khandor’s sports blog

This is what the Dinos have been able to do, thus far, to open the 2009-2010 regular season:

Wed Oct 28 Win vs Cleveland [3-2/.600], 1-0
Fri Oct 30 Loss at Memphis [1-3/.250], 1-1
Sun Nov 01 Loss vs Orlando [3-1/.750], 1-2

Following this evening’s tilt vs Detroit [2-2/.500], however, the next 3 games on their schedule look like this:

Fri Nov 06 at New Orleans [1-3/.250]
Sat Nov 07 at Dallas [3-1/.750], back-to-back
Mon Nov 09 at San Antonio [2-1/.667], 3rd game in 4 nights

According to the Toronto Raptors Season Preview: Game 4 [Sep 24], an astute observer should have been expecting the Pistons to lose this evening’s game, if/when looking at match-up well in advance.

Add-in the fact that two veteran starting players for the Pistons, i.e. Rip Hamilton [OG] and Tayshaun Prince [SF], are now expected to be unavailable tonight, due to their recent injuries, and this SHOULD mean that this game becomes EVEN MORE winnable for the Raptors.

If Toronto is going to try to keep its head above water through the first 20 games of the season … with 3 consecutive road L’s looming on the horizon … winning tonight’s match-up against a depleted Pistons’ squad is absolutely crucial.

One week from today, even if Toronto’s eventual W-L Record stands at a rather inauspicious 2-5, that would still be a might sight better than a thud-like mark of 1-6, which is where they might find themselves [at the bottom of the Eastern Conference, perhaps?] should they fail to win this evening.

With that in mind … it says here that Toronto will play well enough tonight to secure the W and square their W-L Record at 2-2.

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PS. THAT, right there ↑↑↑, is what qualifies as a “legitimate W-L prediction,” from yours truly, for this specific game, for the benefit of those of you who are paying close attention to such matters.

PPS. Whether Toronto can actually get the cover [or not] on this game is a different question altogether. As of now, however, this specific game does not rate as a worthwhile KSS GOTD Selection.

Continuing this series … re: How an astute NBA observer might expect the first part of the schedule to unfold for the Raptors this year

Game 4 – vs Detroit [Wed Nov 04]

The Pistons are one of several teams that should be in contention for a playoff spot in the EC this season. At this point, these two squads seem comparable to one another, from a player personnel and head coach perspective. In a situation like this, the home team usually has enough of an advantage to secure a victory. On the other hand … if Detroit’s veteran back-court can dominate the Raptors’ set of guards, it could easily allow the Pistons to emerge with a hard-earned road W. 

Raptors expected W-L Record: W, 2-2

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.

Some NBA observers in the on-line hoops community consider Detroit and Toronto to be heading in opposite directions this summer, with their additions/subtractions:

I. The Pistons are viewed as a team IN DECLINE; while,

II. The Raptors are viewed as a team ON THE RISE.

When comparing the PTL of their respective rosters, however:

the follow-up question is:

At which spots in Toronto’s line-up do these people see the Raptors’ personnel with a distinct match-up advantage compared with the Pistons?

STARTERS? BENCH? EXTRAS? RESERVES? OTHERS?

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According to these eyes …

Toronto Raptors
Have an advantage with Chris Bosh vs Charlie Villanueva.

Detroit Pistons
Have an advantage with Richard Hamilton vs DeMar DeRozan.

Have an advantage with Ben Gordon vs Jarret Jack.

Have a minor advantage with the upside of:

Summers [#35/2008] & Jerebko [#39/2008] 
vs 
Banks [#13/2003], Weems [#39/2008] & O’Bryant [#9/2006].

Have an advantage with Joe Dumars vs Bryan Colangelo.

Have an advantage with a better Win% from last season [.476 vs .402].

Have an advantage having qualified for the playoffs 8 consecutive seasons.

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FYI … The Raptors average player age is 25.4 years; while, the Pistons average player age is 25.7 years.

If this keeps much longer … KSB [much appreciated, JE Skeets!] is going to be listed as a Detroit Pistons’ mouth-piece.
Not to fear, however … as this correspondent has always had a predilection for anyone, and anything, linked with Making A Commitment To Excellence.

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Courtesy of nbaroundtable …

Curry going back to basics
“No matter what the rules are, the game of basketball goes to the most aggressive teams and players,” Curry said. “We want to be the team that’s always on the attack, both defensively and offensively.”

• Pay attention to detail.
• Daily conditioning and player development sessions.
• Increase the intensity and consistency at the defensive end.
• Increase scoring in the paint.
• Establish clearly defined roles. Curry expects to play 10 or 11 players on a regular basis.

Click the link and read the whole thing.

Close your eyes and listen intently.

Do these words and simple concepts harken back to a different place?
A different time?
A different hairdo? 

Say, perhaps, the 1982-1983 season … when a certain young relatively inexperienced assistant coach was promoted internally to the head man’s chair, for a team - and a GM who was himself a HOF immortal - that had recently captured an NBA Title but was also in need of re-direction, at that time, with a fascinating combination of wily vets, established All-Stars, and a certain ‘New Kid On The Block‘ [an athletic 21 year old, 6-9, 225, PF], who was ready-to-rock-and-roll into Prime Time.

Hmmmmm …

Could it possibly be … delectable symmetry?

… in the same season featuring the ‘Re-birth of SHOWTIME, in LA‘.

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The most important sentence in the whole article?

“[Rasheed] Wallace, who has been at the practice facility most of the summer, has complied.”

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First-class stuff, all around, from the new Sheriff … in [Mo]Town.

Showtime in the Motor City.

In sharp contrast to many some observers in the hoops blogosphere …

[for example]

* Detroit being left behind as rest of East improves
* Summer Forecast: Which way is the East going?
* NBA off-season rankings - v3.0
* NBA power rankings: Celtics no surprise as preseason No. 1

if these eyes had to make a projection, this second, on the eventual No. 1 team this season in the Eastern Conference … the pick would be the … Detroit Pistons.

Given the Celtics’ loss of James Posey [F/G] …

* Exchanging Michael Curry for Flip Saunders is going to have a gigantic, positive effect on the performance of this team
* Adding draft picks like Walter Sharpe, Trent Plaisted, Deron Washington 
* Exchanging Kwame Brown for Theo Ratliff
* Adding a very athletic Euro pro like Will Bynum

and, most importantly

* The continued maturation of Rodney ‘The Real Deal’ Stuckey [Yr-2], Arron Afflalo [Yr-2], Jason Maxiell [Yr-4], Amir Johnson [Yr-4] and Cheikh Samb [Yr-2] 
* While maintaining their overall roster stability … by retaining KEY players like Chauncey Billups, Rip Hamilton, Tayshaun Prince, Antonio McDyess and Rasheed Wallace

has further ensconced Detroit at the top of their conference and cemented Joe Dumars’ place amongst the finest GM’s in the NBA today.

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Q1. Have the Pistons lost three [3] consecutive Eastern Conference Finals?
A1. Yes they have.

Q2. Do they have the horses, once again, to make it back to the NBA Finals?
A2. Yes they do.

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More importantly, though … no other NBA team has been able to re-tool their overall line-up … while continuing to perform at a very high level … and is better equipped, at this time, going forward from here … with a mix of talented veterans & youngsters, in position to ‘wheel & deal‘, if necessary.

Kudos to Joe D.!

The Man simply knows what he’s doing.