The #Pistons lost another to the Hawks Friday night 96-89 at the Palace of Auburn Hills. As if two losses in a row to the Atlanta Hawks didn’t hurt Detroit enough we find out there is a little added early drama to start the lackluster season. Josh Smith came off the bench for the first time since 2005. Smith didn’t come off the bench because his shot wasn’t hitting, even though it’s not. Cheeks sat the Pistons star free agent signing because he skipped practice.
Smith skipped Thursday’s practice after Wednesday night’s game in Atlanta.
Maurice Cheeks: “I called a practice and he didn’t get back to practice.”
Cheeks said he decided to practice on the team flight back from Atlanta and when Smith didn’t return, Cheeks made the call minutes before Friday night’s game when he informed the team.
“He just didn’t get back,” Cheeks said when asked what was the reason Smith gave for not making practice. Via The Detroit News
Key Points:
- Smith sure could have used some practice he couldn’t’ hit a shot Friday night going 0-for-7 in 19:32 on the floor. Not a great way to start your tenure with a new team. It reminds me of a certain someone who decided to skip a Thanksgiving practice when he got traded to Detroit. Wasn’t necessarily stoked at the Smith signing and this doesn’t help matters.
- Smith hasn’t went scoreless since December of 2004.
- Kyle Singler starter in place of Smith and scored a game hight 22 points.
- Once again Jeff Teague did all the right things for the Hawks. When Brandon Jennings picked his pocket and when the other way for an easy layup the 6″2 Teague hustled back and blocked his shot. That pretty much put the game away for the Hawks. Atlanta led 92-89 at that point and Detroit didn’t score the rest of the way.
- For as bad as Detroit played, they were in that game until the final two minutes.
- Despite Brandon Jennings 14 assists on the night he was brutal in the final minutes of the game. He was just 1-of-6 in the final eight minutes of the game. He finished with eight points.
- It’s getting pretty scary, we know they are having huge issues on the defensive end and now they’re so called sharp shooters can’t score.
- Kentavous Caldwell-Pope was just 4-of-14 for nine points, and three boards. He had a few nice defensive plays on the night and finished with 4 steals.
- There was a two-minute Jerebko sighting.
- Andre Drummond and Greg Monroe each had a double-double.
- Why aren’t they running more plays for Monroe and Drummond in the paint. They should be targeting them early and getting the bulk of their points from the big guys since no one else can seem to hit their shots.
- Drummond with another huge game. Dre scored 15 on 6-of-7 shooting for 15 points and 16 boards. Add the two blocked shots and we have an All-Star on our hands.
- Josh Harrellson is proving he should get more minutes. He scored seven on 3-of-3 shooting with five boards in just 11:13 on the floor.
- Singler with hustle out of the gate scoring a career high 22 points with three boards, a steal and a blocked shot.
Photo Getty Images / Editing Need4Sheed.com
- Stuckey won’t let up! Rodney with 17 points on 5-of-15 shooting with five boards and an assist in 30:48. Where has this Stuckey been?
- Monore with 11 points and 11 boards.
Highlights via NBA.com
- It’s one thing to be in almost every game that they play, but they have got to find out what they need to do to win them.
- Let’s see what they can do Sunday in Brooklyn.
Let’s go Pistons! I live in Austin and watched the Sacramento game on ESPN. We looked pretty good. Our family will be visiting Michigan for Thanksgiving. Looks like I might need to drive to Auburn Hills and give these cats a pep talk!
yeah definately. not sure why you comign to michigan for thanksgiving but hope they give you a good show while there