Pistons’ GM Trajan Landon REVEALS Teams Future Plans!
[Music] i think like [Music] now [Music] bless I step up and get it face up Face up I’ll get to win it It’s for my daddy and the team coming with me Heading for the championship Even if the road is long legends pave the way for us Nothing in this world can take it from us Don’t underestimate our generation When you see us coming for you And when you knock me down I’m getting back up Cuz when I step on the floor you know your time’s up I’m on my way What up though everybody welcome back to another episode of the King of Doo Show Hope everybody is having a good Tuesday night as of this thus far My dude Eric Vincent clutch point speed rider for our Detroit Pistons is back like he never left What is the word E Vinnie how we feeling bro
i’m good man Uh it’s been a crazy day outside but uh happy to be in a little cool area now and ready to talk some hoops How’s everything with you
man another scorcher bro
Hope y’all keep on hydrated out there Like we said yesterday man this this heat is not playing around and it came with a vengeance You got your water yeah I got I got my water So
we tapped in today
We tapped in We should be good Locked and loaded man We got all y’all in the chat We see y’all man Marvin Peruse Devon what’s going on man i’m here looking like a burnt cook man You and me both bro You and me both man Get out the sun Get out the sun if you can Real thankful that Traion is transparent Yes man We are going to get into all of that Like we mentioned my boy Eric Vincent was in the building today for the pre-draft presser So we’re going to get into that Um it was held today with Tian Langden Pistons GM He talked about a few different things Um a lot of good questions were asked Shout out to all the beat writers and reporters out there who were in the building as well and Eric was also in the building to cover it all and to bring it to us And we appreciate you bro keeping us up to speed So talk to us bro Like what are some of the takeaways you had from Trajan’s presser today i have a few things I want to get to but I want to focus on what you had since you were actually there and then we’ll go from there So what you got for us
yes indeed man Um kind of like I just told you um Tjan kind of set the scene pretty quickly Um you know he’s got kind of a dry sense of humor to him So as soon as he came in the room the very first thing out of his mouth was “All right guys I’m gonna be boring today.” You know we all got a nice little laugh out of that Um but I feel like I kind of did learn some stuff While a lot of people’s reaction on social media may have been I guess disappointed or not so much shocked by what he said I still do think that he told us a little bit about himself because while we talk a lot about the team he’s probably the one name that we don’t talk about a ton just because we don’t see him a lot But I like what he said today Um you know we came out the gate um you know kind of acknowledging you know where the team is right now how they’re preparing for the draft Um one of the first questions out of the gate was kind of what do you see in terms of the landscape of the team with the development based on what we’ve seen with the Eastern Conference through a lot of injuries that we’ve seen from Tyrese Hallebertton um Jason Tatum Damen Lillard like we’ve seen a lot of guys go down We’ve seen a lot of change like coming back and forth with the team
uh or in the conference excuse me and he admit that you know it definitely has changed or at least provoked some internal thoughts about how we can get better Now he followed up and said you know we’re not looking to make a huge splash right away but he didn’t rule out the possibility of making some certain changes Like I said before like he may not be out there like as the initiator making calls but it doesn’t mean he’s not open to possibilities And I think he kind of stated that today which I was you know pretty um I was pretty happy to hear at least from his part He even talked more about the veterans as well because as of after the finals that’s when you can actually start talking to veterans and free agents Um you know once the NBA season is concluded
So he stated that he’s tried to have some of those conversations Um you know agents are a little tough he said So it hasn’t really been a whole lot of wiggle room at the moment but he said he has tried to have those conversations He’s also brought up the idea of having a backup plan to those free agents and those veterans just in case they can’t come to a number and agree on something Um you know he stated he was really high on building through the internal growth of their team You know he talked a lot about what we saw from the finals with OKC winning and obviously they’re a team that didn’t that won without making a huge splash right away Um you know in the free agency trademark it They kind of added a couple like little role players there and relied on guys like Cadet SGA Lou Dort um Jaylen Williams like kind of some of their OG guys that they brought in originally
So he says he sees that kind of being the direction of the league as of right now and he’s happy about the work that he’s seen from his guys in the offseason so far and what they showed as soon as last season and in the playoffs as well without Jay Ivy and Isaiah Stewart which he even said um hey if they weren’t if they were there that even piqu my mind of where we could have been in the postseason like a lot of like that fan people we think oh if Jaden were there if Isaiah like he kind of still thinks like a fan to some extent and I like that about him as well Um but yeah he he dropped a lot of good knowledge Again he kind of just reiterated that he wanted to remain patient but he is keeping his eyes and ears open to any possibilities that could make the team better because obviously that’s his first frame of mind and his biggest priority as a president of basketball operations
100% man You said a mouthful A lot of good stuff there bro For sure So let’s let’s break it down a little bit He mentioned um just how he was talking about basically when it comes to the core of this team and what the plan may be regarding seeing looking around and seeing what’s happening in the Eastern Conference right the moves that are being made how the trajectory is changing and things like that I actually have a clip we can play here um that was posted for my Instagram account earlier talking about exactly what you just said So let’s go ahead and check that out and we can kind of get all all get a feel for what he was saying So let’s go ahead and check that out I I think it’s definitely provoked some thought internally in terms of what we can do to get better I think it hasn’t changed the road map for us I don’t think we’re in a place to push all of our chips in and be locked into a place who still want to keep that optionality I think our guys have been in the gym working a lot They want to get better So I think we will see growth from our young players from this year to next year And I think that’s ultimately what’s really important for us because if those guys get better we’ll ultimately get better and keep our uh our ear to the ground and see if there’s opportunities to get better without pushing a lot of our chips in We’ll keep our ear to the ground on ways that we can improve But improvement for us is