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MONDAY, June 23
Chris (Toledo, Ohio): Do you think there was truth to the Pistons trying to get Carmelo? Or did Broussard get it wrong? And who do you feel is the most likely player out there to become a Piston?
Langlois: I don’t think it was ever as neat and clean as a straight-up proposal of Billups and Prince for Anthony with Denver rejecting it. Denver initiated conversations, as I understand it, to gauge Joe Dumars’ sincerity in saying everyone was on the table. Denver has a glaring need at point guard and Billups is an icon there – the greatest player ever to come out of Denver, by most accounts, and very active charitably. So it makes perfect sense the Nuggets would want Billups. But the only player Dumars would want back is Anthony. The Nuggets have to decide if they’re ready to move on without a 24-year-old with the potential to lead the league in scoring. There supposedly is a meeting today between Anthony and Denver brass to clear the air. That could put this to bed for good – or could lead the Nuggets to reconsider.
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Bryan (Ecorse, Mich.): The Pistons seem to have problems getting consistent points from the three spot. Tayshaun seems to have reached his ceiling of growth. Is it too much to ask from him to get 14 points and eight rebounds a game?
Langlois: I did a breakdown during the season of Prince’s numbers in games where one of the other starters was unavailable vs. his numbers in games where all five were in the lineup and it was dramatically different. Remember the first two games of the season when Rip Hamilton was unavailable? Prince averaged 25.5 points and 6.5 rebounds. So let’s be fair to him here. So many times there are offensive possessions where he doesn’t touch the ball – or he got it very late in the shot clock and had to force something. That doesn’t happen to players at his position on most teams. Is eight rebounds a game too much to ask from his position? Absolutely. There were 38 players in the NBA who averaged eight or more rebounds a game last season; all of them were centers or power forwards. The first player not at one of those two positions was 43rd on the list – point guard Jason Kidd at 7.5 a game. Carmelo Anthony at 7.4 a game and Josh Howard at 7.0 were the only small forwards in the top 50.
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Tyler (Lima, Ohio): Could Detroit trade the No. 29 pick to Portland for the No. 33 and No. 36 picks? Portland can’t need four more rookies and the Pistons could go 2-for-1.
Langlois: But would moving up four spots really be worth giving away the 36th pick? Maybe, if there’s someone the Blazers love at 29 they feel won’t be there at 33, but that’s not very likely in this draft. The Blazers probably would agree with you that they don’t want to add another raft of rookies, but that doesn’t mean they’ll sell their assets on the cheap. They can sit where they are, spend those two picks on projects or foreign players who’ll stay overseas for a few years and develop, then decide what to do with them.
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Jordan (West Bloomfield, Mich.): What is Lindsey Hunter going to do for next season?
Langlois: To be determined. I think it’s safe to assume that because Joe Dumars continues to maintain there’s a spot in coaching or administration with the Pistons waiting for him when he retires, Lindsey is still considering whether to play one more season or not and probably having that conversation with his family.
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Christian (Ortonville, Mich.): What do you think about Rasheed Wallace to the Timberwolves for Al Jefferson and the No. 3 pick, then draft Roy Hibbert out of Georgetown.
Langlois: Let me see if I’ve got you straight. You want Minnesota, which traded Kevin Garnett away last year for a package centered around Jefferson so they could rebuild and get younger without a hefty veteran contract, to now trade Jefferson for a guy two years older than Garnett in Wallace. And you want Minnesota to throw in the No. 3 pick? Yeah, I think the Pistons would do that deal. As for Hibbert, it wouldn’t shock me if the Pistons got him at No. 29. Probably not, but he’ll be a lot closer to 29 than to three.
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Philip (Peoria, Ariz.): The only Piston who quit playing in the playoffs was Rasheed Wallace. Barring Billups’ injury and Flip’s mismanagement, we were right there. I would be satisfied with Wallace for Zach Randolph, but leave the rest alone.
Langlois: No one suggested he or anyone else quit. Joe Dumars hasn’t pointed any fingers or accused anyone of lack of effort. What he did say was he didn’t see a burning desire to win and wants to change the chemistry of the core to bring some of that hunger back that he’s seen more from in the last three teams to eliminate the Pistons in the playoffs.
