Game 6 - Pistons-Knicks - 7:30pm ET

[bstein14]

Took my 8 year-old daughter and wife to the game it was a great experience.... great energy.... of course until the last minute of the game. Brutal to lose 3 games at home like we did. That said, we competed so hard in this series it was a great year and we lost to a team that was clearly more talented. That doesn't mean this year was a waste, as this year was a massive step forward in the right direction, both with improve culture and young players taking steps forward and gaining valuable playoff experience.

Assuming that Houston loses to Golden State in game 6.... it feels like we are very much in a similar tier to Houston and Orlando. Young teams with improving talent that should win around 50 games (or slightly more even) next season with a real shot to make it to the 2nd round... but likely not quite good enough to make a run to the Finals yet. That's a great place to be compared to where we were.

That certainly doesn't mean guaranteed success. Young Grizzlies team in 2021 makes playoffs with lots of young talent and loses in the first round. Then they come back the next year and they win a playoff series and make it to the 2nd round.... a few more years go by and they never get to that point again which is easy to happen. Hopefully we can keep stacking and get going further and further year after year.

[Moses ShamMoses]

Reflecting back on this series, I was most impressed with Ausar's growth. He looked like a deer in the headlights in the earlier games, but he really settled in and had some great performances making winning plays as the series went on. Hopefully he'll be working extra hard on his game this summer, because he could be a beast. There is a scenario where Ausar becomes the missing piece for us just with his growth and development.

[bstein14]

Reflecting back on this series, I was most impressed with Ausar's growth. He looked like a deer in the headlights in the earlier games, but he really settled in and had some great performances making winning plays as the series went on. Hopefully he'll be working extra hard on his game this summer, because he could be a beast. There is a scenario where Ausar becomes the missing piece for us just with his growth and development.

Ausar's floor is likely Atlanta Hawks Josh Smith type player ... but his ceiling is likely a Shawn Marion type or Andre Kirilenko type elite defender who can do a bit more than just score in transition. Marion had a bunch of years scoring around 20 a game and even some double digit rebound years which we've seen Ausar able to really rebound the ball well for his size. Part of it is just going to be the process of getting him decent enough on offense that he can start averaging 30 MPG out there next season.

There's certainly a world where a prime Ausar Thompson is a 20 & 10 all-star, all-defensive team player, and is the 2nd best player on a championship contender.

[MortSahlfan]

Watch on YouTube

[Rip32]

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This series and experience will make Cade better. He attested the little things i.e. a defensive stop here and there, making a shot to kill a teams momentum etc.

[Kalamazoo317]

Great game, so close, great series, so close, awesome season! I think if we'd been fully healthy and/or gotten a couple more key calls and/or made just a couple more clutch hoops, we could've takent his one. We were *right there.*
Where do we go from here? I think the ceiling is all about how much Cade, Ausar, Duren, Ivey, and Holland can keep growing (and grow together). I feel like a more veteran savvy Cade would've pulled this one off. Maybe his toughest game of the series (especially in the fourth)?

[Patrick27]

Which teams in the league are "true title contending teams" in your opinion? (currently, without Cade)

You swap Cade for Brunson and We easy advance pass NY

Swap Hardaway or Beasly for Bridges and the Pistons sweep.

Those two (Hardaway and Beasley) made the culture, but not always the shots. Bridges might make the shots, but wouldn't have made the culture we now have.

[the_l_train]

Not fouling Mitchell Robinson when we had the chance was the nail in the coffin. We roll the dice and Mikal ties the game.

Can’t even blame JB for that. Players need to use their brain, look at the situation and go “OH LOOK, THERES MITCHELL ROBINSON (THE NBAs ALL TIME WORST FREE THROW SHOOTER….)”

We will come back stronger, but we need all these young dudes to take it up a notch.

In what situation are you referring to?

Sent from my SM-S918U using RealGM mobile app

49 seconds left…After KAT fouled out, Knicks had Robinson in on the play where Mikal tied it up. We had plenty a time to foul him. Tobias should’ve done it since Duren was in foul trouble.

I stand down on this. I'm a big enough man to admit when I am wrong ---- forgot about the new "hack a Shaq" rule where you can't do it in the last 2 minutes, or the team gets free throws and another possession. Makes me feel A LITTLE better about the outcome.