is more internal I think if we can keep some of the guys um that we had as part of this run some of the vets that would be great Uh we know they’re going to get interest from other teams as well as we look to keep them We’ll also have to have backup options as well The depth is important and the style of play The game’s getting faster It’s getting bigger The whole league is seeing that and I think we have some players that fit that on our roster right now Continuing to improve and and develop our young players I think is going to be paramount for us going forward and continue to add pieces around that fit and can enhance their development So I thought that was u pretty much in the nutshell of what you said There were some things that kind of stood out to me with what he was saying there Um and and like you mentioned we talked about it yesterday just the importance of having balance and having a balanced roster He he did mention that he kind of looked around and with watching the finals and just I’m sure that’s what GMs do when it comes to watching games and just looking at the roster construction seeing how guys the rotations are set up and how guys are playing within that within their style all those things So I’m sure he saw that and saw something that we talked about is just the importance of having depth and he mentioned that as far as having a deep team and you look at this Pistons team and we kind of have that foundation already as far as having that depth You know we know our bench last season was a strength So that’s something that I’m I know he’s for sure keeping in mind when it comes to making moves whatever they may be like you mentioned he’s going to keep his eyes open for absolute sure but at the same time he’s not going to mortgage you know and sell the farm and pretty much put that depth at a you know at a disadvantage and take it away basically lose a lot of that depth if you make a move for you know certain guys that I know fans are looking to add So it’s very important that we keep that in mind and he made it pretty clear even though he didn’t say in specifics He just made the point that you know we we’re going to try to keep our young core intact and we’re going to try to see how we can improve if the right situation he because he did mention the Bane trade the Desmond Bane move right and how he thought that was a good move for them Yeah
So you know he said you know if that kind of move presents itself we’ll look at it
So once again to your point they are keeping their options open He mentioned optionality He mentioned that a few times I saw I’m sure you heard that being in the building he wants to make sure that they are have the flexibility to be able to go in a few different directions regardless of what’s going on So I thought he had a lot of great things to say and it kind of pretty much reinforces what we already talked about So it’s going to be an interesting off season bro when it comes to um how he kind of puts those words in action and to kind of see what he meant by those words based on who he does or doesn’t add to the squad Thoughts on that
yeah and I think that’s kind of the best way to look at it Um a lot of these names and a lot of these you know people that are talking about a splash and a big move again it’s going to come at the cost of these pieces And when he’s harping in on depth and if you’re looking at teams in the league like OKC Indiana um a lot of teams in the playoffs maybe outside maybe the New York Knicks they play and lean on their depth to you know proceed in the postseason and win these games So being able to cash in your chips for a player makes sense in theory but if you don’t have depth to go with it then you’re in trouble We’ve seen that with Kevin Durant’s last like what two or three teams that he’s been on When you don’t have teams or teammates to kind of back you up and uh you know weather the storms or the breaks that you guys have when they’re sitting down or as they’re getting older like that matters You have to have some kind of depth behind your foundation to make sure you know they’re in line And the Pistons haven’t um well I mean as of this last season they definitely did They did a good job of you know adding some good rotation pieces together
And I feel like those are the areas in the margin that he was speaking of um trying to improve on or keep around Like he wants to
he didn’t say this but I feel like this the best way to put it It’s kind of a make or break year for some of those pieces in the young core Like they have a lot to prove this season in terms of what their future’s going to be based on what what he said which we’ll talk about in a little bit But you know I like that’s where his head is at Like people say “Oh just cash in on Giannis or cash in.” Like bro like yeah those names sound good in theory but if you don’t have a team around them and if they get injured and something goes bad then you’re in trouble So I like where his head is at and I think that’s kind of the best area for the Pistons to be moving as of right now
Yeah I mean you look at a couple teams that come to mind just off top as far as having good starting fives but when they get to their benches that’s really when they start to get exposed especially in playoffs teams like the Timberwolves and they have a strong strong starting five Think about the Knicks strong starting five you know but when those teams go to the benches against teams like the Pacers in the Thunder who have depth that’s really when you see the lack of depth that those teams initial teams had And I think that is what we need to we should be trying to stay away from We we are already on a trajectory of having the depth Now we just got to see if some of these young guys can become the stars to go along with having that depth You know guys like Kade guys like Jaden guys like Assar guys like JD the young Cora What can they what can they bring us to add to the depth that we already have so I think going the other way would kind of take a step back with what they’re trying to do and it would change their identity and then put them in the conversation with the Timberwolves and the Knicks as far as having those good starting fives but not having the depth And we saw how that played out for them So got to look at how the trend is going and kind of make the adjustments based on how teams are constructed and how teams are winning around that construction
right you don’t want to be the next team making that next Muel Bridges pick or that next Rudy Goar pick You don’t want to see that Like we talk about the young core all the time And while there may be a difference in some opinions I don’t think again maybe some may disagree but I don’t feel like any of the young core pieces are behind in their development based on what we’ve seen and how they’re playing Again a lot of guys can do better a lot of guys can show you know areas of improvement in some areas Kade as well everybody everybody in the young core included but as of right now based on what we saw last season I think they’re right on schedule or maybe even ahead of it at this point when being able to um you know answer some of the questions around their game like you know Ivy’s jump shot Duran’s defense um the stability of Assar um Cage’s all-around game his health Isaiah Stewart transitioning to the bench We saw good things from all of those guys And right considering it got them into winning basketball
