Detroit Pistons(3-1) @ Denver Nuggets(1-3) Previous Game Pistons 99 @ Clippers 96 Nuggets 91 @ Jazz 102 Streaks Pistons: Won 2 (3-1 in last ten) Nuggets: Lost 2 (1-3 in last ten) Head Coaches vs. Probable Starters PG: vs. Billups vs. Miller SG: vs. Hamilton vs. Buckner SF: vs. Prince vs. Anthony PF: vs. Wallace vs. KMart C: vs. Campbell vs. Camby 6th Men vs. McDyess vs. Boykins Players to Watch vs. Wallace: 17 Points (.444 FG %), .8 Assists, 6.5 Rebounds, 1.75 Blocks Martin: 14.8 Points (.511 FG %), 4.0 Assists, 7.5 Rebounds, 2.25 Blocks Injury Lists Detroit Pistons Smush Parker Horace Jenkins Ronald Dupree Ben Wallace - Personal Reasons (Death in family) Denver Nuggets Nikoloz Tskitishvili Arthur Johnson Mark Pope Keys to the Game <u>Detroit Pistons:</u> <ul> [*]Don't allow one player to beat you (Pistons know that Carmelo and Kmart will get the ball a lot on the offensive end. Pistons cannot allow these two players to effectively counter the 5 players the Pistons will have on offense.) [*]Don't turn the ball over (So far we have been okay with the assist/turnover ratio. We have to keep it this way for the wins to keep on coming. Even better would be to improve the numbers.) [*]Dominate the boards (The Nuggets are pretty good up front and can get some quality rebounding numbers. Without Ben Wallace to help, Pistons still need to get some good numbers out of the other players.) [*]Get good bench production (The Pistons started have been doing well so far with each averaging double digits. However, with good bench production, things are so much easier. Pistons need to get some good numbers from McDyess, Delfino, and whoever else happens to play.) [*]Spread the ball around (Pistons are definately doing this quite well, as can be seen with each of the starters averaging 10+ points. Continue to do this through the whole game and Pistons should come out on top.) [/list] <u>Denver Nuggets:</u> <ul> [*]Get the ball to Kmart (There is no Ben Wallace to swat the hell out of Kmart. Get him the ball early and often in the low post and hope that Rasheed can't do as much my himself as he can together with Ben.) [*]Guard Hamilton and Billups (These two players are still the best weapons that the Pistons have for offense. Rasheed is also, but it seems 50/50 if he has a great night or a bad one. These two are consistent and need to be stopped.) [*]Points in the paint (Ben Wallace is not in the game, run in the paint, do everything you can to get easy points. Carmelo needs to not take hard shots but sneak in for some easy jump shots. The middle will be less congested without Big Ben in there, so they need to take advantage.) [*]Try to keep Rasheed's production to a minimum (Pistons will expect Rasheed to step it up for these two road games. He CAN take over the game at some points so the Nuggets will need to get him out of rhythm early so that he doesn't catch fire.) [/list] PyroManiac's Prediction My first preview this season! I'm back! I'm back! Well, Nuggets don't seem to be fully gelling on offense yet. Pistons are without Ben Wallace. Those two more or less cancel out. Pistons are more talented and have a deeper bench. Thus, they should win. Pistons by 8. Alright, alright, real views. Clearly, the Pistons defense, which itself has been lacking this season, has taken a major blow with the subtraction of Ben from the roster. If the Nuggets are able to take advantage and get very easy shots all day, the Pistons will have problems. To win, the Pistons will need to play a bit more up-tempo and try to get some fast break points. Even without Ben, Pistons are one of the better defensive teams in the league, which they will need to display for a full 48 minutes. Nuggets will need to go to Kmart and Carmelo. Andre Miller will need to have a good night spreading the ball around also. Speaking of Carmelo, he needs to take good shots and not get selfish on the team. He isn't Dwayne Wade and he can't take over the game. Still, I think that eventually Pistons will go on a good run and take a lead in the late 3rd. Pistons win by 8.
I look for the Nuggets to welcoming the challenge of having to beat the champ. The've gone 1-3 and hasn't looked like anything from the last season's form. They need to turn things around quickly and they'll try to do that against the Pistons tomorrow, but I predict them to lose by 3 pts. After this game, they'll still "try" to turn things around but will lose a couple more and Jeff Bzdelik will get fired and be replaced by Mike Cooper, which is I think no coincidence whatsoever... all the players and the GM itself want him to coach the Nuggets.
Should be a good one, I always like seeing Sheed and Martin battle it out. They pretty much have the same mentality.
