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Link from Pistons Bleacher report
https://detroitjockcity.com/2019/07/06/detroit-pistons-just-best-offseason/
With all the worst to first examples in pro sports, it?s well understood how transforming offseasons can be for a franchise; you can make or break a franchise in simply one offseason. The Detroit Pistons just completed a tremendous offseason with the little cap flexibility they had at their expense.
Maybe the most impressive example, because they did it without much change at all, happened in Detroit, formerly your very own Detroit Shock went from 9-23 in 2002 and last in the WNBA, to an unbelievable 25-9 in 2003 and winning the WNBA championship. The most recent Detroit Pistons example would be between the 2000-2001 seasons they went from 32-50 to 50-32, fifth in the division to first. They did it with a coaching change, firing George Irvine and hiring Rick Carlisle. They also drafted Mehmet Okur and traded for Cliff Robinson & Jon Barry. This initiated the ?Go To Work? era.
My favorite example is the 1998-1999 St. Louis Rams. In ?98 the Rams were 4-12, in ?99 they were 13-3 and won the Super Bowl, they did it by developing second-year quarterback Kurt Warner and signing Marshall Faulk. One of the best NBA versions was the 2007-2008 Boston Celtics; they did it primarily with smart trades.
Just over the past month or so the Detroit Pistons had one of their best offseasons in memory. I would go as far as to say in 17 years, and to be honest, it?s hard to find any good ones in between. I thought the last time the Pistons had a better offseason was in 2002 when they drafted Tayshaun Prince 23rd overall and signed Chauncey Billups in the same month. That offseason and the offseason prior got Detroit a championship two years later.
After 2002? there?s not been much offseason help at all to further sustain the ?Go To Work? Detroit Pistons era or help along with any rebuilding effort since. Here are the major positives since ?02;
2004 ? Signed Antonio McDyess
2006 ? Drafted Arron Afflalo, 27th overall
2012 ? Drafted Andre Drummond, 9th overall & Drafted Khris Middleton, 39th overall
2014 ? Drafted Spencer Dinwiddie, 38th overall
2015 ? Traded a second-round pick for Reggie Bullock & Marcus Morris
2017 ? Drafted Luke Kennard, 12th overall
I choose only to highlight the positive moves because it would take way to long to note all the horrible offseason moves since 2002. This is why the Detroit Pistons have been mediocre or bad for over a decade; I detailed some of the more critical offseasons within the decade below;
2009, back when they had some money to spend Joe Dumars wrote some terrible checks to Ben Gordon [five-year, 55-million] and Charlie Villanueva [five-year, 40-million]. This set back the franchise years as neither lived up to their contracts.
2012 may be the only accurate argument for having a successful offseason since 2002, drafting Andre Drummond 9th overall and Khris Middleton 39th overall, but they also traded away Middleton a year later for a washed-up Brandon Jennings. That nullifies the pick for me, they had him on the team and still couldn?t see the value. They also traded Ben Gordon and a 2014 first round pick for Corey Maggette in 2012, plus none their free agent signing in Viacheslav Kravtsov, Jonny Flynn or Terrance Williams worked out. So, one big positive in Drummond, an easy pick at 9, followed by a lot of no thank you.
2013, Josh Smith?. the offseason of ?09 was probably the worst for Joe Dumars, but it was the ?13 offseason signing of Josh Smith [four-year, 54-million] that was the end of Dumars as GM. The Detroit Pistons announced Joe Dumars would be ?stepping down? April 2014. April in the D?
2014 is when Stan Van Gundy rolled into town, what superseded was a 4-year era of more bad contracts and draft picks. Van Gundy had one of his few bright spots in his first offseason of 2014 drafting Spencer Dinwiddie, too bad he traded him to the Bulls two years later for Cameron Bairstow. Bairstow was waived less than a month later, while last season as the Nets starting PG Dinwiddie averaged 16.8 PPG. The Pistons spent their money on Jodie Meeks in 2014 [three-year 19.5 million], first of many bad signings by Stan. Meeks never started a game in Detroit and average 11.1 and 7.3 PPG in his two years with the Detroit Pistons.
