Combine

[Sparma]

Cody Zeller did spectacularly well, while Michael Carter Williams did quite well (I also liked his interview). If we're sitting at 7 or 8 as expected, I'd lean towards one of them, assuming the top prospects are out of circulation by then. I like the idea of pair the oversized MCW at PG with the undersized Knight at SG, hoping that MCW becomes a decent shooter, and BK an excellent one.

[merc]

CV picked up his last year option... best bet is to deal him... should get something decent in return.

[Oracle]

Is this Mark Cuban without the brains?

Detroit Pistons Owner Tom Gores May Instruct Staff To Draft Rudy Gobert

[Oracle]

I'm giving Burke the benefit of the doubt, but he needs to keep the ME stuff under wraps.

He said I when he was talking about the championships, but time will tell!

Putting a target on your back can either make you or break you!

[WTF]

I think the thing that disturbs me about his comments is that for a "Team" player, those remarks are the comments of a player that thinks SELF!

Nobody, and I mean nobody wins on their own! Everything he said is about ME!

Did we misjudge Burke on the mental aspects of the game?

I think your putting more into his comments than you should. He said he wants to be an impact player and that's fine. He didn't say he wants to lead the team in scoring. He said he wants to be a leader, and he want to lead his team to a title I'm not seeing the selfishness in that.

[WTF]

You're missing the point!

It's hard to compare him to any of those guys because they had the brains to NEVER say anything that stupid in public!

I think he's a very good player and a leader on the floor(I don't know about off the court, no data), but a leader has to know when to shut the eff up, and he appears to have failed to get that memo!

It sounds to me like he's believing his press clippings, and when he gets to the NBA, they'll make sure he gets the extra attention big mouths deserve

Bad move!

It could looked at as a bad move but I see it a little different and it reeks of those guys that I've mentioned because they've all made those statements publicly. Magic on draft day made it clear he was coming in the league to win titles, and so did Zeke. MJ came in with no fear and made it clear he wanted what Magic and Zeke had. A more recent example of this would be one Kobe Bryant.

Yeah Burke might have made himself a target and that's okay. The only concern would be if he can back it like those guys did. I see nothing wrong with stating you want to be the best, or better than your peers. It's not wrong with saying you want to make an impact and lead your team to a title in x-amount of years. I won't doubt him, or his effort and glad he's not talking around what it is he's want as a NBA player. They might not like it but they have to respect it because all players want to win championship or at least that's the hope anyway. To think otherwise is to be like Durant sitting at home now, and Carmelo struggling to be a true superstar.

Burke is showing us they he'll be his own man, and he'll likely back up what he said or die trying. That's leadership.

[Oracle]

I think the thing that disturbs me about his comments is that for a "Team" player, those remarks are the comments of a player that thinks SELF!

Nobody, and I mean nobody wins on their own! Everything he said is about ME!

Did we misjudge Burke on the mental aspects of the game?

[Oracle]

You're missing the point!

It's hard to compare him to any of those guys because they had the brains to NEVER say anything that stupid in public!

I think he's a very good player and a leader on the floor(I don't know about off the court, no data), but a leader has to know when to shut the eff up, and he appears to have failed to get that memo!

It sounds to me like he's believing his press clippings, and when he gets to the NBA, they'll make sure he gets the extra attention big mouths deserve

Bad move!

[WTF]

I also side that Hardaway talents were meant for the pro game and that his talents were held back at Michigan. This kid will be every bit as good as Crawford, JR Smith, Harden and the likes. He my not go lottery but he will end up a 1st round picks and the scouts are loving him right now. He doesn't have his daddy's crossover but he heads above him in the all around talent pool.

[WTF]

“I’m going to try to be a franchise player,” Burke said Friday at the NBA predraft combine in Chicago. “A guy that’s going to come right in and make an impact right away. You’ve seen (Portland’s) Damian Lillard come in and win Rookie of the Year and people were saying he played in too small of a conference and things like that. They had their doubts about him. I’m going to try to come in, make an impact and hopefully in five or six years I’ll have a ring or two. That’s the goal.

“Those are big goals, but I shoot for goals like that. Anything’s possible.”-Trey Burke

Oracle, that to me is a true leader talking; reminds me of one Isaiah Thomas (remember him?) when he came into the league. This is a leader without anyone to lead at this time but, given a solid team (like hopefully what Dumars will put together) we'll all see just what this young man is all about. Special is what I've called him and I firmly believe that; I don't see anyone in the slated top 10 that fits that "special" criteria other than Burke.

