Detroit-Philadelphia, 86-90. Wait, what? A loss?
Yes, a loss to start the playoffs. Not quite the same thing as a loss to end the playoffs, though.
I guess all Pistons fans are frustrated right now. Even casual basketball fans must be. Why? Because the Pistons, who can play brilliantly sound, selfless basketball regularly, just laid an egg tonight. Their second half was utterly pathetic, there´s no disguising that. Still, the Pistons are mathematically a long, loong way from being eliminated, and the series has just started. It would be foolish to assert that the Pistons will be eliminated for sure.
Let´s get real for a second. At this point, anything can happen. Detroit is a better team than Philadelphia, without a doubt, and they still hold their future in their hands. Improve notably, and they will win the next games. Produce the same kind of effort as tonight from now on, and they could lose. Could. After all, they only lost by four points, and that was after an entirely dismal performance, right?
It´s true. But here´s the thing. As nonsensical as declaring the series to be over for the Pistons is, it would be just as foolish to dismiss any cause for concern and tell people to relax because everything will turn out just fine in the end. It´s legitimate to be frustrated by errors that cause your team to lose, especially when those errors are part of a larger trend, especially when those errors appear again and again in the same fashion.
The Pistons have already lost two playoffs series that they clearly should have won. The last two playoffs series, for those that are keeping count, and with the same core. So it´s not absurd to think the dreary past could be an omen for the immediate future.
I´m not saying it will be. I am, though, saying that this Pistons squad has given us reasons to think it easily could be.
First clue. The Pistons lost, and they shouldn´t have. Really. Unless your business is making excuses, this should matter. A lot.
Second clue. They lost because they reverted to a pattern that has cost them several losses. They stopped moving the ball, they didn´t attack the paint, and their offense totally collapsed. This has already happened, and the measures that are touted every single time as the remedy still aren´t applied on the floor.
Third clue. I won´t single out individuals in this paragraph. But as a unit, you could see that the starters weren´t as effective as when a mixed unit was on the court.
And now, we come to the most worrying of clues, as I see it.
Fourth clue. The Pistons on the floor at any given time were not the best Pistons that could have been out there. A game flows. Momentums can be shattered in seconds, or created and upheld if treated carefully. With the Pistons, the former has ocurred at times, and the latter often doesn´t happen. Not once in a while, not sometimes, not occasionally. Regularly, to say the least.
A player is not getting the job done, but still stays for several minutes in the game. Basketball is not soccer, you know? There are no limits on the number of times you can substitute players, which is why you really should take advantage of it.
A player is in a rythm (not red-hot, mind you, just in a rythm), and is pulled out.
With the Pistons, these two cases are not even the worst. I am even more troubled by the fact that Saunders doesn´t seem to have a clear idea of which players connect well on the field and should preferentially play together because they click. And which players absolutely do not. It can vary from game to game, so it´s not as if I was suggesting handing him a short list and hops, all problems solved. But the coach should be able to recognize it as it happens, and make good things happen by putting the right lineup on the court as the game demands it. Flip really doesn´t have a clue, in my opinion.
What´s more, I hate the fact that Detroit can come out of a timeout and appear disoriented. I mean, timeouts are supposed to give direction to a team, provide insightful imput and decisive suggestions from the coach. Insightful? Decisive? These really aren´t Flip´s strong suits, and yes, it can cost you some games. Only one is enough in a playoff series.
But what I loathe with every fiber of my Pistons-loving soul is this.
Fifth clue. The starters are not, I repeat, ARE NOT always giving their best on the floor. I´ll sigh and groan when their shots aren´t falling, I´ll curse and shout when they have turnovers at crucial moments of the game. But the only thing that has me foaming at the mouth and despising this team is seeing complacency from the starters. You have to bust your ass every single time you´re on the floor, period. Especially in the playoffs, yes, but it should be that way every single time.
Not because the players are paid millions. No. Not because it´s their job. Because every single player that steps foot on a basketball court should be expected to do the same. Because basketball is a game, and playing sports is all about passion. Because games are just about loving it, loving the game, and what you love you launch yourself into, giving it your all, or it just doesn´t make any sense. Being competitive isn´t about loving winning. It´s about making every effort possible and then some even in a loss. Because from the moment the game starts until the moment it finishes, it is all that exists and that demands utter honesty.
And the game feels it, you know? If you´re halfhearted about it, the game will go the other way.
So yes, when I see these Pistons play, I can not accept seeing people who don´t go all out to avoid losing. People who don´t hate losing and thus vow to themselves to find a way next time to pull out a win. People who are mentally entitled and crumble when things don´t go their way.
It´s not about what you say afterwards. It´s not about making angry faces. It most certainly is not about making excuses after you lose. It´s about hustling, about demanding the best of yourself and your teammates, about jumping out of your skin to go the extra inch and grab the ball.
I will take one player among the starting five that has a bad night and doesn´t contribute positively, be it with stats or attitude. They´re human. I´ll give them that. I most certainly won´t take a first unit that only occasionally gives it everything it has. How many times this season have we felt that the starters were all, at the same time, completely committed to the game, from start to finish bustling their asses out?
Unlike the Zoo Crew, that apparently doesn´t figure too preeminently in the playoffs plans.
When you add all that up, you have some really negative trends showing up.
That´s why fans have a reason to scrutinize every single defeat critically. That´s why every single loss could indeed spell doom for a title´s hope.
I am frustrated, not hopeless. I am hopefully critical, instead of in denial.
I sure as heck still think the Pistons can win it all. I sure as heck expect them to win against Philly. But I won´t back down from criticizing them when it is deserved. I won´t cut them any slack whenever effort is lacking. I will rejoice when they win, and celebrate. I will still support them if they lose. I will, after all is said and done, come back next year, and criticize their mistakes, and expect the best from them. The best.
Because I´m a Pistons fan, and of course it means I expect from them the best sports has to offer, which is honesty and determination and passion, and as an extra, the best THESE Pistons have to offer, which is altruism and brilliance and talent.
20 avr. 2008
1 avr. 2008
Pistons-Timberwolves, a blast for the future.
Wonderful game, especially for hardcore Pistons fans who have been clamoring to see the end-of-the-bench guys play significant minutes.
The starting five was comprised of Tayshaun and Dyess, as usual, but also Stuckey, Hayes and Ratliff. The latter two were chosen to start the game because of their experience, I guess. It made sense. But watching the game last night, I couldn´t help but notice that a pattern seen on several occasions this season repeated itself, albeit in these widely different circumstances.
Once again, after the starting five dug itself in a hole in the first quarter, it was under the impulsion of the bench that the Pistons came back to life in the second quarter. They came back from a 21-point deficit and ended up within 5 at the half. But the third quarter saw on the court the starting five (minus Hayes, who had a really bad game, replaced by Afflalo), and although they stayed within striking distance, they just didn´t inflict the same damage as the Zoo Crew in the second quarter.
Ironic, isn´t it? The starters holding the fort, and the bench guys making the win happen? But like I said, these were widely different circumstances. Usually, when that happens, it´s because the regular starting five can´t mutter any energy and goes through the motions thinking they can just flip the switch on (yes, they still do that).
But this time it wasn´t because of a half-hearted effort and entitlement. The guys on the floor just didn´t click with each other.
It´s a strange thing, on-court chemistry. Some guys really don´t complement each other well, others have a so-so link, and sometimes, some rare times, players have an instinctual understanding of what the others do on the floor, and just mesh well as a team.
And in this case, as the game unfolded, I just realized Detroit has it in droves (all hail Joe Dumars) between certain players. I mean, for Thor´s sake, Samb is the 15th Piston, Herrmann is probably the 13th, Amir is the 8th, and still, those three on the floor at the same time just sparked a 14-0 run at the end of the second. They drove the other team crazy. Defensively, they outrebounded and blocked the other team into submission, and offensively, they insisted and hustled, and since all three are gifted with a soft shooting touch, it was a just an all-around great display. I loved it to pieces.
