Bulls Drawing Little Interest In Richard Hamilton Trade

[Sebastian]

This is a sidebar item. Just found it interesting the Bulls are trying to dump Rip onto some other team's roster, now that WE are not paying 90% of his salary anymore.

http://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/228381/Bulls-Drawing-Little-Interest-In-Richard-Hamilton-Trade

Rip's $5.5 million salary comes off of OUR books on July 1.

Another, asinine decision by Joe. Which is why I object to any thoughts of waiving Stuckey, as WE would be paying half of his final year to play someone else.

Not a smart move at all.

[Sebastian]

Why not Oracle? He seems to be a dead issue around here, and is dying in Boston, by the tone of that article. I don't remember where exactly I got it but, I'm now sold on Al-Farouq Aminu, again (when he came out of college, I was big on the Pistons drafting him and Grievis Vasquez). This young man was a beast on the boards in college, the only skill they say transfers to the pros, and has all the physical attributes of Josh Smith. He shouldn't be a Pelican, he should be a Piston...........the obvious sidebar is, so should Vasquez. He's a damn sight better than Michael Carter-Williams!!!

The CAP money must be spent anyway, so why not wisely? Given a fair chance, the basketball world saw that Vasquez was a competitor on the professional level, and under the coaching of Mo Cheeks, he can continue to progress. This isn't a call for Knight's dismissal but, the correction of a long standing miscalculation; Stuckey should be gone! Knight is young, impressionable, and unblemished (character wise). He has much more untapped talent to be explored than Stuckey and Bynum; they are who they're going to be, and nothing will change that. What is the problem with Knight filling the "Microwave" role? That guy from Brooklyn had a lot more pride and his ego was bigger than Knight's but, he came to work, and he put in good work; he's a Pistons legend! Al-Farouq is a growing work in progress and would fit in perfectly with where Monroe is in his development as a player; that's a starting frontline that could contend, and we be proud of. I know these guys played for the lowly Pelicans but, they never had the coaching Cheeks can provide, nor were they a part of a first class organization like our Pistons. Oh yeah, where was their Monroe and Drummond?

I've talked about free agents, because as ridiculous as Smith going to Boston to replace two HOF players sound, they're already preparing for free agency, and so should we. We're a day away from the draft, and every eventuality should be covered with that, now it's time to think of the immediate future. I've relegated Knight to the bench, brought in help for our starting big man duo in Aminu, and acquired that young, big, pure PG fans have been saying we need, and that leaves only the starting SG position to be filled; I've gotten rid of Stuckey so the waters wouldn't be muddied in the backcourt any longer, and we can see just what Middleton can produce. I'm not going to give up on a player who I SAW coming into his own but, it was too late in the season for him to really show his stuff; I'm willing to give him the benefit of starting under sound coaching for a year. Isn't this what rebuilding all about? The clock is on everybody, so why not give the man a chance? A backcourt with a 6' 5" PG and a 6' 7" SG, and both can play, is awesome. Now can you all see what Sebastian was talking about when he said Singler was best suited to be a 7th or 8th man, on a contending team? You don't start him in front of a defensive, rebounding, shot blocking, steal machine like Aminu; he and Knight are excellent bench players in a rotation.

My last pitch for the upcoming draft centers on shoring up the strength of the team; hope that Cody Zeller falls to us at #8 and Joe takes him. I'm hoping for a 2013-14 rotation that looks like this:
C- Drummond/Zeller/Kravtsov
PF-Monroe/Zeller/CV
SF-Aminu/Singler
SG-Middleton/Knight/English
PG-Vasquez/Knight/McCallum
I know that there are those who will hate this because Stuckey's name is not included but, WTF!!?? It's winning time. Two young upcoming FA's, two very promising draft picks in Cody Zeller and Ray McCallum, and Knight and Monroe are still here; isn't that doable?  

