Rasheed Stares Down Dunleavy

[jochhejaam]

Clippers coach Dunleavy is the onlly coach to call for the Hack-a-Ben tactic at the end of Piston's games this year doing it both times the teams met, both victories for Detroit.
After the first game you could see Dunleavy and Rasheed hollering at each other as they walked off the court and there was more of the same during the end of this game;

...Rasheed Wallace (19 points) and Chauncey Billups (18) had their moments, as well. Billups had a nine-point spree late in the third quarter, helping to temporarily break open a tie game.

Wallace hit a clutch three-pointer early in the third that stopped a 12-0 Clippers run.

Then he hit back-to-back three-pointers in the final 2:26 that essentially broke the Clippers' backs. After the second, he stared down Clippers coach Mike Dunleavy, who deployed the hack-a-Ben strategy in the fourth quarter.

Wallace made 2 of 6 free throws, and the Clippers were able to outscore the Pistons 7-2 and cut a 12-point lead to six with 2:51 left.

"Ben came into the huddle during that timeout and said, 'Let Dyess go in there,' " Saunders said.

Antonio McDyess, who scored 13 points and triggered a 30-15 barrage in the second quarter, forced Dunleavy to alter his strategy.

"It didn't matter, they were still going to lose," said Ben Wallace, who had 13 rebounds and two blocks. "As long as we win the game, I am good. I don't have so much pride that I can't see the big picture."

Rasheed Wallace then rendered all strategies moot, banging home the two long three-pointers.

"He don't make me mad," Wallace said of Dunleavy. "I don't play for him any more. I think he might make some of his players mad, but that's on them."

When asked what he said to Dunleavy, Wallace said, "Obscenities." ...

http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060209/SPORTS0102/602090328/1127

Good call by Ben asking Flip to take him out and put Mcdyess. That's totally team playing.

[leemajors]

rasheed can act like such a child, you'd think he would grow up at some point.

[LilMissSPURfect]

excuse me spanglish...

saca la correa!

[Wallace ²]

It is all in the heat of the battle for Sheed. I think the NBA needs to look at that rule, why isnt it an intentional foul shot and the ball outside of the last 2 minutes? Obviously it doesnt really work because the Pistons have won both meetings this year, and when teams used to do it to Shaq, the Fakers won most of those games as well.

[Brutalis]

intention foul and the ball? :lmao

[baseline bum]

I think the NBA needs to look at that rule, why isnt it an intentional foul shot and the ball outside of the last 2 minutes? Obviously it doesnt really work because the Pistons have won both meetings this year, and when teams used to do it to Shaq, the Fakers won most of those games as well.

It was successful for Don Nelson in game 1 of the 2003 WCF when he hacked Bowen to kill an 18-point Spurs lead and eventually take the game. Bowen responded by becoming a much better free throw shooter in the following seasons.

[Sec24Row7]

They won that game because they shot 98% from the free throw line.

That's right 98%

49/50 free throws

Najera missed the only one.

That was one of the worst called games I have ever seen.

[Marklar MM]

rasheed can act like such a child, you'd think he would grow up at some point.

What did he do wrong? He was sticking up for a teammate, even if Ben didn't need it.

[Sec24Row7]

He's a thug on the basketball court.

That's what he did wrong. You can trash talk all you want, but you show coaches respect, and that is the line he crossed.

[Marklar MM]

He's a thug on the basketball court.

That's what he did wrong. You can trash talk all you want, but you show coaches respect, and that is the line he crossed.

Why should he respect him for using disrespectful tactics against a teammate?

[Trainwreck2100]

What did he do wrong? He was sticking up for a teammate, even if Ben didn't need it.

How was he sticking up for a teammate? Just cause Ben wasgetting hacked, doesn't mean anything. He was exploiting a weakness. Yeah it's wuss but stil legal.

[Marklar MM]

How was he sticking up for a teammate? Just cause Ben wasgetting hacked, doesn't mean anything. He was exploiting a weakness. Yeah it's wuss but stil legal.


It is just how the team is constructed. It may be Ben's weakness, but in the teams mind, they are using pussy tactics to try and win.

[DisgruntledLionFan#54,927]

He's a thug on the basketball court.

That's what he did wrong. You can trash talk all you want, but you show coaches respect, and that is the line he crossed.


The only coach you have to respect is your own...

[leemajors]

i think ben wallace is big enough to stick up for himself, and neutralized the tactic by asking to have dice put in. sheed was just acting stupid.

[Sec24Row7]

Detroit's "Thug" "Hard" mentality is contrary to sportsmanship.

I respect their abilities as a team, but wouldn't want my kids to look up to them.

That's one area the Spurs are way ahead.

Rasheed Wallace is an idiot, period.

[jochhejaam]

How was he sticking up for a teammate? Just cause Ben wasgetting hacked, doesn't mean anything. He was exploiting a weakness. Yeah it's wuss but stil legal.
I don't think he was sticking up for Ben, it's like you said, "wuss and legal" and he's upset about the wuss part. Sort of how the SF Giants feel when Bonds is repeatedly intentionally walked.

The NBA doesn't care too much for it either since the fouling team is penalized in the final 2 minutes.

[jochhejaam]

He's a thug on the basketball court.
I consider a thug as someone who's a dirty player and Rasheed doesn't fit that description.

