Points to Ponder...

[Go Stones!]

If Weaver is focusing on defense and the wing position, wouldn't it make sense to take people like Bojan and Burks and package them for someone like OG? I see Bojan and Burks taking away from Ivey and Cade's production. If we can add our rising Allstar of OG to the group, and we get Victor, we have:

Ivey
Cade
OG
Victor
Duren

Killian
Hampton
Livers
Stew
Wiseman

Bags is always hurt, so he gets put in there when he can play.

That is a powerful future. Reminds me of the champion Detroit teams where any player could rise to the occasion to produce that game, and not heaped on one or two players.

[lemonpen]

Don…don’t be ridiculous.  No one is trying to “demonize” Bojan.  He’s very good at what he does, which is shoot and score.  

He doesn’t play much defense, he doesn’t seem to help the Pistons win, and he was hurt much of last season.  On top of that, he’s a ‘tweener.  He’s too slow to defend SFs and  too short and weak to defend PFs.  Also, he’s 34 years old, which doesn’t fit the Pistons time line to contend for a championship.

OTOH, he might be valuable to a contending team.  He might excel at the role of veteran sharp shooter off the bench for a contender.  If the Pistons could acquire 1 or 2 young players, and a low 1st round pick for Bojan, that seems like a no brained for the ‘Stones.

Well if thinking about the future and not the present then maybe Bojan's days might be numbered. I am older so like to stay in the present and not think about age. Bojan is 34. I wish I could be 34 again. I only know that Bojan was the best player on the Pistons this season and all the players on the roster would agree with me as well as the coaching staff.  He was right up there regarding scoring stats with some of the biggest stars in the NBA this season. He averaged 21.6 points and passed the ball well. Bojan  was actually more reliable health wise than most of the younger players. He said all season long that he loves living in the Detroit area and really enjoyed his best overall season in his career. That is what I will remember if he is traded.

Bojan missed 4 games in 2 weeks with a an Achilles injury but I suspect Casey shut him down completely with 16 games to go because the plan was to lose the rest of those games and get in the best position possible for the draft lottery. If the Pistons had been in the hunt for a playoff spot I think Bojan would have played. I guess that I bonded with Bojan and recognized that he was the best player the Pistons have had relating to scoring ability in any situation in a long time. He wasn't stupid. He knew how to play the game and he was a good guy for the younger players to be around. I don't think that Weaver is anxious to move him right now but as you say, he is 34 years old and is has one year guaranteed on his 2 year contract. I think around 20M guaranteed so does that mean this coming season his contract is not guaranteed. Sparma always has the answers on Piston finances maybe you do as well.

So if there is no Bojan next season the Piston roster will be really young. Cade will most likely play Bojan's position at small forward and maybe he can duplicate Bojan's reliable scoring ability. The Pistons need some good vets who will not screw up the team chemistry. Cam Johnson would fit in well with this team.

I can't get over how smart the Clippers brain trust was being able to put together that roster. Plumblee and 2 other pick ups ended up playing really well throughout the series. Just bad luck that the team was hit with the injury bug. Too bad the key players were sitting on the bench. Early on in the first two games I thought Chris Paul's playing days would be over and the Suns would lose in 5 games. But he started hitting those fade away jump shots in the paint like the old days and seemed to always score right at the biggest moments to stop Clipper runs. There still is a place for older players especially in the playoffs. They are just so much smarter than the young guns. Labron measures his energy output and saves just enough to make winning plays when it counts. But the performance by Trae Young was amazing at Boston. Someday we might see Ivey doing that kind of thing. I knew the Pistons were on their way to the top when Billups came to Detroit. He started hitting 3 point shots late in the 4th quarter and never missed at the foul line. Free throw shooting in the clutch is an area where the young Piston core need to get serious about. Key players sure missed pressure shots a lot and ended up losing games by one or two points. So it is time to get serious about both making free throws in close games and improving on defending the rim when opposing players miss free throws. Detroit lost 2 close games in a 10 day period because they didn't box out the shooter and the other time failed to  screen out the opposing center. Lack of focus cost this team a lot of games. This group of players were better than their record showed. Turnovers and mental breakdowns by front court players on defense need to be eliminated and good things will happen. It will be a long wait until next season begins.        

Atlanta's revamped roster finally had a coming out party. They were very very good, going toe to toe with the Celtics. But, I see a fork in the road for Trey Young. His supporting cast played at a very high level leaving me to believe many of them have earned larger roles for next season. If Young can become less "'main event" and more "floor general" their future is bright.

