Well, he may not be a Piston for long, but just incase...

They've had 3 prep games for the FIBA WC so far in a mini-tournament (Super 4 Santa Fe). Delfino has apparantly been playing pretty well. Earning big minutes despite playing behind the 2 stars of the team (Ginobili and Nocioni). Atleast that is the word out of Argentina. Apparantly he came up huge in the 4th quarter of the gold medal game. Info is a little hard to come by for the first two games, but I found some decent stuff for the Gold Medal game.

Game 1: 9 points

Game 2: 12 points

Gold Medal Game: Argentina over Brazil, 103-97.
Stats

Argentina
Delfino 21 mins 18pts (5/7 FG) 5boards 2steals 2asts
Ginobili 19pts 3asts 4boards
Scola 14pts 10boards 2asts
Nocioni 16pts 6boards
Oberto 10pts 6boards

Brazil
Barbosa 12pts 3boards
A.Varejão 15pts 13boards
Tiago Splitter 17pts 7boards 1steals

A (translated) press clipping from the final game...


Good contribution of the Manu Ginóbili with 19 points and an outstanding contribution of Carlos Delfino in defense, allowed Argentina to be able to arrive in the end but calm.

http://www.super4santafe.com/img_news/61_1.jpg

I'll post more as they have more games...

If he comes into the preseason with confidence, he has a chance to be a big part of an 8 man rotation (with Dyess and flip). If he comes in whining, we'll get nowhere in the playoffs and he'll be gone next year.

Its proof that he's just as capable as his fellow country men Nocioni and Ginobli when he's used properly. its fugged up that the foreign team lets play more free than we do to score how he pleases and stick to his trademark defense w/o it not being recognized.

and further proof that if Carlos Arroyo is used properly he's greater than an entire NBA all-star team.

and further proof that if Carlos Arroyo is used properly he's greater than an entire NBA all-star team.
nope just an effective point guard. [smilie=paca.gif]

Carlitos kick your face
Carlitos kick your ass
Carlitos kick your place
into outer space!

Oooh.. . Carlos love.

thanks for the update, FP22.

Delfino's quite the hot button topic for Piston's fans. I see no reason why Delfino won't excel given minutes next season. the guy's a talented baller....nice note about his defense in the press clipping.

It's funny that Delfino causes such a vast range of emotional responses.

I can't help but wonder how different things would have been if we drafted Chris Bosh and Josh Howard in 2003.

OR

Imagine how different things would be if Memphis didn't get lucky and jump into the 2nd slot!

interesting debate, who'd we have taken at 6.

kaman? heinric? ford?

for some reason, my money is on pietrus.

but then we wouldnt have gotten sheed... right?

but then we wouldnt have gotten sheed... right?

Props to you b-diddy, you didn't take the bait.

This is one of Pharaoh's favorite games, and he's oh, so good at it.

Foiled this time, but there will be others. Oh yes, there will be others.

Well, if you take a swingman or PG at 6 then I believe we'd still have traded for Sheed.

We traded for him (IMO) because Okur (LB hated him), Campbell, Darko (foreign rookie under LB? LMAO), Zelly (heart problems) and Ben simply weren't good enough upfront and we had the expiring deals and picks needed to fleece Atlanta (and Boston)

NOTE: Josh Smith and Tony Allen were drafted with the picks we gave up.

And GD: Don't ruin the fun - it's the fucking off-season.

I once did the whole thing on Scout - TWICE!

If we drafted Bosh, Howard and Marquis Daniels (and not Andreas)

AND

If we drafted Hinrich or Kaman or TJ Ford at 6.

It was fun, and kind of reminded people were we were at the time.

We would've drafted Lampe if we didn't get a top 3 pick.

Today's game (8-2-06)
Argentina 85 : 75 New Zealand

Delfino: 15 min, 11 points (3/6 FG), 3 steals
Manu: 32 min, 12 points (4/9 FG)
Nocioni: 22 min, 17 points (6/10 FG)
Scola: 33 min, 30 points (12/15 FG)

Is he going to quit because he only got 15 minutes?

Is he going to quit because he only got 15 minutes?

I bet he keeps his mouth shut...






and then comes home and bitches up a storm to the american media about how horrible his team is treating him.

we cant make the Darko mistake and trade this guy at low value...at least show him off half a season and trade him than if he's still bitching and get someone back who can help us...

^what if he really stinks and is worth less? He still has some "could be some kinda something" juju evidently.

Only to anti-American Piston homers.

i doubt delfino's stock could be any lower.

tracking this one? god dam it carlos... we need you!!! there is no way we can stand for possibly Cato and Dupree backing up the C and SF!!!


