RealGM

41 games into the season. Officially the half way point. What are you rooting for?

A) Make the playoffs
B) Tank and keep our pick

Let's sure as hell hope that we don't fall in the middle and lose our pick AND miss the playoffs.

Personally, I change every game. Leaning toward keeping our pick and fixing our roster.

#8 pick because it means Dumars is gone.

I've never been one to want my team to lose but honestly this season is over already unless we make a huge move. Even if we sneak into the playoffs we will be swept in the first round. I wish we could get lucky and somehow get the 1st pick in he draft but we all know that's not happening.

Id rather have the lottery pick since it likely accompanies a Joe D firing and cleaning out of our roster (Drummond/Monroe/KCP/2014 pick) would be our only keepers

princeofpalace wrote:Id rather have the lottery pick since it likely accompanies a Joe D firing and cleaning out of our roster (Drummond/Monroe/KCP/2014 pick) would be our only keepers

+ Josh Smith at SF for 54 mill.

His contract is going no where.

Tank. This team needs lots and lots of talent.

Clarity wrote:

princeofpalace wrote:Id rather have the lottery pick since it likely accompanies a Joe D firing and cleaning out of our roster (Drummond/Monroe/KCP/2014 pick) would be our only keepers

+ Josh Smith at SF for 54 mill.

His contract is going no where.

There is not a single contract in the league that isn't moveable

Clarity wrote:

princeofpalace wrote:Id rather have the lottery pick since it likely accompanies a Joe D firing and cleaning out of our roster (Drummond/Monroe/KCP/2014 pick) would be our only keepers

+ Josh Smith at SF for 54 mill.

His contract is going no where.

I still don't buy this. We had some atrocious contracts moved this season, even Smith can find a home. It's a matter of what we're willing to take back.

Thing to note- at the midway point, this team is only 1 win better than they were last season.

I would definitely rather have a top 8 pick in this draft opposed to getting swept by Miami or Indiana.

princeofpalace wrote:Id rather have the lottery pick since it likely accompanies a Joe D firing and cleaning out of our roster (Drummond/Monroe/KCP/2014 pick) would be our only keepers

I wouldn't include KCP as a solid piece of the future of this team. But, there are so many game changers in this upcoming draft. I'm definitely lobbying for Marcus Smart- high basketball IQ, triple double threat, great passer, aggressive defender. Good size and athleticism. His jumper is the only part of his game that isn't great.

We'd likely need to be in the top 5 to get a shot at him, but I think he's going to be a perennial all-star in the pros.

ImHeisenberg wrote:

princeofpalace wrote:Id rather have the lottery pick since it likely accompanies a Joe D firing and cleaning out of our roster (Drummond/Monroe/KCP/2014 pick) would be our only keepers

I wouldn't include KCP as a solid piece of the future of this team. But, there are so many game changers in this upcoming draft. I'm definitely lobbying for Marcus Smart- high basketball IQ, triple double threat, great passer, aggressive defender. Good size and athleticism. His jumper is the only part of his game that isn't great.

We'd likely need to be in the top 5 to get a shot at him, but I think he's going to be a perennial all-star in the pros.

Smart is a bust waiting to happen, he's not a PG and too small to be a SG. He's another Brandon Knight. Easy pass, the GM that takes him in the top 5 deserves to be fired.

princeofpalace wrote:Smart is a bust waiting to happen, he's not a PG and too small to be a SG. He's another Brandon Knight. Easy pass, the GM that takes him in the top 5 deserves to be fired.

You're crazy if you think Smart isn't a PG, and that he'll be a bust. To each their own, I suppose.

I suppose it really doesn't matter, Charlotte will likely have our pick anyways.

ImHeisenberg wrote:

princeofpalace wrote:Smart is a bust waiting to happen, he's not a PG and too small to be a SG. He's another Brandon Knight. Easy pass, the GM that takes him in the top 5 deserves to be fired.

You're crazy if you think Smart isn't a PG, and that he'll be a bust. To each their own, I suppose.