DX, during the last week or so I have become increasingly doubtful that OUR Pistons Br(ass) would be able, interested, or aggressive enough to secure the services of Josh Smith. So, I began to think long and hard about, who WE could go (small forward) after that would help us going forward.

Scouring current rosters, I found Batum to be appealing, but the Blazers just sign that dude and they and letting him go for nothing.

I thought about, maybe talking to the Raptors about Rudy Gay. Maybe, they are not as enamored with his play, but it would cost more than WE may want to spend in players and money; and would be too complicated for Joe to come up with something to get Rudy Gay.

I thought about Danny Granger, but this dude may not be what he once was and he's getting up there in age.

Honestly there is only one obvious player to fulfill OUR need at starting SF and that is Al-Farouq Aminu. The kid has been tossed around the League in his brief career, playing with the Clippers and the Hornets. He is still very young (22); will be 23 at the start of the season with a birthday on Sept. 21). The guy is a legit 6'9"; can put the ball on the floor, and most of all has NBA experience and is ready to prove himself. WE may be getting him at the right time. He should be able to be acquired at a reasonable price, too. Joe must sign this dude!

[Oracle]

Lemme ask you all for a honest answer; what can we reasonably get, for Rodney Stuckey, on the trade market? Please, no wild eyed answers like, "Stuckey for Aldridge", or "Stuckey and Knight for Kobe." Gimme some real thoughtful answers. I ask because my feeling is Joe (#1) held on to him for too long, and (#2) over priced him to be appealing on the market (even with the $4 million buyout).

I'm beginning to feel the fans who want to trade Knight now......I ain't got that feeling about Monroe yet.

DX, a very honest question indeed. I must state as a disclaimer, I am a fan of the Rodney Stuckey reclamation project. I would like to Stuckey return to the Pistons, this season, and play with passion and interest, but this may be a wasted dream that myself and a small minority may have.

Quite honestly if you are asking, at this date, if there is a single player that can be had in exchange for Rodney Stuckey. I personally can only think of one and that player is: Michael Beasley; and quite honestly I would rather stick with Stuckey than to swap for an even less motivated, Beasley.

I think we both may be suckers because for some reason I think Stuckey could find his way and then become what he should have been!

Maybe it's the fact that I know that if Stuckey played like I know he can, this would be a fantastic team! I still remember how effective we were with Stuckey at the point and BK7 at SG... it worked so well, and that's what initially got us excited about Knight!

Stuckey is really a great compromise at PG! Since he's not a great shooter, when he becomes a distributor he does well, and his ability to slash serves him well. There's a lot to like, he just hasn't put it all together under a series of HORRIBLE coaches!

So I'm quietly hoping that if we can't trade him that he gets another shot(his last) to prove that with decent coaching that he can produce!

[Sebastian]

Lemme ask you all for a honest answer; what can we reasonably get, for Rodney Stuckey, on the trade market? Please, no wild eyed answers like, "Stuckey for Aldridge", or "Stuckey and Knight for Kobe." Gimme some real thoughtful answers. I ask because my feeling is Joe (#1) held on to him for too long, and (#2) over priced him to be appealing on the market (even with the $4 million buyout).

I'm beginning to feel the fans who want to trade Knight now......I ain't got that feeling about Monroe yet.

DX, a very honest question indeed. I must state as a disclaimer, I am a fan of the Rodney Stuckey reclamation project. I would like to Stuckey return to the Pistons, this season, and play with passion and interest, but this may be a wasted dream that myself and a small minority may have.

Quite honestly if you are asking, at this date, if there is a single player that can be had in exchange for Rodney Stuckey. I personally can only think of one and that player is: Michael Beasley; and quite honestly I would rather stick with Stuckey than to swap for an even less motivated, Beasley.

[cool breeze]

I have been secretly hoping that Len would drop thinking that some GMs might be a bit goofy like Dumars was when he drafted Darko and Rodney White. However, the cat is out of the bag and he is up there at the top of the board at NBADRAFT.Net. Damn it all. Cleveland will have a tough team with that guy. I guess that Porter is dropping fast. He could fall to the Pistons but I would still prefer Zeller when thinking how good the Pistons could be in 2 or 3 years.

