Le Basketbawl

If you can learn by losing then Detroit Pistons President Of Basketball Operations Joe Dumars should be just about as smart as Albert Einstein after the last two seasons. Wednesday the “Detroit Free Press” reported that Dumars had addressed the media about the last two seasons for the Pistons; a period that saw them go from being an elite team in the NBA to one that is now in “Lottery-Land.” Dumars said that the experience has only strengthened his convictions of what it takes to win in the NBA.

The Pistons were at a crossroads two years ago after losing to the Boston Celtics in the NBA Eastern Conference Finals. The nucleus of the team that had made Detroit a winner for about a decade was aging and the team decided that it was time to make some in-house changes. The Pistons fired head coach Flip Saunders who had winning seasons every year on the bench but what was not able to get the team an NBA Championship like his predecessor Larry Brown had. Dumars decided to fill the slot with rookie head coach Michael Curry and the ball started rolling down-hill from there.

Dumars tinkering had not stopped there as a few weeks into the season the Pistons Team President traded the heart and soul of the club and received a cancer in return. Detroit traded point guard Chauncey Billups to the Denver Nuggets for Allen Iverson a move which would help take Denver to the Western Conference Finals. It was a move that put a hole in the side of the “S.S. Pistons” as the ship had to keep bailing water for the rest of the season.

The story gets better: At the end of the season after getting knocked out of the Playoffs in the first round Joey-D fires Curry and says he is going to bring in a veteran head coach. Instead he brings in another rookie in former Cleveland assistant John Kuester. Then he took the family cow and traded it for some magic beans; or pretty close anyways.

Needless to say the Pistons did not bring back Iverson who became a Free Agent after the 2009 NBA season. With his departure Detroit had room under the salary cap to fix the problems that the club had. But instead Joey-D signed two players in postitons where the Pistons were already set.

Dumars brought in former Chicago Bulls guard Ben Gordon while the team already had Richard Hamilton. And they signed former Bucks forward Charlie Villanueva while they basically had the same player on the roster in Jason Maxiell. And by the end of the season both those players were on the bench at the beginning of games as they were replaced by rookie Jonas Jerebko. To top things off reports out of Detroit a few weeks ago were that the team had started to sour on point guard Rodney Stuckey, the man whose skills made Billups expendable in the club’s thinking to begin with.

Dumars told the media that the last two seasons were definitely an education for him. He said “You just don’t learn from winning. You learn from losing as well. And what we’ve learned is that we’re more committed now than ever before to maintain our core values and not get away from that and not have the type of slippage that you saw this year. We had some slippage in terms of the toughness and grit that we’ve had for the last 10 years. We drifted some from what we were when we were successful.”

The Palace at Auburn Hills was a place that NBA teams dreaded to go to just a couple of years ago. That is not the case right now. Dumars was also asked about the two Free Agents he had brought in last summer. The Pistons President response was “I wish we could have gotten more from Ben and Charlie, but they were both fighting injuries and adjusting to a new situation. I really think both of them will be better this year.”

Detroit has the number seven pick in the 2010 NBA Draft and they play in the Eastern Conference which is a lot easier to turn a team around in than the West. We will see how much learning he has actually done over the coming weeks as well as next season. There is no doubt that Joey-D has his work cut out for him in Motown.

The “Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel” reported Saturday that Milwaukee Bucks General Manager John Hammond was named the NBA Executive Of The Year. Hammond helped the Bucks to a 46-36 record during the regular season and the team made the NBA Playoffs for the first time since 2006. Milwaukee won 12 more games this season than last despite losing star Michael Redd for the season earlier this year. Hammond was not afraid to shake things up on the roster; enticing veteran Jerry Stackhouse out of retirement and then trading to acquire John Salmons from the Chicago Bulls.

Back in August of last season New York Vinnie asked How Much Of Dumars Success Was Due To John Hammond?   Hammond as you might remember was Joe Dumars right hand man during the glory days of the Detroit Pistons. Ever since Hammonds took over as General Manager of Milwaukee the Bucks fortunes have gone upwards while the Pistons have turned into an also ran in a weak NBA Eastern Conference.