Pistons forward Carlos Delfino would love to end up playing for Barcelona. El Mundo Deportivo

Carlos Delfino: "We are in a stand-by situation. I asked for more minutes." El Mundo Deportivo

Carlos Delfino: "I will try to stay in the NBA. But if I have to return to Europe, I will." El Mundo Deportivo

Dude needs to seriously shut his piehole.

I wish I could see Joe's face when he hears about this one (again).

who cares what he says...he has 2 more years on his contract...either he plays for us or he goes back to europe...he will leave a lot of $$$ on the table if he chose to go back to europe...i doubt he s that stupid

Argentina wins 88-87 vs Lithuania
Nocioni scored 24, Delfino 21 ...

http://www.ole.clarin.com/diario/2006/08/05/um/fotos/delfino.jpg

Argentina wins 88-87 vs Lithuania
Nocioni scored 24, Delfino 21 ...

Actually both Delfino and Nocioni scored 23. At least according to 2 sources I have.

Final statline is: 28 minutes, 23 points (8/15 FG), 4 rebs, 2 stls, 1 ast

yes he has scored 23, sry...here is the boxscore

http://www.feb.es/files/pdf/selecciones/seniormas/Esta%20argentina_lituania.pdf

http://www.fibaamericas.com/noticiasread_us.asp?r=VCZTSAWKEP


MADRID - Carlos Delfino amd Manu Ginobili decided the game at the Ciudad Madrid Tournament as they defeated Lithuania 88-87.

Darjus Lavrinovic of Lithuania made a couple of three pointers and gave the Lithuanians a 38-33 lead at halftime.

Lithuania continued to hit from three point range at dominated 64-54 but Argentina made a 1-1 run in the final three minutes to end the third quarter tied at 65.

The Lithuanians regained the lead 75-67 but Argentina reacted again as Carlos Delfino stole a ball and dunked to close the game 84-82 and made another spectacular play to put the score 86-85 in their favor.

Manu closed the game in the final seconds with a spectacular penetration and gave Argentina the 88-87 win.

Andres Nocioni and Carlos Delfino led Argentina with 23 points each. Luis Scola had 17 and Manu 14.

Strange game today against Spain...

Argentina 67 : 79 Spain

Delfino: 7 points, 1 rebound, 2 assists
Manu: 1 point, 2 rebounds, 1 assist (?)
Scola: 5 points, 5 boards
Nocioni: 15 points, 8 rebounds

For spain, Pau Gasol only had 2 points and 2 boards... Maybe the teams were resting players?

Not sure on the minutes yet..

for the one bazillionth time, Delfino can ball and we need to keep him to see what he can turn into. i don't care if he talks about wanting more PT. i don't care if he does in fact have sand in his vagina, as WOD believes. buy the guy some feminine products and give him the minutes. dude can play, and i don't want to see him turn into a legit NBA talent on someone else's team.

Delfino for MIPOY 2007!!!

I was watching Argentina on RAPTORS TV. today and Delfino whom I have seen play 2 times at the Palace only for a few min. at a time. We REALLY REALLY REALLY NEED to hang on to him and give him some MIN.

This is being said from (whyt-Rhino) WHO gave DELFINO the NICK. (SMOOTH PUSSY) ! He really does have alot of talent and ability to develope into a real baller.


It is whyt-Rhino's feelings that he is has better all around skills than Manu or Nocioni and will really be able if ALLOWED to devlope in the NBA he could be another ALL-STAR like TONY DELK[smilie=trollwelcom:

Carlos Delfino gets nasty!!

and still doesn't get love from the refs, lol.

M8XCEXMBhrg

Honestly, Delfino can't get any love from anyone these days. He's outplaying Manu and Nocioni by a country mile, and half the people here still want him gone. If we give him up for a pick like we did Darko, I will officially question Joe's integrity as a GM.

Note for Darko haters: He scored 17 for Serbia Montenegro in their win over Delfino's Argentina.

Today against Serbia...

Delfino: 16 points
Manu: 11 points
Nocioni: 6 points
Scola: 11 points

Today against Serbia...

Delfino: 16 points
Manu: 11 points
Nocioni: 6 points
Scola: 11 points
stop posting that. Delfino is puke garbage and its a joke to compare him to nocioni and ginobli.:rolleyes:

Honestly, Delfino can't get any love from anyone these days. He's outplaying Manu and Nocioni by a country mile, and half the people here still want him gone. If we give him up for a pick like we did Darko, I will officially question Joe's integrity as a GM.

