Tallying the Clippers' Haul for Blake

[Sparma]

From Clipperholics: "In exchange for Blake, the Clippers got back Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Landry Shamet, Ivica Zubac, Wilson Chandler, JaMychal Green, Garrett Temple, a 2020 1st Round Pick via Philly (Lottery Protected), a 2021 1st Round Pick via Miami (Unprotected), two 2nd Round Picks via Philly and a lot of cap space to use up this summer.

It’s likely that Chandler, Green and Temple aren’t with the team past this season as all three are expiring. I also omitted Beasley from the list since it seems like the team will just waive him in the coming days."

All in a year's work for Jerry West & co (btw in a book from a year ago focused on him we're told that Kawhi and KD are his favorite players (along with LeBron)).

For the Pistons, Blake's been our best player since Grant. Still (as I think Murph pointed out recently) there's no disputing that the team hasn't gotten better since he's arrived in the D.

[BallinD]

Interesting trade deadline, as the league went crazy with moves, Big Ed swapped SJ and Bullock for Svi, Thon a 2nd and Ellington, who will probably start to replace Bullock.

We got younger and bigger and possibly will shoot better, plus we snagged a pick. The glass is half full for a run towards the 7th seed and an exciting race to the finish line. Svi might be something, Thon might be something and Ellington can shoot, plus we cleared a little money. Not bad for a start. It might be ...”cough cough” fun to watch?

@Murph, if at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.

[Murph]

Could someone please explain to me why we just added another SG to the roster? We now have Brown, Kennard, Galloway, Mykhailiuk, Thomas, Robinson, Whitehead and now Ellington.


Don, I don't know how Forbes comes up with those whack evaluations. It's certainly not based on cash flow or a multiple of earning. I think they start with the Knicks, assign a $4 billion evaluation, and then work all the way down to the Pistons.

[cool breeze]

Looking at the most recent guess work by NBA DRAFTNET I am just not impressed with this selection of potential players the Pistons might be in position to select. This draft board has the Pistons in the 8th spot. After watching a lot of college games this season, I am not impressed with any of the point guards that could be available. The previous two seasons provided some really good players including those listed in the 2nd round.

The PAC12 is really down relating to points and 2 guards. I have been looking for a high IQ play makers but see that too many players have been ruined by playing too much AAU ball. They have no sense as to when to penetrate and often drive into 3 players who are playing zone defenses. While I have been harping on keeping first round draft picks, this might be the time to include a number one pick if necessary to secure a competent point guard. Detroit has few players who any other NBA team will be interested in so it appears that the Pistons will keep this year's pick unless there is a blockbuster trade deal that includes Andre Drummond. Hopefully the Pistons will be looking forward to the 2020 draft class to position themselves for a top 3 pick.

Meanwhile, Reggie Jackson is playing his best ball lately. The Pistons have two 21 year old players who have good potential. I hope we get to see them play. Maker hasn't practiced with the team yet so we might have to wait to see where the coach fits him in. I suspect he will take the minutes Johnson had as a back up to BG. The Pistons front office has done a good job. SVG and his buddy have really screwed the Pistons in the short term but all is not lost. Yet it appears this forum is about to fold. The new guys might spark some interest so I hope Piston fans hang on for another two years or so.

[cool breeze]

I'd like to see Maker play reserve PF behind Griffin.  I mean he demanded a trade from the Bucks because he wasn't getting  playing time, so it only stands to reason that the Pistons are going to play him.

I think the big question is who will start tonight at SF.  I'd like to see Kennard start in a 3 guard starting lineup of Jackson, Brown and Kennard.  With Robinson and Svi splitting time at reserve SF.

I agree with DX and Phil that it was a good trade deadline for Stefanski.  He moved 2 free agents for valuable players, he got younger, and most importantly, he held onto his draft picks and prospects.

By hanging onto Ish, I think it's clear that the Pistons are making a push for the playoffs.  When he's playing well, Ish is very valuable to the 2nd unit.

I see in the latest Forbes evaluation of NBA teams, the Pistons are valued at $1.27 billion, up 15% from last year.  Wow.  That's 4 times what Gores paid for them just 8 years ago.

