Pistons Continue Skid

Larry Brown is down on his team and with good reasons. The Pistons aren’t playing up to potential, they’re passing sloppy, and they’re collapsing late in nearly every game and lost two more games to continue their skid this weekend, and increase their losing streak to three games.

Friday night they lost in Milwaukee 89-86 behind a 20 point effort from former Piston and current Bucks backup point guard Mike James. James put in 28 minutes off the bench that included 6-9 shooting and four assists. Detroit’s defense was ineffective against the Bucks’ shooting. They led by as many as seven, but couldn’t sustain it, resulting in their loss.

Saturday night they hosted the Bulls at the Palace. The Bulls came into this game one game below .500 after starting the season 0-9. Again, the Pistons failed to execute solid defense and suffered a 100-89 loss. Kirk Hinrich led the Bulls with 24 points and nine assists. Hamilton led the Pistons with 32, including 11 out of 12 from the free throw line.

On Friday, the Pistons acquired point guard Carlos Arroyo from the Utah Jazz for a conditional first round pick after 2006 and Elden Campbell. Although Larry Brown doesn’t want to put the pressure of turning the team around on Arroyo’s shoulders, he was brought here to help solve the problems at point guard. This alone won’t solve all of the Pistons’ problems, but it sure is big part of it.

Arroyo is averaging 8.1 points per game and 5.1 assists. Saturday he scored five points and assisted five times. He seemed to get more comfortable as the game went on and fit in rather well. His solid passing and vision of the court will make him a strong asset on the court as the Pistons prepare to head into the second half of the season.

Carlos Arroyo alone is not enough for this team to win.

The Pistons much continue to work hard and regain the type of game that helped them beat the Bucks, Nets, Pacers, and Lakers. They simply cannot afford to let games slip away, especially games that they start off ahead. They have to learn to share the ball properly and not just share it because Larry Brown insists they do.

One of the weaker areas I see from this team is when to pass and when to shoot. Sure, we all love to see a team move the ball around and setup great plays. We understand the right way to play the game is with a team effort. We also understand that if someone is 10 feet in front of an open basket they should take the shot. If you’re going for the net, and no one is in your way, the best thing to do is take the shot. Passing could lead to a disruption in the play, catch someone off guard who thought you had it, and result in a turnover. I’ve seen this all too much this season, especially from Rasheed Wallace.

We must continue to be patient with the Pistons. With the near-complete rebuild of the bench, they are going to need time to get Arroyo up to speed and find a place in the mix. McDyess has come alive and Lindsey Hunter will only benefit from the lesser minutes that he will see. Delfino should be back next month. I like what I see in the McDyess-Wallace-Wallace rotation and I like the new four guard situation. This will take pressure of Chauncey Billups. He may even learn a thing or two about running the point from Arroyo’s play.

Let’s get another thing straight. Larry Brown isn’t going anywhere. Yes, he’s down on the brawl. Yes, he’s down on the losing. No, he’s not just going to give up. Larry Brown has a history of moving from team to team, but only after he believes he’s risen and fallen and has nothing more to accomplish. I believe Larry Brown will coach through this season and next season, and if the isn’t in a position to win another title, then he may very well retire.

With Arroyo filling a void on the bench and the Pistons getting back to their defensive game, they will be strong contenders in the East come playoff time.