DetroitPistons wrote:theBigLip wrote:Warspite wrote:When Monroe, Drummond, Jennings, KCP, reach there prime it will be 2020. Let that sink in for a min. All of them except KCP will be on there 3rd contract. Josh Smith will be the same age as Paul Pierce. We have tons of internal development and we have plenty of time. We are 10 yrs from our core being on the wrong side of 30.
Good perspective, but I'm hoping our prime is more like 3-4 years.
I think a players "prime" is overrated. Look at guys like Kawhi Leonard and Harrison Barnes who were huge for their teams last year in just their rookie season. We don't need our guys to be in the magical "prime" years in order for us to compete. If Dumars continues to make the right moves we could be contenders in 2 or 3 years. That might sound crazy right now but stuff moves WAY faster in the NBA than people realize.
Good point! Sometimes it seems like the "prime years" reasoning suggests teams can't compete or become contenders unless they have key positions in their prime. Durant, Harden, and Westbrook were not in their prime over the past few years as they made deep runs in the playoffs. In fact, it can be argued the OKC guys were well on their way if not for Wesbrook's injury. Another example is the Bulls team led by a young Rose and Noah. Neither of those guys are in their prime but they are competing at a high level. This suggests individual excellence, collective chemistry, and the right system.
Our team has flaws, so let me head off a good ole fashion piston bashing for a moment. Yes we have flaws, but we also have more upside than we've had since Chauncey traded. The lineup tweaks has given us a strong core with answers where we once had questions and "wait and see" hopes. Jennings can throw the lob and he already has point guard instincts with 5 years of professional honing. His ability to carve up the defense off the dribble coupled with his ability to get the ball to our bigs is going to be huge.
We can be competitive, not just in the regular season but in the playoffs. Our team could end up being a tough out or even a spoiler.
Two things
1. @DetroitPistons you should add wayofthemaster.com to your list of websites in your signature
2. Trevor Ariza would not add value. He lost his starting spot to Martell Webster and Otto Porter will replace him in the rotation. Ariza stop trying after his failed attempted to be the number one option for the Houston Rockets a few years ago. Dude is just cashing checks (like Kwame Brown)
