Comments on: Jazz turn up second half defense, Pistons blow 15-point lead in loss http://www.pistonpowered.com/2013/01/jazz-turn-up-second-half-defense-pistons-blow-15-point-lead-in-loss/ Your Go-To Source For Pistons Coverage Thu, 23 May 2013 13:25:13 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.1 By: tarsier http://www.pistonpowered.com/2013/01/jazz-turn-up-second-half-defense-pistons-blow-15-point-lead-in-loss/comment-page-1/#comment-113455 tarsier Mon, 14 Jan 2013 06:02:51 +0000 http://www.pistonpowered.com/?p=12385#comment-113455 But why would you expect anyone to be a better roster fit? You typically want two big men on the court at a time. And it's not like the Pistons just have extra quality bigs sitting around, especially since there should be a good chance Max is done in Detroit after this season. If we knew the Pistons were going to sign Jefferson or Millsap or Smoove or some other big in the offseason, then maybe. But there are still precious few players I'd give up Monroe for. Certainly not Gay. Maybe Paul George. But there's not a very long list of players I'd rather have on this team than Monroe. And most to all of them (LeBron, Durant, CP3, Irving, Harden, Davis...) are totally unavailable.  But why would you expect anyone to be a better roster fit? You typically want two big men on the court at a time. And it’s not like the Pistons just have extra quality bigs sitting around, especially since there should be a good chance Max is done in Detroit after this season.

If we knew the Pistons were going to sign Jefferson or Millsap or Smoove or some other big in the offseason, then maybe. But there are still precious few players I’d give up Monroe for. Certainly not Gay. Maybe Paul George. But there’s not a very long list of players I’d rather have on this team than Monroe. And most to all of them (LeBron, Durant, CP3, Irving, Harden, Davis…) are totally unavailable. 

]]> By: Mrshourite http://www.pistonpowered.com/2013/01/jazz-turn-up-second-half-defense-pistons-blow-15-point-lead-in-loss/comment-page-1/#comment-113435 Mrshourite Mon, 14 Jan 2013 05:38:17 +0000 http://www.pistonpowered.com/?p=12385#comment-113435 Naw, I don't think Monroe is a bum but obviously there is a reason that Coach Frank doesn't play him with Drummond for consistent long stretches. Maybe one or some of their weaknesses will be exposed, I don't know. But as a Piston Fan; as well as a Monroe and Dummond fan speaking....if you could trade one of the two and get a star of equal or greater value and potential better roster fit, then who would you prefer to trade? Who would you prefer to keep and build around? I think Greg has some very quick hands, sees the floor well, and has a developing post game, is a good rebounder... but as we saw last night can be turnover prone and at times has a tendency to play kind of "soft" and play to the officials instead of making a basketball play. Skilled big man who often relies on finess and plays smaller than 6'11 sometimes. Can be kind of annoying hearing him yell every time he touches the ball and then proceed to whining to the refs. I know he'know Rick Mahorn, but my wish list before this season started was for Moose to toughen up a little bit and play with a chip on his shoulder. Just my observations though.  With that being said.... I do think that we are in a good spot having two very talented big men in Monroe and Drummond. Just think this time last year quite a few of us were privately and publicly hoping for a miraculous return and signing of another more fragile Greg (Oden). So I do remember and I appreciate our position now compared to yesterday.  I am and will always be open to improving our team, and the only untouchable I see right now using Drummond. Monroe is nearly untouchable IMO.   Naw, I don’t think Monroe is a bum but obviously there is a reason that Coach Frank doesn’t play him with Drummond for consistent long stretches. Maybe one or some of their weaknesses will be exposed, I don’t know. But as a Piston Fan; as well as a Monroe and Dummond fan speaking….if you could trade one of the two and get a star of equal or greater value and potential better roster fit, then who would you prefer to trade? Who would you prefer to keep and build around? I think Greg has some very quick hands, sees the floor well, and has a developing post game, is a good rebounder… but as we saw last night can be turnover prone and at times has a tendency to play kind of “soft” and play to the officials instead of making a basketball play. Skilled big man who often relies on finess and plays smaller than 6’11 sometimes. Can be kind of annoying hearing him yell every time he touches the ball and then proceed to whining to the refs. I know he’know Rick Mahorn, but my wish list before this season started was for Moose to toughen up a little bit and play with a chip on his shoulder. Just my observations though. 

With that being said….
I do think that we are in a good spot having two very talented big men in Monroe and Drummond. Just think this time last year quite a few of us were privately and publicly hoping for a miraculous return and signing of another more fragile Greg (Oden). So I do remember and I appreciate our position now compared to yesterday. 

