Scouting

Lately I've felt like an NBA scout. In between daddy day-care and writing I've been scouring the interwebs to help make the Detroit Pistons a better team in 09-10. Here's a couple of theories.

1. The Pistons have made their Free Agent splash and are done signing impact players.

It's possible that Joe D. really will hearken back to the Bad Boy days when he Isaiah and Vinnie Johnson were running things on the perimeter. Stuckey and Rip starting and Will and Ben G. coming off the bench does sound dynamic and pretty much all the guards are interchangeable so there's a lot of flexibility in the back court. But it's the front court that is woefully thin. Barring the Pistons signing another big Kwame and Max would have to split time at center (Kwame playing against the Dwight Howard's and Shaq's and Max playing against smaller line ups)and the rookies would have to play a lot of minutes (not necessarily a bad thing if they can produce). And where does Arron Afflalo fit in? Are the Pistons really picking up Deron Washington? Isn't he another G/F that adds to the logjam in the back court? I can't help but think that Joe isn't quite done. I can't imagine that he would start the season with Kwame and Max as his centers. He seems to be biding his time, waiting for the right deal with the right player. But how long can he afford to wait?

2. The Pistons are going to trade Rip and/or Arron and/or Walter Sharpe for a decent post player.

I was sold on the Rip Hamilton for Carlos Boozer trade when the Pistons picked up Gordon, but there are pros and cons to consider.

Pro. Detroit needs a low post presence and Boozer seems to fit the bill. Also, there isn't enough time in a game for Detroit to play all their guards substantial minutes.

Con. Boozer seems to get hurt a lot and there are nagging character questions. Not to mention we just signed a PF so Boozer would probably have to play the 5.

Pro. Boozer's contract comes off the books after this year giving Detroit financial flexibility in 2010. Rip has four years left on his deal.

Con. Boozer is reportedly not much of a defender while Rip is very good in stretches. Also, Rip has championship experience while Boozer has only "I came off the bench in the Olympics" experience which the Pistons already have with Tay.

So, as you can see, it's three Cons to two Pros against the trade. Arron and Walter on the other hand I could very easily see getting shipped for a serviceable big. Which is a little sad because AA is one of Detroit's best on-ball defenders. And he can guard three positions.

So we wait. But while we wait here's three keys to success for next season.

1. Stuckey

Flat out Stuckey. Does he have a consistent jumper? Has his defense improved? OK, let's stop right there. If Stuckey can consistently hit that mid-range jumper, mix in a respectable three point percentage (over 30% is doable) and play pressure defense then Detroit will have a much better year. The guy is fearless going to the rack, he's big, he's strong, he's got a good attitude. His point guard skills will come with experience, ask Billups.

2. The Rooks

Can any of these guys make an impact his season? From what I hear Jerebko is the most ready and at reportedly 6'10" 231 lbs. he can play either forward spot. He has been described as tough and versatile, sounds good. Summers and Daye are intriguing. Daye is skilled but physically lacking, Summers looks like he's ready physically and apparently is a shooter. But how is his rebounding? Does he have a post game at 6'8" 240? Ideally all three of these guys (and a greatly improved Deron Washington) will be able to contribute right away.

3. Coach K

I like him. I watched his induction and he seemed like a stand-up guy who knew what he was talking about. He's got experience. He's been on some pretty good teams ('04 Pistons World Champions) and he seems like a good fit. There is definitely going to be some pressure because he's in Detroit and Pistons fans think if you don't win the Central and at least make the ECF then you better refund your salary and get out of town. But what can I say, the bar has been set pretty high. Anyway, good luck Coach. We'll be praying for you.

THE NEWS OF THE DAY

-Gave my first charge ever at a wedding this weekend. Used Ephesians 5. The wedding was outside, it was hot and I was sweating on my notes. And on my face. I did not marry the couple of course because there is no "power vested in me" so to speak.

-Stop watching Charlie the Unicorn, it will rot your brain. "We're on a bridge Charlie!"

-The saying, "You only live once" is tricky.

