I really hear you Stones!!!

[Oracle]

I really wanted Ryan Anderson and Afflalo.  I'd say Afflalo seems to be more like Joe D as a player than anyone else I know.  Well-rounded and could carry the team if necessary and play D, but also stayed out of trouble and controversy.  

Ryan Anderson is a poor-man's Love(if healthy).  We need a tall PF that can pump the 3 pointer and hustle.  

My biggest knock on Monroe is that he is only going to be slower with age and he has a very low level of athleticism (vertical jump and hustle).  

SVG is being pretty dramatic for pumping up Monroe's value so that the team can get max amount out of him.  This is the anti-Dumars approach.  Not so sure it will work, but willing to find out.  I believe Monroe wants to leave, but more importantly wants the money.  He knows that he will be blasted if he stays and gets max deal b/c Dre will be continue to take his points and rebounds (bc he is superior).  Monroe just last year has finally been hitting his mid-range shot.  About freakin' time!  Not giving up on Monroe, however, would much rather have Smith due to athleticism.  I think Smith would be a different person with a better PG and coach.  

I've made the case for keeping Monroe, but there is a HUGE case for NOT keeping Monroe!

In a lot of ways, the Pistons have pioneered the stretch 4! Laims playing stretch 4 as Buddha played center, and Sheed was a deadly stretch 4 with Ben as center, our greatest success has come with a stretch big man!

The reason a stretch big man is so desired is because of the flexibility it delivers! Let's look at why Monroe limits the offense.

KCP is a scorer, but we forced him into being a 3pt floor spreader because there no room down low for him to do what he's good at. Even if they didn't have Josh, which made a bad situation worse, spacing with both Monroe & Dre would be difficult.

Enter a stretch 4, and all of a sudden you have a player that has to be respected on the perimeter, and magically, your floor spreading guards also have open lanes to the basket to balance their scoring and break down defenses.

Yes Monroe got better in the midrange, but he'd have to get a hell of a lot better to get enough respect to draw out the defense. So that coupled with the very real physical weaknesses that Monroe has, will limit him in the future. If he could replace Duncan in the Spurs offense, his lack of athleticism wouldn't be a problem, but there aren't many teams like that.

So what I'm doing is making tradeoffs. Josh or Monroe? I can see how we win with either, but one is likely going at some point, and I tend to like size & youth at the 4, all things being somewhat equal!

Lastly, Don believes that almost all of the current players are low IQ. I agree that it appears that way, but appearances can be deceiving.

IMO, some of them are making tradeoffs that make them look dumb, but if the incentives were changed and if more of the team bought in to a system, they'd look a lot higher IQ!

I'm saying that to say that we have some REALLY good players here already, but we need a culture change, some true player leadership emerge, and some better outside & FT shooting(tall orders).

So the tradeoff between what Don is saying & what I'm saying is this. Don says to change the culture we need to change the players, which is one way. I think that the change starts at the top to create an environment that fosters the right behavior in addition to adding high IQ players. Two ways to solve the problem, and likely the solution lies somewhere in the middle!

[WTF]

But, Wise woke my ass up! Doing a sign & trade for the Moose and bringing in shooters is not going to be a major overhaul? You've hinted at the removal of J.J. as well as Moose; Jennings really needs to go (SVG has gone on record talking about the bad taste left in his mouth thinking about teaching players fundamentals they should have already mastered...waste of team time!) and so does Bynum. SVG is going to have his eyes on Siva (with one brow raised) during Summer League so his game had better take a gigantic leap from what we saw last year. He was decent, in comparison but, he wasn't moving the needle. No one is high on Datome, other than me, and there has been rumblings that the boss is growing impatient with last years second round pick, who's not established himself, yet is displaying lazy work habits...athletics alone won't get it, you've got to be smart and a hard worker with a defined skill or two, if you want to be a part of the new Pistons. So let's examine the probable roster, with any trades or FA signings:

Stuckey-Gone to FA
Villanueva-Gone to FA
Jerebko-Gone as a possible trade filler
Bynum-Gone as a possible trade filler
Siva-Gone because contract is not picked up
Mitchell-Gone as possible trade filler
Jennings-Gone by way of trade
Monroe-Gone in a sign & trade

If all these players are indeed to be replaced, it looks like a major overhaul to me and I wouldn't be mad at SVG and Bower because, like you've stated Wise, they've been doing their homework and improvements will be made right down the line; the moves may not be "splashy" but, they don't have to be in order to improve on the mess Joe left behind.

