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Thursday, February 8, 2001
Pistons: Shooting, defense spell losses



For every NBA team that is on a roll, there is a team that isn't. That's why we need the doctor -- Dr. Jack Ramsay. Each week in Dr. Jack's Prescription, the Hall of Fame coach will analyze a team in distress, and offer a cure to what ails them.

This week: Detroit Pistons
Jerry Stackhouse
Despite Stackhouse scoring 30 a night, the Pistons have problems.

The Symptoms
Detroit was forced into a personnel makeover after the loss of free agent starters Grant Hill, Lindsey Hunter and Christian Laettner. Essentially, it replaced that trio with Joe Smith, Ben Wallace and Chucky Atkins to form a nucleus with high-scoring Jerry Stackhouse and defender Michael Curry. They also kept big man reserves Jerome Williams and Mikki Moore, and later acquired Dana Barros and John Wallace. The Pistons also had high hopes for their No. 1 draftee, point guard Mateen Cleaves, of Michigan State's NCAA champion team. The team started the season with eyes on a playoff spot.

But the only time the Pistons got above .500 this season was after their opening game win at Toronto. After that they lost four straight games; then won seven of their next 12 to draw almost even (8-9). Since then, the Pistons have won eight and lost 20, to reach their current record of 16-29 (through Jan. 30). They have won two games in a row only once -- home games against Chicago and Boston on the day before and the day after Christmas.

B.Wallace
B. Wallace

Smith
J. Smith

The Diagnosis
The Pistons have an offense-oriented team game. They hope to outscore their opponents. But although the Pistons score 95 ppg, and Stackhouse is the league's second leading scorer at just under 30 ppg, the scoring is unevenly distributed. After Stackhouse's high point total, the two next best scorers, Smith and Atkins, average only 25 ppg combined. Those three shoot with only 41 percent accuracy.

Detroit's offense relies so heavily on the Stacker, that opposing teams double-team him, get the ball out of his hands, and gamble that his teammates won't hit with enough consistency to hurt them. Most of the time the opposition is right -- Detroit shoots .435 from the field, a mark that ranks in the bottom third in the league.

The Pistons also are without a strong offensive presence in the basket area. Smith is their best post player but he lacks dominating moves with his back to the basket. So, although they hold their own on the boards due to the consistent board work of Ben Wallace (12 rpg) and score on occasional fast breaks, the Pistons are essentially a perimeter team -- relying on jumpers in half-court offense. Stackhouse, who has a fine shooting touch and is an excellent slasher to the hoop, forces too many attempts in his efforts to carry the offensive load. As a team, Detroit commits more turnovers (16) than it forces from the opposition. At the defensive end of the floor, the Pistons allow four more points than they score (95-99 ppg). They rank 27th in points allowed and 20th in field goal percentage defense. Their perimeter defense is porous and there's inconsistent help in the basket area, a bad combination for a team with playoff aspirations.

In their recent loss to Boston, Detroit had double-digit leads through most of the game only to collapse down the stretch. That calamity prompted coach George Irvine to say, "I guess we thought the game was over. We couldn't guard, we turned the ball over. Our play was horrid in the second half."

I watched that game and don't disagree with the coach. The Pistons appeared to have the game under control, but kept giving the Celtics chances to get back in the game and they took advantage of them.

Curry
Curry

Atkins
Atkins

The Cure
There is no quick fix for the Pistons. Their playoff hopes -- even in the up-for grabs Eastern Conference -- appear to be dissipating. They've won only two of their last 10 games. Some drastic change is necessary for them to make a concerted push after the All-Star break.

Perhaps their best chance to turn around their season would be to establish an all-out trapping defensive game that would force opponent turnovers and generate an uptempo offensive game. The Pistons have enough depth and athleticism to do this for extended minutes. They aren't stopping opponents with any consistency with their half-court defense anyway; so there may be benefits in extending the defense to get everybody involved in a three-quarter court trapping scheme.

Ben Wallace and Moore have shot-blocking potential to guard the basket that would have to be realized; but Williams, Smith and Jud Buechler are active mid-range defenders; and among Stackhouse, Atkins, Cleaves, Curry and Barros there are enough energizers to harass opponents at the perimeter. Irvine would have to create a place for John Wallace, not known for his defensive skills, in this effort because he could help the team's offense with his low-post scoring.

There would have to be a real dedication to work on defense -- to keep non-stop pressure on opponents, rebound aggressively, then to push the ball relentlessly on the attack -- even after scores against. But it might be just the tactic to get the team untracked.

There is real firepower among these Pistons. The challenge is to get them hitting on all cylinders with a productive level of consistency. A change in defense might be just the thing to get them going.

ALSO SEE
Dr. Jack's Prescription: Hornets

Dr. Jack's Prescription: Jazz

Dr. Jack's Prescription: Grizzlies

Dr. Jack's Prescription: Nuggets

Dr. Jack's Prescription: Nets

Dr. Jack's Prescription: Heat

Dr. Jack's Prescription: Sonics

Dr. Jack's Prescription: Bucks

Dr. Jack's Prescription: Raptors




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