Two sides to a coin. Josh Smith.

[need4detroit]

We may have gotten bigger but we didn't get slower. Just because your team gets bigger doesn't mean it's necessarily slower...

[SwaggWagg]

I agree with the jumbled roster. Wings are ok at best, Smith should not be a SF or playing on the perimeter and Jennings is a chucker who can only go to one side. Drummond is extremely promising though. If the key players can't stay healthy it'll get very interesting.

[hoophabit]

Well, this thread has gone down hill. A disgruntled, jilted Hawks fan telling us how poor JS is, and using his worst year shooting FTs as part of his "evidence."

Then we're treated to a trolling Raps fan who wants to tell us how he agree with all the misgiving ever stated about the new look Pistons. I'm surprised he could resist telling us how Val is the next great center.

Season can't start soon enough!

[detroitKG]

Well, this thread has gone down hill. A disgruntled, jilted Hawks fan telling us how poor JS is, and using his worst year shooting FTs as part of his "evidence."

Then we're treated to a trolling Raps fan who wants to tell us how he agree with all the misgiving ever stated about the new look Pistons. I'm surprised he could resist telling us how Val is the next great center.

Season can't start soon enough!

Summed this gem of a thread up nicely...LOL.

[zeebneeb]

This year, will, without a doubt be messy. Its going to be interesting to see how patient everyone is. This includes people here, and in Michigan, as well as the sports news outlets.

If this was the second year this team had been together, it could win 50games, just based on the talent here.

One thing I am laughing my ass of about though in that "article" is saying that because Detroit didn't go smaller, it somehow didn't stay competitive. I say, when everyone else is doing one thing, do the other. It gives you an immediate advantage, because THEY don't have the pieces to match up with you.

How do teams guard three 6'9+ guys out on the floor? No one has yet to answer that question, just say nonsensical things.

If you post smith, or Monroe, and don't double, good luck with that. If ANY switched happen, its instantly in our favour. Pick and rolls will be awesome.

The whole key to this is Jennings. If he truly reverts back to a pass first PG, he could easily average 10APG on this team.

"Josh smith cant shoot a jumper" Who gives a **** when he, Monroe, and Drummond are getting oops from everyone on the damn court. Every single night, we have a mis-match on the floor.

[StickAndMove]

Josh Smith has shot 30.65% on jump shots over his career. I question his decision-making because, after this many years in the league, he should've stopped taking so many. However, in the last three years, he has significantly increased his attempts. In 08-09 he took 485, in 09-10 it was 410, then 713, 677, 674 in 10-11, 11-12, 12-13, respectively. Slightly over 75% of these are assisted. So basically, he has no business taking jumpers. At least, definitely not at his current rate. He shoots a brutal percentage and can't create a shot for himself.

To those who think it won't matter, I'd point to the Grizzlies - Spurs series last year. The Spurs destroyed the Grizzlies by collapsing on defense and ignoring guys like Tony Allen (and Tayshaun and a few others) who just couldn't knock down an open jumper. This is obviously a potential issue for the Pistons.

On Detroit's starting lineup, there will be three guys who can nearly be ignored when they step outside the paint and spot up. Alley-oops won't work when the defense has three guys standing in the paint.

[ImHeisenberg]

Josh Smith has shot 30.65% on jump shots over his career. I question his decision-making because, after this many years in the league, he should've stopped taking so many. However, in the last three years, he has significantly increased his attempts. In 08-09 he took 485, in 09-10 it was 410, then 713, 677, 674 in 10-11, 11-12, 12-13, respectively. Slightly over 75% of these are assisted. So basically, he has no business taking jumpers. At least, definitely not at his current rate. He shoots a brutal percentage and can't create a shot for himself.

To those who think it won't matter, I'd point to the Grizzlies - Spurs series last year. The Spurs destroyed the Grizzlies by collapsing on defense and ignoring guys like Tony Allen (and Tayshaun and a few others) who just couldn't knock down an open jumper. This is obviously a potential issue for the Pistons.

On Detroit's starting lineup, there will be three guys who can nearly be ignored when they step outside the paint and spot up. Alley-oops won't work when the defense has three guys standing in the paint.

You bring up some valid points.

For Smith, last season, he was the 1st/2nd option on offense every game. It was expected that his jump shots were going to hike north of his norm, especially after they lost Lou Williams early in the season.

My only rebuttal is that he isn't going to be in that position in Detroit. While they'll still rely on him to score, they need him for his all around game, especially on the defensive end. Where, on offense, Monroe is a proven scorer, Jennings can hit shots from all over the court, Billups is there in a limited capacity, and we're still not sure what Drummond, KCP and Stuckey will bring to the floor offensively yet.

A team can't live and die by the performance of one singular player.

[MagnusPinus]

He is a 4..

[need4detroit]

Statistically he's been better as a 3...

