EC Competitors' Drafts 2022

[payitforward]

Any thoughts on how our closest competitors did in Thursday's draft? All the EC teams but in particular those closest to us in the standings & the nearest by teams.

To start with the Sixers, they didn't make a pick, but they used their #23 to acquire De'Anthony Melton. With the pick they got for Melton, the Grizz took David Roddy -- so that might be one basis for discussing Philly's move. in the Sixers' shoes, what would you have preferred --

get Melton in a trade?
pick Roddy instead?
Or who else might been preferable to Roddy at that spot?

Aside from Philly, I'd be most interested in what you thought of the Pacers', Hornets' & Pistons' drafts.

[mhd]

The Knicks are the only roster in the East in worse shape than we are. I'd argue the Hornets, but they at least have Ball.

[Menace2Sobriety]

Piston fan living in DC. Longtime lurker on both boards.

Frankly, it’s unbelievable what Weaver has done in the space of 2 years. He inherited a squad with significantly overpaid vets, limited assets, and zero cap flexibility. One can argue about some of the trades Weaver made initially, but he has certainly executed a rebuild in quick order (with a little deserved luck). He’s been playing chess, while many fans criticizing him are merely playing checkers. He does have the advantage of having an owner bought into a rebuild.

Loved our draft. In 3 drafts and 2 seasons, the Pistons now have a very young and intriguing lineup. We desperately needed athleticism and drafted 2 elite athletes with enormous potential.

Assuming Weaver re-signs Bagley (my wish) to a reasonable contract in the ~$10M range and decline all other options, they would still have max cap room and the following lineup:

PG - Cade / Hayes / Saban Lee
SG - Ivey / Curtis Joseph
SF - Bey / Livers
PF - Bagley / Olynck
C - Stewart / Duren

Shooting and defense (PF most pressing) are still concerns but Weaver has the flexibility to address them. Whether through FA signings or taking back a player/picks from a team dumping salary.

CuJo and Saban Lee will be expirings and Olynck only has a $3M guarantee after this season. Weaver will almost have 2 max slots in 2023.

Probably the most optimistic Piston fans have been in a decade or more. My expectation is that tanking is over and we’ll see incremental development and talent improvements, but will still be a lottery team. 2023 is when we should push for the playoffs.

Ted should have hired Weaver rather than keep Tommy IMO.

[doclinkin]

Ted should have hired Weaver rather than keep Tommy IMO.

And he is a local guy. PG county product (Archbishop Carroll and PG Community college). A number of posters on this board wanted to give Troy Weaver a shot, even before Grunfeld was fired

[FAH1223]

Piston fan living in DC. Longtime lurker on both boards.

Frankly, it’s unbelievable what Weaver has done in the space of 2 years. He inherited a squad with significantly overpaid vets, limited assets, and zero cap flexibility. One can argue about some of the trades Weaver made initially, but he has certainly executed a rebuild in quick order (with a little deserved luck). He’s been playing chess, while many fans criticizing him are merely playing checkers. He does have the advantage of having an owner bought into a rebuild.

Loved our draft. In 3 drafts and 2 seasons, the Pistons now have a very young and intriguing lineup. We desperately needed athleticism and drafted 2 elite athletes with enormous potential.

Assuming Weaver re-signs Bagley (my wish) to a reasonable contract in the ~$10M range and decline all other options, they would still have max cap room and the following lineup:

PG - Cade / Hayes / Saban Lee
SG - Ivey / Curtis Joseph
SF - Bey / Livers
PF - Bagley / Olynck
C - Stewart / Duren

Shooting and defense (PF most pressing) are still concerns but Weaver has the flexibility to address them. Whether through FA signings or taking back a player/picks from a team dumping salary.

CuJo and Saban Lee will be expirings and Olynck only has a $3M guarantee after this season. Weaver will almost have 2 max slots in 2023.

Probably the most optimistic Piston fans have been in a decade or more. My expectation is that tanking is over and we’ll see incremental development and talent improvements, but will still be a lottery team. 2023 is when we should push for the playoffs.

Ted should have hired Weaver rather than keep Tommy IMO.

Here, here!! I agree with you 100%. I was screaming on Twitter for Weaver to be hired. He's from Upper Marlboro! Bring him home! Argh.

