Comments on: Brandon Knight and Austin Daye will start in place of Rodney Stuckey (groin) and Ben Gordon (personal) http://www.pistonpowered.com/2012/01/brandon-knight-and-austin-daye-will-start-in-place-of-rodney-stuckey-groin-and-ben-gordon-personal/ Your Go-To Source For Pistons Coverage Tue, 21 May 2013 21:30:31 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.1 By: Max http://www.pistonpowered.com/2012/01/brandon-knight-and-austin-daye-will-start-in-place-of-rodney-stuckey-groin-and-ben-gordon-personal/comment-page-1/#comment-41922 Max Fri, 06 Jan 2012 22:30:55 +0000 http://www.pistonpowered.com/2012/01/brandon-knight-and-austin-daye-will-start-in-place-of-rodney-stuckey-groin-and-ben-gordon-personal/#comment-41922 The idea of whether it is realistic or not to make the playoffs is up in the air this year,  The Pistons haven't been healthy in two years and Stuckey has a groin injury already but I think some of the seeds this year are going to come down to at least a couple of teams that people fully expect to make the playoffs dropping out due to injuries and at least a couple of teams that people don't expect to make the playoffs getting in due to health and depth.   This is a year where a slot start and one player going down for a 4-6 weeks could be too much to overcome for the friggin' Mavs.  You never know. I can see the Pistons being one of those teams as they are usually one of the franchises that enjoys the best health due to Arnie , they have underachieved for two seasons partially due to lack of health and they do have depth and young legs. It is not time to give up on the playoffs yet and while some have been outright calling Dumars gun shy about making trades since he has not made one since 2008; the protracted ownership sale and truncated off season have left him little opportunity.   He once was very active and now has the opportunity to be so again, but he will have a lot more leverage and options after Stuckey, Prince and Jerebko become tradable.  Dumars is actually the furthest thing from gun shy and I fully expect a trade of some sort by the deadline that could yet change the complexion of this team. If Frank can keep the team somewhere in the neighborhood of 500 or even 400, the playoffs could very much be a reality if they make the right trade.    Remember Rasheed at the deadline? The idea of whether it is realistic or not to make the playoffs is up in the air this year,  The Pistons haven’t been healthy in two years and Stuckey has a groin injury already but I think some of the seeds this year are going to come down to at least a couple of teams that people fully expect to make the playoffs dropping out due to injuries and at least a couple of teams that people don’t expect to make the playoffs getting in due to health and depth.   This is a year where a slot start and one player going down for a 4-6 weeks could be too much to overcome for the friggin’ Mavs.  You never know.
I can see the Pistons being one of those teams as they are usually one of the franchises that enjoys the best health due to Arnie , they have underachieved for two seasons partially due to lack of health and they do have depth and young legs.
It is not time to give up on the playoffs yet and while some have been outright calling Dumars gun shy about making trades since he has not made one since 2008; the protracted ownership sale and truncated off season have left him little opportunity.   He once was very active and now has the opportunity to be so again, but he will have a lot more leverage and options after Stuckey, Prince and Jerebko become tradable.  Dumars is actually the furthest thing from gun shy and I fully expect a trade of some sort by the deadline that could yet change the complexion of this team.
If Frank can keep the team somewhere in the neighborhood of 500 or even 400, the playoffs could very much be a reality if they make the right trade.    Remember Rasheed at the deadline?

]]> By: tarsier http://www.pistonpowered.com/2012/01/brandon-knight-and-austin-daye-will-start-in-place-of-rodney-stuckey-groin-and-ben-gordon-personal/comment-page-1/#comment-41908 tarsier Fri, 06 Jan 2012 21:38:39 +0000 http://www.pistonpowered.com/2012/01/brandon-knight-and-austin-daye-will-start-in-place-of-rodney-stuckey-groin-and-ben-gordon-personal/#comment-41908 No, the best thing for Detroit is to really improve but lose a ton of close games to good teams. They certainly aren't a contender this year. I can't even realistically see them making the playoffs. So we gotta hope for a high draft pick instead. But showing major signs of a future while losing tons of games would be the best. No, the best thing for Detroit is to really improve but lose a ton of close games to good teams. They certainly aren’t a contender this year. I can’t even realistically see them making the playoffs. So we gotta hope for a high draft pick instead. But showing major signs of a future while losing tons of games would be the best.

