Losing the pick was a HUGE mental blow!

[lemonpen]

It's not the end of the world, but mentally, it was a direct asteroid the size of the moon hit in the gut!
Yeah, but a long period on the throne helped get over it.

Like Wise said, it hurts even more since Joe decided to pass on not one, but two sure fire star players in Burke & MCW in the last draft! I'm not saying that KCP is trash, but we needed a world class PG a lot more!

But on we go!

DX is right, no Stuckey, no way! A change in culture demands that we rid ourselves of Stuckey, and the good thing about Stuckey... we don't have to do a damn thing to peel that scab off, just let him walk!
Hell Yeah  !!!

Which means that we have a good chunk of change to go after FA's, and we've also got some decent trade bait!

Potential players on the block: Jennings, Josh, JJ, Bynum, and Monroe under the right circumstances!
Loosing WillieB in addition to Stuckey would leave Stan with no explosive (sic) scorer off the bench.  Don't be surprised if WB is safe.


Look, I could roll with either Josh or Monroe, but would prefer Monroe, but if it isn't in the cards and he want out, let's make it happen!
They're evenly ill equipped to lead the parade but only one of them possessess a game that is still growing.  

The bottom line is that we have assets and cash to do something special, and seriously, I do mean special! If SVG can get us 2-4 new players that fit, this is a real ECF contender after a season of hard work getting culture and defense together!

So while we lost the pick, we're not toast by any measure... time to get busy!!!
It sure would be nice to see one of last seasons kids take a mammoth step this summer.

[cool breeze]

Draft Express has Detroit taking Spencer in the 2nd round. WOW! I am not kidding this guy can ball. Did any of you ever see Spencer Dinwiddie play ball at Colorado. He was set to become the MVP of the PAC12 this last season but suffered a season ending knee injury. I have heard that he has really come around with his rehab. Dinwiddie has really good size, great quickness, has good range with his jump shot but best of all he is an outstanding defender. Spencer is known for making key shots under pressure. He has  a really high basketball IQ. I would draft this guy for sure if his knee is OK. If Dinwittee had played this college season he would be right up at least in the middle of the first round. If we get this guy, we have a real point guard again. 

Now how can Detroit secure one more 2nd round pick?

I'm sorry, but I just can't get exciting about a 2nd round pick.  I know Joe drafted some very good 2nd rounders over the years...Amir, Singler, JJ, Mitchell, Siva, etc.  

But after losing our lottery pick, our 2nd round pick is going to be like kissing your sister.    

Yes Murph we have been betrayed by the owners an Joe Dumars. That should make all of us stop watching the Pistons for years to come. Nobody should be loyal to this owner group for what they have done. But if we do tune in next season or the fans do decide to visit the Palace, it would be good to see players who have the potential to become real NBA players. There are some really good basketball players who might become outstanding NBA players. Spencer Dinwiddie or Nick Johonson ( nephew of Dennis Johnson with the same temperament) might be one of those guys. Dinwiddie would be a top 5 pick in last year's draft. Wilcox is another talent who is better right now than any of our 2 guards. All 3 of the players that I have mentioned are lock down defenders and smart basketball players unlike our current guards. So I will be excited if Van Gundy drafts any of those 3 players. Dinwiddie is my first choice because he is a very athletic point guard who has both an inside and outside offensive game. He is also a great passer and clutch performer. I watched him do amazing things on the court in person before his knee injury. That is my only reservation on Spencer. Nick Johnson is a winner who is extremely athletic and was PAC12 MVP in a year where there were some really good players in the league. He can play point guard better than any of our current point guards. He notices mis matches and sets up teammates really well. He is a good driver under control and can shoot it from long range in critical situations. But best of all, Nick Johnson always guarded the best player on the opposing team. It didn't matter if the players was a point guard, shooting guard or small forward. He also played 3 offensive positions. His size disadvantage didn't matter when he played small forward. Johnson is one tough in your face player. The problem with Johnson and Dinwiddie is that they might be drafted before Detroit's pick. I hope not.

[cool breeze]

From freep:  "Lowe also reported that former Pistons president of basketball operations Joe Dumars could be in play in New Orleans if the Pelicans decide to part ways with general manager Dell Demps."

