Peep This

[deusXango]

Murph, the operative word is "dream" and that's what I was doing. The two broken down war horses you mentioned are the main reasons I have no faith in a promising future for the Pistons. Ed Stefanski, inability or unwillingness to move Griffin and his Titanic sized contract (coming off his All-Star season would've been ideal) and holding onto Rose when the market was hot for him (Tellem had nothing to say...could it be he's still Rose's agent?) but, trading a young, healthy, commodity in Drummond (answering Don's constant cries echoed through fandom) because of money. If I live to be hundred years old, I'll never believe Henson, Knight, and a far flung second rounder was the best we could get for Drummond. Griffin & Rose vs. Drummond? Call me a fool for thinking we got snookered by Cleveland (or perhaps Big Ed shot himself in the foot by being premature)...I've got to be a fool because there's clearly one in the room! As long as we pinch pennies, we'll have a team that reflects pinched pennies...unless you're Stan Van Gundy.

Why was Kennard left out of your starting lineup? Doesn't matter, any way you cut it, this is not a championship team. If we can re-sign Wood?! If we can't I betcha we re-sign Galloway. Fred VanVleet anyone? Ben Gordon 2.0. This is no reflection on Weaver but out of the Gang of Five, Casey is the "Stewie" everyone listens to. Rose, Brown, Snell, Griffin, and Wood, that's without a doubt a real rebuilding team and that's a challenge for Casey's developmental skills. I root for 'em, but I don't have faith in 'em!

[Murph]

If indeed the Pistons are committed to a veteran duo of Griffin and Rose to build around, then it makes all the sense in the world to re-sign Wood. Casey has got to stop stifling Doumbouya offensive game (talking that mess about his lack of defense...hell, Griffin, Rose, or Galloway weren't defensive wizards) and just let him play! I'm expecting Kennard, Rose, and Griffin to enjoy an injury free season, now that the curse of Reggie Jackson, has been lifted from the team. Ball has the ceiling, the flash, the size, but there's something in me that cries out for Weaver to draft Hayes. I feel he'll make a better Piston. With one draft pick, we'd better get it right.

Stay away from signing VanVleet in FA...it's Ingram or nobody IMHO. If there's another re-signing, other than Wood, please don't let it be Knight or Galloway but, Henson is the professional vet for this team. Henson and Patton should be workable for a couple of years. What can be done with Snell? Just this fans opinion; he's an overpaid waste! He's an excuse to limit the play and exposure of Doumbouya and King, and on top of that, the Pistons are paying him what fans are reluctant to pay Wood (with possibly a slight raise).

We're left with a rebuild roster of Brown, Mykhailiuk, King, Bone, and Thomas. That's not terribly bad for year one of a restore, and no trades have been made. Dream a little dream without all the criticism and bitterness.  

DX...I admire your optimism. But I am just too bitter to buy into this crap. So the Pistons traded away their 26 year old, life long, home grown, All Star center for a conditional 2nd round pick...so they could rebuild around two broken down war horses, Griffin and Rose. If it weren't so tragic, it would be funny.


And if the Pistons end up starting Rose, Brown, Snell, Griffin and Wood (if they can resign Wood), then the only Piston in the starting lineup who can even spell defense is Bruce Brown.

That a far cry for the days of "Going to Work" or "The Bad Boys", when defense was paramount.

[Murph]

"Is it OK to allow people to wonder around late at night burning buildings down, hitting policemen and women with bats and metal pipes while staying close together in a herd like mob but not allow young people who have an extremely low risk of getting Covid play organized sports? No it is insane but there are many who want to totally destroy our culture and anything we have admired in the past."


Don...I agree 100%.  How could the BLM protests and riots NOT have spread the virus?  Up until the radical left began to riot and burn down the country, the virus was actually being contained.  All the statistics for new daily cases and daily deaths were steadily declining until all hell broke loose with the George Floyd riots.

So what does the media and the left do?  Well, they blame Trump of course, and the Republican Governors of states like Florida and Texas.  And they will keep public schools closed.  

