Comments on: Jonas Jerebko reiterates belief Pistons should make playoffs; Rodney Stuckey seconds that

By: tarsier

tarsier — Wed, 03 Oct 2012 02:58:24 +0000

One could argue that making the playoffs would make Detroit more appealing to free agents next summer when the Pistons have cap room.

By: Max

Max — Tue, 02 Oct 2012 18:12:49 +0000

Also, even if Rose comes back this year, there is no way he will just resume his former level of play. In general, the most optimistic prognosis for a player who has had his kind of injury is to get back to their former level of play in two years.

By: Max

Max — Tue, 02 Oct 2012 18:08:51 +0000

The Bulls will be one of the league’s worst teams anytime any two of Boozer, Deng or Noah go down and will struggle to play 500 ball if any one of them goes down. This is likelier than not as all three are very injury prone. They are not the same team they have been because they used to rely on depth and they are now thin—in your argument against that for instance you said Heinrich was on same level as Brewer and Korver but the question is really whether he is as good as both of them combined and he’s not. Finally, dunno why RIP is bound to be healthier this year……

By: tarsier

tarsier — Tue, 02 Oct 2012 12:36:48 +0000

The bench may have declined a bit. But Nazr is a solid bench player. Given how many minutes Asik was getting, the dropoff won’t be too much. Hinrich is on the same level as Brewer or Korver. Teague, who knows? He is a rookie so I won’t count on anything from him. And Rip is bound to be healthier than last year so there’s one for the pro column. Deng is always dealing with some injury. Boozer will probably only be better in Rose’s absence because he’ll get more touches. And even if not, given how much they got from him last year, how much do they really stand to lose? When players return from injury, they are normally back to full strength in well under a month unless they re-aggravate something. So for Chicago, we are looking at half a season that they should play at least .500 ball and half a season that they should play like a contender.

The only way the Pistons are better than the Bulls this year is if they somehow, miraculously, become a top 4 seed kind of team. Or if Rose doesn’t come back at all and the Pistons still significantly exceed expectations.

By: RyanK

RyanK — Tue, 02 Oct 2012 12:22:26 +0000

Everyone looks at the parts and decides if a team is “talented” enough to make the playoffs. Few consider whether or not they play well enough together to advance to that level.

The fact is this team has more talent than is necessary to make the playoffs in the Eastern Conference. The question that should be asked is will they play well enough together. We don’t have the answer to that question today…but the time they spent together over the summer will go a long way toward development of the chemistry that’s required.

By: sop

sop — Tue, 02 Oct 2012 10:49:00 +0000

The Bulls bench got worse too though. Hinrich, Marquis Teague and Nazr Mohammed are no replacements for Korver, Brewer, and Asik. Plus even if Rose returns in Jan he won’t be at full strength for at least a month. Deng has a wrist injury he’s not dealing with and Boozer is a year slower/older. The Pistons should be better than the Bulls this year.

By: BIGMARV

BIGMARV — Tue, 02 Oct 2012 05:29:41 +0000

I think first we need to have exciting basketball back in Detroit this year to gather a fan base. If we make the playoffs to Me that will be a HUGE bonus. I wont be mad at all if we have the same record or a couple of wins better as long as the team show that they want to win be competitive and get to that next level. Then next year we will be ready for the big time if we make it to the playoffs this year or not But bring the excitement back first then everything will fall into play.

By: Talan

Talan — Tue, 02 Oct 2012 05:28:26 +0000

I agree. I just don’t see it. We will be close in a lot of games because of our focus on defense. I do see a lot of growth coming from Knight, Monroe, and Drummond. This is what’s important. I am looking forward to the growth of our young players. Also, after this year we are rid of CV and Maggette’s contracts. This gives us cap space again that hopefully we spend wisely.

By: Otis

Otis — Tue, 02 Oct 2012 05:07:02 +0000

Yes. Nothing about this team makes a SHRED of sense except for making easy first-round draft picks of BY FAR the best players available.

By: Otis

Otis — Tue, 02 Oct 2012 05:05:49 +0000

LOL Who do they think we’re going to leapfrog?? This team’s fate isn’t entirely in its own hands, and making the playoffs isn’t just NOT the measuring stick for whether or not the season was a failure (since it’s a long shot by any standard), but it works against this team.

This is probably the 10th best team in the East, and they need pieces badly. Specifically, they need to add one or more players who are solidly in the conversation as their best player. Making the playoff means one of the most embarrassing, purely academic first-round exits in league history and the loss of a desperately-needed first round pick.

But we won’t need to worry about that, because there are at least nine teams that are better than us in the East. Also, it’s worth noting that even the Pistons’ writer Keith Langlois has SEVERELY pulled back in terms of his stated expectations for the team, which is a good barometer for how the front office feels. They’ve been spewing nothing but optimism and excuses for years, even as recently as the conclusion of last season, but it’s impossible to take an objective look at the Eastern Conference and think the Pistons have a realistic shot at the playoffs.