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Few days off...rested and refocused. There is no reason why we should lose this game.
Detroit (10-6) at San Antonio (9-7) Preview
Game info: 8:30 pm EST Tue Dec 2, 2008
TV: Away: FSN-Detroit Home: My35
By Justin Einhorn
Because they haven’t been to the NBA finals since 2005 when they lost to the San Antonio Spurs, the Detroit Pistons have made some big changes. They don’t seem to be working.
While the core of the Pistons appears troubled, the Spurs only recently got theirs intact going into the teams’ matchup on Tuesday in San Antonio.
Since the Spurs beat them to win the 2004-05 championship, the Pistons have switched coaches twice, let Ben Wallace go and last month, traded Chauncey Billups to Denver to get Allen Iverson.
Detroit (10-6) has only managed to split its 12 games since Iverson joined the team, and he caused a distraction by skipping Thanksgiving practice. That incident prompted coach Michael Curry, in his first season replacing the fired Flip Saunders, to keep Iverson out of the starting lineup for the next game and the star guard was fined.
Now Iverson may be unhappy with his playing time, and he might not be the only Detroit player feeling that way.
Iverson has averaged less than 31 minutes and 13.4 points over the last five games. Those numbers are more than 10 minutes and 14 points below his career averages.
“I’m sitting more right now than I ever have in my career, and my rhythm isn’t there,” said Iverson, shooting 33.9 percent from the field in his last five games. “I’m missing shots that I normally knock down 110 percent of the time, and that’s all on me.”
Tayshaun Prince, meanwhile, was benched for the fourth quarter and played less than 23 minutes Sunday in a 96-85 home loss to Portland. The Pistons were outscored by 23 points when he was on the floor.
“He just wasn’t playing well,” Curry said of Prince, who had played at least 30 minutes in every other game.
Prince was not happy to hear about Curry’s comment, according to what he told the team’s official Web site.
“I thought I was playing pretty good, if you ask me,” said Prince, who was held to 10 points for the second straight game.
“I don’t know what’s going on. Hopefully, (coaches) could have said something after the game and let us know what was going on. They didn’t do it, so I don’t know.”
While Prince has been one of the mainstays who’s helped Detroit reach six straight Eastern Conference finals, the key figures who led the Spurs to three NBA championships during that same span hadn’t all played together this season until last week.
Though Tim Duncan has been healthy all season, Manu Ginobili had been out following offseason ankle surgery until returning last Monday and Tony Parker missed nine games with a sprained ankle before coming back Friday.
Ginobili and Parker may need to step it up offensively because Duncan has been a bit off, averaging 15.5 points and 9.7 rebounds in the last six games while shooting 42.5 percent from the field.
He shot 1-for-9 in the first quarter Saturday as the Spurs fell behind by 13, and finished 6-for-18 in a 103-84 road loss to a Houston team playing without Tracy McGrady.
“I played an awful game in the first half,” Duncan said. “I couldn’t hit any of my shots.”
Ginobili is averaging 13.0 points but has played less than 22 minutes in each of his four games. Parker had 15 points and seven assists in each of his two games since returning.
Saturday’s loss ended the Spurs’ four-game winning streak and marked the first time in 12 games they have given up 100 points. Detroit is 9-0 when scoring at least 100.
The Pistons have won four of six meetings with the Spurs, including both last season, since the teams met in the finals.
Notes
Pistons:
F Rasheed Wallace hit a 3-pointer with 7:30 left in the first half to move into fourth place on Detroit's franchise list with 496. He had been tied with Terry Mills. ... Coach Michael Curry has been frustrated with the inconsistent energy level of his team. "I shouldn't have to search for where I'm going to find my energy," Curry said. "I coach the game. I can't coach the energy." ... F Jason Maxiell had a career-high three steals. ... The Pistons are 0-4 on Sundays this season.
Spurs:
G Tony Parker made his first start in nearly a month for San Antonio in Saturday's game at Houston. He had missed nine games with a left ankle sprain. He came off the bench in Friday's win over Memphis, collecting 15 points and seven assists in 17 minutes. He took over for a while in the third quarter against the Rockets and finished with 15 points on 5-for-12 shooting with seven assists. ... F Matt Bonner scored a season-high 17 points against Houston, hitting 6-of-7 from the field including 3-of-4 on 3-pointers. He also grabbed five rebounds in 22 minutes. ... G Manu Ginobli managed 11 points in 21 minutes for the Spurs. ... The Spurs return home to play Detroit on Tuesday.
Team Stat Leaders
Points
Allen Iverson Det 17.8
Tony Parker SA 23.9
Rebounds
Rasheed Wallace Det 8.4
Tim Duncan SA 10.0
Assists
Allen Iverson Det 5.6
Tony Parker SA 6.1
Injuries
Detroit
No injuries reported.