I hope he gets it because given his recent track record, he'd be the only GM that trading Anthony Davis and Ryan Anderson, plus a first round draft pick (Anderson's back) for Josh Smith and Greg Monroe would make sense to...I wish Joe the best of luck!

That is funny dX. Joe needs to do something because it is doubtful anyone will listen to him at the Palace. After all he is still employed as an advisor. 

Losing this first round pick brings us one important thing moving forward. Joe Dumars will not be making any future decisions. And the owners should be so humiliated now they everyone knows that they were behind the trade involving Ben Gordon and our lost pick that they will stay out of Pistons operations and just continue to party in LA. Let Stan Van Gundy build his team. He will need a lot of time to do that so he should be thinking about acquiring young athletic high spirited players who want to win and like playing team orientated basketball. That leaves out many of our current players. 

I am against signing older free agents to just try to make the playoffs. Stan needs to build a real team of smart players. There is nobody on this team to build a team around right now. Please don't tell me Drummond is a guy you would want to build a team around. He potentially could be a solid piece but we need a great point guard to get things moving in the right direction.

[deusXango]

From freep:  "Lowe also reported that former Pistons president of basketball operations Joe Dumars could be in play in New Orleans if the Pelicans decide to part ways with general manager Dell Demps."

I hope he gets it because given his recent track record, he'd be the only GM that trading Anthony Davis and Ryan Anderson, plus a first round draft pick (Anderson's back) for Josh Smith and Greg Monroe would make sense to...I wish Joe the best of luck!

[Murph]

Draft Express has Detroit taking Spencer in the 2nd round. WOW! I am not kidding this guy can ball. Did any of you ever see Spencer Dinwiddie play ball at Colorado. He was set to become the MVP of the PAC12 this last season but suffered a season ending knee injury. I have heard that he has really come around with his rehab. Dinwiddie has really good size, great quickness, has good range with his jump shot but best of all he is an outstanding defender. Spencer is known for making key shots under pressure. He has  a really high basketball IQ. I would draft this guy for sure if his knee is OK. If Dinwittee had played this college season he would be right up at least in the middle of the first round. If we get this guy, we have a real point guard again. 

Now how can Detroit secure one more 2nd round pick?

I'm sorry, but I just can't get exciting about a 2nd round pick. I know Joe drafted some very good 2nd rounders over the years...Amir, Singler, JJ, Mitchell, Siva, etc.

But after losing our lottery pick, our 2nd round pick is going to be like kissing your sister.   

[Sparma]

From freep: "Lowe also reported that former Pistons president of basketball operations Joe Dumars could be in play in New Orleans if the Pelicans decide to part ways with general manager Dell Demps."

[Oracle]

It's not the end of the world, but mentally, it was a direct asteroid the size of the moon hit in the gut!

Like Wise said, it hurts even more since Joe decided to pass on not one, but two sure fire star players in Burke & MCW in the last draft! I'm not saying that KCP is trash, but we needed a world class PG a lot more!

But on we go!

DX is right, no Stuckey, no way! A change in culture demands that we rid ourselves of Stuckey, and the good thing about Stuckey... we don't have to do a damn thing to peel that scab off, just let him walk!

Which means that we have a good chunk of change to go after FA's, and we've also got some decent trade bait!

Potential players on the block: Jennings, Josh, JJ, Bynum, and Monroe under the right circumstances!

Look, I could roll with either Josh or Monroe, but would prefer Monroe, but if it isn't in the cards and he want out, let's make it happen!

The bottom line is that we have assets and cash to do something special, and seriously, I do mean special! If SVG can get us 2-4 new players that fit, this is a real ECF contender after a season of hard work getting culture and defense together!

So while we lost the pick, we're not toast by any measure... time to get busy!!!

[deusXango]

I know that SVG has gone on record stating that he won't be making any changes to the roster before training camp, but since it's come to light that Sacramento is interested in trading their lottery pick for an experienced veteran, I wouldn't hold it against him if he joined the fray. Our circumstances are severe. Start the talks with Brandon Jennings and see where that goes; they may favor him over Isaiah Thomas, and a native son returns home.

I'd stay away from the Doug McDermott idea because he's only a couple of years younger than Gigi Datome and their games are supposed to the same...Datome contract is less than what McDermott's rookie contract would be calling for, and we've yet to see what we have in the Italian League MVP.

