'Nasty News - Traversing Time & Space' Vol: 42

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Adam (Elkton, Mich.): I know a coach is next on the list of things to do. But we still need a defensive presence down low. I say quick, sign Marcin Gortat to the full mid-level contract.

Langlois: The Pistons don’t have a mid-level this year. It’s called a mid-level “exception” because it’s an exception to rules regarding the salary cap. Teams over the cap can use the “exception” to sign free agents. Teams under the cap aren’t allowed the exception. Assuming the Pistons spend up to the cap this year, they’ll be able to use the MLE next summer.

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Roger (Oakland Twp., Mich.): I was wondering what’s going to happen with Will Bynum now that Ben Gordon is a Piston. In the latter half of last season, Bynum was a monster coming off the bench. How many minutes could he possibly see assuming Rip, Stuckey and Gordon are now all in front of him.

Langlois: I think Joe D loves the competition at point guard he has now set up. It’s conceivable that point guard is now a shared position with Bynum and Stuckey, at least if Bynum can consistently play at the level he exhibited over the final month of the season.

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Brandon (Fostoria, Mich.): If you figure on Stuckey, Hamilton and Gordon getting 30 minutes apiece, wouldn’t that leave only six minutes between the two positions between Bynum and Afflalo?

Langlois: Maybe one-third of Hamilton’s minutes will come at small forward. That opens up about a dozen more minutes. The competition will be heavy, no question about it. Afflalo looks like the one really squeezed by all of this.

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J.K. (Bloomfield Hills, Mich.): It was reported that Michael Curry lost the respect of his players and coaching staff. In retrospect, were the circumstances of the reassignment of Dave Cowens last week a possible turning point in Dumars’ evaluation of Curry?

Langlois: That’s something only Cowens and Dumars could really speak to with any credibility, J.K, and I suspect the most you’ll get out of either one of them is that this is the option that worked best for them at this time. There was certainly no outward sign of trouble between Curry and Cowens, but Cowens preceded Curry as a coach here, then served alongside of him on Flip Saunders’ staff, and then worked under him last year. It would be understandable if that made for a sometimes-awkward work environment.

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Brandon (Fostoria, Mich.): Does it really make sense to bring in Ben Gordon? I’m fine with Stuckey and Bynum at point guard and Hamilton and Afflalo at shooting guard. Small forward minutes can go to Tay and either Summers or Daye. They need to spend money on bigs. Kwame and Maxiell eat up about 20 minutes apiece.

Langlois: If the pieces don’t seem to fit perfectly at first, that’s something Joe Dumars and his next coach can work out down the road. The important thing is to turn cap space into valuable assets, and their cap space turned into Ben Gordon (26) and Charlie Villanueva (24) – with enough left over for somebody else – and that represents value. In a perfect world, the valued assets would have been 7-footers. But those guys are rarely, if ever, available by conventional means. When Boozer and Okur didn’t opt out, when Toronto decided to hold on to Bosh, the list of bigs who would instantly ratchet up the talent level was thin. I think Kwame and Maxiell can give more than 20 minutes apiece. Let’s push them to 24. That’s half the game for the two frontcourt spots. Charlie V could give them more than that. And I still believe Tayshaun Prince is going to spend at least a handful of minutes a night playing power forward – and guarding similarly sized players when teams go small. I think Joe D is going to have another move – not a giant splash – in him that will address the remaining 15 or so minutes he needs to fill up front. And let’s not write off the three rookies. Austin Daye, DaJuan Summers and Jonas Jerebko might be good enough in some combination to give them spot help up front as soon as next season.

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Paul (Zeeland, Mich.): I noticed Austin Daye was holding a jersey with the No. 5 on it. What does this mean for Walter Herrmann?

Langlois: The Pistons didn’t make him a qualifying offer – to do so would have cut into their cap space. Walter might have to settle for a veteran’s minimum with somebody or return to Europe, where he’d probably get a better deal and more time. With Joe D committing roster spots to all three rookies drafted last week – all of whom, like Walter, they believe can play either forward spot – it’s highly unlikely they’d be interested in another roster spot for yet another hybrid forward.

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Matt (Van Buren, Ohio): In True Blue Pistons, you mentioned that if Ben Gordon is signed it won’t necessarily mean Rip is going to be traded and pointed out that in the old days, Joe, Vinnie and Isiah made it work. But wouldn’t this be just like last year when it didn’t work with AI?

Langlois: Iverson renders any other comparison moot. He’s a completely unique player. He needed his 40-plus minutes a night and needed the ball in his hands a preponderance of the time. Maybe he can be effective in a more limited role if he can convince himself to buy that concept, but he clearly wasn’t ready to think of himself as anything but an elite player when he clearly was something less than that. Gordon is more like Vinnnie – someone who loves to go one-on-one, but doesn’t require the whole shot clock to get it done. And Gordon is also very good at the catch-and-shoot. With Kirk Hinrich missing so much time last year, Gordon played more than he ever has, averaging 20.7 points in 36.6 minutes. But the three years prior to that, he averaged 18.6 in 31.8; 21.4 in 33; and 16.9 in 31.

