Probably Holiday from UCLA.
OR
Do something the Boston Celtics did few years ago and trade for some VETS.
a three star prospect who might be good enough to move up to a four star, but probably never will. Oops, stuck in recruiting mode
I'm mainly concerned with the first and second rounds but feel free to share insight on the later picks.
There are only two rounds in the draft.
Wow, I've never actually watched any NBA draft coverage so I didn't know. I feel pretty stupid though. Thanks.
There are only two rounds in the NBA draft and the second round is a total crap shoot at best and a waste of time at worst. The Pistons are picking at 15 in the first round. Two years ago they got Stuckey at 15 and he appears to be an impact player, but the norm for mid-first round players is a role player with some "upside". This is a long-winded way of saying the Pistons aren't likely to improve much next year through the draft.
That doesn't answer your question but this might. This is the best compilation of Pistons draft pick projections I have seen:
http://www.motownstringmusic.com/2009/5/26/888138/2009-mock-drafting-th…
As for who I want them to draft, that depends on what they do in the FA market. The "good news" is that the Pistons need so many pieces, especially in the frontcourt, to get back into contention that they are not forced to focus on one position and can probably "take the best player available". Whatever they do, I hope they don't take Mullens.
The second round sucks.
Can they draft a coach?
I hope Curry drops to us. If Curry drops to Knicks and Hill is available I think the Knicks may take Hill. This would leave the Pistons with a chance at getting Curry. Curry is underrated IMO. He should be top 5.
In an ESPN Chat today, the basketball version of Tim Tebow (Blake Griffin) said that the next best player to him is Curry.
Another possible option if he drops, is Brendan Jennings. He may have some issues, but he has major upside and had a year of Europe ball under his belt.
I just hope it isn't B.J. Mullens or Tyler Hansbrough. I swear if I have to see Hansbrough in a Pistons uniform I will never go to a game again. He is one of the the biggest tools on the planet.
Mehmet Okur, Gilbert Arenas
I'd consider making a run for any of Utah's PFs (Okur, Boozer, Millsap). The question with Okur is will Dumars be man enough to admit that letting Okur go and putting all of his eggs in the Darko basket was a huge mistake?
Why anyone would want Arenas on their team is beyond me. Agent Zero can stay in Washington.
these were just examples of 2nd round picks that turned out pretty ok
Ah I see. Yes, there are some. For more perspective, of the last 10 second round picks made by the Pistons, 5 have played a game in the NBA. The only one who panned out (Okur) panned out for another team. Basically, the Pistons have gone 1-for-10 in getting a quality player in the second round and that's probably above the league average.
Amir Johnson (2005 #56 overall) will make it two. Give him a little more time.
Monta Ellis...Pre-"off-season basketball"/Mo-ped Inujry
C.J. Lee
Jarret Smith
No significant free agent is going to come and play for a lousy coach in a state with a depressed economy. They need to tank a couple years to get some high draft picks.
As for Stuckey being an impact player- he's in his second year. Think about what D-Wade did in his second year or LeBron because they are impact players not Stuckey.
Year 2
Player A: 33 min, 38.6% FG, 36.2% 3-PT, 91.3% FT, 1.3 St, 2.2 TO, 3.8 Ast, 2.1 Reb, 13.9 Pts
Player B: 32 Min, 43.9% FG, 29.5% 3-PT, 80.3% FT, 1 St, 2.2 TO, 4.9 Ast, 3.5 Reb, 13.4 Pts
Who would you take: Well, One shoots better 3's and one shoots better FG. Steals and TOs can be ignored. large difference in FT% favoring player A. Points are near equal. Reb and Asts favor player B. Both are PG. One is Stuckey, One is Chauncey. One had AI using some of his minutes.
You can't say Stuckey wasn't an impact player. He was. He may not be an impact point guard. But he is an impact player. You can't compare LeBonBon and Wade to Stuckey. That just is in no way fair. You are comparing apples to oranges.
Stuckey will be good. If he isn't, what did it cost us? Darko? eactly...Remember how we got Stuckey and how well he has out preformed other guards from his draft.
Acie Law? Mike Conley?
http://www.nba.com/draft2007/board.html
there is the draft...
Only other guards that have been decent form that draft: Cook (mainly cause he plays with Wade), Fernadez, and maybe aaron brooks (mostly because of his playoff performance this year)
By your definition there have only been about 5 "impact" players in the last 10 years. That's ridiculous. Impact player does not mean "MVP candidate".
Impact player means a quality starter. In his second year, Stuckey is that and he is likely to improve.
As for the statement that no one will come to Detroit, while you raise some real barriers, you underestimate the appeal of $$ and overestimate the number of teams really willing or able to part with it. At least half of the league's teams have salary cap issues and/or are looking to tighten their belts. The situation will likely not be much different in 2010. I really have no insight on Mrs. Davidson or whoever is running the team now, but if they are willing to give out a bloated contract, someone worth signing will be interested. It may mean they need to take a risk on someone like Boozer and/or giving a longer deal than they would like, but they would have a shot.
I won't be surprised if they do strike out, but for most anyone they go after, they will only be competing with 2-3 other teams and they will have a realistic shot.
