Interesting Pistons stuff...

Kings113

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[font=arial,sans-serif]Wednesday, October 19, 2005[/font]
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[font=arial,sans-serif]ASB, Preseason-style
MLive.com's resident hoops guru A. Sherrod Blakely stopped by our Pistons forum Wednesday night to sound off about the state of the team.

They reached the halfway point of the preseason schedule last night, dropping a home game to Dallas, 94-88.

On the Pistons' trade possibilities...




The guy that's most likely to be traded is Dupree, although the Pistons may start to listen to some inquiries about McDyess if Darko continues to progress the way he has.​

More on McDyess...




Nothing concrete re: trading McDyess, but if Darko continues progressing the way he has, and someone approaches the Pistons with a really good offer in exchange for McDyess, I can't imagine why they wouldn't consider it. He's a great guy and has a killer fadeaway jumper, but Joe D. has made it clear that he will upgrade his roster if the opportunity presents itself, even if it means trading someone he really likes and cares for. He really liked Stackhouse, and he really liked Lindsey Hunter, guys that he played with. But when a deal was on the table that could bolster the Pistons, he didn't hesitate in trading either one of them.Again, I don't believe the Pistons are thinking about doing anything with McDyess now. But it wouldn't surprise me if they gave it some thought at some point this season.​

On the way the reserves held their own against Dallas' starters...




The way the second unit battled with Dallas' starters was the most impressive part of tonight's game. It not only speaks to how deep this Pistons team is, but also how confident Saunders has to be if one of his starters goes down with an injury or has foul trouble. He's got a lot of guys on that bench who can make plays at both ends of the floor.​

On the benefits of having Dale Davis around, even though he hasn't played much yet...




The playoffs, people. Dale is going to be used similar to Elden Campbell each of the last two seasons. The one difference is that Dale can do more than just guard Shaq.​

On rookie guard Alex Acker's prospects of making the team...




Acker has a lot of potential, but they really should keep dupree. I don't think they will, but they should. If not, at least trade him to a team that will give him a chance to play. Because he knows as well as everyone else around Pistons land that if he does stay in Detroit, he won't see the light of day behind Delfino and Evans.​

On the location of Rip Hamilton's "missing" jumper...




I think Rip's jumper will be just fine once the regular season starts. As for Tayshaun, he's had a sore left knee throughout training camp. I think you'll start to see Flip scale back his minutes some, just to make sure that knee doesn't become a problem that carries over into the regular season.​

On reserve wings Carlos Delfino and Maurice Evans...




(Evans) is still trying to figure out how he fits with this team, which isn't easy when you consider Flip is using him with so many different combinations on the floor. Evans and Dupree are very similar, with the difference being Evans has a better jumpshot and is slightly better defender, while Dupree is just a tad bit better than Evans when it comes to leaping.



...
It's feast or famine with (Delfino). He'll get a chance to play early on, but don't be surprised if Mo Evans starts gobbling up the minutes at both the backup SG and SF positions.


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http://www.mlive.com/weblogs/beyondthearc

Bunch of stuff about Evans down the page too.

I bet Dupree goes to Clippers. They have no back-up swingmen other than Rodney White (SF), who made the roster. Dupree can play both SG/SF, so. He'd also be able to grow and get more time there. McDyess in trade talks is interesting.
 
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ummm....

dale cant guard shaq....

if he could...

we wouldve won the finals in 2000....

campbell was and is much more effective against shaq...
 
Again, just pre-season (and a heavy rotation tonight), but Mo Evans had a very nice game tonight...

20 pts (6-7 FG, 4-4 3P, 4-4 FT), 4 boards, 1 blk, 25 min.

He's such a great guy to have on the bench.

Rookies Maxiell/Acker had good games also:

Maxiell: 10 pts, 9 boards, 1 blk, 26 min. Acker: 13 pts, 5 reb, 9 ast, 3 stl, 22 min.

http://www.nba.com/games/20051019/DETMIL/boxscore.html
 
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More interesting stuff, now rookie PG Alex Acker in "gone" talks? After having a very good game:

GREEN BAY, Wis. -- There are 12 days left before Pistons president Joe Dumars has to submit his 15-man roster to the NBA.

There are 16 players fighting for those 15 spots, and Dumars has all but given up on the idea of somebody cutting himself.

"I like everybody on our roster right now," Dumars said before the Pistons were beaten by the Bucks, 104-94, in an exhibition game at the Resch Center on Wednesday night.

"I truly would like to keep each and every one of these guys. If somebody was playing badly or had a bad attitude, it would make it very easy for me.

