OT: The Pistons are TURRIBLE
After watching this team get demolished at home by the lowly Cavs, you'd think I'd be upset. But no, it's quite the opposite, I'm quite happy at these turn of events. Finally without knowing it, Dumars has finally built a roster that could land us a top 2 pick. My worst fear, was that we'd be in NBA "no mans land", meaning we'd be bad enough to miss the playoffs, but just good enough not to land a game changer in the draft. (I realize Brandon Knight is a great pick. However, any NBA exec worth the ground he stands, would have the wherewithal to pick a player of Knight's caliber who has slipped to 8th.) Here's to you, president of basketball operations. Finally, the angry pistons draft picks hating gods have been appeased.
Anthony Davis, (and his uni brow) please.
December 28th, 2011 at 10:43 PM ^
Can we get a special exemption to amnesty as many players as we want. Get rid of Stuckey and play Brandon Knight.
This team is awful. This makes me happy.
December 28th, 2011 at 10:48 PM ^
is Laimbeer when you need him.......?
December 28th, 2011 at 10:49 PM ^
what is Stuckey worth on the trade market? This team is terrible and might as well just build with Monroe and Knight. Andre Drummond or Perry Jones III wouldn't be bad picks either. I hate the NBA lottery though i just have that feeling we could get screwed like the Nets did.
December 28th, 2011 at 10:56 PM ^
They won't be looking to trade him this year. Luckily, it's a three year contract so his trade value should be increase in the next two years.
December 29th, 2011 at 8:14 AM ^
Stuckey's trade value should approach that of a Kleenex box by the time we get to the trade deadline in the final year of his contract. He is GARBAGE. The Piston's out bid Papa John's for his services...
December 28th, 2011 at 10:54 PM ^
And few years of high draft picks may be in their future. There's hope! 0 fer the season!
December 28th, 2011 at 10:57 PM ^
Has anyone ever noticed that Matt Barkley, and "Wayne" from the Wonder Years look exactly alike?
December 28th, 2011 at 10:57 PM ^
Here's hoping the RNG favors the Pistons in the upcoming lottery, and we draft a superstar.
December 28th, 2011 at 11:03 PM ^
Top 2 pick....hope Darko doesn't have a little brother.
December 28th, 2011 at 11:07 PM ^
December 28th, 2011 at 11:08 PM ^
Dumars has ran this team into the ground...
December 28th, 2011 at 11:31 PM ^
Chill
December 28th, 2011 at 11:36 PM ^
You guys could be Wizards fans like me :'(
December 29th, 2011 at 12:24 AM ^
Ah yes, where locker room disputes are resolved by "busting a cap"
December 29th, 2011 at 8:59 AM ^
"Zip em up."
December 29th, 2011 at 1:13 AM ^
RGIII
December 29th, 2011 at 1:18 AM ^
I know, isn't it great? The cap is low, the talents young, the draft pick will be high, we can trade for whomever we want. We're going somewhere finally!
December 29th, 2011 at 1:24 AM ^
GUYS I'M A NOOB and can't create threads yet...
But Josh Garnett just put up on his twitter, "O yea forgot to tell everyone slippery rock is the 4th school on my list. #srs"
If this is worthy of a thread or note in a future recruiting update, please, by all means re-post it in a better spot. I just wanted to put it out there.
December 29th, 2011 at 2:57 AM ^
Obvious joke is obvious? (And therefore no need for a thread.)
December 29th, 2011 at 2:25 AM ^
It is professional basketball, what a joke.
December 29th, 2011 at 3:35 AM ^
So, obv., the Pistons are in a world of hurt. I don't know who you blame. Hopefully for the Pistons and for Detroit fans, the draft lottery goes well.
However, being a Bulls fan, I'm curious what those of you who are Pistons fans think of Rip Hamilton. He seems to have the potential to be a positive addition to Chicago's roster. Was he just jumping a sinking ship in Detroit? Did he cost too much? Is he coachable?
December 29th, 2011 at 8:11 AM ^
Rip's game is pretty one dimensional. Below average defender, can't shoot the three for shit, and has a tough time creating his own shot. But give him a pick to curl around and watch him knock down 17 footers all day
December 29th, 2011 at 8:40 AM ^
Yes, he jumped a sinking ship and who can blame him? For years Rip was thought to have the best mid-range shot in the NBA. He's a smart player, is effective in a half-court offense and is a willing passer. He's never been lock down defender but his length and motor made him more than servicable back when defense was the Pistons calling card. He was always quicker than Billups which would at times have him defending the opponent's PG. I'd still rather have him than Ben Gordon or Stuckey.
