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Detroit has a winning record (21-16) when rebounding more than their opponents. 72 percent of the Pistons' wins can be attributed to their glass work in some fashion. However, Detroit is ranked near the bottom in defensive rebounds.

I believe some coaches place too much emphasis on just crashing the glass versus the process that actually leads up to being in position to do just that. San Antonio faltered defensively a season back due to this. They focused on their swing-men playing with focus and tenacity. This resulted in a net increase for their defense this season.

The Pistons' lack of perimeter defense is evident. Detroit's guards and forwards, (even Tayshaun) would be dusted by any and everyone. I knew it was going to be a long season for the Pistons after the season opener.

This forced constant rotations and switches, leaving several opportunities for open teammates and offensive rebounds. Detroit's defense was ranked 11th in opponent's assist percentage as of March 27th. Detroit ranked 11th in opponent 3pt rate also.

Additionally, the Pistons could not force many turnovers, ranking in the near bottom.

On the flip-side...

The Pistons aren't a complete failure offensively. Greg Monroe is mostly the reason why. He's also the reason why they could be a bit better going forward.

Monroe was a top player in free throw attempts and offensive rebounds, illustrating how effective he is on the low block. He's frequently collapsed upon by weak-side help increasing his turnovers. Monroe misses a good amount of his FTA also.

This issue can be resolved by better perimeter shooting. The defense will have to pick their poison if Monroe is flanked by consistent perimeter threats.


Here's the problem.

Detroit has only 4 shooters in a 9 or 10 man rotation.

Two of them (Knight, Calderon) play the same position. They lack any perimeter defense together. Calderon is slow at the 1. Knight gives up size and total awareness at either the point or shooting guard position.

The other two (Charlie V & Singler) are slow as a bag of rocks. They lack awareness and other defensive skills.

Stuckey is virtually ineffective with no shooters flaking him. Our prime offensive target is Monroe who is significantly more efficient than Stuckey anyway. It's time to consolidate the Pistons' strengths and not their weaknesses.

Going forward...

Perimeter defense should be a top priority this off-season. A coach that can also establish a stronger line of communication between the back and front courts would also do wonders for the Pistons.

The draft seems to be the best option to hack at this tall order.

Here's my (very) short-list


First Round:

1. Victor Oladipo
2. Ben McLemore
3. C.J. McCollum
4. Shabazz Muhammad
5. Dennis Schroeder

Second Round:

1. Glen Rice Jr
2. Michael Snaer
3. Solomon Hill
4. Tim Hardaway Jr
5. Nate Wolters

Not much to pick from in terms of free agency...

Here's a (very) short list of perimeter targets

1. Toney Douglas
2. Randy Foye
3. Jarrett Jack (Meh)
4. Jose Calderon (Meh)
5. Will Bynum (Meh)


Here's a few trade scenarios I would prefer to bolster Detroit's athleticism or defense, while improving 3 point efficiency.

1. Rodney Stuckey for Arron Afflalo (ORL)
2. Rodney Stuckey for Courtney Lee (BOS)
3. Rodney Stuckey for Jared Dudley (PHO)
4. Rodney Stuckey for Wesley Matthews (POR)

These teams could use another ball dominant guard who likes to attack the paint for an already spread out floor. We could use one of their wings that may (or may not) be struggling over there. Sounds like a win-win.

Getting rid of Stuckey would be wonderful for Knight's development if we're going to force him into becoming a ball-hog.

My ideal rotation would be...

Brandon Knight/(Free Agent)/(Draft Pick)
(Trade)/(Draft Pick)/Kim English
(Free Agent)/Kyle Singler/Khris Middleton
Greg Monroe/Jonas Jerebko/Charlie V.
Andre Drummond/Jasion Maxiell/Viacheslav Kravtsov

Detroit should hire a coach that isn't very rigid in terms of philosophy. He should be able to push the tempo more if the team lacks perimeter defense. Phoenix was able to maximize their offense at the expense of their horrid defense a few seasons back. This team would excel in the slow grind if the guards can keep up with their assignments.

Overall, Detroit should emphasize perimeter defense and three point shooting this off-season. San Antonio put a strong emphasis on perimeter defense this season and the team's defensive rebound rate decreased two points. This small exchange propelled their defensive efficiency from 11th to 4th place in one season.Detroit is already at the bottom, so their bleeding on the glass would stop at worst. At best, they'll hold an edge almost every night on the glass and double their win total.

I had my eyes on Belinelli and Courtney Lee as possible cheap targets, but Marco is having a very strong stretch, his value probably got a boost.

