I see a recurring debate about this topic on this forum. Let's face it, the Pistons haven't been playing their best basketball over the past 2 months. They haven't been playing their hardest, they haven't been playing their best defense, and they are playing lazy offense in settling for the outside shot.

Nobody is going to disagree with that first paragraph. However, some here feel that this is no need to worry, and that when they need to, this team can just turn it on and play their best basketball. Others say it just doesn't work that way. And that they can't play their best basketball over a long period of taking it easy. They need to play their best basketball now in order for it to be there when they need it.

I'll save my opinion for later in the thread, I'd like to see how you guys feel about this.

Turn it on?

I don't see a question here but I'll try to get a question out of what you said.

Turn it on as in later this season including playoffs?

Yes, I think we can. Some of this might be due to our mentality. I don't think any of these players on this team have won so many games in a little amount of time. They are laying off giving things a break because of their success. That would be my theory.

We need to find a consistent bench. We need someone off the bench who can spark some plugs. I think we had Mo earlier in the season. He would come off the bench put in 10 and then come right back out. AS of now, we dont have anyone. I was counting on Dice to get some serious consideration for the 6th man award seeing how deadly he was in the Finals. He hasnt done shit. He seems to get fouls and doesnt play his best D. Flip has some shit with Delfino so he doesnt get that many points. Our starters need to rest because tehy can't be depended on to play their best day in and night out for + 82 games. When we approach playoff time, Hunter and Dice will feel it. Hunter will play in his prime. Dice will use the post and fade and his shots and make em. We will own everyone in the playoffs.

Just my 2 cents

There is no definite answer.

Some nights we can flip the switch and win without playing our hardest. Some nights that tactic won't work.

What worries me is the fact that we under-estimate other teams (as long as they are not the Spurs) and don't bother to show up. We do win certain games like that but the other team usually out-works us and I hate that we let that happen.

A team like the Pistons, who motto is Going to Work Everyday, should not be outworked. Granted, there are exceptions but there is no excuse for playing lazy and uninspired.

Who here thinks in a 7 game series we'll fail to show up 4 times?

They can flick the switch and they will.

That doesn't mean I'm fucking happy about it though. It disgusts me.

Who here thinks in a 7 game series we'll fail to show up 4 times?

They can flick the switch and they will.

That doesn't mean I'm fucking happy about it though. It disgusts me.

Exactly.

The thing that leads me to believe in this, mainly, is the way we handled the spurs with no problems what so ever.
Then when you go the full 48 with a shitty team like the Bulls, it tells me they're bored and ready for the post season. Thank god they didnt get bored early on, otherwise, we would be fighting with the heat for 1st in the east right now.

I understand why they're bored but honestly I've never had that problem during a season.

We'd go unbeaten all season and not once was it boring.

We loved to blowout teams by as many points as we could. We'd stomp them into the ground.

We laughed at them, mocked them and then scored some more. Fuck them if they can't compete with us.

It's a pity the Pistons don't have the same mentality that my old teams used to have.

It makes for a fun season and shitty players got more minutes too. It's win-win IMO.

In a seven game series the Pistons just don't need to show up three times - and I think they are that overconfident as to not worry about a game seven. Come a game seven, anything can happen, especially if our threes are not falling that game. We live by the three and we die by the three.

I hope for our sake we seal things up before letting them go to game sevens.

The bad news: They have turned it off since they realized they aren't going to win 70. They no longer play individual and/or team defense. They no longer dive for loose balls. They no longer expend a lot of energy. They no longer bang in the post. They no longer chase their man on defense. They no longer fight for rebounds. They no longer try harder than their opponent. They no longer take the time and/or effort to run an offense and instead just jack up contested 3's all game long. They no longer fight through screens. They no longer set screens.

The good news: Yes, they can turn it on whenever they decide to.

The problem: I'm just worried about developing bad habits and then turning it on and still having bad habits (3 pointers, not posting up, etc.)

Who here thinks in a 7 game series we'll fail to show up 4 times?.
Maybe kilo. outside of him nobody should think that.