I don't care what people say about his attitude, Lance Stevenson can flat out ball and would make a hell of an addition to the Pistons. With the money already invested in Smith (who fans seem to hate more than any player who's worn a Pistons uniform for some reason) an investment in Stevenson makes more sense than Monroe (who'd be a duplication of center, and Drummond should be the max paid center); the object is to surround Drummond with the best fitting players and Smith, KCP, Stevenson, and possibly Datome could very well be a better fitting starting unit than the one we ended the season with...I know that SVG is a superior coach over Loyer and his predecessor, Mo Cheeks! Plus the "play the right way, or sit your ass down" mantra will show us a different team.

Stan's the man with a plan, and I'm interested in what he does with the home team...I'm not going to abandon the Pistons for any reason. I survived those cold, dreary nights going to Cobo Hall, Tom Wilson's "I ain't got a clue" run, and the lazy, excuse making, madness of Joe Dumars tenure, I can hold on until SVG gets it together.

[Sparma]

Correction: LA had Pau Gasol, who had been drafted #3 by Memphis.

Don: Yes, that was a depressing night for sure. I'm not really advocating resigning Stuckey (unless it's a real good deal), just saying it would be interesting watching him play defense for SVG. I think Gores pretty much blew his chance to make a big difference with his money by amnestying Gordon, unless he's willing to go over the salary cap at some point, which seems unlikely. I don't think buy outs help much financially, although they could help on the basketball court. Doesn't the original salary count 100% against the cap, unless and until another team signs the player? Even then, I'm not sure how it works. Rip didn't leave much money on the table with Detroit, even though he had every incentive to leave, with the expectation of being picked up by another team.

Sadly, a #9 pick ordinarily saves you millions over the course of the contract (as pointed out at PP) in that you're getting a level of productivity from a first contract player that costs much more coming from a veteran player. Even at the level of saving Gores money (for a year) the trade can't be justified, as PP shows. And it was a disaster for our basketball fortunes.

So Gores pretty much blew it without the possibility of a redo. Maybe we can look at the big financial commitment to Stan as an attempt to put his money to good use for the team, even though that generosity doesn't get us our treasured pick back. Gores also has the option of spending freely on support staff for Stan. I was surprised to hear Stan mentioning maybe having 30 people working with/ for him. Building a top flight organization would be some recompense by Gores; player-wise, he's blown his opportunity unless he shocks me by going over the salary cap at some point.

[cool breeze]

Draft Express has Detroit taking Spencer in the 2nd round. WOW! I am not kidding this guy can ball. Did any of you ever see Spencer Dinwiddie play ball at Colorado. He was set to become the MVP of the PAC12 this last season but suffered a season ending knee injury. I have heard that he has really come around with his rehab. Dinwiddie has really good size, great quickness, has good range with his jump shot but best of all he is an outstanding defender. Spencer is known for making key shots under pressure. He has  a really high basketball IQ. I would draft this guy for sure if his knee is OK. If Dinwittee had played this college season he would be right up at least in the middle of the first round. If we get this guy, we have a real point guard again. 

Now how can Detroit secure one more 2nd round pick?

[cool breeze]

Don, I agree that Stan has an extraordinarily difficult task ahead of him.

The Gordon trade is a disaster (contra Stan. who says it's disappointing but not disastrous). I've been as vocal as anyone against it from the beginning.

Causes for massive concern:

1) Ownership showed poor judgment, impatience, and cheapness.   The combination makes for a terrible omen of things to come.

2) We could well be missing out on a perennial All-Star in Marcus Smart, an upgrade on Stuckey who will not only score but defend.  It might have been our best opportunity to add serious talent to the roster.  Going in a different direction, we could have chosen an outstanding shooter like Stauskas or McDermott.  What a wasted opportunity to work on balancing the roster!

After last's night's fiasco, what optimism I left is bounded by those two sickening realities.  But is some cause for optismism: the defense will be upgraded, for instance.  

You appear to contest this by pointing out that neither Jennings nor Bynum will become good defenders.  I'm sure you're right about those two, but I stubbornly cling to hope.  

As you know, though, there are multiple components to good defense:

1) Physical/ athletic attributes.  There's no way the weaker and thinner Jennings can match up against Deron Williams, for instance.  I'm agreement with what I take to be your point so far.

