Glenn
08-25-2008, 04:53 PM
:langlois:
MONDAY, August 25, 2008
Josh (Norwich, England): I think I speak for all Pistons fans in saying well done to Tayshaun Prince on getting gold in China and I look forward to Prince getting another gold in London in 2012.
Langlois: Well put, Josh. It will be interesting to see whether Prince will want to make another three-year commitment to USA Basketball after being a part of one of the best Olympic basketball teams ever. I would expect the Pistons to be represented on the 2012 team, though, at least by Rodney Stuckey.
Josh (Hsinchu, Taiwan): Portland looks to have an extremely crowded backcourt. It seems like a shame that someone who dominated the Summer League, as Jerryd Bayless did, should see so few minutes this season. Who do you feel is most likely to get dealt before February and what is the best solution for their overpopulation of guards?
Langlois: GM Kevin Pritchard has done a good job using multibillionaire owner Paul Allen’s assets and willingness to spend to acquire assets, but now he’d like to swap quantity for quality. Yeah, he’s got a lot of point guards, but Steve Blake is the starter and he doesn’t score anyone. If Bayless’ Summer League success can translate to the NBA – it does for some, not so much for others – then my guess is that Sergio Rodriguez is going to get squeezed out. Remember, too, that Brandon Roy just underwent knee surgery. They’re saying they expect him back in time to take part in some of the preseason, but Roy has a few medical red flags. And Rudy Fernandez still has to prove he can play in the NBA. I don’t think it’s really all that crowded. Blake should be a role player, not a starter. Roy is iffy physically. Fernandez and Bayless are largely unknown quantities and Rodriguez has been only marginally effective so far. Potential there, but nothing overwhelming.
Nicolas (Clinton Twp., Mich.): I know the Carmelo trade rumors have gone away, but what if we got him in a three-team deal. Denver would get Rasheed’s expiring contract, Jamaal Tinsley and Arron Afflalo. The Pistons would get Brandon Rush and Stephen Graham from Indiana and Carmelo and Steven Hunter from Denver. And Indiana would get Tayshaun Prince and Linas Kleiza from Denver.
Langlois: If you can get that deal done, Indiana will fire Larry Bird and make you Pacers GM, Nicolas. So the Pacers are letting go of Tinsley (a guy they’d give up for a bag of sweaty socks), Graham (a D-Leaguer, basically) and Rush (a late lottery pick and no sure-fire NBA starter, let alone star) and getting back two Olympians in Prince and Kleiza, who shows signs of blossoming into an above-average starter. I will say this about Denver and Anthony: He cannot be one iota pleased that the Nuggets, who barely got into the playoffs last year and were swept in the first round, gave away Marcus Camby to save luxury taxes. No way the Nuggets can be a better team next year with that move. If things start badly in Denver, as there is the potential to do, a disgruntled Anthony could force Denver’s hand to do a deal by the trade deadline.
Loretta (Norcross, Ga.): I would like to see the Pistons stay just the way they are. My question is how do you make the Pistons a better mix unless you add some superstar and we just don’t know what to do with those? We are getting older but not yet worn out. I am a Bad Boys fan from way back and originally from Detroit.
Langlois: Loretta, it looks like you’re going to get your wish. Check out part I of the Q&A I did with Joe Dumars (http://www.nba.com/pistons/news/dumars_080822.html) on Pistons.com. He says he expects to open training camp with the roster he has now. How do you add a superstar without putting a pretty serious dent in the roster the way it is now? You don’t. If you want to add a superstar, you’re probably looking at giving up either two starters or one starter and one of your most promising young players – and Rodney Stuckey isn’t in the mix.
Charles (Los Angeles): On ESPN about a month ago, Stephen A. Smith said that Rasheed Wallace told him at the past All-Star game that he planned on retiring after this coming season. Have you heard anything confirming or refuting that?
Langlois: Nobody’s ever going get rich trying to predict Rasheed Wallace’s future, but I would say that I’d be surprised – not shocked, but surprised – if Rasheed hung it up at 35. His skill set will allow him to play effectively for another three or four years. I guarantee you that if he expresses the desire to continue playing beyond the 2008-09 season, there will be a considerable market for him. It’s hard to walk away from $10 million a year, give or take.
Seth (Lancaster, Calif.): With the Tracy McGrady and Baron Davis deals not happening, what is the deal most likely to happen or do you see a deal in the Pistons’ future?