[cool breeze]

Why not Oracle? He seems to be a dead issue around here, and is dying in Boston, by the tone of that article. I don't remember where exactly I got it but, I'm now sold on Al-Farouq Aminu, again (when he came out of college, I was big on the Pistons drafting him and Grievis Vasquez). This young man was a beast on the boards in college, the only skill they say transfers to the pros, and has all the physical attributes of Josh Smith. He shouldn't be a Pelican, he should be a Piston...........the obvious sidebar is, so should Vasquez. He's a damn sight better than Michael Carter-Williams!!!

The CAP money must be spent anyway, so why not wisely? Given a fair chance, the basketball world saw that Vasquez was a competitor on the professional level, and under the coaching of Mo Cheeks, he can continue to progress. This isn't a call for Knight's dismissal but, the correction of a long standing miscalculation; Stuckey should be gone! Knight is young, impressionable, and unblemished (character wise). He has much more untapped talent to be explored than Stuckey and Bynum; they are who they're going to be, and nothing will change that. What is the problem with Knight filling the "Microwave" role? That guy from Brooklyn had a lot more pride and his ego was bigger than Knight's but, he came to work, and he put in good work; he's a Pistons legend! Al-Farouq is a growing work in progress and would fit in perfectly with where Monroe is in his development as a player; that's a starting frontline that could contend, and we be proud of. I know these guys played for the lowly Pelicans but, they never had the coaching Cheeks can provide, nor were they a part of a first class organization like our Pistons. Oh yeah, where was their Monroe and Drummond?

I've talked about free agents, because as ridiculous as Smith going to Boston to replace two HOF players sound, they're already preparing for free agency, and so should we. We're a day away from the draft, and every eventuality should be covered with that, now it's time to think of the immediate future. I've relegated Knight to the bench, brought in help for our starting big man duo in Aminu, and acquired that young, big, pure PG fans have been saying we need, and that leaves only the starting SG position to be filled; I've gotten rid of Stuckey so the waters wouldn't be muddied in the backcourt any longer, and we can see just what Middleton can produce. I'm not going to give up on a player who I SAW coming into his own but, it was too late in the season for him to really show his stuff; I'm willing to give him the benefit of starting under sound coaching for a year. Isn't this what rebuilding all about? The clock is on everybody, so why not give the man a chance? A backcourt with a 6' 5" PG and a 6' 7" SG, and both can play, is awesome. Now can you all see what Sebastian was talking about when he said Singler was best suited to be a 7th or 8th man, on a contending team? You don't start him in front of a defensive, rebounding, shot blocking, steal machine like Aminu; he and Knight are excellent bench players in a rotation.

My last pitch for the upcoming draft centers on shoring up the strength of the team; hope that Cody Zeller falls to us at #8 and Joe takes him. I'm hoping for a 2013-14 rotation that looks like this:
C- Drummond/Zeller/Kravtsov
PF-Monroe/Zeller/CV
SF-Aminu/Singler
SG-Middleton/Knight/English
PG-Vasquez/Knight/McCallum
I know that there are those who will hate this because Stuckey's name is not included but, WTF!!?? It's winning time. Two young upcoming FA's, two very promising draft picks in Cody Zeller and Ray McCallum, and Knight and Monroe are still here; isn't that doable?  

If the owners allow Dumars to sign Bynum again and Joe keeps pushing Stuckey to the new coach, then the Palace will be empty again and that will be enough to cause Joe to be fired. Instead of facing up to the blunder of his lifetime in drafting the chain smoking Darko and insisting that pick was not wasted after drafting Stuckey, Dumars has caused the Pistons to tumble to the lowest depths known in Piston history. Bynum is the circus act that failed to fool the spectators. He would never see the floor on any NBA team that was capable of making the playoffs.