[deusXango]

If indeed the Pistons are committed to a veteran duo of Griffin and Rose to build around, then it makes all the sense in the world to re-sign Wood. Casey has got to stop stifling Doumbouya offensive game (talking that mess about his lack of defense...hell, Griffin, Rose, or Galloway weren't defensive wizards) and just let him play! I'm expecting Kennard, Rose, and Griffin to enjoy an injury free season, now that the curse of Reggie Jackson, has been lifted from the team. Ball has the ceiling, the flash, the size, but there's something in me that cries out for Weaver to draft Hayes. I feel he'll make a better Piston. With one draft pick, we'd better get it right.

Stay away from signing VanVleet in FA...it's Ingram or nobody IMHO. If there's another re-signing, other than Wood, please don't let it be Knight or Galloway but, Henson is the professional vet for this team. Henson and Patton should be workable for a couple of years. What can be done with Snell? Just this fans opinion; he's an overpaid waste! He's an excuse to limit the play and exposure of Doumbouya and King, and on top of that, the Pistons are paying him what fans are reluctant to pay Wood (with possibly a slight raise).

We're left with a rebuild roster of Brown, Mykhailiuk, King, Bone, and Thomas. That's not terribly bad for year one of a restore, and no trades have been made. Dream a little dream without all the criticism and bitterness.

[cool breeze]

Don....my son is a two sport athlete (baseball and basketball) who’s going into his senior year, and I can tell you that this virus has been a nightmare for his sports career.  He’s trying to get recruited to play baseball in college, but he missed his entire junior year, and his travel baseball season was delayed.  He didn’t pitch in his first live game this year until Last week.  The dead period to talk D1 coaches was extended to Sept 1st, so he can’t talk to coaches, and to complicate matters all the college seniors were given an extra year of eligibility, so colleges are taking fewer players.  

We did manage to drive 10 hours to a showcase in Cincinnati in early June, where he was seen by the Kenyon College coach (D3) and made an offer.  The recruiting process has been such a mess that we feel very fortunate to have that offer.

Hopes of playing his senior basketball season are fading.  And at this point, his senior baseball season is in jeopardy.  I feel so sorry for these kids that have to live through this disaster.  


“With the above in mind, imagine you being a senior in high school having played a particular sport with your buddies that you grew up with. There is nothing better than that experience in my opinion. I still argue with my older brother as to who had the best football or basketball teams as my older brother is 3 years older than me. So about now I would be ready and in shape for the the first football practice. For you who have been lucky enough to play high school football you will agree that the first week is HELL. Every muscle on your body hurts. You practice in the heat and high humidity twice a day. Several players quit the team after the 2nd day. By the end of the first week at least 15 players drop out. But you have been through it before as this is your final chance to make history with your team. After surviving all the hits and punishment opponents have dished out by the end of the 7 game of the season, your mind drifts off to basketball. Can you win the championship in your final year? You are as ready as you will ever be and so are your buddies who want to kick ass and take names. Opps, the school board as decided there will be no sports and the district has spend millions of dollars to create an on line school system. Sorry but we have decided it is just not safe for us to open the schools. But you say, hey we have less than 1 in a million chances of getting sick from the China 19 virus. The science is just not there and we teenagers know this is all about politics and mis information created by China. Sorry kids you are screwed, the teachers are afraid to teach you and we administrators are worried about getting sued. Public officials are not like the people who made decisions post WW2. They faced death and survived against all odds. There is no way those people in the Greatest Generation would not open the schools. We are dealing with weak minded chicken **** individuals much like many of our mayors, city council members and governors in this once great nation. I cannot imagine not playing sports and attending high school my senior year. It appears that Arizona will not be opening their schools this fall. How many more kids will commit suicide? I hope you all in Michigan have better luck and can see kids with smiles instead of tears.”

