00:01Welcome back to the Carson Anderson program here on 97.1 Gator and Stoney with you today.
00:06Stoney's in for Doug.
00:08Stoney does not think that the Pistons win tonight.
00:12No, but I'm a pessimist by nature.
00:15These are facts.
00:17This is definitely a fact.
00:19You already went all Eeyore regarding the Celtics and Sixers.
00:24Yeah, Sixers is just going to just be a tease.
00:28Yeah.
00:28You know, they've literally won these Game 7s before in front of your eyes.
00:33But you're Eeyore on this whole thing.
00:36Absolutely.
00:37And you're that way about the Pistons, and that's fine.
00:39I think the Pistons get it done tonight.
00:45I think that if they come back to Detroit, they win this Game 7, too.
00:49I think the crowd's going to be insane for Game 7.
00:54And unlike you, I actually think the Pistons have the better team.
00:59I think that if you look at the guys in the roster, sure, they have some advantages.
01:03But the big advantage the Pistons have is Cade Cunningham.
01:07And I think it's not a small thing.
01:10I think Bancaro went off the other night.
01:11He had a hell of a night.
01:13I'm not sure if that was part of a strategy or whatever J.B.
01:18Bickerstad was looking at.
01:19It was interesting because Orlando had not been shooting threes all series long.
01:23And it looked like the strategy was let them shoot from beyond the arc because eventually they're going to stop
01:30going in.
01:31Or they wouldn't expect them to go in with that regularity.
01:33But do they have to be like so many of them the other night and throughout the series?
01:38And I get it.
01:38The analytics say they can't shoot threes.
01:40Because the fact is so many of them were just uncontested.
01:45That's what pissed me off the most.
01:47They were wide open ones.
01:48And they still won by seven.
01:49They had gotten an 18-point lead in the game or 17-point lead in the game.
01:53And things got tight.
01:55Then they built the lead back up to double digits again.
01:57And I think they're a better team.
01:59It's been frustrating to watch this series because Orlando is leading in this series.
02:03And I feel like the Pistons have, the reason they're behind is because they've shot themselves in the foot.
02:09It's not necessarily what Orlando has done.
02:11I give credit.
02:11Orlando has played some great defense in this series.
02:13They really have.
02:15But there have been ridiculously bad turnovers that the Pistons have made that are their own doing.
02:20It's not because Orlando was forcing it.
02:23A lot of them have been that way.
02:24But there are too many of them where it's just been a horrific decision to make a cross-court pass.
02:30Oh, right.
02:30The last game in Orlando.
02:32In the first quarter.
02:33There were three of those plays.
02:35Three terrible turnovers in the first quarter.
02:37Yeah, Cade had the pass.
02:38Well, that was even later in the game to Javante Green's knee.
02:42Yeah.
02:42Herter and J.D. slipping on the floor or whatever.
02:47Things like that.
02:47But let's not take away from the realization that if, you know, as great as Cade played, you know, he
02:55was 14-14 from the line.
02:56Kudos to him.
02:57If Orlando shoots free throws a little better, like league average, they win that game probably.
03:03Yeah.
03:04But if they also don't shoot three-pointers out of their minds, then it's not even a game.
03:08So, I mean, it goes both ways.
03:10This is just how the ball bounces.
03:13Yeah.
03:13But it's just my thought of what's happened in this series.
03:16I think the Pistons have outplayed Orlando, but the Pistons have shot themselves in the foot.
03:20We're just hands Orlando that opportunity.
03:22Have they really outplayed them?
03:24Because...
03:24I think.
03:25I think they certainly outshot them.
03:27Well, every...
03:27And they come up with more turnovers.
03:29And I think the area where Orlando had done a great job up until game five was rebounding the ball.
03:35Their offensive rebounding was fantastic.
03:37So, you mentioned going into game five.
03:38I believe the first four games, Orlando won every quarter but one.
03:45So, I don't know where this Piston domination was.
03:48I didn't say domination.
03:49Well, they were better.
03:50They were down three to one.
03:52I'm just explaining it my way.
03:54I think that the turnovers have been a Pistons problem.
03:57Yeah, I don't dispute you on that.
