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Copyright 2007 by David Lawless
4/22/07—Chris Webber and MSU Fans
As the Pistons embark on their quest for a second NBA title in four years, with native Detroiter and former University of Michigan “Fab Five” player Chris Webber as part of the team, I decided to explore an interesting topic: how fans of Michigan State University sports are accepting the reality of supporting a team that has Webber playing a major role.
This ended up being a very interesting issue to explore as the topic of U-M always gets MSU fans riled up. The “Fab Five” in particular generated more emotion for MSU fans than normal during their run in the early 1990’s. Their perceived cockiness rubbed many MSU fans the wrong way and the visual of their long shorts and black socks, bucked all of the accepted style statements of the day.
So given all of the above and considering how the Detroit area has seemed to re-accept Webber and now supports him as a member of the Pistons after all of the issues surrounding the Ed Martin scandal at U-M have died down, I wondered how MSU fans who also root for the Pistons were accepting Webber.
It was decided to conduct a survey to help find the answers I was looking for. So Pistonsfever.com sampled five individuals, all of whom are very passionate about MSU sports. Four of the five are originally from the Lansing area where the passion for green and white is stronger there than anywhere else. All but one attended MSU and two achieved multiple degrees from the university.
Our sample includes a varying age set. Many have experienced the MSU—U-M rivalry for many years, going back to childhood. The rivalry in basketball for all five intensified during the “Fab Five” years.
One was actually a fan of Notre Dame and the Lakers in the past. All are currently Pistons fans.
What I found was that the survey responses speak for themselves. There are many deep-seated opinions about the issues surrounding this topic. So, many of those responses are reproduced here for your reading consumption. Some of the responses were edited for space, but otherwise the quotes are genuinely the words of each individual.
As you will see below, certain opinions are consistent among the respondents: many fondly remember Webber mistakenly calling a timeout that his team did not have in the NCAA championship game, costing them the title.
On the other hand, there are some differing of opinions on how Webber is perceived today: some find it very hard to forget the past and all the memories that Webber conjures up, while others have moved on.
After the survey responses below, you will find a little piece by Dr. Fever, providing his take on the situation. As you know, Dr. Fever has spent many years helping Pistons fans with their emotional needs as it relates to the team.
What you will find below are first the profiles of each individual that participated in the survey, followed by the questions and each person’s responses.
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Jay:
MSU sports fan since 1987
MSU Fan Fact: He purposely looks at the future MSU football schedule 2 years in advance to try not to have any conflicts with his personal schedule.
Joe C:
MSU Grad 1984
MSU sports fan for over 30 years
MSU Fan Fact: Was a member of the “Spartan Spirits” Basketball Section at Jenison Fieldhouse during the Sam Vincent/Scott Skiles years. Has had season tickets for football more seasons than not. Tries to assist Ralph Young when he can and give his fund money too. Once gave Jeff Smoker a ride home from Quality Dairy.
“The Great Baldetto”:
MSU Grad BA 1998; Masters 2000
MSU sports fan for 31 years; as a 3-year old in March 1979 dad and he would run around the house, while the NCAA Tourney was on, saying “Magic, Magic….”
MSU Fan Fact: Has had season football tickets to MSU since he was about 4 and has missed two games in over 25 years (one was to make a friend’s wedding and the other was last season when visiting China on business). As a student manager on the football team for 6 years (1994-1999), he received a black-eye during practice when he went head-to-head with a player during a drill in which he had no helmet or padding on and the player did. Kirk says to “Blame it on Pat Morris the old Offensive Line Coach and current Lions Coach”.
ELaw
MSU Grad 2002
MSU sports fan for entire life (minus those Notre Dame years!)
MSU Fan Fact: Attended one of the few football games MSU won in 2006
H. Baldwin
MSU Grad BA 1998; Masters 2000
MSU sports fan for 31 years
MSU Fan Fact: Exciting memories of being an MSU fan are watching MSU basketball at Jenison Fieldhouse with Scooter Skiles scrapping for the ball, when MSU beat U-M with TJ Duckett falling backward into the end zone for the win, and of course climbing onto the Sparty statue during March Madness when State won the National Championship.
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Survey Responses:
MEMORIES
Describe any memories that you have of Chris Webber while at U-M or the “Fab Five” in general that stand out in your mind, especially if there is anything that particularly has generated negative emotions in the past.
Jay: Webber's recruitment. Coach Watson going with them from H.S. sounded fishy to me.
Joe C: He dissed MSU on the Mitch Albom show while still a senior at Country Day suggesting that Michigan was somehow this bastion of academic superiority and that’s what influenced his decision to attend Michigan. As if.
The Ed Martin adventure amused me, actually feel very bad about Mr. Martin’s death and the fact that he was singled out when this stuff happens all over the world. Then again, I don’t have many nice things to say about U of M so whenever they are made to look silly I can’t help but thinking of Nelson Munz from the Simpsons saying “Ha Ha.”
His “Shock The World” proclamation before the infamous “Timeout” game.
The Great Baldetto: As a sophomore/junior at DCD he made it clear he preferred MSU and that was where he intended to play his college basketball. Izzo put more effort into this recruitment than any other and felt betrayed when Webber chose U-M. Izzo was no fool and he and Jud knew that Chris had been bought by U-M and that later would become prophetic as Chris would be involved in the largest episode of cheating the NCAA would ever come to know.
