Glenn
10-11-2007, 12:18 PM
:langlois:
Renee (Troy): Do you think Flip will experiment and start Jason Maxiell over Antonio McDyess? I loved Maxy’s dunks in the preseason opener.
Langlois: Anything’s possible eventually, Renee, but I think they’re pretty committed to McDyess paired as a starter with Rasheed Wallace and using Maxiell off the bench with a high-tempo second unit that will change the texture of games. If they get 20 or 30 games into the season and there are legitimate reasons to consider a change, then, sure, that would be a possibility.
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Kyle (Detroit): I thought Maxiell looked good in the first game. Do you think that if he gets more consistent with his jumper that he can be like Corliss Williamson to this bench and maybe with the Sixth Man award? Also, will Amir Johnson be healthy enough to play some preseason games?
Langlois: There are some similarities to Maxiell and Williamson’s games, Kyle, and some reason to believe Maxiell can develop to the point where he’ll be as effective or perhaps an even more dynamic player than Williamson. Surely, Maxiell has more explosiveness to his game – as a shot-blocker and offensive rebounder, Maxiell is well ahead of Williamson. But Williamson had a polished low post game that Maxiell, another undersized power player, is still looking to find. He’s got the elements in place – a pretty decent 15-foot face-up jumper and an OK spin move for a baseline jumper – but it would be nice to develop a go-to move on the block. As for Amir, it’s probable that he’ll be back in the lineup soon, but ankle sprains are tough to predict. Some linger much longer than expected.
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Jason (San Francisco): Why was Phoenix trying to trade Shawn Marion? Didn’t they trade Kurt Thomas and two first-round picks to Seattle to try to keep Marion?
Langlois: Phoenix, by all accounts, is ambivalent about its ties to Marion. He’s a very good defensive player who gives them 20 and 10, or close to it, every night. But he makes a ton of money and most neutral observers think he’s the third most important player on the team behind Steve Nash and Amare Stoudemire. Plus, Marion is known to be high-maintenance. But the biggest factor, probably, is Phoenix’s unfavorable salary structure, which has led the Suns to consistently sell first-round draft choices and do the lopsided deal in which they dealt Thomas and the two first-rounders to Seattle just for cap relief. Even at that, they’re still well into luxury-tax territory.
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Mark (Grand Rapids): As of opening night I see the Pistons’ backcourt reserves being Stuckey and Murray. Hayes would be Prince’s backup and Nazr is the backup center. That only leaves one spot open for Amir and Maxiell, who should both be getting good minutes this season. How is Saunders going to rotate Amir and Max in when they both play the four? Plus, wouldn't Saunders want to have both those guys’ explosiveness in at once?
Langlois: There will be some nights, I suspect, when Mohammed will have a more prominent role than others. Against teams that don’t feature a true post presence – and that’s becoming the norm in an NBA almost devoid of back-to-the-basket scoring threats – the Pistons won’t have as great a need for what Mohammed offers. Saunders has said he needs to be sold on playing Maxiell and Johnson together because – for all their ability to get offensive rebounds – they’re not yet dependable defensive rebounders. I suspect the frontcourt rotation will go on an as-needed basis depending on the opponent.
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Jeremy (Ann Arbor): Any likelihood of seeing a smaller lineup at some times this season featuring Rip, Billups and Stuckey?
Langlois: Sure. Not as a staple of the offense, but on nights the opposition goes small and those three are having good games, it’s conceivable they’ll be on the floor together. They could also use Tayshaun Prince at power forward in that configuration and really go with a different look. That said, Flip Saunders – and most coaches – are reluctant to allow their counterpart to dictate terms. They like to make the other guy respond to their moves, not vice versa.
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Michael: Who do you think on the current Pistons’ roster is most likely to be a Hall of Famer? I’d go with Chauncey.
Langlois: The Hall of Fame is a pretty exclusive club. I’d say it would greatly help Chauncey’s chances – and Rip Hamilton’s – if the Pistons could win another NBA title or two on their watch. They’ve both been to consecutive All-Star games. A few more of those wouldn’t hurt, either. Had the Pistons won the 2005 title and Billups had picked up his second consecutive Finals MVP award – as he would have – he’d be in better shape today. I might even lean slightly to Hamilton as more likely to get there, even though Billups plays a more critical position. Hamilton is two years younger, has more career points and has the body type that should enable him to play effectively for many more seasons.
