The direction of the Motor Cade next seasons

[chrbal]

The poll lacks nuance, so I’ll explain.

I really don’t want to bottom out again, so I put push for playoffs even though I question whether that fits. I put it for both want and predict.

With Cade, Bey, Stewart, Hayes etc we at least in theory have a significant portion of what’s going to be our core moving forward. I don’t think you stay in bottom-out mode with that in place.

I think we push for wins, though I don’t know how many we actually get. You might get some strategic losses towards the end to get a slightly better position, but I think bottom 3 won’t be in the cards again.

This is where I'm at. "Tanking" doesn't make sense for this team, but there are levels to what it means by "pushing" for the playoffs. Also selected push for the playoffs twice, but I feel like we will only be making some low to mid-level moves to round out the squad. The push will come from us trying to win games with the kids, perhaps something similar to what happened with the Kings.

Same. Push for playoffs but don’t sign anyone older than 25 Make a trade for the future if it makes sense. Done tanking.

Resign Frank, let go of Joseph, while adding two draft picks and we’d be at either 12 or 13 (8-10 would be on rookie deals) roster spots filled on the 15 man. I’d fill those out with veteran solid shooter/good teammate types preferably on cheaper deals.

You add two more early career and/or rookies on the two way deals. That’s roughly 12/17 players on rookie deals or early in career contracts. Plus Grant, Okafor, and Plumlee.

I don’t think we should only focus on guys 25 or younger for the open 2 or 3 regular contract slots.

Otherwise I completely agree.

[topsearch92]

Didn’t vote, because I didn’t see an option that fit.

We’re adding 1 maybe 2 rookies to the 15 man roster, which leaves spots for some veteran players.

I’m guessing we’re going to be running a lot of the younger players with more playing time for Stewart among those that were active all season.

Team will probably be a little better.

I think we’re out of the tanking range unless you count late season draft positioning if we have a chance to move down. But I don’t honestly think we would.

But I don’t think we are a push for the playoffs team either.

I guess play the young guys and see what happens could have been an option. But in the end we are either trying to win games or we aren’t. Which is why I went playoffs or tank.

[Manocad]

Didn’t vote, because I didn’t see an option that fit.

We’re adding 1 maybe 2 rookies to the 15 man roster, which leaves spots for some veteran players.

I’m guessing we’re going to be running a lot of the younger players with more playing time for Stewart among those that were active all season.

Team will probably be a little better.

I think we’re out of the tanking range unless you count late season draft positioning if we have a chance to move down. But I don’t honestly think we would.

But I don’t think we are a push for the playoffs team either.

I guess play the young guys and see what happens could have been an option. But in the end we are either trying to win games or we aren’t. Which is why I went playoffs or tank.

In the truest sense the "team" is always trying to win games because every player wants to play well. Sure, there are situations where the playoffs are a lock or the team has been mathematically eliminated and guys aren't going to be going 110% all game, every game. But I'd bet anything no player is intentionally missing shots, letting a guy blow past him, etc., i.e. intentionally throwing games. The players still have pride and ego.

As I've posted previously, if not a lot changes from last year via roster changes or crazy player improvement/regression, Cade is added, and this team is coached like the only goal is just to win each game with no predetermined goal of either tanking or making the playoffs (I call this "coached normally"), is it possible that they're a 30-ish win team? I think most people would agree with that assuming Cade doesn't just fall on his face. That's in the ballpark of 10 wins away from either making the playoffs or having the worst record. Doing what it takes to either get 10 more wins or get 10 more losses requires some pretty significant changes. And by significant I mean to the point of a "win now" move just to get that 8th seed, or dumping games the whole season via load management/"leg contusion"-ing such that the team isn't much fun to watch since the predetermined course of action is to lose. I don't think many of us are too attracted to either of those options at this point. I don't think there needs to be a "push" for anything with where the team is right now. "Push" in a lot of cases means desperate moves, and there is no reason whatsoever with where the Pistons are right now that they should do anything out of desperation; it's not necessary. The process is going pretty well; just let it keep going. The world won't end if the Pistons don't make the playoffs this year, nor will it end if they don't get a top draft pick next year. Start looking at what you have rather than what you don't have, IMO.

[chrbal]

Didn’t vote, because I didn’t see an option that fit.

We’re adding 1 maybe 2 rookies to the 15 man roster, which leaves spots for some veteran players.

I’m guessing we’re going to be running a lot of the younger players with more playing time for Stewart among those that were active all season.

Team will probably be a little better.

I think we’re out of the tanking range unless you count late season draft positioning if we have a chance to move down. But I don’t honestly think we would.

But I don’t think we are a push for the playoffs team either.

I guess play the young guys and see what happens could have been an option. But in the end we are either trying to win games or we aren’t. Which is why I went playoffs or tank.

Which is fair and the interpretation changes with everyone. I’m just saying my thought is it comes off as try to win and get in the playoffs for the 21-22 or get worse then we were last season.

Neither fit. I just want to see a team go out and compete relying on the rookies, 2nd years and such. So whatever that option is. I don’t see that as a playoff team. But that’s also not tanking. Tanking to me is Sam hinkies “the process”, as well as what the Thunder and rockets did this season.

[topsearch92]

Didn’t vote, because I didn’t see an option that fit.

