How a Top Notch GM thinks and speaks about the NBA game
Thanks to Dave [nbaroundtable] for highlighting this terrific interview with Joe Dumars:
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KL: Is it probably fair to say that he might not start, but he’ll probably be finishing a lot of games?
JD: Well, I have to be careful not to start coaching here, but he is one of the best closers in the game, so I would just say you’re probably going to want your closers on the floor when that time comes.
KL: But Rip, too, has been a good closer, so I assume that means a lot of a three-guard type of attack, which at the end of games seems to be a little more palatable to players than at the start. I know Rip wasn’t crazy about being a starting small forward because he felt it did wear him out a little bit.
JD: That’s where you give your coach options. You give him different options to go small, as you just stated, or just to close games in the last two minutes, put the ball in Ben’s hands and let Rip play off the ball. Have Tayshaun at the three and put the ball in Tayshaun’s hands and let him initiate the offense for two minutes and have Rip and Ben on the wings. What you want to do is give your coach options and to have people on the floor who can attack the defense and put the defense in a tough spot.
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If you want to learn more about how someone like Joe D. actually thinks … which is very different than a great many regular “fans” … or, in fact, some NBA observers … Do yourself a favour and read the whole thing, i.e. Parts I [audio, as well] & II.
Tags: Austin Daye, Ben Gordon, Ben Wallace, Charlie Villanueva, Chris Wilcox, DaJuamn Summers, Deron Washington, Detroit Pistons, Jason Maxiell, Joe Dumars, Jonas Jerebko, Keith Langlois, Kwame Brown, Richard Hamilton, Rodney Stuckey, Tayshaun Prince, Will Bynum
August 31st, 2009 at 6:20 pm
IMO, while Ben Gordon COULD be a great asset at the PG spot in terms of physical size and strength, quickness, shooting ability, and ability to create off the dribble, he will never actually become that player.
Instead, IMO he’s a shoot-first, shoot-second player that is just plain indifferent on the defensive end, who is very valuable as a scorer to a mid-to-lower-rung team.
The group of Rip, Tayshaun and BG would seem very imposing in terms of the talent that’s there, but I think BG’s inability to effectively play off others severely limits the contributions the other two can make. Simply put, I am not convinced that BG can resist shooting long enough to hit Rip off the curl cut or TP on the swing pass. To some extent this effect could be negated if they let TP initiate the offense as point-forward, but I’m just not sold on BG’s ability to fit into the pistons system.
It may just be an issue of coaching, but to this point in his career it seems to me that BG is basically the antithesis of the base of the Pistons franchise over the past number of years (ie team-oriented, defensive-minded players who rarely forced shots and instead moved the ball exquisitely).
Why are you so optimistic?
August 31st, 2009 at 9:32 pm
Scott G.,
re: the reason for optimism
You’re correct, again …
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“It may just be an issue of coaching, but to this point in his career it seems to me that BG is basically the antithesis of the base of the Pistons franchise over the past number of years (ie team-oriented, defensive-minded players who rarely forced shots and instead moved the ball exquisitely).”
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given the part of your answer above which I’ve bolded.
IMO, when he’s coached in a different way than what he’s experienced to his point in his NBA career, there’s a very strong possibility that Ben Gordon will inded be able to perform in a way that meets your level of expectation for a very good OG-PG, when operating in a three-Guard rotation beside players like Rip Haimilton & Tay Prince.
i.e. Think back to the days of Zeke, Joe D. and “The Microwave”.
If the Pistons go with a guard rotation that looks like this:
Stuckey & Hamilton
Stuckey & Gordon
Gordon & Hamilton
Stuckey & Hamilton
etc.
shifting good young players like Washington, Daye, Summers & Jerebko through the Back-up SF slot, in relief of Tay Prince … I see no legit reason that the troika of Stuckey, Rip & Gordon cannot succeed with this year’s Pistons.
If they also keep the option of closing closing games with whichever of these combinations fits as the best match-up with their specific opponent:
* Stuckey + Rip + Prince
or
* Gordon + Rip + Prince
or
* Stuckey + Gordon + Rip
Detroit has the capacity to earn a playoff spot again this year, which would be the 9th consecutive season.
I am looking forward to seeing if John Kuester has what it takes to make this sort of decision with this group of Pistons.
September 1st, 2009 at 11:10 am
Hmmm…. you make a compelling argument with the comparison to the Bad Boys. But, here’s my doubt — I don’t think that any of BG, Rip or Stuckey are really comparable to Dumars. I feel like Rip may be the closest, but I think he’s more of a scorer.
In any event, I’m in full agreement that Detroit makes the playoffs this year.
September 2nd, 2009 at 2:44 pm
Scott G.,
While I see similarities in the way in which these Pistons could choose to use the troika of Stuckey, Rip & Gordon that would approximate the effectiveness of the original threesome for the Bad Boyz … this is not to say that each of the components of the current set matches-up exactly or very well with players like Misters Thomas, Dumars & Johnson.
The Bad Boyz had a defensive focus that simply doesn’t exist in the combination of Stuckey, Rip & Gordon … at least, not as yet.
Zeke, Joe D. & The Microwave were very special players … working for a very special head coach.
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IMO, however, using the current threesome of guards on Detroit’s roster in this way would give the Pistons their best chance to make the playoffs this season.
If they decide to go in this direction … like you, I see the Pistons as a much better team this season than many are expecting.