Re: FORUM

[cool breeze]

We already have two high basketball IQ white players....Kyle Singler and Josh Harrellson.  And another white player who's supposed to be able to shoot...Luigi Datome.  In fact, they can all shoot fairly well.

How many of these guys do we need?

Murph, can't have too much color on a team, now can we? Seriously though bro', two high I.Q. players on a 15 man roster is not enough to make a difference in a rotation...I'm saying we need enough to replace the Stuckey's, Bynum's, and Jennings...players who have dominated our rotations for too long. I believe dummies lose games...look at our recent forth quarter collapses. Were they the result of smart or skilled basketball?

I've been screaming Stauskas and McDermott largely in part because of their high basketball IQ.  I've watch Stauskas his entire time at Michigan and he doesn't make many mistakes and poor decision with the basketball.  He understood his own as well as his teammates limitation and never put them or him in situations for them to be taken advantage of.  There was a reason that Michigan team was an Elite Eight team, Stauskas carried the team much in the way Burke did for 2 season at Michigan and he has that same heart and passion, had McGeary not went down this team might have played for another championship.  

The same things can be said about McDermott I don't think he's as nearly talented as Stauskas but he's just as smart and he carried his team largely on his smart play.  I would love having them on a the roster starting next to Josh and Andre and considering that more times than not Michigan put the ball in Stauskas hands so he could very well play the point because he thinks like a point.  He has better handles than any guard on our rosters, he's quicker than many think and more athletic than many think. This kid throws down thunder dunks on a regular in games, drop no look passes.  He either learned a sh!t load from Burke or was simply held back.  

McDermott doesn't take many bad shots and you can't cheat on him and he finds the open man as well as Stauskas.  I would love to have these guys.  Singler needs to spend his time shooting like Stauskas in the off season.

I love Harrellson and think this was the best pick up last summer.  Harrellson proved he will hustle do the dirty work, defend and can't hit that 3 if giving the opportunity. He reminds me of a quicker version on Laimbeer and he also makes smart plays for the life of me before his injury I can't understand why he didn't get at least 20 minutes a game.

I am a Josh Harrellson fan as well. Too bad he had the knee injury. Anyone know his current status relating to his recovery? 

Stauskas and McDermott were really good college player who can hit big shots. I like that as well. The only thing that I am worried about is how well can they defend NBA players? Joe Dumars has proven that no team can win anything meaningful if they have too many weak defenders. The MVP of the PAC12 this season was Nick Johnson who played both guard positions and small forward and was able to guard all three of those positions. He is an outstanding defender and is a high IQ guy who made most of the clutch plays either hitting big shots, making a key steal or setting up a teammate for any easy shot in crunch time. Yet Nick is listed way down in the 2nd round. Some of the negative stuff listed by draft experts is pure nonsense. He is explosive on both ends and can jump as high as any player that I have ever seen. This Piston team is loaded with not only poor defenders but horrible defenders at almost every starting position including most of the rotation players. A coach can count on Singler and Jerebco to play average defense every night and that is where it all stops. So wouldn't it be nice if our new leader concentrated on drafting a player in the first round who can defend. We have all the old college guys who could shoot it well in college or overseas but never were interested in learning the basics about team orientated defense. All of the previous coaches were OK coaches who could teach players how to play defense. There is a big misconception of what coaches really do. The head coach usually watches while all the grunt work or meaningful work involving making young players better are don by assistant coaches. Don't expect some of our current players to get better with a new coach. Most likely the new coach will insist on removing those players as soon as possible. I think we can all get on board with that.

[Oracle]

Since 2009 the Pistons have been a team devoid of intelligence, shooting skill, and a willingness to play team ball and the declining record reflects just that. Players that are intelligent and willing to play team ball have no problem trusting their teammates and can learn to play defense, if they're taught how.

In this years draft there are some players who fill the teams needs, plus bring the added  qualities of maturity and dedication to hard work...we twiddle our thumbs and turn our noses up at these players simply because they're white (like that means a damn thing in the box score)! Yeah they're white, but they ball their asses off and IMHO will out perform many of their higher rated contemporaries of color; the highest rated is slated to go from late lottery to mid first round, and that's a basketball crime. ESPN has over-glorified the athletic slam dunk, but never mention that that quick strike is no more than a snapshot of what goes on in a 48 minute game that calls for smarts and skill over athleticism in order to win.

Wow, if what you think is going on is true, what you said is just as bad!

