Last preseason game!!

Carlos Delfino is coming off a great game (http://www.wtfdetroit.com/forums/showthread.php?p=141663#post141663) where he logged 46 minutes and filled up the boxscore. Jason Maxiell continues to earn his minutes by getting to the free throw line. Flip Murray had a strong outing with 14 points and 8 assists last night.

I know someone sitting in row 5 on the floor tonight. Right next to the visitors bench (along the baseline)...oh it's me. Scored some free tickets (plus the vito suite tickets) from a co-worker. I'll be sure to harass Gasol's broken ass all night.

None of you know what I look like (well a half dozon or so do), so have fun trying to spot me on camera (i'll be the one with the pistons hat, lol).

We are getting so badly outrebounded... it's a miracle we're still within the game.

That was the most amazing thing ever. My buddy and I sat next to the grizzlies bench courtside. The game sucked (besides Amir and Max being beasts), but here were some notable moments:

Talking with Brian Cardinal about the game being moved up to accomidate the World Series.

When Staudomire asked us if those were our regular tickets. My buddy says "does it look like we can afford these tickets?" and he proceeds to tell us about playing for Paul Allen and how he dressed like a nobody.

Tom Wilson sitting in front of us (we moved over to the baseline a couple rows back when the vice president of customer relations for AT&T finally showed up) and offering us warm cookies.

High fiving the players going out.

Hearing Sheed rip on the Grizz bench.

Tom Wilson razzing the towell boys to stop blocking his view.

Amir and Max finishing dunks left and right about 20 feet from us.

Some guy ripping on Mike Miller for looking like a girl and him laughing back.



BTW, Wilson is an amazing class act, and a savvy bball fan.


The lowlights were the loss and Delfino constantly bricking open shots.

Those seats sound amazing! Lucky guy...

Will Blalock deserves to play now. He's ready and is the backup pg we always wanted. Can't shoot jumpers, but can get his shot inside all day and makes magnificent passes. Runs the offense like a vet.

Delfino did everythong well outside of scoring. Unfortunate, but not a big deal if flip murray provides the scoring off the bench with dyess and hopefully maxiell.

Amir Johnson is definately a quick 4 and naturally plays the position well in spite of his weight. As high as he jumps I dont want him to gain too much weight, he'll tear up his legs and knees coming down from that height. He's a tough matchup as is, rebounds well, and plays good defense in the post.


Our starters had no defensive presence in the paint. the Dyess/Nazr combo was easy pickings to the point of me about to throw up.

Delfino got eaten up by Dahntay Jones in the second half.

delfino sucked at everything. flip was yelling at him for not pushing the ball up on a rebound. hopefully his shot comes back. he looked hung over (what else is new).

That sounds tight Chris. Glad you had a good time. That's the first 1st hand perspective I've every heard of Tom Wilson and it definately conflicts with the general concensus that he's the guy who's always leaking shit about ex-players and coaches when they leave town.

Delfino looked like shit yesterday IMO. Not just because he couldn't shoot or because Jones ran through him like he wasn't there, but because the guy killed rallies and actually started runs for the other team. Flip said the kid was tired half-way through the Wizard game so I'm guessing he just wasn't putting his legs into his shot but he still settles for those jumpers instead of driving WAY too much.

The tired angle is pretty much how I'm going with Max as well. Max looked invisible out there for most of the game until Flip and Blalock came in and started serving him up in the 4th. Before then he was getting offensive and defensive fouls that looked to me like he was just a step slow on his lateral movement or his first step toward the whole.

Amir looked good in the short time he played (or atleast in the short time I saw him).

Its certainly a different feeling seeing Lindsey get subbed in and the team go to a press and thinking "Oh yeah, that's our primary defensive move now".

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Blalock looked like he was feeling great or something. Great passes and it seems like he can spread the floor.

Last play by Amir was ownage!:thumbsup:

hehe, Amir actually had a chance to say, "Welcome to the NBA, rookie" after that block on Gay.

thanks for the Mad Max and Amir highlight show :)

Thanks for the vid Fool, most Ive gotten to see all year. Blalock did look pretty good, Im a bit excited about him now.

Its just a link from Need4Sheed, she's probably got more of them over there (though I didn't look).