Seriously, how great is Joe D.? That frontcourt just clicks, and I hope we´ll get other occasions to see it in the last games. Add to that a rookie backcourt that hustles just as much and shows a lot of smarts (still inconsistently, but when both Afflalo and Stuckey have proved an individual feel for the game and at times a developping rapport, there are many reasons to be optimistic), and frankly, the Zoo crew really is something to be passionate about.
A quick recap: Stuckey can be great offensively, is dedicated defensively, and is still miles away from reaching his potential; Afflalo is just a smart, smart player, in the mold of Tayshaun Prince, can do the job offensively and is a scary defender; Lindsey Hunter can change games with 5 minutes of playing time, by hounding the opposing team´s backcourt ferociously and engineering runs; Juan Dixon is always a tenacious defender, is smart on the court and willing to find the open man, and can always have games where he will shoot lights out and score prolifically; Jarvis Hayes has progressed on defense and plays at a very acceptable level, and on offense can sometimes produce points in a hurry and become an unstoppable nightmare; Walter Herrmann is just a good bballer, scores consistently and in a variety of ways, busts his ass every single time, defends remarkably well against certain star players, and makes things happen for his team on the court consistently; Jason Maxiell is a beast unafraid to go against anyone, always rebounding with passion and cleaning up the boards, with a developping jumper and a reliable FT; Amir is a great young player who changes games with his athleticism and hustle, a good prospect both on offense and on defense, a shot-blocking machine, and still miles away from his potential; Theo Ratliff is a veteran who fits in, plays aggressive, does everything his team needs, defends the paint as well as the starting bigs and forces the other team to account for him in the paint; and Cheikh Samb is a young big who has only started to play, has a very soft shooting touch, busts his ass out every single time, is another shot-blocking machine, and just fits very well on the floor when given a chance to play.
This is just unbelievable. But here´s the big but: underachievement.
The starting five was comprised of Tayshaun and Dyess, as usual, but also Stuckey, Hayes and Ratliff. The latter two were chosen to start the game because of their experience, I guess. It made sense. But watching the game last night, I couldn´t help but notice that a pattern seen on several occasions this season repeated itself, albeit in these widely different circumstances.
Once again, after the starting five dug itself in a hole in the first quarter, it was under the impulsion of the bench that the Pistons came back to life in the second quarter. They came back from a 21-point deficit and ended up within 5 at the half. But the third quarter saw on the court the starting five (minus Hayes, who had a really bad game, replaced by Afflalo), and although they stayed within striking distance, they just didn´t inflict the same damage as the Zoo Crew in the second quarter.
Ironic, isn´t it? The starters holding the fort, and the bench guys making the win happen? But like I said, these were widely different circumstances. Usually, when that happens, it´s because the regular starting five can´t mutter any energy and goes through the motions thinking they can just flip the switch on (yes, they still do that).
But this time it wasn´t because of a half-hearted effort and entitlement. The guys on the floor just didn´t click with each other.
It´s a strange thing, on-court chemistry. Some guys really don´t complement each other well, others have a so-so link, and sometimes, some rare times, players have an instinctual understanding of what the others do on the floor, and just mesh well as a team.
And in this case, as the game unfolded, I just realized Detroit has it in droves (all hail Joe Dumars) between certain players. I mean, for Thor´s sake, Samb is the 15th Piston, Herrmann is probably the 13th, Amir is the 8th, and still, those three on the floor at the same time just sparked a 14-0 run at the end of the second. They drove the other team crazy. Defensively, they outrebounded and blocked the other team into submission, and offensively, they insisted and hustled, and since all three are gifted with a soft shooting touch, it was a just an all-around great display. I loved it to pieces.
Seriously, how great is Joe D.? That frontcourt just clicks, and I hope we´ll get other occasions to see it in the last games. Add to that a rookie backcourt that hustles just as much and shows a lot of smarts (still inconsistently, but when both Afflalo and Stuckey have proved an individual feel for the game and at times a developping rapport, there are many reasons to be optimistic), and frankly, the Zoo crew really is something to be passionate about.
A quick recap: Stuckey can be great offensively, is dedicated defensively, and is still miles away from reaching his potential; Afflalo is just a smart, smart player, in the mold of Tayshaun Prince, can do the job offensively and is a scary defender; Lindsey Hunter can change games with 5 minutes of playing time, by hounding the opposing team´s backcourt ferociously and engineering runs; Juan Dixon is always a tenacious defender, is smart on the court and willing to find the open man, and can always have games where he will shoot lights out and score prolifically; Jarvis Hayes has progressed on defense and plays at a very acceptable level, and on offense can sometimes produce points in a hurry and become an unstoppable nightmare; Walter Herrmann is just a good bballer, scores consistently and in a variety of ways, busts his ass every single time, defends remarkably well against certain star players, and makes things happen for his team on the court consistently; Jason Maxiell is a beast unafraid to go against anyone, always rebounding with passion and cleaning up the boards, with a developping jumper and a reliable FT; Amir is a great young player who changes games with his athleticism and hustle, a good prospect both on offense and on defense, a shot-blocking machine, and still miles away from his potential; Theo Ratliff is a veteran who fits in, plays aggressive, does everything his team needs, defends the paint as well as the starting bigs and forces the other team to account for him in the paint; and Cheikh Samb is a young big who has only started to play, has a very soft shooting touch, busts his ass out every single time, is another shot-blocking machine, and just fits very well on the floor when given a chance to play.
This is just unbelievable. But here´s the big but: underachievement.
10 mars 2008
60 millions de sélectionneurs contre 1 finale (le XV de France avant les Gallois)
Pour ce qui est de rouspéter, les supporters des Bleus battent pas mal de records, je vous le garantis. La France vient de gagner contre l´Italie et va donc aller défier le pays de Galles à Cardiff pour la victoire finale dans le tournoi. Oh, je sais, il y a bien des motifs d´insatisfaction au niveau du jeu, et ce ne fut pas un match parfait du tout. Mais bon, d´un point de vue comptable, mission accomplie, non? Gagner le Tournoi reste possible.
J´ai donc vraiment du mal à comprendre. Il ya des gens qui regrettent Laporte et critiquent les trois nouveaux entraîneurs en disant que l´équipe de France ne joue pas bien, qu´elle galvaude le Tournoi des VI nations, même si les résultats lui sont assez favorables. Si ce qui compte ce n´est pas en fin de compte le résultat, pourquoi s´en prendre à la version de l´équipe de France qui tente justement de proposer du beau jeu? Parce que ceux qui descendent le triumvirat en les comparant avec Laporte feraient bien de se rappeler à quel point la notion de beau jeu et la prise de risques qui va avec était décriée par l´ex-entraîneur.
C´est sûr que Lièvremont, N´Tamack et Retière ont beaucoup de pain sur la planche, et que les Bleus ont en partie déçu pendant le Tournoi. Justement parce qu´on en attend monts et merveilles. On en est très loin, mais il est clair que les sélectionneurs voient la tâche sur la durée (ce qui est sage, n´en déplaise à ceux qui s´imagine qu´en quatre matches on devrait voir la meilleure équipe de rugby du monde), qu´ils insistent sur le boulot à fournir, et qu´ils ne se laissent pas démonter par la pression du public.
Résultat, le secteur de la conquête reste le plus déficient, sans pour autant être catastrophique, la ligne d´arrières a montré de très très belles promesses actuelles et pour l´avenir en dégageant dès maintenant au moins 6 joueurs qui pourraient être exceptionnels, et la charnière a montré qu´il lui restait beaucoup de choses à apprendre, mais les différents joueurs qui l´ont composée ont montré du caractère, une bonne disposition au travail et à défendre avec le reste de l´équipe, par moments de l´autorité et de l´inspiration, et d´après le match contre les Transalpins, une certaine flexibilité à l´heure d´alterner le jeu.