Note for Darko haters: He scored 17 for Serbia Montenegro in their win over Delfino's Argentina.

with Delfino, i think people are planted firmly on both sides of the fence. either they love him or hate him.

at this point, i think it'd be a HUGE mistake to NOT give Delfino good minutes to prove his worth or to show he may not have what it takes to play in the NBA. bottom line is that he's got upside.....look at him produce for Argentina.

Today against Serbia...

Delfino: 16 points
Manu: 11 points
Nocioni: 6 points
Scola: 11 points
stop posting that. Delfino is puke garbage and its a joke to compare him to nocioni and ginobli.:rolleyes:


Well i disagree...Thanks for doing the research on my boy.

Today against Serbia...

Delfino: 16 points
Manu: 11 points
Nocioni: 6 points
Scola: 11 points
stop posting that. Delfino is puke garbage and its a joke to compare him to nocioni and ginobli.:rolleyes:


Well i disagree...Thanks for doing the research on my boy.
i was being sarcastic.[smilie=burgerking.:

with Delfino, i think people are planted firmly on both sides of the fence. either they love him or hate him. I think most people would like to see him play more. I doubt anyone actually hates him unless they are an immature baby.

Hey, if he plays more and plays well, people will dig it. If he sucks, people won't dig it. But he needs to play more period, because the only thing worse than him possibly flaming out of the NBA is the endless conjecture about how amazing he would be if only he got to play.

BELIEVE YOUR EYES.

I don't care about how he plays in FIBA warmup games - I'm not from Argentina and it really means nothing to me. NBA players are made in the NBA. Pero Cameron killed it in 2002, and that guy isn't even being sniffed by an NBA team. Nowitzki was having trouble scoring 10 points on Canada, maybe Mark Cuban will offer us a trade.

I'm just wondering if he could play a full season and not gimp out.
Last season almost didn't count with how Flip used him so sparingly.

I'm just wondering if he could play a full season and not gimp out.
Last season almost didn't count with how Flip used him so sparingly.

He still played practically twice the minutes last year than he did in his rookie year. The difference is it was all spread out. I don't really see how you can assume someone will "gimp out" untill they get injured for us more than once. And yea, slashers are much more likely to get injured than the rest of our guys which just camp out at the arc and wait for a pass. It comes with the territory.

Some people say you can't judge him based on his play for his country. Those same people say the only thing that matters is his NBA play. They claim he whines too much and doesn't perform well enough in the NBA to deserve more minutes etc etc

Others believe his play in International competition is a great sign that he's ready to emerge after 2 seasons of up and down play. These people believe that with playing time he'll be a rock solid contributor for the team, giving the perimeter some spark.

So what's the truth?

He does whine a lot, and reportedly has done so TWICE already this off-season, both times AFTER Joe traded Maurice Evans to clear playing time for him.

But if we're gonna say "Screw Delfino" because he's whined then you might as well say "Screw You" to half the team, since at one point many of our guys have complained about various things during their careers.

I believe he has the potential to have a big impact off the bench. I believe he'll get a chance to prove the lovers and haters right/wrong this season. If you look at some of the games he had last season you can see the guy is obviously talented.

Even if you completely ignore the last 2 regular season games where he averaged 17.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.5 steals, shot 14 of 22 in approx 27 minutes he still had some decent games for us last season.

Like these 3:

Jan 19 @ NYK: He played 18 minutes, scored 11 points, shot 3 for 4, grabbed 5 boards and had 2 assists

Jan 18 @ ATL: He played 21 minutes, scored 11 points, shot 4 for 9 and 2 from 3 from 3 point land, grabbed 3 boards, had 2 assists, 2 blocks and 1 steal

Jan 16 BOS: He played 15 minutes, scored 11 points, shot 4 for 8 and 3 for 4 from 3 point land and added 1 board, 1 assist, 1 steal and 1 block

He had zero turnovers in those 3 games, too

I'm sure he had other games where he was pretty good too (Nov 5 v TOR, he played 17 minutes, shot 4 for 8, grabbed 4 boards with 1 block and 2 turnovers) but I picked those 3 games above because:

A: It's 3 games in 4 days.
B: It's my birthday (January 19th for those that don't know)
C: It was the only time he got 15 minutes or more in 3 consecutive games all season!

I wonder what he could do with 15 minutes+ all season long?

