# Detroit Pistons = No Weaknesses? (Merged)



## cambyblockingyou (Nov 26, 2005)

Oh uh Scottie, about 3rd way into the season and Detroit has 4 losses. no 70-wins for them, haha.


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## One on One (Dec 12, 2004)

*Re: Detroit just got spanked*

They can still go 78-4.


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## Blink4 (Jan 17, 2005)

*Re: Detroit just got spanked*

I cant believe they lost to the Cavs. And they got rocked


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## Ron Mexico (Feb 14, 2004)

*Re: Detroit just got spanked*

you know pistons fans are going get on you for this.....


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## Benedict_Boozer (Jul 16, 2004)

*Re: Detroit just got spanked*



Blink4 said:


> I cant believe they lost to the Cavs. And they got rocked


Cavs are actually very good at home, 13-3 is 2nd best (home record) in the entire NBA behind SA I believe.

Our problems are mostly putting together consistent efforts on the road.


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## Sir Patchwork (Jan 12, 2005)

*Re: Detroit just got spanked*

Just goes to show how amazing 72-10 really is. I was actually getting worried that the Pistons might break it (as a Bulls fan) but then when I heard this stat it put me at ease. Pistons started 24-3, like the Bulls that year, but the Bulls went on to win their next 17 games after that. That's ridiculous. 

24-4 is still on pace to win 70 though. But to think they actually have to pick up the pace to break the record is kind of ridiculous.


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## Whack Arnolds (Dec 5, 2005)

*Re: Detroit just got spanked*

They got rocked. Haha, I love it. My Bulls are gonna keep that record.


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## Whack Arnolds (Dec 5, 2005)

*Re: Detroit just got spanked*

Thanks Bron for the late Christmas present.


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## Minstrel (Dec 31, 2002)

*Re: Detroit just got spanked*

LeBron James is amazing. 30/7/7 on 50% shooting. Starting to become his typical game.


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## cambyblockingyou (Nov 26, 2005)

*Re: Detroit just got spanked*

Yeah this pistons looks maybe like the Pacers from a couple of years ago. 61 or 62 wins, that's good, but that's it!


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## GTA Addict (Jun 27, 2005)

*Re: Detroit just got spanked*

I watched the entire first half and Lebron was just picking apart the Detroit defense with amazing passes and pretty much scoring at will (mostly on drives to the line).

Nice way to add to his birthday weekend. As a 21 year old he's 1-0.


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## cambyblockingyou (Nov 26, 2005)

*Re: Detroit just got spanked*

That's what I tried to say in another thread. The Pistons don't try as hard on defense this year. No one there is to crack the whip.


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## JuX (Oct 11, 2005)

*Re: Detroit just got spanked*

Cleveland can surprise anybody out there, especially to Detroit.


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## EGarrett (Aug 12, 2002)

*Detroit Pistons = No Weaknesses?*

I was thinking about the Pistons roster today, and I can't think of any real weaknesses they have. There aren't many teams in NBA history that I can name who had no weaknesses.

If anything, Billups might be too selfish at times, and they don't really have a slasher, though Hamilton is a great scorer.

Do they have any weaknesses? If so what are they? How do you beat them?


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## cambyblockingyou (Nov 26, 2005)

*Re: Detroit Pistons = No Weaknesses?*

1. Bench sucks.

2. Are a good defensive team, but if you make them work they'd rather let you score to get the ball back. Slashing = you can beat them.


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## Burn (Feb 2, 2003)

*Re: Detroit Pistons = No Weaknesses?*

They just got beaten pretty easily...not the best time to post this thread.


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## Samael (Sep 1, 2005)

*Re: Detroit just got spanked*

Once again statistics proved to be right again.

Detroit is 18-0 when Billups gets at least 5 assists and tonight he only had 4 and they lost.


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## qross1fan (Dec 28, 2004)

*Re: Detroit Pistons = No Weaknesses?*

Every team has weaknesses and the biggest is injuries. At any given time anyone at call can go down with a serious injury, of course I'm not saying or hoping it will happen, but injuries are the biggest weakness to the Pistons and everyone else.