Thanks for sharing your Son's story Murph. Sorry this had to happen to him and all the other young men and women who do the right thing in life, work exceptionally hard to improve themselves in both sports and academics while some political animals put their finger in the air to determine which way the wind is blowing. Is it OK to allow people to wonder around late at night burning buildings down, hitting policemen and women with bats and metal pipes while staying close together in a hurd like mob but not allow young people who have an extremely low risk of getting Covid play organized sports? No it is insane but there are many who want to totally destroy our culture and anything we have admired in the past. They get the attention and support from the NBA. If high school players cannot suit up and play ball than the Federal Government should prohibit the NBA and other professional sports from performing as well. It just makes no sense to close schools and sports down. It will be interesting to see how each State in this country handles this issue. Everyone I know supports opening the schools by September 1. However, I read a stat relating to public school teachers and administrators in 2016 that showed that 98.6% of those two groups were Progressives knowing that the democratic party no longer exist but in name. Teachers should be neutral non political people who never tell a student their own personal views. Small kids do not need to be told that their parents and grand parents were racists.

It will take a lot of courage among the young people like your son to find a path for success in these uncertain times.

[Murph]

Don....my son is a two sport athlete (baseball and basketball) who’s going into his senior year, and I can tell you that this virus has been a nightmare for his sports career. He’s trying to get recruited to play baseball in college, but he missed his entire junior year, and his travel baseball season was delayed. He didn’t pitch in his first live game this year until Last week. The dead period to talk D1 coaches was extended to Sept 1st, so he can’t talk to coaches, and to complicate matters all the college seniors were given an extra year of eligibility, so colleges are taking fewer players.

We did manage to drive 10 hours to a showcase in Cincinnati in early June, where he was seen by the Kenyon College coach (D3) and made an offer. The recruiting process has been such a mess that we feel very fortunate to have that offer.

Hopes of playing his senior basketball season are fading. And at this point, his senior baseball season is in jeopardy. I feel so sorry for these kids that have to live through this disaster.


“With the above in mind, imagine you being a senior in high school having played a particular sport with your buddies that you grew up with. There is nothing better than that experience in my opinion. I still argue with my older brother as to who had the best football or basketball teams as my older brother is 3 years older than me. So about now I would be ready and in shape for the the first football practice. For you who have been lucky enough to play high school football you will agree that the first week is HELL. Every muscle on your body hurts. You practice in the heat and high humidity twice a day. Several players quit the team after the 2nd day. By the end of the first week at least 15 players drop out. But you have been through it before as this is your final chance to make history with your team. After surviving all the hits and punishment opponents have dished out by the end of the 7 game of the season, your mind drifts off to basketball. Can you win the championship in your final year? You are as ready as you will ever be and so are your buddies who want to kick ass and take names. Opps, the school board as decided there will be no sports and the district has spend millions of dollars to create an on line school system. Sorry but we have decided it is just not safe for us to open the schools. But you say, hey we have less than 1 in a million chances of getting sick from the China 19 virus. The science is just not there and we teenagers know this is all about politics and mis information created by China. Sorry kids you are screwed, the teachers are afraid to teach you and we administrators are worried about getting sued. Public officials are not like the people who made decisions post WW2. They faced death and survived against all odds. There is no way those people in the Greatest Generation would not open the schools. We are dealing with weak minded chicken **** individuals much like many of our mayors, city council members and governors in this once great nation. I cannot imagine not playing sports and attending high school my senior year. It appears that Arizona will not be opening their schools this fall. How many more kids will commit suicide? I hope you all in Michigan have better luck and can see kids with smiles instead of tears.”

[Murph]

“No disrespect intended Murph, by omitting you from the forum counsel of GM's. You bring too much to be left out! I'm a senior who's working with the same brain that I "partied" with in the '60's and '70's. I rely on the thinking and suggestions of others today and you're one of the people I include in my hive-mind. Thanks for the wake up Sparma.“

DX...no offense taken. You’ve built up so much good will over the years that I could not possibly get annoyed with you over a simple oversight. I’m honored to be included among such knowledgeable posters.