(The Great Baldetto went on to describe in great detail the following series of events, which are summarized here: Athletic Director Clarence Underwood made it known that a minor NCAA violation of recruiting rules occurred when Webber was seen in the press box at a Minnesota Golden Gophers game. This then caused the NCAA to start investigating the situation and questioning the Webber family regarding possible violations. The Webber family was not happy that someone from MSU had tipped the NCAA off so it was decided that he would no longer consider MSU and chose U-M.)
About that same time one of Chris’ friends, Jalen Rose, also committed to U-M and ironically his coach Perry Watson was hired by U-M as an assistant. Then Juwan Howard and a couple kids from Texas joined and the “Fab Five” were born.
eLaw: I remember his bald head, those huge, ridiculously baggy shorts, black socks and bad attitude. Another memory, of course, is the infamous "timeout" he called when they didn't have one against UNC.
H. Baldwin: I remember that the “Fab Five” was disliked in my household growing up. They were given too much media attention.
How have you felt about Webber overall, both in the past and today?
Jay: Does not tell the whole story. Likeable person, but not honest.
Joe C: I’ve always felt he deserved props for his ability and jeers because his arrogance rivals Barry Bonds and see above comment about his dissing MSU.
I will say that I think he’s been a very good Piston, much more patient with the media and certainly works well with his teammates.
The Great Baldetto: PAST – I loved him when he called the extra timeout which cost U-M a piece of the NCAA title. Ironically they never won any title, not a Big Ten or NCAA title. Has there ever been a more hyped team (since the 2004 Lakers) which didn’t win a thing?
TODAY – I still don’t like him. Even though he is wearing the Pistons colors, I cannot forgive him for what he did to MSU.
eLaw: Being a Laker fan, I had to endure many Lakers-Kings match-ups and could not stand Webber. When I first heard there was a possibility he would be joining the Pistons, I was not happy. Granted, I didn't know much about him lately but figured that wouldn't be a good thing because he wasn't doing anything spectacular to get his name out there.
I thought I should give him a chance, though, and watched some of his first few games as a Piston. Not a huge factor at first, but he could really pass, and seemed to be in the right place at the right time. Now, he's not so bad...
H. Baldwin: Because Webber was part of the “Fab Five” and a Michigan player I did not like him. I did not root for him and grew up rooting against him.
LIKEABILITY FACTOR
Does Webber’s talent level and what he contributes to the Pistons make it easier to overlook the past and increase his likeability factor? Does talent and likeability correspond to each other directly or are there other things about Webber or his game that you like in addition to his talent level?
Jay: Yes, I think him playing for the Pistons has helped me get over the U-M days a bit.
Joe C: Once a Wolverine, always a Wolverine but I would say that he has been a very good team player with the Pistons. He is an asset to this team and it was very smart of Joe Dumars to grab him.
The Great Baldetto: No one has ever disputed his talent. We have questioned his work ethic, character, honesty and integrity… For example, I didn’t like the other “Fab Fivers”, but since Chris was the leader and best player, and most-hyped he was a better target. I always thought he was too much of a hot dog and a me-first player for my liking.
eLaw: I do think his talent has a lot to do with his likeability. Why would we like him if he wasn't good on the court?
H. Baldwin: If Webber helps the Pistons win, I can feel neutral towards him. I would like to see him as a team player. But, I still do not want to see him as an individual star player.
What if Webber were not so talented? Let’s say that injury, age or if he somehow didn’t fit into the Pistons’ system and he was relegated to being a bench performer playing limited minutes (even as little as 10 minutes per game): does that matter and would it change your opinion of him at all?
Virtually everyone said that these factors would not really change their opinion of him. H. Baldwin had the following comment:
I think what matters most to my opinion of him is his attitude. If he acts like he's better than other players, I wouldn't like that. If he is modest about his talents, I could respect him more.
WATCHING WEBBER TODAY
Please comment on the following based on seeing Webber play as Piston:
Is watching him perform the same as watching other Pistons like Chauncey or Sheed, or do you feel a bit of a cringe when he does something with the basketball?
Jay: He is a Piston. Period. I look at him like I did Darko. He is one of us.
Joe C: No, I think he has shown up for every game and like anyone else will have a bad day.
The Great Baldetto: When I do see him, I am indifferent. I guess I am always rooting against him while rooting for the Pistons. The same way I root for MoPete (Morris Peterson), JRich (Jason Richardson) etc. while rooting for the Pistons.
eLaw: Watching him perform is NOT like watching Chauncey, Sheed, Rip, Tayshaun, etc. There's still a cringe watching him take jumpers though we've seen him hit those.
Do you accept him the same way as Chauncey, Rip, Tayshaun, and Rasheed? Or since those guys won a title are they automatically more beloved and is your acceptance of Webber more similar to that of players like Antonio McDyess, Lindsey Hunter, and Jason Maxiell?
Jay: More like Hunter.
Joe C: I accept him and all of them as part of a team I root for. He’ll never be at the love level of the “Bad Boys” or Ben but then again very few people are.
