Players of the short-term future

[LSV]

If you had to choose only three players from the current team as important parts of the short-term future, who would they be?
And if you had the option to add two extras?

Three players:
Cade Cunningham
Ausar Thompson
Jalen Duren

Extras
Malik Beasley
Isaiah Stewart

[JLiv]

Up to next year’s trade deadline I’d say:

Three Players - Cade, Ivey, Ausar
Extras - Duren, Beasley

[blog_pistons]

3 Players: Cade, Ausar & Beasley.
Extra: Duren & Stewart

[zeebneeb]

Cade/Ivey/Ausar

Duren/Stewart

[MortSahlfan]

Cade/Stew/Ausar

Duren/Beasley

[NYPiston]

Pretty straight forward for me.

Cade
Duren
Ausar

Beasley
Stewart

No shooter in the young core but obvious chemistry and excellent defense and freak athleticism. Add a stretch 4 to that group with Ivey+1sts or through other means and we're cooking.
I'd hate to trade Ivey btw and he could be that shooter they need in the starting lineup but I'm still unsure of the fit with he and Cade. The team has sort of taken off after the Ivey injury so this puts the team in a real nice spot showing they can win with this group and with Ivey and now control of their 1sts at their disposal to make a potentially big splash to build a championship contending core.

[SuperBad]

Definitely Cade, Ausar, and Duran for me,

And then

Holland and Stew

[tmorgan]

I’m not sure I even understand the question…. does this mean the guys most important to winning THIS year? Or is this question more like “who is the core”? Or is it something else?

Winning this year (in order): Cade, Ausar, Beasley, Tobias, Duren… Stewart, Schroder, THJ, Holland
The core (in order): Cade, Ausar, Duren, Ivey, Stewart, Holland

Thing is, though. I have this weird, as yet unjustifiable confidence in the future importance of Holland. It’s because of that that I’m interested in trading Ivey sooner rather than later. Holland obviously doesn’t approach Ivey as an offensive player right now, but he’s a better defender, much taller, and I feel like he’ll eventually be a better fit for the identity we’re trying to cultivate. As long as Ausar develops his point guard skills further to supplement Cade, Holland’s potential as a disruptive defender, break runner, and shooter (I know, not yet) just makes more sense to me. Add the scoring stretch 4 we need and that’s a unit very soon.

[Cowology]

Cade/Ausar/Tobias top 3

Duren/Beasley as my next 2

I think Cade/Ausar should both be locks, but after that it gets murkey. I was down on Duren, but he's coming on strong. Ivey is still huge untapped potential. Beasley is a historic floor spacer....

...but Tobias is the next most important player. He may not be our long-term guy, but give the man his due. He impacts both ends and brings the veteran presence we need. He is your 3rd short-term guy.

After that it's just hard to ignore Duren/Beasley. Leaving off Ivey feels wierd, but he's the least important piece to our short term success. Stew & Ron are nice 7th-9th type guys right now.

[Cowology]

Also, sorta fascinating to me how many people just listed Stew considering we all agree he's a bench player and most don't consider him part of our "core". Half the board has been trying to trade him for years. He's Ricky Mahorn in an expansion draft. Love the guy, but that's not who you protect.

[bstein14]

Also, sorta fascinating to me how many people just listed Stew considering we all agree he's a bench player and most don't consider him part of our "core". Half the board has been trying to trade him for years. He's Ricky Mahorn in an expansion draft. Love the guy, but that's not who you protect.

I was big time on the Stewart train his first three seasons... last year was the first year I was a little hesitant because he got paid and his defensive intensity dropped off a bit. he isn't skilled enough to not be going out there and giving it his all, but that really could have been Monty losing the team and the team being so damn bad that he lost a bit of his spirit. You never know if a player gets paid and will then just coast a bit. It's clearly back in full force this year with a top effort night in and night out and he's clearly one of the best bench players in the league when you factor in his defensive impact.

[LaSheed]

I’m not sure I even understand the question…. does this mean the guys most important to winning THIS year? Or is this question more like “who is the core”? Or is it something else?

Winning this year (in order): Cade, Ausar, Beasley, Tobias, Duren… Stewart, Schroder, THJ, Holland
The core (in order): Cade, Ausar, Duren, Ivey, Stewart, Holland

Thing is, though. I have this weird, as yet unjustifiable confidence in the future importance of Holland. It’s because of that that I’m interested in trading Ivey sooner rather than later. Holland obviously doesn’t approach Ivey as an offensive player right now, but he’s a better defender, much taller, and I feel like he’ll eventually be a better fit for the identity we’re trying to cultivate. As long as Ausar develops his point guard skills further to supplement Cade, Holland’s potential as a disruptive defender, break runner, and shooter (I know, not yet) just makes more sense to me. Add the scoring stretch 4 we need and that’s a unit very soon.

Haha I'm trying with Holland. Maybe if I stop screaming don't shoot at my TV it will help. Young kid but he's forcing it offensively like you would expect a youngin to do.

[LaSheed]

Also, sorta fascinating to me how many people just listed Stew considering we all agree he's a bench player and most don't consider him part of our "core". Half the board has been trying to trade him for years. He's Ricky Mahorn in an expansion draft. Love the guy, but that's not who you protect.

I've got some crow to eat with Stewart. I stayed on I'm pretty sure up until his game vs Pacers which led to him being suspended for Stewart bobble head night lol. I'm back on now but I did jump off for a minute. Just being honest!

[Canadafan]

If we're doing short term- the here and the now of importance. You'd have to go Cade Tobias Beasley. Those 3 to me have made the biggest difference in comparison to our team last year.
Adding 2 other players I'd have to go Duren and Stew.
It's a tough question because so many guys are so close in value. Ausar, Ivey even Shröder. Holland and THJr the last 2. Fontecchio needs to wave a towel from the bench lol.

[NYPiston]

Also, sorta fascinating to me how many people just listed Stew considering we all agree he's a bench player and most don't consider him part of our "core". Half the board has been trying to trade him for years. He's Ricky Mahorn in an expansion draft. Love the guy, but that's not who you protect.

He's not just an enforcer though, he's one of the best rim protectors in the league and that has value even in a more perimeter oriented league now. He's also only 23 and should be relatively cheap to re-sign because the offensive numbers just aren't there anymore so no reason not to keep him as a key bench guy for the next 5 years or so. Guys that do one thing at an elite level hold value.

[Cowology]

Also, sorta fascinating to me how many people just listed Stew considering we all agree he's a bench player and most don't consider him part of our "core". Half the board has been trying to trade him for years. He's Ricky Mahorn in an expansion draft. Love the guy, but that's not who you protect.

He's not just an enforcer though, he's one of the best rim protectors in the league and that has value even in a more perimeter oriented league now. He's also only 23 and should be relatively cheap to re-sign because the offensive numbers just aren't there anymore so no reason not to keep him as a key bench guy for the next 5 years or so. Guys that do one thing at an elite level hold value.

But "for the next 5 years" wasn't the question.

[chilluminati]

Cade, Ausar, Duren

Holland, Ivey

I'm obviously not factoring in salary cap or anything, but I'd rather keep Ivey, Holland, and Duren. Keep them and bet on Ivey & Holland developing a consistent jumper eventually.

As good as Beasley has been, he's filling that "vet shooter" role we've been handing to 2 guards for the past few seasons. He's just a wildly successful version and upgrade of Alec Burks. That role on our roster has been a revolving door. I'd love to keep Stew as well but in this scenario where I'm having to choose, he's the odd man out of those top 5.