One guy's solution to "tanking"

[everyoneneedsasmil]

Yeah Jackson, statistically has had Top 3 PG in the NBA stat wise in the past 20 or so games. Saw that on ESPN.

Kid is flat out amazing.

First of all, no he's not statistically anywhere near top 3 PG stats in any 20 game sample of his career. Curry, Westbrook, and Paul are miles better than him even at his best. What's hard for a lot of fans to understand is the concept of small sample sizes. Reggie has looked uncharacteristically good because of an unsustainable shooting from outside in March. He hit nearly 40% of his threes in March, which is not something we can expect going forward.

Further, 20 games itself is a small sample. System can make a big difference in stats, but not really much in overall ability. My point about Jennings holds. Jennings was an average player prior to joining Detroit. He was bad with a bad team around him and bad coaching. He suddenly looked like a superstar when Smith left and SVG was able to implement his system. DJ Augustin even looked like a star for a few games when he took over. I'm not sure we are seeing anything from Jackson that any other average PG couldn't do, especially since the main jump (assists) is so spectacular it pretty much has to be a difference in system or just an outlier in the sample. The fact is, the rest of Reggie's career paints him as an average PG in ability. If he looks great here, that's fine, but I would hardly throw big money at a player when I think someone cheaper could do the same job.

We could get a great passing, good shooting, and poor defending PG in the draft in Tyus Jones. He's projected as a late first rounder now, which we could probably buy for a heck of a lot less than Jackson.

 

[dubbsco]

Yeah, but if Tyus Jones turns out to be a great player, he will be demanding a huge salary in a few years. You are basically just kicking the can down the road with the same situation.

Sure, it's a small sample size, but if he's flourishing in the system, what's the point in letting him go and waiting another 2-3 years for a guy like Jones? Jackson is built like a truck, he hits the lane SO much stronger than Jones.

I'm confused why he's getting penalized for being in a good system. If it works, why let him go? He's putting up some staggering numbers lately. He's not the problem. The problem is finding shooters. They don't have any threats from outside.

 

[everyoneneedsasmil]

Yeah, but if Tyus Jones turns out to be a great player, he will be demanding a huge salary in a few years. You are basically just kicking the can down the road with the same situation.

Sure, it's a small sample size, but if he's flourishing in the system, what's the point in letting him go and waiting another 2-3 years for a guy like Jones? Jackson is built like a truck, he hits the lane SO much stronger than Jones.

I'm confused why he's getting penalized for being in a good system. If it works, why let him go? He's putting up some staggering numbers lately. He's not the problem. The problem is finding shooters. They don't have any threats from outside.

I'm not penalizing him for being in a good system. I'm pointing out the cost-benefit. Jackson is an average PG in ability, just like Jennings and better than Augustin. SVG has proven for years (I could include Jameer Nelson here as well) that he can get pretty much any PG to produce. So, if we know it's the system more than the player, why waste big money on the player? There are similarly talented players (Beverly, Lin) who would likely cost a lot less. If I know SVG can turn any of those guys into statistically strong PGs, why not go for the best value?

And to you're point about him not being the problem, you are right. But we don't have infinite cap space or an alluring city/team to draw free agents. We can't just pick out the best shooters in free agency and sign them, especially if Jackson is hanging out taking up a bunch of our cap space. The best fits for this team are guys like Jimmy Butler, Draymond Green, Kris Middleton, Danny Green, and Wes Matthews. To land either of the top two eats up most of our cap space. If a team forces our hand by getting Reggie to sign an offer sheet early, matching could immediately remove us from the running.

Paying a player who produces isn't a bad thing. But a capped system is all about finding value. Would Jackson produce at 12 million or more per year? Maybe. But is he really worth more than similarly talented players currently in poor systems? Is he worth giving up on potentially much better free agents? I don't think so. And that's my opinion. Maybe we don't land anybody in FA regardless. But I still would rather pay someone like Lin half of what Reggie will demand, to get likely similar production.