Smith and Allen should and would have Burkes back once they spent time in the locker room and on the court with him, much like Laimbeer and Mahorn did with Thomas; vets of the pro game recognize special players when they see them and tend to follow their lead. He's going to get the rookie hazing, oh hell yes, but at the end of the day, he'll be "the man" for somebody, I just hope it's us.

Almost from Day 1 as a freshmen the leadership role was handed to him at Michigan even Hardaway reluctantly allowed that to happen because he too show that ability to lead in young Burke.

I wouldn't be shocked if his impact is almost immediate when he hits the NBA floor. I said special and I'll continue to say special because this kid has what the Zeke's, Magic's, Jordan's have inside him, the stuff that winners are made of and come from.

I've been trying to convince everyone of this all year, I told everyone he was the best player and all the awards proved it, I said this kid could be the #1 draft pick and odds are he just might although my fingers are cross he falls right in our lap. I'm telling everyone do not doubt this kids will, or his talent.

[Oracle]

"By the way I believe the trade involving Ben Gordon where Detroit had to give up a number one pick will hurt real bad this time next season." - Don

It's too early to tell because a lot of things can happen between now and then!

The pick could be restored in a trade, and could be a better pick than the playoff bound Pistons could produce! IMO, giving up a pick to get financial flexibility when you most need it is smarter than hoping something happens when you have no control!

If you think that move was dumb, just imagine our situation if it never happened!

No, it was a smart move, and I actually hope the pick is NOT replaced and it forces us to finally evaluate the picks that we already have instead of reflexively throwing away players because more players start to fill the pipeline!

[cool breeze]

Sorry but I cannot say out loud that Oladipo is good enough for the Pistons to select him with the first pick. Now Dumars is going to the extreme the opposite way he did when he drafted Daye who could not play adequate high school defense during his college days. Goodwill says Oladipo may be the best perimeter defender in the college game. Is he really the best in the college game even on defense? Nick Johnson, from Arizona will be a Junior this next season. He is an incredible athlete and the nephew of Dennis Johnson. His entire family is full of superior athletes. Johnson Has good size and can out jump Oladipo any day of the week. He was Arizona's best defender this season. Everyone knew he was a great defender coming out of high school so last summer Nick shot around 20,000 jump shots and worked extremely hard on his ball handling skills. He ended up playing mostly shooting guard but also did a good job when playing the point. Johnson hit some big shots in key games when it counted and was able to make some incredible steals going end to end to score when games were on the line. So why didn't Johnson decide to enter the draft? His family and Nick knew he still has a lot to learn. Their family knows something about playing pro basketball unlike Oladipo. He is coming back for another year of college to improve his offensive game. Some pro team will really benefit because Nick Johnson will be a fantastic pro player. It is insane for any GM with a team like Detroit to draft another project type player like Oladipo. Maybe he might be the best defender on this current Piston team if he is drafted. But how do you play him if he cannot play offense? Teams could sag on him in college because of his lack of confidence in his outside shot. We will have Michael Curry in another body which is not a real good comparison because Curry could at least hit a few outside shots. If Dumars passes on Burke to draft Oladipo, he is a real idiot. We would be much better off to trade our first round pick if Dumars doesn't draft Burke. Oladipo needs another 2 years of college ball to be ready for his rookie season in the NBA.

By the way I believe the trade involving Ben Gordon where Detroit had to give up a number one pick will hurt real bad this time next season. Next season will have a great selection of players who will impact the league. Not only have we fans suffered a lot from the bogus signings of Charlie V and Gordon, but it is not over yet. We will suffer more when Charlotte hits the jackpot with Detroit's number one pick. Great job Piston management! Now all we need Joe to do is sign up Maxiell and Bynum for another season to play next to Charlie V.

[Oracle]

“I’m going to try to be a franchise player,” Burke said Friday at the NBA predraft combine in Chicago. “A guy that’s going to come right in and make an impact right away. You’ve seen (Portland’s) Damian Lillard come in and win Rookie of the Year and people were saying he played in too small of a conference and things like that. They had their doubts about him. I’m going to try to come in, make an impact and hopefully in five or six years I’ll have a ring or two. That’s the goal.

