UMaD

April 22nd, 2014 at 12:28 PM ^

If you pay Monroe near-max money you have hamstrung your franchise for years. They should be careful not to dig themselves into a deeper hole than they're already in.

Better to let him walk if another team offers that.  Especially since Monroe leaving would almost certainly increase the value of Josh Smith and make him a viable, even potentially valuable, trade piece.

Objectively, you don't want to give away talent for nothing.  But the Pistons roster has been in an "addition by subtraction" status for many years, and resigning Monroe for more than he's worth would extend that.

ijohnb

April 22nd, 2014 at 1:44 PM ^

are not going to draft a big and that is a riduclous mock draft pick by Ford.  I am serious that I think the Pistons are more likely to draft Stauskus than Vonleh.  (And seriously, Stauskus has in spades what the Pistons have needed for years. a knock down wing shooter). 

They need to subtract in terms of bigs, not add.  It they wanted to sign a role big to back up Drummond and Smith (at the 4, where he will play once Monroe goes) that is fine but if they use a lottery pick on a raw big I am going to hand over my Pistons card once and for all.

In reply to by ijohnb

UMaD

April 22nd, 2014 at 2:07 PM ^

Shooting is great, but they need defense just as bad.  A two-player would be better.  I've seen Gary Harris in a lot of mocks and that makes sense, unpopular as that would be on Mgoblog.

I wouldn't view Smith OR Monroe as the long-term answer at PF for the Pistons, especially with a new GM.

ijohnb

April 22nd, 2014 at 2:44 PM ^

what is the "defense" you refer to?

No but seriously I would like the Harris pick too.  He is just more of the KCP size and kind of a similar skill set, seems like it would be a redundant pick.  I happen to think Stauskus is going to actually be really, really good at the next level so I would fully support that selection.

As far as Smith, he may not the long term "answer" at the 4 but he is our long term "saga" at the 4 cause nobody be taking that contract.  So unless somebody successfully plots his assasination you will be watching wild off the dribble 3 pointers for another 6 years or so. 

Lionsfan

April 22nd, 2014 at 2:43 PM ^

If the Pistons were only pretending to know what to do, and still had success, then what does that mean Cleveland has been doing all these years?

As bad as the last few years have been, this:

is infinitely times better than this:

Edit: Also can't forget about this either!

I Like Burgers

April 22nd, 2014 at 12:50 PM ^

There's still a lot that has to happen between now and the draft.  There's still the combine, and still the actual lottery to determine the order.  Plus, like you said, teams like the Pistons need to hire a GM and coach.  But, Ford still has to enter in a guess for the Pistons, and his guess was Vonleh who he thinks is the best available player at 8.  So his thought was you take him and figure out the rest later.  Personally, I think they have enough bigs and need a good guard or SF.  The same need they've had for the last 6-7 years.

MGoChippewa

April 22nd, 2014 at 1:21 PM ^

I think you can justify the Pistons taking a PF is if Julius Randle somehow slips.  He's more rare than a guy like Vonleh is.  I could see Randle averaging 15+ PPG right off the bat in his rookie year if given the opportunity.  Vonleh is a solid prospect, but I think a guy like him comes around more often.  If they pick 8th, and don't luck into one of the top 6 prospects, they need to trade down, imo.

ghost

April 22nd, 2014 at 1:31 PM ^

Randle had success at Kentucky sinply because he was bigger and stronger than everyone else.  That wont be the case in the NBA.  I think whoever drafts him is going to be seriously dissapointed.

MGoChippewa

April 22nd, 2014 at 1:42 PM ^

That blend of size and skill is really hard to find.  Really good off the dribble for a PF and I think he'll probably expand his range out to about 15-18 feet with time.  If he doesn't find a jumper, he may have a tougher time, but I think he's got enough of a back-to-the-basket game that will mask that.  Plus, he gets to the FT line quite a bit.  Hard to keep a guy like that from getting his points.  Biggest concern for me would be if he gets too heavy.

modabomb

April 22nd, 2014 at 1:45 PM ^

He's 6'9, 19 years old, and he's got a really soft touch around the basket. He can take his man off the dribble, and he's obviously a strong and explosive athlete. He rebounds like a maniac, AND he hits his free throws. Randle's going to be an above-average starting PF for whoever drafts him within a few years.

Mr. Yost

April 22nd, 2014 at 6:16 PM ^

I think you take a TRUE SF...there will be 3 guys who are projected to go right where Detroit is picking...

Kyle Anderson, Rodney Hood, Doug McDermott.

Do your best to trade the boat anchor that is Josh Smith and take a young SG. You made your bed with KCP and Jennings so ride that out for another year.

If it's me, I take one of those SF (whoever can shoot the best) and a TRUE pass-first PG in the 2nd round.

WolvinLA2

April 22nd, 2014 at 12:11 PM ^

Agreed.  He has a lot of room to move up from where he's at right now.  Unless he misses another season because of injury (unlikely), he can't go down from here, and he'll likely go up quite a bit, just based on talent in the draft.  And with the proposed 2 and done changes, the next draft should be much lighter, even if that change doesn't go into effect until 2016.