Great post Phar!

to add to that, pharoah. last summer, darko got some pt in the euro league and training camp, and likewise got some pt in orlando.

what he showed in those 3 instances was great blocking, and raw everything else. in the very irratic time he got in detroit, allegedly he was horrible. thats not how i remember it. but my point is, i think these national games are a pretty good representation of what delfino is capable of doing. meaning, he's got the talent. i also think he's a bitch. but like i've said, no point in trading him for a second round pick. i dont care if he bitches, i dont care if he goes back to europe. i'd prefer we give him a real chance (as opposed to darko), but i just REALLLY dont want to trade him in some jerk off trade where he looks good for some other team and we get nothing.

I'm sorry Pharaoh, but dropping double digits on teams like the Hawks and Celtics mid-season and the Bucks and Wizards at the ass-end of the season isn't saying much. Not a single team you listed was in the top half of team defense last year, the only one close was Boston. I remember Rodney White had a stretch in late 2003 where he went something like 15 games with double digit scoring. Let's not forget that not too long after those superstar performances he dropped on the likes of the Hawks and the Knicks, he averaged 14 minutes over a 5 game period where he shot an effective FG% of .325 and put up 3.4 PPGs. For every good game he had a stinker. I could probably pull up a decent stretch of games for every failed NBA player out there.

Of course he has talent, or he wouldn't be in the NBA. But the league is full of guys who have talent, it's consistency that keeps you there. I'm no hater, I'd love to see Delfino develop into a great player (especially for us). But in 2 years, the guy hasn't shown much other then he can occasionally beat down the Atlanta Hawks, whine in Spanish and deny it in English, and outplay Manu Ginobili in a FIBA warmup game.

What Pharoah was trying to point out, is that WHEN Delfino was given consistent minutes, he was consistently good...

Its only a small portion of time... but its really all we have to go by. And hey, we can always hope anywa :)

What Pharoah was trying to point out, is that WHEN Delfino was given consistent minutes, he was consistently good...

Its only a small portion of time... but its really all we have to go by. And hey, we can always hope anywa :)
He is? I just pointed out a 5 game stretch where he was consistently given 10+ minutes, and the only thing consistent about him was a broken jumpshot. The New York and Atlanta games were garbage minutes. Don't get me wrong, I like that he was killing them with his garbage minutes. But destroying 2 horrible defensive teams (and 2 horrible teams in general) in games long ago decided isn't going to win us any championships.

the things that stand out most with Delfino for me, are't really in the numbers.

when he's handling the ball, he's very comfortable, almost PG-like. that was one of the biggest differences between him and Mo Evans. Evans was a finisher and that's about it. Delfino was much more comfortable with the ball at the top of the key, directing traffic. that's where lots of this "Delfino can play the point" talk seems to come from. i really think that he can learn to run the offense for a few minutes a game.

defensively, he seems very intelligent. when he's had chances to guard guys like Wade and Paul Pierce, he's made some very nice defensive plays. he's had some great blocks and he seems to study a guy like Wade, in order to not fall for his pump fakes.

attacking the basket is something that will be very welcome, too. i won't go crazy and say he's the best slasher on the team.....but with Flip Murray and Delfino as potential slashers, it should be fun to watch.

It's still premature to make a fair estimate which level Carlos will perform at.
What we should be more interested in is if CD is just a borrowed player... the signs are there that he'll bolt, "would love to play for Barcelona"... desire to be traded... bitching to the press etc.
IMO, he should be played extensively to start the season with hope that he becomes a tradeable commodity...
The risk is too high that won't want to return after his rookie deal...
I would say trade him before the deadline so they can spend time developing a player that's more likely to be loyal long term (Amir).

Delino had a decent game vs Lebanon where he logged the most minutes on the team:

14 pts, 7 reb, 2 ast, 2 stl, 1 blk, 66% FG, 33% 3PT

http://www.fiba2006.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/06_wcm/teamPlay/play/fe_teamPlay_playStat.asp?roundID=4742&playerNumber=37347&gameName=5&groupName=A&langLC=en&eventID=3507&lid_7186_openNodeIDs=
(for some reason, they have Nowitzki's pic)

dVIyq8Jymwo

That was a foul.

sweet vid matt. i fall on the 'he has potential' side of the fence. i agree with pharoh. he had some good moments and some bad ones. for his size he plays with a beast mentality. as ive said before, he was an integral part of the argentina team that beat up on usa a couple years ago. he will never be a superstar, or even a ginobili, but hes a damn servicable guy off the bench that can do good things for a good team. he does look like an alien though (sorry los).

Delfino's last game vs Venezuela (ARG wins 96-54):

20 min, 9 pts, 6 reb, 6 asts, 3 stls, 3/3 3PT

definitely the type of game you'd love to see Delfino have off the bench here in Detroit.