Drafting Zeller would be the steal of this draft.

Good work dX on this and your other post. Also, way to go Oracle. You guys are real true blue Pistons and I appreciate your dedication.

[deusXango]

Why not Oracle? He seems to be a dead issue around here, and is dying in Boston, by the tone of that article. I don't remember where exactly I got it but, I'm now sold on Al-Farouq Aminu, again (when he came out of college, I was big on the Pistons drafting him and Grievis Vasquez). This young man was a beast on the boards in college, the only skill they say transfers to the pros, and has all the physical attributes of Josh Smith. He shouldn't be a Pelican, he should be a Piston...........the obvious sidebar is, so should Vasquez. He's a damn sight better than Michael Carter-Williams!!!

The CAP money must be spent anyway, so why not wisely? Given a fair chance, the basketball world saw that Vasquez was a competitor on the professional level, and under the coaching of Mo Cheeks, he can continue to progress. This isn't a call for Knight's dismissal but, the correction of a long standing miscalculation; Stuckey should be gone! Knight is young, impressionable, and unblemished (character wise). He has much more untapped talent to be explored than Stuckey and Bynum; they are who they're going to be, and nothing will change that. What is the problem with Knight filling the "Microwave" role? That guy from Brooklyn had a lot more pride and his ego was bigger than Knight's but, he came to work, and he put in good work; he's a Pistons legend! Al-Farouq is a growing work in progress and would fit in perfectly with where Monroe is in his development as a player; that's a starting frontline that could contend, and we be proud of. I know these guys played for the lowly Pelicans but, they never had the coaching Cheeks can provide, nor were they a part of a first class organization like our Pistons. Oh yeah, where was their Monroe and Drummond?

I've talked about free agents, because as ridiculous as Smith going to Boston to replace two HOF players sound, they're already preparing for free agency, and so should we. We're a day away from the draft, and every eventuality should be covered with that, now it's time to think of the immediate future. I've relegated Knight to the bench, brought in help for our starting big man duo in Aminu, and acquired that young, big, pure PG fans have been saying we need, and that leaves only the starting SG position to be filled; I've gotten rid of Stuckey so the waters wouldn't be muddied in the backcourt any longer, and we can see just what Middleton can produce. I'm not going to give up on a player who I SAW coming into his own but, it was too late in the season for him to really show his stuff; I'm willing to give him the benefit of starting under sound coaching for a year. Isn't this what rebuilding all about? The clock is on everybody, so why not give the man a chance? A backcourt with a 6' 5" PG and a 6' 7" SG, and both can play, is awesome. Now can you all see what Sebastian was talking about when he said Singler was best suited to be a 7th or 8th man, on a contending team? You don't start him in front of a defensive, rebounding, shot blocking, steal machine like Aminu; he and Knight are excellent bench players in a rotation.

My last pitch for the upcoming draft centers on shoring up the strength of the team; hope that Cody Zeller falls to us at #8 and Joe takes him. I'm hoping for a 2013-14 rotation that looks like this:
C- Drummond/Zeller/Kravtsov
PF-Monroe/Zeller/CV
SF-Aminu/Singler
SG-Middleton/Knight/English
PG-Vasquez/Knight/McCallum
I know that there are those who will hate this because Stuckey's name is not included but, WTF!!?? It's winning time. Two young upcoming FA's, two very promising draft picks in Cody Zeller and Ray McCallum, and Knight and Monroe are still here; isn't that doable?

[Oracle]

Wow, can you smell the projection of emotion?

This isn't about Knight, except on your end, this is about LOGIC! Change the name of the player, and for us, you're going to get the same response!

We have the superior talent in Knight, the question becomes when and if he develops into a PG, or is he a 6th man(basically a PG in a 2nd unit). IMO, SG is off the table!

If his name was Chauncey in 2002, you'd be screaming the same stuff(and a lot of people wanted Eric Snow at the time), and be prematurely giving up on a talented but undeveloped PG!