Look, I know White players get less respect, and as a White guy, I know that it's sometimes unfair, but I haven't detected that feeling on this board to any high degree!

Stauskas obviously should be a pick that we should heavily consider, and he could(and should) go in the top 15, which is just about right for him.

However, consider this!

Looking at Indy, we're seeing the danger of being too big as a team and struggling with smaller, faster teams!

They will likely struggle with Washington because they have a balance of bigs and speed.

We need to hit that balance! That's a good argument for Josh staying at the 4 because he's fast and athletic, can out quick you and fill the fast break like no other!

To complement that speed, we need to look for fast guys that can shoot!

Now IMO, Stauskas fills the bill, but I can easily see how we could go in another direction without invoking the "he's a White guy" situation.

[WTF]

I don't entertain myself with much thought on Joe Dumars I'm just glad he's no longer running this club. I've been screaming for years for it to happen and now I just want to wipe the slate clean with whomever comes in. Truth is I'm not even looking for immediate success just signs that things are different and more smarter aggressive basketball decisions are being made by the team management.

The last 8-9 season are behind us and I don't see the same things happening and if by chance it does I'm still glad that I'm not watching Joe fat ass doing them. Yes he was a self serving fu@k that took his success far too seriously and treated coaches and players like shi!t.

Sebastian I hated seeing AI put on that number as well, but unfortunately until those numbers are hanging in the rafters they're free game. There are only so many numbers that can be used and players have their preference so I don't and didn't expect Joe to have the same sentiments as fans did. I think when players pick a number worn by a previous player they should want to live up to that number IMO Moose is the player that should rip off his number.

[WTF]

We already have two high basketball IQ white players....Kyle Singler and Josh Harrellson.  And another white player who's supposed to be able to shoot...Luigi Datome.  In fact, they can all shoot fairly well.

How many of these guys do we need?

Murph, can't have too much color on a team, now can we? Seriously though bro', two high I.Q. players on a 15 man roster is not enough to make a difference in a rotation...I'm saying we need enough to replace the Stuckey's, Bynum's, and Jennings...players who have dominated our rotations for too long. I believe dummies lose games...look at our recent forth quarter collapses. Were they the result of smart or skilled basketball?

I've been screaming Stauskas and McDermott largely in part because of their high basketball IQ. I've watch Stauskas his entire time at Michigan and he doesn't make many mistakes and poor decision with the basketball. He understood his own as well as his teammates limitation and never put them or him in situations for them to be taken advantage of. There was a reason that Michigan team was an Elite Eight team, Stauskas carried the team much in the way Burke did for 2 season at Michigan and he has that same heart and passion, had McGeary not went down this team might have played for another championship.

The same things can be said about McDermott I don't think he's as nearly talented as Stauskas but he's just as smart and he carried his team largely on his smart play. I would love having them on a the roster starting next to Josh and Andre and considering that more times than not Michigan put the ball in Stauskas hands so he could very well play the point because he thinks like a point. He has better handles than any guard on our rosters, he's quicker than many think and more athletic than many think. This kid throws down thunder dunks on a regular in games, drop no look passes. He either learned a sh!t load from Burke or was simply held back.

McDermott doesn't take many bad shots and you can't cheat on him and he finds the open man as well as Stauskas. I would love to have these guys. Singler needs to spend his time shooting like Stauskas in the off season.

I love Harrellson and think this was the best pick up last summer. Harrellson proved he will hustle do the dirty work, defend and can't hit that 3 if giving the opportunity. He reminds me of a quicker version on Laimbeer and he also makes smart plays for the life of me before his injury I can't understand why he didn't get at least 20 minutes a game.

[WTF]

The Pistons are very lucky to have so many accomplished coaches available...George Karl, Mark Jackson, Mike Woodson, and of course the always available Bill Laimbeer and Isiah Thomas.

With that many accomplished coaches available, it would be pretty difficult for the Pistons to screw up this coaching hiring.

I have to say that it really doesn't matter who we get if this roster isn't corrected and properly balanced. No coach is going to come here and magically turn any of these players into something they're not. I'm not saying that a coach can't have some impact on the development of some players.

We are so quick to blame coaches for failure way too much around here when it's been often the level of talent on the floor but being that many have that homer mentality they're often under the illusion that players we have are on par with the rest of the talent across the league.

[lemonpen]

The Pistons are very lucky to have so many accomplished coaches available...George Karl, Mark Jackson, Mike Woodson, and of course the always available Bill Laimbeer and Isiah Thomas.