[mhd]

Piston fan living in DC. Longtime lurker on both boards.

Frankly, it’s unbelievable what Weaver has done in the space of 2 years. He inherited a squad with significantly overpaid vets, limited assets, and zero cap flexibility. One can argue about some of the trades Weaver made initially, but he has certainly executed a rebuild in quick order (with a little deserved luck). He’s been playing chess, while many fans criticizing him are merely playing checkers. He does have the advantage of having an owner bought into a rebuild.

Loved our draft. In 3 drafts and 2 seasons, the Pistons now have a very young and intriguing lineup. We desperately needed athleticism and drafted 2 elite athletes with enormous potential.

Assuming Weaver re-signs Bagley (my wish) to a reasonable contract in the ~$10M range and decline all other options, they would still have max cap room and the following lineup:

PG - Cade / Hayes / Saban Lee
SG - Ivey / Curtis Joseph
SF - Bey / Livers
PF - Bagley / Olynck
C - Stewart / Duren

Shooting and defense (PF most pressing) are still concerns but Weaver has the flexibility to address them. Whether through FA signings or taking back a player/picks from a team dumping salary.

CuJo and Saban Lee will be expirings and Olynck only has a $3M guarantee after this season. Weaver will almost have 2 max slots in 2023.

Probably the most optimistic Piston fans have been in a decade or more. My expectation is that tanking is over and we’ll see incremental development and talent improvements, but will still be a lottery team. 2023 is when we should push for the playoffs.

Ted should have hired Weaver rather than keep Tommy IMO.

Our owner doesn't care about winning. Turd only cares about being competitive and going for the play-in. The entire strategy is two get at least two home playoff games a year (that is according to Kevin Sheehan (local radio host)). Apparently, that is how they become profitable. Turd has stated that the team will never tank. This team will never win. This team has paid the luxury tax once in his entire regime. They sold a first rounder (that became Jarrett Allen) to get off of the horrendous Andrew Nicholson contract they signed 4 months prior in order to save money! (Nicholson didn't play at all). The reason they lost to Boston in 7 games was because the team HAD NO BENCH because Turd was too cheap to have any players who could give Wall & Beal a breather.

Weaver would never have been allowed to tank. It's ownership directed that the team not rebuild. Why do you think he kept the worst gm in the NBA in power for 17 years? Why do you think we're resigning Beal to an absurd extension? Tommy has done the best he can do in an arena of impossible. He's clearly smart. He's just hamstrung by the stench of our owner (who for example, forced out two legends in the broadcast booth (after moving them from courtside to a place high in the rafters just so he can make money)). The arena is filled more with opposing fans than local fans because the diehards know the team is hopeless. Turd hasn't given a hard-hitting interview in a decade. No one has questioned the idiotic signings (Mahinmi, Nicholson), routine selling of 2nd rounders for cash, or refusal to tank. David Aldridge (nationally known) and the beat writer from the athletic (Robbins) have been writing the same thing. Leonsis is the worst owner in the NBA and it's not even close. At least Vivek Ranidave wants to win (despite how misguided he may be). He's not an arrogant douche like Leonsis is. I'd take Vivek over Turd any day of the week and twice on Sundays.

[Menace2Sobriety]

Oh I know. I’ve been in DC since the Unseld/Abe days and used to have season tickets when we had Webber / Howard (UM alum)

[closg00]

Piston fan living in DC. Longtime lurker on both boards.

Frankly, it’s unbelievable what Weaver has done in the space of 2 years. He inherited a squad with significantly overpaid vets, limited assets, and zero cap flexibility. One can argue about some of the trades Weaver made initially, but he has certainly executed a rebuild in quick order (with a little deserved luck). He’s been playing chess, while many fans criticizing him are merely playing checkers. He does have the advantage of having an owner bought into a rebuild.

Loved our draft. In 3 drafts and 2 seasons, the Pistons now have a very young and intriguing lineup. We desperately needed athleticism and drafted 2 elite athletes with enormous potential.

Assuming Weaver re-signs Bagley (my wish) to a reasonable contract in the ~$10M range and decline all other options, they would still have max cap room and the following lineup:

PG - Cade / Hayes / Saban Lee
SG - Ivey / Curtis Joseph
SF - Bey / Livers
PF - Bagley / Olynck
C - Stewart / Duren

Shooting and defense (PF most pressing) are still concerns but Weaver has the flexibility to address them. Whether through FA signings or taking back a player/picks from a team dumping salary.

