Game 67: Pistons (18-48) @ Celtics (40-27) Mar. 11 7:30 PM EST

[tmorgan]

I don’t think Bagley is a starting anything unless we can beat some defensive sense into him.

The problem, as I see it, is that he puts up nice offensive numbers on solid percentages. He’s good on that end. But if we have to pay him like he’s more than offensive-minded bench big, meaning more than 10 mil a year, then we’re screwing up. And I think he’s going to get that offer, because he looks better on the surface than when you actually integrate him into your team.

Cade needs an offensive player like Bagley, as zeeb says, and I agree. Lob threat, glass cleaner, all that. But if it’s this one, if it’s Bagley, it’s gonna cause as many problems as it solves unless we can REALLY improve his defensive awareness.

[Kalamazoo317]

We were right there through three quarters against one of the hottest teams in the league right now at full strength. And I think we only lost because we ran out of gas in the fourth quarter when they really clamped down on defense. If we weren't missing five important rotational players and giving significant minutes to Lee and Pickett, I think we would've taken this one. The future is bright, IMO, and Bagley is a piece of it (just not a defensive anchor piece!).

[NME33]

Bagley on switches on perimeter players he stands really far back pretty much giving up a open 3.

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What would you like him to do? Play tight so he get's taken off the dribble with nobody behind him? Against a team that wasn't shooting well from 3, but was getting in the paint whenever they wanted?

We're playing without Hayes, Diallo & Stewart. We're asking Bagley to play out of position, without the benefit of a training camp. We switch literally everything, have zero help defense and can't rotate to save our lives. We've also gone up against some of the hottest scorers in the league in DeRozan & Tatum, both of whom are deadly in the mid-range game and in the paint. But yeah, let's blame it all on Bagley.

I'm not saying his defense is great. I'm not even saying it's good. What I am saying, is that singling him out when CLEARLY there are a plethora of issues contributing to our inability to defend the paint is rubbish.

You take away your defensive C and some of your best perimeter defenders OF COURSE your interior D will suffer. Posting stats showing how many points we gave up in the paint isn't needed. What is needed is context.

People want results immediately, even when it's unrealistic. Bagley is 22 and has literally missed a couple os seasons due to injury.

Bagley is not a good help defender, which is why he may seem so shakey on defense as a C when he has to cover for the guards who just got blown by. But his length and quickness is disruptive when he's playing C in a small ball lineup. His defensive limitations can't be denied, but it can be put in context.

The most important thing to remember is that big men take much longer to develop than guards. The best situation for a big is to be with a young team that allows them to develop. This team is the best situation for him and if the organization can let the young guys grow at their own pace like Memphis did, they will reap the rewards.

Losing to the Bulls and Celtics in competitive games is a positive thing when you put the season and situation in perspective. Deciding who should stay and who should go based on these games is a little overboard, when in reality all that needs to happen is the young guys learning to tighten up a few things.

I will end with this. The Pistons starting winning games and Cade started becoming more consistent AFTER the trade deadline. What changed at the deadline? Hmmm. Pistons lost to the Bulls in January by 46. Bagley wasn't there, but Stewart was. Lost to the Bulls by 6 in March. Stewart wasn't there but Bagley was. Adding Bagley takes away some defense, but it unlocks Cade.