Report: Pistons agree to five-year, $80 million deal with Reggie Jackson

[Oracle]

Note: This is taken from this article: Report: Pistons agree to five-year, $80 million deal with Reggie Jackson, there's more there...

On the one hand...

Well for starters, there's this.

There are some bright spots overall, but that's still a guy who shot 43 percent from the field last year, 44 percent after arriving in Detroit. His True Shooting Percentage (which factors 3-point shooting) didn't go up either, staying at 51.1 percent.

He wasn't good defensively, either, grading out at the 45th percentile individually according to Synergy Sports and a 104.0 defensive rating when on the court, which is neither terrible on the Pistons nor good overall. He can be mistake prone and managed to interrupt a really good thing in Oklahoma City on a contending team.

It's also just a simple overpay for a mediocre talent relative to his position. Jackson can be very good, but you can't grade him in the top ten, maybe not even top 15 as a point guard. Why would you assign your largest contract value to a player who not only does not grade in the top 15 at his position, and had no bargaining leverage, but plays a position at which there seems to be a never-ending fountain of good options? Heck, Phoenix is willing to trade you one about every six months or so. Not only can you not really keep up at the position by spending to that tier, but you're inflating the market when you're not in need of it. The Pistons aren't ready to contend - nowhere near it. So why spend through the nose to keep your own free agent at a loaded position in which he's not in the top tier?

Brandon Jennings is coming off an Achilles injury and only had brief moments of looking like he'd turned the corner in Detroit, but he's a whole lot cheaper and showed genuine signs especially after the team waived Josh Smith. The Pistons were in no way backed up against a wall but still spent their way to get away from the corner.

But on the other hand...
Let's start here. So per-game numbers are funky and per-minute numbers are still affected by pace. So let's look at per-100 possessions last year, for players who put up what Jackson did.



That's a pretty great list, right? And his Detroit-only numbers were even more spectacular. He simply did a huge amount of stuff on the court. You can argue against that with his extremely high usage (28.6 percent of all possessions when he was on the floor), but usage doesn't guarantee production. Production must justify usage, but usage does not guarantee it. Jackson still made a ton of things happen.

Then there's the upside factor. Jrue Holiday. Mike Conley. Eric Bledsoe. Kyle Lowry. All of these players took time to really develop into great point guards. Often times athletic guards like Jackson take off the first year after the extension and become great point guards as they learn how to operate the game more. Jackson was in the 75th percentile scoring out of the pick and roll shooting 44 percent and in the 74th percentile when he passed via Synergy Sports. So he understands the most basic and essential NBA set at a high level. That's big.

There's no reason he can't shoot more efficiently, there are no significant questions about his actual jump shot mechanics, and he's capable of improving defensively. However, it should be noted that Jackson turned 25 last April. He's not a spring chicken, just hitting his real development stage. In many ways he already is what he'll be, barring a Lowry-like progression curve, which is rare.

[Oracle]

Ok, they really don't compete, but it is interesting looking at the size of TMac vs Johnson.

[Phil-Good]

I been watching Detroit Basketball all my life. Summer League included. Today was my first time seeing A NBA Rookie get double teamed in A summer League game. Never seen it before today.

S.Johnson looked good... The crazy part about it is They were double teaming Johnson when he had like 11 points and he still got 24.. or more.. WOW!

[cool breeze]

Well Stuckey's gamble paid off nicely! He snagged a 3 year $21M contract from the Pacers... Good work Stuckey, and another Joe Dumars draftee got PAID!!!

Stanimal showed the FULL range of his dominating abilities today! 24 points, 3 steals 9 boards against only 2 turns and 2 fouls... NICE! However, you have to see how he scored to appreciate this young man, we may be sitting on something special here!

I'm not worried about Dinwiddie, but man has he been sucking so far! Poor shooting, poor finishing, out of control, and turnover prone! In short, he looks like sh!t, and if he was just drafted, or coming from the D-League, he wouldn't have a chance to crack the lineup! He really needs to get his stuff together after another 6 turnover affair scoring only 5 points!

We also saw another Drive player, Holsey, that looked really good! He's a 6'8 forward that plays bigger down low, and he dropped 16pts on the Clippers. I don't know his story, but he looked really good! It was mostly him and Stanley, the only two players in double figures.