]]> By: frankie d http://www.pistonpowered.com/2012/01/brandon-knight-and-austin-daye-will-start-in-place-of-rodney-stuckey-groin-and-ben-gordon-personal/comment-page-1/#comment-41900 frankie d Fri, 06 Jan 2012 21:12:39 +0000 http://www.pistonpowered.com/2012/01/brandon-knight-and-austin-daye-will-start-in-place-of-rodney-stuckey-groin-and-ben-gordon-personal/#comment-41900 had not realized he was in a contract year. yes, that matters.  but collins always seems to be able to take soft big guys and make them play tougher. i mean, when terry mills played for him, even t-mills looked like a tough-minded player who was not afraid to bang and take tough shots. collins is an excellent coach.  to bad he's a bit...high strung, to put it mildly. had not realized he was in a contract year.
yes, that matters.  but collins always seems to be able to take soft big guys and make them play tougher.
i mean, when terry mills played for him, even t-mills looked like a tough-minded player who was not afraid to bang and take tough shots.
collins is an excellent coach.  to bad he’s a bit…high strung, to put it mildly.

]]> By: Patrick Hayes http://www.pistonpowered.com/2012/01/brandon-knight-and-austin-daye-will-start-in-place-of-rodney-stuckey-groin-and-ben-gordon-personal/comment-page-1/#comment-41896 Patrick Hayes Fri, 06 Jan 2012 21:00:39 +0000 http://www.pistonpowered.com/2012/01/brandon-knight-and-austin-daye-will-start-in-place-of-rodney-stuckey-groin-and-ben-gordon-personal/#comment-41896 <p>Hawes has been a beast -- 13 points/11 boards/4 assists/2 blocks per game and shooting 67 percent.</p> <p>You're right, it could be Collins' influence, but the fact that he's going to be a free agent probably isn't hurting his motivation either.</p> Hawes has been a beast — 13 points/11 boards/4 assists/2 blocks per game and shooting 67 percent.

You’re right, it could be Collins’ influence, but the fact that he’s going to be a free agent probably isn’t hurting his motivation either.

]]> By: frankie d http://www.pistonpowered.com/2012/01/brandon-knight-and-austin-daye-will-start-in-place-of-rodney-stuckey-groin-and-ben-gordon-personal/comment-page-1/#comment-41895 frankie d Fri, 06 Jan 2012 20:51:50 +0000 http://www.pistonpowered.com/2012/01/brandon-knight-and-austin-daye-will-start-in-place-of-rodney-stuckey-groin-and-ben-gordon-personal/#comment-41895 @ patrick agreed about philly.   they opened the season here in portland and they looked very good for a team opening on the road against a team - portland - that has proven to be one of the league's best. typical doug collins team, they got behind and just scrapped and scrapped and almost pulled the game out at the end.  any idiot who thinks philly is an easy team for a team like detroit has not been paying attention. but, it actually is a decent matchup for detroit, on the front line in the sense that they really don't have bangers, except for brand. monroe will probably have to  guard brand, with JJ on hawes, cause hawes spends most of his time in the mid-range area and just outside of the paint. otherwise, they have a bunch of runners and jumpers and slashers. detroit, especially daye, is going to have to pay close attention to the 3 point line, cause they have a green llight to shoot it from 3.  and williams and iggy and holiday and meeks will all toss it up from 3.  interestingly, it looks like collins is trying to cure hawes from standing out at the 3 point line and become more of a post presence. it seems to be working.  he definitely seems to be playing tougher than he'd played in sacremento. should be fun to watch, though i don't know if detroit will be able to match philly's toughness. we'll see. @ patrick
agreed about philly.   they opened the season here in portland and they looked very good for a team opening on the road against a team – portland – that has proven to be one of the league’s best.
typical doug collins team, they got behind and just scrapped and scrapped and almost pulled the game out at the end. 
any idiot who thinks philly is an easy team for a team like detroit has not been paying attention.
but, it actually is a decent matchup for detroit, on the front line in the sense that they really don’t have bangers, except for brand. monroe will probably have to  guard brand, with JJ on hawes, cause hawes spends most of his time in the mid-range area and just outside of the paint.
otherwise, they have a bunch of runners and jumpers and slashers.
detroit, especially daye, is going to have to pay close attention to the 3 point line, cause they have a green llight to shoot it from 3.  and williams and iggy and holiday and meeks will all toss it up from 3.  interestingly, it looks like collins is trying to cure hawes from standing out at the 3 point line and become more of a post presence. it seems to be working.  he definitely seems to be playing tougher than he’d played in sacremento.
should be fun to watch, though i don’t know if detroit will be able to match philly’s toughness.
we’ll see.