IMHO Singler and Datome are valued, even though nothing has been said about them from management, because they're both 6' 8", play with smarts, can shoot from mid to long range, and their combined salaries are less than what Bynum is making!!! I hope they both stay for at least another year.

DX, I wouldn't necessarily refer to the loss of that group of players as major over-hauling because at least for of these guys will be gone by anyway and Moose was always a likely sign and trade. Most of this guys had little to no impact on the team and replacing them with another group of similar player isn't an over-haul. 4 of the likely starters will be back starting SVG seem to think he has a core of 7 players and only 1 of them is likely gone (Moose)

What we get back in exchange for Moose will likely represent the biggest change to the team and how SVG chooses to use that 13 million in cap space which he's made clear that it'll likely be split between 2-3 players so we know the splash will be minimum with free agency. Don wants to gut the whole team from top to bottom and your roster look like 80% of change. That's not going to happen.

[cool breeze]

But, Wise woke my ass up! Doing a sign & trade for the Moose and bringing in shooters is not going to be a major overhaul? You've hinted at the removal of J.J. as well as Moose; Jennings really needs to go (SVG has gone on record talking about the bad taste left in his mouth thinking about teaching players fundamentals they should have already mastered...waste of team time!) and so does Bynum. SVG is going to have his eyes on Siva (with one brow raised) during Summer League so his game had better take a gigantic leap from what we saw last year. He was decent, in comparison but, he wasn't moving the needle. No one is high on Datome, other than me, and there has been rumblings that the boss is growing impatient with last years second round pick, who's not established himself, yet is displaying lazy work habits...athletics alone won't get it, you've got to be smart and a hard worker with a defined skill or two, if you want to be a part of the new Pistons. So let's examine the probable roster, with any trades or FA signings:

Stuckey-Gone to FA
Villanueva-Gone to FA
Jerebko-Gone as a possible trade filler
Bynum-Gone as a possible trade filler
Siva-Gone because contract is not picked up
Mitchell-Gone as possible trade filler
Jennings-Gone by way of trade
Monroe-Gone in a sign & trade

If all these players are indeed to be replaced, it looks like a major overhaul to me and I wouldn't be mad at SVG and Bower because, like you've stated Wise, they've been doing their homework and improvements will be made right down the line; the moves may not be "splashy" but, they don't have to be in order to improve on the mess Joe left behind.

IMHO Singler and Datome are valued, even though nothing has been said about them from management, because they're both 6' 8", play with smarts, can shoot from mid to long range, and their combined salaries are less than what Bynum is making!!! I hope they both stay for at least another year.

Interesting post dX. 

Siva - did look like a real point guard in the last 2 weeks of the season and especially in the last game. I am sure SVG is pulling for Siva because he gives effort on the defensive end unlike our other point guards. Siva just needs more experience and confidence. He is a good player. 

Jerebco - I disagree that SVG has Jerebco slated as a filler for a future trade. From everything I have heard, Jerebco is very excited to play for SVG and believes that is finally has a coach who recognizes that Jerebco is a fundamentally sound player who has been playing on a dysfunctional team full of selfish players. Remember Jerebco's comments in the past that he likes to play with Singler. That comment was made because Singler was the only other player who exhibited characteristics of a unselfish team orientated high basketball IQ player. Jerebco plays strong defense, runs the court well for a big guy, has become a high percentage 3 shot shooter but coaching staffs have ignored him and given too much playing time to players like Monroe. Playing politics and giving Monroe underserved playing time didn't work. Monroe, the guy with the slow feet who has never figured out where to be on defense still wants to move out of the Detroit area even after getting his ass kissed by several coaches. My thinking is SVG wants fundamentally sound players and Jerebco is one of those style players. He plays with emotion which is another thing SVG looks for. I will be very surprised if SVG trades Jerebco this year. Jonas has not had the opportunity to play for a coach who loves players who move without the basketball, like to pass the basketball, love to play both sides of the court on offense and bust their ass to get back on defense. Last season if you were Jerebco and set a screen and then moved without the basketball to an open spot, you would not get the basketball for an easy shot. That will not be tolerated under SVG. There will be no more tolerating Jennings dribbling the basketball to the right side of the court until Smith gets open on the wing while ignoring the other three players on the court. Since San Antonio beat the Heat by playing offense the right way and the way Jerebco loves to play, most NBA teams are going to go the same way as the Spurs. This new NBA champion has ushered in a face lift for the NBA where we are apt to be watching a better brand of basketball from a lot more teams. Those players who play like the Pistons did last season will be out of the league unless they adjust. 