I am and will always be open to improving our team, and the only untouchable I see right now using Drummond. Monroe is nearly untouchable IMO.  

]]> By: tarsier http://www.pistonpowered.com/2013/01/jazz-turn-up-second-half-defense-pistons-blow-15-point-lead-in-loss/comment-page-1/#comment-113420 tarsier Mon, 14 Jan 2013 02:27:32 +0000 http://www.pistonpowered.com/?p=12385#comment-113420 He wasn't traded in a dump of a disappointment. He was traded as the centerpiece of a package for a guy who appeared to be a superstar. Williams has proven that is not really the case since moving to the Nets, but that's neither here nor there. Favors was traded because he was insanely valuable, not because of doubts about his value. He wasn’t traded in a dump of a disappointment. He was traded as the centerpiece of a package for a guy who appeared to be a superstar. Williams has proven that is not really the case since moving to the Nets, but that’s neither here nor there. Favors was traded because he was insanely valuable, not because of doubts about his value.

]]> By: tarsier http://www.pistonpowered.com/2013/01/jazz-turn-up-second-half-defense-pistons-blow-15-point-lead-in-loss/comment-page-1/#comment-113419 tarsier Mon, 14 Jan 2013 02:24:55 +0000 http://www.pistonpowered.com/?p=12385#comment-113419 Not necessarily everyone. But there have been so many comments on PP lately about what a bum  Monroe is and how Detroit should trade him. It's mind blowing. Just a year ago, this man was the only thing good about the Pistons. Not necessarily everyone. But there have been so many comments on PP lately about what a bum  Monroe is and how Detroit should trade him. It’s mind blowing. Just a year ago, this man was the only thing good about the Pistons.

]]> By: tarsier http://www.pistonpowered.com/2013/01/jazz-turn-up-second-half-defense-pistons-blow-15-point-lead-in-loss/comment-page-1/#comment-113418 tarsier Mon, 14 Jan 2013 02:23:01 +0000 http://www.pistonpowered.com/?p=12385#comment-113418 He's not an amazing player. And he has never taken the leap forward that fans have hoped for year after year. But he is not particularly overpaid. And he has come to be one of the more consistent players on the team (although he has about a month each year in which eh is really good and about a month in which he is really bad). How is he a cancer exactly? I'd be fine with trading Stuckey if there was a decent return. But he brings a skillset to the table that nobody else on the team has. And unlike Prince and Max, eh won't necessarily be trending downward by the time the Pistons can return to relevance. He’s not an amazing player. And he has never taken the leap forward that fans have hoped for year after year. But he is not particularly overpaid. And he has come to be one of the more consistent players on the team (although he has about a month each year in which eh is really good and about a month in which he is really bad). How is he a cancer exactly? I’d be fine with trading Stuckey if there was a decent return. But he brings a skillset to the table that nobody else on the team has. And unlike Prince and Max, eh won’t necessarily be trending downward by the time the Pistons can return to relevance.

]]> By: tarsier http://www.pistonpowered.com/2013/01/jazz-turn-up-second-half-defense-pistons-blow-15-point-lead-in-loss/comment-page-1/#comment-113417 tarsier Mon, 14 Jan 2013 02:19:36 +0000 http://www.pistonpowered.com/?p=12385#comment-113417 Why can't he pay all that money? They bring in plenty of fans because they are really good and they get extra playoff revenue. And their payroll doesn't need to be absurdly high because nobody other than the superstars needs a big paycheck. The only other highly paid players are Haslem and Miller and neither is a major contributor. If they need to cut money off the payroll, those are the guys they'll move. Contrary to popular opinion, for a contending team, superstars are cheap. It's talented role players that cost a ton because you need so many more of them. That's why the championship Mavs had a much higher payroll than the championship Heat. Why can’t he pay all that money? They bring in plenty of fans because they are really good and they get extra playoff revenue. And their payroll doesn’t need to be absurdly high because nobody other than the superstars needs a big paycheck. The only other highly paid players are Haslem and Miller and neither is a major contributor. If they need to cut money off the payroll, those are the guys they’ll move.

Contrary to popular opinion, for a contending team, superstars are cheap. It’s talented role players that cost a ton because you need so many more of them. That’s why the championship Mavs had a much higher payroll than the championship Heat.

