Why are we worrying?

[Timmaytime]

Our best player, the all-dunking, all-rebounding Andre Drummond, is at the ripe age of 20. We won't go anywhere unless Andre is in his prime years (name one championship team where the best player was under 23, and don't give me the 1980 Lakers), so why exactly is it so important that we make moves now?

We have enough money for Smith, and Moose. Assuming the max for Moose, we have about 3 mil in cap space with about a 6 mil MLE available. Drummond will be 21 and still not in his prime.

When it comes time to extend Andre (lets assume a 60 mil cap, 75 mil hard cap) We give him the max, and the only contracts on the team are Josh Smith's 14 mil expiring, about 17 mil for Moose, 15 mil for Andre, and 4 mil for KCP + about 4 mil on 4 more draft picks . Now that is rough considering that's 54 million dollars for 8 players with at least 4 roster spots to fill. But with 20 million to reach the hard cap it's not out of the question and also a very moveable contract to try and fill roster spots.

When Smith's contract is up, we suddenly have about 14 mil in soft cap space (60 mil cap, 16 for Andre and 18 for Moose, 5 mil for 3 1st round picks and 2 second round picks, and maybe about 8 for a KCP extension with a MLE as well)

At this time Andre will be 23 years old while Moose is 26, and a perfect time to worry about contending for a championship.

So stop suggesting Josh Smith for Ben Gordon and MKG so we can sign Melo, and deal with the fact that it isn't our time yet.

And who knows, maybe the 3 big starting rotation will be a thing by then

[piston1423]

As long as we get/keep championship contending talent around Andre, I feel he'll never want to leave. Teams like Orlando, Cleveland, New Orleans don't know what it takes to win championships and that's one reason I feel their superstars wanted to leave.

We don't have to make lame t-shirts that say "Please don't go" because at the end of the day, Detroit "small market" or not, is a top 5 franchise all time. In fact, when we start winning 50+ games on a consistent basis, good players will want to play for the Pistons. I'm not worried at all!

[zeebneeb]

As long as we get/keep championship contending talent around Andre, I feel he'll never want to leave. Teams like Orlando, Cleveland, New Orleans don't know what it takes to win championships and that's one reason I feel their superstars wanted to leave.

We don't have to make lame t-shirts that say "Please don't go" because at the end of the day, Detroit "small market" or not, is a top 5 franchise all time. In fact, when we start winning 50+ games on a consistent basis, good players will want to play for the Pistons. I'm not worried at all!

Detroit isnt a small market, so thats not an issue. The Detroit Pistons are a large market team.

The issue here has always been the crap weather.

[rmfc]

So.....do nothing until Drummond reaches his "peak"?

[DetroitDon15]

As long as we get/keep championship contending talent around Andre, I feel he'll never want to leave. Teams like Orlando, Cleveland, New Orleans don't know what it takes to win championships and that's one reason I feel their superstars wanted to leave.

We don't have to make lame t-shirts that say "Please don't go" because at the end of the day, Detroit "small market" or not, is a top 5 franchise all time. In fact, when we start winning 50+ games on a consistent basis, good players will want to play for the Pistons. I'm not worried at all!

Detroit isnt a small market, so thats not an issue. The Detroit Pistons are a large market team.

The issue here has always been the crap weather.

You also left out the weak state of the downtown area. Players can't party it up downtown like they can in other cities.

[Uncle Mxy]

You never know when your superstars will get injured.
Strike while you can.
Play to win.
!

[piston1423]

As long as we get/keep championship contending talent around Andre, I feel he'll never want to leave. Teams like Orlando, Cleveland, New Orleans don't know what it takes to win championships and that's one reason I feel their superstars wanted to leave.

We don't have to make lame t-shirts that say "Please don't go" because at the end of the day, Detroit "small market" or not, is a top 5 franchise all time. In fact, when we start winning 50+ games on a consistent basis, good players will want to play for the Pistons. I'm not worried at all!

Detroit isnt a small market, so thats not an issue. The Detroit Pistons are a large market team.

The issue here has always been the crap weather.

I always see people saying we're a small market team which is why I put it in quotes. I personally don't think we are small market either. As far as the weather goes, I never understood that. They play indoors and it's not like they have to live here during the off season anyways.