2015 Van Gundy pulled off his best trade in sending a second-round pick to Phoenix for Reggie Bullock and Marcus Morris, a salary dump for the Suns, but hey some team was going to benefit from it right? The big free agent signing in the offseason was a bad one in Aron Baynes [three-year, 20-million], Baynes had his moments, but overall he averaged 5.6 points and 4.5 rebounds per game in his two years here. But with a good comes the horrible, 2015 was Van Gundy?s worst draft, using the 8th overall pick on Stanley Johnson. The Pelicans just declined to extend a qualifying offer to Johnson making in a free agent, a.k.a, they just cut him for nothing.
2016 was the charity giveaway to Jon Leuer at four years 42-million dollars. Leuer averaged 3.8 points last year. Poor draft class with Henry Ellenson at 18th overall as well.
2017 had the only other positive draft pick for Van Gundy besides Dinwiddie, Luke Kennard at 12th overall. The jury is still out on Kennards? ceiling, but he?s been a reliable backup SG so far, averaging 9.7 PPG and 39% from 3 in last season. Van Gundy was fired as GM and head coach on May 7th, 2018.
2018 brought in new leadership as the Pistons hired Ed Stefanski as ?senior advisor? on May 24th, 2018. Stefanski?s first offseason was so-so. He didn?t have a first-round pick, but they traded (2) 2nd round picks to the 76?ers for the 38th pick and drafted Khyri Thomas, then used their own to draft Bruce Brown at 42. Brown had a nice rookie season, even starting games because of his effort on the defensive end, but let?s be real, he wouldn?t have been a starter on just about any other team shooting 39% from the field and 25% from three, and being a shooting guard.
Stefanski?s 2018 free agent signings of Glen Robinson III, Jose Calderon and Zaza Pachulia didn?t work out so well. Zaza was serviceable, but neither of the 3 had a good season. All three are now gone, but to Stefanski?s? credit, the players didn?t work out, but they were smart contracts, all of them were one-year deals with GRIII?s having a second-year club option. He?s gone.
2019 has arrived and going into the season I thought their biggest needs were;
starting SF/wings (Wayne Ellington is gone via free agency)
outside shooting
point guard(s)
backup center
The Detroit Pistons had picks #15 & #45, no money in cap, mid-level exception, bi-annual exception at their disposal and they worked it.
Then they got their SF/PF of the future with the 15th overall pick in Sekou Doumbouya. What I liked about the Sekou pick is that the Pistons showed they?re not making every decision to win now and they have an eye on the future too. Sekou could be a great player, but he is not a win now pick, there?s no guarantee he even plays initially. What he could be is an upgrade over Snell, eventually.
Later on draft night, 2019 Stefanski traded the 30th pick they got from Milwaukee for Leuer to Cleveland for (4) second rounders, then using (2) of those second rounders plus their own 45th to trade up to 37th and drafted Deividas Sirvydis, addressing their shooting and wing needs. The Pistons had a first-round grade on Sirvydis, so they have some expectations, but don?t let these social media wannabe scouts fool you, it?s extremely tough for even pro basketball scouts to project these European kids accurately.
The fourth trade of the offseason sent a 2024 second round pick and cash to Philadelphia for the 57th overall pick where the Detroit Pistons tried to address PG for the first time in drafting Jordan Bone out of Tennessee. Didn?t project as a starter but they liked him enough to trade for him. The Detroit Pistons need to find their post-Reggie starting PG and Bone was a proven winner at Tennessee and one of the most athletic players in the draft, two things you can?t teach. I loved the pick.
Day one of free agency 2019 Pistons signed Derrick Rose to a two-year 15-million dollar contract. The Pistons needed a backup PG badly. I also think the Pistons hope if healthy he can step in and start if no one else is ready when they either trade Reggie or he simply walks next season.
Day two of free agency they still had PG fever signing Tim Frazier to a one-year 1.8 million dollar deal. One of my favorite moves of the offseason for the value. Per 36 minutes Frazier was ninth in the NBA in assists with 8.0. That production would definitely help facilitate a Reggie trade.
Lastly, they got their backup PF in Markieff Morris, signing the other Morris twin to a two year 7.4 million dollar contract.
