RealGM

So Trader Troy has basically demonstrated who he is, and this article I saw in another thread basically describes that he's going to "continue to be aggressive" and it details how he builds teams from an AAU background.

https://sports.yahoo.com/amphtml/gm-troy-weaver-banks-on-aggressiveness-forged-in-aau-to-rebuild-detroit-pistons-193004567.html?__twitter_impression=true

Basically, Trader Troy doesn't play corporate or political games, he just "gets his guys." He's a true team builder. He's willing to waive & stretch and draft and trade to do it. So basically when do you see Troy's vision of a championship happening, and how?

What we know now is that Troy Weaver has done a great job bringing in long skilled athletes and creating the number 1 defense in the league with tons of potential to get better on offense.

Killian, Josh Jackson, Sekou have been amazing defenders and are the future of the team, with Saddiq Bey fitting right in.

1. Do we keep Blake as an elder Statesman then resign him on a low contract?

2. If not, where does he get traded?
Boston? Minnesota?

3. Where does Rose get traded?
LA Clips? Boston?

4. Grant is a great defender and shooter off the catch, but for the role he wants, it doesn't look like it works here. Would he stay here and provide depth?
5. Or does he get traded so he can go back to being a 3&D guy?
Washington? Back to Denver?

6. Final question: What's the next Pistons lineup to contend for the Next Pistons Championship?

My take:
Killian/Saben
Josh Jackson/Svi
Saddiq/2022 draft pick
Sekou/ 2023 draft pick
EVAN MOBLEY (2021 draft pick)/ Isaiah Stewart

or

Killian/Saben
Josh/Svi
CADE CUNNINGHAM (2021 draft pick)/Saddiq Bey
Sekou/2023 draft pick
VICTOR WEMBAYANA (2022 Draft pick)/Isaiah Stewart

My explanation:
As you can see, I'm all in on getting the next 2-way Unicorn Big that can compete with Anthony Davis, Bam Adebayo, KAT, Wiseman, Porzingis, Christian Wood, etc... You will have to go through those guys for the next 10 years.

Golden State always had good bigs helping them win championships. Small ball is very overstated.

Troy has done a great job replenishing with lengthy guards and 2-way wings. I can see his plan coming together. But Troy's 1 mistake was letting go of Wood so now he'll have to draft his replacement or trade for him. Isaiah Stewart has a great hustle but he hasn't sold me as a unicorn yet.

Good question but I think the answer is "I don't have the first damn clue." Isn't every championship team either the function of having a monster superstar player or reacting to what the elite teams are doing, i.e. scoring a ton by shooting 3's, playing top notch defense, etc.? Hypothetical example: In 2022 the next Shaq comes out of college--300 lbs, awesome back to the basket post game, and can also run the floor. I don't think anyone would assume that because the league has now gone to a small ball, no true center style of game that an awesome true center wouldn't be of value. And in that hypothetical example, the other teams would have to come up with an answer for defending New Shaq in order to compete with that team. Point being, the Pistons first have to just be able to compete at a high level. Then in the last year or two of the rebuild they'll have to react to what the championship teams at that time are doing.

His free agency and draft day moves were fundamentally incompatible in my opinion. Each taken alone suggests a different direction.

So I can’t answer this one now.

vic wrote:
What we know now is that Troy Weaver has done a great job creating the number 1 defense in the league.

Slow down big fella - we’re not going to play New York and Washington every game this season..........

I'm not sure we've seen much to tell either way. To win a championship, you need absolute top notch talent. Will he position us to "get lucky" in the draft, trade, or FA market? We'll see. He went with high upside athletes in the draft, so that possibility is open.... but he gave up future picks to do that, so that's a limit. Be brought in Josh Jackson, and that's an obvious gamble on top notch talent, but guys like Plumlee aren't building blocks. Obviously, there aren't a ton of high upside, former lotto picks you can sign for peanuts, so it's nice to get one, why lock into low upside guys with the extra cash? I'm concerned he really limited our trade chances with some of these FA signings, but I guess the big test is going to be what happens with Blake. If we add 2 high lotto picks to our core and add some value either with Blake's expiring contract or the cap space it creates, that would be a real big step towards contention.

Repeat of 89/90....
Draft a top 50 player of all-time (Isiah) and another great all-star guard (Joe D) along with an all-star DPOY type guy (Rodman) and make the right trade or two. Not to mention Laimbeer.

