OT: Pistons select Andre Drummond
You heard it here first. The Stones will make the playoffs this year! Another great pick by Dumars. Thats his 3rd good pick in a row. On a sad note, now I have to spend another $300 on NBA League Pass. Am I the only one excited about this?
Edit: I know the kid shoots free throws worse than Ben Wallace, but the Pistons need shot blocking and rebounding. Hopefully Monroe, Stuckey, Jerebko, Knight, Prince, etc, can do the heavy lifting on the scoreboard. Check out his highlight video on Youtube. I don't know how to embed...
The fact that you're a Cuse fan makes you less credible on this in my eyes.
Considering where the Pistons are right now, I believe this is worth the inherent risk at the ninth pick for the Pistons.
Potentially, we've got a good complement to Monroe and, if they can coach him up pretty quickly, someone who could contribute soon and often. The FT percentage is bad, but I also remember reading that he didn't get to the line that often, so perhaps there's simply not a lot of data there, but it is one area where there is definitely room to improve.
The Pistons have plenty left to do, but if they can get Drummond up to speed, a good shot blocker with a 7.5 foot wingspan and about a 9-foot reach isn't exactly a bad thing for them to have in the arsenal if he is that presence that he could potentially be.
I like this - there is a definite risk, but I think that the Pistons can afford to take a few if it means success down the road at this point. They definitely need someone of Drummond's build up front.
Sooooo.....Perry Jones is still hanging around if anybody wants him....
I'm not sure about this pick. On one hand the kid seems to have all the tools to be a star at the NBA level, but on the other he seems really raw and plays with a lack of desire at times. It is a little worrisome when you give a kid that seems to lack desire a huge payday. However, I'm not sure who else I would have had them take so hopefully he is coachable and becomes the star he can be.
Laziness and attitude are the criticisms people have offered. As a poster above said, they may not be true. But if they are, those are the riskiest things for a team that values team play, unselfishness, and effort above all.
The good thing is with the new owner, Dumars will make the changes quickly if AD isn't a good fit. Looks like a beast in the video above, but those are certainly daunting concerns if true.
What?
Even ESPN sat and talked about how Dumars has had Knight, Monroe and Drummond fall in his lap for 5-10 minutes.
90% of the board could've made those picks.
I'm not saying 90% of the board could do his job, but those were no brainers. That was like not picking Anthony Davis with the first pick.
With that said, this doesn't excuse his FA moves and bad trades.
I just don't see how you can praise someone for doing something obvious.
...and Drummond doesn't make you us a playoff team. We need a scorer from the wing. That's why I asked about trading for Andre Iguodala.
Although I agree Knight was pretty much a no brainer. The Pistons needed a true point badly. The Monroe pick was questioned from the start because many people thought he spent too much time on the perimiter at Georgetown, and that he'd never be able to hang with the big boys down low. Monroe's been a solid rebounder at the NBA level so far depsite this, and Dumars must've saw something. I wouldn't consider Monroe a fall in the lap guy, as there were many players considered worthy of that pick still available.
Kinda the same with Drummond. Could've passed for a more polished player. I wouldn't consider him a fall in the lap type guy either. A bunch of talent was still on the board worthy of the 9th pick too. We'll see if this one pans out for Dumars.
But that Singler pick. Not so good, imo.
as the next Stones fan, but I think it's unfair to dog the guy when he makes a bad move and then dog him when he makes the right move. Knight, Monroe, and hopefully Drummond are good picks. Just for today, lets give the guy credit for making a great attempt to fill a major hole in the starting lineup
You can't praise him on something 95% of the league would've done. That's silly.
Again, that's like having LeBron James coming out and the #1 pick and praising the GM who picks James. Why should anyone get credit for that?
And 95% wouldn't pick Drummond, because he went 9th. Guys passed on him. Joe could have been the next guy to pass on him. What you're really saying is the guy making the 8th pick should be fired.
And in any regard, maybe it was luck, but in each case of the last 3 years Joe could have gotten desperate, given up an asset to move up to get the same guys (and maybe lost one of the picks to get this guy), but he was patient, and waited, and got the guys at the lower pick for better value. And at least the last couple of seasons got guys better than who was taken ahead of them.
