PISTONS 2015-2016
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PLAYOFFS
Pistons-Cavaliers 101-106
Heat-Pistons 99-93
Wizards-Pistons 99-112
With a good performance, albeit still burdened by some of the
known perennial problems, the Pistons clinched the first playoff
birth since the 2008-09 NBA Season. It was high time and the
Warmest Congratulations with Best Wishes and Best of Luck
go out to the enire Team.
Pistons-Magic 108-104
Pistons-Heat 89-107
Pistons-Bulls 94-80
Mavericks-Pistons 98-89
Thunder-Pistons 82-88
Hawks-Pistons 112-95
Hornets-Pistons 105-112
Magic-Pistons 102-118
Bucks-Pistons 91-92
Nets-Pistons 103-115
Kings-Pistons 108-115
Hawks-Pistons 118-114 (Return to decency)
Pistons-Wizards Humiliation of Vangundyan Proportions
Pistons-76ers 125-111
Pistons-Hornets 103-118
Pistons-Mavericks 102-96
Blazers-Pistons 103-123
Pistons-Knicks 89-102
Pistons-Spurs 81-97
Raptors-Pistons 101-114
Pistons-Bucks 111-91
76ers-Pistons 91-111
Pistons-Cavaliers 96-88
Pelicans-Pistons 111-106
Pistons-Wizards 86-98
I was shocked to find out that Jennings and Ilyasova were traded for Harris.
The coach seems to be rather clueless. You work hard and build patiently a
team up and, in the middle of the season, offer away two of the key players
in your team's architecture, structure and operation. Unfortunately, I have
lost faith and confidence in SVG, his capabilities and the mode of his work.
Good luck rebuilding and rebuilding and perpetually rebuilding from scratch,
and this only if it dawns on him that it is not the best decision and the best
move to change the team one has spent so much time to organize and to
coordinate out of the blue and if he does not feel again soon capricious
enough to start reshuffling in the middle of some other endeavor...
Nuggets-Pistons 103-92
THANK YOU, CHAUNCEY B1!
Raptors-Pistons 103-89
Pistons-Pacers 104-112
SVG, cut the crap! Enough is enough. Your talking about the best
``defense" since the time of Cicero is not helpful or constructive
at all. Since you are a GM also, you should be looking to hire an
assistant that knows how to, first, improve the understanding of
what it means to defend and, second, to enhance the willingness
and capabilities of the Team to really defend (as opposed to just
look or at best raise arms without any further effort). Additionally,
your talking in generalities and abstractions about all NBA teams
having a problem understanding that every play is as important
as the last play is also unhelpful and non-constructive. We do not
care about what is happening to the 29 other teams of the league.
We only care that you and your coaching staff make it clear to
the players that a ball game has 48 minutes and playing excellently
in 20 or 24 and not being able to care less for the remaining 24
is not going to build a winning team and is not speaking well
about a good understanding of the basics of the game. Individual
effort and performance are important. But if you are unable to
instill in the Team some very basic concepts and some necessary
and unavoidable essentials, like playing equally seriously and with
equal focus for 48 minutes, then you should hire another assistant
with the psychological, mental and coaching skills necessary to do it.
Knicks-Pistons 105-111
I guess we should be happy that the terribly uncoordinated and
poorly organized and deficiently performing Knicks did not take
what the Pistons so generously offered. BRAVO, Kids, for another
deeply disappointing and careless performance! Of such measure,
in fact, that there is hardly any space in the heart to celebrate the
few good signs of determination showed towards the end that
would not have sufficed, however, had they not been coupled
with a generous portion of sheer luck...
On the side of the game, I STRONGLY APPLAUD THE CARE
SHOWN BY THE TEAM and TOM TO DO THE RIGHT THING
VIS-A-VIS THE GOOD FORCES AND INNOCENT SUFFERERS
IN THE FLINT FIASCO AND TRAGEDY AND TO HELP MITIGATE,
TO THE EXTENT POSSIBLE, THE EVIL DONE BY THE STATE.
Pistons-Celtics 95-102
Bust, deflated and leaking from everywhere. This, unfortunately,
describes best Pistons' defense... I hope Kentavious has nothing
serious and will back with the other Kids very soon.
