To make things worse for Detroit, Chauncey Billups strained his right calf while hitting a key 3-pointer in the last minute. He is expected to miss 10 days to two weeks.

I personally think that this might be a blessing in disguise for us.

We are in pretty good shape standings-wise and there is still plenty of time left before the trade deadline, so we can make a move if Blalock isn't ready yet.

Besides, Chauncey has been playing heavy minutes lately and could use some time off.

http://espn-i.starwave.com/media/apphoto/DTP10512300410.jpg

Noooo. Im down for some more Blalock but Im thinking we get a heavy dose of Flip, player and coach. I think the best bet is that after a game or two Flip realizes that Flip sucks and Blalock solidifies his role more... best case scenario IMO.

Billups could use the time off but we dropped 2 in a row so far and got the streaking Suns next. I still have faith in the team but if Murray was suppose to get the starting nod...God knows what can happen

Enter...Lindsey Hunter.

Ugh.

enough time for Delfino to show he's for real...i'll pray we dont see too much Flip at PG, that could be ugly

This is God's way of telling Chauncey that he's jacking up too many bad shots.
<sigh>

we're going to have to suffer through flip murray. you just know coach is going to start flip and give him a ton of minutes. personally i would keep him on the bench and live with blalock, for better or worse. he and delfino should get all the minutes but of course that won't happen.

murray is just such a ball hog and a turnover prone player. and even if you're a supporter of his (don't understand why you would be!) he can't play PG to save his life.

if you look at the past several games, FlipS has actually played Blalock a decent amount of minutes.......pretty close to what FlipM has been playing. i really get the sense that FlipM is the odd man out on this team (according to playing time and recent articles).

i wouldn't be surprised to see FlipS give Blalock heavy minutes to see what he can handle.

The Pistons do have 1 roster spot available, so I wonder if they would look at Howard Eisley or Anthony Carter who are FA's, and use them as short term solutions? I mainly say that if LH is still out, because Flip and Blaylock just aren't up to the task IMO. I am not saying Carter or Eisley are great but at least they have started a lot of games in the NBA.

Does someone know when teams can start signing players to 10-day contracts? I know it's sometime in January but I am not sure exactly when.

If Billups isn't going to be out longer than 2 weeks, we could just sign a guy like Frank Williams to a 10-day contract rather than trading for someone or signing a FA.

I'd much rather go with a guy we already have. It doesn't make sense to grab a guy, try to teach him the offense well enough to execute, then get rid of him. We have Blalock now who's already been learning the offense, give him his shot.

I agree FlipM is horrible at point. I'd love to see Delfino, Blalock and Tay share the duties.

Maybe Anthony Goldwire is available?

I'd make a joke about signing Mateen, but there's nothing even remotely funny about that.

i dont care whose the pg as long as we win. hunter isnt a complete bum. Flip isnt either. no excuses. get it done you fucks.

Ok, I couldn't see the game today but can someone explain to me how Blalock plays less minutes with Chauncey out than he does with Chauncey healthy?

Didn't see the game, but FlipM's numbers were awesome. Anyone who saw it want to put them in context? Did he effectively manage our offense?

Didn't see the game, but FlipM's numbers were awesome. Anyone who saw it want to put them in context? Did he effectively manage our offense?

He was awful in the first half. Horrible. In the second half he made a couple nice passes, and finally started hitting a few of those bad looking shots he takes. Granted, they look great when they go in, but they're bad shots.

He did better than I was expecting though, so I'll take it.

Note: He was playing against one of the worst defensive PGs in the league.

and in any case, his starting role is going to be shortlived obviously. he only seems to give us much of anything when he starts and has to play a lot of minutes. we don't have that luxury when billups is back.

we need someone who can come in for limited minutes and give us instant production and make smart plays. that is not flip at all and he's way too careless and sloppy with the ball.

so once billups is back, he'll be of little or no use to us again IMO.

here's an UPDATE ON BILLUP'S STATUS:

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=2716771

sounds better but i agree with CB; no sense coming back until it feels 100%. the last thing we need is him tearing his calf muscle and being done for the year or something.

we need someone who can come in for limited minutes and give us instant production and make smart plays. that is not flip at all and he's way too careless and sloppy with the ball.
Keep in mind that a player capable of doing the above is usually a starter, or wants to be one. I'd settle for a backup who can sometimes give production, and isn't a game-changingly bad liability on the court when they're not feeling it.

I was at the game and Murray sucked. He made a couple rediculous fade aways and that was about it. It was also in the second half as mentioned against Nash (bad defender), against Barbosa (had 5 fouls), and against a zone defense they used a lot late. He wasn't good at all. Especially since Sheed only had two post chances all game. He didn't control the offense well at all. Blaylock didn't have any shots, but plays better IMO because he gets the ball to the right person. I'd rather see Delfino and Blaylock man the point. Delfino plays pretty good D (though he wouldn't have stayed with Nash either), which Flip does not.