-It is sometimes hard for me to discuss/debate topics because a)sometimes the topic while "biblical" in concept has no real bearing on how I live my life and therefore is relgated to the unenviable position of "nice to know things that are biblical in concept but have no real bearing on my life" i.e. the validity of slavery as a biblical concept or myriad other subjects. I have never had a servant/slave and I never will. While I appreciate that Jesus never spoke against slavery as a practice I can see how "loving my neighbor as myself" would probably prohibit me from keeping slaves and b)if the subject being debated does have actual "liveable" worth I usually already have taken a position on the subject. If anyone would care to know my position I would be happy to explain it to them and have them decide the validity of my stance. I would be happy to answer any questions they may have regarding said stance and the reason I subscribe/hold/endorse said position. Intellectual/verbal fencing (while sometimes an exciting spectator's sport) has too much potential to become emotional bloodletting sprinkled with veiled (or obvious) personal attacks. I'd rather spend my time reconnecting with loved ones, interacting with them, hopefully building them up/encouraging them and maybe, just maybe, letting down my guard and really sharing my heart with the few people in this world I trust. But I'm getting ahead of myself here.

-Everywhere you live will have its good points and bad point so just go where God leads. Stop trying to figure everything out, no one can.

-People fill their lives hoping to find that one thing, that one thing that's gonna be the answer. If people are honest that is what everyone is looking for and it gets depressing for those who think they found it and it turns out that what they found just wasn't it. It's Christ, and that's easy to write and so much harder for people( particularly people with a lot of things) to accept. And christians, we want crutches.

-It' hard for me to write fiction with an outline.

-Also, get off Rodney Stuckey, haters. He came from a small college program, he began playing with the most established starting five in the NBA and he's still learning. Chauncey Billups wasn't a great point guard when the Piston's signed him. Stuckey is obviously talented so step off.

-Nighty night

Kickin' it Old School

In the mid 90's this is what it was all about. Notice the impressive decor the London House was best known for. That pie was awesome, that I can tell you. Also, notice in the background of the third pic a certain couple snuggling on the "oh so comfy" couch.

RIP Fish tank.

Thanks to Brian for the pics.

Dominican Republic

The DR was an amazing experience. I had never been in a place of such abject poverty.

SCORE Intl. handled the trip and our lodging and meals. We brought two boy's basketball teams, the varsity girl's team, a baseball team and a soccer team. The basic format was we would play games and then give the Gospel in between games or at the the end of the day. It was the first time that the school had ever brought girls and our girls were great both on the court and while interacting with the locals.

The pic. above was taken in a sugar cane village. The occupants were mostly Haitian refugees.We brought them food and clothing but we had to leave without giving out everything when the crowd got too rowdy. The boy in the picture's named Alejandro. Thanks to my wife and in-laws I spoke enough Spanish to get by.

The trip really helped me get my priorities straight and to appreciate what I have and where I live. I could be riding a scooter through the crowded streets of Santo Domingo with my wife and child on the back wondering what we are going to eat for our one meal of the day.

I definitely see my life differently since I got back.

June

Summer is finally here. Tomorrow will be the first day back at home after a week or so of vacation.

Michigan was very nice. It is always good to see my family and spend some time with those that I only get to see once a year. The weather was colder than I expected getting down into the 40's at night. I don't remember June being that cold growing up but I have become acclimated to Florida and so maybe it was and I was just used to it.

I am currently reading "Too Late the Phalarope" by Alan Paton and I just finished "Demons Don't Dream" by Piers Anthony. Wildly different books, I know. "Demons Don't Dream" may be Phils and not mine. Phil, please let me know if it is yours so that I can return it.

I think my summer schedule will look something like this:

1-Get up, breakfast, work out

2-Chores and errands

3-Writing and/or editing

4-Lunch

5-Write

6-Run

7-Dinner

8-Write and/or edit

9-Read

10-Bed

Of course that is all subject to change. My posts have become info-dumps as of late. But at the moment I am tired and can't think of anything witty and/or interesting to say.

Goodnight for now.

May is Here

-This is the month of transition for me where the school year ends and the summer begins. I have approximately 12 days left of school. The trick at this time of year is not to close up shop mentally.