Faire le liant entre tout ceci, cela reste une autre paire de manches. C´est normal; le rugby exige un équilibre rare dans les phases de jeu, et quand tu l´atteins, quand tu deviens imparable dans le jeu au centre, les regroupements et le jeu au large, et quand tu sais quel est le bon moment pour chacune de ces trois facettes, c´est que tu es arrivé à maturité et que tu es au top.
En somme, on est à l´étape des promesses laborieuses, et c´est normal. L´aisance individuelle et collective, cela viendra plus tard.
Un cavéat, cependant. Je comprends que le triumvirat fasse débuter beaucoup de petits nouveaux, on est à l´an 1 et au match 4 du trajet de 4 ans vers la Coupe du Monde. Mais je me demande si la méthode ne sera pas contreproductive pour certains de ceux qu´on lance dans le grand bain. Je veux dire que l´équipe n´a pas simplement été retouchée, sinon qu´il y a eu des mini-chamboulements entre certains matches (entre l´Angleterre et l´Italie en particulier).
Un projet de jeu collectif auxquels tous ont suscrit a été assis avec fermeté et enthousiasme, c´est vrai, mais le manque de continuité concernant les joueurs fait qu´il manque encore beaucoup d´automatismes collectifs. Et j´ai du mal à concevoir que tous les jeunots qui débutent puissent s´exprimer au mieux vu cette instabilité, cette friabilité du jeu collectif.
Il est difficile d´évaluer clairement l´impact d´un joueur spécifique quand la physionomie d´ensemble de l´équipe est mal dessinée, quoi. Certains joueurs, comme Trinh-Duc, ont eu la chance d´être rappelés au moins 2 ou 3 fois même après des performances moyennes, mais s´il faut rappeler tous les petits nouveaux 3 ou 4 fois avant de se faire une vraie idée de leur valeur dans le dispositif de l´équipe de France, vu que voilà 13 néophytes a avoir débuté depuis les début du Tournoi, je crains que les Bleus ne tardent un peu trop à trouver de la consistance.
Le vrai problème, surtout, c´est que ces 3 ou 4 sélections ne s´effectuent pas consécutivement, à part pour Trinh-Duc. Parra fait un bon match contre l´Angleterre, mais il n´est pas rappelé. Lui a réussi ses débuts donc ça ne pèsera pas trop sur la décision des entraîneurs, mais pour quelqu´un comme Diarra en troisième ligne, qui vient de se blesser, vu que je pense que Dusautoir reste un taulier, jouer plusieurs matches en Bleus espacés par quelques semaines de différence risque de lui compliquer la tâche pour s´affirmer définitivement en équipe de France.
Je n´aime pas penser que la carrière de certains Bleus pourrait s´avérer très courte sans que l´on soit sûrs qu´ils ont effectivement buté contre leurs limites.
J´attends avec impatience de suivre cette équipe de France dans les années à venir, ça c´est sûr. Quand tous les joueurs blessés seront disponibles, que les jeunes auront gagné en assurance, les possibilités sont monstrueuses. Qui de Clerc, Heymans, Rougerie, Poitrenaud, Floch, Malzieu, Jauzion, Traille, David brillera en attaque? A quoi ressembleront les deuxième et troisième ligne? (il y a une telle concurrence que tout est possible, et cela pourrait être la grande classe, je veux bien le parier). Il n´y a guère que la première ligne qui pourrait m´inquiéter sérieusement (De Villiers et Milloud seront vraiment vieux lors de la Coupe du Monde 2011), mais même là, l´espoir demeure (quid de Benjamin Kayser? Barcella tiendra-t-il le coup?) Quelle charnière pour rêver et gagner? Parra, Elissalde, Trinh-Duc, Michalak, les lendemains peuvent chanter!
Mais entretemps, s´agissant du Tournoi que l´on est en train de vivre, même si le pays de Galles mériterait son Grand Chelem, si les Français vont là-bas et font exploser le match, qu´ils gagnent par 20 points d´écart avec un rugby de feu, ils auront bien mérité le triomphe dans ce Tournoi, et les entraîneurs aussi. Réponse dans une semaine. Feraient-ils taire les détracteurs? Je ne le parierais pas...On aura un bien beau vainqueur en tout cas!
9 mars 2008
Pas de ratage, mais des cafouillages (le XV de France après l´Italie)
Quand la France gagne contre l´Italie, certains seraient tentés de faire la fine bouche et de ne pas accorder trop de mérites aux joueurs, mais c´est d´autant plus un tort que le XV de France commence à montrer des tendances tant encourageantes que problématiques.
Quelques observations donc après ce match.
La conquête reste un chantier total. C´est vrai que les Italiens sont bons dans ce secteur, et les Bleus n´ont pas le feu aux trousses, donc il faut rester mesuré, mais cela ferait vraiment du bien que lors du prochain match, la mêlée et la touche vivent un déclic. Personne en particulier n´est en cause, mais personne n´a la certitude que la bonne composition des avants ait été trouvée, d´où en partie la frustration ambiante. Barcella a fait son boulot en s´accrochant avec aplomb, il a eu de l´assurance dans ce groupe pour son premier match, et je le sens bien.
Les arrières ont montré de belles choses contre les Italiens, et vu les conditions, cela aurait été un exploit qu´ils ne gâchent pas autant de munitions, alors ne nous traumatisons pas à cause des nombreuses fautes de main. Malgré tout, loin d´être parfait. Floch et Malzieu laissent entrevoir de belles choses. Autant que les Toulousains? Cela reste à voir... La liaison avec la chanière s´est améliorée par rapport au match contre l´Angleterre, j´ai l´impression, et c´est grâce à l´alternance proposée par la charnière et Trinh-Duc en particulier. Apparemment, lui et Yachvili jouent assez bien ensemble, mais c´est encore trop tôt pour en tirer des conclusions définitives, parce qu´Elissalde a encore une longueur d´avance sur Yachvili d´après moi et reste le taulier au poste de demi-de-mêlée.
La troisième ligne s´est trouvée de bons joueurs (depuis les début du Tournoi je veux dire, c´est-à-dire en incluant Dusautoir et les autres), mais l´ordre et les mécanismes restent flous. Les centres ont montré de belles choses aussi, et entre Jauzion, Traille, David, et peut-être Poitrenaud, il y aura des combinaisons à tenter.
En somme, je trouve que la conquête reste le seul dossier où l´on n´ait pas tant avancé que cela, et que pour le reste des secteurs, il est peut-être temps d´établir une première hiérarchie temporaire de l´équipe, et de tenter de peaufiner les automatismes.
Quelques observations donc après ce match.
La conquête reste un chantier total. C´est vrai que les Italiens sont bons dans ce secteur, et les Bleus n´ont pas le feu aux trousses, donc il faut rester mesuré, mais cela ferait vraiment du bien que lors du prochain match, la mêlée et la touche vivent un déclic. Personne en particulier n´est en cause, mais personne n´a la certitude que la bonne composition des avants ait été trouvée, d´où en partie la frustration ambiante. Barcella a fait son boulot en s´accrochant avec aplomb, il a eu de l´assurance dans ce groupe pour son premier match, et je le sens bien.