Keep in mind that a player capable of doing the above is usually a starter, or wants to be one. I'd settle for a backup who can sometimes give production, and isn't a game-changingly bad liability on the court when they're not feeling it.

Flip M = game-changingly bad liabiliy when it comes to shot selection and ball handling.

I see the Delfino for pg notion pop up a lot here and I'm wondering what it's based on. Were there some games I missed where he showed he could bring the ball up the court against pressure and make good decisions with it?

I see the Delfino for pg notion pop up a lot here and I'm wondering what it's based on. Were there some games I missed where he showed he could bring the ball up the court against pressure and make good decisions with it?


Funny, I feel the exact same way about Tayshaun playing PG.

Well, at least they pass the ball, which is more than Murray does. I would never suggest Tay or Delfino as a full time PG, but neither is Murray. If Murray was 2 inches taller he would have never played a lick of PG in the NBA. Same goes for Iverson. If AI was 6'4" would you ever suggest he play PG? And he's a better PG than Murray too.

Ironic that our no. 1 need going into the season was a #2 PG.

I'd kill to have a backup PG like Barbosa.

Ironic that our no. 1 need going into the season was a #2 PG.

I'd kill to have a backup PG like Earl Watson.

Fixed.

Funny, I feel the exact same way about Tayshaun playing PG.
I've always liked Tay's ball handling and decision making abilities. And it's not like he'll have a PG guarding him. That'd be matchup suicide for the other team. Tay is effective against other SFs, and that's all he needs to be. I'd much rather see him filling in at point than Flip. Same with Delfino. Is he an ideal PG? No, but he handles the ball well, is quick, and is a pretty heady player.

^Agreed. But, in my senario Delfino would start for a hurt Billups and Tay would handle the point. It makes him more agressive too, which is always a good thing.

I think Tay's handles are horrible, he looks totally out of control with the ball when he is pressured IMO.

Does he have a height advantage? Sure.

I think Tay's handles are horrible, he looks totally out of control with the ball when he is pressured IMO.

Does he have a height advantage? Sure.

i concur. tayshaun looks great in the open floor when he's going straight towards the basket......but put a defender in front of him in the half-court and he has a tough time maintaining ball control, not to mention driving past anyone.

Delfino's played some PG in the past. He was treated as a combo guard before he came here and was treated as a wing.

I thought Delfino played backup PG for the national team too.

"but put a defender in front of him in the half-court and he has a tough time maintaining ball control, not to mention driving past anyone."

you sure you're not describing rip hamilton?

The Pistons need their PG to stay out top like Chauncey does, and make the right pass to Rip coming off the screen or into the post. They don't need the PG taking ridiculous fadeaways that the defense gobbles up and shoves right back at you down the court. Will Blalock is fine until Chauncey comes back. Last year, everyone was calling for Delfinos head, with good reason. This year, everyone is calling for Flip Murrays head, with good reason. Its time for both Flips to realize murray is a CHUCKER AND TO TRADE HIS ASS.

Flip Murray isn't that bad. He is just inconsistant. I think he will get better.

welcome to WTFDetroit.com, pnjjelly.

my biggest problem with Flip Murray is that when he's not scoring, his PG skills seem pretty poor. at least with Blalock, he's really looking to distribute and set up other to score.

If we could just teach Blaylock to be a better shooter........

If we could just teach Blaylock to be a better shooter........

He has no problem getting open , it's kind of sad that he can't shoot.

A lot of players dont develop a solid jump shot until they have been in the league for a while. See Jordan, who even went through college first. He didnt polish his jumper until he was in the league a few years. I think Blalock can be good, and Im happier seeing him in the game compared to Flip.

So Blalock = Jordan?




jk

We haven't been doing too bad without Billups but Flip is getting too many minutes. I really dont want to see Flip getting +20 minutes

So Blalock = Jordan?




jk

Ha, wouldnt that be nice.

Yeah, the development of Jordan's jumpshot was hindered just a little by the fact that for the first half of his career he could dunk on anyone on the planet.

Chauncey Billups had one of his most productive workouts since straining his right calf, but he's still not ready to play.

Lindsey Hunter (right Achilles' tendon) is out.


via detnews

We haven't been doing too bad without Billups but Flip is getting too many minutes. I really dont want to see Flip getting +20 minutes
Flip Saunders does. There can be only one quarterback, and that is FlipM... grrrr...

maybe FlipS is showing Joe that FlipM needs to go.

If so, I wish he'd do it the way he did it with Darko.

Has anybody seen any recent updates on CB?

Specifically, a return date?

McDyess didn't need to see Detroit lose three of its last five games to know how valuable Chauncey Billups is to the Pistons.

Billups, expected to miss his sixth straight game tonight due to a strained right calf, has found it difficult to sit and watch the team struggle in his absence.

"It hurts, it's tough, and it's frustrating," he said."But I'm not trying to rush back too soon. You want to get back as soon as you can, but I know and my teammates know that it's more important for me to be all the way back then come back too soon and get hurt even worse."

McDyess, who was scoreless in Wednesday night's loss to the Charlotte Bobcats, said it has been difficult for the players to get into a consistent flow without Billups.