[lemonpen]

Bojan is inked 2023-24 for $20M.  His contract for 2024-25 is partially guaranteed ($2M), and becomes fully guaranteed ($19M) on 06/29/2024 if still on the roster.  He becomes an UFA in 2025-26.  That seems quite team friendly for his level of production.

[cool breeze]

Don…don’t be ridiculous.  No one is trying to “demonize” Bojan.  He’s very good at what he does, which is shoot and score.  

He doesn’t play much defense, he doesn’t seem to help the Pistons win, and he was hurt much of last season.  On top of that, he’s a ‘tweener.  He’s too slow to defend SFs and  too short and weak to defend PFs.  Also, he’s 34 years old, which doesn’t fit the Pistons time line to contend for a championship.

OTOH, he might be valuable to a contending team.  He might excel at the role of veteran sharp shooter off the bench for a contender.  If the Pistons could acquire 1 or 2 young players, and a low 1st round pick for Bojan, that seems like a no brained for the ‘Stones.

Well if thinking about the future and not the present then maybe Bojan's days might be numbered. I am older so like to stay in the present and not think about age. Bojan is 34. I wish I could be 34 again. I only know that Bojan was the best player on the Pistons this season and all the players on the roster would agree with me as well as the coaching staff. He was right up there regarding scoring stats with some of the biggest stars in the NBA this season. He averaged 21.6 points and passed the ball well. Bojan was actually more reliable health wise than most of the younger players. He said all season long that he loves living in the Detroit area and really enjoyed his best overall season in his career. That is what I will remember if he is traded.

Bojan missed 4 games in 2 weeks with a an Achilles injury but I suspect Casey shut him down completely with 16 games to go because the plan was to lose the rest of those games and get in the best position possible for the draft lottery. If the Pistons had been in the hunt for a playoff spot I think Bojan would have played. I guess that I bonded with Bojan and recognized that he was the best player the Pistons have had relating to scoring ability in any situation in a long time. He wasn't stupid. He knew how to play the game and he was a good guy for the younger players to be around. I don't think that Weaver is anxious to move him right now but as you say, he is 34 years old and is has one year guaranteed on his 2 year contract. I think around 20M guaranteed so does that mean this coming season his contract is not guaranteed. Sparma always has the answers on Piston finances maybe you do as well.

So if there is no Bojan next season the Piston roster will be really young. Cade will most likely play Bojan's position at small forward and maybe he can duplicate Bojan's reliable scoring ability. The Pistons need some good vets who will not screw up the team chemistry. Cam Johnson would fit in well with this team.

I can't get over how smart the Clippers brain trust was being able to put together that roster. Plumblee and 2 other pick ups ended up playing really well throughout the series. Just bad luck that the team was hit with the injury bug. Too bad the key players were sitting on the bench. Early on in the first two games I thought Chris Paul's playing days would be over and the Suns would lose in 5 games. But he started hitting those fade away jump shots in the paint like the old days and seemed to always score right at the biggest moments to stop Clipper runs. There still is a place for older players especially in the playoffs. They are just so much smarter than the young guns. Labron measures his energy output and saves just enough to make winning plays when it counts. But the performance by Trae Young was amazing at Boston. Someday we might see Ivey doing that kind of thing. I knew the Pistons were on their way to the top when Billups came to Detroit. He started hitting 3 point shots late in the 4th quarter and never missed at the foul line. Free throw shooting in the clutch is an area where the young Piston core need to get serious about. Key players sure missed pressure shots a lot and ended up losing games by one or two points. So it is time to get serious about both making free throws in close games and improving on defending the rim when opposing players miss free throws. Detroit lost 2 close games in a 10 day period because they didn't box out the shooter and the other time failed to screen out the opposing center. Lack of focus cost this team a lot of games. This group of players were better than their record showed. Turnovers and mental breakdowns by front court players on defense need to be eliminated and good things will happen. It will be a long wait until next season begins.

[Sparma]

Looks to me like the answer is: No.

The draft takes place on June 23 this year; teams that the player isn't on can begin negotiations on June 30, with July 1-6 the "Moratorium period" leading to official signing at the end of July 6.

I think that free agency for players begins at the end of their team's season, be it the regular season or the playoffs (alternatively, maybe it the same for everyone: once there's a champion and the season comes to a close.)

My understanding is that there's a kind of dead period in which other teams can't trade for or negotiate with FAs, from the end of season until 6 pm ET on June 30, with the exception that teams can resign their own players during that period. Team and player options complicate matters, but I don't think they really affect that closed window period as far as outside teams go.

If the pistons trade for a player with an expiring contract that needs a new one, can this occur on draft day? I know it can be a sign and trade during free agency, but just wondering.

[Go Stones!]