Les arrières ont montré de belles choses contre les Italiens, et vu les conditions, cela aurait été un exploit qu´ils ne gâchent pas autant de munitions, alors ne nous traumatisons pas à cause des nombreuses fautes de main. Malgré tout, loin d´être parfait. Floch et Malzieu laissent entrevoir de belles choses. Autant que les Toulousains? Cela reste à voir... La liaison avec la chanière s´est améliorée par rapport au match contre l´Angleterre, j´ai l´impression, et c´est grâce à l´alternance proposée par la charnière et Trinh-Duc en particulier. Apparemment, lui et Yachvili jouent assez bien ensemble, mais c´est encore trop tôt pour en tirer des conclusions définitives, parce qu´Elissalde a encore une longueur d´avance sur Yachvili d´après moi et reste le taulier au poste de demi-de-mêlée.
La troisième ligne s´est trouvée de bons joueurs (depuis les début du Tournoi je veux dire, c´est-à-dire en incluant Dusautoir et les autres), mais l´ordre et les mécanismes restent flous. Les centres ont montré de belles choses aussi, et entre Jauzion, Traille, David, et peut-être Poitrenaud, il y aura des combinaisons à tenter.
En somme, je trouve que la conquête reste le seul dossier où l´on n´ait pas tant avancé que cela, et que pour le reste des secteurs, il est peut-être temps d´établir une première hiérarchie temporaire de l´équipe, et de tenter de peaufiner les automatismes.
8 mars 2008
Will the Pistons win the championship? (part 2)
These things are bad enough as it is, but there´s more.
And once again, my biggest beef is the rotation. What the heck passes through Flip´s mind at times, I wonder. Some players are fresh, playing good, being efficient on the court, and still they are sent to the bench? (Rodney Stuckey against the Knicks, for instance). A starter is playing like shit, contributing negatively, but he stays on the court for long, long minutes? No matter how the game is goind, Saunders´s rotation patterns are always the same. It´s set in stone or so you´d swear, it´s predictable, and it´s depressing.
Look, it´s simple. The Pistons are the only 12-deep team in the NBA. All the guys on the bench play with energy. All of them. And still Chauncey can be having a horrible, horrible time on the court and end up with 35 minutes of playing time. These past two games have been horrendous from Chauncey. During the game against Boston, in a 5 minutes stretch, he lost something like 3 balls in a ridiculous manner, just because he was a bit lackadaisical. He had no assists, no rebounds, no points, but more importantly, for the whole stretch, he just didn´t contribute solidly, even wihout stats, besides the turnovers of course. Even his defense was kind of lacking.
I know Billups is your captain on the floor, but if he reaaally isn´t playing well, he shouldn´t be on the court. Bench him for a few minutes, give the other guys a chance, and after a while put him back there, to see if he has his head straight this time. And if he doesn´t and the others have played well, have helped their team, then let them, the ones who have HELPED their team, play.
And during these last 2 games, it wasn´t only Chauncey, but also Rip who stank to high heavens. Okay, I´m exaggerating. His defense during the Boston game was good, both on Rajon Rondo and Ray Allen. But: he got ejected in New York, which was really dumb and unhelpful for the team in the absence of Rasheed, and his shooting percentage was dismal in both games. When that happens at the same time as Billups´s problems, the Pistons have a really hard time executing their offense.
It shouldn´t be the case. Prince can score on anyone 20 points a night, and the bigs are very skilled offensively. But there´s the source of my discontentment towards Billups and Hamilton: when they are both shooting badly, they don´t relinquish their role of main scoring threats, they still try to run the show, instead of force-feeding McDyess and Rasheed and having them be the primary focus of the Pistons´s offense.
I know Rasheed and Dyess don´t try to be top dogs on the team, and that´s very helpful when the backcourt is playing well (which means, most of the time), because that´s when, as a unit, Detroit fires on all cylinders, to quote the cliché. that´s when the "best starting five in the NBA" blows all competition out of the water (scroll down till Steve´s comment at 11.30 PM). But on those rare nights when it doesn´t happen, you know the Pistons have the weapons not to suffer one bit, but they don´t use them.
And it´s frustrating as hell. Detroit is without a doubt the most frustrating team in the league, I´m telling you (the details are for a later entry).
For the good news, I´ve liked what I´ve seen from Dixon, he´s efficient, incisive and smart. I agree with Flip´s apparent decision to give him the edge over Afflalo for this year, except in certain circumstances (some defensive assignments come to mind), because for this year, he´s ahead of Arron offensively, and the younger player will learn a lot and play much more next year. Ratliff is great within Detroit´s system, he will be solid for short stretches, won´t need time to warm up, will be a great help on some players, and could hold the fort for long minutes should the need come to arise in desperate cases.
Both him and the young ones, Maxiell and Amir, could play and thrive on the team. Let´s just hope Saunders uses his bigs wisely during the playoffs, because they could be dynamite. Thank you JoeD. Come on! Rasheed, McDyess, Amir, Maxiell, and Ratliff? The perfect tools, it just has to be the perfect rotation.
And for the love of basketball, Flip Saunders, let Herrmann play! As a back-up small forward, he would become gold for the Pistons. Gold, I´m telling you. More on that later.
And once again, my biggest beef is the rotation. What the heck passes through Flip´s mind at times, I wonder. Some players are fresh, playing good, being efficient on the court, and still they are sent to the bench? (Rodney Stuckey against the Knicks, for instance). A starter is playing like shit, contributing negatively, but he stays on the court for long, long minutes? No matter how the game is goind, Saunders´s rotation patterns are always the same. It´s set in stone or so you´d swear, it´s predictable, and it´s depressing.
Look, it´s simple. The Pistons are the only 12-deep team in the NBA. All the guys on the bench play with energy. All of them. And still Chauncey can be having a horrible, horrible time on the court and end up with 35 minutes of playing time. These past two games have been horrendous from Chauncey. During the game against Boston, in a 5 minutes stretch, he lost something like 3 balls in a ridiculous manner, just because he was a bit lackadaisical. He had no assists, no rebounds, no points, but more importantly, for the whole stretch, he just didn´t contribute solidly, even wihout stats, besides the turnovers of course. Even his defense was kind of lacking.
I know Billups is your captain on the floor, but if he reaaally isn´t playing well, he shouldn´t be on the court. Bench him for a few minutes, give the other guys a chance, and after a while put him back there, to see if he has his head straight this time. And if he doesn´t and the others have played well, have helped their team, then let them, the ones who have HELPED their team, play.
And during these last 2 games, it wasn´t only Chauncey, but also Rip who stank to high heavens. Okay, I´m exaggerating. His defense during the Boston game was good, both on Rajon Rondo and Ray Allen. But: he got ejected in New York, which was really dumb and unhelpful for the team in the absence of Rasheed, and his shooting percentage was dismal in both games. When that happens at the same time as Billups´s problems, the Pistons have a really hard time executing their offense.
It shouldn´t be the case. Prince can score on anyone 20 points a night, and the bigs are very skilled offensively. But there´s the source of my discontentment towards Billups and Hamilton: when they are both shooting badly, they don´t relinquish their role of main scoring threats, they still try to run the show, instead of force-feeding McDyess and Rasheed and having them be the primary focus of the Pistons´s offense.
I know Rasheed and Dyess don´t try to be top dogs on the team, and that´s very helpful when the backcourt is playing well (which means, most of the time), because that´s when, as a unit, Detroit fires on all cylinders, to quote the cliché. that´s when the "best starting five in the NBA" blows all competition out of the water (scroll down till Steve´s comment at 11.30 PM). But on those rare nights when it doesn´t happen, you know the Pistons have the weapons not to suffer one bit, but they don´t use them.
And it´s frustrating as hell. Detroit is without a doubt the most frustrating team in the league, I´m telling you (the details are for a later entry).
For the good news, I´ve liked what I´ve seen from Dixon, he´s efficient, incisive and smart. I agree with Flip´s apparent decision to give him the edge over Afflalo for this year, except in certain circumstances (some defensive assignments come to mind), because for this year, he´s ahead of Arron offensively, and the younger player will learn a lot and play much more next year. Ratliff is great within Detroit´s system, he will be solid for short stretches, won´t need time to warm up, will be a great help on some players, and could hold the fort for long minutes should the need come to arise in desperate cases.