Langlois: Unlikely before the season starts, Seth. After that, it will all depend on how comfortable Joe Dumars’ feels with the title worthiness of his team as the regular season unfolds – and on the availability of players he feels capable of improving the mix. If the Ron Artest gamble backfires on Houston, McGrady will be making noise about wanting out. As I’ve written, the Denver situation bears watching. And on and on.
Tom (Kalamazoo, Mich.): What about a Rasheed-Zydrunas Ilgauskas trade? While he is slow, he gives the Pistons a true center and is just as capable defensively as Wallace – 1.6 blocks to 1.7 a game. Their contracts are similar and Ilgauskas is a year younger.
Langlois: A trade like that between division rivals is pretty rare, for starters, and I acknowledge that Z brings some things to the table. But he’s not in Wallace’s class defensively. Teams attack him on the pick and roll. And he might be a year younger, but he’s not exactly a young 33. I’d wager that Wallace, should he choose to continue playing, would be a more effective player at 36 or 37 than Z.
Joel (Holland, Mich.): The Pistons fell in love with the 3-pointer under Flip Saunders, especially Rasheed Wallace. Even the best shooters from out there are only 35 percent to 40 percent accurate. Will Michael Curry change this pattern that has emerged or is he a big fan of the 3-pointer?
Langlois: Joel, a guy who shoots 35 percent on 3-point shots should be encouraged to take it every time he’s open, because 35 percent from behind the arc is equal to 52.5 percent on the other side of it, and hardly anyone except guys who mainly dunk get up there. That said, Curry will hammer his team with the message that they have to get inside the paint, either by dribble penetration or passing to post-up players or fighting for offensive rebounds, and he’s said he’ll stay on Wallace to make sure he spends an appropriate amount of time on the blocks. But Wallace’s 3-point shooting is a critical weapon for the Pistons. They’re not going to abandon it.
Louise (Troy, Mich.): I heard some remarks on the radio that they think John Hammond was the mastermind behind the Pistons and Joe Dumars won’t be able to help the Pistons to get a title this year because Hammond is gone.
Langlois: Louise, turn the dial. Whatever radio station provided you that pearl of wisdom deserves to have its license yanked by the FCC. John Hammond was a great vice president under Dumars. They had a terrific working relationship. But Hammond would be the first to tell you that Dumars was the guy who made the decisions, based on the input he solicited from the tight circle of advisers he kept around him. Hammond will do great things for Milwaukee, but Dumars replaced him with another very sharp executive, Scott Perry, and the Pistons will go on quite nicely.
Frank (Jackson, Mich.): Would the Pistons have any interest in bringing back Allan Houston? I would think he could play a little small forward and some two guard if he has any game left in him. I think it would be an ideal situation for him.
Langlois: No, and in a related note, Joe Dumars has decided not to return to active duty, either. Houston was one of the all-time great shooters in his day, Frank, but he’s 37 and hasn’t played a game in three season. Even if his heart was willing, his knees forced him out of the game. He might look good enough in an individual workout to make you think he’d have a chance, but it’s very unlikely his body would withstand the grind for more than a week or two. He tried to come back with the Knicks last year and lasted one preseason game.
Joe (Bay City, Mich.): I’ve watched Darius Miles give the Pistons trouble in the past. I guess I have two questions: Did he work out for anyone other than the Celtics and why didn’t the Pistons make a push for a player that could compete for a backup role that wasn’t truly addressed last season. He seems like a Kwame Brown type of player – low ris, high reward trying to salvage a mediocre career.
Langlois: Except that Miles has never boasted refined basketball skills, always getting by on raw athleticism, and now serious knee injuries have robbed him of that. How serious? Well, an independent doctor agreed with Portland management that the knee injury is career ending. Miles also reportedly will serve a 10-game suspension if he ever proves good enough to make someone’s roster again. And it’s not like he has a deadly jump shot or tremendous basketball savvy to fall back on. Miles signed a non-guaranteed contract with the Celtics and still has to fight to make the team. Not sure what other teams gave him a look, but the fact that he agreed to a non-guaranteed deal means nobody offered him so much as the veteran’s minimum – even really bad teams with two or three roster openings remaining.
Travis (Chicago): With Michael Curry’s emphasis on discipline and accountability, could it take a year of adjustment and disappointment before the Pistons right the ship on their way to a championship?
Langlois: Only time will tell, Travis, but I think the players, in their own minds, are already doing the self-corrections. They know exactly what Curry is about and understand he’ll stay on top of them for all the little things. Being five minutes late won’t be overlooked, nor will taking the occasional possession off. It’s not like Curry will be coaching a bunch of recalcitrants, either. Human nature is to relax and cut the occasional corner – if you think you can get away with it. I think the players already know that won’t be the way Curry operates, so much of the transition will have already taken place before Curry runs his first practice.