With that many accomplished coaches available, it would be pretty difficult for the Pistons to screw up this coaching hiring.

Murph I agree but what is more important relating to the coaches that you listed is the fact that this current group of cry baby Piston players will not be able to get away with the stuff they have put over on the previous Piston management. The firing of Mo Cheeks was the last of a long list of coaches who had no chance of success because of inept soft players who have been wearing the Piston uniform for too long. The past season is much like the previous seasons where our players failed to give an honest effort on the hard court. Two facts stand out loud and clear about our players. They failed to compete on the defensive end and no team in history has had any chance of winning many games the way our players shot free throws. Coaches cannot shoot the free throws. Our gutless players went to the line with zero interest or concentration. That is how much they really cared about playing for the Piston organization. Any of those coaches you listed would demand change and the new GM will have to have the coaches back. However, I would not be opposed to hiring Zeke as Detroit's coach if he would agree to do it. I think he was a good NBA coach. And none of the players would dare to mouth off like small children as they did this past season. Mo Cheeks was fired because Smith and Bynum thought they were treated poorly. Zeke would laugh them out of the Palace.

Cool, I agree with everything you said. I loved Joe but could not respect the way he consistently failed to support his coaches when challenged by players. I look forward to hiring a GM who won't be swayed or often accepting of players running to his office with complaints. I figure a GM like that will hire a coach with some sand.

[deusXango]

We already have two high basketball IQ white players....Kyle Singler and Josh Harrellson.  And another white player who's supposed to be able to shoot...Luigi Datome.  In fact, they can all shoot fairly well.

How many of these guys do we need?

Murph, can't have too much color on a team, now can we? Seriously though bro', two high I.Q. players on a 15 man roster is not enough to make a difference in a rotation...I'm saying we need enough to replace the Stuckey's, Bynum's, and Jennings...players who have dominated our rotations for too long. I believe dummies lose games...look at our recent forth quarter collapses. Were they the result of smart or skilled basketball?

[Sebastian]

What motivates many people is how other peers will rate them. Joe Dumars managed a Piston team that won an NBA championship while the team's payroll was among the lowest in the league the year Detroit won it all. Joe put together a team without a superstar that somehow became the best team in the league for one season. That was a miracle and Joe did it. He was GM of the year. A lot of the attention after winning that championship went Joe's way. He had to be an outstanding GM right? For that one season there is no disputing that Dumars had pulled off something really special. People were talking it up about the smart draft pick involving Prince who was a late first round pick that became a really good two way player quickly. And again, the payroll was among the lowest in the league. We must remember that because this was very important relating to Dumars image. He could do not wrong as long as his payroll was not high because he believes that a high payroll reflects badly on the image of a GM. So after the Pistons won the championship, why did the team need a guy like Mike James? No even though James became a critical chemistry player who had no ego and played outstanding defense while making really smart offensive plays in crunch time, it was a no brainer that Detroit didn't need Mike James anymore because he wanted too damn much money. Giving Mike more money would make Joe look bad. 

This is my take on what happened that prevented Detroit from winning perhaps two more championships and then floundering for years as a sick franchise under his leadership. I believe that Bill Davidson was elderly and did not have a clear mind in his last years of life. Further, it seems logical that Davidson really trusted Joe Dumars. After all Joe managed the finances so well and Joe had been selected GM of the year. I think that Joe Dumars could have done anything he wanted to do during Davidson's last 6 years of life. But Joe was so concerned with his personal image that he didn't do the right thing for the fans or the team. How many GMs or owners would have not signed Mike James after Detroit pulled off that championship run regardless of the payroll? Detroit had the highest attendance at the time and everything was looking bright for the future. But it all came crashing down real soon. Dumars didn't sign James and didn't try to find another combo guard like James because he perhaps thought that would tarnish his image of being a smart frugal GM. It was all about Joe Dumars in the end. Joe decided he could really be smart and also help a close friend in L. Hunter who was a former teammate of Joe's. Remember when the press was so excited that Hunter would be another Zeke? Joe thought the fans would love it and Hunter would play for a cheap price too. Wow how smart is this Joe Dumars anyway? And nobody will remember anything about how Dumars passed on Joe Johnson who is playing a critical role in the playoffs after so many years have passed since that draft? and who will remember the stupid decision to draft Darko the 17 year old chain smoker who had never been a key player on any team he had ever played on in his entire life? Yes we will draft according to our need for the future said the wise and frugal Joe Dumars. Then whey Bill Davidson died, nothing was Dumars fault when the rebuilding process went south. It was Karen Davidson's fault and she was the person that prevented Joe from doing great things. We had a GM who acted like he didn't like attention but was so concerned about his own image that he put the Pistons in such a hole that we may never see any light again as Piston fans. The way he handled the coaches he fired and the good players he traded or gave away was more smoke and mirrors created by Joe so as not to reflect on his image. It can't be Joe's fault and the owners were asleep at the wheel for too long and allowed the devastating trade involving Knight and Middleton to take place. They should have known Piston history before they bought the team and fired Dumars the day they signed the ownership papers. Dumars had a great career as a player. He is human and made mistakes as a GM. But some of the ego stuff is bothersome to me to this day. We have a sad sack team with contracts that will be hard to move. Who can Gores hire this time around to perform another miracle? 

