Post-Mortem: 2020-21 Detroit Pistons

[GSWFan1994]

I'd like to know... what happened to Zhaire?

[cupcakesnake]

(Slightly divergent from the topic but) realizing I've been buying a lot of Pistons fan stock this past year made me realize how fandom is sometimes shaped. I was (erroneously) high on Josh Jackson the year of his draft, and (hopefully correctly) high on Saddiq Bey in last year's draft. I also had Hayes at #2 on my draft board (not looking good at this moment but I'm not giving up yet). Players we root for before they make the league, with little information to go off of, kind of start new roots in our fandom, and where they end up leads to us following and rooting for certain teams.

I was a big Detroit fan in the early 2000s. One of the reasons I'm a Minnesota fan was because I mixed up KG and Ben Wallace when I was 12 years old. Ben Wallace was my first jersey and first favorite player. Stuck around after the Ben Wallace trade, but changed the channel once they signed Charlie V and Ben Gordon. I climbed back on the bandwagon this year. Drummond and Reggie Jackson are gone, no one knows where Greg Monroe or Josh Smith are... the sun has come up on this Pistons franchise!

[ElectricMayhem]

(Slightly divergent from the topic but) realizing I've been buying a lot of Pistons fan stock this past year made me realize how fandom is sometimes shaped. I was (erroneously) high on Josh Jackson the year of his draft, and (hopefully correctly) high on Saddiq Bey in last year's draft. I also had Hayes at #2 on my draft board (not looking good at this moment but I'm not giving up yet). Players we root for before they make the league, with little information to go off of, kind of start new roots in our fandom, and where they end up leads to us following and rooting for certain teams.

I was a big Detroit fan in the early 2000s. One of the reasons I'm a Minnesota fan was because I mixed up KG and Ben Wallace when I was 12 years old. Ben Wallace was my first jersey and first favorite player. Stuck around after the Ben Wallace trade, but changed the channel once they signed Charlie V and Ben Gordon. I climbed back on the bandwagon this year. Drummond and Reggie Jackson are gone, no one knows where Greg Monroe or Josh Smith are... the sun has come up on this Pistons franchise!

The Pistons deserved to have the channel changed on them after signing Charlie V. and Ben Gordon. They continued to have a series of unlikable players after that too. Detroit is my original location-based sports team but who really wants a team of Charlie V. and Ben Gordon, or following iterations of the Corey Maggette or a washed up Tracy McGrady or Austin Daye or Stanley Johnson to win? I'm about 50/50 location-based and player-based. When my location-based team is not likable, I tend toward player-based. This past year was the first likable team in a looooong time (minus the recent iteration that had the Tobi & Bobi show + Ish).

[The Moose]

(Slightly divergent from the topic but) realizing I've been buying a lot of Pistons fan stock this past year made me realize how fandom is sometimes shaped. I was (erroneously) high on Josh Jackson the year of his draft, and (hopefully correctly) high on Saddiq Bey in last year's draft. I also had Hayes at #2 on my draft board (not looking good at this moment but I'm not giving up yet). Players we root for before they make the league, with little information to go off of, kind of start new roots in our fandom, and where they end up leads to us following and rooting for certain teams.

I was a big Detroit fan in the early 2000s. One of the reasons I'm a Minnesota fan was because I mixed up KG and Ben Wallace when I was 12 years old. Ben Wallace was my first jersey and first favorite player. Stuck around after the Ben Wallace trade, but changed the channel once they signed Charlie V and Ben Gordon. I climbed back on the bandwagon this year. Drummond and Reggie Jackson are gone, no one knows where Greg Monroe or Josh Smith are... the sun has come up on this Pistons franchise!

2 seasons ago it looked like we had the bleakest future in the league with no end in sight, after roughly a decade of perpetually fighting for the 8th-10th seed, treating Reggie Jackson, Drummond and a washed up Blake like they were superstars.
Its quite remarkable how much has changed for us within a year.
A team full of young players, with a Number 1 overall pick to come, and potentially max cap space next offseason. I dont think our fanbase has been this hyped or felt this level of optimism since about 2006.

[cupcakesnake]

(Slightly divergent from the topic but) realizing I've been buying a lot of Pistons fan stock this past year made me realize how fandom is sometimes shaped. I was (erroneously) high on Josh Jackson the year of his draft, and (hopefully correctly) high on Saddiq Bey in last year's draft. I also had Hayes at #2 on my draft board (not looking good at this moment but I'm not giving up yet). Players we root for before they make the league, with little information to go off of, kind of start new roots in our fandom, and where they end up leads to us following and rooting for certain teams.

I was a big Detroit fan in the early 2000s. One of the reasons I'm a Minnesota fan was because I mixed up KG and Ben Wallace when I was 12 years old. Ben Wallace was my first jersey and first favorite player. Stuck around after the Ben Wallace trade, but changed the channel once they signed Charlie V and Ben Gordon. I climbed back on the bandwagon this year. Drummond and Reggie Jackson are gone, no one knows where Greg Monroe or Josh Smith are... the sun has come up on this Pistons franchise!

The Pistons deserved to have the channel changed on them after signing Charlie V. and Ben Gordon. They continued to have a series of unlikable players after that too. Detroit is my original location-based sports team but who really wants a team of Charlie V. and Ben Gordon, or following iterations of the Corey Maggette or a washed up Tracy McGrady or Austin Daye or Stanley Johnson to win? I'm about 50/50 location-based and player-based. When my location-based team is not likable, I tend toward player-based. This past year was the first likable team in a looooong time (minus the recent iteration that had the Tobi & Bobi show + Ish).