Our interior defense was horrible last year as well...We need to bring in another defensive big that can come off the bench while Drummond needs a break...Now to perimeter defense...When English, Singler, and Calderon log minutes on any team your perimeter defense will be awful...We just need to sign defensive talent on our team, I don't care what position it is...

Mr. Krabs wrote:I had my eyes on Belinelli and Courtney Lee as possible cheap targets, but Marco is having a very strong stretch, his value probably got a boost.

He's a great player to have off the bench, but I'm not very high on what he can do on the other side of the court, which probably needs to be addressed immediately.

Jodi wrote:Our interior defense was horrible last year as well...We need to bring in another defensive big that can come off the bench while Drummond needs a break...Now to perimeter defense...When English, Singler, and Calderon log minutes on any team your perimeter defense will be awful...We just need to sign defensive talent on our team, I don't care what position it is...

Greg Monroe is not a great defensive rebounder. He's average, party due to the nature of his help defense. However, Andre Drummond is. This tandem has a ton of upside together on that end of the court.

Both are capable defenders one-on-one, Drummond being more significant from the weak-side. Both of them are more effective than Jason Maxiell.

You're talking about perimeter defense yet didn't mention Corey Brewer or Tony Allen?

WTF?

Great post BUT there are a few things really bothering me.

First you are a good poster but enough with the San Antonio crap please. They are a special team with a special coach, would take decades and a lot of luck to emulate what they have so stop using them as a model or to justify doing something you think we should do.

Second, you list a lot of our problems and you do that in a clear and solid way but then you list a crap list of PG targets, list a bunch of horrible trade possibilities (all those players have significant more value then Stuckey) and you finish your depth chart bringing back Maxiell, CV, Jonas and Kravtsov as our bigs and start Knight at PG.

FFS you just listed the problems and those 5 guys are the main reason for those problems...

Our needs are obvious and everyone know them, hell even you know them, you just listed them in your post. We need a defensive athletic winger. We need a 3rd big to play behind Drummond and Monroe. We need a quality starter PG who can distribute the ball and hit 3's.

In your IDEAL rotation you address NONE, NADA, ZERO, of those needs.

Pharaoh wrote:You're talking about perimeter defense yet didn't mention Corey Brewer or Tony Allen?

WTF?

And he's talking about defensive rebound yet he has Maxiell and Jerebko as our backup PF/C

Pharaoh wrote:You're talking about perimeter defense yet didn't mention Corey Brewer or Tony Allen?

WTF?

"Overall, Detroit should emphasize perimeter defense and three point shooting this off-season. "

Corey Brewer or Tony Allen aren't shooters. I'd prefer a Bruce Bowen type before a pure specialist that sees reduced minutes in crunch time.

vege wrote:First you are a good poster but enough with the San Antonio crap please. They are a special team with a special coach, would take decades and a lot of luck to emulate what they have so stop using them as a model or to justify doing something you think we should do.

And he's talking about defensive rebound yet he has Maxiell and Jerebko as our backup PF/C

There is no luck required and there's no decades of time required. I don't have to use San Antonio as a model.

Detroit has 3 players with a defensive rebounding percentage higher than 20% (Drummond, Monroe, Charlie V). This is more than OKC, equal to San Antonio, higher than the Lakers, and Pacers. Jason Maxiell has a DRB% of 18 percent, and this is higher than most back-ups (& starters like Ibaka).

The teams I listed are the top 5 defensive rebounding teams in the NBA. The exception are the Warriors. They appear to have a ton of rebounding bigs, but grab a ton of boards due to their pace. This is true for the Lakers also. Miami is dead last in total rebounds and feature 3 20% DRB players. However, they're one of the top defensive teams in the league for obvious reasons.

San Antonio, OKC, and Indiana are teams that feature stout perimeter defenders. More defensive rebounds can be attained if the guards and swing-men can force a miss or a turnover without help. This keeps their front court in position to grab rebounds.

The Pistons have the individual talent in the front court. It is not an immediate concern. Detroit could go for another big, but the results won't change if his name isn't Dwight Howard or a clone of Drummond. Only stars and athletic monsters can force a miss and grab a rebound regardless of situation.

E-Z wrote:"Overall, Detroit should emphasize perimeter defense and three point shooting this off-season. "

Corey Brewer or Tony Allen aren't shooters. I'd prefer a Bruce Bowen type before a pure specialist that sees reduced minutes in crunch time.

Yes, neither are shooters... but both are looked upon as extremely good perimeter defenders. I'll take someone who is extremely good at anything over some mysterious player you didn't name

Who is yor Bruce Bowen type?