this isn’t the time to be tinkering around with that and just blowing it all up Again keep your mind and eyes open because I’m sure even teams like the Lakers I’m sure they didn’t have any idea of blowing up the court that they had until Dallas called them about Luca So again just because Tan isn’t the aggressor or the one calling out about these deals it doesn’t mean he’s not open to it So again I like where they’re at I think they’re in an advantageous position with the young guys um you know being the ones that you can lean on for this development and I feel like they’re in the perfect position to kind of stick with what they’re doing and who knows maybe by the deadline because he also said like hey we know a conversation is going to be had we know a conversation is going to be had at some point so maybe at the deadline maybe next season like whatever it is it’s going to come but as of right now I think looking at this season is kind of make or break for some of these guys
No you made a great point He may not be the aggressor but that doesn’t mean a move is not going to be made We always talk about the Rasheed Wallace trade If there’s a Rasheed Wallace type of trade available you you can bet that Traan is going to seriously look at that for sure And to go along with that Ethan just said 04 squad had a bench that wasn’t the same in the years following Depth has always mattered 100% And that’s why in five they lost because they lost three or four pieces off of their bench that had they had them they would have repeated So it’s always been important It’s always going to be important the days of the top heavy teams are over at this point at least for now Um yeah I’m looking forward to seeing that Marvin says he’s claiming a Fonteo bounceback season Hey if he’s if he’s here long enough to prove it that’s going to be the key you know Hopefully he does Hopefully he had a down year and he’s able to bounce back but I just don’t know if he’s going to be here to prove it We’ll see We’ll see We’ll see if he remains on the roster Take a look at it But yeah we’ll see Check that out All right man Let’s keep it moving Um let’s move to I had another sound bite that we’re going to take a look at and this was regarding um Traion was asked on if the PW was the Pistons um outcome against the Knicks could have been different if they were healthy basically meaning had they had a healthy Stewart had they had a healthy Jaden Ivy and this is what he had to say about that cross your mind during that series of Of course Um
yeah especially Wu you know you know you know in January the JI’s going to be out but Wu you just think that that unforcer and the second unit around the rim could have really helped us But um you know we are also fortunate that we had Paul to I think if we would have had a a guy not as talented as Paul coming off the bench another player would have held water like Paul did for us at that time So interesting stuff man It’s something that we’ve kind of heard um we’ve kind of been saying ourselves and we heard the fan base kind of saying it too What what if it was always that what if what would have happened had we had those guys available We know Steu went down early in game one of that series So we really didn’t get a chance to see him or Ji at all It was interesting he mentioned that since January they already knew Ji was going to be out
So it seems like the plan for him all along was just to be safe which is what you always talk about whenever he’s asked about things like that He always leans on the side of caution right so you you say that often So you know it’s good to know that they’re putting that into practice and not rushing anything Even though we didn’t win the series doesn’t matter Health is always more important These guys career long term is always more important We just saw that with Tyres Hallebertton you know what I mean so yeah Very very very very good to hear that from him Any thoughts any other thoughts you had on on what to say about that
yeah I I like that again he’s kind of got like the dry personality but I do like that he can still kind of open up and kind of speak the language of the fans a little bit he could have did the easy um front office or leadership speak of hey you know hey no excuses we had what we had we didn’t fight hard enough d like he didn’t do that and I appreciated hearing that from him um you know that’s kind of just the reassurance of you know him understanding the fan base understanding the value of his players and how much value that they do bring to this team because 100% we say it and talk about it all the time if Steu was available this is a different outcome if Ivy’s available as well he’s not you know nursing a complete snapped leg then yeah I think we’re having a different conversation right now Um I feel like you know him being able to own that and kind of speak to it a little bit more openly right now Um I I thought it was really cool to hear Um again this they were huge pieces of the depth to this young court Um they took a lot of great steps in elite ways for this young team and I feel like they’re going to be a big part of what the Pistons do moving forward So yeah I like that he was able to be open and honest about that from his point of view
For sure For sure man Shout out to you guys Shout out to my cousin Papa Couso What’s going on Cuz Appreciate you guys all showing up and showing out man Keep the comments coming man We definitely see y’all As Chess Ready says “Stew would have mentally dominated Cat.” Yeah it seems like every time he he played against him he just kind of always had this edge on him before they even walked on the court
He just seemed whenever Steu was coming into the game it’s like remember that meme LeBron in uh 2013 when Kaw in the finals when Kawhai come That’s kind of vibe That’s kind of the vibe I get whenever I see uh Steu coming to the game when he’s guarding Cat So yeah just that mental edge having guys like that are why I think he’s going to be here for a long time That’s just something you either have or you don’t And very few guys have it to that level and he does Thoughts on that go Go ahead bro
Yeah I was sick watching Cat I mean he was playing really good but the constant barking and you know the trash talk to the bench to the crowd that just it agitated me Granted he played well and he you know owned up to it and was able to you know basically do whatever he wants since they won He was
but you know for you know if
Steu was on there I don’t think that’s happening I feel like he’s physical enough He’s probably fouling out a couple of those games but he’s going to leave enough of a mark to kind of leave him a little rattle before that game is over So
yeah bring Stewie lunch every day
Ste lunch every day for bro Right You know what I’m saying taking his lunch money and everything bro
That’s his game Yeah I like the physicality of Stew definitely missed that I think Tobias did a good job in his spurs um during was a little up and down with it but yeah I definitely think you know some of those especially those miracle threes he was chucking with like the shot clock expire like some of that just may be sick So
