Hart

Just went back and looked at the box score. We pinch hit for Carpenter in the 8th. It did help in producing a run but we got to start letting Carpenter face lefties to see if he can hit them and be more than the strong side of a platoon.

Maton does need to take a seat for a few games. Maybe go to AAA. You got to think Malloy is extremely close to being called up with the way he and Maton are trending.

The throw was definitely an issue but I would be somewhat more forgiving of the throw if he didn't take his time. You need to assume the running is going in that situation and rush it.

So that's another annoying thing about Hinch. Hinch gives off Ausmus vibes to me where he is well spoken and a former catcher so people think he's a good manager but mostly he just does annoying things.

It sucks when you see all out effort from a guy like Vierling with that slide and then Baddoo blow it for the team with effort like that.

I agree with this too. Hinch is annoying.

That's on Baddoo. No urgency and poor effort.

As far as Ivey's defense, at some point we need to see consistent good effort there to know if he can even be a good defender. You would think with his physical gifts, it would be a no brainer. But given he was not known for his defense in college either, I am a little concerned about that side of the ball long term for him.

They just need the right coach to make sure Cade and Ivey gel. I do think you need to take these games with a grain a salt because there is a lot of very lax defense being played. But the skills are definitely there to be a great backcourt combo for a long time.

I cannot believe how much the technique on Ivey's shot has improved since his days at Purdue. And even it seems like since the beginning of the season. I never thought it would get this far. I was always kind of hoping just for a Shawn Marion type deal where it looks ugly but can at least be somewhat effective at times. But it seems like it can be much more than that now. It's actually a decent looking stroke now.

If the Pistons can get Ivey to play hard on defense consistently next year, I think Weaver is going to survive. Ivey has shown enough now on offense that I do believe he will be a star. He's a safer bet to get there at this point than Cade.

I kind of question how the Tigers handled Boyd at the end of Spring Training. I am sure he got work in the background but he went a long time without facing live game action after the Tigers cancelled his last start.

It's amazing what good defense can do for you. We saw it with Tampa against us and then we saw it in that inning with Vierling and Maton having a huge effect in opposite directions.

Yeah. His control was lacking but he battled thru it with a tough lineup. It's hindsight at this point but Boyd at 70 something pitches vs our bullpen seems like an easy decision.

I thought he struggled with his control tonight but he was just getting into a groove right before the Tigers extended inning at the plate. I think that hurt him. I agree with you though...Boyd should have been kept in.

This bullpen is going to an issue. Yikes.

I would guess Bertuzzi's value is pretty low and the Red Wings will find they would rather keep him and make a push for playoff spot than take a low ball offer for him.

I am not worried one bit about Duren being able to guard out on the perimeter. He has shown the ability to do that already.

Much better defensive instincts too. Drummond had the physical tools but never was able to put it all together.

That's a given. Upgrading the power forward position is some really low hanging fruit for the Pistons to improve. I like Beef Stew but it's pretty clear at this point he is a better fit off the bench.

I was a good with the Isaiah Stewart three point experiment but it's looking like it needs to go away next year.

I doubt the Warriors want Wiseman back and are happy to save the money. Either way, I wouldn't be upset. I would prefer Bey to Wiseman but we are splitting hairs at this point and the Pistons clearly don't want to re-sign Bey long term.

It also is not your job to chose Haliburton over Hayes. It's Weaver's job and he should be judged on it. At the end of the day, I don't judge him too harshly on one bad first round pick in three years (out of 6 total). The jury is still very much out on Ivey, Cade, and Duren and time will tell. I am fairly confident Duren will turn out to be a really good pick-up at 13 overall. Results do matter though and the results the Pistons are getting are putrid. Which is why next year is crucial in evaluating his performance.

I don't think Weaver's drafting has been bad. Killian is a bust at #7 or whatever he was but that happens. The problem is the sum of the parts of this team right now is a bust and I doubt it would have changed much with Cade. And he also decided to hang onto Casey as long as he has so if Casey is the problem, that's on Weaver also. It could turn around quickly next year when Cade comes back and Ivey moves into his second year but if it doesn't, there is a little hope for this team.

Those guys didn't grow up shooting threes so it would definitely be a battle of contrasts. I'd love to see it. It's hard for me to say the reason most people over 40 enjoy 80's and 90's basketball more is because of the style but there may be some truth to it.