Glenn
12-17-2007, 11:17 AM
Monday, December 17, 2007
Ryan (Grand Rapids): Does the Nazr Mohammed trade make it more or less likely that Chris Webber joins the Pistons?
Langlois: It opens the door, Ryan, as I addressed in my analysis of the Charlotte trade that we posted Friday night on Pistons.com.
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Chris (Honolulu): The Boston matchup is one I’ve been waiting for and I wanted to know how you think we match up at each position.
Langlois: The Pistons match up very well – they have three very good defenders for each of Boston’s three stars. Rasheed Wallace has always been a good matchup for Kevin Garnett, though Garnett will see some of Antonio McDyess, too. Tayshaun Prince will draw the bulk of minutes opposite Paul Pierce and Rip Hamilton – who has been quietly playing superb defense – will be the primary defender on his fellow UConn alum, Ray Allen. The Pistons, obviously, have clear and heavy advantages at point guard and the other frontcourt position and across the board off the bench, though Boston’s support players – Rajon Rondo, James Posey, Big Baby Davis, et al – have given the Celtics better play than most expected. It will be the most-anticipated regular season game of the Pistons’ schedule so far, but don’t make too much of the results. It won’t seem so important by the time these two run into each other in the playoffs, if that happens.
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Bryan (Remus): I read that Brezec and Herrmann are happy to be Pistons, but what does Nazr Mohammed think of this trade?
Langlois: He told Joe Dumars that he was going to miss the environment in Detroit, but he was thankful to have an opportunity to play a more significant role with a team that made an obvious commitment to him. Pistons fans never warmed to Nazr, but he won the organization’s respect by the way he handled a difficult situation last winter after the Pistons acquired Chris Webber.
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Renee (Troy): If the Pistons do pick up Chris Webber, who would they waive?
Langlois: Their first preference, obviously, would be to trade someone rather than waive someone. After Rodney Stuckey returns, it wouldn’t surprise me if the Pistons explored the market for Flip Murray. He played pretty well as the starter when Chauncey Billups had to sit out a few games in November. With Flip Saunders comfortable playing Lindsey Hunter for the jolt he gives their defense and Saunders confident in Arron Afflalo behind Rip Hamilton, Murray will be squeezed at both backcourt spots.
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Nathan (Farmington Hills): I’ve paid close attention to the D-League for some time and I saw that Jeremy Richardson is doing very well. Do the Pistons have his rights? What position does he play? Where is he from?
Langlois: No, the Pistons don’t hold Richardson’s rights. No one does. He went to training camp with Miami and played well during the preseason, but the Heat chose to keep Penny Hardaway, who they’ve since cut. Richardson, 6-foot-7, is a small forward out of Delta State who went undrafted out of college.
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Byron (West Virginia): When Stuckey returns, is it possible all six guards can have playing time?
Langlois: Not likely, Byron. At least one of them won’t even be in uniform on game nights. Lindsey Hunter wasn’t dressing for games early in the season even though Stuckey was sidelined. Four is about as many as the backcourt rotation can handle.
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Francis (Dearborn Heights): Why are Billups and Hamilton still getting almost 40 minutes a game? Give some to Murray, who didn’t play at all against Memphis, and Hunter, who didn’t play against Houston.
Langlois: At the time I got your e-mail, Francis, Hamilton was averaging 35 minutes a game and Billups 34. Those are definitely on the light side for All-Star-caliber players. It’s fine to limit minutes, but that doesn’t strike anyone as excessive. Hamilton’s 35.2 per game places him 50th in the league. Tayshaun Prince is 63rd. Chauncey Billups is 71st. If the Pistons are in danger of running out of gas, there are 29 other teams that better be really worried.
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Colleen (Ann Arbor): The loss to Houston was discouraging. The starters are plyaing way too many minutes. I hope that Flip and Joe D are assessing this issue.