Pistons-Nets 105-100
Pistons-Raptors 107-111
There is a reason why the Cavs and the Raptors are right now dominant
in the East. And our Team, unfortunately, is nowhere close in terms of the
quality, the robustness and the consistency of our game, necessary for us
to be able to compete at that level (and not just occasionally win a single
game against an opponent of this caliber). Hopefully, if the Kids and SVG
get hard at it and work both in terms of strategy and in terms of execution,
we'll be able to celebrate in the next couple of years the Pistons' being able
to face both the Cavs and the Rators head on and split the competition
down the middle in a convincing and definite way.
Cavaliers-Pistons 114-106
76ers-Pistons 97-110
First, the 76ers have improved significantly: A month or two ago,
they were worth nothing. Now, they are worth something. Even
taking this into account, the Pistons' defense was leaking beyond
belief. (In the Eastern U.P. we would recommend an urgent visit
to ``UP Tire". In Greece, we would simply say ``μπάζει από παντού";
Tom can hopefully translate this to SVG.) As for the offense, even
in girls High Basketball one often sees more than 6 baskets in 12
minutes of play... and, even at that level, the younger kids take
their offensive (and defensive) responsibilities more seriously and
fulfill their responsibilities with greater enthusiasm and passion
than this Team showed in the first quarter. Any more comments
or comparisons are needless...
Pistons-Jazz 95-92
We almost managed to give this away also... The lessons are not being
learned. DETAILS MATTER!!! 1. Andre has to make the extra effort
to practice with his free throws; they cost the team and end up being
decisive in many close fought games. 2. Even a tiny loss of focus and
concentration defensively may allow opponents to gain an undeserving
advantage and to cost the better team that has, otherwise, presented
an overall solid defense for the overwhelming majority of the game
the final victory. We should not allow these eventualities to occur
and must improve further in the details. In all the Kids did well in
defense and this helped, despite mediocre offensive effectiveness,
to clinch the win.
Pistons-Nuggets 101-104
Pity, just Pity... Another game given needlessly away to a weaker
opponent that, at no point should have been given the chance to
hope. But the Team played terribly and tried, as we have become
very accustomed, unfortunately, to seeing this season, to play very
belatedly in a "heroic" way and exceed the call of duty only to
dig itself out of the hole the Kids had dug themselves into through
haphazard shooting and a random, weak, unremarkable defensive
effort.
Andre, there is only one area in which you are significantly deficient.
In all other areas, you could help the team in a decisive way. By not
spending more time and investing more effort in improving your
free-throw shooting and, thus, by forcing the Coach not to use you
as much as he would otherwise have liked to, you are impeding the
Team's and your Teammates efforts to give it all and reach the top.
Please, try to do some extra work, beyond and above the call of
duty to fix this problem, It is up to you, and only you, with the right
mindset and firm determination and constant practice and effort,
and with the help, perhaps, of a shooting coach or some of your
Teammates, can do it...
Pistons-Pelicans 99-115
Shame on the Pistons that started the game for 2 whole quarters
without any defensive effort to speak of, unless, of course, one
counts the ``mean stare and hope"tactic. If a team does not get
the fundamentals - that regardless of how effective or ineffective
the offensive capabilities are, there is no hope of winning by
running around and watching passively in defense - there is not
much hope of any improvement. Fundamentals and basics first...
Pistons-Rockets 123-114
Even factoring in the early injury of Howard and their subsequent
panic and psychological instability, we saw a miserable team with
a miserable incompetent coach that did not know how to face their
much more powerful opponents head-on and resorted to empty
threats and North Korean detrimental tactics of attrition just
to delay a self-inflicted certain defeat. So be it, but I felt sorry both
for the players that were given instructions to perform gimmicks
instead of being free to play the best they could and enjoy the game
and for the beautiful game that was literary victimized by the
(non)coach Bickerstaff's shenanigans, his fright of losing and
of dejection, that only accelerated and sealed his team's fate.
Bulls-Pistons 111-101
THANK YOU, B3N!
Warriors-Pistons 95-113
Bravo to the Kids and to SVG! Attention to detail, clinical
defensive and impressive offensive work led to an educational
dissection of the Champions! Every single Kid, starting or
called from the Bench, proved that this TEAM, subject to
keeping focused and in high readiness and high alert for
48 minutes of play, can bring the Golden Ball back to our
Motor City. Moreover, due to this special evening, the
TEAM did right by Big Ben, who we keep in our Hearts.
How, can we possibly forget after all the Quality, the
Teamwork, the Excitement and the Joy that Him and his
Teammates worked so hard to offer so abundantly.
