5/11/26 8:00PM RD2 GM2 Pistons (2-1) @ Cavs (1-2)

[Mr.TaterSalad]

Paul Reed better be the starter in Game 5.

[Deleterious]

Should have made Duren play garbage time

[Hongbit]

1 minute ago, Mr.TaterSalad said:

Paul Reed better be the starter in Game 5.

Hahahaha. It’s JB Bickerstaff.   Duren is starting like this game never happened.  The only question is if Stew is still the first big off the bench before Reed.  

[buddha]

duren: 27 mins.  8 pts.  4 turnovers, 2 rebounds.

TWO REBOUNDS IN 27 MINUTES.

[Deleterious]

Cleveland took 76 shots tonight.  41 were three point attempts and they still shot 32 FT's

[buddha]

everyone on this thread who has paid attention all year predicted what jalen duren would - or more accurately, wouldnt - do in the playoffs.

but what the hell happend to stew?  he's been a non-entity since game 5 in orlando.  the guy who was the heart of your team is passive and a detriment whenever he gets on the floor.

[buddha]

duncan plays 29 minutes and has 4 points and 4 fouls.

javonte green and ron holland cant get off the bench even when duncan is an active detriment to the team.

danniss: 21 minutes, 2 points.

[Deleterious]

That extension is looking pretty stupid.  

[Deleterious]

13 minutes ago, buddha said:

duncan plays 29 minutes and has 4 points and 4 fouls.

javonte green and ron holland cant get off the bench even when duncan is an active detriment to the team.

danniss: 21 minutes, 2 points.

That's the problem with so little shooting.  JB feels he has to keep him in at all costs in hopes he eventually will provide some spacing.  

[NYLion]

33 minutes ago, buddha said:

duren: 27 mins.  8 pts.  4 turnovers, 2 rebounds.

TWO REBOUNDS IN 27 MINUTES.

Trash yet the Pistons will pay him $40m/yr because of good locker room vibes, only 23 years old or some other **** that we heard about Andre Drummond as well. Meanwhile Reed did more in 10 minutes or so in the last two games than Duren did the whole series.

In any event, I felt whoever won this game will win the series and feel even stronger about that now. Cleveland just has the better personnel top to bottom even though they're a bit soft. It doesn't help that JB coaches playoff games as bad as Duren plays them and Stewart is like 20% of what he normally is for the second straight playoffs. It doesn't look good either way.

[Deleterious]

This clip shows the difference between a coach building culture and a coach trying to win.

When you are losing 50+ games a season, absolutely build confidence and give people a longer leash.  But it's time to win, and you have to put your best lineup on the floor at all times in the playoffs.  JB doesn't seem to understand that.

 

[Deleterious]

[Deleterious]

Duren has played 56 minutes combined the past two games.  He has 6 total rebounds.  A rebound every 9 minutes played for a center is crazy.  

[Sports_Freak]

8 hours ago, buddha said:

duren: 27 mins.  8 pts.  4 turnovers, 2 rebounds.

TWO REBOUNDS IN 27 MINUTES.

Probably twice as many turnovers...

[Sports_Freak]

8 hours ago, NYLion said:

Trash yet the Pistons will pay him $40m/yr because of good locker room vibes, only 23 years old or some other **** that we heard about Andre Drummond as well. Meanwhile Reed did more in 10 minutes or so in the last two games than Duren did the whole series.

In any event, I felt whoever won this game will win the series and feel even stronger about that now. Cleveland just has the better personnel top to bottom even though they're a bit soft. It doesn't help that JB coaches playoff games as bad as Duren plays them and Stewart is like 20% of what he normally is for the second straight playoffs. It doesn't look good either way.

Neither of these teams could beat the New York team i saw that eliminated Philly.

[buddha]

8 minutes ago, Sports_Freak said:

Neither of these teams could beat the New York team i saw that eliminated Philly.

i think both these teams can beat the knicks.

[Deleterious]

If this goes 6 games the ECF's will probably start the 17th.  7 games and it will be the 19th.

That is 7 or 9 days off for NY.  That is pretty valuable rest even if it means a little rust in game 1.  Well worth it.  

[buddha]

that means they'll be rusty and lose game one.

[buddha]

stewart is hurt.  has to be.  he cant even jump.

which is concerning because that's two years in a row when he's been hurt for the playoffs.  maybe being undersized is causing it, but whatever it is, its not helping when it matters.

[buddha]

so reed outplays duren all series (all playoffs) but only sees the floor when the team is down 20.

ausar has two bad plays in a row and sits for the rest of the half.

[Deleterious]

A few things bothering me.

First, how easy Detroit is switching when Cleveland sets a ball screen.  

There was a play last night where Cade was on Harden and Harris on Mobley.  Harden was just crossing mid-court when Mobley set a screen where Cade and Harris just switched without Mobley even touching Cade.  Why not try to fight through the screen?  You are 45 feet from the basket.  Better yet, blitz Harden and use the mid-court line as a third defender and try to force it out of his hands or him turning it over.

Second, the lack of double teams.

I understand they don't want to double because of Cleveland's three point shooting.  But Detroit has multiple guys getting beat on the perimeter which causes them to rotate and leave three point shooters open anyway.  Send the double before the defender is beat.  It gives you a shot at a turnover.  But more importantly, it allows Detroit to dictate a little more how the rotations will go. 

When a guy is beat, the closest defender has to come off of his man to help.  You don't get to pick who that is.  If you double, you can pick which Cavs player you come off of to send the double and most likely you're picking one of their lesser 3PT shooters.  Slight advantage, Detroit.  

 

[Sports_Freak]

1 hour ago, buddha said:

i think both these teams can beat the knicks.

The Pistons are weak defending the 3 point play and at one point in the first quarter, the Knicks were 9 out of 10 on 3 pointers. They finished 25 of 44....57%. If they shoot like that, nobody in the East could beat them.

[buddha]

Just now, Sports_Freak said:

The Pistons are weak defending the 3 point play and at one point in the first quarter, the Knicks were 9 out of 10 on 3 pointers. They finished 25 of 44....57%. If they shoot like that, nobody in the East could beat them.

the knicks dont have interior defenders like the magic and cavs do.  it will be harder to neutralize duren (but not impossible, of couse, because duren isnt good at anything else), and he should be able to outmuscle kat's pansy ass.  now, duren cant GUARD kat, but they can put tobias on him.  ausar can guard brunson.

the pistons have owned the knicks this year because cade is now better than brunson.

[Deleterious]

The Pistons are shooting 42% from three for the series.  Cleveland is only shooting 32%.  

Detroit has made 43 three pointers and Cleveland has made 47.  Volume matters.  Detroit attempted 102 vs Cleveland's 143.  

[RedTeamGo!]

As a Clevelander that has seen the Cavs quite a bit over the last several years I predicted Pistons in 5 and am pretty shocked it is 2-2. I think Pistons win next 2.