Glenn
09-20-2007, 04:56 PM
:langlois:
Henry (Southfield): If Antonio McDyess is put into the starting lineup and gets into foul trouble, as he seems to from time to time, could that mean trouble for the Pistons with Joey Crawford coming back into the league?
Langlois: I don’t think Joey Crawford has anything to do with it, Henry. For all his combativeness, he’s a top-notch whistle-blower and, besides, no official is going to work more than four or five regular-season Pistons games, anyway. McDyess does have a tendency to pick up fouls in bunches, and that could become exaggerated when he’s guarding players like Dwight Howard, Eddy Curry and Shaquille O’Neal. But he’s not going to be playing 40 minutes a game, either. I can’t see McDyess playing more than 25 most nights, which should help limit his exposure.
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Lucious (Highlands Ranch, Colo.): Is Cheick Samb participating in summer workouts? How is he coming along?
Langlois: Yeah, he’s been taking part in summer drills that new assistant Michael Curry is running. He wasn’t around last week, but Samb has been a summer regular. He’s very much a work in progress who needs to improve in many areas, strength and conditioning included. But remember this: The Pistons initially didn’t think he’d be far enough along to even bring to the NBA this year, so he’s ahead of schedule. You’re not going to see much of him this year, though – he’ll be inactive most nights and in Fort Wayne playing in the D League most others.
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Corey (Grand Rapids): How much of his salary does a player like Oden get if they don’t even end up playing?
Langlois: All of it. A player doesn’t lose his income if he suffers an injury.
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Cindi (Saginaw): Now that the Pistons have signed Jarvis Hayes, who do you think will be the odd man out to get the roster back to 15 players? Is there any hope that after players are dropped that Chris Webber will be back?
Langlois: It’s looking less and less likely that the Pistons can use the trade route to get the roster down to 15 or fewer guaranteed contracts. If that’s the case, they’ll have to swallow one contract before the start of the regular season. Because they now have a glut of players at small forward (Tayshaun Prince, Hayes, Sammy Mejia and Arron Afflalo, who is capable of defending that position), and because Ronald Dupree’s contract is the easiest to swallow, he’d be the most logical candidate.
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Nan (Ann Arbor): What are the chances of trading Flip Murray or Ronald Dupree to teams such as Boston or Golden State for trade exceptions or cash considerations. Anything is better than just eating a contract. Is there any possibility Lindsey Hunter will return to assume an administrative position?
Langlois: Anything’s possible, Nan, but there doesn’t appear to be anything cooking. Boston is certainly not in a position to be taking on salary. Neither the Celtics nor Golden State is under the cap, which would be required for them to take a player without trading any salary back. Lindsey Hunter will not be retiring. He has one year left on his contract and intends to play it out, already agreeing to a role as more of a coach-mentor who’ll play if needed due to injury, most likely.
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Charlita: After reviewing the upcoming schedule, I noticed that all but two of the preseason games are to be televised. Is this a misprint?
Langlois: Of the eight preseason games, Charlita, five will be televised and three will not be.
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Lee (Oklahoma): I was a Pistons fan way back when they were still in Fort Wayne and George Yardley was doing his Kobe Bryant impression. I felt extremely lucky when they moved the franchise to Detroit. I lived in Michigan for 50 years and now I’m a Sooner. Does Oklahoma City have any chance of getting an NBA franchise in the near future?
