I got together with Ryan McNeill of HoopsAddict.com for tonight’s matchup and we exchanged a few questions with each other on The Pistons and Raptors.
How is Carlos Delfino doing for the Raptors. Pistons fans had high hopes for the flying Argentine, but things just didn’t work out here. Has he lived up to expectations or surpassed them?
HoopsAddict.com: ‘Los is a tough player to read. There will be stretches of games where I wonder why Sam Mitchell doesn’t put him in the starting line-up and then he’ll follow that up with another stretch of games where he seems allergic to the paint and has trouble scoring. However, even with that being said, I don’t know where the team would be without. He’s played every game this season and he’s been one of the key players off the bench for us. Because I had tempered expectations about him entering this season I would have to say he’s easily surpassed what I expected from him.
Who should Detroit be concerned with matchup wise besides Chris Bosh in Wednesday night’s game?
HoopsAddict.com: It’s a toss-up between Jamario Moon and Jose Calderon. Moon has posted three-straight game with double digits rebound totals while Calderon has been the MVP of our team this season due to injuries to Chris Bosh and T.J Ford. Look for Moon to post a double-double while frustrating Tayshaun Prince. Also, as strong as Chauncey Billups has played for Detroit this season, look for Calderon to show why he was being talked about as a potential All-Star this season. He doesn’t force shots, he gets his teammates open looks and he rarely turns the ball over.
Toronto really has to step things up in the final games of the season to assure them a playoff spot. What is the most important thing that needs to happen on court to get them into the post season? Will the fact that Chris Bosh has called his team help their chances?
HoopsAddict.com: While there’s frustration in the Raptors locker room and among fans, it’s clear Toronto doesn’t have a lot to worry about. Every NBA teams goes through a rough patch of 10 games each season where things just don’t click. Unfortunately for the Raptors it happened near the end of the season thanks to the loss of Bosh for 10 games and a nasty five game road trip. I don’t think Bosh venting the media will make as big of a difference as his return to the court will make.
The Raptors started off the season pretty strong, but have not been playing well since the all star break, what went wrong?
HoopsAddict.com: Simply put, an injury to Chris Bosh went wrong. Before he missed 10 games he was playing like one of the top players in the NBA while averaging 30 points and 10 rebounds for a solid stretch of games. Then, without him in the line-up the team had to endure a gruelling five-game west coast trip and with Washington and Philly playing some great ball we’ve slid in the standings. Raptors fans aren’t worried as 9 of our final 12 games come against teams with records below .500 so with a healthy Bosh back we’ll be able to soar back up the standings. Besides, Raptors fans have long wanted a match-up against Orlando in the first round so we’re hoping to end up as the sixth seed in the playoffs and avoid Cleveland or Washington.
Lastly, how’s our mutual friend Primoz Brezec been doing since he joined the team? Do you expect the Raps to resign him? And is he still the king of uniform accessories?
HoopsAddict.com: I have one word to describe Primoz Brezez: Gangsta’. Do I need to say more?
You can head on over to HoopsAddict.com for my answers to Ryan’s Pistons questions.
Tip off is at 7:00 PM and will be locally broadcast on FSN Detroit. If you can’t catch it on TV you can always tune in to 1130 AM WDFN The Fan or stream it live through your computer at NBA.com.
According to Chris McCosky “The Pistons’ magic number to clinch their sixth Central title in seven years is one (any combination of one win or one Cavaliers loss would clinch at least a tie).” Sounds good to me.
Leave ’em in the comments.
Can’t wait till the game! I have a feeling Sheed is going to have a big noght but doesnt he always!
hey natalie.
great jorb as usual.
i loved the questions that you made, and i think this is in general a great idea.
however, whatsup with that mcneill fellow from hoopsaddicts? i have yet to read your article at his site, but his comments were almost ridiculously biased. this guy is trying to tell us that tay is going to get harangued by jamario moon (a rookie?)????????? or that chauncey will have trouble dealing with calderon (not quite an allstar yet)????? or that the 35-35 raptors locked in are better than competitive with the 50-20 pistons locked in?
lol. no hard feelings against mr. mcneill, but i thought that was quite humorous.
oh one more comment:
i also think that its sort of funny that he alludes to the fact that the .500 raps might have a much better record had bosh not went out. ALSO that bosh is a top 10 player in the league.
i know nothing about basketball, but top 10 best players would look something like this:
1) kobe
2) bronbron
3) the big (not)fun
4) garnett
5) the chinaman
6) the german
7) d wade
8) billups (or rasheed)
9) melo
10) d-ho
Very entertaining read! I always like to hear how former pistons are doing with their new team! Shouldn’t have too much of a problem tonight. I hope to see these guys in the first round over Wizards or Sixers, even with Bosh.
sportsandstuffonline.com
its official..this piston team is no longer a power team if they r gettin blown out by a canadian team..they will get swept if they face the celtics if they dont get knocked out sooner which i think will happen..im sick of this team all they do is piss me off and i can no longer wait for the TIGERS to start playin cuz at least they look promising…and for the record both afflalo and amir johnson suck!!! cry bout that one people i know u will..GO TIGERS!
2008 NBA CHAMPIONS BOSTON CELTICS
2008 WORLD SERIES CHAMPIONS TIGERS!
At least the tigers know enough to grab an allstar or two the pistons r like nope..only allstar reserves for this “team”..FUCK IT
I’m sick of supporting a team that doesn’t work hardnight in and night out.
Come to play against PHX and go back to not giving a shit. Would never happen under LB or Jim Leyland. Not only blaming Flip but the primadonna players as well, who are too cool to bring an effort every night.
Opening day next Monday
wow steven what is the diff getting blown out by a usa team or a canadian team, this raptor team is a good team they made the playoffs last yr and again this year now I am a pistons fans hands down but I am also from canada and I think what the raptors have done the last few years is just great they have built this team in to a playoff team ya they won’t get to the fianls but they are a good team… If it wants for a canadian you guys would not even have basketball.
DBB was talking about a players only meeting they had today before shoot around and I’m now left wondering what the hell it was they talked about. It certainly wasn’t about focus or drive because they have shown none tonight and its happening WAY to often.
It really doesn’t seem right complaining about a team thats placed 2nd over all in the NBA but come on! The pistons play like the team we all love maybe 1 game a week as of late and it’s gotten to the point where I don’t even care to watch them anymore.
When they play to this level its as if they lost respect for the other teams, the game, and their fans. I’m not giving up on them, I just needed to vent a little.
The Heat are in town tomorrow, if anything less than a blowout happens I will be really worried about the Piston’s chances in the play-offs.
Stuckey was -11 in the +/- column for tonights game, yikes. I know the kid had a career high, but Hot Diggity Damn. At least he had more guts than GAY-shaun Prince. How did he let a rookie put up more shots then him? Prince needs to be more aggresive–You’re from Compton for God’s sake. R.I.P hurry back because Prince is just an overated bench player.
hahaha thank u!! i was the annonymous dude before that kept saying trade GAY-SHAUN and everyone got so sad and cried the whole time and now i see somone else using that phrase!! finally people r catching on hes overrated and we should have traded him and amir and draft pick for shaun marion or vince carter..ahhhyuppp
p.s canada sucks jessi lol
Natalie,
I managed to make another Highlight video of the game. Although it’s not as fun since we lost the game.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dF6Uy98FPs0
If might take about 10 minutes before youtube finish processing it.
Cheers!
wow did i ever have to eat my foot on my two comments.
and who’d thought everyone would be so mad at the loss over the raptors, but you want to know what? SO AM I!!!
WTF!!!!!!
Andrew – So, does your foot taste salty 🙂 hehe