The Great Baldetto: He clearly is in the second tier here. You could argue his pro career has been a disappointment, despite the injuries etc.
eLaw: Webber is not in the same category as Chauncey and the others. Those four have been the Pistons' core, continuing to succeed without Ben. I wouldn't even lump him in with McDyess and Lindsey, as those two have been with the team longer and play with heart. Most of the time, Webber seems as though he is just out there doing his job, drawing a paycheck.
ATTITUDES AND POINTS OF VIEW
At this point in time, are you ready to forgive the past and move on? Or is the dislike for U-M in general and the “Fab Five” in particular so intense that 14 years later it is still hard to root for him?
Jay: No
Joe C: As the Offspring would say “You’ve got to keep it separated”. I can root for Chris Webber, number 84 of the Detroit Pistons and still find most of what’s associated with the school in Ann Arbor to turn my stomach. The “Fab Five” were gifted and would have been so if they played for Delaware State. Anyone that attacks MSU on the academic front doesn’t get any respect from me as a person.
The Great Baldetto: Yes. As I have said, I cannot bring myself to root for him.
eLaw: Honestly, my disdain for U-M in general has died down. I still cannot root for them, but really don't care if they win unless they are playing MSU. I still dislike the “Fab Five”; that will never change. However, I believe people can change and do, and therefore, I think it’s time we gave C-Webb a chance to make it up to us and help the Pistons win the title.
H. Baldwin: It's still hard to root for him because of past dislike.
Does it feel different or awkward rooting for someone that you used to root against so strongly?
Jay: Yes, it foes feel weird. (Gary) Sheffield feels the same way.
Joe C: No, he’s not the first. Chris Chelios became a Red Wing and most people here hated him before that.
eLaw: It is awkward rooting for someone when you used to root against them. I have experienced this before, however.
Example: Shaq - when he was with the Magic. (I) could not stand him. Thought he was overrated and laughed at his inability to hit free throws. Then he joins my Lakers and I have to root for him. And that has since changed with him being in Miami and being such a rival of the Pistons, that I get to root against the big oaf again.
Anyway, it is quite different looking for the good in someone when you always looked for the bad in the past. It just takes some time to adjust.
H. Baldwin: It does feel very awkward.
Is it championship or bust? If the Pistons win the title with him, will you accept him and if they don’t, will you feel exactly the same as you always have about him?
Jay: Yes. For him, Flip, and most of the team. Championship or bust.
Joe C: If he plays as hard as he’s been playing and the Pistons somehow don’t make it, I will thank him for his efforts as a Piston.
The Great Baldetto: No. I will never accept him but do hope the Pistons win the title.
eLaw: Whether or not the Pistons win, I will feel differently about him. He's proven he's not that arrogant, in-your-face person he was with U-M, and still has a pretty decent game. I will not call myself a Chris Webber fan if they do win though...I still cannot figure out what to do with that poster of him I got at the Lakers-Pistons game I went to in February...
H. Baldwin: I feel that I will always have the same feelings about him no matter if the Pistons win or not.
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Conclusion (by Dr. Fever):
What we have here are some classic fan cases. Emotion, logic, and loyalty are forces that sometimes work hand and hand and other times work in competition with each other. One thing that is clearly evident here is that fan passion can be very intense, creating vivid long-lasting memories.
Also it is obvious from the above that Chris Webber is a polarizing topic for many people: U-M and MSU fans alike. U-M fans have long felt betrayed by how his actions and later his responses to the investigations and questioning that followed, harmed the University’s reputation and the basketball program. However many MSU fans have always felt that he was the enemy as soon as he spurned MSU and signed with U-M to play basketball.
The general sense seems to be that almost everyone from all sides is currently pulling for the Pistons to be as successful as possible and they understand that Webber will be a big part of whatever success comes their way this season.
Responses from some questions not shown above indicate that MSU fans feel as though Webber helping the Pistons win the title would not “wipe the slate clean” from the past and would not cause them to start to “like” him, but most said that they would respect him.
I think that is a good thing.
A guy who is talented, that plays with passion, and contributes many things that the Pistons really need in order to win the title (post scoring, great passing, rebounding) should be accepted within that role for what he contributes today. The past is the past and the now is now.
The Pistons have a great opportunity to do something that is both very special and very difficult to accomplish: winning the NBA championship. It can be an elusive, sometimes heartbreaking journey. Everything must go just right in order for it to work: the team must have talent, luck, few injuries, good coaching, and play with edge and a tremendous resolve at all times.
Sometimes even that isn’t enough.
So when a guy like Webber, who is extremely talented and plays with the hunger of a man who is near the end of his career that is still searching for his first NBA title, joins your team it is something that can only be positive.
Because as we all know from 2004, there is nothing quite like being a fan of a team that wins it all.
PF
PISTONSFEVER.COM
Copyright 2007 by David Lawless
3/18/07—The Four Keys To Success
Now that the All-Star break and trade deadline have both come and gone and the Pistons are going down the stretch run of the season, it is an appropriate time to evaluate where the Pistons are at in their quest to win another NBA title.
After the Pistons acquired Chris Webber, no major trades happened to improve the Pistons’ main competitors in the Eastern Conference. This coupled with the fact that their chief competitor, the Miami Heat, have lost star Dwyane Wade indefinitely to injury (and may not be the same once he returns), many have already declared that the Pistons will win the East and end up in the NBA Finals.