4/17/06

2-2 3PT
6-6 FG
4-4 FTS
2 OREB
2 AST
18 PTS
18 MINS

amir johnson...

http://www.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/06_wcm/scheResu/fe_scheStat_boxScor.asp?roundID=4742&groupName=A&gameName=10&eventID=3507&lid_6591_openNodeIDs=&langID=1&lid_6597_cp=&competitionCode=&langLC=en&season=&playerNumber=&teamNumber=&zone=

Delfino:

22 min (played most minutes, prob due to the blowout)
8 pts
7 reb
3 asts
3 stls
3/11 FG
1/6 3PT

looks like Delfino struggled to shoot the ball and might have camped outside, with his six three point attempts. his rebounds, assists, and steals are a great sign. like i've said, if he can produce like that off the bench here, it'd be huge.

He seems to be well-rounded, which is a very good thing.

Gotta have a couple of versatile bench players that can fill in 2 or more spots.

I just wonder if Carlos can log any minutes at PG this season?

It was the Delfino/Darko show as Argentina escaped Serbia 82-78. Delfino scored 14, Darko scored 24.

It was the Delfino/Darko show as Argentina escaped Serbia 82-78. Delfino scored 14, Darko scored 24.

Yep, Delfino had 11 of Argentina's 22 4th quarter points. He only played 18 minutes, but was on fire from the perimeter in crunch time. Good to see.

Gotta be honest that I hate seeing Darko dominate out there. What a horrible mistake.

He purposely quit his way out of town. Let it go.

He didn't want to be here, no matter how much everyone is in denial over it, and he was going to keep sucking until we finally traded him.

He has talent yes, but he was never going to show it here.

He knew that joe would go out of his way to keep him if darko showed real promise, so he just tanked it his final year and finally got the ticket out of town that he wanted.

He purposely quit his way out of town. Let it go.

He didn't want to be here, no matter how much everyone is in denial over it, and he was going to keep sucking until we finally traded him.

He has talent yes, but he was never going to show it here.

He knew that joe would go out of his way to keep him if darko showed real promise, so he just tanked it his final year and finally got the ticket out of town that he wanted.


I agree with Kstat?

enough darko talk. in 5 games, Delfino's averaging:

19 min, 9.8 pts, 5.4 reb, 2.6 ast, 1.8 stl, 52.8% FG, 47.6% 3PT

those numbers would look mighty good off our bench......

He purposely quit his way out of town. Let it go.

He didn't want to be here, no matter how much everyone is in denial over it, and he was going to keep sucking until we finally traded him.

He has talent yes, but he was never going to show it here.

He knew that joe would go out of his way to keep him if darko showed real promise, so he just tanked it his final year and finally got the ticket out of town that he wanted.


I agree and Bleach is the ****...

He purposely quit his way out of town. Let it go.

He didn't want to be here, no matter how much everyone is in denial over it, and he was going to keep sucking until we finally traded him.

He has talent yes, but he was never going to show it here.

He knew that joe would go out of his way to keep him if darko showed real promise, so he just tanked it his final year and finally got the ticket out of town that he wanted.

Hey man, you were the one that used the "D" word. Mine was just a footnote response to what you said. No need to go on a rant about anything.

FIBA Article about the game....
http://www.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/06_wcm/news/lateNews/FE_news_lateNews_arti.asp?newsID=15896&eventID=3507&lid_6591_openNodeIDs=&roundID=3507&langID=1&competitionCode=&langLC=en&season=&playerNumber=&teamNumber=&zone=

24/08/2006 Game Report, Argentina vs Serbia & Montenegro 83-79, GROUP A

SENDAI (FIBA World Championship) - Carlos Delfino led a fourth quarter rally by Argentina as they recovered from a five point deficit at the end of the third period to take a 83-79 win over Serbia & Montenegro.

With the victory, the Olympic champions finished the group with a perfect 5-0 record.

Delfino had 11 of Argentina's 22 fourth quarter points. He scored 11 of their first 15 points in the final period and set up the other two baskets.

"I guess it was just my turn today," Delfino said after the game. "It was Walter (Herrmann) against Venezuela and Andres (Nocioni) against Nigeria. I just had my opportunities today and I made the best of them."

The back up guard's deep three-pointer at the start of the final period beat the shot clock to cut Argentina's deficit to four, 68-64.

But Serbia & Montenegro kept their composure and were able to stretch their lead back to six on two free throws by Darko Milicic, 74-68.