But this was unquestionably the Stanley Johnson show! Unlike last year where the ball was forced to run through KCP, Stanley gets most of his through the normal flow of the game, which, IMO, is a better indicator of how he'll play in real games!

Another shocker for me was his ability to be a facilitator on offense. There were times he initiated the offense, which didn't result in assists because they moved the ball a lot, but his ball handling is better than most 2's & 3's, and almost as good as PG's!

It's amazing how he finishes through contact and he really knows how to use that powerful body... color me impressed!!!

Oracle Stanley Johnson played all 5 positions in high school and played point guard really well. He is a well rounded player and the crazy thing is that he is only 19 years old. Meanwhile Dinwiddie needs to play more relaxed and not worry about pushing tempo.

[Oracle]

Well Stuckey's gamble paid off nicely! He snagged a 3 year $21M contract from the Pacers... Good work Stuckey, and another Joe Dumars draftee got PAID!!!

Stanimal showed the FULL range of his dominating abilities today! 24 points, 3 steals 9 boards against only 2 turns and 2 fouls... NICE! However, you have to see how he scored to appreciate this young man, we may be sitting on something special here!

I'm not worried about Dinwiddie, but man has he been sucking so far! Poor shooting, poor finishing, out of control, and turnover prone! In short, he looks like sh!t, and if he was just drafted, or coming from the D-League, he wouldn't have a chance to crack the lineup! He really needs to get his stuff together after another 6 turnover affair scoring only 5 points!

We also saw another Drive player, Holsey, that looked really good! He's a 6'8 forward that plays bigger down low, and he dropped 16pts on the Clippers. I don't know his story, but he looked really good! It was mostly him and Stanley, the only two players in double figures.

But this was unquestionably the Stanley Johnson show! Unlike last year where the ball was forced to run through KCP, Stanley gets most of his through the normal flow of the game, which, IMO, is a better indicator of how he'll play in real games!

Another shocker for me was his ability to be a facilitator on offense. There were times he initiated the offense, which didn't result in assists because they moved the ball a lot, but his ball handling is better than most 2's & 3's, and almost as good as PG's!

It's amazing how he finishes through contact and he really knows how to use that powerful body... color me impressed!!!

[Murph]

The Stanimal looks good. kind of reminds me of James Harden mix with Ron Artest A little bit. Big-strong kid with good foot work, very poise, very physical, good body control, really nice euro step, can finish with contact, sneaky athletic, good floor vision, and let's the game come to him. I like what I see so far....

It was clear the kid was exhausted but he still showed NBA talent and ability. Looking forward to see how this kid develops. The Pistons could sure use A All star to go next to Jackson and Drummonds moving forward.

Yes...good points.  The Pistons need to work Johnson into the starting line-up as soon as possible.  


The Pistons only have 5 big men under contract...Drummond, the Kiwi, Ilyasova, Tolliver and Miller.   And Ilyasova and Miller are undersized big men.

OTOH, SVG has 8 wings under contract...Johnson, Morris, Bullock, Martin, Granger, KCP, Meeks and Hilliard.

I certainly hope SVG isn't building a soft team around Drummond, the way he built a soft team around Howard in Orlando.  As a Pistons fan, there are few things I dislike more than watching soft basketball.

[Oracle]

Sloppy,  but that's to be expected!

I noticed that Johnson's defense was particularly BAD! Guys were getting by him at will, and he was slow to recover! I'm not nit picking, but it is something I want to keep an eye on as the games progress.

Having said that, these games have never been about great defense, so I'm not really expecting much!

@Merc - Yeah, Don, while being a total AZ homer, is still a man of principle when talking about good players! Gordon made me a believer but Stanley didn't need to, I know this kid is just getting started! With a body like that at 19, I certainly don't want to be between him and the basket when he's in his mid 20's!

@Phillip - Two of the best things I saw out of Stanley was his ability to put the ball on the floor and do whatever he wants, and his good looking stroke from anywhere, but especially from deep!

I'm really struggling to figure out if he would be better suited at the 2 or the 3! Kind of like Knight, he wanted to play the 1, but when he was in scorer mode, he was better suited to play off the ball at the 2!

But I'm biased! I like a SF to be a minimum of 6'8, meaning I could go for 6'7.5! Johnson height wise is a TRUE tweener, he's right in the middle of the max SG and min SF!