2) Effort.  That's going up under SVG.  As anti-Stuckey as I've been, I'd be curious to see how he'd respond on D to Stan, because he has the physical attributes to be good there.

3) Positioning.  Stan will be make this a major point of emphasis and will get some results, in part because of the increased effort.  A lot of times it will be enough for Jennings to get in front of Williams.

4) Communication.  My impression is that's been a disaster.  It will get better under Stan, because he'll insist on it, with minutes to back his request.  Drummond -- lousy with positioning -- will be a major beneficiary.

5) Proper deployment.  There's no magic to be done here, but Smith can be good on D against PFs and Monroe can be okay against centers.   Stan will do a much better job of putting them in positions to succeed (mainly by cutting way back on the big 3 being on the floor at the same time).

6) Coaching.  Stan knows that D and smarter shooting are the two places where he can make good progress even with roughly the same roster.  

7) Team defense.  Physical attributes place limits on how well you defend individually in the NBA -- I saw Calderon as a willing defender, but as too weak and slow to keep up.  But even if the physical attributes remain roughly on par, improvement in all of the other contributing factors to defense will add up to much better team defense.  

Last night seriously affected the team's chances of becoming a contender; they still can and will improve though, not necessarily immediately, but already during the course of next season and into the next.

Sparma there is no doubt that the least we can expect from Stan Van Gundy is that he will make smart decisions from this point forward. How many drafts like this one come along? But I do believe that there will be some outstanding college players entering the draft next year as well.  It is most likely Detroit will need to improve through the draft. Perhaps Stan will prefer to tank this coming season knowing he cannot field a team that could beat any playoff team. He could make things exciting for us fans even if the team loses enough to secure a really high pick next year. For instance, Stan could sign players like Jimmer Fredette, Darren Collision. I think that Fredette is a high character player who at one time could shoot the lights out better than any college player that I have ever seen in person. Fredette was a bed fit for his current team but under Van Gundy might become a solid ball handler who could improve on the defensive end. I expect that Stan is combing the list of under the radar young athletic players. He will need to bring in his players not this group of misfits. 

I personally do not believe that Stuckey is a good choice to sign with Detroit. If our Pistons had more talent and had a reasonable chance of being a good team next season then Stuckey would be a nice option. And Stuckey most likely would like to find a new home. He has been on rebuilding teams for a long time and for sure this current team has no chance of success no matter how hard a coach might work. But why not blow the team up and take a chance on some young players who fit his profile and have a higher long term chance of success than the current players especially the guards. Make some trades to obtain another 2nd round pick in this draft. That would be really smart because I see a lot of names in the 2nd round of this draft that can play better than our guards right now. 

Finally, Mr. Gores is guilty of placing greed over the welfare of the team. Now he should step up to the plate and try to make things as right as he can. Detroit cannot recover from losing this 8th pick for sure. But Gores could bite the bullet and eat some contracts involving bad players so Van Gundy has a chance to field a team of players that he has the potential to improve. He already knows that 75 to 80% of the current players under contract cannot play average NBA defense. He also knows from watching game film that most of the players did not prepare themselves mentally for games during the regular season especially during the months of December, January and Feb. What if Van Gundy can make some deals that will get some of our players out of town by agreeing to pay part of the remaining contracts. Stan gets players he likes or draft picks. 

After all as you said there is still always some hope but this Ben Gordon trade hits me hard and as much as when Dumars gave away Affalo.  I doubt that Stan Van Gundy will wait long once training camp begins to make some moves. The greatest news is that we now have a smart person making Piston decisions.

[Sparma]

I love Nate Silver, but that fact he cites is pretty misleading. It's true that no team that's picked first since 1998 has gone on to win the title. It's also true that the team that picked Duncan #1 a year earlier has won four titles (and counting?) since. It's also true that the guy picked #1 in 2003 has won 2 titles (and counting?) since, albeit not with the team that picked him. Going back to 1966 I see numerous guys picked #1 who starred on championship teams, whether on the team that picked them or otherwise: Elvin Hayes, Lew Alcindor/ Jabbar, Bill Walton, Magic Johnson, James Worthy, Akeem Olajuwan, David Robinson, and Shaquille O'Neal. In addition, there have been solid contributors to a picking team that became champ (Cazzie Russell) or a non-picking team (Mark Aguirre). So, yes, Nate's right. But it's also an incomplete story.

