Detroit Offseason ReviewHartfordWhalers wrote:Hartfordwhalers Review
Key Losses:
Losses:
Anthony Tolliver
Jodie Meeks
Steve Blake
Joel Anthony
Spencer Dinwiddie
Adonis Thomas
Tolliver is the only one that registers at all, and replacing him with Ellenson seems fine. It is rare you can see a team lose so many players and yet feel the team didn't lose anything of true value, or even break up its own core.
Draft:
#18 Henry Ellenson
#49 Michael Gbinije
Ellenson at #18 was solid value. I'm totally good with this draft as a good but non spectacular draft.
Trades:
Spencer Dinwiddie for Cameron Bairstow
Jodie Meeks to Orlando Magic for a 2019 second-rounder
The first trade didn't matter. The second got cap space and a 2nd for a guy with na injury that... he still has and will miss a lot of next season for. How did Orlando approve that trade?
Free Agency:
Andre Drummond 5/$127.2m (last year PO)
Jon Leuer 4/$42m (with $1 million of unlikely incentives).
Ish Smith 3/$18m
Boban Marjanovic 3/$21m
Henry Ellenson rookie-scale contract.
Ray McCallum 1 year nongtd
Love the Boban signing. Ish is a very poor man's Reggie Jackson, so this seems a solid place for him. If he is playing with Drummond, the lobs will be great. On the other hand, he cannot defend or shoot. I like the fit a ton though as he gets bigs easy looks, even if I question 3 full years at the MLE. Leuer seems a solid pick up, although looking at the depth chart a lot rides on KCP and I would have liked to see a backup for him instead. This was Detroit's shot at cap space, and they look to be a MLE team going forward.
Current Depth Chart: (taken from bbinsiders)
PG: Reggie Jackson, Ish Smith, Lorenzo Brown, Ray McCallum
SG: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Darrun Hilliard., Michael Gbinije
SF: Marcus Morris, Stanley Johnson, Reggie Bullock
PF: Tobias Harris, Jon Leuer, Henry Ellenson
C: Andre Drummond, Boban Marjanovic, Aron Baynes
I switched Morris and Harris, and Baybes and Boban
Needs:
A breakout season from KCP. Stanley Johnson pushing Morris to the bench would be great to. Just internal development. Drummond to break out big time.
Additional Thoughts:
There are teams that did less, but Detroit's offseason feels the most vanilla of them. I will be surprised by any outlier grades, this seemed boring and solid, in that order.
Josh Smith is taking up $5,331,729 in cap space this season, and the three after that.
I would trade Baynes if they can.
Projected Win/Loss: 44-38
Off-Season Grade: B+ I gave the + for getting Drummond at 4+1, but I wanted to just write Boring.
bondom34 wrote:bondom34 Review
Key Losses:
Losses:
Anthony Tolliver (Feel free move hm to key losses if you want)
Jodie Meeks
Steve Blake
Joel Anthony
Spencer Dinwiddie
Adonis Thomas
Draft:
#18 Henry Ellenson
#49 Michael Gbinije
Trades:
Spencer Dinwiddie for Cameron Bairstow
Jodie Meeks to Orlando Magic for a 2019 second-rounder
I have no idea how they got a second for Meeks.
Free Agency:
Andre Drummond 5/$127.2m
Jon Leuer 4/$42m (with $1 million of unlikely incentives).
Ish Smith 3/$18m
Boban Marjanovic 3/$21m
Henry Ellenson rookie-scale contract.
Ray McCallum 1 year nongtd
Oddly, I don't mind the Leuer deal, the Smith signing was too much to me, but he's still better than what they had. Boban is a decent deal, but confusing unless/until they move Baynes.
Current Depth Chart: (taken from bbinsiders)
PG: Reggie Jackson, Ish Smith, Lorenzo Brown, Ray McCallum
SG: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Darrun Hilliard., Michael Gbinije
SF: Tobias Harris, Stanley Johnson, Reggie Bullock
PF: Marcus Morris, Jon Leuer, Henry Ellenson
C: Andre Drummond, Aron Baynes, Boban Marjanovic
Needs:
Development, and personally I'm not a huge believer in Smith as backup PG, but he works in a pinch.
Additional Thoughts:
SVG has put together a really solid roster from what was once.....not. I'm not ready to say they're a top 4 seed yet but I think they continue improving and could win a round if they get a good matchup. I think the record is close to last year but they're a better team in reality with the east improving.
Projected Win/Loss:45-37
Off-Season Grade: B-
dbrandon wrote:dbrandon Review
Key Losses:
Losses:
Anthony Tolliver
Jodie Meeks
Steve Blake
Joel Anthony
Spencer Dinwiddie
Adonis Thomas
None of these guys is a huge loss.
Draft:
#18 Henry Ellenson
#49 Michael Gbinije
I like both these guys for their draft spot, at least for what coverage I've seen of them. Will they be useful? IDK. But a very sound draft IMO.
