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- The Knee Jerks: WTF with Eno and Al - Webisode 11: Broken Pistons, Tiger trade talk, Lions fans are #1 and Beilein's back door cuts
Get ready to do The Knee Jerk!
Every Thursday I chat with with Mr. Journalist, Greg Eno, the writer/editor of Out of Bounds, Spoiled Sports and Where Have You Gone, Johnny Grub? (How Eno finds time to chat with me is one of those mysteries of the ages. I suspect he owns a time machine or has access to a wormhole.)
Today's discussion includes questions, questions and then...even more questions: Are the Pistons' current struggles going to be a season long issue? Is head coach Michael Curry part of the problem, or part of the solution? Can a .180 hitting left side of the infield help save the Tigers? Now that we know who will catch, who is going to close? Where were you when the Lions lost their 16th game? Just how good are John Beilein's Wolverines cagers? Of course, there's word association, and our "Jerk of the Week!"Questions HO!
Eno: At the risk of sounding like "Meet the Press", if it's Thursday it's the Knee Jerks. I'm Eno, aka The Journalist, and he's Big Al, aka Mr. Big Shot. Greetings, sir!
Big Al: Yo, Eno! Mr. Journalist is in the house! What's up, sir?
Eno: Well, the Pistons are making me cranky. I hate to start off grumpy, but what is UP with these guys? They've been schooled by the horrible T-Wolves and now, the other night, the previously 3-15 Wizards, after having them down by 17 in the second quarter. Is it too early to be worried and/or pissed off?
Big Al: From the way they've been playing, you have every right to be Grumpy Eno. Defense was non-existent last night, and the Pistons are still disjointed on offense. Right now they are a fringe playoff team, at best. Add in a rookie coach, and you have a recipe for disaster.
Eno: Does it have anything to do with the Allen Iverson trade, or no? And if so, is it just a matter of it taking some time to jell?
Big Al: I'm not sure it's all on The Answer. Sure, he's not the player he once was, but he has to be better than this, right? I'm more inclined to blame the Pistons themselves, especially [Rip] Hamilton, [Tayshaun] Prince and Rasheed [Wallace]. They are playing as if they are still pissed that their point guard buddy, Chauncey Billups, was traded. I will admit that Rodney Stuckey has not been able to fill Billups' shoes, but that wasn't a realistic expectation. Do you get the feeling Michael Curry's constant lineup changes are, well, knee jerk?
Eno: Well, I like the reasoning behind going small with Stuckey in the starting lineup. And I like Curry's assertion that Prince, in such a lineup, can guard a lot of 4s and give 4s problems offensively. I'm very excited about Stuckey; it'll be a thrill watching this kid grow up before our very eyes. Here's something: do you think they missed Antonio McDyess more than they anticipated?
Big Al: You nailed it, Mr. Journalist. Dice was the glue that held this team together, and if anyone can get the "core" to move on past the trade, it's McDyess. But with Dice back, and Curry going to a three-guard lineup, there are now three power forwards coming off the bench: Amir Johnson, Jason Maxiell and McDyess. Where are the minutes going to come from? The bench is now overloaded with big men. It might make sense for Iverson to come off the bench, but I'm not sure a "superstar" would agree to such a thing.
Eno: About Iverson. He speaks with forked tongue, sometimes in the same sentence. He'll say something like, "It's easier for me here because we have so many weapons, but I'm sitting more than ever, and I'm not used to that." My gut? He wants to be The Guy, and he's trying to convince himself, more than anyone else, that he's happy here. Not that he was happier in Denver, necessarily. Thoughts?
Big Al: There's a point where you can no longer be "The Guy." Skills slowly begin to erode, you lose a half step, you begin to cheat on defense and force things on offense. Iverson may have reached that point, and can't, or won't, accept it. Iverson would be a great offensive weapon coming off the bench, but his wanting to still be the straw that stirs the drink won't allow it. It may take the entire season before this team jells. If so, they could be struggling to make the playoffs, which is something I never would have imagined before the season. I'm not sure if I'd prefer the Pistons to end up in the lottery, than be a seven or eight playoff seed.