"The fact that all of these guys have shown up and played so well, and are all such good guys, makes it difficult to say what's going to happen. My inclination is to figure out how to keep all of these guys."

There are essentially two players on the bubble. Rookie guard Alex Acker is the only player without a guaranteed contract. But, with Lindsey Hunter out indefinitely after ankle surgery, Acker has the third point-guard role.

Acker got his most extended playing time of the preseason Wednesday, contributing 13 points, nine assists, three steals and three turnovers in 22 minutes, all at point guard.

"At times I thought he looked OK," coach Flip Saunders said."Right now he's trying to adjust to the quickness of the points at this level. They get by you quick."

Bucks point guards T.J. Ford (19 points, nine assists) and Maurice Williams (16 points, five assists) had big games.

"He's played a couple of games there now and he'll learn," Saunders said of Acker. "He will start to know who he can pressure and who he can't."

Unfortunately for the Pistons, there is no place to stash him should they decide to leave him off the roster.

If they cut him and send him to play in Europe, they would lose his rights. And, Dumars said, he suspects that as many as four NBA teams would rush to sign him should the Pistons waive him.

The other player on the bubble is forward Ronald Dupree, a third-year pro who had six points and two blocks.

If Dumars has his way, Dupree won't be going anywhere.

"I haven't had one single conversation with another team about Ron," Dumars said. "I like Ron. I am trying to find a way to keep Ronald Dupree. I like what he brings to our team."

Hunter is an unknown factor in the roster equation. He will be 35 years old in December, and the Pistons don't know when he will be ready to play or at what level.

"All I can say is, I am exploring every possible option and scenario," Dumars said. "I really am trying to find a way to keep all of these guys. We just have to see how it all plays out."


Bad night


The Pistons will finally get a day off today, their first since camp started Oct. 4, and, from the looks of things Wednesday, they need it.

"We didn't get much accomplished tonight," Saunders said of the Pistons' worst effort of the preseason. "When you go out in exhibition games, the idea is to try and get better. We didn't get better tonight."

The Pistons committed 22 turnovers, which the Bucks turned into 27 points. They gave up 15 offensive rebounds, which the Bucks turned into 20 points.

"We'll take a day off and then come back and get after it," Saunders said. "We have two weeks before the season starts, and we have a lot of things to clean up."

Saunders wasn't giving them a free pass for fatigue, either.

"I'm not letting it go," he said. "I told them I can only judge what I see."

One of the bright spots was the play of Maurice Evans. He had 20 points, hitting 6 of 7 shots, including all four of his three-point tries.

But even he drew the coaching staff's ire for not running plays correctly.


In the bonus


One of the officials Wednesday night was former NBA point guard Haywoode Workman. Workman is one of several rookie officials the league is considering to fill three openings this season.

... For the first time this season, Richard Hamilton donned his protective mask.

http://www.detnews.com/2005/pistons/0510/20/D01-355484.htm

Pistons got some decisions to make on a number of players...
 
"while Dupree is just a tad bit better than Evans when it comes to leaping."

That I would have to see. :eek:
 
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/boxscore?gameId=251028016

With the starters resting, another impressive game for Mo!

24 pts (9-17 FG, 5-9 3P), 4 boards, 3 stls, 2 ast, 1 blk, 32 minutes. Very nice, shows how he can be with major minutes, even if pre-season. He's obviously improved his shot over the summer, like I thought he would. Being very consistent with the three, like he was for us when he got some good minutes.
 
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Well, Dupree is the odd man out, and to the Wolves. Acker stays as the more-needed third PG for Detroit.:

Seattle PI - The Detroit Pistons have traded forward Ronald Dupree to the Minnesota Timberwolves in exchange for a future second- round draft pick.

Dupree appeared in 47 games last season and averaged 10.0 minutes, 3.2 points and 2.0 rebounds.

"Ronald is a solid defensive player and we wanted to get another big defender at the small forward position," said Timberwolves vice president of basketball operations Kevin McHale. "He is a guy that we have looked at in the past and we are glad that we were able to add him to the team."

http://www.realgm.com/src_wiretap_archives/37746/20051031/wolves_pick_up_dupree_in_trade/

Solid, last-min. pick-up for Wolves. They get their Evans/Wilkins-type swingman they wanted in August.

(I have a feeling the Prince thread gets merged with this ;) ).
 
Čarolija said:
And as soon as they got him he got placed on the inactive list :D

lol

Well, they still get the type of guy they were wanting. Spurs miss the boat on another young, athletic swingman they wanted to get.
 
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