What off-season moves should Detroit make? Fire Flip? Trade guys? New signings?

[GoRapz]

Yes, I know that a lot of teams in the league would love to be the position where the Pistons are, but the pistons obviously want more than this.

What do you do in the off-season? are you still going to keep the four or is there going to be big changes?

[bleedinpurpleTwo]

beg Ben Wallace to come back.

[Attila]

Sign And Trade Billups
Trade Rasheed Wallace
Add Amir Johnson to the rotation
Pick Acie Lawe III
Trade Nazr Mohammed

[picc84]

Man I haven't posted in a while.

Anyways, yes, I know that alot of teams in the league would love to be the position where the Pistons are, but the pistons obviously want more than this.

What do you do in the off-season? are you still going to keep the four or is there going to be big changes?

I sign and trade Billups to LA for Smush and Cook, and trade Sheed for Kwame.

[SoCalMike]

You get rid of flip saunders.....



:pimp:

[Y2Gezee]

You get rid of flip saunders.....



:pimp:

:applause: .................

[bleedinpurpleTwo]

You get rid of flip saunders.....



:pimp:

Pimp, you can't put that on Flip. Where was Billups? Where was Prince? Where was their rebounding? The players better man-up and admit their own failings.

[boozehound]

I sign and trade Billups to LA for Smush and Cook, and trade Sheed for Kwame.
hahahahaha we already had a taste of the smushster thank you very much. Id rather bring in Euros!

[ThaKid]

Tonight is probably the last time we'll see Billups in a Pistons jersey. Rasheed and Webber are both quickly declining. And I see only Rip and Tayshaun repeating what they have done these past few years this coming season. I say next year they will make the playoffs but will make no noise.

Congrats CAVS!!!!

[kobeisgod]

trade everyone fire flip. they wont be back for a long time

[r32soul]

let Billups go unless Billups take less money...

in fact if Dumars was smart, he do a sign and trade, and possible get a high draft pick back or a decent young PG to run this team for Billups... someone will want Billups, and I'm sure Billups will demand top $$$ even after this horrible series...

other than that.. you can't really move Rip or Tayshun...because they are still at the top of their game for the respective position. I would deal Rasheed, but which team is going to take a aging volatile player? Rasheed at best can give you 18 and 8, but that's probably at best now. I see him more of the Robert Horry role, step out and shoot the 3s as his career winds down.

Webber is as good as gone, because he ain't winning a 'ship with Detroit. Keep McDyess definitely, he still got a good year or two left.

Pistons need to find quality young offensive players .. and maybe it's time to get rid of Flip. Because his offense is so boring.. and I hate everytime, in the 4th quarter, all they do is run the post up for either Tayshun or Wallace. They have no creativity on offense. They don't take advantage of Rip's midrange game, I mean, why can't they run screens for Rip like they did for Reggie Miller with the Pacers?

[Y2Gezee]

I don't know about the end. They can make a few moves and be back in the finals. But they are declining

[boozehound]

I don't know about the end. They can make a few moves and be back in the finals. But they are declining
exactly. players get old, you replace them, even great ones. They'll be fine but prob not as dominant. Well see though

[final.wrath]

Yeah at least we won't have to compeltely rebuild. Tayshaun has yet to hit his prime and Rip has some good years left. I think we need to retool around the athleticism of Amir Johnson, Jason Maxiell, and Tayshaun Prince. That should be our frontcourt in 2 years.

Chauncey is a question mark. If we can't resign him to deal 3 years or less I think we are forced to let him walk.

I trust Dumars to do a good job of putting this team back together.

[Rockets(T-mac)]

Man that was a long game. I pistons are not the defensive team they were and I don't think they will be for a while. Wonder if Sunders will be back next season.

[Carbine]

The end? Yeah okay buddy.

They have been to the ECF five consecutive times. Until they don't make it there I would hold off on making threads like this.

[final.wrath]

Exactly, the Pistons could make some moves and be right back in it.

[FPower]

Blow it up. They need to get new blood in there as the current group just isn't getting it done anymore.

The bigger question is what options are available, and what can they do. Who do they rebuild around? No easy answers here. Dumars has his work cut out for him this off season.

[Wiiner]

The pistons are just too slow paced to succeed in the nba. They don't have someone who can turn on the jets and get 30 when they need it. They are a starting 5 of above average defenders and decent scorers. Not a single person stands out to me in these playoffs. Bench has McDyess and thats really the only guy to right home about.


Joe D needs to get a superstar in here. We need Rip+Chauncey, but Sheed is getting older, slower and his shot is fading. His temper hurts the team. C-webb is likely to retire, if not also unlikely he will sign with the Pistons. Can they even afford him? Tayshaun is a great guy but lacks intensity it seems like sometimes.


