Hart

10 hours ago, Jason_R said:

This franchise is so conservative with prospects it is hard to be sure they will let Edvinsson make the team out of camp. 😉

 

True.  But Raymond did make the team after signing his entry level contract and Seider was not held back either other than spending the covid year playing in Europe.  Not sure why they have been so conservative lately.  

Any chance Buium makes the team out of camp next year?  He's the same age as Edvinsson.  Also, the fact Denver shut down a loaded Boston College team in the championship game is encouraging.  I know his brother is top prospect but Shai was right there with him in +/- on the season.  

Yzerman is working from a really tough position not having a top center to build around.  Other players would fit their role so much better if we had that guy.  

I heard Matt Shepherd say today that fans tend to overrate the players on the team they root for.  I agree with him on this as a general rule of thumb.  I am not a hockey whiz but I have started following it closer in recent years and I wonder if a guy like Seider is really worth 8.5 million.  That's just outside the top 10 in salary for defensiveman.  I really don't think Yzerman has any choice but to pay him and hope he keeps developing.  But I do wonder if we are overrate our own players.   

Hard to swallow missing the playoffs again.  Yzerman needs to find ways to continue to upgrade. 

1 hour ago, Tigeraholic1 said:

He had 30 points with 4 minutes left in the 3rd. He scored two the rest of the way, thats  a problem.

He’s not aggressive enough scoring.  He has too much of a point guards mentality.  I agree it’s a problem.  He needs to be taking something close to 25 shots per game.  If his shot is legitimately improved, which I think it is, he should be averaging 30 per game.  

I still think Cade is deferring too much.  The assist numbers are nice but I would rather have him be more aggressive as a scorer the first three quarters of games.  

3 minutes ago, Deleterious said:

Ivey was standing straight up.  Not sure why LeVert gets to throw his elbow into Ivey's chin without a foul.  

That was too bad.  Ivey looks like his technique and effort on defense are getting a lot better but really got screwed on that one. 

14 shots is not enough for Cade.  

Cade and Ivey with some tough foul calls against them tonight.  Officiating is poor to say the least.  

3 hours ago, Deleterious said:

Duren and Ivey have both regressed this season.  I have to believe coaching has something to do with that.  

And when you read NBA trade rumors, its seems like Ivey is the guy other teams want (knowing Cade is not even worth asking about).  Probably an indicator of some coaching issues like you say.  

Seems Ivey has more value to a team that does not have Cade.  Neither are point guards but they both still need the ball more than your average two guard.  Now might be a good time to trade him.  

12 hours ago, buddha said:

i see the bucks were really trying hard on D too...

Jrue Holiday was a big loss for them.  He set the tone on defense and I think was more important than the organization realizes.  We'll see if the trade works out for them in the playoffs.  

No reason to continue watching this game.

It's still the first half but the Pistons have been more competitive the last couple of weeks, at least to my eyes.  Still not very good but not the pushovers we were during the losing streak.  

3 minutes ago, Deleterious said:

He really doesn't shoot better.  If you look at their shot charts the only place Duren shoots better is at the rim.  Well, bigs are supposed to do that so that isn't saying much.  3-10 feet Ausar shoots better.  10-16 feet Asuar shoots better.  And Duren has never made a shot in the 16+ category so not fair to compare that.   

FT% is often used to project shooting.  Duren shoots 63% from the line while Ausar shoots 68%.  So you can't even use that to say he is a better shooter.

Stewart has skills that are valuable in the playoffs when teams go small.  He can guard the perimeter a bit, he cant hit an open 3PT shot, so he can be played in a small ball lineup while still providing rebounding and some rim protection.  

The other reason people like Stewart is the team friendly contract.  If you tell me Duren will sign an extension for $15M per, hell yeah keep him.  But if he is creeping up over $20M a year I get worried.  And at $25M+ per year, I'm out.  That is an Andre Drummond sized disaster of a contract for Duren.

People like Ausar because he is a wing.  You can win a title without a big time C.  You can not win a title without a stud perimeter player.  