Both him and the young ones, Maxiell and Amir, could play and thrive on the team. Let´s just hope Saunders uses his bigs wisely during the playoffs, because they could be dynamite. Thank you JoeD. Come on! Rasheed, McDyess, Amir, Maxiell, and Ratliff? The perfect tools, it just has to be the perfect rotation.
And for the love of basketball, Flip Saunders, let Herrmann play! As a back-up small forward, he would become gold for the Pistons. Gold, I´m telling you. More on that later.
Will the Pistons win the championship? (part 1)
At this point , no one knows. What we should discuss is whether the Pistons will play as well as they have shown they can this season. And I got to say, I didn´t like much what I saw this week in the two games against Boston and the Knicks. Both these games showed some troublesome patterns that the Pistons have been carrying with them for a while, now.
First of all, I thought the youngsters´s emergence this season was supposed to take care of the no-energy problem. And indeed, Maxiell, Johnson and the other guys are always bouncing up and down the court with determination. But both against Boston and New York, after taking some rest on the bench, the starters came in and looked flat. At times, and it has been said a lot, Detroit´s level actually dips a little in the first minutes after starters return on the court, and the only reason this has never been made obvious is because with so few turnovers, the starters´s deficiencies aren´t made flagrant in short spurts.
Doesn´t mean they aren´t there, though, and it especially doesn´t mean these deficiencies won´t cause serious harm in the long run. It´s a very real possibility, because this week´s games are not the first ones where I notice this.
Second, Detroit has a chance to be incredibly good this year in the playoffs, but they still have to execute. Games won´t all be blowouts, and the Pistons seriously need to begin taking care of those free throws. 2 missed technical free throws in the playoffs will take its toll, I promise you that. Having a FT shooting percentage of 70% for the last 5 or 6 games has probably cost the Pistons a game or two, you know. Momentum is everything in sports, and against Boston in particular, if the Pistons had actually tied the game during the second quarter by sinking their FT, there would have been no need to play catch up for the entire game, and I think the mental toll it took can help explain the mini-meltdown that happened in the fourth quarter.
The most problematic aspect of this isn´t the loss of 1 or 2 games, though. I´m more worried about the fact that it has been happening for some time, now (and it´s not like there´s one player who just can´t sink FT that´s lowering the FT%), and that it still hasn´t been adressed. That indicates a problem with coaching. It´s part of the basics for every coach, you know? You get an uncontested layup, it´s in, period. You go to the line, it´s in. And if it´s not, then you practice again and again and again, because there´s no excuse not to make them.
It´s the players´s responsibility to sink them, but it´s damn sure the coaching staff´s responsibility to notice if they haven´t been as efficient and focused as they should, and to raise the issue accordingly. I haven´t seen that. I haven´t seen anyone pointing that out on and off the court, and I haven´t seen anyone seriously bothered and demanding focus from the Pistons on the FT line. It´s not that I want Flip to blow a gasket, but it sure looks like missed FT are not a big deal for him or any of them. And as I said, who on the team is supposed to miss FT? Maxiell has progressed a lot, Amir has a soft touch, Dyess and Rasheed are actually good FT shooters. It´s just a matter of focus.
(continued..)
First of all, I thought the youngsters´s emergence this season was supposed to take care of the no-energy problem. And indeed, Maxiell, Johnson and the other guys are always bouncing up and down the court with determination. But both against Boston and New York, after taking some rest on the bench, the starters came in and looked flat. At times, and it has been said a lot, Detroit´s level actually dips a little in the first minutes after starters return on the court, and the only reason this has never been made obvious is because with so few turnovers, the starters´s deficiencies aren´t made flagrant in short spurts.
Doesn´t mean they aren´t there, though, and it especially doesn´t mean these deficiencies won´t cause serious harm in the long run. It´s a very real possibility, because this week´s games are not the first ones where I notice this.
Second, Detroit has a chance to be incredibly good this year in the playoffs, but they still have to execute. Games won´t all be blowouts, and the Pistons seriously need to begin taking care of those free throws. 2 missed technical free throws in the playoffs will take its toll, I promise you that. Having a FT shooting percentage of 70% for the last 5 or 6 games has probably cost the Pistons a game or two, you know. Momentum is everything in sports, and against Boston in particular, if the Pistons had actually tied the game during the second quarter by sinking their FT, there would have been no need to play catch up for the entire game, and I think the mental toll it took can help explain the mini-meltdown that happened in the fourth quarter.
The most problematic aspect of this isn´t the loss of 1 or 2 games, though. I´m more worried about the fact that it has been happening for some time, now (and it´s not like there´s one player who just can´t sink FT that´s lowering the FT%), and that it still hasn´t been adressed. That indicates a problem with coaching. It´s part of the basics for every coach, you know? You get an uncontested layup, it´s in, period. You go to the line, it´s in. And if it´s not, then you practice again and again and again, because there´s no excuse not to make them.
It´s the players´s responsibility to sink them, but it´s damn sure the coaching staff´s responsibility to notice if they haven´t been as efficient and focused as they should, and to raise the issue accordingly. I haven´t seen that. I haven´t seen anyone pointing that out on and off the court, and I haven´t seen anyone seriously bothered and demanding focus from the Pistons on the FT line. It´s not that I want Flip to blow a gasket, but it sure looks like missed FT are not a big deal for him or any of them. And as I said, who on the team is supposed to miss FT? Maxiell has progressed a lot, Amir has a soft touch, Dyess and Rasheed are actually good FT shooters. It´s just a matter of focus.
(continued..)
5 mars 2008
Ligue des Champions, Real Madrid - AS Rome
Une fin de match assez débridée, et qui causa une certaine angoisse, mais en fin de compte, le résultat final est on ne peut plus mérité tant pour la Roma que pour le Real.
Si on additionne toutes les occasions dangereuses de la Roma, et on compare avec celles du Real, il ne fait aucun doute que le club italien se montra bien plus incisif. Certaines des occases des Romains auraient fait des buts splendides. La première frappe d´Aquilani est un véritable éclair de génie. Quel angle! Vraiment incroyable. La frappe de Vucinic sur la barre est aussi très jolie, plusieurs contrattaques en surnombre offensif auraient pu finir en but, surtout si Totti n´avait pas explosé dès la 74ème minute, et dans l´ensemble, la Roma a fait bien meilleur usage du ballon que le Real, même si certains moments du match étaient une interminable succession d´erreurs techniques des deux côtés (entre la 30ème minute et la fin de la première mi-temps par exemple).
Mexès fait un très bon match, et Tonetto aussi. Il faut souligner que De Rossi joue un rôle déterminant pendant les premières 70 minutes, placé comme le milieu récupérateur le plus bas que j´ai jamais vu au foot, et il a bien emmerdé le Real en râtissant tout et débutant les relances de là où il était. Il était le liant entre la défense et le milieu, et a permis que les espaces soient très importants pour ses attaquants dès la ligne de milieu de terrain. La minute où il a reculé, s´est tranformé en un défenseur comme un autre et a cessé de couper les transmissions du Real et de se porter vers l´avant, le bloc romain a cessé d´avoir la mainmise sur le ballon et le Real a pu respirer (un petit peu).
Totti n´était pas au mieux au départ, puis il décida de servir de point d´appui à l´attaque, et comme le Real a été assez stupide pour ne pas essayer de le priver de ballon, mais plutôt de le lui enlever, il a pesé sur le match, jusqu´à ce que la fatigue le fasse disparaître. Mais c´était vraiment absurde de le voir avec trois Madrilènes le collant pour essayer de lui chiper la balle; vous avez vu la couverture de ballon du Romain? Bonne chance pour le lui prendre!