Looking for a pure PG shouldn't be a sign of giving up on Knight, but more of a recognition that at this stage of his development he isn't one for whatever reason, but we need to wait to see where this goes!

We're not having warm and fuzzies, we're objecting to the illogic of waste and constant turnover looking for something and never allowing it to bloom.

BTW, when are you going to stop talking about perceptions when everybody is talking about reality!

Trey Burke is 100% perception! There is no reality to him, just like any other potential draftee... let's get real!

BTW, when was the last time a pure PG was in the finals, and when was the last time a pure PG won a finals?  If you look at the champions over the last 10 years or so, pure PG led teams lose more than they win! Spectacles may need adjusting! It's not just about pure PG's!

[WTF]

You know what doesn't show in Knight's stats in his head to head match up, the reasoning for Joe wanting to draft or resign PG's this summer. Many can make some favorable reasons as to why we need to hold on to Knight, but what you can't do is make proclamations about us needing a Pure PG while your doing so.

Again most of the potential PG's being looked at are more of the traditional type of PG we've been looking for and we all know that Knight isn't it. Teams move veteran players all the time for many incoming rookies who have never seen a NBA court so likes not treat this idea of trading Knight as being a newly insane theory.

Every team makes the mistake of trading away a player too soon or holding on to them for too long in many cases. Sorry there are risk either way when it comes to Knight he can go elsewhere and blow up or he can stay here and continue to falter as a Combo Guard currently not equip for either back court position.

Many make the argument of what is the best fit when it comes to who we should draft but is Knight anymore a proper fit for Monroe and Drummond? Truth is any of the top three PG being drafted are better fits solely on the potential of the floor leadership because Knight is still addressing the same issues he had coming out of college.

Most of what many argue against trading Knight is built on top of the emotions of his perceived potential and the fear of going against what might be opposed to looking at what really is. You can't speak from both sides of the mouth on this, its either we have our PG of the future in place or we don't. It's been obvious since last mid-season that we don't or we would be talking about drafting a PG or resigning Calderon and this alone dispute most of the theories about keeping Knight.

[Oracle]

Report: Boston Celtics Have an Offer Ready for Josh Smith

[Oracle]

More headlines like this...

"Afflalo would be a great fit for the Clippers — he brings needed perimeter defense at the two and floor spacing shooting (career 38.3 percent from three, last season that number dropped because he was forced to create more offense for the shorthanded Magic, that will not be an issue in Los Angeles). Afflalo is a fit and an upgrade that is perfect for Los Angeles." - Report: Eric Bledsoe for Arron Afflalo trade talks heating up

Yeah, and he'd be a fit and an upgrade at the 2 for us, but we traded his ass away because? Oh, we don't need good reasons.... we kept Stuckey instead!

Good for Afflalo to get on a true contender with a coach that will value his defense and hard work!

[deusXango]

You a funny man:lol): Seriously though, my thinking is getting a little fuzzy around the edges, with the hope I have for positive results, mixed with the recent history of Joe D, both with drafting, when he has to think, and making daring moves, that payoff, when signing FA's. A sh!tty pick, and mediocre FA signings, will leave Cheeks null & void when it comes to coaching a rebuild team into contention. Maybe I should just chill until Friday, huh?

What's up with my emoticons?

[Oracle]

Just saw your post, and it sounds like you see the light! When they say stay in the darkness, don't listen to them

[Oracle]

There are VERY talented guards getting ready to inherit the NBA in 2-3 years!

Tell me, head to head, have any of them been able to have an advantage over Knight?

What in the world are people talking about when trying to trade a known quality player for a player that hasn't played a minute on the NBA hardwood?

I'm curious how that thought pattern started to appeal to you?

Where are you going to get a PG to play better than Knight has against the top upcoming guards head to head and beat the crap out of them?

There aren't any in the lottery that have Knight's speed or agility! A smart man looks to harness power, not give it away for a freaking pop gun!