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## P-Dub34 (May 19, 2005)

*Re: Detroit Pistons = No Weaknesses?*

Every team has weaknesses, the Pistons have them too. They're just more minute than probably 28 other NBA teams'.


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## qross1fan (Dec 28, 2004)

*Re: Detroit just got spanked*

Congrats for the Cavs for beating the Pistons, now Cavs need to get focused and not act like this win means they are the best in the East


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## carrrnuttt (Dec 4, 2004)

*Re: Detroit just got spanked*

This happened last year. The Suns were 24-3 coming in to San Antonio, and got rocked.


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## Whack Arnolds (Dec 5, 2005)

*Re: Detroit just got spanked*

Detroit virtually has no weakness....well except for one that comes to mind...
























































LeBron James. YEAH, Boy.


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## joe budden (Dec 31, 2005)

great game by the supposed no 1 pg and league mvp candidate chauncey no-biggups


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## MLKG (Aug 25, 2003)

Even as a Pistons fan I've really had no illussions of winning 72 games- for the same reason that Steve Kerr brought up on TNT a couple nights ago.

Even the best teams are going to have 5-10 games a year where they just play awful and can't throw a beach ball into the ocean. The Bulls were able to win 70+ because even when they had those games, Jordan could just throw them on his back and win it by himself. It's not about your ability to beat every team when you're playing well, it's about your ability to beat almost every team even when you are playing bad.

Detroit has won some tough games where they've played bad, but I don't think they can do that as consistantly as those Bulls could.

They are still far and away the best team in the league right now, and I definately think they can approach 70 wins, but not 72.


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## Sir Patchwork (Jan 12, 2005)

Pistons don't have any weaknesses, neither do the Spurs. That doesn't mean another team can't be better than them at one or more of their strengths. 

If I was to point out a weakness in the Pistons, it would be that they don't have a post player who can go back to the basket and put the ball in the bucket consistently. Wallace and McDyess can do it though at times, so it's not really a weakness as much as it is something that they aren't as good at compared to how well they do everything else.


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## Copper (Dec 9, 2004)

Sir Patchwork said:


> Pistons don't have any weaknesses, neither do the Spurs. That doesn't mean another team can't be better than them at one or more of their strengths.
> 
> If I was to point out a weakness in the Pistons, it would be that they don't have a post player who can go back to the basket and put the ball in the bucket consistently. Wallace and McDyess can do it though at times, so it's not really a weakness as much as it is something that they aren't as good at compared to how well they do everything else.


 I wouldnt say they arent good at it, cause Sheed is very good in the post...problem is he really doesnt like to play in the post. He would rather stay outside and draw a big away from the hoop and fire 3s. It has worked well for the most part this season but there will be nights like tonight when the shots dont fall and the team looks bad. But dont sleep on Sheeds post game.


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## Sir Patchwork (Jan 12, 2005)

Copper said:


> I wouldnt say they arent good at it, cause Sheed is very good in the post...problem is he really doesnt like to play in the post. He would rather stay outside and draw a big away from the hoop and fire 3s. It has worked well for the most part this season but there will be nights like tonight when the shots dont fall and the team looks bad. But dont sleep on Sheeds post game.


I don't think it's a liability in any way, it's just something they don't have compared to other contenders. Spurs have Duncan, Heat have Shaq, Pacers O'Neal, Suns Stoudemire when healthy. I'm not really sure who is really a contender this year outside of the Spurs and Pistons, but those 2nd tier contenders have good post players. 

I see Prince and Billups posting up more than Wallace does. I have no doubt that Wallace can post guys up, he is a top 10 player at the top of his game, but he is an underachiver, or unselfish, depending on how you want to view his lack of aggressiveness in utilizing his talents. 

Like I said though, not at all a liability. Pistons are so good this year it's ridiculous.


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## Phenom Z28 (Nov 22, 2004)

nugzhomer said:


> Oh uh Scottie, about 3rd way into the season and Detroit has 4 losses. no 70-wins for them, haha.


