From reading today’s articles it’s evident that the Pistons expected more out of the five game west coast road trip. Chauncey Billups; “I am disappointed in this trip, I am very disappointed. Every one of these games were winnable. To go 2-3 is a bad road trip in my eyes.”, and Rasheed Wallace shared the sentiment; “To me, it’s a downer”.
It’s actually good to hear this from two of the team’s leaders. It sends a message to the young guys that they feel they’re a good enough team to come away with a W despite the situation or adversities. A 2-3 road trip just isn’t acceptable. Credit this to Joe Dumars. He’s put together a roster of character guys and has bred a winning culture. The name across the front of the jersey means something.
The Pistons lost three games they should not have (Portland, L.A., Sacramento). Even with the injuries they were in each of these games but faltered down the stretch. That’s something the Pistons will have to look back on, finishing what they start. On the flip side they won a game they probably shouldn’t have in Golden State. They got down big to a team they’ve not matched up well with in the recent past but showed poise and and resiliency. Instead of packing it in after being 22 points down they instead continued to execute and play defense and came away with a very fulfilling win.
Bricks: Defense - the Pistons gave up an average of 103 points for this 5 games stretch, something a Pistons’ team has not done since 2000-01. Turnovers - the Pistons uncharacteristically turned the ball over a lot, granted Billups wasn’t available for two games but he can’t play 48 min for 82 games so the team as a collective has to take care of the ball. Fouls - Guys are young, it’ll take time to curb. Rotations - This one falls squarely on Flip Saundes’ shoulders. To his credit he was without two starters for most of this trip but some of his rotations have Pistons’ fans scratching their heads. Not sticking with hot hands and being too conservative with time outs hurt the Pistons’ in the losses.
Slam Dunks: The Bench - There’s very little question that the Pistons now have the ability to go deep into their bench if need be. Our young players are ready to step up when called upon, and Jarvis Hayes looks to be another Dumars steal. Cheikh Samb - The 7 footer had one foot on the bus down to Fort Wayne but it looks as if the coaching staff stumbled upon something when they needed another big bcause of injury and foul troubles. Samb showed a good prowess for swatting shots and filling up the paint. Rasheed Wallace - He seems as focused as any point in his Piston career. He’s taken the challenge of playing out of position and leading by example. Plus, he’s only got 1 tech in 10 games and even that one was questionable. + .500 - At 6-4 we’ve still got a winning record that right now is good enough for 1st in the Central. We completed the season’s longest road trip and are above water. We’re not the Chicago Bulls - I’m sorry, I just couldn’t resist. Here’s to hoping that last one doesn’t come back and bite me.
Looking Ahead: The Pistons close out the month of November on a four game home stand, just what the doctor ordered after being out west. We start with two bad teams, New York on the 21st and Philly on the 23rd. Then to a marginal team, Cleveland on the 25th. We finish up with a really good Utah team on the 28th (can we PLEASE get this Utah monkey off our backs?). Notice no back-to-backs? We should be able heal up some aching bodies, speaking of which, number one pick Rodney Stuckey should be back this month!
McDyess said he plans to play on Wednesday when the Pistons host the New York Knicks.
