[ChrisWoj]

I'm going to be honest, watching last night's game (only the third I've seen: Sacramento, Los Angeles Lakers, and now Hornets) it wasn't really our defense that killed us. We had a lot of great crucial stops, and we should have held them under 100 points tonight. The problem was completely, entirely... on the glass. We aren't rebounding well at all. Getting the ball back in our hands after we force them to hold the ball for 23 seconds is integral. Two years ago, a year ago... at least five of those NOK baskets would never have happened because Detroit would have pulled down a D-Rebound after the stop.

Our defense is still a 90ppg defense... we're not suffering as much as you might be led to believe by the media. The problem lies on the glass where we're giving up more offensive boards than we have in years. We're getting crucial stops, forcing teams to hold onto the ball and force shots with no time on the shot clock, doing things right. The problem is that teams are getting the ball right back with a fresh 24 instead of missing long, giving us an outlet for some easy baskets.

We miss having a dominant rebounding presence more than anything right now.

[DetBNyce]

Originally Posted by MLKG

Very, very poor coaching at the end of the game...

...That's just unbelievably lazy coaching.

I agree with both of these quotes. Flip is just a bad X's and O's coach IMO. It's like he goes into a game with a plan and doesn't make any halftime adjustments or in game adjustments. The Pistons weren't built for this small ball stuff, it's not our game so I don't think we should try to do it. I understand Dice was hurt yesterday, but at the end of games our lineup should be Dice, Sheed, Prince, Rip, and Chauncey. Our strength is our length, so don't take that away by shifting players up a position.


Defense, while being a big problem isn't our only problem.

This season's ppg vs. last season's ppg:

99.6 - 94.4

Where's this so called great offense.

[JoeD]

I agree that Flip should put rebounders in the free throw spots... He usually goes with one big man there at every point in the game and the other big man will go back to the defensive side of the court (if not there). I don't think it is lazy, I think I've seen it every time. For whatever reason, it is intentional. I can't imagine why.

ChrisWoj, we were horrible at rebounding last night, but actually that is like the first or second game we've been out rebounded. We've had a few of those games now... weird how our big men all get over ten one game and then combine for like 15 in another.

[JoeD]

Originally Posted by DetBNyce

Where's this so called great offense.

I asked this in another thread and someone said that a lot of it is supposed to be from the point guard running the whole offense under broad guidelines/principles rather than Flip calling plays. I think that is true, mostly. So perhaps Chauncey isn't meant for that type of role like Steve Nash or someone.

I agree with you...Flip seems incapable or unwilling of making adjustments during games. In Clevland last year it took him like 5 games to make some adjustments.