Best Team on Paper

Happier Times
It's official. The Pistons are now historically bad. The 0-5 start is the worst since 1980. That's 30 Piston teams in a row that all started better than this pathetic incarnation. The 2000-01 squad with Eric Montross at Center? Better. The 93-94 squad with Sean Elliot (the most disgruntled Piston ever)? Better. Kent Bensen's 81-82 squad? Better.

Unfortunately, it gets worse. For as long as I've known the Pistons, they've been a magnet for drama. From Isiah's "trading" of Dantley to Laettner and Stackhouse's fistfight to Rodman's feud with every single coach not named Chuck Daly to the Malice at the Palace to Dumars unceremonious firing of Rick Carlisle to Allen Iverson vs Rip Hamilton vs Michael Curry, they're an NBA soap opera with a tradition that would rival General Hospital. You can change the names, but the results remain the same.

After the Celtics game, Kuester called out his team. He wanted a vocal leader to step up. Tayshaun took this personally: "(Kuester) has to do some things better too." Big Ben, once a staunch Kuester supporter, offered little comment to the media, "I'm not going to touch that." But while Ben and Tayshaun were the center of attention after the Celtics loss, it's apparent now that Kuester was actually directing his comments toward a different player - the one player who was handed the keys to the franchise, a starting position, and three years to develop his game - Rodney Stuckey.

Last night, the Pistons took on the Hawks, and, in general, they played quite well, despite ultimately losing in the familiar collapse-in-the-4th-quarter way. I noticed during the 2nd quarter that T-Mac and Austin Daye handled most of the point-guard duties. That continued through most of the 2nd half. Where was Stuckey? It was strange. He was supposed to be the cornerstone of the rebuilding process. He didn't get injured, so why wasn't he playing? At the time, it didn't really matter. The T-Mac led offense fared quite well. The Pistons hung tight with the Hawks. Daye, T-Mac, and Greg Monroe offered the welcome burst of energy. They couldn't defend worth a lick, but neither could the starters.

After the inevitable 4th quarter collapse, news leaked that Stuckey was benched. Apparently, Stuckey ignored Kuester during a stoppage in play. Kuester immediately subbed him out, and the kid didn't play the final 20:56. Add Kuester vs Stuckey to the long list of Piston feuds.

With all the support the kid has received, it's pretty shocking to see Stuckey at the center of controversy. Perhaps part of his ill humor is the fact that Dumars did not offer him a contract extension prior to last weekend's deadline. He's the first Dumars draft pick eligible for an extension that did not receive one. This is Dumar's first ever vote of no-confidence for Stuckey. It must've stung, but it was a sound business decision. Stuckey played pretty well the first few games, but they were all losses. His development through his first three seasons was fine for a #15 overall pick. But it wasn't enough for the kid with Billups-level potential. He finishes poorly at the rim, doesn't pass all that well, and, in general, doesn't make those around him better. On the flipside, he does have good athleticism, a decent jumpshot, and rarely turns it over. So, he's a mixed bag. And Joe D may want him back. He just doesn't want to lock him in right now.

It's also possible the decision had more to do with the team's ownership issues or the looming NBA lockout. Either way, Stuckey was likely disappointed. Add that to the sting of the losses and Kuester's comments and you have a full-fledged feud. This is coming from the kid who thought the Pistons had the best team in the NBA on paper. Best team on paper = worst team on court. Right now, they're like the Knicks during the Isiah Regime - great individual talents with zero chemistry. At least last night showed flashes of what the team could become. It may be a lost cause at this point, but Austin Daye and Greg Monroe did show an ability to make the team better. Daye has to play at the 2 or 3, and Monroe needs minutes. Satisfy both those requirements, and the wins should eventually come. But with all the drama, it's more likely the team will implode.

Out of the woodwork

DNP-CD
On Monday, I wrote, "Fans around here tend to love the very good and the very bad." Apparently, I was right.

