Comments on: Pistons/Cavs: Flip Saunders Must Go

By: Gaurav

Gaurav — Tue, 05 Jun 2007 04:06:10 +0000

wow—great article!

By: Andrew

Andrew — Tue, 05 Jun 2007 01:23:48 +0000

I hate to say it, but I seem to recall pointing towards Flip’s playoff and big-game impotence when you guys signed him. Now you know my pain. As a Wolves fan, I watched Flip Saunders lose seven consecutive first-round playoff matchups. Then I saw him choke versus the Lakers in the West Finals, only to run the franchise into the ground in the next two seasons. The man can win games in the regular season, sure, but who cares?

The worst part for me though is that Flip was the principle basketball influence on Kevin Garnett during his formative years in the NBA after being drafted out of high school. The weaknesses in Kevin’s game and approach to the game scream ‘Flip Saunders offense!’ I’ll never understand why a man needs a playbook that size in order to get isolations and perimeter jumpers.

By: Ryan's Ramblings « HoopsAddict.com

Ryan's Ramblings « HoopsAddict.com — Mon, 04 Jun 2007 04:52:09 +0000

[...] from Empty the Bench started the “Flip Must Go” argument on Friday and D-Wil over at The Starting Five echoed those [...]

By: Eli Zink

Eli Zink — Sun, 03 Jun 2007 17:33:31 +0000

This article is the perfect description of the supposedly genius Flip Saunder’s offense. The Pistons hired this guy to bring offense to keep up with the joneses and he brings us a grand playbook of NBA style isolation. Isolating players who are on a team that is based off trusting each other and playing off screens doesn’t make sense. This Piston team is a true team, not a superstar complimented with roll players. The Pistons do not have a super star who can take someone at will, therefor they should never run isolation plays, especially for the entire stretch of quarters, halves, and like in game 6, the entire game. Flip Saunders has brought nothing to this team other than glamorous regular seasons. The Pistons aren’t about glamorous regular seasons, they are about hard nosed play, tough defense, and winning a championship for guys like Webber and Dice.

By: Brian

Brian — Sat, 02 Jun 2007 01:27:36 +0000

Hi Morris,

Welcome to the site and sincere thanks for your thoughtful comments. I think you’ve really hit the nail on the head in that, now, it’s totally on the players to keep their season alive. Whether or not they still have it inside to accomplish that, on the road, remains to be seen, but they’ve done it before and there’s no question they could do it again.

One thing’s for certain: tomorrow night’s game is going to be a close one that could go either way.

Enjoy the game, and thanks again (also interesting to see someone born in Dayton, OH, root for Detroit).

Brian

By: Morris T. Howard

Morris T. Howard — Fri, 01 Jun 2007 23:48:58 +0000

This is my first time on this blog (or any other blog for that matter) I agree with much of the article written by Brian. I an so disappointed with the strategy on Labron last night. Flip Saunders has never won a championship, and it shows. Its up to the Pistons on the floor to win this series. I saw this last year against this same Cavs team; “its dejavu all over again”. Chauncey, Rip, Rasheed, and Tayshaun all know what to do, now they have to do it. Flip may be a nice guy, but I think he’s in over his head.

I’ve always liked Chris Webber and Antonio McDyess (especially Webber) and would like to see them get a ring. The NBA does not want to see these Pistons in the finals; they want Lebron. He’s the latest NBA cash cow to come along to sell products and the game to non-basketball or casual fans.

Nobody wants to see a team of gritty guys with no superstar in the finals. The deck is stacked, i.e., Mcdyess’ ejection for the foul on habitual flopper Varejao last night. The Pistons on the floor have to make the decisions to send themselves to the finals. The league, TV networks, and Commissioner Stern do not want them.

I love the Pistons, and would like to see them in the finals again. They are a true team, what basketball should be about. TEAM or LEBRON, who will win?

Much Success To The Pistons in Game 6,

Morris