But I'm going to take the advice I was dishing out for Knight! Who cares, he's a player you need to play, screw trying to figure out where and let nature take its course

@Wise - I'm with you, I don't think we've improved the SF position, I know we have! Prince & Butler??? Are you freaking kidding me?  It's like night & day, the talent level is upgraded and the depth is solid... no more long tooths scraping the hardwood in the 4th! I know Morris had a court date, but when will he get his butt over here?

[merc]

Don, hats off buddy... you qualify as not just a AZ homer... both Gordon & Johnson look like the real deal.

[Phil-Good]

The Stanimal looks good. kind of reminds me of James Harden mix with Ron Artest A little bit. Big-strong kid with good foot work, very poise, very physical, good body control, really nice euro step, can finish with contact, sneaky athletic, good floor vision, and let's the game come to him. I like what I see so far....



It was clear the kid was exhausted but he still showed NBA talent and ability. Looking forward to see how this kid develops. The Pistons could sure use A All star to go next to Jackson and Drummonds moving forward.


Also have to give credit to Van Gundy. He getting the maximum value out of value contract guys. I'm looking for 1 more big trade out of Detroit.

[WTF]

I don’t know much about Marcus Morris who will step into what has been the most hotly discussed position over the last 24 months.  Are we better, worse or just different?  I figured it is worth examining by laying out the numbers between Morris and the guy whose game we are most familure, Kyle Singler.  To gain a better perspective of how the differences compare to a leader at the position I’ve added data for DeMarre Carroll the highly coveted free agent SF.

Disclaimer (Coolbreeze):  This is in no way an attempt to disparage Kyle Singler.

Physical
MM:  6’9”, 235 lb., 25 yr, RH, 4 yr pro;  
KS: 6’8”, 230 lb, 27 yr, RH, 3 yr pro;  
DC:  6’8”, 212 lb, 28 yr, RH, 6 yr pro.

Durability
Both MM & KS average 80 games / season as rotation players.

2014-15 Season
Min/gm:    MM 25;   KS 24;   (DC 31)    0
FGA/gm:    MM 9.4;  KS 6.5;  (DC 9.3)    0
3pt fga/gm:    MM 3.9;   3.5;  (DC 4.3)    0
% of FGA that are 3pt FGA:    MM 41%;  KS 54%;  (DC 46%)    +
FG%/3pt%/2pt%:    MM 43% / 36% / 49%;   KS 40% / 41% / 39%;   (DC 49% / 40% / 57%)    0
FTA/gm, FT%:    MM 1.4, 63%;   KS 0.7, 81%;  (DC 2.6, 70%)    -
A to TO ratio:    MM 1.8;  KS 1.6;  (DC 1.5)    0
PF/gm:    MM 2.3;  KS 1.8;  (DC 2.2)    0
S/gm:    MM 0.8;  KS 0.5;  (DC 1.3)    0
Blk/gm:    MM 0.2;  KS 0.3;  (DC 0.2)    0
Rebounds/gm O/D/T:    MM 0.9 / 3.9 / 4.8;   KS 0.4 / 1.7 / 2.1;  (DC 1.4 / 3.9 / 5.3)    +

Both guys seem to play to their strengths on offense.  KS hanging around the arc whereas MM gets more done inside the arc.
Marcus should be a big help on the boards.  He will also be a bit of a detriment on the charity stripe.
The data suggest that Morris isn't at or approaching best in class but does indicate he may bring a game which is more productive and involved than we have become accustomed to seeing.  What can't be assessed by the data at hand is his bball IQ, heart and hustle.

I like to think we improved the SF by leaps and bounds from previous seasons. I'm not sold that Granger can no longer be product so I hope he sticks if he's half the player he once was he's still better than what we had prior. Morris seems a lot more consistent with his play and adds an element of toughness that I didn't see much from the rest. Our SF were too passive in their games.If Johnson is all everyone hoping then that along say's were a hell of a lot better otherwise way drafted him at #8 if he isn't.

[Oracle]

Johnson had a good game!