[piston1423]

As long as we get/keep championship contending talent around Andre, I feel he'll never want to leave. Teams like Orlando, Cleveland, New Orleans don't know what it takes to win championships and that's one reason I feel their superstars wanted to leave.

We don't have to make lame t-shirts that say "Please don't go" because at the end of the day, Detroit "small market" or not, is a top 5 franchise all time. In fact, when we start winning 50+ games on a consistent basis, good players will want to play for the Pistons. I'm not worried at all!

Detroit isnt a small market, so thats not an issue. The Detroit Pistons are a large market team.

The issue here has always been the crap weather.

You also left out the weak state of the downtown area. Players can't party it up downtown like they can in other cities.

If that's what they are concerned with, then I don't want them anyways. I want players who want to win not players who are concerned where the party is at haha.

[DetroitDon15]

Detroit isnt a small market, so thats not an issue. The Detroit Pistons are a large market team.

The issue here has always been the crap weather.

You also left out the weak state of the downtown area. Players can't party it up downtown like they can in other cities.

If that's what they are concerned with, then I don't want them anyways. I want players who want to win not players who are concerned where the party is at haha.

Unfortunately, these guys care more about the lifestyle than the game itself.

[piston1423]

You also left out the weak state of the downtown area. Players can't party it up downtown like they can in other cities.

If that's what they are concerned with, then I don't want them anyways. I want players who want to win not players who are concerned where the party is at haha.

Unfortunately, these guys care more about the lifestyle than the game itself.

And that might be true for a lot of guys but not everyone. I'm sure we could pick up someone good regardless if it's the draft, FA or trade.

[BadMofoPimp]

Why worry, because Pistons fans are NEVER satisfied.

[Brapman]

Our best player, the all-dunking, all-rebounding Andre Drummond, is at the ripe age of 20. We won't go anywhere unless Andre is in his prime years (name one championship team where the best player was under 23, and don't give me the 1980 Lakers), so why exactly is it so important that we make moves now?

We have enough money for Smith, and Moose. Assuming the max for Moose, we have about 3 mil in cap space with about a 6 mil MLE available. Drummond will be 21 and still not in his prime.

When it comes time to extend Andre (lets assume a 60 mil cap, 75 mil hard cap) We give him the max, and the only contracts on the team are Josh Smith's 14 mil expiring, about 17 mil for Moose, 15 mil for Andre, and 4 mil for KCP + about 4 mil on 4 more draft picks . Now that is rough considering that's 54 million dollars for 8 players with at least 4 roster spots to fill. But with 20 million to reach the hard cap it's not out of the question and also a very moveable contract to try and fill roster spots.

When Smith's contract is up, we suddenly have about 14 mil in soft cap space (60 mil cap, 16 for Andre and 18 for Moose, 5 mil for 3 1st round picks and 2 second round picks, and maybe about 8 for a KCP extension with a MLE as well)

At this time Andre will be 23 years old while Moose is 26, and a perfect time to worry about contending for a championship.

So stop suggesting Josh Smith for Ben Gordon and MKG so we can sign Melo, and deal with the fact that it isn't our time yet.

And who knows, maybe the 3 big starting rotation will be a thing by then

This dude gets it. This IS the big picture. Great post.

I'll bet Dumars and Gores get it too. No moves have to be made for quite a while. We can build with the core of this team for a couple more years and let them stabilize and grow together - then after that fine tune. Core = Drummond, Monroe, Smith, KCP, Jennings, and POSSIBLY also Singler, Harrellson and Gigi (don't give up on him). I'd be a little surprised if Stuckey is here two years from now - but I suppose even that's a possibility.

[MotownMadness]

As long as we get/keep championship contending talent around Andre, I feel he'll never want to leave. Teams like Orlando, Cleveland, New Orleans don't know what it takes to win championships and that's one reason I feel their superstars wanted to leave.

We don't have to make lame t-shirts that say "Please don't go" because at the end of the day, Detroit "small market" or not, is a top 5 franchise all time. In fact, when we start winning 50+ games on a consistent basis, good players will want to play for the Pistons. I'm not worried at all!

