David Mayo @David_Mayo 1m1 minute ago It's Brandon Jennings' call whether to play next week I'm GR or go to Atlanta/Miami with #Pistons. Bet on the latter.
Crazy 1st half in Miami. Looked awful in the 1st. Then went nuts in the 2nd and lead by 2 at the half. Bench was lights out. Especially Stanley.
SVG pulling Drummond in the 2nd quarter was inexcusable. Atlanta pulled away after he did it. He never put him back in. And it just told 28 other teams "we'll take out our best player if you foul him a few times". I was screaming at the TV in that quarter. He probably cost us this game.
Didn't watch the game, so I don't know what happened in the lead-up to stuff at the end. Sounds like George was awesome down the stretch. Maybe Morris was talking shit all game and that's what made George mad. If nothing like that happened before that, I don't know why George is trying to steal the ball when Morris is just standing there waiting for the game to end, though. Morris is a hot head, but he's done better in that regard than I expected.
George went the fuck off at the end, but the d on him was pretty awful. I think he scored coming off the same screen like 4x in a row at one point.
Because we tried stealing the ball with 10 seconds left when they were trying to run out the clock. Ball actually went off Indy, and that's how we got it back.
Big win tonight on the road against Boston. It was even more impressive considering Drummond and Baynes each had 3 fouls halfway through the 2nd quarter.
ESPN has declared Isiah the 5th best PG of all time, behind Magic, Oscar, John Stockton and Steph Curry. http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/page/nbarankPGs/ranking-top-10-point-guards-ever I've got Isiah at #3.
I'm pretty sure the official scorer gave John Stockton assists anytime he touched the ball on an offensive possession where the Jazz scored. Hockey style second assists and the like.
.@MagicJohnson says "no way" Stephen Curry, John Stockton are better than @iamisiahthomas. on.freep.com/200KNga http://www.freep.com/story/sports/nba/pistons/2016/01/13/magic-johnson-isiah-thomas-nba/78742450/
I actually have more of a beef with Curry than Stockton. Stockton played for nearly 20 years, and I could see someone making a longevity case there. Curry's made an All-NBA team twice in his career, and he's #4? I could understand Chris Paul. Curry's not close. Stockton just hurts more because they were contemporaries and the Dream Team thing.
So tonight went well with Ben's jersey retirement and a big win over GS. Just glad we don't play Memphis anymore.
Great night for Ben, glad to see the 04 team showing some support. This current team might have something building. I just hope BJ's ankle injury isn't serious, we'll need him big time down the stretch.
The whole ceremony is on the Pistons website...I just watched it. I wonder why Dumars wasn't there? All of the main cogs from that era seemed to be there...plus some other retired players. They said Dumars was out of the country...seems odd.
Crazy how relatively old The Palace is. I really like the place, but a new downtown arena would be sweet. Column: Detroit Pistons will move downtown, in time, as part of grand plan Detroit Pistons owner Tom Gores, left, and NBA commissioner Adam Silver, right, met this week, in part to discuss any long-term plans Gores may be formulating for a move downtown. (AP Photo | Carlos Osorio) HOUSTON -- The Detroit Pistons will leave their suburban home to move downtown. Time is the most obvious variable, but not the only one, perhaps not the biggest one. It will happen on this ownership's watch, because while Tom Gores runs a private equity firm that flips businesses to make money, the Pistons are worth keeping for that reason alone, and there is an emotional attachment and allure of membership in the billionaire boys' club of major sports ownership that he can't get from buying an undervalued chemical company or boat manufacturer. It is not likely to happen soon. But the winds of change are swirling, and to think that the Pistons could be playing in their own downtown Detroit arena by 2025 is not such a distant thought. The Pistons are committed to The Palace of Auburn Hills for now, and for good reason. They own it debt-free, people are showing up again because the product is better -- they averaged 16,067 fans for 21 home dates in the first half of the season -- and they keep all ancillary revenue. When they move, Palace Sports & Entertainment still will have a huge suburban arena among its holdings, just one with 41 dark nights. If you're the owner of both arena and team, you would like to maximize the building before dislodging its major tenant. Gores has said exactly what he means every step of this journey, and in his fifth season as owner, he said over the weekend that the Pistons are "investigating" downtown options and remain open to the idea. NBA commissioner Adam Silver was in Detroit and Auburn Hills this week, in part to discuss with Gores what progress has been made in that regard. Gores emphasized that The Palace remains home, and keeping it "livable" is a priority, which could be for several more seasons, because it has been maintained remarkably well relative to other arenas its age. However, there aren't many comparables in the neighborhood