SkippyPB wrote:

http://www.sacbee.com/351/story/109583.html

Hart, who told The Bee in mid-November that Neff had requested a trade
from Petrie, said Wednesday he backs his agent's actions and simply
wants a chance to play for a team that wants him.

"That's just my guy trying to keep me afloat," Hart said of Neff.

As Neff disclosed during his radio exchange, the Detroit Pistons
offered Ronald "Flip" Murray for Hart. But whereas Hart is in the final
year of a contract that pays him $1.68 million, Murray is being paid
$1.75 million this season and $1.89 million if he exercises his player
option next year. The Kings, Neff said on the show, didn't do the deal
because Murray's contract had a season remaining.

"(Flip's second year) was low money, not like $10 million," said Hart,
who has played in only 12 games this season. "I'm in a tough spot, but
what made me feel good is that somebody called (about) me. I just want
an opportunity. If I can't get an opportunity, I respect that. I'm not
crying for minutes. I'm actually just trying to get out of here, you
know what I mean?"

I gotta tell you, these very close game losses are beginning to bug me.
Yeah, I know it was Webber's debut and Chauncey's first game back and
they need to get into new patterns and Utah is a good team that always
beats us anyway. But I don't like seeing Detroit blow a 13-point third
quarter lead, I don't like not being able to get shots down the
stretch, and while I know that over the course of a season you win some
close ones and lose some close ones, it seems like Detroit is just
losing all the close ones these days.

More complaints: we got killed on the offensive boards, we still seem
to lack interior defense, at key points near the end it didn't look
like we knew what we wanted to do on offense, and I guess in a
one-point loss one could complaing about 'Sheed getting a tech late in
the game. And why isn't Maxiell playing at all?

Webber looked better than his total 2 points would suggest. He made a
bunch of pretty passes, and would have had several more assists if
other Pistons would have made some bunnies. I think he was tentative
in looking for his own shot, for understandable reasons. I wonder when
he'll make his first start.

jslater@utnet.utoledo.edu wrote:

Webber said this team doesn't need a savior, only a service....little
did he know he's the savior to savor for Flip Saunders.

Saunders has had little or no control of this team since the end of last
season. Much of that is due to the tinkering and alterations of
attitude entered and contagious by Rasheed Wallace. His negativity
spread to the likes of Nazr, Murray, and Prince. Maxiell and Delfino
seem to turn a deaf ear finally and began to give admirable
performances. Something the others should have mimicked.

With Webber in house and feeling good, Saunders truly has the reins and
can enter Sheed into the dog house if need be. Sheed can no longer be
Sheed, he has to be Rasheed. Which would be manageable, cordial and
constantly contributing. Watch the consistency offered by Sheed now
that Webber is here. He has too or he'll find his ass sitting down
there next to Amiri and waving a towel like a damn cheerleader.

Everybody is happy when teams are winning.
Webber will contribute and the apathy will be restored immediately. Look
for the W's to mount up and Saunders gets to live the NBA life beyond
All Star break and gets a legit shot at that title.

Houston won 9 out the last ten until the lost last night to the Mav's

Mav's have won 16 out the last 19 or so...

Damn that's impressive!

The competitive spirit is in the west who aren't waiting for or holding
back nothing for the post season.

Kobe and Phil Jackson can't sit pat, the Lakers need to make some moves.
Currently they won't even be able to contend against the likes of
Denver. Iverson really has shot up in the All Star votes as well.

champ91917@yahoo.com (Frank Rizzo)
Dude,
You got him and you didn't have to give up Sheed like you earlier
thought you should. Now you have both!
Is it true the Pistons are shopping Nazr?
Rizzo

Answer- yeah that's one of the rumors uttered by radio sports talk host,
but I read nothing so far in the free press about Nazr being moved
anywhere but to the bench. The Free Press and Bernie Smilovitz...

jslater@utnet.utoledo.edu wrote:

He was still close to that last year. But I would think it unlikely within the Detroit offense for
him to get 20 without screwing up the rest of the scorers rhythm.

Something our webTV guy will never see and seems incapable of understanding.

On 15 Jan 2007 18:59:30 -0800, jslater@utnet.utoledo.edu wrote:

Refs stole that game from the Pistons. Very, very bad call on the
Garnett(?) foul on Rip toward the end of the 4th when the game was
tied. Refs rules Rip was not in the act of shooting and it was the
T-Wolves first foul in the last two minutes. Replay clearly showed
Rip was in the air shooting the ball when the T-Wolf player hit him on
the elbow. Should have been two points plus a foul shot, game over.
However, the Pistons should have taken care of business in OT.

Slater-Questions: how banged up is C-Webb, physically?

Answer- Webber was disgruntled with his decreased minutes in Phil', a
team that isn't going anywhere. He says, he can still play at the level
he did when he was with the Kings.
Have to accept his word for now.

Slater-Can he provide a
much-needed post-presence?

Answer- I ruptured my achilles once, and with its slow recovery it MADE
me a better low post scorer and less of a slasher. I had to develop
other moves and ways of scoring until I recovered completely or at least
90%%. Webber has gained experience , weight, and the knee doesn't allow
for quick lift from the ankles, but he can still get up in the air
coming from a low stance. He's just no longer a quick jumper.
That will hurt him on the defensive end only.
But Saunders zone defenses can cover that up.
My biggest concern is how well will he wish to play the 5 position.
That's something he stressed he wasn't going to do in the pros when he
was in highschool. Times have changed, and he is stronger so perhaps
only the mental adjustement is needed.