Joe D has a make or break his GM future season ahead of him. We need to make some major changes to the roster. Adding a good coach wouldn't hurt either. Flip Saunder's is incapable of winning big games it seems. He had Nazr out in the first quarter... WTF???


We need a superstar big. KG or Jermaine O'neil. Someone who is used to carrying a team who won't mind being a second or third option on different nights. We need an aggressor. Someone to tear down the boards like big ben did but produce a little more offense.

Can you imagine a starting lineup of:
Rip
Chauncey
Prince
Maxiell
KG

[Tank]

I think Flip is not the perfect fit for this Detroit team. Do you think he will stay for next season?

[305Baller]

I think hes done. 2 years of dissapointment and the Pistons had more passion and discipline under Brown.

[dawsey6]

I'd be less than surprised.

[final.wrath]

I want to see Bill Laimbeer possibly. I trust Joe to make the right decision.

[Soundwave]

I think he'll be gone, but honestly the main reason why Detroit has only 1 title when they probably should have at least 2, is because Joe Dumars didn't draft Carmelo Anthony over Darko Milicic.

Give the Pistons 'Melo and they probably rule the East for a while. And they had him right there, giftwrapped in the no.2 spot.

[Rockets(T-mac)]

Wouldn't be surprised to see it happen.

[Day La Ghetto]

I think Flip is not the perfect fit for this Detroit team. Do you think he will stay for next season?
It's not his fault but they need to move him. Get someone in there that has the balls to call out the players a point blank, not when you're down. Doug Collins seems like a very good mentor/motivater . His offense scheme is sketchy though because he'll change his scheme in a second if something else works for a game or two. He also gives his younger player way to many chances to.

Rick Carlile?

[picc84]

If he's not fired, Dumars should be. Flip is a loser.

[SpLiTViZiOnZ]

I think he gets sent packing.. I wouldn't mind not having to see him do that nervous tick thing where he juts out his chin every 5 seconds.

[boozehound]

I want to see Bill Laimbeer possibly. I trust Joe to make the right decision.
yeah i agree I like laimbeer. Maybe carlise but thats going backwards.

[final.wrath]

Try to move up in the draft. Rebuild around Amir Johnson, Maxiell, Rip, Tayshaun and find a new point guard.

[Wiiner]

Joe D is one of the most respected men in the league. He will not be fired for good reason. Joe D is going to do a mass facelift for D-town and will gear them up to beat any team in the east.


Flip on the other hand. Have fun coaching gophers Cya!

[Wiiner]

And what the hell was he thinking with Nazr in the first? W t f

[geeWiz15]

yes cause Flip Saunders scored 9 points and dished 1 assist in an elimination game.

because Flip Saunders scored 25 points in a row for the other team.

because Flip Saunders shot 0-8, 1-11, and 1-10 in three Conference Finals games.

Flip Saunders has never been a good fit for this team but don't blame this loss on him. he should be fired but not because of this series.

[Soundwave]

Joe D. is a very respected guy and brought a title to Detroit, but I can't help but think he maybe cost the Pistons 1-2 additional championships with his Darko over Melo blunder.

[L.Kizzle]

Nazr Mohamd getting playing time just about sealed Flip being gone next season. But putting in Flip and Lidsey to start the fourth takes the cake.


He gone, look for JVG as the new coach of the Pistons.

You heard it here first.

[Soundwave]

Try to move up in the draft. Rebuild around Amir Johnson, Maxiell, Rip, Tayshaun and find a new point guard.

You realize now though how brutal that Darko > Melo draft pick was though when you now look at the Pistons future.

[SoCalMike]

Nazr Mohamd getting playing time just about sealed Flip being gone next season. But putting in Flip and Lidsey to start the fourth takes the cake.


He gone, look for JVG as the new coach of the Pistons.

You heard it here first.

I have never been impressed with Flip... he just bugs and chokes in pressure situations.

As for JVG, thats just replacing one loser with another who cant get to the finals dance.


:pimp:

[picc84]

They don't take advantage of Rip's midrange game, I mean, why can't they run screens for Rip like they did for Reggie Miller with the Pacers?

They used to do that. When Brown was coaching. Now that Flips here their offense has changed...for the worse. Like i've been saying, he's a loser. He has Rip on the 3 line or posting up. Not utilizing him correctly.

[Tank]

Nazr Mohamd getting playing time just about sealed Flip being gone next season. But putting in Flip and Lidsey to start the fourth takes the cake.


He gone, look for JVG as the new coach of the Pistons.

You heard it here first.