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Don (Detroit): I don’t agree with Joe Dumars’ philosophy of trying to build a team that’s nine or 10 deep of No. 2 and No. 3 type players. The Bulls built with that model last year and it couldn’t even get them past the first round against a team without its best player. You need at least one No. 1 guy in today’s NBA to contend. Do you agree or disagree?

Langlois: I certainly don’t disagree that having a legitimate No. 1 guy is a fine way to build a contender, but the problem is that there are 30 teams and less than 10 players who genuinely fit the description – and they are unavailable unless there are extenuating circumstances that force a team’s hand. LeBron James, Dwight Howard, Chris Paul, Kobe Bryant, Dwyane Wade and Tim Duncan might be the only players right now that would be universally (or close to it) considered No. 1 guys. Kevin Garnett, Brandon Roy, Dirk Nowitzki, Yao Ming, Paul Pierce, Chris Bosh and maybe four or five others might get some consideration in that discussion. But most teams have to get by without one. In my mind, if you’re going to wait for one of them to fall into your lap, you’ll be waiting a very long time. The only course I would follow would be pursuing as many good players as I could and making sure I don’t fall into the trap of believing that handing a good player a maximum contract will turn him into a great player. And, mark my words, teams are going to fall into that trap next summer when half of the league will have money to spend and only two or three true superstars are on the market.

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Marvin (Richmond, Va.): With Dave Cowens leaving, who will be responsible for developing our young big men?

Langlois: Not saying there isn’t value in having a big man who’s played the game at the highest level helping teach NBA big men, but coaching is coaching. Most head coaches want all of their assistants to be able to work with everyone on the roster. Michael Curry wanted all of his assistants to be able to work with big men and perimeter players, to contribute to offensive game plans as well as defensive game plans, and pitch in on all aspects of coaching.

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Oliver (Greenwich, Conn.): If the Pistons sign Villanueva and Gordon, as seems likely, what do you predict the starting lineup will look like at the start of next season?

Langlois: Too soon to tell because there will be a lot of summer left – enough cash to sign one more FA and trades still possible. But Stuckey, Hamilton and Prince would be the obvious starters, barring a trade. Gordon would get plenty of shots and minutes in any scenario – starting or coming off the bench – and Villanueva would be a likely starter based on his productivity last year. And Villanueva’s skill set would seem to make him a nice complement to Kwame Brown or Jason Maxiell up front. It’s tough to play Maxiell and Brown together because neither one can step away from the basket and be a threat, and with the slashers now on the team you’re going to want to stretch the defense.

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Brian (Farmington, Mich.): Any chance the Pistons would start Villanueva at small forward? That would allow them to move Tayshaun for a big man like Kaman and, if the rumors are true, pull off a sign-and-trade with Utah of Rip for Boozer.

Langlois: Villanueva has an inside-outside offensive game, but he wouldn’t be a guy to guard conventional small forwards. I’m sure the Clips would swap Kaman for Prince in a heartbeat – Prince is a move valuable player with a more favorable contract – but the dynamic might have changed a little in LA with Wednesday night’s trade that found a taker for Zach Randolph. Would Utah do a Hamilton-Boozer deal? Maybe, but it doesn’t really address the payroll issues that would befall the Jazz. And in this economic climate, the fact Hamilton has four years remaining will give many teams pause.

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Johnny (Sterling Heights, Mich.): If taught the defensive intensity that Detroit has established these past years, could DaJuan Summers be someone who could slow down LeBron James because of his size?

Langlois: Need to see him guard rookies and undrafted free agents in Las Vegas first, Johnny, but Summers does have the size (6-foot-8 plus, 240-some pounds) and, supposedly, the athleticism that on paper makes him an ideal candidate to draw LeBron duty. Doubt any rookie is up for more than spot duty, but if he’s good enough to play his way into the rotation, he’ll get his turn.

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Jon (Purdue, Conn.): The Pistons should sign Gordon and Villanueva and then trade Hamilton to the Jazz for Boozer in a sign-and-trade deal. The Pistons should also ask for a future first-round pick from the Jazz because they need to trade Boozer in order to keep Millsap. And the Jazz get an All-Star shooting guard in return and would have a lineup of Williams, Hamilton, Okur, Millsap and Kirilenko.

Langlois: As I alluded to earlier, Jon, it’s a reasonable trade on a talent-for-talent basis, but the Jazz would be putting themselves in great peril of paying luxury tax for the next several seasons if they took on Hamilton’s contract on top of franchise cornerstone Williams, re-signing Okur and giving Millsap a big new deal. If they trade Boozer, my hunch is the foremost objective will be to cut payroll, not add to it. And taking on the extra years of Hamilton’s deal might leave them without both Boozer and Okur next season, when both will be free agents.

