디트로이트 피스톤스가 컨퍼런스 파이널에서 마이애미 히트에 패하며 올 시즌을 마쳤습니다.
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문제는 파이널 진출 실패 그 자체가 아니죠.
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피스톤스는 여러 가지 문제가 산적해 있습니다.
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선더스 감독을 잘라야 한다는 이야기가 있긴 하지만, 4년간 2600만 달러를 주고 데려온 감독을 성과가 안 났다고 1년 쓰고 해고한다는 건 좀 뭣한 이야기죠. 그렇게 되면 조 듀마스의 입장이 난처해지니까요.
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그 다음 문제는 빅벤의 재계약 문제입니다. 듀마스 단장도 오프시즌 가장 먼저 해결해야 할 문제로 이 문제를 꼽았죠.
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그러나 가장 큰 문제는 다른 데 있습니다. 피스톤스는 어쩌면 그들 모두를 분열과 파멸로 몰고 갈 수도 있는 고질을 오래 전부터 앓고 있었죠. 다름아닌 감독과 벤치 멤버간의 캐미스트리 파괴죠. 이 문제는 선더스 감독의 벤치 멤버 기용이 만들어낸 문제이기도 합니다.
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카를로스 아로요와 다르코 밀리치치가 올랜도로 트레이드된 것도 이것과 전혀 무관하지는 않다고 봐야 될 겁니다. 이미 카를로스 델피노가 팀에 트레이드를 요청한 상태죠.
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오프시즌에 빅벤, 린지 헌터, 켈빈 케이토, 토니 델크가 FA가 됩니다.
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이 중 켈빈 케이토는 안 잡는 게 거의 확실하고, 헌터는 은퇴를 고려 중이라고 하네요. 디트로이트가 과연 이 문제를 어떻게 처리할지.....
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디트로이트가 1991년 조던의 시카고 불스에 패한 뒤 서서히 가라앉았던 배드보이즈 1의 전철을 밟느냐, 아니면 다시 재기할 수 있느냐가 올 오프시즌에 달렸다고 보면 될 듯 합니다.
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Pistons hope their championship window is still open
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By LARRY LAGE, AP Sports Writer
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DETROIT (AP) -- Coat hangers clanging in the Detroit Pistons' locker room provided just about the only sound shortly after the two-time defending Eastern Conference champions were dethroned by Miami.
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The Pistons won a league-high and franchise-record 64 games during the regular season, had four All-Stars for the first time in franchise history, and were favored to win a title for the second time in three years.
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"We said coming into this season that anything less than a championship, then it's been a wasted season for us," center Ben Wallace said. "So that's what we're looking at right now."
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Detroit did, however, become the first NBA team since the Chicago Bulls of the early 1990s to make four straight conference finals appearances.
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"We got to the finals twice, won it once," point guard Chauncey Billups said. "I think that is a great run."
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The question is whether it is over.
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Most players said it wasn't, but reserve Antonio McDyess isn't quite sure he will ever win a ring after falling just short in Game 7 at San Antonio last year -- and taking a step back by losing in the East finals against the improved Heat.
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"My best chance came last year, and now it seems like it's faded away," said McDyess, who signed with the Pistons after they won the 2004 title.
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President of basketball operations Joe Dumars built a unique championship-caliber team after taking over the team he used to play for in 2000. A sign-and-trade deal five years ago that brought Wallace to Detroit, and sent Grant Hill to the Orlando Magic, laid the foundation.
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Now, Dumars has to decide whether to reinvest in him as an unrestricted free agent this summer.
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"He is the Pistons," Billups said. "Hopefully, we come back and Ben Wallace is on our team."
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When Ben Wallace won the Defensive Player of the Year award last month for the fourth time in five years, Dumars said the No. 1 priority for the offseason would be re-signing him.
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The Pistons would likely be willing to give him a four-year deal, maybe five years if they had to, starting at $12-plus million dollars to make him the highest-paid Piston.
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Few teams have the salary cap room to pay Wallace more than the Pistons, but the Chicago Bulls could try to snag him away and keep him in the Central Division.
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Wallace fired an agent and hired a new one, instead of representing himself as he once said was a possibility, sparking speculation that he will shop his services aggressively in what will be the most lucrative contract of his career.
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"I'm pretty sure everybody knows where my heart is at," Wallace said in Miami after Game 6.
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In Detroit, he was asked?
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"It's in my chest," Wallace responded coyly.
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For the first time in six years, Detroit might not return its top six players, but it would be stunning if Tayshaun Prince was not on the team in six months because he's perhaps the only starter not exempt from blame after the Heat series.
