2/27/26 7:00PM Cavs 37-23 @Pistons 43-14

[Betrayer]

That ball touched every part of the rim for Tobias. Glad to see it go down but why aren’t we running pick and roll with Daniss and Duren the last five times down?

[Betrayer]

You need one stop. Yet still no holland or green. 

[Shinzaki]

Best game of Duren's life

[buddha]

they called that a jump ball.

ridiculous.

[Betrayer]

So many fouls on that “jump”

[IdahoBert]

Good God, that was intense! 

[Deleterious]

Cava favs are confused. Usually it's Mitchell pissing away a win

[buddha]

let us hope that the pistons' opponents in the playoffs will all be missing 3/5 of their starting lineups.

[Betrayer]

Was Daniss flexing at the ref after the buzzer?

Edited yesterday at 03:33 AM by Betrayer

[Tigeraholic1]

Ugly W but W just the same.

[Betrayer]

lol at Malone saying “usually you foul when you’re up three like that.”  Dude doesn’t know our coach. 

[Betrayer]

Cavs lost that game, we didn’t win it. But I’ll take the W nonetheless. 

[Deleterious]

Stew's first game back is Tuesday when they play in Cleveland.  

[Deleterious]

Ausar with 36 minutes.  I wonder if that is his highest minute total of his career.

[Tigeraholic1]

 

[Deleterious]

Duren would look great in a Bulls uniform

[Betrayer]

10 hours ago, Deleterious said:

Duren would look great in a Bulls uniform

He's getting a max and it's going to cap this team's ceiling. I can't deny he puts up good numbers, but big men aren't good enough at creating for themselves and others to warrant a max in my opinion (except for Joker). And his mediocre defense doesn't make up for it. It's not like Cade can sit and Duren can run the offense, he still needs someone to feed him most of the time.

[gehringer_2]

36 minutes ago, Betrayer said:

He's getting a max and it's going to cap this team's ceiling. I can't deny he puts up good numbers, but big men aren't good enough at creating for themselves and others to warrant a max in my opinion (except for Joker). And his mediocre defense doesn't make up for it. It's not like Cade can sit and Duren can run the offense, he still needs someone to feed him most of the time.

turn the question around. If they don't keep Duren, who can fill the void he leaves behind that they either have, or can get? Duren's not a perfect player but I always get a sense of 'the grass is greener' going on in the dissatisfaction level over him. Mitchell may not have been playing but Duren was making a guy that had led the league in the past in DWS look like a child.

I get that maxing any player is a tough call, but to me that decision is more about whether the team can afford two maxes in general, less about whether Duren could be one.

Edited 19 hours ago by gehringer_2

[Motor City Sonics]

The amount of awareness and poise with Jenkins can't be overstated.   That kid is a find.    Plus the way Paul Reed stepped up when they needed him.   Quality of minutes.   Talk about roster-building.  It's not about the quantity of minutes, it's about the quality.  Jenkins made Ivey expendable.   I just hope the guy they got for Ivey can't do something at some point.   Feels like a bit of a wasted opportunity so far.   

Don't care about who was out for Cleveland.  A win is a win.       We had plenty of games without Cade and Duren and Harris and we won 'em.    

[Betrayer]

3 hours ago, gehringer_2 said:

turn the question around. If they don't keep Duren, who can fill the void he leaves behind that they either have, or can get? Duren's not a perfect player but I always get a sense of 'the grass is greener' going on in the dissatisfaction level over him. Mitchell may not have been playing but Duren was making a guy that had led the league in the past in DWS look like a child.

I get that maxing any player is a tough call, but to me that decision is more about whether the team can afford two maxes in general, less about whether Duren could be one.

I have no idea who we could get, but you presented the exact problem I have with it: 2 max players is about all your going to get.

In today's NBA would you want that second max player to be a Center who's mediocre on defense, can't shoot threes, and is mostly dependent on Cade to get his numbers? A simple rim runner like Daniel Gafford could give you much of what Duren gives you on offense while adding better defense for far less than the max. I want my second max guy to be able to run the offense when Cade sits or has a bad night, similar to a Tatum/Brown pairing.

Of course, that ship has sailed and I doubt there's anything to be done but pay the man at this point. At 25M I'd have been fine with it, but at 40M it's going to cap the ceiling of this team.

[Deleterious]

Yep.  The new CBA rules pretty much dictate a max type player has to be able to create for himself and/or others.  