“Those are big goals, but I shoot for goals like that. Anything’s possible.”-Trey Burke

Oracle, that to me is a true leader talking; reminds me of one Isaiah Thomas (remember him?) when he came into the league. This is a leader without anyone to lead at this time but, given a solid team (like hopefully what Dumars will put together) we'll all see just what this young man is all about. Special is what I've called him and I firmly believe that; I don't see anyone in the slated top 10 that fits that "special" criteria other than Burke.

Smith and Allen should and would have Burkes back once they spent time in the locker room and on the court with him, much like Laimbeer and Mahorn did with Thomas; vets of the pro game recognize special players when they see them and tend to follow their lead. He's going to get the rookie hazing, oh hell yes, but at the end of the day, he'll be "the man" for somebody, I just hope it's us.

DX, I was just going to post that and BAM!!! You beat me to it!

However, I have a vastly different take on it than you do!

When a player says something like that, you have to wonder about his sanity!

That's not sane thinking, it's completely and totally delusional! Why?

Well, to say that out loud shows that he doesn't have any understanding about the NBA! Look, I love Burke, but let's get real... he isn't a franchise player, at least not yet!

He may get on a bottom feeder and be the best guard on the team, but come on, it's reality time! As long as we're talking about the bottom feeder he'll get drafted by, it's going to be a long time before he can think finals, it's just not that easy, and greater talents than he is have never tasted the finals and even fewer have won one!

Is it alright to have those thoughts? Yes!!!

But it's CRAZY to speak them out loud with the megaphone of the NBA media covering it! This raises a lot of questions to me about Burke!

[deusXango]

“I’m going to try to be a franchise player,” Burke said Friday at the NBA predraft combine in Chicago. “A guy that’s going to come right in and make an impact right away. You’ve seen (Portland’s) Damian Lillard come in and win Rookie of the Year and people were saying he played in too small of a conference and things like that. They had their doubts about him. I’m going to try to come in, make an impact and hopefully in five or six years I’ll have a ring or two. That’s the goal.

“Those are big goals, but I shoot for goals like that. Anything’s possible.”-Trey Burke

Oracle, that to me is a true leader talking; reminds me of one Isaiah Thomas (remember him?) when he came into the league. This is a leader without anyone to lead at this time but, given a solid team (like hopefully what Dumars will put together) we'll all see just what this young man is all about. Special is what I've called him and I firmly believe that; I don't see anyone in the slated top 10 that fits that "special" criteria other than Burke.

Smith and Allen should and would have Burkes back once they spent time in the locker room and on the court with him, much like Laimbeer and Mahorn did with Thomas; vets of the pro game recognize special players when they see them and tend to follow their lead. He's going to get the rookie hazing, oh hell yes, but at the end of the day, he'll be "the man" for somebody, I just hope it's us.

[Oracle]

"This team has no leader!!! This team has no PG!!! If BK7's game transformed into one that matched any of the top PG's in the league, he's still not a leader; good kid and hard worker but, he's not a leader and has never been one in his entire career, on any level of competition. It's a waste of talent to try and transform him into something that he's not cut out to be, and that's been demonstrated with what Dumars did with/to Stuckey." - DX

DX, I feel your frustration, but IMO, you're putting the cart before the horse, much like Joe!

The leader of a team isn't the PG, it's the player that evolves to be the leader! This isn't the military where leaders are appointed, in sports, they evolve more naturally.

You don't know who the leader is and neither do I! All we know is that Joe and the press anointed some leaders and that's simply not how leadership happens! IMO it's stupid for them to try and pressure young players who are trying to get their games together to be leaders when they haven't even found out who they are themselves!

You think Burke would be a leader if he came here! Maybe... in 3-5 years if he's lucky, but that will be determined by the wills imposed in the locker room and on the court!

I think we need to step back and evaluate the situation, and if any of the FA/Trade stuff you keep talking about comes true, it's highly unlikely that ANY of the youngsters could hope to be the leader of a team with Josh Smith & Tony Allen on it... it ain't happening!