Datome - I have a difficult time with some of your comments relating to Singler and Datome. First off, Singler was perhaps the best player on the Piston team last season when you think about what he brought as far a stability on both ends of the floor. He always showed up and he got better as the season wore on. Meanwhile, Datome was a horrible player last year. He couldn't crack the rotation and when he did get in, it was clear that he didn't belong in the NBA. Datome looked like a lost soul to me. I can't imagine how he will somehow improve enough to be a factor this year or a player any other team would be interested in relating to a fill in for a trade. No this appears to be another dumb signing by Joe Dumars. My best guess is that Datome, Mitchell (who has not impressed the coaching staff with his work ethic) and Bynum will be gone before the season opener. 

This is a new era for the Pistons dX. The good chemistry players are coming to Detroit and SVG and Brower will not be pressured into tolerating those players who take a team down. SVG has identified the one huge missing link from the Piston teams over the past 5 years that involves more than not adding one superstar during that time. None of the teams over the past 5 years have had good team chemistry. We have watched a blend of dysfunctional players arriving before games with no thought about the game before the tip off. Then they took their showers and repeated the same lame stuff to the press about effort and responsibility but nothing changed. Some of the players did not seem to be suffering after getting their asses whipped. It was business as usual. SVG does not want that to happen under his watch and it will if he doesn't get some of the garbage off the team. I love it!!!!

[cool breeze]

The Detroit News article on Dinwiddie today was revealing relating to Brower's evaluation of Spencer D. I loved it. I might be the only person on this forum that actually had the opportunity to see up close how good Dinwiddie was in his 2nd college season. Then over the summer last year, this guy really put in the extra work to show the world that even though he played basketball in Colorado instead of Duke that people on the East Coast would see him as he led his team deep into the NCAA tournament. I have no doubt that would have happened if our new draft pick hadn't suffered that ACL tear. You Piston fans would have been jumping for joy if he had played in the Big 10. You would have known how smart this new Piston leadership is now. Brower understood and articulated what I saw in Spencer Dinwiddie. We are in good hands Piston fans. If Dinwiddie had not been injured and we had that 8th pick, there would be no way that I would have passed on him. If and this is a big if, Spencer takes his time and fully recovers from this injury, we will have one of those winners leading our club at point guard. He is clever relating of finding the open guy and setting up his teammates as well as a penetrator and shot maker. His defense is in the upper range of college players too. Go though this current roster of guards and there is no player including Stuckey who could compare with Dinwiddie on defense. It could be Dinwiddie and Drummond in the pick and roll that could get some of you fans screaming again. 

It seems obvious that SVG and Brower will never add low basketball IQ players. They will wait if necessary to get the right players this time around. And in the meantime, our management leadership will be trying like hell to rid the team of some of the players that mailed it in last season. However, that might be an impossible task.

[Go Stones!]

Don't tell me SVG caught narcolepsy from W. Sharpe!

Fist, neither of these teams were the original ones interested in Monroe... remember Atlanta & Washington?

And I still don't rule out NO!

BTW, Sharpe who? I must have been asleep when that occurred

I really wanted Ryan Anderson and Afflalo. I'd say Afflalo seems to be more like Joe D as a player than anyone else I know. Well-rounded and could carry the team if necessary and play D, but also stayed out of trouble and controversy.

Ryan Anderson is a poor-man's Love. We need a tall PF that can pump the 3 pointer and hustle.

My biggest knock on Monroe is that he is only going to be slower with age and he has a very low level of athleticism (vertical jump and hustle).

SVG is being pretty dramatic for pumping up Monroe's value so that the team can get max amount out of him. This is the anti-Dumars approach. Not so sure it will work, but willing to find out. I believe Monroe wants to leave, but more importantly wants the money. He knows that he will be blasted if he stays and gets max deal b/c Dre will be continue to take his points and rebounds (bc he is superior). Monroe just last year has finally been hitting his mid-range shot. About freakin' time! Not giving up on Monroe, however, would much rather have Smith due to athleticism. I think Smith would be a different person with a better PG and coach.

[Sparma]

I shared that dream, Deus, but what a rude awakening! Not sure what you call it when the reality's so much worse than the dream. Not a nightmare (or a daymare?), I guess, but maybe just harsh reality. But, yes, that 1st round came out worse than I had expected once Vonleh proved there for the taking. For Pistons' fans, that name may turn out to be akin to the dentist's drill over the years.