[cool breeze]

I have a friend who's grandson is making the best of his opportunities in training camp for an NHL team. Great kid who I have known since birth who would be outstanding in almost any sport. The NHL players are going about their business and not getting caught up in the drama that China is really enjoying. Today a story broke that Homeland Security has determined that China has been a big player in creating false information about the China 19 virus and also the major disturbances in many major cities. Meanwhile, the NBA and some of their key players like Labron James have huge financial ties to China the country that promises to crush America within 2 decades when they control the world's economy. Sports figures have seldom been political figures joining in on the current popular group think moments. This will hurt the NBA in the end because way too many normal people of all races are turned off with the juvenile behavior of our national politicians of both parties. China is trying to separate Americans into groups and teach them to hate. Our public educational system isn't helping bring Americans together either. Many years ago, I was a high school basketball coach. I cannot recall anyone ever talking about politics or race and every race was represented on the teams that I coached in Michigan. Everybody got along well. We all wanted to win games. We never thought about how much we hated America and the details of everything that was wrong with America. Social media has changed everyone's behavior. I have two relatives who are in their mid 30s who have been teachers for a long time and about 7 years ago they noticed a slow change where they no longer had control of the content of what they had been teaching kids. These two relatives always voted for democrats and on the holidays they would always debate on the side of liberal thought. That is when if you were a liberal, you were concerned on how the federal government might be infringing on your individual rights. Anyway, I just wanted to pass this along as both of these fine ladies are now fed up with their administrators and the dictates from above that are trying to force discord between groups of students along with requesting that discuss propaganda that has nothing to do with the subject of math for example.

With the above in mind, imagine you being a senior in high school having played a particular sport with your buddies that you grew up with. There is nothing better than that experience in my opinion. I still argue with my older brother as to who had the best football or basketball teams as my older brother is 3 years older than me. So about now I would be ready and in shape for the the first football practice. For you who have been lucky enough to play high school football you will agree that the first week is HELL. Every muscle on your body hurts. You practice in the heat and high humidity twice a day. Several players quit the team after the 2nd day. By the end of the first week at least 15 players drop out. But you have been through it before as this is your final chance to make history with your team. After surviving all the hits and punishment opponents have dished out by the end of the 7 game of the season, your mind drifts off to basketball. Can you win the championship in your final year? You are as ready as you will ever be and so are your buddies who want to kick ass and take names. Opps, the school board as decided there will be no sports and the district has spend millions of dollars to create an on line school system. Sorry but we have decided it is just not safe for us to open the schools. But you say, hey we have less than 1 in a million chances of getting sick from the China 19 virus. The science is just not there and we teenagers know this is all about politics and mis information created by China. Sorry kids you are screwed, the teachers are afraid to teach you and we administrators are worried about getting sued. Public officials are not like the people who made decisions post WW2. They faced death and survived against all odds. There is no way those people in the Greatest Generation would not open the schools. We are dealing with weak minded chicken **** individuals much like many of our mayors, city council members and governors in this once great nation. I cannot imagine not playing sports and attending high school my senior year. It appears that Arizona will not be opening their schools this fall. How many more kids will commit suicide? I hope you all in Michigan have better luck and can see kids with smiles instead of tears.

I have loved the Pistons for my entire life but my love i slowly fading away. The players, owners, and agents have exhibited so much greed that they have lost focus as to the fact that it is the fans who control their destiny. They ignore what fans like. We want loyalty from the players if we give them love. We want sound judgment from owners and coaches not the people this owner has hired so far. We want agents to have less influence rather than more. And we want an honest game instead of the mindless run and gun layup drills and dunks for all but 3 minutes of each game. We want real strategy and different rules where teams can use any defense they feel fits the players they have acquired. Instead we see every team playing the same style and accept that this is the way it has to be. The players like it of course because they don't have to prepare and just show up. Meanwhile the customer sits in the stands completely bored out of their minds. No they are not buying in with the pre game nonsense anymore. This pandemic has created something new. Sports fans have had to live without sports for a long time. They are finding out that they can live without professional sports and many of my friends are no longer buying any Nike products or will they watch one NBA game whenever that does happen. They are fed up with players, coaches and owners talking about everything other than the sport they actually play. Do they really care about winning anymore? I think not.

