Hito

Their methodology is crap, that's why. The ranking are based solely on a comparison to the last GM's final three years, so in the case where a team was flying high, like the red wings, it makes it almost impossible for him to earn more wins. in addition, the wings organization has had more money to play with under his tenure, so he isn't going to spend less. However, someone becoming the GM of a perrenial cellar dwellar can cut costs and get one or two decent seasons in and be ranked much higher.

the last couple of years, I've said which teams I wanted to see in the playoffs and which I didn't. Inevitably, we end up facing on of the teams I didn't want to see early and we get knocked out. Im keeping my trap shut this year.

It's a rivalry, but only one way. Until the predators come out and wash detroit out of the playoff a time or two, the wings just aren't going to view the predators in the same light as our rivals of old. Now that being said, because of the standings issue, and the fact that you guys have had an increasingly good team over the past few years, I have been finding myself getting more and more up for wing/pred games. And having fans getting excited over the games, seeing them as something different, is definately the first step towards a true rivalry. I'm looking forward to the possible match up between us in the playoffs this year.

I think the same aliens that kidnapped the wings and replaced them with blundering doubles have struck again.....

Heh, I thought the same thing while watching the game. Here's to hoping that Aussie gets to see the real Pistons the next time out, and not whoever those hacks were.

Yeah, after the mediocrity displayed by the Wings earlier in the afternoon, it was nice to watch the Pistons dismantle the Bucks. The team looked sharp, and there wasn't much to critisize out there. Of course, the bucks aren't the spurs, so we'll see how they do when they hit a real contender.

I only wish Delfino would see some more time. I've been liking what I've seen this year, and I think given more playing time he could be a real asset. But i suppose it comes down to fieldin the best team now or trying to develope for tomorrow. I'll be pissed if Carlos doesn't start getting some meaningful minutes come next season (and not every dozen games or so like it seems ot be this year).

wow, another impressive performance by Delk last night. I was happy when we got him, and Im glad he's living up to everything I hoped for. So much for our bench being our achilles heal.

The washington game was an aberration. The pistons were playing good D, the Wizards were just making incredible shots. Off balance running jumper from behind the 3 point arc, forced fade aways with hands in your face, it just didn't seem to matter how hard the shot was, everything they threw at the net went down. My feeling is that the pistons will just shake their heads at Washingtons crazy shooting and get to work on getting their stifling D back to playoff calibre. No need to hit any panic buttons yet, they are still the team to beat imho.

In another bit of good news, I heard the league took back one of the techs on sheed. One less to his tally (which is important since he's atarting to approach being suspended for ach one).

Cato will be dumped. no need for him, all sorts of need for the cap space.

Hey, can't be giving away players for free. Arroyo for a dollar and a bag of pucks sounds about right.

fine, she escalated it, but what I saw wasn't battery. Battery requires the intent to cause physical harm. Was she punching him? scratching? sure doesn't look like it to me. What about all those wounds all over axelrods face that should be there if she clawed at him like he claimed. Oh wait, they don't exist. everything I've seen shows the battery charge to be completely groundless. As for slander, considering the Axelrod would have to prove that a) Davis was wrong in what he said davis KNEW at the time that saying axelrod was drunk at the time was wrong and c) that he intended for it to cause damage to axelrod, he doesn't have a case. Frankly, Davis would have a better chance of winning a counter-suit from what I've seen to this point.

yeah, because axelrod is obviously the model of calm (it took him what, less than a day to get a lawyer and say he was suing for 1 million). Axelrod is just looking to make some cash, what Kendra did probably wasn't the best idea in the situation, but it hardly looks like battery. And if that's the totality of his evidence, then his case is going to go onwhere fast. Almost as ludicrous as the slander suit, which has absolutely NO chance. Considering Axelrod would have to prove Davis meant to cause harm, said something untrue, and KNEw it was false when he said it, it'll get thrown out. I don't see Axelrod's evidence standing up.

Well, until we get a self centered prima donna player who consistently puts up highlight reel plays, what do you expect. The media will lament the lack of "team play" in league in one breathe and then spend the next half an hour hyping all the superstars. Casual fans want to see high flying all-star style games. And most places continue to pander to them and the idea that you don't have a shot at a championship without a bonafide superstar player on your team. As far as i'm concerned, they can keep ignoring the evidence, and we'll keep on motorin' along over here in Detroit. I figure it should be good for another championship or two. (Of course, this begs the question, are tyhe Pistons winning because their starting five are turning into stars, or are they becoming star players because they are winning. Chicken or the egg?)

well, in some cases I think it is a trust issue (*cough* darko *cough*), but I think it's as much that we have five starters who are excellent and can all play a lot of minutes every night. I've seen flip give quality minutes to Dyce, Evans, and Arroyo. He's a little more stingy with delfino, but the kid is definately proing himself. We've just got too many people who can play too many minutes to work them into the game as muich as we'd like. I've been pleased with our bench this year and can't think the Flip is any less so.

Yeah, I'm sorry to say, but it looks like all the analysts that picked the Pacers and Heat to come out of the east are fast being made to look foolish by the Pistons.....again. Scary thing is there is no reason we cant keep this starting line up for several more years to come. I can see the Pistons and Spurs going at it in the finals a few more times.

Ya want an opinion on darko? His strongest area is blocking. The kid can sky and swat the rock out of the air like it is just an annoying fly. His weak areas are pretty much everything else. He always seems slow and gets burned regularly on defense, and his offense...well, Im not sure he really has one beyond throwing a shot in the general direction of the hoop and praying. Everybody said the kid can play, but even when Flip was giving him minutes early in games he wasn't producing. At some point I'd like to see what he does over a long strech of playtime for several games, maybe he just sucks off the bench and needs 5 minutes to get into his thing (if he has a thing). as for trading for Artest, **** NO. And I don't even care about the brawl, I think the guys is to egocentric to be on the team. Any team with him on it will have to be about ron artest (he's not as bad as kobe, but still, no way he'll play second fiddle), and that's just not the Pistons. Bringing him in would be poison to the team chemistry

Well, we are quickly approaching one of the games I've been looking forward to since the start of the season here. Pistons vs. Spurs on Christmas. What is everyone's thoughts? The Pistons are going to come out HARD is my gut feeling. They are mad about losing game 7 last year and I think that is a big reason they are 15-2 right now. Going against the Spurs is just going to "spur" them on (*groan*). Unlike some of the games this season where the Pistons have flipped the switch in the third or fourth to put a game away, I think they are goinging to come out with the switch "flipped" from the opening minute. That said, I also think that the Spurs are the only team that can play with Detroit when the Pistons are doing their thing. If both teams bring their A game expect it to be close. But I think it will be a Piston win, as they want to send a message saying "that title was ours last year, and we'll be taking it back."

Yeah, that was the worst game I've seen Sheed play ever I think. Definately not characteristic of how he usually performs. The bench was a lot more solid last night though, and that was good to see.

Yeah, last night was ugly for the bench. Flip started putting them in with the pistons up 12 in the first, and by the half pistons were down. It was painful to watch them brick shot after shot. sitting them last night was probably the right thing, leaving them in there like that would have killed whatever confidence they had left. Now, I do want to see Darko put up a monster game when the Knicks come calling.

Yeah Arroyo's defense is questionable at times, but it doesn't usually hurt the Piston's too much. what irritates me is when I see him dribbling the ball for 15 seconds as he tries to figure out a way to cut the D and then either take a bad shot or dish it to someone who has to put it up with only a second or two left on the clock. All that aside though, he has been more of an asset than a detriment to the team, and is a good bench player.

I watch for Darko sightings