Yes, Brunson is naturally the new villain for us...but I think a HUGE miss-step for us was the fans booing him every possession from the get-go. This only gassed him up to destroy us. We all have to admit Brunson is a true gamer (foul baiting flopper or not). KAT deserved just as much hate, but we as fans should've acted like we've been there before, and not given Brunson special "FU" treatment to fuel his fire.

[vic]

Yeah JB lost us the game unfortunately with a very, very stupid sub. THJ and Malik gave us nothing all half and we sub out Ausar with 4 mins left. Instant 5-0 run with 2 Brunson iso buckets

In done with Beasley bro

I hated the sub too, but JB didn't lose the game. We still led when Ausar came back in. Ausar was on Brunson when he hit the 3. Their best player rose to the challenge, while our best player was invisible.

.

Please type this in all caps and bold print. Coach blaming irritates me when the coach didn't miss multiple potential daggers with a late lead. He got his best defender a quick blow and also avoided a potential Hack a Shaq on Ausar.

Sent from my SM-S918U using RealGM mobile app

Absolutely NOT. No real competitive coach is that stupid. Ausar was 7-10 from the free throw line and he was LOCKED IN.

Basketball is a game of runs, flow, skill and confidence. JB absolutely gave the Knicks the game by preferring his "shooters" and vets over the actual gamechanging production from his obvious 2nd best player, in order to get his vets some credit for what Ausar did to actually CHANGE THE GAME.

To be honest it looked like WWE scripted drama the way he took Ausar out at just the right time to destroy the momentum and shift it to New York's big market NBA cash cow team. In a series where the refs also ignored a clear landing space 3-pointer bump foul that is called 100% of the time, it was an extremely fishy decision that JB made.

Its not a matter of whetther to blame JB or not, its a matter of figuring out:
- if he was paid or coerced to do it by the league.
- if he was actually that clueless enough to take out his 2nd best player with only 22 minutes played.
- or if he really thought he needed certain vets on the floor more than he needed to keep destroying the other team for just 3 more minutes.

If A - the league is not just entertainment, but corrupt entertainment.
If B - he is a great motivator but a bad coach, and I see why Cleveland got better by firing him.
If C - he is a vet coach that needs to have his vet crutches removed so this team can reach its full potential.

There is literally no BASKETBALL reason to let go of the rope when you've got a team reeling, waiting for their knockout punch and you decide to give them a free pass by letting Brunson play bully ball with Dennis Schroeder.

You can sub somebody else out, like the one of the other tiny streaky shooting guards. You don't take out Ausar with 3 minutes left.

[vic]

I hated the sub too, but JB didn't lose the game. We still led when Ausar came back in. Ausar was on Brunson when he hit the 3. Their best player rose to the challenge, while our best player was invisible.

.

Please type this in all caps and bold print. Coach blaming irritates me when the coach didn't miss multiple potential daggers with a late lead. He got his best defender a quick blow and also avoided a potential Hack a Shaq on Ausar.

Sent from my SM-S918U using RealGM mobile app

Absolutely NOT. No real competitive coach is that stupid. Ausar was 7-10 from the free throw line and he was LOCKED IN.

Basketball is a game of runs, flow, skill and confidence. JB absolutely gave the Knicks the game by preferring his "shooters" and vets over the actual gamechanging production from his obvious 2nd best player, in order to get his vets some credit for what Ausar did to actually CHANGE THE GAME.

To be honest it looked like WWE scripted drama the way he took Ausar out at just the right time to destroy the momentum and shift it to New York's big market NBA cash cow team. In a series where the refs also ignored a clear landing space 3-pointer bump foul that is called 100% of the time, it was an extremely fishy decision that JB made.

Its not a matter of whetther to blame JB or not, its a matter of figuring out:
- if he was paid or coerced to do it by the league.
- if he was actually that clueless enough to take out his 2nd best player with only 22 minutes played.
- or if he really thought he needed certain vets on the floor more than he needed to keep destroying the other team for just 3 more minutes.

If A - the league is not just entertainment, but corrupt entertainment.
If B - he is a great motivator but a bad coach, and I see why Cleveland got better by firing him.
If C - he is a vet coach that needs to have his vet crutches removed so this team can reach its full potential.