The only unbecoming feature of an otherwise exciting
night at the Palace was the behavior of Green, that, for
some inexplicable reason, seemed to be looking for trouble
and for a fight. My advice to him is to leave such behavior
for the streets. In the basketball court, all players and fans
demand a composure, a behavior and a level of fair play
and sportsmanship that are becoming to this, the most
beautiful game.
Pistons-Grizzlies 101-103
Unfortunately, it was not Chalmers' miracle, but we again
broke our own hearts. The Team anointed Chalmers a hero
by repeating this persistent miserable and unacceptable
modus operandi of playing 20 out of 48 minutes of solid
basketball. Why on earth do we keep wasting so many
chances to lead comfortably until it comes to that dicey
last minute fierce battle at the closing of the fourth? What
is going on SVG? What is going on Kids? Why can't we
face every single play as if it had been as crucial as that
closing attacking or defensive play? Can we not, at last,
realize that this beautiful game requires, by definition, the
same unfractured focus throughout every single play in
all four quarters?
Spurs-Pistons 109-99
Nets-Pistons 89-103
There were two important messages to be drawn from the focused
and good overall performance last night at the Palace against the
Nets: First, the Team implemented successfully for the first time
this season in a coherent and persistent way the tactic of sudden
and fast breaks. A relatively short team with extraordinary talent
in the guards and versatility in the center should have taken
advantage of this technique more consistently and used it in such
an impressive and such an organized way more often. Second,
the way Darun played and the way his teammates incorporated his
talent and included him in a substantial way in the Team's strategy
and the Team's game was promising, an ultra-pleasant aspect
of last night's game and a good omen on how important his role
might become in the future in further successes in this, the most
beautiful game.
Pistons-Celtics 99-94
It is of course a happy feeling to see the Team win at the end. Alas,
happiness is not always based on rationality. Despite their win, the
Pistons exhibited again all the drawbacks and the vulnerabilities
that have consistently plagued their persistently inconsistent mode
of playing this year. On the positive side, in his post-game analysis,
SVG admitted outright that he knows and has been observing this
problem and is seeking solutions and allowing time for his Team
to bond and mature as a coherent whole. On the negative side,
at least some of the problems should not have been so insurmountable,
and changing in a critical game the constitution of the team in a
radical way seems more like an attempt to bypass and circumvent
them rather than a willingness and ability to confront them directly.
One last general comment: It is my, admittedly shaky, opinion
that the Pistons need a third center besides Andre and Aron.
When Andre is loaded with fouls, is not at his best or cannot be
used because of his - still, unfortunately - very poor free throw
record, a Team that aspires to eventually dominate and compete
at the very top cannot be left with only one center and no alternative
solutions. It must have the necessary flexibility in switching and
in adapting all parts of its strategy and of its execution of the
beautiful game.
Magic-Pistons 89-115
Before pulling ahead in the fourth, with a resigned more-or-less opponent
that was not clearly offering its best, the Pistons showed their well established
volatility, pulling ahead, then suddenly allowing large differences to be covered
in a few minutes time due to spoiled focus and complacency. On the positive
side, the return of Brandon and his potential in decisively contributing in the
way Pistons play and in organizing and executing Pistons' attacks, including
fast breaks and assists, should perhaps be the main point of the game and
something that all Pistons can feel relieved and be rejoicing about.
Pistons-Pacers 82-94
Another evening when at no point did the Pistons look like a
passionate and winning team...
Wolves-Pistons 90-115
Pistons-Knicks 96-108
We just can't stay focused... What is going on, kids and SVG?
Celtics-Pistons 99-93
Exactly same as with the Hawks. I have a difficult time understanding
why the Pistons think that a game is not played for 4 quarters, but only
however many they feel like playing focused and seriously. The same
attention and passion that they show when they try to climb up the
deep hole that they put themselves into should be shown before and
during that part of the game where they seem resigned and unfocused
and resort to ineffective and experimental moves, unbecoming of real,
highly-skilled and expertly trained, professionals.
Pistons-Hawks 100-107
Only in exceptional circumstances can one play the "hero" firefighter
after setting their own house on fire. Most often their house will be
gone before they are able to react. And unfortunately, too often this
season, the Pistons have been brain-locked in this destructive mentality:
Light it up by poor defense and by shooting whenever and wherever
and miraculously save it later. What is the coach's reaction and what
is the coach's strategy in changing this mental predicament? When is
SVG going to instill at last in his Team the idea that, regardless of
offensive accuracy, if the Team stays focused and firm defensively,
then they should be able to hang close (< 10 points behind) and ready
to take the lead with the first loosening of the opponent's concentration.