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Onin (Auckland, New Zealand): I keep hearing rumors that if/when Ben Gordon is signed, Rip definitely would be traded. Why not acquire Gordon and then trade Tayshaun for a frontcourt player? Gordon could play the two and Rip the three.

Langlois: Those “rumors” you’ve heard, Onin, are based on not one shred of evidence but more on speculation by those with a cookie-cutter mentality. They see a “shooting guard” being added, so conclude the incumbent “shooting guard” must be moved. But Joe Dumars the player thrived in a three-guard rotation, as I recall. Right now, Hamilton is the only player on the roster who’s proven he can give you 20 points a night. It’s nice to have two such players. Gordon would give him that luxury. The minutes will work themselves out. Gordon will get his 30 and Hamilton his 35. Hamilton will play some of his time at small forward, either when Prince is resting or when Prince is playing power forward – and that’s going to continue to happen, too, in a league where more and more teams are looking for a power forward who can step out and represent a scoring threat from the perimeter, and be able to guard those types of players.

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Ben (Fort Wayne, Ind.): Do you think the Pistons would be better off re-signing Allen Iverson and learning to play his style of basketball?

Langlois: That would be Plan Z.

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Jordan (Belvidere, N.J.): I keep seeing Villanueva-to-Cleveland rumors. The Cavs do have a better chance of winning the title, but aren’t they limited to using their mid-level exception of $5.6 million and the biannual exception of $2 million? Does that mean they have $7.6 million to offer him?

Langlois: Good question, Jordan, and the answer is no. Teams can’t combine the mid-level and biannual. The most a team over the cap can offer a free agent is the mid-level exception, whether or not they have the biannual exception – which, as the title suggests, is something they can exercise only every other season – at their disposal.

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Eli (Brooklyn, N.Y.): The Pistons have talked about getting longer and more athletic. I checked out Deron Washington’s totals with Hapoel Holon and saw he averaged 15 points and seven rebounds a game along with 50 percent shooting. Has his offensive game improved enough to be NBA ready? Does he have a chance of making the Pistons this season or next?

Langlois: As I’ve written recently, Eli, I think Washington is going to Las Vegas with a roster spot to lose. The Pistons were very encouraged by his season in Israel. We’ll see if he’s improved the consistency on his perimeter jumper and developed a better off-the-dribble game. Those will be keys to his offensive progression, but I think the Pistons believe that whatever his offensive readiness, the promise of his defensive athleticism at both shooting guard and small forward warrant giving him a long look.

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Cody (Wyoming, Mich.): Do you think we could nab Tyson Chandler away from New Orleans for Jonas Jerebko and our two 2011 second-round picks? If not, what do you think we could get him for?

Langlois: Not sure exactly how far the Hornets are willing to go in their drive to cut payroll. They’re going to need to play someone in the middle next season. I could see them jumping all over a trade for Kwame Brown, for instance, which would shave $8 million off their payroll – and, really, save them $16 million when you take the dollar-for-dollar luxury tax into consideration – but I don’t think the Pistons would be tempted given the fairly serious medical questions about Chandler’s ankle and toe. The Pistons could no longer do a Brown-Chandler swap, though, because they don’t have that type of cap space after committing money to Gordon and Villanueva.

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Rick (Appleton, Wis.): Do you think David Lee is headed our way now that the Knicks signed Jordan Hill?

Langlois: I think the Knicks are going to keep Lee unless somebody throws an irresponsible offer at him – but who would that be, given the dearth of teams who can offer anything more than the mid-level exception – and the Pistons don’t do irresponsible deals. Entrusting the power forward spot to Hill seems a stretch until he proves he can handle a spot in the rotation.

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Jon (Roseville, Mich.): With the Bucks not making a qualifying offer to Charlie Villanueva and letting him become an unrestricted free agent, is it safe to say this is a no-brainer for Joe D? He’s a big that basically has it all and he’s only 24.

Langlois: When you’re spending the kind of money it takes to attract free agents and, by doing so, essentially limiting the choices you can make in the future, nothing qualifies as a no-brainer, Jon. But it is fair to say that Charlie V, at 24 and with a very diversified offensive game, tremendous length and nothing obvious limiting his ability to be an average or better rebounder and defender, he makes a lot of sense – with the abiding caveat of “at the right price,” and if the reported numbers on the deal are accurate (five years at somewhere between $7 million and $8 million), then that’s the right price. Charlie V at half the money it would have taken to sign Carlos Boozer makes it very much the right price. Villanueva is a very similar player to LaMarcus Aldridge and if they can get him for somewhere around $8 million a year, that level of productivity would warrant the money.