[wallacex2jc]

If Josh Smith becomes the three he would have to become a triple double machine for our team. Scoring should the last thing he should worry about


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[Redeemed]

If Josh Smith becomes the three he would have to become a triple double machine for our team. Scoring should the last thing he should worry about


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I agree. J-Smoove should play the role of stat sheet stuffer/utility guy filling the lane, rolling off screens, giving and going, crashing the boards, and worrying very little about spotting up or isolating in the half court set. Best case scenario: he brings that Ben Wallace/Dennis Rodman ruggedness back to Motown. Along with it he plays the role of being a sponge taking in all the vaunted lessons taught by Sifu Sheed (lol).

I'm really pumped for the season. I can't wait for our guys to win our confidence and shake up the league.

[MagnusPinus]

Things are simple.. if u play him at the 3.. with Drummond and Monroe your floor becomes smaller and smaller. Maybe the team can try to go against modern Nba, and try to be a force inside all the time, with 3 aggressors in the paint.. but honestly I think those 3 players would find it difficult to find room that way.. I mean Josh could play more outside, but he'd be a bit limited..

[need4detroit]

Things are simple.. if u play him at the 3.. with Drummond and Monroe your floor becomes smaller and smaller. Maybe the team can try to go against modern Nba, and try to be a force inside all the time, with 3 aggressors in the paint.. but honestly I think those 3 players would find it difficult to find room that way.. I mean Josh could play more outside, but he'd be a bit limited..

Defensively were much better with him at the three however.

[StickAndMove]

Josh Smith has shot 30.65% on jump shots over his career. I question his decision-making because, after this many years in the league, he should've stopped taking so many. However, in the last three years, he has significantly increased his attempts. In 08-09 he took 485, in 09-10 it was 410, then 713, 677, 674 in 10-11, 11-12, 12-13, respectively. Slightly over 75% of these are assisted. So basically, he has no business taking jumpers. At least, definitely not at his current rate. He shoots a brutal percentage and can't create a shot for himself.

To those who think it won't matter, I'd point to the Grizzlies - Spurs series last year. The Spurs destroyed the Grizzlies by collapsing on defense and ignoring guys like Tony Allen (and Tayshaun and a few others) who just couldn't knock down an open jumper. This is obviously a potential issue for the Pistons.

On Detroit's starting lineup, there will be three guys who can nearly be ignored when they step outside the paint and spot up. Alley-oops won't work when the defense has three guys standing in the paint.

You bring up some valid points.

For Smith, last season, he was the 1st/2nd option on offense every game. It was expected that his jump shots were going to hike north of his norm, especially after they lost Lou Williams early in the season.

My only rebuttal is that he isn't going to be in that position in Detroit. While they'll still rely on him to score, they need him for his all around game, especially on the defensive end. Where, on offense, Monroe is a proven scorer, Jennings can hit shots from all over the court, Billups is there in a limited capacity, and we're still not sure what Drummond, KCP and Stuckey will bring to the floor offensively yet.

A team can't live and die by the performance of one singular player.

Generally, I'm in agreement. Another issue is that Jennings hasn't shown good shot selection, either. Hopefully Brandon and Josh were only taking those shots because they were asked to do too much offensively, but I'm concerned that it's a mental issue where they're not reading defenses well or simply making poor choices. Particularly with Josh Smith, because he posts an unimpressive assist-to-turnover ratio along with his questionable shot selection. Jennings has displayed the ability to make sound decisions in that capacity.

Also, Jennings is young enough that I have more hope for notable progression from him. Josh Smith may not get any better. In fact, if he doesn't start improving his technique and basketball IQ soon, he will quickly be in decline, as his athleticism is already slightly less than it was four or five years ago.

[Brapman]

I don't think Josh Smith is getting enough respect around here. The guy's a major talent. He's a borderline all-star forward, because he's a great defender passer and rebounder, and scores enough to be in that category. When he's out on the floor and Monroe is at C, he'll be able to cover for Monroe the exact same way he covered for Horford in Atlanta. Ask the Hawks mid-year how much they miss that duo playing together.

When he's out on the floor with Drummond, that will give us to super mobile defending shotblockers who dominate the boards and the paint.

Dude can play. I'm puzzled about the relative lack of recognition of this pretty obvious fact.

[joseph mamah]

^ I don't think anybody really disputes the fact that Smith can play basketball, the reason some people are luke-warm on him is his questionable fit next to Dre and Moose and his reputation as a knucklehead.

[StickAndMove]

I agree with joseph mamah.

Another reason I'm not excited about J-Smoove is that I don't believe he'll be worth his contract. Although he might be a good player, if he's not worth what we're paying him, he's of negative value on the roster. My fear is that he'd end up along the lines of Joe Johnson -- granted, the contract is not nearly as bad -- but the same idea, where you have an above-average player who is generally an asset but has negative trade value because he is not worth his contract.

And while I wouldn't dispute that he's a borderline All-Star, I do think it's telling that he's never actually made the team.

Having said all this, all Josh really needs to do is start making quality decisions with the ball and he could be a very nice fit. Stop taking long twos, cut down on jumpers in general, and also cut down on risky passes/turnovers. He can pass well, I do think he's a better shooter than the percentages would indicate (although that's not saying much) and of course he's extremely athletic.

I have doubts though because he hasn't shown much improvement. One of my main concerns is that his best season was three years ago (09-10). That shouldn't be the case for a 27-year-old who's been healthy.