Bricklayer
Don't Make Me Use The Bat
Thompson ( B ) -- Very solid outing losing a half tick in the end for his man (when we were not in zone) really going off on him. Got his first start of his career, but looked a little confused by it in the early going. Or rather by getting it at SF. But not crazy confused -- starting may have been beneficial in that way. This was not his normal gerbil on a Twinkie binge outing, and to the contrary seemed to be kind of cautious while feeling his way into the game at SF. Finally got a inside hoop using his size advantage late in the half. Unfortunately Prince was beginning to figure out how to take advantage of the kid at the same time, setting himself up for a big second half using his mobility. Thomspon responded a handul of times wiht some of his own, including a nifty left handed across the lane finish. But mostly he relied on his midrange jumpshot, and did a respectable job of resembling a SF, on offense at least. On defense began to get schoooled as this one went along, with Prince squaring him up and going to the hoop, or fading out into the corners for long jumpers. And Jason twice ended up with elbow fouls while trying to block Prince jumpers. Classic rookie mistakes, and one of them late to help finish us. In any case, especially given that he was out of position this was a good solid first start for Jason. 15 and 9 is nothing to sneeze at, although the boxscore was pretty empty otherwise. And unfortunately 26 and 11 (Prince's numbers) is even less something to sneeze at.
Moore ( B ) -- after the opening roadtrip debacle, continued a string of respectable outings with a solid offensive first half, and neither Sheed (either in one of his I don't care moods, or just getting old) or Amir Johnson (contracturally prohibited from shooting, or much of anything else as far as can be told) were doing much on offense back the other way. Late in the half did get repeatedly burned by Prince as he oddly did not seem to respond at all to Tayshaun's slashing. After half was not as good and got fewer minutes with Spencer able to go longer minutes. Looked a little pissed about it too, but has to get a grip here -- spent 8 years in the league as a backup until getting gifted with a starting job for half a season when the entire Nets frontline got hurt, and then another one for a season when the entire Kings frontline spente 5 years sucking eggs. Does not mean he's an NBA starter, and sometime soon here he has to accept that he's going back to the bench.
Miller ( F ) -- Yikes! Now first of all let it be said that Brad grabbed a handful of strong boards, and helped a little with his passing as usual. Let it also be said that nobody on the Pistons frontline did anything offensively. And then with those things said, let me just repeat: YIKES! This was atrocious. With a defender of Sheed's caliber checking him looked helpless on offense, just chucking up clanks and getting smushed inside. Finally hit a shot in the late third, fighting back Kings "big man" style by throwing up a three pointer (our wonderful "centers" camped out there to the tune of 1-7 tonight). Got no fewer than 5 of his clumsy drives blocked back in his face, and may want to check himself in the mirror to make sure that the Spalding impression left in his forehead doesnt bruise. Predictably, this being Brad, got frustrated, charging into the paint again and again ín an apparent attempt to help Sheed lead the league in blocks this year. And then this again being Brad, of course compounded matters by picking up frustration fouls as well. Just all in all one that probably had him wearing a paper bag on his head as he headed off to the airport to face Kaman & Camby tommorow.
Salmons ( B+ ) -- Now anybody who didn''t get to see the game but has seen the boxscore may be wondering where the heck this grade comes from, but if you saw the game you would not. John Salmons not only wrapped up Rip Hamilton but was THE dominant offensive player for us tongiht, largely courtesy of some rather idiotic coaching by Michael Curry. You see, for reasons known only to the Pistons coahing staff they decided to have 6'1"165lb Allen Iverson guard John Salmons. Pretty much all night long. Did not matter who he was paired with in the backcourt, whether it be 6'7"Rip, 6'6"Arrafalo, or even 4'10"Will Bynum -- whoever it was, A.I. got to guard our starting SF. And John, likely due to some adept coaching by Reggie, responded exactly the way you should against such a piece of ridiculousness, and took A.I. down into the post again and again and again. The Pistons had no choice to run people over to double, and it was like we had Shaq in his prime out there for us. Spencer is a very good post player, but he moves too quick and is just looking for his own shot. Jason moves even quicker and is just looking for his own shot. Neither can control a game. But John controlled this one. He took his time, backed the midget down, waited for the double team, and in classic inside/outside fashion kicked the ball to whoever was left open (notching 7 assists). Was good solid meat and potatoes stuff all night long, and I have no idea what Coach Curry was smoking. And as a bonus shut down a ragged looking Rip Hamilton in the other direction. So yeah, 4-12, 11pts, but still a major impact.
