Not just yet. But I'd be lying if I didn't say that I am thinking about climbing to the top of that fence and sitting on it through this and the next series. I still think this guy can get outcoached at the elite level. But that doesn't mean we can't win. If we win, I'll forgive him for running Ben off in the interest of his "add offense to the Pistons game plan" strategy. I think Chicago will have some nice moments and shine a little in this 3rd game. But I don't think they can take a game from us unless we have a real regression in our focus. Now we don't have a great record with Game 3s, but I still think this team won't beat us. I like the Bulls. I watched a ton of their games this year. But I don't see us melting down enough for it to happen. They're young, they'll get over it and go back to work. One thing I don't get. "Ben Gordon can't guard anyone" from Skiles? (paraphrase of course, but you know what I mean) Really? I thought the Bulls were defense focused across the board. Is he just a shooter then? Kind of a 4 on 5 situation defensively? Is Ben Gordon really a defensive liability or just against Chauncey and Rip? So is Ben Gordon like a Ray Allen type player then? Anyone got an idea about this or Skiles just trying to motivate him? Thanks.
Certainly Skiles was trying to motivate, but my POV after watching Gordon on and off the past two years is that Skiles is right - there are only a handful of NBA guards he can really handle on the defensive end. He is the odd player who plays smaller than he really is. I still can't understand why, if the deal was real, the Bulls wouldn't have jumped on the chance to move Gordon and Nocioni for Gasol. One reason could have been that Duhon has been in a shooting slump the whole year, but still...
Expecting a completely different game from the Bulls... young teams tend to raise their game at home... It did look like they had several good looks and simply missed them... Gordon and Hinrich will do a better job of sticking those shots. They will also get inside more. Expecting some dirty play from their frustration (Thomas) Pick Bulls this game... Pistons next two.
Yes but when it was working for them I do not believe that Webber and Sheed were in at the time. When Sheed briefly came back in before fouling out he was able to get in there quit easily. I am not sure they can play zone with Sheed in there. Although they may back off a bit on their near paranoi trying to front him. Main way that the Pistons can lose this game is early cheap fouls on Sheed, Webber and co. Lets hope that does not happen.
I don't know. He is pretty short for a guard. Pistons height advantage in the backcourt could be what he is referring to. Gordan has been a defensive liability mainly because they can shoot right over him.
Yeah, like the last game we played against the Bulls in the regular season. I was getting all giddy about Ben being out of the Bull's lineup when Bill Laimbeer burst my bubble. He made an ominous prediction that the Bull's would play quite well without Ben...I scoffed at him...but he was right.
The best home team in the East against the best away team in the East (the league???). If we win this game, there's no way we can lose the series, just no way. If we stay away from getting T up (knowing there will be a lot of whistles against us), we should win this game. So, stay away from the refs esp Sheed and Rip.
Leaving in a few hours for the game tonight.. Hopefully I won't bring bad luck to the 'stones by being there. Last time I was there a few months ago, they got blown out by the Bulls...
Just heard on NBA TV that one of the adjustments the Bulls will make tonight - they will go to the basket rather than settle for jumpers. The Pistons must play disciplined defense and perhaps, draw some offensive fouls. So, look for a more agressive Bull team off the dribble!
Big Ben just went all Chad Curtis on Jim Gray, before the game. Apparently Ben was late to the arena, and when Gray asked him why, he said "traffic." Then Gray asked if he expected to be fined and if he still expected to start tonight, and Ben said, "that's on them, they take care of their stuff, and I take care of mine." Then when Gray tried to ask him another question, Ben cut him off and said, "I gotta go warm up" and totally left him standing there! Pretty amusing.
Well, I bailed on the 3rd quarter like a bandwagon a#$ cat and missed the entire comeback. I was so ashamed by that nightmare of a 2nd quarter that I couldn't bear to watch anymore, but they made the comeback and sealed the deal. Ugly finish, with both teams taking bad shots and missing open ones, but the Pistons had enough of a cushion to finish it off. I guess one negative is that the Pistons might assume that they can take entire quarters off now, but you can't complain too much with a 3-0 series lead. The Bulls season is definitely ...time to finish this off in a !
Unbelievable the way the Bulls folded in the second half. I still can't believe it. Really poor basketball by the Chicagoans and great defensive pressure by our guys. Game ball goes to Sheed. REally spirited effort. C-Web gets the big turd award. Gotta bring it every game, bud. I expect some bad games but you can't throw a friggin' goose egg up there in the scoring column. Unacceptable. Man, the guys didn't give up. Makes me proud to be a Pistons fan seeing the shell-shock on Skiles' face. Carlisle's analysis on ESPN: Flip's zone was the difference.
Time to but the Baby Bulls out of their misery. The Pistons definitely schooled them and boy I was so depressed after the first half but oh my what a game! Tay was magnificent and he played almost the whole game which would worry me but since they don't play again until Sunday it worked out great. The bench sure was a no show today but they didn't get very many minutes. Dice needs to get out of his shooting slump but he's still working the boards so his sweet jumper will be there next game. Man I wouldn't want to be in the Bulls locker room right now. Skiles just has run out of moves and who would have thought that Flipper is an all world coach right now.
At least I DIDNT LEAVE..LOL...I just didnt post after the 2-0 lead because I wanted to focus on my drinking! By the 3rd, I was ready to take on the whole UC crowd. We should give our boys A LOT OF CREDIT, cuz that was the most OLD SKOOL like performance Ive seen from this team since 04. Im very proud to be a Detroiter 2nite!!
You gotta give skiles credit. His team struggled and he went with Thomas early. He tried Sefalosha. His team came out geeked in the opening minutes. They just couldn't sustain it. Too bad for them.
Just rewound on my DVR to watch the comeback in the 3rd quarter. The last minute of this quarter was the key to the whole thing. Bulls had scored a couple of times in a row to go back up 9, which looked like it might be enough to weather the storm. But the Pistons went on an 8-0 run in the last minute, with a three from CB, a layup for Dice from CB, and then the last five seconds with Sheed's huge block on Deng and his 3-point dagger on the other end. That set them up for the kill in the 4th quarter, after Tay and CB had led the initial comeback earlier in the 3rd.
