Couldn't find the old thread, so here we are. We'll be picking 8th in the draft; hoping we take a Euro I think.
Will be really interested to see how SVG thinks between going for fit/need or talent/best long term asset. If they're going for fit/need, I think they're probably hoping Winslow drops or will target Stanley Johnson. If they go for talent/long term, I would think they would be dreaming Porzingis falls or will target one of Myles Turner/Mario Henzonja. I could see either philosophy. I'd love to know what they think of Porzingis and Turner, though. Turner seems like the most unpredictable name in the lottery currently.
Also, I expect this pick to be mentioned often in trade rumors for wing players like Batum in Portland.
Rumors today had Scott Skiles being the leading candidate for the Orlando job opening. Tobias Harris is an undersized 4 who didn't get along with Skiles when he was in Milwaukee (he didn't play much, and they dealt him to Orlando, where he took off). He's a restricted FA. Assuming Jackson resigns and Monroe doesn't, we have 2 obvious holes at forward with a pick at 8 likely filling one of them. I could see giving Harris $12+ million a year to fill the other. Harris turns 23 in July and averaged 17 and 6 last year. He shot 46% from the field, 36% from 3, and almost 80% from the line. Harris would be a worthwhile gamble, IMO.
Yeah, hadn't thought of Harris until you mentioned it. Would be a good fit IMO. As the roster currently stands, I'm okay with Winslow, Hezonja, or Johnson. I'm intrigued by Turner, but he's after those guys. Porzingis is something I could talk myself into, but he scares me.
Porzingis seems like a complete crap shoot. He could be Dirk or he could be broken in half by half by any of the 60 PFs in the league within a year. The skill level is so high I think you have to take the chance if we had it, but he makes Tayshaun look muscular right now. Turner is a stat geek favorite who apparently spent the last several months trying to learn a new way to run so he doesn't look so awkward. Rumor this week was he would be working out with Porzingis sometime in June, though, so that could be interesting.
Pistons president/coach Stan Van Gundy said on WJR-AM (760) on Wednesday that the team is targeting five small forwards, a big guy and two shooting guards with its first pick. A wide net, but is it safe to assume that Porzingis is the big guy?
To be honest, I base most of my opinions on draftexpress videos. Granted, I love everyone until I get to the weaknesses part, but Porzingis just looked like a complete non-factor on the glass. He's really young, but it seemed like he's so far from being a player in the NBA. On the other hand, he's 7 foot and can shoot. That's always hard to turn down, so I'd probably end up buying into the hype. I hadn't considered or paid attention to Turner until today. But he's 19 and shot 28% from three. Has a nice stroke. Again, he'd be in line after Winslow, Hezonja, and Johnson, but I wouldn't complain about the pick at all.
That sounds about right. The shooting guard part is intriguing unless it's Russell and Booker. I don't want Booker and Russell will be gone.
If we're taking a SG at 8, I'd rather we took RJ Hunter than Devin Booker. Booker has better percentages this season, but I trust Hunter's production more than Booker's. Porzingis is very unlikely to ever be a good rebounder, but Drummond at the 5 masks stuff like that. I'm more concerned about Porzingis being able to guard anyone in the next 3 years than I am about his rebounding. If we didn't have Drummond, that would be a much bigger issue for me.
WRT Porzingis I only mentioned the glass, but it was more of a strength thing in general. He just gets pushed around like nothing. Turner is in the same boat and needs to add weight, but I can see him being fine in a year or two. Porzingis just looked like a wet noodle.
Interesting nugget from Vince Ellis story on this A person with firsthand knowledge of the Pistons' off-season plans said signing Green is not realistic because they expect the Warriors, playing in the NBA Finals and working for a new arena, to match any offer sheet. The person, not publicly authorized to discuss the team's plans, said that the Pistons do not want to tie up salary cap space for 72 hours – the time allotted the Warriors to match any offer – when more easily obtainable free agents might be available.
I could see us being interested in RFAs. Just not ones we know are pointless to go after. Draymond has been pointless to go after for about 3-4 months now. He's too valuable to GS to let walk for nothing. At this point, he's arguably their second best player. He's no worse than third, and he's probably #2 in terms of importance.
Are there any legit Small Forwards going to be on the market? I'm guessing that's the way they go in the lottery.
Tellem wrote about the job for SI. It's kind of interesting. It sounds like he's going to be in a role similar to Tom Wilson's back in the day. http://www.si.com/nba/2015/06/05/arn-tellem-detroit-pistons-sports-agent-nba?xid=si_social
Anthony Davis was a Tellem client. Obviously he's going to pass on an extension and wait two years until he can be a UFA and follow him to Detroit. No reason why he wouldn't.
