Should the Pistons bulldoze? - Dallas-Mavs.com Forums

Windmill360 · 06-03-2007, 02:07 AM

Quote:

Pistons' championship window might be closed

By LARRY LAGE, AP Sports Writer
June 3, 2007

CLEVELAND (AP) -- The Detroit Pistons' reign atop the Eastern Conference is over.

This year, for sure.

Maybe in the near future, too.

The Cleveland Cavaliers beat Detroit 98-82 Saturday night in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals, eliminating the East's top-seeded team with four straight wins that likely will lead to an uncertain offseason.

Anything is possible.

Coach Flip Saunders might only match the two-year tenure that his predecessors, Larry Brown and Rick Carlisle, had before exiting with a buyout and a firing, respectively.

"I feel comfortable," Saunders insisted.

Chauncey Billups, who is expected to be one of the NBA's top free agents this summer, may also be elsewhere next season.

The All-Star point guard said if Detroit's offer is equal to the best deal he can find on the market, he expects to be back.

"Hopefully it all works out, but that's down the road," he said.

Chris Webber will be a free agent, too.

The 34-year-old center hinted, however, that he might retire.

"Right now, it hurts. I don't know," Webber said. "It takes a lot of energy."

The Pistons may also decide they're tired of Rasheed Wallace's act.

Wallace needed to be restrained from physically going after an official after getting ejected with two technicals early in the fourth quarter as the Cavs pulled away.

"It was a tough time for that to happen," Billups said. "He played his heart out, but he kind of lost it. He's very emotional and that's what we love about him."

The Pistons used to win games when they faced adversity, but they simply crumbled against the Cavs.

On the brink of elimination or with a chance to advance, the Pistons are 20-4 dating to 2003, with three current starters playing key roles. The setbacks in the pressure-packed situations came Saturday night, as defending champions in Game 7 of the 2005 NBA finals against San Antonio, in Game 6 of the conference finals last year to Miami and when New Jersey won the conference finals in a sweep four years ago.

When the Cavs took control away early in the fourth quarter, Saunders put his hands on his head and watched in disbelief from the sideline as LeBron James stole a pass and scored at the other end of the court on a three-point play.

While Detroit's run might be over, it certainly was one the franchise could be proud of, with five straight conference finals appearances, two NBA finals and one championship.

Since 1984, only the Los Angeles Lakers have been more consistent in the playoffs, with a run that ended with a sixth straight conference finals appearance in 1989.

"A lot of teams would love to be in this position," Billups said.

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slu...v=ap&type=lgns

Is it time for the Pistons to restructure? Do they have a choice i.e. Billups could be leaving and Webber might retire.

Dirkgreatness · 06-03-2007, 06:12 AM

Pistons=Chokers!

aexchange · 06-03-2007, 08:49 AM

if the pistons want to trade wallace, i'd love to have sheed in dallas. not sure what it would take to make that happen though. if billups leaves, a terry for sheed deal i think makes sense for all parties involved. throw in a draft pick and some other items, it makes us pretty lethal.

alby · 06-03-2007, 12:55 PM

Its time to blow that team up, it already started last year with Big Ben

Ben Wallace is overrated defensively, but you can't expect to lose in the ECF with him one year and win it without him in the next.

dude1394 · 06-03-2007, 01:07 PM

Must have been the owner making a basketball decision.

But in seriousness...Without Wallace(and Larry Brown probably) their identity was kinda shot. Not really a defensive-based team anymore. Good but not great.

Dtownsfinest · 06-03-2007, 01:27 PM

Not time to blow it up. Just get Wallace out of there. Clearly he's overstayed his welcome in Detroit. Billups, Hamilton and Prince have lots of years left in them. I'm guessing Webber is gone. Re-sign Billups and with Hamilton and Prince they are a playoff contender still.

AxdemxO · 06-03-2007, 01:32 PM

Wallace overstayed his welcome?? Are you serious..I mean everyone in Detroit loves the guy. Personally he is one of my favorite and and as some1 mentioned earlier if they do decided to get rid of him I would love for him to come to Dallas...we need some1 like him that has that passion and can do the things we ask..play D and score down low...even 3's

Janett_Reno · 06-03-2007, 02:27 PM

Detroit is very talented. They are deep also. Players they must decide on.
McDyess, Rasheed, Billups and Webber.

They love playing big and alot of power forwards. Webber has been a good player and i am not a fan of his but he has been good and i thought he was done. Then Detroit got him and the went on a tear. He did good with them. Miami want's Billups bad. Rasheed i can't stand but he has so much talent. I wish we had McDyess.

Dallas has a bad problem with Golden State and no it is no fluke, they match up good to us and they are better than us and beat us, period. No excuses. We have to fix that.

