Glenn
10-02-2006, 09:20 AM
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061002/SPORTS0102/610020324/1004/SPORTS
There'll be new look to team
Saunders predicts Prince is ready to ascend to stardom status with expanded offensive role.
Chris McCosky / The Detroit News
AUBURN HILLS -- Day one of the Pistons' post-'fro era starts today. For the first time this century, the Pistons will commence a new season without Ben Wallace.
"Everybody knows what Ben did for this organization," coach Flip Saunders said. "He was a great player, a good teammate and there is no question he will be missed. But the rest of these guys here have been traded before, or cut and kicked around this league. They've gone through it. They understand it. They will move on."
Wallace signed a four-year $60 million contract with Central Division rival Chicago. The Pistons moved on by signing eight-year veteran center Nazr Mohammed and offensive-minded combo guard Flip Murray. Those signings didn't exactly create much buzz nationally, as most publications and Web sites anticipate the Pistons taking a few steps back this season.
"That's fine," Saunders said. "This team, the last four years, has always played better when its back has been against the wall. Ben's gone and people are saying we're going to have a fall-off. That's something our guys look at.
"The way I see it, this team still has four all-stars. It's just that one name is going to change."
Punch Tayshaun Prince's name on your All-Star ballot instead of Wallace, and put him with Chauncey Billups, Richard Hamilton and Rasheed Wallace.
"I think you are going to see more from Tayshaun this year," Saunders said. "I think he's going to get more post-up opportunities. You saw in the playoffs, he was one of our most consistent players. He became a go-to guy for us."
No longer will Prince be the fourth option for the Pistons. He could be the first in many of Saunders' offensive sets. Not only will he be used in his usual small-forward role, Saunders also envisions going to a smaller lineup more frequently, using Prince in a hybrid power-forward role similar to the way Phoenix uses Shawn Marion.
A larger role for Prince is just one of the new features of the post-'fro Pistons. As training camp begins, here are a few others to keep an eye on.
No more co-captaincy
Leadership of the team, both on and off the court, is pretty much on Billups' shoulders now. He and Wallace shared the duties the last four years. Though there were never any issues between the two, it was clear there was a growing, though silent, struggle for control.
Wallace wanted the Pistons to remain a defensive-oriented, low-possession team. After the Pistons won the title in 2004 and the rules were altered to facilitate more offensive flow, Billups and others began pushing to play a faster-paced offensive game.
Once the Pistons hired offensive-minded Saunders as coach, it was clear which style of play would win out.
"I think Chauncey relishes the fact that this is his team now," Saunders said. "The thing about Chauncey taking over, he has the ability to make so many big plays. You always want your big-play guy to be your leader if possible. There's going to be no ifs, ands or buts -- everything is coming from one voice."
The full Saunders
The Pistons are going to miss Ben Wallace on the defensive end and on the boards. They are going to miss his intensity and his ability to intimidate the opposition. What they won't miss, however, are his offensive limitations.
Saunders estimates that he only could use about 25 percent of his offense last season. With Mohammed starting and Antonio McDyess playing an increased role, Saunders expects to be able to use his entire playbook.
The Pistons ranked dead last in points in the paint last season and near the top in three-point attempts. Saunders had his staff break down every three-point shot taken in every game last year, as well as break down the points in the paint vs. the potential points in the paint. The results were enlightening.
"We figured out that we would have had to shoot 61 percent on two-point shots to match the production of our three-point shots, over the same amount of shots," Saunders said. "People talked about our points in the paint, but the potential for points in the paint is a better measure."
In other words, the Pistons' offense wasn't as inefficient from beyond the arc or as perimeter heavy as it might have appeared. Saunders said he believes with Mohammed and McDyess, and running more sets for Rasheed Wallace and Prince on the block, the Pistons should create a better inside-outside balance.
Bench press
It's time for Carlos Delfino to put up or shut up. Every summer he goes home to Argentina and we are bombarded by reports that he's unhappy sitting on the bench in Detroit and bewildered as to why he isn't given an opportunity to play. Every camp he comes back saying he loves being a Piston and those comments were taken out of context.
Enough already. The deck has been cleared for Delfino. Maurice Evans was traded to the Lakers.
"It's a two-way street," Saunders said. "There is no question he gained some confidence this summer (playing for the Argentine national team). He has the opportunity to show us he deserves to play and we have the opportunity to show him that there are minutes for him to play. He no longer has to come to the arena wondering whether he's playing or not."
One of the primary priorities of this camp will be to establish the bench. The Pistons are going to count on Delfino, Murray and McDyess to play heavy minutes, particularly early in the season.
"We have to develop a stronger bench so that we can have more pop come late in the year," Saunders said.
Dale Davis and Jason Maxiell will also be in competition for major minutes early in the year as the Pistons are going to be more conscious of 32-year-old Rasheed Wallace's work load.
In a zone
There's no debate about it this year. The Pistons will deploy more zone defenses. You saw Pat Riley's Miami team use zone defense in the playoffs. Dallas played zone in the Finals. With the way the games are being officiated, teams can no longer succeed playing straight man-to-man defense.
"With the way the rules are, you can't defend players like Dwyane Wade or LeBron James with man defense," Saunders said. "I think we saw that in the playoffs. When teams like Miami and Dallas went to the zone, they had more success. The little bit we played it, we had success."
Don't misunderstand. The Pistons aren't all of a sudden going to look like one of Jud Heathcote's Michigan State teams. Defenses are so well disguised these days, it's often hard to distinguish man from zone.
Very few 64-win teams have been written off as quickly as the Pistons seemingly have. Especially a 64-win team with as much firepower coming back as this team has. But that might play right into their hands.
"That's good," Rasheed Wallace said. "Let them hate on us. We don't want them bandwagon cats around here anyway."