Langlois: As you can see from the question and answer above, Colleen, the minutes are nowhere near unmanageable. No one played 40 minutes against Houston. There are four players in the NBA averaging 40 minutes a game. This is a non-issue at this point. When Rodney Stuckey returns, it will be even more of a non-issue.
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Andrea (Battle Creek): How fast you get hit with technical fouls depends on how many commercials you do. Rip gets hit fast and so does Rasheed. I’ve watched Dwyane Wade several times and he spends more time arguing with officials than any of the Pistons yet doesn’t get technicals.
Langlois: Fairly or not, Rasheed during his Portland days became sort of the poster child for player defiance toward NBA officials. Has he deserved many of the technicals he’s picked up over the years? Absolutely. Has he paid for past sins with cheaply earned T’s the last several years? Absolutely. And his frustration often becomes the team’s frustration. The Pistons have to be understand they have a shorter leash than other teams and outsmart the officials. They simply can’t bait them. And, to their credit, they’ve been much better this season.
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Kevin (Greencastle, Ind.): From Amir to Cheikh to Super Dupe to Nazr, not everyone gets to play as much as he would like, yet they endure with calmness and do what they can to help the team. Please tell me it will stay that way forever. And do you think the Pistons will still have the firepower to knock off the East and contend with the West this year?
Langlois: Forever’s a long time, Kevin, but I think as long as Joe Dumars is running the Pistons he’ll do everything in his power to make sure the roster is full of high-character players who understand the team’s needs come first. As for their title chances this year, the field is more wide open than it’s been in years, but there’s no team in the East whose chances I like better. When it comes to the NBA Finals, we’ll just have to see what the matchups are.
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Jerry (Walled Lake): With so few minutes available for Amir Johnson, do you think the Pistons will send him to the D-League? It would be better than sitting on the bench every night.
Langlois: Can’t happen, Jerry. Players with NBA contracts cannot be sent to the D-League after their second NBA season. Now, if someone is without an NBA contract, he can play in the D-League as long as he wants. That’s why Luke Jackson, who was just signed by Miami, was playing in the D-League even though he was drafted in 2004. He was not the property of any NBA team until Miami signed him. As long as he’s under contract with Miami, he can’t return to the D-League. If Miami waives him, he would then be eligible to go back to the D-League. The only way Amir Johnson could play in the D-League would be if the Pistons waived him – and that’s not happening.
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Travis (Chicago): A few weeks ago Bill Walton said that Rasheed Wallace has the most unstoppable low-post moves in the history of the game. Granted, Walton is known for his absurd exaggerations, but where do you rank him among power forwards in the last 20 years? Do you think he plays to the best of his ability or does he tend to underperform?
Langlois: Walton exaggerates? Never in a hundred million years, Travis. Hmmm. Most unstoppable low-post moves in the history of the game. I’ll go with Wilt Chamberlain. Anyone who can average 50 a game for an entire NBA season has something going for him. Have the Pistons gotten 100 percent of Rasheed Wallace every night? That’s an impossible standard. Nobody can crank it up full blast 82 times a year. Ben Wallace didn’t play at maximum level 82 times a year and he came about as close as anyone could to pulling it off. The Pistons are getting more from Rasheed this year, that much is certain. And I don’t have any hard numbers to back this up, but I also sense that he’s been more balanced as an inside-outside player this season – more shots in the post than in the past.
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Fran (Southfield): The Pistons have been playing great, but I’m just a little concerned about the wear and tear on Rasheed since he’s now banging in the paint with sometimes bigger and younger bodies.
Langlois: Rick Mahorn and Bill Laimbeer are probably going to pull a rib muscle laughing at that suggestion, Fran – only because the NBA of today doesn’t allow half as much physical jostling as it did in their era. But I hear you. On balance, though, I don’t think Rasheed is spending much more time, if any, guarding back-to-the-basket post players than he has in the past – mostly because many times simply lack those types of players in this age. Plus, his better overall conditioning level this year should help him hold up. Rasheed’s averaging 31 minutes a game. I think he’ll hold up just fine.
