Detroit Pistons 2023-24

[MWmetalhead]

Anything to keep their aging superstar happy, I guess.

[thekman]

How long has the NBA draft been a two day event? Seems unnecessary...

I believe this is the first year it has been a 2-day affair.

[MWmetalhead]

The Pistons traded scrub guard Quentin Grimes to Dallas today for Tim Hardaway, Jr.

I like the move.

https://www.freep.com/story/sports/nba/ ... 244909007/

[MWmetalhead]

Borrego says "no thanks" to the Pistons:
https://www.freep.com/story/sports/nba/ ... 250599007/

I suspect Detroit will wind up hiring J.B. Bickerstaff or the assistant coach from the Mavs.

[SD45]

Reports this morning have Pistons hiring J.B. Bickerstaff.

[MWmetalhead]

Sounds like it is pretty much a done deal.

I'm quite happy with the hire. Bickerstaff got a raw deal in Cleveland.

[Rate This]

Cade Cunningham got a max rookie extension it sounds like. 5 years.

[MWmetalhead]

I have mixed views about that. The thesis that the team is significantly better when he's in the lineup has arguably been disproven. Granted, the pieces around him stunk last season.

He is injury prone, is an unreliable long range shooter, hasn't performed reliably in crunch time, and is turnover prone.

All that said - if he were to walk, I have no friggin idea what Plan B would look like. Even with his shortcomings, he is clearly the best scorer on the squad.

In other news, Andre Drummond is headed back to Philly. Two year deal for $10 million. That's reasonable. I would not have minded seeing him come off the bench for us. Going to Philly preserves a glimmer of hope he'll win a ring.

[MWmetalhead]

Pistons are signing Tobias Harris to a 2 year, $52 million deal.

I'm glad it's only a 2 year deal because he looked quite tired by the time the postseason rolled around. I hope that isn't a precursor of maladies to come. He was awful in the playoffs this year but was decent in the regular season. He is only 31 years of age, so if he stays healthy, he should be a decent contributor.

His 3 pt shooting percentage has been all over the map during his NBA career. He only shot about 35 percent from long range last season. Not horrible but not great, either. League-wide 3 pt FGA was 39 percent last season.

[SD45]

James Wiseman is signing a 2-year contract with Indiana.

[MasterB]

I like the hire of J.B. Brickerstaff as the Cavs did him wrong I hope he crushes Dan Gilbert Cavs every time they face the Pistons and I'll love every moment of it.

[MWmetalhead]

That won't happen. The Cavs just signed Donovan Mitchell to a 3 year extension.

[MWmetalhead]

WTF was Joe Dumars thinking when he drafted this guy in summer 2003?

https://athlonsports.com/nba/ex-pistons ... -admission

[TC doesn't Talk]

[Bobbert]

WTF was Joe Dumars thinking when he drafted this guy in summer 2003?

https://athlonsports.com/nba/ex-pistons ... -admission

Here's what MItch Albom wrote in the Detroit Free Press on May 23, 2003, after the Pistons won the number 2 pick in the draft:

Earlier in the day, the Pistons had worked out a young man named Darko Milicic. From Serbia. He is not yet 18. He is 7-feet. He was so impressive during the workout that several Pistons players, having finished their shootaround, hung out and peeked as he went through his drills.

What did they think? Put it this way. They didn't believe he was 17. More like 25. You ask Dumars about Darko as he refers to him and you see his eyes light up. He talks about a big man who is still growing, who has all the fundamentals, who can post, who can shoot, who is mature beyond his years, and who already has played several seasons of professional ball in Europe, which means, as Dumars says, "he's done road trips, he's been to other countries, he doesn't have to learn all that."

Ironically, the lottery moved the Pistons from the sixth pick to the second pick. The sixth pick that year was Chris Kamen from CMU, who had a solid NBA career, and might have helped the Pistons continue their success longer.

https://basketball.realgm.com/nba/draft ... sults/2003

https://basketball.realgm.com/player/Ch ... Summary/57