One Detroit based fan site “Pistons Forum.com” thought the question was Frickin ridiculous. New York Vinnie is wondering how much they are laughing with Hammonds winning the honor and the Pistons finishing the season at 27-55 in the Lottery and 19 games behind Milwaukee in the standings?

Joe Dumars has taken the “Once Mighty And Powerful Detroit Pistons” and turned them into an embarrassment. As New York Vinnie told you last summer the acquisitions of Charlie Villanueva and Ben Gordon were Frickin stupid! Villanueva was taken out of the starting line-up for rookie Swedish guard Jonas Jerebko who was taken in the second round! Great move Joe!

Want to know the biggest lie that is said thousands of times each day all over this Great Nation of ours? “I Hate To Say I Told You So!” That is pure Frickin Crappolla! New York Vinnie “LOVES To Say I Told You So!” And so does everybody else! We love to be right! That is just part of being a human being; it validates our beliefs!

So Congratulations to John Hammond and the Milwaukee Bucks; and as for you Joe-D, New York Vinnie thinks you have your work cut out for you!

New York Vinnie took Glen “Big Baby” Davis to task on Thursday for allowing a heckler at the Palace of Auburn Hills to get the better of him Wednesday night as the Boston Celtics lost to the Detroit Pistons. The Boston big man allowed  “The Moment To Master Him” Wednesday night as the Celtics lost their third straight game to the Detroit Pistons by a final of 92-86. According to the report one of the Piston fans at Palace Of Auburn Hills a man by the name of Scott Zack started to heckle Davis during the game. Zack who sounds to New York Vinnie like he is a total Frickin Class Act allegedly called the Celtics big man “fat boy” and “chubs” repeatedly through out the game.

Davis was getting increasingly frustrated through out the game and he finally reached his Frickin melting point and allowed “The Moment To Master Him.” “Big Baby” cursed the guy out; and even worse did it within range of the TV and radio microphones for the entire planet to hear. The Frickin PUD fan then complained to the Arena security so now this Frickin Douche looks like the victim. Thursday NBA Executive Vice President fined Davis $25,000 for his outburst.

Friday before the Celtics took on the Portland Trail Blazers Davis spoke with “ESPN The Magazine” and admitted he was wrong to react how he did. The big man said “I shouldn’t say those kind of words. Even though a fan says anything to me, I shouldn’t say that. I’ve got to understand who’s watching out there for the kids and the parents. It’s just a bad thing to say. You’re frustrated. You’re mad. That’s not what you’re suppose to say. You’re just supposed to play the game of basketball and don’t worry about the fans; that’s what they are there for. When a fan talks personal about you in an emotional game, you know, it kind of gets to you, but you can’t let it get to you. That’s what (fans are) there for, to get you unfocused and frustrated.”

Let’s see if this proves to be a lesson learned for Davis. As New York Vinnie wrote on Thursday you can never let the PUDS see you sweat!

“NBA.com” has reported that  NBA Executive Vice President Stu Jackson has fined Boston Celtics big man Glen “Big Baby” Davis $25,000 for swearing at a Detroit Pistons fan Wednesday night as Boston lost at the Palace of Auburn Hills 92-86.  One of the Piston fans at Palace Of Auburn Hills a man by the name of Scott Zack started to heckle Davis during the game. Zack allegedly called the Celtics big man “fat boy” and “chubs” repeatedly through out the game.

Davis was getting increasingly frustrated through out the game and he finally reached his melting point and cursed the guy out; and even worse did it within range of the TV and radio microphones for the entire planet to hear. Boston head coach Doc Rivers was very disappointed in his player for allowing his emotions to get the best of him.

The coach told reporters “Then shame on Glen. To the victors go the spoils. I tell our guys that when you lose a game, they have every right to yell and say whatever they want. You’ve got to be strong enough to walk away, and that’s not the fan’s fault, no matter what he said. We know about it, we have to walk off the floor, so shame on Glen Davis. I’m upset that we lost, and people call me names walking off the floor. It’s part of the game. Win the game, and you get a lot of people quiet.”

