Hubie Brown’s take: Toronto @ Detroit, 2nd Half

The best in the business did the American national broadcast of yesterday’s Raptors @ Pistons game. This is what he had to say about Toronto & Detroit, as these two teams finish off the regular season schedule later this week and look ahead to the start of the post-season tournament.

Enjoy!

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Hubie Brown on the Raptors & the Pistons

 

3^rd Quarter

9:14 Rasho has been solid … 1^st unit v 1^st unit

9:00 Excellent trap by Bosh

7:21 Pistons are getting killed by the 4 TO’s this quarter … abnormal for their 1^st unit

7:06 Every chance Bosh gets he MUST take Rasheed to the basket from 15-18 ft … Rasheed cannot stop him and Rasheed is the Pistons only shot-blocker … Bosh gets to the line 8 times per game but the rest of the team only gets there 12 times per game

6:10 Billups shoots 40% from 3 and shoots 4 per game … any time he crosses center in transition he is a definite 3-pt threat … Doc Rivers should be the COY because he kept all the balls in the air and the Celtics are the best Defensive half-court team in the League and THAT’S coaching

4:55 I like Delfino’s game … playing more minutes for Toronto, he can get you points in a hurry

4:47 If Billups is going to post-up Ford … whether he backs him down or he gets the pass in the post … the double-team has got to come quick …you cannot give Chauncey that high % shot in the lane

4:10 I’d like to see TJ Ford put on the afterburners for the rest of this game … get out on the break and make things happen

3:20 When things aren’t going well the Pistons will put you to sleep … they will maximize the clock, make extra passes and get a quality shot … appreciate their game, they will give the ball up to a guy who has a higher % shot

2:59 The Pistons are no longer playing soft vs any high screen with Rasheed, they are coming hard at Ford and not allowing him to turn the corner as they did in the 1^st half, they are trapping and making Toronto play 4 on 3, wanting to what kind of game you (the Raptors) have ORGANIZED

2:35 Detroit has missed their last 6 shots BUT none were bad shots … their coaches are getting what they want … their players are reading the defense perfectly and making the 2^nd and 3^rd extra pass … they are just missing shots right now

2:05 Right now the Pistons are going into Hamilton BECAUSE HE HAS TJ Ford on him … Rip kicks out to Billups who makes a 3 … you have to close out hard at Billups and MAKE him put on the floor inside the 3 because he is shooting 40% from 3

1:32 Bosh showed great presence of mind to recover on Rasheed’s blocked shot and make the put back … I like his game today … he has been excellent

0:50 If you are going to trap on the baseline, like the Raptors just did, that’s fine but where’s the rotation … the man who trapped cannot come back out to defend the 1st pass out (which is what Toronto just did when Billups was quick trapped by Bosh & Calderon on the baseline out-of-bounds play

                      

4^th Quarter

11:08 I just don’t understand why we are seeing all this 3-pt shooting from Toronto

10:50 Toronto’s PPG drop from 100 to 88 when they play the Pistons during their last 9 games over several years vs Detroit … the Raptors have their problems scoring vs Detroit

10:15 This is a big game for you Toronto … you must dominate the 2^nd unit in this 4^th Q … you cannot match them basket for basket like you did during the 2^nd unit when Flip Saunders left his 2^nd unit on the floor for 12 straight minutes

9:35 Toronto must get out and get some easy baskets between now and the end of this game by getting out on the break

9:10 Now that was an example of a player using his body to get a basket … Stuckey wanted the contact (vs Calderon), didn’t get it but was still able to make the layup

8:55 Kapono is a great shooter, period.

8:15 When Linsey Hunter came into this league he was a one of the best scorers in US college basketball but he has learned to adapt his game … when he plays with the 1^st unit he is defensive stopper but when he plays with the 2^nd unit, he is a big-time scorer

8:00 Ford & Bargnani are struggling for Toronto … if they are going to get major minutes between now and the end of the game they need to give major production for the Raptors

7:35 It comes down to stops for Toronto, that’s their biggest challenge night in and night out … especially 4^th quarter defense in the last 6 minutes of the game

6:55 That was sheer athleticism by Stuckey (who scored on a TO run-out)

6:34 I like what Detroit is doing vs Calderon … Calderon is one of the premier offensive guards in the NBA … the Pistons are not going to allow him to shoot the high % 3 … because Jose is just too good

6:20 You have to like what going on with Detroit’s 2^nd unit (as Stuckey blows by Delfino and scores)

5:45 Bosh has been solid doing yeoman’s work … the Big Thing is CAN THEY GET THE STOPS THEY NEED

4:55 The Detroit bench is terrific … they have better defenders than last year AND they can score the ball

4:30 I give Calderon a lot of credit for that … he passed up a shot and gave it to Parker who had an open look and missed … Toronto needed that one

3:54 That was an athletic move by Stuckey in transition

3:36 Detroit coaches will tell Afflalo right now that he just forced up a shot … force up shots in the playoffs and you will find yourself on the bench

3:07 Toronto NEEDS to get the ball inside right now instead of taking long jumpshots

2:30 there’s a tonne of talent here in Detroit with these young guys (referring to Aaron Afflalo, Jason Maxiell, Rodney Stuckey, Jarvis Hayes and Amir Johnson, coming off the bench)

2:03 Toronto is still in the game but they have to get some defense here … credit to Amir Johnson there vs the Raptors good Defense

1:15 Rodney Stuckey is for real … he can score the ball and he is playing with a lot of confidence right now

36.6 Detroit has outscored Toronto in transition 15-6, which is a major advantage … you want your PG to be able to go to the FT Line at crunch time and make those shots, Stuckey can do that for you

30.0 Detroit is one of the best teams in the League because they can win at home AND on the road

5.0 Detroit is terrific inside, outside and from the 3pt line; their defense is top notch; their defensive FG% & their defensive 3-pt % are terrific

Tags: Amir Johnson, Andrea Bargnani, Carlos Delfino, Chauncey Billups, Chris Bosh, Detroit Pistons, Hubie Brown, Jarvis Hayes, Jason Kapono, Jason Maxiell, Jose Calderon, Lindsey Hunter, Rasheed Wallace, Rasho Nesterovic, Rip Hamilton, Rodney Stuckey, Theo Ratlif, TJ Ford, Toronto Raptors