Overrated

[Derek Bodner]

at least that's what some western conference fans called the pistsons defense during the start of the playoffs.  Claiming they had overinflated stats because of the weak eastern conference.

ask kobe bryant if the pistons defense is overrated.

The pistson are 3 minutes from holding the lakers to under 70 points, the first time that's been done to the lakers in the shot clock era.

Their a foul away from going from the sweep on sunday, and are completely dominating the series.

Maybe there were a few around here underrating the pistons defense, and frontcourt?

Phil Jackson just got served by larry brown, using every team weakness against them.  larry didn't run that many pick and rolls in 6 years in philly.

[Guest]

They did an excellent job defensively.  Not only one on one defending but also great team defense.  Such good defense that the Laker players feel they have to get away from the triangle.......which is causing these problems in the first place.

As for served.....i dont think so.  I dont consider "serving" what happend.  Great play calling yes but serving?  It doesnt take a brain surgeon to realize that Karl Malone cannot help on the screen and roll.  If anything this series is showing really how thin the Laker lineup is past the starting 5.

Much props to Detroit.  The best team always wins and so far the best team looks like the Pistons.

[westkoast]

They did an excellent job defensively.  Not only one on one defending but also great team defense.  Such good defense that the Laker players feel they have to get away from the triangle.......which is causing these problems in the first place.

As for served.....i dont think so.  I dont consider "serving" what happend.  Great play calling yes but serving?  It doesnt take a brain surgeon to realize that Karl Malone cannot help on the screen and roll.  If anything this series is showing really how thin the Laker lineup is past the starting 5.

Much props to Detroit.  The best team always wins and so far the best team looks like the Pistons.

Bah that was me again.

What Brown does deserve major props for is the defensive sets and the motivation of his players.  Exploiting a player with a bad knee is not exactly what I call getting served.  Thats a no brainer.  If anything Prince 'served' the Lakers by asking to be put back on Kobe for the whole game.  Brown was the one who wanted Rip to guard Kobe.  His decision wasnt made until he was asked.

[WayOutWest]

I don't think the Pistons D had much to do with game 1 but it's definately had everything to do with games 2 and 3.  I agree the Lakers were lucky to win game 2, they should be looking down the barrel of a 3-0 defecit.

[Joe Vancil]

I don't think the Pistons D had much to do with game 1 but it's definately had everything to do with games 2 and 3. I agree the Lakers were lucky to win game 2, they should be looking down the barrel of a 3-0 defecit.

My thoughts exactly, WayOut.  The arrogance of the Lakers in dismissing game 1 may, in the end result, be the pivotal point of the series.  Regardless, Detroit is in this series, and I don't think they should have been.
 

[Derek Bodner]

I just used the pick and roll as one example.  I think he got served as a whole.

from the pick and roll, to making the triangle invisible, to lineup mismatches.    I haven't seen corliss williamson and elden campbell that feisty in years.

[spursfan101]

EXACTLY!  Shame on you Western Conference fans for thinking that the East was weak and didn't have a chance against their Western Conferencee opponents :up:


Sincerely,

Pistonsfan101

[SPURSX3]

dbods, i wont lie.  if the pistons pull this out, it will be the tastiest most delicious crow i will have EVER eaten, i wold look forward to eating it if motown pulled off the upset of the decade!  


i will still say lakers take it, but i wouldnt be unhappy to see detroit take the title this summer!    

[spursfan101]

My thoughts exactly X3. I've been known to dog the Eastern Conference this year, but their were a handful of teams that were much improved and could have gone far. Off hand, teams i watched closely were: Detroit, Indiana and Milwaukee.  Milwaukee always gave the Spurs problems.  

[Lurker]

I will still say that the Pistons defense is not better than the Spurs defense.  The level of competition on a regular basis is much higher in the west than the east.  Detroit may be proving that they could hang with the top teams in the west but the middle of the pack teams in each conference are betond comparison.  

SA forced the Lakers to abandon the triangle in order to win.  And if wasn't for a miracle shot at the end of game 5 there could be an entirely different finals matchup than the one currently being played (not necessarily the Spurs but either them or the Wolves).  Losing a last second game on your home court is much more devestating than losing that type of game on the road.

In fact I think a big part of Detroit's dominance in this series is due to the every other day schedule of games that the Lakers have played since game 3 of the second round.  It is obvious that the fatigue factor and lack of bench is catching up to the Lakers.  Two factors that I thought would hurt the Lakers from the beginning of the playoffs.  However they seemed to rise above it and convinced me that they had a solid chance of dominating.  Malone's injury is much bigger than any media outlet is reporting.  He IS the MVP of these Lakers....the glue that holds them together defensively.

[SPURSX3]

I will still say that the Pistons defense is not better than the Spurs defense.  The level of competition on a regular basis is much higher in the west than the east.  Detroit may be proving that they could hang with the top teams in the west but the middle of the pack teams in each conference are betond comparison.  

SA forced the Lakers to abandon the triangle in order to win.  And if wasn't for a miracle shot at the end of game 5 there could be an entirely different finals matchup than the one currently being played (not necessarily the Spurs but either them or the Wolves).  Losing a last second game on your home court is much more devestating than losing that type of game on the road.