If the pistons trade for a player with an expiring contract that needs a new one, can this occur on draft day? I know it can be a sign and trade during free agency, but just wondering.

[Murph]

Don…don’t be ridiculous. No one is trying to “demonize” Bojan. He’s very good at what he does, which is shoot and score.

He doesn’t play much defense, he doesn’t seem to help the Pistons win, and he was hurt much of last season. On top of that, he’s a ‘tweener. He’s too slow to defend SFs and too short and weak to defend PFs. Also, he’s 34 years old, which doesn’t fit the Pistons time line to contend for a championship.

OTOH, he might be valuable to a contending team. He might excel at the role of veteran sharp shooter off the bench for a contender. If the Pistons could acquire 1 or 2 young players, and a low 1st round pick for Bojan, that seems like a no brained for the ‘Stones.

[lemonpen]

I think leadership, toughness, character and IQ ought to develop as an extension of the new head coach. Kinda like the Celtics achieved with Brad Stevens. I hope the new coach is an exceptional X & O guy because player trust comes easily when scripted plays routinely generate success.

[Go Stones!]

Just checking news about coach interviews for the head coaching job. Now Charles Lee's name is coming up a lot. But what puzzles me is how many current Piston assistant coaches have been interviewed or will be interviewed by the Piston brain trust. Hello! Now it is Collins. I have nothing against Weaver doing this but what will happen if he does pick one of the current assistant coaches? Who would that person select for his assistants? This is mind boggling for me at least. Why would Weaver want to hire an assistant coach who was part of the creation of this past years offense and defense? Did the coaches Weaver seems to like on the staff think differently than Casey. If so why didn't;t those assistant coaches have any ability to convince Casey on maybe selecting a different plan especially for the defense in training camp and after that plan didn't work at all early on? I like the assistant coach from Miami because he is highly respected and is coaching on a staff that actually has the ability to field a high basketball IQ team that plays really good defense year after year. Maybe Quinn doesn't want the job or Weaver doesn't like him. I really would like to know more.

I think we need to back up and relax a bit. All these names are for show and for promotion of them as future head coach candidates. They just completed their first run of "Zoom calls". This means there was very little invested at this point. Yes some time, but no expense. I'm not sure if this is the red carpet the Pistons refuse to roll out, but I think we can do better. It seems like the Zoom call era is over with COVID and we need to be real and in-person when millions of dollars are at stake.

My bet is that a few of those candidates are real, but the rest are just favors. I wouldn't be surprised if they have a deal already, but they are also interviewing for assistant coaches in this process.

[cool breeze]

Just checking news about coach interviews for the head coaching job. Now Charles Lee's name is coming up a lot. But what puzzles me is how many current Piston assistant coaches have been interviewed or will be interviewed by the Piston brain trust. Hello! Now it is Collins. I have nothing against Weaver doing this but what will happen if he does pick one of the current assistant coaches? Who would that person select for his assistants? This is mind boggling for me at least. Why would Weaver want to hire an assistant coach who was part of the creation of this past years offense and defense? Did the coaches Weaver seems to like on the staff think differently than Casey. If so why didn't;t those assistant coaches have any ability to convince Casey on maybe selecting a different plan especially for the defense in training camp and after that plan didn't work at all early on? I like the assistant coach from Miami because he is highly respected and is coaching on a staff that actually has the ability to field a high basketball IQ team that plays really good defense year after year. Maybe Quinn doesn't want the job or Weaver doesn't like him. I really would like to know more.

[cool breeze]

Don, I’m a little confused.  It looks as if the Grizzlies will lose their first round series to the Lakers.  That’s a #2 seed losing to a #7 seed.  And so far, the series hasn’t been that close.  

Brooks proudly “poked the bear” at the beginning of the series.  Now he’s getting his ass whooped by Lebron.  Lebron had 22 points, 20 rebounds and 7 assists the last game.  Brooks has managed to reinvigorate Lebron, who is playing like he’s  10 years younger.

The Pistons don’t need a personality like Brooks’ on the team. I’d much rather Cade or Ivey be the team leaders, not some loud mouth like Brooks, who can’t back up his words with actions.

I love these debates Murph. It makes me think that there are still fans who actually care about the Detroit Pistons at all.

I like the idea of Ivey and Cunningham being the team leaders for the future. But they need somebody to show them the way because they are still young and learning how to win. They will not be able to do it if Piston management doesn't make changes in the culture. They have embraced a weak culture to the point that this might be the norm for the next 10 years. Casey and his long list of seasoned vets who are followers like Langston Galloway etc. But I admit that I am pretty stupid to bring up Brooks name as a player who could help the Pistons grow a pair and get serious about knowing what it takes to win. Brooks has had his worst series so far in his entire career of playing in playoff games. His value as a free agent has gone down. But Piston management would never want to take advantage of that situation and add a player who might conflict with the Teal culture.

