...especially since the Pistons may not make it to the playoffs.Denver has a better chance of winning a playof series than Detroit.
Hard to believe, but true.
Paul, I declared this was a bad trade for Detroit back in early November and I am officially declaring the Pistons have flushed-away their 2008-2009 season by trading Billups for Iverson. They went from a top-five team to a sub-.500 team:
Prior to trade::
Detroit 4-0
Denver 1-3
After the trade:
Detroit 23-26
Denver 36-15
I mostly agree...Wallace hasn't played well, AI is a couple years past his prime and Curry has been ineffective, at best. However, I always thought McDyess was over-rated and should have traded long ago. Additionally, I feel Billups added an intangible element of maturity and leadership that is badly needed by this years team...especially in light of Coach Curry's inexperience. While I don't feel the Pistons would go very far into the playoffs, I do think they would have another 10 wins with Billups.I think they flushed it away when Dumar's hired Curry. I'm betting one and out for this guy. I seriously doubt we would have been that much better with Billups still here. The biggest problem still lies in the front court players. Next seasons changes will reflect this. No defense being played there. We may have had a better record with Billups still here, but come playoff time, this would have been a first round exit anyhow. At this point I don't even see us making the playoffs.
Yes, the trade was a bust, but we weren't going anywhere, anyhow. Wallace and McDyess, just can't play defense like they did just a short time ago. and the frontcourt bench hasn't stepped up as we had hoped. This isn't all on AI, but he isn't the same player he was a year ago either. I saw this demise coming at the end of the 2007 season. Look it up.
I think they flushed it away when Dumar's hired Curry. I'm betting one and out for this guy. I seriously doubt we would have been that much better with Billups still here. The biggest problem still lies in the front court players. Next seasons changes will reflect this. No defense being played there. We may have had a better record with Billups still here, but come playoff time, this would have been a first round exit anyhow. At this point I don't even see us making the playoffs.
Yes, the trade was a bust, but we weren't going anywhere, anyhow. Wallace and McDyess, just can't play defense like they did just a short time ago. and the frontcourt bench hasn't stepped up as we had hoped. This isn't all on AI, but he isn't the same player he was a year ago either. I saw this demise coming at the end of the 2007 season. Look it up.
Iverson's 21 million and Rasheed's $13 million come off the books this year, so Detroit goes into next year with just $33 million in cap committments. Unfortunately, they only have two "keepers", Prince and Hamilton. So while they have lots of cap room, they have to buy nearly a whole new team. If Billups were still in Detroit, he'd be getting I think $12 million next year which is more than he would be worth to them at this point in his carreer, especially for a team that is reloading.
Iverson's 21 million and Rasheed's $13 million come off the books this year, so Detroit goes into next year with just $33 million in cap committments. Unfortunately, they only have two "keepers", Prince and Hamilton. So while they have lots of cap room, they have to buy nearly a whole new team. If Billups were still in Detroit, he'd be getting I think $12 million next year which is more than he would be worth to them at this point in his carreer, especially for a team that is reloading.
"I've done a lot of good things in my life and done a lot of bad things in my life so I don't know," he said. "I hope the good things I've done outweigh the bad things. I'm damn sure I don't want to go to hell."
"I never sat out a whole quarter in my life 'til this year," he said. "I've never been down three with seconds left and not been in the game. ...
"That's what's so different about being in Detroit. ... When I was in Denver with [Carmelo Anthony], at the end of the games the ball was in my hands or Melo's, and there have been times this year when I had no control over having the ball in my hands."
For the entire article...But believe me, I think in my heart me being the focal point of an offense gives us the best opportunity to win. And finishing up my career that will be the team that I'm playing for. If not, then it will time for me to go. Because if I can't play my style of basketball, then there's no need to be playing because I can't help the team that I'm on if I can't play the way I play. Simple as that. Take it any way you want to take it. It's the truth.
Iverson talks about whether he's going to heaven or hell, what went wrong with Detroit this year and where he wants to go next year....
But believe me, I think in my heart me being the focal point of an offense gives us the best opportunity to win. And finishing up my career that will be the team that I'm playing for. If not, then it will time for me to go. Because if I can't play my style of basketball, then there's no need to be playing because I can't help the team that I'm on if I can't play the way I play. Simple as that. Take it any way you want to take it. It's the truth.
I would say HALF bust....there were two reasons for it, cap mobility after 2010 and scoring improvement. Obviously, the scoring part of the trade has not worked, but I agree, the team was/is getting old and the ONLY player that had any major trade value was Billups....so if a trade had to be done, he was the only guy there to go with value. The STILL have the cap space when 2010 comes around so not all is a loss. I think alot of people are down on this team because this team has always been in the upper tier of the Eastern Conference. It just seems not right to see them struggle the way they have been.
What a team guy. This is why the Nuggets shot up the standings when Mr. Practice left, and Chauncey Billups arrived...kind of like I said they would.
That, and considering what's happened to the Rangers, you're becoming as accurate a predictor as I am.
Now, if only you could make an out-of-the-blue prediction like I did with Browns-Giants, Texas-Texas Tech, and the Cardinals making the Super Bowl, I'd elevate you to "Nostradamus."
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I'm sure all of Miami is in mourning....
I hated that the Knicks have sucked....what fun is beating the team you hate when they suck?!
... I hated that the Knicks have sucked.
That this happened in Detroit could have been predicted by the same little ground hog that supposedly predicts 6 weeks of winter....so this was not a surprise.
I don't think they will miss Billups as much as people think because you have players AND leaders on that team. The same was said when Ben Wallace left....he was 'the cornerstone of the defense'.....yeah, right. Made the Bulls instant contenders didn't it? Look, the foundation is still in place of the type of team the Pistons are....hard nosed defense....and neither Allen Iverson coming or Chaunsey Billups leaving will change that.
It's just such a shame I was sooooo right about the Rangers too.
As a Raiders fan, you can attest to that when other AFC West teams went through a period of bad football.