In fact I think a big part of Detroit's dominance in this series is due to the every other day schedule of games that the Lakers have played since game 3 of the second round.  It is obvious that the fatigue factor and lack of bench is catching up to the Lakers.  Two factors that I thought would hurt the Lakers from the beginning of the playoffs.  However they seemed to rise above it and convinced me that they had a solid chance of dominating.  Malone's injury is much bigger than any media outlet is reporting.  He IS the MVP of these Lakers....the glue that holds them together defensively.

lurker, in a sense i see this as a spurs victory in that i still like Larry Brown and remember him as our head coach when Robinson came on board.  LB deserves to win a title, hopefully he can pull this out, it stilll would have been coll to see SPURS vs Detroit for the finals, then it would have been the student (Pop) vs the teacher (LB).  good game last night, it will intersting to see if LA can counter thier d...

[SPURSX3]

I will still say that the Pistons defense is not better than the Spurs defense.  The level of competition on a regular basis is much higher in the west than the east.  Detroit may be proving that they could hang with the top teams in the west but the middle of the pack teams in each conference are betond comparison.  

SA forced the Lakers to abandon the triangle in order to win.  And if wasn't for a miracle shot at the end of game 5 there could be an entirely different finals matchup than the one currently being played (not necessarily the Spurs but either them or the Wolves).  Losing a last second game on your home court is much more devestating than losing that type of game on the road.

In fact I think a big part of Detroit's dominance in this series is due to the every other day schedule of games that the Lakers have played since game 3 of the second round.  It is obvious that the fatigue factor and lack of bench is catching up to the Lakers.  Two factors that I thought would hurt the Lakers from the beginning of the playoffs.  However they seemed to rise above it and convinced me that they had a solid chance of dominating.  Malone's injury is much bigger than any media outlet is reporting.  He IS the MVP of these Lakers....the glue that holds them together defensively.

lurk,

i agree Malone is THE reason the lakers have held together this season instead of tearing each other apart right now.

as for the SPURS forcing LA to lose the triangle...i dont know about that, i think whiny arse gary payton did that, he has refused to play it all season, he cant learn it, and doesnt like it, I think that was part of it.

as for the LAkers beating us this season, there is only ONE reason in my eyes - KOBE.  the man was phenomenal [sp?] to say the least, if nto for his efforts, we would have won that series i think.  kobe stepped up BIG time for LA this year, no doubt.

[westkoast]

I just used the pick and roll as one example.  I think he got served as a whole.

from the pick and roll, to making the triangle invisible, to lineup mismatches.    I haven't seen corliss williamson and elden campbell that feisty in years.

Brown didnt make the Lakers get away from the triangle.  That was the Lakers doing for the most part.  The lineup mismatches also had nothing to do with him.  When the players on the court are not getting it done or you have players who are injured you sub in.

Like I said Brown deserves ALOT of credit for the mentality he put in this team, his defensive sets, and his motivation but lets not go overboard here.  The Pistons players 'served' the Lakers.  Brown did what every other coach would have done.  Thats like saying Frank Johnson 'served' LB because they were going at Sheed when he was injured.

[Derek Bodner]

first of all, sheed's still injured.  plantar fasciatis doesn't go away over the course of 1 series.

second of all, the amount of pressure brown has been putting on the ballhandlers certainly does have an effect on the triangle.  this is really the only team he goes that far with, he did it in 2001 and he's doing it again.  it's affected the lakers bigtime.

also, lb usuall likes to go small ball.  when phil brings walton in, that's larry's first reaction.  instead, he put corliss, who's been forgotten at times this postseason, at the 3.  

And I have a hard time believing that Rick Fox is as useless as phils made him.  just because phils not using options doesn't mean he couldn't be.  Instead he puts Kobe at the 3 for decent stretch.  

And the lakers did win some games when Karl was out earlier this year.  So obviously every coach couldn't take advantage.

Every weakness the lakers have larry's exploited.  Phil got served last night.

[westkoast]

first of all, sheed's still injured.  plantar fasciatis doesn't go away over the course of 1 series.

second of all, the amount of pressure brown has been putting on the ballhandlers certainly does have an effect on the triangle.  this is really the only team he goes that far with, he did it in 2001 and he's doing it again.  it's affected the lakers bigtime.

also, lb usuall likes to go small ball.  when phil brings walton in, that's larry's first reaction.  instead, he put corliss, who's been forgotten at times this postseason, at the 3. 

And I have a hard time believing that Rick Fox is as useless as phils made him.  just because phils not using options doesn't mean he couldn't be.  Instead he puts Kobe at the 3 for decent stretch. 

And the lakers did win some games when Karl was out earlier this year.  So obviously every coach couldn't take advantage.

Every weakness the lakers have larry's exploited.  Phil got served last night.

LOL @ got served.  Exploited every weakness?  That was, uhh the pick and roll.  I guess Phil Jackson has been served in every playoff series since he started with the Lakers then.  Ball pressure does not keep them from running the triangle.  Its the players decision to start the triangle.  Even late in the clock they can still run the triangle.  So again no.....that wasnt all LB.

Fox isnt in because he is still injured and PJ doesnt want to force him to play if he isnt going to be effective.  They talked about it in the local paper.

Ya Malone went out and who was his back up then ?  Ho Grant was the first off the bench.  Not Slava and Cook.  Big difference between winning against teams with power forwards who are less skilled than Ben Wallace and Sheed Wallace.