Still even though Brooks can't make a shot to save his life, his coach still did send him out there in the 4th quarter of every game in this series. The current talk by the high command at memphis is as follows. "If they let Brooks go, they absolutely have to get a really, really, really good defensive wing player. The can let him go in free agency, they just have to figure out how to replace him." Brooks believes he has been labeled as a " villain " by the media. That reminds me a lot of what the media was saying about Bill Laimbeer especially after the Detroit beat up on the Celtics. The media wanted Boston to win. The Pistons have nobody who has played in a Piston uniform for years who has been hated by the media. Labron has never been accused of doing anything inappropriate throughout his career. It all must be true because whatever the media says is true. You and others now hate Brooks it seems with a real passion even though you might never have even thought about him in the past. I like the idea of the Pistons having somebody who opposing teams hate to play against and also really love it when the media hates our players because that means the Pistons must be winning most of the time. The media still loves the fact that the Pistons are a very soft team maybe management is trying to make up for the sins of the past. Don't mess with the media.

You keep talking about the urgency of getting rid of the ultra soft Bojan who is for sure a defensive liability confirmed and set in stone by of course the media experts. Yet this season it was Bojan the head coach matched up with the opposing team's top scorers. Why would he do such a stupid thing like that? It was Bojan who I saw run fast in transition defense trying to stop the massive layups opposing teams scored on. Who could be seen jogging back making sure they could never be a factor if opposing teams might miss those layups? Wiseman, Stewart and Bagley were often a day late but never a dollar short. Guaranteed contracts can do that to some players. I never saw what people said they saw and the media has dictated as the truth about Bojan. I saw a player who wanted to win games and played really hard especially on offense because nobody on the team could score inside the paint on a consistent basis. Bojan took a lot of punishment making those plays in the paint. That is what actually happened because I saw it happen. So I get confused when people demonize Bojan." Oh for sure Bojan is a very soft player on defense. He has slow feet for sure. We don't need him for sure". But I loved watching Bojan play basketball so maybe I am crazy to believe what I see. I do have 20/20 vision though according to my recent eye exam. Even though the truth police dictates that Bojan played horrible defense this season, I say he was better than any other bigger player for the Pistons had this season while being the best scorer on the team. Bojan proved to me that he can score against anyone inside or outside. Opposing teams matchup up their best overall defender on Bojan and he was always having to operate while being doubled yet he still could score or pass to open teammates while never giving up on trying to make the best smartest play possible. He sure showed off a high basketball IQ unlike any other Piston player. Yet to read stuff about Bojan one who doesn't watch Piston games might think he was a horrible player this past season. What is is. This is going to be a tough call by Weaver as to if he wants to trade Bojan knowing nobody has the capability to scoring in difficult situations like Bojan. The big question is if Bojan can play 2 more seasons as effectively but to demonize him to the point where he should be the first priority of the general manager to trade him as quickly as possible makes me question the logic of such a position that many posters who don't watch games also say. Maybe they were saying that about Bill Laimbeer. Get rid of that slow footed dirty player. He hurts the reputation of the City of Detroit. Even though at that time wasn't Detroit the murder capital of the country or was that in Dave Bing's era? Crazy stuff Weaver will have to mull over at the most important point in his career as a GM. Does he want a team that the media will love because they are the worst team in the league or will he want to create a team that can win but is hated. Brooks or Green could be a problem is he wants to feel the love of the national media.