The Pistons have only 1 pick. How could that have happened but who cares about the details of long term planning? Will there actually be an NBA regular season this winter? How about college sports? What is happening is insane.

[deusXango]

No disrespect intended Murph, by omitting you from the forum counsel of GM's. You bring too much to be left out! I'm a senior who's working with the same brain that I "partied" with in the '60's and '70's. I rely on the thinking and suggestions of others today and you're one of the people I include in my hive-mind. Thanks for the wake up Sparma.

[Sparma]

Thanks for that vote of confidence, Deus. Add yourself to that list too. And Murph, for sure. Shamefully, I said the Pistons had turned the corner right when they drafted Knight, but Murph was steady that Kemba Walker should have been picked, and was proven to be absolutely correct.

With the NFL, a researcher argued that no team (I think it was over a 20 year period) consistently outguessed the market. That is, no team got greater value on the whole than the value historically associated with certain slots. They've got a 7 round draft, as opposed to the NBA's 2 round, so maybe that has to do with it. In the NBA, my hunch is there may be a team or two (OKC comes to mind) that outperforms draft expectations.

That said, my guess is that certain teams, including our very own, Pistons consistently fall short of what might be expected, based on historical trends for the slots involved. Kennard actually was a good #12 pick, but Mitchell was the way to go. The one that really bugs me is Stanley Johnson (with his release point that wasn't going to work in the NBA) instead of the kid from your backyard, Booker.

We probably all have our favorite mistakes to point out, but I think we can agree there have been an unusual number of misjudgments.

Would we as a group have done better. Pretty good chance of it (I'll admit I was enthused about Darko at the time, billed as having a Wilt-eske ceiling and a Kevin Garnett floor [!???].

Be that as it may I think we could easily have avoided two mistakes, as good FOs would have:

1) We've given up second rounders way too easily, too frequently. The absence of this year's 2nd, sad as it is, actually doesn't illustrate the point, because it was given up in a very good trade for Reggie Bullock and Morris.

2) The other mistake, that I know Murph would have avoided, is trading away last year's acquired 1st, after making an excellent trade with Milwaukee to get it. That pick became Kevin Porter, who is off to a good start with Cleveland. We acquired a bunch of 2nd rounders (maybe because we'd given up a bunch casually), but then didn't seem to use those optimally. The voice of propaganda himself, Keith Langlois, admitted there were financial considerations [guaranteed money] that led to trading away the first.

So fingers crossed that Troy Weaver can be an excellent talent evaluator here, as he evidently has been in OKC. But if he can at least avoid the obvious mistakes the FO has made over the years, we'd be moving in the right direction.

Outevaluating everyone else is a lot to ask, but not screwing up should be a gimme.

It's obvious that Gores is going to have a big say (possibly need some convincing more often than not, to do the right thing and settle down) in matters of player personnel and movement. Stefanski and Tellem have strong voices in the room as well. What's the purpose of and where does Weaver and Mincberg fit in? Two more voices in an overcrowded room to discuss a draft pick? Sounds like GM is another way of saying "scapegoat" in Detroit; if things work out it'll be "look at what we did" and if things don't work out it'll be "look at what they did!" Five men to work things out and we've not considered Casey's influence on the proceedings. Seems like a formula for failure to me; Sparma, Oracle, BallinD, Don, LemonPen, a combination of any two would make this a successful draft!

Mr. Gores needs to demand results like acquiring another top ten draft pick for 2020 and re-signing Wood...let's not allow the media members and wild-eyed fans determine Wood's contract demands (we F'd up with Aron Baynes and ended up looking like fools when he signed for less elsewhere) Boston's not ran by geniuses, we've had numbskulls calling shots here. Wood with all his bandied about defensive shortcomings is worth being kept by the Pistons. I see him getting better and shame on he, she, or it who see him regressing! With Kennard, Doumbouya, Mykhailiuk, a re-signed Wood, and two top ten (agreed upon) draft picks, the Pistons have all the ingredients for a successful rebuild. With the signing of one top tier FA to go with Griffin and Rose, the Pistons should have some CAP flexibility left and enough talent to make our yearly run at the 8th seed. Please Mr. Gores, make it plain, no more reckless spending to go nowhere.