yeah I don’t I don’t think some of those land if Isaiah Stewart is playing but you know hopefully next season we don’t have to have to go through that again I want to give Tobias credit too because even though I I do think we need to get bigger at that four spot for that for you know that being one of the reasons playoff matchups and things like that who we’re going to face
it wasn’t like he was just like a bad defender against him you know he he just literally just didn’t have the size I mean we talked about it even with the Pacers when they played the Knicks
you know instead of Miles Turner guarding him because he wasn’t quick enough to stay in front they had to put Pascal on Cat the same way we put the bias on on Pas on Cat So and at times you saw Cat continue to go to work
right
you know so it’s not it’s not even just like and I think Pascal and Tobias are similar in size and height and I think the measurables are pretty similar 68 69
So you know I want to give Tobias credit because he battled his tail off He battled his absolute tail especially defensively man He really gave everything he had So it wasn’t just like he was just getting destroyed I just would like us to have more size at that position going forward Yeah I remember a lot of people before the series started thinking that that was going to be the mismatch that they could just exploit A lot of the shots he was hitting again they were tough shots It was either deep threes or if he was driving it was like that awkward like step where he would chuck it up high off the glass like Yeah Tobias made him work basically for every shot And they weren’t even when he was hot they weren’t constantly just going back to him on the block and like just getting mismatches and going on runs where he was the facilitator of it like he was hitting tough shots that they were that he was basically forced to earn and I feel like Tobias definitely deserves a lot of credit for that is because again going into that kind of matchup one of the best
uh shooting bays we’ve ever seen um it wasn’t going to be an easy match up for him and I think he held his own and he made him work on defense as well um by putting up some good numbers on his own side
Yeah that’s a good point bro Organic Lindo says my guy Steu might have to low manage here and there He hasn’t been able to cross the finish line of the last three years So how many games has he played over the last three seasons Chad you guys got me curious I know the year before last I think he missed some games toward the end of the season but I don’t think he’s missed a ton of games over the last few years unless I’m just missing something
Yeah he played uh Dang is that true wow He played Okay so 72 games this year which is the most he’s played his career 46 last season 50 the year before 71 second year and then 68 the year before that Okay So averaging about 50 50 to 60 I guess you could say
just about
Yeah
Yeah So that’s that’s that’s a valid point The way he plays the way he plays the game but I I don’t I still I don’t feel like it’s anything that would lead me to say he’s injuryprone
He still seems like he’s a pretty durable player
Um sometimes it’s luck and or a lack of it you know what I mean so I I think he I think he’s going to be fine next season Um especially with everybody coming back and things like that Hopefully we add some more size once again
So he doesn’t have to do do quite as much as he has done the last couple couple of years So we’ll see That’s something to keep an eye on for sure Let’s move on man Let’s talk about Well actually with that with that right with that right in with that one thing that Tjan did say when talking about the health of those two guys and Jaden and Stu was that he said they’ll be ready for camp
That was pretty much it So he said “So I’m looking forward to those guys being fully healthy us having a fully healthy roster um and being able to really build some chemistry build good habits build camaraderie and consistency and all that stuff.” Um when asked about restricted free agency um with Jaden and Jaylen Duran he said uh I think that was Omari that asked the question He said “Don’t jump the gun Those guys are not restricted free agents for another year.”
Um and then he said “When that time comes which is later in the summer um we’ll have those conversations those guys He definitely does value He just says hopefully we can have some really good conversations but if not they’ll play their years out and we’ll see what happens going forward Did you have any reaction to what he had to say about retreat to free agency
uh yeah I mean he said that he wanted to have the conversation at the start of this summer so it’s obviously on his mind It’s something that he’s digging into and interested in um in terms of where they land um is it feels like he’s just kind of checking off all boxes because we also have heard reports that the Pistons are also interested in a stretch big which obviously Jaylen Durren is not So he’s keeping all options open which I’m a fan of I like hearing that he’s not in love with anything right now He wants to keep his you know he doesn’t want to make decisions with his heart and being in his position he can’t do that like as fans as media me like we have our own views and emotions of it He has to kind of remove all that aside So yep
Um I like that he’s you know stated to be open about that Um he also stated the same thing I think we just mentioned about uh the vets as well Um going into free agency as well trying to talk to their agents and you know basically trying to open up the dialogue to let them know like hey you know we’re thinking about it We’re not we haven’t forgot about you
Um so yeah I like that It’s uh it’s obviously a talking point It’s something important to think about and um I guess we’ll see what happens coming up soon
Yeah man It’s going to be interesting to see because uh you know like he mentioned he did want to keep some of those guys around you know Tim H Juniors Malik Beas Lead of the World guys like you know guys like that Schroeder So it’s going to be interesting to see kind of what happens you know who stays who goes and I think it’s going to it’s it’s it’s hard to say what’s going to happen first but we may see something like that happen or come to a resolution before he makes any other moves
Mhm
But we’ll have to wait and see It can go either way So let’s move on Um the question was asked is there an unknown what Jaden will be or are you confident he’ll be what you thought he would be and Trejan Lena said never thought about never thought the he never thought the injury will put pressure on Jaden and he feels that it’s his responsibility Tan’s responsibility to put Jaden in the best possible situation to be successful and he said he als said he also knows what it’s like to play through injuries and he knows that Ji is going to want to get back to to the level as quickly as possible as he was and he’s been working his butt off Any reaction to what he had to say about that i mean that’s pretty straightforward but anything you got for that