After a summer of ultimate fan apathy, the Pistons were the hot topic yesterday on the web and radio. Prior to the season, there was zero interest in this team. Traditional fans were trying to avert their eyes from the impending disaster of a season, and the casual fans moved on to MSU football and the Wings. Yet, when the Pistons lose to the worst team in the league by squandering a 7pt lead in the final 1:44, the fans come out of the woodwork.

Ironically, the loss was probably a good thing! The Pistons' Q Score is through the roof. Everybody now knows of their painful performance and that prize rookie Greg Monroe never left the bench. Fans were livid. After a 50% free throw shooting night, Pistonpowered even chastised Big Ben for his repeated failure at the charity stripe. What is this... 2004? Had the Pistons actually pulled out the win, I have no doubt there would've been a collective yawn in this area. Ho-hum. Yet, with the spectacular loss, fans suddenly care again. It's theoretically possible that the Pistons may actually be the worst team in the NBA.

From a talent perspective, that's somewhat hard to believe. Not many teams boast three All-stars - two of which still play close to that All-star level. The roster was built around good characters guys, and they have a decent injection of youth with Austin Daye, Greg Monroe, and the now-injured Jerebko. The team should not be so dreadful. But they are. Part of the problem is that many of the players (I'm looking at you, Hamilton) are only "good character guys" when the team is winning. When the losses pile up, the grumbles become more audible. This is the NBA, don't forget. And, as we've discussed here ad nauseum, Dumars populated the team with too many friggin' guards. The players don't know their roles. Is it any surprise that the one player with a defined role - Big Ben - is the best, most consistent player every night?

The problem is that Dumars and Kuester are in denial. Both are still operating as if this is a championship team. Why else would they bring in a stop-gap like McGrady? He's just taking minutes from Austin Daye. McGrady should be a complimentary player on a playoff team. Why is Maxiell taking minutes from Greg Monroe? We've seen Maxiell for five years. We know what he can do. If the Pistons want to rebuild - which they oh-so-clearly need to do - they've got to find out if Monroe can actually play. Wouldn't it be nice to have a legit power forward? A guy who can rip down boards and pass the rock like a young C-Webb? They might just have that in Monroe. But we'll never know if he doesn't see the friggin' floor.

As for Daye, he forced Kuester's hand with stellar play at the Summer League and preseason. So Kuester found him a spot in the starting lineup - at power forward. Daye may be the lightest (200lb) power forward in the history of the game. Most PFs weigh between 240-260lbs. That's a ton of size to give up. What's the role of the coach again? All together now... to put a player in a position to succeed. How is Daye supposed to succeed when he's consistently yielding 50lbs to his opponent? Kuester be real. The kid's a 3. Or maybe a 2, but for God's sake he's not a 4.

You see? It's these dreadful losses that bring out the passion in the fans. I haven't been this worked up about the Pistons in months!

Lionized

For the second time in a week, the Pacers routed the Pistons. Make no mistake, the Pacers are a lottery-bound team, with barely a better record. Yet, the Pistons make them look like the Lakers.

The Pistons stayed competitive for all of 8 minutes last night. In fact, they looked quite good initially. The starters forced a handful of turnovers, and Big Ben was a monster on the boards. After falling behind 12-7, Indiana called a timeout, and they heated up from 3pt range. They finished the half up 15, while shooting 50%. The Pistons shot a dreadful 35%. The rout continued in the decisive 3rd quarter, and Indiana continued their hot shooting, and the Pistons essentially threw in the towel.

I can blame the Piston's 2nd unit for getting clobbered in the 2nd quarter, but the starters were listless in the 3rd. This deep in the season, the Pistons seem to cave when the opponents catch fire. They put up a bit of a fight then give in - just like the Lions. On the bench, there was little passion or anger... just 13 guys accepting another loss. They've been Lionized.

Coach Kuester should shoulder some of the blame. His players were not ready. It's not his fault that Rip, Tay, Gordon, and Bynum were out most of the year. And he should receive some credit for unearthing the talents of Jonas Jerebko. Yet, Kuester seemingly has no control over this squad. The head coach needs to find a way to motivate the players, and this squad was as motivated as a Harvard-bound senior with a week left of high school.