December 29th, 2011 at 9:58 AM ^
Rip isn't that good.
The Bulls needed a 2nd guy who can create his own shot, and Rip can't - he runs off screens, catches, and shoots. But not from 3.
That said, he's an improvement over Keith Bogans.
December 29th, 2011 at 3:37 AM ^
1) Wait for a post involving the NBA to appear on MGoBlog. 2) Express my disdain for the NBA, while making clear that I haven't watched it since the three point line was instituted and am only vaguely aware of what a basketball is. 3) Derp. 4) Return to huffing paint.
December 29th, 2011 at 9:01 AM ^
5.) ????????
6.) Profit.
December 29th, 2011 at 1:07 PM ^
You can just moderate as "funny" rather than cluttering the board with your worthless posting.
December 29th, 2011 at 5:31 AM ^
While I find myself somehow excited that we could land one of the first three picks in the lottery, it is exceedingly painful that we have to play a whole (shortened) season to accomplish that. If memory serves, Vegas put the over/under on Pistons wins at a paltry 26, and having DVRed the game last night and then watching bits and pieces of it when I couldn't sleep in the wee hours, 26 seems like a monumental effort.
December 29th, 2011 at 6:43 AM ^
I'm hoping that we land Harrison Barnes in the draft.
December 29th, 2011 at 7:50 AM ^
Have you seen this team under the boards? They need an elite rebounder. Anthony Davis or Andre Drummond would be the best guys.
December 29th, 2011 at 9:00 AM ^
I agree, however they need a superstar regardless of position. Harrison Barnes is that guy. They can find someone to rebound in free agency. Davis would be my second choice though.
December 29th, 2011 at 10:00 AM ^
save "point guard, maybe" there is nothing they don't need. Harrison Barnes would be fine - they need to be drafting best available at this point. A second post guy would be fine. A wing scorer would be fine.
December 29th, 2011 at 6:54 AM ^
December 29th, 2011 at 8:49 AM ^
when mgoblog had as much Pistons content and as any blog out there. Back when Brian started this thing he discussed the Pistons almost as much as he lamented the Jim Hermann defense and punting on 4th and 4 from the 38.
Seems like only yesterday... *reminisce*...
December 29th, 2011 at 8:22 AM ^
growing up. He's done a lot of good things as leader of the Pistons, but it's time for him to go. Signing Tay to another few years at $8M per year just hammered that home for me. Tay isn't worth $2M per year IMO. He was, but he isn't now. Time for the Pistons to move forward at the end of the year. Good bye Joe, thanks for your time.....Hello #1 draft pick. We need a bonafide scorer, because right now this offense is non-existant.
December 29th, 2011 at 9:14 AM ^
Who cares, move on.
December 29th, 2011 at 9:59 AM ^
I miss the old Pistons with the "Time to go to work" and the Mason intros and Big Ben and Mr Big Shot
I hope the Pistons make a comeback soon but it's highly unlikely
Those were the good days
December 29th, 2011 at 10:33 AM ^
Who thought they would be better than last year? Come on.
This team needs to be blown apart, with Joe Dumars. I love Joe D, but it is time for a change.
December 29th, 2011 at 10:40 AM ^
He continues to get a pass because of 2004, that was a fluke like an earlier poster said. It was just the right players at the right time. It's not like Ben Wallace, Chauncey Billups and Tayshaun Prince were supposed to be stars, top players, etc. The system, the chemistry and that time before these "super teams" all played a HUGE role.
Now don't get me wrong, those guys were good...REAL good! But that was 2004, we're now 7 years removed and Ben Wallace was still hanging around last year, Prince is still on the team, RIP just left and we're still talking about losing Chauncey.
There is NO ONE from that team that was worthy of being a key component of this team in 2011. Maybe Prince should still be, but he shouldn't be the focal point by ANY stretch. That team didn't have Tim Duncan or Kobe Bryant, where those guys can still be the star on their teams 7 years later. That team was built on TEAM, not one or two players.
....so with that said. I think we need to blow up the whole thing. I'd keep Monroe, Knight and either Daye or Prince...EVERY other player needs to go.
