Odds and Ends

I did not get a chance to watch the Pistons disappointing loss to the Raptors last night. Justin Rogers, another mLive blogger, offers some superior insights here.

The Pistons again played without Rip and Tayshaun, though I'm not sure if it would've made much of a difference. The key players in Toronto's offense were Bosh and Bargniani, who both shot 50% with 47 combined points. Bosh alone got to the line 20 times. So, for some reason, the excellent low-post defense provided by Big Ben and Kwame the previous night did not work.

Upon looking at the box score, one stat demands attention - Toronto scored a shocking 44 points in the second quarter. Against Ok City and Milwaukee, the 3rd quarter was the trouble spot. Against Orlando and Toronto, it was the 2nd. Logic would dictate that, with Rip and Tay out of the lineup, the bench would be severely crippled. So, I shouldn't be too surprised that the deep bench players getting run in the 2nd would get run over. With all the new faces, Kuester still doesn't have a rotation. He's not sure where to use Austin Daye, Chris Wilcox, Jason Maxiell, or Dajuan Summers. Kwame and Bynum are the only defined-role dudes off the bench (and, of course, Little Ben, when Rip comes back). Jerebko appears to have earned the coach's trust at the backup 3-spot, but he may feel some pressure from Austin Daye over time. Both have massive difficulty on defense. JJ earned 5 fouls in 25 minutes, while Daye got 5 fouls in 16. That's dreadful. As a fan, you just hope you see progress.

And progress is the key word for Stuckey this season. So far? Not much. He's attacking the basket with vigor, but 5-18 shooting really sucks. For the season, he's at 34%. That won't get it done. His aggressiveness is paying off on the defensive end with surging rebound totals. Last night he had 10. The previous night 9. This only fuels the flame that he shouldn't be running the point. I'm not in that camp. He's a good ball handler and only had one turn last night. His assist totals are low, but I think he's trying to develop into a Chauncey-type PG. Control the game, work the offense. Right now, the coach's are obviously telling him to attack.

If December rolls around and he's still shooting 34%, they might want to consider starting Bynum. He's a better defender and passer.

Wings
I guess it's only news when the Red Wings lose. Over the weekend, they beat Calgary away (always difficult) and then shut out Boston at home. They accomplished the shut out missing both Rafalski and Ericksson (flu). You can't give up a total of 1 goal over 120 minutes by accident. The Wings are playing better defense, and they're staying out of the box - only 5 total penalties over the 2 games.

I suppose it should also be noted that Jimmy Howard did not see the net in either win. Folks can complain all they want about Osgood, but he's the team's only professional-grade goalie. Lately, he's stood tall.

Interestingly, the Wings remain tied for 11th in the Western Conference. I know it's foolish to look at standings after a mere 13 games, but it does illustrate how the poor start has set them back. Unless they catch fire, they could be in for a season-long fight for playoff position. In the West, decent teams miss the playoffs every season. Next up is rebuilt San Jose, off to a hot start.