Detroit isnt a small market, so thats not an issue. The Detroit Pistons are a large market team.

The issue here has always been the crap weather.

Were definitely a small market. We don't get the media deals and things like you would see in a big market like LA,NY or even Miami. We've been arguably the best small market franchise along with the Spurs. We have a big sports town but it's definitely not a big market. Teams like the Lakers don't give a crap about luxury tax because their tv deals can literally pay for it.

[ComboGuardCity]

In the end, you play the game and technically, everyone has a chance to win a championship. I don't like the idea of making desperate trades, but I wouldn't mind seeing a move that makes our team better. Hell, I think our team is decent enough as is to at least make some noise rather than being first round.

So yeah, I agree we shouldn't make rash decisions, but I disagree of waiting for Andre to hit his prime to go for a run. The pacers were one game from the finals. Who thought they had a shot last year at this time? I didn't.


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[DCintheD]

Detroit "small market" or not, is a top 5 franchise all time.

[momed11]

This is why I'm of the mindset that you match any offer for moose even the max. Obviously we aren't winning it all this year but we can be a scary team for either indy or Miami to go through.

I say we let the smoove/moose/dre experiment roll into next season (as long as we finish .500 or better) and than we see the growth next year.

Typically teams that stay together with young pieces really just need time to grow. Examples: indy and portland.

Id call the experiment a bust after next year if it doesn't work out.

[ChainLink]

As long as we get/keep championship contending talent around Andre, I feel he'll never want to leave. Teams like Orlando, Cleveland, New Orleans don't know what it takes to win championships and that's one reason I feel their superstars wanted to leave.

We don't have to make lame t-shirts that say "Please don't go" because at the end of the day, Detroit "small market" or not, is a top 5 franchise all time. In fact, when we start winning 50+ games on a consistent basis, good players will want to play for the Pistons. I'm not worried at all!

Detroit isnt a small market, so thats not an issue. The Detroit Pistons are a large market team.

The issue here has always been the crap weather.

I always see people saying we're a small market team which is why I put it in quotes. I personally don't think we are small market either. As far as the weather goes, I never understood that. They play indoors and it's not like they have to live here during the off season anyways.

It really depends how you want to classify "small market". If you look at some of the other NBA cities, San Antonio, Indianapolis, Phoenix, and Charlotte actually have pretty large populations, but they're all considered small market. Granted they're not New York or LA large, but Toronto is huge and I haven't really heard anyone call that a mass media market NBA destination (but maybe being Canada probably has a lot to do with that).

But on the other hand, being the only professional sports city in the entire state probably helps because it brings in fans from all over like Flint, Grand Rapids, Lansing, the UP, etc. I can only imagine the same thing applies elsewhere...the entire New England northeast regions rooting for the Celtics, the entire Gulf coast being fans of the Pelicans, and the entire Pacific Northwest cheering for the Blazers. So while Detroit's population has fallen off dramatically the past couple decades, Michigan itself is still one of the most populous states in the country. That's a lot of potential TV viewers to make money off of who don't live in the city and are too far away to visit the Palace.

And if you think about it, Miami itself is not really that big, but I think the glamour of LeBron, and prior to that, Wade and Shaq, put it on the map as a premier NBA "large market" city.

[Billl]

When you have a young, promising core, you don't need to make desperation trades, but you shouldn't just sit around and wait either. There needs to be a sense of urgency in getting rid of guys who aren't going to be a part of this and bringing in some guys who really compliment that core. That probably involves getting the owner to spend some bucks, but we can't let assets like expiring contracts just slip away.

[Clarity]

If you understand the big picture, you arent worried at all.

[ChainLink]

As far as the weather, I think it really is a factor for elite free agents. And even our own guys,,,Moose (from Louisiana), Jennings (LA), or Smith (Georgia), they probably don't like it. Yeah you get paid millions so it's lower on the priority list and you deal with it, but I'm sure it comes into play when you're making your decision. We just saw this past summer from Dwight Howard going on record that he prefers a warm weather area, a big reason why he narrowed his list down to Texas (Rockets and Mavericks) and California (Lakers and Warriors).

It's actually really nice in Michigan in the spring and summer, problem is the NBA players actually will NOT be here lol.