OT: Blake Griffin is a Piston

Submitted by The Maize Halo on

Per Woj: 

Clippers trying to free-up for Lebron?

Who (and what) would we be letting go?

Either way -- big (potential) news!

EDIT

From the comments, it's possibly quite the steep asking price: Bradley, Tobias, Boban, and our first-round pick.

EDIT #2

Per Woj, done deal:

MGoBoard

FatGuyTouchdown

January 30th, 2018 at 12:20 AM ^

But to pretend that the NBA is ruined because only 5 teams are going to win the title per year, as opposed to CFB where maybe 10 teams have a chance every year is silly. The NBA is incredible and there are phenomenal players all over. It's not about just winning the title, sometimes the aesthetic of watching terrific athletes do amazing things is enough.

Joined: 09/07/2014

MGoPoints: 14126

MaizeAndBlueWahoo

January 30th, 2018 at 9:05 AM ^

If that's what people want to get out of watching the NBA, good for them.  Personally, I think the complaint about only a few teams having a shot at the title is a legit one.  It's not just about the one season - it's that, when teams like the Warriors or the LBJ-era Heat get put together, almost nobody else has a chance for years.  And it's self-fulfilling as star players decide to pile up on one team.

Yes, Alabama and Clemson etc. etc.  But fans of a particular team can enjoy watching that team compete, because there are more team goals than just national titles.  That's why the bowl system is so great.  That's why rivalry games are so big.  If the Pistons beat the Hornets on any given night, yippee.  The vast majority of teams know the best they can do for years to come is to sputter out in the first or second round of the playoffs and get steamrolled by whichever team has the guy Nike puts up on all the billboards.  There's no Ohio State game to look forward to, no Rose Bowl to win.  Just mediocrity.  For years.  Unless you hit the jackpot with the next mega-star.

Joined: 07/02/2008

MGoPoints: 41586

Brodie

January 29th, 2018 at 10:29 PM ^

People do care about the teams, but they follow the players. That's why anywhere you go these days you're going to see kids in Golden State Warriors hats... they still like the team, but they like the teams with personality and most of the league doesn't have any personality. It's kind of like English soccer, but then again that's incredibly popular too. The NBA is definitely not hurting or broken currently

Joined: 11/19/2008

MGoPoints: 10713

Night_King

January 29th, 2018 at 6:46 PM ^

I’ll play devils advocate- Avery was gone at the conclusion of the season anyways. Boban is more of an admiration rather than solid contributor. SVG is an atrocious drafter so the picks aren’t as valuable. And I suppose watching Blake with Andre will be fun. I still don’t think it’s a great trade. But it will bring more fans into the arena. Detroit sports are just HURTING for one fucking team to become a contender.

Joined: 03/02/2016

MGoPoints: 25672

BlueMk1690

January 29th, 2018 at 6:51 PM ^

like every other Detroit franchise pretty much. Michigan football and MSU basketball probably the best title shots for Michigan teams over the next 5 years and more - and I don't think it's that likely for either one of those either.

Joined: 02/04/2011

MGoPoints: 12933

robpollard

January 29th, 2018 at 6:56 PM ^

(..in 2 weeks, when Reggie is back)

PG Reggie Jackson
SG Luke Kennard
SF Stanley Johnson
PF Blake Griffin
C  Andre Drummond

off the bench: Ish, Galloway, Tolliver and Moreland...and maybe Brice Johnson, but he stinks.

That starting lineup (if healthy --- *BIG* if) is around 5th best in the East. That bench? Tire fire.

Joined: 06/03/2009

MGoPoints: 14005

robpollard

January 29th, 2018 at 7:03 PM ^

He has the highest potential, so if you're going for it, might as well start the young fella. But in any case, both will probably gets 20 min-plus, depending on the opponent.

Plus, Blake is now a shooter -- he takes about six 3 pointers a game; combine that with Kennard, and you should have good spacing.

This likely will be an utter disaster, but it certainly shakes things up and gives them a higer ceiling. Granted that ceiling appears to be "2nd round loss to Toronto" but oh well.

Joined: 06/03/2009

MGoPoints: 14005

JamieH

January 29th, 2018 at 7:07 PM ^

I don't understand this. Today's NBA is about spacing the floor around possibly 1 big man and getting layups/dunks and 3's. The Pistons now have two guys who can't really shoot 3's. Griffin scores a bit more than Drummond, rebounds less, and can actually shoot FTs. I guess the idea is to have twin towers and then surround them with shooters. Maybe it can work, though that isn't really the gameplan anyone else is going with, and it will likely present the Pistons with a lot of defensive mismatches as other teams go small on them and spread them out.

 

EDIT: I guess the Pelicans were doing the 2 big man thing until Cousins blew out his Achilles. And they were doing ok--better than the Pistons. But I'm not sure I buy that the 2 big-man plan is the way to go.

Joined: 09/05/2009

MGoPoints: 28331

bronxblue

January 29th, 2018 at 11:39 PM ^

The Clippers sort of made it work with Griffin and Jordan. It's not ideal, but it's a different look than a lot of teams have and both big men can pass pretty well. Considering they basically gave up guy in Harris whose absolute ceiling is Griffin, a guy heading to FA, and a middling draft pick, it's not the worst.

Joined: 11/22/2008

MGoPoints: 171806

bronxblue

January 29th, 2018 at 11:43 PM ^

It worked well enough before Cousins got hurt. NO is solidly in the playoffs in the west and actually showed some matchup problems when both Cousins and Davis were playing well. Griffin and Drummond aren't the same types of players, but it could work if the shooters around them can grow. This doesn't make the Pistons a threat, but it's at least an interesting move for a team that was going nowhere fast.

Joined: 11/22/2008

MGoPoints: 171806

His Dudeness

January 29th, 2018 at 7:21 PM ^

It's fine. I would rather do it the old fashioned way and just tank for two consecutive seasons, but the Pistons aren't in that position and Stan has to try to save his job. NBA purgatory has arrived!

Joined: 11/24/2008

MGoPoints: -973290

FrozeMangoes

January 29th, 2018 at 7:30 PM ^

I would have rather them gone the other way and tried to move guys for picks but that would essentially be SVG firing himself.


At least I'm not a Tigers fan, so there's that. 

Joined: 08/12/2017

MGoPoints: 4183