San Antonio
No injuries reported.
Last edited by duncan228; 12-01-2008 at 04:40 PM.
Few days off...rested and refocused. There is no reason why we should lose this game.
But they will anyway.
Tsk Tsk doubting Thomas
PISTONS NOTEBOOK: Iverson experiencing a scoring slump
By Dana Gauruder
AUBURN HILLS — Allen Iverson knew he would have to change his game when he joined the Pistons. He never thought he’d experience a scoring slump.
Iverson has not scored more than 17 points in the last five games, including a nine-point outing against Portland on Sunday night. He was 2-for-9 from the field and had just three assists.
It’s not a matter of practice, including the one he skipped on Thanksgiving. He’s used to being among the league leaders in minutes but hasn’t played more than 35 in any game during that stretch.
“My rhythm is not there,” he said. “It’s kind of a different situation for me. I’m sitting more than I usually do, more than I have in my career. This is the most I’ve sat down in my career. My rhythm is not where I want it to be, but I’m positive and I’ve got a lot of confidence in my game . I know it will come back.”
Iverson is used to having the ball in his hands more often, too, but many of his recent misses have been right at the rim. He’s shooting 20-for-59 (33.9 percent) from the field since he scored 23 points against Cleveland Nov. 19.
“That’s just all me,” he said. “I’m supposed to make those, regardless if I missed a whole year of basketball. It’s just me being off. Once I miss layups like that, I know it will be a rough night for me. Those are shots I usually knock down 100 percent of the time.”
The Pistons are 6-6 in games Iverson has played. Iverson knows there are better days ahead for him and his teammates, but that doesn’t do anything to change his mood.
“This is the most frustrating time,” he said. “You know it’s going to happen and you know you’ll get there but this is the point where it’s most frustrating. It’s just difficult to deal with.”
This will be a good test. Let's see if Hill can put a dent on AI's offense.
show 'em what you can do, Georgie!
"AI's offense"
.... he's been in a slump for the last few games, can't even make layups.
Tuesday: Pistons (10-6) at Spurs (9-7)
Express-News
Time: 7:30 p.m.
TV: KMYS
Radio: WOAI-AM 1200, KCOR-AM 1350
STARTING LINEUPS
POS - SPURS - PISTONS
PG - 9 Tony Parker (6-2, 8th yr) - 1 Allen Iverson (6-0, 13th yr)
Jury still out on The Answer in Detroit; Pistons 6-6 since trade.
SG - 8 Roger Mason Jr. (6-5, 5th yr) - 32 Richard Hamilton (6-7, 10th yr)
Spurs must be creative to get Mason minutes with Parker, Ginobili back.
SF - 4 Michael Finley (6-7, 14th yr) - 22 Tayshaun Prince (6-9, 7th yr)
Prince hitting 50 percent of 3-point tries.
PF - 21 Tim Duncan (6-11, 12th yr) - 30 Rasheed Wallace (6-11, 14th yr)
Duncan coming off rough shooting night (6 of 18) against Rockets.
C - 7 Fabricio Oberto (6-10, 4th yr) - 38 Kwame Brown (6-11, 8th yr)
Former No. 1 pick Brown is on his fourth team in eight seasons.
SPURS RESERVES
15 Matt Bonner, F, 6-10, 5th yr
20 Manu Ginobili, G, 6-6, 7th yr
3 George Hill, G, 6-2, 1st yr
12 Bruce Bowen, F, 6-7, 13th yr
40 Kurt Thomas, C/F, 6-9, 14th yr
35 Anthony Tolliver, C, 6-8, 1st yr
5 Ime Udoka, G/F, 6-5, 5th yr
PISTONS RESERVES
28 Arron Afflalo, G, 6-5, 2nd yr
12 Will Bynum, G, 6-0, 2nd yr
5 Walter Herrmann, F, 6-9, 3rd yr
25 Amir Johnson, F, 6-9, 4th yr
54 Jason Maxiell, F, 6-7, 4th yr
3 Rodney Stuckey, G, 6-5, 2nd yr
6 Alex Acker, G, 6-5, 2nd yr
COACHES
Spurs: Gregg Popovich
Pistons: Michael Curry
INJURIES
Spurs: None.
Pistons: None.
PROJECTED INACTIVE PLAYERS
Spurs: Jacque Vaughn, Blake Ahearn, Ian Mahinmi.
Pistons: Walter Sharpe.
