To where we were before February 19th, 2004? That is, pre-Sheed. Ever since Dumars stole him for role players, we've been true championship contenders (until yesterday), and Piston fans have been living the spoils that come with that.
Are we worse off? The same? Better? Just curious to see what everyone's thoughts are on this?
Slightly worse off. But we'll be fine. Initially, I was pissed at Ben for being such a greedy little ______. But now I'm glad he's gone. He'll get what's coming to him in Chicago. The league is changing and he won't be the most important guy in Chicago. His ego is just going to take several more hits before his career is done.
I think this year will be slightly worse than last year, and we may bow out in the second round, but we'll manage to improve the following season through the draft, free agency, and/or trades.
WE ARE ALL WITNESSES
Comparing this year to the pre-Sheed 2004, I would've have to say we were in better shape in 2004 than we are now.Originally Posted by shags
We would not have been contenders for atleast year or two but with Darko and Okur as our frontcourt, I would suspect our future might have been looking a lot more brighter than what it is now.
This shit just does not make any sense. When Brown left, the idea was our young players would finally be played, especially Darko. Well all the winning prompted Flips rotation to become less and less and it seemed as if every game was a playoff one. Basicallly, our younger players were shunned at the expense of homecourt believing another trip to the Finals was automatic. So basically fuck Delfino, darko, and Maxiel. Our FUTURE.
I always thought it was detroits intention to get rid of Darko to clear space for Ben, and if the idea to win for the next few years was the reasoning, then so be it. They never had the patience to mold him and the whole this guy is dominate in practice shit got old in a hurry. What continues to mind fuck me however, is the fact that if the plan to get rid of Darko was to give us cap space to resign Ben, did the piston brass even consider that it may cost more than the 12 mill they were willing to offer? Did they honestly beleive that his loyalty would make him turn down other offers for more? I mean if they were unwilling to mold our young guys at the expense of winning now, and basically mortagage our future to win and contend now rather than later, then they had to beleive it was possible it may cost them more and that it would be worth it to sign him at what his FA market value could possibly be. This all contingent on the idea to continue to win NOW rather than later. So look at us now: no Darko, no Ben. no molding of young talent, and shit we even signed Sheed to mad cash and basically blew off Okur to contend now, and we know have journeyman Nazr? This shit defies normal logic. And, that well, Ben is deteriorating shit is stupid too. So what we were still a top 3 team with him for the next three years. I mean fuck, it aint like Sheed and Billups arent going to deteriorate. Sheed already is. We were contenders now and regardless would not be in three years any fucking way with guys like Wade, LeBron, Chicago, and D Howard dominating. So, I guess the process starts now rather than later. So why even sign Nazr? Makes zero sense. I hope Dumars knows something we don't.
when we won the championship, we had:
the best coach in the nba
the best starting 5 in the nba
arguably the best bench in the nba
a 5 star blue chip prospect in darko in the nba
the brightest future in the nba.
2 quick years later? lol. the best profit margins in the nba?
I'm talking pre-Sheed though.
We don't win the championship without him. We'd have lost in the 2nd round to the Nets. So how much worse are we than that?
sheed made us light years better. but i wouldnt count on us losing to the nets in the second round. sheed was pretty damn ineffective in that series. and if you recall, those pre-sheed pistons were some of the grittiest, hungriest players in the league. lots of people, me included, thought we were contenders before we made the deal. that was probably a reach, but we were definitly better than we are now. no doubt about that.
Prior to Sheed we were looking at building a frontline of Darko, Memo and Ben
We got lucky, got Sheed and the rest is history.
Shit changes all the time. You don't put a team together and sit tight for 2 years hoping players will develop. You get players when you can.
This bullshit about Wade, Lebron and Howard being "too good" for anyone else is so fucking funny.
Miami's key players (outside Wade) are as old as dirt and can't go on forever.
Lebron has a decent team around him now, but Big Z, Marshall and Snow are old as dirt too.
Howard? Please! They have a chance to make some noise soon, but they also have to retain Howard, Nelson and Darko. If those 3 eat up all their salary and room under the tax then WTF will Orlando do? Exceed the tax? Doubt it.
Yeah, it's depressing to see us fall from our position of Top 2 in the East. But it ain't the end of the world.
We have 3 promising players (Delfino, Amir, Max), possibly another prospect that could be decent (Acker/Blalock/Samb) and the Magic pick coming soon.
Add them to Sheed, Prince, Rip, Billups, Dice and Nazr and I think we're fine.
Contenders? No - but I don't think winning titles is what we're trying to do
Rise like Lions after slumber,
In unvanquishable number -
Shake your chains to earth like dew
Which in sleep had fallen on you -
Ye are many - they are few.
I think the way the East is anybody can win it. Not the Title just the ECF. If we had Nazr instead of Ben during the playoffs this past year we would've still lost to Miami in the Finals. Ben's play didn't do much of anything for us.
I'd prefer to wait till Joe decrees that our roster is set for october before I judge the current roster, but I don't think wer'e nearly as bad as it seems.
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