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But Young Flanagan taught us that everything ends badly, otherwise it wouldn't end,
I loved that movie.
(still reading)
I am sure most peeps probably read this. Its total gold, IMO.
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2...simmons/060602
But honestly, I liked this best because its true.
I dont think it could have been explained any better than that. They have been civilised, the ultimate decline.Question No. 12: Are the Pistons done?
Let's rephrase the question: How are the Pistons still alive? The Cavs should have finished them off in Game 6 and lost because Detroit banked home two lucky shots and tipped in a couple of rebounds. Truth be told, the Pistons haven't played a quality, all-around game since Game 1 of the Cleveland series, when they annihilated the Cavs and apparently decided that "we can turn it on and off whenever we want."
You can do that if you have a great team. But as we're learning, this isn't a great team anymore. First, Joe Dumars did nothing to help his bench other than sign Antonio McDyess two years ago -- none of the draft picks or trades helped, and the Darko debacle, from beginning to end, ranks among the most mishandled personnel sagas in the history of the league. Second, you can't grind out those 72-70 wins anymore, not when the various rule changes reward teams that can shoot 3s and attack the basket, and it's just too much of a chore for these guys to score against good defensive teams (especially when they're playing four-on-five with Ben Wallace). Third, they have the wrong coach -- it's obvious now -- and it seems like he's getting more overwhelmed with each game.
Rasheed and the Pistons have suddenly gone soft on us.
But here's the biggest thing: These guys played with a collective chip on their shoulder for two solid years. Nobody thought they could beat the Lakers -- they crushed them. People wondered if they could defend their le -- they made it to the last game of the Finals. Nobody respected them as much without Larry Brown -- they rolled off a 38-6 streak to start the season and crushed the Spurs twice. And everything was going great, and they looked unstoppable ... and then the All-Star picks came out. Billups, Hamilton and the Wallaces all made it. They spent a weekend in Houston getting their butts kissed. And then the wheels came off. It was like the scene in "Rocky III" when Mickey tells Rocky that he needs to retire, that the worst thing happened to him that could ever happen to a boxer -- namely, he'd been civilized. And I think the All-Star Game civilized the Pistons.
In their heyday, they resembled one of those boxers who overpowered opponents simply by outpunching them, by knocking the crap out of them, by coming forward again and again and breaking their will. Since the All-Star Game, they morphed into something different, more of a finesse team, definitely more inconsistent, the kind of team they would have gobbled up two years ago. The wakeup call happened in Game 4 of the Cavs series, after Rasheed guaranteed a victory, when they squandered a winnable game against an inferior team. Great teams show up for those. Even during Game 5 of the Miami series, a deceiving double-digit win for the Pistons at home, the Heat were in striking distance despite shooting an abysmal 6-for-20 from the charity stripe. Six-for-20! And they still had a chance to win?
Sure, the Pistons still can salvage the Miami series. But Young Flanagan taught us that everything ends badly, otherwise it wouldn't end, and this Pistons team reminds me of some other fading powerhouses that were symbolically blown out in a series to end their reign (the '88 Celtics, '91 Pistons and '04 Lakers, to name three). I don't think they have a chance tonight.
More importantly, I hope they get knocked out -- not because I'm tired of watching them, but because I'm bored by the whole we're-trying-harder-tonight-because-our-backs-are-against-the-wall mind-set. Is that an acceptable excuse anymore? Just look at the Western Conference, where the undermanned Suns have been killing themselves for 19 straight playoff games (and counting). No excuses, no empty promises, no tough talk ... just a gritty team that loves playing together, keeps showing up and seems determined to keep winning or go down fighting. And you thought Detroit was the tough one.
But Young Flanagan taught us that everything ends badly, otherwise it wouldn't end,
I loved that movie.
(still reading)
Are you a real Pistons fan?
Hmmm.
Since we're always comparing the Spurs to the Pistons, have the Spurs become "civilized"? Have they become so jaded, so used to the attention, that they just don't try as hard anymore?
I don't believe it, but if it's a valid criticism of the Pistons...
Whatever the outcome of this playoffs, I expect some big changes this summer. Joe D. has never been one to not rock the boat in that aspect. Everyone is quick to declare the end to the Detroit Pistons, but why? The teams he mention in this article were old, this Piston team is not. If they lose tonight, they won't be dead and gone, but will rather retool and come back to fight again. Simmoms wrote:Yup, and that is exactly the types of games that the Pistons have had in this playoffs. They had leads in the second halfs of games 1 and 3, only to see their offense fail them more than their defense. They have had chances to win almost every game they've lost, and yet they are the '88 Celtics or the '91 Pistons? Please. This team grew fat off of what they did before the playoffs, and now are trying to burn that fat off. They might run out of time before thay are done this season, but it isn't because time has passed them by, and they are fading into retirement. Four Straight Conference Finals, Two Straight NBA Finals, One Championship, and they are not finished adding to that resume. To assume anything less would be uncivilized.Even during Game 5 of the Miami series, a deceiving double-digit win for the Pistons at home, the Heat were in striking distance despite shooting an abysmal 6-for-20 from the charity stripe. Six-for-20! And they still had a chance to win?