]]> By: tarsier http://www.pistonpowered.com/2013/01/jazz-turn-up-second-half-defense-pistons-blow-15-point-lead-in-loss/comment-page-1/#comment-113416 tarsier Mon, 14 Jan 2013 02:15:30 +0000 http://www.pistonpowered.com/?p=12385#comment-113416 That's not really true. The vast majority of the PGs in this league don't have a decent SG next to them. In fact, I'd probably say that a recent influx of good big men has made SG the weakest position in the league. There's Kobe, Wade, and Harden. Then Gordon, Ginobili, Thompson, Johnson, and Martin. Then there is a steep, steep drop to the likes of Mayo, Allen, Evans, Turner, Bellinelli, Stuckey, and other random interchangable guys. So really, I would say only 8 PGs in the league play next to good SGs. And every PG "loses" a ton of assists because his teammates don't hit their shots. The better ones get their teammates easy enough shots that that won't happen as often. The Pistons are right smack dab in the middle of the league in terms of FG%. So that is really not a valid excuse for Knight to not rack up assists. He's just not that good a PG yet. Hopefully, he'll get better. That’s not really true. The vast majority of the PGs in this league don’t have a decent SG next to them. In fact, I’d probably say that a recent influx of good big men has made SG the weakest position in the league. There’s Kobe, Wade, and Harden. Then Gordon, Ginobili, Thompson, Johnson, and Martin. Then there is a steep, steep drop to the likes of Mayo, Allen, Evans, Turner, Bellinelli, Stuckey, and other random interchangable guys. So really, I would say only 8 PGs in the league play next to good SGs.

And every PG “loses” a ton of assists because his teammates don’t hit their shots. The better ones get their teammates easy enough shots that that won’t happen as often. The Pistons are right smack dab in the middle of the league in terms of FG%. So that is really not a valid excuse for Knight to not rack up assists. He’s just not that good a PG yet. Hopefully, he’ll get better.

]]> By: apa8ren9 http://www.pistonpowered.com/2013/01/jazz-turn-up-second-half-defense-pistons-blow-15-point-lead-in-loss/comment-page-1/#comment-113415 apa8ren9 Mon, 14 Jan 2013 02:13:46 +0000 http://www.pistonpowered.com/?p=12385#comment-113415 Looks like Favors is developing nicely in Utah.  I thought it odd that he was traded so soon as the #2 pick without the customary "baggage" (ala Beasley) or at least no baggage I heard of.   Utah out toughed us on this one and we did not play to our strengths that got us the lead.  A winnable game that we let get away.  I did like the way the Pistons competed till the end.  I never thought we would win this game to begin with but, the Pistons have to play with more consistency maintaining and putting teams away.  Im not saying anything new, but everyone can do better.   Looks like Favors is developing nicely in Utah.  I thought it odd that he was traded so soon as the #2 pick without the customary “baggage” (ala Beasley) or at least no baggage I heard of.   Utah out toughed us on this one and we did not play to our strengths that got us the lead.  A winnable game that we let get away.  I did like the way the Pistons competed till the end.  I never thought we would win this game to begin with but, the Pistons have to play with more consistency maintaining and putting teams away.  Im not saying anything new, but everyone can do better.
 

]]> By: tarsier http://www.pistonpowered.com/2013/01/jazz-turn-up-second-half-defense-pistons-blow-15-point-lead-in-loss/comment-page-1/#comment-113414 tarsier Mon, 14 Jan 2013 02:05:57 +0000 http://www.pistonpowered.com/?p=12385#comment-113414 No, the most likely team in the league to win it all has no reason to mess with their incredible core. No, the most likely team in the league to win it all has no reason to mess with their incredible core.

]]> By: tarsier http://www.pistonpowered.com/2013/01/jazz-turn-up-second-half-defense-pistons-blow-15-point-lead-in-loss/comment-page-1/#comment-113413 tarsier Mon, 14 Jan 2013 02:05:02 +0000 http://www.pistonpowered.com/?p=12385#comment-113413 It may turn out that long-term, Knight is better suited as primarily a spot up shooter. And if a PG is added to the roster for next season, maybe it is more important that he handle the ball for his development instead of Knight. But RIGHT NOW, Knight should be the primary ball handler because if he can develop more skills for that role, it will represent his greatest opportunity for upside. The Pistons owe it to themselves to at least enable that possibility. It's not like they're making the playoffs this year anyway. They would probably need to go, at the very least, 26-18 the rest of the way. That's Denver/Brooklyn/Atlanta/Chicago/Indiana caliber play. It may turn out that long-term, Knight is better suited as primarily a spot up shooter. And if a PG is added to the roster for next season, maybe it is more important that he handle the ball for his development instead of Knight.

But RIGHT NOW, Knight should be the primary ball handler because if he can develop more skills for that role, it will represent his greatest opportunity for upside. The Pistons owe it to themselves to at least enable that possibility.

It’s not like they’re making the playoffs this year anyway. They would probably need to go, at the very least, 26-18 the rest of the way. That’s Denver/Brooklyn/Atlanta/Chicago/Indiana caliber play.

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