Hart

Went to LCA for the first time last night. Duren is listed at 6'11 but I thought he was an inch or two shorter than Giannis. He just got pushed around, which is not really anything to be embarrassed about being up against Giannis and Lopez. But it does highlight that fact that he has a lot of upside left as he adds some weight and strength. The other thing that stood out to me is how good Holiday is on defense. We are desperate for a guy like this.

It's probably going to end up being some kind of timeshare. But I have no problem admitting Cade's probably not going to be what his NBA Draft profile suggested. Doesn't mean he can't still be an All-Star. If he doesn't end up being a franchise player, I don't think the Pistons should view that as an issue.

I need to see more of both of them but this is my general feeling also. It takes a lot more effort from Cade to beat guys off the dribble compared Ivey. Cade can still be great and I don't want to take away his playmaking ability because he is a better passer than Ivey but using Ivey as the primary ball handler just makes more sense.

The Vecenie video is a good watch. Those guys are hard to evaluate because of the mess that the Pistons are this year. But I think Ivey's defensive issues are very basic technique issues and there is an element of effort involved with those issues. It's extremely concerning to me. On offense, I do like the ball in Ivey's hands the more I watch him play. The superior athleticism just makes it easier for him compared to watching Cade trying to beat guys off the dribble. The decision making needs a lot of work but having the physical skills to beat other NBA athletes is a large part of the equation.

Other than those three sacks against Washington, Hutchinson got off to a slow start. Sacks can be flukey and he was not having that much impact on the game. Two things have turned around his season. The Lions are using him more like Michigan used him as a stand up edge rusher. And he is not just trying to sack the quarterback every play. You see him containing the zone read, spying the quarterback (if we are facing a mobile quarterback), and dropping into coverage at different times. It's definitely helped the defense improve. He did get burned on at least one qb zone read today but it happens to every edge player occasionally. And Daniel Jones runs it very well.

ESPN has Jose Abreu projected at 2 years, 46 million. I think that's probably light but some team is going to get a steal with Abreu because of his age. I would be ecstatic to get him on a two year deal.

New article on Bogaerts defense from fangraphs. My dream scenario would be sign Bogaerts for second base and move Schoop to third as a one year stop gap till Colt Keith is ready. https://blogs.fangraphs.com/xander-bogaerts-defensive-bogeyman/

I have a hard time even with Cade. I don't think the Pistons went into the season thinking they were going to tank but it appears that it is now the direction of the team and I think management knows it. Any decisions will be based on improving our lottery odds.

This is my take also. By far the biggest issue is that we are starting one big and he is 6'8 with below average athleticism. I like Stewart and he gets a lot out of his talent but this is a recipe for losing almost every night. You would need to have elite, elite, shooters to offset this. Casey will realize at some point what the fans already know. The Pistons will lose around 70% of their games until they do something about this.

Just checked the box score. Cade having a good game. Mobley with 7 blocks. Not even 10 games into the season and I am already just counting down the months till Casey is fired.

Is there anybody better at pump faking from three than Bojan? Seems like he does it once a game to clear the defender and then drain a three.

For the most part, teams are not looking for primarily defensive players for their backup guards. He needs to be at least average on offense.

Terrible stretch of basketball for the Pistons. Bucks going to run away with this. Which was expected I guess. I'd like to see Cade show more consistency in the second half. He needs to be able to maintain his level of play when teams up their defense.

Noel with a block and a steal in the first half. He provides something we have been lacking. Can disrupt passing lanes and shots. Diallo and Killian were terrible on offense as usual. Diallo's 3-6 were a fluke. Low percentage shots for the most part that he was lucky on. I guess the 4 rebounds were meaningful. He did provide some energy. I think Cade's three point shooting is being helped by his mid range game. Simply a confidence thing.

Seems like a lot of the goals we give up are after we have a chance to clear it but decide to try and possess the puck inside our own zone instead. When the Wings start to stuggle, the wheels tend to come off.

Hey...Noel got a block! We had somebody actually prevent an easy layup.

I think the three point shooting is more likely than the free throw attempts.

Looks like they are going to get it. I do agree it is good for morale. Not really worried about tanking at this point in the season with guys like Cade and Ivey already on the roster. The offense is coming around since Cade decided he was going to be more aggressive. Now, adding Ivey back to the mix after that bout with sickness takes a little pressure off him. Still going to be painful most games watching our defense but for one night, I can enjoy the win.

Duren is 18 years old, a rookie, and is 6'10. He is probably going to get better and better as a rebounder. Stewart is 21 and 6'8. I don't think there is a lot of room for growth as a rebounder. I like Stewart. I just want him next to another big or off the bench. Asking him to be a 6'8 center next to a bunch of wings is not a good long term strategy. He is not likely to be Draymond Green in his prime and we will likely not ever have the support cast Draymond had back then.

This game is example of why Saddiq would be more valuable on the bench. Even though I still prefer him take more threes, it is clear he has some ability to create shots with the dribble drive. And long term, it would allow us to get more size and defense in the lineup that we desperately need. Short term, it would make sense just to make the swap with Livers.

I think you might have something next year if you can add one good big to the starting lineup so possibly overpaying for Bogey does not seem all that bad anyway. Just need to find the right big. And the right coach.

He's looked great thru 5 games. I hope we are not jumping the gun because he is off to a hot start. On the other hand, I love having him so I am not upset about this.

Watching Cade shine at least makes us watchable. But I don't know if I can get thru a whole season with the way we play defense. After last night, we are last in points given up and opponent field goal percentage. I know the NBA is basically a three point shooting contest now but Casey has to see we need more size in the starting lineup to try and stop the bleeding of our defense. We can't continue down this path with Isaiah Stewart, all 6'8 of him, as the only big in our starting lineup.

Which is why I put that little caveat in there to be specific to getting buckets.

For sure.