NYLion

One thing with Whitmore that will mesh well with somebody like Cade is that he's an excellent cutter so there will be plenty of opportunities for good looks at the rim but my issue with him is when he has the ball, it tends to stick which is exactly what they don't need on wing and is what was one of the biggest issues with Bey. I feel like guys like Walker and Hendricks (don't know much about Ausar) fit better in an offense that emphasizes ball movement. If you want the better ISO player, that's Whitmore, but I don't think that's what the Pistons need.

I feel like most fanbases have this complaint with coaches. This is a coach that brought them to the brink of an NBA championship just a few years ago so the in game strategy can't be all that bad. With that said, their performance in elimination games the last 2 years (Dallas and Denver) was disconcerting but they were also ravaged by injury in the Denver series so it's a tough evaluation. In any event, the coach doesn't matter all that much if they don't have the players so Weaver has a lot of work to do to make this team competitive.

Agreed on Cason Wallace. The guy just has good 10+ year pro written all over him, probably the best 2 way guard in this draft. He'd be a great fit for a team like Houston if they were able to trade back into the lottery or traded back. I see this sentiment among Pistons fans all over social media that they love Cam Whitmore. He has some fun highlights but having watched a lot of him this year (the guy in the Pistons range I keyed on most along with Miller), I'm struggling to see the fit. I'm not saying he's Saddiq Bey but he's a ballstopper like Bey was, once he gets the ball it's not likely leaving his hands as he dribbles and dribbles and dribbles some more then tries to bully his way to the basket. I hated it when Bey did that and I see this happening again with Whitmore. If he doesn't become more consistent with the 3 and with his defense, he's going to drive Pistons fans nuts with hero ball and low IQ plays. Guys like Walker and Hendricks aren't sexy picks but they're much better fits for a guard dominated team that doesn't need wings that like to dominate the ball. They're better defenders than Whitmore as well. Not as much upside perhaps but much better fits IMO.

Is Monty terrible at X's & O's or that just a narrative that automatically gets attached to players coaches? He's no Nick Nurse with his in game strategies but the Suns generally came across as a team that seemed pretty connected on the court until the GM tore apart the team to chase the new shiny object.

Did he post that mock today after the Williams hire? I find that interesting because I see Whitmore as less of a possibility now that Williams is aboard with his quick ball movement offense.

Stan Van Gundy the coach is fine, Stan Van Gundy the GM was always a disaster waiting to happen.

Have to give Gores a lot of credit here. He's doing what it takes to lure in the best available coaching candidate. You have to give him an A for effort and I'm far from a Gores fan. I'd be interested to see how this influences the draft and free agency now. I'd have to think that guys like Walker and Hendricks are more in play now at 5, guys with high floors that have defensive versatility that can hit 3's and seem to fit into that team/ball movement concept while Whitmore and the Thompsons seem like more of a longshot but just a guess on my part. This also might make Detroit a somewhat more attractive free agent destination simply because Monty has some cache around the league, I wonder if Cam Johnson is now on their radar.

You can't say that Gores doesn't care about winning if he's willing to make Monty Williams the second highest paid coach in the league. At least Ollie seems to be out now. Ollie might be a good coach but bringing in a coach with literally no NBA head coaching experience and who hasn't coached anywhere for years would have been a huge risk. The Pistons were the only one to even interview him in the last 5 years I believe, that's pretty telling.

Dumb take. The Lions have the two best rookie edge rushers last season, Harris, the Okwaras and you could even consider Paschal somewhat of an edge. Spoken like a guy who has no clue about the Lions roster. It could be argued that defensive tackle should have been prioritized more but, other than that, the Lions addressed every position of need this offseason.

I just don't see where somebody like Amen Thompson for instance fits in the Pistons 3 guard offense unless you want to relegate Ivey to the bench. He has defensive lockdown potential but how do you distribute the ballhandling between the 3, does Amen slide over to SF? He'd also be the worst shooter of the group and that's with Cade and Ivey being below average long range shooters. Look at Sacramento, they passed on Ivey for Murray likely for these very reasons and it was a seamless fit that helped improve the team. Unless it's a guy that's surefire BPA like Scoot, and I would have struggled to see the fit with him too, I don't see taking a ballhandler as a priority especially one with a guard mentality. You don't want a guy that's a pure spot up shooter necessarily but I don't think a guy with a primary skill as a ballhandler/playmaker is a fit.

Yeah, I don't know why handle should even matter with the Pistons. In fact, another ballhandler would probably be detrimental to Cade and Ivey's progress if anything. I'm not saying that they should take a pure 3 and D guy, a little playmaking would be nice too, but I see this talk of Amen Thompson, Black and even Scoot before the lottery (three guys that can't shoot btw) and struggle to see the fit unless the plan is to ship out one of Cade or Ivey or stagger their minutes.