You do realize 3x4 = 12 right? 82-12 = 70 :eek8: 

I really don't think they have a chance at the Bulls record, that'll stand till the end of time probably. BUT, I still think they can hit 70. I really don't see any weaknesses in the Pistons at all...if anyone is going to keep them from winning 70 this year, it's going to be the Pistons.


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## P-Dub34 (May 19, 2005)

> I wouldnt say they arent good at it, cause Sheed is very good in the post...problem is he really doesnt like to play in the post.


Beat me to it. Rasheed is an excellent post player. When he actually took it in the post in last years Finals, he was putting the ball with Duncan guarding him. If he wasn't in love with the 3pt line and only went out there occassionally, he'd be a much better player. He plays like Raef LaFrentz, patrolling the perimeter. Now, for Raef that's acceptable, because he has no knees (or post moves, for that matter), but for a post player who can play it effectively like Wallace, that's not acceptable.


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## cambyblockingyou (Nov 26, 2005)

haha, if you're going to merge a thread at least match up the title with the author. now it looks like I suggested that the pistons have no weaknesses, and i was the first person to disagree with that !


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## futuristxen (Jun 26, 2003)

Cavs rocked them at the Q. The game had a playoff feel to it. Puts a little doubt in the Pistons mind for next time. Everyone brought hustle tonight for the Cavs. And the Pistons had no answer for Lebron. It was like that game last year where he dropped 43. Hamilton was too small, Prince too slow and too weak, Wallace too slow. Beat them with every dynamic of his aresnal. Just a great New Years day present. Drew Gooden was a madman out there. And Hughes did what they brought him there to do.


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## SeaNet (Nov 18, 2004)

Two weaknesses would be the depth of the bench, and no low post player who doesn't primarily to exclusively rely on the fadeaway.


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## Hakeem (Aug 12, 2004)

Lots of teams have started off unbelievably well before. The losses start coming after a while. The '94 Rockets began 22-1, but were soon 28-9. '97 Rockets went 21-2 before injuries hit leaving them at 32-16 in early Feb. Or the '00 Lakers who went 31-5 after winning 16 straight, but then lost the next 6 of 9. Or the '94 Sonics who went 26-3, before finishing with only 64 wins (and a first round exit). Fans always get excited about these roaring starts.


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## duncan2k5 (Feb 27, 2005)

i dont think detroit can beat SA in the finals. i think it will be detroit and SA (unless we lose to dallas or phoenix, or miami beats detroit). we will have ginobili and our team should gel by then.


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## futuristxen (Jun 26, 2003)

I don't think Detroit's defense is quite where it was last year. They tend to lose focus at times and allow buckets in the paint, that they didn't seem to allow in years past. I think they lost to the Cavs in large part because they thought they could just outscore the Cavs. Lebron got several layups pretty much unmolested.

They'll have to address that at some point.


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## JT (Mar 1, 2004)

The glaring weakness I see for the Pistons is them relying on the perimeter too much which is almost suicide when the shots aren't falling. Chauncey and Rip are two of the best shooters in the league at any position, but you can't make em every night. Also with their increased offensive efficiency, they are a bit less attentive defensively team-wise. Thats not to mention individual defense, where Rip Hamilton is the weakest of them all [hardly see him contesting shots]. But in the playoffs, I still expect them to whip every team no problemo on route to a title.


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## IbizaXL (Sep 21, 2005)

No team in the NBA is perfect, every team has weaknesses. Pistons might be doing well so far, but theyre not perfect.


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## darknezx (Apr 13, 2004)

I'd like to ask any Pistons fan about the defence of the Pistons. The one thing that stayed in my mind for a long time was Jason Williams driving to the basket for some layups during the Miami-Detroit game. Everyone was just standing there, and it was a far cry from what I saw last year all year round.

Are they just slackening temporarily or has this been the trend this season so far?


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## P-Dub34 (May 19, 2005)

> i dont think detroit can beat SA in the finals.


I'd have to disagree.


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## ChrisWoj (May 17, 2005)

*My entire argument... because I have too much time on my hands...*

1. In response to arguments about the Pistons' defense and their seeming lack of it early this season, I can only point out last season. They were absolutely horrid and lazy in starting the season 17-14 (same the year before: 16-13). They stood still, they didn't do much at all. They basically were... like they are now. Both of the last two seasons they started slow on defense. This difference is that this year Larry Brown isn't there limiting their offense. The defense improved the last two years, and likely will this year.