I'm baffled!

[deusXango]

Don, I share your anger, admire your passion, and am brought to shame by your honest assessment of what's been happening. I've read where posters call for Knight's removal because of turnovers but, I never challenge them with the fact Knight made more shots that kept the Pistons in games that others were trying hard to loose. We talk about two years of experience, which is an unfair slight; that lockout shortened season only allowed Knight one week to get familiar with his team mates, coaches, and the non-existent offensive plays of Lil' Larry; he had his sophomore season (where the confusion started with, who was going to "handle the ball" not initiate the offense but, have the ball in their hands) to move to SG, PG, SG, WTF am I? Lil' Larry was a poor coach for this kid, and Stuckey's negative, selfish, thoughtless, influence only served to confuse him more. I don't care what anyone says, the numbers speak for themselves, and Knight's numbers were better than Stuckey's, and Stuckey is a seasoned pro, who's had his chance to show progress, if it was in him!!

"I'm better with the ball in my hands." Measured by what? Your effectiveness as a distributor? Your ability to control the flow of the game? Who bothered to ask what he meant by that statement, and how was "better" to be defined with Monroe, Drummond, Prince (who was a part of the team at the time), Singler, and every player who had a chance to play in a Pistons uniform? What did that do to Knight's head? I remember Stuckey saying that he had Knight under his wing, so what was the lesson for Knight in that statement? Stuckey is known for his ill-advised forays to the rim, where he gets his sh!t packed more often than not, poor management of the shot clock and ignoring open team mates; this is the role model available for Knight, and the example he had to look to for how a professional offense was to be run. I'm so sick of that "big, strong, and fast" argument for keeping Stuckey in the mix for a starting PG; if that's what it takes, he's no longer the man, Drummond is. Drummond is big, strong, and fast, and by that measure he should be the starting PG. The argument against Drummond will be, he doesn't make his free throws; well ladies and gentlemen, that's ALL Stuckey has done for his career as a starting PG for the Pistons, make free throws!

Lil' Larry is gone, and Mo is in. Maxiell is unsigned, and hopefully, if he signs, he signs somewhere else. Drummond should start, and Middleton, Singler, and Jerebko should get the PT they were denied last year. We've got this as yet unknown lottery pick, who's sure to have some better than average scoring skills, and the as yet unsigned free agents(s). Knight, without Stuckey, Calderon, or Bynum, looking over his shoulder should be a much improved player (not because of what he may have done so much) because the talent landscape around him will have changed for the better. Give him the chance he deserves JOE!! We all know where the bullsh!t starts and where the buck stops.

[deusXango]

Oracle, there is a silver lining to every dark cloud, so, not to worry. In this "weak draft" where the absence of guaranteed all-star players is the most obvious blemish, we fail to notice the beauty of this draft. Only the true basketball fans, that'll be blessed with longevity, will get to see this beauty blossom; the beauty is, this draft will probably send more players into the NBA, who will enjoy at least 10 year careers, as solid contributors to the teams they play for. Players who will progress to the point that lazy, selfish, one dimensional players will be pushed out as soon as their contracts are up (and I'm talking about rookie to 2nd signed contracts). Next year there will be a "baby boom" of extraordinary talent coming into the league, joined by the Euros who are poised to display their unique talents of basic, sound, and heady play but, this years draftees will be the standard of fitting in, the importance of being ready role players, and a return to the old school devotion to playing the game the right way. Why? Because to the man, they all have something to prove!! When their draft is labeled weak, from #1 to the last man invited to a teams tryout, they are going to take it personal, and react in kind. We've got some good ball to watch coming up (I hope David Stern takes his Grinch's with him when he leaves; we don't need any wet blankets around for what's going to unfold).