All that and still no report on the training camp roster.
There'll be new look to team
Saunders predicts Prince is ready to ascend to stardom status with expanded offensive role.
Chris McCosky / The Detroit News
AUBURN HILLS -- Day one of the Pistons' post-'fro era starts today. For the first time this century, the Pistons will commence a new season without Ben Wallace.
"Everybody knows what Ben did for this organization," coach Flip Saunders said. "He was a great player, a good teammate and there is no question he will be missed. But the rest of these guys here have been traded before, or cut and kicked around this league. They've gone through it. They understand it. They will move on."
Wallace signed a four-year $60 million contract with Central Division rival Chicago. The Pistons moved on by signing eight-year veteran center Nazr Mohammed and offensive-minded combo guard Flip Murray. Those signings didn't exactly create much buzz nationally, as most publications and Web sites anticipate the Pistons taking a few steps back this season.
"That's fine," Saunders said. "This team, the last four years, has always played better when its back has been against the wall. Ben's gone and people are saying we're going to have a fall-off. That's something our guys look at.
"The way I see it, this team still has four all-stars. It's just that one name is going to change."
Punch Tayshaun Prince's name on your All-Star ballot instead of Wallace, and put him with Chauncey Billups, Richard Hamilton and Rasheed Wallace.
"I think you are going to see more from Tayshaun this year," Saunders said. "I think he's going to get more post-up opportunities. You saw in the playoffs, he was one of our most consistent players. He became a go-to guy for us."
No longer will Prince be the fourth option for the Pistons. He could be the first in many of Saunders' offensive sets. Not only will he be used in his usual small-forward role, Saunders also envisions going to a smaller lineup more frequently, using Prince in a hybrid power-forward role similar to the way Phoenix uses Shawn Marion.
A larger role for Prince is just one of the new features of the post-'fro Pistons. As training camp begins, here are a few others to keep an eye on.
No more co-captaincy
Leadership of the team, both on and off the court, is pretty much on Billups' shoulders now. He and Wallace shared the duties the last four years. Though there were never any issues between the two, it was clear there was a growing, though silent, struggle for control.
Wallace wanted the Pistons to remain a defensive-oriented, low-possession team. After the Pistons won the title in 2004 and the rules were altered to facilitate more offensive flow, Billups and others began pushing to play a faster-paced offensive game.
Once the Pistons hired offensive-minded Saunders as coach, it was clear which style of play would win out.
"I think Chauncey relishes the fact that this is his team now," Saunders said. "The thing about Chauncey taking over, he has the ability to make so many big plays. You always want your big-play guy to be your leader if possible. There's going to be no ifs, ands or buts -- everything is coming from one voice."
The full Saunders
The Pistons are going to miss Ben Wallace on the defensive end and on the boards. They are going to miss his intensity and his ability to intimidate the opposition. What they won't miss, however, are his offensive limitations.
Saunders estimates that he only could use about 25 percent of his offense last season. With Mohammed starting and Antonio McDyess playing an increased role, Saunders expects to be able to use his entire playbook.
The Pistons ranked dead last in points in the paint last season and near the top in three-point attempts. Saunders had his staff break down every three-point shot taken in every game last year, as well as break down the points in the paint vs. the potential points in the paint. The results were enlightening.
"We figured out that we would have had to shoot 61 percent on two-point shots to match the production of our three-point shots, over the same amount of shots," Saunders said. "People talked about our points in the paint, but the potential for points in the paint is a better measure."
In other words, the Pistons' offense wasn't as inefficient from beyond the arc or as perimeter heavy as it might have appeared. Saunders said he believes with Mohammed and McDyess, and running more sets for Rasheed Wallace and Prince on the block, the Pistons should create a better inside-outside balance.
Bench press
It's time for Carlos Delfino to put up or shut up. Every summer he goes home to Argentina and we are bombarded by reports that he's unhappy sitting on the bench in Detroit and bewildered as to why he isn't given an opportunity to play. Every camp he comes back saying he loves being a Piston and those comments were taken out of context.
Enough already. The deck has been cleared for Delfino. Maurice Evans was traded to the Lakers.
"It's a two-way street," Saunders said. "There is no question he gained some confidence this summer (playing for the Argentine national team). He has the opportunity to show us he deserves to play and we have the opportunity to show him that there are minutes for him to play. He no longer has to come to the arena wondering whether he's playing or not."
One of the primary priorities of this camp will be to establish the bench. The Pistons are going to count on Delfino, Murray and McDyess to play heavy minutes, particularly early in the season.
"We have to develop a stronger bench so that we can have more pop come late in the year," Saunders said.
Dale Davis and Jason Maxiell will also be in competition for major minutes early in the year as the Pistons are going to be more conscious of 32-year-old Rasheed Wallace's work load.
In a zone
There's no debate about it this year. The Pistons will deploy more zone defenses. You saw Pat Riley's Miami team use zone defense in the playoffs. Dallas played zone in the Finals. With the way the games are being officiated, teams can no longer succeed playing straight man-to-man defense.
"With the way the rules are, you can't defend players like Dwyane Wade or LeBron James with man defense," Saunders said. "I think we saw that in the playoffs. When teams like Miami and Dallas went to the zone, they had more success. The little bit we played it, we had success."
Don't misunderstand. The Pistons aren't all of a sudden going to look like one of Jud Heathcote's Michigan State teams. Defenses are so well disguised these days, it's often hard to distinguish man from zone.
Very few 64-win teams have been written off as quickly as the Pistons seemingly have. Especially a 64-win team with as much firepower coming back as this team has. But that might play right into their hands.
"That's good," Rasheed Wallace said. "Let them hate on us. We don't want them bandwagon cats around here anyway."
All that and still no report on the training camp roster.