2. Their bench is actually frighteningly strong when you consider a few points. First you have to look at last season. Now take the bench that put us five minutes from an NBA Title, and remove Elden Campbell and add Dale Davis. You eliminate Ronald Dupree and Darvin Ham and slide Carlos Delfino up the line and add Maurice Evans. You keep Antonio McDyess (who looked horrid in the first month, but in December was back to his old self) and Carlos Arroyo (who although not great, is better than most backup points in the NBA). In addition to this: one of the best perimeter defenders of top guards in the NBA is returning from injury in a few weeks in Lindsey Hunter. We improved on a bench that took us within 5 minutes of a title... and you're all complaining?

3. Somebody mentioned that the Cavs' home record at 13-3 was only worse than the Spurs... Detroit is 12-1 at home. Just a side note, but yeah...

4. The Injury weakness listed by so many is actually LESS of a weakness with Detroit than many other teams. There is no salary cap on trainers, and Detroit has taken advantage of that in compiling one of the strongest and most expensive in the NBA. I believe I read in the Detroit Free Press that Detroit spent nearly twice as much on their trainers as other teams did, they have the best, and there is a reason that the Pistons have experienced none of the strains nor muscle pulls that other teams suffer from every season. It has been four years since Detroit experienced a major pull, tear, or strain related injury... and there is a reason for this: they stretch and condition their bodies better. I'm still not ruling out freak injuries (broken bones, sprains, rolls, etc.) but the fact remains that the usual injuries stay away from Detroit for a reason. A very expensive one.

5. You all talk about this loss ruining any chance at Detroit winning 72 just because they can't win 18 in a row like the Bulls did at this point, but an 18 game winning streak is NOT A REQUIREMENT to stay on pace, people. If the Pistons win their next seven in a row (HOME: Orlando, Seattle, Utah, Charlotte, Boston... ROAD: New Orleans, San Antonio) that puts them right back on pace. Now, I'm not saying they're going to win the next 7 (the San Antonio game is the only one I think they'll lose though), and I'm not saying I think that they'll win 72 (my prediction has been 67 for the last month)... but you're all acting like they have no chance in the world because they just fell off the pace. They still have every bit the chance they had a week ago: A slim but existing one.

And keep this one thing in mind:
2004 Record After 30: 17-13
2004 Record Final 52: 37-15

2005 Record After 30: 17-13
2005 Record Final 52: 37-15

Two years in a row... they've improved. Are they likely to improve by as much this year? Of course not, that'd be... beyond phenomenal, almost to the point of perfection. But they are playing horrible basketball and winning games right now people. This year's Pistons team still hasn't found its rhythm. If you watched their games every night you'd realize that this is a team that is _still going to get better_.

Will they win 72? No.

But they're still going to be scaring each and every Bulls fan until the final three weeks.


-Chris.


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## pac4eva5 (Dec 29, 2005)

*Re: Detroit Pistons = No Weaknesses?*

larry made the defense. flip makin the offense. very dangerous...


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## Brian. (Jul 11, 2002)

You beat the Heat and SA in the same week and all people want to talk about is your loss. I guess thats what you get for being the best team in the league. The cavs are a good team either or 3 or 4th best in the conference but the pistons killed themselves yesterday. I am not particulary worried about the lack of defense my problem right now is rebounding. We gave up way too many second chance points to the cavs yesterday. On top of that when you can't make a shot you are going lose most of the time. As for Lebron the plan is let him get his but shut down the rest of the team. We didn't do that yesterday.


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## compsciguy78 (Dec 16, 2002)

futuristxen said:


> Cavs rocked them at the Q. The game had a playoff feel to it. Puts a little doubt in the Pistons mind for next time. Everyone brought hustle tonight for the Cavs. And the Pistons had no answer for Lebron. It was like that game last year where he dropped 43. Hamilton was too small, Prince too slow and too weak, Wallace too slow. Beat them with every dynamic of his aresnal. Just a great New Years day present. Drew Gooden was a madman out there. And Hughes did what they brought him there to do.


