying. if you can’t move rip, you’re better off going forward with him for now and using the flexibility a gordon trade provides and/or the assets a stuckey trade provides to improve in other areas. then, after next season, you can continue to improve the roster by trading rip when his contract is expiring and, thus, has value.

it’s not like stuckey and gordon are irreplaceable talents or something, but that’s how the organization is (stubbornly) treating them (stubborn because: stuckey’s been groomed to be our franchise player since he was drafted, and ben gordon was the “gem” of our post-chauncey spending spree; not because either one is indispensable, or even particularly good or special players). it’s not like these guys are kobe bryant and dwyane wade, but that’s how they’re being treated. i’ll give you that it’s a no-brainer to say stuckey and gordon are the guys you’d prefer to hold onto in a perfect world, but it looks like that just isn’t a practical solution.

By: Dan Feldman

Dan Feldman — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 16:23:27 +0000

JoshB, an average players has an effective field-goal percentage of about 39 on two-point jumpers outside of 10 feet. That numbers jumps to about 54 percent on 3-pointers.

http://hoopdata.com/shotstats.aspx

I agree that some undervalue a team's leading scorer. I still think he was, at most, the third best player on the title team behind Ben Wallace and Chauncey Billups. I could debate Rasheed Wallace and Hamilton, but I lean toward Sheed.

By: Dan Feldman

Dan Feldman — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 16:13:05 +0000

Laser, in each of his prime years with Detroit, Hamilton averaged about 15 shots per game. In a typical season, he made 46 percent of them. In Hamilton's 12 games this season between Nov. 28 and Dec. 22, he averaged 14 shots per game. He made 43 percent of them. He's declined.

That's the stretch you're talking about, when he had a role similar to his previous one. And his shooting percentage was way worse. He's not the same player he once was, and the Pistons don't need to treat him like he is.