 

[dubbsco]

Well that's just the thing man. Your 2nd paragraph, 2nd sentence. Regardless of whether or not they have 50 M or 5 cents in free agency, no one wants to come here and play. They have to build through the draft or maintaining their own players. Pistons have the best chance of bringing Reggie back. And he's got more potential to be a star than Jennings, IMO (and I'm a big Jennings slap). That injury is not good, and one he may not ever be the same again.

If you let him get away, you have to draft a PG (which this draft class sucks for guards), or sign some fringe guy and hope he plays better in the system. That's not something you can bank on.

Lock the guy up that is putting up great stats, draft a shooter, let Monroe go, and you are in business.

 

[tomdalton22]

Well that's just the thing man. Your 2nd paragraph, 2nd sentence. Regardless of whether or not they have 50 M or 5 cents in free agency, no one wants to come here and play. They have to build through the draft or maintaining their own players. Pistons have the best chance of bringing Reggie back. And he's got more potential to be a star than Jennings, IMO (and I'm a big Jennings slap). That injury is not good, and one he may not ever be the same again.

If you let him get away, you have to draft a PG (which this draft class sucks for guards), or sign some fringe guy and hope he plays better in the system. That's not something you can bank on.

Lock the guy up that is putting up great stats, draft a shooter, let Monroe go, and you are in business.

How are they "in business" with letting Monroe go and drafting a shooter?

 

[dubbsco]

Because the team is performing much better now that they are running 4 guards/forwards and 1 center. The team is just too cluttered with Drummond and Monroe, especially with those guys being unable to stretch the defense past 10 feet.

You sign a shooter, and Drummond develops some post game, and that offense will be a free-flowing machine, exactly as how SVG ran it with Orlando.

 

[tomdalton22]

Because the team is performing much better now that they are running 4 guards/forwards and 1 center. The team is just too cluttered with Drummond and Monroe, especially with those guys being unable to stretch the defense past 10 feet.

You sign a shooter, and Drummond develops some post game, and that offense will be a free-flowing machine, exactly as how SVG ran it with Orlando.

need more than one shooter. Right now they don't have any...and then there is the defensive end of the floor.

Regardless...if they sign Jackson and lose Monroe they are not going to be "in business"...they will be in the lottery again next year. Maybe they will get lucky and some team will do a sign and trade for Monroe.

 

[dubbsco]

Playing how they have been playing with Monroe off the floor, they will be in the playoffs. The East sucks, and the Pistons currently look like a competent team.

Of course they do. But you can only address one thing at a time, and a legit shooter is #1

 

[tomdalton22]

Playing how they have been playing with Monroe off the floor, they will be in the playoffs. The East sucks, and the Pistons currently look like a competent team.

Of course they do. But you can only address one thing at a time, and a legit shooter is #1

It's a very small sample size. They looked like a competent team during that hot streak in the middle of the season too (when Monroe was playing)

 

[dubbsco]

Yeah it's a smaller sample size, but what else are they going to do? Let him go and then hope SVG drafts a PG or finds one in free agency? There are only two elite PGs in this draft, and they'll be gone. And no free agents want to come here.

He's showing the talent to be a great. It would be silly to let him go when he's already here.

 

[tomdalton22]

Yeah it's a smaller sample size, but what else are they going to do? Let him go and then hope SVG drafts a PG or finds one in free agency? There are only two elite PGs in this draft, and they'll be gone. And no free agents want to come here.

He's showing the talent to be a great. It would be silly to let him go when he's already here.

I don't know if he is showing the talent to be a great but he is the best they have right now. I just hope they don't over pay for him but my guess is they will.

 

[dubbsco]

Since his initial struggles, he's basically been a double-double machine. He's worth it IMO.

 

[zoombabyzoom]

Yeah ESPN listed as Jackson being top 5 for PGs in scoring the last 20 and top 3 in assists.