Detroit Pistons prepping for promising season
AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN IT’S GOES AWAY. >> OBVIOUSLY MORE WORK THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE. ALL RIGHT GUYS I GOT TO SWITCH GEARS. WE HAVEN’T HEARD MUCH FROM THE PISTONS DURING THE OFFSEASON. BUT I’M TELLING YOU NOW THAT IT WILL NOT CONTINUE. DETROIT BEGINS THE PRESEASON SCHEDULE ON MONDAY NIGHT IN MEMPHIS, WITH THE SEASON OPENER COMING ON OCTOBER 22ND AGAINST CHICAGO, THIS TEAM READY TO EXPLODE UNDER HEAD COACH JB BICKERSTAFF, IN MY OPINION. AND CADE CUNNINGHAM IS HAPPY TO LIGHT THAT FUZE. >> AT THE END OF THE DAY, LIKE WE ALL WANT A CHAMPIONSHIP OUT OF THIS, YOU KNOW? AND THAT WAS A GREAT STEPPING STONE FOR THAT. WE HAVE NO CHANCE OF GOING TO GET A CHAMPIONSHIP WITHOUT A YEAR LIKE LAST YEAR, BUT THERE’S MORE STEPS TO BE TAKEN, YOU KNOW, AFTER THAT. SO I THINK OUR MIND IS JUST ON TO THE NEXT STEP. WE’RE ALL HUNGRY, WE ALL GOT A CHIP ON OUR SHOULDER. AND SO IT’S NOT REALLY MUCH ELSE TO SAY ABOUT IT. I THINK IT’S NOW IT’S GO TIME. WE’RE JUST ALL READY TO STRAP OUR SHOES BACK ON AND GET BACK TO IT. >> SO DETROIT OPENS THE EXHIBITION SEASON ON MONDAY IN MEMPHIS. WHAT ARE THE EXPECTATIONS FOR DETROIT, ESPECIALLY WITH THE RETURN OF JADEN IVEY? PAT. >> WELL, I DIDN’T KNOW I WAS TALKING TO SHAMS OR WOODRIFFE. [LAUGHTER] YOU’RE IN YOUR OPINION. >> YOU KNOW WHAT? I’M JUST A FAN ON THIS RIGHT HERE BECAUSE I WANT TO SEE THEM DO GOOD. >> I THINK THEY GOT A GOOD TEAM. THEY’RE A LOT BETTER. THE QUESTION IS, CAN DUNCAN ROBINSON KIND OF FILL THAT ROLE? THAT WAS DONE BY MALIK BEASLEY LAST YEAR. AND I THINK HE CAN HE’S A PRETTY GOOD SHOOTER. AND ALSO YOU KNOW THE YEAR TO YEAR. YOU KNOW JADEN IVEY COMING BACK IS HUGE. PEOPLE DON’T REALIZE IT’S LIKE GETTING A BIG PLAYER IN FREE AGENCY FOR THEM. AND ALSO SOMEBODY LIKE SARAH THOMPSON AND LOOKING AT RON HOWLAND, THOSE PLAYERS THIS IS, YOU KNOW, YEAR TO YEAR IMPROVEMENT. THEY GOT A PRETTY GOOD TEAM. >> THERE ARE PEOPLE AROUND THIS LEAGUE WHO REALLY THINK THAT AUSAR THOMPSON IS GOING TO BE A STAR, MAYBE NOT QUITE AS GOOD AS HIS BROTHER, BUT. >> THAT’S ONLY BECAUSE OF SCORING, RIGHT? >> WELL, YEAH, I MEAN, BUT HE’S STILL GOING TO GET BETTER BECAUSE HE MISSED ALL OF THE TRAINING CAMP LAST YEAR BECAUSE OF THE BLOOD CLOT THAT HE HAD. HE HE PUT ON SOME WEIGHT. HE’S THEY’RE GOING TO GET BETTER. NOW IF THEY DON’T GET BETTER THEN THERE’S A PROBLEM. BUT THERE’S STILL A REALLY YOUNG TEAM. IS HE I MEAN ON HOLIDAY IT’S JUST GOING TO TAKE MAYBE ANOTHER YEAR. BUT YES. WHAT EXPECTATIONS ARE WIN A PLAYOFF SERIES. >> THOMPSON’S BROTHER IS A BEAST. YEAH I MEAN HE THAT GUY. >> WE HAVE SEEN THAT. >> YEAH. AND I THINK YOU’RE GOING TO SEE A LOT OF THAT