Les deux joueurs les plus en vue furent incontestablement Vucinic, qui fit ce qu´il voulut, et Aquilani, la plaque tournante. D´ailleurs, pour moi, le meilleur joueur du match ce fut lui, présent dans le pressing, disponible dans la construction du jeu, et du tonnerre en attaque lorsqu´il apporta le surnombre. Le match bascule véritablement avec l´entrée de Vucinic, mais les titulaires de la Roma dominaient déja largement le match auparavant.
Cela vous illustre bien à quel point le Real n´y était pas. Je ne pense pas que cela soit l´entraîneur. Oh, je sais, Bernd Schuster n´a pas non plus fait un grand travail sur ce match, mais ce n´est pas son coaching qui a coûté aux Madrilènes la qualification. Le premier but surgit sur un centre juste après l´expulsion de Pepe, c´est vrai, mais d´après moi, on ne peut vraiment pas en imputer la responsabilité au fait que le coach ne fit pas entrer un autre défenseur central. Si on prête attention à ce qui se passe sur le but, personne n´est démarqué dans la surface de réparation. Taddei n´est pas seul, c´est juste qu´ il surprend son défenseur et met une tête imparable dans une position difficile. On peut discuter sans fin pour savoir si un défenseur en plus aurait fait la différence, mais ce n´est, au mieux, pas évident du tout.
Non, pour moi la raison de la défaite du Real tient aux joueurs. Vous les avez sentis surmotivés, morts de faim, vous? Le but de Raúl est très chanceux, vu qu´il était en position de hors-jeu, et après, beaucoup de hâte mais peu de tranchant.
Non, ils n´y étaient vraiment pas, et voilà un petit moment que cela dure. Je les trouve en proie à une insidieuse fatigue complètement mentale. C´est dur à expliquer, et cela n´a peut-être pas beaucoup de sens, mais voilà quelques années que je les vois jouer et que je sens qu´on leur a coupé l´inspiration. Avant même la dissolution des "Galactiques". J´ai ma petite idée sur le sujet, d´ailleurs, mais je la laisse pour plus tard.
Toujours est-il que le Real s´est planté une fois de plus, et monumentalement. La Maison Blanche a besoin de reconstruire à zéro, j´en ai la conviction.
L´AS Rome se qualifie, ce qui à première vue ne fait pas les affaires du beau jeu, mais même si la Roma joue en bloc et n´est pas tournée entièrement vers l´attaque, je trouve que leur jeu est loin d´être désagréable. Ils sont assez techniques et assez vifs pour animer un match contre n´importe qui, et ce n´est vraiment pas une de ces équipes qui cadenassent tout en défense.
Un match de foot assez intéressant, et assez juste. Pour la deuxième fois en deux jours avec une équipe italienne!! L´arrêt Bosman, l´émergence de la Premier League et d´autres tendances de ces dernières années ont fait beaucoup de bien au foot italien.
Si on additionne toutes les occasions dangereuses de la Roma, et on compare avec celles du Real, il ne fait aucun doute que le club italien se montra bien plus incisif. Certaines des occases des Romains auraient fait des buts splendides. La première frappe d´Aquilani est un véritable éclair de génie. Quel angle! Vraiment incroyable. La frappe de Vucinic sur la barre est aussi très jolie, plusieurs contrattaques en surnombre offensif auraient pu finir en but, surtout si Totti n´avait pas explosé dès la 74ème minute, et dans l´ensemble, la Roma a fait bien meilleur usage du ballon que le Real, même si certains moments du match étaient une interminable succession d´erreurs techniques des deux côtés (entre la 30ème minute et la fin de la première mi-temps par exemple).
Mexès fait un très bon match, et Tonetto aussi. Il faut souligner que De Rossi joue un rôle déterminant pendant les premières 70 minutes, placé comme le milieu récupérateur le plus bas que j´ai jamais vu au foot, et il a bien emmerdé le Real en râtissant tout et débutant les relances de là où il était. Il était le liant entre la défense et le milieu, et a permis que les espaces soient très importants pour ses attaquants dès la ligne de milieu de terrain. La minute où il a reculé, s´est tranformé en un défenseur comme un autre et a cessé de couper les transmissions du Real et de se porter vers l´avant, le bloc romain a cessé d´avoir la mainmise sur le ballon et le Real a pu respirer (un petit peu).
Totti n´était pas au mieux au départ, puis il décida de servir de point d´appui à l´attaque, et comme le Real a été assez stupide pour ne pas essayer de le priver de ballon, mais plutôt de le lui enlever, il a pesé sur le match, jusqu´à ce que la fatigue le fasse disparaître. Mais c´était vraiment absurde de le voir avec trois Madrilènes le collant pour essayer de lui chiper la balle; vous avez vu la couverture de ballon du Romain? Bonne chance pour le lui prendre!
Les deux joueurs les plus en vue furent incontestablement Vucinic, qui fit ce qu´il voulut, et Aquilani, la plaque tournante. D´ailleurs, pour moi, le meilleur joueur du match ce fut lui, présent dans le pressing, disponible dans la construction du jeu, et du tonnerre en attaque lorsqu´il apporta le surnombre. Le match bascule véritablement avec l´entrée de Vucinic, mais les titulaires de la Roma dominaient déja largement le match auparavant.
Cela vous illustre bien à quel point le Real n´y était pas. Je ne pense pas que cela soit l´entraîneur. Oh, je sais, Bernd Schuster n´a pas non plus fait un grand travail sur ce match, mais ce n´est pas son coaching qui a coûté aux Madrilènes la qualification. Le premier but surgit sur un centre juste après l´expulsion de Pepe, c´est vrai, mais d´après moi, on ne peut vraiment pas en imputer la responsabilité au fait que le coach ne fit pas entrer un autre défenseur central. Si on prête attention à ce qui se passe sur le but, personne n´est démarqué dans la surface de réparation. Taddei n´est pas seul, c´est juste qu´ il surprend son défenseur et met une tête imparable dans une position difficile. On peut discuter sans fin pour savoir si un défenseur en plus aurait fait la différence, mais ce n´est, au mieux, pas évident du tout.
Non, pour moi la raison de la défaite du Real tient aux joueurs. Vous les avez sentis surmotivés, morts de faim, vous? Le but de Raúl est très chanceux, vu qu´il était en position de hors-jeu, et après, beaucoup de hâte mais peu de tranchant.
Non, ils n´y étaient vraiment pas, et voilà un petit moment que cela dure. Je les trouve en proie à une insidieuse fatigue complètement mentale. C´est dur à expliquer, et cela n´a peut-être pas beaucoup de sens, mais voilà quelques années que je les vois jouer et que je sens qu´on leur a coupé l´inspiration. Avant même la dissolution des "Galactiques". J´ai ma petite idée sur le sujet, d´ailleurs, mais je la laisse pour plus tard.
Toujours est-il que le Real s´est planté une fois de plus, et monumentalement. La Maison Blanche a besoin de reconstruire à zéro, j´en ai la conviction.
L´AS Rome se qualifie, ce qui à première vue ne fait pas les affaires du beau jeu, mais même si la Roma joue en bloc et n´est pas tournée entièrement vers l´attaque, je trouve que leur jeu est loin d´être désagréable. Ils sont assez techniques et assez vifs pour animer un match contre n´importe qui, et ce n´est vraiment pas une de ces équipes qui cadenassent tout en défense.
Un match de foot assez intéressant, et assez juste. Pour la deuxième fois en deux jours avec une équipe italienne!! L´arrêt Bosman, l´émergence de la Premier League et d´autres tendances de ces dernières années ont fait beaucoup de bien au foot italien.