Amazing information on the current value of the Pistons. Is attendance up from last season? I wonder how the experts calculate the value of professional sports teams.

As you know, I am not a fan of Smith's game at all. When he actually makes a good pass early in the shot clock, he is more effective. He does have the ability to find open spots and get his shot off but overall he is not an effective shooter or decision maker. Smith is a liability on defense as well. If the Pistons do make the playoffs and Smith gets significant minutes, there is no chance of winning a series or perhaps one game. Teams will zero in on Smith and encourage him to hog the ball and he will do it. Smith gets the ball down court fast in transition but if the Pistons can't get stops, and the point guard pushes the ball after a make, it seems that the Pistons never really set up a half court offense with any semblance of proper floor spacing.

The weakness for this team is lack of perimeter defense and no consistent help by Piston big men who are often out of position or completely outside the painted area. AD is getting better or more determined to offer more lately relating to shot blocking and better effort. And perhaps Maker if he is smart, will notice that the Pistons have a need for a shot blocker on defense. That could get him a lot of minutes if he is smart enough to identify the need for an interior defender. I recall Maker blocking several Piston shot attempts in the paint. Let's hope he has his head on straight and doesn't fall into the Teal culture we have seen so much of in the recent past.

[Murph]

I'd like to see Maker play reserve PF behind Griffin. I mean he demanded a trade from the Bucks because he wasn't getting playing time, so it only stands to reason that the Pistons are going to play him.

I think the big question is who will start tonight at SF. I'd like to see Kennard start in a 3 guard starting lineup of Jackson, Brown and Kennard. With Robinson and Svi splitting time at reserve SF.

I agree with DX and Phil that it was a good trade deadline for Stefanski. He moved 2 free agents for valuable players, he got younger, and most importantly, he held onto his draft picks and prospects.

By hanging onto Ish, I think it's clear that the Pistons are making a push for the playoffs. When he's playing well, Ish is very valuable to the 2nd unit.

I see in the latest Forbes evaluation of NBA teams, the Pistons are valued at $1.27 billion, up 15% from last year. Wow. That's 4 times what Gores paid for them just 8 years ago.

[cool breeze]

Trade deadline is over and the Pistons still have their 2019 First round pick and Luke Kennard.

I say this was A successful trade deadline!!

It looks like reality has finally sunk in or somebody has told Gores the real deal,


Your playoff dream is S.H.I.T These guys suck.

Nobody wants John Luer, Galloway and Reggie Jackson. NOBODY!!!

Give it one year. These 3 guy won't be in the NBA anymore after they contracts expire. Watch and see.

The Pistons lack the exceptional athletes needed to win consistently in the NBA. The Pistons have one of the lowest basketball IQ teams in the NBA.
And you are correct that the strategy of including Galloway, Jackson, and Leuer in rotation to sell them before the trade deadline didn't work. Who would be making phone calls on those players? How many teams made calls to Piston management relating to Andre Drummond? I thought that perhaps this owner was going in a different direction and bent on bringing in players who could compliment Blake Griffin. I really thought that somehow the Pistons might try to trade both Drummond, Jackson, and either Leuer or Galloway along with our number one pick to Memphis for Gasol and Conley. I don't think the Pistons have enough solid perimeter players to do much in the playoffs with this triple threat of older players.

Maybe something will happen next summer relating to a meaningful trade. The Pistons need high draft picks. Boston under the leadership of Danny Ainge has set themselves up for a big summer possibly nailing down the guy in most demand, Anthony Davis. Boston has a sweet future because they used the opposite strategy of the Detroit Pistons who get the dunce cap award for stupidity. You don't win if you go for years without getting a star caliber player through the draft. You don't usually get a star picking in the 7th or 8th position of worse. Fans try to stay loyal but without a winning strategy by management teams like the Pistons will always be spinning their wheels being forced to sell snake oil to sucker fans into buying in to the sad sack teams they put on the floor. they use excuses for years saying hey Reggie Jackson and Jon Leuer suffered significant injuries. This year they are using the excuse that Ish Smith has been injured.