Trades:
Spencer Dinwiddie for Cameron Bairstow
Jodie Meeks to Orlando Magic for a 2019 second-rounder
Dinwiddie for Bairstow is eh for eh. Don't really care either way.
Meeks was a good trade. Solid player when healthy, but he's been injured a decent amount and they could use a second and a little extra cap. Could do worse.
Free Agency:
Andre Drummond 5/$127.2m
Jon Leuer 4/$42m (with $1 million of unlikely incentives).
Ish Smith 3/$18m
Boban Marjanovic 3/$21m
Henry Ellenson rookie-scale contract.
Ray McCallum 1 year nongtd
Drummond was obvious. You lock him up, that's a no-brainer. Leuer was a good get (one of my possible value FA guys before the offseason started), though this seems a bit on the high side to me--he still needs to prove himself a little more IMO. That's surprising money for Smith, and I like Smith. Marjanovic's money is no real problem--he's likely not a heavy minute guy, and he's not great in pick and roll, but he's a very useful backup center and a guy they could use when Drummond is getting hacked.
McCallum as a 1-year nonguaranteed guy is a decent flier, but IDK if he'll pan out. My money's on no. But you can't do much worse than Blake and Dinwiddie, so hey, maybe something will turn out all right with him.
One thing Stan Van has shown is that he's not afraid to overpay slightly if he thinks you're his guy.
Current Depth Chart: (taken from bbinsiders)
PG: Reggie Jackson, Ish Smith, Lorenzo Brown, Ray McCallum
SG: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Darrun Hilliard., Michael Gbinije
SF: Tobias Harris, Stanley Johnson, Reggie Bullock
PF: Marcus Morris, Jon Leuer, Henry Ellenson
C: Andre Drummond, Aron Baynes, Boban Marjanovic
This is a solid enough depth chart. It doesn't knock your socks off, but there also aren't any gaping holes. This is very much a Stan Van Gundy team when you see how it's constructed.
Needs:
Mainly continued internal development. KCP, Tobias, Marcus, StanJo, Leuer. All those guys need to be able to at least light it up at an average level from outside. Small sample size says they'll likely be fine, but it's a small sample for a reason. We need to see them consistent. Reggie's continued improvement as a shooter will help, too, but for this team to reach the next level all their 2 to 4s need to be able to hit an open shot.
Tobias needs to develop as a defender. It was a problem in Orlando, but I didn't watch enough DET late in the season to see if it improved.
Andre needs to get better as a defender, too, especially leveraging his athleticism and his size to be a DeAndre Jordan-type rim protector. Jordan wasn't great by the numbers until this year, though his reputation was better than his advanced stats suggested. Drummond needs to figure out what Jordan did and make it part of his repertoire, as they're fairly similar in terms of physical profile, skill and playstyle.
Additional Thoughts:
I'm a little shakier on my assessment of the Pistons than a lot of other teams. Overall really like the direction the team's headed under SVG. Regardless of my disdain for Reggie, he's a solid starting point, and the young talent they've gotten projects well. Everything around Drummond and maybe Reggie at this point is interchangeable parts. They've shown they can be solid. Can they be better than that? We'll see.
Projected Win/Loss: 45 wins
Off-Season Grade: B
Slava wrote:Slava Review
Key Losses:
Losses:
Anthony Tolliver
Jodie Meeks
Steve Blake
Joel Anthony
Spencer Dinwiddie
Adonis Thomas
Nothing too big here. Tolliver has been more than adequately replaced both through draft and free agency. Same with Steve Blake.
Draft:
#18 Henry Ellenson
#49 Michael Gbinije
If I had to pick a GM who would take Ellenson, knowing the potential downside, SVG would be my first guess. He loves having a stable of stretch 4s, so this was predictable. Someone like Taurean Prince falling to them would have been nice but as it is, Ellenson is likely the BPA.
Gbinjie, albeit being older than a typical rookie will likely have to work with the shot doctors to improve his jump shot consistency to go from a streaky shooter to a steady one. His strength and versatility to be a secondary ball handler gives him a chance to carve out a niche for himself as a back up SG in the league but like all Syracuse guards its hard to get a read on their defensive proficiency coming out of college, having played in a zone heavy scheme.
Trades:
Spencer Dinwiddie for Cameron Bairstow
Jodie Meeks to Orlando Magic for a 2019 second-rounder
Getting rid of Meeks' contract was a good move even if the money that opened up wasn't spent wisely.
Free Agency:
Andre Drummond 5/$127.2m
Jon Leuer 4/$42m (with $1 million of unlikely incentives).
Ish Smith 3/$18m
Boban Marjanovic 3/$21m
Henry Ellenson rookie-scale contract.
Ray McCallum 1 year nongtd
Drummond's RFA was a formality and it went without a hitch.