Rod (Nashville, Tenn.): I’m curious about Arron Afflalo. Coming out of college, I kept hearing how he wasn’t quick enough for the NBA, yet he is quickly proving to be quite a defender. How could the scouts/commentators be so wrong about his skill set? I can’t imagine he got quicker overnight.
Langlois: There were some who questioned his athleticism and I think most of that was fueled by the fact that in UCLA’s Final Four losses in his sophomore and junior years, Afflalo had trouble scoring while being defended by Florida’s Corey Brewer, who was very long and quick. But Afflalo played in a very structured, defense-oriented system under Ben Howland at UCLA and I think some scouts focused too much on those two games and not enough on the bigger picture. Afflalo played against a lot of NBA prospects in his three years at UCLA and won enough battles to be an All-American selection as a junior playing in one of the best programs in the country. Beyond that, the Pistons had gotten positive feedback on him from both Tayshaun Prince and Chauncey Billups when the played against him during pickup games on UCLA’s campus over the summers. The Pistons saw Afflalo was rich in intangibles and accepted that he might not have superstar potential but would be a valuable piece of a winning team.
Ziga (Slovenia): Can Arron Afflalo become a Bruce Bowen/Rip Hamilton combo? Good shooting, excellent defense and from what little I get to see him play, I think he likes to move without the ball. Is Hamilton open to sharing his knowledge of off-the-ball movement? I think Hamilton would be a great coach, like Rasheed. But when Rip retires, who’s going to be the next heir to Reggie Miller?
Langlois: If he scored like Hamilton and defended like Bowen, he’d be a first-team All-NBA player. That expectation might be a little much, but I wouldn’t put it past anything past Afflalo. As for Hamilton being open to sharing his knowledge, I don’t think there’s any great secret to it. It really just comes down to having the willpower to condition yourself to make it possible and then the mental focus that’s required to keep your body in constant motion. The heir to Reggie? Hmmm. Nobody springs to mind, but guys like Ben Gordon, Kyle Korver, Monta Ellis and Rodney Carney all bring elements of Miller’s game to the table.
PCFM
MONDAY, August 25, 2008
Josh (Norwich, England): I think I speak for all Pistons fans in saying well done to Tayshaun Prince on getting gold in China and I look forward to Prince getting another gold in London in 2012.
Langlois: Well put, Josh. It will be interesting to see whether Prince will want to make another three-year commitment to USA Basketball after being a part of one of the best Olympic basketball teams ever. I would expect the Pistons to be represented on the 2012 team, though, at least by Rodney Stuckey.
Josh (Hsinchu, Taiwan): Portland looks to have an extremely crowded backcourt. It seems like a shame that someone who dominated the Summer League, as Jerryd Bayless did, should see so few minutes this season. Who do you feel is most likely to get dealt before February and what is the best solution for their overpopulation of guards?
Langlois: GM Kevin Pritchard has done a good job using multibillionaire owner Paul Allen’s assets and willingness to spend to acquire assets, but now he’d like to swap quantity for quality. Yeah, he’s got a lot of point guards, but Steve Blake is the starter and he doesn’t score anyone. If Bayless’ Summer League success can translate to the NBA – it does for some, not so much for others – then my guess is that Sergio Rodriguez is going to get squeezed out. Remember, too, that Brandon Roy just underwent knee surgery. They’re saying they expect him back in time to take part in some of the preseason, but Roy has a few medical red flags. And Rudy Fernandez still has to prove he can play in the NBA. I don’t think it’s really all that crowded. Blake should be a role player, not a starter. Roy is iffy physically. Fernandez and Bayless are largely unknown quantities and Rodriguez has been only marginally effective so far. Potential there, but nothing overwhelming.
Nicolas (Clinton Twp., Mich.): I know the Carmelo trade rumors have gone away, but what if we got him in a three-team deal. Denver would get Rasheed’s expiring contract, Jamaal Tinsley and Arron Afflalo. The Pistons would get Brandon Rush and Stephen Graham from Indiana and Carmelo and Steven Hunter from Denver. And Indiana would get Tayshaun Prince and Linas Kleiza from Denver.