However Delfino wasn't done just yet and made consecutive three-pointers to tie the game at 74-74 to cap off a 13-6 run by Argentina.

He then used the pick-and-roll to perfection, faking a shot and finding Scola for an easy lay up to go ahead 76-74, their first lead since the second quarter.

Bojan Popovic then made a huge three-pointer to put Dragan Sakota's men back in front, 77-76, but that would be their last lead as Scola made two free-throws and Ginobili, Pepe Sanchez and Ruben Wolkowyski combined to convert five of six attempts from the charity to hold off Serbia & Montenegro.

Sergio Hernandez's men came out strong - as they had done in the past three games - but found out that Serbia & Montenegro was willing to match them stroke for stroke.

Luis Scola had a quick start with eight points in the opening frame as Argentina took a 19-13 lead on the forward's last points of the period.

Darko Milicic responded with a long jumper and a quick lay up by Igor Rakocevic followed by a three-pointer in the closing seconds of the quarter by Branko Rokovic brought the defending champions within one, 22-21.

For the first time in three games, Hernandez kept four of his starters on the floor to start the second quarter, with Fabricio Oberto the only to get a breather.

Serbia & Montenegro took the lead on a Milicic put-back and kept it for the rest of the first half but the lead never exceeded four points and Herrmann's three brought Argentina within one at the break, 41-40.

Dragan Sakota's side was able to pull away in the third quarter, pushing their lead up to eight, 57-49 on two free throws by Rakocevic.

But Argentina responded with a Ginobili lay up and a pair of timely three-pointers by his backcourt partner Sanchez prevented Serbia & Montenegro from ever getting ahead by double digits.

The South American nation trailed by five points at the start of the final period, 66-61, when Delfino began his one-man show.

Scola finished with 22 points and Delfino added 14.

Rakocevic led the way for Serbia & Montenegro with 25 points while Milicic had 24 and 12 rebounds.

After the game, Hernandez was proud of his players for playing hard until the end, despite having already secured top honours in the group before the game.

"Our guys have a lot of pride and played really hard in the final quarter to come back and win this game. It was a really important game for us as we had never trailed going into the final quarter in our past four games and we needed to experience that to get ready for the next round," he said.

Sakota was happy with his team's performance but not quite so with the officiating.

"It was very important for us to try and improve our place in the group standings. We had a chance to do that but Argentina finished strong. Our players played very well and have looked better and better in each game. But I wasn't happy with the referees' calls. I'm not sure if the criteria wasn't who is the team that can win by being the dirtiest," he said.

"Overall this is a great experience for our young players and they will learn from it for the second round. We don't know yet who we are playing but we will be ready."

He purposely quit his way out of town. Let it go.

He didn't want to be here, no matter how much everyone is in denial over it, and he was going to keep sucking until we finally traded him.

He has talent yes, but he was never going to show it here.

He knew that joe would go out of his way to keep him if darko showed real promise, so he just tanked it his final year and finally got the ticket out of town that he wanted.

Hey man, you were the one that used the "D" word. Mine was just a footnote response to what you said. No need to go on a rant about anything.

never a bad time to rehash long drawn out arguments that never go anywhere.

pistons had a vested interest in developing darko and having him succeed as a piston. to say he 'wanted out' or whatever isnt good enough.

the nba isnt the nfl. wide outs, even highly drafted wide outs, fizzle out all the time. the team is better off cutting its losses and moving on. charles rogers are a dime a dozen.

7'1" athletic players are extremely rare. pistons might not get another one for a long time. much of the blame is on the pistons for him not working out for us (even if he did just want out, by the end). like i've said, if joe wasnt so good in some areas, he should have been fired for the darko fiasco, alone.

enough darko talk. in 5 games, Delfino's averaging:

19 min, 9.8 pts, 5.4 reb, 2.6 ast, 1.8 stl, 52.8% FG, 47.6% 3PT

those numbers would look mighty good off our bench......
If only the Pistons could play Nigeria for 82 games.

its all about character guys, you know the problem with Darko was, he never earned minutes...whatever opporunity we gave him he just didnt earn minutes over Dice, now thats a tough assignment for a young guy, but a guy with so much talent should have been able to do that...its all about the money, the young players want to play and earn some big money, why should someone work hard to become the best player they can and try to be better than the guy infront of him? there are 30 freaking nba teams, so just move on and get more minutes on a weaker team with less competition, its easy...he just gave up... few guys have the desire to get better, work hard and take the challenge...with 20,21 you just wanna play and not try to outwork the vet in front of you...but heres the difference to Delfino...we asked Delfino to improve his defense last year and he did obviously get better and he cleary outplayed Mo Evans, thats why he earned minutes over Mo...and if the stupid coach still plays his old pal instead of you i would get frustrated too...he showed the Pistons and the fans why he should play more minutes, Darko never did that...