CuJo and Saban Lee will be expirings and Olynck only has a $3M guarantee after this season. Weaver will almost have 2 max slots in 2023.

Probably the most optimistic Piston fans have been in a decade or more. My expectation is that tanking is over and we’ll see incremental development and talent improvements, but will still be a lottery team. 2023 is when we should push for the playoffs.

Ted should have hired Weaver rather than keep Tommy IMO.

There were at-least 3 guys here that wanted us to hire Troy, CCJ was his biggest booster. Ted is gonna Ted..

[Rafael122]

I bet Troy didn't get the job b/c he wanted to tear it down. Anyway, I didn't like the Grant trade, I thought he could have gotten a lot more assets if he traded him during the deadline. I will wait and see what he does with the cap space, if he gets an Ayton or even a Bridges, I think Detroit is a play in team.

Also just to add, I don't believe any other team in the East incrementally improved via the draft as much as Detroit did.

[Menace2Sobriety]

The next-gen NBA is coming soon. Detroit, Houston, Orl, SAS, OKC, and Memphis especially.

[payitforward]

If I remember right Zards made a very strong pitch for Weaver.

Made a lot of sense at the time & even more sense now.

What a contrast between the way the 2 teams have been managed over the last 3 years.

[NatP4]

Detroit turned three top 20 picks in the 2020 draft into Killian Hayes, Saddiq Bey, and Isaiah Stewart.

Avdija, Jalen Smith, Devin Vassell, Tyrese Haliburton all went directly after Killian Hayes.

Achiuwa, Maxey, Hampton, Quickley, Pritchard, and Bane, all went after the Stewart/Bey picks.

Also, proceeded to take Saban Lee directly over Tre Jones.

We’ll see how picking Cunningham over Mobley turns out. Same with Ivey over Daniels.

They’ve certainly made a good number of draft picks over the last couple of years, but I think it would be hard to draft any worse than what they have. I see nothing building. Cunningham&Ivey are two of the most overrated prospects of the last decade.

As it stands, I’m not sure that the Pistons have one single good player on the roster.

[payitforward]

I've just now noticed that The Pistons also moved their 46 to Portland for Procida whom they'd picked at 36 -- part of the Jerami Grant trade....

Ivey, Duren, Procida, wow....

I would have been eager to trade 10 to Houston for 17 & 26.

Then do what the Rockets did with 26 -- trade to Minny for 29 (TyTy) & 2 future R2 picks, though I'd have turned one of them into this year's #50 by adding a little cash.

Tari Eason, TyTy Washington, Keon Ellis (#50), Jabari Walker (#54), Trevion Williams (undrafted) -- what a Thursday night that would have been!

Plus bring Quenton Jackson into minicamp, a solid move by the Wiz FO.

[payitforward]

If I remember right Zards made a very strong pitch for Weaver.

Made a lot of sense at the time & even more sense now.

What a contrast between the way the 2 teams have been managed over the last 3 years.

Detroit turned three top 20 picks in the 2020 draft into Killian Hayes, Saddiq Bey, and Isaiah Stewart.

Avdija, Jalen Smith, Devin Vassell, Tyrese Haliburton all went directly after Killian Hayes.

Achiuwa, Maxey, Hampton, Quickley, Pritchard, and Bane, all went after the Stewart/Bey picks.

Also, proceeded to take Saban Lee directly over Tre Jones.

We’ll see how picking Cunningham over Mobley turns out. Same with Ivey over Daniels.

They’ve certainly made a good number of draft picks over the last couple of years, but I think it would be hard to draft any worse than what they have. I see nothing building. Cunningham&Ivey are two of the most overrated prospects of the last decade.

As it stands, I’m not sure that the Pistons have one single good player on the roster.

Actually... ummm... you make some good points....

Did you have Halliburton rated over Hayes?
Did you have Maxey, Pritchard or Bane rated over Stewart & Bey?
Saben Lee has been quite a good player -- tho not as good as Tre Jones for sure! Where did you have Tre Jones rated, btw?

I'd say they Detroit just had a terrific draft. Or should they have moved up? Tried to get Johnny Davis instead?

