Game 73: Pistons (32-40) vs Bulls (24-48) - 7:00 PM EST

[Snakebites]

We’re still better off losing. It just matters a lot less.

Clinging on to that 2% chance that the basketball gods will stop hating Detroit for one brief moment, the first in the last decade.

That's pretty much what we're left with. I remember my wife asking me why I wasn't excited about the new season back in October of 2017. I told here that there just isn't anything to look forward to, the team isn't going to be good. And, they over-delivered yet again, and I'm pretty sure I'll continue to carry that sentiment into next season.

Even truly awful teams can see a glimmer of hope. Phoenix can at least feel good about Booker, Jackson and having a top 5 pick. That's more than watching Reggie dribble around in circles, Andre bombing bad hook shots (which he's reduced to now that Blake took the ball out of his hands), and Blake shooting uncontested 3-pointers because nobody respects his shot next year.

Its crazy to think how a team like the suns which has made plenty of mistakes along the way has a brighter future then us. The suns traded the lakers pick to get Brandon Knight and missed on a bunch of early draft picks yet still their sitting on Jackson and Booker +a early draft pick this year which gives them a brighter future then us.

Yep. They've made bad trades (Isaiah, Morris twins, Dragic, giving away Bledsoe for little, squandering the Lakers pick), given out bad contracts (Dudley, Chandler, Knight), and had drama with their players (Dragic/Isaiah/Bledsoe, Morris twins) and overall done all sorts of lousy things that make their fans crazy. And yet they're still in great shape compared to us.

Which is exactly why I am now convinced that our biggest issue isn't failure in trades and free agent signings. It's draft picks.

After the Blake Griffin trade I was bewildered as to why I was having such a hard time convincing Pistons fans that losing our draft pick was a big deal- that the pick had a lot of value. Now I realize? How can I blame some people? It's hard to see draft picks as the immensely valuable asset they are when we have a franchise that has cultivated so little talent from the draft in recent years.

[Crymson]

After the Blake Griffin trade I was bewildered as to why I was having such a hard time convincing Pistons fans that losing our draft pick was a big deal- that the pick had a lot of value. Now I realize? How can I blame some people? It's hard to see draft picks as the immensely valuable asset they are when we have a franchise that has cultivated so little talent from the draft in recent years.

I'd say the inherent stupidity of the trade went well beyond losing that pick. It was simply one of every single reason why the trade was a horrible idea from the outset.

[ImHeisenberg]

After the Blake Griffin trade I was bewildered as to why I was having such a hard time convincing Pistons fans that losing our draft pick was a big deal- that the pick had a lot of value. Now I realize? How can I blame some people? It's hard to see draft picks as the immensely valuable asset they are when we have a franchise that has cultivated so little talent from the draft in recent years.

SVG has been truly awful at evaluating draft talent. He's whiffed almost everywhere. Kennard might be a good role player if he can ever defend a position. And, he'll do down as SVG's very best draft pick. Johnson is going to spend his career coming off the bench for various teams, Ellenson will be clinging to any roster spot he can after his rookie deal, and the second round picks were laughably bad outside of Dinwiddie, who is a career backup on any halfway decent team.

We've missed on so many superstars over the last ten years, it's really astounding. Drummond has been this team's best draft pick since Grant Hill in 1994. Khris Middleton was a great pick, but Dumars was too worried about saving his job, and gave him away for Jennings (who now plays with Middleton now plays with in Milwaukee). We've passed on guys like Paul George, Kemba Walker, Kawhi Leonard, Giannis, Devin Booker (because SVG doesn't trust local guys, as he stated), and Donovan Mitchell- just to name a few off the top of my head.

A lot of other teams missed on those guys too. Yes, but a lot of those other teams have at least hit on one or two guys along to way. Was Drummond our "hit"? Christ, that's sad.