I understand that logic and subscribe to much of it. Barring a major injury, the Pistons should knock out everyone that stands in their way of getting back to the Finals. No other team in the East has the Pistons’ experience, talent, and edge.
Having said all of this however, I think it would be a mistake to assume that everything will just fall into place, allowing the Pistons to enter the Finals almost by default. After all didn’t everyone think the same thing during last year’s regular season when they blew away every opponent, while Miami did not seem to embody the spirit, character, and commitment of a potential NBA champion?
All of that logic sounded good until the Pistons stumbled through the second round vs. the Cleveland Cavaliers, then put on 4 poor performances in the 6 game series vs. the Heat. The Heat’s appearance in the Finals had as much to do with what the Pistons didn’t do as it did with what the Heat did do. The stats that showed 55% to 58% FG shooting for Miami in those 4 games gave the series a videogame like quality that still haunts me to this day. That type of defense would be poor for the regular season, but in the Eastern Conference Finals, it was unheard of.
The Pistons’ failures of last year were not limited to just lack of defense however. They also centered around key player burnout, lack of a solid reliable bench, and a relatively un-diverse offensive attack.
The first 2 are tied together since Flip preferred to play the starters major minutes all year long. The Pistons would be up by 15 points with only a minute or so left in the game and he would still have those starters out on the floor. Many including yours truly warned about the dangers of over-playing the starters, but Flip was under the misperception that since his guys were averaging a minute or 2 less per game than the year before, that this extra time would add up and they would be fine. This would be true if this was a standard team playing in a standard season.
But this is the Pistons, a team that has now played 83 total playoff games in the last 4 seasons. That means that the Pistons played the equivalent of one additional regular season, or 5 seasons in 4. As players physically and mentally hit the wall last year, they became easy pickings for a young horse like Dwyane Wade.
So let’s look at the 4 key areas of failure for the Pistons last year and see how they have responded to improving each of them (all stats are through the All-Star break):
Key Player Burnout:
Incredibly, 3 of the Pistons’ 5 starters are actually averaging more minutes now than they did on the whole last year! Rip (+2.3 mpg), Tayshaun (+2.1), and Chauncey (+1.1) are all up over last year. Rasheed is down, but only by 1.2 mpg. For a guy periodically hobbled with a recurring ankle injury, that isn’t much of an improvement. Chris Webber in replacing Ben Wallace, is averaging 4.9 mpg less than Ben did. Of course Chris is pretty old too.
I think that if Flip Saunders keeps playing these guys so many minutes, he is playing with fire. Chauncey has said that last year in the Miami series, his body couldn’t do what his mind wanted to do because of burnout. There were lots of breakdowns in that series that would have happened had this team been playing at its’ highest level.
Bench Development:
The progress in this area is hard to quantify because the Pistons lost Maurice Evans, who averaged 14.2 mpg at the swing position. Jason Maxiell plays at a different spot playing the power forward position, is at 13.1 mpg, and has proved that he can be counted on. The energy that he brings on both ends of the floor is contagious and can sometimes jump-start a listless Pistons team. His shot-blocking, ability to draw fouls, attack the basket, and overall aggression make him a real nice bench player to have.
Improved over last year is Carlos Delfino whose minutes are up slightly over last year and confidence is up significantly. He has become your prototypical bench player: a guy who can score a little from the perimeter, score a little off the drive, give you some defense, hustle down loose balls, and just make plays overall. Though unspectacular, he does do some nice “bench things.”
Dale Davis has a larger role this year, playing more minutes and in more games than last year. I think this is good, because if the Pistons match up with Shaq or Tim Duncan in the playoffs, they will need his presence. Heck, his presence of defending, blocking shots, and rebounding will be nice in certain situations to add to a frontline of Rasheed, C-Webb, and Antonio McDyess, none of whom consistently brings a commanding presence in all three of those areas.
Of great concern is the fact that Lindsey Hunter is the Pistons’ only true backup at point guard to Chauncey Billups. He and Antonio are solid, excellent bench players and will end up contributing about what they did last year. But if either Chauncey or Lindsey go down with an injury, the Pistons are in trouble.
Lack of a Diversive Offensive Attack:
This one may surprise some people. After all, Flip’s encyclopedia-sized playbook is legendary. It’s true: he has a great offensive mind and his teams’ offensive attacks are always consistent and generally hard to lock-down defensively—as long as the jump-shots keep falling.
So much of the offense is based around perimeter activity, with a sort of non-traditional approach of working outside-in as opposed to inside-out. Whereas Larry Brown and other “old-school” coaches prefer to establish an inside presence in games first, which lead to open shots on the perimeter, Flip’s offense is geared more towards ripping it up from outside first, which extends the defense, leading to inside passing, cutting, and driving lanes.
Last year, the Pistons were three-point happy, shooting nearly 18 attempts per game. Amazingly, Rasheed, a guy who everyone who’s ever seen him play has said that he should spend way more time in the post than he does, attempted the most three’s of anyone on the team, more than even Chauncey Billups!
I’m not sure that you can win a championship without some solid, consistent post play. The addition of C-Webb seems to have remedied this to a great extent. He is a player that loves playing out of the post and is very good at it. He scores, draws fouls, and makes excellent passes to wide open teammates out of the post.
