Betrayer

As much as I'd love to see it, I can't buy it. Unlike 2003 we don't have a Tayshuan Prince waiting in the wings to overtake Michael Curry and shut down TMac. Unless you think that's Ron... That said, I'd actually love to see a lineup shakeup. What do we have to lose at this point? We aren't scoring in the half-court with any lineup JB puts out there, so let's take back the paint and try to win the possession battle again. Give me a bunch of double-big with Stew alongside Duren and Reed to match their size and put a better defender on Paulo. Play Ron and more Javonte for disruption. Lean into our identity even harder and just try to impose our will on Orlando for once. If we're gonna go out in the first round, let's go out embracing our identity.

Exactly. Cade and Ausar are the building blocks. First team All NBA PG and a First Team All Defensive wing. While a (real) second All-Star would be nice, you really just need basic 3-and-D players at SG and PF along with a cheap Center. A basic backup ballhandler off the bench who isn't a G-Leaguer would help as well. That's not asking much and luckily you have a 22 year old first time All-Star you can sign and trade this offseason to help get a significant portion of that accomplished.

Rumor was that Weaver wanted to take JD at pick #5 and he got overruled so he traded up to get him. I realize JD's value just dropped across the league, but maybe a sign and trade involving Trey Murphy could be worked out with our former GM.

I've never been so unhappy to be right about something. Before Game 1 I also said Orlando was going to be a really tough challenge for this team - probably our second worst matchup in the East besides Cleveland. I'm not happy about that prediction coming true either 😞

Why is Duren back in the game?

When you’re getting harassed and defended closely all night it makes you tired and sloppy. They look both. Orlando is the more physical team in this series and they look like they want it more on every play.

You see it’s not going well immediately, yet you don’t think about making a lineup change? Just let Duncan keep getting targeted and Duren play like crap.

10 point swing since Stew sat down and Duren came in. Just flip their minutes.

If you get them both right you should get a third that you can only use in the last 2 minutes. Getting penalized for refs making bad calls is just a bad rule.

More Stew and Ausar minutes please. If Duren isn’t giving you offense just play Stew starter minutes for the defensive presence.

He gambles too much.

There’s no reason Stew can’t play some time at the 4. Watch what he did to Franz. Let’s get him guarding Paulo or Franz while Duren or Reed are in there handling Center duties.

Still can’t understand why JB is keeping us so small.

Settling down but this is where Orlando has made a run to open it back up in previous games. Let’s see if the pistons can surge instead.

Terrible start on both ends. Stop leaving Bane! Put Duncan on him and his only job is stay attached. Put Ausar on Suggs or Franz so he can roam more and crash for boards.

Leaving Bane to help on defense or gamble for steals is a bad idea. Maybe that means you stick Duncan on him so Ausar can roam more off of Fraz or Suggs.

Yep. I said it from before the first game - Orlando is a terrible matchup for us. Cleveland is our other worst matchup in the East and that’s our prize if we get out of this round. They’re both big teams that clog the paint on defense. But it’s mind boggling to me that in the regular season we’d see lineups of at least a few minutes with Stew at the 4 and Duren at the 5, yet against this big Orlando team where it would actually be useful JB refuses to play that lineup at all and instead keeps going small.

Terrible performance. I’d like to say Orlando might be the better team, but honestly most of the Pistons just looked like they were taking it easy for most of the game. Where’s the intensity? Where’s the movement and cutting?

Ausar had been unreal.

Orlando blows up the first option on offense and we just go to garbage one on one. Nobody moves off the ball, nobody cuts, no screens. Sleeping on defense. Wtf did JB talk about at the half?

Sleeping on defense.

Just sit Duren for Reed at this point.

Stew might be gone after that hit. He’s got one T already.

Cade falling asleep on these 3 pt contests.

No joke.