yeah I feel like Langdon’s very high on um on what he sees from Ivy Um he sees the work ethic Um I think he understands the need of what this team um has in front of him You know he obviously went after it when they needed another ball handler after Ivy’s injury and they went and got Dennis Schroeder They tinkered around with some lineup stuff you know bringing Malik Beasley up as their ball handler Um using Assar as a primary ball handler like they’re very aware of what their needs are right now And I still think he understands the value that Ivy brings to this team even though he can be somewhat controversial in social media conversations but I feel like he understands like again what he means to this team and how much they need him And he again also understands like where he is in terms of development They’ve talked about you know how these guys have had to deal with having two three coaches in their young careers and the adjustment it requires to go through that And when you look at all the young pieces from Cade to Assad to Duran um you can make the case that Ivy has had more turmoil and adjusting to do than anybody else out of the young court going through the the the Monty Williams situation coming on and off the bench dealing with this huge injury playing on ball as a primary facilitator his rookie year when that really wasn’t what he was used to in college He’s gone through a lot of a learning curve uh since he was drafted in 2022 So like I I think again he understands what he brings to this team and he I like that he’s not basically rushing to what people are clamoring for some people are clamoring for which is make a splash get rid of somebody to bring in a big name Like I I don’t like that thinking Again we we’ve agreed moves should happen but you shouldn’t just be rushing the first move Like that sounds great in theory Like that’s how you end up with Josh Smith and you don’t want to do that again So I like that he’s willing to stay patient and kind of use this as another deciding season especially after what they did last year I think this is the best way to approach it
Yeah it’s it’s got to be that It’s got to be the perfect not perfect because very few moves are trades are perfect but it’s got to be very very ideal to where you’re getting enough impact but it’s not too much impact on your depth
right
you know you’re you’re upgrading up front maybe and but your backline is still okay That’s the fine line that I think he’s trying to balance and a lot of these trades we’re seeing is compromising one for the other or helping one and hurting the other I think he’s trying to find that balance of upgrading the starting five but not hurting the bench too much And I think that’s why I think he’s going to be patient And that’s why I think the trade deadline like Chess Ready just said may be important to keep an eye on because that’s when a lot of teams who may be who may think they have a chance to push for the playoffs they may make a move a win now move that really could hurt them in the future
So that’s why that’s exactly when the Rasheed Wallace trade happened was it was I think I saw the live report of him being traded here like 10 minutes before the actual trade deadline the afternoon literally So the closer you get to the trade deadline the more you’re going to see desperate teams who feel a pressure to get their team to the next level even if it means sacrificing or making a lopsided trade long term So that’s something to look for Just kind of look and see what happens Like we’ve mentioned like Chess Ready said like you’ve said maybe that trade deadline may be a time to keep an eye on Maybe not right away when the um when the season starts Go ahead Yeah that feels like the best um at least as of right now that the best kind of term to start looking at ideas because who knows where they’re going to be by the time that deadline gets there Um we don’t know what they’re going to their health is going to be like at that point Um there could be some players that are disgruntled Um yeah it’s not a need to rush these kind of moves in the summertime Um I can even understand rushing or having this kind of energy at the deadline even more so than right now just because they’re coming off of a year where they were jelling The young guys were looking good things were working It’s not like again none of these guys are behind or like holding the team back with the areas of their needs
So as it stands right now it’s no need to kind of rush them out of the door You can wait to hear about somebody being disgruntled from some team Um like we’ve seen even ju just this offseason alone a lot of teams are rushing out a lot of deals that are kind of confusing to me like um the Jordan Pool deal I thought was kind of odd New Orleans like Washington Yeah There’s a lot of things that they’re doing is kind of a little odd to me Um the Blazers you know picking up for uh for Drew Holiday like Anthony Yeah Like I that was weird to me Like you don’t want to have those kind of moves I rather at this point right now knowing that they have areas to build on and a foundation to stand on It’s no need to rush and bring in something immediately at least until like there’s no fire in this house right now So like let’s let things build out and see how they’re supposed to play out with this young core
For sure And then also too waiting for the deadline gives you an additional few months to be able to evaluate what you have because like you mentioned we haven’t really seen these guys at full strength right so you can kind of get a look and kind of better idea of what you may need as you get closer to the trade deadline and teams on the opposite side are getting desperate So it just makes sense that if unless you get a perfect you know deal that comes to your door tomorrow to just kind of wait it out see what you have and have the confidence that making X move will make sense based on what you’ve seen from these guys together You know what I mean so that’s why I think it makes the most sense We’ll see what happens You mentioned Assar um and I want to get to him too So some things that TJ had to say about Assar were that I thought it was very very interesting He said he want and it’s it’s not farfetched at all It’s kind of I think what we kind of saw for him is that he wants to at some point be defensive player of the year
Mhm
I thought that was dope I thought it was cool to to actually hear that Um because that’s that’s I think that’s his defensive ceiling I think he could definitely be defensive player of the year At least all defensive player at least I think he can definitely do that for sure So he also said that Tan said he’s working on getting stronger getting in better shape working on his abilities to get and create shots Improving shot creation ball handling and getting stronger are at the top of his list and having a full off season will really help him to take that next jump Thoughts on that
yeah I loved everything that he said about Assar um especially the the the the defensive player of the year statement because in the NBA and in sports now there’s so many people who will undervalue even athletes do this like if they don’t win an award oh I don’t care I just want a championship oh I don’t care about this I want a championship I want this I don’t care about this I want a championship it’s okay to have individual goals for yourself it’s okay to want to be an all-star it’s okay to want to win MVP it’s okay to want to win defensive player of the year like those kind of milestones absolutely matter for your career we’re not going to undervalue that in the ring culture era which has been a come conversation lately So I’m I’m happy that his that the you know the president of basketball operations kind of stamped that saying “Yeah that’s a goal that he set out for and we support it as well.”
