Thursday, December 10, 2009

Pistons hold of Sixers; Stuckey puts on a show



This game was supposed to be all about Iverson, but Stuckey stole the show with his best game of the year. This game was a tight affair throughout, won by the Pistons on a fade away baseline jumper by Rodney Stuckey with 8 seconds remaining. The loss extended the Sixers losing streak to 11 games and the Pistons extended their own 3 game winning streak (and 4 wins in 5 games).

Here are the three keys to the Pistons win…


  • The “Hot Rod” show: Rodney Stuckey is turning the corner. Since Atkins was inserted into the starting lineup and thus moving Stuckey to the two guard spot, Stuckey has flourished, averaging 22 points, 6 assists and 5 rebounds on 46% shooting (and leading the Pistons to a 4-1 record). Stuckey just seems to play so much better playing off the ball, relieved of the duties of bringing the ball up the court and getting everyone into their sets.


Stuckey was simply spectacular in this game, putting up his best game of the season. He started it out by scoring the first basket of the game for Detroit, badly crossing Iverson over on this play (0:21 mark), causing Iverson to stumble back on his ass, while he calmly suck the mid range jumper. That was hardly all he did though. Stuckey went on to score 28 points, with 8 dimes and 5 boards. Stuckey started this game out very aggressive, attacking the rim and drawing fouls. But as the game progressed, Stuckey hit the likes of Jerebko, Maxiell and others for open jumpers off of down screens.


After getting blocked by Iguodala on a drive to the rim, Stuckey recovered the ball and put up a fading baseline jumper for the winning score with 8 seconds remaining. It’s worth noting that Stuckey not only had to deal with containing Iguodala on the defensive end, but he also had to do most of his damage against an all NBA defender in Iguodala. Stuckey did catch a bit of a break when he got picked off on an Elton Brand screen, leaving Iguodala wide open for a game winning three pointer, but he bricked it badly and Stuckey made two free throws to seal the win.


  • Strong Second Half: After a lackluster first half, Jerebko was really the difference in the second half. He scored all 17 of his points in the second half, while holding Thaddeus Young to 11 points on 4 for 14 shooting (2 points I nthe 2nd half) and he also grabbed 10 boards. Jerebko had one of the key plays of the game, up-faking a charging Iverson and nailing a wide open jumper to give the Pistons an 84-82 lead with 1:49 left.


  • Iverson Stink Fest: While maybe its too early to say that Iverson can’t be a productive player anymore, he sure looked awful out on the floor tonight. Bad defense and low percentage scoring is par for the course for Allen Iverson, but missing wide open layups like he did last night could be a sign that it’s really time for him to just leave the sport. He does not have the same explosion and quickness to the basket that he once had and that is obvious to anyone that has watched him the last couple years.


Here are the bad plays, no scratch that… embarrassing plays that stand for Iverson in this game.

1. Stuckey putting Iverson on his ass with a sick cross over dribble

2. Iverson airmailing a wide open 15 footer

3. Iverson bricking a layup that missed the rim completely

Iverson was brought in to sell tickets… not to win games. And alas, after selling out Iverson’s first game back against Denver, only 12,000+ showed up for this game.

Just sayin.

Next Game: vs. Denver Nuggets, 7:30, Fri. Dec 10th

Saturday, December 5, 2009

NFL: Week 13 Predictions



My 2009 NFL Record: 100-59 (62.9%)


The Marquee Matchups


Tennessee Titans (5-6) @ Indianapolis Colts (11-0)




My Prediction: Titans 20, Colts 23


Dallas Cowboys (8-3) @ New York Giants (6-5)


My Prediction: Cowboys 27, Giants 30



The Rest of the Pack



St. Louis Rams (1-10) @ Chicago Bears (4-7)



My Prediction: Rams 7, Bears 23



Detroit Lions (2-9) @ Cincinnati Bengals (8-3)



My Prediction: Lions 0, Bengals 21



Denver Broncos (7-4) @ Kansas City Chiefs (3-8)



