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Saw this on GB. Good idea to think about since it looks like the Pistons are built entirely wrong for basketball version 2019.

Most important positions now are wings. Guys who can switch are guard everywhere in a pinch, shoot and drive.

Kawhi, KD, Lebron, Giannis, Harden, Butler and many more.

Pistons didnt even have one true SF on the whole team last year other than Glen Robinson III and he sucked.


Least important position are Bigs who cant shoot.

Look here, Pistons invested in a big who no only cant shoot but doesn’t play above average defense.

This is a new analytic view of basketball. Of course talent wins, but looking at a roster, wings and shooting are MUCH more valuable than bigs. Ex: GSW, Rockets, Blazers- they lost their center and still played well enough to advance in the playoffs.


Anyways Drummond needs to be traded for a wing or a PG that can shoot. If possible.

Guys like Baynes, Noel, Adams are cheap and work. Going cheap on the guy going up against Giannis, Butler, KD, Harden is foolish as hell.

Asking the wrong question. It’s not about the positions that are most valuable, it’s about the skills. Positions mean less and less.

Playmaking remains very important. Outside shooting and ability to switch on defense have drastically increased in importance in recent years. Slow and conventional back to the basket post play has drastically reduced in importance.

1. Who can put the ball in the bucket most efficiently while being the focus of the defense.
2. Who can put the ball in the bucket while they are open because of #1
3. Who can slow down the #1s

I disagree simply because the majority of the superstars fit the SF mold.

Long, strong, quick, can guard PG to small ball center for a play if necessary. Can do two of shoot, pass, go to the rim.

Even guys like Klay Thompson fit the mold though hes not the Kawhi, Lebron, Harden, Kd, Siakam, Jazz Hayward, PG, old Wade.

Its all about the wings. And that has been the weakest spot on the team for a long, long time. Even Back to Tayshaun Prince he was terrible for the last couple seasons.

As the league evolved the Pistons didnt.

Blake really should be s small ball center because he cant guard PG, KD, Kawhi, Giannis and he cant make as many points as he gives up but he would need a guy like Siakam at PF next to him for the defense and rim protection since Blake cant fo any of that now. Hed be like a Jokic lite.

Maybe Doumbouya plus Blake as a small ball center would work? Or Markieff plus Blake.

Anyways the league has a majority of superstars as a wing SG/SF/PF tweener. If you dont have one to guard them and get points, good luck.

Given the current rules, perimeter players dominate. Triple threat guys have always been valuable, but if you can shoot, pass, and drive, you are basically unstoppable.

Given that it's common knowledge what team is gonna trade us a stud wing or guard for Dre?

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Prime Duncan/Shaq/Hakeem would still dominate this league. The way you would build teams around them would be a little different, but I don't entirely buy the argument that back to the basket bigs don't have value. In fact Is probably argue that those guys would be even more dominant in today's league since nobody would be able to guard them and they'd have better spacing/shooting to open upthe floor.

We just haven't seen anybody on that level since player development has shifted so dramatically to perimeter oriented play.

What has lost a lot of value are the less skilled bigs you used to need to battle those guys. Size used to be a requisite. Guys like Dale Davis would get in there and bang, and now because the players they used to be needed against are virtually extinct their use has completely diminished and given way to athletic and/or stretch 4s who bring more to the table.

I suppose it's a moot point; given nobody of that caliber exists, yes bigs who can't shoot or run don't have a ton of value.

Pharaoh wrote:Given that it's common knowledge what team is gonna trade us a stud wing or guard for Dre?

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Doesn’t have to be a stud. Thats the thing. Average wings with some youth and any possibility of upside will do.

Only takes one owner. Can break up Dre’s contract into a couple pieces. Other owner thinks hes getting a dime for two nickles but now wings are better than bigs.

Before wad always never smalls for bigs. Now never bigs for wings (or talented PGs).

Whole new ballgame.

IMO it's not a whole new ball game though.

Now instead of expecting guards to shoot from deep and make plays we expect the vast majority of players to do it.

It's a natural evolution tbh.