NOTABLE
Spurs are 1-3 this season when allowing 100 points or more. Only victory was by 129-125 score in double-overtime at Minnesota. ... Spurs own two of top four 3-point shooters in the league — Mason (52.4 percent) and Bonner (51.5 percent).
- Jeff McDonald
wow, so even with Parker and Ginobili back they don't expect Bowen to start.
I didn't know Bonner was shooting that well.
If Iverson keep sucking...and Prince keep sitting on the bench while disgruntling with Curry, I think there is no reason that we can lose..it should be an automatic win for sure. But those two factors might change, i hate NBA surprise though
Pistons face Spurs in Alamo City
(Sports Network) - The Detroit Pistons will try to get back on track this evening when they pay a visit to the San Antonio Spurs at the AT&T Center.
The Pistons have lost three of five and had a two-game winning streak come to an end with Sunday's 96-85 setback to the Portland Trail Blazers at The Palace of Auburn Hills. Richard Hamilton contributed 18 points and Rodney Stuckey ended with 15 points, six rebounds and five assists for Detroit, which went 2-2 on a four-game homestand.
Rasheed Wallace added 11 points while Tayshaun Prince had 10 and Allen Iverson chipped in just nine on 2-of-9 shooting. The Pistons are only 6-6 since acquiring Iverson from the Denver Nuggets.
San Antonio had a four-game winning streak halted with Saturday's 103-84 defeat to the rival Houston Rockets at the Toyota Center.
Tim Duncan and Matt Bonner both scored 17 points for the Spurs, who got 15 points and seven assists from Tony Parker. Manu Ginobili had 11 points in a losing effort.
The Spurs have won three in a row at home and own a 5-4 mark as the host.
Detroit went 2-0 against San Antonio last season and has won five of the past seven matchups. The Spurs have won nine of 11 and 15 of the last 19 as the host in this series.
Overlook Pistons and Spurs at your own risk
The Pistons visit San Antonio tonight, the teams looking enough like the 2005 NBA Finals opponents to rekindle memories of the only Finals to go the full seven games in the past 14 years. That should be enough to get this game listed first on the NBA marquee.
But with NBA attention riveted on the runaway starts by the Celtics, Lakers and Cavaliers - a combined 45-6 through Monday's games - Pistons-Spurs feels like the "Hey, What About Us?" game.
When Manu Ginobili started the season on the inactive list after having surgery to repair ankle damage exacerbated by his Beijing Olympics experience, and then Tony Parker went down with a badly sprained ankle of his own, pundits wondered if the Spurs - whose every-other-year cycle of winning NBA les comes due again in June - would even make the playoffs this season. But they're sitting at 9-7, Parker and Ginobili are back, and you can bet nobody will be happy to see the Spurs come the playoffs.
Same for the Pistons. When Joe Dumars stunned the basketball world with his month-ago trade of Chauncey Billups for Allen Iverson, some saw it as a move made more with the future than the present in mind and wrote off the Pistons' chances of lasting into yet another June.
You can bet that there won't be a skeptic on either side tonight, though. The Pistons and Spurs hold each other in the highest esteem, from the top of the organizational flow chart to the 15th man in street clothes at the end of the bench.
It's no accident that these two teams have managed to sustain success, even though they haven't used quite the same blueprint.
It starts with the key decision-maker in each franchise. That's Joe D for the Pistons, of course; for the Spurs, it's their coach, Gregg Popovich. Power is centralized in his hands in San Antonio, surrounding himself with astute personnel evaluators and letting them do their jobs.
Dumars built the Pistons through terrific trades (Rip Hamilton, Rasheed Wallace), a phenomenal record for picking up free agents on the cheap (Chauncey Billups, Ben Wallace) and finding in the draft players who greatly exceeded their slot (Tayshaun Prince, Jason Maxiell, Rodney Stuckey, Arron Afflalo, Amir Johnson).
Popovich had the great good fortune of timing in San Antonio, being named head coach in December 1996 and winning the lottery six months later for one of the biggest no-brainer No. 1 picks of all-time, Tim Duncan. Who knows if any of the four les they've won since Duncan came on board would have been possible without him?
But this much is certain, too: If the Popovich-led Spurs hadn't found All-Stars Ginobili and Parker late in the draft, the last three of those banners wouldn't be flying above center court at the AT&T Center when the Pistons take the floor tonight. And Popovich and GM R.C. Buford have shown great touch in finding the perfect role players to put around them, taking Bruce Bowen off the journeyman's scrap heap and grabbing Robert Horry when he was highly productive, to name the two most prominent.
The teams are approaching a similar transitional stage now, too. Duncan, though still a bona fide All-Star, probably shouldn't be playing the 35 minutes a game he's had to play to this point to cover for the Ginobili and Parker absences, just as Wallace has had to play extended minutes until Antonio McDyess' imminent return to give the Pistons a scoring threat in their frontcourt.