Ryan (Grand Rapids): Does the Nazr Mohammed trade make it more or less likely that Chris Webber joins the Pistons?
Langlois: It opens the door, Ryan, as I addressed in my analysis of the Charlotte trade that we posted Friday night on Pistons.com.
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Chris (Honolulu): The Boston matchup is one I’ve been waiting for and I wanted to know how you think we match up at each position.
Langlois: The Pistons match up very well – they have three very good defenders for each of Boston’s three stars. Rasheed Wallace has always been a good matchup for Kevin Garnett, though Garnett will see some of Antonio McDyess, too. Tayshaun Prince will draw the bulk of minutes opposite Paul Pierce and Rip Hamilton – who has been quietly playing superb defense – will be the primary defender on his fellow UConn alum, Ray Allen. The Pistons, obviously, have clear and heavy advantages at point guard and the other frontcourt position and across the board off the bench, though Boston’s support players – Rajon Rondo, James Posey, Big Baby Davis, et al – have given the Celtics better play than most expected. It will be the most-anticipated regular season game of the Pistons’ schedule so far, but don’t make too much of the results. It won’t seem so important by the time these two run into each other in the playoffs, if that happens.
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Bryan (Remus): I read that Brezec and Herrmann are happy to be Pistons, but what does Nazr Mohammed think of this trade?
Langlois: He told Joe Dumars that he was going to miss the environment in Detroit, but he was thankful to have an opportunity to play a more significant role with a team that made an obvious commitment to him. Pistons fans never warmed to Nazr, but he won the organization’s respect by the way he handled a difficult situation last winter after the Pistons acquired Chris Webber.
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Renee (Troy): If the Pistons do pick up Chris Webber, who would they waive?
Langlois: Their first preference, obviously, would be to trade someone rather than waive someone. After Rodney Stuckey returns, it wouldn’t surprise me if the Pistons explored the market for Flip Murray. He played pretty well as the starter when Chauncey Billups had to sit out a few games in November. With Flip Saunders comfortable playing Lindsey Hunter for the jolt he gives their defense and Saunders confident in Arron Afflalo behind Rip Hamilton, Murray will be squeezed at both backcourt spots.
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Nathan (Farmington Hills): I’ve paid close attention to the D-League for some time and I saw that Jeremy Richardson is doing very well. Do the Pistons have his rights? What position does he play? Where is he from?
Langlois: No, the Pistons don’t hold Richardson’s rights. No one does. He went to training camp with Miami and played well during the preseason, but the Heat chose to keep Penny Hardaway, who they’ve since cut. Richardson, 6-foot-7, is a small forward out of Delta State who went undrafted out of college.
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Byron (West Virginia): When Stuckey returns, is it possible all six guards can have playing time?
Langlois: Not likely, Byron. At least one of them won’t even be in uniform on game nights. Lindsey Hunter wasn’t dressing for games early in the season even though Stuckey was sidelined. Four is about as many as the backcourt rotation can handle.
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Francis (Dearborn Heights): Why are Billups and Hamilton still getting almost 40 minutes a game? Give some to Murray, who didn’t play at all against Memphis, and Hunter, who didn’t play against Houston.
Langlois: At the time I got your e-mail, Francis, Hamilton was averaging 35 minutes a game and Billups 34. Those are definitely on the light side for All-Star-caliber players. It’s fine to limit minutes, but that doesn’t strike anyone as excessive. Hamilton’s 35.2 per game places him 50th in the league. Tayshaun Prince is 63rd. Chauncey Billups is 71st. If the Pistons are in danger of running out of gas, there are 29 other teams that better be really worried.
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Colleen (Ann Arbor): The loss to Houston was discouraging. The starters are plyaing way too many minutes. I hope that Flip and Joe D are assessing this issue.