[cool breeze]

LaMarcus Aldridge ain't coming through the door, and Danny Granger may never be the same, so who're we looking at right now (this is where I find reality)? We've had a roster full of old vets, tweener positional players, 3rd tier tryouts, led by an out of control mediocre PG, and that only resulted in bottom feeding for the last 5 years (getting worse each year)! The damning finger of blame has gone from the coaches to the GM but, I remember quite clearly when fans on this site and others were calling for this to take place (bored with winning ECF but not another championship) by blowing up the team we had instead of retooling it. Now there are voices raised to stay in a holding pattern of "also ran's" by signing 2nd and 3rd tier players, and looking for a steal in the draft, instead of going after the best available FA's and drafting according to filling our most pressing need. Dumars has been running this team based on emotion and has shown a lack of flexibility; the coaching hires have been the results of a mind fevered with the need to control. I for one have had enough and am making a call for a return to sanity.

This team has no leader!!! This team has no PG!!! If BK7's game transformed into one that matched any of the top PG's in the league, he's still not a leader; good kid and hard worker but, he's not a leader and has never been one in his entire career, on any level of competition. It's a waste of talent to try and transform him into something that he's not cut out to be, and that's been demonstrated with what Dumars did with/to Stuckey. BK7 is a combo guard, why not allow him to develop along those lines? The team has more to gain than to lose with him as their spark off the bench in the future. I can't understand the fans that want to draft 7' Cody Zeller (with a lottery pick) to come off the bench but, insist on starting 6' 3" Knight at any guard position, just so long as he starts! This team needs Trey Burke, like it or not, and Joe should be drafting plans to acquire him no matter what! He's a leader!!!

FA's...Mayo? No! Martin? No! Allen? If we can. Igoudala? Absolutely! We need veteran experience, defense, size, and attitude in the backcourt with a rookie PG more than a jump shot; Singler and Middleton are more than adequate outside shooters so let's stop talking about Korver coming here. Knight is about the best outside shooter that will be getting extended PT, and that, in my mind, answers the question about spreading the floor, absent a ball hog. Granger? No! Pierce? Hell no!! Al-Farouk? Maybe. Smith? Please name me a better SF/PF on both sides of the ball who's going to be available!! Some of us need to stop with that childish bias against this man and allow the knowledge of the game be guided by an open mind; the coaching element will have an impact on what Smith does in a Pistons uniform, and I believe he'll be a better player than we've seen thus far.

I'm all for lumping those two second round picks together in a package with Jerebko to move up into the first round; anyone disagree? Think of the bigs who may drop that the Pistons could use to strengthen their bench and would be cheaper than J.J.; big men that have a defined position and are not tweener's. I think I'll end my rant right here.

dX I enjoyed your rant. Good job. It appears that Detroit management will draft according to what they think is their biggest need this time around. Vincent Goodwill keeps leaking Piston news dictated by Joe Dumars to prepare us fans for the idea that when Burke is available for the 7th pick, Detroit will pass on him and take the Indiana shooting guard who cannot shoot the ball from the outside as well as some 9th graders. For the past 3 years, Dumars has done well in the draft by picking the best player available regardless of need. But now the strategy has changed even though Detroit still has no real solid basketball players. There are gifted players but they are very young. Why in hell would the Pistons pick a shooting guard who is a strong on the ball college defender but cannot shoot the ball from the outside? Will he be a good NBA defender? That is guess work on the part of management. We will have another Michael Curry situation on offense where the opposing team can play 5 on 4 with this draft prospect on the floor. With the Phoenix GM wanting Zeller real bad for the 4th pick, this drops Burke down to number 7 where Detroit could get him without having to give up a player like Jerebco. By the way, why not trade Stuckey instead of Jerebco if you want to move up in the draft. Stuckey has very little value around the league based on his play over the past two seasons. Stuckey is on his way out of the league. Jerebco can come off the bench and play power forward with a 2nd unit playing more up tempo. Jerebco has a bad season because of Frank. But the fact of the matter is that our leader, Joe Dumars is preparing Piston fans to suck it up when he passes on Burke for that 7th pick. We do need a leader and Burke is that guy. But Dumars doesn't believe in this leader idea. He didn't recognize that Billups was the glue guy for those Final 4 teams. He thought Iverson would do a better job. I would rather see Detroit trading the first round pick than drafting any of the guards or small forwards unless they draft Burke. I would draft Zeller if he were available because Zeller has the ability to become a very athletic big man in the NBA who can play well on both ends of the floor. I worry that Monroe will never grasp the concepts of team defense. He has never been able to do it at any level in the past and no team can play a guy like Monroe for a lot of minutes if they play defense like he has played for the past 3 seasons. I want D. Collison to be signed as a free agent to play point guard if Burke is not drafted by the Pistons. He will end up having a career much like Hinrich who has helped every team he has even played on become better even if he is not a super hero All Star.