In the land of "what if" that exists in my mind, I can't help but think about last nights draft...Spencer Dinwiddie was a hell of a pick but, he came in the second round, what if we had kept our #9 (thanks Joe)? Noah Vonleh would have made it simple to parlay both Monroe and Smith into whatever would put this team immediately back into contention! Building around Drummond and Vonleh makes more sense than Dre' and the Moose/J-Smoove, and there would be room to bring in veteran locker room leadership. That pick would have brought to an end the fan division that exists now and fan excitement would be higher than it's been since 2009!

Imagine:
C- Drummond/**Beuhller/Young
PF-Vonleh/Jerebko
SF-Hayward/*Datome
SG-Stauskas/KCP
PG-Lowery/Dinwiddie/Siva

*The only player who had enough moxey and class to show up for SVG's presser.
**The 7' 5" East Indian center who I've not heard a peep about but, the young man has mad skills for a man his size; rim protector (standing reach of better than 9 feet!), big and strong, solid rebounder, and has an efficient mid-range game.

Mix in SVG's coaching skills and we're in the money!! I'm imagining Van Gundy has a point to prove about being a championship coach after "Capt. Greasy" f#cked him out of his chance in Miami.

[Sebastian]

Wisefan and Oracle I like what both of you have said lately about SVG. He is smart and knows there is something horribly wrong with the chemistry on this roster. My belief is that he is identifying players that are capable of playing with heart and unselfishness placing the team first. There still are players like that I it will be great to have them in Piston uniforms. I am sure that Stan wants to find a new home for more than one starter before training camp. It only makes good sense to bring in more young players if the key piece is Drummond. Identify tough defensive minded athletic players who have the work ethic to work on their weaknesses. Next fall we watch a group of hungry players possible lose a lot of games but the style in which they lose cannot be the same as this past season. The 2nd half of the Miami game at the Palace when Zeke tried to get the crowd involved with the current team was something. You have to bet that SVG has watched the second half of that game where our starters played some of the worst basketball in the history of the Piston organization. Our high paid starters laid down for the opposing team. Gores had to be shaken after that performance. So you can bet that SVG is trying like hell to move Smith and Monroe. I am good with that. And this is an amazing opportunity for guys like Jerebco and Singler who are committed team orientated players that are working their asses off this summer to get better. What about Drummond? Is he working out with the other players? No talk about what everyone keeps saying is our biggest asset. 

One other question that hasn't been answered. Has SVG hired a shooting coach? If so does anyone know who he picked? If I were SVG I would be trying to get a positive story in the papers at least 3 times a week to get fans excited for what is to come.

And, he has started out at a very slow pace. When you look at how the Nuggets were able to swindle Affallo from the Magic for Evan Fournier (who is not a bad player by the way) and how Phil Jackson was able to acquire picks in a draft where the Knicks had no picks, it just appears to me that SVG and Bower have yet to begin thinking on their feet.

Now, Dinwiddle is a player that WE may not see the return on investment until the 2015-16 season, as next season if he is signed will be a medical casualty residing on OUR roster. WE already have Siva and Mitchell wearing street clothes.

Like, I have written before, I am supremely interested in SVG's next move(s).

Get to work SVG!

[deusXango]

But, Wise woke my ass up! Doing a sign & trade for the Moose and bringing in shooters is not going to be a major overhaul? You've hinted at the removal of J.J. as well as Moose; Jennings really needs to go (SVG has gone on record talking about the bad taste left in his mouth thinking about teaching players fundamentals they should have already mastered...waste of team time!) and so does Bynum. SVG is going to have his eyes on Siva (with one brow raised) during Summer League so his game had better take a gigantic leap from what we saw last year. He was decent, in comparison but, he wasn't moving the needle. No one is high on Datome, other than me, and there has been rumblings that the boss is growing impatient with last years second round pick, who's not established himself, yet is displaying lazy work habits...athletics alone won't get it, you've got to be smart and a hard worker with a defined skill or two, if you want to be a part of the new Pistons. So let's examine the probable roster, with any trades or FA signings:

Stuckey-Gone to FA
Villanueva-Gone to FA
Jerebko-Gone as a possible trade filler
Bynum-Gone as a possible trade filler
Siva-Gone because contract is not picked up
Mitchell-Gone as possible trade filler
Jennings-Gone by way of trade
Monroe-Gone in a sign & trade

If all these players are indeed to be replaced, it looks like a major overhaul to me and I wouldn't be mad at SVG and Bower because, like you've stated Wise, they've been doing their homework and improvements will be made right down the line; the moves may not be "splashy" but, they don't have to be in order to improve on the mess Joe left behind.