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Paul (Holland): Are the Pistons going to have the 50-year celebration logo at mid-court all season long? I hope not, because it’s ugly.
Langlois: It will be there all season, Paul – and here’s guessing that it grows on you. I thought it looked good – not at all ostentatious and a nice reminder that this a franchise with a history worth remembering.
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John (Macomb Township): I have one last Chris Webber question before I start concentrating on what happens on the court. Seeing that Webber turned down both a $12 million offer from Greece and a chance to join the Mavericks, it seems he must be pretty confident that a spot will open for him on the roster at some point this season. What are the chances? Also, I noticed in looking at some of the pictures from Monday’s game with Miami that the sidelines out-of-bounds areas on The Palace floor have been painted blue. Is this a permanent change?
Langlois: I wouldn’t necessarily conclude that Webber’s confident that something will open up with the Pistons. Hopeful, for certain; confident, not so much. As for the blue sidelines, yes, when the floor was redone to accommodate the incorporation of the 50th year celebration logo, the sidelines went from red to blue.
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Steve (Madison Heights): In watching Memphis play in Spain it seems all the announcers wanted to talk about was the Celtics or Bulls taking the East crown. It seems like everybody is writing off the Pistons. I think the Pistons are better this year with their rejuvenated bench. What do you think?
Langlois: I’ve said consistently that while I think road wins are going to be much tougher to come by in the Eastern Conference this season because the lower class has pulled itself up a few rungs, I don’t see much of a change at the top – Detroit, Chicago and Cleveland with Boston knocking on the door and battling Toronto in the Atlantic with an outside shot for Miami if Shaq and Wade stay healthy, but that’s a very big if.
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Michael (Israel): My family and I try to read as much as we can about the Pistons on the Internet. This includes the Freep, the News, Mlive, blogs and Pistons.com. I have noticed that a lot of times the Freep, News and Mlive all more or less write the same exact thing. Like today’s stories covering rookie hazing. All three were basically, word for word, the same. Do the Pistons issue press releases or other materials and then the journalists write based on what they receive?
Langlois: Pretty astute observation there, Michael. No, that’s not quite how it works, but sometimes reporters are really left with very few options because of the logistics. After practice, players either head straight to their locker room – off limits to the press – and decline to speak with reporters or continue shooting around, working out, lifting weights or participating in aerobic conditioning. It’s pretty rare for any reporter these days to get one-on-one interview time with any player. So almost all interviews done after practices or games are done in group settings. Usually, not more than one player (or coach, for that matter) is available at any one time. So you wind up getting a lot of days like today, where everybody is steered into writing whatever happens to be the most interesting story of the day. Rasheed Wallace agreed to talk Wednesday. Since he was behind the “R-O-O-K” headbands story from last week and is notoriously tough on rookies, the topic arose. Rasheed ran with it. Then Flip Saunders, several minutes later when he came out for his daily media briefing, was asked about incidents in his past and he mentioned the Kevin Garnett-Krispy Kreme story. Then rookie Arron Afflalo finished his workout and was asked about his experience to date. This deep into training camp – with pretty much every obligatory story (the newcomers, Antonio McDyess as a starter, the disappointment from the Cleveland series still lingering, etc.) already written – everybody’s eager for meaningful games to begin, and that includes the reporters who cover the team every day.
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Lee (Oklahoma): Who is your early pick for Rookie of the Year? Which young players do you think will make the most impact around the league?
Langlois: Kevin Durant is the runaway favorite right now, Lee. Greg Oden would have been a contender, as well, but I think Durant was probably going to win it even if Oden had been healthy, simply because the Sonics cleared out both veteran scorers, Rashard Lewis and Ray Allen, and Durant is the most obvious first scoring option, giving him the chance to put up some gaudy stats. I think Al Thornton of the Clippers is going to have a similar opportunity with Elton Brand out. The two kids in Atlanta, Al Horford and Acie Law, should get plenty of minutes. I think the Pistons’ Rodney Stuckey is going to be one of the most impressive rookies – and I’d pick him right there with Durant if he’d landed in a place where he wasn’t fighting for minutes with two All-Stars in Chauncey Billups and Rip Hamilton. Had Stuckey been picked by Atlanta or the Clippers, for instance, he’d be a no-brainer for the top three.