Who will the coach use to stop high flying perimeter players when they are scoring at will. I guess this coach ignored those situations and used the same players in crunch time that always get burned. Will this coach ever try Luke Kennard at point guard or it is in stone that Jackson, Smith and Calderon are the only options?? There will be 4 or 5 top rated players who will be signing new contracts in free agency this summer. The Pistons will not have any chance with any of them. They will need to get real lucky in the draft.

We Piston fans will have to settle for getting excited about who will play backup center. Will it be ZaZa or Maker? Will both Maker and ZaZa play with the 2nd unit now? Actually that might be fun to watch. Will the new player from the Lakers get an opportunity? We still can have fun with the little things. But please coach Casey now that the trade deadline is over, don't force us to watch Galloway and Leuer for too many minutes.

[Phil-Good]

Trade deadline is over and the Pistons still have their 2019 First round pick and Luke Kennard.

I say this was A successful trade deadline!!

It looks like reality has finally sunk in or somebody has told Gores the real deal,


Your playoff dream is S.H.I.T These guys suck.

Nobody wants John Luer, Galloway and Reggie Jackson. NOBODY!!!


Give it one year. These 3 guy won't be in the NBA anymore after they contracts expire. Watch and see.

[cool breeze]

What if the Pistons traded AD, RJ and IS for Conley and Gasol and a first round pick? Gasol is getting towards the end of his career. Memphis wants to move both contracts. Conley, Gasol and Griffin make a pretty good combination relating to their ability to perform well in the playoffs. The Pistons get a hell of a lot smarter with those two players. Memphis gets a young talented center and a serviceable point guard with one year left on his contract. Maybe Memphis would need to take on Leuer's contract which would be sweet. The Pistons get older but having high basketball IQ players really would help the younger Piston players in the long run. Time is running out. The moves so far might turn out positive but is not enough to make this team much better without improving the overall basketball IQ of the Detroit Pistons.

Pistons are a day late and a dollar short. Gasol goes to Toronto along with Avery Bradley. Wow the Raptors are playoff ready because Gasol is finally healthy and has that special gift of being an extremely high IQ defender and passer. Bradley is another low maintenance player who can defend the perimeter. With Lenard playing healthy the Raptors are the team to beat in the East.

Meanwhile as I evaluate the Pistons chances, I say they are about the same or worse off because our Pistons still suffer from having an overall low basketball IQ with a suspect coaching staff. They lack any chance in hell because this roster is stacked with low basketball defenders who also have the trait of not giving enough effort on defense. Who can this team count on to stop a hot shooter on the perimeter? Who has enough quickness or desire? Who will guard the paint among the big men and be consistent from game to game? The Piston's management group did not address the critical issues perhaps because they do not have the assets necessary to make a meaningful trade. Yet I approve of what was done and will look forward to watching the two new players the Pistons did pick up. It appears that neither AD or RJ were very appealing to the teams who were in the trade market this year. Both AD and RJ have been playing with more effort lately. Will this trend continue? Even if it does, it won't be enough to win a playoff series. But the Pistons will still have their number one pick so it might be best for the Pistons to lose a lot of games for the remainder of the season.

[cool breeze]

What if the Pistons traded AD, RJ and IS for Conley and Gasol and a first round pick? Gasol is getting towards the end of his career. Memphis wants to move both contracts. Conley, Gasol and Griffin make a pretty good combination relating to their ability to perform well in the playoffs. The Pistons get a hell of a lot smarter with those two players. Memphis gets a young talented center and a serviceable point guard with one year left on his contract. Maybe Memphis would need to take on Leuer's contract which would be sweet. The Pistons get older but having high basketball IQ players really would help the younger Piston players in the long run. Time is running out. The moves so far might turn out positive but is not enough to make this team much better without improving the overall basketball IQ of the Detroit Pistons.

[cool breeze]

I may stand alone, in my enthusiasm, with the patient improvements made by the current management team (lowering the payroll, upgrading the size and skills of our players, and, get this, making the team younger!) No Riverboat Gambler who doesn't have the slightest idea what a winning hand looks like (SVG & Bower) but, astute thinkers and long range planners.

