Carlisle : Pistons are 4 to 8 seed with healthy Reggie

[The Penguin]

Carlisle isn't wrong that we were a playoff team with Jackson healthy. We were slotted at the 4th seed before he went down. But it's too late for that now, and we're stuck hoping that Jackson and Griffin, two guys who can't stay healthy, will stay healthy, so that we could be the 4th seed and maybe a second round exit, with no ability to improve the team because we have no cap space and probably no pick.

I don't think this team is good enough to get the 4th seed even if it's healthy.

Unless we win the lottery it's time to blow it up. I like the idea of dumping Griffin/Drummond/Johnson to Portland for Collins, picks and bad contracts. We can tank hard. Bullock should have some value too given how well he shot for us. Blow it all up and go full Sixers.

No way the Trailblazers would accept that. Nobody would ever want our frontcourt. Drummond and Griffin are a terrible match for each other. The Clippers traded away Griffin in part to get out of the similarly poorly-matched Griffin/Jordan frontcourt. The Pistons paid the Clippers for the privilege of taking on that problem. No other team will be trading into such a situation.

Never underestimate a NBA GM's ability to do something dumb. The proposed Portland deal isn't happening, they need to move salary off the books, not take in Blake, but there's several teams who would absolutely be interested in either Blake or Dre or even both.

[ByeByeDre]

Never underestimate a NBA GM's ability to do something dumb. The proposed Portland deal isn't happening, they need to move salary off the books, not take in Blake, but there's several teams who would absolutely be interested in either Blake or Dre or even both.

Bingo. Teams that think they're one good player away will go for Blake or Dre. Stupid teams with bad GM's will too. Still, Stan has now had four years to put this together. Give him the first two months of the season with everyone healthy and see what they look like. If it works, and we're in the mix, ride out the season. If it's not working, whack Stan and announce that Blake and Dre are for sale to the highest bidder - crap contracts that expire in 2020 and draft picks in return. Stink until summer of 2020 when you then have zero contracts on the books and go from there.......

[Crymson]

Never underestimate a NBA GM's ability to do something dumb.

The Pistons are indeed living proof of that. Unfortunately, Gores now has his big name---he was almost certainly the impetus behind Griffin's acquisition---and I doubt he'll be letting him go without a similarly big name coming back in return. That ain't going to happen. The man just doesn't get it.

but there's several teams who would absolutely be interested in either Blake or Dre or even both.

We'd need to sell low on Drummond. This year's free agent and draft classes are rich in quality big men, so other teams can easily have one without paying any assets. We certainly won't be getting a high pick or an elite wing in return. We'd need to sell low on Griffin also, but getting out of his contract will make that worthwhile.

Zero teams will be interested in the both of them. As I've said, it's for good reason that NBA teams deliberately avoid frontcourts like this. No team wants to have $60 million invested in an ill-fitting frontcourt duo from which they will never get anything near full value. That the Pistons assembled such a duo was a product of sheer folly, almost certainly at the urging of an owner who simply does not understand basketball.