Renee (Troy): Do you think Flip will experiment and start Jason Maxiell over Antonio McDyess? I loved Maxy’s dunks in the preseason opener.
Langlois: Anything’s possible eventually, Renee, but I think they’re pretty committed to McDyess paired as a starter with Rasheed Wallace and using Maxiell off the bench with a high-tempo second unit that will change the texture of games. If they get 20 or 30 games into the season and there are legitimate reasons to consider a change, then, sure, that would be a possibility.
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Kyle (Detroit): I thought Maxiell looked good in the first game. Do you think that if he gets more consistent with his jumper that he can be like Corliss Williamson to this bench and maybe with the Sixth Man award? Also, will Amir Johnson be healthy enough to play some preseason games?
Langlois: There are some similarities to Maxiell and Williamson’s games, Kyle, and some reason to believe Maxiell can develop to the point where he’ll be as effective or perhaps an even more dynamic player than Williamson. Surely, Maxiell has more explosiveness to his game – as a shot-blocker and offensive rebounder, Maxiell is well ahead of Williamson. But Williamson had a polished low post game that Maxiell, another undersized power player, is still looking to find. He’s got the elements in place – a pretty decent 15-foot face-up jumper and an OK spin move for a baseline jumper – but it would be nice to develop a go-to move on the block. As for Amir, it’s probable that he’ll be back in the lineup soon, but ankle sprains are tough to predict. Some linger much longer than expected.
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Jason (San Francisco): Why was Phoenix trying to trade Shawn Marion? Didn’t they trade Kurt Thomas and two first-round picks to Seattle to try to keep Marion?
Langlois: Phoenix, by all accounts, is ambivalent about its ties to Marion. He’s a very good defensive player who gives them 20 and 10, or close to it, every night. But he makes a ton of money and most neutral observers think he’s the third most important player on the team behind Steve Nash and Amare Stoudemire. Plus, Marion is known to be high-maintenance. But the biggest factor, probably, is Phoenix’s unfavorable salary structure, which has led the Suns to consistently sell first-round draft choices and do the lopsided deal in which they dealt Thomas and the two first-rounders to Seattle just for cap relief. Even at that, they’re still well into luxury-tax territory.
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Mark (Grand Rapids): As of opening night I see the Pistons’ backcourt reserves being Stuckey and Murray. Hayes would be Prince’s backup and Nazr is the backup center. That only leaves one spot open for Amir and Maxiell, who should both be getting good minutes this season. How is Saunders going to rotate Amir and Max in when they both play the four? Plus, wouldn't Saunders want to have both those guys’ explosiveness in at once?
Langlois: There will be some nights, I suspect, when Mohammed will have a more prominent role than others. Against teams that don’t feature a true post presence – and that’s becoming the norm in an NBA almost devoid of back-to-the-basket scoring threats – the Pistons won’t have as great a need for what Mohammed offers. Saunders has said he needs to be sold on playing Maxiell and Johnson together because – for all their ability to get offensive rebounds – they’re not yet dependable defensive rebounders. I suspect the frontcourt rotation will go on an as-needed basis depending on the opponent.
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Jeremy (Ann Arbor): Any likelihood of seeing a smaller lineup at some times this season featuring Rip, Billups and Stuckey?
Langlois: Sure. Not as a staple of the offense, but on nights the opposition goes small and those three are having good games, it’s conceivable they’ll be on the floor together. They could also use Tayshaun Prince at power forward in that configuration and really go with a different look. That said, Flip Saunders – and most coaches – are reluctant to allow their counterpart to dictate terms. They like to make the other guy respond to their moves, not vice versa.
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Michael: Who do you think on the current Pistons’ roster is most likely to be a Hall of Famer? I’d go with Chauncey.
Langlois: The Hall of Fame is a pretty exclusive club. I’d say it would greatly help Chauncey’s chances – and Rip Hamilton’s – if the Pistons could win another NBA title or two on their watch. They’ve both been to consecutive All-Star games. A few more of those wouldn’t hurt, either. Had the Pistons won the 2005 title and Billups had picked up his second consecutive Finals MVP award – as he would have – he’d be in better shape today. I might even lean slightly to Hamilton as more likely to get there, even though Billups plays a more critical position. Hamilton is two years younger, has more career points and has the body type that should enable him to play effectively for many more seasons.
