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Pistons are 24-22 over our last 46 games(Since waiving Josh Smith)... By comparison...
Toronto is 22-24 over their last 46 games(After a good start to the season for them)...

Something we can use to lure in free agents and or build on from next year? Is there value in finishing above .500 after Smith?

Or mostly meaningless wins that prevented us from getting a top draft pick?

I'm on the side of always doing your best. FAs are as much a part of improving as draft picks, and usually the more reliable part. The benefit of looking like you're headed in the right direction can't be discounted. The lottery is the lottery, and despite some superstitious feelings about the Pistons in the lottery, anything can happen. 46 games is enough of a sample to conclude that the team is improved, even if it's really two teams since that time.

That's pretty amazing really, especially when you consider new coach, new front office and multiple player changes.
It's definitely been very up and down, but that overall record is pretty impressive.
We need to wait out the Monroe and Reggies free agency, but with a few smart signings, Jennings coming back, a solid draft and a offseason to build chemistry/understand the system we'd have to be a 4-6 seed in the east.

hoophabit wrote:I'm on the side of always doing your best. FAs are as much a part of improving as draft picks, and usually the more reliable part. The benefit of looking like you're headed in the right direction can't be discounted. The lottery is the lottery, and despite some superstitious feelings about the Pistons in the lottery, anything can happen. 46 games is enough of a sample to conclude that the team is improved, even if it's really two teams since that time.

Bingo. I don't care if it's a .500 team that has youth, plays the right way, and only needs that player or two with a little more talent to put them into contender status. What sucks is a .500 team with a bunch of "talented" players and big contracts but plays like boneheads. The fact that this team has shown that it can play the right way and beat good teams makes the wins worth it.

It bears some weight. But you have to keep in mind there's been almost 4 different squads that have all had very different looks.

1. With Smith. No explanation needed. (5-23)

2. Jennings/Monroe/Drummond. (12-4)
Great ball movement, incredible team chemistry, easily a playoff team, and maybe even capable of winning a playoff series or two.

3. Reggie/Monroe/Drummond. (1-10)
Clearly bad spacing. But not the fault of Monroe. Reggie couldn't open the floor with his shot, so it looked pretty bad at times. I'm putting an incomplete on this one, because I think if Monroe was playing while Reggie was hot and hitting his shot, it would have looked even better than:

4. Reggie/KCP/Drummond. (6-3)
The spacing works, KCP is hitting shots, Dre is dominating down low. Reggie occasionally looks bad, but he works well with Dre in the pick and roll. Beating some good teams, losing to some bad teams.


Honestly, if I'm a prospective FA, there's been too much turnover, and too many questions for me to put a ton of stock in "post josh smith". The team has changed too often for there to be much consistency. Also there's the potential for lots of turnover with both Monroe and Reggie hitting the market. If I'm looking at the Pistons, I'm basing my interest off of potential, not the track record, recent history or long term.


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i think the only thing thats relevant in that discussion is that Smith was the turning point, however as others explaining, this is like our 3rd team, so the only win and loss total that matters is the W-L total from this team