[lemonpen]

For what it is worth, I must admit that GM Stan has made some sneaky good moves over the last couple of weeks:

- Moving Caron Butler and Sheldon Williams from Ilyasova. Stan, and a transaction that was executed during the NBA Finals. A GM Pimp Move.
- Drafting Stanley Johnson (8th) and Darrun Hilliard (38th). Young guys that are out to prove themselves.
- Signing Aaron Baynes at $20 million for 4 years. Baynes will prove to be an excellent back-up Center. He comes from a winning culture and the dude is good.
- Trading a throwaway 2nd Round pick in 2020 for Marcus Morris, who can start at SF has size and range. He's a tough dude, too, who may be ready to become a professional without his identical twin brother at his side. Reggie Bullock is a guy, who can shoot from the wing position. And, Danny Granger may be helpful in the locker room. DX, it looks like OUR boy, Quincy Miller may become the odd man out, as his tiny salary is not fully guaranteed.

I got to give it to GM Stan he has been thinking on his feet.

Dang man, this might be the first glowing praise of SVG I've read from you. Watch out there now.

Yeah, too bad for Quincy. If reports are to be believed he was really putting in the work to secure a roster spot, then this.

[lemonpen]

Do you guys remember "The Decision".  Recall the environment throughout the NBA weeks prior to that.  In some cases a year earlier.  The biggest of big name players were entering free agency, and in anticipation / preparation  many teams were clearing their rosters.  

This years crop of FA's has prompted similar reactions creating a buyers market.  Out pops GM Stan cherry picking two of those LaMarcus Aldridge hopefuls.  The Spurs and Suns.  Kudos SVG.

Like before, as the big names select their destinations you will see a reversal of fortune triggered by desperation of teams who come up empty.  Teams like NYK and LAL sit there with 6 and 9 players signed for the upcoming season.  With many spots to fill across the league sellers will have the upper hand.  

Here we sit with 16 players, one over the max.  Wanna bet SVG turns Martin or Granger into the second round pick surrendered to Phoenix.

I like your analogy of cherry pickin'... these moves may not seem significant right now but it's absolutely the right way for a small market team to build...  like climbing a mountain... weaving the sideways path to find a safest direct trail vs. attempting the all in  straight line up and tumbling down on your ass. These moves had almost no cost yet could be valuable trade filler at the deadline or sooner.
Impatient folks will expect tier one free agents to jump to the Pistons for near max dollars who own a not so stellar track record (multiple coaches, high player turn over and no playoffs).... I hope we can track the history of these moves from the start (ie. 2nd round pick became a valuable asset that was dealt for a quality starter.

I forgot to include the Bucks as cherry picked, they were also in salary dump mode.

[lemonpen]

I don’t know much about Marcus Morris who will step into what has been the most hotly discussed position over the last 24 months.  Are we better, worse or just different?  I figured it is worth examining by laying out the numbers between Morris and the guy whose game we are most familure, Kyle Singler.  To gain a better perspective of how the differences compare to a leader at the position I’ve added data for DeMarre Carroll the highly coveted free agent SF.

Disclaimer (Coolbreeze):  This is in no way an attempt to disparage Kyle Singler.

Physical
MM:  6’9”, 235 lb., 25 yr, RH, 4 yr pro;  
KS: 6’8”, 230 lb, 27 yr, RH, 3 yr pro;  
DC:  6’8”, 212 lb, 28 yr, RH, 6 yr pro.

Durability
Both MM & KS average 80 games / season as rotation players.

2014-15 Season
Min/gm:    MM 25;   KS 24;   (DC 31)    0
FGA/gm:    MM 9.4;  KS 6.5;  (DC 9.3)    0
3pt fga/gm:    MM 3.9;   3.5;  (DC 4.3)    0
% of FGA that are 3pt FGA:    MM 41%;  KS 54%;  (DC 46%)    +
FG%/3pt%/2pt%:    MM 43% / 36% / 49%;   KS 40% / 41% / 39%;   (DC 49% / 40% / 57%)    0
FTA/gm, FT%:    MM 1.4, 63%;   KS 0.7, 81%;  (DC 2.6, 70%)    -
A to TO ratio:    MM 1.8;  KS 1.6;  (DC 1.5)    0
PF/gm:    MM 2.3;  KS 1.8;  (DC 2.2)    0
S/gm:    MM 0.8;  KS 0.5;  (DC 1.3)    0
Blk/gm:    MM 0.2;  KS 0.3;  (DC 0.2)    0
Rebounds/gm O/D/T:    MM 0.9 / 3.9 / 4.8;   KS 0.4 / 1.7 / 2.1;  (DC 1.4 / 3.9 / 5.3)    +

Both guys seem to play to their strengths on offense.  KS hanging around the arc whereas MM gets more done inside the arc.
Marcus should be a big help on the boards.  He will also be a bit of a detriment on the charity stripe.
The data suggest that Morris isn't at or approaching best in class but does indicate he may bring a game which is more productive and involved than we have become accustomed to seeing.  What can't be assessed by the data at hand is his bball IQ, heart and hustle.