San Antonio, OKC, and Indiana are teams that feature stout perimeter defenders. More defensive rebounds can be attained if the guards and swing-men can force a miss or a turnover without help. This keeps their front court in position to grab rebounds.

Again, you make the point that having quality defenders on the perimeter will help our big men... but you don't mention any quality periemter defenders!

I'm not argueing against your logic - it's sound! You state your case well, provide facts and figures to back up your point... who could argue with you?

I think the drama one would have is that you don't actually address the needs of the team in your post, you only explain the problem... and we all know what the problem is!

This is your ideal rotation:

Brandon Knight/(Free Agent)/(Draft Pick)
(Trade)/(Draft Pick)/Kim English
(Free Agent)/Kyle Singler/Khris Middleton
Greg Monroe/Jonas Jerebko/Charlie V.
Andre Drummond/Jasion Maxiell/Viacheslav Kravtsov

Our back-up bigs suck but that's not the big problem with the rotation...

the lack of names at PG, SG and SF is the issue

As stated everyone knows those 3 positions are a big concern... and you've gone to all the trouble and effort to do some research on defensive rebounding but you haven't named the 3 players you want to see lining up on the perimeter!

Come on dude - name names... surely the response can't be worse than what I got when I mentioned Dorell Wright (crickets) and J.J Redick (some hated him as an option as a shooter!)

Pharaoh wrote:

E-Z wrote:"Overall, Detroit should emphasize perimeter defense and three point shooting this off-season. "

Corey Brewer or Tony Allen aren't shooters. I'd prefer a Bruce Bowen type before a pure specialist that sees reduced minutes in crunch time.

Yes, neither are shooters... but both are looked upon as extremely good perimeter defenders. I'll take someone who is extremely good at anything over some mysterious player you didn't name

Who is yor Bruce Bowen type?

San Antonio, OKC, and Indiana are teams that feature stout perimeter defenders. More defensive rebounds can be attained if the guards and swing-men can force a miss or a turnover without help. This keeps their front court in position to grab rebounds.

Again, you make the point that having quality defenders on the perimeter will help our big men... but you don't mention any quality periemter defenders!

I'm not argueing against your logic - it's sound! You state your case well, provide facts and figures to back up your point... who could argue with you?

I think the drama one would have is that you don't actually address the needs of the team in your post, you only explain the problem... and we all know what the problem is!

This is your ideal rotation:

Brandon Knight/(Free Agent)/(Draft Pick)
(Trade)/(Draft Pick)/Kim English
(Free Agent)/Kyle Singler/Khris Middleton
Greg Monroe/Jonas Jerebko/Charlie V.
Andre Drummond/Jasion Maxiell/Viacheslav Kravtsov

Our back-up bigs suck but that's not the big problem with the rotation...

the lack of names at PG, SG and SF is the issue

As stated everyone knows those 3 positions are a big concern... and you've gone to all the trouble and effort to do some research on defensive rebounding but you haven't named the 3 players you want to see lining up on the perimeter!

Come on dude - name names... surely the response can't be worse than what I got when I mentioned Dorell Wright (crickets) and J.J Redick (some hated him as an option as a shooter!)

There are no Bruce Bowen types available through free agency outside of World Peace & Matt Barnes. The odds of them landing in Detroit are slim for a variety of reasons. However;

Here's my lineup in a perfect world

Chris Paul/Brandon Knight
Andre Iguodala/Arron Afflalo/Victor Oladipo
Matt Barnes/Metta World-Peace/Khris Middleton
Greg Monroe/Charlie Villanueva/Jonas Jerebko
Andre Drummond/Jason Maxiell/Viacheslav Kravtsov

Here's my lineup in a not so semi-perfect world

Brandon Knight/Toney Douglas/Will Bynum
Arron Afflalo/Victor Oladipo/Kim English
Matt Barnes/Kyle Singler/Glen Rice Jr
Greg Monroe/Charlie Villanueva/Jonas Jerebko
Andre Drummond/Jason Maxiell/Viacheslav Kravtsov

There are other options if Detroit can't land at least one defender that can shoot. Find as many athletic shooters as possible. From there, just jack up the tempo. Golden State did exactly that.

Does the perfect world not include a salary cap, I see 1 max contract (Paul), 2 near max (Iggy and Afflalo), and a bunch of money on the rest (Barnes, World Peace, CV, Maxiell (face it, Joe will probably over pay him))

Lionlifer wrote:Does the perfect world not include a salary cap, I see 1 max contract (Paul), 2 near max (Iggy and Afflalo), and a bunch of money on the rest (Barnes, World Peace, CV, Maxiell (face it, Joe will probably over pay him))

A perfect world means those players have some sort of insatiable desire to play for the Detroit Pistons and are willing to take a pay-cut.