FROM HIS BROTHER. HE SAW SOME OF IT LAST YEAR. >> YOU MENTIONED HOW AIDAN CHILES IS THE GUY WHO LET’S WHO WHO THE SPARTANS FOLLOW. BUT THE ATTITUDE OF CADE CUNNINGHAM, I MEAN HE SEEMS TO BE A LITTLE MORE COMFORTABLE, A LITTLE MORE READY TO GO WITH THE GROUP THAT HE’S GOING TO HAVE. AND MAYBE THAT WILL START THE START THE GUYS OFF RUNNING EASILY. >> AND WE TALK ABOUT IMPROVEMENT FROM, YOU KNOW, THE YOUNGER GUYS, NOT THE KIDS OLD. BUT IF HE CONTINUES HE’S GOT TO MAKE THAT NEXT STEP. MAYBE FROM THIRD TEAM ALL NBA TO SECOND TEAM ALL NBA. AND IF HE KEEPS IMPROVING CERTAIN ASPECTS OF HIS GAME. YEAH I THINK HE’S A REALLY GOOD TEAM. >> I THINK ANOTHER GUY WHO’S GOT TO TAKE ANOTHER STEP FORWARD IS JALEN DUREN IN THE MIDDLE. >> HE’S GOT TO BE ABLE TO SHOOT FROM MORE THAN SIX FEET. >> EXACTLY. HE IS WHAT HE IS. YOU KNOW I DON’T I DON’T THINK. >> BUT CAN HE BE USED BETTER. >> YOU KNOW HE IS WHAT HE IS. THE BIGS IN THE NBA NOW THEY STILL HAVE VALUE BUT THEY’RE IN A SPECIFIC ROLE. IF HE’S IN THAT ROLE AND YOU HAVE STEWART, THAT WAS A REAL GOOD COMBINATION FOR THEM. AND WHEN THEY PLAYED THE KNICKS AND DIDN’T HAVE STEWART, IT KIND OF FELL APART A LITTLE BIT. BUT HE’S JUST GOING TO GET BIGGER AND STRONGER AND WHATEVER. I DON’T THINK YOU NEED TO HAVE HIM LIKE OUT THERE. YOU KNOW I’M SURE HE PRACTICES SHOOT. THREES RIGHT. NO NO NO. WITH THE TEAM THAT THEY HAVE AND THE BALANCE THEY HAVE ON THE FLOOR SPREADING THE FLOOR, HE’S GOT A SPECIFIC ROLE. HE DID IMPROVE LAST YEAR GUARDING THE RIM. HIS BLOCKS WERE UP OVER 1.3 A GAME. IF HE CAN GET IT UP INTO THAT TWO AREA AND BE MORE INTIMIDATING AT THE RIM, I THINK IT WOULD HELP HIM. >> ALL RIGHT. AND THE TIME REMAINING, I GOT TO MOVE TO THE RED WINGS EXHIBITION SEASON IN THE REAR VIEW MIRROR. FANS, WILL WILL FANS SEE ANYTHING DIFFERENT THIS SEASON WHEN THE SEASON STARTS? >> TONY WELL, IT LOOKS LIKE THEY’RE GOING TO SEE HOPEFULLY SOME YOUNG PLAYERS ON THE ROSTER TO START THE SEASON. I MEAN, IT LOOKS LIKE PELICANS GOING TO MAKE THE TEAM. >> IT LOOKS LIKE HE’S IN THERE AS WELL. >> YEAH EXACTLY. AND AND FINNEY YOU KNOW THEY WAIVED WHAT HOWELL TODAY. AND AND WHAT GUSTAVSSON I BELIEVE IS WHO WHO ELSE. THEY WAIT SO HOPEFULLY THAT’S GOOD. GET SOME YOUNG GUYS SOME SPARK. JUST BE ENTERTAINING. WELL BE ENTERTAINING. >> IT ALL STARTS ON THURSDAY NIGHT AND WE’LL SEE HOW ENTERTAINING THEY CAN BE. HEY. ALL RIGHT. >> GUYS I THINK THEY’RE GOING TO MAKE THE PLAYOFFS. >> OH I LOVE THE BULL TALK FROM CAPUTO. >> WELL THAT COULD COME BACK AND HAUNT ME. [LAUGHTER] WHOA, WHOA. >> DETROIT OPENS THE REGULAR SEASON ON THURSDAY AT HOME. >>
Expectations are high in Detroit as the team looks to be the best it’s been in several years. NBA pre-season is happening now.