A very wise man told this to New York Vinnie last summer; and ever since I keep it uppermost in my mind. The man said that “Winners Master The Moment; Losers Allow The Moment To Master Them!” It is not an easy thing to do; especially if you are someone like New York Vinnie who has a terrible Frickin temper if I allow it to get out of control. However if you allow your emotions to over rule your brain then you are  up the Frickin creek without a Frickin paddle. You have lost and you have allowed the other party to get the best of you.

Boston Celtics reserve big man Glen “Big Baby” Davis according to the “Boston Herald” on Thursday allowed  “The Moment To Master Him” Wednesday night as the Celtics lost their third straight game to the Detroit Pistons by a final of 92-86. According to the report one of the Piston fans at Palace Of Auburn Hills a man by the name of Scott Zack started to heckle Davis during the game. Zack who sounds to New York Vinnie like he is a total Frickin Class Act allegedly called the Celtics big man “fat boy” and “chubs” repeatedly through out the game.

Davis was getting increasingly frustrated through out the game and he finally reached his Frickin melting point and allowed “The Moment To Master Him.” “Big Baby” cursed the guy out; and even worse did it within range of the TV and radio microphones for the entire planet to hear. The Frickin PUD fan then complained to the Arena security so now this Frickin Douche looks like the victim. And Davis could very well be subject to a fine or a suspension by the NBA Front Office.

Boston head coach Doc Rivers was Frickin disgusted by the way his player handled the situation. The coach told reporters “Then shame on Glen. To the victors go the spoils. I tell our guys that when you lose a game, they have every right to yell and say whatever they want. You’ve got to be strong enough to walk away, and that’s not the fan’s fault, no matter what he said. We know about it, we have to walk off the floor, so shame on Glen Davis. I’m upset that we lost, and people call me names walking off the floor. It’s part of the game. Win the game, and you get a lot of people quiet.”

New York Vinnie has a Frickin TON of respect for Celtics coach Doc Rivers. As a point guard he was not the most talented player on the floor but he was a Frickin smart player. He knew the right time and the right place to dish off or shoot; and he has been even better as a head coach. Rivers got a raw Frickin deal by the Orlando Magic a team that was devastated by injuries and he got the gate. But he has vindicated himself in Boston winning the NBA Title in 2008.

Davis lowered himself down to the level of the PUD; and by doing that he allowed the PUD to win. We know this Frickin crowd who goes to Pistons game at the Palace are nothing but trouble; just ask Frickin Ron Artest! But “Big Baby” failed the test and because of that he will now be punished.

New York Vinnie is not a fan of Hecklers; most of them are nothing but Frickin losers in real life and this is their Frickin payback their Frickin moment in the Sun. Last week the Cleveland Cavaliers played the Los Angeles Clippers at the Staples Center. A Clippers fan started heckling Delonte West at the charity stripe with the old “You Ugly” chant.  You know what Delonte did? He had a big Frickin smile on his face and started clapping his hands to the beat of the chant! Now that is the way to handle it!

Now if a fans starts saying Frickin racist things; that fan should be ejected from the Arena as far as New York Vinnie is concerned. But short of that you paid for the ticket and if you want to act the fool that is your right. The players have to be strong enough to never let the fans see them sweat!

Go take a look at the NBA Draft for 2003 and New York Vinnie guarantees that your Frickin jaw will drop in Frickin amazement of all the talent that entered the NBA that year! Here is a great example; All-Star forward David West was taken with pick number 17 by the New Orleans Hornets. Dwyane Wade  who is on just about every body’s top five list as the one of the NBA greats was taken number 5 by the Miami Heat.

You want to talk about a Frickin Treasure Chest  this was the year! It was really tough to mess up that year; however one team did and they may have set the Frickin wheels in motion that made a young man’s time in the NBA seem like a Frickin nightmare. And unfortunately this player has been so badly burned by his experience that he will leave the NBA and head back to Europe at the end of this season.

Out of the top six players picked in the 2003 NBA Draft; four have already been named to NBA  All-Star Teams and in New York Vinnie’s opinion a fifth player Chris Kaman should make it this year. But what about that sixth player? Why  has he not been as successful as LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Chris Bosh or D-Wade? Quite possibly because the team that picked him took him with far too high a selection and then allowed him to rot on the bench.