Udrih ( B+ ) -- had his best half of the seaosn on offense in the first half, aggressively looking to penetrate and hitting his jumpers. But was a pylon again on defense, with Will Bynum just making him look silly on the perimeter, and Iverson scoring at will. Came back out with a big third quarter, having one of those best player on the floor streaks he has every few weeks. Attacking and scoring at will and you were thinking finally Beno has arrived this season. Unfortunately went and mucked it up by suddenly rediscovering his late game turnover bug down the stretch (another unfortunate Beno trademark from last year). They included both careless ones, and trying to do too much ones (including a spectacular whirling penetration move and attempted dumpoff to Spencer...except that htis is Beno, not Chris Paul, and he handed the ball to Sheed instead). So best outing so far this year, and looked the most like himself. Unfortunately that is both a good and a bad thing.
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Hawes ( A- ) -- by far the best player on the court, for either side, during his too brief first half minutes. Tried to singlehandedly chase the Pistons off the court. Activity cost him again as he continues to rack up fouls at an atrocious pace. Good aggression...taken too far. Pistons were having none of it when Spencer returned in the third however, and shadowed him wherever he went. Also siced Prince on him, which was a clever response given Tayshaun's length and Spencer's game. Only got up one force that may have been blocked. Was back in to start the 4th, and the offense was back against the Pistons reserves. Came up with a nice block too (albeit on Kwanme Brown). Scored down the stretch whenever freed up by the insane Salmons on Iverson matchup. Rebounding tailed off after half. A very nice offensive game (chucking up and bricking three more Brian Cooks aside), but the start was just insane. Afterwards it was just ok.
BJax ( B ) -- good first half again working almost exclusively alongside his fellow Bobby (Brown) as the two share PG/OG duties. Hit a three, got his stepback jumper going. Did get scored over by Iverson, but that's no surprise at this stage of the game, and we never found an answer for The Answer.
Brown ( C+ ) -- curiously silent in the first half -- with Kevin out he was one of the guys you thought might get more time/shots, but nada. Started the 4th quarter against zippy Will Bynum, was burned badly on defense where he continues to struggle against fellow darts, but was firing away the other way and knocked down back to back jumpers before getting a little selfish with the Heat check.
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Theus ( A- ) -- Keeping his mouth shut, the ego in check, and playing the kids -- that's how I like my Reggie Theus. Spotting a mismatch (Iverson on Salmons) and exploting the hell out of it, working the post, playing big -- that's how I like my coaches in general. And yeah we lost, boohoo and all that, but it was a pretty good attempt. Its not clear how good these retooled Pistons are yet, but they should at the least be a solid veteran team that plays defense, and it was that experience and defensive pressure that killed us in the end as we crumbled. Well that and both the problem matchups coming in -- Iverson (too quick for Beno or Salmons) and Prince (too big for Salmons, too quick for the frontliners) going off for big games. Iverson had 30pts 7reb and 9ast, and Prince had 26pts 11rebs. Did not help of course that Sheed just pantsed Brad. And yet we still hung around until the middle of the 4th. We explotied the Salmons/Iverson mismatch for everythig it was worth, rode mini-burst by Spencer (first quarter) and Beno (third quarter), used a zone to cover for the big frontline we trotted out, and made this competitive. In some ways a more impressive performance than the loosy goosy win over the Golden State D-Leaguers a couple of nights ago.
Moore ( B ) -- after the opening roadtrip debacle, continued a string of respectable outings with a solid offensive first half, and neither Sheed (either in one of his I don't care moods, or just getting old) or Amir Johnson (contracturally prohibited from shooting, or much of anything else as far as can be told) were doing much on offense back the other way. Late in the half did get repeatedly burned by Prince as he oddly did not seem to respond at all to Tayshaun's slashing. After half was not as good and got fewer minutes with Spencer able to go longer minutes. Looked a little pissed about it too, but has to get a grip here -- spent 8 years in the league as a backup until getting gifted with a starting job for half a season when the entire Nets frontline got hurt, and then another one for a season when the entire Kings frontline spente 5 years sucking eggs. Does not mean he's an NBA starter, and sometime soon here he has to accept that he's going back to the bench.
Miller ( F ) -- Yikes! Now first of all let it be said that Brad grabbed a handful of strong boards, and helped a little with his passing as usual. Let it also be said that nobody on the Pistons frontline did anything offensively. And then with those things said, let me just repeat: YIKES! This was atrocious. With a defender of Sheed's caliber checking him looked helpless on offense, just chucking up clanks and getting smushed inside. Finally hit a shot in the late third, fighting back Kings "big man" style by throwing up a three pointer (our wonderful "centers" camped out there to the tune of 1-7 tonight). Got no fewer than 5 of his clumsy drives blocked back in his face, and may want to check himself in the mirror to make sure that the Spalding impression left in his forehead doesnt bruise. Predictably, this being Brad, got frustrated, charging into the paint again and again ín an apparent attempt to help Sheed lead the league in blocks this year. And then this again being Brad, of course compounded matters by picking up frustration fouls as well. Just all in all one that probably had him wearing a paper bag on his head as he headed off to the airport to face Kaman & Camby tommorow.