This seems to have re-ignited the Pistons’ desire to feature Rasheed down there as well, since we’ve seen him in the post alternating with C-Webb, giving opponents defensive nightmares.
The Pistons three-point attempts on the whole are down vs. last year. This combined with the ever-emerging post-up abilities of C-Webb and Rasheed will help the Pistons offense to only get better as the season wears on.
A Defense That Needs to Stop People:
The Pistons defense, both individually, and as a collective team, was much heralded during the 2004 championship season. It reigned supreme in locking down both Indiana during the Eastern Conference Finals and the L.A. Lakers in the NBA Finals that year. Even though the Lakers were known for having an incredible offensive attack, the Pistons still shut it down and in the process, took control of the series.
Typically a team’s ability to win the championship hinges largely on its’ capability to get defensive stops for key stretches during playoffs games. The inability of the Pistons to stop the Heat in last year’s conference finals took them away from any chance of winning the series, regardless of how well their offense performed.
The league has legislated away from some of the techniques that players are allowed to use on defense, making it more challenging to stop offensive players one on one than it was in 2004. This is particularly true when defending players like Lebron James, Gilbert Arenas, or Dwyane Wade: all of which the Pistons could face in the playoffs this season.
Still, it will be the teams that figure out how to successfully defend within the confines of the new interpretations of the rules, which will be the ones that ultimately prevail in this year’s playoffs.
Currently, the Pistons are 4th in the league at both points allowed per game (92.7) and in FG % allowed (44%). The Pistons seem to go through a lot of ups and downs defensively this season. They will play a half where they will give up FGs at a rate of 55% and above. In other instances they will play most of a half completely controlling and stopping another team’s offensive attack. Sometimes zone is relied on heavily to get regular stops.
The Pistons must figure out how to be more consistent in their overall defensive play, as well as not have to rely too much on playing zone in order to be successful in the end. In the regular season a zone can often catch a team off guard. In a 7 game playoff series where an opponent becomes very familiar with everything that your team does, you won’t be able to use that same type of “secret weapon.”
This key area regarding the performance of the Pistons defense may be the most important of all. Because as we all know: “Defense wins championships.”
(All stats and rankings are as of the All-Star break.)
PF
PISTONSFEVER.COM
Copyright 2007 by David Lawless
2/12/07—Comparing the Colts and Pistons
In a prior blog this year, I discussed how Miami seemed a bit out of place as an NBA champion. Last week (2-3-07) the Detroit Free Press ran a story about how the same city performed poorly in some key areas compared to Detroit for the big football game.
Several writers from across the nation apparently found that lack of effort, lack of hospitality, and lack of organization plagued much of the festivities in Miami when compared to how things were run in Detroit for the same event last year.
And then there was quote from that same Nicholas J. Cotsonika story in the Free Press: “ . . . if you judged friendliness on a scale of 1 to 10, Detroit was a 10. Miami was a 5 or 6.” It may surprise some to learn that this comment did not come from Cotsonika himself, but rather from Terrence Moore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
It’s always nice when the truth rises to the top . . .
*****
When the game in Miami ended that Sunday evening with the Indianapolis Colts becoming champions of the NFL, I was happy for 2 reasons. First, happy for head coach Tony Dungy, who is from Jackson, MI and who suffered the worst tragedy imaginable last year when his son committed suicide.
I was also happy because the Pistons have been compared to the Colts on a few occasions, starting with last season. Perhaps since the Colts won it all this year, it gives some good indication of what can happen for the Pistons in their quest to win the championship in their own sport.
One of the similarities between the teams is that both were great at one aspect of the game prior to their current coach joining the team. The Colts were a great offensive team, but struggled on the defensive end. The Pistons were considered to be the opposite as they could shut down anybody on defense, but would go through long lulls without scoring the basketball.
Enter Dungy and Flip Saunders. Dungy was known as a defensive guru and came to Indy to improve the defense. Flip was known as an offensive genius and came to the Pistons to make the Pistons offensive attack more potent.
Both had success, as their 2 teams went on to dominate their respective league’s regular seasons. Then the playoffs started and both teams flopped miserably.
The teams and their fans were left with an overriding sense of lost opportunity. They each seemed destined to win it all, but both played below the level they had set forth throughout each’s regular season.
It’s also interesting that the team’s 2 coaches are good friends. They went to college together at the University of Minnesota. Both men were known as coaches that had achieved a lot of regular season success throughout their careers, but had never won the championship.
It has been reported that they have spoken often since last year about what happened then and how each is handling this year differently to try to produce a better outcome. Hopefully this shared wisdom will help the Pistons this year to do exactly what the Colts just did.
The most important concept of all for both teams is perseverance. The Colts’ shortcomings last year were obviously obstacles that could be overcome. I believe the Pistons’ problems from last year are also correctable.
The playoff series with the Miami Heat in 2006 exposed the Pistons as a burned out team, with little bench presence and one that had an offense that was too reliant on perimeter jump-shot making as well as a defense that could not get stops when needed.
The Pistons have already started, and will need to continue to, address each of these areas in order to become champions in 2007.
