Comments on: Joe Dumars shifted to offensive focus – but why?

By: Max

Max — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 02:43:47 +0000

True.

By: Jakob Eich

Jakob Eich — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 21:26:53 +0000

Because Will plays hard and doesnt float through the game like other Pistons

By: Dan Feldman

Dan Feldman — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 20:50:45 +0000

Team defense is important. The Pistons have too few player capable of playing it well.

By: Max

Max — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 19:19:23 +0000

@Pistons87……..I’m like you in that I kind of don’t accept non defensive players as Pistons although for whatever reason, I’ve always accepted Will.

By: Pistons87

Pistons87 — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 17:39:07 +0000

Great article Patrick. It’s something that bothered me for a number of years and he actually began shifting this way with the hiring of Saunders specifically for the offense. He has seriously devalued all around players and good defenders for offense.

I don’t think he agrees with Ben Wallace and thinks that guys can become excellent defenders on their own. This devalues his own accomplishments as a player because Joe never thought he was a special player or athlete, he believed his defensive success was all about hard work and effort. Not realizing that the mentality and instincts on defense are determined and developed long before a player reaches the NBA.

The pistons should always have defensive identity and should draft and sign players accordingly (like the Steelers or Ravens). Its our tradition, it works and the fans here appreciate it. I really don’t know if joe has turned back to this philosophy, hiring Frank gives me hope because he is a defensive coach. Ben, Charlie. Will, Daye are not Pistons in my eyes. They are defensively deficient players that are a testament to joes philosophical shift. When all of them are gone I will enjoy the team much more.

By: Jakob Eich

Jakob Eich — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 09:07:05 +0000

Great read! I believe what Dumars missed out on in his philosophy change is that a team needs a defensive anchor, someone who leads by example (i. e. toughness). The ’04 Pistons had the Wallace’s, you can say what you want, but Sheed and Ben are to me the best defensive frontcourt of the past decade; the Spurs have Timmy D; the Celtics had KG and Perkins (to me the second best defensive frontcourt); the Bulls have Joakim Noah; and the Lakers have Kobe Bryant whose relentness gives a team so much. Why do you think Tyson Chandler is a game-changer? You have to have one outstanding defender on your squad, and, as Dumars noted, if the lesser defenders make a commitment to defense you will have a great defensive team. A few years back, who would have though Ray Allen and Paul Pierce would be part of a great defense. I don’t believe Ginobili and Parker were known as prime defenders. All of the mentioned teams have a bunch of average defenders who excel within the team concept, because they have this presence on the inside that allows them to gamble and motivates them throughout the game and in practices. I truly believe Joe D undervalued that!

By: Max

Max — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 03:11:38 +0000

Right as in Dumars said you get a stretch four if you can’t get the traditional big; he didn’t say it was ideal.

By: Max

Max — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 03:09:03 +0000

Great post Jacob. And I would add regarding Boston that the most effective thing the Pistons did in that series against Bos was allow Stuckey to isolate on one side of the floor and even Paul Pierce admitted that the really gave them problems.
Ben Gordon’s twenty points a game at Reggie Miller level efficiency got lost in transit after the signing but his total failure to replicate the great consistency he enjoyed in Chicago obviously screwed all of Dumars plans up.

By: Max

Max — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 03:03:32 +0000

Some sanity.

By: Max

Max — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 03:01:36 +0000

No one ever seems to mention team defense and it’s much more important. Billups and Hamilton were immeasurably helped by having the Wallaces and Prince behind them and most starting guards would have been helped as well. A lot of people say Stuck has been living on defensive potential and hasn’t put it together but I would say that he hasn’t had anything behind him and there are a handful, maybe less than five in the whole league, of lockdown defenders if you are just going to define whether someone plays good defense by that. I do think Stuck could be an all nba or 2nd nba defender if he had the team had some decent shot blocking and he didn’t have to worry about teammates who are clueless.