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Cowology wrote:Prime Duncan/Shaq/Hakeem would still dominate this league. The way you would build teams around them would be a little different, but I don't entirely buy the argument that back to the basket bigs don't have value. In fact Is probably argue that those guys would be even more dominant in today's league since nobody would be able to guard them and they'd have better spacing/shooting to open upthe floor.

We just haven't seen anybody on that level since player development has shifted so dramatically to perimeter oriented play.

What has lost a lot of value are the less skilled bigs you used to need to battle those guys. Size used to be a requisite. Guys like Dale Davis would get in there and bang, and now because the players they used to be needed against are virtually extinct their use has completely diminished and given way to athletic and/or stretch 4s who bring more to the table.

I suppose it's a moot point; given nobody of that caliber exists, yes bigs who can't shoot or run don't have a ton of value.

Agree completely. Even Dre was a legitimate problem for Cleveland in the playoffs when we was dialed in, but his free throw shooting played himself off the floor.

Dre's problem isn't the idea 7 footers who can't shoot are extinct dinosaurs in the league. There's always room for a 7 footer who has the potential for 20+ rebounds a game and can protect the rim. His problem is he sees himself as more than what he should be (a glorified garbage man), wants to do things he can't (aka be "Hakeem" and create with his back to the basket) and hasn't been surrounded by quality shooting / playmaking on the perimeter.

Been saying that for a minute.

Point guards have had most of the hype but it’s been a wings league for several years now. That’s why GSW went so hard after Durant, to be able to beat LeBron.

2-way wings can dominate entire sides of the court on offense and defense.

That’s why Kawhi dictated the entire next season by deciding what other elite wing he wanted to pair up with.

But yes I’m so tired of the Pistons being 5 years behind strategically.

Dre's problem isn't the modern game. He wouldn't be a star in prior eras either. He's just not that skilled of an offensive player.

Billl wrote:Dre's problem isn't the modern game. He wouldn't be a star in prior eras either. He's just not that skilled of an offensive player.

This right here. He's an elite rebounder...and that's really it?

His offense is still the same as it was in year 3 and his defense is just average, with some nights trending really good and some nights trending where he's invisible.

As some have said, it's a wing league. A star quality SF gives you so much flexibility to build around in this perimeter/jumpshooting driven league. You really can't build a team around a center unless they're Hakeem/Duncan or Shaq.

Billl wrote:Dre's problem isn't the modern game. He wouldn't be a star in prior eras either. He's just not that skilled of an offensive player.

What?

Hes already a 2 time all-star and an all-nba player.

I cant wait for the day when Andre is gone, and the Pistons have a stiff at the Center position like the vast majority of NBA teams.

Billl wrote:Dre's problem isn't the modern game. He wouldn't be a star in prior eras either. He's just not that skilled of an offensive player.

Yeah theres no reason for him not to be a 60 TS% player. His IQ just kills him and he doesnt bring it on the other end either.

zeebneeb wrote:

Billl wrote:Dre's problem isn't the modern game. He wouldn't be a star in prior eras either. He's just not that skilled of an offensive player.

What?

Hes already a 2 time all-star and an all-nba player.

I cant wait for the day when Andre is gone, and the Pistons have a stiff at the Center position like the vast majority of NBA teams.

Everything is opportunity cost and value.

Andrew doesn’t bring his contracts value to the team. There are a large of cheap bigs (look at GSW and Looney). I mean we got Markieff for nothing. Guys like Baynes, Noel. Very cheap.

With that money off the books other contracts can be absorbed.

Some positions like wings are being much more overpaid in comparison. So a good team is trying to get value with a Baynes, Noel and then spend to get a good stable of SG/SF/PF.

Drummond lovers on this board are hilarious. They deserve all the mediocrity we have witnessed in last 10 years.

zeebneeb wrote:

Billl wrote:Dre's problem isn't the modern game. He wouldn't be a star in prior eras either. He's just not that skilled of an offensive player.

What?

Hes already a 2 time all-star and an all-nba player.

I cant wait for the day when Andre is gone, and the Pistons have a stiff at the Center position like the vast majority of NBA teams.

Dre is a good player. He's just not a star and he's really not a skilled offensive player. That doesn't mean he's trash, but it does mean you aren't going to build a championship level team with him being more than a complimentary player.