Official Detroit Pistons thread

[froot loops]

Loser: Detroit Pistons


The team that already has Isaiah Stewart, Jalen Duren, and Marvin Bagley III just traded a decent young wing in Saddiq Bey for James Wiseman, who is barely still an NBA player and is about to ask for a second contract. Make it make sense.

[Whitley]

https://theathletic.com/4173388/2023/02/09/warriors-pistons-hawks-trade-james-wiseman/

Zach Harper


Pistons part clipped:
Pistons acquire James Wiseman


Last year at this time, the Pistons brought in Marvin Bagley III after he disappointed in Sacramento as the No. 2 pick in the draft. The Kings passed on Luka Dončić to select Bagley. This year, the Pistons are bringing in Wiseman after he disappointed for the Warriors as the No. 2 pick in the draft. The Warriors passed on LaMelo Ball to select Wiseman. The Pistons certainly have a type. Maybe it’s a karmic response to the Darko Miličić selection 20 years ago.

The Bagley stuff hasn’t worked out yet, although he had enough of a stretch run with Detroit last season to earn a three-year deal in free agency. Bagley has been injured for most of this season. Wiseman also has injury issues during his career, and he’s looked a little overwhelmed at times trying to get up to speed for a championship-level team the last couple years. Now, the stakes lower significantly, and the Pistons get to see what they can build with his size, skill set and athleticism.

It’s a very heady play by Weaver to see what’s there. Wiseman no longer has the pressure of performing as such a high draft pick for his team because the Pistons didn’t draft him. He has one more year at $12 million then he hits restricted free agency in the summer of 2024. Or the Pistons could agree to a contract extension with him this fall. He’s only played 60 games in two and a half seasons. His per-minute numbers are good, but he hasn’t been good enough or healthy enough to stay on the court for the Warriors. The talent, however, is certainly there. And maybe battling guys like Isaiah Stewart and Jalen Duren for minutes will push him to deliver.

Grade: B-

[jaadam4]

I don’t see it. How did we not get more back in return from GS as we were one of a few teams that could help them shed salary? We should have gotten a future 1st

[chemiclord]

I'm guessing that Weaver figures finding quality bigs is harder than quality wings, so he's willing to take flyers on big men just to see if any of them can figure it out.

[froot loops]

If you're right and he thinks that quality bigs are harder to find than quality wings, he should be fired on the spot. Bigs are devalued and can be had for cheap.

All he's done is take fliers on big men in a league where big men who can't shoot the three are worthless unless the big can play stellar defense. Wiseman is awful at defense, just flat out awful. Next year they have 25 million tied up in two centers along with a center whonhas shown more in a half of a season than either Bagley or Wiseman. Not to mention they have Stewart and Noel. In the modern NBA you have a hard time playing one true center, they have four. WTF?

Weaver is just fucking awful, he doesn't know what he's doing. He's all about tanking and failed lottery big men. He is three years in and he's making Bob Quinn and Al Avila look smarter.

It's one thing to take on failed but men on the cheap in free agency but spending 12 million a piece on two of them is lunacy.

[Whitley]

Snipped from James L. Edwards 3 Athletic article today:

https://theathletic.com/4173719/2023/02/09/pistons-trade-james-wiseman-bey/

On the floor, Bey’s style of play was starting to wear on some in Detroit’s organization. He did have the ability to score in bunches, and did so often, but his shot selection and, at times, tunnel vision went against what the team wanted to see from him as a player. The Pistons wanted Bey to do more by doing less. Bey was interested in expanding his game. Bey’s most efficient season came his rookie year when he was primarily a catch-and-shoot weapon. Since then, when he’s dabbled in self-creation more, his efficiency has dropped significantly. Bey hasn’t had an effective-field-goal percentage greater than 50 since his rookie year.

While this move, on the surface, might not signal that the Pistons have aspirations of turning a corner in the win-loss column next season, it does in the bigger picture — as of now at least. The efficient-scoring Bojan Bogdanović, who the Pistons traded for before the season, remains in Detroit past the deadline despite heavy interest. Additionally, this move opens up a bigger role for second-year forward Isaiah Livers, who possesses the 3-and-D qualities Detroit is seeking from that role.