4 mars 2008
Ligue des Champions, Milan AC - Arsenal
Le match vient de se terminer, et le résultat final reflète parfaitement la physionomie du match, une fois n´est pas coutume lorsqu´il s´agit d´une équipe italienne.
J´aime les Gunners; leur jeu basé sur l´attaque, sur la circulation constante du ballon, sur la technique au service du collectif, sur la vitesse... A l´époque des Galactiques du Real Madrid (après 2002, quand ils renforcèrent l´effectif avec Ronaldo, puis Beckham, puis Owen, etc..), le jeu offensif était absolument sublime, mais la défense ne donnait pas les mêmes gages de sécurité. Le jeu d´Arsenal, de la défense jusqu´à l´attaque, est basé sur la notion d´équilibre. Vous avez vu la fréquence avec laquelle Gallas, défenseur central, se porte en attaque pendant le cours du jeu, et la facilité avec laquelle un joueur nettement plus offensif de nature comme l´est Clichy le couvre dans ces cas-là? Tous les joueurs qui font partie de l´effectif d´Arsenal, à l´exception d´Adebayor, jouent leur rôle de récupérateurs avec le même zèle qu´ils dévouent à se porter vers l´avant.
Un joueur incarne en particulier pour moi cette délicate alchimie d´Arsenal. Evidemment, il s´agit de Fabregas. Cela fait plaisir d´entendre dire qu´il se sent chez lui au club et qu´il compte y rester toute sa carrière. Le but qu´il marque à la 84ème minute me fit vraiment prendre conscience qu´il est en train de devenir l´équivalent de Steven Gerrard à Liverpool, non seulement le joueur le plus doué sur le terrain, mais aussi le baromètre de l´âme de l´équipe, un capitaine-courage dont la combativité peut ressusciter magiquement les partenaires.
Sur l´action, apparemment anodine, on voit clairement à quel point Fabregas est le patron d´Arsenal sur le terrain. Le tir, sans atteindre des sommets de vitesse, est incroyable, il se niche dans les recoins de la cage, là où le goal n´avait aucune chance de le dévier. Il ne venait pas de produire une énorme accélération, il ne met pas toute la patate, mais n´empêche; un tir vraiment venu de nulle part. Et pourtant, les coéquipiers de Fabregas n´ont pas l´air si étonnés que cela. Lors d´un match qu´Arsenal dominait sans parvenir à débloquer, il était clair qu´ils avaient pleinement confiance en lui pour faire basculer le sort de la rencontre.
Fabregas avait bien joué jusque là, s´employant à fond dans la récupération, participant avec clarté dans la construction du jeu, mais ce n´était pas un de ces matches où il semble touché par la grâce. Mais un éclair de sa part fut suffisant pour changer complètement les états d´esprits. Voilà qui montre l´étendue de sa force mentale. Il lui faut encore gagner de la constance et progresser, c´est vrai, mais que le futur d´Arsenal s´annonce prometteur pour les 5 ou 6 prochaines années !!
Chapeau, Arsène Wenger. Cette équipe régale, épate, et gagne depuis et pour encore longtemps.
J´aime les Gunners; leur jeu basé sur l´attaque, sur la circulation constante du ballon, sur la technique au service du collectif, sur la vitesse... A l´époque des Galactiques du Real Madrid (après 2002, quand ils renforcèrent l´effectif avec Ronaldo, puis Beckham, puis Owen, etc..), le jeu offensif était absolument sublime, mais la défense ne donnait pas les mêmes gages de sécurité. Le jeu d´Arsenal, de la défense jusqu´à l´attaque, est basé sur la notion d´équilibre. Vous avez vu la fréquence avec laquelle Gallas, défenseur central, se porte en attaque pendant le cours du jeu, et la facilité avec laquelle un joueur nettement plus offensif de nature comme l´est Clichy le couvre dans ces cas-là? Tous les joueurs qui font partie de l´effectif d´Arsenal, à l´exception d´Adebayor, jouent leur rôle de récupérateurs avec le même zèle qu´ils dévouent à se porter vers l´avant.
Un joueur incarne en particulier pour moi cette délicate alchimie d´Arsenal. Evidemment, il s´agit de Fabregas. Cela fait plaisir d´entendre dire qu´il se sent chez lui au club et qu´il compte y rester toute sa carrière. Le but qu´il marque à la 84ème minute me fit vraiment prendre conscience qu´il est en train de devenir l´équivalent de Steven Gerrard à Liverpool, non seulement le joueur le plus doué sur le terrain, mais aussi le baromètre de l´âme de l´équipe, un capitaine-courage dont la combativité peut ressusciter magiquement les partenaires.
Sur l´action, apparemment anodine, on voit clairement à quel point Fabregas est le patron d´Arsenal sur le terrain. Le tir, sans atteindre des sommets de vitesse, est incroyable, il se niche dans les recoins de la cage, là où le goal n´avait aucune chance de le dévier. Il ne venait pas de produire une énorme accélération, il ne met pas toute la patate, mais n´empêche; un tir vraiment venu de nulle part. Et pourtant, les coéquipiers de Fabregas n´ont pas l´air si étonnés que cela. Lors d´un match qu´Arsenal dominait sans parvenir à débloquer, il était clair qu´ils avaient pleinement confiance en lui pour faire basculer le sort de la rencontre.
Fabregas avait bien joué jusque là, s´employant à fond dans la récupération, participant avec clarté dans la construction du jeu, mais ce n´était pas un de ces matches où il semble touché par la grâce. Mais un éclair de sa part fut suffisant pour changer complètement les états d´esprits. Voilà qui montre l´étendue de sa force mentale. Il lui faut encore gagner de la constance et progresser, c´est vrai, mais que le futur d´Arsenal s´annonce prometteur pour les 5 ou 6 prochaines années !!
Chapeau, Arsène Wenger. Cette équipe régale, épate, et gagne depuis et pour encore longtemps.
24 févr. 2008
22 févr. 2008
Aftermath of the trade deadline: Pistons-Bucks.
What a great game to watch as a Pistons fan! The first quarter made us think it would be close, but no, it turned out to be a blowout. The Pistons´s lead grew to as much as 31, and except for that first quarter, there wasn´t a single moment when the result of the game seriously appeared to be in doubt. Even when Flip Saunders put only reserves on the floor and as a result, the lead diminished to 14, I never really got the impression that the lineup on the floor was overmatched, independently from who Milwaukee had in the game. The decrease of the lead seemed a byproduct of a string of turnovers on a few consecutives possessions, something that has happened everytime the reserves have been on the floor without a starter for more than three or four minutes witout a timeout being called.
But let´s heap credit where credit is due: the Pistons´s coach has caught on to that trend, and in the last games, when that has happened, the Pistons have used one of their timeouts and come out great afterwards. That´s how these youngsters are learning the game, anyway. It musn´t be easy to play in the only team in the league that has an unmovable starting five, barring only injury. I mean, even if one of our subs plays well for some games in a row, he just won´t get a chance to start.
Besides, let´s not lose sight of the fact that for all the energy the reserves bring to the games, in spite of their reckless dynamism and some flagrant bad decisions that cost them the ball, Detroit´s turnovers (TO) are consistently few and far between, with one of the lowest rates in the league. Last night, given the up-tempo style of play of the bench, it wouldn´t have seemed that farfetched to expect a double-digit amount of TO for the Pistons, but no, lo and behold, they ended the evening with only 6 of them, and seeing the extended minutes the bench got, they did nearly as fine a job taking care of the ball as the starters. At least as good as many starting units in the league.