[cool breeze]

Yes MCW or Burke or almost any of those college players posters are mentioning must be better than Knight. We must pick on Knight. All of those loses last year was his fault and not those other players he had to play with. Those hard nosed big men who stopped anyone who dared to enter the lane and score easy baskets against the Pistons. No it wasn't Charlie V or Monroe or Maxiell who are to blame. It has to me Knight. All this stuff is so silly I am having difficulty reading any more of it. But tell me this, can any of those college players in this draft play defense as well as Knight did last season. Almost every coach in the league would tell you that Knight was one of the best on the ball defenders of point guards last season. Can you tell me of any other player on the Piston team who has played for two or more seasons who has improved their defense or even made any effort to do so. You can't win unless your players are willing and have the ability to defend. Stuckey and Bynum sure have no interest in defense. But somehow Stuckey is a better fit than Knight on this team.

This leads me to another idea. Has this board been infiltrated by Joe Dumars kids or relatives? After all, the 2003 draft has recently had some attention first on NBA TV today where the Darko selection at number two by Dumars was brought up. And on Bleacher Report, Billups is quoted as saying the drafting of Darko prevented the Pistons from establishing a much longer run and many more championships with Billups crew in Detroit. As Steve Kerr said on NBA TV tonight, if you are a GM and make a super foolish pick with one of the first 5 picks in the draft, that usually means you will be fired. Joe Dumars has tried to save his job through Rodney Stuckey. When Darko was traded, Detroit ended up drafting Stuckey and that is why Dumars has hung on to him hoping against hope that Stuckey will somehow save his ass. It  won't happen Piston fans. It is time to rid the team of Stuckey. It has been Stuckey's negative presence that has affected Knight. Knight has two years of valuable experience. He is a good man who works extremely hard and he is super smart. To think that he won't be an elite player in this league is a foolish thought. Do you really want to see him play for another team? People talk about MCW ability to defend. There is no damn proof at all that he can defend any NBA players. He played in a zone for his entire career. I didn't see him play very good defense in the NCAA tournament even playing in the zone. And Burke is not a good defender either. If you can't defend you can't play in the NBA. And I keep reading stuff in other boards where it is believed that Dumars will bring back Bynum. I wonder just how many offers Bynum will get on the open market. Will he get more interest than Maxiell? I can only hope that the new coach is a smart man who has identified the real problems with the Detroit Pistons and will demand change and that doesn't mean moving Knight.

[Oracle]

I have to really have a good laugh!

Let's see, how many drafts are there where the player drafted is what anybody thought they were... and I'm talking about the deeper ones?

There's going to be some solid pros in this draft, but here's the catch! Nobody knows for sure who they are!

But that doesn't stop some people on this board! No, let's draft player X because it's guaranteed that at the NBA level, he's going to be exactly what he was in college because.... Oh well, just fill in the blank!

You don't have to be in love with any current player, but a prudent man doesn't talk trading a player for any unknown! The stuff I'm hearing can't pass the prudent man test, but I'd love to hear how so and so is can't miss, it makes for great comedy!

Now if we're trading for a known NBA quantity, that's where you're going for "Fit", and you know what the player gives! At that level, it's a business proposition, and I'm all for making us better!

However, even that poses some risk because some players look good in one system and suck in others(Ben Wallace)!

My bottom line is that you don't go too far with draft prospects in a draft like this! This isn't the LeBron draft, this is a draft of possible role players with maybe an all star or two!

The misses will be big, and there are very few in this draft that I can say with any confidence that they're really can't miss!

I can't even say that about Burke because he's a gimmick player! He doesn't have any physical skill that you can bank on, so if his gimmick fails he's toast!

Even at the top of this draft guys have holes so big you can drive David Sterns Ego through them(well, almost)!

[deusXango]

Lemme ask you all for a honest answer; what can we reasonably get, for Rodney Stuckey, on the trade market? Please, no wild eyed answers like, "Stuckey for Aldridge", or "Stuckey and Knight for Kobe." Gimme some real thoughtful answers. I ask because my feeling is Joe (#1) held on to him for too long, and (#2) over priced him to be appealing on the market (even with the $4 million buyout).