Really good article on what Tellem's hire could mean: http://www.crainsdetroit.com/articl...ms-for-status-as-industry?X-IgnoreUserAgent=1
Apparently the first thing on Tellem's agenda is going to be exploring the idea of leaving the Palace and moving the team back to Detroit. From Terry Foster:
Chad Ford updated his "Big Board" yesterday with write-ups on the top 30 guys. Among the things said about or relating to Detroit: - Porzingis is starting to seem like a real long shot and could essentially go anywhere between 2 and 7 - The Pistons are apparently one of a number of teams taking a hard look at Texas big Myles Turner - We're considered the ceiling for Stanley Johnson, Kelly Oubre, Sam Dekker, Trey Lyles, Devin Booker and Kevon Looney - He didn't mention us with Kaminsky, who he says could go as high as 10 to Miami. The Porzingis stuff is unfortunate but not surprising. We need GMs to go the "OMG Euros are so risky!!" route for him to fall to us and that doesn't appear to be happening. I can't see us taking Turner, and the third point suggests he doesn't have much of a read on us at this point in terms of preference. The Kaminsky stuff surprises me because he seems like a really good fit offensively and could probably help us today. I'd be really surprised if SVG considered Turner while dismissing Kaminsky.
I saw a mock yesterday that projected us picking Booker. I'm not real sure how I feel about that. Maybe because I'm still pissed he went to UK
Tellem isn't going to be making the pick, but he was Hezonja's agent before he took the Detroit job so he'll at least have a lot of insight into the "baggage" Hezonja supposedly brings. Could also be a decent ally for him early in his career if he had issues adjusting. Russillo @ryenarussillo There is an obvious Arn Tellum - Hezonja connection, so other teams are saying he goes #8, if he is still there.
Milwaukee has traded forward Ersan Ilyasova to Detroit for Caron Butler and Shawne Williams, league sources tell Yahoo.
Very interesting. He makes a ton of sense for the roster because he's shown the ability to make 3s and rebound. He was a monster 3 and 4 years ago and he just turned 28. On the negative side, he's making around $8m for the next two seasons and hasn't shot the ball close to what he did in 2012 and 13.
I am curious to see how this impacts our off draft plans. I would assume this ends the pursuit of someone like Kaminsky or Turner.
I think it just alleviates a position of need and lets us draft best available. It likely doesn't take anyone off the table, but adds more to it.
I think it seals the deal that Kaminsky won't be the guy. I don't think it would rule out Turner or Porzingis. Turner can play center (probably better suited to do that than PF at this point) and needs time to develop, anyway. Porzingis would also need time to bulk up and learn the American game.
I think Booker is becoming a real possibility now too if only because we have one less spot we need to worry about filling. Of course that would also mean moving KCP or Meeks and signing your starting SF but certainly it seems more plausible now than an hour ago.
The contract is for Ilyasova is much better than I originally read. He makes $7.9m this year, and then is under contract for $8.4m in 2015-16. Only $400k of that is guaranteed, apparently, so there's no long term risk at all here. Kind of makes this a no brainer, IMO. Not sure who else they could have potentially targeted who would be a better value short term without the long term risk.
Dekker is pretty good. I'm concerned about the shooting, but he's a better offensive player than Johnson and Winslow right now, IMO, and his size makes him more versatile on both ends of the court than those guys. I'm not sure what his ceiling is, but I don't think 8 is a reach for him any more than it would be for Johnson, Oubre, Kaminsky, Booker, etc.
Not a huge Dekker fan, but I do agree that there isn't much separation between he and the rest of the guys rumored to be in consideration at 8.
If Hezonja is gone, it should probably be pointed out. If Hezonja is there, he's the one guy out of that group where I think you could clearly say "his ceiling is much higher than Dekker's". Could make the argument for Winslow in terms of ceiling, as well, but I think that one is a bit more debatable in terms of how you view Winslow's skills.
I don't think he's a good enough shooter. He shot under .333 from deep the last two years at the college distance.
Definitely a fair criticism, but Winslow and Johnson have questionable shooting resumes, too, and Oubre is basically a lottery ticket.
The conversations about how shitty from 3 all these wings are makes me really interested in Booker. I think if you can get Booker at 8 though, you have to look at moving KCP for a first. I could see a team like OKC at 14 being interested. A Booker/Dekker draft is something I could get behind.