jochhejaam
06-12-2005, 07:02 AM
SAN ANTONIO -- If the Pistons are to solve the riddle of the Spurs and get back into the NBA Finals, they'd better have spent the last two days making sure they're following the same set of instructions.
Because in Game 1, the Pistons never reached a consensus on how best to attack the Spurs' defense.
Larry Brown was screaming at point guard Chauncey Billups during timeouts, imploring him to get the ball into the big guys. Then Billups would walk back onto the court with Rasheed Wallace screaming, "You got to take it, man. You've got to post that little guy up."
That little guy was Tony Parker, and Billups torched him for 25 points.
Wallace and Antonio McDyess, meanwhile, attempted 14 shots, and the offense was stagnant. Billups and Richard Hamilton took 37 of the Pistons' 77 shots.
The Spurs have given up 90 points or fewer in 12 straight NBA Finals games dating to 1999. The Pistons' 69 points in Game 1 are the fourth-lowest in Finals history.
The Pistons worked the last two days to come up with a solid, mutually agreed-upon plan.
"Rasheed feels like Chauncey can take his man, which is very true," Pistons assistant coach Pat Sullivan said. "But when we run certain isolation plays, we sort of stand still and the ball doesn't move from side to side. That's what coach Brown is trying to tell our guys."
Sullivan said Brown doesn't mind that Billups takes Parker in isolation, but he wants the team to establish movement and change sides with the ball first.
"I always think the game is played inside out, and I think we all would agree to that," Brown said. "Most games when we struggle, our perimeter guys take all of the shots. We very rarely go to the free-throw line and very rarely get second shots and almost never stop people from getting out in transition."
All of that was true in Game 1. The Pistons failed consistently to exploit switches on pick-and-roll plays when Spurs guards picked up Pistons forwards.
But Brown made it clear that the fault didn't rest solely with the guards.
"You've got to have your big guys commanding the ball and running the floor," he said. "It works both ways. You know, we had big guys open and sometimes we missed them. But a lot of times I don't think we did enough to demand the ball."
Ben Wallace agreed.
"It was fifty-fifty," he said. "Chauncey thought he had a mismatch with Parker, but it's tough having your point guard bring the ball down, set up the offense and then be responsible for all the scoring. What I said to Rasheed was, 'We know Chauncey has a mismatch, but you got a mismatch also.'"
The Spurs' plan was to make sure the Pistons' backcourt didn't beat them. One of their main worries was Billups' scoring.
"No, we didn't say, 'OK, let's let their guards take 40 shots,'" Spurs assistant coach P.J. Carlesimo said. "It was just a product of the way the game evolved. I thought we did some other things well. We took away one option and maybe another, and then it comes down to their guards having to create something at the end of the shot clock."
Carlesimo also said Rasheed Wallace's foul trouble was a factor because it limited his aggressiveness. But Wallace said it isn't about the Pistons' trying to force the ball into him.
"There are different ways for me to score," he said. "It doesn't necessarily have to be fed to me in the post. It can be on a rebound, or off a steal or fast break, whatever."
The Pistons are 8-0 in the playoffs the last two years when Wallace scores 20 points or more.
"There have been times when I only scored two points and we still won," he said. "... One man don't do it. It's five of us out there."
That's Brown's point. All five players must be involved. The ball must move, people must move, the defense must move. Then they can exploit any mismatches.
"Personally, I feel like I can take the game over whenever we need for me to," Billups said. "But I don't want that burden the whole game. It has to come from Tayshaun (Prince), from Rip, from Sheed, from all of us."
-Chris Mckoskey- Detroit News
Thought I would share this with ya. I like visiting opposing cities newspapers sports columns (usually only after we win) :lol
Because in Game 1, the Pistons never reached a consensus on how best to attack the Spurs' defense.
Larry Brown was screaming at point guard Chauncey Billups during timeouts, imploring him to get the ball into the big guys. Then Billups would walk back onto the court with Rasheed Wallace screaming, "You got to take it, man. You've got to post that little guy up."
That little guy was Tony Parker, and Billups torched him for 25 points.
Wallace and Antonio McDyess, meanwhile, attempted 14 shots, and the offense was stagnant. Billups and Richard Hamilton took 37 of the Pistons' 77 shots.
The Spurs have given up 90 points or fewer in 12 straight NBA Finals games dating to 1999. The Pistons' 69 points in Game 1 are the fourth-lowest in Finals history.
The Pistons worked the last two days to come up with a solid, mutually agreed-upon plan.
"Rasheed feels like Chauncey can take his man, which is very true," Pistons assistant coach Pat Sullivan said. "But when we run certain isolation plays, we sort of stand still and the ball doesn't move from side to side. That's what coach Brown is trying to tell our guys."
Sullivan said Brown doesn't mind that Billups takes Parker in isolation, but he wants the team to establish movement and change sides with the ball first.
"I always think the game is played inside out, and I think we all would agree to that," Brown said. "Most games when we struggle, our perimeter guys take all of the shots. We very rarely go to the free-throw line and very rarely get second shots and almost never stop people from getting out in transition."
All of that was true in Game 1. The Pistons failed consistently to exploit switches on pick-and-roll plays when Spurs guards picked up Pistons forwards.
But Brown made it clear that the fault didn't rest solely with the guards.
"You've got to have your big guys commanding the ball and running the floor," he said. "It works both ways. You know, we had big guys open and sometimes we missed them. But a lot of times I don't think we did enough to demand the ball."
Ben Wallace agreed.
"It was fifty-fifty," he said. "Chauncey thought he had a mismatch with Parker, but it's tough having your point guard bring the ball down, set up the offense and then be responsible for all the scoring. What I said to Rasheed was, 'We know Chauncey has a mismatch, but you got a mismatch also.'"
The Spurs' plan was to make sure the Pistons' backcourt didn't beat them. One of their main worries was Billups' scoring.
"No, we didn't say, 'OK, let's let their guards take 40 shots,'" Spurs assistant coach P.J. Carlesimo said. "It was just a product of the way the game evolved. I thought we did some other things well. We took away one option and maybe another, and then it comes down to their guards having to create something at the end of the shot clock."
Carlesimo also said Rasheed Wallace's foul trouble was a factor because it limited his aggressiveness. But Wallace said it isn't about the Pistons' trying to force the ball into him.
"There are different ways for me to score," he said. "It doesn't necessarily have to be fed to me in the post. It can be on a rebound, or off a steal or fast break, whatever."
The Pistons are 8-0 in the playoffs the last two years when Wallace scores 20 points or more.
"There have been times when I only scored two points and we still won," he said. "... One man don't do it. It's five of us out there."
That's Brown's point. All five players must be involved. The ball must move, people must move, the defense must move. Then they can exploit any mismatches.
"Personally, I feel like I can take the game over whenever we need for me to," Billups said. "But I don't want that burden the whole game. It has to come from Tayshaun (Prince), from Rip, from Sheed, from all of us."
-Chris Mckoskey- Detroit News
Thought I would share this with ya. I like visiting opposing cities newspapers sports columns (usually only after we win) :lol