Betrayer

How to Fix the Rotations for Game 2 (alternate title: Things JB Won't Do) PG - Cade 38 min or more (Daniss 10 min - I don't need him on the court with Cade) SG - Duncan 30 min (Huerter 18 min) SF - Ausar 35 min (Green 13 min - corner threes and defensive disruption) PF - Harris 28 min (see Center rotation) C - Duren 28 min (Stew 25 min and Reed 15 min backing up PF and C positions) DNP: LaVert, Holland, Sasser. Backup PF/C Logic: I want to see Stew and/or Reed eat up all the backup PF minutes. They're better equipped to guard Paolo, help us match Orlando's size, get offensive rebounds, and play defense. What about Ron? Their only perimeter threat is Bane and Ausar can match his minutes. After that we just need to match up with their size. Plus, Holland makes a lot of mistakes you can't have in the playoffs and I trust Stew/Reed to space better even as bad as they are at it. Pairings - Typically you have a set of starters come out early and when they come back in, the other set sits. That way you have some starters in at all times. For that strategy I'm pairing up Ausar + Harris to come out earlier and then come back in when Cade + Duren sit. That gives Cade more time with Duren who relies on Cade for offense and more time with Green who can hit all those corner threes Tobias missed last game. It also gives Ausar more time with Stew who doesn't always clog the paint like Duren. And when Daniss comes in he'll have Harris and Ausar with him so he can defer to them and doesn't have to play hero ball. There, rotations are solved. Now someone send this to JB.

As much as you and I agree that paying Duren anywhere near a max would be a huge mistake and would have no problem moving him for the right deal, we also both know the Pistons aren't even considering trading him. He's become the second most recognizable face of this team and is very close friends with their superstar. He's not going anywhere.

*ring* *ring* GM: "Hey Trajan, how's it going?" Trajan: "We want Zion/Harden/McCollum." GM: "What are you trading?" Trajan: "I was thinking we'd give you Ivey." *click* *ring tone* Trajan: "Hello? Hello?" Let's be realistic here. They weren't trading Trae Young or even Darius Garland.

Let's play some trivia: Who are the Pistons top 5 defenders and disrupters? Easy answer: Ausar, Stew, Green, Holland, Reed. Which players played less minutes than usual? Yup, same list. Even in limited minutes that group had 7 of Detroit's 9 steals. Which players played more minutes than usual? Duren. Tobias, and Jenkins - all of whom were not playing well and should have lost minutes. The answer to the Magic making it difficult to score in the half court isn't to try to masquerade as a offensive team. We don't have the roster to be anything but a lottery level offensive team no matter who we put in there. And now the issue is worse because Orlando is scoring every time (as they did in the 4th quarter) and we have to go against their set defense every time. Complete backfire. You can't score in the half-court but you put in a lineup that makes you play in the half-court over and over again. The real answer is a defense that can get stops, steals, and rebounds and allow you to score against Orlando when they aren't set in their half court defense. This isn't new data. It's been this way for 2 years. The team is better on both offense and defense when Ausar is in the game. It's a fact. If the Pistons are going to come back in this series they have to address JB's lineups.

Not sure if the postgame I listened to was a complete video, but from what I saw not a single question was asked of JB or Ausar about his minutes. You have a top 3 finalist for Defensive Player of the Year and nobody who's job it is to ask questions thinks it's important to ask why he only played 25 minutes in Game 1 of the NBA playoffs? Insanity, incompetence, or trying to ingratiate themselves with the organization. You pick.

All of this plus more. Javonte only plays 5 minutes in this game even though he and Ausar were the only spark in the 1st half. He had 2 steals and was +4 on the court. Yet Tobias gets 36 minutes going 1-7 from three and 5-15 from the field with 3 turnovers and can't guard anyone. To make it more painful Tobias' missed threes were from the corners...y'know, the spot where Javonte shoots 50%. Stew with only 19 minutes in a game where JD is absolute garbage is a crime almost as bad as Ausar only getting 25 minutes. JD with 33 minutes and only 8 point and 7 rebounds. He had 3 turnovers, couldn't guard anyone, and was a team low -21. Meanwhile Stew was a +6 in his minutes. We knew this was coming from JB in the playoffs. Wasted a 39 pt game from Cade.

Any reporter who doesn’t grill JB about Ausar’s rotation should be fired immediately.

Masterclass in suicide by rotation.

Just terrible coaching. How do you kiss that challenge? Why sit Ausar when you bring in Stew? You can’t have 2 guys who can play D on the court at once?

Duren doing nothing on offense and terrible on defense. Give me Stew or Reed.

Tobias can’t guard anyone.

JB still killing us with his self imposed Ausar minutes restriction.

Ron’s not ready for the playoffs. Use Green.

Javonte and Ausar kept us alive in the first half. Ausar on the bench and Javonte hasn’t seen the court in the second half.

What a flop.

Wouldn’t mind seeing Reed in at the 4.

Playing poorly on both ends.

Ausar sits. Orlando run begins.

These free throws are killing us.

JB isn’t a strategist.

Not so sure. He’s an RFA so we have his rights. Let the market determine the value. Nobody else will offer him a max and nobody else can give him as many years on his deal.

Anyone still want to pay Duren big money this offseason?

Every time they get close they do something stupid to give Orlando another little run.

Ausar and Javonte keeping us in it.

Franz is such a flopper.