I have lost some of my love for Billups at least for now based on his involvement in the Mo Cheeks firing. But I would like to hear the real truth about his role and why he did it. Was he trying to get back at Joe for breaking up his Piston team. Maybe that is a good reason to go behind Joe's back. After all, Dumars didn't even let Billups know he had traded him to Denver before Billups heard about it from the press. Was that a cowardly act or standard conduct for GMs these days?? Will they remember Joe for being a crafty guy who could create a good team really cheaply on NBA standards or the guy who hid in a wall locker when the heat was on like the time when the team failed to go to that shoot around practice and Joe left his coach out hanging on the line by himself?

The thing that would drive me crazy about Joe was his total disregard (or disrespect) with his assignment of numbers. For instance: He gave AI #1 (then Dre was given #1), when he traded Chauncey; he gave my boy, Stuckey #3, when he drafted him and during that same summer Big Ben went to Chicago as a FA; he gave Jerebco, Grant Hill's #33; he gave Moose, Rodman's #10; he gave Middleton, Rips #32; he gave Josh, Big Ben's #6; he gave B. Jennings, B. Knight's #7; he gave Tay, Salley's #22; and he gave Afflalo a lame as #28.

Trust me, Joe was saying a lot when he dealt out jersey numbers.  

[Murph]

We already have two high basketball IQ white players....Kyle Singler and Josh Harrellson. And another white player who's supposed to be able to shoot...Luigi Datome. In fact, they can all shoot fairly well.

How many of these guys do we need?

[deusXango]

Since 2009 the Pistons have been a team devoid of intelligence, shooting skill, and a willingness to play team ball and the declining record reflects just that. Players that are intelligent and willing to play team ball have no problem trusting their teammates and can learn to play defense, if they're taught how.

In this years draft there are some players who fill the teams needs, plus bring the added  qualities of maturity and dedication to hard work...we twiddle our thumbs and turn our noses up at these players simply because they're white (like that means a damn thing in the box score)! Yeah they're white, but they ball their asses off and IMHO will out perform many of their higher rated contemporaries of color; the highest rated is slated to go from late lottery to mid first round, and that's a basketball crime. ESPN has over-glorified the athletic slam dunk, but never mention that that quick strike is no more than a snapshot of what goes on in a 48 minute game that calls for smarts and skill over athleticism in order to win.

Nik Stauskas, Dario Saric, and Doug McDermott are players that would contribute to a marked improvement in play and record that's been going downhill since 2009. Dedicated team players, who've demonstrated a high level of maturity, and are extremely skilled in basic basketball talent. None have reached their ceilings! I remember when Stephen Curry was coming out, and his name came up as a possible Piston, there were so many local negatives written about his size, lack of defense, and inability to hang with the big boys (media and fan forums); look at him now! Nik Stauskas is a cold-blooded shooter cut from the same cloth, and much bigger. Doug McDermott is a 4 year player (rare in the NBA these days) who's college career is a picture of consistency and excellence...why can't it translate to the pro level? At 6' 10" Dario Saric possesses ball handling skills, foot work, court vision, and passing skills that none of the projected top 3 players have displayed...did I say he's a rebounder also? We have no SG who can shoot! We have no SF with skill that can shoot, or defend that position! All we have coming off the bench (hopefully) is Kyle Singler and he's not the player any of these are!