]]> By: Max http://www.pistonpowered.com/2012/01/brandon-knight-and-austin-daye-will-start-in-place-of-rodney-stuckey-groin-and-ben-gordon-personal/comment-page-1/#comment-41883 Max Fri, 06 Jan 2012 20:05:54 +0000 http://www.pistonpowered.com/2012/01/brandon-knight-and-austin-daye-will-start-in-place-of-rodney-stuckey-groin-and-ben-gordon-personal/#comment-41883 BTW:  As a New Yorker, I can attest that Knicks and Nets fans are feeling even worse about their teams than you guys are about the Pistons.............Knick fans in particular are all calling for D'Antoni's head and saying they are ready to throw in the towel on the whole team. BTW:  As a New Yorker, I can attest that Knicks and Nets fans are feeling even worse about their teams than you guys are about the Pistons………….Knick fans in particular are all calling for D’Antoni’s head and saying they are ready to throw in the towel on the whole team.

]]> By: Max http://www.pistonpowered.com/2012/01/brandon-knight-and-austin-daye-will-start-in-place-of-rodney-stuckey-groin-and-ben-gordon-personal/comment-page-1/#comment-41880 Max Fri, 06 Jan 2012 20:02:03 +0000 http://www.pistonpowered.com/2012/01/brandon-knight-and-austin-daye-will-start-in-place-of-rodney-stuckey-groin-and-ben-gordon-personal/#comment-41880 @Patrick  I guess you're right though I tend to look at NY and DALL more like elite teams and PHILLY as middle of the pack.  I'm sure Dallas is going to pick it up soon but I guess I can hope it takes them a few more games. @Patrick  I guess you’re right though I tend to look at NY and DALL more like elite teams and PHILLY as middle of the pack.  I’m sure Dallas is going to pick it up soon but I guess I can hope it takes them a few more games.

]]> By: Patrick Hayes http://www.pistonpowered.com/2012/01/brandon-knight-and-austin-daye-will-start-in-place-of-rodney-stuckey-groin-and-ben-gordon-personal/comment-page-1/#comment-41868 Patrick Hayes Fri, 06 Jan 2012 19:28:58 +0000 http://www.pistonpowered.com/2012/01/brandon-knight-and-austin-daye-will-start-in-place-of-rodney-stuckey-groin-and-ben-gordon-personal/#comment-41868 <p>I don't know about that. Philly is playing way better than NY right now and Amar'e is banged up. Mavs are playing bad too, and both the NY and Dallas games are at home.</p> I don’t know about that. Philly is playing way better than NY right now and Amar’e is banged up. Mavs are playing bad too, and both the NY and Dallas games are at home.

]]> By: Max http://www.pistonpowered.com/2012/01/brandon-knight-and-austin-daye-will-start-in-place-of-rodney-stuckey-groin-and-ben-gordon-personal/comment-page-1/#comment-41867 Max Fri, 06 Jan 2012 19:24:03 +0000 http://www.pistonpowered.com/2012/01/brandon-knight-and-austin-daye-will-start-in-place-of-rodney-stuckey-groin-and-ben-gordon-personal/#comment-41867 I hope Daye plays well, but I think he's gonna play like crap and the Pistons are gonna look horrible without Stuckey.  I'm pissed off because this should have been our most winnable game this week, I hope Daye plays well, but I think he’s gonna play like crap and the Pistons are gonna look horrible without Stuckey.  I’m pissed off because this should have been our most winnable game this week,

]]> By: Steve K http://www.pistonpowered.com/2012/01/brandon-knight-and-austin-daye-will-start-in-place-of-rodney-stuckey-groin-and-ben-gordon-personal/comment-page-1/#comment-41860 Steve K Fri, 06 Jan 2012 18:54:57 +0000 http://www.pistonpowered.com/2012/01/brandon-knight-and-austin-daye-will-start-in-place-of-rodney-stuckey-groin-and-ben-gordon-personal/#comment-41860 Based on what we've seen so far, it's incumbent upon Knight to deliver Daye the ball in the right spot. If he's using Daye to bail him out, the team is in trouble. Knight would be much better served to dump the ball to Tayshaun or Monroe in that situation. Based on what we’ve seen so far, it’s incumbent upon Knight to deliver Daye the ball in the right spot. If he’s using Daye to bail him out, the team is in trouble. Knight would be much better served to dump the ball to Tayshaun or Monroe in that situation.

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