There is literally no BASKETBALL reason to let go of the rope when you've got a team reeling, waiting for their knockout punch and you decide to give them a free pass by letting Brunson play bully ball with Dennis Schroeder.

You can sub somebody else out, like the one of the other tiny streaky shooting guards. You don't take out Ausar with 3 minutes left.

Let's see how many minutes his twin brother Amen Thompson plays tonight. I guarantee the Rockets coach doesn't put any tiny defenders on Steph Curry. Lookup how many free throws Steph averages compared to other stars that get to the rim as much as he does.

The league is trying to get Curry out the way in the West, the same way they are trying to push the Knicks up the East. But the Knicks are pretenders. In an honest series, Brunson averages 35 and they lose.

[flow]

I hated the sub too, but JB didn't lose the game. We still led when Ausar came back in. Ausar was on Brunson when he hit the 3. Their best player rose to the challenge, while our best player was invisible.

.

Please type this in all caps and bold print. Coach blaming irritates me when the coach didn't miss multiple potential daggers with a late lead. He got his best defender a quick blow and also avoided a potential Hack a Shaq on Ausar.

Sent from my SM-S918U using RealGM mobile app

Absolutely NOT. No real student of basketball is that stupid.

Basketball is a game of runs, flow, skill and confidence. JB absolutely gave them the game to favor his "shooters" and vets over the actual gamechanging production from his obvious 2nd best player, in order to get his vets some credit for what Ausar did to actually CHANGE THE GAME.

To be honest it looked like WWE scripted drama the way he took Ausar out at just the right time to destroy the momentum and shift it to New York's big market NBA cash cow team. In a series where the refs also ignored a clear landing space 3-pointer bump foul that is called 100% of the time, it was an extremely fishy decision that JB made.

Its not a matter of whetther to blame JB or not, its a matter of figuring out:
- if he was paid or coerced to do it by the league.
- if he was actually that clueless enough to take out his 2nd best player with only 22 minutes played.
- or if he really thought he needed certain vets on the floor more than he needed to keep destroying the other team for just 3 more minutes.

If A - the league is not just entertainment, but corrupt entertainment.
If B - he is a great motivator but a bad coach, and I see why Cleveland got better by firing him.
If C - he is a vet coach that needs to have his vet crutches removed so this team can reach its full potential.

There is literally no BASKETBALL reason to let go of the rope when you've got a team reeling, waiting for their knockout punch and you decide to give them a free pass by letting Brunson play bully ball with Dennis Schroeder.

You can sub somebody else out, like the one of the other tiny streaky shooting guards. You don't take out Ausar with 3 minutes left.

By the way (this question is to everyone), assuming he was asked about it post-game, what was JB's explanation?? I am curious. I've been his biggest endorser, and he did a great job this season, but that was definitely a poor decision. His worst, for sure. And even if I argue that it didn't lose the game (which I did), the sub definitely gave NY hope when it looked like they had none.


* If for some ridiculous reason he wasn't asked about it, then every Detroit media member who was present should be stripped of their credentials.

.

[vic]

Please type this in all caps and bold print. Coach blaming irritates me when the coach didn't miss multiple potential daggers with a late lead. He got his best defender a quick blow and also avoided a potential Hack a Shaq on Ausar.

Sent from my SM-S918U using RealGM mobile app

Absolutely NOT. No real student of basketball is that stupid.

Basketball is a game of runs, flow, skill and confidence. JB absolutely gave them the game to favor his "shooters" and vets over the actual gamechanging production from his obvious 2nd best player, in order to get his vets some credit for what Ausar did to actually CHANGE THE GAME.

To be honest it looked like WWE scripted drama the way he took Ausar out at just the right time to destroy the momentum and shift it to New York's big market NBA cash cow team. In a series where the refs also ignored a clear landing space 3-pointer bump foul that is called 100% of the time, it was an extremely fishy decision that JB made.

Its not a matter of whetther to blame JB or not, its a matter of figuring out:
- if he was paid or coerced to do it by the league.
- if he was actually that clueless enough to take out his 2nd best player with only 22 minutes played.
- or if he really thought he needed certain vets on the floor more than he needed to keep destroying the other team for just 3 more minutes.

If A - the league is not just entertainment, but corrupt entertainment.
If B - he is a great motivator but a bad coach, and I see why Cleveland got better by firing him.
If C - he is a vet coach that needs to have his vet crutches removed so this team can reach its full potential.