I'm beginning to feel the fans who want to trade Knight now......I ain't got that feeling about Monroe yet.

[WTF]

“The problem with Burke is that he is 6-foot and when you put him on the floor with a 6-3 guard, you have a pretty small backcourt,” Ford said. “What Burke has more than Carter-Williams is he shoots the basketball much better. He’s the type of guy that carries his team on his shoulders. Carter-Williams might be a better passer, but there’s times because of his lack of shooting ability where he can’t take over control a game, compared to what Trey Burke can do.”


The problem is would Joe allow the media and everyone else to force him into penciling Knight in as  a starting SG next season.  It seems all the hesitation with selecting Burke is in the assumption our SG would be Knight.  


To date there has been no ringing endorsement from either Joe or Cheeks and the fact that we are even discussing taking Burke, MCW and McCollum with the lottery pick and McCallum with the 37th say's a lot about what they think of Knight. Even considering resigning Calderon speaks bad for Knight.


Hate Stuckey all you want folks but he's the better Combo Guard and would fit perfectly with any of the above mentioned PG's.  Selecting MCW wouldn't save Knights ass because his Brain Farts on the offensive end is what bothers Joe the most.  Joe should strongly consider trading Knight

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“The problem with Burke is that he is 6-foot and when you put him on the floor with a 6-3 guard, you have a pretty small backcourt,” Ford said. “What Burke has more than Carter-Williams is he shoots the basketball much better. He’s the type of guy that carries his team on his shoulders. Carter-Williams might be a better passer, but there’s times because of his lack of shooting ability where he can’t take over control a game, compared to what Trey Burke can do.”

If both players are available when the Pistons pick, it could be a tough decision.

“It will be a difficult position for the Pistons to be in over who you choose,” Ford said. “Do you choose the best fit, or do you choose the better player? It will be interesting as to which way they come down on the matter, but I’m not sure which way they’ll go.”

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Report: Pippen was spit on by fan

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Here’s the latest Allen had to say about Rondo just before the season opens, courtesy of Joseph Goodman of the Miami Herald: “He said the friction with Rondo began in 2009 when Rivers and Celtics president Danny Ainge proposed a trade that would have sent Allen and Rondo to Phoenix for Amare Stoudemire, Leandro Barbosa and the 14th overall pick in the 2010 draft. Allen said that, at the time, Ainge and Rivers “didn’t get along” with Rondo. ‘So, I called him and I told him, ‘hey they’re supposedly trading us to Phoenix because you and Danny and Doc don’t get along,’ ’ Allen said. ‘ ‘So, whatever you can do.’ So, for some reason, I guess he thought that I was … that I had something against him, or there were some issues. And I had no issues with him. I won with him.’ Now, Allen says if Rondo ‘had issue with me, that’s on him.’ “

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@vgoodwill: RT @NBATV: The @LAClippers today named Glenn “Doc” Rivers as the team’s Senior Vice President of Basketball Operations and Head Coach.

@vgoodwill: RT @detroitnews: Ex-Pistons coach Lawrence Frank: Michael Carter-Williams would be good draft pick for Detroit
http://t.co/siE5UFeizj

@vgoodwill: RT @sheridanhoops: #Bobcats shopping Kidd-Gilchrist and will look to replace him with Otto Porter using No. 4 pick. http://t.co/wkx3ayq6ZS

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@vgoodwill: Myself, @Vincent_Ellis56, @David_Mayo, @Keith_Langlois and @nbamark on the #Pistons' foundation  http://t.co/DbwQ0cMXbM

@vgoodwill: RT @deryNBA: Source:  #Pistons Mo Cheeks expected to hire one of his old assistants in Port and Phi, Bernard Smith, here soon.

@Keith_Langlois: If form holds, 1 of these 5 likely to be #Pistons pick at 8: McCollum, MCW, Muhammad, Zeller, Kentavious C-P .. http://t.co/PkUUoKq1sU

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