My Prediction: Broncos 17, Chiefs 14



New England Patriots (7-4) @ Miami Dolphins (5-6)



My Prediction: Patriots 27, Dolphins 14



Oakland Raiders (3-8) @ Pittsburgh Steelers (6-5)



My Prediction: Raiders 3, Steelers 31



New Orleans Saints (11-0) @ Washington Redskins (3-8)


My Prediction: Saints 24, Redskins 14



Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-10) @ Carolina Panthers (4-7)



My Prediction: Bucs 10, Panthers 17



Houston Texans (5-6) @ Jacksonville Jaguars (6-5)

My Prediction: Texans 24, Jaguars 27



San Diego Chargers (8-3) @ Cleveland Browns (1-10)



My Prediction: Chargers 27, Browns 7



Philadelphia Eagles (7-4) @ Atlanta Falcons (6-5)



My Prediction: Eagles 20, Falcons 17



San Francisco 49ers (5-6) @ Seattle Seahawks (4-7)




My Prediction: 49ers 17, Seahawks 21



Minnesota Vikings (10-1) @ Arizona Cardinals (7-4)


My Prediction: Vikings 31, Cardinals 20



Baltimore Ravens (6-5) @ Green Bay Packers (7-4)



My Prediction: Ravens 17, Packers 27

Pistons beat Bucks; stifle Jennings


This was a nice statement victory for the Pistons, winning their first divisional game after losing their first three in the division. Coming into this game, the Bucks were one of the surprise teams in the league, with a 9-8 record (despite injuries to Bogut and Redd) when many expected them to finish near the bottom of the eastern conference coming into the season. And leading the way for the Bucks was rookie sensation Brandon Jennings, but he was far from that tonight.


Here are the keys to the Pistons win:


  • Stuckey: He was just terrific last night, and personally, I feel it was his best overall game of the year. He started the game by being aggressive offensive, hitting 5 of 8 shots for 14 points in the first half on a variety of jumpers and drives to the hoop. Every shot he took was open and on balance. His catch and finish (on a long pass from Gordon) to beat the halftime buzzer was simply spectacular.



In the second half, we saw Stuckey set up his teammates; two dishes to Ben Wallace on pick and rolls for wide open dunks, several passes that were zipped it into open cutters behind the Bucks’ defense, and a nice drive and dish to Charlie V for a corner three (in the first half). Stuckey only took 3 shots in the second half, but he made 3 of them. But it wasn’t his scoring in this game that was impressive… we’ve seen this guy drop 40 before. It was his willingness to pass and look for his teammates first that caught my eye. The only negatives in this game for Stuckey were 3 turnovers on charges and he did leave Delfino wide open on several shots in that first half. But otherwise, an absolutely great game for Stuckey. He finished with 19 points (on 7 for 11 shooting), 9 dimes and 6 rebounds.


  • Controlling Jennings and manning the Paint: This was a big task for the Pistons, slowing down a guy who came into this game with a 55 point game under his belt and averaging 22/6/4 on the season. But the Pistons did a number on him – containing him off the dribble and pick & rolls and forcing him to take jump shots. They executed the strategy to perfection, limiting him to 15 points on 6 for 20 shooting. The Pistons once again dominated in the paint, outscoring the Bucks 46-20, and killing them on the glass, 46-31. Bogut was held in check by Big Ben, forcing him away from the basket and putting immense pressure on every shot (4 for 9 shooting for 8 points). In addition to his usual stout defense, Big Ben also chipped in with 10 points, including 4 thunderous dunks.


There are many positive things that the Pistons can build upon from this game. They cut harder, set better screens and were more active moving without the ball then they’ve been all year (in my estimation). The activity on the offensive end led to 57% shooting and 18 fast break points. But they also a bit frenetic at times, turning the ball over 21 times. Some of that can be credited to the Bucks pressure defense (leading the league in forced turnovers), but far too many of them were careless mistakes. That’s something they’ll need to correct moving forward.