There is literally no BASKETBALL reason to let go of the rope when you've got a team reeling, waiting for their knockout punch and you decide to give them a free pass by letting Brunson play bully ball with Dennis Schroeder.

You can sub somebody else out, like the one of the other tiny streaky shooting guards. You don't take out Ausar with 3 minutes left.

By the way (this question is to everyone), assuming he was asked about it post-game, what was JB's explanation?? I am curious. I've been his biggest endorser, and he did a great job this season, but that was definitely a poor decision. His worst, for sure. And even if I argue that it didn't lose the game (which I did), the sub definitely gave NY hope when it looked like they had none.


* If for some ridiculous reason he wasn't asked about it, then every Detroit media member who was present should be stripped of their credentials.

.

I haven’t heard anybody ask JB about it but they did ask Ausar about it and he gave a political answer “we trust everybody on our team” which makes it even more suspicious that you would give a political answer to a competitive question.

If I’m Ausar I’m saving this film for negotiation of my max deal. There’s no way you could do that to me without paying me. They made him look like a fool by taking him out when he was destroying the Knicks and then putting him back in position to lose on a game winner highlight. Don’t let them do you like Rodman, Pippen, or Ben Wallace. Defensive superstars deserve they’re respect.

[NYPiston]

I hated the sub too, but JB didn't lose the game. We still led when Ausar came back in. Ausar was on Brunson when he hit the 3. Their best player rose to the challenge, while our best player was invisible.

.

You're right that Brunson showed out like a star while Cade didn't and, quite frankly, that was THE difference in this series as the Knicks won a lot of games in the 4th and even the ones the Pistons won they almost blew mainly because the Knicks top player was better than the Pistons top player. If Cade doesn't develop a killer mentality going forward, the Pistons ceiling is limited.

However, the sub was a big factor. Ausar comes out, Brunson immediately scores 5 points after struggling most of the 4th prior to the sub and then after outside of the last three. That sequence brought the Knicks back and it was a scramble to the finish thereafter. It was an inexplicable decision by JB.

[Absolutia]

To all those that feel disappointed about this loss, consider my experience of this series:-

I saw the first two games and then my landline (on which I am dependent) went down last Wednesday. It only got reconnected today. I waited and watched game after game pass by as I got sick with rage trying to deal with the idiots in a distant call centre.

Gutted.

[Warspite]

Reflecting back on this series, I was most impressed with Ausar's growth. He looked like a deer in the headlights in the earlier games, but he really settled in and had some great performances making winning plays as the series went on. Hopefully he'll be working extra hard on his game this summer, because he could be a beast. There is a scenario where Ausar becomes the missing piece for us just with his growth and development.

Thompson does remind me of a young Pippen. If he can't improve that FT and 3P% I suspect, he will be trade bait.

[MortSahlfan]

If I had kids, I might have covered their eyes.

Why did we have to be so unlucky? Stew got injured when we needed him the most, and then we still almost win every home game. Refs made death calls Game 3 and 4.

And to think I have to wait an entire year just for the chance? Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh!

[jars]

https://youtube.com/shorts/XHzZV8yofoI?feature=shared
Love it.

[Moses ShamMoses]

I hate playing the what if game, but what the heck, ill do it anyway. If JB doesn't sub out Ausar with 3 minutes to go, we win game #6. It was a bad decision even without hindsight, and even worse with it. good example of "if it ain't broke, don't fix it".

[Kalamazoo317]

Eh, I dunno. I think it made sense to try to conserve Ausar's energy for that last stretch so he could go all out. Knicks just made some extremely tough shots and we couldn't quite overcome them by doing the same. Lack of any scoring from us other than that one free throw from Duren in the home stretch was the bigger deal by far, imo.

[Canadafan]

That Cade turnover on inbounds play had me immediately fearing the worst. Ughhhhh.
Sure woulda been nice to double team Brunson at the end even. Make someone else be the hero.
More so than anything though, was our rebounding. And keeping them off the offensive glass. Gotta admit having Stew in there would have helped massively. Speaking of Stew, I need some clarification on why or how he couldn't even play in this series. If his knee was bad, why not just ready him the 1st damn 4 games and save him. Ughhhhhh