Will Amir crack our rotation this season?

[bstein14]

Basically I don't think Rip or Billups are going anywhere, and no one wants to trade for a guard to take minutes away from Stuckey.

Also Sheed, Dice, and Max are here to stay up front, so we'd basically be looking for a player at the 3 spot, who could probably also play some SG.

This player would have to outplay Hayes and Afflalo enough that Dumars felt he could be the difference maker in a championship.

I don't know if landing a guy like Mike Miller or Shane Battier would do it for Joe or not.

[Cowology]

I'll probably get killed for this....but what about a 3-way along these lines....

Detroit: Sheed + Amir = Pau
LAL: Odom = Sheed
Memphis: Pau = Odom + Amir

I love Sheed as much as the next guy...but Pau is a stronger rebounder, post-player & is 6 years younger. He's not the post-defender that Sheed is, although he's very good....and this would potentially extend our championship window w/ Rip, Tay & Chauncey all having several prime years left and the bench coming on strong.

[bstein14]

I'll probably get killed for this....but what about a 3-way along these lines....

Detroit: Sheed + Amir = Pau
LAL: Odom = Sheed
Memphis: Pau = Odom + Amir

I love Sheed as much as the next guy...but Pau is a stronger rebounder, post-player & is 6 years younger. He's not the post-defender that Sheed is, although he's very good....and this would potentially extend our championship window w/ Rip, Tay & Chauncey all having several prime years left and the bench coming on strong.

Obviously with Sheed's age we'd be better down the road with this trade, but there's no way we'd have a better chance at winning a championship this year against kg and the Celtics or Duncan and the Spurs...

[Low-Ki]

The draft actually pretty works out pretty well when the bad teams have the high picks - bad teams get the high upside raw players and force feed them minutes. The good teams get the polished, though lower upside 3-4 yr college player who can fil a niche off their bench and maybe round into a solid, if unspectular starter in most instances.

When good teams get raw, high upside talent is when it doesn't work out (or when bad teams get the aformentioned polished college player and expect instant results).

I just don't think Amir will ever work out if he stays here. Afflalo and Stuckey can ride the pine for a couple year filling niche roles because they've played a lot of meaningful big minute basketball in the NCAA over the last 2-3 years. Amir was a late 2nd round high schooler who got no minutes his first season, a string of NBDL minutes his second year and not sparse minutes this year. However unlike the Darko situation, Amir doesn't have near the fanfare that allowed up to sell him for a reasonable return after he basically flopped here. Amir has certain juice from his D-League hype, however I think even that is fading fast given the numbers some are putting up there this season, I think the D-League is being exposed as shoddy as hell basketball.

I think one team that we could get a decent return for Amir would be Seattle. Scott Perry will know all about the kid coming from the Pistons organization and they have some players that could interest us this season and give Amir the miutes he needs right now.

I'd LOVE to get Jeff Green from Seattle but don't know how realitic that would be. Green could come in and get Amir minutes and I wouldn't worry, because like Afflalo, he has the years of college ball development.

[Snakebites]

^Id have to consider that deal. Pau doesnt have the playoff experience Sheed does, but I still think we could do things with him as our starting center. Hes younger and more productive, even though it would be a tough deal to do.

I could see the Lakers taking that, they have to be down on Odom at the moment as a second banana to Kobe, doesnt seem like a fit there. Living in LA, however, I can tell you that Rasheed is a pretty reviled figure in those parts, going back to his Portland days. The Lakers brass would see past that though, unless they are concerned about getting older.

Do the Grizz do that? If they are dealing Pau, a vet like Odom doesnt hold a ton of value to them and their rebuilding plan, and I dont know if theyd consider Amir enough of a prize.

[Low-Ki]

I don't move Rasheed. He's the straw that stirs the drink here in Detroit.

There was TMac discussion on the TB where I threw out Hamilton, Johnson and expirings for McGrady.

When whatshisface was fired in Philly, he said he had been in discussions with Detroit. Now who could have that been for? Bit players to dump Murray to? They wouldn't have had any interest in Mohammed. We have no interest in Miller and Iguodala obviously isn't going to be moved. What about Dalembert?

Again, we acquire another big and what happens to Maxey's minutes?

[ajaX82]

We all need to remember that Amir is still a kid; he is younger than just about every poster on this board. Hes still 20!

Big men take the longest to develop, so giving up on him when he is not even of legal age to drink yet seems silly to me. Just like Cow mentioned with the Jo/Blazers analogy, if we are patient it should work out. Did we all honestly expect him to be getting 15mins a game and scoring and looking confiedent out there?

Playing him 5 mins in the second makes very much sense to me too

[Cowology]

Obviously with Sheed's age we'd be better down the road with this trade, but there's no way we'd have a better chance at winning a championship this year against kg and the Celtics or Duncan and the Spurs...

I'm not sure I agree w/ that assessment. And frankly even IF it were true I'd gladly trade this years narrow window for an extended 3-5 year window down the line.

[bstein14]

Memphis would have no interest in Odom anyways.

After what they wanted from Chicago(reportedly), I think a trade for Gasol would require giving up Max, Amir, and Stuckey.

[Cowology]

Yeah, you're probably right. Wasn't very well though out on my part, was just tossing out the sort of thing that I would consider doing from a Pistons perspective (sorta bare bones).

[BDM22]

-= original quote snipped =-



QFT.... it could come back and bite us in the ass if it happens in the playoffs. These blowouts are games where Amir shuld et serious burn, especially agaisnt athletic young frontcourt... unless he learns some sets and defensive assignments, he will be our downfall when we need him.

No he wont. Flip will play Brezec or Herrmann over him in a second.

[GJense4181]

Memphis would have no interest in Odom anyways.

After what they wanted from Chicago(reportedly), I think a trade for Gasol would require giving up Max, Amir, and Stuckey.

That's almost TOO much young talent on one team.
They'd have Conley, Navarro, Lowry, AND Stuckey at PG. and there would hardly be any minutes for Amir and MAXXX. Miller, Gay, and Warrick see time at SF; Swift and Warrick play at PF.
and in order to get that trade to work we'd need to give them Brezec, Hermann, and Lindsey, too. According to the trade checker.

[Dirtgrain]

I don't think I'd want Amir to have come in for the last five minutes of the first half of tonight's game. Then again, maybe he could stir things up with a blocked shot or offensive putback, like Maxiell has done.

[RTM]

He'll play more than last year, but regular rotation minutes? Probably not until next season. And that's not a sure thing.

He has to earn his time. And right now, he is NOT better than Sheed, Dyess and Max...

[slvrsol]

No one thinks he should be just given minutes eh? If I was Joe, I would tell Flip to play Amir 15 mins a game. It's not like Sheed and Dice are going to get better or worse with all that playing time. We'd still end up second seed and possibly a better team at the end of the season if we see what Amir has got.