If Hughes plays good the Cavs can go places. He is too inconsistent right now.


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## scooter (Oct 22, 2003)

*Re: Detroit Pistons = No Weaknesses?*



EGarrett said:


> I was thinking about the Pistons roster today, and I can't think of any real weaknesses they have. There aren't many teams in NBA history that I can name who had no weaknesses.
> 
> If anything, Billups might be too selfish at times, and they don't really have a slasher, though Hamilton is a great scorer.
> 
> Do they have any weaknesses? If so what are they? How do you beat them?


I don't think they're really very deep. The Pistons have had an incredible run of health for the past three seasons. Take a couple of their starters out for a while and see how dominant they'd be.


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## scooter (Oct 22, 2003)

ChrisWoj said:


> *My entire argument... because I have too much time on my hands...*
> 
> 4. The Injury weakness listed by so many is actually LESS of a weakness with Detroit than many other teams. There is no salary cap on trainers, and Detroit has taken advantage of that in compiling one of the strongest and most expensive in the NBA. I believe I read in the Detroit Free Press that Detroit spent nearly twice as much on their trainers as other teams did, they have the best, and there is a reason that the Pistons have experienced none of the strains nor muscle pulls that other teams suffer from every season. It has been four years since Detroit experienced a major pull, tear, or strain related injury... and there is a reason for this: they stretch and condition their bodies better. I'm still not ruling out freak injuries (broken bones, sprains, rolls, etc.) but the fact remains that the usual injuries stay away from Detroit for a reason. A very expensive one.


I'm sure their training staff is good and all, but I doubt that has much to do with not tearing up a knee or dislocating a shoulder. When Billups was with the Nuggets a few years ago, he suffered bad (like on crutches for 4 weeks) ankle sprains more than once. The Pistons have been incredibly lucky in avoiding significant injuries. Its luck. Not better Ben-Gay.


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## cambyblockingyou (Nov 26, 2005)

ChrisWoj said:


> *My entire argument... because I have too much time on my hands...*
> 
> 1. In response to arguments about the Pistons' defense and their seeming lack of it early this season, I can only point out last season. They were absolutely horrid and lazy in starting the season 17-14 (same the year before: 16-13). They stood still, they didn't do much at all. They basically were... like they are now. Both of the last two seasons they started slow on defense. This difference is that this year Larry Brown isn't there limiting their offense. The defense improved the last two years, and likely will this year.


They were pretty lazy defensively in the playoffs too, except when they absolutely had to get a stop, IMO. 

The difference is that now there is no one there to crack the whip.


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## ChrisWoj (May 17, 2005)

*Re: Detroit Pistons = No Weaknesses?*



scooter said:


> I don't think they're really very deep. The Pistons have had an incredible run of health for the past three seasons. Take a couple of their starters out for a while and see how dominant they'd be.


Read the thread. I already shattered both of those percieved weaknesses.


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## ChrisWoj (May 17, 2005)

scooter said:


> I'm sure their training staff is good and all, but I doubt that has much to do with not tearing up a knee or dislocating a shoulder. When Billups was with the Nuggets a few years ago, he suffered bad (like on crutches for 4 weeks) ankle sprains more than once. The Pistons have been incredibly lucky in avoiding significant injuries. Its luck. Not better Ben-Gay.


Did you read a word I said?



> I'm still not ruling out freak injuries (broken bones, sprains, rolls, etc.) but the fact remains that the usual injuries stay away from Detroit for a reason. A very expensive one.


I didn't rule out freak injuries, but the vast majority of NBA injuries are strains, pulls, etc. Nobody can eliminate fre... wait, I'm just repeating myself.

Please, read what people say before you respond.


-Chris.

EDIT: By the way, if you want to see an example of what a lack of proper stretching will do to a player, check out the Miami Heat, circa games six and seven of last year's NBA East Conf. Finals... specifically Dwyane Wade. A rib injury like his is easily avoided with proper stretching and preparation. Easily.


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