Pistons-Nets Preview

By SANTOSH VENKATARAMAN, STATS Editor
Posted Dec 25 2007 12:41PM

The surging Detroit Pistons hope to ride their defense to a season-high sixth straight victory Wednesday night when they visit the New Jersey Nets.

Detroit (20-7) won for the 12th time in 14 games with a 94-82 victory over Houston on Sunday. The Pistons limited the Rockets to 40.3 percent from the field, and held their sixth straight opponent to 87 points or fewer.

"Our defense is getting to be extremely solid," Pistons coach Flip Saunders said. "We turned it up in the third quarter. We've been doing that a lot lately."

Detroit is limiting opponents to 89.7 points per game, and joins Boston as the only teams in the NBA allowing an average under 90. The Pistons have held the opposition below 50 percent from the floor in 12 straight games.

They are 9-5 on the road, including 5-1 against Eastern Conference foes. Detroit's last road game was an 87-85 win at Boston last Wednesday, handing the league-best Celtics their first home loss of the season.

"We have a good quality team that is going to be ticked off that they had to travel Christmas Day," Nets forward Richard Jefferson said of the Pistons. "They just knocked off Boston. That's a game for us that could gain us so much momentum."

How Chauncey Billups and Jason Kidd fare in their matchup at point guard could be a key factor Wednesday. Detroit went 4-0 against New Jersey last season, with Billups averaging 20.8 points and 9.0 assists to Kidd's averages of 12.8 points and 6.5 assists.

The teams have met once this season and Billups didn't outplay Kidd that dramatically, but Detroit was still impressive in a 118-95 home win over New Jersey on Dec. 2. Billups had 18 points and nine assists while Kidd scored only six points, but had a season-high 16 assists.

"We aren't as good as Detroit," Kidd said after the game. "We were playing against a very good team, and we didn't have any answers. It seemed like they made every shot, or if they didn't, they got the offensive rebounds and put that in."

New Jersey (12-15) is trying to match a season high with its third straight victory. The Nets haven't played since a 100-95 win over Golden State on Saturday.

Kidd notched his league-leading seventh triple-double - and 94th of his career - with 15 points, 12 assists and 11 rebounds. Jefferson scored a game-high 31 points and Vince Carter added 23 points and 12 boards.

"With the way things were going for us, we've proven that we can't let the pressure get to us," Carter said. "Now that we got two wins, we have to keep pushing and moving forward."

New Jersey also got 19 points and 13 rebounds from second-year center Josh Boone in his third straight start in place of the demoted Jason Collins. Boone has a total of 60 points in his last five games while Collins has 31 for the season.

"My teammates trust me and that helps my intensity level," said Boone, one of the worst foul shooters in the NBA at 28.6 percent. "I'm trying not to be too hard on myself."

The Nets' 6-10 home record is second-worst in the East, ahead of only Miami (4-9).

The Pistons have held both themselves and the opposition below 50 percent from the floor in 12 straight games.

Man, it seems like we have owned the Nets for awhile now...

Sean Williams can play though, once he develops a more consistent offensive game, NJ could be back as far as Title Contenders...but that could be a year or two down the road...

no one's a title contender with Wince Carter

and gonads krstic

Man, it seems like we have owned the Nets for awhile now...

So has Joumana Kidd.

I haven't looked forward to a game so much since the last time I looked forward to a game this much.

I predict that those ears will still be tiny, even on my new TV

I think this is going to be a low scoring affair. Let's go 84-76 Pistons.

Reasons I don't like the Nets...

Lawrence Frank

Vince Carter

Looks like NJ came to play. We'll see if they can keep it up for an entire game. And it'll be interesting to see our bench vs theirs.

they have an ok looking young core.

Marcus Williams, Antoine Wright, Josh Boone and Sean Williams.

the nets aren't going to go anywhere until jkidd retires and vince gets his ass shiped again. They need to trade vince and youngster for a legitimate post threat not named jamal magloire.

That shot was SOOO late.

Nice drive by Stuckey.

Can we call Hammond the White Shadow?

He definately has that in his game.

The second half was pretty impressive play by the Pistons. The bench, coach and the starters.


NJ announcer said "Kidd was Stuckied" on that jumper just inside the 3. I thought it would take Stuckey quite a few games just to get where he is now. He seems to be making up for lost time quckly. I'm sure CBill loves that. It means he'll get a few more blows during the season.

Another really nice game, by the boys.

Stuckey gets to the basket effortlessly, and that's real impressive. He doesn't do it by overdribbling or monopolizing the ball...he just turns the corner and blows by his defender. I really do think he has a chance to be the best PG taken in the past NBA draft, looking back. Pretty damn impressive so far.

Stuckey is incredible, no doubt about it. I find myself tuning in and hoping that it will be a blowout just so he can play. However, I think he's done well enough now that he'll be back in the rotation in no time.