Eno: Well, I like to think that this is just one of those bumpy portions that any 82-game schedule presents. Look at the Spurs; after the Pistons beat them, they fell to 5-5 at home. I know the Celtics are the cream of the league, but I bet even they hit a rough patch. So does your gut say this gets better, or are they a 45, 46-win team?
Big Al: As Curry is still learning how to be a head coach, the Pistons may just be a 45 win team. But you'd have to believe they'd be a lower seed no one would want to play. The Cavs are playing like the class of the Central Division, so a fourth seed may be the absolute best we can hope for. Do you think this is a 45 win max team?
Eno: No, I don't. Too much talent to not win 50, 51 - even with a rookie coach. Maybe Joe Dumars will gather them together and have one of those "Come to Jesus" meetings. Of course, you don't really do that with an experienced coach, but in this case it might be warranted. I certainly hope it's not any pouting due to the Chauncey trade. Cripes, move on! Which is what I should do now....what's on YOUR mind?
Big Al: What's on my mind? Grinds my gears? Gets me going? The Tigers. MLB's Winter Meetings are currently underway, and the Tigers are on the prowl for a closer. My preference, Kerry Wood, signed with the....GADS...Cleveland Indians. Rumors say the Tigers have now set their sights on a former Wolverine, Seattle's JJ Putz. But getting Putz, an elite closer when healthy, will cost the Tigers some solid prospects; Jeff Larish and Matt Joyce being the names most often mentioned. The idea of giving up even more prospects in an already weakened farm system has me concerned, to say the very least. In what direction do you see the Tigers heading?
Eno: Well, as much as I HATE to sign free agent pitchers because of their history of blowing up almost immediately (a tradition that began with Wayne Garland back in 1977), I would have preferred that route to the "prospect route." BUT, Wood hasn't exactly been the picture of health throughout his career. Still, it's a little annoying to think he'll be in the Tigers' division. As for Putz (God, I'd hate to have that last name; Eno is bad enough!), I like him, and he might be one guy worth a little future-mortgaging. I'm not as sold on Larish and Joyce as some are; something about them screams Eric Munson.
Big Al: But Larish and Joyce are left handed bats, which are few and far between in the Detroit system. Think it would be worth looking at a second tier free agent closer, like Brian Fuentes or Chad Cordero? Or go for the old man, Trevor Hoffman? I honestly wouldn't want to be in Dave Dombrowski's shoes right now.
Eno: Hoffman? Why the hell not? He's remained durable. What do you think about little Adam Everett, the new SS?
Big Al: He can't hit Paris Hilton's weight, but he can pick it better than anyone in the bigs. I like the idea of having an airtight left side of the infield, which it will be with Brandon Inge at third, but will it also be one that struggles to hit the Mendoza Line? The bottom of the Tigers' batting order is where rallies will go to die. But if the money saved in signing Everett allows the Tigers to bolster their bullpen, I can live with it. Ask me again though when Inge and Everett are hitting a combined .180. Is that something you can live with?
Eno: NO!!! But SOMEONE has to bat ninth. But you're right; the Tigers' troubles last year were primarily in the defense and pitching. So I guess we shouldn't sweat any perceived reduction in offense, huh?
Big Al: It's the Tigers. I sweat everything! Eww, not a pretty picture. What about their picking up catcher Gerald Laird? Good, bad, indifferent? He's another plus defensive player who may struggle with the bat.
Eno: Love it. I like Laird; always have. He's who I wanted, and he's not too expensive. The guy threw out 40% of his runners last year; that ain't bad. Plus, I like this stat: 24 doubles in 344 at-bats. Sounds like a CoPa bat, to me! Don't think he'll "struggle", per se. If he hits .260-ish, with 10 homers, 20-30 doubles, that's fine. The Tigers have too many other weapons to worry about that kind of production from their catcher.
Big Al: Hey, at least he isn't Dusty Ryan. The thought of "Dusty" being the Tigers' opening day catcher wasn't a pleasant one. Considering that the prospects the Tigers gave up for Laird are marginal, it was a solid deal for Dombrowski. But for all the defensive imp