Comments on: Slava Kravstov is ready to play right away, and other observations, sights and video from Detroit Pistons open practice

By: Saginaw’s Jason Richardson puts on shooting display at Philadelphia 76ers open practice | BallinMichigan

Fri, 12 Oct 2012 15:31:45 +0000

[...] hold open practices for fans, it’s always a fun opportunity to see guys put on a show (see: my coverage of the Detroit Pistons open practice for PistonPowered). Saginaw Arthur Hill‘s Jason Richardson did just that for the Phildelphia 76ers last week. [...]

By: tarsier

tarsier — Wed, 10 Oct 2012 03:14:53 +0000

It’s a stupid headline to refer to an organization as dysfunctional when it is running through one coach after another, has its hands tied with regard to personnel after making some really awful moves on that count, and has the only boycotted practice I’ve ever heard of by any team at this level?

The Pistons of a couple years ago were most definitely dysfunctional. And it’s not because they were rebuilding or because they lost a lot of games (I doubt anyone will refer to these rebuilding Rockets as dysfunctional). It was partly because Dumars was too arrogant and near-sighted to jump into a rebuild with both feet and instead half-assed it as a “retool” initially. But it was mostly just the fact that the Pistons looked like the furthest thing from a model franchise on or off the court.

By: tarsier

tarsier — Wed, 10 Oct 2012 01:22:35 +0000

you must really have a low opinion of drummond’s self-motivation

By: Holy Crow

Holy Crow — Tue, 09 Oct 2012 23:07:18 +0000

Picking fights with media idiots is just what I do, and why should I toil in obscurity?

This has almost nothing to do with you or Dan personally, but I will happily go there…

Because this is the Big Stage baby (ESPN), and if you run a stupid headline, well, I guess you should do a hunnert push-ups and wind sprints (or a 500 word rebuttal) to prove that you still deserve minutes.

By the way I totally dig your report on the open practice GREAT work Patrick.

By: tarsier

tarsier — Tue, 09 Oct 2012 20:43:01 +0000

A person with an opinion can’t win. “Don’t saddle young guys with overly high expectations.” “Don’t demotivate young guys with overly low expectations.” That is total BS. Expect whatever you want. If the expectations being off in one direction or the other cause s a player to perform sub-optimally, that is a far too emotionally fragile player. Expectations and performance are not like the anecdotal chicken and egg. We know which order they go in. Past performance defines expectations. The reason we have to play the games is because expectations do not define future performance.

By: apa8ren9

apa8ren9 — Tue, 09 Oct 2012 20:23:29 +0000

I agree with you to a certain point, but when you see this guy (Drummond) play and you see the flashes of athleticism but wonder why he cant do more you will need to understand why. Only the die hards even understand why you temper it in the first place. He’s playing against grown men.
Now dont get me wrong Im not saying dont push him to be good, but when he isnt giving you close to a double double and is the ninth pick… Lets just say the Dumars haters are going to be screaming from the rafters he is a bust before the first month of the season is over.

By: Matt

Matt — Tue, 09 Oct 2012 16:56:38 +0000

Agreed. All organizations make poor decisions and pretty much every organization goes through down times, but those aren’t necessarily examples of dysfunction. But there are some examples of dysfunction in the Pistons organization that don’t happen at other, well-run organizations. The carousel at the head coaching job and the well-publicized practice boycott are great examples of dysfunction. The Pistons’ seeming inability to develop a quality young player only to see them blossom once they’ve been shipped somewhere else is another.

In some ways, though, dysfunction is kind of like the Supreme Court and pornography. I may not be able to define it, but I know what it is when I see it. However, you can willfully choose not to see it, if you’re walking around with Pistons-colored glasses on. I think most outsiders would say that the Pistons have been a dysfunctional organization in the recent past. That seems like it may be changing (Frank will probably last at least three seasons and seems to have the respect of most of the players, the young players seem to be improving), but it’s not unfair to say that they’ve been that way recently.