And they’ve done a good job of supporting him and his growth at the same time They’ve you know been patient with him with the blood clot recovery Um even bringing in Fred Vincent Like they didn’t bring him in just because they need another coach They brought him in because they had guys that are either bad or inconsistent shooters and they want to see them get to as close as 40 as possible So I believe that’s what the the vision was to bring Vincent in It’s like hey we got Ivy uh Ron Holland Assar even Cade Like we have guys here that we’re very high on and we want to help you iron out their mechanics to get their shooting to where it’s supposed to be So right um they’ve done a great job of aiding Assar’s development and being patient with him Um and I think this is going to only make him that much better now with the full off season to work with Um again no health injuries to be worried about And again putting on some muscle will definitely be huge for him as well He’s already got the speed he’s already got some length
So if he’s able to push guys around play passing lanes quicker and you know kind of you know show a little bit of muscle in the paint I think huge for him especially when he’s looking at things like defensive player of the year for his trajectory So I’m I’m all for it I’m really happy that he was openly speaking about that for the Pistons
Yeah How crazy would this be
if Assar and Nam were the first twins to be first team all defense That would be wild But it’s not even farfetched bro That’s a crazy part It just shows how good they can be defense We’ve talked about it how high their ceiling is defensively man They
That would be Yeah that would be epic if they would were able to accomplish that Wouldn’t be surprised if that’s kind of on their bucket list for sure Um I did like how Yeah Yeah I did like how Trajan uh did make light of the time off that he he was to with the blood clot He mentioned that a couple times I heard I’m sure you heard that too
Just he’s he’s really looking forward to him having a full off season to be able to work on things that he really didn’t get a chance to work on Was pretty much trying to iron out through the season as he was getting acclimated and we know that’s not easy to do That’s why he really struggled early Um but yeah definitely looking forward to seeing him increase his conditioning because you know there were games where he played like 25 minutes and things like that So yeah
being another another year removed from the blood clot and really be able to focus on conditioning and being able to focus on strength All things that are going to make him a better player not just defender but better player as far as a shot creation like he mentioned All things that we talked about yesterday as far as if you’re going to be a starter we’re going to need you to give us something offensively something right something consistently that we can rely on And I think he’s going to get opportunity this offseason with this team to really do that So I’m really looking forward to him making the jump next year too bro not all these guys really have the the room to make a really big jump next year and I think that’s why Tanjan has still decided to not make not making any moves right now
Exactly All the tools and the resources are there for him Um again knowing that he has and and the teammates as well they all have full belief in him I mean we saw a lot of the glimpses and the flashes Um like the spin move against New York New York with the left-handed layup Um dunking on people the way he has you know coming out of nowhere for blind side blocks Like he’s done a great job of showing of how great he can be Um you know you want to see like you said a little bit of the offense kind of match it a little bit You know may he never not be um Scotty Pippet like some people say that
Very possible Like but you don’t need him to be that again just give us a little something to work with for that energy Even if it’s like you said just not I don’t think they’re looking at him to become like this just like a cade level type of player Like I don’t think that’s what they’re doing I think you look at these young core guys and they all kind of have their own avenues and lanes and swing skills that will kind of push the pitches in a different direction We saw it with Jay Nivy in the jump shot like it unlocked a lot of things in their half court sets in terms of how would him and Cade play next to each other um the passing between him and uh Duran and Assar that unlocked the ability for them to be on the floor together while there’s so much question of whether or not they fit They show that they can as long as they’re kind of in their spots where they need to be and long as their timing is correct So yeah I’m I’m very high on what he can bring to this team especially if it’s based on where their biggest needs are which is that perimeter defense and some of that self-creation that they’re going to need at a certain point along with that jump shot you talked about yesterday like that like little mid-range kind of like not floater but like he’s kind of leaning in a mid-range area and fading off He’s found some comfort with that and I’d like to see that kind of take some steps forward as well
Right I think that’s the shot creation that work that they’re probably going to be doing this off seasonason with him So and it it just helps to have a coach like JBF who is great at developing guys right we saw all these guys take leaps or last year So a full off seasonason for Osar Forar is definitely going to I think we’re going to see some improvement for him offensively next year for sure Maybe not in the maybe think maybe not being the Lord type of guy that is a good three-point shooter and that’s pretty much it offensively but maybe finding other ways like you just mentioned to really be effective consistently offensively So I’m looking to see how they intend to do that next season but the sky’s is the limit man for sure
Few more we got here Um Ron Highland and Bobby Clintman came up I I was happy to hear about this Two of my favorite players man So Ron he said Ron Tan said Ryan is getting better Um and Tjan is excited for him to play in summer league for both of them to play in summer league Um he says Ron and Bobby have versatility on both ends they can handle and score it and both have been working on shot creation as well and getting stronger as well which is very important for young guys So any reaction to Bobby Clement and Ron Holland obviously going to be in summer league and then what Treasure may be looking for for them from them next season
yeah they’re going to have a lot to prove as well I think um Ron obviously sees some time uh coming off the bench for the Pistons Um and I think Bobby is going to have an opportunity to make some noise too If they don’t um find an upgrade in the free agency or through the trade market to land another uh four or a stretch four I think that’s going to open up a time or a window for him to play I know you excited about that Um yeah I I wouldn’t rule it out at all I think we saw a lot of good things from him uh through the G- League for those who paid attention and even in that like you know short stretches that he had like in the last game against the Bucks like just those little plays that we saw of him being able to be a connector in terms of making secondary passes um you know being a good rebounder being a really good plus defender in you know open space in isolation like he’s shown really the ability to do a lot of the dirty work and um that connecting that the Pistons really need um so I’m very high aware they can Um again where that lands them we’re not really sure but again I like what they could bring next season And I think this is again we talked about being make or break or at least being like a window of opportunity for these young guys Those two for sure are definitely in that conversation because they have a lot to prove Um Ron came on pretty strong you know throughout the year as the season progressed Didn’t see him a lot in the postseason which I’m not worried about at all Um I’m sure that was great motivation for him and I feel like that’ll be um very evident when we see them on the floor