We have the resources to get all three of these players, plus some quality veteran leadership (that we can count on to be a healthy part of the team) and not be strapped with enormous contracts, that's not giving us value for our dollar. Stauskas played some PG when Trey Burke wasn't on the floor and when he was on the floor, but playing off the ball, and never hurt Michigan...I'd give him a chance at the point here, because I can't see him being worse than Jennings when it comes to decision making, and he's nowhere near as selfish with the ball; he shoots the ball, where Jennings throws the ball at the basket. I know people like Siva, and I include myself in that number, but I'd take a look at a Stauskas-KCP backcourt for it's effectiveness, with Siva as the first guard off the bench. We're slated to lose Monroe to FA, one way or the other, and there is a value for our future in that; two of our Big 3 were being played out of position, but a monetary commitment has already been made to Smith (who's a superior defensive player) and Drummond is younger than Monroe, who plays the same position, so we should be resigned to the fact Monroe is gone and Smith is here for the duration of his contract (which ain't as bad as his detractors like to state). "Slide" Smith over to PF and start Saric at SF, letting our new Big 3 be Drummond, Smith, and Saric...what's to loose? I believe that McDermott can be a more prolific scorer than Stuckey off the bench, and with him, Singler, and a renewed Datome and healthy Harrellson on our bench, we're a team to be reckoned with once it jells, under proven, professional coaching. I'd be in favor of bringing in a Andre Miller, for our veteran presence. The object is to build around Drummond isn't it, or isn't it?

[cool breeze]

The Pistons are very lucky to have so many accomplished coaches available...George Karl, Mark Jackson, Mike Woodson, and of course the always available Bill Laimbeer and Isiah Thomas.

With that many accomplished coaches available, it would be pretty difficult for the Pistons to screw up this coaching hiring.

Murph I agree but what is more important relating to the coaches that you listed is the fact that this current group of cry baby Piston players will not be able to get away with the stuff they have put over on the previous Piston management. The firing of Mo Cheeks was the last of a long list of coaches who had no chance of success because of inept soft players who have been wearing the Piston uniform for too long. The past season is much like the previous seasons where our players failed to give an honest effort on the hard court. Two facts stand out loud and clear about our players. They failed to compete on the defensive end and no team in history has had any chance of winning many games the way our players shot free throws. Coaches cannot shoot the free throws. Our gutless players went to the line with zero interest or concentration. That is how much they really cared about playing for the Piston organization. Any of those coaches you listed would demand change and the new GM will have to have the coaches back. However, I would not be opposed to hiring Zeke as Detroit's coach if he would agree to do it. I think he was a good NBA coach. And none of the players would dare to mouth off like small children as they did this past season. Mo Cheeks was fired because Smith and Bynum thought they were treated poorly. Zeke would laugh them out of the Palace.

[Murph]

The Pistons are very lucky to have so many accomplished coaches available...George Karl, Mark Jackson, Mike Woodson, and of course the always available Bill Laimbeer and Isiah Thomas.

With that many accomplished coaches available, it would be pretty difficult for the Pistons to screw up this coaching hiring.

[cool breeze]

What motivates many people is how other peers will rate them. Joe Dumars managed a Piston team that won an NBA championship while the team's payroll was among the lowest in the league the year Detroit won it all. Joe put together a team without a superstar that somehow became the best team in the league for one season. That was a miracle and Joe did it. He was GM of the year. A lot of the attention after winning that championship went Joe's way. He had to be an outstanding GM right? For that one season there is no disputing that Dumars had pulled off something really special. People were talking it up about the smart draft pick involving Prince who was a late first round pick that became a really good two way player quickly. And again, the payroll was among the lowest in the league. We must remember that because this was very important relating to Dumars image. He could do not wrong as long as his payroll was not high because he believes that a high payroll reflects badly on the image of a GM. So after the Pistons won the championship, why did the team need a guy like Mike James? No even though James became a critical chemistry player who had no ego and played outstanding defense while making really smart offensive plays in crunch time, it was a no brainer that Detroit didn't need Mike James anymore because he wanted too damn much money. Giving Mike more money would make Joe look bad. 