E-Z wrote:Detroit has 3 players with a defensive rebounding percentage higher than 20% (Drummond, Monroe, Charlie V). This is more than OKC, equal to San Antonio, higher than the Lakers, and Pacers. Jason Maxiell has a DRB% of 18 percent, and this is higher than most back-ups (& starters like Ibaka).

I think you make some valid points, but you can't rely on stats for everything. This is a contract year for Maxiell. What happens to his DRR after he gets paid? Don't need to guess b/c we have seen it before.

Plus, what happens when you switch him from a starter to a backup? I don't have any stats in front of me but from memory he hasn't played well as a backup.

E-Z wrote: I don't have to use San Antonio as a model.

You say that and you continue to use them make your points You are better than that, you can explain exactly what you want so I'll say once again, stop using San Antonio to justify your posts.

Popovic and Tim Duncan are unique and special. Period.

E-Z wrote:

Lionlifer wrote:Does the perfect world not include a salary cap, I see 1 max contract (Paul), 2 near max (Iggy and Afflalo), and a bunch of money on the rest (Barnes, World Peace, CV, Maxiell (face it, Joe will probably over pay him))

A perfect world means those players have some sort of insatiable desire to play for the Detroit Pistons and are willing to take a pay-cut.

Damn your smart

What about Martell Webster? He has been lights out from downtown this year. Could be a nice fit.

ChipButty wrote:What about Martell Webster? He has been lights out from downtown this year. Could be a nice fit.

I like him, Washington doesn't exactly love him so he probably won't be resigning. I'd be down with him at 3 or 4 mil per year

ChipButty wrote:

E-Z wrote:Detroit has 3 players with a defensive rebounding percentage higher than 20% (Drummond, Monroe, Charlie V). This is more than OKC, equal to San Antonio, higher than the Lakers, and Pacers. Jason Maxiell has a DRB% of 18 percent, and this is higher than most back-ups (& starters like Ibaka).

I think you make some valid points, but you can't rely on stats for everything. This is a contract year for Maxiell. What happens to his DRR after he gets paid? Don't need to guess b/c we have seen it before.

Plus, what happens when you switch him from a starter to a backup? I don't have any stats in front of me but from memory he hasn't played well as a backup.

Maxiell has a career DRB% of 16 percent. He had a career high 20% in 2010, and this was when Detroit loaded up on bigs like Wallace, Kawame, and Wilcox (Detroit had 4 bigs @ 20% that season). The Pistons finished last in defensive rebounds that season which is even more amusing. He was coming off the bench in this rotation.

Goes to show a back-court tandem of Stuckey and Gordon was a pure revolving door. The Pistons barely out-rebounded their opponents, by less than 1 a game in 2010. Which is somewhat astonishing given that they allowed such a high field goal percentage. Not many board to get when the opponents are shooting an eFG% of 52% (which was the worst in the league).

Maxiell will be fine as long as the back-court can hold their own defensively. He had a DRB% of 12 percent in his 2009, which is arguably his best season (on a per-minute basis). He was also off the bench this season.

2008 was the final year Detroit had a defensive back-court and out-rebounded their opponents by a margin of 3 boards a game. This was a team that just had McDyess and Rasheed Wallace, backed by Maxiell and Amir Johnson.

I believe he'll be fine going forward, he can stretch the floor a bit offensively which is always nice.

vege wrote:

E-Z wrote: I don't have to use San Antonio as a model.

You say that and you continue to use them make your points You are better than that, you can explain exactly what you want so I'll say once again, stop using San Antonio to justify your posts.

Popovic and Tim Duncan are unique and special. Period.

Please, I've listed four other teams. San Antonio doesn't have a secret formula or decades of training. They're an old team, but Timmy doesn't have a grey beard yet (he might, but I'm pretty sure he shaves). I used them because the article breaks down what you believe is "luck" "decades" and all that other stuff. The Spurs borrowed this philosophy from the Boston Celtics and nailed it in just one season.

If worse comes to worst we could grab Michael Snaer in the 2 nd. I think he'll be a solid 3 and D guy off the bench, and being a 4 year college guy he should be ready to contribute right away.

Timmaytime wrote:

ChipButty wrote:What about Martell Webster? He has been lights out from downtown this year. Could be a nice fit.

I like him, Washington doesn't exactly love him so he probably won't be resigning. I'd be down with him at 3 or 4 mil per year

Washington is borderline anemic from beyond the arc. Wall could use more targets to hit when the lane collapses on him.

He'd be a great fit in Detroit.