[Murph]

I suppose it was unrealistic to think that even mid-level free agents, such as Carroll or Draymond Green, would want to sign with Detroit, let alone Love and Aldridge.  

So the best we can hope for is picking up under-valued or under-appreciated players like Ilyasova and Morris, try to fit them into SVG's system,  and try for incremental improvements in performance and record.  I suppose the bench mark for success this season will again be playing close to .500 and hoping for a 7th or 8th playoff seed.

And I also suppose that as long as we have Josh Smith's non-performing $14 million a year salary hanging over our heads, we aren't really going to make a deep run into the playoffs anyway.  $14 million is a huge chunk of our cap space that we basically throw out the window every season.  Once that $14 million comes off the books, after the 2016-17 season, we can then use it to retain our hopefully rising stars, such as Drummond, Caldwell-Pope and Stanley Johnson.

So in effect, once SVG cut Smith and ate his salary, he put a long term plan into place.


The one thing I like about SVG is that he seems to draft well.  Hopefully, he plans on developing his draft picks, fitting them into a workable system, and then retaining them once they're due for large pay increases, and not dumping them on a whim for the next promising vet that John Hammond or some other GM dangles before us as trade bait.

My firm opinion is that mid-market teams like the Pistons have to build winners though the draft by drafting well, developing their young players, creating an environment in which they play well and want to stay, and then retaining them once they're due to have huge pay increases.

So hopefully Morris and Ilyasova turn out to be useful place holders for future home grown rising starts like Johnson, and next years 1st round pick which needs to be a PF.

[Oracle]

Yeah, they lost one of the best rim protectors and the reigning king of rebounding the last few years! Jordan more than held his own against his buddy Howard, and allowed everybody else to practice their trade without having to do the dirty stuff!

Was he a dumb ass? Well, sometimes, like this...


So Chris Paul had to ride him a bit, but of course, he couldn't let it go at a little bit, Paul rode him hard!!! But there's a problem with that...

When Jordan was on the court last season, the Clippers outscored opponents by 11.8 points. When Jordan was off the court, they were outscored by 3.6 points. Case closed.

Yet now he's gone, and for what? Why would DeAndre Jordan go to a situation that seems clearly inferior?

He is taking less money, even with the Texas-sized tax break — four years at $80 million versus the Clippers' offer of five years at $108 million. He is playing with lesser players — the Mavericks have nobody to compare to Chris Paul or Blake Griffin.

Even if he is going back to his home state -- Jordan is from the Houston area -- he is essentially giving up a chance at an NBA championship, moving 1,400 miles to mire himself in mediocrity.

One could easily criticize Jordan's decision, and he will certainly hear about it when the Mavericks come to Staples Center next winter. But, really, it's hard to seriously rip a 26-year-old guy who is simply utilizing the earned right to dictate his NBA future.

The real question is not what is wrong with DeAndre Jordan, but what is wrong with the Clippers?

The Clippers now have no center and no money... they will have to deal somebody to get what they need!

[Sebastian]

For what it is worth, I must admit that GM Stan has made some sneaky good moves over the last couple of weeks:

- Moving Caron Butler and Sheldon Williams from Ilyasova. Stan, and a transaction that was executed during the NBA Finals. A GM Pimp Move.
- Drafting Stanley Johnson (8th) and Darrun Hilliard (38th). Young guys that are out to prove themselves.
- Signing Aaron Baynes at $20 million for 4 years. Baynes will prove to be an excellent back-up Center. He comes from a winning culture and the dude is good.
- Trading a throwaway 2nd Round pick in 2020 for Marcus Morris, who can start at SF has size and range. He's a tough dude, too, who may be ready to become a professional without his identical twin brother at his side. Reggie Bullock is a guy, who can shoot from the wing position. And, Danny Granger may be helpful in the locker room. DX, it looks like OUR boy, Quincy Miller may become the odd man out, as his tiny salary is not fully guaranteed.