Perfect! Now D'Antoni's tantrums are twice as enjoyable because you can pepper them with jokes like, "Hey Bavetta, why don't you go back to your home on Island!"
That's a team of floppers, cheaters and guys who push off every time they drive to the basket; they're about four more flops away from being eligible for the 2006 World Cup. How does Ginobili not play for these guys? It must kill him. All right, I'm babbling ...)
Simmons is done now... I used to respect him, but his Clippers homerism is out of control.
Regarding the Suns: "That's a team of floppers, cheaters and guys who push off every time they drive to the basket; they're about four more flops away from being eligible for the 2006 World Cup. How does Ginobili not play for these guys? It must kill him. All right, I'm babbling ..."
Um, has he ever seen Dirk play? Oh yeah, he's in the Pantheon and is just as good as Bird was... right... I forgot... Go Sox and Celtics!! Bird actually got fouled back in the day, and never complained about officiating like Hasselhoff, Jr. but I guess it's been too long for Simmons to realize that...
"It's not a playoff game if D'Antoni isn't yelling at the refs for 48 minutes." Has he ever watched Avery Johnson? Or Sam Cassell? Or Cuttino Mobley? Or Doc Rivers? Or Doug Collins? Or Dirk? Or Stackhouse? Oh, wait, in his "bring back the player-coach" article, Cassell was lauded as being "crafty" and "working the refs." My bad. Seriously, I can't find out how to e-mail him, but find out for me because I'm too angry to look at the screen anymore...
Seriously, when the do they cheat or push off near the basket? I'll give him the flopping because Raja does that a lot on defense, but I don't ever see the Suns flop on offense like Dirk or other such s do...
Hehe...yes. But I am not this cynical because they are losing.Are you a real Pistons fan?
Losing bothers me of course, but it doesnt make me disrespect anyone.
The Pistons just arent playing to potential.
Lets get realistic here, DWade and Snaq are playing out-of-their- ing-minds-crazy-awesome-good. Losing to 2 potential MVPs in a 7 game series where one of them averages near 70% from the floor isnt exactly a disappointment.
What is disappointing is watching "the leagues best mid-range game"(not my quote) miss every open look he has. Sometimes, and this is no joke, 2-3 in a row, on one possession!
Disappointing is watching BWallace decide when and IF he will show up and do the only damn thing he is good at...defense. How many blocked shots does he have again? Exactly...
Excruciatingly annoying is watching a loud mouth, hot-and-cold, y, gifted athlete play the game as if his contribution isnt needed. He thinks his mates will carry him and all he has to do is play good defense to contribute to the team. Uh, o! We already play 5 on 4, thank you very ing much. $14 million (probably the contract Ben gets) for one Ben is fine, we dont need 2 at that price. We need a consistent low post presence. 3's are fine, but exclusively?! Ankle or not, its inexcusable. Oh and....SHUT YOUR GODDAMN MOUTH! Every ing call is not a ing conspiracy! Every time you hack Snaq and wonder "How the could they call ME?! ME!", a baby dies.
Prince = Piston's MVP. Hes a joy.
Bench = C/C- Use it or lose it is the old saying. Flip didnt use it, so he lost it. Which brings me to...
Coaching: Non- ing-existent. This gimmick offense has been exposed. Great when you only see a team once in awhile throughout the year. But in a 7 game series, against a coach of any ac en (Riley, Jackson, Pop, Avery, basically any coach that made the playoffs not named ing Flip), they will adjust to this jumpshooting BS. Combine this whole mess with Sheed's inability (or worse, refusal) to play in the low-post, you have made your team completely one-dimensional and easier (not easy, easier) to defend.
I dont have answers. I am not a coach, just a fan. But it doesnt take "a high basketball IQ" to see apparent holes in a team game. Where they lack, what they do or dont do.
What the Pistons do well is being quickly outnumbered by what they do not.
Its sad, really. Getting by Miami, even if they do, all well and great. Then we get to play Dallas?! Mavs in 5.
Im not bull ting.
Hmmm....you may just have a valid point. I never looked at it from a Phoenix perspective.
I HAVE faith in the Pistons. When push comes to shove, I'd like to believe that they are stronger than they are letting on. When they manage to turn the switch "on" they really turn it on. Plus, Rip and Sheed are due for a good game.