All in all, I thought Stefanski maneuvered the offseason very well with how little he had to work with. Something previous regimes couldn?t do with much more. For the first time in a long time, Detroit Pistons fans should have some real optimism of about the future going into a season.
https://detroitjockcity.com/2019/07/06/detroit-pistons-just-best-offseason/
With all the worst to first examples in pro sports, it?s well understood how transforming offseasons can be for a franchise; you can make or break a franchise in simply one offseason. The Detroit Pistons just completed a tremendous offseason with the little cap flexibility they had at their expense.
Maybe the most impressive example, because they did it without much change at all, happened in Detroit, formerly your very own Detroit Shock went from 9-23 in 2002 and last in the WNBA, to an unbelievable 25-9 in 2003 and winning the WNBA championship. The most recent Detroit Pistons example would be between the 2000-2001 seasons they went from 32-50 to 50-32, fifth in the division to first. They did it with a coaching change, firing George Irvine and hiring Rick Carlisle. They also drafted Mehmet Okur and traded for Cliff Robinson & Jon Barry. This initiated the ?Go To Work? era.
My favorite example is the 1998-1999 St. Louis Rams. In ?98 the Rams were 4-12, in ?99 they were 13-3 and won the Super Bowl, they did it by developing second-year quarterback Kurt Warner and signing Marshall Faulk. One of the best NBA versions was the 2007-2008 Boston Celtics; they did it primarily with smart trades.
Just over the past month or so the Detroit Pistons had one of their best offseasons in memory. I would go as far as to say in 17 years, and to be honest, it?s hard to find any good ones in between. I thought the last time the Pistons had a better offseason was in 2002 when they drafted Tayshaun Prince 23rd overall and signed Chauncey Billups in the same month. That offseason and the offseason prior got Detroit a championship two years later.
After 2002? there?s not been much offseason help at all to further sustain the ?Go To Work? Detroit Pistons era or help along with any rebuilding effort since. Here are the major positives since ?02;
2004 ? Signed Antonio McDyess
2006 ? Drafted Arron Afflalo, 27th overall
2012 ? Drafted Andre Drummond, 9th overall & Drafted Khris Middleton, 39th overall
2014 ? Drafted Spencer Dinwiddie, 38th overall
2015 ? Traded a second-round pick for Reggie Bullock & Marcus Morris
2017 ? Drafted Luke Kennard, 12th overall
I choose only to highlight the positive moves because it would take way to long to note all the horrible offseason moves since 2002. This is why the Detroit Pistons have been mediocre or bad for over a decade; I detailed some of the more critical offseasons within the decade below;
2009, back when they had some money to spend Joe Dumars wrote some terrible checks to Ben Gordon [five-year, 55-million] and Charlie Villanueva [five-year, 40-million]. This set back the franchise years as neither lived up to their contracts.
2012 may be the only accurate argument for having a successful offseason since 2002, drafting Andre Drummond 9th overall and Khris Middleton 39th overall, but they also traded away Middleton a year later for a washed-up Brandon Jennings. That nullifies the pick for me, they had him on the team and still couldn?t see the value. They also traded Ben Gordon and a 2014 first round pick for Corey Maggette in 2012, plus none their free agent signing in Viacheslav Kravtsov, Jonny Flynn or Terrance Williams worked out. So, one big positive in Drummond, an easy pick at 9, followed by a lot of no thank you.
2013, Josh Smith?. the offseason of ?09 was probably the worst for Joe Dumars, but it was the ?13 offseason signing of Josh Smith [four-year, 54-million] that was the end of Dumars as GM. The Detroit Pistons announced Joe Dumars would be ?stepping down? April 2014. April in the D?
2014 is when Stan Van Gundy rolled into town, what superseded was a 4-year era of more bad contracts and draft picks. Van Gundy had one of his few bright spots in his first offseason of 2014 drafting Spencer Dinwiddie, too bad he traded him to the Bulls two years later for Cameron Bairstow. Bairstow was waived less than a month later, while last season as the Nets starting PG Dinwiddie averaged 16.8 PPG. The Pistons spent their money on Jodie Meeks in 2014 [three-year 19.5 million], first of many bad signings by Stan. Meeks never started a game in Detroit and average 11.1 and 7.3 PPG in his two years with the Detroit Pistons.