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Isaac (Dallas): Other than Ben Wallace, this is the same team that won the championship in ’04. I believe 100 percent that Larry Brown had everything to do with the hunger those players had. Is there any way Joe D will reconsider getting rid of the core and have faith that Michael Curry can bring back the hunger?
Langlois: I asked him that question, essentially, in the Q&A I did with him earlier this month, Isaac, and I also asked that of Michael Curry in a Q&A we did with him on Pistons.com. Dumars said it’s possible Curry could draw more out from players, but it wasn’t his preference to put that on his new coach. Giving Brown credit for the hunger you saw from the 2004 team is kind of narrow thinking, though, isn’t it? That team hadn’t won anything at that point and they were four years younger. You don’t stay the same in the NBA from year to year, never mind four years later.
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Alex (Troy, Mich.): What are the chances of Drew Neitzel getting drafted? Is there any way the Pistons could pick him at No. 59?
Langlois: It’s a long shot he gets drafted, but highly likely someone is going to bring him to summer camp. Gym rat who just doesn’t do any one thing well enough to make NBA teams see a way he can really help. If was a great playmaker or a great shooter, he’d have a leg up on fitting a niche role. His size works against him, obviously.
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Josh (Helena, Mont.): Here’s a match made in heaven! Chauncey and Tayshaun for Lamar Odom, Jordan Farmer and Luke Walton. This is an attractive offer I feel would be hard for the Lakers to pass up.
Langlois: Oh, it sure would be. That’s not a deal made in heaven – it’s a deal made on Mitch Kupchak’s cocktail napkin. If the Pistons are trading away Billups and Prince, they’re getting back a bona fide All-Star, not two backups and a guy uncomfortable as a first or second scoring option who didn’t impress anyone on the big stage of the NBA Finals. I’d rather have Prince straight up than Odom, though I can see where others would disagree. So would you trade Billups for Farmar and Walton? I wouldn’t.
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Moe (Oxon Hill, Md.): The only reason Boston and LA made the Finals was because of their blockbuster trades. We need a legit center so McDyess can play his natural position. If Sheed is traded, it has to be for Amare Stoudemire. Shaq can calm Sheed and we get a younger, more controllable superstar.
Langlois: Moe, if you can get Larry and Curly on board to help the Pistons swing the kind of no-brainer trades Boston and the Lakers were gifted, that would help. Rasheed for Stoudemire? I can see Phoenix having interest in that. The Suns have serious cap issues and they’re clearly in go-for-broke mode now, thus the Shaq trade for Shawn Marion. Shaq and Steve Nash might have one or two more tries to get it done, which coincides with Rasheed’s contract status and window, as well. Rasheed’s ability to guard the West’s best big men would appeal to Phoenix.
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Bobbi (Fenton, Mich.): You mentioned no other players besides Rasheed showed up for Michael Curry’s press conference because they were out of town. Rip was reportedly still undergoing therapy on his elbow and Chauncey found time to show up for Barack Obama’s rally at Joe Louis. How far in advance are the players notified of a major change?
Langlois: Don’t read too much into this, Bobbi. I don’t know if Hamilton and Billups were in town the day of the Curry hiring, but do know a majority of players were not. Curry said he got text messages and calls of congratulations from many players. Trust me – the hiring of Curry is a popular one with Pistons players.
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Garrett (Lansing, Mich.): I’m not necessarily a fan of the Pistons hanging on to their core, but if we could just tough it out for two seasons couldn’t we clear a lot of cap space and potentially make a run at Wade, Bosh or James?
Langlois: The odds of LeBron James playing anywhere but Cleveland or New York are slim. The odds of Dwyane Wade coming to Detroit are slimmer. Bosh? A very long shot. Players of that magnitude very rarely move as free agents. Amassing cap space to land young superstars just hasn’t been a very successful blueprint so far. Revisit Chicago in the post-Jordan era for evidence. And Chicago is considered one of the most attractive suitor cities in the country.