Yeah man I can’t wait to see uh I feel like I I I know we’ve seen more of Ryan so I mean obviously want to see him but I just want to see Bobby Clemen get more opportunity bro Um of course you know Tan mentioned that he has to get stronger There were some times when he got some run last year in those last two games against the Bucks where you saw he just needed to get a little bit stronger which is natural for every young player like Trajan mentioned but you just saw on the offensive end bro You cover you covered the NFL so you know how QBs always talk about being able to see the play before it happens And I see that a lot with him Like he the game is moving slow for him
You know he makes mistakes obviously but you can tell that he understands what he’s looking at and he’s making the right pass more times than not And he’s doing it with flare cuz he already knows what’s about to happen So he’s just having fun you know like things like that when you see it’s like oh this is okay He understands he understands the game He sees the game very very well to be so young So yeah Go ahead
I’m very high on young players who have that skill because I feel like like shooting is one thing Like I feel like a lot of guys either have it or they don’t Um and I feel like having the ability to pass not just pass but as you say be able passer where you can see the play before it happens knowing the guys spots knowing where they’re going to be as you deliver it Like that’s just a different feel And a lot of players sometimes it takes a while to get there
Um a lot of players kind of just come in and have it Like Kade has been a natural passer his whole career Um I feel like Ivy is a very underrated passer and a very willing passer as well And I feel like that’s a good make of this team You see a lot of guys that are just willing passers Assar JD um a very willing passer Like I like these guys are able to set their teammates up for these looks and I think that’s huge for them And I think Bobby kind of falling into that same role and even being in position as like an offball shooter and scorer as well is going to open up a lot of opportunity for him So I’m really I really am hoping that we do get a chance to see him kind of blend it in for maybe 10 minutes with the um with the main roster this season
For sure bro Like some guys you see where on one hand you see they don’t have the natural gifts but you see they understand how to play the game and that keeps them on the floor And they see other guys who haven’t learned how to play team ball but they’re great individual scorers Like for example like a Benedict Matan like he he’s he’s a good offensive player He’s a good one-on-one player right
which you can see at times he get kind of gets lost within the offense with what to do I think that’s the only thing holding a guy like Kim back especially playing for Rick Carlau who’s very team oriented when it comes to basketball offensively defensively
I think that may be why a guy like Kim was in the doghouse but a guy like Bobby Clemens seems to have both He seems to be able to go get a bucket if he needs to but he also seems to understand how to play team ball So like you mentioned having that so young I think he’s 22 like he he’s he’s I I I do see him in the rotation next season like you said unless we get a guy this off And honestly
that’ll kind of tell us where he is
as far as understanding
you know what J what coach is looking for on both ends If we go and get a guy maybe he’s not there yet If we don’t then maybe you know maybe he is So someone mentioned and I thought this was important too I think Ethan said this here says Clement needs to spend the year up with the team Even if he’s not getting a lot of minutes if he’s down in the G- League again I won’t expect him to be rotational guy That could be very true It’s hard to say A lot of it sometimes you see guys going back and forth back and forth back and forth just to get just to stay warm stay ready and things like that But it will be nice to see him you know with the team you know kind of brought up more often and that once again that’ll kind of determine on him and how coach feels he is in his progression
Yeah I think Summerly is going to determine a lot I feel like he’s going to be a big focal point of what they do He was last season too But I feel like now if he kind of has moments where he’s standing out where him and Ron are you know feeding off of each other and whatnot I feel like um the coaches are going to take notice of that I know JB spends a lot of time paying attention to the G-League guys like he’s very tapped in um to what they’re doing with Coach McMillan
So I definitely feel like there’s going to be an opportunity for him if he has the ability to show out in summer league I definitely anticipate that it can happen and uh I’m very excited for it as well I’m as high as on Bobby as you are
man Yeah we’ve been talking about this since the beginning of I think last season summer league when when it first started last year and I think the first second game we I text you text me like “Bro you I’m like “Yeah I’m watching him I I see it too Who is this guy?”
Yeah for sure So that 37th pick man Definitely showed up for sure
And now we back at 37 again Now they’re back again at 37 So maybe I should keep my eyes more open with that 37th pick especially with Traion picking But we’ll see We’ll see Man I want to get this in kind of a side note but I did see this question here Aaron Smith says “Thoughts on Marcus Sasser getting more playing time next season.” H it’s hard to say right now just because there’s there’s so many things that have to be kind of settled upon with you know guys like I mentioned guys who missed time last year didn’t get the opportunity now they’re gonna they’re going to get that chance So I think roles are kind of are going to be defined as we kind of get closer to the season Maybe a little bit later than we may even like but just cuz guys just cuz so many things need to be ironed out you know i think once we get to training camp So that’s kind of my thought I It could kind of go either way for me I don’t know if he’ll have a consistent role
but maybe he’ll have a bigger role because he really didn’t have much of a role last year It was kind of really spotty for him What are your thoughts on Marcus Sasser getting more playing time next season you think it’s a possibility or not so much more so outside looking in What do you think um I feel like it’s gonna I feel like whatever Trejan does in free agency will kind of answer that question because I feel like they were very optimistic about what they saw out of Dennis Schroeder you know with the team you know helping out as that veteran um backup point guard that also could blend in in the fourth quarter with the closing lineup as well And I feel like if they go after like honestly one guy I was kind of interested in to see if maybe um he could be like a stop gap guy was Drew Holiday before he just got dealt I don’t know if Portland’s interested in moving him again but to me I’m more interested in seeing them have a guy like that than leaning on everybody just being a young guy on the team So I mean we’ve kind of seen that for the last few seasons where a lot of these young guys um that are on the roster now or even last season with Baggley or Wiseman uh Killian like a lot of these guys that obviously didn’t you know pan out but they’re still in the same situation where they’re looking to see how much value that these young guys could bring So Sasser is kind of in that same situation right now I mean obviously we didn’t see him in the playoffs at all Um but I’m not really sure they they kind of played him in a lot of different positions where
