Okay, I understand what people are saying about Stuckey working his way toward getting Dwy-ane calls, but seriously, I don't want to watch the Pistons play like that. If I wanted to watch a free throw contest, I'll flip on a Heat game. I want team basketball and games with some continuity to them.
I think this is pretty on the mark. The starters ain't getting it done. There's nothing wrong with Dyess but he doesn't bring anything that isn't already brought be someone else. In my eyes its either he or Tayshaun that needs to not be in the starting lineup and a rebound/defender needs to be found and inserted.Originally Posted by FP22
STEW BEEF!
Fool, you beat me to the punch. You and fp22 are right on.
The problem isn't antonio mcdyess, per se, but him playing too much is. It's been a problem ever since Flip Saunders came to the pistons and decided to bench Ben Wallace for Antonio Mcdyess to close out games. He has some strange love affair for dyess that probably has to do with his ability to hit a jump shot. What Flip fails to realize is that defending the rim and eliminating second chance opportunities on defense is infinitely more important than a power forward that shoots jump shots. (and why this team won the championship with Ben Wallace, in his prime, closing out games. Teams that win championships need players like this)
Antonio is an exceptional role player that is playing extremely well during the first half of this season but he is flawed. And like FP22 says, this whole team has flaws.
The problem with mcdyess playing too much is that his strengths are very similar to Rasheed's in that he's a perimeter-oriented big man that gets most of his offense from the outside (and mcdyess isn't close to being as talented as Rasheed and at least rasheed can post-up) This means both big men are often nowhere near the blocks during certain possessions and leads to many one-and-done possessions and low-percentage shot opportunities (because all this team does is shoot jumpers) and often low final outputs on the offensive end because we don't have big men with post-scoring ability.
The same thing killed the knicks during the 90s when Ewing and Oakley were teamed. Both took a majority of their shots from 15+ feet out. The knicks became very easy to defend and rarely received second chance scoring opportunities. In fact, there are many parallels between that team and the current pistons. A team chock-full of jump shooters that lacked the ability to create high percentage shots in big games. (spreewell changed this when he came around but by then the team was getting too old).
Anyway, back to the pistons. Rasheed and Antonio are also very similar on the defensive end with both players being better at straight-up defending their opponent but also both lacking the lateral quickness to be good help defenders. It's why this team gives up so many points near the basket. This is also the most fatal flaw of this pairing.
It's also why this team needs to play Jason Maxiell more often than they play Antonio Mcdyess. He attacks the rim on offense (a good compliment to sheed) and is, without question, the best help defender on this team.
And this team's early season success has been almost 100% due to maxiell's development into a legitimate, above average NBA player (with a small dose of jarvis hayes' ability to score)
This team also needs to consider playing Amir Johnson more often. He has legit NBA-height (something only rasheed has on this height-starved team...I don't count premol into the equation) and is a better help-defender than people think due to his extreme athleticism. But Flip will never give him a chance to perform because he doesn't recognize the value of a guy that can come in (like a john salley) run the floor, try to block everything in sight and crash the offensive boards for a few minutes each game. That changes the complexion of the game.
He'd prefer to play an aging, one-legged, jump-shooting power forward and then watch this team give up layup after layup in games where points are supposed to be hard to come by.
Mcdyess is a nice player that has extreme value to this team on the offensive end and doesn't hurt you defensively in small doses which is why he should be used in situations that use this ability more efficiently (when he's a starter he's a #5 option on offense...when he's playing with the second unit he's a #1 or #2 option).
Maxiell makes more sense to this team as a #5 option because his strengths as a basketball player do not equate him towards being a primary scoring option.
It's all so basic. I wish we had a coach that understood this.
Wade is a legit 6ft 4in and imho is a pg combo guard who got converted to SG so that he could be a full time chucker rather than an all around playmaker. I dont really want stuckey taking that path personally. I'd prefer for him to end up like Wade coulda been if he stayed learning PG for more than just his rookie campaign. As wack flopping as he is Wade is a solid passer and imo woulda been a bigger value long term as a pg to the Heat making everyone else better.
^
Stalked by a Mod who gives 1 percent credence.
I don't think we can blame rebounding as our main problem. We've been outrebounded in just about every game this season, yet we have the 2nd best record in the NBA...
So somethings not adding up right...
I wish Amir could see the floor more, he may not be ready to contribute offensively, but I'd bet he busts his balls to outjump any body to grab a board...
If regular season record corresponded with playoff success then yes. However, it doesn't. So no.
STEW BEEF!
True. But theres nothing we can do to address the need IMO. Just hope the results translate in the playoffs...
Hopefully interior rebounding will be addressed in the offseason via free agency or the draft.
And that wouldn't mean re-signing Primoz Brezec. He can take his hustle elsewhere...(no offense to Big Swami who worships the ground he walks on)
I agree with FP22. We can't just grab another guy, give him 10 minutes per game and expect him to fix our rebounding problem. It just doesn't work like that. He'd have to take minutes away from someone else. If we picked someone up and used him primarily as the backup C with Max being the primary backup PF, that might help some, but it won't do a ton. Still, I wouldn't mind us grabbing someone that brings an inside presence off the bench. Give him Brezec's minutes and another 5 or so from Dyess, bringing him back down to the 25 mpg that were so effective for him last year and keeping him fresh.
If we're going to pick up another backup big man, Cross mentioned the guy I've always thought would fit here. Chris Wilcox from the Sonics. The guy hustles, he's a solid inside presence defensively, he rebounds, and on offense you can keep him around the paint unlike our starting bigs that like to float around the outside taking jumpers. He does all the things that we're complaining about needing, even if his numbers don't show it, and I've always liked his game ever since he was at Maryland. Nick Collison wouldn't be bad either.
I really wouldn't mind letting Amir out there a bit more to see what he could do, but I've got to assume that he's not getting a lot of playing time because he's showing serious flaws in practice that he needs to work on before he gets on the floor more.
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I think you can address it now. Swap Dyess and Max. You gain more rebounding with the starters and more offense with the bench. I said it last year that Max should be starting in place of Dyess because Dyess and Sheed have similar games.
These comments are before the Nazr trade of course, but here you go (from the Keith makes a case for Nazr starting C thread):
Last edited by WTFchris; 01-08-2008 at 01:03 PM.
Phil Wenneck: The man purse. You actually gonna wear that or are you just fuckin' with me?
Alan Garner: It's where I keep all my things. Get a lot of compliments on this. Plus it's not a purse, it's called a satchel. Indiana Jones wears one.
I really am starting to think that would be for the better. Did you see how Max played last game when Dyess got in early foul trouble. Everyone had to worry about the other 4 starters scoring so they left him wide open for a few easy baskets, that got his confidence up, then he started hitting 12ft jumpers when they tried to keep him away from the paint. It was great. Plus it brings another scoring threat off the bench with McDyess. I was skeptical of the idea when it was discussed during the preseason but Max has proven himself now, I think its worth a shot. Also, it keeps Dyess's minutes down, bringing him back to where he was last year, which will keep him fresh.
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