Langlois: That’s a great question, Lee. I don’t see expansion on the horizon. And franchise relocation is something the NBA sees as a last resort. But there are two possibilities in play for OKC. The first is Seattle, though the recent public comments by one of the minority owners that the Oklahoma-based group that bought the Sonics from Howard Schultz intended all along to move the team to OKC can’t help. David Stern and the NBA office are going to give Seattle every opportunity, one would think, to retain its team. The more likely scenario might involve New Orleans. Even before the city’s population and economic base was devastated by Hurricane Katrina, many didn’t see that community having enough of a corporate base or fan interest to be a viable NBA option. The hurricane’s aftermath obviously makes it less viable. Plus, OKC already has a connection to the franchise. The community support in OKC opened eyes. The question there will be corporate support. Maybe what will get it accomplished is for the NBA to broker a deal – much as Major League Baseball did when it got involved and helped John Henry sell the Florida Marlins and buy the Boston Red Sox – that allows the current Seattle ownership group to purchase New Orleans from George Shinn and facilitate an ownership transfer of the Sonics that allows them to stay in Seattle. Put it this way: I’d say OKC is next in line to get an NBA franchise based on its highly praised two-year adoption of the Hornets.
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Preston (Muskegon): I don’t have much faith in Amir Johnson and Nazr Mohammed. What makes Joe Dumars think adding so many different variables to a team of this caliber is the answer. Isn’t it a little risky?
Langlois: Running a pro sports franchise is inherently risky, Preston. But Joe Dumars assessed the situation and concluded that the bigger risk was to do nothing. My guess is he looked at his team and figured the “same old” would have probably gotten him to the conference finals again but probably no further. He likes his core group very much – still believes there’s a championship ballclub there – but came to believe that the complementary pieces needed to be made better to both push the veterans and to take some of the burden off of them. From here, that looks like the least risky course he could take from three real options – do nothing, blow up the core, or use the resources already at hand to supplement that core.
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Rob (Canton): Haven’t seen much about Chris Webber in the Mailbag lately, so is he going into retirement of does he plan to play for the Pistons or another team?
Greg (Lake Orion): If Lindsey Hunter’s role with the Pistons will be more of a player/coach, would it be a good move for them to sign Chris Webber to a similar role?
Langlois: Webber’s been mum on his plans. My best guess is that he’d still like to play, but only if he can hook on with a contender with a spot in the rotation for him. He might be better off waiting to see how the first few months of the season unfold. Injuries and surprise teams might create a market for him that he can’t anticipate now. As for signing him to a role like Lindsey Hunter’s, the problem with that is the Pistons already have 16 players under contract and very little room – less then $500,000 – under the luxury-tax threshold. Those are two pretty large reasons arguing against a Pistons-Webber reunion.
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James (Chicago): Is there any reason to be excited about another year of Flip? Do you think Davidson’s blind loyalty to a man who has won nothing in the NBA will bring the Pistons a championship? Is there any reason to think the Pistons have taken a step forward by drafting a bunch of guards again?
Langlois: There are plenty of reasons to be excited about this season if you like the Pistons, James. I’ll tell you this much: The Pistons themselves – and I’m talking about Joe Dumars and his staff, Flip Saunders and his coaches, the veteran players and the young guys who see a real role for them, unlike recent seasons – are plenty excited. Saunders seems very much at ease and eager to get started. The front office isn’t setting unreasonable expectations, but everything they’ve seen from Rodney Stuckey, Amir Johnson and Jason Maxiell makes them think those three are ready to give them their best bench play in years. “Drafting a bunch of guards again?” Hmmm. Unless you’re talking about taking Will Blalock with the last pick of the 2006 draft, the Pistons haven’t spent many recent picks on their backcourt. I count one in the five drafts prior to that among eight draft choices – Rickey Paulding with the 54th pick in 2004. You’d have to go back to Mateen Cleaves in 2000 to find the last first-round pick spent on a guard.
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Byron (Detroit): With the signing of Hayes and the drafting of Stuckey and Afflalo, at what position will Afflalo get most of his minutes?
Langlois: That’s an interesting question, Byron, but it’s really going to depend on performance. Going into training camp, logic suggests that Hayes is going to get whatever minutes are available at small forward behind Tayshaun Prince – probably 12 to 18. And that Stuckey is going to get whatever minutes are available behind Chauncey Billups at point guard – probably 12 to 15. There’ll be another 12 to 15, maybe, available behind Rip Hamilton. Both Stuckey and Hayes are capable of playing that spot. So Afflalo is going to have to do something to show those minutes behind Hamilton should be his.