PF
PISTONSFEVER.COM
Copyright 2007 by David Lawless
1/30/07—Less All-Stars Now Equals More Success Later?
The starters for this year’s All Star game in Las Vegas were announced last week and no Pistons made the A-list in this fan popularity contest. The reserves for the game will be selected by the NBA’s coaches, but it is still possible that no Pistons will make the team. Chauncey and Rip stand the best chances, and yet they face some solid competition from the rest of the East.
Whether both, one, or none of them makes the team, it will certainly be different than last year when 4 Pistons (Chauncey, Rip, Ben, and Rasheed) and their coaching staff all participated in the game. The 2006 regular season saw the team dominate virtually all phases of the sport en route to a franchise record for victories. They made All Star teams, kicked ass, and garnered national attention in a way that was unprecedented in the last decade and a half of Pistons basketball. Chauncey even finished 5th in the MVP voting!
Then the regular season ended. The playoffs began and the Pistons dispatched the Bucks easily enough, but then proceeded to play very poorly while just getting by the Cavs, and finally playing horrible against the Heat while getting eliminated from the playoffs. This ended the pursuit of their season-long goal of winning the championship in utter disappointment.
Observed as one key variable in their playoff demise was the seemingly lack of edge that the team was playing with. The edge that drove them to the 2004 title was missing. This was the edge that fueled them when they were picked by many in the media to lose to the Pacers in the Eastern Conference Finals and then by virtually everyone to go down to the Lakers in the NBA Finals. Most said that they would get destroyed when playing LA.
The Pistons have demonstrated on many occasions since that magical 2004 season that they do not handle prosperity well, but are at their best when facing adversity, challenges, or doubters from the outside.
Having lost some of that edge last year, the Pistons could be regaining it right now. Consider the following:
Point #3 might be the most significant. C-Webb has had injuries and age rob him of his graceful ability to dominate NBA games. He has come close to winning a title in the past with Sacramento, but has not actually completed the mission and is now getting close to retirement – how many chances will he have left? He also would truly become satisfied and fulfilled to redeem himself in his home state where many vilified him in the past for the Ed Martin scandal while at U-M.
So you know that C-Webb will be playing with an edge and feeling like he has a lot to prove. Hopefully the rest of the team will regain their edge and play with the chip on their shoulder that has made them so successful in the past.
Even if Rip and Chauncey make the All Star team, it still won’t be such an overwhelming focus the way that it was last year when they both made the team for the first time. They both valued the achievement very highly and had accomplished a career-long goal.
They were 2 All Stars on a team with a huge All Star presence that was making history during an incredible regular season. They walked and talked like they were unbeatable. They assumed they would be, took some things for granted, and some of their rough edges had become smoothed over.
If the Pistons remove overconfidence from last year’s mix and replace it with the type of edge they played with in the past, they can make another epic run through the playoffs this year.
PF
PISTONSFEVER.COM
Copyright 2007 by David Lawless
1/22/07— Chris Sheridan Hates the Pistons
I caught your attention with that headline didn’t I? In fact, from this point forward you might automatically associate the name Chris Sheridan with hating the Pistons.
That might not be accurate or fair.
But that can also be said for what he caused when he said that Rasheed Wallace and Flip Saunders have “hate” between them.
This appeared last week in an ESPN.com story by Sheridan, who was apparently in town to cover the Chris Webber signing.
Before we go any further consider the following:
Definitions of the word “hate” as a verb in the Wordsmyth.net online dictionary-thesaurus:
1. to dislike intensely; feel hostility toward; loathe; detest
2. to feel reluctant or unwilling
Now it’s possible that Sheridan meant the second definition when describing Sheed and Flip’s relationship, but who knows? And that’s the problem.
As Chris McCosky pointed out both in writing for the Detroit News and in a radio interview with WDFN (AM 1130) last week, once this notion is out there, people will automatically assume or speculate the worst going forward. Now fans and other media will either believe that it’s true or constantly wonder if it is.
Sheed for his part is ticked. He challenged Sheridan’s notion that he hates Flip at practice the day after the story was written.
I personally am confused.
It seems like Sheridan has been writing about the Pistons a lot lately. Since and including last Wednesday when this story first appeared on ESPN.com, the following headlines have identified Sheridan’s stories and blogs:
“C-Webb steps into trouble zone”
“Just another day at practice with Sheed and Flip”
“Dumars not pushing panic button on Pistons’ season”
Now to be fair, I don’t really know what he wrote about in the last two, since those blogs are only for ESPN.com “Insiders”, a subscription-based feature on the site. Since I am not an “Insider” I guess I’m not privileged enough to read those blogs.
But the perception that the headlines of those blogs give, especially the third one (why would he throw out there the idea of “panic” unless he thought that Joe could or should possibly be panicking?) is that Sheridan has discovered that there are serious troubles in Pistons-land. This undercuts all the good vibes that people around here feel in the wake of Webber signing with the Pistons, a move that clearly improves the team.
Even the non-“Insider” column that covered Webber’s joining of the Pistons featured several negative critiques of the team and Webber:
“(The Pistons went) nearly four whole weeks without a victory over a winning team.”
“(Webber’s game has a) flat arc on his jumper, his slow feet on defense and the absence of anything remotely resembling a sprint from a pair of legs that had been resting for a month . . .”