Ideally I'd have wished for a better PG than Ish Smith and wouldn't hesitate to use the Leuer money here but its hard to come up with a name that is not an injury risk (Brandon Jennings) or an implausible acquisition (Lin). Ish is cheap and an upgrade over Steve Blake, so that helps.
Leuer is another stretch 4 who did well in Phoenix when given the opportunity and he will work well with SVG but the money and duration of the contract is a luxury they could have lived without.
I'm not sure what the plan for Boban is considering he is not nimble enough to fit Stan's style of play on either side of the court and Baynes is more than adequate to be the back up center to a usually healthy and reliable Drummond. Again this is a bit of a luxury investment from a team that needs to keep options open to improve through free agency.
Current Depth Chart: (taken from bbinsiders)
PG: Reggie Jackson, Ish Smith, Lorenzo Brown, Ray McCallum
SG: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Darrun Hilliard., Michael Gbinije
SF: Tobias Harris, Stanley Johnson, Reggie Bullock
PF: Marcus Morris, Jon Leuer, Henry Ellenson
C: Andre Drummond, Aron Baynes, Boban Marjanovic
They could have upgraded back up SF and inserted Johnson into the starting line up while keeping Harris as the back up 4 and not invest in Leuer but the market for swingmen was crazy so this seems like a fit of convenience than something designed.
SG is the only position that seems a bit underserved but I'd assume Stan Johnson will slide over to add minutes there. Otherwise a well balanced line up.
Needs:
1. Continued development from Johnson and Pope.
Additional Thoughts:
Taking care of Drummond's extension was a neat bit of business and I think if they get a chance to upgrade on Reggie Jackson at PG, they should take it as that is their most likely way to break their ceiling.
As it stands this team is likely not good enough to make the 2nd round of the playoffs and they will be capped out once they take care of Pope's free agency. Their ability to improve through the draft isn't that good either if they keep picking in the late teens so I can see an entertaining albeit above average team here for the near future, which appears to be the design considering SVG's choices.
Projected Win/Loss: 46-36
Off-Season Grade:B
Laimbeer wrote:Laimbeer Review
Key Losses:
Losses:
Anthony Tolliver
Jodie Meeks
Steve Blake
Joel Anthony
Spencer Dinwiddie
Adonis Thomas
Tolliver was a marginal contributor He landed a contract way too rich to compete with. The others didn't contribute and the younger ones were more suspect than prospect.
Draft:
#18 Henry Ellenson
#49 Michael Gbinije
Ellenson was pretty good value at #18 based on a few mock drafts. I'd have rather seen them draft a guard, particularly a two. Leuer and Harris are ahead of him and locked up for a few years. I'm not crazy about it from a fit standpoint.
Trades:
Spencer Dinwiddie for Cameron Bairstow
Jodie Meeks to Orlando Magic for a 2019 second-rounder
Dinwiddie for Bairstow doesn't register, but it is amazing to get a pick for Meeks. A lot of Piston fans wondered what would have to be attached to move him.
Free Agency:
Andre Drummond 5/$127.2m (last year PO)
Jon Leuer 4/$42m (with $1 million of unlikely incentives).
Ish Smith 3/$18m
Boban Marjanovic 3/$21m
Henry Ellenson rookie-scale contract.
Ray McCallum 1 year nongtd
Getting Drummond to re-up was the biggest move of the offseason. Letting it drag out this far always made me nervous, though it supposedly was a foregone conclusion. Anything could have happened. Leuer, Smith. and Boban fill positions of need on a bench that was weak last season. But it's a good bit of money to lock up in three reserves, none of whom seems special.
Current Depth Chart: (taken from bbinsiders)
PG: Reggie Jackson, Ish Smith, Lorenzo Brown, Ray McCallum
SG: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Darrun Hilliard., Michael Gbinije
SF: Marcus Morris, Stanley Johnson, Reggie Bullock
PF: Tobias Harris, Jon Leuer, Henry Ellenson
C: Andre Drummond, Aron Baynes, Boban Marjanovic
It's possible Johnson starts at some point and I'd be delighted if Boban supplants Baynes as Dre's primary backup since he's the long term solution there. And a lot more fun to watch.
Needs:
The three point shooting could stand some improvement and depth at the two still seems light. And Drummond picking it up a notch and realizing more of his potential.
Additional Thoughts:
The free agent signings of Leuer, Smith, and Boban fit from a position standpoint and certainly should improve a team that had bench issues a season ago. But a good bit of cap was tied up in them and the values were just okay. Long term, a top drawer player to be a Batman or Robin to an evolved Drummond will be needed for the team to become a serious contender. Will the team have the financial flexibility to do this? Those signings could make it more difficult.
Bottom line, the Pistons are a bit improved and have cemented a lot of their team for a few seasons. But that may have created a firmer ceiling as well.
Projected Win/Loss: 47-35
Off-Season Grade: C+
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