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You need to fill more minor league holes when you have zero depth on the farm or your player development apparatus is inept and high to mid round college picks can't make high A.

I think that they gave it their best effort and put in as many hours as any other organization. They just weren't any good at it.

There needs to be massive structural changes to NBA rosters to allow teams to develop young players. I do not know anything about the NHL. But I imagine when the Wings send a kid to the minors they can replace him on the big clubs roster. You can't do that in the NBA. You get 15 roster spots (Plus two 2-way contracts) and that is it. So you have two guys out with injuries in Burks and Bagley, now a third with Duren. You are down to 12 healthy guys on the big roster. With a 9 or 10 man rotation you can't really lose Hayes to the Cruze and only have 11 healthy bodies for the Pistons. They need to expand the rosters to 25 players. 15 on the big team and 10 in the G-League that you can call up as needed. 3 guys get hurt you put them on some sort of IR list where they are out a minimum of 10 (or whatever) days and you can call up 3 G-League guys to replace them. I don't know if that is the perfect fix but something like that needs to be done.

So now I'm down a rabbit hole on these guys. I love one of the comments: "I never knew that I needed a bass solo in the middle of Little Wing". This is an absolutely brilliant version.

Large post time! Haven't thought of this guy in a while, apparently he is looking okay as a defensive defenseman in Finland but man what a bust: This gave Mazur 8 goals in 7 games, I think he's up to 10 goals now: https://denverpioneers.com/news/2022/11/1/du-pioneers-hockey-carter-mazur-named-nchc-october-player-of-the-month In Grand Rapids Beggren is back healthy and he scored. Edvinsson seems to be doing well, 6 points in 6 games. Brattstrom just got sent to Toledo. Wallinder has really developed, he looks comfortable running the power play up top:

Is it too late to share my little girl Lacey? I lost both of my previous cats in the heart of the pandemic, and it took two months to find an available cat, but here she is:

Hello, everyone. Haven't been around for a while, and only just learned that the other site crashed! I was known there as Lousluggage, decided it's a good time for a change. Also I accidentally locked myself out of my FB account, thanks to forgetting to update my phone number. That might be for the best, of course.;)

Let's not compare Casey's offense to the Warriors. Not only do they have the best shooter of all time, they have constant movement, screening, and passing - both on ball and off. They shift the defense because it's difficult to handle that kind of movement and Curry demands a double when he's coming off those screens. And then they make it even harder for you with their "Death Lineup" that has Green at Center, not PF, for even more spacing. The reason you see the Pistons reliant on jumpshots and one-on-one moves is because that is Casey's hero-ball offense and it always has been. A few DHOs that don't shift the defense at all, then you have a low shot clock and the guy with the ball calling for a screen to make a desperation play. Playing two Centers is going to make that even worse. The days of "spacing" with a big man standing at the mid-post, another big setting a screen at the elbow, and a guard trying to work the middle is over. That's SVG thinking. On top of that, we don't have the players to finish in that kind of traffic (just ask Cade about the Pacers game). Playing 2 bigs that can't shoot didn't work 5 years ago and it will work even less now. And again, Stew is a better defender, rebounder, offensive rebounder, and shot blocker - the stats back this statement up, it's not just the eye test. Putting him next to Duren makes you a way better defensive and rebounding team than using Bagley in that role. If you were arguing for putting Bagley with Stew in the starting lineup, you'd have a better argument (although I prefer Duren in there), but Duren+Bagley is a mess. Bagley off the bench next to a shooter allows him to do the only thing he's actually good at - get some buckets near the rim mostly from being in the dunker spot on a spread court. And if people don't want to guard Stew, that's fine - it's a wide open shot for a guy who's becoming a better shooter. He's not there yet, but this is a developmental season. Let him shoot those wide open shots for 20 games and let's see where we're at. My guess is he'll shoot over 33% (he's 31.5% for his career) and I'll take 1 point per possession from a developing shooter rather than watching Bagley, Duren, and Cade (or Ivey) trip over each other with three defenders packing the paint.

The thing with Lake is that I don't know what she actually believes and what is just performative bullshit for the camera. In either case, it is scary because she could actually implement and adopt some of the policies she may only performatively believe in. With Doug Mastriano, and I mean this with all seriousness, I think he reads a book like Mein Kampf, and relates to the fucking thing on a personal level.

I got mine through TIAA. Right now, there is as 5 year CD at 5% at Capital One, McLean, VA. They have a 6 mo CD at 4.3% at Ally Bank, in Midvale, UT At the end of December, I'll be investing in another CD or treasury.

If you hold out another day, they may pay you the $2 to show up.