Then you have organizations like Sacramento, which seem like they’ve been dysfunctional for the last six or seven years, from the ownership down.

By: Ryan

Ryan — Tue, 09 Oct 2012 16:42:58 +0000

First off, thanks for the shoutout, Pat. Appreciate it.

Loved Slava’s efforts on both the offensive and defensive ends. His dunk over, I think, Tayshaun was pretty solid. He definitely seems more than capable to be a major contributor for us. Echoing most peoples thoughts on here – crazy to think he got passed up by so many other teams, just for him to land in Joe D’s lap.

I know T-Will isn’t likely to make the roster, but after this practice, I think the Pistons need to take a serious look at whether or not Austin Daye deserves a roster spot over him. Daye doesn’t do anything particularly well and has yet to really make an impression on most Pistons fans. Here’s hoping they make a good decision.

Good highlights video, although you missed one of the funnier moments of the practice. Drummond slipped on the way upcourt, gets up laughing, then gets a dunk over Stuckey and Middleton after cherry-picking down the court. Pretty nasty finish, too.

I even got a picture with Greg Kelser at the practice! He was sitting next to Mark Champion, who didn’t seem too happy that I only asked Special K for a picture haha

By: bugsygod

bugsygod — Tue, 09 Oct 2012 14:57:56 +0000

Sorry Patrick i gotta jump in here on the dysfunctional point. I agree there was some dysfunction going on, but this was from the ownership change only. Rip was a cancer on the team the last 2yrs before paying him to go away, in the ownership transfer this could not be done as we all know joe’s hands were tied. Now there were BAD decisions made, but EVERY organization makes bad decisions, from drafting to trades to FA’s. No org has a perfect record in these aspects. I thinks Joe made some very poor decisions CV & BG the most glaring. I do not throw him under the bus for the iverson trade, but the inexperinced coaching to handle the situation that Joe hired, not good. A BAD decision, not dysfunction. Also at the time of these trades/FA signings we were not in rebuilding mode, but trying to reload and stay in the playoffs. Now as we can see with the full backing of ownership, the pistons are back to making solid decisions and moves. Monroe, knight, singler, english, look to be good draft picks with long nba careers. The Slava signing may turn into a steal. The trade of Ben Gordon, brings great Cap flexibilty going forward. I know we traded a player we signed to a dumb contract, WITH a 1st rd pick to get out of that contract. I still like the trade, because if we win, its a non lottery pick in a poor draft and those non lotto picks can be bought during the draft, if we lose the pick stays with us. So to me the dysfunction was from ownership not managmenet. Bad decisions were made management but also some good decisions as well. We have a young talented roster that everyone seems to be excited to start this season(including yourself).
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I respect your Blog a great deal and you guys provide ALOT of pistons content. I do believe because of the consistent succes of the pistons over the last 20yrs, any down period is spent trying to determine who’s fault it is. There are ebbs and flows to EVERY organization. THe spurs had David robinson who got hurt, they were terrible and won the lottery with an even BETTER player in duncan. Lets see the Spurs when Duncan retires. Kobe bryant was begging for a trade from the lakers before the gasol trade as they were barely making the playoffs and were becoming irrelevant. Were the lakers dyscuntional or making poor decisions? Before the Big three signing in Miami, they were a lottery team and drafted Michael (smokes too much pot) Beasley! Yup the great Pat Riley drafted Michael Beasley at no. 2 overall!! Were the heat dysfunctional or making bad decisions? The Celtics were in the lottery for YEARS! (they drafted billups, mercer, pierce, A walker,rondo, all in the lottery, some misses some hits) They make the trade for KG & ray they then become championship contenders.
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So i again i think there was ownership dysfunction as far as what moves managment could make(none), but I dont think bad decisions are signs of dysfunction.

By: Al

Al — Tue, 09 Oct 2012 14:21:58 +0000

Knight, Stuckey, Prince, Monroe, Slava seems realistic now. Young and athletic, runs the floor and buying in to playing defense.