– 8 straight losses (most consecutive since 94-95, when Don Chaney and rookie Grant Hill were running things, Rodman was getting traded, Allan Houston was slipping away, and the shotcallers were busy signing Christian Laettner, Loy Vaught, Cedric Ceballos, and the late Bison Dele)
– 6-18 in the last 24 games (I am too dense to navigate 82games.com, but I'm sure there's somewhere I could find out how that compares to the rest of the league. My gut tells me that it's in the lower quarter. My gut also tells me to work out, but look where that's gotten me.)
–Detroit is a loss or two away from their total losses from last season, which included a near-trademark run into (and out of) the Eastern Conference Finals.
–A.I., normally a warrior, left in the first quarter, which can only mean either he's really hurt (my guess) or he's throwing in the towel (the average Piston fan's guess). Speaking of towel throwing...
–Sheed, normally a talker, talked and also toweled and left in the fourth quarter, which isn't abnormal. I don't fault him either, unlike some blogs who are calling for his head, pointing the finger like Sheed is the one who made all of this happen. I disagree. At least somebody is showing some fire and some impatience with the losing ways.
–Rip Hamilton finally stopped putting on the happy face(mask) with this team-building soundbite:
"I've said I'm happy to come off the bench as long as we're winning," Hamilton said. "But we're losing. We're now 4-12 with me coming the bench. Something's got to change."
Joe Dumars has some big decisions to make. For a few years, in spite of their Eastern Conference Finals streak, some folks have called for Blowing It Up And Starting Over. It might finally be time. You hear that, Mr. Dumars, that is the sound of inevitability.
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