[Frichuela]

Piston fan living in DC. Longtime lurker on both boards.

Frankly, it’s unbelievable what Weaver has done in the space of 2 years. He inherited a squad with significantly overpaid vets, limited assets, and zero cap flexibility. One can argue about some of the trades Weaver made initially, but he has certainly executed a rebuild in quick order (with a little deserved luck). He’s been playing chess, while many fans criticizing him are merely playing checkers. He does have the advantage of having an owner bought into a rebuild.

Loved our draft. In 3 drafts and 2 seasons, the Pistons now have a very young and intriguing lineup. We desperately needed athleticism and drafted 2 elite athletes with enormous potential.

Assuming Weaver re-signs Bagley (my wish) to a reasonable contract in the ~$10M range and decline all other options, they would still have max cap room and the following lineup:

PG - Cade / Hayes / Saban Lee
SG - Ivey / Curtis Joseph
SF - Bey / Livers
PF - Bagley / Olynck
C - Stewart / Duren

Shooting and defense (PF most pressing) are still concerns but Weaver has the flexibility to address them. Whether through FA signings or taking back a player/picks from a team dumping salary.

CuJo and Saban Lee will be expirings and Olynck only has a $3M guarantee after this season. Weaver will almost have 2 max slots in 2023.

Probably the most optimistic Piston fans have been in a decade or more. My expectation is that tanking is over and we’ll see incremental development and talent improvements, but will still be a lottery team. 2023 is when we should push for the playoffs.

Ted should have hired Weaver rather than keep Tommy IMO.

Our owner doesn't care about winning. Turd only cares about being competitive and going for the play-in. The entire strategy is two get at least two home playoff games a year (that is according to Kevin Sheehan (local radio host)). Apparently, that is how they become profitable. Turd has stated that the team will never tank. This team will never win. This team has paid the luxury tax once in his entire regime. They sold a first rounder (that became Jarrett Allen) to get off of the horrendous Andrew Nicholson contract they signed 4 months prior in order to save money! (Nicholson didn't play at all). The reason they lost to Boston in 7 games was because the team HAD NO BENCH because Turd was too cheap to have any players who could give Wall & Beal a breather.

Weaver would never have been allowed to tank. It's ownership directed that the team not rebuild. Why do you think he kept the worst gm in the NBA in power for 17 years? Why do you think we're resigning Beal to an absurd extension? Tommy has done the best he can do in an arena of impossible. He's clearly smart. He's just hamstrung by the stench of our owner (who for example, forced out two legends in the broadcast booth (after moving them from courtside to a place high in the rafters just so he can make money)). The arena is filled more with opposing fans than local fans because the diehards know the team is hopeless. Turd hasn't given a hard-hitting interview in a decade. No one has questioned the idiotic signings (Mahinmi, Nicholson), routine selling of 2nd rounders for cash, or refusal to tank. David Aldridge (nationally known) and the beat writer from the athletic (Robbins) have been writing the same thing. Leonsis is the worst owner in the NBA and it's not even close. At least Vivek Ranidave wants to win (despite how misguided he may be). He's not an arrogant douche like Leonsis is. I'd take Vivek over Turd any day of the week and twice on Sundays.

Hall of fame post. Hear hear mhd!

[Menace2Sobriety]

Precisely why I decided not to renew my season tickets.

Accountability my arse.

[NatP4]

I don’t really remember posting much or following the 2020 draft much at all. I do remember loving Haliburton and Okongwu and positing about both. Either way, I can pour cold water on the rebuild on the job Weaver has done.

I’d say they had a relatively idiotic draft. Sacramento was smart and took the significantly better prospect in Murray, instead of Ivey. Detroit probably figured it was a no brainer to just take Ivey at 5 instead of thinking outside the box and stepping up on Daniels, who will be a much better pro.

The Duren pick was even worse. Charlotte needed a C and made the smart move of selling on Duren and picking the much better prospect in Mark Williams. I’m pretty sure Charlotte gets a 1st and three 2nd round picks.....and the better C prospect by a mile.

The Procida pick was a good one.

[DCZards]

Cade Cunningham and Jaden Ivey are both future all-stars

Cunningham began to show late last season just how good and versatile he is with the ball in his hands.

Cade and Jaden need to improve defensively but they’re both just 20 and have time.