Pistons-Heat 93-92
Terrible start. Same issues as before, with lack of concentration and
loose and ineffective defensive operation. If the starting performance
had been better, then no "heroism" and 3-point accuracy and luck
would have been needed subsequently to get the Team out of the
deep hole...
On the side of the beautiful game, Adam Silver and the NBA, and
Tom on the Pistons side, should support Frank Deford's reasonable
and, in my opinion, necessary proposal to reduce the number of
games in the NBA regular season and the number of games in the
playoff tallies. The number right now is unnecessarily large and the
best of seven is an unreasonably long and time consuming ordeal.
Two games a week per team in the regular season and best of five
in the playoffs would be a more reasonable choice. Moreover, I do
believe that, if this suggestion gets some steam, which it should,
the NBA should consider arranging the regular season so that
every team plays every other team once at home and once away
to perfectly even out the competition. Then, with 30 teams, there
would be 58 games per team per season, which is a very reasonable
number.
Pistons-Bulls 147-144
A truly "epic game". The Pistons were operating mostly on turbo.
But what mattered most was that they were a Lionhearted Team.
Not only did they not give up, even in the face of adversity in the
fourth, when starting to be decimated by fouls, but, on the contrary,
they were the Team that had the strongest desire and the stubbornness
that is needed in such a quadruple-overtime game to bend the resolve
and tame the opposition of a formidable opponent in their own home.
Celtics-Pistons 116-119
Clippers-Pistons 103-105
It could have been a win, but...
Pacers-Pistons 96-118
Excellent game last night against the Pacers at the Palace! Kids
and SVG let us not return to our bad selves in defense from now
on, irrespective of final result.
Pistons-Sixers 107-95
Even with such a poorly organized and generally lacking opponent,
the Team's performance was shaky. From 25+ advantage, the margin
went down to +6 due to non-existent defense. Moreover, SVG sent
the wrong message that a win was secured, i.e., played with fire, by
switching to the bench, and this gave the Sixers much breathing space
that should not have been allowed. Maybe SVG now thinks ``all is
well that ends well", but, with such experimentation and risk, if a
game that could have ended well, does not end well, the cost might
be too high to justify the risk.
Grizzlies-Pistons 93-92
Barnes' bomb was not the reason the Pistons lost; it was the excuse to
justify another loss given away. Starting with a 15+ deficit, fighting up
to a 10+ advantage and letting it, due to reluctant and lackadaisical
defensive effort and poor offensive performance, be chipped away,
was the real reason for the loss. I am wondering when we are going
to see, at last, regardless of win or loss, a consistently solid performance,
defending firmly throughout, surprising consistently the opponents
with fast breaks, that unique weapon that a fast and short team has
as a powerful reserve, and exploiting Andre offensively to a great
advantage, not only in rebounding and follow ups, but also in first
chance attempts multiple times in a game as a matter of strategy.
Pistons-Hornets 84-104
The Hornets did everything right. The Pistons returned successfully
in doing everything wrong and the facts that the Hornets had many
effective big men and that Andre and Reggie were unnecessarily
loaded with fouls early on did not help either...
Lakers-Pistons 91-111
Everything done right last night against poor Kobe's Palace
Finale. Bravo to the kids and our BEST WISHES to the
Basketball's Superstar that, unfortunately, like so many
others, seems to have way overstretched his career.
Bucks-Pistons 95-102
Suns-Pistons 122-127
Pistons in the third: "Μπάτε σκύλοι αλέστε..." I hope that Tom, being
from the region, can translate to SVG, who either does not see what is
going on or, simply, he is unable, in any meaningful way, to communicate
this to the kids and direct them on what to do to change the terrible
habit of allowing an offensive party and, then, running in panic in the
fourth to repair the damage and plug in the holes...
Rockets-Pistons 105-116
The fact that the Pistons won does not suffice to cover up the serious
messing up of the game. After a 25+ differential advantage and a
very hard work in the second, they embarked on a steep defensive
decline that brought the Rockets within 6 at the most critical point
of the game. Moreover, Andre's excellent stats cannot cover up his
incompetence and lukewarm attitude in free-throwing that surfaced
once again and, I am afraid, is becoming something of an entertaining
exercise for Pistons' foes to exploit. If the game had been lost with a
few points difference, those load of free throws that Andre missed
would have been, together with the defensive indifference in the
third quarter, the main culprits responsible for the loss.