So the media and it's followers take one specific moment in time and spin a story that Brooks is bad for any NBA team especially the ultra soft Piston team. You miss my point of exposing Detroit's biggest weakness that needs to be corrected. For example could Collins turn the needle making the Pistons change from being a weak team who's strategy is much like the Hawks where everything depends on offense on spreading the floor, standing in spots with maybe one pass until somebody shoots an off balance 3 point attempt? Meanwhile teams like the Celtics, Suns, Clippers and others are moving in the opposite direction fielding teams with older crafty vets who still can move without the ball and base their offense on patience, ball movement, player movement with the objective of getting the closest shot to the basket? I fear that Weaver's strategy is to find players who can play in the same offense the Pistons currently fail in. He has not objected to Casey's style. Players like Brooks and Green are capable of generating a special chemistry that ignites players to stop playing the soft easy way. They show teammates how to do it in actual games. This is something that coaches cannot do. They can't play. But that has been Casey's way along with many other coaches and GMs who are in love with Golden State's model. You need exceptionally gifted players to execute that type of offense and we see that players like Curry do not always bet the farm on 3s either. Is this the plan Weaver has after his teams so far have been the weakest regarding offensive movement, interior scoring ability and incredibly weak paint defense? Notice the Hawks defensive plan in this series against Boston and compare it to Boston's. The Hawks have a good shot blocker but where is he when Celtic drivers easily get through the first an only line of defense? This is what I have been watching with the Pistons for the past 4 years. When will we get someone who knows how to build a team that has a chance of success along with a coach who can create an effective defense to limit easy shots around the rim by keeping their shot blockers in the paint where they belong? This game can be very simple but the Piston brain trust has been in love with the superficial low IQ brand of basketball that will never work. Only a hand full of current NBA players have the ability to lead and change the culture of a team. I don't know what has happened to Brooks and his new personality but have witnessed in the past how effective he has been as a leader at Oregon while playing on teams that had very little talent but were able to win championships and go deep into the NCAA tournament while he was playing there. Then once he got a foothold as an NBA player his team always kicked the Pistons asses and he always was a big part of the ass kickings. That is when I saw him play most as a Pro.

I hope Weaver takes a good look at himself before he makes his next draft pick or free agent signing along with which coach he will hire. Does Weaver want to continue on the path of featuring a failing offensive style and a failing defensive style? If not he has to plug in players who fit a different mold. Perhaps Duren will be the one big man in the last 15 years who will become a feared center who loves staying put in the paint on defense and who will limit opposing team's 2nd, 3rd and 4th opportunities in the 4th quarter of regular season games. Then Duren will need to become even tougher if the Pistons expect to become contenders in playoff situations. Wiseman, Bagley and Stewart are AAU defenders still which means they have no idea how to play defense as a center at any level. None of those players can even think fast enough to box out board crashers. They stand and watch. We have players in Ivey and Cunningham who have the ability to score inside and outside so it is time to create an offensive system that can operate within a half court system that involves more than one pass so as to get most of their shots as close as possible to the basket so as to open up uncontested 3 point opportunities. Throwing up 3 point shots makes it very easy for opponents to score easily in transition. The Pistons need who has some wisdom, is younger and can relate to our players but is old school. The player composition will be very important relating to the supporting cast who will play with Ivey, Duren and Cunningham and maybe our new draft pick or the player they get if they trade their pick. The key and most difficult thing that Weaver will have to decide on will be which player he can add as a vet who can change the Pistons soft culture. Weaver talks about improving D but does he really mean it??

[Murph]

Don, I’m a little confused.  It looks as if the Grizzlies will lose their first round series to the Lakers.  That’s a #2 seed losing to a #7 seed.  And so far, the series hasn’t been that close.  

Brooks proudly “poked the bear” at the beginning of the series.  Now he’s getting his ass whooped by Lebron.  Lebron had 22 points, 20 rebounds and 7 assists the last game.  Brooks has managed to reinvigorate Lebron, who is playing like he’s  10 years younger.

The Pistons don’t need a personality like Brooks’ on the team. I’d much rather Cade or Ivey be the team leaders, not some loud mouth like Brooks, who can’t back up his words with actions.

[cool breeze]

It appears that I might be the only Piston fan who would like to add Brooks. Maybe so but I still want him but as per my post, I want him if his price is no more than $11-12M. Brooks has not had a good series especially shooting in this last game. But my thought was Brooks is exactly the kind of player the Pistons need. Whatever you want to say about Brooks, nobody especially his coaches would say he is not a player who doesn't try to create toughness within the team to make the team more effective on defense. Coaches cannot teach toughness. You have to have experienced players n the team who can communicate and insist that everyone is on the same page regarding effort and toughness on defense. He knows how to get his teammates playing above their capacity. He doesn't back down or take games off. Right now the Pistons have inexperienced players for the most part who need leadership. the older vets who have been playing with the young guys for the past 2 years have not moved the needle as to having any positive effect relating to playing tough defense. I believe that Draymond Green might even be better for our young guys next season than Books if he will accept a contract for 11-12 mil but I doubt he would. I am not sure Brooks would either but think it would be a good idea to try to get him. Like I said I have watched Brooks win so many games by pure boldness doing all the little things on defense that he could teach the young Piston crew and help them prepare better for each game. If some of you have a better idea as to who the Pistons might get without a high price tag who can offer what Brooks and Green can offer than I would like to know.

This last Hawks - Lakers game was one of the worst played games that I have ever watched. Both teams looked like they did not belong in the playoffs. Labron looked like half the man he used to be for almost the entire game but was still successful in almost everything he decided to do on offense. In his prime Labron could have scored 75 points and taken the 4th quarter off. He was able to do a lot of walking to save strength with no consequences. He stood in there and took some painful charges but the offensive players for the Hawks looked like rookies relating to all the obvious out of control drives that you see rookies do in the first two months of the season. I wanted a 7 game series but this one turned out to be a dud.