[deusXango]

LaMarcus Aldridge ain't coming through the door, and Danny Granger may never be the same, so who're we looking at right now (this is where I find reality)? We've had a roster full of old vets, tweener positional players, 3rd tier tryouts, led by an out of control mediocre PG, and that only resulted in bottom feeding for the last 5 years (getting worse each year)! The damning finger of blame has gone from the coaches to the GM but, I remember quite clearly when fans on this site and others were calling for this to take place (bored with winning ECF but not another championship) by blowing up the team we had instead of retooling it. Now there are voices raised to stay in a holding pattern of "also ran's" by signing 2nd and 3rd tier players, and looking for a steal in the draft, instead of going after the best available FA's and drafting according to filling our most pressing need. Dumars has been running this team based on emotion and has shown a lack of flexibility; the coaching hires have been the results of a mind fevered with the need to control. I for one have had enough and am making a call for a return to sanity.

This team has no leader!!! This team has no PG!!! If BK7's game transformed into one that matched any of the top PG's in the league, he's still not a leader; good kid and hard worker but, he's not a leader and has never been one in his entire career, on any level of competition. It's a waste of talent to try and transform him into something that he's not cut out to be, and that's been demonstrated with what Dumars did with/to Stuckey. BK7 is a combo guard, why not allow him to develop along those lines? The team has more to gain than to lose with him as their spark off the bench in the future. I can't understand the fans that want to draft 7' Cody Zeller (with a lottery pick) to come off the bench but, insist on starting 6' 3" Knight at any guard position, just so long as he starts! This team needs Trey Burke, like it or not, and Joe should be drafting plans to acquire him no matter what! He's a leader!!!

FA's...Mayo? No! Martin? No! Allen? If we can. Igoudala? Absolutely! We need veteran experience, defense, size, and attitude in the backcourt with a rookie PG more than a jump shot; Singler and Middleton are more than adequate outside shooters so let's stop talking about Korver coming here. Knight is about the best outside shooter that will be getting extended PT, and that, in my mind, answers the question about spreading the floor, absent a ball hog. Granger? No! Pierce? Hell no!! Al-Farouk? Maybe. Smith? Please name me a better SF/PF on both sides of the ball who's going to be available!! Some of us need to stop with that childish bias against this man and allow the knowledge of the game be guided by an open mind; the coaching element will have an impact on what Smith does in a Pistons uniform, and I believe he'll be a better player than we've seen thus far.

I'm all for lumping those two second round picks together in a package with Jerebko to move up into the first round; anyone disagree? Think of the bigs who may drop that the Pistons could use to strengthen their bench and would be cheaper than J.J.; big men that have a defined position and are not tweener's. I think I'll end my rant right here.

[Oracle]

They're incredibly STUPID!!!

While the jury may be out on that question, the verdict, IMO, is clear! They're a bunch of dumb asses!

"Chicago — Going through the rigorous interview process for the NBA draft combine can be stressful enough without having a team play what can be perceived as mind games to boot.

That seems to be what the Pistons did with former Indiana guard Victor Oladipo during their interview, but Oladipo called the experience "one of the best interviews I've been on." The Pistons' front office sat in a room with Oladipo and the crew acted as if he wasn't there, speaking honestly and candidly about Oladipo's game, what they loved, liked and thought he needed to work on." - Victor Oladipo says he'd be good fit with Pistons

WTF??? Sounds like a standard Dumars interview where everybody is spaced out! Surely some drugs were involved, and with an interview like that, it has to be some powerful stuff!

Poor Oladipo! He couldn't tell the truth and say it was just plain WIERD and miss a chance that they might get offended and not draft him, but we know he's floored by the strangeness of their behavior.

I can only surmise that they have no interest in him and Joe decided to play a silly game with him instead of giving him the respect that his hard work deserved!

This kind of behavior is so far beneath a great organization that it pisses me off! Come on Joe, where's the guy that has a sportsmanship award named after him?

[Oracle]

@Stones - This is similar to the revolutionary use of social media by Obama in 2008, it changed everything!

