C'mon in, waters fine

[PistonsNation]

Is there some sort of game on tonight?

I'm pretty excited about tonight. I'm hoping we can give you guys a second L at home for the season. I think a lot will depend on how the game is called will tell a lot. The refs in the Finals would switch their calls from one game to the next. Rebounds will also tell the tale, more than any individual players stats. The winner of the boards will win the game.

Billups is probably gonna do the iron man thing tonight with Arroyo serving his suspension. Tay will help a little, but I expect CBill to have a good night. One of my favorite NBA matchups is Sheed/Duncan. That's gonna go down as a classic if we're able to meet again in the Finals.

If any Spurs fans wanna exchange pleasantries with Pistons fans stop on over to Pistons Nation. We have the game thread up. I know it was pretty fun board hopping between here and PN in the Finals last year. Good times.

[Amuseddaysleeper]

here's the problem with the sheed/duncan matchup if you're a spurs fan

sheed can get his shot off of duncan anytime he wants to. but when duncan wants to shoot over sheed and also try to compete with the other wallace, i find more often than not he's gonna have a real hard time finding consistency. out of all the players in the NBA i dont think there is anyone who gives TD a harder time or defends him as well as sheed.

good luck to you guys tonight! I'm hoping after getting ripped by Pop and being on their home turf the spurs actually decide to show up today!!

[coz]

Link to the Pistons Nation game thread?

[Ishta]

PistonsNation.com

[PistonsNation]

PN: DET@SA game thread (http://s11.invisionfree.com/Pistons_Nation/index.php?showtopic=2188)

[FromWayDowntown]

I think this game does come down to rebounding, for the most part.

The Spurs had an 8 point first in Detroit and got outboarded by 27, and still were in the game with 8-9 minutes to go. The Pistons run from about 8 to 4 in the 4th was what ended that game, and that run was fueled by offensive rebounding. If the Spurs are to win tonight, they have to narrow that rebounding margin significantly. I'd expect that their offense will be much better than it was on Christmas Day.

I don't put much value on the game tonight for either team. I will say, though, that if the Spurs are to have a chance to get back atop the overall standings, it would be quite helpful for them to win tonight. A Spurs win would also take advantage of the Mavericks' loss last night in NY and give a bit of divisional cushion, which would be a nice luxury.

[lilmads]

Good luck to both teams!:) Hopefully the spurs will play hard tonight and not give up.

Its going to come down to rebounds for sure. Or free throws since spurs aren't so great at that!

[midgetonadonkey]

Not matter what happens in tonight's game, I just hope all players escape injury free so both teams can be healthy come playoff time.

[George Gervin's Afro]

I want the Spurs to play like they give a damn..play with a sense of urgency.. I think most Spurs fans want to see some fire from the team tonight..

[1Parker1]

Tonight's game is Finley's...I can just feel it. Manu and Duncan will get there's, but I think tonight's game will remind us why we were so excited about getting Finley. He's due for an offensive breakout game. :elephant

[1Parker1]

On a side note, I'm traveling out of town tonight, so I'll miss the game! Make sure you guys keep up ur notes in the Blog for me, please! :)

[PistonsNation]

here's the problem with the sheed/duncan matchup if you're a spurs fan

sheed can get his shot off of duncan anytime he wants to. but when duncan wants to shoot over sheed and also try to compete with the other wallace, i find more often than not he's gonna have a real hard time finding consistency. out of all the players in the NBA i dont think there is anyone who gives TD a harder time or defends him as well as sheed.


The problem we Pistons fans have with this is that the shot that Sheed seems to usually want comes from beyond the 3pt arc. We love to see Rasheed do work down low, and wish we seen more of it.

[austinfan]

Good luck to both teams! I just hope it's close like Game 7 last year instead of a blowout like Christmas Day. Is this the last time the Spurs and Pistons meet in the regular season?

[PistonsNation]

Good luck to both teams! I just hope it's close like Game 7 last year instead of a blowout like Christmas Day. Is this the last time the Spurs and Pistons meet in the regular season?

yes. :spin

[BigVee]

The problem we Pistons fans have with this is that the shot that Sheed seems to usually want comes from beyond the 3pt arc. We love to see Rasheed do work down low, and wish we seen more of it.

Never have understood why he doesn't take 15 shots a game from the low post. I have yet to see anyone (past or present) stop that shot.

[Amuseddaysleeper]

Never have understood why he doesn't take 15 shots a game from the low post. I have yet to see anyone (past or present) stop that shot.

i agree! he's not a bad 3 point shooter but hell, if he can have his way with duncan on the offensive end within 15 feet, the dude should be on a mission to tear up the league! I can't wait for tonight's game! i'm def. feeling much better about it than the one on xmas day!