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Erich (Ferndale, Mich.): We need someone like McGrady or Anthony, but do you think Baron Davis could get into that mix?
Langlois: At his best, Davis is one of the 10 best players in the game. But he’s been injury prone and tends to let himself get out of shape. He might be a good gamble for a team in more desperate straits, but he wouldn’t be Plan A, B or C for the Pistons.
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Aaron (Dearborn Heights, Mich.): What do you think about Chauncey and Tayshaun for Tracy McGrady and Shane Battier?
Langlois: Battier is pretty much the Western Conference’s version of Prince – squeezes points out of a role as the fourth offensive option and guards the other team’s top perimeter scorer. I think most teams would value Prince more highly, but would Houston think that would represent enough of an upgrade to then trade McGrady for Billups? I think it’s pretty close to a fair trade, Aaron, but it might take a little bit of a sweetener from the Pistons if it’s a deal Joe Dumars otherwise likes.
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Alicia (Eastpointe, Mich.): Why is it that Chauncey is the only player mentioned in every trade discussion? He said he wanted to retire as a Piston after he signed his new contract and Joe Dumars said he loves his leadership.
Langlois: He’s certainly not the only player being discussed, Alicia. I’ve seen trade proposals involving pretty much everyone. In the first few weeks following their playoff elimination, the highest volume regarded Rasheed Wallace. If it’s shifted since then, it’s probably because Rodney Stuckey’s presence leads a lot of people to believe Billups would be the logical one to move because he has high value and could be replaced internally. That doesn’t mean the Pistons are necessarily out there shopping him.
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Jake (Macomb, Mich.): I keep reading that the Pistons should trade Chauncey and start Stuckey at point guard. People forget that Stuckey is actually a shooting guard. It would make more sense to trade Hamilton.
Langlois: The Pistons have always insisted Stuckey was a point guard, Jake. Joe Dumars and his staff thought so and Flip Saunders thought so. But he and Billups are both versatile enough and have enough size so that they could play together in the same backcourt and alternate point guard duties.
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Miles (Grand Rapids, Mich.): Watching the Celtics dominate the bigs of LA made me realize a championship is well within reach. Do you think Maxiell can provide the consistent low-post scoring we need?
Langlois: Michael Curry told me in the recent Q&A we posted on Pistons.com that he thinks Maxiell can become a consistent scorer and hasn’t yet only because they’ve asked him to focus on bringing energy, defense and rebounding. It’s going to be interesting over the next two seasons to see how much room for growth Maxiell has.
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Dave (Chicago): I was wondering if you could walk us through the process GMs go through in making trade offers. Let’s say Joe D is negotiating with Steve Kerr in Phoenix. How does the actual process go from the initial phone calls to the time the deal is finalized?
Langlois: Different GMs have different styles, Dave. But, as a general rule, it would go something like this. GM A calls GM B and asks if he has any interest in John Doe from his team. Maybe, GM B says. Let me think about it. Calls him back the next day and says it depends how much he would have to give up. Who on his roster might interest GM A? Let me think about it. Calls back the next day and makes an offer. Once you get the principals in the trade involved – I’ll give you Joe Blow for John Doe – then the extras needed to balance the trade out get discussed, whether it’s an extra contract to make the trade work under the salary cap or an extra draft choice or a young player to give the team giving away the better player an extra asset.
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Sally (Saginaw): I’ve been reading a lot about a trade of Chauncey Billups for Carmelo Anthony. Any truth to this?
Langlois: It’s all speculation, Sally. Reports out of Denver during the NBA Finals contended the Pistons had inquired about Anthony’s availability. If that’s true – and Joe Dumars said he had talked to at least 10 teams and was talking about the other teams’ best players – then Billups would make sense going back because of Denver’s need at point guard. But we’ll all just have to wait and see what happens.
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D’Wayne (Southfield, Mich.): Do you know what the Pistons thoughts are regarding Brandon Rush and if they would consider him if he slid past his projected draft slot of 26th or 27th?
