Pistons Give Great Effort, Lose

In a sign of just how far things have fallen, the Pistons played one of their better games last night. They hustled. They swarmed on defense. They crashed the glass. Yet, they still did just enough to lose to a mediocre team, at home. Yawn.

It was a strange game. The Pistons shot 58% from the field in the first half but somehow found themselves down by six points. The Grizzlies maintained a comfortable 6-10 point cushion throughout most of the second half until Jason Maxiell took over the game. On both ends of the court, Maxiell dominated. Stuckey's 15-ft jumper with 2:56 to go in the game put the Pistons up 93-91, and the Pistons seemed in control. Unfortunately, it was the last points they would score.

The Pistons missed their final eight shots - many uncontested and/or layups. They also missed 4 of their final 6 free throws. Marc Gasol did not miss any free throws, as he scored Memphis final eight points. Just a few years ago, this game would've been a comfortable win by the Stones, even on an off-night. Yet, this incarnation is like Nate Robertson. They try hard, tease you with good innings, then end up blowing it at the worst times. They're GETL - Good Enough To Lose.

Were there bright spots? Sure. Stuckey and Rip both had double-digit assists. Unfortunately, Stuckey still can't finish at the rim. I've rarely seen an NBA guard who has as much trouble putting away layups. I realize he's often off-balance and swarmed by 6'10 behemoths, but Stuckey is supposed to an NBA-calibre scorer. Put the ball in the hoop already. Jason Maxiell and Ben Wallace were pretty awesome, but where was Austin Daye?

Dear Coach Kuester, last I checked your team was 14 games below .500. You're a lottery team. Why not play the rookie? Is Tayshaun Price that insistent on minutes?

The Pistons continue their dreadful home stand against the Heat on Friday. Can't wait.

End of an Era
Coming off one of the worst losses of their season, the Red Wings put up zero fight in a 5-2 loss at Minnesota. The loss knocked the Wings out of the final playoff spot and moved Minnesota within 3 points. The Wings have now lost three in a row, and are 3 games below .500 for the season.

Chris Osgood let three goals in on the first six shots. If he doesn't step it up soon, Holland should consider calling up Daniel Larsson from Grand Rapids. Jimmy Howard is playing well in net, but he can't shoulder the entire burden. The Wings need a backup to spell him on back-to-backs. And that 2nd string goalie should not guarantee a win for the opposition. Is that too much to ask?

Suffice it to say, the Wings are in trouble. Gone are the days of dominant puck possession and beautiful tic-tac-toe goals. No more suffocating defense that limits the opponents to under 20 shots. This is a team fighting for the final spot in the playoffs. They're a middle-of-the-road NHL squad with below average scoring. Folks in town seem to believe their fortunes will turn around when the injured players return. I tend to disagree. The team is what it is. They've been playing poorly all season, regardless of who's on the ice. Hoping for a massive turnaround is akin to hoping Magglio, Guillen, and Robertson will return to form. It's a hope based on no tangible evidence. Their glory days are long gone. The recent evidence reveals a team that can't string together three wins in a row. They're mediocre. A non-threat.

But all is not lost. They have talent in the farm system. 18-year old Thomas Tater gives us hope at Grand Rapids. Click here for an update. The article says Tater is five years away from contributing. What can they do in the meantime? My thinking is that they would benefit greatly from a two-way center. When Filppula returned, the Wings puck possession increased dramatically. Now Filppula is no world-beater, but he sees the ice well and is an above-average puck handler and skater. If the Wings could pick up one more Filppula (or better) talent, I think they'd see a world of difference in their ability to control the game.

Those that saw my recent +/- stats may have noticed that the top line players (Datsyuk and Zetterberg) despite their sub-par seasons still have the best ratings. The 4th liners (Abdelkader, Leino) have the worst. One key acquisition could change all that. But, how could they attain one more player? I say they consider trading Jonathan Ericsson or Brad Stuart. Both players will be in high demand come the trade deadline. Most playoff teams want to shore up their defense with rugged blue-liners who can contribute on the power play. Nobody is going to want Meech or Lebda. But they will want Ericsson or Stuart. My guess is that a team like Colorado or Chicago would be willing to part with a young center (like Ryan O'Reilly).

The Red Wings' system is predicated on puck control, as the Versus announcers repeated ad nauseum on Monday. As a result, they're more reliant upon centerman than defensemen - unlike, say, Anaheim or New Jersey. The Wings do have a wealth of talent on the blue-line, even with the potential departure of Nick Lidstrom in a few years (gulp). A core of Kronwall, Rafalski, and one of Ericsson/Stuart should suffice, if they have defensive-minded forwards. I imagine most fans would gasp at the prospect of trading away Ericsson, but he's the exact chip piece that could lead to a true talent. The Wings are built from the forwards on down, while most teams are built from the goalie on up. Shop Ericsson and see who bites. And if Anaheim will consider parting with Getzlaf, throw in Datsyuk for good measure.