Bagley is not the answer at PF to defend the likes of Freak or Collins or Tatum. I'm not suggesting he's the answer. But he provides better length and if those elite PFs miss, he helps rebound the miss. Bey and Bogey certainly can't guard those types either and they as a forward tandem hurt team rebounding. Bagley replacing either (likely Bey) helps rebounding. He helps interior scoring. One of the issues with this team offense is it is very, even overly reliant on jumpshooting and one-on-one isolation by Cade, Ivey, and sometimes Bey and Bogey. But none of those guys are an automatic bucket one-on-one the likes of say Luka or Tatum or Durant. The offense will still stall at times. Even with Cade flashing great ability now and then and even with Bogey surprisingly good one-on-one off the dribble against lesser man defenders, it's not always a high percentage scoring opportunity. Bagley gives the starting unit a guy they can give the ball to in the midpost and get a high percentage shot when jumpers aren't falling and the offense goes on a drought. I think you mistake spacing for offensive players being spread apart. That's only part of the equation. That actual spacing is irrelevant if the defenders don't respect it. Isaiah Stewart has been a willing three point shooter. He's even made some threes, some big time threes. Defenders still play 10+ feet off of him. If defenders don't respect Stewart's three, the actual spacing means nothing because the defense isn't also spaced. Stewart has to not only be willing to shoot threes but also make something like at least 35% from three for that shooting to be significant enough to make the defense respect it. Otherwise, it's not really creating spacing. A willing 27% three point shooter does not create spacing. That's Josh Smith. And defenses are thankful when they shoot the three. Basketball has been around for a long time and playing with two big men can still work in today's game of three point shooting and pace. Cade at the strong side elbow, Bagley in the strong side midpost with a two man game. Bogdanovic weakside elbow, Ivey weakside corner and working the baseline, Duren setting picks for those two off the ball. And then he gets in the mix for offensive boards. There's give and take obviously, pros and cons. But four out or five out is not the only way to play offense today. In fact, that might be better than the heavy Cade or Ivey iso while the other four guys stand and watch. You can create spacing with two non shooters at PF/C. The four time championship Warriors start a non shooting PF/C tandem in Draymond and Looney.

1 year T-Bill is 4.8% today.

If I see Verlander coming out of the bullpen in Houston I might get excited..... shades of Max against Oakland in 2013. God, the good old days.

I just want to quibble with this a bit. Nobody here complained at the time. Sure it sucks in hindight but do we really judge all deal in just that vacuum?

That is another problem. The Pistons only control the 15 guys on the NBA roster and the two guys on a 2-way contract. Anyone else on the Cruise currently can be signed to any other team in the league as long as it is an NBA contract. And G-League contracts are only a year long. So at the end of the season the roster goes poof and next year they redraft the entire roster. They need some mechanism that allows them to draft a kid and develop him in the G-League for a couple of years.

It was a rebuild, just a failed one

One of my favorite non-hits from the 80s. I know this got a little bit of airplay, but should have had more. I don't think they ever did another album together.

Which is exactly most Republican legislatures prohibit early counting of absentee ballots. To stir controversy and discontent.

I feel the same way about Bob Dylan. Absolutely a great writer but I cannot tolerate his vocals. Love his songs by other people.

Whoever this Main Squeeze dude is, he killed it signing Have a Cigar by Floyd.

kyrie donated $500,000 to organizations devoted to stoppimg people like kyrie irving.

A-Hah! Now I get it... you're just lying... Let's see: Tarik Skubal - 9th round, 2018. Kerry Carpenter - 19th round, 2019. Beau Brieske - 27th round, 2019. Kyle Funkhauser - 4th round, 2016 There are lots of others, but, yeah... Avila paid "NO ATTENTION" to the lower rounds. Please stop lying. 2022: Javier Osorio, $2.2 million. Samuel Gil, $1.2 million, Josue Breceno $800K, Heison Sanchez $800K. 2021: Christian Santana, $2.95 million, Abel Bastidas, $1.175 million. 2020 (held off till 2021 due to pandemic) 2019: Roberto Campos, $2.85 million. 2018: Jose De La Cruz, $1.8 million, Adinso Reyes, $1.45 million. Represented, or underrepresented does NOT preclude them from signing international free agents. Whether you like that or not. Whether you like the signings or not. What? Avila traded Justin Wilson and Alex Avila for Jeimer Candelario (23 yo) and Isaac Paredes (18 yo). That was a trade for the future. Avila traded Michael Fulmer for Reese Olson (22 yo). That was a trade for the future. Avila traded Shane Greene for Joey Wentz (21 yo) and Travis Demeritte. That was a trade for the future. He had others too. Again... you're just lying. I see. No matter what Avila's players turn out to be, even if championship level... you're just going to call it luck in order to discredit Avila. Got it. That sounds like a political agenda/ political spin-doctoring. Not interested. This discussion is finished. Go ahead and call it whatever you want to. It was a rebuild. Like it, love it, or hate it, it was a rebuild.

For the most part, teams are not looking for primarily defensive players for their backup guards. He needs to be at least average on offense.

We're keeping the "failed starter" t-shirts.

I’m not sure if it makes me laugh or cry. Maybe both?

You really need to tone it down.

Today - On my way back from grocery shopping, at a stop light. Too funny. Cool helmet. 🎃😁

I’m not much of a thread starter, but I’m mourning the loss of my boy tonight and didn’t have much else to do. Thought I’d start something in his memory. Charlie was hit by an SUV on Rochester Road this afternoon after he got loose of the leash while my foster son was walking him. I was at work. He helped me out of many a dark place this past summer. I’m doing better now, but I’m going to miss him like crazy. Figure this can be a place to talk about all our doggos and pets and how much they mean to us.