Langlois: If you can get that deal done, Indiana will fire Larry Bird and make you Pacers GM, Nicolas. So the Pacers are letting go of Tinsley (a guy they’d give up for a bag of sweaty socks), Graham (a D-Leaguer, basically) and Rush (a late lottery pick and no sure-fire NBA starter, let alone star) and getting back two Olympians in Prince and Kleiza, who shows signs of blossoming into an above-average starter. I will say this about Denver and Anthony: He cannot be one iota pleased that the Nuggets, who barely got into the playoffs last year and were swept in the first round, gave away Marcus Camby to save luxury taxes. No way the Nuggets can be a better team next year with that move. If things start badly in Denver, as there is the potential to do, a disgruntled Anthony could force Denver’s hand to do a deal by the trade deadline.
Loretta (Norcross, Ga.): I would like to see the Pistons stay just the way they are. My question is how do you make the Pistons a better mix unless you add some superstar and we just don’t know what to do with those? We are getting older but not yet worn out. I am a Bad Boys fan from way back and originally from Detroit.
Langlois: Loretta, it looks like you’re going to get your wish. Check out part I of the Q&A I did with Joe Dumars (http://www.nba.com/pistons/news/dumars_080822.html) on Pistons.com. He says he expects to open training camp with the roster he has now. How do you add a superstar without putting a pretty serious dent in the roster the way it is now? You don’t. If you want to add a superstar, you’re probably looking at giving up either two starters or one starter and one of your most promising young players – and Rodney Stuckey isn’t in the mix.
Charles (Los Angeles): On ESPN about a month ago, Stephen A. Smith said that Rasheed Wallace told him at the past All-Star game that he planned on retiring after this coming season. Have you heard anything confirming or refuting that?
Langlois: Nobody’s ever going get rich trying to predict Rasheed Wallace’s future, but I would say that I’d be surprised – not shocked, but surprised – if Rasheed hung it up at 35. His skill set will allow him to play effectively for another three or four years. I guarantee you that if he expresses the desire to continue playing beyond the 2008-09 season, there will be a considerable market for him. It’s hard to walk away from $10 million a year, give or take.
Seth (Lancaster, Calif.): With the Tracy McGrady and Baron Davis deals not happening, what is the deal most likely to happen or do you see a deal in the Pistons’ future?
Langlois: Unlikely before the season starts, Seth. After that, it will all depend on how comfortable Joe Dumars’ feels with the title worthiness of his team as the regular season unfolds – and on the availability of players he feels capable of improving the mix. If the Ron Artest gamble backfires on Houston, McGrady will be making noise about wanting out. As I’ve written, the Denver situation bears watching. And on and on.
Tom (Kalamazoo, Mich.): What about a Rasheed-Zydrunas Ilgauskas trade? While he is slow, he gives the Pistons a true center and is just as capable defensively as Wallace – 1.6 blocks to 1.7 a game. Their contracts are similar and Ilgauskas is a year younger.
Langlois: A trade like that between division rivals is pretty rare, for starters, and I acknowledge that Z brings some things to the table. But he’s not in Wallace’s class defensively. Teams attack him on the pick and roll. And he might be a year younger, but he’s not exactly a young 33. I’d wager that Wallace, should he choose to continue playing, would be a more effective player at 36 or 37 than Z.
Joel (Holland, Mich.): The Pistons fell in love with the 3-pointer under Flip Saunders, especially Rasheed Wallace. Even the best shooters from out there are only 35 percent to 40 percent accurate. Will Michael Curry change this pattern that has emerged or is he a big fan of the 3-pointer?
Langlois: Joel, a guy who shoots 35 percent on 3-point shots should be encouraged to take it every time he’s open, because 35 percent from behind the arc is equal to 52.5 percent on the other side of it, and hardly anyone except guys who mainly dunk get up there. That said, Curry will hammer his team with the message that they have to get inside the paint, either by dribble penetration or passing to post-up players or fighting for offensive rebounds, and he’s said he’ll stay on Wallace to make sure he spends an appropriate amount of time on the blocks. But Wallace’s 3-point shooting is a critical weapon for the Pistons. They’re not going to abandon it.
Louise (Troy, Mich.): I heard some remarks on the radio that they think John Hammond was the mastermind behind the Pistons and Joe Dumars won’t be able to help the Pistons to get a title this year because Hammond is gone.
Langlois: Louise, turn the dial. Whatever radio station provided you that pearl of wisdom deserves to have its license yanked by the FCC. John Hammond was a great vice president under Dumars. They had a terrific working relationship. But Hammond would be the first to tell you that Dumars was the guy who made the decisions, based on the input he solicited from the tight circle of advisers he kept around him. Hammond will do great things for Milwaukee, but Dumars replaced him with another very sharp executive, Scott Perry, and the Pistons will go on quite nicely.
