memories

[Darrin]

Very true although the Grant Hill era brought us some hope. I remember when we traded Ratliff for Stack and I THOUGHT we had a great one two punch. Man was I wrong....But them dark days are long gone.

It was painful to watch the Pistons as the Bad Boys were breaking up. Vinnie Johnson being waived, John Salley shipped off to Miami, Chuck Daly being forced out by Ron Rothstein, Bill Laimbeer's comments about Jack McCloskey, McCloskey leaving, Rodman's "leave of absence"...Part of the reason Dumars is so beloved is because he signed a 4-year contract extension while all of this was going on.

He could've gone to Utah and had just as productive career for a classy, tough organization. He could've gone to San Antonio or Houston or New York and battled for NBA Championships. He could've even gone to Chicago and played with his good friend Michael Jordan. People around here know what he gave up to stay in Detroit.

All of that melted, for me, in 1995. They had the 3Hs - Hill, Houston, and Hunter. Terry Mills and Joe Dumars were still here and Doug Collins had just been hired. The defense is what seemed to be missing, and they addressed that by trading the 8th pick for Otis Thorpe, and drafting Theo Ratliff late in the first round. They discovered Michael Curry as a defensive stopper on the perimeter. Suddenly, they are back in the playoffs.

Although they lost Houston to the Knicks for about 20 million less than he would've gotten with Detroit, and subsequently passed on Dikembe Mutombo as their center, things seems better in 1997. I loved that team, and still do. They could D up anyone, they beat the best teams in the league, and had outstanding performances by Hill, Hunter (especially in the postseason), and Terry Mills.

But as soon as that season ended, the Palace went through another 3-year drought of ridiculous moves (trading Bonzi Wells for a 2nd-round pick?), busts (Loy Vaught, Jud Buechler), and soft players (Bison Dele and Christian Laettner). It just turned all that promise into just more bitter disappointment. I couldn't believe the Pistons traded Ratliff; I had a completely different reaction to that trade and it had nothing to do with Stackhouse.

It got to the point that I saw a great performance by the Pistons as an abberation. They lost so many 4th quarters. I think Gentry was 2-19 taking a lead into the fourth before he was fired in 2000. It was something ridiculous like that. They couldn't stop anyone, and so there was this impending doom they would lose no matter the score.

[Jimcs50]

hahaha u must have been an animal in college.

I do not want to brag.....but they do have a social disease named after me at College Park, Md.

[DisgruntledLionFan#54,927]

I love that Sean Elliott thread. I still stand by my reasons for thinking Elliott's a ...

[spurofthemoment]

I also remember when I saw Timmy at Wake and losing to Marcus Camby and UMASS but never thinking for once that Duncan would put on the silver and black

[spurofthemoment]

Got damn that was a good post

thanks a bunch

[spurofthemoment]

We got Elliot back for nothing? Under Bob Hill's expert guidance Bill Curley would have been a HOFer.

YEAH I can here Bill Walton right now Bill Curley is so overpowering in the paint