[lemonpen]

I know Dillon Brooks is a loud mouth.  And he’s got LeBron all charged up, so that the Lakers are kicking the Grizzlies asses.  But is he really any good?  

Anytime a player chooses to incite the opponent he better be prepared to FULLY back the sh.. up. D-Bag chose to place a target on his entire teams back then subsequently took a NBA record breaking arse whipping. NO he isnt' that good. IMO he is another thing that is wrong with that team.

[Murph]

I know Dillon Brooks is a loud mouth. And he’s got LeBron all charged up, so that the Lakers are kicking the Grizzlies asses. But is he really any good?

[Go Stones!]

Bring back Jeremi Grant.  It’s a no brainier.  He played well here.  He plays well on both ends of the floor.  He can play both forward positions.  He’s smart.  And Weaver has a great rapport with him.

I get your response. Does he move the needle? Does he have Bad Boy Piston DNA? I wouldn't mind him but would love someone with more grit.

Such as whom?

I'd take Dillon Brooks or Cam Johnson or OG over Grant.

[cool breeze]

FREE AGENTS:
Jeramy Grant: No way would I support adding Jeramy Grant especially for 25-30 mil. I am not saying I don't like the way he plays but when he was with the Pistons I didn't think he was a good fit because he was ball dominate thinking he needed to be the main scorer. Other players could really improve the Pistons IQ and toughness. I didn't see that Grant offered much leadership when he played in Detroit. Maybe I am wrong about that but the Pistons were an extremely weak team during his time in Detroit much like they are today.

Dillion Brooks: Thanks for mentioning his name. Yes for $11M Brooks is a steal. I have followed Brooks from his freshman season at Oregon until this day. He was PAC12 MVP but was especially strong and determined to win in the last 10 minutes of games. Nobody thought he could ever make a rotation in the NBA and he has proved them wrong. He is a strong team chemistry guy. He makes his teammates better. His brain working with the young Pistons would be so good much like D Green could at a smaller price perhaps.

Cam Johnson: i really like Cam. I thought the Suns gave up way too much for Kevin Durant including losing Johnson. I like his length as a defender on the wings and he does everything well on offense. Cam can really run the court in transition offering defense in that area of weakness the Pistons suffer from now. But what is the price? I would pay him bigger money for sure. I see Cam Johnson as a better fit for the Pistons than Jeramy Grant and he is young. But if it is possible to sign Brooks for $10 -12 million, that would be a no brainer. The Pistons need more hard headed toughness. Right now the Pistons are the softest team in the NBA.

WEAVER:
There is something that bothers me about Weaver although I still like him. He says the team needs to improve on defense. Yet he added Wiseman and gave up on Bey who is playing really well in the playoffs on both ends. Then once Wiseman arrived, I am sure it was Weaver who ordered that Wiseman be inserted as the starter at the center position. At the time Duren had an ankle injury so that was fine with me. But it was clear that Wiseman was a project type player because he just couldn't function in any shape or form as a defender, defensive rebounder or shot blocker. Didn't Weaver know that the Pistons needed stronger paint defenders instead of weaker players in that area? Maybe he saw potential that I didn't see. Because he didn't improve on defense at all. He was horrible especially on transition defense. All that takes is effort. Meanwhile, Duren had really shown signs that he could become really good in every area as a starting center. He worked especially well with Ivey in the pick and roll and he would make really clever cuts in the paint and actually catch the passes and finish when Ivey penetrated towards the end of the shot clock.Duran has great hands unlike Stewart who is also a favorite of Weaver's. Duren ran the court hard most of the time in transition defense too. He way over achieved as a rookie center and had earned the starting center spot. But when Duren had recovered from his injury Wiseman continued to start as the Pistons center. This makes me believe that Weaver might not have an objective mind. Duren had to adjust to the power forward position. Yet he played much better at power forward than Stewart even though he had never played that position before. Stewart could shoot 3 point shots but hurt the team by doing that too much in my opinion. Duren scored in different ways around the basket. Where I believe Duren is a sure thing to become a great player if he can avoid injury, I believe that Weaver will continue to insist that his preferred players, Wiseman and Stewart get a lot of minutes. That could cause issues in the future with team chemistry. Ivey knows that Duren is superior as a teammate as I am sure Cade feels the same way. Also, Killian Hayes is another pet player of Weaver's in my opinion. He stunk it up in many games this season but was immune to paying the price only because he was such a high pick by Weaver. Did Weaver determine the minutes players got this past season or was that Casey's decision. I doubt it was Casey's call. All I want is for management to stay of the making decisions on who plays and how much time each player gets. Everything should be done on the merit system or the coach will lose the respect of the coaches. The players know what is going on. The key players want the best chance to win and need the best players on the roster on the floor with them so they have a chance. Any fan who has watched the games would agree with me about Duren. So all I want is for Weaver to stay out of orchestrating things in an effort to support his decisions regarding who he has drafted or who he has traded for. Everyone makes mistakes so do the right thing and let the best players have the best chance for success. Don't lose potentially great players to protect the chosen. Piston fans have already seen how that has played out in the past.