There are multiple bigs that can shoot and play defense that I still wouldn't max. I was really hesitant about JJJ and his max contract.  I wouldn't have maxed Chet.  Both of those guys can shoot three's and are both good defenders.  Bam is the same way and I wouldn't max him.  

Gafford would have been a nice get.  He was also rumored to be available for a 1st and he would have fit into the TPE before they blew it on Soric.  For the next 3 seasons he makes about $18 million per year.  

Centers are basically the running backs of the NBA.  Don't pay them.

[Motor City Sonics]

4 hours ago, Deleterious said:

Yep.  The new CBA rules pretty much dictate a max type player has to be able to create for himself and/or others.  

There are multiple bigs that can shoot and play defense that I still wouldn't max. I was really hesitant about JJJ and his max contract.  I wouldn't have maxed Chet.  Both of those guys can shoot three's and are both good defenders.  Bam is the same way and I wouldn't max him.  

Gafford would have been a nice get.  He was also rumored to be available for a 1st and he would have fit into the TPE before they blew it on Soric.  For the next 3 seasons he makes about $18 million per year.  

Centers are basically the running backs of the NBA.  Don't pay them.

Don't we talk about how the Pistons seem to be bucking all NBA trends?     I don't know how you let Duren go.   Partially because of a very strong connection to Cade.  If Cade is Batman it's like sending Robin to go work with Superman. 

[Deleterious]

35 minutes ago, Motor City Sonics said:

Don't we talk about how the Pistons seem to be bucking all NBA trends?     I don't know how you let Duren go.   Partially because of a very strong connection to Cade.  If Cade is Batman it's like sending Robin to go work with Superman. 

We talk about how they will have to buck trends to win.  They are still a team that has not won a playoff series in almost 20 years.  

They are not giving out max contracts to Cade's friends.  That will have zero to do with anything.  

[buddha]

6 hours ago, Deleterious said:

Yep.  The new CBA rules pretty much dictate a max type player has to be able to create for himself and/or others.  

There are multiple bigs that can shoot and play defense that I still wouldn't max. I was really hesitant about JJJ and his max contract.  I wouldn't have maxed Chet.  Both of those guys can shoot three's and are both good defenders.  Bam is the same way and I wouldn't max him.  

Gafford would have been a nice get.  He was also rumored to be available for a 1st and he would have fit into the TPE before they blew it on Soric.  For the next 3 seasons he makes about $18 million per year.  

Centers are basically the running backs of the NBA.  Don't pay them.

they had all their picks, tobias' money, duncan robinson's tradeable contract, and even a young tradeable player with potential.

and they did nothing with any of it.

now theyre backed into a corner with duren and ausar will be next.  you could have shaken up the core and gone for it but instead did the easy thing: nothing.

so we'll ride with cade/duren/ausar and sign free agent shooting.

[Deleterious]

It will be an interesting summer for sure.  No cap space really, so it will just be the MLE most likely which is about $16 million.

Duren - I hope they at least let the market dictate he gets a max.  If they just give him one on July 1st, that will be dumb.  Plus, if he signs an offer sheet it will only be for 4 years instead of 5 and 5% annual raises instead of 8%.  So you save a bit.

Thompson - Can they get a team friendly extension?  What does that look like?  $30 million per?  I doubt his agent lets him sign that, but who knows.

Robinson - They can keep him for $15 million next year.  They can also pay him $2 million and cut him.  Even better would be moving him to a team looking to cut salary.  They could instantly save $13 million by trading for Robinson.  Problem is, do they have something to trade us that we want.

Green - Free agent and we only have his early Bird rights which means we are limited on what we can offer.  If you go over that limit you have to use cap space to sign him.

Huerter - Bye

Harris - Defense isn't good, cant shoot, old.  I don't see why he comes back but if he does it has to be cheap and as a backup.

Jenkins - They can bring him back for $4 million or cut him for nothing.  Depends on his playoff performance most likely.  But honestly, they don't have money to replace him so he might come back by default.

Reed - He has a deal for just over $5 million but none of it is guaranteed.  So they can cut him for nothing.  

Klintman - His year is not guaranteed either.  So they could cut him for nothing if they want/need to.

Their needs:  Starting PF and backup PF.  Shooting.  Secondary ball handler even if Jenkins has a good playoff.  A big that can shoot, maybe.

They are getting expensive, and hopefully they can find a way to stay out of the 1st apron for one more season.