http://www.nba.com/pistons/news/blaha_090220.htmlRough patches come with the territory of transition
Sometimes I have to remind myself that most Pistons fans haven’t been following this team for nearly as long as I have – more than three decades of calling games from the best seat in the house. And I have to remind myself that there are plenty of Pistons fans who haven’t seen anything close to a losing season or even the type of rough month or two the Pistons have had to endure this season.So a little perspective is in order as the Pistons take a five-game losing streak, on top of some trouble winning at The Palace all of a sudden, into a very, very tough five-game road trip that starts Sunday in Cleveland, where the Cavs have only lost one game all year. I think what you’re seeing is exactly what the troublesome side of transitioning a team from a contender with A-B-C parts to a contender with B-C-D-E parts can be. You’d like to think that adding a talent like Allen Iverson would allow a team to somehow get through this transitional period without having its record show that it’s in transition, but the bottom line is they are in transition and Allen hasn’t played with these guys for the last six years. They haven’t played with him for the last six years, either, and as brilliant as they are together on some nights – or at least for some stretches – it’s been a real growing process. I do think with almost 30 games still to play, despite this formidable road trip facing the Pistons, that they still have time to get in a groove, ensure a playoff spot and be the dangerous darkhorse that most of us thought they would be once the trade was made. When the trade was made and the salary-cap space was made available, you knew exactly what Joe D was thinking – stay in contention, long-range, stay out of the lottery and continue to give fans exciting basketball.
Even with Joe D’s brilliance, there are going to be some hiccups when you’re transitioning a team – and that’s all we’re seeing right now. The trade deadline just passed, and I know a lot of good, loyal Pistons fans were hoping that some really talented player or two would land in our laps. But I can’t tell you how happy I am that the Pistons didn’t make a deal. Joe D’s long-range plan was to free all kinds of cap space and to have more flexibility than anybody else in the league. He still has excellent players in Pistons uniforms right now. If you had to make a quick decision to deal somebody of significance as part of a deal that might even only have been good for help in the short term, it would have been double jeopardy – lose a good player or two and have the other half of the trade only help you in the short run. There are a lot of guys on this team who have played well for years for the Detroit Pistons and I think at the end of the year, with the ability to make more trades, but more importantly, the ability to sign free agents, Joe will have a better chance to consider all his options. When you watch the Pistons play this year and struggle to establish an identity with the guys who are still here, one thing that’s abundantly clear – this is not a bad basketball team. It’s not like they’re getting blown out. They’re making just enough mistakes or hitting just enough rough patches to lose close games. It almost becomes a psychological thing, even if you’re tough-minded veterans like we have. But, I guarantee you, a couple of wins could turn all of that around. This is the time of year when Pistons fans have become accustomed to looking at playoff seedings and wondering who they’re going to see at The Palace in another few months. They might be wondering what the lure is to watch this year’s team close out the season. I think there’s plenty reason to watch. One of the things I like about watching this team is, hey, I’m watching a first-ballot Hall of Famer, Allen Iverson – and he might not be here next year, but he is here this year and we get to watch him every night.
But more than that, I’m still watching the guys who brought this city a championship, and in Antonio McDyess’ case, a guy who helped them to Game 7 of the NBA Finals. When you’re looking out on that court and seeing Rasheed Wallace, Antonio McDyess, Rip Hamilton and Tayshaun Prince playing at The Palace, it’s all part of what’s been a sensational era of Pistons basketball. Hopefully, all of those guys will be part of the future, as well, as Joe makes some additions. I’m hoping for additions and not a lot of subtractions from the whole group. We have too many good players with high basketball IQs and great ability. Whether they’re closer to the end of their careers or still in the middle, they’re all guys who have unique abilities and big-play abilities and I love watching them play. I’ve been having this thought for the last month. If I am any team in the Eastern Conference, including Boston, Cleveland and Orlando, who is the team I absolutely do not want to play in round one? The Detroit Pistons. They have too much talent, too much toughness, too much savvy and absolutely nothing to lose. They’re certainly not going to shy away from the bright lights. They’ve already been there and done that. I think it will be fun for the Pistons, if they can fight themselves into a solid playoff position, to for once play with house money. The other teams have always been playing with house money, playing with no pressure. If the Pistons get there, they’ll be the team that’s the underdog. But with as many talented and tough-minded guys as the Pistons have, I think they’ll relish that opportunity to go in there and spoil somebody’s season. Or certainly make ’em squirm.