Warriors were able to do that to a degree with Curry/Thompson/Draymond.

Repeat of 04 takes a few good draft picks (Prince and Okur) with a few good FA signings that turn into all-stars in Ben and Billups along with the right trades in RIP & Sheed.

I think 04 is going to be easier to recreate unless we get really lucky landing a superstar in the draft like we did with Isiah. Not since Grant Hill have we really drafted a franchise caliber player.

Looking at the team right now, next year top pick is a lock. Year after, unless Cade/Suggs/Mobley are the next superstar, probably top 6-8 pick is a lock.

So add Cade/Suggs/Mobley and the following year's pick to this squad too.

Hope for no injuries and the team will probably be pretty good.

EXCEPT - look at ATL, they got some young promising guys and still dont look that great. Two-way players that cause the other team to be put in a bad spot are key. Tre Young doesnt do that, he cant guard big guys and I'm looking forward to Killian guarding Young.

Suggs looks really explosive and game changing to me. Mobley needs to be a 40% 3point shooter to consider, hes not there.

So its two years away from being two years away?

I want Suggs

vic wrote:1. Do we keep Blake as an elder Statesman then resign him on a low contract?

Blake on a low contract will go elsewhere -- LA or other big market. maybe OKC for hometown hero status

I can already see Blake opting out next summer to sign a 4 year deal to retire with the Lakers. Davis finally moves to the C spot and they run Davis - Blake - LeBron up front. Anything he can do to get back to that LA lifestyle and also the bonus of preventing the Clippers from winning a championship.

edmunder_prc wrote:Looking at the team right now, next year top pick is a lock. Year after, unless Cade/Suggs/Mobley are the next superstar, probably top 6-8 pick is a lock.

So add Cade/Suggs/Mobley and the following year's pick to this squad too.

Hope for no injuries and the team will probably be pretty good.

EXCEPT - look at ATL, they got some young promising guys and still dont look that great. Two-way players that cause the other team to be put in a bad spot are key. Tre Young doesnt do that, he cant guard big guys and I'm looking forward to Killian guarding Young.

Suggs looks really explosive and game changing to me. Mobley needs to be a 40% 3point shooter to consider, hes not there.

So its two years away from being two years away?

Part of the silver lining with the bad trades is that hopefully the Pistons will be pretty bad 2 years straight. At least 2 years of top 6 picks should be coming. And these are two really good drafts coming up.

Then the vets that don't fit can be gone, and the young talent can start to perform together at just the right time.

Fit will become very important. You can't just throw the best talent out there if they all defend the same position and shoot the same shots. 5 guys have to be in sync.

All in all, I like the future the Pistons have with Troy as a scout-built team. I hope he learned some lessons from OKC and I like what he's doing with bringing Detroit basketball back to Detroit.

vic wrote:
Part of the silver lining with the bad trades is that hopefully the Pistons will be pretty bad 2 years straight. At least 2 years of top 6 picks should be coming. And these are two really good drafts coming up.

Then the vets that don't fit can be gone, and the young talent can start to perform together at just the right time.

Fit will become very important. You can't just throw the best talent out there if they all defend the same position and shoot the same shots. 5 guys have to be in sync.

All in all, I like the future the Pistons have with Troy as a scout-built team. I hope he learned some lessons from OKC and I like what he's doing with bringing Detroit basketball back to Detroit.

Teams all shoot the same shots, 3s and dunks.

If the guys are super athletic in the 6'6-6'8 range with long arms, they can guard 1-4 probably.

Devin Booker, Luka, Sekou/Bey/Grant/Josh Jackson - There are a lot of these guys in the same height-arm length range, some more athletic than others.

I mean a whole team of Paul George, Kawhi, Jimmy Butler, Lebron, Booker, if you had a clone of those guys 1-4, thats fine. Might need a certain kind of defensive big to go along with that.

So I think the Pistons just need to find super explosive athletes that are two-way players in that super-star wing mold. If the team happens to somehow get 5 of them, well thats cool. Pistons go small ball running 5 Devin Bookers or something.

Killian
Josh Jackson
Bey
Grant
Sekou as a bowling ball small 5

Jalen Suggs is only 6'4" with a 6'5" wingspan so he would be the smallest guy on the team.