I wonder how many teams have won a championship in the past fifty year without at least one top 3 pick (whether their own or acquired) starring. Kobe's later Laker champions (post-Shaq) come to mind and the last Celtic champ. But I'm thinking they would be the exception. For instance, the great Celtics teams of the 80s had third pick McHale (as well as #1 Walton in a cameo), the Lakers had three #1s (??!), we had a #2 starring, the Bulls had a #3 starring. There appears to be a pretty serious positive correlation.

[Oracle]

Nate Silver        ✔ @NateSilver538
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You'd rather win the NBA lottery than not. But since 1998, no team with the #1 overall pick has since won a title. http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/how-much-is-winning-the-nba-draft-lottery-really-worth/ …
3:39 PM - 20 May 2014
How Much Is Winning the (NBA Draft) Lottery Really Worth?
The rags-to-riches tale is a cultural archetype, but so is its reverse: the reminder to be careful what you wish for. Social science journals are full of cases of sweepstakes winners who wound up n...
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[Sparma]

Don, I agree that Stan has an extraordinarily difficult task ahead of him.

The Gordon trade is a disaster (contra Stan. who says it's disappointing but not disastrous). I've been as vocal as anyone against it from the beginning.

Causes for massive concern:

1) Ownership showed poor judgment, impatience, and cheapness.   The combination makes for a terrible omen of things to come.

2) We could well be missing out on a perennial All-Star in Marcus Smart, an upgrade on Stuckey who will not only score but defend. It might have been our best opportunity to add serious talent to the roster.  Going in a different direction, we could have chosen an outstanding shooter like Stauskas or McDermott.  What a wasted opportunity to work on balancing the roster!

After last's night's fiasco, what optimism I left is bounded by those two sickening realities. But is some cause for optismism: the defense will be upgraded, for instance.

You appear to contest this by pointing out that neither Jennings nor Bynum will become good defenders. I'm sure you're right about those two, but I stubbornly cling to hope.

As you know, though, there are multiple components to good defense:

1) Physical/ athletic attributes.  There's no way the weaker and thinner Jennings can match up against Deron Williams, for instance. I'm agreement with what I take to be your point so far.

2) Effort.  That's going up under SVG.  As anti-Stuckey as I've been, I'd be curious to see how he'd respond on D to Stan, because he has the physical attributes to be good there.

3) Positioning.  Stan will be make this a major point of emphasis and will get some results, in part because of the increased effort. A lot of times it will be enough for Jennings to get in front of Williams.

4) Communication.  My impression is that's been a disaster. It will get better under Stan, because he'll insist on it, with minutes to back his request.  Drummond -- lousy with positioning -- will be a major beneficiary.

5) Proper deployment.  There's no magic to be done here, but Smith can be good on D against PFs and Monroe can be okay against centers.   Stan will do a much better job of putting them in positions to succeed (mainly by cutting way back on the big 3 being on the floor at the same time).

6) Coaching.  Stan knows that D and smarter shooting are the two places where he can make good progress even with roughly the same roster.

7) Team defense.  Physical attributes place limits on how well you defend individually in the NBA -- I saw Calderon as a willing defender, but as too weak and slow to keep up. But even if the physical attributes remain roughly on par, improvement in all of the other contributing factors to defense will add up to much better team defense.

Last night seriously affected the team's chances of becoming a contender; they still can and will improve though, not necessarily immediately, but already during the course of next season and into the next.

[WTF]

Man what a story it would be if LBJ went home and turned the Cavs around. If the Spurs prevail this year and win it all I don't think LBJ wins again in Miami unless Miami revamp the Big Three to include upgrades from Wade and Bosh. Nice young talent in Cleveland, a 1st pick in the draft who knows what could happen there.

Okay as I said I don't see the end of the world with the Pistons losing pick this years draft pick. Again I'm optimistic that SVG will get the best out of the current players and yes that includes both Monroe and Jennings whom I've spent all of last season trying to trade. I think SVG can convince Josh to take better shots if he decides to role with starting all three. I think he can get Jennings head in the game and if not elevate Siva's game to take his role. In this case I would offer exactly what Josh is being paid no more no less.