If you have not figured out by now New York Vinnie is referring to current New York Knicks forward Darko Milicic who was taken with the second pick by the Detroit Pistons.  He then spent the next two and a half years collecting splinters on the bench as he was used in limited games and given incredibly limited minutes. You know the old saying;  “Use It Or Lose It.” If you are not playing your skills will Frickin decline and even more importantly your confidence will suffer.

“Mlive.com” spoke with the player now in his seventh season in the NBA and asked him if he thought that the Pistons had lied to him during his time with the team. Milicic responded “Yes, they did. “They lie to everybody. It’s the NBA. The NBA, all around the league, same (stuff). ‘Your chance is going to come.’ All that kind of (stuff). (Forget) that! I’ve got enough of that kind of stuff, so I decided I’m going to Europe. I don’t know why they took me with the second pick if you’re not going to play me. I never understood that, you know. I was happy being the second pick and all that kind of stuff, but I never knew what I got myself into. I never knew I was coming here not to play. Nobody was telling me anything.”

Darko told reporters he was now looking at his situation realistically. He said “I’ve got to be real. There is no team in the league that is going to give me the chance that I’m looking for. My only chance is back in Europe. I’m going to do that. I want to be happy. I want to play.”

A couple of weeks ago when Milicic told the press he was going back to Europe New York Vinnie was pretty Frickin hard on Darko. New York Vinnie called him a quitter and a baby and I was wrong! This young man was sold a Frickin bill of goods with every team he went to. He wants to play so he is heading back home to do that rather than just sit on the bench for an NBA team and take their money! New York Vinnie has nothing but respect for that!

We will never know what would have happened if Darko was taken with a team he could have played for. What we do know is this young man was given a Frickin bum ride for seven Frickin years and he wants to go home!

The Toronto Raptors shot 33-63 from the floor on Sunday and Raptors forward Chris Bosh had a double-double as the Raptors defeated the Detroit Pistons by a final of 102-95. The Raptors now have their last four games the longest winning streak they have had all season. Detroit’s season is going in the other direction; namely down the sewer as the club has now lost seven straight. Pistons forward returned to the starting line-up as he was activated from the injured list but he was not much of a factor in the game.

Bosh was the game’s leading scorer as he had 25 points while Richard Hamilton and Ben Gordon coming off the bench each had 15 in the loss for Detroit. The Pistons last victory was over 2 weeks ago when they defeated the Golden State Warriors on December 12 by a score of 104-95. That game would be Detroit’s fifth straight win; and that is one the team’s problems is their lack of consistency from game to game.

The first half looked like it was going to be a blow-out for the Raptors but Detroit would climb back into the game in the third quarter. Toronto would be on top at the end of the first with the score 29-22. In the second the Pistons looked like they were extras from “Dawn Of The Living Dead” and the Raptors hit half-time leading 60-41.

Somebody must lit a fire under their bench in the third as Detroit looked like a whole different team and got themselves back into a game at the end of the quarter as Toronto’s lead was down to 74-69. The Pistons had one more run left in them and cut the Raptors lead to a single point at 85-84 with 5:47 left in the game as Tayshaun Prince put the rock in the hole from 7 feet away. However they could get no closer and Toronto would  pull away and hang on for the victory.

Chris Bosh had a double-double as he put 25 points on the scoreboard while grabbing 15 rebounds off the backboard, he would also have 3 blocks and 1 assist. Jarrett Jack  scored 17 points while Andrea Bargnani had 16 points and  Hedo Turkoglu added 14 in the win.

Richard Hamilton and Ben Gordon both would led the Pistons as each player knocked down 15 points.   Jonas Jerebko and Rodney Stuckey would score 14 points apiece while Ben Wallace added 10 points in the loss. Toronto sees their record improve to 15-17 and will have the Charlotte Bobcats in town on Wednesday. Detroit is now 11-19 and will be at MSG Tuesday night as they take on the New York Knicks.