For basketball, there is a ton of data out there and you can't goo looking at players from every conference at every level. In addition to normal scouting, you need to use software to help identify players flying under the radar.

I think the Pistons are moving on both fronts and getting smarter about how they go after and evaluate so many different players, but only time will tell!

[Go Stones!]

If a team (any professional team) really wanted to improve their team, they would start with scouting. I think it makes sense to have scouts sign on the dotted line who they would pick in the draft in order of skills and potential success and why (ranking various skills) and then keep them accountable. If they choose right, they advance in the scouting structure of the team. If they suck, they lose their job. It would take a few years to really prove the system, however, it makes sense...meaning you don't know who would win a draft outcome until 3-5 years afterwards.

There is coming a day that the smaller colleges are going to be producing some very good athletes who will make a splash in the NBA. It would be VERY cool to see that we get steals in every draft based on our scouting reports and NOT just stats, which depend on the players around them. You won't get as many rebounds if your team is scoring 60% of the shots. You won't be getting as many assists if your players aren't getting open. Anyone can score points and be selfish. We are promoting the wrong attitude when it comes to scoring. We are actually figuring out who is the most selfish player!

Also, scouting would come in handy if/when free-agents are being chosen. Character, team-first mentality, etc are very good. The prize consists of who can grab the free-agent who is seriously undervalued and pay him less than he deserves.


Sports medicine and training personnel are also very important. That is an area I'm glad the Pistons excel in.

Your thoughts?

[Oracle]

@Wise - Yes, the Pistons are considering him!

@DX - Yikes, you said a mouthful! Ok, on Burke, I'm wondering how many pairs of thick socks he had on, and was there some elevation in his shoes! I believe he's 6'0, but 6'1? Hummmm!

IMO, it doesn't make a difference with his talent and leadership level, which is what made me forget my bias against 6' guards. However, it is a psychological issue for those making decisions, so he really needed that measurement!

IMO, JJ stays unless he's used as filler in a trade, but I think English is done! No, I don't think Sloan turned the Bucks down to come here, he just knows that their job is crap!

@lemonpen - Well, there are two minds about that! I think everybody knows that we need some floor spreaders, but how much do you need is a question. As Mayo stated in his excellent Q/A section, if we go after and get Tony Allen then focus on defense, we could go back to winning ugly in low scoring games!

That's what the Grizzlies do, but I think people underestimate the fact that they can shoot well too! IMO, we need at least two good shooters that can deliver from midrange out to 3 point land!

@Don - I thought that was interesting,

"An interesting fact regarding Zeller is that he tested out with the highest vertical standing jump at 35.5. That is amazing for a guy his size. I believe that Zeller will be a special player within 3 seasons." - Don

He'll need that ability since his wing span is only normal, but he's impressive because Hardaway Jr. only did 37.5, and that was in a running jump!

The bottom line is that the Pistons want a guard, but they won't pass on a good big man at their slot, so Zeller has a shot!

BTW, I agree that they would NOT match a play for Collision, but he's also another 6'0 guard, giving us a tiny backcourt! However, if he was coming off the bench, that would make more sense!

[cool breeze]

Would Dallas match an offer? I doubt it. How much would he cost ? Anyone know? He would be a much better fit for the Pistons than Calderon. We need a hard nosed tough minded player and D. Collision fits that mold. We would have Knight and Collison playing point guard with Knight capable of moving to the 2 guard in certain situations when the team needs to play small. Don't forget that Knight has become a really good defender this past season when playing against opposing point guards. We would have two players who are strong on the defensive end moving forward. Collision would make our big men so much better than a Calderon type of player. He can get into the lane.

[cool breeze]

How the hell did Andre Drummond come in 4th in the ROY voting but, failed to make the All-Rookie 1st Team? Since David Stern is so "gung-ho" on fixing sh!t, shouldn't he be making a public explanation as to how/why that happened? There's got to be Drummond fans outside of Detroit.

Trey Burke is projected to go as high as in the top 3, by many knowledgeable sources, to every team that's in need of a PG but Detroit; why? Along with his skills, high b-ball I.Q., drive to succeed, and leadership abilities, coupled with 6' 1" height and a 6' 5" wingspan, you have the makings of a very "special" player; WTF are we waiting on for Knight to get it when "special" is at the door? Knight is the best combo guard on the team and combo's come off the bench, on a contending team! Dumars likes big guards? He tried that "mine is bigger than yours" with Rodney Stuckey and it was an absolute failure!!