“. . . the one part of (Webber’s) game – passing – that has not significantly deteriorated . . .”
So it seems that Sheridan doesn’t think there is much of anything good going on with the Pistons or their new acquisition.
Back to Sheed and Flip: he called their relationship “a feud”, which implies that their relationship has been bad for awhile, though this is the first that I ever remember hearing about it.
The only evidence that Sheridan points to when describing this “feud” that is fueled by “hate”, is a moment when Sheed apparently left a huddle early during a timeout in Webber’s first game with the Pistons.
He says that Sheed’s teammates’ facial expressions to his actions, gave away the fact that something was amiss. He also said that when Webber went up to talk to Sheed during the same series of moments, Sheed gave “a shake of the head and the type of disgusted look you get from someone who doesn’t want to be told to calm down or to make peace.”
Has Sheridan suddenly become body language expert Tonya Reiman?
It seems that he took some liberties with one incident and described it in a way that makes it huge and creates a story and issue onto itself.
“Hate” is a strong word. When I think of “hate”, I think of how some extremists in other parts of the world feel about America or a couple going through a divorce that tries to screw each other over possession and custody issues.
It is entirely possible that Sheed and Flip don’t see eye to eye on certain things. They each may even believe that the other doesn’t always have the best approach to winning.
But to describe this situation as a “feud” fed by “hate” is taking it too far.
PF
PISTONSFEVER.COM
Copyright 2007 by David Lawless
1/15/07— Webber Time!
This past week saw former U-M star and native Detroiter receive a buyout of his contract with the Sixers, sparking widespread speculation in the media both nationally and locally that he would return to his hometown and sign with the Pistons soon. There are other teams, notably Miami, Dallas, and the L.A. Lakers that were also vying for Webber’s services.
But today it was confirmed by Webber himself: he will sign with the Pistons tomorrow after clearing waivers.
That is good for the Pistons, since this is a low-risk deal and they seem to be desperately in need of a change or shakeup of some sort to snap them out of their poor play of late.
It is low risk because the Pistons can sign him now for the league minimum for the rest of this season only. If they found out over the next few months that the fit or chemistry wasn’t right, then they can elect not to re-sign him in the summer.
Speaking of chemistry, the Pistons on-court chemistry lately seems to have gone stale. It was quite possible that it would not have improved over time with the current cast of characters. Sure some of their recent problems are attributable to factors that are correctible: playing poor defense and with a lack of urgency.
But there are other problems that are not correctible simply from internal improvements. Rasheed Wallace’s recent struggles with his ankles and coinciding poor play have exposed the Pistons as a team that is not strong enough on the front-line in the post-Ben Wallace era. Nazr Mohammed and Dale Davis do not provide enough inside presence to help Sheed, Antonio McDyess, and Jason Maxiell win games in the trenches.
As poor as the Eastern Conference is this year and with virtually all the power big men in the West, the Pistons could really take advantage of this situation combined with their experience, savvy, and the talent-rich starting foursome of Rip, Chauncey, Tayshaun, and Sheed. Given the right personnel moves (and an attitude adjustment, coupled with playing some defense that doesn’t give up shooting percentages reminiscent of basketball video games from the 1990’s), the Pistons could be back in the Finals primed to take on the best the West has to offer.
You can also expect that president Joe Dumars will pursue other deals over the next month before the trade deadline in late February.
This is because while acquiring Webber is huge, it’s not quite the same put-your-team-automatically-over-the-top type of deal that the Rasheed trade of 2004 was.
But it definitely helps.
*****
As you know if you’ve followed Detroit sports during the last decade, Chris Webber is a polarizing subject in these parts. At one time revered as a basketball hero at Detroit Country Day and at U-M (save for the time-out incident) he later incurred the wrath of many locally when his connection to the Ed Martin scandal (and subsequent guilty plea to lying in court about it) caused U-M’s basketball records from the corresponding time that he played there to be erased. Webber and the Detroit media had a frosty relationship throughout the investigation and he was even booed by the fans when his teams would later play the Pistons at The Palace.
This soured relationship with his hometown was also supposedly the main reason that he did not sign with the Pistons as a free agent when he was primarily considering them or staying with the Sacramento Kings a few years ago.
Some things to consider as this situation unfolds:
1.) A lot of people do not like to play in their hometown: B.J. Armstrong did not pursue an opportunity to sign with the Pistons during the 1990’s for this reason; Madonna doesn’t do shows in Detroit very often; and Webber spurned the Pistons the first time they went after him. Also, here’s a non-Detroit reference: look at how unhappy Stephon Marbury has become in New York. Pressure to please everyone and the uniqueness of playing within easy off-the-court reach of family, friends, and local media (as well as playing in front of all of those same people for half of your games on the court) makes playing in the hometown challenging mentally and emotionally.
2.) The whole Ed Martin scandal. Some people wonder if enough time has passed so that local media and fans will not still be so focused on that polarizing series of events from the past. You know that Webber had to consider that when making his decision this week. Knowing this town as I do, fans will now judge him on what he does from this point forward, since he one of us again.
3.) Webber’s very sensitive and emotion-driven nature and how that will affect points 1 and 2. On the other hand, if he and the team are successful together those same things could also really bring out the best in Webber. Detroit is a place that he has talked about with a lot of pride for much of his professional career and he would like nothing better than to make this work.