04:00Like, self-inflicted is what you're saying.
04:01Yeah, totally.
04:01And the problem, one of the reasons...
04:03I don't have a ton of confidence, guys, going into this.
04:06I think Orlando's going to win it either tonight or Sunday.
04:09And I know that sounds crazy to go on the road and win game seven.
04:12But I just...
04:13That's the lack of confidence I have in the Pistons team.
04:15I'm happy they won the other night and forced a game six.
04:18But it took so much to get there.
04:20I mean, literally a legendary historical night from Cade Cunningham.
04:23You mentioned the free throw shooting from the Magic Stoney.
04:26They were awful.
04:2616 of 30.
04:27And you guys talked about the turnovers.
04:29Way too many times, even in the game they won last night or the other night,
04:33they treat the basketball like they don't care about the basketball.
04:36Right.
04:36They should cherish possessions.
04:38Yep.
04:39This thing should be a precious thing that you want to hold on to and keep up.
04:42Be strong with the ball.
04:43The decisions they make sometimes...
04:44You talk about the skip pass that Cade Cunningham made across court for no reason.
04:48There was a pass...
04:49Asar Thompson tried to thread the needle full court for no reason.
04:53When you just stole the ball back.
04:54Don't give it back right away.
04:56You got to treat the ball like you care about it because possessions are hard to come by for the
05:00Pistons team in this series.
05:01And they had a problem scoring until the other night when Cade put up 45.
05:05And if you have layups you think you're going to score, you know, go for the two.
05:10Don't do the crazy.
05:11They almost got screwed by...
05:13Duncan Robinson had that easy layup and he just tried to create a foul and double pump it.
05:18They got nothing out of that.
05:19You're talking about that fast break?
05:20Yeah.
05:21I think it was.
05:21Yeah.
05:21They can't have empty possessions.
05:24Especially...
05:24Yeah.
05:25That's what turnovers are.
05:26You don't even get up a shot.
05:27And for a team that was struggling to generate offense, not a good thing.
05:31And so another thing is you mentioned the three-point shooting.
05:34Will the Magic shoot that well again, Gator?
05:36Probably not.
05:37But they do have the ability.
05:38Desmond Baines, that's the reason why they traded for him because he can make the three.
05:41Right.
05:41And the thing is they're making these threes too because they're wide open it seems.
05:44Like the rotation isn't there.
05:46I don't know the defense of scheme or whatever it is, but you can't give them wide open threes.
05:50No, I get it.
05:51Baines, Baines a problem.
05:52I think Baines a guy you have to really game plan against.
05:55I think it's Baines and Bancaro and you've got to figure out a way to try to limit Bancaro a
06:01little bit.
06:01He can't go off for 45 again.
06:03No, and you can't have Cade covering him because you don't want Cade to get in foul trouble.
06:07I don't know if they still do box and ones, but I'd put somebody on Baines and not let him
06:11get any space.
06:13This is where it gets interesting with the Tobias injury in my mind.
06:16Because if Tobias can't play and you've got to start thinking about, okay, are we going to just simply
06:20allocating more minutes for the guys we're giving coming off the bench?
06:23Are we going to give them more or are they going to do something else and bring up Paul Reed
06:28or let Holland play?
06:30Holland is very good defensively.
06:32Yeah, but then where's the score?
06:34Look, we all bitched, or at least I did and other people, that this team didn't have another scorer besides
06:40Cade Cunningham.
06:41Well, Tobias has been the scorer and now Tobias is up.
06:43Right, that's the problem.
06:44I got it.
06:45But I'm just saying, and maybe this allows for somebody else to step up and maybe this is the game
06:50where Jalen Dern becomes Jalen Dern again, even though we haven't seen it for the first five games.
06:54But is it like, is he just do or is Orlando solve the Rubik's Cube that is Jalen Dern?
07:01But if they let Ron Holland play tonight and just let Ron Holland do what he does, which is play
07:07great defense
07:08and is really good on the break.
07:11Don't give him the ball otherwise because I feel like he's a turnover machine
07:14or he's waiting to launch a three-pointer that has no shot of being made.