I got to give it to GM Stan he has been thinking on his feet.

[merc]

Do you guys remember "The Decision".  Recall the environment throughout the NBA weeks prior to that.  In some cases a year earlier.  The biggest of big name players were entering free agency, and in anticipation / preparation  many teams were clearing their rosters.  

This years crop of FA's has prompted similar reactions creating a buyers market.  Out pops GM Stan cherry picking two of those LaMarcus Aldridge hopefuls.  The Spurs and Suns.  Kudos SVG.

Like before, as the big names select their destinations you will see a reversal of fortune triggered by desperation of teams who come up empty.  Teams like NYK and LAL sit there with 6 and 9 players signed for the upcoming season.  With many spots to fill across the league sellers will have the upper hand.  

Here we sit with 16 players, one over the max.  Wanna bet SVG turns Martin or Granger into the second round pick surrendered to Phoenix.

I like your analogy of cherry pickin'... these moves may not seem significant right now but it's absolutely the right way for a small market team to build...  like climbing a mountain... weaving the sideways path to find a safest direct trail vs. attempting the all in  straight line up and tumbling down on your ass. These moves had almost no cost yet could be valuable trade filler at the deadline or sooner.
Impatient folks will expect tier one free agents to jump to the Pistons for near max dollars who own a not so stellar track record (multiple coaches, high player turn over and no playoffs).... I hope we can track the history of these moves from the start (ie. 2nd round pick became a valuable asset that was dealt for a quality starter.

[lemonpen]

Do you guys remember "The Decision".  Recall the environment throughout the NBA weeks prior to that.  In some cases a year earlier.  The biggest of big name players were entering free agency, and in anticipation / preparation  many teams were clearing their rosters.  

This years crop of FA's has prompted similar reactions creating a buyers market.  Out pops GM Stan cherry picking two of those LaMarcus Aldridge hopefuls.  The Spurs and Suns.  Kudos SVG.

Like before, as the big names select their destinations you will see a reversal of fortune triggered by desperation of teams who come up empty.  Teams like NYK and LAL sit there with 6 and 9 players signed for the upcoming season.  With many spots to fill across the league sellers will have the upper hand.  

Here we sit with 16 players, one over the max.  Wanna bet SVG turns Martin or Granger into the second round pick surrendered to Phoenix.

[Oracle]

@Wise - After a little additional research on Granger, he may not be as done as many think. He did well in Miami before going to the Suns, but the Suns didn't play him, so he got to heal up a lot. The up tempo game of the Suns likely didn't fit as much as the more half court game of Miami. He may be good off the deep bench in some matchups!

Again, I hear you on the role players, backups & hopefuls, but again, we're in that position mostly because of complaints like those. We can't keep shipping off 2nd & 3rd year players and watching them turn into very good players for somebody else, or you'll be saying that for years to come.

You weren't the only one to complain about Knight, but this crazy standard we have for PG's is silly! How about having a standard of leadership and winning! Once Knight got to the Bucks, he LED that team, and when they needed to win, they went to him and he made that team a playoff team. Leadership & winning is the SINGLE reason Phoenix cited for wanting him!

When you ignore the qualities that produce those things in favor of some esoteric quest for the perfect PG, it can lead to problems. However, that same analysis could apply to Afflalo as well, he was a strong leader in college and he led by example in the pros! The "Ask David" article on the side has a list of the moves made that sent really good players away.

@Lemonpen - Excellent analysis of SVG!!! He simply won't sit still like Joe did, if you block the front door, he's already sneaking in through the back door!

But I think where you nailed it was in the statement that SVG is in the "Making Stars" business! IMO, this is really how it plays out in all but the superstar cases, because everybody watched them! Everybody has a certain level of talent to even get to the NBA. Some guys blossom naturally, and others get developed in a system that works for them.

SVG picks guys that he believes will work well in his system, and then gives them every opportunity to grow and become a star. On other teams, we see that and somehow assume that these guys were stars all along.