IMHO Singler and Datome are valued, even though nothing has been said about them from management, because they're both 6' 8", play with smarts, can shoot from mid to long range, and their combined salaries are less than what Bynum is making!!! I hope they both stay for at least another year.

[WTF]

and we'll start getting a clearer picture of what might or might not happen with Moose rather there's a likely sign and trade or not. IMO there will likely be a sign and trade and my guess is that it still may occur with New Orleans but I could be wrong. SVG said he's not looking to make some splash by grabbing some name just for the sake of doing so (that's the dumb **** Joe use to do). Both SVG and Bower clearly been doing their homework so I'm confident that the team will address it's need for shooters.

I doubt if any major over hauling will be done and really there's no need. DX and Don   it's not going to happen.

Those that are on this JJ kick don't get you hopes up, he's in the last year of his deal and if it had been a team option instead of a player option he wouldn't even been here. Don't over value SVG comments of effort and hard work concerning JJ because its only an acknowledgement of JJ working hard and consistently showing up daily. There's a reason why he's here everyday and players like Moose, Josh, Andre are not and that's the talent level between those who are and those who are not. I'm not saying they all should be hanging at the practice to facility but JJ could spend the night everyday to the start of camp and still wouldn't be as good nor as valuable to the team than these 3 are. Maybe it'll payoff in the end but sucking ass and seeking brownie points is what a player of his caliber should be doing so no extra kudos for that ****.

[deusXango]

In the land of "what if" that exists in my mind, I can't help but think about last nights draft...Spencer Dinwiddie was a hell of a pick but, he came in the second round, what if we had kept our #9 (thanks Joe)? Noah Vonleh would have made it simple to parlay both Monroe and Smith into whatever would put this team immediately back into contention! Building around Drummond and Vonleh makes more sense than Dre' and the Moose/J-Smoove, and there would be room to bring in veteran locker room leadership. That pick would have brought to an end the fan division that exists now and fan excitement would be higher than it's been since 2009!

Imagine:
C- Drummond/**Beuhller/Young
PF-Vonleh/Jerebko
SF-Hayward/*Datome
SG-Stauskas/KCP
PG-Lowery/Dinwiddie/Siva

*The only player who had enough moxey and class to show up for SVG's presser.
**The 7' 5" East Indian center who I've not heard a peep about but, the young man has mad skills for a man his size; rim protector (standing reach of better than 9 feet!), big and strong, solid rebounder, and has an efficient mid-range game.

Mix in SVG's coaching skills and we're in the money!! I'm imagining Van Gundy has a point to prove about being a championship coach after "Capt. Greasy" f#cked him out of his chance in Miami.

[Oracle]

The top two schools to deliver new pro's into the league?

UCLA & Michigan State!!!

That's why I damn near lost my mind when Joe dumped Afflalo for Stuckey!

Coaches & GM's know that when they get players from these programs, they're already fundamentally sound with a good work ethic, or they wouldn't even qualify as ball boys on these programs!

That's why you can pick up a player like Draymond Green in the 2nd round and have him make your short lineup, these players are NBA ready!

I give a lot of props to both the PAC12 & Big10 for the quality of their programs!

[cool breeze]

Wisefan and Oracle I like what both of you have said lately about SVG. He is smart and knows there is something horribly wrong with the chemistry on this roster. My belief is that he is identifying players that are capable of playing with heart and unselfishness placing the team first. There still are players like that I it will be great to have them in Piston uniforms. I am sure that Stan wants to find a new home for more than one starter before training camp. It only makes good sense to bring in more young players if the key piece is Drummond. Identify tough defensive minded athletic players who have the work ethic to work on their weaknesses. Next fall we watch a group of hungry players possible lose a lot of games but the style in which they lose cannot be the same as this past season. The 2nd half of the Miami game at the Palace when Zeke tried to get the crowd involved with the current team was something. You have to bet that SVG has watched the second half of that game where our starters played some of the worst basketball in the history of the Piston organization. Our high paid starters laid down for the opposing team. Gores had to be shaken after that performance. So you can bet that SVG is trying like hell to move Smith and Monroe. I am good with that. And this is an amazing opportunity for guys like Jerebco and Singler who are committed team orientated players that are working their asses off this summer to get better. What about Drummond? Is he working out with the other players? No talk about what everyone keeps saying is our biggest asset. 