Trading our best cutter and shooter (Reggie Bullock), who's 27 and on the verge of getting paid, for possibly a better shooter with a great basketball I.Q. on a rookie contract...welcome to the "D" Svi Mykhailiuk.
The main argument for keeping Stanley Johnson around was his youth and potential...great for a 4 year pro who's shooting coach seemed to have been Lindsey Hunter...that's who his offensive game reminded me of, traded for 7' 1" of athletic, high percentage shooting, rim protecting, potential, who's younger still...glad you're a Piston Thon Maker. IMHO "Big Ed" made team improvements now and going forward, and the trade deadline hasn't passed yet.

Damn rolling the dice on Mike Conley! If fans have a problem with Blake Griffin's contract at age 29, those same fans will surely have a problem with Conley's contract at age 31! With that dumpster fire going on in D.C. and we're talking about giving up another 1st round pick, why not Reggie Jackson, Langston Galloway, our first rounder, and a couple of our second round picks for Bradley Beal? Makes more sense than trying to put a package together for Conley. If the Wizards turn their nose up at our offer then we tolerate Reggie until the end of his contract but, under no circumstances do I expect our current management team to go hard after Conley...at this point, Markelle Fultz is looking more practical than Conley.

Stefanski and Co. are showing signs of digging out of that financial hole Stan Van Gundy put this franchise in...keep Gores drunk or out of town until the job is done...whatever works.

Until the trade deadline passes and they're still on the roster, I'm hoping that Leuer, Galloway, and Smith are gone and been replaced with future assets, making way for the development of Kennard, Brown, Thomas, Maker, and Mykhailiuk. At this point, what've we got to loose?

GO PISTONS  

Enjoyed reading this post dX. Note that Tobias Harris has been traded to Philly today. Johnson traded from the Bucks to the Pelicans without ever wearing a Bucks jersey. Who knows what will happen next? Could AD and RJ be traded to the Pelicans for Davis and Holliday? I sure would love to see Holliday play for the Pistons. Davis is another matter. He wants to be in LA but at least the Pistons would lose AD's salary.

Your wish is my wish relating to losing Galloway, Leuer, and Smith. But I can't believe even this management group can move Galloway and Leuer. Smith is another matter. How about taking a big chance with Washington and making a trade for Beal and Wall knowing that Wall's injury might be severe. That trade would have to include AD but then perhaps Washington would take on the contracts of Leuer and Galloway. Lot's of options left for the Pistons. The Lakers are looking to unload some contracts. And Lemonpen has brought up Jeff Teague who I have always liked. One last thought. The owner is building this Piston team around Blake. AD and Blake are not a good fit. Johnson, AD were tight as friends. AD and Jackson are tight as friends. I'll bet there is a lot going on behind the scenes today in Piston land that we will never know about.

[lemonpen]

Reggie Jackson (2yrs @ $17M) for Jeff Teague (1yr @ 19M, Player Option @ $19M).

In addition would you sweeten the deal by taking on Robert Covington for 3yrs @ $12M for Jon Leuer for 1 more @ $10M.

[deusXango]

I may stand alone, in my enthusiasm, with the patient improvements made by the current management team (lowering the payroll, upgrading the size and skills of our players, and, get this, making the team younger!) No Riverboat Gambler who doesn't have the slightest idea what a winning hand looks like (SVG & Bower) but, astute thinkers and long range planners.

Trading our best cutter and shooter (Reggie Bullock), who's 27 and on the verge of getting paid, for possibly a better shooter with a great basketball I.Q. on a rookie contract...welcome to the "D" Svi Mykhailiuk.
The main argument for keeping Stanley Johnson around was his youth and potential...great for a 4 year pro who's shooting coach seemed to have been Lindsey Hunter...that's who his offensive game reminded me of, traded for 7' 1" of athletic, high percentage shooting, rim protecting, potential, who's younger still...glad you're a Piston Thon Maker. IMHO "Big Ed" made team improvements now and going forward, and the trade deadline hasn't passed yet.