[ahb]

He doesn't like to score. I mean that literally - he's perfectly happy to take one shot in 40 minutes on the floor, and unless he gets a tech and gets fired up he would much rather pass than shoot. And considering that he's the Pistons' fourth option, and gets 15 shots total in maybe a third of the games he plays in, the Pistons' offense is better served by him stretching the opposing defense from the arc and the high post and setting screens (probably the most underrated part of his game. He sets some of the best angled screens you'll ever see) to free up their jumpshooters.

But as long as he plays good defense and grabs a rebound now and then, I don't really care what he does on the offensive end.

[angel_luv]

I think Krista Latham really sets the scene for tonight's game.


SAN ANTONIO -- Seven months ago, this was where the championship changed hands.

This was the building where the final shots wouldn't fall, where the confetti dropped and the streamers fell and the champagne flowed for the other guys.

The Pistons have admitted the sting from that loss has motivated them this season. And tonight, they play in San Antonio for the first time since losing Game 7 of the NBA Finals.

http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060112/SPORTS03/601120553/1051

I have nothing to add except: Go Spurs Go! :elephant

[FreshPrince22]

Never have understood why he doesn't take 15 shots a game from the low post. I have yet to see anyone (past or present) stop that shot.

Join the club.

I think he's just worried about being looked at as a selfish player by always stalling out the offense with one-on-one stuff. People thought that when he was in Portland, but the fact was that he was being forced to be "the man". Trust me, I really would prefer he only takes 2-3 threes per game and 10-15 post ups. The fact is, it's always going to be closer to 4-5 threes, 2-3 post ups, and a couple garbage possession shots (tips, transition, etc)

[SouthernFried]

I don't think anyone will deny the Pistons are playing better right now than the Spurs. We still seem to be looking for a steady rotation. Pistons haven't missed a beat from last year...and are playing even better offense.

I think the x-factor for the Spurs, will be Manu. If we win tonite, I predict it's because he's had a monster game.

Likewise, I think Ben is the x-factor for the Pistons...

We gonna see what our Centers are capable of tonite. Could be a defining game for one of them.

[ShoogarBear]

I think the x-factor for the Spurs, will be Manu. If we win tonite, I predict it's because he's had a monster game.


Arrggh!

http://spurstalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=32610

[5ToolMan]

Is there some sort of game on tonight?

I'm pretty excited about tonight. I'm hoping we can give you guys a second L at home for the season. I think a lot will depend on how the game is called will tell a lot. The refs in the Finals would switch their calls from one game to the next. Rebounds will also tell the tale, more than any individual players stats. The winner of the boards will win the game.

Billups is probably gonna do the iron man thing tonight with Arroyo serving his suspension. Tay will help a little, but I expect CBill to have a good night. One of my favorite NBA matchups is Sheed/Duncan. That's gonna go down as a classic if we're able to meet again in the Finals.

If any Spurs fans wanna exchange pleasantries with Pistons fans stop on over to Pistons Nation. We have the game thread up. I know it was pretty fun board hopping between here and PN in the Finals last year. Good times.

Thanks for your observations and the invite to visit pistonsnation.com to discuss the game. My schedule is tight this week, so we may have to wait for the finals we all expect. No disrespect to Mavs, Suns, Heat etc who will all have their shot at the daunting task of taking out the only two proven champions left in the NBA.

As for the game, it should be a great one! The Spurs will be motivated after the Pistons made them look more like a roast duck Christmas dinner, than the World Champions. Manu will add enough energy and fire power to swing the balance in the Spurs favor.

I am real interested how quick Manu and Tony can get free into the paint against the Pistons and how well the Spurs perimeter can limit innitial penetration and channel the Pistons penetration into the bigs. If Manu and Tony can create space early, the Pistons bigs will have to come over too quick, opening up the offensive boards and the bigs for dump offs. By the same token, if the Spurs perimeter can stick with the Pistons perimeter and channel their penetration as the Spurs game plan, the bigs can bother shots and still be in positon to limit the Wallaces scoring and offensive rebounds.

The ability to penetrate and/or stop penetration will swing the rebounds, fouls and the agression in favor of the team most successfull in these two areas. Without Manu, Pistons owned their offensive boards and slowed the Spurs penetration enough to make post scoring very difficult. Victory Pistons.

With Manu, the Spurs perimeter defense will be much better and the penetration won't be slowed for much of the game. This makes a huge swing in the boards, gives Tim more free space to work and should allow the Spurs to protect their home court.

[Despot]

I expect quite a few techs tonight, maybe a flagrant too.

I wanna see Tony take a hard foul, and then keep cutting up their defense.