Langlois: As you can see from the question and answer above, Colleen, the minutes are nowhere near unmanageable. No one played 40 minutes against Houston. There are four players in the NBA averaging 40 minutes a game. This is a non-issue at this point. When Rodney Stuckey returns, it will be even more of a non-issue.
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Andrea (Battle Creek): How fast you get hit with technical fouls depends on how many commercials you do. Rip gets hit fast and so does Rasheed. I’ve watched Dwyane Wade several times and he spends more time arguing with officials than any of the Pistons yet doesn’t get technicals.
Langlois: Fairly or not, Rasheed during his Portland days became sort of the poster child for player defiance toward NBA officials. Has he deserved many of the technicals he’s picked up over the years? Absolutely. Has he paid for past sins with cheaply earned T’s the last several years? Absolutely. And his frustration often becomes the team’s frustration. The Pistons have to be understand they have a shorter leash than other teams and outsmart the officials. They simply can’t bait them. And, to their credit, they’ve been much better this season.
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Kevin (Greencastle, Ind.): From Amir to Cheikh to Super Dupe to Nazr, not everyone gets to play as much as he would like, yet they endure with calmness and do what they can to help the team. Please tell me it will stay that way forever. And do you think the Pistons will still have the firepower to knock off the East and contend with the West this year?
Langlois: Forever’s a long time, Kevin, but I think as long as Joe Dumars is running the Pistons he’ll do everything in his power to make sure the roster is full of high-character players who understand the team’s needs come first. As for their title chances this year, the field is more wide open than it’s been in years, but there’s no team in the East whose chances I like better. When it comes to the NBA Finals, we’ll just have to see what the matchups are.
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Jerry (Walled Lake): With so few minutes available for Amir Johnson, do you think the Pistons will send him to the D-League? It would be better than sitting on the bench every night.
Langlois: Can’t happen, Jerry. Players with NBA contracts cannot be sent to the D-League after their second NBA season. Now, if someone is without an NBA contract, he can play in the D-League as long as he wants. That’s why Luke Jackson, who was just signed by Miami, was playing in the D-League even though he was drafted in 2004. He was not the property of any NBA team until Miami signed him. As long as he’s under contract with Miami, he can’t return to the D-League. If Miami waives him, he would then be eligible to go back to the D-League. The only way Amir Johnson could play in the D-League would be if the Pistons waived him – and that’s not happening.
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Travis (Chicago): A few weeks ago Bill Walton said that Rasheed Wallace has the most unstoppable low-post moves in the history of the game. Granted, Walton is known for his absurd exaggerations, but where do you rank him among power forwards in the last 20 years? Do you think he plays to the best of his ability or does he tend to underperform?
Langlois: Walton exaggerates? Never in a hundred million years, Travis. Hmmm. Most unstoppable low-post moves in the history of the game. I’ll go with Wilt Chamberlain. Anyone who can average 50 a game for an entire NBA season has something going for him. Have the Pistons gotten 100 percent of Rasheed Wallace every night? That’s an impossible standard. Nobody can crank it up full blast 82 times a year. Ben Wallace didn’t play at maximum level 82 times a year and he came about as close as anyone could to pulling it off. The Pistons are getting more from Rasheed this year, that much is certain. And I don’t have any hard numbers to back this up, but I also sense that he’s been more balanced as an inside-outside player this season – more shots in the post than in the past.
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Fran (Southfield): The Pistons have been playing great, but I’m just a little concerned about the wear and tear on Rasheed since he’s now banging in the paint with sometimes bigger and younger bodies.
Langlois: Rick Mahorn and Bill Laimbeer are probably going to pull a rib muscle laughing at that suggestion, Fran – only because the NBA of today doesn’t allow half as much physical jostling as it did in their era. But I hear you. On balance, though, I don’t think Rasheed is spending much more time, if any, guarding back-to-the-basket post players than he has in the past – mostly because many times simply lack those types of players in this age. Plus, his better overall conditioning level this year should help him hold up. Rasheed’s averaging 31 minutes a game. I think he’ll hold up just fine.