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2012 NBA Offseason: Detroit Pistons

Draft Grades, Offseason Needs, Free Agents

Written by Paul Banks of the Washington Times, David Kay and Peter Christian of the The Sports Bank. Send Paul an e-mail here: paulb05 AT hotmail DOT com.
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Detroit Pistons (Last Year: 25-41)

Live 2012 NBA Draft Grades:

9. Andre Drummond, C, Connecticut: B+ Grade
Why not? If Andre Drummond ever figures it out, this could be one huge steal as he and Greg Monroe could be an incredible frontcourt for the future. On the flip side, Drummond could be out of the league in four years. Worth the roll of the dice at this point for Detroit.

39. Khris Middleton, F, Texas A&M: Grade C-
Injury issues held Middleton back during his junior season, but he still decided to leave school. Detroit has a wealth of small forwards now with Prince, Maggette and Daye, so I'm not sure how Middleton fits, and if he will ever make anything of himself as a pro.

44. Kim English, G, Missouri: A- Grade
I really like English as he is a versatile wing who can shoot it from deep. He should help replace what Detroit lost at the two by trading Ben Gordon.

*** 2012 NBA Offseason Needs and Free Agents listed below this comment box. ***

MM 06-03-2013 12:16 am xxx.xxx.xxx6.44 (total posts: 3)

If the Pistons draft Oladipo I'm going to be very sad. That guy's ceiling is Tony Allen. He's under-sized, will struggle to score against elite NBA wings and is a bust in the making. Detroit doesn't need a defensive specialist right now.

The Pistons need to roll the dice again, like this past season, and take the 2013 Draft's Andre Drummond: Shabazz Muhammad. His stock has taken a tumble because of character concerns, although it seems the character everyone is most concerned with is Shabazz's father. The Pistons' offense is anemic and Muhammad could instantly help fix that. Classic high risk/high reward player, and much like Drummond he was at the top of early mock drafts for his class. I see a lot of Jerry Stackhouse in his game.

IF Detroit trades up for some reason, I'd love to see them get Otto Porter, but Washington would be nuts to trade away the best fit player in this draft for them.

Chris 06-01-2013 12:53 pm xxx.xxx.xxx0.37 (total posts: 1)

The Pistons have an interesting Offseason ahead of them. As Walter said, we have 35.2 Million to spend this year. Lets just say thats more than most teams. Plus, we have a decent first round pick. Of course being a Michigan fan, I think its entirely possible we trade down and take somebody like a Tim Hardaway to alternate at Shot with Stuckey. Also, if we trade down we could snag somebody like a Plumlee, MC-W or even like an Olynyk, Whitey or Deng for those who want a "Big Man". If we do stay where we're at, look out for a slip from somebody. Maybe Oladipo falls, but also watch out for Shabazz. I know he's not the best player to take in the Top 10, but Talent wise and Need wise he would be a great fit here, and he would definitely be a target for Knight's Assist numbers to rise.

CYnthia 12-03-2012 11:07 pm xxx.xxx.xxx.106 (total posts: 1)

The following NBA teams need to be ccteraotnd:Orlando MagicLA ClippersNew Jersey NetsToronto RaptorsMemphis GrizzliesCharlotte BobcatsThat would take it down to 24 teams, so you'd have four divisions of six. I think that's perfect.

fag 10-30-2012 12:17 am xxx.xxx.xxx.169 (total posts: 2)

fag

Bill 10-30-2012 12:16 am xxx.xxx.xxx.169 (total posts: 2)

Im a gay fa g

Bill 07-01-2012 06:53 pm xxx.xxx.xxx.119 (total posts: 2)

Poor Chris.

He must live in that craphole.

Chris 06-29-2012 08:35 pm xxx.xxx.xxx8.23 (total posts: 1)

Bill........shut up.

Bill 06-29-2012 07:55 pm xxx.xxx.xxx.119 (total posts: 2)

418

This franchise should just fold.

Monroe and Knight will leave ASAP.

Besides, who would want to play in that craphole of a city?

HiMyNameIs 06-29-2012 05:24 pm xxx.xxx.xxx.140 (total posts: 1)

Why does everyone act like if Drummond doesnt reach his full potential he will be a complete bust? Just off his size strength wing span and athletisizm he will stick around in the league for years to come. His floor is probably somewhere around DeAndrea Jordan not Kwama Brown(and even Browns managed to stick around the league for along time) The kid should be going into his freshman season as he finished high school in 3 yrs, if he had stayed the course im bettin he'd be a top3 pick next yr

DaBone Wash DC 06-26-2012 09:54 pm xxx.xxx.xxx5.34 (total posts: 1)

How in the heck does drafting a 6'3"' SG make up for not getting a big man in the 1st round? Did I miss something?

Jay 06-11-2012 01:55 pm xxx.xxx.xxx6.17 (total posts: 1)

I think Sullinger would be a nice addition to this team.