This is my take on what happened that prevented Detroit from winning perhaps two more championships and then floundering for years as a sick franchise under his leadership. I believe that Bill Davidson was elderly and did not have a clear mind in his last years of life. Further, it seems logical that Davidson really trusted Joe Dumars. After all Joe managed the finances so well and Joe had been selected GM of the year. I think that Joe Dumars could have done anything he wanted to do during Davidson's last 6 years of life. But Joe was so concerned with his personal image that he didn't do the right thing for the fans or the team. How many GMs or owners would have not signed Mike James after Detroit pulled off that championship run regardless of the payroll? Detroit had the highest attendance at the time and everything was looking bright for the future. But it all came crashing down real soon. Dumars didn't sign James and didn't try to find another combo guard like James because he perhaps thought that would tarnish his image of being a smart frugal GM. It was all about Joe Dumars in the end. Joe decided he could really be smart and also help a close friend in L. Hunter who was a former teammate of Joe's. Remember when the press was so excited that Hunter would be another Zeke? Joe thought the fans would love it and Hunter would play for a cheap price too. Wow how smart is this Joe Dumars anyway? And nobody will remember anything about how Dumars passed on Joe Johnson who is playing a critical role in the playoffs after so many years have passed since that draft? and who will remember the stupid decision to draft Darko the 17 year old chain smoker who had never been a key player on any team he had ever played on in his entire life? Yes we will draft according to our need for the future said the wise and frugal Joe Dumars. Then whey Bill Davidson died, nothing was Dumars fault when the rebuilding process went south. It was Karen Davidson's fault and she was the person that prevented Joe from doing great things. We had a GM who acted like he didn't like attention but was so concerned about his own image that he put the Pistons in such a hole that we may never see any light again as Piston fans. The way he handled the coaches he fired and the good players he traded or gave away was more smoke and mirrors created by Joe so as not to reflect on his image. It can't be Joe's fault and the owners were asleep at the wheel for too long and allowed the devastating trade involving Knight and Middleton to take place. They should have known Piston history before they bought the team and fired Dumars the day they signed the ownership papers. Dumars had a great career as a player. He is human and made mistakes as a GM. But some of the ego stuff is bothersome to me to this day. We have a sad sack team with contracts that will be hard to move. Who can Gores hire this time around to perform another miracle? 

I have lost some of my love for Billups at least for now based on his involvement in the Mo Cheeks firing. But I would like to hear the real truth about his role and why he did it. Was he trying to get back at Joe for breaking up his Piston team. Maybe that is a good reason to go behind Joe's back. After all, Dumars didn't even let Billups know he had traded him to Denver before Billups heard about it from the press. Was that a cowardly act or standard conduct for GMs these days?? Will they remember Joe for being a crafty guy who could create a good team really cheaply on NBA standards or the guy who hid in a wall locker when the heat was on like the time when the team failed to go to that shoot around practice and Joe left his coach out hanging on the line by himself?

[WTF]

There are a number of individuals keenly interested in becoming the new Detroit Pistons general manager, although I keep hearing former Toronto GM Bryan Colangelo and Boston assistant general manager Mike Zarren are at the front of the pack. There has also been some chatter about the Pistons possibly bringing in an experienced GM and having him groom Chauncey Billups, the former Pistons star guard. Racine Journal-Times - See more at:



http://hoopshype.com/rumors/tag/detroit_pistons#sthash.5RSfSjQp.dpuf



A Sour Cynic. You see how I posted A link to provide proof of the above comments?? Learn something JERK!!   

Why would I need to post a link to something to prove a rumor Moron?  Besides Idiot it been on the side links all day   

Don't worry one day Sour Pee Boy you'll be as smart as me, but you'll have to study and eat all your vitamins and stop being a cheerleader   and brush your teeth   and stop stop smoking Kush  

[cool breeze]

It depends on what they mean!

IMO, this team was better than their record, but only if you take Jennings & Bynum out of the lineup and replace them with any competent guards.

If we had the end of season KCP to start the season, that would be good, and if they had really given Datome quality minutes to develop, our shooting might have been better.

Joe made good moves until he traded for Jennings, that really threw the dynamics off, coupled with the complete and total collapse of Chauncey doomed us!

So basically they're right! Better guard play and a bit more shooting, and this team makes the playoffs, and would have made the Pacers look like world beaters in the first round

Oracle I disagree because our two big men are horrible defenders. Sure our guards are worst defenders in the NBA but both of our big men have no clue how to protect the paint. And they are too slow getting back on defense. I keep reflecting on how our players handled the months of December, January and Feb. I have a friend who was an assistant coach for several teams including the Pistons and that was his comment. You can clearly see what you have with players in those three months. If they come to the games poorly prepared to play, give a really lazy effort, seem to have low energy and show no improvement in any of those months then you know those players are not trustworthy for coaches and should be highly considered as trade bate. And our Piston big men never caught on or helped improve the Piston defense. There is no way our Piston will ever be winners again unless we have smart quick athletic players who show a great competitive spirit. We need wholesale change Oracle. I hate saying that but it is true.