Hell, I'd even try to dump Gordon and Villanueva + Stuckey and/or one other person for Dwight Howard and I'd even take back Hedo if I had to. I KNOW Dwight would NEVER resign...but that's fine. I just want to get right of those guys and start over. Dwight could play in Detroit for a year and go off and sign with whomever he wanted. I don't care.
What Detroit needs is a Drew Brees...a super star cast off that is going to embrace the city, take on the challenges and try to help it build from square one. A guy like Tim Duncan would've been that guy. Derrick Rose has that type of mentality for Chicago. Until we find that player, we're screwed.
December 29th, 2011 at 10:57 AM ^
I agree on Barnes and Davis, however, I'm not sure either will be available if we're sitting at #5, #6 or #7...
Another name I'd through out there is Jared Sullinger. I don't think he's going to be a super star, but I think he's going to fall somewhere between Kevin Love and Tyler Hansbrough. That's a legit NBA starter and I think he's closer to Love, maybe a David Lee on a good day.
Monroe
Sullinger
Prince or Daye
...someone like a James Harden or Eric Gordon
Knight
...that's a realistic team, who's young and you can truly build off of. You get a top free agent center or SF in 2013 or 2014...or maybe you hit in the NBA Draft in 2013 or 2014 at those positions and you go from a team that's young and fun, to the REAL DEAL.
However, it all starts with getting rid of damn near everything on the team now. A DREAM scenario would be this: Trade the guys I said in the last post to Orlando for Dwight and Hedo. Let Dwight play out the year as a Piston, allow him to go wherever you want. But so he can get the max contract...do a sign and trade for him like the Heat did with LeBron and Bosh. That way Dwight gets his money and you get more draft picks.
Use the amnesty on Hedo, he's gone. And now you have cap space and draft picks.
December 29th, 2011 at 11:00 AM ^
they have nothing that could possibly get Dwight Howard.
And Sullinger - he's too short to play PF. I think the closest NBA facsimile is Dejuan Blair.
December 29th, 2011 at 12:29 PM ^
Sullinger doesn't have ideal height/length for a top-5 pick, but he's considerably longer than Blair -- most listings I've seen of Sullinger have him at a legit 6'9" with a wingspan just over 7". The comparison that comes to mind for me is a shorter-armed, maybe slightly more skilled version of Elton Brand. I don't think he'd ever have the sneaky shot blocking ability of Brand, but he's plenty big to be a decent rebounder and defender at the 4, and I think he could be a very effective scorer. Given his limited defensive ceiling, though, I'm not sure he'd be a great compliment to Greg Monroe.
December 29th, 2011 at 1:05 PM ^
a floor-bound 6'9" is dodgy at PF, though, especially on D.
I think he has a good stroke, and can play, but I'm unsure I'd even call him a lottery pick.
December 29th, 2011 at 1:22 PM ^
Beyond Elton Brand, Sullinger is as big or bigger and just as athletic as Zach Randolph, Carlos Boozer, Paul Millsap, Luis Scola, David West, and a bunch of slightly lesser 4s like Big Baby and Brandon Bass.
None of the above are any more than passable defenders, and I don't think Sullinger will be either. And as I wrote above, I don't think he'd mesh well with Monroe on defense. That said, I would not be surprised at all if Sullinger becomes a frquent all star at the 4, and I think he's definitely a solid pick in the top half of the lottery.
December 29th, 2011 at 2:04 PM ^
I guess I don't see the athletcism of most of those guys - especially Milsap and Randolph. I see a refined offensive game more than I see sheer talent.
December 29th, 2011 at 2:25 PM ^
Yeah, that's my point. Skill can go a long way toward making up for average size and athleticism at power forward. I see Sullinger's upside as basically being a much more intelligent and less douchey version of Zach Randolph, and his injury-free downside as being a guy who can give you 15 and 8 but needs to be rotated off of taller posts and won't intimidate any shots. Size and athleticism limitations notwithstanding, that range of outcomes is definitely worthy of a lottery pick.
December 29th, 2011 at 2:54 PM ^
Royce White; if he can be motivated, that guy is the real deal. Alas I'm not sure he can be motivated. I'm going to be following Iowa State this year and see how White performs against teams like Kansas and Baylor. I think Iowa State will end up being a better win than Memphis for M hoops this season.
December 29th, 2011 at 12:20 PM ^
December 29th, 2011 at 2:12 PM ^
Actually it was 6 straight eastern conference finals appearances. They only won the eastern conference twice.