Who here thinks in a 7 game series we'll fail to show up 4 times?.
Maybe kilo. outside of him nobody should think that.

Not true. I think we can "show up" and still lose. Everybody else seems to believe we are unbeatable when we "show up". Show up doesn't mean our three pointers are falling, showing up means we come ready to play and look to dominate. We can come with all the will in the world to win, but you can't will shots in, some times they just don't fall.

I think they can just flip the switch and play their best basketball. They've played with eachother long enough, they know eachother, and know what it takes to get it done. It's just irritating to watch a team underachieve almost purposely. I'm not worried at all though.

Who here thinks in a 7 game series we'll fail to show up 4 times?.
Maybe kilo. outside of him nobody should think that.

Not true. I think we can "show up" and still lose. Everybody else seems to believe we are unbeatable when we "show up". Show up doesn't mean our three pointers are falling, showing up means we come ready to play and look to dominate. We can come with all the will in the world to win, but you can't will shots in, some times they just don't fall.
Basic point you think this team can lose a 7 game series in the east. I happen to differ otherwise. Losing One game vs 4 of them is a whole other thing. I dont think theres a legitimate team to win 4 games on us in the east outside of Miami on steroids.

I think they can just flip the switch and play their best basketball. They've played with eachother long enough, they know eachother, and know what it takes to get it done. It's just irritating to watch a team underachieve almost purposely. I'm not worried at all though.
Shit we cared alot less last year during the season so i think we have imporoved immensely this year in that department. I didnt expect us to hold it all season every game though.

Shit we cared alot less last year during the season so i think we have imporoved immensely this year in that department.
Exactly. This is why Flip can not be blamed at all for this. Anyone that puts them taking it easy on Flip's shoulders just has sour grapes that LB is gone. The fact is that we took plenty of nights off under Larry Brown. All of the blame is on the players here.

Shit we cared alot less last year during the season so i think we have imporoved immensely this year in that department.
Exactly. This is why Flip can not be blamed at all for this. Anyone that puts them taking it easy on Flip's shoulders just has sour grapes that LB is gone. The fact is that we took plenty of nights off under Larry Brown. All of the blame is on the players here.
yea you got it on this topic. but thats not what worries me. what worries me is our tendency to not adjust properly from time to time. Our players are by far the best group in the league but Flip can get outcoached very easily it seems. Maybe its the lack of good assistants(i think all his assistants are garbage). Who knows. but I dont like him not getting that we cant run with teams like washington and Dallas. we got one win against a fast paced team(early season phoenix, though i thought we still ran good half court sets), now we seem to think we can run washington out of the building on its home floor.

It was embarrassing loss for a reason. for every tough shot they had, they got 2 easy ones. Things like that irk me. but can washington beat us in a 7 game series? no. Can any other team in the east? IMO no. Its the west i worry about. they have fast paced teams like washington that can actually win games(i.e. Dallas, Phoenix, and Denver). I do think we have to grind it out more when we face teams like that. Last night was a perfect example of such.

Either way JMHO.

When is Hughes do back for Cleveland??

Didn't deserve a new thread... Bill Simmons


1. Detroit

What's to like: Best starting five alive ... playoff experience ... built for the spring ... great fans ... two of the best crunch-time guys in the business (Billups and Hamilton) ... swagger galore in big games ... a healthy amount of luck that ranges from "the best player on the other team gets hurt with their team leading 3-2 in the conference finals" to "the best player on one of our biggest rivals gets suspended for an entire season and the ensuing fallout destroys our heated rival."

What's not to like: First, their bench is even worse than last year's bench (and that's saying something). Second, they have had a remarkable run of luck in the injury department -- three seasons and counting without anything as much as a badly sprained ankle. How long can that continue? Third, I miss Darko and his brooding, Macaulay Culkin-like presence during timeouts.

Mitigating factor: When the worst thing you can say about them is, "They're overdue for some bad luck," that's pretty good. As far as I'm concerned, they're still the favorites, bad bench and all. Until next month.