Salmons ( B+ ) -- Now anybody who didn''t get to see the game but has seen the boxscore may be wondering where the heck this grade comes from, but if you saw the game you would not. John Salmons not only wrapped up Rip Hamilton but was THE dominant offensive player for us tongiht, largely courtesy of some rather idiotic coaching by Michael Curry. You see, for reasons known only to the Pistons coahing staff they decided to have 6'1"165lb Allen Iverson guard John Salmons. Pretty much all night long. Did not matter who he was paired with in the backcourt, whether it be 6'7"Rip, 6'6"Arrafalo, or even 4'10"Will Bynum -- whoever it was, A.I. got to guard our starting SF. And John, likely due to some adept coaching by Reggie, responded exactly the way you should against such a piece of ridiculousness, and took A.I. down into the post again and again and again. The Pistons had no choice to run people over to double, and it was like we had Shaq in his prime out there for us. Spencer is a very good post player, but he moves too quick and is just looking for his own shot. Jason moves even quicker and is just looking for his own shot. Neither can control a game. But John controlled this one. He took his time, backed the midget down, waited for the double team, and in classic inside/outside fashion kicked the ball to whoever was left open (notching 7 assists). Was good solid meat and potatoes stuff all night long, and I have no idea what Coach Curry was smoking. And as a bonus shut down a ragged looking Rip Hamilton in the other direction. So yeah, 4-12, 11pts, but still a major impact.
Udrih ( B+ ) -- had his best half of the seaosn on offense in the first half, aggressively looking to penetrate and hitting his jumpers. But was a pylon again on defense, with Will Bynum just making him look silly on the perimeter, and Iverson scoring at will. Came back out with a big third quarter, having one of those best player on the floor streaks he has every few weeks. Attacking and scoring at will and you were thinking finally Beno has arrived this season. Unfortunately went and mucked it up by suddenly rediscovering his late game turnover bug down the stretch (another unfortunate Beno trademark from last year). They included both careless ones, and trying to do too much ones (including a spectacular whirling penetration move and attempted dumpoff to Spencer...except that htis is Beno, not Chris Paul, and he handed the ball to Sheed instead). So best outing so far this year, and looked the most like himself. Unfortunately that is both a good and a bad thing.
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Hawes ( A- ) -- by far the best player on the court, for either side, during his too brief first half minutes. Tried to singlehandedly chase the Pistons off the court. Activity cost him again as he continues to rack up fouls at an atrocious pace. Good aggression...taken too far. Pistons were having none of it when Spencer returned in the third however, and shadowed him wherever he went. Also siced Prince on him, which was a clever response given Tayshaun's length and Spencer's game. Only got up one force that may have been blocked. Was back in to start the 4th, and the offense was back against the Pistons reserves. Came up with a nice block too (albeit on Kwanme Brown). Scored down the stretch whenever freed up by the insane Salmons on Iverson matchup. Rebounding tailed off after half. A very nice offensive game (chucking up and bricking three more Brian Cooks aside), but the start was just insane. Afterwards it was just ok.
BJax ( B ) -- good first half again working almost exclusively alongside his fellow Bobby (Brown) as the two share PG/OG duties. Hit a three, got his stepback jumper going. Did get scored over by Iverson, but that's no surprise at this stage of the game, and we never found an answer for The Answer.
Brown ( C+ ) -- curiously silent in the first half -- with Kevin out he was one of the guys you thought might get more time/shots, but nada. Started the 4th quarter against zippy Will Bynum, was burned badly on defense where he continues to struggle against fellow darts, but was firing away the other way and knocked down back to back jumpers before getting a little selfish with the Heat check.
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Theus ( A- ) -- Keeping his mouth shut, the ego in check, and playing the kids -- that's how I like my Reggie Theus. Spotting a mismatch (Iverson on Salmons) and exploting the hell out of it, working the post, playing big -- that's how I like my coaches in general. And yeah we lost, boohoo and all that, but it was a pretty good attempt. Its not clear how good these retooled Pistons are yet, but they should at the least be a solid veteran team that plays defense, and it was that experience and defensive pressure that killed us in the end as we crumbled. Well that and both the problem matchups coming in -- Iverson (too quick for Beno or Salmons) and Prince (too big for Salmons, too quick for the frontliners) going off for big games. Iverson had 30pts 7reb and 9ast, and Prince had 26pts 11rebs. Did not help of course that Sheed just pantsed Brad. And yet we still hung around until the middle of the 4th. We explotied the Salmons/Iverson mismatch for everythig it was worth, rode mini-burst by Spencer (first quarter) and Beno (third quarter), used a zone to cover for the big frontline we trotted out, and made this competitive. In some ways a more impressive performance than the loosy goosy win over the Golden State D-Leaguers a couple of nights ago.
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........ but I'd rather see missed shots than turnovers anyday.