CHRIS QUINN: My pick for the next head coach for the Pistons is Chris Quinn. He has been an assistant on the Miami Heat starting as a player development coach and moved up to the point where Eric Spoelstra selected him to act as head coach when he was unable to coach. Chris is only 39 years old and is known to have good player relationships and outstanding organizational skills. I really like the way the Heat seems to get the best of of the talent they work with. Chris Quinn knows how to create a defensive system that could work well for the Pistons.

I responded to a post from Lemonpen regarding Victor Wembanyama and stated that I thought Victor was a good bet if the Pistons are lucky enough to get the first overall pick. Since that time I have learned more about Victor. He does have some troubling defects that could move him out of the number 1 position. He does not have quick feet. His build may not be suited for NBA longevity. His defense is not so good. He might be the best player on his team and rack up a lot of points in the Euro game unlike Darko but I was surprised reading about some of the criticisms and question marks this player has by some of the experts who have watched him perform. This might be the draft where if the Pistons get the first overall pick try to make a super deal by trading the pick. Scoot might not be the best player either if the Pistons get number 2. Detroit already have two amazing players who have a high basketball IQ to play either guard position. Both shoot the ball better than Scoot and have experience playing in the NBA. Which player liked in the first round is the best fit and could make a solid impact improving the Piston team next season? There are so many players on the draft board who in my opinion are project players. This team cannot afford to add another project player. We already have Killian Hayes still working on the mental part of the game and still unable to become a consistent reliable teammate in the 4th quarter.

STAN VAN GUNDY:

Did anyone catch he comments from Stan during the last Suns-Clipper game that happened in the 2nd half? The other announcer made the comment to Mr. Van Gundy that he was really impressed with his observations regarding situations and his overall understanding on what was happening at various key moments of that game and what should be done. Stan replied that somehow he had a better grasp of what was going on during the games and what needed to be done at a specific time in his position as an announcer or analyst than when he was coaching. He said that he just recognized the difference and didn't understand why himself? I really appreciated his honesty and I agree that Stan really is doing a great job as an announcer and is far superior to his brother and most of the other knucklehead who have been hired to announce playoff games especially during the finals. I have to turn the sound off to enjoy watching those games. The other outstanding announcer who actually is one of the smartest all time coaches and announcers is Hubie Brown. Many years ago I used to attend coaches conferences for high school coaches and usually learned very little from many famous college and NBA coaches. But Mr. Brown stood out as the most knowledgeable and interesting speakers. He had so many great stories of events he experienced and his pass out sheets were fantastic. Mr. Brown should have been selected to announce NBA Finals games. Then we might learn something other than questioning what the refs were doing. " That wasn't a charge!" "Yes it was"!. Meanwhile we miss an important part of the game because the camera is on the two announcers arguing.

[Murph]

Bring back Jeremi Grant.  It’s a no brainier.  He played well here.  He plays well on both ends of the floor.  He can play both forward positions.  He’s smart.  And Weaver has a great rapport with him.

I get your response. Does he move the needle? Does he have Bad Boy Piston DNA? I wouldn't mind him but would love someone with more grit.

Such as whom?

[Go Stones!]

With players like Chris Paul, KD, LeBron, Curry/Thompson aging and will eventually retire, what teams will continue to be difficult to beat in the next few years? Embiid, Doncic, and Joker may be the next dominating players.

Boston - they have 2 all-stars, but do they have enough with their supporting cast?

Milwaukee - Greek Freak will always dominate, but will the surrounding players continue? Will he ever leave? Is Milwaukee, as a smaller city, going to attract the proper players?

OKC - they have a lot of young guns

Houston - they have a lot of young guns.

Utah - I'm always concerned about Ainge and his strategy. It won't take long for him to put something together.

Cleveland - This team is growing. Are they just a match-up issue, or are they legit?

Anyone else have any thoughts?

[Go Stones!]