Henry (Southfield): If Antonio McDyess is put into the starting lineup and gets into foul trouble, as he seems to from time to time, could that mean trouble for the Pistons with Joey Crawford coming back into the league?
Langlois: I don’t think Joey Crawford has anything to do with it, Henry. For all his combativeness, he’s a top-notch whistle-blower and, besides, no official is going to work more than four or five regular-season Pistons games, anyway. McDyess does have a tendency to pick up fouls in bunches, and that could become exaggerated when he’s guarding players like Dwight Howard, Eddy Curry and Shaquille O’Neal. But he’s not going to be playing 40 minutes a game, either. I can’t see McDyess playing more than 25 most nights, which should help limit his exposure.
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Lucious (Highlands Ranch, Colo.): Is Cheick Samb participating in summer workouts? How is he coming along?
Langlois: Yeah, he’s been taking part in summer drills that new assistant Michael Curry is running. He wasn’t around last week, but Samb has been a summer regular. He’s very much a work in progress who needs to improve in many areas, strength and conditioning included. But remember this: The Pistons initially didn’t think he’d be far enough along to even bring to the NBA this year, so he’s ahead of schedule. You’re not going to see much of him this year, though – he’ll be inactive most nights and in Fort Wayne playing in the D League most others.
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Corey (Grand Rapids): How much of his salary does a player like Oden get if they don’t even end up playing?
Langlois: All of it. A player doesn’t lose his income if he suffers an injury.
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Cindi (Saginaw): Now that the Pistons have signed Jarvis Hayes, who do you think will be the odd man out to get the roster back to 15 players? Is there any hope that after players are dropped that Chris Webber will be back?
Langlois: It’s looking less and less likely that the Pistons can use the trade route to get the roster down to 15 or fewer guaranteed contracts. If that’s the case, they’ll have to swallow one contract before the start of the regular season. Because they now have a glut of players at small forward (Tayshaun Prince, Hayes, Sammy Mejia and Arron Afflalo, who is capable of defending that position), and because Ronald Dupree’s contract is the easiest to swallow, he’d be the most logical candidate.
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Nan (Ann Arbor): What are the chances of trading Flip Murray or Ronald Dupree to teams such as Boston or Golden State for trade exceptions or cash considerations. Anything is better than just eating a contract. Is there any possibility Lindsey Hunter will return to assume an administrative position?
Langlois: Anything’s possible, Nan, but there doesn’t appear to be anything cooking. Boston is certainly not in a position to be taking on salary. Neither the Celtics nor Golden State is under the cap, which would be required for them to take a player without trading any salary back. Lindsey Hunter will not be retiring. He has one year left on his contract and intends to play it out, already agreeing to a role as more of a coach-mentor who’ll play if needed due to injury, most likely.
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Charlita: After reviewing the upcoming schedule, I noticed that all but two of the preseason games are to be televised. Is this a misprint?
Langlois: Of the eight preseason games, Charlita, five will be televised and three will not be.
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Lee (Oklahoma): I was a Pistons fan way back when they were still in Fort Wayne and George Yardley was doing his Kobe Bryant impression. I felt extremely lucky when they moved the franchise to Detroit. I lived in Michigan for 50 years and now I’m a Sooner. Does Oklahoma City have any chance of getting an NBA franchise in the near future?
Langlois: That’s a great question, Lee. I don’t see expansion on the horizon. And franchise relocation is something the NBA sees as a last resort. But there are two possibilities in play for OKC. The first is Seattle, though the recent public comments by one of the minority owners that the Oklahoma-based group that bought the Sonics from Howard Schultz intended all along to move the team to OKC can’t help. David Stern and the NBA office are going to give Seattle every opportunity, one would think, to retain its team. The more likely scenario might involve New Orleans. Even before the city’s population and economic base was devastated by Hurricane Katrina, many didn’t see that community having enough of a corporate base or fan interest to be a viable NBA option. The hurricane’s aftermath obviously makes it less viable. Plus, OKC already has a connection to the franchise. The community support in OKC opened eyes. The question there will be corporate support. Maybe what will get it accomplished is for the NBA to broker a deal – much as Major League Baseball did when it got involved and helped John Henry sell the Florida Marlins and buy the Boston Red Sox – that allows the current Seattle ownership group to purchase New Orleans from George Shinn and facilitate an ownership transfer of the Sonics that allows them to stay in Seattle. Put it this way: I’d say OKC is next in line to get an NBA franchise based on its highly praised two-year adoption of the Hornets.