Now that we have lost that pick what free agent should we target? IMO we should go hard at Deng at this point and hope a shooter falls somewhere in the 2nd round. Keep it simple SVG because if you manage the roster correctly and motivate them they can be better than .500 next season. Good Luck!

Tigers: Sitting in 1st 3rd or 4th best record in all of MLB so Go Tigers if we can get the Lions and Pistons as consistent as the Wings and Tigers then the City of Detroit would really special. Must be something about ownership, I think Ford Jr. will be okay, Gores still have huge ??????????'s even though SVG seem to be a good hire.

Lions: I'm ready for the season to start now I'm so pumped. I'm predicting a playoff team one that might advance this is probably the best coaching staff we seen in these parts ever. As much money as these players make the NFL should extend the number of games from 16 to 18 but I don't think they should expand the wild card teams or playoffs. They should also stop tweaking with the rules games is to soft as it is.

HBO please reconsider your Hard Knock Series on the Rams, I know you guys are ready to jump on the Michelle Sam bandwagon but this sh!t has gotten old already. This conversation on gay is going to backfire and any progress they thought they've made will be lost. Stop pushing the Gay Agenda down Straight People throat. If they want to be married okay. if they want to have spousal rights okay, if they want to adopt fine, but straight people don't want to see certain sh!t. Damn Stop It!   

Sterling without saying I'm sick of his sh!t story and at this point I just want to see him gone period.

Godzilla: Hated It!   
Spider Man: Hated It!   

On my way to see Neighbors   

[Murph]

You know who's becoming quite an owner and GM?...Michael Jordan.  He's made some saavy trades, FA signings and draft picks since he bought the Hornets in Feb of 2010.  

He has single handedly turned that franchise around from perennial losers into a young, exciting playoff team.  Before Jordan bought that team, they had never made the playoffs or even had a winning record in their 25 year history.  Since MJ bought them, they've made the playoffs twice, and will continue to make the playoffs for years to come.

They have two 1st round picks in this year's draft (including ours), which is projected to be the best draft in a decade, and the Hornets are projected to take Aaron Gordon and Adreian Payne, to very physical, very athletic big men who will add defense, athleticism and toughness to that team.

They will be led by a smart, tough-as-nails PG who knows how to win, and will do anything it takes to win.  They have rebounding, defense, low post scoring, high IQ players and a whole stable of exciting young players...Walker, Kidd-Gilchrist, Zeller, Biyombo, Taylor and now probably Aaron Gordon.

Too bad MJ didn't buy the Pistons in 2010, and make himself GM here.

And I hate Michael Jordan.

[Phil-Good]

I already know it was A 50/50 shot that the Pistons were going to keep this pick. The NBA Draft is A crap shoot.

More then anything, I hope Gores learn from this. definition for expectations: a belief that something will happen or is likely to happen. Reminder this Gores and don't ever forget it. The NBA is about results not expectations. See results first then build everything off the facts not where you think your team should be. Gores put expectations before results and expected great results. That's what fans do not NBA bosses.

The NBA is not A real estate venture or A Investment company where that way of thinking works. You can't walk into the building and Boss up! "We better make the playoffs." Gores shot his own self in the head with that front page comment.

If you not trying to play Rich Boy Ball like NY, LA, and Brooklyn where you can charge 300$$ for A bad seat, in A losing season, then shut the f.u.c.k. up! FOR REAL!!

So learn from losing your lottery pick today. There is not no quick fix. This going to take time. This is not about where you think the Pistons should be, this is about where the Pistons really are. Get out of Van Gundy way. Stay out of the news papers.

[merc]

More empty seats... even Langlois is having a hard time spinning this one.
"Ladies and gentlemen come join your new Pistons that look a lot like the old ones but now with a shiny new 2nd rounder and the 20th best F.A. (in a weak pool).... lots of good seats available... you can get a SVG bobblehead and a beer and a crying towel and free parking and Drummond piggyback ride for $5.... exciting times at the Palace of Auburn Hills".