[cool breeze]

Today on Fansided; Life On Dumars, there was an interesting scenario that went by very quickly, but it made all the sense in the world to me. I've been leery of Jeff Green, but well, check it out for yourself.
"A Greg Monroe and Brandon Jennings for Rondo and Green seems like a pipe dream. The Celtic point guard is an unrestricted free agent in 2015.

But sending Green and Kelly Olynyk plus one of their many first round picks for Monroe seems to make sense".

Damn if that doesn't blow my hair back! Kelly Olynyk is going to blow up and blow up big, just wait and see, but the caveat is the first round pick this year...I've been high on Nik Stauskas and Doug McDermott lately, and if we keep our #8 pick, it's possible to get both those "lights out" shooters. Now, while I'm foaming out the mouth crazy, I think it'd be easier to turn Stauskas into a PG (who can shoot) than Smart into a PG (who can't shoot)...because the media is now calling Smart a PG doesn't make him one, he's a "combo guard," much like Stuckey and Knight, and the only quality's they had in common was they gummed up the works with their inability to run an offense. I'd love to see Stauskas and KCP starting in the backcourt together. Drummond, Olynyk, and McDermott could turn out to be one hell of a frontline in a few years, and enjoy a decade of contention in the NBA. You'll notice that this rant doesn't include Smith or Jennings in the equation, but I'm amazingly comfortable with that.

dX I agree with your assessment of Smart. He could bully college players but does't play smart very often. He would be a big risk if you were thinking he could be a NBA point guard. 

I can't get off from the trade Dumars made with Gores full approval involving Knight and Middleton to get Jennings. Notice John Wall playing point guard right now and remember when he was so out of control. The players come into the league way too inexperienced but the talent is there. And Middleton and Knight are really athletic and talented smart players who can already defend well which is more than you can say about any of the current Piston guards. Will Mr. Gores and his gang learn anything from this blunder and stay out of basketball operations when the new GM is hired? Detroit needs a lot of new players to fill out a rotation that can compete with the playoff caliber teams. We are a long way off because it will be difficult to move Bynum and Jennings. Detroit needs a real shake up that includes more athletic players who can bond on the defensive end. Fans keep looking for shooters in this draft. We need tough defenders who have great quickness. So please Piston fans keep in mind that many of the college guards in this draft were not great defenders in college and do not have unusual quickness but they could score well playing the college game. That is why I want Detroit to draft Arron Gordon who is already NBA ready relating to playing outstanding defense. He has outstanding quickness and athletic ability. This guy can run the court as fast as anyone and he is 6 foot 9 inches and growing at 18 years of age. And Gordon is team orientated, unselfish and hates to lose. I would make that trade you talked about with Boston yesterday. And the assistant GM for Boston that has been talked about would make a really good GM for Detroit. He works his ass off unlike Joe Dumars.

[Phil-Good]

There are a number of individuals keenly interested in becoming the new Detroit Pistons general manager, although I keep hearing former Toronto GM Bryan Colangelo and Boston assistant general manager Mike Zarren are at the front of the pack. There has also been some chatter about the Pistons possibly bringing in an experienced GM and having him groom Chauncey Billups, the former Pistons star guard. Racine Journal-Times - See more at:



http://hoopshype.com/rumors/tag/detroit_pistons#sthash.5RSfSjQp.dpuf



A Sour Cynic. You see how I posted A link to provide proof of the above comments?? Learn something JERK!!   

[merc]

Wise, I was also very high on Ray M... being a coach's son the kid is game smart and a Gym rat... pretty much has a complete game... I'm certain if R.M. had all of Jennings minutes the team would have improved... Damn scouts couldn't look in their own backyard.... hopefully he'll become available.

[deusXango]

Wise, I too was baffled when Joe passed on Ray Jr., but he may be had from Sacramento...give 'em their homeboy (Jennings) for McCallum Jr.; I'd even throw in a piece of change to be rid of this human drawback.

Another guard with high potential is buried on Portland's bench...C.J. McCollum. He's better than Chauncey and Bynum, plus he came into the league rated higher than Siva. These are a couple of options that are more promising than Jennings, at this point...makes moving Bynum a "no-brainer" too.