1st+3rd and even add a bit if need be and I'd give him 4 years $110m. First of all, I find it to be an extreme longshot that the Jets part with him just like the Jeffrey Simmons fantasy but if they did make him available, Holmes should be the first one on the phone with them doing what it takes to bring him to The Motor City.

Agree. He's a perfect fit for their needs and probably BPA as well. I don't see a fit for the Pistons at all. A primary ballhandler that can't shoot, makes no sense whatsoever. I know that drafting for fit is a bad idea but I don't see Amen as far and away the BPA either so take the best fit if all else is fairly equal and there's a bunch of guys that fit that mold in the Pistons range.

That's who I think Weaver will take. NBA build, athletic defender, length. He kind of looks like Stewart even although their games are different. I think Whitmore or Walker will likely be the pick and I'd take Walker of the two.

Agreed, I said the same in the previous post. It's not the end of the world. The odds favored 4th or 5th anyway so this shouldn't come as a surprise. It sucks but it'll be fine.

lol pistons. I knew they'd finish 4th or 5th. Eh, it's not the end of the world. Wembanyama was the real prize, I don't think they were ever drafting Scoot anyway so it's Miller and a few other guys where I don't see a big spread so whatever. The takeaway from this is that Weaver will actually have to do his job now. No gift from the lottery gods so now he really needs to go to work.

I know you were asking Del but I think you just take the best talent available which is Scoot at 2. If not him then trade down is what I'd do because that's a premium asset either way. It doesn't matter because we all know the Pistons are drafting 4th or 5th and yes, it's me throwing in that reverse psychology thing but also percentages.

How many guys at 7'3"+ have had Wemby's skillset though? Injuries are always a concern with every big guy really but the skillset is just too unique to pass up on.

What makes Quinn a better candidate than Chris Lee for example? The Spoelstra influence I suppose but both are young, up and coming assistants on championship caliber clubs. Also, we all know why he didn't get interviewed.

I thought it was hilarious. I didn't think the voices were spot on necessarily but the content was great.

Woah, when buddha is positive you know the Lions are cookin'.

I’m not a fan of starting the season in KC. It’s good for exposure and would be gigantic if they could pull off the win but, one, I would have preferred that game to be played in Germany like what was previously rumored and, two, it puts a lot of pressure on them to win in Week 2 with them likely being 0-1 going into it. I would have preferred an easier opponent to start to get the season off to a strong start. Also, it would have been nice to have Jamo for the inevitable shootout. The positive is that this looks like a favorable schedule to my eye after KC. Seattle, Atlanta, Green Bay on the non-frozen tundra, Carolina and at Tampa are all winnable games. None will be easy but I think the Lions couldn’t have asked for a better Games 2-6. Even after that…Vegas, Chargers, Chicago twice, New Orleans, Green Bay, Denver. Is it just me or is this an extremely manageable schedule? If the Lions are what we think they could be, they should be set up nicely for the tougher finish kick of Dallas and Minny twice. Also, 5 National TV games for the Lions and 6 for the Jets? What world are we living in? Have the Lions even had 5 national games total in the last 5 years?

I am planting my flag on upside with the twins compared to Whitmore. He's mostly projection but I don't see any high end projectable skills whereas I see the twins as also being mostly projection but with more athleticism, defensive ability and vision in the case of Amen (based mostly on highlight videos and scouting reports so take with a grain of salt). I see Whitmore having a higher floor but a more modest ceiling. I do see others with star potential. Henderson, Miller, even GG Jackson who has that combo of size and high end scoring potential. If we're looking for a 3 and D guy, I'd say that Walker and Hendricks are better options than Whitmore or the twins.

I said he's a more athletic Bey. Low IQ, weak defensively, tries to use strength to bully through people, questionable handle, inconsistent shooter, much better leaper than Bey and quicker but stiff lateral movement similar to Bey. His athleticism gives him a higher ceiling but I don't see any above average areas of his game outside of the athleticism. Bridges, Gordon and Edwards were more fluid athletes than Whitmore, Edwards and Bridges were more polished scorers, Gordon far better defensively. Whitmore was a role player on a bad Villanova team, it's almost all projection with this guy and I see no standout skill. I don't care much for the twins either but I see more functional athleticism and better defensive chops with the two.

I don't either. He's a more athletic Saddiq Bey without the 3 point volume. Also, he has good straightline athleticism but he's not very fluid unlike Miller who I think has a lot more fluidity. The Basketball IQ also seems to be lacking with Whitmore. I'd take either of the Thompson twins before him.