If they do strikeout, then you are right, it's tank city time and pray your ball gets picked and that you guess right in the draft. We all know how it worked out the last two times the Pistons had top 10 picks (Darko and Rodney White). Early draft picks are FAR from a sure thing.
By your definition there are a ton of impact players in the NBA. Kevin Durant is an impact player, but no where near an MVP candidate. For that matter D-Wade and LeBron weren't MVP candidates in their second year either.
Jackie Slater, already a member of the Hall of Fame defined for me impact player this way “as a player who affects the 11 guys on the other side of the line of scrimmage, and the 10 guys playing with him. That was Derrick Thomas. He was the dominant factor in any game he played.” Credit Bob Gretz a writer for the KC Chiefs. I know this is football related but, in a basketball context Rodney Stuckey doesn't even come close to being an impact player!
I still find your definition of impact player too narrow. Using that quote from Slater is cheesy. That's a piece of emotional fluff that was spoken/written to remember someone who had died. I generally don't look to eulogies for objective quotes. If you want, I can give you a quote from a coach who is talking about how his player will be "an impact player at the next level". By that definition, every kid who is recruited in HS is "an impact player". Someone said it, so it must be ture.
We're never going to agree here, but somewhere between "any player who makes any impact good or bad" at the one extreme and your "potential hofer only" on the other lies my reality and I will stick with it.
No significant free agent is going to come and play for a lousy coach in a state with a depressed economy.
The Pistons may or may not have success in the free-agent market, but I highly doubt that Michigan's economy will have any impact on free agents' decisions at all. Guaranteed contracts are guaranteed, no matter how crappy the economy is.
Location definitely factors in. Would you rather play in Midtown, Brooklyn, Miami, or post-apocalypse Detroit?
auburn hills, where the pistons play
sarcasm?
... to trade the draft picks to Memphis for Darko Milicic. Assuming that that fails - Michael Heisley is nobody's fool - I would then trade my best player to Memphis for Darko Milicic.
Draft: Curry Drops to us or Jennings.
Free Agents: either A. we get one of Utah's PF. B. We resign Sheed to a small contract (or I see him going to Bobcats or playing with cry baby James). or C. we trade for a Big (Bosh, Shaq or Josh Smith)
I could also see them making a move for Ben Gordon and Maybe trying to ship Rip. Rip has been pissed since Billups left. He is great but time to move on. I'd love to see them make a move for Chris "The Birdman" Anderson. He really has play outstanding since being reinstated. Also Odom or Ariza, but they are probably long shots. David Lee is a chance too, assuming Knicks let him walk. I'd hate for them to make a more for Marion. He is just not good unless with D'Antoni
Players that are gone: Sheed and AI probably for sure. McDyess is probably gone. No need for him if we can't compete. He deserves a ring. Walter Herrmann will be gone. But he is heading to Europe. I could see Amir Johnson or Kwame being traded because they have expiring contracts (assuming Kwame doesn't terminate contract and he'd be an idiot if he did). I also feel as if Rip or Tay are traded away(I hope not tay cause he has always been my favorite pistons since being drafted. Still remember that block on reggie....)
Unless they get Bosh or and big name player via trade or FA they will likely be a 6-8th seed or out of playoffs. Indiana will make a move for playoffs. Danny Granger is SICK.
Jennings had too much potential for 14 teams to pass up, and curry is such a good shooter, hell get taken become detroit is on the clock, although I wouldn't be surprised if its by a playoff team trying to add a sharpshooter and trading up.
who they take, just get rid of the coach.
Is it stupid that I think they should draft the center from Ohio State? :(
I know, I know...but they need a center
I'd rather see them try to package the pick along with someone like Rip and try to get a little younger. At 15, unless someone slips through the cracks, Detroit will be picking either a project or someone who will be a role player at best. Dumars needs to decide whether or not to blow up the team and restart with some of the younger players (Stuckey, Maxiell, Affalo, Johnson), or make one more run with a PF like Boozer or, preferrably, Bosh.
They need a real point guard. Ty Lawson would be ideal as he can break down defenses and also score a little bit. Plus he has a championship pedigree (not that it always carries over, but it's nice to have a guy who has won before). UNC was a completely different and worse team without him.
Having said that, I think they'll take an undersized PF and hope he can be scrappy.
This free agency push scares the shit out of me because I have a feeling that after selling us on this they will wind up with Boozer and Ben Gordon and the Pistons will be the next Milwaukee Bucks.
They should trade the pick for $500 and case of Natty Ice so that they save some cap space.
There is no way Curry drops to the Pistons. I don't think he will even make it to the Knicks at this point. Rumor is they are trying to move up to make sure they can get him.
Lawson is a pretty good guess. I also like Maynor at the point.
This is probably true, but I can dream that curry drops. But "rumor" has it Ben Gordon has a secret deal with Pistons. So he may come and RIP would be out door. Atleast that is my guess. Smart idea to push him out if we get BG.
I like Lawson and maynor too. Lawson just is short but that doesn't mean he can't be great.
I'm not sure Ben Gordon is an upgrade over Rip. Sure, he's younger and a bit more talented as a pure scorer, but he is a step back on defense and needs the ball a little too much.
On the other hand, maybe his and Rip's attitude will improve with a change of scenery and BG + a frontcourt player is better than Rip + no one.
Anybody who isn't named Darko or Mateen.
...and no one named Rodney White