Yeah! Then send Flip to Rockets to team with T-Mac. That would be the bomb!!!
With T-Mac's curse and Flip's jinx, Yao will have to bring in his feng shui experts every time he plays to counter Flip and T-Mac's negative jin. Hehe..

[Tank]

They used to do that. When Brown was coaching. Now that Flips here their offense has changed...for the worse. Like i've been saying, he's a loser. He has Rip on the 3 line or posting up. Not utilizing him correctly.

I totally agree. Haven't seen much of Rip's midrange jump shots in this series.

[final.wrath]

I totally agree. Haven't seen much of Rip's midrange jump shots in this series.

Rip's midrange game is crucial to Flip's offense. Don't jump to conclusions.

[KempSonics]

If they decide to blow it up(I hope not), I'd just like to say that it's been a pleasure watching them over the years. It's been a great run and I think they should have more than 1 title.

[reppy]

I don't think the players ever respected Flip. Seemed to me like they were too cocky and arrogant after making to the Finals back-to-back. In the end, that was their undoing. It's good to be a little bit arrogant, but they seem to lack that killer instinct that shows they deserve to be arrogant.

[bokes15]

Well, it looks like "opening up the offensive reigns" doesn't equal championships, right Flip Saunders? lol.. You know the funny thing is, people have been talking about the changes and how offense now wins championships but what is actually the last offensive team to actually win a championship? I'd really like to know that.

[FPower]

After thinking about it a little while, I wouldn't be surprised if there is massive roster turnover and a possible rebuild this summer. Joe D in the past was very aggressive in shaking things up, but after the championship he's tried to hold the guys together to make title runs.

Ojectively, it doesn't look like this core group will be making any more title runs, their ship has definitely been moving in the wrong direction the last few years. Joe will go to work now and try to get the team moving back towards a championship instead of away from one.

[final.wrath]

basketball is a two way game. you have to be good at both ends of the floor to win championships.

teams without superstars don't win championships. or they don't very often at least.

[FPower]

In Flip Saunders case, "opening the offensive reigns" doesn't equal scoring points either. What a guru.

[Y2Gezee]

Really all they need to do is keep who they have. Fire Flip and get a good defensive coach with some offensive structure. That team is simply not going to win with offense, they HAVE to FOCUS on defense and then let offense come.

Add their 2 first rounders. Maybe a good MLE signing and they can win it all. They're on the decline, but they're still strong. With a better mindset they still could've been in the finals.

They made terrible adjustments.

[reppy]

This is a star-oriented league. No star? Good luck making it far.

[AtTheDriveIn]

Detroit Pistons = Next years Miami Heat.

[final.wrath]

trying to squeeze one more year out of this team would probably cost us down the road.

[Y2Gezee]

trying to squeeze one more year out of this team would probably cost us down the road.

Again, I think with their draft picks (they have a pick at 15) they have 2-3 more years of atleast competing if not being able to squeeze one more title.

What do you suggest they do if not keep the team

[final.wrath]

sometimes a team is enough to overpower stars. it takes a special team though.

[KingofKings718]

Sheed needs to be shown the door. He's 33 years old, and his act is old now.

[final.wrath]

I wonder how interested the Nuggets are in Chauncey.

[Solid Snake]

It's funny how everyone praises Dumars for constructing such a great team, but downplay the fact that he made one of the worst GM decisions in the history of the existence of this league.

[FPower]

It's funny how everyone praises Dumars for constructing such a great team, but downplay the fact that he made one of the worst GM decisions in the history of the existence of this league.

Dumars gets a pass on that horrible move because most other NBA GMs would have made the same move. There was even some minor debate that Darko should have been taken number one over Lebron.

Flip Saunders was a much worse move IMO, because it destroyed the team AND there were many other options. Out of all the coaches Joe could have picked, he managed to find one which the the team clashes with completely.

[20 Dimes A Game]

I realy trust Dumars, we will be back in the ECF in 2 years.

[Sharas]

It's funny how everyone praises Dumars for constructing such a great team, but downplay the fact that he made one of the worst GM decisions in the history of the existence of this league.

he did construct a title team with players that no one wanted and thought they'd be good. made plenty of great decisions - getting ben wallace for grant hill that was going anyway, getting rip hamilton for stackhouse, drafting tayshaun when everybody slept on him. he managed to sign webber for peanuts - and he did play well, a low-risk high-reward move.

but yes, he drafted darko over carmelo (or bosh or wade), and then traded him away for an expirer so he could resign ben...and then didn't resign ben. they're forced to make at least some changes now and get a bit younger, think they wouldn't like to have at least possibility to re-sign darko now (for reasonable money if possible, if not just let him walk away)? he also signed nazr mohammed for 30 mil. and he's not playing at all.