2015 Van Gundy pulled off his best trade in sending a second-round pick to Phoenix for Reggie Bullock and Marcus Morris, a salary dump for the Suns, but hey some team was going to benefit from it right? The big free agent signing in the offseason was a bad one in Aron Baynes [three-year, 20-million], Baynes had his moments, but overall he averaged 5.6 points and 4.5 rebounds per game in his two years here. But with a good comes the horrible, 2015 was Van Gundy?s worst draft, using the 8th overall pick on Stanley Johnson. The Pelicans just declined to extend a qualifying offer to Johnson making in a free agent, a.k.a, they just cut him for nothing.
2016 was the charity giveaway to Jon Leuer at four years 42-million dollars. Leuer averaged 3.8 points last year. Poor draft class with Henry Ellenson at 18th overall as well.
2017 had the only other positive draft pick for Van Gundy besides Dinwiddie, Luke Kennard at 12th overall. The jury is still out on Kennards? ceiling, but he?s been a reliable backup SG so far, averaging 9.7 PPG and 39% from 3 in last season. Van Gundy was fired as GM and head coach on May 7th, 2018.
2018 brought in new leadership as the Pistons hired Ed Stefanski as ?senior advisor? on May 24th, 2018. Stefanski?s first offseason was so-so. He didn?t have a first-round pick, but they traded (2) 2nd round picks to the 76?ers for the 38th pick and drafted Khyri Thomas, then used their own to draft Bruce Brown at 42. Brown had a nice rookie season, even starting games because of his effort on the defensive end, but let?s be real, he wouldn?t have been a starter on just about any other team shooting 39% from the field and 25% from three, and being a shooting guard.
Stefanski?s 2018 free agent signings of Glen Robinson III, Jose Calderon and Zaza Pachulia didn?t work out so well. Zaza was serviceable, but neither of the 3 had a good season. All three are now gone, but to Stefanski?s? credit, the players didn?t work out, but they were smart contracts, all of them were one-year deals with GRIII?s having a second-year club option. He?s gone.
2019 has arrived and going into the season I thought their biggest needs were;
starting SF/wings (Wayne Ellington is gone via free agency)
outside shooting
point guard(s)
backup center
The Detroit Pistons had picks #15 & #45, no money in cap, mid-level exception, bi-annual exception at their disposal and they worked it.
Then they got their SF/PF of the future with the 15th overall pick in Sekou Doumbouya. What I liked about the Sekou pick is that the Pistons showed they?re not making every decision to win now and they have an eye on the future too. Sekou could be a great player, but he is not a win now pick, there?s no guarantee he even plays initially. What he could be is an upgrade over Snell, eventually.
Later on draft night, 2019 Stefanski traded the 30th pick they got from Milwaukee for Leuer to Cleveland for (4) second rounders, then using (2) of those second rounders plus their own 45th to trade up to 37th and drafted Deividas Sirvydis, addressing their shooting and wing needs. The Pistons had a first-round grade on Sirvydis, so they have some expectations, but don?t let these social media wannabe scouts fool you, it?s extremely tough for even pro basketball scouts to project these European kids accurately.
The fourth trade of the offseason sent a 2024 second round pick and cash to Philadelphia for the 57th overall pick where the Detroit Pistons tried to address PG for the first time in drafting Jordan Bone out of Tennessee. Didn?t project as a starter but they liked him enough to trade for him. The Detroit Pistons need to find their post-Reggie starting PG and Bone was a proven winner at Tennessee and one of the most athletic players in the draft, two things you can?t teach. I loved the pick.
Day one of free agency 2019 Pistons signed Derrick Rose to a two-year 15-million dollar contract. The Pistons needed a backup PG badly. I also think the Pistons hope if healthy he can step in and start if no one else is ready when they either trade Reggie or he simply walks next season.
Day two of free agency they still had PG fever signing Tim Frazier to a one-year 1.8 million dollar deal. One of my favorite moves of the offseason for the value. Per 36 minutes Frazier was ninth in the NBA in assists with 8.0. That production would definitely help facilitate a Reggie trade.
Lastly, they got their backup PF in Markieff Morris, signing the other Morris twin to a two year 7.4 million dollar contract.
All in all, I thought Stefanski maneuvered the offseason very well with how little he had to work with. Something previous regimes couldn?t do with much more. For the first time in a long time, Detroit Pistons fans should have some real optimism of about the future going into a season.
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