Both teams are attempting to defy the convention that suggests a downturn is inevitable after an extended period of success by rebuilding on the fly. With the Pistons, the future is led by Stuckey, a dynamic young point guard, with Hamilton and Prince still with prime years ahead of them, and potentially outstanding role players in Johnson, Maxiell and Afflalo - not to mention the money Joe D is going to have at his disposal sometime over the next two summers to spend on the bountiful crop of free agents about to blossom.
The Spurs' future is a little less certain. Duncan is a virtually irreplaceable talent. But Parker is still only 26 and Ginobili 31. The Spurs' signing of 3-point marksman Roger Mason was one of the most astute acquisitions of last off-season. They raised eyebrows by drafting little-known IUPUI point guard George Hill late in the first round, but he's already standing out amid a bumper crop of rookies. Young big man Ian Mahinmi hasn't shown much yet, but the Spurs see in him what the Pistons see in Johnson.
And always, the Spurs, like the Pistons, invest prudently. They don't throw another year onto contract offers they know they'll regret, they don't sweeten deals with future draft picks unless the payoff is clear, they don't spend themselves into salary-cap purgatory.
The Pistons and Spurs are constants. They might be playing the role of the tortoise to the hares of the Celtics, Lakers and Cavs of early December, but let's see where everybody's at come April and May. You might want to pay particular attention tonight.
http://truebluepistons.blogspot.com/
Nice piece Pistons < Spurs. Thanks for posting it. There's always something special about a Spurs/Pistons game.
NBA ON FIVE: PISTONS @ SPURS
In 2005 the focus on defence by the Detroit Pistons and the San Antonio Spurs bored America in the NBA Finals. Much has changed since then: AI is in Detroit, Chauncey isn't and the Spurs have got an older core with younger roleplayers. Neither side are the forces on defence they used to be so tonight's game on Channel Five, which tips off at 1.30am in San Antonio, should be higher scoring than 2005.
Season so far
The Spurs record of 9-7 may not look as impressive as it has been in previous years but the team has done well to be over .500 given their injury-hit start to the season. Star players Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker have missed much of the season leaving All Star power forward Tim Duncan playing with a group of inexperienced or has-been roleplayers. The team has won seven of their last 10 and finally are able to field a full strength squad. Despite a lost to Houston on Saturday Spurs fans will be happy with their team's start.
At 10-6 Detroit's record isn't too bad but they are 6-6 since they traded star point guard Chauncey Billups to the Denver Nuggets for Allen Iverson. Not having a real point has really affected Rip Hamilton who is not getting the easy shots he is used to, Rasheed Wallace is more inconsistent than ever and there are rumours Tayshaun Prince is unhappy. The signs suggest things are going the wrong way in Detroit but no-one can doubt the talent they have on their roster.
Key players
Tony Parker: San Antonio: PG: The Frenchman has only just returned to the team following his most recent injury problems. Roger Mason has been a useful deputy but is not a pure point guard. Parker is going against the equally quick Allen Iverson today in what should be a high tempo matchup that could decide the game.
Rip Hamilton: Detroit: SG: In the last three years the usually reliable Hamilton has shot 48.4 per cent, 46.8 per cent and 49.1 per cent from the field, this year he is shooting just 40.6 per cent and his scoring is suffering as a result. The shooting guard needs to find his stroke.
Watch out for
- Anger on the Detroit bench. Allen Iverson and Tayshaun Prince are both believed to be unhappy with the playing time they are getting from rookie coach Michael Curry, keep an eye on how many minutes the duo get tonight.
- The play of Parker and Ginobili. The pair are still yet to hit full flow following return from injury.
- Kwame Brown. The former no.1 overall pick has been hot and cold for the Pistons this year but he still has a lot of talent.
Team news
Both sides are at full strength which would likely mean Parker and Mason starting at guard for the Spurs with Ginobili coming off the bench.
Predictions
Each week myself and my Basketball 24/7 colleague Michael Romyn will be posting up our predictions on Five's game and keeping a tally of the results. In theory we are the experts who follow the game closely but each week we also ask man, a work collegue who has no clue about the NBA. By the end of the season we'll see who the real expert is.
Tom: The Pistons looked poor against the Blazers at the weekend so I'm sticking with the home side (San Antonio win) (Season: 2 correct, 1 wrong)
Michael: San An to win - full squad again and playing at home (San Antonio win) (Season: 3 correct, 0 wrong)
man: Spurs by 12 (San Antonio win) (Season: 2 correct, 1 wrong)
By Tom Rubashow
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