Space Coyote

April 22nd, 2014 at 12:03 PM ^

Vonleh at the 8th pick would be a pretty good value. Vonleh has really high upside, is the 2nd youngest player in the draft, rebounds great, great body and energy for a big, pretty good skill level already, and can stretch the floor a bit. Getting a Vonley type at 8 would be solid.

Still, it's hard to do any sort of mock when we don't really know the order at all yet.

umumum

April 22nd, 2014 at 12:51 PM ^

Vonleh would be a steal at the 8, but he is not a fit for the Pistons even if they were able to dump Smith (or Monroe), which is highly doubtful.  The Pistons need a 3, a 2,  and a point--in that order.  A trade of the 8th  pick would make the most sense under that scenario.  But Ford's mock draft, like most others, isn't really a prediction of the actual draft, but simply a ranking of the available players.

maizeandblueknight30

April 22nd, 2014 at 3:01 PM ^

IMO, I think that Smart's style of play and size is similar to that of Rodney Stuckey. A combo guard who specializes in making plays and getting to the basket. That will only get you so far in the NBA as we have seen with Stuckey. And although I like having Rodney come off the bench for the Pistons, I think that it is a waste using the 8th pick in the draft on a player like that. 

umumum

April 22nd, 2014 at 9:05 PM ^

you think Smith should continue playing the 3?  Seriously?  We don't have a real 3 on the team---unless you like Singler or Jerebko--and KCP is the only real 2 and his upside is still to be decided.  I'd rather live with Jennings at the point and find a 3 than substitute Ennis or Smart and live with our unbalanced front line.

Space Coyote

April 22nd, 2014 at 1:36 PM ^

But Pistons aren't winning anything in 14-15, and Vonley is a project player with high value with the 8th pick. I doubt it comes to that, but I think Vonley would be a solid pick given the situation and what's available at that spot. It seems to me that Monroe or Smith has to go, and unfortunately, I don't think there is any way to get Smith off the roster anytime soon.

Play Smith at the 4, Drummond at the 5, let Vonleh develop behind them. In 15-16 you're probably still stuck with Jennings, but you can tend to pick up guards and wings for cheaper on the free agent market than bigs, who almost always get overpaid. If the Pistons bank the cap space from losing Charlie V and Stuckey (8.5 Mil each), Let Monroe go as hard as that sounds (4 mil + to resign) and let go of a couple 1-3 mil types (Bynum, Ditome, Singler) and drop Jerebko (4.5 mil), then you have a great core front court, at least one somewhat skilled scorer, and next year (which will likely be about the same as this year regardless) you pick up a wing/PG, and head into 15-16 with some free agent money to sign those positions, and maybe this team is competitive again. Bigs get hurt and don't play a lot of minutes, you really need at least 3.

Now, I understand that's not entirely optimal, but I just don't see a lot of great options picking at 8 that work much better. If you can trade down, resign Monroe, and still get your guy, then you can work with that in ways too. But Monroe is going to require some decent money, and he likely forces Smith to stay at the 3, which isn't great either.

MaizeAndBlueWahoo

April 22nd, 2014 at 12:05 PM ^

The Pistons are the second-worst team in the league at three-point shooting and it's not just because of Smith.... almost the whole team is balls at shooting threes.  Stuckey definitely can't.  Jennings is middling at best and usually worse than average.  Neither McDermott nor Stauskas would do anything for this team's piss-poor defense but you can't fix every problem with just one player, and those two would certainly fix the shooting.  I don't like Ford's BPA approach because that can sometimes create just as many problems as it solves in basketball, if you load up one position too much.

Space Coyote

April 22nd, 2014 at 12:16 PM ^

Outside shooting is one, but just scoring in general, defense, etc. If they end up with the 8th pick, I feel like McDermott and Stauskas would both be a reach, and the players above that aren't great 3-point shooters either. Wiggins, Embiid, Parker, Exum, Randle, Vonleh, Gordon, Smart, all below average 3-point shooters. If the Pistons could move down (which will likely be difficult at their position) and get something out of it, say to 10-15, they could actually get some players for the right price that fit some of their needs: Stauskas, McDermott, Harris, Payne, Young.

Harris may honestly be the best fit for them, a natural 2/3, one of the better perimeter defenders in the draft, and when not tasked with carrying the offense is at worst a hot/cold shooter, but I think would prove better than that eventually. 8 isn't a great position for the Pistons for all their needs.

modabomb

April 22nd, 2014 at 12:49 PM ^

the idea of drafting Harris, if the Stones don't either get lucky and leap into the top-5 or unlucky and drop out of the first round. Pairing him with a (hopefully) improved KCP would give the Pistons two 3-and-D guys playing substantial minutes on the wings, which, you know, are two things the Pistons didn't have last year (3s and perimeter D). I don't know if either KCP or Harris have the size to match up with bigger SFs, but they'd be able to prop up the Jennings-Smith-Drummond defensive abomination a bit better than Stuckey and Singler. If everything works out, Smith doesn't have to defend SFs any more, Drummond sees some improvement, and the defense becomes competent. Competency is a playoff spot in the east.

UMaD

April 22nd, 2014 at 12:32 PM ^

A team in the lottery isn't in a position to be fine-tuning the roster.  They need to take the best player available, period.  The only possible exception would be center (Drummond), but if Embid falls to 8 somehow you make that pick...

Shooting and other team needs are better addressed through trades and free agency.