Just like Wise says that we should go after established veterans, well, somebody established them. I like what SVG is doing because there's always a need for a mix of skills and experience. Our balance in that area was screwed, IMO, more by Gores's playoff demands than Joe's incompetence! However, I also believe that Joe simply wasn't with the new ways that GM's were moving, and his time was past!

Anyway, good post!!!

[WTF]

I still don't see a strong leader as in a strong veteran leader on the roster. Neither Jackson or Jennings has that ability IMO to carry these players to the next level in their short/or non-existing NBA careers. My Gut tells me Dinwiddie can be better than either because of the calm he carries on to the court every time he gets an opportunity. Personally I hope like hell Jennings doesn't get PT because he'll be playing for a new contract meaning he'll likely be playing for himself more times than not.

I'm not overly pleased or dis-pleased but again we have grouped together another collection of Role Players, Backups and Rookies hoping they get better giving an opportunity. Ilyasova: is an upgrade over Monroe and IMO will be a more productive fit, he will player harder on but ends of the court something MOnroe had a problem doing. We already know Ilyasova will shoot better from outside. It will be very important that Andre becomes a far better passer than he is a dunker.

Laugh as you may at this comment but Danny Granger if healthy even at 80% could very well be the starter or get minutes you don't think he capable of or deserving. This just further feeds into the issue again of all these 6"5 and 6"6 players running around here. Again we all know this guy can shoot the rock but can he stay healthy enough to stay on the court or does he still have it. Too Bad Arnie is gone to work some magic!

[lemonpen]

Our President, General Manager and Coach has been in place for about a year.  Two drafts, one campaign and 1.5 free agent seasons have passed.  I'm guessing the signing of R. Jackson will about exhaust our wallet, pretty much fixing our roster as is.  What have we learned about the BMOC.

-  He seemingly has absolutely no fear of pulling the trigger on a trade.  I mean ZERO trepidation.

-  He doesn't seem to be locked into upgrading only during off seasons.

-  He seems to churn his roster looking for a single nugget like a prospector panning for gold.

-  His approach seems to be that of a guy who "MAKES STARS" more than a guy who acquires stars.  Or, is he building a team that will some day be ready made for an established star to step into and win.

-  His moves offer an indication that he relentlessly beats the bushes, and in total silence.  Note the absence of media leaks.

-  GM Stan seems willing to accept risk (losing) associated with constant roster discontinuity.


Yes, No, Maybe ????  What did I miss.

[Oracle]

Ok, I'm not ecstatic about the FA moves! They're not very sexy, but when you peel back the covers, the chick in bed may be worth a ride, but there is a dependent factor which I'll discuss later!

Here's what I see, and I'm sure one of you guys will correct me if I'm wrong.

1. Ilyasova: He is an upgrade "Fit Wise" over Monroe, but a step backwards talent wise. Fortunately, fit far outweighs talent in this move, so this is a clear upgrade for us, i.e. a plus move!
   
2. Baynes: I didn't like this at first, but after looking at more video of him, this is a real upgrade at the backup 5! We get a big body that can actually shoot from close midrange, and finishes well at the rim! Better yet, he's no chump and won't back down in the post! This is another plus move!
   
3. Morris: Really big at the SF position, decent size as a stretch 4, I'm sure Toliver was consulted on this move since they played together very recently! He's the lesser talented twin, but he's the tougher one and the better 3 point shooter. Combine his talent and fit, this is yet another plus move! One last thing... due to a pending case on him, he may be looking to clean up his image, and being together may have brought out the worse in the twins. BTW, this move isn't as bad as I originally thought. Carroll got 60M, but Morris is getting only 20M! Carroll isn't 3 times the player that Morris is, and Morris is younger. You can use a similar money argument with Harris vs Morris.
   
4. Granger & Bullock: Granger isn't worth a roster spot, IMO, and should be waived unless his agent is telling the truth, but his lips were moving so we know the deal. Bullock is another story. Still on his rookie contract and expiring, he may need looking at, as he was a 1st round pick(25th), and must have some talent. However neither is likely to have any impact, so this move is even.
   