Langlois: My guess is Rush is going much higher than that, D’Wayne. He’s reportedly been working out very well for teams and could even sneak his way into the lottery. If he fell to 29, I’d have to believe the Pistons would be turning the slip in as soon as 28 was announced.
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Johnny (Lansing, Mich.): For the love of God, urge Joe D to sign Andris Biedrins. He seems to have a ton of potential. What are your thoughts?
Langlois: Warriors GM Chris Mullin has said neither Biedrins nor Monta Ellis, both restricted free agents, are going anywhere. He’s said he’ll match any offers, even max offers. Now, maybe he’s bluffing, but the Pistons are going to be over the salary cap unless they dump players. To get under the salary cap far enough to make even a credible offer to those guys, they’d have to give away a couple of good players. That’s not happening.
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Brian (Livonia, Mich.): Would the Pistons look to trade up on draft day, maybe trading Rasheed for a higher pick?
Langlois: It’s possible they’d trade up Brian (thought it’s more likely they’d trade down), but it’s not going to be anything as dramatic as Rasheed for a higher pick. For one thing, a trade like that is almost impossible to execute unless a team has a ton of cap space. For instance, it might work with Memphis, which is significantly below the salary cap and might be able to absorb Wallace’s $13 million or so coming next season. But do the Pistons think anybody at No. 5 in this draft is going to help them more than Wallace next year? Nope. And would Memphis – which, remember, traded Pau Gasol and is in full rebuilding mode – have any interest in that deal? Nope. If Rasheed is dealt on draft day, the primary asset coming back won’t be a draft pick, but a player.
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Zack (Mount Pleasant, Mich.): The one thing missing from Pistons teams the past few years is an extremely athletic guard. Rodney Stuckey is closest, but I think Shannon Brown would be a good addition.
Langlois: Cleveland couldn’t use him and it’s not like they were loaded with All-Stars ahead of him in that backcourt. He didn’t make a dent in Chicago. Not sure what type of future in the NBA he has – doesn’t handle the ball very well and doesn’t shoot it very well, so his scoring is very inconsistent.
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Devontrae (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.): I like the idea of trading for a valuable big man like a Stoudemire, Brand or Jermaine O’Neal. Do you think we have a realistic shot at any of them?
Langlois: Indiana would be happy to deal O’Neal – he’ll make $44 million over the next two years, has missed a ton of games in each of the last four seasons and has knee trouble. Brand isn’t expected to opt out of his contract. He’s probably staying with the Clips for at least next season. Stoudemire … now that one bears watching. I think Phoenix is restless and would be willing to deal him. There’s been friction between him and management, though Shaq came in at least talking a good game about loving to play next to him. We’ll see.
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Kevin (St. Clair Shores, Mich.): What player could the Pistons go after to play behind Prince?
Langlois: It’s too early to tell, Kevin. Joe Dumars’ first order of business is the draft right now, but the biggest factor will be whatever trade he engineers.
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Shadd (Southfield, Mich.): I’m hearing a lot of trades that don’t make sense except maybe the Denver deal. What about trading Tayshaun and Chauncey for Shawn Marion and Miami’s No. 2 pick?
Langlois: Can’t happen, at least not that way, Shadd. Marion can opt out of his contract but couldn’t do it until July 1 – after the draft. In theory, would you trade Billups and Prince for Marion and, say, Michael Beasley? I don’t think Miami would do go for it, but it’s worthy of discussion, at least.
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Mustafa (Warren, Mich.): If the Pistons offered Antonio McDyess to the Knicks for Eddy Curry, do you think the Knicks would bite?
Langlois: So fast, the Pistons would lose a few fingers. The Knicks would rather dump Zach Randolph, but they’d happily ship Curry and the $31 million he has coming over the next three years out of town, too.
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Cydney (Detroit): If Joe D traded one or more of our core, will he have the same expectations for the new team as he did for the last?
Langlois: Hard to say for certain without knowing exactly what the trade entails, but I don’t think he’s interesting in making trades that would lower his expectations. Now, if something irresistible came along that would make the future exceptionally bright but might mean the risk of a little short-term pain, maybe. But that’s a long shot.