I don't think there are 5 C's in the league I would pay $25M+ a year.  Jokic, Bam, and I guess Embiid but he has had some bad playoff performances in close out games. So I might pass on him too.  AD has the skills I would pay for, but I would pass due to injuries.  I want to see more games from Chet, but he looks promising so far.  Sengun is sort of interesting but I have not watched a ton of him yet.  

 

 

It's just too early to say we should trade him before we have to pay him though.  He's played 87 games and came in as one of the youngest players in the draft.  We have two years after this year before we have to decide if he is worth paying.  I would much rather see what he becomes and then decide whether to pay him than to trade him sooner rather than later so we don't have to worry about paying him.  

I do think Duren will get there with the mid range game.  I don't expect him to ever be a major shot blocking threat but I'm okay with that.  He's not a liability with his defense either.  

I know some people think rebounds are an archaic way to judge a basketball players usefulness but after watching the Pistons this year with and without Duren, being able to clean up the glass still has a good amount of value in my mind.  

1 hour ago, Deleterious said:

I would trade Duren in a heartbeat and is the guy I would be looking to move the most.  As in, if he makes it to his extension date something went seriously wrong.  

Cant shoot.  Cant defend the perimeter, is not a defensive anchor and plays the least important position on the floor.  Zero offensive skills.  Do not under any circumstances invest $25-$35M a year in a guy like that.  Especially since the playoffs are the ultimate goal and a big like him is most likely to be benched in the playoffs as everyone goes small.

Nice kid, plays hard and seems to hustle.  But I am not spending big money on a C in todays game unless your name is Jokic and possibly Embiid.  Keep a cheap guy on the roster (under $20M) and a rookie.  Invest your money in  positions that matter.  

If centers really aren't that valuable, then we don't have to worry about somebody else paying him either.  We can't just roll with James Wiseman, Marvin Bagley, Isaiah Stewart types as our center rotation.  Duren is a big step up from those guys.  

I am gaining back some of the faith I was losing in Cade.  I still don't think he is a point guard or be our future at the point guard position.  I really want the Pistons to find a point guard who can handle the ball at a high level and shoot well to complement Cade.  But at least he is showing signs why we drafted him #1.

I am losing faith in Ivey.  I think this is more a Monty thing than an Ivey thing but the match does not seem to be working.  Maybe it's a Cade thing as well and they just don't mesh well.  I wouldn't sell low on Ivey because I think his effort has improved and if we trade him, we are likely to regret it later.  But we should at least be shopping him and I would image that is happening behind the scenes.  

I am all in on keeping Duren.  Nobody is untouchable but we have improved a lot since Duren came back from injury, even if it is not showing up in wins and losses.

Stewart has actually been a decent three point shooter this year so I don't think he is the problem with our floor spacing.  I agree there is probably something with Bojan getting most of Ausar's minutes that are helping Cade.  

I also hope he is just getting better.  That is what would really be beneficial to the Pistons.  We need Cade to be able to win us some games even with crappy players around him.  That is what great players can do.  Then once we get good players around him, the Pistons should be very good.  

7 hours ago, buddha said:

well what is he saying?  is he saying skipper screwed up by reporting because two people cant report?

I don't think he is saying Skipper screwed up.  I think he saying that is what the refs explanation was to him.  Doesn't mean he agrees with the refs.  

9 minutes ago, TP_Fan said:

Looking at the replay, decker never ale within 10 feet of any ref. 

Pretty sure 68 was standing right next to 70 when 70 reported.  Whether it was a penalty either way because of formation, I don’t know.

14 minutes ago, gehringer_2 said:

Cade and Ivey with 19 points at the line. They have to play that game more.

Cade's free throws per game are creeping up each month.  Which is also helping his scoring average creep up each month.  That's a good sign.  When you can go for 30 and it feels like it was somewhat a quiet 30, it's a good sign.  

This team.  Why are you not forcing the Raptors to pick the ball up full court?

Amazing how difficult it is to break this streak.  

Just now, Deleterious said:

Two huge FT's from Duren.  

Props to him.  Those were huge from a guy not know to be a good free throw shooter