By now anyone who's not been asleep know I'm a fan of Christian Wood, and believe Onyeka Okongwu will be a big surprise in this draft...Sekou Doumbouya is going to enjoy a coming out year that'll not only be amazing but, entertaining as well. I mention these three young men because I see them as trendsetters in the NBA. Stop looking over our shoulders trying unsuccessfully to catch a glimpse of yesterday; there has only been one "splash brothers" led team to win anything and now it's about setting a new trend...back to Detroit Basketball with a new Detroit spin on team play (The Bad Boys), and playing the right way (The Going To Work Crew). Ask yourself this, is Dwane Casey in the same class as Chuck Daly or Larry Brown? Can he impact the team and lead them to the top?  

Hayes, Kennard, and Rose will make a great three guard rotation. Wood, Okongwu, Doumbouya, and Griffin are the trendsetters, with Mykhailiuk as the all purpose (SG/SF) fit in, where Galloway used to be called on. Still haven't factored in our top tier FA, or our untried newly signed center. Just one mans opinion. What's Weaver thinking? Where's Big Ed's head at? Does Tellem have any thoughts on the direction? We know Gores is expecting a winner. Now comes coach Casey, "where's Galloway?" "We need him, or at least I do." Logically, what's the point?

[deusXango]

12th pick in the 2017 draft; Luke Kennard or Donovan Mitchell.
Mitchell was clearly the superior athlete and physical specimen, however, Kennard was more skilled with far greater intelligence of how this game was played.
Kennard came to Detroit and sat the bench whereas Mitchell went to Utah, given plenty of PT that led to starting. The rest is history...Mitchell is an acknowledged star and Kennard's name is being mentioned in trade scenarios. IMHO it has to do with coaching philosophy; Detroit won't play rookie(s) no matter how great the need, Utah (like Detroit) had a record that screamed to an idiot, "what do we have to loose?" Had the draft order been reversed, I wonder where we'd be today? Rookies make mistakes but, must be allowed to learn from and play through those mistakes. I'm glad we got Kennard!

The misuse of veterans can be easily hidden behind prejudicial statements about unseen deficiency's of rookies. "So and so doesn't play defense, can't stay engaged," and the veterans who get the PT either don't/can't play defense or stay engaged. I stand my case on the overplay of Snell and Galloway here in Detroit, while Mykhailiuk, Doumbouya, and King sat, hidden from view of the fans. When they did play, it was in & out scrap minutes; young rookies being conditioned to despair. Christian Wood's journey this year was one designed to create despair but, he bucked the odds. Granted, he wasn't a rookie but, he was consistently behind less talented veterans on the coaches depth charts...to the fans. We heard about the deficiencies but, when played extensively we witnessed he brought more to the table than he took from the teams efforts to win. Snell and Galloway should be removed from the rebuild equation A.S.A.P. We've got Griffin, Rose, and the top tier FA signing...that's all the veteran leadership the Pistons need! Doesn't make sense to crowd the locker-room with cheap veterans and call it a rebuild/restore. Damn sure can't call it a hopeful winner!

What I'm wondering is, who got treated better by the Pistons front office, Jackson or Drummond? Year after year Jackson kept the offense stalled, waiting for his glorious return to action, while Drummond was putting up double-doubles almost every night...blocking shots, making steals, but he had flaws. Jackson was bought out "to join a contender" and not allowed for his contract to expire. Drummond, the feared Drummond, was traded for far less than his worth, after being drafted by Detroit and improving year after year in Detroit. Inspite of his flaws, Drummond could be counted on damn near every night. One thing I do know is, I've never seen Cool Breeze and Ed Stefanski together at the same time.

