ATL-DET

[theBigLip]

Duren is not good at all. Less than one shot outside the paint per game while shooting around 26% on those shots. Averages 0.8 BPG while being a bad pick-and-roll defender... These aren't characteristics of a center who plays more than 16 MPG in the NBA.

What starting or good backup center can't

1. Score at all outside the paint
2. Protect the rim
3. Defend the pick-and-roll
4. Create offense

My thought process would be Capela plays 28 MPG and Duren plays 20 while Capela tries to teach Duren how to play.

Duren is good, showed improvement this year, and he’s all of 20 years old. Sure he needs to improve his D, but that’s fixable. He has the raw tools.

Are there athletic centers who went from total non-factors at the rim to a guy who can protect the rim well? I don't think this is very common.

First of all, it is EXTREMELY common that 20 year olds in the league have not yet peaked. Feel free to look at any player’s season stat log and you’ll have some proof. I think most writers/podcasters feel players peak in the 25-30 age range.

Some examples of extreme defensive improvement:
Brook Lopez
Andrew Bogut

[Euphonetiks]

Expiring Capela has value, but not for Detroit that already has Duren and Stewart.

This makes zero sense honestly, limits the moves Detroit can do this year in the offseason that are way more important than adding a teacher for Duren. If you think Pistons should move on from him, then I'd suggest adding a trade sending Duren elsewhere

Capela is a competent NBA center and that matters a whole lot for evaluating how good your young players are defensively.

I don't see the value in acquiring Capela as a 'competent' center for one year in order to evaluate the rest of the roster. If that's the route Detroit takes, it would make a lot more sense to throw some money at a younger competent C like Goga who could stick around and be the future backup/starter depending on the evolution of Duren's defense.

[Kalamazoo317]

Yeah, I'm skeptical about Duren's longterm fit here too (not a spacer, not yet a rim protector) but I don't seen an expensive one year rental of Capela as a fix to any of that. If we bring in another center, he needs to be either a defensive anchor on a longer contract or a spacer (or, ideally, both, but those players tend to be stars).

[raleigh]

I could see this kind of move if the better options for DET don't work out. Capela's expiring contract could be useful at the trade deadline.

[DetroitDon15]

I’m not sure Detroit would take on Capela with Duren still around. If the Hawks want to dump salary, I’d go bigger to make it make sense for Detroit as well. Murray and Capela for Duren and Grimes. Pistons get a back court mate for Cade and Atlanta clears salary and gets a young good big man to be their center of the future.

[theBigLip]

I’m not sure Detroit would take on Capela with Duren still around. If the Hawks want to dump salary, I’d go bigger to make it make sense for Detroit as well. Murray and Capela for Duren and Grimes. Pistons get a back court mate for Cade and Atlanta clears salary and gets a young good big man to be their center of the future.

I’d like to keep Duren. I know Ivey isn’t enough for Murray, but that does provide cap relief.

[Kalamazoo317]

I could see this kind of move if the better options for DET don't work out. Capela's expiring contract could be useful at the trade deadline.

When's the last time a team got something worthwhile for an expiring contract at the deadline? That seems to be a thing of the past, imo.

[Kalamazoo317]

I’m not sure Detroit would take on Capela with Duren still around. If the Hawks want to dump salary, I’d go bigger to make it make sense for Detroit as well. Murray and Capela for Duren and Grimes. Pistons get a back court mate for Cade and Atlanta clears salary and gets a young good big man to be their center of the future.

I don't think Murray works that well as an off-ball player. Atlanta showed that will how poorly he and Trae fit, imo. Grimes is unproven, but his prototype fits with Cade much better. Not sure what we'd do with Murray, Cade, and Ivey on the same roster, unless there are follow up trades (possibly to both Cade and Ivey).