Bring back Jeremi Grant.  It’s a no brainier.  He played well here.  He plays well on both ends of the floor.  He can play both forward positions.  He’s smart.  And Weaver has a great rapport with him.

I get your response. Does he move the needle? Does he have Bad Boy Piston DNA? I wouldn't mind him but would love someone with more grit.

[Murph]

Bring back Jeremi Grant. It’s a no brainier. He played well here. He plays well on both ends of the floor. He can play both forward positions. He’s smart. And Weaver has a great rapport with him.

[Go Stones!]

Dillon Brooks - $11+M this year; defense and potential

Kyle Kuzma - may be too expensive for the reward; Name bigger than his value?

Josh Hart - wasn't there some bad blood on this? We need a grind-it guy.

Jerami Grant - would be nice; probably 25-30M/year; too old?

Cam Johnson - young and skilled

Matisse Thybulle - for defense and maybe he can develop offense????

Max Strus - How can Miami pay him with a 171M roster already?

OG Anunoby - my favorite to obtain. Sounded like he was available at the trade deadline. With a new coach for each team, he may as well switch. He is young and plays both sides of the court very well. I see him as a future all-star within 3 years.

Jaylen Brown - no way does Boston trade him...no way. Boston has a "big 2" and looking for the third to win a championship.

Thoughts? Who has a preference?

[cool breeze]

Do any of you feel just a bit uncomfortable with the possibility of drawing the first pick?  The basketball world is so convinced that Victor W is the end all be all.  But.....

- hype is based on competition in the French League.  color me unimpressed.
- dudes length to girth ratio sits in the easily pushed around if not easily broken end of the spectrum.
- if he were 6'10" instead of 7'6" would he still be considered "generational"?  Or is he just exceptional for a person his height.
- Where are the exceptional metrics (shooting, scoring, rebounding, assists)
- How come it dosen't really feel like he dominates his competition.

Lastly, regarding the Pistons, would Vic be "3 times is the charm" or "3 strikes and we're out",  as far as dipping in the pool of French talent.  Strike 1 - Sekou,  Strike 2 - Hayes .......

Even though Darko did not come from France, similar hype was given to him from the media. Yet I have seen some video of Wembanyama and he looked impressive. He is the best player on his Euro team at least. Darko was never the best player on any team he played on. Players listed in the top 10 might well not pan out this year. Players drafted late in the first round might end up being very good. This will be a crazy draft. I would go with Victor if we gat the top pick. If we get number 2 then I would want the guard called Scoot. What is unusual this year is that the highly rated players sucked in the NCAA tournament. Going back to Stanley Johnson who was a player I watched a lot in person his freshman year in college. He really performed horribly in the NCAA tournament and got in foul trouble early. He was not the best player on Arizona that season. Maybe he was 3rd or 4th best player on his team. The college players who are easily known as the best player on their team have pressure on them to perform well for the entire season. Yet a lot of NBA teams ignore that factor and draft a college freshman with many defects based on a gut feeling. That is why in the past GMs have said the draft is a crap shoot. It might be that indeed if you are a lazy GM who does not investigate much and listens instead to media instead. Joe Dumars drafted Darko and ignored amazing talent when he went with Darko. That was insane.

[Go Stones!]

How many people believe Ollie was a possible coach interview b/c he can provide information on the Thompson twins? Can you imagine the questions that they could ask him about those two?

I'd also love to know how in-depth the interview questions are. Is it "with our current roster, and your research you did prior to this interview, give us an idea how you would impact this roster. What angles and emphasis would you provide. Be as specific as you can."

Or, is it "Hey, you seem like a nice guy. What makes you tick? Why do you want to coach the Detroit Pistons?"

I'd love to be a fly on the wall of those interviews. I'd also like to know how in-depth their draft scouting is. Something tells me Weaver is a guy who wants warriors and not wimps. I just wish he would emphasize defense moving forward. That would start with educating the bigs and trading Bojan.

[lemonpen]

Do any of you feel just a bit uncomfortable with the possibility of drawing the first pick? The basketball world is so convinced that Victor W is the end all be all. But.....

- hype is based on competition in the French League. color me unimpressed.
- dudes length to girth ratio sits in the easily pushed around if not easily broken end of the spectrum.
- if he were 6'10" instead of 7'6" would he still be considered "generational"? Or is he just exceptional for a person his height.
- Where are the exceptional metrics (shooting, scoring, rebounding, assists)
- How come it dosen't really feel like he dominates his competition.

Lastly, regarding the Pistons, would Vic be "3 times is the charm" or "3 strikes and we're out", as far as dipping in the pool of French talent. Strike 1 - Sekou, Strike 2 - Hayes .......

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