One other question that hasn't been answered. Has SVG hired a shooting coach? If so does anyone know who he picked? If I were SVG I would be trying to get a positive story in the papers at least 3 times a week to get fans excited for what is to come.

[WTF]

But will the Stones?
Dinwiddie will be hard pressed to prove himself in the time an injured 2nd rounder typically gets.  He will often be on non-guaranteed contracts.  I wish the kid well and when ready hits the floor running.

In the past I wouldn't give him a snowballs chance in hell, and in reality, he wouldn't have even been drafted by us!

This is really a CLASSIC example of what you do with a 2nd round pick... you take risk!

This was a solid move, and with the longevity & dual positions that SVG has, the concerns you've expressed are greatly minimized, although not eliminated!

Oracle I agree 100% just like I've been stressing with Don that this is no longer business as usual and things are just different. I swear I have not seen anything to date that reeks of business as usual. I don't even associate past practices of the organization with what is going on now and Gores haven't been owner long enough to think things are the same. Change could have came quicker if Gores had fired Joe the day he walked in as owner.

Dinwiddie will have the benefit of D-league if he healthy this season come in the following system better prepared. Not sure what some were expecting from a 2nd round pick personally I just wanted it make some sense. If the was Joe it would have been a project at the center position though the team needs were the complete opposite so I was happy just to see it was a 6'6 Guard capable of playing PG, SG, SF that has sings of hitting a perimeter shot.

BTW he kind of look a CB type player in a Penny Hardaway type body, I could be wrong but I kind of saw flashes of but when watching that video.

[WTF]

Maybe, I was a little harsh on SVG. Perhaps, the "D" grade that I awarded him is for Dinwiddie.

When I looked at Dinwiddie's DraftExpress video sevral weeks ago, I was not overly impressed. But, I just took a second look at it and I must say, if the dude can come back from his ACL injury he may turn out to be a decent player.

He has range on his jumper. He can put the ball on the floor. He moves well, without be overtly athletic. And, his court awareness appears to be sharp.

I dare say that he may be an adequate substitute to my boy, Rodney Stuckey.

I'll give the dude a chance.

But, I am supremely interested in what SVG's next move(s) will be.

Not far to grade SVG on a second round selection personally I won't start grading SVG on anything until after he completes his first full season as coach and GM. The only activity we can possibly expect from SVG is what may or may not happen in the case of Monroe and Josh out side of that he's been up front and honest in identifying who he considers his core players are, how he would handle his cap space. So he's not looking to make glamour moves or popular moves and I like that.

Truthfully if I was forced into giving SVG a grade as of today he'll get an "A" solely on how he's been approaching things and his response to the media thus far.

[Oracle]

But will the Stones?
Dinwiddie will be hard pressed to prove himself in the time an injured 2nd rounder typically gets.  He will often be on non-guaranteed contracts.  I wish the kid well and when ready hits the floor running.

In the past I wouldn't give him a snowballs chance in hell, and in reality, he wouldn't have even been drafted by us!

This is really a CLASSIC example of what you do with a 2nd round pick... you take risk!

This was a solid move, and with the longevity & dual positions that SVG has, the concerns you've expressed are greatly minimized, although not eliminated!

[cool breeze]

Don, nice call on Gordon... #4 pick speaks for itself.

I listened to coach Sean Miller's comments on the radio relating to both Arron Gordon and Nick Johnson after the draft. I recall that Sean didn't say much when Derrick Williams was drafted number 2 overall in the 2011 draft. This time around Miller made some important comments that I agree with after watching both Gordon and Johnson play all of their college games. By the way, Miller did not attend the NBA draft like some of the other coaches. Miller believes that is the player's night and coaches should not be the center of attention. He was also finishing up with his duties as a coach for USA Basketball. 

Miller on Gordon: "While his physical talents speak for themselves, the most impressive thing about Aaron is that he's the ultimate winner. Being as young, smart and resilient as he is, he has as great of an upside as anyone picked in this year's draft. Where he will be three to five years from now is going to be a much different place than he is today because his work ethic, discipline and drive to be the best."