sheed is getting old but his contract will be really tough to trade. no way they're getting anything great for him. IMO they should cut his minutes a bit in favor of maxiell. as for hamilton and prince, there's no point in dealing them away. they're both signed to reasonable contracts and playing well, and prince has yet to hit his prime.

now, about billups...they're certainly facing a tough decision. he's about to turn 31 and probably won't settle for anything less than 13-14 mil per year. is it really smart to give him that kind of money, because they're obviously not winning it all again with this roster? so i though a bit, and came away with this:

denver nuggets receive:

chauncey billups (sign & trade)

detroit pistons receive:

steve blake
nene

if i'm right, nene and blake combined make about 13 millions...they can add some small filler also if needed. pistons get a good young big man who can play both c and pf and a subpar starter/great backup point guard. then they can draft acie law at #17 if he's available, and split his and blake's minutes. or roll the dice and try with javaris crittenton. or even draft he best player avalaible and look for another pg with MLE.

then you've got:

nene
wallace
prince
hamilton
law/blake

that's already a much younger lineup and a good beginning for youth movement, while not totally breaking it up and still being top 3-4 team in the east.

while denver's got:

camby
martin (hopefully healthy)
carmelo
iverson
billups

iverson moves to full-time 2 on offense and on defense chauncey can guard opposition backcourt's better/bigger player. IMO this smells much more of a championship than current nuggets lineup.

[Rockets(T-mac)]

he did construct a title team with players that no one wanted and thought they'd be good. made plenty of great decisions - getting ben wallace for grant hill that was going anyway, getting rip hamilton for stackhouse, drafting tayshaun when everybody slept on him. he managed to sign webber for peanuts - and he did play well, a low-risk high-reward move.

but yes, he drafted darko over carmelo (or bosh or wade), and then traded him away for an expirer so he could resign ben...and then didn't resign ben. they're forced to make at least some changes now and get a bit younger, think they wouldn't like to have at least possibility to re-sign darko now (for reasonable money if possible, if not just let him walk away)? he also signed nazr mohammed for 30 mil. and he's not playing at all.

sheed is getting old but his contract will be really tough to trade. no way they're getting anything great for him. IMO they should cut his minutes a bit in favor of maxiell. as for hamilton and prince, there's no point in dealing them away. they're both signed to reasonable contracts and playing well, and prince has yet to hit his prime.

now, about billups...they're certainly facing a tough decision. he's about to turn 31 and probably won't settle for anything less than 13-14 mil per year. is it really smart to give him that kind of money, because they're obviously not winning it all again with this roster? so i though a bit, and came away with this:

denver nuggets receive:

chauncey billups (sign & trade)

detroit pistons receive:

steve blake
nene

if i'm right, nene and blake combined make about 13 millions...they can add some small filler also if needed. pistons get a good young big man who can play both c and pf and a subpar starter/great backup point guard. then they can draft acie law at #17 if he's available, and split his and blake's minutes. or roll the dice and try with javaris crittenton. or even draft he best player avalaible and look for another pg with MLE.

then you've got:

nene
wallace
prince
hamilton
law/blake

that's already a much younger lineup and a good beginning for youth movement, while not totally breaking it up and still being top 3-4 team in the east.

while denver's got:

camby
martin (hopefully healthy)
carmelo
iverson
billups

iverson moves to full-time 2 on offense and on defense chauncey can guard opposition backcourt's better/bigger player. IMO this smells much more of a championship than current nuggets lineup.
That Nuggets team would be crazy, but I don't if they will let go of Nene very easily.

[Solid Snake]

He Chauncy really wants to seriously win a title he would sign for less money.

[mlh1981]

The arrogance of this team was their downfall. They are still living off of their back-to-back finals appearances. They had a very cocky attitude, and played as if all they needed to do was show up, and the other team would automatically be intimidated.

After their game 5 loss, there should've been more of a sense of urgency, but you still had guys who acted as if losing that game was no big deal. They need someone to light a fire under their asses. Time to clean house.

[lolote]

try to get a big man for the defensive side and a solid rebounder

[final.wrath]

denver nuggets receive:

chauncey billups (sign & trade)

detroit pistons receive:

steve blake
nene

if i'm right, nene and blake combined make about 13 millions...they can add some small filler also if needed. pistons get a good young big man who can play both c and pf and a subpar starter/great backup point guard. then they can draft acie law at #17 if he's available, and split his and blake's minutes. or roll the dice and try with javaris crittenton. or even draft he best player avalaible and look for another pg with MLE.

then you've got:

nene
wallace
prince
hamilton
law/blake

that's already a much younger lineup and a good beginning for youth movement, while not totally breaking it up and still being top 3-4 team in the east.

while denver's got:

camby
martin (hopefully healthy)
carmelo
iverson
billups

iverson moves to full-time 2 on offense and on defense chauncey can guard opposition backcourt's better/bigger player. IMO this smells much more of a championship than current nuggets lineup.