Damn rolling the dice on Mike Conley! If fans have a problem with Blake Griffin's contract at age 29, those same fans will surely have a problem with Conley's contract at age 31! With that dumpster fire going on in D.C. and we're talking about giving up another 1st round pick, why not Reggie Jackson, Langston Galloway, our first rounder, and a couple of our second round picks for Bradley Beal? Makes more sense than trying to put a package together for Conley. If the Wizards turn their nose up at our offer then we tolerate Reggie until the end of his contract but, under no circumstances do I expect our current management team to go hard after Conley...at this point, Markelle Fultz is looking more practical than Conley.

Stefanski and Co. are showing signs of digging out of that financial hole Stan Van Gundy put this franchise in...keep Gores drunk or out of town until the job is done...whatever works.

Until the trade deadline passes and they're still on the roster, I'm hoping that Leuer, Galloway, and Smith are gone and been replaced with future assets, making way for the development of Kennard, Brown, Thomas, Maker, and Mykhailiuk. At this point, what've we got to loose?

GO PISTONS

[Murph]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xhZU2LslSAk

He's quick and athletic. He can shoot off the dribble, catch and shoot, and he moves really well without the basketball.

Not only that, this guy is still only 21 even though he played 4 years at Kansas. If you do the math, he entered Kansas and played his freshman year at the age of 17.

[cool breeze]

The Pistons traded Stanley Johnson to the Bucks for 7'1 Thon Maker.  

I'm shocked, but I'm not disappointed.  Maker is an intriguing player, and SJ had hit his ceiling here in Detroit.

Who the heck is going to start at SF now?  Luke Kennard?  Glenn Robinson? Svi Mykhailiuk?

I am happy for Johnson who will help any NBA team because he is an outstanding defender. In this last game, the guy who was problems for NY was Johnson not by scoring but with is ability to guard whoever the number one option was at any specific time in the game. For the last two games, this coach finally played Johnson after losing a ton of games in the closing minutes because the team couldn't get stops or critical defensive rebounds. In this last game Johnson didn't need to score to fill a key role this team needed. Now the Pistons are left with below average perimeter defender with no player on the team who can come in and stop hot shooters. Johnson won't be missed much because neither SVG or Casey used his wisely.

I support this trade but insist that Johnson was not a failure. The coaches should get the flunking grade with their primitive low IQ offensive sets and lack of knowledge relating to what actually wins games. High IQ and defense wins in crunch time. The Pistons would not have been able to sign Johnson and had no interest from the start of this season to do so anyway. Casey was in love with Langston Galloway. But somehow Langston sat the bench in the 2nd half of the NY game maybe because Casey was getting desperate relating to the Pistons record going into the All Star game.

Thon Maker will be an interesting addition. He has high energy and the ability to hit long distance shots at times. He is really young with a lot of potential and the Pistons needed more size. Great job by the front office.

I agree and worry that the Pistons will pull of another stupid trade relating to Mike Conley. Memphis really needs to lose his contract and the Pistons have been the sucker so many times it is only fitting that Detroit gives away another first round pick as they bid against themselves yet again. Reggie Jackson is actually turning the corner now and is playing pretty good basketball. How much better of a player is Conley at this time in his career????


I wonder if the Pistons are going to pull the trigger on the RJ, Kennard and a 1st rounder for Conley.  I sure hope they don't give up all of that for Conley.

[lemonpen]

The Pistons traded Stanley Johnson to the Bucks for 7'1 Thon Maker.  

I'm shocked, but I'm not disappointed.  Maker is an intriguing player, and SJ had hit his ceiling here in Detroit.

Who the heck is going to start at SF now?  Luke Kennard?  Glenn Robinson? Svi Mykhailiuk?



I wonder if the Pistons are going to pull the trigger on the RJ, Kennard and a 1st rounder for Conley.  I sure hope they don't give up all of that for Conley.

My faith in the front office is rising. Unlike SVG they don't seem to be willing to allow assets to walk away without return. I expect Ish to get gone inside of 24 hrs.

[Murph]

The Pistons traded Stanley Johnson to the Bucks for 7'1 Thon Maker.  

I'm shocked, but I'm not disappointed.  Maker is an intriguing player, and SJ had hit his ceiling here in Detroit.

Who the heck is going to start at SF now?  Luke Kennard?  Glenn Robinson? Svi Mykhailiuk?



