Memphis Beatdown

It was the dream start for Joe D. In the 2nd quarter, with both Ben Gordon and Rip on the court, the Piston guards lit up the scoresheet going a combined 9-12, including Little Ben's long-range prayer that rattled in off the backboard as the shot clock expired. That shot (a 4pt play) signaled to Memphis that it might not be their night.

I could tell early on that this Piston team was vastly different than the '08-'09 version. The team came out of the gate with a defensive intensity not seen since Big Ben left. Folks, his impact on the game can't be overstated. George Blaha noted that his defensive play is infectious. In the 1st quarter, Memphis tried unsuccessfully to push the tempo and struggled in every possession. The Piston offense also struggled out of the gate, but, due to their aggressive play, they finished the quarter up four.

Then Little Ben and Rip took over in the 2nd. I could tell the game was close to turning into a rout, though the Memphis core of Rudy Gay and OJ Mayo hit some big threes to stay in shouting distance. As the Pistons left the court at halftime, leading by 12, I scanned the team to see if there were any smiles. Not a one. A few high fives (after Rip's buzzer beating jump shot), but otherwise they were all business.

Memphis lost a little ground in the 3rd quarter, and then Little Ben opened the 4th quarter with back-to-back threes. That was it for the Grizz. It was a night when everything seemed to work for the Pistons. Even Charlie V, who struggled early, found his stroke in the 2nd half. He missed most of training camp and was clearly not quite comfortable with his new teammates. But Rip and Stuckey kept feeding him the ball until he eventually hit a rhythm, finishing with 7pts. It was vintage LB-era Piston win, swarming defense and a controlled offense. Despite all the new faces, the Pistons had a shockingly low 2 turnovers in the 1st half. They had only 4 mid-way in the final quarter.

After such a dreary, no-fun season, it was truly refreshing to watch a blowout win. To be fair, Memphis is a bad team. They will not likely make the playoffs. They've got some young talent in Gay, Mayo, and Marc Gasol. And they've got Zach Randolph who's always good for 20pts. But they have no winning culture. So the win must be recognized in context. The old sports cliche "You're never as good as you think you are after a win" is likely true. The Pistons are not elite, but they showed their potential last night. That's a start. Keep up the defensive intensity and limit the turnovers and good things will happen.