“People don’t talk about this, but a guy who I consider a core member for us, who has been out and is not talked about enough, is Isaiah Livers,” general manager Troy Weaver told The Athletic last month in Paris, France. “His absence has been profound. Getting him back healthy has been great. Now, it’s time for him to stay healthy, to have the kind of season and growth that Killian (Hayes), Isaiah (Stewart) and these other guys have had. He’s a big part of our future and what we’re trying to do.”

To put a bow on deadline day, the Pistons did have conversations with the Hawks regarding John Collins. However, per team and league sources, Detroit would have needed substantial draft assets to consider taking on his contract, which has three years left and over $75 million owed.

[froot loops]

Now they got a guy in Wiseman who can do a lot less for 12 million. I can only chalk it up to people not seeing how bad Wiseman was. I don't know why it's a tradition, but the Piston beat writers have always been the biggest fanboys of whoever is GM. I don't think there has ever been a time where the beat writer criticizes a Piston deal.

pANDs
It's a wonder the Cavs squeaked by the Pistons last night 113-85 with a healthy Isiah Livers.

[jaadam4]

I think Weaver has done fairly well with the Stones considering the SVG shit show but this move is perplexing.

[Forsh]

Wiseman has shown no upside so far, he's played like Darko. He is one of the worst.defenders in basketball. Other than that, all kinds of upside!

Weaver's whole schtick has been tanking and taking gambles on failed lotto big men (Maker, Lyles, Bagley, Wiseman).

Swap maker (before weavers time) for Okafor

[Futureshock]

I just wonder if Weaver knows how to build a team. He has gone from stacking talent at one position to others. In the meanwhile they don't seem to fit. They seem to go huge stretches of the game confused on both ends of the floor. The easy button is to pin it all on the coach (and as much as I like him as a person, they need a firmer voice with better defensive teaching) but I often wonder what is going on.

[Mainevent]

He’s stacked players - how much talent is actually there is up for debate.

[froot loops]

So far the only thing Weaver has done is been able to field a team that can tank. Winning the lottery to get Cunningham is not a skill.
He has done a lot of wheeling and dealing and it's provided nothing. He helped the Knicks get Brunson and his prize was a net of one second round pick, Noel and Burks. The only reason that deal makes sense is if you flip them yesterday for more assets. The same with Bogdonavich, you don't give him away but it's hard to believe he couldn't get anything of value yesterday.

The only thing of note he has done is that isn't lottery related is he drafted Bey and Stewart. They have proven to be useful, of course he gave away Bey to take on yet another failed big man and that will cut into Stewart's time and make them worse defensively.

[ghandi]

I think Weaver has done fairly well with the Stones considering the SVG shit show but this move is perplexing.

SVG made horrible mistakes drafting...The Pistons could have had a Donovan Mitchell-Devin Booker backcourt if he hadnt botched it so badly.....but....he had a much better record than Troy Weaver has had.....Troy has tried many times to gamble on players that are high pick failures with their first team......and while some of them had a few moments, none of them have stuck long term....They just gave Bagley an extension this offseason, and it sounds like he is already out of the teams plans.

[jaadam4]

So far the only thing Weaver has done is been able to field a team that can tank. Winning the lottery to get Cunningham is not a skill.
He has done a lot of wheeling and dealing and it's provided nothing. He helped the Knicks get Brunson and his prize was a net of one second round pick, Noel and Burks. The only reason that deal makes sense is if you flip them yesterday for more assets. The same with Bogdonavich, you don't give him away but it's hard to believe he couldn't get anything of value yesterday.

The only thing of note he has done is that isn't lottery related is he drafted Bey and Stewart. They have proven to be useful, of course he gave away Bey to take on yet another failed big man and that will cut into Stewart's time and make them worse defensively.

Don’t forget Duren in that NYK trade. That was who we got out of that.

He made Bey and Stewart appear out of thin air, of course he made Bey disappear as well. I like Weaver but this deal just isn’t good.

Unless Wiseman blows up because he was a shit fit in GS to begin with. I never understood that pick for them and I loved him coming out of college.

[froot loops]

Duren was a different trade, that trade happened on draft night. The Burks/Noel was a separate trade that happened during free agency on July 11. The Pistons struck out in free agency, so this trade was their move. They helped out the Knicks to clear out cap space so they could get Brunson.