yea, charachter is important. extremely important. its how the pistons built up a championship team without a top 5 talent.

imo, next to pure talent, nothing is more important than character (samething in real life, i'll always go with the guy who's going to work hardest).

but that doesnt get the pistons off the hook. theres different ways to motivate a player. believe it or not, but even orlando had guys they could have played infront of darko. but they GAVE him serious time, and imo, he made big strides because of it. the only thing the pistons ever did with darko was burry him on the bench and say 'deal with it'.

of course, theres the balance of maintaining a championship team and developing the youth... but since we've overplayed our top 6 the last two years, seems reasonable that we could have gave darko 15 minutes a night.

i cant wait to be having this exact same conversation every 6 months for the next 20 years.

WTF is this?

http://www.ole.clarin.com/diario/2006/08/28/thumb/f049gh02.jpg

http://www.ole.clarin.com/jsp/v4/pagina.jsp?pagId=1260751&fecha=20060828


Babel Fish Translation

In English:

The used faithful fulfilled his mission to see how Carlitos (without clothes) filled the frasquito.

So the Japanese are structured and obedient, that here usually lives surprising and gallant situations. Like that it happened to him to Carlitos Delfino after winning to him to New Zealand, tempranito affluent Friday (of Japan), by end eighth. The santafesino, just as Gaby Fernandez, was drawn for to go to the control antidoping but, as it accompanied a guard, it could not fulfill the "proceeding" (to tinkle) by the presence, to his side, of a strange person and the same sex. Then, to have privacy, one went to the sector of the showers to bathe and to assume his responsibility. And it said to him to Alexander Cassettai, the group leader, that took care of its privacy, separating to the Japanese stamp. But it was impossible, the Japanese responded that it could not lose it of Vista because had to confirm that Delfino made its task. Then it drew for the barrier of Cassettai and one put, dress, to the very same shower where it was Carlitos, naked and hoping, in bay, to fill the frasquito in public. The Japanese fulfilled his mission and nor he perturbed when Walter Herrmann threw water to him so that he went away. "Sacame a photo and sends it to the newspaper", shout the escort. And their desires were orders. Yes, Olé also was in clothes, but it remained outside the showers, eh...

He's sure.

http://www.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/06_wcm/scheResu/fe_scheStat_boxScor.asp?roundID=4744&groupName=70&gameName=70&eventID=3507&lid_6591_openNodeIDs=&langID=1&lid_6597_cp=&competitionCode=&langLC=en&season=&playerNumber=&teamNumber=&zone=

Delfinooooooooo

17 min, 14 pts, 8 reb, 1 stl, 5/8 FG, 3/4 3PT

8 rebounds....3/4 from beyond the arc.impressive

ACCUMULATED STATISTICS (8 Games)

18 MPG
46.3 FG%
http://www.fiba.com/img/fe/blank.gifhttp://www.fiba.com/img/fe/blank.gif52.2 2pts
41.9 3pts
5.25 Reb
1.75 Apg
1.6 PF
1.4 TO
1.4 Stl
8.5 PPG

Delfino had a sick dunk in the first or second quarter... does anyone have a video of it handy?

a little late, but:




http://www.fiba.com/images/web/News/players_head_shots/arg/carlos_delfino/_192/ARG_Carlos_Delfino_o.jpg
1/4 finals of the 2006 FIBA World Championship, Saitama, Japan. Argentina vs Turkey. (29.08.2006) 01/09/2006

ARG - Delfino: "What better way to avenge our losses to Spain"

SAITAMA (FIBA World Championship) - Argentina are on mission to capture gold, and avenge recent defeats to Spain in the process, when the two giants meet in the semi-finals off the FIBA World Championship on Friday.

The South Americans are the Olympic champions but Spain did beat them at the Athens Games two years ago and also swept them in two games this summer before traveling to Japan.

In fact, Argentina have only won two of the 18 games contested between the sides.

Emerging star Carlos Delfino, who turned 24 on the day of Argentina's quarter-final thrashing off Turkey, told PA Sport's Cindy Garcia-Bennett on behalf of FIBA the time is right to put the record straight.

FIBA: Carlos, you played on Argentina's successful Olympic team two years ago and now you are playing an important role for coach Sergio Hernandez here in Japan in your first FIBA World Championship. How have you found the experience?