I suppose it really doesn't matter, Charlotte will likely have our pick anyways.

He can score but he has ZERO court vision and not able to make his teammates better. He's no PG, we will see next season ofcourse.

Also, this draft isn't nearly as deep as people pretend. When guys like Saric and Harris are projected top 10 picks.

I firmly believe keeping the 8th pick could be worse for us in the long term given the lack of protection on the pick next year.

If we skimper into the playoffs with a pathetic record I really don't buy the assumption that it will be enough to salvage Dumars' job.

I guess at the moment I'd just assume make the playoffs.

Snakebites wrote:I firmly believe keeping the 8th pick could be worse for us in the long term given the lack of protection on the pick next year.

If we skimper into the playoffs with a pathetic record I really don't buy the assumption that it will be enough to salvage Dumars' job.

I guess at the moment I'd just assume make the playoffs.

I guess the best way to say it is that the Pistons are ****.

God I hate that Gordon/Maggette trade.

Playoffs, but only after a trade has been made.

That article says the front office is divided and if they get things turned around soon they will stand pat, and if not they will make a trade. So ideally, we stay bad like this for a few more weeks forcing them to make a trade, but the rest of the East stays bad too, so that we stay in distance from a good playoff seed.

Then when our trades are made and we've got what we need, we make a strong push for that 4th seed after the all-star break.

Q00 wrote:Playoffs, but only after a trade has been made.

That article says the front office is divided and if they get things turned around soon they will stand pat, and if not they will make a trade. So ideally, we stay bad like this for a few more weeks forcing them to make a trade, but the rest of the East stays bad too, so that we stay in distance from a good playoff seed.

Then when our trades are made and we've got what we need, we make a strong push for that 4th seed after the all-star break.

A four seed is likely going to be a .500 team at this point. If we "play bad" for another couple of weeks and we're looking at being significantly below .500 by the trade deadline, there's no chance in hell we get back to .500. There's no realistic deal that would make the Pistons finish the season that strong.

HeroicKennedy wrote:

Q00 wrote:Playoffs, but only after a trade has been made.

That article says the front office is divided and if they get things turned around soon they will stand pat, and if not they will make a trade. So ideally, we stay bad like this for a few more weeks forcing them to make a trade, but the rest of the East stays bad too, so that we stay in distance from a good playoff seed.

Then when our trades are made and we've got what we need, we make a strong push for that 4th seed after the all-star break.

A four seed is likely going to be a .500 team at this point. If we "play bad" for another couple of weeks and we're looking at being significantly below .500 by the trade deadline, there's no chance in hell we get back to .500. There's no realistic deal that would make the Pistons finish the season that strong.

I don't mean lose every game, rather play this same up/down inconsistent ball that would give the Pistons reason to think we need to a trade to be more consistent.

I'm not sure this team can be consistent under Cheeks regardless of roster, but I do think if you took Monroe out of the equation and added in some shooters, Cheeks would be forced to play better defensive lineups and some of our halfcourt woes on offense would be fixed with better shooters. So there might be some moves out there that could make us better by default, no matter how bad Cheeks tries to mess it up.

I really hope we tank. I don't see it happening though. Each of the past 4 seasons we've been in prime position to tank at the end of the year and every year we've screwed it up with end of season runs.

I think we'll be slotted in the 9-14 range. I think we'll go something like 19-22 the rest of the way. We aren't catching Milwaukee, Orlando or Philly for sure. I expect Boston to move Rondo as soon as he's healthy and re establishes his value. I could see the Lakers going into shutdown mode. New Orleans may not have enough to finish the year. Utah and Sacto have been playing better but I could see the West taking its toll. That's 8 teams and not including the "anything could happen" group of NY, Cleveland, Charlotte, Brooklyn, Chicago, Washington, Toronto & Atlanta.

playoffs. no guarantee that the pistons are matched up with indiana or miami in the first round at three games behind the sixth seed right now. even so, i find the extremely-remote possibility of a win or two on national tv against the pacers or heat far more exciting than the alternative after four years without even that. i think the roster would, too.