Of course, I had faith in the Spurs too, so take it for what it's worth
What, no one posted this gem yet:
I'm willing to accept Dirk's reign, but only if he accepts the championship trophy by re-enacting Rocky Balboa's speech from Christmas Day, 1986 -- "If I can change, and you can change, EVERY VUN can change!" -- as a sobbing Mark Cuban hugs David Stern in the background.)
I will agree with one point Simmons made: It's clear that Flip isn't as perfect a fit to coach the Pistons as everyone initially thought.
My Spurs fan roommate and I made the Anchorman connection about a year and a half ago, but I guess Bill was still celebrating "reversing the curse"
Well, a lot of people thought Flip wasn't the perfect coach for the Pistons when they first hired him (that changed after the 38-6 start), and said Detroit would suffer b/c of it. He is not the perfect coach for them, but he is not to blame for their missed OPEN jumpers, or the times they became matadors on defense and 'oled everyone to the basket. These past two series they have played a three time MVP, and two All-NBA first team guards/ small forwards, and have had a fight on their hands. The Pistons have been off as of recently, but lets give some credit to guys on the opposing side of the court. Anyone who can shoot 70% for a series, even on his fadeaways is pretty frickin' good. Flip's biggest problem is his inability to make changes during the course of the game, and hopefully he will be able to overcome that and coach a great game tonight, anything less, and Detroit is done for this season.
Hilarious...Simmons is definitely the best.
I like Simmons. He'll rip on any team, any player to get a punchline.
He's an equal opportunity ripper.
I don't like his ideas about the game of basketball, but he's funny now and then. This was good:
Question No. 4: What triggered Hubie Brown's incredible decision to announce the entire playoffs in the second-person?
You have to look at it this way. You are Hubie Brown. You have done everything you could EVER imagine in this league. You KNOW that you are done with coaching, and you KNOW that your broadcasting career is coming to an end soon. You know that your legacy will live on through ESPN Classic, through basketballreference.com and through your proteges spread throughout the college and pro ranks, of which you have MANY. You know that you need to take a sabbatical soon to work on your upcoming book, "The 750 Greatest Timeouts From the Past 35 Years." Now ... you know there is only one accomplishment left for you -- you need to sustain the second-person on live television for TWO months. You know this is a long time. You also know that you cannot waver from this goal, because it could be your legacy. ...
Wrong again. Don't lump everyone when there was one loudmouth punk the entire season telling everyone what was going to happan. Flip is responsible. Hopefully the pistons brass is not filled with people like you. The didn't miss open shots bc of him but bc of him that was their offense. Those shots WILL start to miss, ususally when the preassure is higher.
I ing called that when they talking about 72 wins. No one, and i mean NO ONE had the balls to be outspoken like I did and take from all these Piston es, Jamstone, jocchejam to name a few when times were good.
What up Detroit? Want me to teach you more basketball?
One minor complaint on Simmon's article and the annoiting of Dirk as alpha dog.
So they call the play for Nowitzki, who would have settled for a fallaway jumper as recently as last spring. Not this year. He takes Bruce Bowen into the paint with that herky-jerky, back-you-down move he developed over the summer, sneaks by him, gets to the rim, absorbs the contact from Ginobili, finishes the shot, draws the foul AND buries the free throw.
If you go back and replay the play where Dirk gets by Bowen you'll notice that that "that herky-jerky, back-you-down move he developed over the summer" is actually a full out, arm extended hooking of Bowen by Dirk to get around him.
The drafting and then tradng of Darko has taken Dumars from brilliant GM, best in the league to near Layden/Thomas level in the span of two sesons. Not drafting Bosh, Wade or even Melo first, then trading Darko for nothing but a little cap space to afford Wallace and Billips, and now the question of the Pistons or Wallace even wanting to resign thereby leaving them in possible need of Milicic. That may be the single greatest cluster of all time by a GM .
hehe...picnrolll ...greatest post ever.
history will record not simmons' account of dirk's last second clutch triumph, but that dirk got away with a blatant offensive foul that should have been called to ice the series for you guys in the final minute.
any spurs fans want to help me out and distance from this guy?
Pussyface. Basket was made. FT made. Not a question of whining just what did or didn't happen and how. Just go back and watch the play and honestly tell me if it was a hook or not. Simple as that.
no, actually history already forgot that one. History doesn't remember excuses, it only remembers the facts. If it was called, History would remember it. Until then its only recorded as a minority's opinion.
Some historians still remember how Jordan made the game winning shot against Utah. He made it it, it was clutch, and he got away with a foul making it. This isn't a play of that magnitude but it is what it is. I just contest Simmon's annoiting of Dirk based on this awesome skill he developed over the summer to beat Bowen. That wasn't how it happened. Fact.
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