I also didn’t understand why Kuester went back to Chucky Atkins for the final 2:26 of the game. It didn’t make sense at that point in the game with an 11 point lead to put in a 3 guard lineup, which hinders you defensively. And given that most teams don’t respect Atkins or Wallace as offensive weapons, it hurts you offensively as well, as teams sag off and help on the dribble penetration of the guards. This lineup had some sloppy plays in the final couple minutes, which forced the Pistons to have to make free throws to seal the game that they never should have had to make. That was a bad coaching decision by Kuester, but other than that I can’t complain. The Pistons dominated this game wire to wire.


Good win Pistons!


Next Game: Washington Wizards, Sun. Dec 6th, 6:00 EST

Sunday, November 29, 2009

Pistons beat Hawks, end 7 game slide




Big Ben! He’s been proving the doubters and critics wrong all year long, but he provided no bigger impact than in today’s win over the now 12-5 Atlanta Hawks. The Pistons have been hit hard with the injury bug, missing 3 starters in this game (Hamilton, Gordon, Prince) but they fought and clawed their way to a win. Kuester shook up the lineup, inserting Atkins as the starting point (his first start since 07), allowing Stuckey to play his more natural 2 spot, and Maxiell was inserted as the starting power forward, moving Villanueva to the bench.


The Pistons lost Villanueva in the 4th quarter to a bloodied nose on a hard drive to the rim. Villanueva stayed in to make the free throws, but he had to come out. Villanueva ended up with a broken nose, but it is not yet known if he will miss any games.


Here are the three critical factors that lead to a Pistons victory:


· DE-FENSE: The Pistons did a number on Hawks star Joe Johnson (5-19 FG, 0 FT) and this is due to a couple of reasons. First of all, Stuckey did a good job staying in front of him and denying him good position on his post ups. Secondly, he had a lot of help behind him. On pick and rolls, Ben and Max really stepped out and denied him the open three; on post-ups the Pistons timed their traps perfectly and the rotations were usually pretty solid behind the trap, not allowing Atlanta too many open looks. Johnson did have some open looks that he missed, but for the most part the Pistons contested his shots and kept him out of the lane and kept him off the foul line.


Joe Smith did get off on a variety of dunks, layups and outside jumpers, but everything else was under control and Atlanta did not get many 2nd chance opportunities. The Pistons also played the passing lanes well, collecting 10 steals, including an important pick by Jerebko on a two on one fast break with the Pistons nursing a 6 point lead with just under 2 minutes remaining.


· Crashing the Boards: The most impressive offensive rebounding performance by the Pistons in years, led by man who has made a living off of keeping possessions alive; Ben Wallace. Big Ben corralled a season high 18 rebounds, including 11 offensive rebounds. In the last two games, Ben was combined for 34 rebounds and 21 offensive boards. That type of performance is reminiscent of Ben circa 2002-2005. But it wasn’t just Ben; Jerebko chipped in with a career high 11 boards, Maxiell grabbed 4 more offensive boards, even Austin Daye chipped in with 4 boards in 11 minutes. For the game the Pistons outrebounded the Hawks 53-27 and 24-6 on the offensive glass.


Points in the paint were a decided edge for the Pistons as well. Atlanta, who is 2nd in the NBA in points in the paint at 50 per game, were held to 38 points in the paint. That isn’t entirely shocking as the Pistons lead the NBA in fewest points per game allowed (32). But the fact that the Pistons scored 60 points in the paint, when they are last in the NBA in scoring in the paint (33), was extremely shocking. The fact that the Pistons so thoroughly man handled one of the team’s best attacking teams in the paint is certainly a positive sign moving forward.


· Bench Contributions: Will Bynum broke out of his brief slump, contributing 19 of the team’s 42 points off the bench, including 11 huge points in the 4th quarter. Villanueva contributed 13 points before the broken nose forced him out and Kwame contributed 8 points and 5 boards, including a nice spin move to the hoop out of the post. When this team finally gets healthy (Gordon, Bynum, Charlie V all coming off the bench), this team’s bench will be as potent as any in the league.