We’re adding 1 maybe 2 rookies to the 15 man roster, which leaves spots for some veteran players.

I’m guessing we’re going to be running a lot of the younger players with more playing time for Stewart among those that were active all season.

Team will probably be a little better.

I think we’re out of the tanking range unless you count late season draft positioning if we have a chance to move down. But I don’t honestly think we would.

But I don’t think we are a push for the playoffs team either.

I guess play the young guys and see what happens could have been an option. But in the end we are either trying to win games or we aren’t. Which is why I went playoffs or tank.

In the truest sense the "team" is always trying to win games because every player wants to play well. Sure, there are situations where the playoffs are a lock or the team has been mathematically eliminated and guys aren't going to be going 110% all game, every game. But I'd bet anything no player is intentionally missing shots, letting a guy blow past him, etc., i.e. intentionally throwing games. The players still have pride and ego.

As I've posted previously, if not a lot changes from last year via roster changes or crazy player improvement/regression, Cade is added, and this team is coached like the only goal is just to win each game with no predetermined goal of either tanking or making the playoffs (I call this "coached normally"), is it possible that they're a 30-ish win team? I think most people would agree with that assuming Cade doesn't just fall on his face. That's in the ballpark of 10 wins away from either making the playoffs or having the worst record. Doing what it takes to either get 10 more wins or get 10 more losses requires some pretty significant changes. And by significant I mean to the point of a "win now" move just to get that 8th seed, or dumping games the whole season via load management/"leg contusion"-ing such that the team isn't much fun to watch since the predetermined course of action is to lose. I don't think many of us are too attracted to either of those options at this point. I don't think there needs to be a "push" for anything with where the team is right now. "Push" in a lot of cases means desperate moves, and there is no reason whatsoever with where the Pistons are right now that they should do anything out of desperation; it's not necessary. The process is going pretty well; just let it keep going. The world won't end if the Pistons don't make the playoffs this year, nor will it end if they don't get a top draft pick next year. Start looking at what you have rather than what you don't have, IMO.

I agree with you that players don’t throw games. 99% of them are competitive **** if they are in the NBA. But the team has direction from the GM and coach. That’s where my mindset was as a team with direction. I would say “push” as in don’t play Killian Hayes the last 4 minutes if he is sucking. I didn’t mean go all in trading a first rounder to get to the 8th seed.
With last season and how competitive we looked game to game before tanking I can easily see us in the play in or playoffs. I just think there’s merit to the idea that a team that may struggle to sign max players needs to be sure they have enough youth talent before they go for the playoffs. Otherwise you can end up with a lower ceiling. Look at what Orlando capped out as or even Bulls.

[Manocad]

I agree with you that players don’t throw games. 99% of them are competitive **** if they are in the NBA. But the team has direction from the GM and coach. That’s where my mindset was as a team with direction. I would say “push” as in don’t play Killian Hayes the last 4 minutes if he is sucking. I didn’t mean go all in trading a first rounder to get to the 8th seed.
With last season and how competitive we looked game to game before tanking I can easily see us in the play in or playoffs. I just think there’s merit to the idea that a team that may struggle to sign max players needs to be sure they have enough youth talent before they go for the playoffs. Otherwise you can end up with a lower ceiling. Look at what Orlando capped out as or even Bulls.

That's not far from where I'm at. Assuming Killian is the starting PG or playing split PG/SG while Cade plays split PG/SG/SF and he's having a lousy game, I'd call it pretty normal coaching if he were sitting out the last few minutes of a close game. That's part of his development too; you're sucking and we want to win, you sit and we go with someone who's playing better. To keep him playing in the last minutes of a close game when he's sucking under the guise of "need to get the young guys their minutes, no matter what" to me is more like tanking. And at this point I don't think that's either necessary or what anyone wants to see.

[chrbal]

I agree with you that players don’t throw games. 99% of them are competitive **** if they are in the NBA. But the team has direction from the GM and coach. That’s where my mindset was as a team with direction. I would say “push” as in don’t play Killian Hayes the last 4 minutes if he is sucking. I didn’t mean go all in trading a first rounder to get to the 8th seed.
With last season and how competitive we looked game to game before tanking I can easily see us in the play in or playoffs. I just think there’s merit to the idea that a team that may struggle to sign max players needs to be sure they have enough youth talent before they go for the playoffs. Otherwise you can end up with a lower ceiling. Look at what Orlando capped out as or even Bulls.

I feel like we are saying the same thing differently.

It’s crazy to think that the pistons were tore down to nothing, basically hit the reset button. Played very solid and competitively with a roster built on two key rookies, not even the lottery pick due to injury, and a mixture of solid veteran players.

Like in the matter of a couple seasons we went from perennial mediocre team with no direction to competitive but bad upside team. All before winning first overall.

Whatever mix the roster is, feel no confidence speculating following one season of Weaver, I just want to see them go out and play. If that means we wind up better than I expect them to be, so be it.

All I ask for is no obvious “win now” moves. Like norm Powell or an expensive backup big in free agency. I just don’t think we’re there yet.

And I don’t think we make any early give away, moves like trading sekou or Hayes, because it’s honestly pretty much Weavers group. I realize sekou was here before Weaver, I just think if he didn’t see a reason sekou is worth keeping he would have been part of the purge Troy did.