[cool breeze]

Sparma and Oracle it is good that you are both trying to be positive about our bad luck  but the fact remains that it will be very difficult to peddle the players we need to get rid of to become a team that Stan Van Gundy can coach. Fans forget that the NBA is a PLAYERS LEAGUE. We have the worst players as a group. There were no injuries to a star player for Detroit this past year. We just had inept players who will never be able to play defense good enough to make any impact. Sorry but I cannot believe in the impossible that somehow Bynum and Jennings will become real NBA players who can defend. Just who could they match up with in tonight's game? Did you hear that Mr Gores. Our owner fired the head coach because he thought Bynum got bad treatment from the head coach. This franchise is a joke. And I don't recall that our Pistons looked good early in the season last year. Once any opposing team played Detroit one time, our goose was cooked. 

The biggest thing that should be on Stan Van Gundy's mind right now knowing that he is not going to get a high level athlete in the first round is how in hell can he get rid of the bulk of our current roster? Our two young big men could not play in tonight's game and not hurt either Miami or Indiana. None of our guards would make either team. Once we had a young Zeke. We all knew that he would become a great player or as good as most of the players in his day. But I can't say that the Pistons have one player on the current roster who will one day be a outstanding player. Drummond is receiving too much hype. He hasn't earned it. Drummond is way behind the curve when it comes to knowing how to play in critical situations. He has potential but you never know how big men will turn out. As I watch the playoffs, it becomes more and more clear to me that Detroit has a laughable group of loser players under contract. I believe that almost anyone could have done a better job in building a team. 

Where will Mr. Gores hide when he visits the State of Michigan? He sold the team down the river by approving of the Ben Gordon trade. I do not believe there was one Piston fan on this forum who wasn't in shock when they heard about the trade. Anyone with half a brain would be upset at the time. Why not charlie V instead of Ben Gordon in the first place? We needed outside shooting. But to give away our number one pick to make the trade shows how the owner really feels about Piston fans. The owner cannot get off the hook on this one. He can't pin this all on Joe Dumars. By the way, Mr. Gores should have known that Joe Dumars could not have been in his right mind for the last 5 years he was President. Sure Joe Dumars might do anything to please Michael Jordan but the owner wanted that trade for financial reasons. Joe was proud of being a GM who was tight with the payroll but the owners are mega rich and they should have done the right thing and ignored Dumars and shut down that trade idea. 

We fans need to chill now and start looking to watch another NBA team next year until this mess is sorted out. I cannot take another season like this last season. We have the players I do not like to watch and there is little anyone can do to remove them from the team. I hope Van Gundy dips down into the D League early on next fall. That will get my attention. If not the team will look the same even under Van Gundy because too many of our players have a low basketball IQ and play with low energy.

[Oracle]

CHOKE!!!

[Oracle]

Yes, Gores has the greater blame, but I guarantee you that Joe had to go along without too much complaint!

However, Sparma is correct, we'll be fine.

This team played like a playoff team early in the year, but lost that focus as time went on and the coach became weaker!

They started to get it back a bit then Cheeks got canned!

With SVG, they won't be able to have that let down, so I expect to see great effort next year!

[Sparma]

Good post, Don. Might Gores learn anything from being punished so severely for his cheapness? I'm expecting no apologies, either from Gores or Dumars. Hope I'm around to read Dumars' autobio, especially the chapter(s) on the crummy years because there's so much I don't understand about them.

I think you'll find next year's team more to your liking, Cool: scrappier and smarter. SVG being Prez & Coach will cut back on the worst offenses: unconscionable shot selection and lazy D. SVG doesn't have a magic wand, but we'll see movement in the right direction.

[cool breeze]

The trade involving Ben Gordon that included this number one pick in a great draft year, was the result of greed by a man who has so much money he can't count it all. This financial decision not to amnesty Ben Gordon by this ownership has ruined all the good will that was created by the recent hiring of Stan Van Gundy. We fans are screwed because of the owner's greed to dump a big contract. It was so lame to make that deal to include the number one pick in the first place but now we fans will suffer. And not that it matters to our rich owner, but season tickets will not be high on anyone's list. We have a team with many weak players who don't belong in the league. Other teams will benefit from a strong draft. We have nothing to hope for Piston fans. Thank you again, Mr. Gores. How will you spend that money you saved by trading Ben Gordon???

[Oracle]

[merc]

A makeup for losing LeBron?

Also Silver has ties to the Charlotte area.

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