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Paul (Holland): Are the Pistons going to have the 50-year celebration logo at mid-court all season long? I hope not, because it’s ugly.
Langlois: It will be there all season, Paul – and here’s guessing that it grows on you. I thought it looked good – not at all ostentatious and a nice reminder that this a franchise with a history worth remembering.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
John (Macomb Township): I have one last Chris Webber question before I start concentrating on what happens on the court. Seeing that Webber turned down both a $12 million offer from Greece and a chance to join the Mavericks, it seems he must be pretty confident that a spot will open for him on the roster at some point this season. What are the chances? Also, I noticed in looking at some of the pictures from Monday’s game with Miami that the sidelines out-of-bounds areas on The Palace floor have been painted blue. Is this a permanent change?
Langlois: I wouldn’t necessarily conclude that Webber’s confident that something will open up with the Pistons. Hopeful, for certain; confident, not so much. As for the blue sidelines, yes, when the floor was redone to accommodate the incorporation of the 50th year celebration logo, the sidelines went from red to blue.
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Steve (Madison Heights): In watching Memphis play in Spain it seems all the announcers wanted to talk about was the Celtics or Bulls taking the East crown. It seems like everybody is writing off the Pistons. I think the Pistons are better this year with their rejuvenated bench. What do you think?
Langlois: I’ve said consistently that while I think road wins are going to be much tougher to come by in the Eastern Conference this season because the lower class has pulled itself up a few rungs, I don’t see much of a change at the top – Detroit, Chicago and Cleveland with Boston knocking on the door and battling Toronto in the Atlantic with an outside shot for Miami if Shaq and Wade stay healthy, but that’s a very big if.
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Michael (Israel): My family and I try to read as much as we can about the Pistons on the Internet. This includes the Freep, the News, Mlive, blogs and Pistons.com. I have noticed that a lot of times the Freep, News and Mlive all more or less write the same exact thing. Like today’s stories covering rookie hazing. All three were basically, word for word, the same. Do the Pistons issue press releases or other materials and then the journalists write based on what they receive?
Langlois: Pretty astute observation there, Michael. No, that’s not quite how it works, but sometimes reporters are really left with very few options because of the logistics. After practice, players either head straight to their locker room – off limits to the press – and decline to speak with reporters or continue shooting around, working out, lifting weights or participating in aerobic conditioning. It’s pretty rare for any reporter these days to get one-on-one interview time with any player. So almost all interviews done after practices or games are done in group settings. Usually, not more than one player (or coach, for that matter) is available at any one time. So you wind up getting a lot of days like today, where everybody is steered into writing whatever happens to be the most interesting story of the day. Rasheed Wallace agreed to talk Wednesday. Since he was behind the “R-O-O-K” headbands story from last week and is notoriously tough on rookies, the topic arose. Rasheed ran with it. Then Flip Saunders, several minutes later when he came out for his daily media briefing, was asked about incidents in his past and he mentioned the Kevin Garnett-Krispy Kreme story. Then rookie Arron Afflalo finished his workout and was asked about his experience to date. This deep into training camp – with pretty much every obligatory story (the newcomers, Antonio McDyess as a starter, the disappointment from the Cleveland series still lingering, etc.) already written – everybody’s eager for meaningful games to begin, and that includes the reporters who cover the team every day.
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Lee (Oklahoma): Who is your early pick for Rookie of the Year? Which young players do you think will make the most impact around the league?
Langlois: Kevin Durant is the runaway favorite right now, Lee. Greg Oden would have been a contender, as well, but I think Durant was probably going to win it even if Oden had been healthy, simply because the Sonics cleared out both veteran scorers, Rashard Lewis and Ray Allen, and Durant is the most obvious first scoring option, giving him the chance to put up some gaudy stats. I think Al Thornton of the Clippers is going to have a similar opportunity with Elton Brand out. The two kids in Atlanta, Al Horford and Acie Law, should get plenty of minutes. I think the Pistons’ Rodney Stuckey is going to be one of the most impressive rookies – and I’d pick him right there with Durant if he’d landed in a place where he wasn’t fighting for minutes with two All-Stars in Chauncey Billups and Rip Hamilton. Had Stuckey been picked by Atlanta or the Clippers, for instance, he’d be a no-brainer for the top three.