Frank (Jackson, Mich.): Would the Pistons have any interest in bringing back Allan Houston? I would think he could play a little small forward and some two guard if he has any game left in him. I think it would be an ideal situation for him.
Langlois: No, and in a related note, Joe Dumars has decided not to return to active duty, either. Houston was one of the all-time great shooters in his day, Frank, but he’s 37 and hasn’t played a game in three season. Even if his heart was willing, his knees forced him out of the game. He might look good enough in an individual workout to make you think he’d have a chance, but it’s very unlikely his body would withstand the grind for more than a week or two. He tried to come back with the Knicks last year and lasted one preseason game.
Joe (Bay City, Mich.): I’ve watched Darius Miles give the Pistons trouble in the past. I guess I have two questions: Did he work out for anyone other than the Celtics and why didn’t the Pistons make a push for a player that could compete for a backup role that wasn’t truly addressed last season. He seems like a Kwame Brown type of player – low ris, high reward trying to salvage a mediocre career.
Langlois: Except that Miles has never boasted refined basketball skills, always getting by on raw athleticism, and now serious knee injuries have robbed him of that. How serious? Well, an independent doctor agreed with Portland management that the knee injury is career ending. Miles also reportedly will serve a 10-game suspension if he ever proves good enough to make someone’s roster again. And it’s not like he has a deadly jump shot or tremendous basketball savvy to fall back on. Miles signed a non-guaranteed contract with the Celtics and still has to fight to make the team. Not sure what other teams gave him a look, but the fact that he agreed to a non-guaranteed deal means nobody offered him so much as the veteran’s minimum – even really bad teams with two or three roster openings remaining.
Travis (Chicago): With Michael Curry’s emphasis on discipline and accountability, could it take a year of adjustment and disappointment before the Pistons right the ship on their way to a championship?
Langlois: Only time will tell, Travis, but I think the players, in their own minds, are already doing the self-corrections. They know exactly what Curry is about and understand he’ll stay on top of them for all the little things. Being five minutes late won’t be overlooked, nor will taking the occasional possession off. It’s not like Curry will be coaching a bunch of recalcitrants, either. Human nature is to relax and cut the occasional corner – if you think you can get away with it. I think the players already know that won’t be the way Curry operates, so much of the transition will have already taken place before Curry runs his first practice.
Rod (Nashville, Tenn.): I’m curious about Arron Afflalo. Coming out of college, I kept hearing how he wasn’t quick enough for the NBA, yet he is quickly proving to be quite a defender. How could the scouts/commentators be so wrong about his skill set? I can’t imagine he got quicker overnight.
Langlois: There were some who questioned his athleticism and I think most of that was fueled by the fact that in UCLA’s Final Four losses in his sophomore and junior years, Afflalo had trouble scoring while being defended by Florida’s Corey Brewer, who was very long and quick. But Afflalo played in a very structured, defense-oriented system under Ben Howland at UCLA and I think some scouts focused too much on those two games and not enough on the bigger picture. Afflalo played against a lot of NBA prospects in his three years at UCLA and won enough battles to be an All-American selection as a junior playing in one of the best programs in the country. Beyond that, the Pistons had gotten positive feedback on him from both Tayshaun Prince and Chauncey Billups when the played against him during pickup games on UCLA’s campus over the summers. The Pistons saw Afflalo was rich in intangibles and accepted that he might not have superstar potential but would be a valuable piece of a winning team.
Ziga (Slovenia): Can Arron Afflalo become a Bruce Bowen/Rip Hamilton combo? Good shooting, excellent defense and from what little I get to see him play, I think he likes to move without the ball. Is Hamilton open to sharing his knowledge of off-the-ball movement? I think Hamilton would be a great coach, like Rasheed. But when Rip retires, who’s going to be the next heir to Reggie Miller?
Langlois: If he scored like Hamilton and defended like Bowen, he’d be a first-team All-NBA player. That expectation might be a little much, but I wouldn’t put it past anything past Afflalo. As for Hamilton being open to sharing his knowledge, I don’t think there’s any great secret to it. It really just comes down to having the willpower to condition yourself to make it possible and then the mental focus that’s required to keep your body in constant motion. The heir to Reggie? Hmmm. Nobody springs to mind, but guys like Ben Gordon, Kyle Korver, Monta Ellis and Rodney Carney all bring elements of Miller’s game to the table.
PCFM