Joe signed Ben Gordon and Charlie Villanueva as FA's; that was yesterdays failure. IMHO Josh Smith and Andre Iguodala is the hope for tomorrow. Joe has the financial ability to sign both those FA's (who far out-class Gordon and CV) and that would be a job saving move. I personally don't know how a slew of 2nd and 3rd tier players can equal what those two would mean to the Pistons; that "we want more, and more" is good for a kiddie commercial but, it doesn't make sense in the real world. Drummond, Smith, and Iggy could be the beginning of the return to the defensive style of basketball play that Detroit has always hung it's hat on.

Drummond is to be off to Texas to learn some interior moves from Olajuwon, and Monroe is working with Arnie Kander on his lower defensive stance; should Monroe put in the work on developing a highly reliable mid-range game and Rick Mahorn puts some defensive ideas in his head, we could be looking at a stunningly improved frontline duo for 2013-14. I really don't see how the addition of Josh Smith could hurt the frontline anymore than I see Iggy hurting the backcourt; these are two NBA proven commodities (that "he ain't been an All-Star" argument is a bunch of crap!) and Joe shouldn't pass on them.

With a great possibility that Knight, Middleton, Singler, and Kravtsov (if the team retains him) filling out a night-to-night rotation and Stuckey and CV being key insurance role players, it may be time to say "good bye" to Jerebko and English. Sentiment doesn't win games and as likeable as they are, they just don't seem to fit. At least Stuckey and Villanueva represent CAP flexibility ($17 million) going into the 2014-15 season when Monroe's contract is up for re-signing. Calderon, Maxiell, Maggette, or Bynum shouldn't be re-signed for any reason! Their day is done.

Does anyone other than me think that Jerry Sloan turned down the Bucks offer for coaching because he may want a shot at returning to the game through Detroit? I mean, look at the possibilities I've just mentioned through the eyes of a proven winning coach who believes in playing from an established system. Sloan is old, true, but next to the candidates who's names have been thrown around, I'd take him in a heartbeat. From untried assistants to mediocre excuse makers on the bench, experience at winning should trump them all.

There are so many questions that I have and things I don't understand, I wish someone would offer me a logical explanation; the emphasis on logical.

Good post dX. God I would love it if Sloan would be named head coach for Detroit. No more nonsense! Too bad this Piston owner is such a sucker. He will make yet another blunder this time around it seems.

[cool breeze]

I see on many draft boards Crabbe is listed to go in the 2nd round. That is crazy! I have watched this guy create his own shot and make his shot time after time over the past two seasons. I believe he lead the PAC12 in scoring this season but will have to check to make sure. What I saw when watching him in person is the fact that he stood out from other players with his speed and agility and ability to make all kinds of shots. In this Chicago combine Crabbe was 3rd in the lane agility test which I believe is the most important for shooting guards. For instance, Crabbe was clocked at 10.67 seconds while McLemore was 9th at 11.87. How do you get yourself open or create your own shot in the NBA? You need incredible agility and quickness and Crabbe has it and has demonstrated this gift many times this past season in big games. He played at California so few people in the East coast stacked media gives this guy the credit he deserves. I can't imagine that Crabbe will not be drafted until the early second round with so many prospects listed ahead of him having so many flaws. By the way, Crabbe is not a bad defender either. The Pistons need a shot maker or someone who can spread the floor. This is the guy who I believe will make a rotation next season and have an immediate impact. McLemore has a great standing vertical jump score but big deal it means next to nothing. I say this guy is not going to be a special player in the NBA. Over the 10 or so games that I have watched him play, I am not seeing why he is rated so high.

An interesting fact regarding Zeller is that he tested out with the highest vertical standing jump at 35.5. That is amazing for a guy his size. I believe that Zeller will be a special player within 3 seasons. Looks like Phoenix might get him. By the way, how about the new GM for the Suns? Ryan McDonough is only 33 years old and landed that job. He is a really smart man who will do a great job for Phoenix which is a team that has no identity because of the blunders by the owner over the past two seasons.

[lemonpen]

Of all the picks and pick ups where are the floor spreaders.
We began last season with the same deficiency.
Gotta find a jump shooter. The J is the most common scoring tool. We don't have one in our belt.

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