Pistons Looking to Have Exclusive D-League Team

mercury · Post #1 » by **mercury** » Mon Oct 28, 2013 2:05 am

I could understand the need to split cost but sharing with other teams is counterproductive for player development.
This way we could have our own system and coaches... it will make the transition much easier for our young players.
http://www.mlive.com/pistons/index.ssf/ ... ed_in.html

Post #2 » by **dVs33** » Mon Oct 28, 2013 6:49 am

It seems like a good idea.

Would anyone here actually go to a game if it was near them??

Lionlifer · Post #3 » by **Lionlifer** » Mon Oct 28, 2013 2:19 pm

dVs33 wrote:It seems like a good idea.

Would anyone here actually go to a game if it was near them??

If the ticket prices are cheap sure, it's always fun to root for the little guys, and D League games are more shootouts anyways, which is fun as a casual fan to watch.

If they did make a team, I bet it would be in Grand Rapids or somewhere on the west side of the state to increase exposure.

Post #4 » by **Timmaytime** » Mon Oct 28, 2013 8:29 pm

I live in Grand Rapids and I already go to plenty of Griff's and Whitecaps games, if we had a d-league team I would go every night

sc8581 · Post #5 » by **sc8581** » Mon Oct 28, 2013 8:34 pm

dVs33 wrote:It seems like a good idea.

Would anyone here actually go to a game if it was near them??

Depends how close I guess. I don't know any facilities near me where they might actually play, as it stands now I refuse to drive all the way to Auburn Hills to watch the big boys play, especially when I can follow it better on TV.

Kyrama · Post #6 » by **Kyrama** » Mon Oct 28, 2013 9:49 pm

It'll be perfect since half our roster would fit nicely on it.

sc8581 · Post #7 » by **sc8581** » Mon Oct 28, 2013 9:55 pm

Kyrama wrote:It'll be perfect since half our roster would fit nicely on it.

Harrelson
Mitchell
Datome
Singler
Siva

That would be a nice starting line-up for our d-league, unfortunately one of those guys might be starting in the majors.

need4detroit · Post #8 » by **need4detroit** » Mon Oct 28, 2013 10:09 pm

Grand Rapids???

Minas · Post #9 » by **Minas** » Tue Oct 29, 2013 3:27 am

It would be good for the D-League to be an actual 2nd tier NBA, where each franchise has their own D-League team. Like how European football clubs all have U/21 sides.

mercury · Post #10 » by **mercury** » Wed Mar 26, 2014 2:00 pm

There will be a team in Grand Rapids next year exclusively owned by the Pistons...
http://www.mlive.com/pistons/index.ssf/ ... -leag.html

wallace72 · Post #11 » by **wallace72** » Wed Mar 26, 2014 2:05 pm

sc8581 wrote:
Kyrama wrote:It'll be perfect since half our roster would fit nicely on it.

Harrelson
Mitchell
Datome
Singler
Siva

That would be a nice starting line-up for our d-league, unfortunately one of those guys might be starting in the majors.

Yes,
Throw KCP & our draft picks in the mix,
we have a history off non developing youngsters

wire28 · Post #12 » by **wire28** » Wed Mar 26, 2014 2:14 pm

i thought you meant the pistons were applying to join the d league, based on their current talent level

Kilo · Post #13 » by **Kilo** » Wed Mar 26, 2014 2:14 pm

Good to hear, though the D-League needs an overhaul where NBA teams can have more than two players contracted there. NBA should expand rosters or allow exclusive developmental contracts where teams can sign players for the d-league team and invest/develop them while keeping their rights under an RFA scenario in the very least each off-season. RFA would of course mean if a NBA team wanted to give said player a NBA deal than the Pistons in this case would have the right to match and keep the player.

jaredtyshaf · Post #14 » by **jaredtyshaf** » Wed Mar 26, 2014 2:40 pm

wire28 wrote:i thought you meant the pistons were applying to join the d league, based on their current talent level

ImHeisenberg · Post #15 » by **ImHeisenberg** » Wed Mar 26, 2014 3:44 pm

wire28 wrote:i thought you meant the pistons were applying to join the d league, based on their current talent level

Brilliant, sir.

I would be a fan of every team owning a D-league, and expanding the draft to three or four rounds to stock those rosters. Obviously, it would incur a larger expense for the team, so it likely isn't going to happen. But, it's a fun idea.

Hopefully the Springfield Armor get a new moniker in Grand Rapids, I'm not a big fan of "Armor". How about the Grand Rapids As-Good As the Pistons?

mercury · Post #16 » by **mercury** » Wed Mar 26, 2014 6:37 pm

I'd be nice to see a scrimmage where our D-Team kicked the home team's ass.

DocRI · Post #17 » by **DocRI** » Wed Mar 26, 2014 6:43 pm

This is brilliant … assuming we use it correctly as an asset and resource. I believe Boston recently reached an exclusivity agreement with a D-League affiliate, too, so this could be an example of our franchise actually being ahead of the curve. If the Grand Rapids (Fill-In-The-Blanks) are truly perceived as an extension of our franchise, then there should be no stigma attached to sending a young player down to get more minutes and in-game experience. The NBA, as a whole, needs to adopt MLB's attitude, with the D-League equating to Triple A ball.

As such, I think Kilo hit the nail on the head with this —

Kilo wrote:Good to hear, though the D-League needs an overhaul where NBA teams can have more than two players contracted there. NBA should expand rosters or allow exclusive developmental contracts where teams can sign players for the d-league team and invest/develop them while keeping their rights under an RFA scenario in the very least each off-season. RFA would of course mean if a NBA team wanted to give said player a NBA deal than the Pistons in this case would have the right to match and keep the player.

Smart and accurate assessment, Kilo; I have to think this is on the horizon as more franchises establish propriety D-League affiliations. In fact, Houston is the perfect example, as they've used their own affiliate not only to develop players, but to test systems and styles of play which they've then adopted on the Rockets (like faster pacing). Talk about killing two birds with one stone — they've developed a franchise-wide coaching philosophy while also training young players to succeed within said philosophy at the next level!

jakebernat · Post #18 » by **jakebernat** » Wed Mar 26, 2014 6:43 pm

ImHeisenberg wrote:I would be a fan of every team owning a D-league, and expanding the draft to three or four rounds to stock those rosters. Obviously, it would incur a larger expense for the team, so it likely isn't going to happen. But, it's a fun idea.

boom. this. i've always wondered why the nba doesn't have a farm system similar to baseball's.

chrbal · Post #19 » by **chrbal** » Thu Mar 27, 2014 4:08 pm

The D-League already has its own draft, http://www.nba.com/dleague/draft2013/
With more and more teams getting their own affiliate, it seems like it would be more and more organized. Adding rounds back into the NBA portion would seem like a bad idea. Pistons would be smart to talk to recent alumni of the Michigan colleges. Manny Harris for example. It would help sell the product by having local talent and quite honestly it just makes sense.

sfballa13 · Post #20 » by **sfballa13** » Thu Mar 27, 2014 6:03 pm

Should have based the team in Detroit

Dont know how many people are gonna go out to a suburb of GR to see a D-League team play