Miller on Nick Johnson: Miller stated that Johnson has a notable track record. He led Arizona to one of the most successful seasons in school history, picked up the PAC-12 Player Of the Year award and Miller stated that he thought that Johnson has even more upside than Gordon. "Nick is far from being a finished product. He has tremendous upside and an incredible work ethic. Nick is the ultimate team player, and when he's given a role in the Rockets organization, he'e going to fulfill that role through hard work and a willingness to be coached. in my mind, he's going to be a very good NBA player". I doubt that the Rockets really know at this time what kind of special player they got in the 2nd round. Johnson's comments about being drafted so late is telling. "It was tough but seeing all the Pac-12 players get drafted in front of me, my confidence went up because I was the Pac-12 player of the year. Everything happens for a reason. What I have is a great opportunity". I read a statement a long time ago from Jumping Joe Johnson (Nick's Dad) where he said that Nick reminded him of his brother Dennis Johnson relating to his grit. 

Detroit needs players like the above. This is what we have been missing from our current players. Extreme pride in how you play the game and how you work at it to become the very best is not some trait that all NBA players have inside. I see it clearly that these two players have a gift that most of our Piston players lack. It is impossible to build great team chemistry without players like Gordon and Johnson. It sure was fun to pull for them and I wish that somehow Johnson could get a shot with the Pistons. Houston has two point guards now. It is a no brainer to me if Dinwiddie and Johnson play together in the backcourt our big men will shine and Piston defense would kick ass and take names again. 3 or 4 years from now Gordon and Johnson will be leading their teams out of the locker room much like Laimbeer and Zeke did for our Pistons. We all know those two warriors came to play every night and never stopped working to improve.

[lemonpen]

Maybe, I was a little harsh on SVG. Perhaps, the "D" grade that I awarded him is for Dinwiddie.

When I looked at Dinwiddie's DraftExpress video sevral weeks ago, I was not overly impressed. But, I just took a second look at it and I must say, if the dude can come back from his ACL injury he may turn out to be a decent player.

He has range on his jumper. He can put the ball on the floor. He moves well, without be overtly athletic. And, his court awareness appears to be sharp.

I dare say that he may be an adequate substitute to my boy, Rodney Stuckey.

I'll give the dude a chance.

But, I am supremely interested in what SVG's next move(s) will be.

But will the Stones?
Dinwiddie will be hard pressed to prove himself in the time an injured 2nd rounder typically gets. He will often be on non-guaranteed contracts. I wish the kid well and when ready hits the floor running.

[cool breeze]

Maybe, I was a little harsh on SVG. Perhaps, the "D" grade that I awarded him is for Dinwiddie.

When I looked at Dinwiddie's DraftExpress video sevral weeks ago, I was not overly impressed. But, I just took a second look at it and I must say, if the dude can come back from his ACL injury he may turn out to be a decent player.

He has range on his jumper. He can put the ball on the floor. He moves well, without be overtly athletic. And, his court awareness appears to be sharp.

I dare say that he may be an adequate substitute to my boy, Rodney Stuckey.

I'll give the dude a chance.

But, I am supremely interested in what SVG's next move(s) will be.

Sebastian if Spencer's knee is OK, he will not be a Rodney Stuckey. I have watched him play 4 games in person in college and each time I thought he was the best player on the floor. He has a really high basketball IQ, plays outstanding defense, creates plays for his teammates, and takes all the big shots and usually makes them. Before Dinwiddie wen down with the knee injury I thought he would be the PAC12 player of the year instead of Nick Johnson. Why both of these players were so loved by their schools is their attitude and work ethic. Who doesn't love players who are loyal and play with their heart. If Spencer's knee is as good as it was before the injury, he will be our point guard and team leader. However, speaking from my own experience with an ACL injury, it takes time and I think most players need at least two years to get comfortable and confident again. This is the modern era of medicine and the technique for this surgery has come a long way in a positive direction. Nobody will work harder to get back on the court than Spencer Dinwiddie. This is a great pick by SVG. Players who like to play team style basketball will like playing with this draft pick.

[Sebastian]

Maybe, I was a little harsh on SVG. Perhaps, the "D" grade that I awarded him is for Dinwiddie.

When I looked at Dinwiddie's DraftExpress video sevral weeks ago, I was not overly impressed. But, I just took a second look at it and I must say, if the dude can come back from his ACL injury he may turn out to be a decent player.

He has range on his jumper. He can put the ball on the floor. He moves well, without be overtly athletic. And, his court awareness appears to be sharp.

I dare say that he may be an adequate substitute to my boy, Rodney Stuckey.

I'll give the dude a chance.

But, I am supremely interested in what SVG's next move(s) will be.

[Murph]

Heck, even Jordan's team lead by Rich Cho made some good moves.