And they can only get better ! Next year, I wouldn´t expect Afflalo to make the same kind of mistakes I´ve seen him commit on occasions this season, such as in last night´s game. The kid´s a real gem, as has already been stated. Defensively, he has a real feel for staying with his man as he drives, and that´s no easy feat. Last night, he forced a turnover that way. Smart in order to pace the floor, he just has to knock down the open jumper, which is not too consistent right now.
That´s where Juan Dixon comes in. He´s confident and will score points as soon as the opportunity arises, without being a ballhog as Flip Murray was. Dixon doesn´t need 15 shots to score 10 points, that´s for sure, and that´s a very good thing in Detroit, and in basketball in general. I´m not too sure how he´s gonna handle having a very limited amount of minutes. So far, I think Saunders has done quite a good job. But I wouldn´t say it´s been perfect either. My biggest beef is that I sense he expects every bench player to be just like Dale Davis, you know, see only 5 minutes of action but warm up instantaneously and show all their potential. He broke the pattern for Rodney Stuckey, but like many, many, MANY Pistons fans, I wish he´d give some of the others a chance.
Amir has his, thank you Holy Duck Tail. And we´re starting to see how special he can be, if his confidence is nurtured (we´re not saying he should be a starter, just so we´re clear. But don´t suddenly start cutting his minutes under 15 a night, or he might not be able to develop as well as he´s shown he´s ready to do). Maxiell, we know what he can do, and it´s just a matter of him regaining his form before he´s unleashed once again and strikes fear in our opponents´s hearts. Stuckey and Afflalo have reached a very nice and promising level for rookies, and they´ll be given a chance to shine more next year. Stuckey is, I feel, still a bit too raw to be a consistent difference-maker this year in the playoffs, but we´ll see a sane dose of him, that´s for sure.
So yes, it comes down to the fact that I sincerely believe Herrmann could be a true spark for Detroit THIS YEAR, and a perfect fit for the Pistons. He´s cheered for in an unbelievable way for a seldom seen 11th man. The Palace crowd ain´t mistaken about him. Did you see the way he played yesterday? He doesn´t take plays off, neither offensively nor defensively, even if it´s clear the Pistons´s ball movement isn´t too fluid in garbage time (only more playing time will help). He has a great feeling for the game; you just know he´s aware of the shot clock, of people´s positions on the floor, and I think he could be a good rebounder, because he tends to be aware of the ball at all times on the defensive end. In 4 minutes, he dished out two good passes last night that left someone wide open. Obviously, this doesn´t mean all the credit should be his, but the fact that those shots didn´t go down shouldn´t prevent us from acknowledging the Argentinian is willing to find the open man.
I think with a little more playing time, given his experience and altruism, Herrmann could really become at times the bench´s go-to guy. Yes, I´m joining the choir of people who have called for a week and a half of Herrmann taking Jarvis Hayes minutes as Tay-tay´s primary back-up. Hayes is streaky, no big surprise there; he might be Detroit´s best option on some nights, but again, a lot of nights, he just won´t be, and the Pistons can throw so many good players at the opponents´s throat, they´ll never know what hit them.
We should see how it goes, because I´m positive that some nights, Herrmann could be as big a difference-maker in the crunch as Amir Johnson was last night.
Saunders has to exploit as best as possible the players´s hot streaks, and also mismatches. The regular season has been fine so far, but in the playoffs, it will have to be as good as it gets. Herrmann and Dixon should both play a big role in that during the playoffs, because this year, just good won´t be enough to cut it. A ring is what the Pistons have in mind.
But let´s heap credit where credit is due: the Pistons´s coach has caught on to that trend, and in the last games, when that has happened, the Pistons have used one of their timeouts and come out great afterwards. That´s how these youngsters are learning the game, anyway. It musn´t be easy to play in the only team in the league that has an unmovable starting five, barring only injury. I mean, even if one of our subs plays well for some games in a row, he just won´t get a chance to start.
Besides, let´s not lose sight of the fact that for all the energy the reserves bring to the games, in spite of their reckless dynamism and some flagrant bad decisions that cost them the ball, Detroit´s turnovers (TO) are consistently few and far between, with one of the lowest rates in the league. Last night, given the up-tempo style of play of the bench, it wouldn´t have seemed that farfetched to expect a double-digit amount of TO for the Pistons, but no, lo and behold, they ended the evening with only 6 of them, and seeing the extended minutes the bench got, they did nearly as fine a job taking care of the ball as the starters. At least as good as many starting units in the league.
And they can only get better ! Next year, I wouldn´t expect Afflalo to make the same kind of mistakes I´ve seen him commit on occasions this season, such as in last night´s game. The kid´s a real gem, as has already been stated. Defensively, he has a real feel for staying with his man as he drives, and that´s no easy feat. Last night, he forced a turnover that way. Smart in order to pace the floor, he just has to knock down the open jumper, which is not too consistent right now.
That´s where Juan Dixon comes in. He´s confident and will score points as soon as the opportunity arises, without being a ballhog as Flip Murray was. Dixon doesn´t need 15 shots to score 10 points, that´s for sure, and that´s a very good thing in Detroit, and in basketball in general. I´m not too sure how he´s gonna handle having a very limited amount of minutes. So far, I think Saunders has done quite a good job. But I wouldn´t say it´s been perfect either. My biggest beef is that I sense he expects every bench player to be just like Dale Davis, you know, see only 5 minutes of action but warm up instantaneously and show all their potential. He broke the pattern for Rodney Stuckey, but like many, many, MANY Pistons fans, I wish he´d give some of the others a chance.
Amir has his, thank you Holy Duck Tail. And we´re starting to see how special he can be, if his confidence is nurtured (we´re not saying he should be a starter, just so we´re clear. But don´t suddenly start cutting his minutes under 15 a night, or he might not be able to develop as well as he´s shown he´s ready to do). Maxiell, we know what he can do, and it´s just a matter of him regaining his form before he´s unleashed once again and strikes fear in our opponents´s hearts. Stuckey and Afflalo have reached a very nice and promising level for rookies, and they´ll be given a chance to shine more next year. Stuckey is, I feel, still a bit too raw to be a consistent difference-maker this year in the playoffs, but we´ll see a sane dose of him, that´s for sure.
So yes, it comes down to the fact that I sincerely believe Herrmann could be a true spark for Detroit THIS YEAR, and a perfect fit for the Pistons. He´s cheered for in an unbelievable way for a seldom seen 11th man. The Palace crowd ain´t mistaken about him. Did you see the way he played yesterday? He doesn´t take plays off, neither offensively nor defensively, even if it´s clear the Pistons´s ball movement isn´t too fluid in garbage time (only more playing time will help). He has a great feeling for the game; you just know he´s aware of the shot clock, of people´s positions on the floor, and I think he could be a good rebounder, because he tends to be aware of the ball at all times on the defensive end. In 4 minutes, he dished out two good passes last night that left someone wide open. Obviously, this doesn´t mean all the credit should be his, but the fact that those shots didn´t go down shouldn´t prevent us from acknowledging the Argentinian is willing to find the open man.
I think with a little more playing time, given his experience and altruism, Herrmann could really become at times the bench´s go-to guy. Yes, I´m joining the choir of people who have called for a week and a half of Herrmann taking Jarvis Hayes minutes as Tay-tay´s primary back-up. Hayes is streaky, no big surprise there; he might be Detroit´s best option on some nights, but again, a lot of nights, he just won´t be, and the Pistons can throw so many good players at the opponents´s throat, they´ll never know what hit them.
We should see how it goes, because I´m positive that some nights, Herrmann could be as big a difference-maker in the crunch as Amir Johnson was last night.
Saunders has to exploit as best as possible the players´s hot streaks, and also mismatches. The regular season has been fine so far, but in the playoffs, it will have to be as good as it gets. Herrmann and Dixon should both play a big role in that during the playoffs, because this year, just good won´t be enough to cut it. A ring is what the Pistons have in mind.
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