Replace Nene with Camby and you have a deal. We don't want any part of Nene. He's overpaid.

[gts]

you don't blow up a team that has been in the conference finals for 5 years in a row... you tweak it... you look at why the team can't get over that last hump and then you fix that problem and address any problems you may have created when fixing the first problem... the pistons were built to be a defense first team that created points off it's rebounding and stops... when the let wallace and larry brown go and tried to change the style of play they lost alot of what made them successful...

[picc84]

Defense and a go-to guy they can just throw the ball to and say "do something good for us". Cleveland had that.

[Wun27]

Trade Sheed Fsho, that dude is poison for detroit, and trade Nazir as well, they should be able to get a good player or two in return and im sure there are some struggling teams that would be willing to aquire these players in return for some of their good players. The Pistons are a great team they just need that last puzzle piece and when they get it, watch out.

[hawkfan]

1. The Pistons need speed at the point guard position.

Earl Boykens, if healthy, would be a nice addition (I think he is a free agent).

Gibson killed the Pistons with his speed.

2. Trade Mohammed for a wing. The Pistons had practically no depth at the wings off the bench.

3. Play Maxiell more.

4. Re-sign Chauncey. It was a mistake to let Ben go for a few millions.

[final.wrath]

I wish Denver had an interest in Billups... but I think they are trying to cut salary not add it on. If they wanted him I'd do Blake and Camby for Billups in a sign and trade.

The other team I like is Dallas. I'd take Harris and filler for a Billups S&T... unfortunately they are retarded and signed all their guys to massive extensions last year. Dampier at 10 million???? No filler worth taking on.

[clayton]

Keep the roster.

LARRY BROWN LARRY BROWN LARRY BROWN!!!

[FPower]

Yuck, I don't want Camby or Devin Harris. They're both good players, but Chauncey is more valuable. Harris at least gets the team younger, I suppose, but he's not worth it.

[DeuceWallaces]

Not really an option at coaching other than bring back LB that I like.

Was not enamoured with Chauncey's play this series, but apparently Snow owns him so I shouldn't get too carried away, but there is really no one to take his place that's even half as good.

Wouldn't mind seeing RIP go if he's gonna continue to put the ball on the floor and not pull up off screens which can't be stopped.

Tay has to stay. Had a bad series but he's been outstanding in the playoffs for the better part of 4 years.

Rasheed played very well now that he wasn't hurt, but his attitude and the refs predisposition towards him makes it difficult. I don't think we can stand to lose him or Tay because of the defensive letdown.

Webber I could go either way. Guess that would come down to the price. He played really bad sometimes, and played really good others.

Max and Amir have to play more.

Keep Dyess.

[DeuceWallaces]

Flip Saunders was a much worse move IMO, because it destroyed the team AND there were many other options. Out of all the coaches Joe could have picked, he managed to find one which the the team clashes with completely.
Who else was out there? Guys like Mo Cheeks, O'Brien, Byron Scott, Dunleavy, McMillan, were available around that time but most have proven their "hot" status was overrated.

EDIT:

Here is Sheed's ringing endorsement of Flip: "I don't really know," Wallace said when asked if he expected Saunders to be back. "That's not up to me. It's up to management. Either way, we as players, we still have to go out there and play."

[FPower]

I wanted Adelman last year, simply because I was on the anyone but Flip bandwagon. I thought the Pistons would have had a better chance of keeping Ben if they fired Flip. On the other hand, if Chicago was willing to overpay him so much I'm not sure anything was going to keep him here. Also, if the Pistons were going to switch to an offensive minded team, I'd rather have a coach whose offense actually works in the playoffs.

It was a tough call though, the team needed someone that they would respect, and who knows who could have filled that role.

[John Starks]

Very tough time to be a Piston fan - or more specifically Piston management.

Team is good enough to win alot of games. Team is good enough to creat playoff excitement. Team is not good enough to win a title - and there is the rub.

The Nets, Suns, Dall find themselves inthe same unenviable position. Teams that have been together for a while, have quality at every position, and are getting older but they are still good.

So what do you do? Do you hang onto the team, try to tweak, pray for a break (like to TD's leg or an odd upset) and try to win in the now - or start the dreaded rebuilding process - knowing that you probably won't win and your assets will be less and less appealing, start trading off now, get cap room and draft choices and try to build a team ready ot compete in 5 years.

It worked with the Florida Marlins. The hanging on to past glory has a long and treasured history of not working.