I'd hate for the Pistons to fire yet another coach, but Dumars needs to at least consider it. Are there any superior candidates available? Is there some psychologist/tactician hybrid that can motivate these clowns?

No doubt the old guard are a proud bunch. Prince, Hamilton, and Big Ben won't enjoy the embarrassment of these blow-outs. Yet, they shoulder much of the responsibility. Roy Hibbert was a shocking +29 against Big Ben. Hamilton and Stuckey - after dishing out 16 combined assists against the Nets - combined for all of ZERO against the Pacers. And it couldn't have been swarming defense. It was a combination of missed shots (39% shooting for the team) and poor movement.

This team is playing out the string, but they still charge fans to go to the games, so play with a little heart, okay? Give us some hope for the future. The only positive out of last night's game was another DNP-CD for Chris Wilcox. Despite the rout, Austin Daye still only managed 13 minutes. Shouldn't he be one of the first off the bench, especially with Charlie V unavailable? These are the little things that will bring the fans back.

Sigh. They take the court again tonight against the Nets. Should be a ratings monster!

Break on through

All it took was a doomsday No Frown Motown post for the Pistons and Wings to end their losing streaks, and both did it in dramatic fashion. I spent the prior four days in Chicago (without access to beloved Fox Sports Detroit), so I missed much of the action. I did see that the Wings, down a goal, pulled Jimmy Howard with 90 seconds remaining. With the extra skater, the Wings kept possession in the Blues' zone. Zetterberg, from behind the net, flicked it in front. The puck ricocheted off a Blues player into the goal. Check out these highlights:



I did have the pleasure of watching the Pistons glorious win over the 12-4 Atlanta Hawks yesterday. It was a vintage '09 Pistons win. There haven't been many. Thanks to a string of high draft picks and solid free agent signings, the Hawks have slowly built an excellent roster with talent at every position. Gone are the days of Zaza Pachulia as their main offensive weapon. With Joe Johnson, Mike Bibby, and Josh Smith, these Hawks are primed to challenge for a title. The Pistons countered with a mish-mash lineup of Chucky Atkins, Stuckey, Jerebko, Maxiell, and Big Ben. On paper, a huge mismatch.

It was a bizarre but excellent decision on Coach Q's part to shake things up. Without Rip and Gordon, Stuckey must be the primary scorer. With Atkins on the court, Stuckey could shift to the 2-guard. The more surprising move was Maxiell over Charlie V. My guess is that Coach Q wanted Charlie V's offense off the bench to compliment Will Bynum in the second unit.

As the game began, it didn't seem to matter who was on the court. Despite missing so many key players, the Pistons wanted the win. They wanted it bad. They absolutely crushed the Atlanta Hawks on the boards. Coming into the game, the Hawks were a top 5 rebounding team in the East. Yet, they only pulled down 27 boards to the Pistons 53. The rebounding edge resulted in 17 more shots for the Pistons, and they needed it, considering Atlanta shot well (50% - almost exclusively from outside).

Stuckey was a force throughout. Playing perhaps his best all-around game of the season, the young guard scored 23, with 8 assists, and only 2 turnovers. More impressively, he limited All-star Joe Johnson to 5-19 shooting. Jerebko and Big Ben cleaned up the boards, tallying 11 and 18, respectively. Atlanta still stayed within 10pts the entire game and, at times, threatened to take the lead. With eleven minutes to go, Atlanta tied it. Bynum then hit a shot and Charlie V hit another. Up four, the Pistons had a chance to extend the lead when Charlie was fouled hard on a layup. At the end of the play, Charlie collided with Big Ben. The collision caused a massive bloody nose for poor Charlie V, and he calmly nailed the two free throws with gauze stuck up his nostrils. Unfortunately, he had to leave the game and did not return... but it didn't matter. The Pistons make-shift lineup did not falter. Their effort, grit, and determination was enough to win on this day.

After suffering through the dreadful, uninspired '08-'09 season, it was truly refreshing to see the Pistons win with heart.