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The lanky forward, who the Pistons drafted 23rd overall in 2002, averaged nearly 17 points in the playoffs. He led the team in scoring in five of the final nine games -- including a career playoff-high 29 points in Game 5 against Miami. Prince was also one of Detroit's top players on 'D for the fourth straight postseason.
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The Pistons have most of their roster under contract for next season, and they might trade seldom-used reserve Carlos Delfino.
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Kelvin Cato, who was acquired in February from Orlando along with a future No. 1 pick for Darko Milicic, the second pick in the 2003 draft, will provide salary-cap relief to help re-sign Ben Wallace or add a player to replace him.
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Reserve guards Tony Delk, who can become a free agent, and Lindsey Hunter, who might retire, could be re-signed.
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Detroit's starters -- Prince (312), Billups (305), Ben Wallace (303), Richard Hamilton (300) and Rasheed Wallace (293) -- have played more games during the past three regular seasons and postseasons than any other player.
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"They've had a lot of big games and mental games, and it can wear you out as much mentally as physically," said coach Flip Saunders, the Pistons' third coach in four years.
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Rasheed Wallace scored 29 points in Game 2 of the second round against the Cavs, and his right ankle buckled in Game 4 of the series. That's just about when the Pistons, not coincidentally, lost their "mojo" as Saunders said.
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Rasheed Wallace could not provide his potent combination of 3-point shooting, low-post baskets and stellar defense after he was injured.
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The Pistons followed his tailspin, averaging 107 points before he hurt his ankle and 82 points a game after he did.
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Dumars refused to make fatigue or Rasheed Wallace's injury an excuse.
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"First and foremost, Miami played great and they deserve to be in the NBA finals," Dumars told The Associated Press. "We didn't play at the level we needed to play at, and they did. No excuses."
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Updated on Saturday, Jun 3, 2006 7:43 pm EDT
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작전타임후의 전술상의 변화와 그에 따른 효과를 거의 느낄 수가 없었습니다.작년의 디트로이트는 좀 더 탄탄한 하나의 유기체였지요.경기는 올해가 더 재미있으나 저력은 작년만 못한 듯 합니다. 강팀끼리 격돌하는 단기전 플옵에서 팀(감독 선수)의 저력이란 게 훨씬 여실히 드러나니까요..컨퍼런스파이널이란 성적으로
첫댓글 시즌 중반만 하더라도 영원할 것만 같던 디트가 이렇게 빨리 와해설 까지 나오니 조금은 씁슬하네욤;
도대체 컨퍼런스 파이널까지 올려준 감독이 짤린다는 루머가 나온다는게 전 이해가 안되요;
디트로이트도 빅벤의 나이가 있으니 장기계약은 무리일듯도 싶고 ~ 내년이면 우리나라 나이로 34 살이죠 벌써;; 벤도,,, 수비 선수이기 때문에 ~ 괜찮다고 볼수도 있긴 하지만,,, 어려운 숙제군요,,,
벤월러스 32살인데 ㅡ.ㅡ 내년이면 우리나라 나이로는 33살이고요
아 33살이군요 ~ 죄송합니다 ~ 헷갈렸네요 ~ 하지만 나이가 많은건 사실이죠 ~
공격은 좀더 좋아진 느낌이었는데 수비면에서는 래리브라운하에서 그 탄탄했던 느낌이 좀 사라졌더군요
작전타임후의 전술상의 변화와 그에 따른 효과를 거의 느낄 수가 없었습니다.작년의 디트로이트는 좀 더 탄탄한 하나의 유기체였지요.경기는 올해가 더 재미있으나 저력은 작년만 못한 듯 합니다. 강팀끼리 격돌하는 단기전 플옵에서 팀(감독 선수)의 저력이란 게 훨씬 여실히 드러나니까요..컨퍼런스파이널이란 성적으로
와해설이 나오는건 뭐라고해도 그래도...너무 배부르게 들리네요ㅡㅜ
빅벤을 잡느냐 못잡느냐가 가장 큰 분기점이 될듯 하네요. 흠...빅벤이라면 어느팀이든 쌍수들고 환영할텐데.... 섀크로 와라 ㄷㄷㄷ(빵밀러-빅벤-아테스트-웰스-비비 ㄷㄷㄷ)
시즌 초에 스퍼스와 격돌할 때에는 공격, 수비 모두 완벽한 모습이었습니다. 후기에는 전술이 드러나고, 스타팅의 체력저하로 무너진 듯 하네요. 사실 플립 썬더스의 입맛에 맞는 벤치 멤버가 있던 건 아닙니다. 오프시즌동안 찾아내야겠군요.
개인적으론 빅벤 @와 챈들러 @와의 트레이드 고려해봄직한데....시카고에서 해줄런지~