I think Delfino's excuse might have been his legs, but who knows.

I took a screen shot of your video and higlighted where I sat. The small brown circle (have to use the brown paint brush) is where I sat in the first half (the guy in the white shirt sat there in the second half). The large brown circle is where I am sitting in this clip. Obvioulsy the video is not good enough to see me, but on a normal taping of the telecast you might.

http://img114.imageshack.us/img114/8501/gamefo6.png

it is only preseason and i understand these kids still have a lot to work on. but seriously- blaylock and amir johnson should be on our ACTIVE roster. dupree and davis should start on the inactive list IMO.

i could see blaylock spending a bit of time in the NBDL. but while i know there are very few, if any opportunities for them on the pistons roster this year, i still say they're too good to be anywhere else.

one thing i've always respected about phil jackson is that he's not scared to play a player with little experience. that is the best way to give these kids things to work on, while also building some confidence if you play them in very limited situations.

i truly believe both these kids can help us a little bit THIS year. not in a big role, but in spot minutes here and there.

blalock is an excellent penetrator and passer. i said he was the best pick for us going into the draft and that he was the steal of the draft afterwards. some people mocked me for that and said he was a bad player.

not only is he not bad, but he is not far away from being a very capable backup PG at the nba level. in a couple of years he would be a very good one, and in time could be a starter if he works on his shot and physique.

as for amir......the sky is the limit for him. he's a KG type with that sort of talent, but lacks polish. no, i didn't say he'll be the next KG but just that his skills are similar as is his body type. he's a freak athlete who just needs to refine the fundamentals in his game, mainly the form on his jumpshot. he obviously has to keep getting stronger too, but he has developed a lot just from last year, and it's hard to criticize a kid who is still growing!

i'm excited about these 2 kids and i just hope that while minutes aren't really available, we NEED to find a way to keep these kids in tune with what we're doing at the nba level. they are not that far off from being able to be consistent role players, so NOW is the time to do things right and not abandon them or destroy their confidence and enthusiasm for the game, as we did with another player we once had.

I honestly think Blalock messed up the scene. How can you not get this guy in? Dude has natural pg skills that you were begging from in arroyo. he's pass first and much like mark jackson he's money in the paint with that floater. Dude changed my whole opinion about him honestly.

glad to see he's winning people over. he is EXACTLY what this team needs. we don't really have anyone (except for flip murray and delfino to a degree) who can take people off the dribble and either get in the lane and dish, or set up others for easy shots.

that is a big reason we struggle at times offensively. we have a bunch of spot up shooters and nobody who can truly create their own shot. so when defenses clamp down on them and we can't move the ball well, we can't get any open shots and end up forcing up bad shots.

someone like blalock can get into the lane and force the D to collapse on him, leaving our big men open. or he can kick it out to one of our spot up shooters. or he can shoot and finish himself. OR he can draw contact and get to the FT line.

with the new rule emphasis, the value of a guy like him is even GREATER. you need to be able to drive to the hoop and create contact and get to the FT line. that helps get you back in the game when you're struggling.

if you can't get to the FT line you're in trouble. and we all know if all you do is shoot jumpshots, you won't be going to the line much!

vote will blalock for president! j/k

but seriously, i really hope we go to this kid at some points. i would much rather lte hunter be a 'player's coach' until near the playoffs. to play him a bunch during the regular season is a waste IMO. i wish we could freeze him until 2 weeks before the playoffs!

flip will take a lot of backup PG minutes and hunter probably the remainder of what is left over. but i personally would prefer that blalock get those minutes from time to time. it will only benefit him.

and while he's a rookie and can't be relied upon too much, he can't do that badly either. this isn't the nfl and he's not a rookie CB. one poor play isn't going to lead to a gamebreaking TD that loses the game for us!

play him with the starters a bit now and then, and get him a few minutes now and then. and it will only serve to make him a better player in the longrun.

man, i wish i was in charge of our subsitution patterns and not flip. he's a complete idiot when it comes to rotations. :(

I agree Higher, but it seems doubtful. I'm sort of afraid we're going to slip back into a 7 man rotation again, with the starters, Dice and Flip hogging all of the minutes.

I'm not convinced Delfino will get a fair shake. He should if his intensity is good, but Saunders seems pretty impatient with him.