Lucky they fell into his lap? Probably. Not getting scared and giving up something to get them higher? To his credit. It worked out for him. Just like Darko was a guy a lot of guys would have taken at two, and it didn't work out for him. You can't knock him for doing the obvious thing, but then give him no credit for doing the obvious thing too.
Even ESPN sat and talked about how Dumars has had Knight, Monroe and Drummond fall in his lap for 5-10 minutes. 90% of the board could've made those picks.But still . . . the GMs before Dumars had their shot at Monroe, Knight and Drummond and passed. Better to take the no-brainer than pass it up.
Miles Plumlee. Lol.
That's so Raven Pacers.
I don't know how Drummond fell to 9.
Drummond has a tremendous skill set, and as far as Drummond being lazy; I kinda doubt it. The kid has a nice skill set and you don't get that without working on your game. His skill level is especially impressive when you take into account he is a 7 footer. He can shoot, handle the ball, pass and demonstrates very good court vision. He can be all-star without question.
Physically, I doubt there is anyone in the draft to match him. He is a freak. Reminds me of Darryl (chocolate thunder) Dawkins. Drummond physically is ready to start for the Pistons from day one, but mentally he is probably not ready for the pressure and grind of a long ass NBA season.
Joe Dumars has to have a huge smile on his face tonight with Drummond slipping to the Pistons at 9.With Knight and Monroe, the Pistons have a nice nucleus to ease Drummond's transition into the NBA and help him learn the ropes of being young, rich and playing in the NBA. This is a boom or bust pick for Dumars and I like his odds on being boom.
Wow. OKC gets Jones III. That could pan out quite nicely for them.
Damn. If PJ3 pans out he will be the steal of the draft, and that guy everyone looks back at after OKC's third championship and says, "What the hell were people thinking?"
about Miami and OKC's picks. I guess I know who will be in the Championship again next year
Draymond?
he's too much of a tweener. Not athletic enough to play SF and isn't big enough to play PF. Not a great perimeter player. He's better suited for PF and would be a nice pick if he's 6'9"-6'10". Pistons has too much of a tweeners on the team.
I actually think he does enough things well to hang around the league for 6-7 years. He doesn't really need a position. He just needs to come in, and give you good minutes off the bench. I think Draymond is more than capable of providing that.
To the warriors? I take my post below back. We'll never hear from him again.
Second spartan cager to be drafted in the last 6 years(Suton, 2009).
Izzo says that getting a player drafted is better for recruiting than winning a national championship. Does that include the second round?
I agree. He's never going to be a feature player, but he's going to be a guy who can give you bench minutes at the 3 and 4, will play smart, hit open shots, and can exploit the occasional mismatch when someone tries to put a slight wing on him. At this point in the draft, there's nothing not to like about Draymond.
isn't a good shooter. Great college player but won't amount to anything in the NBA.
"Draymond Green, who a lot of people at Michigan State were expecting to be a first round pick."
More like expecting Dan "Comic Sans" Gilbert to continue being Dan "Comic Sans" Gilbert. Unfortunately for them, he traded a bushel of picks for Tyler Zeller (what? why?).
Yeah. Dan Gilbert is like a boner in your Umbros in a crowded middle school hallway.
Bernard James is an awesome story. You've got to root for him.
I remember being deployed to Qatar in 2005 and a few of my boys were talking about him. That's when he was working on going to Florida State and still in the military. We had no idea we would hear his name called in the NBA draft. Great story...
didnt they play .500 ball after the all star break? shit. they might actually make the playoffs. but i wouldnt count on it.
They started out 4-20 and finished 21-21. They're starting to put a nice nucleus together. (I happened to talk to someone who has a job in the organization a few days ago and he was really raving about Brandon Knight - I guess Knight is really working his butt off this offseason.) If Drummond pans out, they could be in business.
for the Pistons to land Quincy Miller. If healthy, he's a top 10 pick.
I'd go Taylor here to backup Knight. Maybe DJO as a wing player.
I wouldn't worry that he'd be the next Darko, but considering their both 7 foot projects w limited offensive game and from UConn, I think a Thabeet comparison is apropos.
At the very least, Drummond can be a long term starter based on his tremendous athleticism and defense alone.
Agreed. That's why I don't get the hate. His strengths are defense and rebounding and he had great production in those areas (not talking about a guy that is solely potential like Fab Melo). I am fine with him if he provides good defense and good rebounding. If he adds a decent offensive game, that's icing on the cake for me.