Sixers get ZERO respect.

[Lurker]

Not praying for anything, I just don't think Philly can win a 7 game series against Detroit, if they do, I will eat crow by the ton.

Should Philly win I will get my crow imported from the UK.

I guess because you like crow so much.  Since metric tons are larger than US tons.

[Randy]

I don't think that because we expect Detroit to win the series that it means we are disrespecting the Sixers.  The Sixers have shown that they are a far better team than most (of which I am the president) expected them to be but that doesn't mean they are better than Detroit.  Your continued elevation of your team is fine but the Sixers aren't better than Detroit.  The Sixers showed that they belonged in the playoffs -- and that's not something I believed before this series.  I give them respect because they have earned it but they still aren't better than the Pistons.

[rickortreat]

Sixers certainly haven't demonstrated themselves to be better.  On Tuesday's game the refs were still shorting Phila. but this time, the Sixers did not take advantage of Detroit.  They had ample opportunity to get back in the game and did not make their shots.  In fact, they rushed quite a few and lost discipline, which only benefited Detroit.

The Sixers are capable of playing better, but this is two bad games in a row.  They went from being one game up to even and now they are one game down.  This time their back is against the wall, Detroit wants to close them out to get on with the next round.  It's up to Phila. to make a statement next game and force a game Seven.

I am not impressed with the Pistons at all, they are an outside-in team and when they are shooting they are pretty tough to keep up with.  But if those outside shots aren't falling, they become very ordinary or even below average rather quickly.  None of their players are particularly good at one on one offense, all they are is open jump shooters, with the exception of Prince.  On defense, it is their sixth man Jason Maxiell that's killing us, aggression is fine, but he's climbing up the back of our rebounders and not getting called on it.

In fact, the Pistons are a pretty dirty team, not that they are trying to hurt anyone, but they are trying to prevent you from scoring.  When the Sixers posted up the Pistons, the refs called them for fouls, but when anyone drove the lane the Sixers never got a call.  Igoudala was running down on a fast break, someone slaps his arm and the ball goes out of bounds.  Official ruling- Sixers lose the ball out of bounds!  Totally clueless and oblivious.  That's just one example of the plethora of calls that went against the Sixers including two 3 sec. violations. Two double-dribble calls, and several out of bounds calls where Detroit was improperly awarded the ball.

The worst are the break-outs Sixers are running after forcing a turnover.  Detroit gets players back, but they have not established a position, the Sixer drives the lane, and NEVER GOT ONE DAMN CALL.  If there is anything that is a constant in basketball it is that an offensive player has the right to go down the lane, and if no one has established position (that is, they are still moving their feet) the proper call is a blocking foul, unless you are a jackass named Ken Mauer.

[msc]

In fact, the Pistons are a pretty dirty team, not that they are trying to hurt anyone, but they are trying to prevent you from scoring. 

 

This is my alltime favorite.  Priceless.

If there is anything that is a constant in basketball it is that an offensive player has the right to go down the lane, and if no one has established position (that is, they are still moving their feet) the proper call is a blocking foul, unless you are a jackass named Ken Mauer.

Actually this is a common misunderstanding with the charginng/blocking penalty.  Just because a defensive player is moving his feet doesn't mean it's automatically a block.  A defender has the right to maintain their position and if they stay in front of the offensive player and the offensive player lowers their shoulder/head/forearm and initiates the contact with the defender it's a charge.  It happens all the time.  Sometimes you'll hear it referred to as a "player control" foul; i.e., the offensive player is out of control and just runs over the defender. 

I didn't watch the game so I'm not saying that was the case with all of the fouls called in that game.  I'm just commenting in general. 

[Laker Fan]

In fact, the Pistons are a pretty dirty team, not that they are trying to hurt anyone, but they are trying to prevent you from scoring. 

Yeah that is pretty dirty, how DARE they try to keep a team from scoring, Minnie Me you outdid even yourself with this one!

[WayOutWest]

In fact, the Pistons are a pretty dirty team, not that they are trying to hurt anyone, but they are trying to prevent you from scoring. 

You have confirmed EVERYONE's suspicions about the Spurs.  They are clearly the dirtiest team in the league now that the playoffs have started because they seem to prevent the other team from scoring for nearly an entire game.

[rickortreat]

The Spurs are dirty in exactly the same way.  All the little pushes and shoves, the constant slapping at the ball handler- they do it so much, that the refs don't call it.  If they did, they'd be calling fouls constantly.

That is actually what the refs should do, call fouls when the defender causes contact. I understand there is some incidental contact in the lane, but in these cases the contact is deliberate and an attempt to force a turnover or alter a shot.  That type of contact is a foul.

If the refs called these fouls, the games would be played more cleanly, because the consequences would be too costly.  The NBA chooses the level of contact it tolerates in games based on the way the referrees call them. I like good defense, but the NBA doesn't reward good defense, it rewards the teams that have learned how to bend the rules the best.