Pistons Preseason 2012-2013

[Kstat]

You can't look at it in terms of that.

His post defense is average. His help defense at the 4 is abhorrant. He has zero shot blocking instincts. Guards drive right into him with zero fear. Our defense with him starting at the 4 was really, really bad.

It wasn't any different in his first year. Jerebko is even less suited to play the 4 than Austin Daye. At least Austin is a threat to block a shot every now and then. Jonas just sucks on every level defensively at the 4, and he is not nearly good enough offensively to make up for it.

I like Jonas as a starting SF. I love him as a combo 3/4 backup. As a starting 4, he is a liability.

[Kstat]

the latest Drummond offerings...

[Pharaoh]

I agree with K - Jonas serves the team better as a 3/4 off the bench

And he should have that role next season IF Joe and his boys do some good work next off-season

[Kstat]

In case anyone is wondering, Drummond's per-30 minute averages through 6 games:

16.6ppg
9.9rpg
0.5 assists
2.6 blocks
1.4 steals
1.4 turnovers
4.8 fouls

He's shooting %65 from the floor but only %27 from the line.

taking into account the foul issue, that is pretty encouraging...

[BubblesTheLion]

My excite level? Pistons 6-8th seed as is. Pushing 6-7 games in first series and a legit darkhorse to upset.
2 complimentary all star level NBA bigs on the same team? It doesn't get any easier to play the game like that.

[Uncle Mxy]

In case anyone is wondering, Drummond's per-30 minute averages through 6 games:

16.6ppg
9.9rpg
0.5 assists
2.6 blocks
1.4 steals
1.4 turnovers
4.8 fouls

He's shooting %65 from the floor but only %27 from the line.

taking into account the foul issue, that is pretty encouraging...

Also, Slava's per-30 is a double-double without being horribly foul-prone.

I grow weary of our bending backwards for stretch 4s and|or players who are a stretch playing the 4.

[mercury]

I agree stretch whores that can bend backwards are more fun... and playing with 4 is better.

[lospistones]

Been thinking about free agency in 12-13. Only person who stands out to me is Paul Millsap. He's making like 8.6 million now in the final year of his deal with Utah, but he may be marginalized a bit by the presences of Al Jefferson, Enes Kanter, Marvin Williams if he plays PF at all, and Derrick Favors, the prize of the Deron Williams trade.

Judging by shamsports we should have enough cap space to sign him outright, but especially comfortably if we amnesty CV. I'd offer him 9 mill and see if he bites.

Millsap 32/Monroe 16
Monroe 16/Drummond 32

My inevitable goal would be exactly this. Have three starting caliber bigs with Monroe splitting time between the 4 and 5. I don't see how it's going to happen from within, and there's nobody in early draft projections that could ideally complement Moose and Dre, so it'd have to be free agency.. Thoughts?

[Kstat]

Millsapp isn't going to agree to come off the bench, and we can't afford to start him.

In theory it's a great fit, but we'd have to really overpay to get him to be a backup. I don't want to see us take on another boozer type deal.

I'd take a long look at igoudala if he opts out.

Our two biggest needs right now are a scoring starting SF and a post up threat off the bench.

[Pharaoh]

I'd love it if we signed Millsap

You start him with Monroe and then bring Drummond off the bench to change the game completely. 32 minutes per for those 3 with Jonas as depth at the 4 spot and Slava as depth at the 5 spot... sign some minimum wage bum as insurance

Iggy? I love the man. An all-round talent, quality defender... his outside shooting has been pretty fucking poor at times though. With Stuckey as the SG ideally we'd have a premier outside threat either starting or coming off the bench - even if we have to move Stuckey to PG or SF

Assuming we have the following guys on the books:

Monroe, Drummond, Slava
Jerebko
Prince, Singler, Middleton
Stuckey, English
Knight

Assuming we are under the cap by $24 million and are going to save plenty of that to accomodate extensions for our young guys:

Millsap = $9 million starting salary... compliments Dre and Monroe extremely well and the Jazz likely will lose Millsap or Al Jefferson next off-season. I don't recall him ever whining about anything in the past - doubt he'd start now, especially if he's teaming with 2 quality young big men.

With some of the remaining money I'd look to sign JJ Redick (starting salary of $6 million?). A deluxe shooter that might not be part of the future in Orlando, especially with Afflalo and his contract in town. Dude provides what we really need, even though his addition forces us to move Stuckey to PG or SF to get him the quality minutes he deserves

Obviously TWill would get a contract - but I don't think I'd need to give him millions

Whatever was left over after signing Millsap, Redick and TWill would be saved for extensions our young guys will want and/or IF we had the option of taking back more salary via trade and/or if a free agent popped up

My roster would see a 3 man rotation at C and PF (Monroe, Dre, Millsap) and a 3 guard rotation at SG/PG (Stuckey, Knight, Redick)

SF would be filled by Prince, Jerebko, Singler, Middleton, TWill... depends on who won the battle in camp

With Slava and English also around I think we'd have lots of depth... and that's without including any 2013 picks

FWIW Redick will turn 29 next June.... Millsap will turn 28 in Feb..