[deusXango]

It's obvious that Gores is going to have a big say (possibly need some convincing more often than not, to do the right thing and settle down) in matters of player personnel and movement. Stefanski and Tellem have strong voices in the room as well. What's the purpose of and where does Weaver and Mincberg fit in? Two more voices in an overcrowded room to discuss a draft pick? Sounds like GM is another way of saying "scapegoat" in Detroit; if things work out it'll be "look at what we did" and if things don't work out it'll be "look at what they did!" Five men to work things out and we've not considered Casey's influence on the proceedings. Seems like a formula for failure to me; Sparma, Oracle, BallinD, Don, LemonPen, a combination of any two would make this a successful draft!

Mr. Gores needs to demand results like acquiring another top ten draft pick for 2020 and re-signing Wood...let's not allow the media members and wild-eyed fans determine Wood's contract demands (we F'd up with Aron Baynes and ended up looking like fools when he signed for less elsewhere) Boston's not ran by geniuses, we've had numbskulls calling shots here. Wood with all his bandied about defensive shortcomings is worth being kept by the Pistons. I see him getting better and shame on he, she, or it who see him regressing! With Kennard, Doumbouya, Mykhailiuk, a re-signed Wood, and two top ten (agreed upon) draft picks, the Pistons have all the ingredients for a successful rebuild. With the signing of one top tier FA to go with Griffin and Rose, the Pistons should have some CAP flexibility left and enough talent to make our yearly run at the 8th seed. Please Mr. Gores, make it plain, no more reckless spending to go nowhere.

By now anyone who's not been asleep know I'm a fan of Christian Wood, and believe Onyeka Okongwu will be a big surprise in this draft...Sekou Doumbouya is going to enjoy a coming out year that'll not only be amazing but, entertaining as well. I mention these three young men because I see them as trendsetters in the NBA. Stop looking over our shoulders trying unsuccessfully to catch a glimpse of yesterday; there has only been one "splash brothers" led team to win anything and now it's about setting a new trend...back to Detroit Basketball with a new Detroit spin on team play (The Bad Boys), and playing the right way (The Going To Work Crew). Ask yourself this, is Dwane Casey in the same class as Chuck Daly or Larry Brown? Can he impact the team and lead them to the top?

Hayes, Kennard, and Rose will make a great three guard rotation. Wood, Okongwu, Doumbouya, and Griffin are the trendsetters, with Mykhailiuk as the all purpose (SG/SF) fit in, where Galloway used to be called on. Still haven't factored in our top tier FA, or our untried newly signed center. Just one mans opinion. What's Weaver thinking? Where's Big Ed's head at? Does Tellem have any thoughts on the direction? We know Gores is expecting a winner. Now comes coach Casey, "where's Galloway?" "We need him, or at least I do." Logically, what's the point?

[Sparma]

Thanks Deus (I think; it's been more than 40 years since my humor was last called insane).

Concerning Wood, it's pretty clear that they've got to sign him. Just how high do they go though? The notion that he can be signed for 10 mil strikes me as a pipe dream (Wood himself: "I want to win.") I can imagine them signing him for 18 mil for 4 year (72 mil total), and thinks going wrong, and us asking a couple years from now: What were they thinking, giving his short apex, and the red flags?" Hopefully, he signs for 12 mil per for 3 or 4 years and turns into a (near) All Star.

Look at Sparma, with the insane sense of humor, with the clever play on words. Well done.

There's no way that I can see anyone out bidding Detroit for Wood's services. This should be the new regimes calling card, discerning who should stay and who should go; as different and far away from SVG's way of getting things done as possible. What was the purpose of building up such huge CAP space if not to keep our #1 FA and expand the quality of the team? Does anyone remember that Wood had to fight it out with Joe Johnson (on his way to the glue factory) for the final roster spot? I believe there were some fans who felt it was a foregone conclusion that, that was a waste of time, but Casey promised Johnson a spot, anyway, whenever he felt up to it. Both Snell and Galloway got more "burn" respectively than Wood! Hopefully Dwane Casey, won't be apart of the decision making process...we loose Wood and re-sign Galloway. That'd be a positive step in our rebuild? He can't coach anyone but veterans? He's not the coach for the Pistons right now!