-I've gotten more good reviews of the new manuscript then I expected. Currently I am only revealing the first 11 pages, but the positive input has been really encouraging.

-When I write something and then I show people what I've done and they like it I always get a little bit scared that I won't be able to duplicate the quality on the next page. This can lead to over-analyzing, but I determined just to write and not to worry. Just write.

-Someone asked me if I was going to pursue an advanced degree at any time. "If I need to," was my reply. School was really tough my last year as I was working 40+ hours a week and taking 21 credit hours and writing my senior paper on the Silmarillion of all things. Yes, I was too ambitious in my choice of topic.

-I am listening to Pandora right now. Cool site, check it out.

-Yes, I am on Twitter. No, I'm not one of "those" people.

-I can't wait to go home to Michigan in three weeks. It's way to hot here and it's only May.

-I wish I had something profound to say.

-End

NBA Playoffs: Pistons

It's time for my second annual Pistons Playoff Preview (3P) But first let me address the regular season.

I told myself to hold off, not to pass judgement to soon. "Wait until after the All-Star break," I said. So I did. And here's what I learned.

1-The Iverson trade was a complete debacle for Detroit. Let me tell you, I had high hopes even though I was skeptical about trading away Billups (a great pg and leader)for ANOTHER shooting guard when we were already starting an All-Star, Rip Hamilton. But I jumped on the "We've got a bonafide superstar now too" bandwagon. Plus, it seemed like Joe Dumars had a plan for the future and like him or not Joe Dumars is a big reason I'm a Pistons fan. Good management is key to any sports franchise (see the Detroit Lions). And let's be honest here, the real value of the Billups/Iverson trade will not be realized until this summer. So, again, I have to reserve judgement. Best wishes to AI. Take care of that back my friend.

2-The Pistons look exactly how they should look right now: A group of aging vets, young, less experienced players, a largely underachieving bench (I got you Will Bynum), and a rook head coach. Nobody seems to know what to do in the 4th when Chauncey used to put the game away with timely passes, 3's and free-throws all-day. Now it's misreads, turnovers and HOW CAN WE STOP DRIBBLE PENETRATION moments.

Bigs: Their frontcourt is anchored by two aging vets who can still play (see McDyess) but logging heavy minutes wears them down quickly.

Kwame has been a pleasant surprise as of late, but he's still Kwame.

Maxiell and Amir Johnson have not improved as quickly as expected and 'Sheed is really starting to show his age.

Forwards: I like Tay, sue me. He's versatile offensively, doesn't complain and plays defense.

I also like what Walter Hermann brings to the game when he is hitting his shots and being active on D.

Tayshaun really needs to go at LeBron on Saturday. Forget the fouls, LeBron's gonna get calls anyway at least make him work on defense.

Guards: The brightest spot on the team. Richard Hamilton can still fill it up. He is an absolute nightmare when he is coming off picks and he has looked a lot better going to the basket this year.

Will Bynum has been a pleasant surprise though in the last couple games teams have been keying on him and he has struggled a little with his offense. Still, he was a great pickup.

I like Afflalo too. He is a versatile defender, hard worker and his offense is starting to pick up. He just needs time to get better.

Which leads us to Rodney Stuckey. I'm not going to lie, Stuck is the first name I look for in the box score after the game. I love this guy. People need to remember he is in his second year and is surround mostly with guys who have been in the playoffs since my house was worth what I paid for it. Just wait until he develops a consistent outside shot, then it will be pick your poison for opposing defenses. Like Afflalo, he just needs time to mature.

Playoff Prediction: Cavs in 5. I'm gonna go ahead and say the Pistons get a home win in this series. Believe me I feel like I'm going out on a limb saying it but the roster is loaded with guys with Conference and NBA Finals experience.

But you know, it's not even the talent level of the Cavs that will ultimately decide the series. It's the Pistons lack of cohesion. They look lost sometimes and you can't look lost in the NBA playoffs. The weird thing is, they seem to know it, but they can't figure out how to solve the problem.

This year has to be about patience and belief. Belief that the players and Coach Curry can solve the puzzle and patience for the future.