[FreshPrince22]

This kind of thing is what makes Rasheed great. Dunleavy uses a legal, but cheap, tactic that makes Rasheed's teammate look bad, and Rasheed sticks up for him. Not only does he give Dunleavy a piece of his mind, he also nails back-to-back threes to seal the deal. This is exactly why the Pistons chemistry is so good. Rasheed could care less about what anyone else thought about him. All he cares about is that his teammates when he's out on the court.

Sec24row7, you're clueless. He was not being "thug" by backing up his teammate.

[himat]

The reason he talked like that to dun;leavy was because when he coached rasheed in portland they got to game 7 in the west finals, and even though they had the lead he made the blazers foul shaq, and the lakers ended up winning.

[ABDENOUR POWER]

He's a thug on the basketball court.


Rasheed was just sticking up for Ben and calling out Dunleavy for always employing such wussy tactics. If you can't win the game straight up, get off the court.

You're calling Rasheed a "thug on the court"? That seems a bit odd coming from a fan of a team who has a certain player known for playing dirty and kicking an opponent in the face. :rolleyes

[Darrin]

rasheed can act like such a child, you'd think he would grow up at some point.

This isn't immaturity, this is being a leader. Think about it: by sticking up for a teammate against this strategy, he's deflected the media attention of Ben Wallace as an historically bad free throw shooter. I understand the pride of Big Ben and saying "take me off the floor" but that is exactly what Dunleavy is trying to get the team to do.

Mike Dunleavy has had a lot of success in this league, but he's been dead-wrong on this issue from the beginning. I understand fouling to stop the clock as clock management, and I understand designing a defense to keep the ball out of the best shooters like Chauncey Billups and Richard Hamilton. But this isn't basketball and I have yet to see it work.

Several years ago in a Playoff series between the Utah Jazz and the Seattle Supersonics, the Sonics playing at home in game four of a first-round series, won handedly. With the defense relaxed as Gary Payton dribbled at the top of the key, Payton launched a 3-pointer at the horn as an extra message - we don't respect you. While I don't believe in tit for tat, and the Pistons would've looked bad, I wanted so badly for Rasheed Wallace to launch a three at the horn just like GP. The game obviously over, Wallace shows the same respect to the unwritten rules of basketball etiquette as Mike Dunleavy did.

Luckily, and thankfully, the team responded in a much mature way than I would've had in that moment.

[Darrin]

i think ben wallace is big enough to stick up for himself, and neutralized the tactic by asking to have dice put in. sheed was just acting stupid.

I don't think so. I think that Rasheed Wallace receives a lot of negative attention and its shading his actions here. You (general use, not specific) already hate Rasheed so why not use that reputation to stop Ben from hearing questions about this for the next two weeks or to see it later on in the playoffs.

I have watched this happen in four games against Wallace - in a 2000 game against his former team Orlando, in game six of the 2003 playoff series with Orlando, and the two Clippers games. The Pistons are 4-0 when a team employs a hack-a-ben strategy.

Neutralize it? Why do the Pistons have to take their best defender off the floor because Dunleavy doesn't have confidence in the defensive abilities of his team?

[Winnipeg_Spur]

The reason he talked like that to dun;leavy was because when he coached rasheed in portland they got to game 7 in the west finals, and even though they had the lead he made the blazers foul shaq, and the lakers ended up winning.

I'm pretty sure the Blazers didn't use hack-a-shaq in that game. The reason they lost was beacuse Sheed and the rest of the Blazers played the fourth quarter as if Shaq's hands were clasped around their collective necks. One of the biggest choke jobs in history... Still makes me angry just thinking about it. :pctoss

[Darrin]

I'm pretty sure the Blazers didn't use hack-a-shaq in that game. The reason they lost was beacuse Sheed and the rest of the Blazers played the fourth quarter as if Shaq's hands were clasped around their collective necks. One of the biggest choke jobs in history... Still makes me angry just thinking about it. :pctoss

Just imagine how Rasheed feels.

[jochhejaam]

It's a strategy that doesn't work and sends the message that your team is better than ours so we're going to try something unorthodox in order to win the game.
Trainwreck aptly described it as "wussyball".

[samikeyp]

IMO, its just as disrespectful for a coach of one team to engage a player of the opposite team in that way. To his credit, Sheed has not been the problem child with Detroit as he was with the Blazers. That goes back to the team-first attitude that has made the Pistons successful. While legal, it is a bullshit way to play. A lot of us Spurs fans, myself included, didn't like it when it happened to Bruce Bowen and Tim Duncan, so we can't bitch at Detroit getting mad. I don't think what Sheed did was neccessary but the idea that he is willing to stick up for his teammate works for me.


That seems a bit odd coming from a fan of a team who has a certain player known for playing dirty and kicking an opponent in the face.
:lmao @ the fact that people like you think this was intentional. :lol

[Marklar MM]

:lmao @ the fact that people like you think this was intentional. :lol


You know that it was...don't deny it. :spin He had to try those kung-fu moves on someone.

[ABDENOUR POWER]

:lmao @ the fact that people like you think this was intentional. :lol

:lol I don't think he actually did it on purpose, I was just trying to make a point. You know .... Spurs fans call Sheed a thug, many leagewide fans call Bowen a thug for "dirty" tactics.

The karate kick was just too good for me to pass on. :lol

[leemajors]

i don't mind sheed as a player, i just think it's childish for him to continue to hold a grudge against dunleavy.