Well against Detriot, I think a key to you having success against, their defense is how well you shoot the ball from the perimeter. And creating easy baskets before their half-court defense steps up. Well normally I would defeinately say that Denver can create alot of easy opportunities in the open court. But they havent been creating enuff fastbreak points so far this season at home or on the road. So I dont know its goinf to be tuff against that Detriot D to get the transition buckets they need but they will be playing at home. But in the half-court the way Denver is playing it will be a lockdown night for Detroit. In the Half-cout there is no ball movement on Denver's part. One shot and done, nobody is really attacking the defense the way they should, just a bunch of long jumpshots for a team without Voshun Lenard, cant shot. The Pistons Defense can just pack it in the lane on K-Mart down low. And take away driving lanes for Melo. And let Denver launch up 20 footers all night. And then get out in the opencourt on thier end. With the way Denver shot selection is right now. And their poor tansition Defense, it wouldnt shock me a bit if the Pistons had more Transition points and layups then the Nuggets. The only thing interesting about this game for me right now, is the matchup of Martin vs the Wallace boys. But K-Mart has been struggling alot himself. Alot of foul trouble. So tonight's game maybe tuff on him, I think Camby has really got to play well. He should get some good looks, if he comes inside the paint and stops taking 15 foot jumpshots, cause Detroit usually focuses on stopping a teams best post player. And forcing the other bigman alongside to do most of the work, so Camby may have some good opportunities. But Denver's in one of thos slumps its hard to get out of Carmelo has faced some of the best defenses in the league so far this year with Hassell in the Minny game. AK47 & Utah's team denfense. And now he has to go against Prince and Detroits team defense. He must feel like he is in a bad dream and he cant wake up.
All I got to say, quoting NBA Finals MVP Sir Chauncey Billups is: Carmello Who?! I don't expect Martin to do much without Kidd around. We'll miss Ben obviously, but if the bench can play well and Sheed steps up Nuggets should be a cakewalk.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting embersyc:</div><div class="quote_post">All I got to say, quoting NBA Finals MVP Sir Chauncey Billups is: Carmello Who?! I don't expect Martin to do much without Kidd around. We'll miss Ben obviously, but if the bench can play well and Sheed steps up Nuggets should be a cakewalk.</div> Jeez, where have we all heard this before? Last friday perhaps?
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Bobcats:</div><div class="quote_post">Jeez, where have we all heard this before? Last friday perhaps? </div> The key word is SHOULD not will. After seeing the Sonics destroy the Nuggets last night, I have no doubts that the Pistons will win this one by double fiqures but then again with Larry Brown still missing and Ben Wallace also out, Denver could take it.
Guess who's back, back again, Pyro's back, tell a friend. Great preview, as I've been saying always. In depth and right to the point without saying too much. Is the game today or was it over yesterday? Either way, I'll throw in a prediction. Pistons by 7. Wallace's void in defense can most likely be filled very well by McDyess and Campbell, and the Pistons will take full advantage of the Nuggets' lack of chemistry.
It should be a great game but I'm going to have to go with the Pistons. Their all around solid team is a back breaker for Denver. Their lack of a shooter will hurt them. I think the game will be 86-78 Detroit. It will be a good game I will make sure to tune into TNT tonight for the game.
How do you do that? Everywhere I go I see the player matchups and stuff do you do that manually or is there a code?
good to have you back, PyroManiac first half defense without Ben and LB was atrocious. i'm surprised we are still in this game. let's see if we turn up the D in the second half.
ugly, ugly game for the pistons. we outrebound, have more assists, and shoot a higher FG% than our opponent and we still lose. how? too many careless turnovers. at least Delfino looked to get into the groove tonight. also, despite our sloppy defense, we managed to keep the game pretty close.
Lucky that my prediction is wrong... the Nuggets won it yeah they show they are still an elite team as they are supposed to be. The Pistons were clearly missing Ben and LB too. Carmelo couldn't bounce back at a better time as he had 34 pts, 7 rbds, 5 assts, and 4 steals against the team that passed him up in the draft last year. But it's too early to say they have made a turnaround, although this is a good start, because the Nuggets seem like they want a change in the coaching... so they may lose more games until Jeff is fired and replaced with the coach they all love, Mike Cooper.
elite team? no, not quite. The Pistons defense was terrible last night and I do mean TERRIBLE. Giving up 117 points to the Nuggets? letting Melo score 34 and so easily? that shouldn't happen. Overall It was terrible coaching from the Pistons, lazy on the defensively end with no real energy at all. Not something you expect from the Pistons, Larry Brown and Ben Wallace need to return quickly otherwise they will keep losing. If the defense is not there, they just aren't very good. Offensively the Pistons are fine It's on defense where the main problem lies.
What happened with Sheed? I noticed he only played 26 minutes, which I found strange with Big Ben out, and he wasn't fouled out or ejected, and I can't find any reports of an injury. Was it a disciplinary measure, or did the Nuggets just play a lot of small ball?
Terrible coaching is why he played so little, Heard is not a good coach and It's no surprise why he is not contending for any head coaching positions. His rotations last night were really bad. However saying all that, Sheed played his worse game ever as a Piston. The time he did get, he didn't play well.
Sheed sucked, Chauncey got hurt, no Ben and no Larry, and I understand scoring is up this season and all, but still giving up 117 points is inexcusable!!! UGH