Here's the word on the youngsters(Pistons throwing the kitchen sink at rookies and so far, so good), my comments in red

• Stanley Johnson – “You look at him physically, he has an NBA body right now and he’s only 19 years old. He’s been able (with) his on-ball defense to be very, very good. He gets into the ball. He can pressure the ball and he’s a very good athlete in transition. He runs the floor exceptionally well. He can catch the ball on the wing and make a solid play getting to the rim. Now the challenge for him is to do that consistently. He’s demonstrated to us in a very short period of time that ability. Now we’ve got to make him do it all the time. … Stanley’s come up to me after two consecutive practices. ‘What do I need to do to get better?’ That’s really, really encouraging.” - He's going to be a good one
  
  
• Darrun Hilliard – “He is a very serious player. He wants to be on top of everything. He wants the coaches to work with him and he wants to learn the plays, because he really wants to succeed. … When we scrimmaged last night, (Hilliard’s versatility) really came out. He has a great calmness to his game. He plays with great poise. Fundamentally, he’s extremely sound and he just lets the game come to him. He doesn’t panic out there. He knows when to shoot, he knows when to pass, he can rebound some, he’s a solid defender. He’s been very, very good in a short time.” - Hilliard is the SLEEPER in the draft, watch him
  
  
• Quincy Miller – “He’s a high-energy guy and he knows that this is a critical time for him right now. He’s put a lot into it. I think he’s sitting on a really, really big summer. I think he’s going to come out and play really, really hard and be very successful here in the games we’re going to play.” - After suffering a broken nose & roster spots being at a premium, he may be done if he can't blow our socks off, IMO!
  
  
• Spencer Dinwiddie – “(Performance and leadership skills) are both important, especially the way coach Van Gundy likes to play. He gives the point guards a lot of freedom, but he also expects them to know the offense inside and out. He has a jump, Spencer does, because a lot of the things we’re doing this summer is a carryover from what he learned last year. He played big minutes for us at times and did quite well. I think he knows where he’s at. He’s a young player and I think he has great anticipation to perform well and would like to demonstrate that he can be a Detroit Piston for a long time.” - No worries here, this kid has the goods, and like Hilliard, they're both very cool, calm and collected!
  
  

So where does this leave us?

That's what we won't know until the all star break! There's no doubt that we've improved over last year, but so has the competition!

The question is have we improved enough to offset the other teams improvements. A lot of that will be determined by systems and coaching coupled with how well we and the other teams integrate new personnel, remember how long it took Cleveland. Hell, where would the Bucks be if we weren't posing as the farm team to deliver them their top quality players!

We have multiple fates, but if Jennings is healthy, that's a bump that, IMO, clearly puts us in the top running, but right now, it's too close to call until we see some performance improvements in KCP, Jackson & Drummond!

[WTF]

Rejects & Role players WTF!!!!!!!!


This could turn into something decent or we could be looking at another season of the same tiresome crap as previous seasons. For me to believe it'll all turn out decent then someone please tell me Stanley Johnson is the second coming of Grant Hill and KCP will start shooting like Allan Houston.

This is too funny I'm so ready for some football.

[deusXango]

Up close and looking at the flurry of activity going on in FA, which the Pistons didn't whisper or poot, the acquisitions look minor, but consider this;

Ilyasova is a much better fit than Monroe was as a stretch 4, playing next to Drummond.

The Morris twin is a more consistent scorer than Singler, Butler, and Prince, were last year, plus he brings an edge at SF none of those 3 had; he'll set a nice tone for Johnson to come in and kick ass on both ends of the floor.

IMHO, Baynes is going to a more productive backup center than Anthony was last year; Baynes is coming from a proven system, playing under the top NBA coach, and his numbers were based on him being the Spurs 3rd string center!

I repeatedly mention last year because it's important to look at how it started and how things turned around when we had solid PG play, and how the season ended under sound PG play. Jennings and Jackson's games are as different as night and day, but they both have an effective influence on the team, especially with the P & R with Drummond. Jennings played better without Josh and Jackson played better without the Moose; both are gone now! The team was rolling without stumbling, fumbling, big men knuckleheaded play and none productive to inconsistent SF play. Both those issues have been addressed by getting a frontcourt that balanced and aggressive, albeit not with name players. The soundness and reliability of Baynes, backing up Drummond, will be shown over the course of the season. I've got to see how Miller, Johnson, Dinwiddie, and Hilliard perform in summer league to determine if I'm happy or hopeful; I can't wait to see the results of KCP and Jackson's developmental growth over this summer either! SVG just may be setting himself up to be hailed as a genius.

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