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Preston (Muskegon): I don’t have much faith in Amir Johnson and Nazr Mohammed. What makes Joe Dumars think adding so many different variables to a team of this caliber is the answer. Isn’t it a little risky?
Langlois: Running a pro sports franchise is inherently risky, Preston. But Joe Dumars assessed the situation and concluded that the bigger risk was to do nothing. My guess is he looked at his team and figured the “same old” would have probably gotten him to the conference finals again but probably no further. He likes his core group very much – still believes there’s a championship ballclub there – but came to believe that the complementary pieces needed to be made better to both push the veterans and to take some of the burden off of them. From here, that looks like the least risky course he could take from three real options – do nothing, blow up the core, or use the resources already at hand to supplement that core.
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Rob (Canton): Haven’t seen much about Chris Webber in the Mailbag lately, so is he going into retirement of does he plan to play for the Pistons or another team?
Greg (Lake Orion): If Lindsey Hunter’s role with the Pistons will be more of a player/coach, would it be a good move for them to sign Chris Webber to a similar role?
Langlois: Webber’s been mum on his plans. My best guess is that he’d still like to play, but only if he can hook on with a contender with a spot in the rotation for him. He might be better off waiting to see how the first few months of the season unfold. Injuries and surprise teams might create a market for him that he can’t anticipate now. As for signing him to a role like Lindsey Hunter’s, the problem with that is the Pistons already have 16 players under contract and very little room – less then $500,000 – under the luxury-tax threshold. Those are two pretty large reasons arguing against a Pistons-Webber reunion.
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James (Chicago): Is there any reason to be excited about another year of Flip? Do you think Davidson’s blind loyalty to a man who has won nothing in the NBA will bring the Pistons a championship? Is there any reason to think the Pistons have taken a step forward by drafting a bunch of guards again?
Langlois: There are plenty of reasons to be excited about this season if you like the Pistons, James. I’ll tell you this much: The Pistons themselves – and I’m talking about Joe Dumars and his staff, Flip Saunders and his coaches, the veteran players and the young guys who see a real role for them, unlike recent seasons – are plenty excited. Saunders seems very much at ease and eager to get started. The front office isn’t setting unreasonable expectations, but everything they’ve seen from Rodney Stuckey, Amir Johnson and Jason Maxiell makes them think those three are ready to give them their best bench play in years. “Drafting a bunch of guards again?” Hmmm. Unless you’re talking about taking Will Blalock with the last pick of the 2006 draft, the Pistons haven’t spent many recent picks on their backcourt. I count one in the five drafts prior to that among eight draft choices – Rickey Paulding with the 54th pick in 2004. You’d have to go back to Mateen Cleaves in 2000 to find the last first-round pick spent on a guard.
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Byron (Detroit): With the signing of Hayes and the drafting of Stuckey and Afflalo, at what position will Afflalo get most of his minutes?
Langlois: That’s an interesting question, Byron, but it’s really going to depend on performance. Going into training camp, logic suggests that Hayes is going to get whatever minutes are available at small forward behind Tayshaun Prince – probably 12 to 18. And that Stuckey is going to get whatever minutes are available behind Chauncey Billups at point guard – probably 12 to 15. There’ll be another 12 to 15, maybe, available behind Rip Hamilton. Both Stuckey and Hayes are capable of playing that spot. So Afflalo is going to have to do something to show those minutes behind Hamilton should be his.