anymore. The only NBA arenas older than The Palace are Madison Square Garden, the iconic-but-aged home of the New York Knicks, approaching 50 years in use in its current location; and Oracle Arena in Oakland, opened in 1966 and home to the Golden State Warriors since 1971. Bradley Center in Milwaukee and Sleep Train Arena in Sacramento opened within weeks after The Palace, and all were in service for the 1988-89 NBA season. Of those, only the Knicks have no plans for a new arena. The Warriors, Bucks and Kings all will have new arenas by 2018. The Kings will move downtown from the suburbs. The Warriors will move across the bay to San Francisco. Once those moves are complete, the only NBA teams not playing in the heart of their respective cities' downtowns will be the Pistons, Chicago Bulls, Philadelphia 76ers and San Antonio Spurs. So yes, The Palace eventually will be replaced. It is inevitable, and not many years distant. Gores also wants to put a unique stamp on this franchise, not just buy and maintain something William Davidson had before him. Davidson moved the Pistons from Cobo Arena because it was old and the fan base had decayed, and had many good years in the Silverdome and later The Palace. Gores can be the owner who eventually returns the Pistons to downtown and succeeds there, which never happened before. As much as fans in Detroit decry the move out of downtown, the Pistons' greatest successes, and the depth of their history, has been built in the suburbs, where they have played since 1978. This is the Pistons' 38th season in Oakland County, where they have won three championships. They played 20 seasons in Detroit, where they shared Olympia Stadium with the Detroit Red Wings for four years, played 16 more in Cobo Arena, and had a grand total of three winning records. There may be a long future history to be written linking the Pistons firmly to downtown Detroit, but that history as we now know it isn't all it was cracked up to be. As for sharing the new Red Wings arena, of course, that could be within the realm of possibility. Ten cities have arenas shared by NBA and NHL teams, and others have NBA and minor-league hockey teams. But there has not been much history of a relationship between the Pistons and Red Wings over the years. Arn Tellem, the veteran sports agent, was hired for some specific reasons as Gores' special liaison this season. One was to establish a relationship with Red Wings ownership. Another was to investigate arena alternatives. To what degree those interests may cross, it would have to happen quickly. Sharing an arena in which the Pistons are not the primary tenants would be a jolt after years as bosses of their own home. It may be one they don't want to absorb. Beyond that, if the Pistons actually were to move into the new Red Wings arena, which is scheduled to open in September 2017, it would be best to do so immediately, not when the building is a few years old. The newness factor of an arena or stadium wears off fast. If you don't get in on it within the first couple of seasons, you miss out entirely on the crowds who just want to see the new building. However Gores viewed the Pistons when he bought them, there is a legacy-building project at play here now. Gores and his Platinum Equity partners bought the Pistons and related holdings for a bargain price, $325 million. Gores last year bought up the 49 percent of the Pistons that his partners held, and they all made a tidy profit. The Pistons probably would sell today for double what they fetched in 2011. They aren't on the market. Gores bought the rest of the Pistons because he wants them to be his, and put his own mark on them. Part of his long-term plan will be when to move the Pistons, where to move them, and under what conditions. He hasn't misled anyone on those plans yet. They are not immediate. They are not formulated. But they are being, as Gores said, investigated. The Detroit Pistons will play in their namesake city again in time. There's a lot of basketball to play before that happens.
Anyone else watching this game? Rockets intentionally fouled Andre five times immediately at the start of the half to get them into the bonus and have been fouling him on every possession since.
He's gotta start making a couple though. He was something like 3 for 10 during that stretch. Stan finally pulled him after 2-3 minutes. Surprisingly they opted against using that strategy at the start of the fourth.
It's going to be interesting to see how the SVG/Drummond relationship moves forward the rest of this season. He didn't sign the extension because we supposedly suggested he should wait until this year for cap space, and it seems there's frustration with him right now. Zach Lowe has written the Pistons are saying behind the scenes that they're not thrilled with Drummond's intensity level. Especially on D. SVG has called guys out multiple times lately. Drummond's been benched multiple times in the last few weeks for bad defense (like tonight). If it works, he reaches his ceiling as a franchise guy, but I'm worried the opposite happens and we have a mess on our hands.
It felt strange watching how little he played in the second half tonight. Not really worried about him opting out though...I think they've basically got it locked down already.