Yeah I'm the same. My childhood team was the Wolves, my local team is the Raps, but I've followed my favorite players and groups of players to Detroit, Phoenix, San Antonio, Dallas, Denver. I try to sap some of the enjoyment of following teams through their darkest days (Minne and Toronto), while still rooting for teams that I actually like.

Even in Detroit's dark era, I ended up following them a bit. They were always the cheapest ticket in Toronto, and I saw them play in Washington too. I was big on Stanley Johnson in the draft and that went badly. Austin Daye looked like Tayshaun Prince but never played like him. Detroit was just painfully unlikeable through Drummond, Jackson, Josh Smith. Clunky lineups with 3 bigs on the floor. Bobi and Tobi was the high point of likeability for sure.

Detroit is hella likeable now though. Beef Stew is an easy player to root for. There are lots of underdogs trying to establish themselves as viable NBA guys (Jackson) or high tier NBA players (Grant). Young teams that grow up together are always going to grab my attention.

[clyde21]

I'd like to know... what happened to Zhaire?

Zhaire Smith? had a life threatening allergic reaction (to I believe sesame oil?) and never fully recovered from it pretty much...just freaky stuff

[GSWFan1994]

I'd like to know... what happened to Zhaire?

Zhaire Smith? had a life threatening allergic reaction (to I believe sesame oil?) and never fully recovered from it pretty much...just freaky stuff

Yeah, I know... but this roughly 2 years ago, right? Isn't he already recovered? Why didn't he play this season?

[TurboTitan]

I am curious to know what they will do this upcoming season.

Drafting: Cade is the heavy favorite.
Free Agency: They probably will not have cap space. They owe 34M on dead cap (Blake, Deadmon, Zhaire). Moreover, they often have to overpay Free Agents to play in Detroit.
RFA players: they should bring back Hamidou and Saben on reasonable deals. I dont know about Dennis Smith Jr.
Trades: There will be a lot of offers for Grant and probably Mason as well. They can net picks/assets in return and continue the slow rebuilding or they can keep the vets to speed up the rebuilding and trying to fight for the 10th spot. They also could look to move Hayes after getting Cade. Hayes still has the potential to net a mid-pick. If he gets shadowed by Cade, his value will drop (like Doncic did with Dennis).
No guaranteed players: Joseph was playing well in the last games and he can help the young guys without being a tank killer. Mcgruder should be waived, he already is 29.

Projected Rotation

Cade/Joseph/Saben
Hamidou/Hayes
Grant/Jackson
Saddiq/Sekou
Mason/Stewart

overpaying free agents to play in Detroit is such a myth. Dont let Dumars poor decision making fool you

[chrbal]

I'd like to know... what happened to Zhaire?

Zhaire Smith? had a life threatening allergic reaction (to I believe sesame oil?) and never fully recovered from it pretty much...just freaky stuff

Yeah, I know... but this roughly 2 years ago, right? Isn't he already recovered? Why didn't he play this season?

Pistons cut him, grizzlies brought him essentially to cut him onto to their g league team. Then he got injured I think. Possibly not serious, but with it being a shortened season, maybe his recovery didn’t line up.

With everything that’s happened to him, he really just needs to play overseas for a couple seasons to get more up to speed. Then return to the league.

[GSWFan1994]

Zhaire Smith? had a life threatening allergic reaction (to I believe sesame oil?) and never fully recovered from it pretty much...just freaky stuff

Yeah, I know... but this roughly 2 years ago, right? Isn't he already recovered? Why didn't he play this season?

Pistons cut him, grizzlies brought him essentially to cut him onto to their g league team. Then he got injured I think. Possibly not serious, but with it being a shortened season, maybe his recovery didn’t line up.

With everything that’s happened to him, he really just needs to play overseas for a couple seasons to get more up to speed. Then return to the league.

Thanks for the reply! Much appreciated.

[chilluminati]

(Slightly divergent from the topic but) realizing I've been buying a lot of Pistons fan stock this past year made me realize how fandom is sometimes shaped. I was (erroneously) high on Josh Jackson the year of his draft, and (hopefully correctly) high on Saddiq Bey in last year's draft. I also had Hayes at #2 on my draft board (not looking good at this moment but I'm not giving up yet). Players we root for before they make the league, with little information to go off of, kind of start new roots in our fandom, and where they end up leads to us following and rooting for certain teams.

I was a big Detroit fan in the early 2000s. One of the reasons I'm a Minnesota fan was because I mixed up KG and Ben Wallace when I was 12 years old. Ben Wallace was my first jersey and first favorite player. Stuck around after the Ben Wallace trade, but changed the channel once they signed Charlie V and Ben Gordon. I climbed back on the bandwagon this year. Drummond and Reggie Jackson are gone, no one knows where Greg Monroe or Josh Smith are... the sun has come up on this Pistons franchise!

2 seasons ago it looked like we had the bleakest future in the league with no end in sight, after roughly a decade of perpetually fighting for the 8th-10th seed, treating Reggie Jackson, Drummond and a washed up Blake like they were superstars.
Its quite remarkable how much has changed for us within a year.
A team full of young players, with a Number 1 overall pick to come, and potentially max cap space next offseason. I dont think our fanbase has been this hyped or felt this level of optimism since about 2006.

Oh man it feels so good. You're absolutely right. Hope was sucked from my body on November 3rd 2008, and for the first time since then we can see some light. I finally have faith that we have a GM that will use the pick on the right player. We can't erase the past *cough darko* but at least we can do something right now and draft Cade. Him around the core we have now? I can't wait for us to become the next Memphis type team. Loaded with young players who play well together.