[deusXango]

Today on Fansided; Life On Dumars, there was an interesting scenario that went by very quickly, but it made all the sense in the world to me. I've been leery of Jeff Green, but well, check it out for yourself.
"A Greg Monroe and Brandon Jennings for Rondo and Green seems like a pipe dream. The Celtic point guard is an unrestricted free agent in 2015.

But sending Green and Kelly Olynyk plus one of their many first round picks for Monroe seems to make sense".

Damn if that doesn't blow my hair back! Kelly Olynyk is going to blow up and blow up big, just wait and see, but the caveat is the first round pick this year...I've been high on Nik Stauskas and Doug McDermott lately, and if we keep our #8 pick, it's possible to get both those "lights out" shooters. Now, while I'm foaming out the mouth crazy, I think it'd be easier to turn Stauskas into a PG (who can shoot) than Smart into a PG (who can't shoot)...because the media is now calling Smart a PG doesn't make him one, he's a "combo guard," much like Stuckey and Knight, and the only quality's they had in common was they gummed up the works with their inability to run an offense. I'd love to see Stauskas and KCP starting in the backcourt together. Drummond, Olynyk, and McDermott could turn out to be one hell of a frontline in a few years, and enjoy a decade of contention in the NBA. You'll notice that this rant doesn't include Smith or Jennings in the equation, but I'm amazingly comfortable with that.

[WTF]

back when I was rah rahhing Trey Burke was also rahhing for Ray McCallum Jr. I said that the State of Michigan had the best 2 PG in the country at the time and Appling at MSU was getting a lot of press at the time as well but he wasn't anywhere close to Burke or McCallum Jr.

I'm at a lost as to why Joe didn't take this McCallum Jr. over Mitchell because I believed he could have started for us last season and he right there with Burke, MCW talent wise.

Just seeing his stats the last 10 games for Sactown speaks volumes 13.5 pts, 8 assist, 3 reb 1.0 TO.

If we could steal him from SacTown that would be great.

[WTF]

I wish they would hurry up and make a decision on the next GM, I'm kind of tired of all the rumored possible candidates the media keep tossing out every other day. We know Joe is out but damn lets get someone in for Fu@king Sakes!

I don't have any objection to most of the names tossed out there because whomever it is will represent change and it can't be business as usual the way it's been the past 8 or 9 seasons. At this point as long as the person has a wealth of basketball experience that they're capable of recognizing talent and managing the books that cool with me. I really don't care where Gores dig them up from as long as it not out of his ass.

I have no problem if its Zeke or Laim, I don't care if its Hammonds, Bryan Colangelo or Mike Zarren, I don't care if you groom Chauncey for it or if this person was never a GM a day in their lives. Just don't hire some bean counter that knows nothing about basketball other than being a casual fan. I sorta feel the same way about the new coach as well even though I have my top choices (Avery Johnson, or Bill Liambeer) others I would consider George Karl but I'm concerned about his health, Sloan would be another but I have the same concern. I would also consider giving Patrick a run at coaching the team. I have no interest in seeing Hollins, Woodson, like Cheeks Woodson make a better assistant and I really was never impressed with Hollins.

Mark Jackson I'm not so sure about as more talk of his firing comes to light.

[WTF]

I'm sorry folks, but I'm not for putting the cart before the horse...get a damn GM on board and let the selection of our coach be his call. To do it any other way, you're undermining his authority before he has a chance to place his stamp on the team. Outside influences is not a way back to where we're used to being and that's on top.

DX, your absolutely correct that the first order of business should be hiring the GM and then allowing that GM to make the decision on who's hired as coach. My only issue with that is this, in selecting his guy it may not necessarily be selecting the right guy for the job. So I hope whatever GM we hire that he's opened minded and not trans-fixed on his buddy or pals to fill the coaching staff and that he's objective enough to look beyond his click.

[Murph]

OMG, the Golden State Warriors are out of their minds to fire Jackson. Don't they remember that before Jackson got there, they were perennial losers? That was just 3 short years ago. Jackson took a team that won 23 games in his first year to winning 47 and 51 regular season games in the next 2 years, making the playoffs twice. What a great opportunity to sign a good, smart, young coach.

And as a PG who's 4th on the all time assist list with over 10,000 assists...maybe Jackson could talk some sense into Brandon Jennings. Stranger things have happened.

[deusXango]

I'm sorry folks, but I'm not for putting the cart before the horse...get a damn GM on board and let the selection of our coach be his call. To do it any other way, you're undermining his authority before he has a chance to place his stamp on the team. Outside influences is not a way back to where we're used to being and that's on top.

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