This team is really doing all of the little things necessary to win a championship. Our defense is locking down perfectly, the offense is incredibly balanced, and we're getting great contributions from our bench. For the first time in a long time, I'm genuinely excited about the Pistons and what I think they can accomplish.

How can Net fans watch Macaulay Culkin explain losses season after season?

Remember the bad old days of playing down to bad teams and struggling to pull out the win?

Another comment by the NJ announcers said Stuckey was a combo guard. Understood, but he sure looks like a Pro PG to me.

Another comment by the NJ announcers said Stuckey was a combo guard. Understood, but he sure looks like a Pro PG to me.
I could hear Chauncey and JD singing "it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas" in the 4th quarter, that's for sure!

We're just plain killing people again. The last time I remember this many blowouts was Feb-March HERE (http://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/DET/2004_games.html). And we all know what happened then.

When NJ fouled to get over 70 points. Turds.

CRYSTAL

GREEN

EYES

I love this year's team.

Last year it was kinda hard to feel excited about the team because you just knew that an ECF playoff loss was inevitable.

Another very satisfying beatdown of the Nets. Nice to know that Rodney Stuckey is, on some level, helping Jason Kidd's career frustration to fester.

It's kind've disappointing to see how the Nets have ended up, after two straight NBA finals appearences 4-5 years ago. They used to be fun to watch. Now when the Pistons beat the snot out of them, you kinda feel bad for them.

I don't though.

Welcome, Glenn. I must have missed your other 10 posts, but welcome to the board. You'll find the board members more than accommidating around here.

We've been expecting you.

Stucky looked a whole lot more comfortable yesterday. I think a lot of that was because he didn't feel the need to impress the home crowd.

If he gets 20 minutes a game in both the 1 & 2 spot, he'll start putting up some nice numbers.

Welcome, Glenn. I must have missed your other 10 posts, but welcome to the board. You'll find the board members more than accommidating around here.

We've been expecting you.

lol I just noticed that.

WtfGlenn?

schtick

So Stuckey is 6'5"? For some reason I thought he was like 6'3" or something, then when I was watching the game it said 6'5" 215lbs or something along those lines. Having that big of a PG is a huge advantage, especially when he's still got quickness, which Stuckey obviously does.

So Stuckey is 6'5"? For some reason I thought he was like 6'3" or something, then when I was watching the game it said 6'5" 215lbs or something along those lines. Having that big of a PG is a huge advantage, especially when he's still got quickness, which Stuckey obviously does.

Barring an unforeseen growth spurt since the draft, at the Chicago pre-draft camp, Stucky measured in at 6' 3.75" barefoot and at 6' 4.5" with shoes on (hence his listed 'program height' of 6'5"). His wingspan was 6' 7.5" and his cock (according to Christian Laettner) was a reported 11".

Is that how much was there, or just how much of it Laettner could take?

Christian Laettner, sadly a Piston.

I really don't know where all the hate for Laettner comes from, aside from the fact that he wasn't a very good pro player. But since he had his greatest success playing for Duke, I'll be happy to pile on some more hatred. God damn, Duke sucks.

I don't hate Laettner. He was a mediocre pro, but he didn't seem like a bad guy at all. He didn't bring any character or chemistry issues with him iirc.

Didn't Stakhouse gave him a right cross on the airplane after a game. Don't fuck with Stackhouse.

poker game gone bad

I don't hate Laettner. He was a mediocre pro, but he didn't seem like a bad guy at all. He didn't bring any character or chemistry issues with him iirc.
If a player gets picked for an All-Star game, he's not mediocre as a pro.

Even most lottery picks just get to smell an All-Star game.

Not trying to defend Laettner too much, but he had a decent career.

If a player gets picked for an All-Star game, he's not mediocre as a pro.

Even most lottery picks just get to smell an All-Star game.

Not trying to defend Laettner too much, but he had a decent career.
I meant while he was with us, my mistake. He was solid but not great, from what I remember, but I was still pretty young then so my memory's a bit fuzzy.

He was fucking awesome on NBA Live '98. You could just take it straight down the lane and dunk.

^ That's what the kids today call "cheese". When I play NBA games I consider myself a "sim" baller. I like to shoot 3's with Billups all game.

He was fucking awesome on NBA Live '98. You could just take it straight down the lane and dunk.

Is that the one where Tom Chambers could dunk from the 3 point arc?

Wait, I'm emailing Langlois about that!

I meant while he was with us, my mistake. He was solid but not great, from what I remember, but I was still pretty young then so my memory's a bit fuzzy.

He averaged 7.6 and 12.2 PPG in his two years in Detroit. He had some very solid years from 92-93 to around 96-97.

12.2, I'd call that solid but not great, no?

fuck dook