07:19But if he's there for defensive purposes, can he limit what Bain does?
07:24Can he limit Black from the three-point line?
07:27Because those are two guys that have been shooting well.
07:29Yeah, possibly.
07:31And look, you'll probably, if Tobias doesn't play, you'll probably see a little more of Paul Reed.
07:36But, you know, that helps you a little bit offensively, but he's not a very good defensive player.
07:43248-539-9797, the telephone number.
07:45Same number to text.
07:46We're asking people about the game six tonight.
07:49First of all, your thoughts on tonight.
07:50And if they win tonight, what happens Sunday if they have a game seven?
07:55Let's go to the phones and DeVell is next up here on 97.1.
07:59Hey, DeVell.
08:00Hey, good morning, guys.
08:01How are you?
08:02Good.
08:03Okay, so real quick, my confidence level four tonight, I'm going with my heart a little bit,
08:11but I'm at a four of the winner.
08:13But if they do win tonight, it turns into a 9.5 for game seven.
08:18So you're going four out of ten.
08:20So if you're betting, you're betting on Orlando tonight.
08:23Pretty much.
08:24But here's the whole playoff picture, how interesting and entertaining it is.
08:29Oh, it's crazy.
08:30It's three reasons I come up with real quick.
08:34It's the injury thing, people coming back from injuries.
08:37The regular season, I hate to say it, but it doesn't really mean nothing except just getting in.
08:43And then there's parity.
08:44And I say parity because what's happening is no one's going and finishing school anymore that's in the NBA,
08:52you know, because they've got to come out quicker.
08:54They're competing with a lot of international players who's coming over who are getting drafted
08:59that you didn't see a lot of them at all in the 80s and 90s at all.
09:04I mean, you saw a few of them, but not like to this point.
09:07So when they're not staying in college, no one is developing.
09:12This is the point I'm trying to make.
09:14Well, it's interesting, DeVell.
09:17I saw that they had to decide about entering the NBA draft.
09:23Now you can still pull back.
09:25They have a, because of NIL, tons less players are entering the NBA draft than in the previous years.
09:34And European players might come to the United States to play college ball.
09:37Exactly.
09:38Right.
09:39But they're not developing.
09:41And so in my opinion, because the pairs where the parity comes in, everyone's on the same level for the
09:47most part.
09:47You know, back in the day, you had the true superstars on each team, and there was a clear separation
09:54between them and everybody.
09:56It's not really a clear, clear separation between the top players in the league now and the other people on
10:02the roster.
10:02So you have everybody on the same level.
10:05Everybody's coasting to the playoffs.
10:07They just want to get in.
10:08And then at the same time, you're having people who are injured seriously at the beginning of the year coming
10:15back now.
10:16There it is.
10:17You know, it's not a true, you know, 1-8 look.
10:21It's more like, you know, 4-5 matchup.
10:24Well, it looks like whoever's going to win the Oklahoma City San Antonio Western Conference Finals is going to win
10:31the championship.
10:32And it could be that way for the next decade.
10:35Well, it could be, yeah.
10:36I mean, those are two really good teams.
10:37I like some teams that are young in the East that will get better.
10:41But, I mean, San Antonio, obviously, that's kryptonite for the Pistons.
10:43They can't combat that.
10:45Wemediama is a hydra out there.
10:48It's impossible.
10:49And OKC is the defending champs, and they're still basically a young team with tons of draft capital.
10:56It's crazy.
10:56And you look at Dallas, you know, they're going to be in the lottery again.
11:01They got the rookie of the year at Cooper Fly.
11:03But you've also got free agency in the offseason where teams are going to get better, too, and trades still
11:08happen.
11:09I hope so.
11:09Who knows what happens here.
11:10248-539-9797 is the telephone number.
11:14Pistons and Magic, Game 6 tonight.
11:16What do you think happens tonight?
11:17And if the Pistons win and force a Game 7 and come back home, what happens in Game 7?
11:24Also, what concerns do you still have about this Piston team?
11:27Seen them five games in the playoffs.
11:29What about Game 6?
11:30Anything still concern you about what's happening tonight?
11:32We'll talk about it next here in 97.1.
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