tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11175154.post6729583687028571433..comments2024-03-22T05:48:26.129-05:00Comments on Braves & Birds: Maybe Pulling a Head Coach From the 2004 Pistons Was a Good IdeaMichaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08365733949431139562noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11175154.post-32515648058926166872009-11-19T16:39:45.622-05:002009-11-19T16:39:45.622-05:00Here is stat head Dave Berri arguing that Josh Smi...Here is stat head Dave Berri arguing that Josh Smith is playing like he is 3rd best player in the NBA behind Chris Paul & Lebron James.<br /><br />http://dberri.wordpress.com/2009/11/19/the-story-of-the-2009-10-season-might-just-be-happening-in-atlanta/Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11175154.post-65527718729588602972009-11-19T10:13:59.453-05:002009-11-19T10:13:59.453-05:00Wouldn't Mo Clarret be considered an Alpha Dog...Wouldn't Mo Clarret be considered an Alpha Dog for 2002 OSU?<br /><br />He had a pretty great year.Rynonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11175154.post-7500992925725018442009-11-18T16:33:50.456-05:002009-11-18T16:33:50.456-05:00"I don't have the book in front of me, bu..."I don't have the book in front of me, but Simmons argues that a championship team has to have an alpha dog who is one of the best players in the league, if not the best. My immediate thought when reading this was "2004 Pistons?" Simmons tried to shoehorn Chauncey Billups into the star role for that team, which is interesting coming from a writer who didn't seem to like Billups so much in 2007"<br /><br />Don't know if you have gotten there yet; but, Simmons clearly points out in the book that the 2004 Pistons are the exception to almost every rule regarding the championship team/Alpha Dog parallels. That said, your comparison of that team and 2002 Ohio State is an apt one.Joe Fridayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06658677596830741666noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11175154.post-59413251760393595182009-11-18T11:59:28.396-05:002009-11-18T11:59:28.396-05:00Here is an answer to your question about the Pisto...Here is an answer to your question about the Pistons being like 2002 Ohio State. Unfortunately, the Pistons were somewhat like 2002 Ohio State. <br />Take a look at the best three guys from the title teams during the last 25 years in the NBA<br /><br />1985 - Lakers (Magic, Kareem, Worthy)<br />1986 - Celtics (Bird, McHale, Walton)<br />1987 - Lakers (Magic, Kareem, Worthy)<br />1988 - Lakers (Magic, Kareem, Worthy)<br />1989 - Pistons (Thomas, Dumars, Rodman)<br />1990 - Pistons (Thomas, Dumars, Rodman)<br />1991 - Bulls (Jordan, Pippen, Grant)<br />1992 - Bulls (Jordan, Pippen, Grant)<br />1993 - Bulls (Jordan, Pippen, Grant)<br />1994 - Rockets (Olajuwon, Cassel, Horry)<br />1995 - Rockets (Olajuwon, Drexler, Cassel)<br />1996 - Bulls (Jordan, Pippen, Rodman)<br />1997 - Bulls (Jordan, Pippen, Rodman)<br />1998 - Bulls (Jordan, Pippen, Rodman)<br />1999 - Spurs (Duncan, Robinson, Elliot)<br />2000 - Lakers (Shaq, Kobe, Horry)<br />2001 - Lakers (Shaq, Kobe, Horry)<br />2002 - Lakers (Shaq, Kobe, Horry)<br />2003 - Spurs (Duncan, Robinson, Ginobili)<br />2004 - Pistons (B. Wallace, Billups, R. Wallace)<br />2005 - Spurs (Duncan, Ginobili, Parker)<br />2006 - Heat (Wade, Shaq, Mourning)<br />2007 - Spurs (Duncan, Ginobili, Parker)<br />2008 - Celtics (Garnett, Pierce, Allen)<br />2009 - Lakers (Kobe, Gasol, Odom)<br /><br />For every team except 1989-1990, 2004 Pistons:<br />The #1 guys are NBA MVP types:<br />Magic, Bird, Jordan, Olajuwon, Duncan, Shaq, Garnett, and Kobe have all won league MVPs.<br /><br />Wade hasn't won a league MVP but he is young, has made 1st Team All-NBA once, has been 2nd Team All-NBA twice and his team included Shaq who has won an MVP. <br /><br />The 2nd best guys on many of those teams are 1st Team All-NBA good as well:<br />Pippen, Kareem, Robinson, Shaq, Drexler, McHale, Kobe <br /><br />Now for the best guys on the Pistons title teams:<br /><br />Thomas, Dumars, and Rodman were never MVP candidates but Thomas made 3 All-NBA 1st Teams, Dumars made 5 All-Defense 1st Teams, Rodamn, won 2 Defensive Player of the Year awards, made 7 All-Defense 1st Teams and was the best rebounder in the modern era.<br /><br />B. Wallace, Billups, R. Wallace were never MVP candidates. B. Wallace won 4 Defensive Player of the Year awards, and made 5 All-Defensive 1st Teams. Billups made 1 All-NBA 2nd Team. R. Wallace is probably the most talented player on the 2004 Pistons but his only notable NBA award was All-Rookie 2nd Team.<br /><br />So, basically the Pistons won three titles by featuring a Defensive Player of Year despite lacking a MVP quality player. <br /><br />That means that every recent NBA title team has featured a player that won league MVP or DPOY at some point in their career.<br /><br />There is only one player on the Hawks that seems to be capable of winning either award: Josh Smith. <br /><br />It is not a coincidence that Hawks look great while Josh Smith is looking like a superstar (#10 in PER @ 25.24) If Josh Smith continues to play like this then he becomes a dark horse MVP candidate and the Hawks enter the conversation as one of the best teams in the East.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com