I wonder if the Pistons are going to pull the trigger on the RJ, Kennard and a 1st rounder for Conley. I sure hope they don't give up all of that for Conley.

[cool breeze]

In the previous game the Pistons played great team orientated basketball. I thought Bullock shot the ball too early against NY but he did make a lot of shots in the first quarter. But Galloway decided from the get go to ignore the new offense Casey had installed that had worked so well. Galloway attempted his first shot within about 10 seconds of entering the game on a baseline 3 point attempt where he didn't have his feet set. Then he lagged back on defense and his man scored in the paint. Then AD got into the Me First play after watching Galloway fire away on several misses. The problem with Galloway is his habit of shooting the 3 point shot before his teammates get across half court. How depressing that is to watch your teammate shoot and miss on a wild stupid shot attempt while you are running hard to get in position to run a half court offense. You have to turn around and beat it back on defense which is something Galloway hates to play. This is the type of player Dwayne Casey adores. He can't get enough players like Galloway. I don't know of any coach who would tolerate what Galloway did in the first quarter yet Casey just stood there admiring all of those misses because he didn't take any action.

Due to the size of Galloway's contract, Casey will continue to play this guy even when he can't hit the broad side of a barn. He can get the hot hand at times but he gives a lot away with his shoddy defense. Who would want to play with Langston Galloway? He is a chemistry killer. Before he came into the game, The Pistons were rolling. It only takes one selfish player to kill everything. This coach has showed his ability to punish players when they make one mistake but somehow he ignores the obvious at times.

[Murph]

After one of his better games of the season last night (19 pts, 7 rbds), the Pistons have agreed to trade Reggie Bullock to LA for the 6'8 European SF/SG, Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk and a 2nd rounder.  

Mykhailuk is a shooter, although his rookie stats indicate an anemic shooting percentage.  Mykhailuk shot 41% from the 3 point line in 4 years for very good Kansas teams, including 44% from the 3 pt line his senior year.

Mykhailiuk was a 2018 mid second rounder, so the Pistons essentially traded Bullock for two 2nd rounders.

I'm not sure how this specific trade will work out, but in general, this is the kind of trade I want to see the Pistons make.  They traded a veteran free agent, who will likely be gone next season, for draft picks.

This should open the door for Kennard and Thomas to get more minutes.

[cool breeze]

First off, Andre Drummond's performance in the 3rd quarter was outstanding. That to me was the best he has ever played in his life because he played at 100% energy on both ends of the floor. If he could lose 20 pounds, we might see him do that every night.

Watching the chemistry between Luke Kennard and Stanley Johnson reveals how badly this head coach has handled his selection of players throughout the season. This has happened in other games as well as last night. When Ish Smith does not play every possession with his ball dominate style and gets the ball up the court fast and then passes it to Kennard good things happen. Luke is a natural point guard if I have ever seen one. His ability to see everything going on in the half court offense while moving at a high rate of speed then making the correct pass should have been noticed before this point in the season. I guarantee that the Pistons would have have had such a disappointing record. The Pistons do not need Reggie Jackson or Ish Smith. The do not need Conley either. Luke Kennard is the guy who has the ability to actually execute a half court offense. But he cannot do it playing the 2 guard.

Now for identifying the importance of chemistry relating to winning. Johnson and Kennard are both high basketball IQ players trying to play an offense that is designed for low IQ players. But last night I saw where the coaching staff implemented something new in the offense where the Pistons were starting to play both sides of the court. This happened when the ball quickly went to the center ( either ZaZa or Andre) at the free throw line. Then when Kennard was in the game, good things happened. But what was especially noticeable was this fantastic chemistry between Luke and Stanley on both offense and defense. Both played help defense which as been absent for most of the season because those to players haven't had enough minutes together on the court. Up until last night, Johnson was only playing a few minutes being the sub for Griffin when he was resting. It seemed to me that Johnson and Kennard can read each others minds in the half court offense. They both see what the defense is giving them and they both react to create an advantage. Johnson's help defense was fantastic. Kennard's perimeter help defense was outstanding. Then they both showed how to win when you play unselfishly.