Just this fans opinion, Ed Stefanski, left this franchise in the straights, albeit not as bad as what SVG did, but certainly hamstrung. Allow Weaver to make the necessary trades, not just to get the 28th pick but, a top 8-10 to go with our pick. The favorite is Hayes, should we not get Ball, but neither one will make a difference alone; we need more new blood than that. Okongwu, Toppin, or Avdija to go with Hayes would be a needle mover IMHO. (Ball and Okongwu have played and won together so there's some chemistry coming in) Hayes makes a big difference with Doumbouya, and re-signing Wood to play with Toppin or Okongwu makes for a substantial rebuilding frontline. I haven't forgotten Deni Avdija; helluva door prize huh? Imagine Doumbouya, Avdija, and Wood starting on a frontline. Defense my ass! They can be coached up by the right teacher/coach, and Griffin ain't the "forever" player. PG is one of many holes that need to be filled. I'm thinking the Pistons get the #1 pick and Weaver snookers New York out of a kings ransom for Ball.

Since I'm dreaming, let me dream into the second round; Cassius Winston and Jay Scrubb. IMO that's a bench backcourt that'd be better than Jordan Bone and Khyri Thomas. One chance to a customer in a rebuild, unless you're a Christian Wood.            

[deusXango]

Look at Sparma, with the insane sense of humor, with the clever play on words. Well done.

There's no way that I can see anyone out bidding Detroit for Wood's services. This should be the new regimes calling card, discerning who should stay and who should go; as different and far away from SVG's way of getting things done as possible. What was the purpose of building up such huge CAP space if not to keep our #1 FA and expand the quality of the team? Does anyone remember that Wood had to fight it out with Joe Johnson (on his way to the glue factory) for the final roster spot? I believe there were some fans who felt it was a foregone conclusion that, that was a waste of time, but Casey promised Johnson a spot, anyway, whenever he felt up to it. Both Snell and Galloway got more "burn" respectively than Wood! Hopefully Dwane Casey, won't be apart of the decision making process...we loose Wood and re-sign Galloway. That'd be a positive step in our rebuild? He can't coach anyone but veterans? He's not the coach for the Pistons right now!

Just this fans opinion, Ed Stefanski, left this franchise in the straights, albeit not as bad as what SVG did, but certainly hamstrung. Allow Weaver to make the necessary trades, not just to get the 28th pick but, a top 8-10 to go with our pick. The favorite is Hayes, should we not get Ball, but neither one will make a difference alone; we need more new blood than that. Okongwu, Toppin, or Avdija to go with Hayes would be a needle mover IMHO. (Ball and Okongwu have played and won together so there's some chemistry coming in) Hayes makes a big difference with Doumbouya, and re-signing Wood to play with Toppin or Okongwu makes for a substantial rebuilding frontline. I haven't forgotten Deni Avdija; helluva door prize huh? Imagine Doumbouya, Avdija, and Wood starting on a frontline. Defense my ass! They can be coached up by the right teacher/coach, and Griffin ain't the "forever" player. PG is one of many holes that need to be filled. I'm thinking the Pistons get the #1 pick and Weaver snookers New York out of a kings ransom for Ball.

Since I'm dreaming, let me dream into the second round; Cassius Winston and Jay Scrubb. IMO that's a bench backcourt that'd be better than Jordan Bone and Khyri Thomas. One chance to a customer in a rebuild, unless you're a Christian Wood.

[cool breeze]

So much history of the good times in Piston history happened in the Palace. I attended many games there.

[Sparma]

[Yes, I went there.]

A source I hadn't heard of [i.e. sportskeeda] names Christian Wood one of the "3 biggest breakaway stars that you might have missed." Nice (even though none of us here would have missed him).

There's a warning in the tale though: "Wood’s shooting efficiency and his role (doesn’t demand a lot of touches) means he can be in major demand in the coming NBA off-season."

Fingers crossed, both that we can sign him, and that we don't end up overpaying for a guy who may have briefly gotten his act together while playing for a big contract.

There's a early major judgment for the new regime to make!

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