Very difficult decision. As a fan, you got a winner, stick with it and we'll try ot stay interested as the returns get smaller. As a GM, you gotta be looking down the road -- first stop is Billups' contract.

An S&T with Atl makes a ton of sense.

[picc84]

This team will never win another championship with Flip at the helm. NEVER. If he were back next year I would pretty much give up on the season, and Detroit is my second favorite team.

The Mavs and Pistons have really screwed themselves the last couple years. All those games they've won, with so much choking in the playoffs. No matter what happens in the reg season next year, they could both go 75-7 for all anyone cares, and it wont matter a gotdamn thing. People arent gonna be like "wow they are machines, they will roll through the playoffs" like they were fooled into this season and last season. It will be "oh, here we go again, beasting now and probably choking later. whats new? :rolleyes: ".

I HATE LB with a passion but Detroit is not winning without him or someone similar. They could even hire Carlisle again, people forget it wasnt LB who just took the team to another level, it was the trade for Rasheed that pushed them over. Rick had the team balling.

Fire Flip and Hire LB back or Rick, or go through another great regular season with confrerence final exit again. That simple.

[Koolbreeze07]

If you can't win your job must end. Flip is gone will Paul Silas take his spot? Trade Sheed and Webber for young players (such as Gerald Wallace and Emeka Okafor). I know there are plenty of players who would'nt mind playing for a team that is in the upper echelon of the East. KG would be a welcome addition as well. Rumor has it that the Pistons have their eyes on Shawn Marion. This will be a busy offseason not just for the Pistons though.

[JoHnShOeZ1492]

give their starten five to the Celts for the Celts two picks and theo ratliff and szczerbiak:applause:

[final.wrath]

Please take Rasheed off our hands New York. We'll take David Lee and filler.

[Patrick27]

How about Sheed to Houston for Battier and Juwan Howard? Salaries match...

Houston could use a change of scenery Sheed, and he doesn't have to be a #1 option. He gets a pretty good chance to win a 'ship, which is what he's after.

Detroit gets two local guys that can start or (more likely) play good bench minutes.

[LA.MJ&KB#1]

I like Joe and hope he trade Wallace. Piston deserve better.

[MadeFromDust]

Dump that lame-duck they have as coach. That's their biggest problem.

[final.wrath]

How about Sheed to Houston for Battier and Juwan Howard? Salaries match...

Houston could use a change of scenery Sheed, and he doesn't have to be a #1 option. He gets a pretty good chance to win a 'ship, which is what he's after.

Detroit gets two local guys that can start or (more likely) play good bench minutes.

If Houston can't get Rashard Lewis they MAY take a look at Sheed.

[AtTheDriveIn]

How about Sheed to Houston for Battier and Juwan Howard? Salaries match...

Houston could use a change of scenery Sheed, and he doesn't have to be a #1 option. He gets a pretty good chance to win a 'ship, which is what he's after.

Detroit gets two local guys that can start or (more likely) play good bench minutes.

That doesn't seem like too bad of a trade for either side actually. Gives the Pistons more room to develop Amir Johnson and Maxiell in game situations and it gives Houston a good PF.

Very good trade, in my opinion.

[final.wrath]

and tayshaun plays PF? then he can't quite post up as easily... maybe his first step will have more of an advantage against PFs though. He isn't a consistent rebounder either.

[AtTheDriveIn]

and tayshaun plays PF? then he can't quite post up as easily... maybe his first step will have more of an advantage against PFs though. He isn't a consistent rebounder either.

Maxiell and Johnson rotate and maybe another guy that comes on for 10 minutes a game. Sure, they wouldn't be as good as they were before, but give it a couple years and they'll be back to dominating the East.

[timmyD]

most people are overreacting. i look at webber as the weakest link in the chain. the mofo cant play D which opened the skies for lebron to soar. ben was always up in the air knocking **** back and was an intimidator for the pistons. with webber, the guards had to collapse in to make sure no one made easy cuts cuzz they DIDNT trust webbers D. body language showed. and all this collapsing caused gibson to make all these uncontested 3's. it wsa like he was at a shootaround. webber doesnt deserve to start. dont trade the man, just get a big defensive minded center like chandler in a trade somehow and ull be in the finals again.

[reecedoc]

look people, trade rasheed wallace 2 phoneix for shawn marion....yes thats a good trade.. dont amare need more help back there.. him and rasheed wallace will kill the spurs.. then move tayshawn 2 the power forward position,and slide shawn marion in.... yes that would be the best move 4both teams, since both teams keep f**king up when they get 2 the playoffs.....

billups/hunter
rip/flip
matrix/prince
prince/matrix
cwebb/mcdyess


nash/barbosa
bell/barbosa
diaw/rose
wallace/amare
amare/wallace/thomas

[FPower]

Well,that would complete the transformation into a team lacking any sort of defense whatsoever. Webber and Prince patrolling the paint...