Pistons-Nets 83-87
Pistons-Thunder 87-103
All that the Team gained in the second with a focused defense and
very good ball circulation, it gave up with a pathetic third quarter
performance. SVG's planning reminded me of an inexperienced
electrician who takes care that everything looks just fine cosmetically,
but leaves a live wire uninsulated in the middle of the room, viz.,
allows Durant to have a party uninhibited and unguarded...
Heat-Pistons 81-104
How is it possible for the same team to shoot so bad, as happened
with the Bucks, and then, two days later to shoot so marvelously,
as happened last night with the Heat? Surely, the skill of the shooters
does not change that dramatically in two days' time... The answer
my friend lies in the DEFENSE! The Bucks ran and marked like
there was no tomorrow. The Heat did as the Pistons do most
evenings... Watch, run unenthusiastically, whatever... This is a
good lesson for the Pistons to learn from their own wild offensive
fluctuations about their own defense: Regardless of how hot or
how cold the shooting prowess of the opponent is, you can always
control it and respond to it if you press and run and do not allow
any uninhibited 3-pointers. It does take stamina and resolve,
and may cost some 3-point fouling, but the benefit much much
outweighs the pathetic and fateful alternative...
Pistons-Bucks 88-109
Terrible defense, random shooting; horrible overall image in a nutshell...
Wizzards-Pistons 97-95
Same issues: disorganized and haphazard efforts, reflected in the
unwarranted wild fluctuations of the score; Inconsistent and non
persistent defensive effort; Lack of coherence in attack. There
must be a plan for the Team. We should not expect Reggie and
Marcus and Andre alone to be in an excellent day and carry, with
atomic efforts, all the weight. The organization and coordination
should be such that, even when no player is at its best, the entire
Team shares the load and carries the day, even against powerful
and more flashy opponents.
Pistons-Timberwolves 96-86
The Pistons won against the Wolves in Minneapolis, even though their
performance in the best part of the game did not do any justice to the
beautiful sport. I am afraid that their win was more a reflection of how
bad of a team the Wolves are than of their own planing, organization
or quality. I will acknowledge, however, their mental resolve to face
their own handicaps in both defense and offense and, somehow, by
pure energy, when their opponent is weak enough, to pull through.
We need to start seeing an organized game with a firm defensive and
offensive plan, rather than just individual spikes of energy, since this
is the only way to win against the better teams in the league, to be
competitive and get to the top, which is everybody's goal and hope.
Cavaliers-Pistons 99-104
In an exciting game at the Palace the Pistons defeated the Cavs,
with a very good performance by Andre, who, besides being a
flying ace under the basket in various follow ups, showed also
a remarkable focus on free throw shooting, an indication that
he is taking this issue seriously. On the other hand, the Team
overall exhibited again serious defensive issues. Unless those
are fixed and the Team resolves into taking their defensive
responsibilities very seriously, I am afraid that we will not see
dramatic improvements. Finally, more organization has to be
exercised in attack. Haphazard and ad-hoc solutions may work
in one game, but they will not take the Team far in seasonal
success and seasonal goals. In a nutshell, the teams defensive
and offensive performance and the Team's bonding and
Chemistry are still very much a work in progress.
Pistons-Lakers 85-97
Pistons-Clippers 96-101
Pistons-Kings 92-101
Pistons-Warriors 95-109
Pistons-Blazers 120-103
What a comeback! But the comeback would have been unnecessary if
the Pistons had not, alas once again, disappointed totally in defensive
operation and coordination in the first quarters. When is the Team
going to realize that defending means close pressure with hands
stretched and not only following with the eyes, praying and hoping
for a miss...
Pistons-Suns 100-92
The Pistons have to understand that, no matter how efficient the offensive
operation of a team is, its performance will suffer by a disorganized,
haphazard and half-hearted defense. And the picture of the team's defense
last night against the Suns was not very good. Also, Andre has to realize
that it is to be expected that in several games this season, the winner will
be declared on the details. Therefore, he cannot ignore his paucity and
mediocre record in free-throw shooting. He should continuously practice
to improve substantially on this necessary skill that, left unchecked, may
affect his team and its results unjustifiably.
Pacers-Pistons 94-82
Bulls-Pistons 94-98 (OT)
Home Opener, Jazz-Pistons 87-92
Opening night, Pistons-Hawks 106-94