So enjoy all the buzz of this deal and be on the look-out for other potential deals that Joe Dumars pursues in a quest to put the Pistons back on top.
PF
PISTONSFEVER.COM
Copyright 2007 by David Lawless
1/9/07— Ben and Miami
Ben Wallace just completed his first game against his old team, the Detroit Pistons. He played great, with 6 blocks and 14 rebounds, while the Pistons played horrible, and the Bulls routed the Pistons.
Seeing Ben in a Bulls uniform is somewhat unsettling.
As a fan, this seems a little bit like when Dennis Rodman also crossed enemy lines and played for the Bulls. At the time, such an idea was hard to fathom. The Pistons and Bulls were such fierce rivals and Dennis was certainly not the Bulls’ players or fans favorite guy.
But times change. And in today’s NBA, where everyone seems to have multiple friends on every other NBA team, rivalries are even less fierce. In the lead-up to the game Pistons fan Kirk, now living in Chicago, reported little buzz and fairly tame discussion about Ben playing against the team that he bled and sweated with for 6 years. Ben did tell various reporters that he will always be friends with his former teammates on the Pistons and that he still calls them on the phone from time to time. He calls them “brothers.”
Now I remember back in the day when Rick Mahorn was taken away from the Pistons in the expansion draft of 1989 and his Bad Boy partner-in-crime Bill Laimbeer would not phone him or talk to him after he became a member of a different team. He said that Rick was “the enemy now.”
Later that first season after Rick left the Pistons and was playing for the Sixers, Bill’s teammate Isiah Thomas was ejected from a game for taking a swing at Rick during a game between the teams. This was after Rick continuously antagonized Isiah throughout the game and just before the big fight between Bill and Charles Barkley (and ensuing brawl between the two teams), known as “The Palace Malice.”
*****
Times have certainly changed. They have changed so much that a team like the Miami Heat have become the reigning NBA champions. It’s hard to believe that a team from a city known as a vacation destination and for things like cruise ships, parties, and fun at all costs wears the crown as the NBA’s best.
It was about a week or so before the Pistons vs. Bulls game that Kirk and I found ourselves in Miami. I did my best in the handful of days that we were there to stir up trouble, wearing Pistons shirts frequently, but the only response I received was from a guy who was undoubtedly traveling himself and was fired up to see the Pistons and MSU being represented by the garb that myself and Kirk had on. He gave an emphatic “All right!” to us.
One night we were out at an indoor/outdoor mall with shops, restaurants, and live music right on the water called “Bayside Marketplace”. This was just across the street from American Airlines Arena where the Heat play. After the Heat lost to the New Jersey Nets by double-digits on this night, several people made there way over to Bayside from the arena. Dwyane Wade and Shaquille O’Neal jerseys were all over the place. No one seemed to be too upset about the loss.
In fact, one young man was so easy going about things that after we asked him who won, he described the game in such a way that it sounded like the Heat had won. Kirk, thinking they won and playing along for this guy’s benefit, said “That’s great!” when told of the outcome and walked away. The kid then asked me if Kirk was a Nets fan. I said no and left.
He was clearly confused and maybe thought we were talking trash with him, as it wasn’t till later that we learned that the Nets in fact beat Miami.
But that’s what you get for being a Heat fan!
On another evening a few days earlier, we found ourselves in this same area and had a great meal at a restaurant called “Bongos Cuban Café.” Brought to the public by Gloria and Emilio Estefan, “Bongos” is attached to American Airlines Arena. The Heat were not playing at home on this night, but we obviously got a good look at the outside of the arena which is designed to look kind of like a cruise ship.
This seems so strange to me, a guy who lives in a town defined by autoworkers cranking away on the line, and where temperatures certainly don’t reach into the 80’s in December! How can serious basketball be played in this environment and in an arena that looks like a cruise ship?
Perhaps James Posey and Antoine Walker can consider that question since they were just made inactive by team president Pat Riley for being out of shape. That seems silly that a defending champion has players that are not in shape 2 months into the season. Maybe they were just too busy stuffing themselves at the buffet table on a cruise ship.
In a place like Miami where tips are already factored into virtually every restaurant bill that you get, with service sometimes being sketchy, and water can run you $8 for breakfast, the accountability factor is certainly different than in a place like Detroit where we eat Coney dogs and everyone defines their own value by their blue-collar work ethic.
Now don’t get me wrong, traveling to Miami was a lot of fun. The beaches are great and there were some good restaurant experiences too. We ate a place called “The Big Pink” where British Prime Minister Tony Blair ate only a day before. A hamburger and fries type of place (though the menu had everything on it) this was a really cool place to be.
On the night that we ran into the Wade and Shaq jerseys at Bayside, we ate at the “Hard Rock Cafe Miami”. When we first walked in, Detroiter Bob Seger’s music was playing. So you knew it would be good times!
Now if the Heat and Pistons could just get their acts together and start playing basketball, we might be able to look forward to yet another classic battle in the conference finals between these two teams that have defined the East for the last 2 seasons.
Then I can talk some more smack about Miami and the Heat. Maybe I could write to Dan Le Batard . . .
PF
PF