[blaccsteel]

hahahahaha we already had a taste of the smushster thank you very much. Id rather bring in Euros!

I dont think Smush is on the Lakers anymore. He got released the next week after they lost to Phoenix.

[blaccsteel]

look people, trade rasheed wallace 2 phoneix for shawn marion....yes thats a good trade.. dont amare need more help back there.. him and rasheed wallace will kill the spurs.. then move tayshawn 2 the power forward position,and slide shawn marion in.... yes that would be the best move 4both teams, since both teams keep f**king up when they get 2 the playoffs.....

billups/hunter
rip/flip
matrix/prince
prince/matrix
cwebb/mcdyess


nash/barbosa
bell/barbosa
diaw/rose
wallace/amare
amare/wallace/thomas

Prince at Power Forward? Get Real...that boy better put on about 20 pounds of muscle first.

[Day La Ghetto]

Hypothetically if they got Brown back they might have the defensive swagger and approach to the game the once had. Thats what made them was defense. When he left people were like school girls because everyone thought if they got more room to do what they want on offense they would be unstoppable. Well when that happened they forgot about there hard nosed defense that got them to elite status and this is where they are now.

Browns last two seasons was a championship with Detroit and taking Spurs to 7 games. If I was Joe Dumars i would be offering anything and everything i can for Brown to come back. But it probably won't happen after what was said after he left.

[timmyD]

I don't think the players ever respected Flip. Seemed to me like they were too cocky and arrogant after making to the Finals back-to-back. In the end, that was their undoing. It's good to be a little bit arrogant, but they seem to lack that killer instinct that shows they deserve to be arrogant.

yeah man... i remember sheed and rip saying stuff like flip is the coach but we run our team off and on the court. that says they are letting flips words in one and out the other.

[DeuceWallaces]

I don't understand all the trade Rasheed. He was the only player to show up nearly every game. Averaged like 16.6/10 was blocking mad shots, and playing pretty good in the 4th, only had a game or two where he shot too many 3's and I believe it was after they went up 3-0 on chicago.

If you want to base it on playoff performance Billups, RIP, Tay, and Webber should be out the door.

Sheed played better than all of them.

[snipes12]

sheed,Delfino,murray,

for......boston

green,fifth pick,ratliff,and..wally..

[basketballer4]

sheed,Delfino,murray,

for......boston

green,fifth pick,ratliff,and..wally..

That doesn't work out financially.

[AtTheDriveIn]

I don't understand all the trade Rasheed. He was the only player to show up nearly every game. Averaged like 16.6/10 was blocking mad shots, and playing pretty good in the 4th, only had a game or two where he shot too many 3's and I believe it was after they went up 3-0 on chicago.

If you want to base it on playoff performance Billups, RIP, Tay, and Webber should be out the door.

Sheed played better than all of them.

Is he the oldest starter besides Chris Webber? If so, that's probably why. Also if his contract expires some time soon, then that's another reason.

[gigantes]

the pistons aren't that far off, but they made a big mistake in signing webber.

the pistons need to be about defense first, and webber will always compromise you there. they need to dump his ass and look for defensive tigers, especially in the big man area.

that way they can get back to throttling you and having their 1, 2 and three score all the points necessary to win.

[go_blue]

Sign And Trade Billups
Trade Rasheed Wallace
Add Amir Johnson to the rotation
Pick Acie Lawe III
Trade Nazr Mohammed


they shouldnt trade billups or rasheed

[dd24]

They aren't going to. That would be a stupid move. I don't see how they can get equal value if they trade Rasheed at this point. Really the only move they have left is to resign Webber. I don't see anybody else that is available that could help them out, unless there is something I am over looking.

[ellul555]

get rid of flip saunders and trade rasheed

[dd24]

And who are they going to trade Rasheed for? I don't see any scenarios where they would get equal value for him. He's sill one of the best PF's in the game.

[sfpistonfan]

And who are they going to trade Rasheed for? I don't see any scenarios where they would get equal value for him. He's sill one of the best PF's in the game.

I don't think trades arethe answer for this team. Maybe moving some bodies around. What would be a good seven (5 + 2)???

[dd24]

I'm pretty content with the team besides the Center position. If they can get rid of a few of those gauranteed contracts and resign Webber I think it would benefit the team. I would like to see Webber have less minutes this season so we can see what some of the young guys have to offer. I really like the Camby trade rumors but I'm not so sure Denver is going to part with him this year, at least not early on. Webber isn't the greatest defensively and we all know that. He's probably the main reason Cleveland beat us in the ECF. Other than the Camby thing there really isn't anybody available (either FA or trade rumors) that would benefit us at this point. We may have to live with what we have, which is still a solid team.