Sources: Trade of Brandon Jennings for Thaddeus Young being discussed. Could include other players. #Nets #Buckssheridanhoops.com/2016/02/04/sou… 2:51pm - 4 Feb 16
From the Pistons SB Nation Blog: Brandon Jennings for Thaddeus Young trade being discussed By Sean Corp @sean_corp on Feb 4, 2016, 3:26p 5 Noah K. Murray-USA TODAY Sports Several teams are looking to acquire Jennings, according to Chris Sheridan of Sheridan Hoops. TWEET SHARE PIN A deal centered on a swap of Brandon Jennings for Thaddeus Young is being discussed, according to NBA writer Chris Sheridan. Sheridan writes that "several teams" are looking to acquire Jennings, and that the Nets are interested in outbidding other suitors. Jennings, an impending free agent, lost his starting spot and place in Detroit's future once the team signed Reggie Jackson to a long-term deal. The Nets are reportedly interested in giving Jennings a long-term contract. The Pistons would be trading away their only acceptable backup point guard, but if the Nets were to throw Shane Larkin into the deal, a possibility Sheridan mentions, it might make sense. Larkin is a young player and has a cheap team option for next season. In Young the Pistons would be getting a productive, cost-controlled forward through the end of his prime. Young agreed to a four-year $54 million deal with the Nets last offseason, a price per season that will be much more attractive as the cap explodes in the years ahead. Young has an acceptable mid-range game, but he is far from the perimeter threat of Ersan Ilyasova or Anthony Tolliver, and would greatly impact floor spacing. He'd also greatly carve into the Pistons cap room this offseason unless the team was ready to move on from Ilyasova who has only a partially guaranteed deal. He'd be a defensive upgrade at power forward, and if this rumor has any inkling of truth to it (I'm skeptical), it would likely be to shore up the team's sudden leaky defense -- especially on pick-and-rolls and with help-side D. I presume there is little to no truth to this rumor, as Young is not quite the player that fits Detroit's power forward profile, and his game is predicated on athleticism that could be diminishing as he creeps closer to 30. As an aside, I'm not sure how well Sheridan understands the Pistons or their needs: "Or Brooklyn could throw in Jack, who would serve as Jackson's backup next season if the Pistons picked up his $6.3 million team option. Detroit would have to add additional salary to make such a deal work, but they have two expendable big contracts in Jodie Meeks and Reggie Bullock. The trade talks were disclosed by a league source who spoke on condition of anonymity. The source said numerous other teams were also pursuing Jennings. In Young, the Pistons would be acquiring a more conventional power forward with a decent mid-range game to play alongside Andre Drummond. Current starters (Ersan Ilyasova 11.3 ppg, 5.5 rpg) and Marcus Morris (13.7 points, 5.2 rebounds) are nowhere near as productive down low as Young, who averages 15.0 points and 9.0 rebounds while shooting just under 51 percent. Young has 22 double-doubles this season for the Nets, who fired coach Lionel Hollins last month and are desperate to bring in established NBA players due to their dearth of upcoming draft picks." On a plausability scale of 1-to-10, I'll give this one a two.
Young would improve our roster, but that contract is rough. I could see Young + Jack being good for us, but I'm not sure how we could make that work in terms of salary. Hypothetically, they could do something like Young + Jack for Jennings and either Ilyasova or Tolliver + Meeks, but I don't see why Brooklyn does that unless it wants to dump Young's money. I would not do that if it involved a 1st round pick, and I hope they hold onto that. EDIT: Scratch that. Didn't see that Jack has a torn ACL and is out the rest of the season. That makes zero sense for us.
#Pistons SVG calls Brandon Jennings for #Nets Thaddeus Young trade report "made-up shit." 5:28pm - 4 Feb 16
That site is so well done. I've read a lot of it because they've had so much Michigan content. But the quality has been great and the photography outstanding.
Trade deadline is Thursday. Some random stuff from articles around the web: - Woj says the Suns want a 1st rounder + a player for Markieff - Zach Lowe says we've suggested giving up a protected #1 this year is something we might be willing to do; SVG keeps saying we don't want to publicly - Everyone has us being interested in Ryan Anderson - Atlanta is apparently willing to listen on Al Horford (I've seen nothing suggesting we could get him, but I love Al Horford) I think we end up sticking with what we have, because I don't think SVG wants to move either Jennings or Ilyasova. I really hope the Anderson stuff doesn't happen, because he's terrible on D and we need someone at the 4 who can guard somebody from time to time. I think I'd prefer we moved Stanley Johnson into the starting line-up for one of the forwards as our move.
I'm a big fan of this. Harris makes our forwards really interchangeable with he, Johnson and Morris. Harris is also someone who can shoot + make stuff happen on the block, which is key with all the teams who switch off Jackson on pick and rolls. Defensively, he's probably not going to help much, but he's better than Ryan Anderson, and this likely stops us from spending stupid money on Anderson this summer. The question is what we do now at back-up PG. Do we go back to Blake? Give Dinwiddie a shot coming off a decent stint in GR (if he's healthy)? Or do we now try to acquire someone?