Making matters worse is the team's only other veteran point guard, Lindsey Hunter (sore Achilles' tendon), is also out. Detroit's Flip Murray, a combo guard signed this summer, has been filling in for Billups.

"We don't really have a true point guard right now besides Will Blalock, and he's a rookie," McDyess said."So it's kind of tough when you're playing like that. We look like a totally different team without him.

:lathamjahnke:


SETBACK: Billups seems unlikely to return from his calf injury for tonight's game against the Boston Celtics.

"I was feeling better, and then Thursday, I worked out on it really hard," he said. "It started hurting me again."

Billups said a different part of his calf hurt at the end of the workout, and he took that as a good sign. He wanted to try working out on it again before Friday's game and today's game. But his hotel staff forgot to give him a wake-up call and he overslept, so he didn't get a chance to test it at Friday's shootaround.

"It's horrible," Billups said about missing tonight's game. "I hate it." ...

I dont think that sounds very good

Bribing the hotel staff so they don't administer wake-up calls... hmmm... not a bad idea for the playoffs.

Chauncey Billups practiced for the first time since injuring his calf on Dec. 29.

Webber’s debut, Billups’ possible return invigorate Pistons
Red-Letter Day
by Keith Langlois

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. - Their game with the Utah Jazz scheduled for Wednesday night becomes the most anticipated game of the Pistons’ season to date by a factor of 10. Don’t tell Mehmet Okur, but it has nothing to do with his return to the arena where he helped the Pistons win the 2004 NBA title.

It could be the Washington Generals coming to town and it wouldn’t matter. Not when the debut of Chris Webber in a Pistons uniform grabs the headline in a close race with Chauncey Billups’ possible return to the lineup after missing eight games with a strained right calf muscle.

Billups practiced for the first time since injuring his calf on Dec. 29 and said his leg “felt pretty good.”

“A little sore, but if felt good,” he said. “It just felt good to get out there. It felt all right. I don’t know how it will feel in the morning, but it felt pretty good today.”

Pistons coach Flip Saunders said he’ll leave Billups’ status for Wednesday in the hands of his point guard and strength coach Arnie Kander.

“We’ll wait and see how he reacts after a day of practice, but he went through all the drills,” Saunders said. “He didn’t do anything to make it worse, so we’ll see how it is tomorrow.”

“I don’t know when he can come back,” said Tayshaun Prince, “but the progress he’s shown right now is good. That’s definitely enough, just to see him practice with us. Whether he plays in the next couple of games or not, that really doesn’t matter as long as we’ve got him on the court.”

Lindsey Hunter, who returned to the lineup in Monday’s game with Minnesota after missing 18 games with a sore Achilles tendon, also went through practice Tuesday and proclaimed himself fit. “A little sore,” he said, “but it didn’t feel worse. It’s going to be sore - I know that - but as long as it’s not worse, I’m OK.”

His backcourt fortified by the return of his top two point guards, Saunders can perhaps spend the bulk of his time figuring ways to incorporate Webber into his frontcourt. The contract between Webber, one of the best passing big men of his generation, with Nazr Mohammed, who has eight assists for the season, could hardly be more pronounced.

“He does have the ability to post and he can be effective down there, not only as a scorer but as a feeder,” Saunders said of Webber, who was scheduled to come in for an individual workout in the early evening after signing his contract once he officially cleared waivers Tuesday afternoon. “The thing that happens when you throw the ball into the post is that it sucks the defense in and it makes it easier for everybody else, so that’s why you want to have a situation where you can (use) some post entries. He provides the ability to pass the ball and make other guys better. That’s what he does.”

Webber has not been considered a strong defensive player in the past, especially since the knee injury he suffered in 2003 robbed him of mobility and made him vulnerable to pick-and-roll situations. It’s possible Saunders will use the zone defense he favors more frequently with Webber in the lineup.

“We haven’t played as much zone lately, just because of situations,” he said. “One, we haven’t shot the ball well enough to get into a zone. That’s something we’ll probably tinker with more as we get into it.”

Saunders said before he makes any plans for how and how much Webber will be used, he needs to assess his physical conditioning and overall health. But he fully expects him to be uniform and available for the Utah game.

# Antonio McDyess, who was in considerable pain due to back spasms following his season-high 16-point game against Minnesota, did not practice Tuesday but is listed as probable for Wednesday’s game after going through treatments with Kander.

“He’s a little bit stiff today,” Saunders said. “He’s played really hard these last few games. I thought he got over the hump. Sometimes what happens when you get hurt a little bit, you start forgetting about everything else. You’re so worried about your injury that you forget about everything else and just start playing.”

Memo owns Webber. I feel the updating of a classic thread in the near future.

I miss Memo *tear*

While Im sure Webber isnt going to come in and be a MONSTER since he hasnt played with the team before and doesnt know the sets... if Webber and Chauncey playing isnt enough to motivate the team for at least one all-out effort and win, I dont know what is. Red hot poker in the ass? Thats my only guess.