Rodney Stuckey

[7r5ur]

I wouldn't be so hasty in hanging our fortunes on Stuckey. He's a new piece and offensively adds a dimension, but he's not going to win a series for you.

No one player on this team will. But if he continues to improve at the rate he has been, he could be that extra boost that puts us over the top. Flip's gotta let him play his game though.

[ADM]

He's our best penetrator.
He is our best dunking guard.
He's probably the 2nd strongest guard (and SFs) on our team.
He also gets offensive boards and steals.
His passing is great (except for several miscues). I've seen incredible rocket-passes with accuracy, and great tosses inside for dunks.

I don't want to say he's a poor man's D-Wade, thats an insult to Stuckey.
But I don't want to say he is a future Wade. If he was given full reign to a team, you'd see sick numbers across the board. I really think he can push Chauncey for the starter's position by the end of the 2009 season.

His weakness are his jumpshot, running the half-court offense, and defense.
There are also tons of point guards with these issues. The latter 2 come with experience, and jumpshots will always improve.
Dumars is looking really good right now (especially with his other draft picks improving our team. Afflalo, Maxiell, Amir)

Let's relax a little bit. He looks good, but he's not D-Wade. Yes, he has thrown some spectacular passes, but that doesn't make him a fantastic passer. He has a lot of learning to do, yet.

[Champs04bigshot]

I wouldn't be so hasty in hanging our fortunes on Stuckey. He's a new piece and offensively adds a dimension, but he's not going to win a series for you. He's still got a lot to prove and he is not a good defender yet. What he is good for is regular season rest. Once the playoffs come with their stretched out schedule the Pistons will be fine playing the starters heavy minutes.

Thats ignorant to say that our starters can play heavy minutes and win the championship. Its not just about them being rested the only championship this group has won was with the bench PRODUCING in the playoffs not just getting the starters there. I was no mean trying to say he will win a series but our starters have needed a player like him to spell minutes and actual meaningful minutes in tha playoffs and prdocuing. He is the only gaurd on this team that can do that. Our starters cant win alone i thought theyve made that clear over the past years but guess not.

[Dirtgrain]

I do hope to see some of Hunter in the playoffs. I love the way he can shake up a game with his defense (and bonus if he hits a few threes and layups).

Plenty has been said. But know this: the playoffs will be an entirely new learning situation for Stuckey and Afflalo. The intensity of defense picks up. It will be fun to predict how we think Stuckey will react to that. Bring it.

[Rodya]

I don't want to say he's a poor man's D-Wade, thats an insult to Stuckey.

Thats definitely not an insult to Stuckey.

[jonbarry3pts]

What's with guys ragging on his defense?

I think he's played fantastic defense over the last month. He puts a lot of pressure on guys and doesn't get beat off the dribble. He'll get hung up on a screen here and there, but who doesn't?

He's in that group with guys like Kyle Lowry, Marcus Banks, and Earl Watson as the best point guard defenders to come out in recent years.

[7r5ur]

What's with guys ragging on his defense?

I think he's played fantastic defense over the last month. He puts a lot of pressure on guys and doesn't get beat off the dribble. He'll get hung up on a screen here and there, but who doesn't?

He's in that group with guys like Kyle Lowry, Marcus Banks, and Earl Watson as the best point guard defenders to come out in recent years.

He seems to be hit and miss defensively. He'll have those times where he's stuck like glue on his man, and getting deflections, etc. Then you'll see him out of position leaving guys wide open for threes, or getting himself off-balance for no reason, which leaves him open for cheap fouls.

Offensively, he is a stud. He has come so far in the last 2 weeks. He can get into the lane WAY better than anyone else on the team, and his finishing ability is just spectacular at times (The lefty half-jumper adjustment in the lane against the Hawks was just special). As he gets more respect from officials, he is going to be impossible to stop, and even tougher for Flip to take out of the game.

Unfortunately for AA, Stuckey is going to be eating some of his minutes if he keeps this up.

[prophet_of_rage]

-= original quote snipped =-



Thats ignorant to say that our starters can play heavy minutes and win the championship. Its not just about them being rested the only championship this group has won was with the bench PRODUCING in the playoffs not just getting the starters there. I was no mean trying to say he will win a series but our starters have needed a player like him to spell minutes and actual meaningful minutes in tha playoffs and prdocuing. He is the only gaurd on this team that can do that. Our starters cant win alone i thought theyve made that clear over the past years but guess not.

Let's see, 2005 they lose in the Finals because Rasheed Wallace simply loses his mind on a defensive stance and leaves Horry wide open, forcing a game seven in San Antonio which they come 8 minutes to winning.

The next season the starters play 85 per cent of the minutes regular season games against the league to get a HCA throughout the playoffs but get torn to shreds by Dwyane Wade and his shooting. The next year they go back to the ECF up 2-0 on Cleveland before Lebron realises that none of these guys can guard him and takes them to school 4 straight. The Pistons season ends with Rasheed Wallace leading a rebellion against Flip's defensive schemes, fouling out and going crazy.

The starters minutes have always been an excuse for being beaten by a better player. The reason the Pistons have lost since is because they can't play the defense they did in the championship years and that's where the bench produced with the Pitbulls of Lindsey Hunter and Mike James killing guards with pressure.

Yes, the Pistons have solid backups again, but it doesn't mean they need long minutes in the playoffs. Especially since most of the bench are playoff virgins. You plug them in to do what they need to do. But you're going to have to see some Hunter in the playoffs because Stuckey doesn't have his reputation or defensive savvy. Reference the Boston games for an example of game changing. Hunter changed that game. Stuckey didn't change anything when he came in in the loss.

I doubt highly that the Pistons can win a championship against a Western team without the starters logging heavy floor minutes. Not all, but it's got to be about thirty-five minutes a game if they can. Maxiell can spell Dyess adequately, but the Afflalos, Johnsons, maybe even STuckey and Hayes ... we'll have to see. Especially since they're all offence guys. Afflalo's the only thing close to a stopper and he's not Hunter yet.