What hasn't worked in playing Jackson, Bullock and Galloway or any combination of the three in crunch time. But that is what this coach has done for most of the season when he didn't play Smith and Jackson together. That combination is pure suicide yet this coach did it with the intention of creating more scoring without regard to how both players play offense while how badly both play defense. To win you have to have your best defenders in the game in crunch time. This coach has insisted on the opposite. I believe that if the owner had hired any other younger coach for much less money he would have been fired before now. That is how badly this coach has ignored what has actually happened on the court. For Johnson and Kennard to play more minutes, it will be necessary for them to play outstanding basketball and make most of their shots it appears. Meanwhile, the hand picked low IQ players who have only one skill (shoot it from distance) while being inferior defenders, will still get the majority of the minutes. Both Kennard and Johnson are extremely young players. For them to have such a high basketball IQ relating to creating great team chemistry because of there work ethic when playing defense as well as their unselfishness on offense and ability to see the floor well, it is a shame that perhaps both have been offered as trade bait. We know the players who have been playing in crunch time for this coach. It hasn't worked at all.

What does this coach have to lose by starting Luke Kennard at the point guard position and Johnson as the small forward? NOTHING!

[Sparma]

Agreed. And Reggie's actually played well the last six games or so, also integrated with Blake better. I'd rather ride out his contract than take on another albatross contract.

According to the article in the news feed, the Pistons are offering Reggie Jackson and a 1st rounder for Mike Conley.  But the Grizzlies want another player, such as Luke Kennard.

To me this is a bad deal.  Any trade where we give up another 1st round pick or a young player is a no-go.  We can't continue to mortgage our future by giving away our draft picks and young players to build around our 30 year old "superstar".

At some point, we have to bite the bullet, tank and rebuild with draft picks and young players.  We might as well get started on that process sooner, rather than later.

[Murph]

According to the article in the news feed, the Pistons are offering Reggie Jackson and a 1st rounder for Mike Conley. But the Grizzlies want another player, such as Luke Kennard.

To me this is a bad deal. Any trade where we give up another 1st round pick or a young player is a no-go. We can't continue to mortgage our future by giving away our draft picks and young players to build around our 30 year old "superstar".

At some point, we have to bite the bullet, tank and rebuild with draft picks and young players. We might as well get started on that process sooner, rather than later.

[Sparma]

Don: "I notice that Bruce Brown is having much difficulty right now on both ends of the floor. Does the coach notice that at all? If he is struggling and the coach really wants his team to win is it a good thing to keep bringing him back in the game and ignore the fact that he is struggling? How about Thomas during those times? I think Thomas might be a better defender than Brown. He can't play much worse on offense either. But Dwayne Casey is making this team more dysfunctional with his substitution patterns that are not based on what is really happening on the floor."

Agreed that BB's showing his limitations.

And I still try to support Casey but his non-use of Thomas is mystifying.

[cool breeze]

Go for it.

Reggie went 5-5 from distance in yesterday's horror fest (along with 4-4 FT) BUT took a total of 6 shots from the field.  That's a problem, and I think a coaching problem.  He's back over 38% from 3 for the year (incidentally, Blake's 3-12 takes him under 36%, I think for the first time this year).

I'd hoped that Reggie B would resign, but at this point I'm just hoping they can make a good trade for him.

Reggie Bullock for Moritz Wagner.

Sparma I just finished watching the Clippers game. There is a coaching problem for sure. The Pistons were playing well although they were making difficult shots because they seem to play only one side of the court on every possession usually on the left side. Everything is dependent upon one on one scoring. Then the collapse started when Ish Smith entered the game in the 2nd half. At this time Ish played his typical game. He scored on a nice 3 point attempt and took a charge against Tobias Harris. That was nice. But he completely destroyed the team chemistry by playing his style where everything is dependent upon Ish Smith creating something in the half court offense. There was only one possession where the Pistons made more than one pass. Players were standing in their positions playing SVG's offense. The one possession involved surprise surprise Ish Smith driving into the lane then passing the ball to the right side to Stanley Johnson who drive the other side and passed to ZaZa for an easy layup. Playing both sides of the floor only happened one time that I saw from then on.