[mlew97pistonfan]

Fire Flip Saunders
Trade for Mehmet Okur- we need those buckets off the bench
Get Larry Brown back ASAP!!!!!!!

[dd24]

There's no way Larry Brown would be let back in to Detroit. He burned that bridge.

[sfpistonfan]

beg Ben Wallace to come back.


Ha Ha He Beg Ben. Ben will only excell if he is on a team that has four shooters. Chicago only has two and one half shooters. It will not work...Chicago already wants to free thr fro!

[theoriginal14]

they should try and trade nazr for a 2nd round pick and resign webber to take nazrs spot

[theoriginal14]

pistons need bench production, consistently. i'm glad we got rid of delfino, that guy was a clown

[dd24]

Agreed, he was hyped up as a good player and never lived up to it in Detroit.

[theoriginal14]

"I don't know about the end. They can make a few moves and be back in the finals. But they are declining"

yup you can tell their iron men are getting hurt alot now. already in the young seasons we've seen injuries to sheed and mr big shot

[Patrick27]

The injuries are certainly a concern. Whoever is healthier in the playoffs between Boston and Detroit should end up taking the east. All the stars are 30+ on both sides, with the exception of Hamilton and Prince. Those two will be there for sure.

The difference is that the Pistons won't have to play starters 40+ per night all season long to win games. They've already shown that. I don't think Boston without their 3 could beat anyone in the league. Depth will cost Boston some wins, that's for sure.

The East is still weaker, but don't count Detroit out yet...

[20 Dimes A Game]

The injuries are certainly a concern. Whoever is healthier in the playoffs between Boston and Detroit should end up taking the east. All the stars are 30+ on both sides, with the exception of Hamilton and Prince. Those two will be there for sure.

The difference is that the Pistons won't have to play starters 40+ per night all season long to win games. They've already shown that. I don't think Boston without their 3 could beat anyone in the league. Depth will cost Boston some wins, that's for sure.

The East is still weaker, but don't count Detroit out yet...

We're going to finals. We can take Boston?

[Patrick27]

We're going to finals. We can take Boston?

If you're asking me, I'd have to say that right now I think Boston is the stronger team. Allen, Garnett, and Pierce have been amazingly durable and that has really had a great effect on their season. If they're tired, they're not showing it. They come to play in the big games, and they've all played in the playoffs before. It's hard for me to envision anyone beating Boston right now.

How can we improve, if the best of the Pistons might not be able to beat what Boston has currently? Well, we'd have to add some future Hall of Famers that are willing to sacrifice their roles and contracts for the team. We'd have to be willing to dip deeply into the salary cap. We'd have to convince the tagalongs to join Detroit (Cassell, Posey, etc) for peanuts. Those are the offseason moves we should make, but I'm not convinced that they're practical or even possible given the circumstances.

[dd24]

I don't think there is too much Detroit can do except for hope that one of these young guys (like Amir) emerges and starts playing out of his mind and also hoping to pick up that guy late in the first round of the draft who ends up being a difference maker.

[Dolphin]

No good point guards late in the draft. Should look to strengthen the guard or forward positions.

For guards, look at Rush, Lee, T. Smith, Walker.

For forwards look at Lopez, Hendrix, Hardin, Anderson, Dorsey.

Personally I want Rush or Hendrix.

[1~Gibson~1]

All Detroit needs to do is draft/sign a young C like Hasheem Thabeet that can get rebounds and play defese. Detroit gives up the MOST points in the pain this season and if they can get a young defensive minded C that can swat shots and grab boards the Pistons will be the team to beat in the East next season:D

[Dolphin]

I do not think Thabeet will be available. He would be a nice project along with Amir though. Hendrix might not be the shot blocker, but he is a better rebounder than Thabeet.

[Patrick27]

Amir and Samb are the young, defensive shotblockers that you're asking for. Yes, they're projects, but they should be ready once McDyess and Wallace want to hang 'em up.

I'd be happy with a low post scorer, but we might have to find that in free agency or trade, since they are rare in the draft. Or, perhaps we can avoid this entirely. It is totally my guess, but it seems that PF-C players aren't getting the calls that the G position gets. I think perimeter players are more likely to get a call these days, and all the leading scorers tend to be perimeter players (Amare is unique in this way). Maybe the future is to have athletic defensive bigs and perimeter scorers (driving and shooting)? Seems to be what Detroit's building, anyway.

In any case, Dumars will take the best player available in the draft. He's not currently looking to fill a gap.