Saturday, November 28, 2009

NFL: Week 12 Predictions


My 2009 NFL Record: 91-54 (62.7%)


The Marquee Matchups


Pittsburgh Steelers (6-4) @ Baltimore Ravens (5-5)



You’ll find it very hard to find a better rivalry game than this. You certainly won’t find a more physical, more violent game than when the Steelers and Ravens hook up. The Steelers and Ravens met 3 times last year, with the Steelers winning all 3, including a 23-14 win in the AFC Championship game.


The stakes are a little different this time around though, with both teams just fighting for a playoff spot. And Ben Roethlisberger, who suffered a minor concussion last week at Kansas City is not expected to play. Even without Roethlisberger, the Steelers will still present a difficult challenge for the Ravens. The Steelers come in to this game with the top ranked defense and a defense that confused Ravens QB Joe Flacco all of last year (1 TD, 5 INTs, 45% completions and 10 sacks in 3 games).


The way I see it, the Steelers don’t run the ball well enough (17th in rushing yards) to win a game on the road in a hostile environment. Losing backup QB Charlie Batch last week just compounded the problem… the Steelers will be forced to start rookie Dennis Dixon, who has thrown 1 pass in his career.


The Ravens will come out in a close, defensive battled.


My Prediction: Steelers 10, Ravens 14



New England Patriots (7-3) @ New Orleans Saints (10-0)



The game of the year. Tom Brady vs. Drew Brees. Bill Belichick vs. Sean Payton. A team chasing regular season perfection against a team that achieved regular season perfection two years ago.


Let’s start with the offenses. The Saints rank 1st in point scored; the Patriots 3rd. The Saints rank 1st in total offense; the Patriots right behind at 2nd. The two teams do it slightly differently however. The Patriots do it mostly through the air with Tom Brady and co. 2nd in the league in passing offense. Their run game is middle of the road (16th), but they’ll need to mix that in to keep the Saints’ offense off the field as much as possible. The Saints feature a more balanced offensive attack, ranking 6th in passing and 5th in rushing.


I think the Patriots defense (2nd in points, 7th in yards) and turnover differential (+12) will prove to be critical in this game. The Saints are good in the turnover differential department as well (+10, 3rd), but their defense has been mediocre, ranking 13th in point allowed and 17th in yards allowed. Factor in the Patriots decided edge in big game experience over the young Saints and I think the Patriots pull out a nail-biting victory, in what’s sure to be a raucous atmosphere.



My Prediction: Pats 34, Saints 31



The Rest of the Pack



Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-9) @ Atlanta Falcons (5-5)



My Prediction: Bucs 3, Falcons 27



Miami Dolphins (5-5) @ Buffalo Bills (3-7)



My Prediction: Dolphins 21, Bills 10



Cleveland Browns (1-9) @ Cincinnati Bengals (7-3)


My Prediction: Browns 10, Bengals 34



Seattle Seahawks (3-7) @ St. Louis Rams (1-9)


My Prediction: Seahawks 10, Rams 14



Carolina Panthers (4-6) @ New York Jets (8-1)




My Prediction: Panthers 17, Jets 14



Washington Redskins (3-7) @ Philadelphia Eagles (6-4)


My Prediction: Redskins 10, Philadelphia 20



Indianapolis Colts (10-0) @ Houston Texans (5-5)


My Prediction: Colts 23, Texans 20



Kansas City Chiefs (3-7) @ San Diego Chargers (7-3)



My Prediction: Chiefs 7, San Diego 24



Jacksonville Jaguars (6-4) @ San Francisco 49ers (4-6)


My Prediction: Jags 14, 49ers 17



Arizona Cardinals (7-3) @ Tennessee Titans (4-6)


My Prediction: Cardinals 20, Titans 27



Chicago Bears (4-6) @ Minnesota Vikings (9-1)


My Prediction: Bears 14, Vikings 38