This head coach cannot be watching the game. He is making substitutions that make no sense based on what is happening on the floor. He took out Johnson after he made that nice pass to ZaZa but kept Bullock in the game. Bullock made three straight turnovers with horrible passes to opponents that led to scores. On his 4th turnover, Casey took out Kennard instead of Bullock and brought in Galloway. Kennard offers the ability to drive into the lane if he ever touches the ball in Casey's offense. Galloway offers only stand in place on the baseline long distance shooting. The Pistons needed ball and player movement but Casey was determined to play SVG's game. It is more difficult for players like Griffin to make 3 point shots in the 4th quarter because he is extremely tired from playing so hard. There has to be a lot of player and ball movement in the 4th for this team to be successful. Reggie Jackson was having his best performance in three years in this game. His shot was falling from distance and he was playing hard in all other areas. But the Pistons had nothing left in the 4th quarter because this coach fails to get all 5 players involved in the offense. There are no specific plays to make that happen in the Pistons half court offense. The team stands around and hopes Blake can do the impossible. This strategy has to be by design and created by Dwayne Casey.

I notice that Bruce Brown is having much difficulty right now on both ends of the floor. Does the coach notice that at all? If he is struggling and the coach really wants his team to win is it a good thing to keep bringing him back in the game and ignore the fact that he is struggling? How about Thomas during those times? I think Thomas might be a better defender than Brown. He can't play much worse on offense either. But Dwayne Casey is making this team more dysfunctional with his substitution patterns that are not based on what is really happening on the floor.

This year might not have as many outstanding college players coming into the draft. The Pistons or should I say Tom Gores was a complete fool to throw in the Pistons number one pick in the Griffin trade. This year it might be different but still the Pistons lack talent and have little or no money to make any deals because of front office blunders so it will be important to add one first round pick to the roster at less cost than signing a washed up free agent.

The bottom line is who has confidence in the owner's ability to make sound decisions? He picked the wrong coach. He made the Griffin trade giving up Harris and company with a first round pick used by the Clippers to draft a player who is currently starting for their team. The coach appears to be incompetent and unable to create a offense that works or a player rotation that can win games. Maybe Casey is trying to convince players that they need to create better player and ball movement but by bringing back Ish smith and allowing Ish to play this ball dominate dribbling dependent half court style offense where 4 players just stand in place is for sure a loser. This allows the opposition to rest and then push the ball which the Clippers did well in the 4th to get those easy shots.

Nothing has changed from 3 years ago when the players quit after the players only meeting took place. This group is playing with much more passion but they have no direction because of the make up of the roster and the coaching philosophy and poor game time decision making by the head coach. In this game, if Casey couldn't see who needed to go to the bench first when the slide took place (Smith) & (Bullock) he must be blind. He did take out Smith but the damage was done. I keep saying why in hell doesn't Casey try Luke Kennard at point with the 2nd unit? The Pistons need a higher IQ 2nd unit point guard who is not ball dominate. Plus Luke can defend better than either Jackson or Smith. Jackson is doing much better playing off the ball and I give him credit for that adjustment he has made. Nothing changes from game to game. This coach has no answers. His strategy is flawed and his inability to figure out which players to use in crunch time reveals why he was fired by the Raptors. I prefer SVG to Casey. It isn't even close as to who is the smarter coach. And I do not want SVG back.

The Pistons need to trade Andre Drummond in order to make any significant improvement. AD offers a lot of positives but lacks the critical ingredient for success or winning which is having a high basketball IQ. I am not saying AD is the reason why the Pistons are not improving. AD might not be in as high of demand that some Piston fans might think but he has the highest value other than Blake. The Pistons need a complete make over and a new coaching staff unless some of the assistant coaches can have a bigger say in overall strategy and player combinations.

[Sparma]

Go for it.

Reggie went 5-5 from distance in yesterday's horror fest (along with 4-4 FT) BUT took a total of 6 shots from the field. That's a problem, and I think a coaching problem. He's back over 38% from 3 for the year (incidentally, Blake's 3-12 takes him under 36%, I think for the first time this year).

I'd hoped that Reggie B would resign, but at this point I'm just hoping they can make a good trade for him.

Reggie Bullock for Moritz Wagner.

[Sponsored content]