Yes, Jordan and the Hornets had a great draft night. Noah Vonleh (our pick), PJ Hairston and Semaj Christon are about as good as they could possibly have done. (I might have to adopt the Hornets as my second team, while the Pistons rebuild...and rebuild....and rebuilt...   

[Sebastian]

I'll give SVG a "D". He could have made some sort of trade to get a better draft position, hell Phil did it last night and the day before (Chandler trade) with the Knicks.

Heck, even Jordan's team lead by Rich Cho made some good moves.

And, with the 38th Pick, SVG should have drafted Patric Young (Big Ben 2.0)

I was not impress at all with SVG, last night.

[Murph]

I think under the circumstances, Dinwiddy is about the best we could do.  Let's hope his surgically repaired knee holds up.

I think it's clear that if not for the knee surgury, Dinwiddie would have been a 1st round pick.  So if the knee holds up, SVG got a steal.  If not, what have we given up?...just a 2nd round pick.

This is a good risk/reward gamble by SVG.  Good pick.   

[WTF]

I wasn't expecting an exciting pick just one that made sense at the moment I really don't know what to think about it. Hopefully this guy heals well rather its this year or next who knows. I'll say this if it's a fail pick I'm not making a big deal out of it not like SVG was blowing a #2 pick on a project this is a #38 pick.

I think right know the only thing I'm impressed with is his size, from the video Sour PBoy provided us I'm still don't have a clear picture of him. I'm not all that worried about the ACL but this may be a blessing in the long run sitting out a year isn't a bad thing if he spends the time off wisely. I think he needs to add more muscle not weight he doesn't look that strong up top.

[Oracle]

My Draft Pick Analysis: SVG displays the confidence that a long term contract affords

Will he heal and get better? While the probability is high, it's an injury that leaves you less than before the injury, so there's no complete healing.

What's the prognosis for an athlete with an ACL tear?

This used to be a devastating injury. When an ACL tears, it does not heal. Unlike most other ligaments, the ACL never has the opportunity to mend due to its position and role in the knee -- it's very much like a rubber band. That's why this is a forever kind of injury. It used to end athletic participation both on the professional and recreational level. Now with arthroscopic surgery and proper strengthening and rehabilitation techniques, the future is much brighter. National results show a 96 to 98 percent return to sport. Recovery still takes six months and is economically demanding and involves an operation, but it's no longer career-ending

However, we have two examples recently. Derrick Rose was a torn ACL, and the news there isn't good. Westbrook had a  Meniscus Tear, which has a similar recovery time, but he came back good!

What was SVG thinking?

1. The east is young guard heavy, with some of the best in the NBA! Philly went with great size, unfortunately Joe wasn't that smart, but with Dinwiddie, we get the size to match MCW.

2. Knight: Dinwiddie doesn't have the speed or athletics to deal with Knight, but his size will at least slow Knight down a  small bit, but on offense, he should do well against Knight.

3. Irving presents a different problem, Dinwiddie should athletically match up better with him, and if he can recover well on defense, he has the chance to block shots!

4. Wall presents a more complete package which Dinwiddie, IMO, does not match up with well, and will need significant help because Wall has both good size and superior athletics 

So what happens next? NOTHING!!!

This injury occurred in January, so best case would be season opener, but the best move may be next season. Why?

Because in the final analysis SVG has something Joe never had... longevity!

He can afford to stash Dinwiddie away for a year, and with 2 draft picks next year, we could have a banner crop of rookies coming in and making an impact! In addition he also has something Joe never had, a D-League team to get Dinwiddie some PT with!

So I'm thinking that we won't see him this coming season, but the next! Kudos to Merc for the reporting & Sparma for some additional details, and Phillip for the video!

[Sparma]

In a weird way, I see that lack of projections as being related to a silver lining to losing our pick this year rather than next. Beyond losing a shot at a really good prospect in Vonleh, we lose the incentive to aim for premature results this year, because whatever pick we get next year is ours to keep. The "we must make the playoffs this year" mantra led to a series of stupid decisions, in addition to the loss of an excellent draft pick. It sounds like SVG, without losing sight of the present, is trying to reconfigure the roster in a way that makes sense in the long run. I'm actually glad to hear he's willing to take a chance on a promising prospect who may not even play next year. Of course, in the mean time, it does mean that we'll need to endure more of Jennings' ball hogging than we otherwise would this season.

SVG was on the radio... said Dinwiddie may not play at all this year... he informed him not to give any projections on when he'll be ready to play.

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