Delfino: "I am very satisfied. I know all my team-mates well and it has been a marvellous experience so far. Two years ago, I got a nice present winning the gold medal in Athens, but this time I am enjoying myself more because I am having more playing time and I think it's the best birthday I've had."

FIBA: You were a late addition to the team two years ago and spent much of the time watching from the bench. Do you feel you are an integral part of the team?

Delfino: "I do feel as though I am useful to this team. We are playing well, we'ree unbeaten and we are where we wanted to be. It's positive to be able to carry on and to advance in such a great tournament."

FIBA: You no longer have Hugo Sconochini or Alejandro Montecchia, but the bulk of the team that won gold in Athens is here. Is this the main reason why Argentina have yet to lose in this competition?

Delfino: "The fact that we know each other well helps greatly to make sure our progress is constant and good. During the build-up to the tournament, we didn't play great but we have got a better feeling and we're showing a better level in the competition. We must maintain our defensive intensity. In attack, we don't have a pure shooter and teams know that. We are working on that and give ourselves other options."

FIBA: Spain are a major hurdle for Argentina to clear considering their past success against you, and the quality in their side with players like Juan Carlos Navarro, Pau Gasol and Jose Manuel Calderon. What are your thoughts going into Friday's game?

Delfino: "It was the semi-final we all wanted. We lost our warm-ups and what better way to avenge our losses to Spain than in a World Championship semi-final. We know that Spain have had a great tournament so far, that they are growing as the tournament progresses and I think it's going to be a great game for the fans. I hope it's not going to be a closed game as it was in our recent friendlies where they took a big advantage early on and we were never able to turn the situation around. I hope that in this game, we can show our game and continue."

FIBA: Is there a psychological edge for Spain since they have had so much success against Argentina over the years?

Delfino: "We know Spain well and I think that makes a difference. But this is a World Championship and I think it's a different ball game. We all know what it would mean for each of the teams to win and to lose this game. Historically, they have demolished us in our previous encounters but this is a World Championship semi-final and I think the past doesn't count."
FIBA: Looking at your big win over Turkey, that caught everyone by surprise as Bogdan Tanjevic's team had been so impressive in their other games.

Delfino: "We know that Turkey are a young and talented team with a lot of character, but they were unlucky to come up against a very good Argentina side. We have a great team, we're very strong mentally and we have a lot of experience. We gave them no chance of recovering. "

FIBA: Offensively, Argentina always make highlight reel plays but your defense has always the most important part of this team. Is that fair?

Delfino: "We have played well defensively in our last four games and we have increased that intensity. We are more compact. It has been our best games, we hope that we can continue to improve. With the players we have, there is room for improvement."

FIBA: You were in great form at Climamio Bologna before leaving for the NBA and have struggled in two seasons to make an impact. What are you plans for the immediate future in Detroit?

Delfino: "I am not happy with the limited minutes I've had in the NBA. I can only be optimistic and think about the future. I don't know where my future will be but at this point, I don't want to think about it. I am doing something great for myself now and I am in a group that I owe respect and I think that I'm going to think more about this than about what's going to happen next week."

FIBA: Japan is a long way from Argentina but there are a lot of fans here backing your team. Are there a lot of people in South America following your progress?

Delfino: "People back home really follow this group and we cannot be but happy that this group generates this support."

FIBA: There was a lot made of this FIBA World Championship expanding to 24 teams, and the great competition that it was supposed to be. How would you compare this summer to other big moments in your career, whether it was playing in the Euroleague Final Four with Climamio or competing in the NBA?

Delfino: "It's the maximum I can dream of, to defend your country. We are so proud and we have a positive point that we all get on well and whenever we meet up it is great for everyone. Last year, those of us who played in the Olympic team took a sabatical and we came to this tournament with a lot of ambition to go all the way. We all know that together, we can do something important and we have to continue to work hard as mutual respect."

By Cindy Garcia-Bennett
FIBA

http://www.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/06_wcm/news/inte/FE_news_inteArti.asp?newsID=16197

ACCUMULATED STATISTICS (8 Games)

18 MPG
46.3 FG%
http://www.fiba.com/img/fe/blank.gifhttp://www.fiba.com/img/fe/blank.gif52.2 2pts
41.9 3pts
5.25 Reb
1.75 Apg
1.6 PF
1.4 TO
1.4 Stl
8.5 PPG


Shot great for the tourney, love that 3%. Good job on the glass, good D, but those are Corliss' A/TO #s in a tourney like this.