Natedogreat ggibbyuvycyj15 06-10-2012 10:25 am xxx.xxx.xxx.195 (total posts: 1)

If Sumars were smart he would take Moultrie in a heart beat. big, long, strong with a great shot. then in the second take henry sims of GT and either Will Buford or Jared Cunningham. Either tose two or trade both and Daye for a late first rounder like Indiana and draft Royce White, then trade Prince for another late pick like GS and draft a shooting guard like Evan Fournier or Draymond as bench help like Harden is for OKC.

gregory bishop 06-06-2012 11:55 am xxx.xxx.xxx.117 (total posts: 1)

Tyler Zeller @ # 9 in the draft provides some stability to the interior. Best scenario = Houston wants Zeller and will trade up for him. Detroit already has Houston's second round pick[#44} this year. Could they get both of Houston's first rounders in a trade if they gave back H's second rounder or Detroit's second pick[#39]? If so take Evan fournier with that #16 pick for when Villanueva and Gordon drop off the roster.

Tim 06-01-2012 04:58 pm xxx.xxx.xxx6.77 (total posts: 2)

Trade Charlie V to the Bucks for Beno Udrih and Jon Brockman, makes sense cap wise and once Charlie V moves teams he'll magically become amazing because thats what happens in Detroit

Tim 06-01-2012 04:51 pm xxx.xxx.xxx6.77 (total posts: 2)

418

310

take Henson or Zeller with the 1st round pick, Jae Crowder with the first second who would fill the slasher need and get rid of Charlie V no matter what, Gordon is atleast still serviceable

Pages: 12

2011-12 Season Summary:
The former Eastern Conference power Detroit Pistons missed out on the playoffs for a third straight season. Coincidentally enough, that streak started when general manager Joe Dumars wasted his abundant cap space by overpaying Ben Gordon and Charlie Villanueva to long-term deals. The franchise is still in recovery mode from those signings and doesn't figure to make any major moves this offseason.

The most significant takeaways from this past year was the development of second-year big man Greg Monroe and play of rookie point guard Brandon Knight. By nearly averaging a double-double a night, Monroe made strides toward becoming a very good NBA center, which every team covets nowadays. Knight immediately stepped into the starting point guard role and showed enough promise to be labeled as the point guard of the future.

Monroe's emergence in the middle was sorely needed in a very underwhelming Pistons frontcourt. Jason Maxiell and Ben Wallace provided some toughness and physicality, but offered very little offensive production. Jonas Jerebko was effective coming off the bench after missing all of the 2010-11 season due to injury. Villanueva continues to be a major free agent bust, as he was bothered by ankle injury, but even when he was healthy, he found himself locked to the bench.

Knight's instant impact at the point allowed head coach Lawrence Frank to play Rodney Stuckey as his more natural off-guard position and bring Ben Gordon off the bench. It was an undersized trio that struggled to defend bigger shooting guards, but brought some solid scoring punch to help make up for Detroit's offensively-challenged front line - minus Monroe, of course.

Tayshaun Prince was typical Tayshaun Prince; a glue-guy leader, who can contribute a little bit in every aspect of the game, but isn't going to take over. Third-year pro Austin Daye actually took a step back and doesn't appear to be a piece of the long-term puzzle for the Pistons.

C: Greg Monroe/*Vernon Macklin

PF: #Jason Maxiell/Jonas Jerebko/Charlie Villanueva

SF: Tayshaun Prince/Corey Maggette/Austin Daye

SG: Rodney Stuckey

PG: Brandon Knight/Will Bynum/*Walker Russell

NBA Free Agents:

#PF-Jason Maxiell (PO)

C-Ben Wallace (UFA)

SF-Damian Wilkins (UFA)

*C-Vernon Macklin (RFA)

*PG-Walker Russell (RFA)

Offseason Transactions:

The Pistons acquire SF Corey Maggette from the Bobcats for SG Ben Gordon and 2013 lottery protected first-round pick.

2012-13 Team Salary: Approximately $58.3 million

NBA Offseason Needs:

1. Frontcourt Complement for Monroe: Detroit needs to find an upgrade from the Jason Maxiell/Ben Wallace combination that started 53 games alongside Greg Monroe in the frontcourt. Charlie Villanueva has been a massive bust since coming to Detroit, while Jonas Jerebko is best suited providing some energy off the bench. With little flexibility in free agency, look for the Pistons to address this need with their first-round draft pick.

2. Slasher: Brandon Knight and Rodney Stuckey are capable of getting to the rim, but Ben Gordon relies more on his outside shot. Meanwhile, Tayshaun Prince and Austin Daye can't really break a defender down in iso situations. The Pistons would be wise to find an athletic wing who attack the tin and create in one-on-one situations.

3. Bench Scoring: Gordon, and to a lesser extent Jerebko, are the only real bench scorers Detroit has on its roster. Villanueva can get buckets as well when he is actually on the floor, but the Pistons finished 27th in the league in scoring, partially due to their poor point production from their reserves.

4. Find a Sucker: If I were Joe Dumars, I would hope to find some trade partner to take Villanueva and/or Gordon. Villanueva is owed more than $8 million dollars this season and has a player option worth almost $8.6 million for next season - he would be idiotic to turn that down. Gordon will make $12.4 million in 2012-13 and has a $13.2 player option for 2013-14. Those two guys and the cap space they take up are part of the reason Detroit is sort of in a holding pattern for another two years.

If the Pistons can find a suitor to take either guy and get an expiring contract in return, it would accelerate the revamping of their team. It certainly won't be an easy task getting another team to take either guy and his bloated contract though. Detroit also still has its one-time amnesty option, and Villanueva would certainly be a candidate for that.

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2012 NBA Offseason: Detroit Pistons Draft Grades, Offseason Needs, Free Agents