Detroit is the best team in the east besides they can't get past Cleveland. No fluke here and not lucky, Lebron penetrates their defense and breaks their great defense down. Yes, Detroit has a great defense. This Lebron James is maybe the best talented player i have ever seen at his young stage and he is big and not skinny. Kobe and Jordan looked great also. I am not saying Lebron will ever match and mature the way Jordan did. He was the greatest. It will take many, many years to see if Lebron challenges the greatest of all time and injuries are involved with this.

Detroit needs a younger player or younger players to go with all their vet players. They can and will beat anyone in the east except Lebron. They match up well like GS does to us. James has no fear of Detroit.

Who guarded Gibson this last game? I did not watch the game. This kid had 30 something points. This is not allowed by Detroit. Gibson is a rookie. Did Billups guard him?

Detroit has some huge decisions to make. If they are thinking of letting Billups go, guess who is begging for him? Miami. Maybe they can't let him go as Miami is a team that rivals them. One scarry thing to remember, Cleveland is not a complete team and they made it. Great coaching job in the playoffs and great play from their team and Lebron. They will add players next year and be even better.

I don't think Cleveland has a chance against SA but like Kobe and Jordan, this Lebron might show me, he can defy all odds and do it and i would never doubt what he could do. Duncan inside and Duncan won't stop. He is great. Then two flying speeding bullets comming down the lane in Gino and Parker is just to much. We could see some of Bowens undercuts and stepping on Lebrons feet. This could be interesting.

Dtownsfinest · 06-03-2007, 02:37 PM

Quote:

Wallace overstayed his welcome?? Are you serious..I mean everyone in Detroit loves the guy. Personally he is one of my favorite and and as some1 mentioned earlier if they do decided to get rid of him I would love for him to come to Dallas...we need some1 like him that has that passion and can do the things we ask..play D and score down low...even 3's

He's overstayed his welcome because he doesn't take his team into consideration when he's leading the league in technical's. If i'm the Pistons I get rid of him but what team would take him and give up enough to acquire him? I'd take him in Dallas too. He's not a bad player its just that just like Stephen Jackson he doesn't take his team into account when he goes around getting technicals out the ass. Pistons knew the game was over when he got his 7th T because they wouldn't have even had him the next game had they made it there.

Tokey41 · 06-03-2007, 05:00 PM

I wouldn't want him in Dallas... is he going to play as our center!? I don't like the smugness either, he's not THAT good and he's not even the best player on his team. Huge contrast in attitudes with Dirk and Rasheed that sure would be entertaining though (as long as Sheed doesn't turn Dirk into an ego maniac).

Anyway no Detroit shouldn't bulldoze, they still have a few years of contention left (it is after all the East). They should definitely re-sign Billups, and they probably won't shop Sheed around but if they did who would they get to replace him? I think their team is pretty solid just the way it is, they don't have too many holes... but Webber probably won't be back.

alby · 06-03-2007, 07:39 PM

this team lost to the Spurs in the NBA Finals, the Heat in the ECF, and the Cavs in the ECF this year... If they keep the team intact, you might as well call them the Buffalo Bills.

fluid.forty.one · 06-03-2007, 08:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by alby

this team lost to the Spurs in the NBA Finals, the Heat in the ECF, and the Cavs in the ECF this year... If they keep the team intact, you might as well call them the Buffalo Bills.

wait..

How is losing to the Suns, the Heat, and then the Warrors any better?

Windmill360 · 06-03-2007, 09:00 PM

They lost in the East..

jk not making excuses.

MavsWiLLHaVeRinGs · 06-03-2007, 09:38 PM

How are the Pistons the Buffalo Bills when they won a ring?

MavsX · 06-03-2007, 10:01 PM

i hope billups leaves..maybe he will

purplefrog · 06-03-2007, 10:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MavsWiLLHaVeRinGs

How are the Pistons the Buffalo Bills when they won a ring?

Hey! Some of us around here are from Buffalo. This shows an incredible lack of sensitivity

alby · 06-03-2007, 10:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fluid.forty.one

wait..

How is losing to the Suns, the Heat, and then the Warrors any better?

This is the exact reason why I'm advocating for the trading of JET.
You can't keep the exact same team, you just can't.

nah-vit-ski · 06-03-2007, 11:15 PM

How about just get deeper.....they still had little depth and for some reason their stars got cold when it came to ECF time for the second straight year. Oh yeah and I think li'l Flip should go.

nashtymavsfan13 · 06-03-2007, 11:18 PM

I don't see why they should just bulldoze the team, get deeper make a trade but keep building around Rip, Billups, and Prince. They still have a good core and in the East they will continue to compete.

alby · 06-03-2007, 11:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nashtymavsfan13

I don't see why they should just bulldoze the team, get deeper make a trade but keep building around Rip, Billups, and Prince. They still have a good core and in the East they will continue to compete.

are you including Sheed, Webber, Mcdyess? Because, if you aren't--that to me is blowing up the team (3 of top 6 players)