NLL Insider - Team by Team: Detroit Pistonsby jmac, updated on Saturday, October 07 2017, 05:21 am EST
Season Highlight:
Step in laddas, who took seasons worth of poor decisions, incompetence and lack of vision and renovated the entire roster, taking a dilapidated fixer-upperer to a beautiful, family-size home that any first home buyer would dream of. A rapid-fire, instinctual flurry of trades and cashing in volatile, future assets has set the Pistons up with a fantastic core and a very bright future. Plus, BEN SIMMONS, waiting in the wings – the sole reason that laddas quit the Magic GM role to build around Ben in Motown.
On top of that, the Pistons flirted with a playoff berth, acquired AND moved superstar Chris Paul, turned an awful roster with a bleak outlook into Simmons, Oladipo, Nurkic and Favors, as well as exciting rookie Fox. Season Lowlight: When Detroit GM and fans alike all realised that Ben Simmons was not coming back during the season and that it co-incited with the Pistons slim playoff aspirations/chances being dashed. Best/Worst Trade: For the Pistons, whose GM runs traders anonymous, there was a lot of trade information to sift through. Here are two shots…
Best trade – The Pistons receive Chris Paul, Lucas Noiguera and 26 gms for Jrue Holiday, Tristan Thompson. Best FA Signing: Allen Crabbe – the Pistons, along with their poor record, did well to get a young guy with a great skillset (shooting) on a very long-term (albeit very expensive) deal. With a wiry, long body with solid quickness and a nice, high release on his jumper. He fits in well with the young core and provides sorely needed shooting, and is young enough to continue to grow with the rest of the Pistons’ core. Worst FA Signing: Jerryd Bayless – at the time, Bayless looked like a real impact player on a pretty decent deal. However, he ended up sustaining a serious injury and writing off the entire 16-17 season, while taking up over ten percent of the Pistons’ salary cap and not helping them in any way. Star: Ben Simmons – did he even play a game? No. But there is no doubt that the Detroit future is alllll about Simmons. This one player was enough to uproot the current GM from an Orlando organisation that was well on the way up and possessed multiple all-stars. If Simmons can reach the ceiling that laddas projects him to, he will be an elite NLL force. Surprise: I genuinely don’t even remember who played on the Detroit team last season… Goat: The remnants of the previous GM… Draft Report Card: (via Merencio) Detroit Pistons No. 05 – De’Aaron Fox No. 16 – Donovan Mitchell Detroit’s draft seemed to take a turn for the worse when they saw LAC pick Dennis Smith Jr. at 4, then Memphis picking Fox at 5 and leaving all wings on GM Laddas’ board must’ve really been a roller coaster ride. Lol Then, unexpectedly, Frank Ntilikina (or is it Nicotine?) was around when Memphis was on the clock again, Laddas quickly pulled the trigger on a deal for his man, Fox, in exchange for Tatum, while Memphis still got away with a point guard with potential AND one of the highest players in the draft in Tatum. Everybody wins. Fox has elite speed and agility, reminds people of John Wall, that’s how good. He gets to the rim faster and higher than anybody, it’s like slo-mo! He’s a true point, and a leader, who seems ready to take over for a Detroit team who hasn’t tasted success in a while! Concerns about his shooting are real and very worrisome, he just can’t shoot very much, it is ugly, and you have to wonder if he will be decent enough at it, one day to make defenders respect him. Detroit wasn’t done, though in a deal with GS, Laddas watched Donovan Mitchell, one of my favorite players in the draft, fall to him. Mitchell is lightning in a bottle, a very explosive player who stands at 6-2, as an undersized 2 guard but with a 6-10 wingspan, which is crazy if you think about it! He has improved as a playmaker and has tough shot-making ability, but he is likely to struggle against size and consistency at the next level. Cancar was a pick Laddas didn’t want to make, because all his targets had been taken just moments earlier, but he’s actually not bad of a player as he’s a competitor with range, can defend and fluid despite his size, just needs to work on his strength. Grade: A Looking to the Future: BENNNNNNNNN SSSSSIMMMMMONNNNNNNS!!! Upcoming Free Agents: |
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