2022 Pistons Offseason

[Deleterious]

Duh.

 

[oblong]

He was such a legend that David Halberstam devoted a lot of ink to him in his great book The Fifties and how he transformed the game.

 

[Deleterious]

Buddha meltdown in 3...2...

 

[Betrayer]

Because another guard is what this team needs 🙄

Maybe we'll get news that Saben is cut soon. But even then, we'll still have too many Guards and Centers and not enough Forwards.

[Deleterious]

I like the move and think people underrate how important a strong veteran presence is for a young team.  Burning a roster spot for someone to help teach the kids is perfectly fine with me.  Bonus points if he bitch slaps Klay Thompson.

[buddha]

macgruder is troy weaver's buddy.  that's why he keeps being paid.

[Betrayer]

You only need one of McGruder or CoJo, not both. I'm fine with having some vets, - it's definitely important - but this roster construction is a bit odd right now. I assumed Troy was hanging on to that cap space in order to make a move (maybe trading Olynyk or something) before the season in order to have it make more sense. There are simply too many guys who will be expecting playing time at the Center and Guard spots.

Guards: Cade, Ivey, Killian, Hami, Burks, CoJo, McGruder, Lee
Forwards: Saddiq, Livers, Knox
Centers: Stew, Bagley, Olynyk, Noel, Duren

All those guys in red either need minutes because they're getting developed, or need minutes because their careers are still alive and they aren't ready to sit on the end of the bench. And I've been pretty conservative here by not listing CoJo (and maybe McGruder) who you know Casey will give minutes to.

Sure, some of those guards can flex up to SF, particularly Hami and Burks. And yes, some of those Centers can flex down to PF (though each will struggle on one end of the floor or the other). But you've got 5 guys whose natural position should be Center in today's NBA, all of whom need or expect minutes. And that's even before we get into the point that moving them down to PF is the opposite of today's "positionless basketball" which is all about Forwards with guard skills who can defend up or down a position. None of these Centers have the "Guard skills" you need them to have to be the answer at PF.

Your best archetype for PF is actually Livers or Bey...but that just makes the minutes situation even more of a train wreck when you've just 3 signed three young Center prospects who need hefty minutes and you also have two vets at that position who are still in their core playing years.

[1984Echoes]

I think they're going to be forced to play Stew and Bagley at PF and Hami at SF...

[Deleterious]

Stewart is the only legit C on the team.  I don't see any reason to play him at PF especially since all the other guys suck so bad.  Well, Duren doesn't suck but he just isn't ready for minutes.

I guess you can fuck around with dumb rotations in the regular season.  But if/when they make the playoffs, Stewart gets 100% of his minutes at C.  He has the makings of being an extremely good modern-day C.  One of the league leaders in rim protection and switchable on the perimeter.  Defensively that is what you want out of your C.

[Deleterious]

Some good news reported yesterday.  The McGruder contract is fully guaranteed.  

[Deleterious]

FWIW, Basketball-Reference has Stewart playing 100% of his minutes at center his rookie year and 98% last year.

[casimir]

37 minutes ago, Deleterious said:

FWIW, Basketball-Reference has Stewart playing 100% of his minutes at center his rookie year and 98% last year.

I had something slightly different, but it could be rounding.

[Deleterious]

🤣😂🤣😂

Brooklyn Nets reportedly asked for Jaylen Brown AND Jayson Tatum for Kevin Durant

[buddha]

the nets make the lakers look loveable.

[casimir]

2 hours ago, Deleterious said:

🤣😂🤣😂

Brooklyn Nets reportedly asked for Jaylen Brown AND Jayson Tatum for Kevin Durant

Bless their heart…..

[RandyMarsh]

NBA to retire the number 6 in honor of Bill Russell. There were some people online a few weeks ago vouching for the NBA to retire Kobe's numbers and I didn't agree with that but I have no problem with doing it for somebody like Russell. 

[Deleterious]

Kyrie gearing up to form his own cult in Guyana after he retires.

 

[Deleterious]

17 minutes ago, RandyMarsh said:

NBA to retire the number 6 in honor of Bill Russell. There were some people online a few weeks ago vouching for the NBA to retire Kobe's numbers and I didn't agree with that but I have no problem with doing it for somebody like Russell. 

Huge flub by the league IMO.  They should have done this while he is alive so he could enjoy it.

[buddha]

why retire russell's jersey all over the league?  that seems really excessive.

he was a great player on a great team, just like a lot of other players in league history.

[gehringer_2]

38 minutes ago, Deleterious said:

Huge flub by the league IMO.  They should have done this while he is alive so he could enjoy it.

Probably a decent chance Russell would not have approved.

[casimir]

57 minutes ago, Deleterious said:

Kyrie gearing up to form his own cult in Guyana after he retires.

 

Guyana scares me.  Too close to the edge of the earth.  I would hate to fall off.

[casimir]

I’m not much for retiring numbers.  But it needs to be reserved for only a select few.  Whitaker deserved it for the Tigers.  As for the Pistons, Vinnie Johnson and Dennis Rodman?   Really?  That seems excessive, but it probably has more to do with Gores trying to make a statement as an owner than anything else.

I don’t know all of Russell’s exploits off of the court, but it sounds like he hand somewhat of a hand in the progression of civil rights.  So, with that context, if it’s significant enough (and I guess shame on me for speaking without knowledge), than I understand it.  But if they were going to do it, why wait until his passing?  Seems shortsighted.

[buddha]

wait until they make the pistons retire jordan's number after he dies.

[NYLion]

On 8/11/2022 at 4:14 PM, buddha said:

why retire russell's jersey all over the league?  that seems really excessive.

he was a great player on a great team, just like a lot of other players in league history.

I think it's a combination of being the biggest winner in NBA history and him playing a big role in civil activism off the court and being a barrier breaker for black basketball players that followed him. I wouldn't call him the Jackie Robinson of basketball necessarily but... yeah... sort of like that.

Edited August 13, 2022 by NYLion

[buddha]

6 hours ago, NYLion said:

I think it's a combination of being the biggest winner in NBA history and him playing a big role in civil activism off the court and being a barrier breaker for black basketball players that followed him. I wouldn't call him the Jackie Robinson of basketball necessarily but... yeah... sort of like that.

i understand, but i think the idea of the entire league retiring his jersey is overkill.  

there is only one jackie robinson in american sports history.  no offense to bill russell, but basketball simply does not carry the historical significance of baseball in the civil rights movement.

at least now they wont be doing this for kobe bryant.