one stretch he’s you know their primary backup uh point guard where he’s trying to pass and facilitate and then there’s other times where he’s realizing that he’s a heater and that he can just get hot at any point and he had some big games where he was able to show out even on Big Sean’s birthday Um yeah I don’t know I think like again I’m going wait till free agency to kind of answer that question I don’t think they’re ruling it out because again I think a lot of the teammates and a lot of guys on that roster are high on Sasser
but I think free agency is going to tell us a little bit more based on what um the margins that Tan was talking about He said he wanted to
you know find ways to upgrade those margins Where Sasser is in that rotation is the exact definition of a margin upgrade So I think free agency will tell us exactly what we need to know
I agree bro I I think I was thinking about it too think Sasser um needs to carve out a defined role for what he’s going to be for this team You think about most guys who are in the rotation You know what their role is And I think for Sasser he’s a bucket getter I know last season they tried him out at point guard you know trying to learn the offense He does he just doesn’t seem to that that’s not his strength He’s a bucket I would like to see him when he comes into the game looking to be a Vinnie Johnson who is a dog defensively Yeah if he because he’s already not the biggest guard in the world I think he’s 6 feet 61 So if he can be a dog defensively kind of carve out if you know if it’s there maybe not to the same level but a T.J McConnell kind of role offensively to and defensively on both ends where you’re just giving out all all out effort defensively giving everything you have you know doing things that teams can’t scout for as far as just making those plays you know going for the 50-50 balls just giving out all effort and then offensively being opportunistic on offense when it’s there for you just go and get it That’s kind of my thought on SAS What do you think one of my favorite Pistons of all time that I got to watch during the 04 days was Mike James I want Sash to watch film on him Shout out
Mike I feel like I feel like that’s a guy who again he wasn’t when him and Lindsay came in neither of them of them were like pure um like elite level playmaking point guards They lean on their defense and scoring in transition Well I mean while Sasser does have a better offensive bag than those guys I feel like what you just spoke to with his defense and kind of being that energy plug in that area I think can maybe push him in a different direction That could be his swing skill is upping his defense and finding a way to play in space and with speed along with the other second unit guys Um I feel like Mike James would be a good guy for him to study Um I feel like that’s a little more suited to his skill because I don’t I don’t ever know if he’s going to become like that kind of you know playmaking level guard Like it’s just not in his game He can pass a little bit but it’s just not where he exceeds at And I feel like taking advantage of what he’s best at especially coming off the bench where they need more scoring anyway I think he would be very suitful for that
Mike Cool Mike James Mike Jones I like it Ricky Yeah for for um that’s a great reference you use too as far as um just him and Lindsay bro Because for anybody who hasn’t already who didn’t experience the 04 championship and who’ve seen the highlights go back and look up Mike James Lindseay Hunter anywhere on YouTube you can find in the first quarter of that of the first round series in that 04 run they played the Bucks and Lindsay and Mike James had a sequence where they had like two or three straight steals in the back court Yep Y
you had the two of them doubling you know at the uh inbounding the ball the two of them doubling and then you would see Ben Wallace playing safety right and they would either get a steal in the ball at the point of attack or that you see Ben pick it off So like those guys just came into the game impacting with making the impact and it wasn’t always we always talk about that guys like Ron Holland Isaiah Stewart don’t have to score but are impact players because of the things they do in other areas and just giving out all out energy and effort That’s what I could see That’s a great reference bro That’s a great example as far as Mike James That’s pretty cuz Mike James wasn’t a big guy either I think he was 6’2 on a good day
maybe and Lindsay was 61 6’2 right and he was part of the she deal So if that if that kind of deal is going to come to your door I mean yeah like why wait until the trade deadline if you get something like that if you’re not giving up too much and you get a guy like Sheed and a guy like a Mike James to go along with it and you’re only giving up
not a lot you know what I mean yeah you make that move But great great comparison bro I definitely agree with you on that
Few more things and then we’ll call it man Um Kade he talked about Kade briefly I thought that was pretty interesting said um he spoke to Kate’s hunger this summer and we haven’t now we haven’t really heard a lot from Kate Kate has been quiet like he usually is real low-key how he usually is but he’s putting in work I usually means he’s putting in work and he said that Kade is hungry as of right now and he said that these guys got a taste of it and you want to get it again and these guys have the hunger and Kade has that hunger Thoughts on that bro as far as could we always talk about Kade you know he make making a leap making a leap He made a leap last season in great fashion First all-star game all NBA but I still personally think there are some leaps that he can make some levels more levels that he can get to in his game Um so what are your thoughts on what he had to say about Kade and the rest of the team having that taste of the playoffs kade might be hungry for a different level of fame too He didn’t go Hollywood with the Jimmy Kimmel uh all that That was cool to see I like cuz he also doesn’t have like a super outgoing like he kind of got that same kind of dry personality So to see him on TV kind of acted out has been pretty fun
Um but yeah he knows it’s going to come with the work too I feel like even though even though they didn’t win in the first round with the Knicks I feel like everything that happened this season was great validation and a great peak of how great he can be and how great the Pistons can be under his leadership Um yeah Cade has every every tool in his bag to be the best point guard in the East for sure and contended for the NBA Like I love Shay Gilas Alexander but Kade is a better playmaker and he has his own case to become the next um point guard face of the NBA Um especially in that conversation too where you know they’re so determined like the media is so determined to stamp out that new face of the league whether it’s Wimby or and Edwards like Kade has an argument to be one of those guys in the discussion
He’s getting mentioned with those guys now Yeah absolutely He deserves it 100% I feel like there are definitely areas of improvement that he can make Um you know definitely want to see him you know stay a little more dialed in as an offball defender Sometimes he kind of sinks a little low and allows a lot of three-pointers to kind of get cashed in Um obviously his own three-point shot needs to be a little bit more consistent especially if they’re going to lean on guys in the young core that are not proven shooters yet That’s going to lean on him to kind of be that guy to pick it up between him and Ivy to be honest with you Um and obviously the turnovers Um again I’m not the one I’m not one of the ones that you know overh harp on how bad or how many turnovers he has To me it’s when the turnovers happen that bother me So when he’s you know in the fourth quarter against the Knicks and you know they’re down two or they’re trying to you know build their lead then he turns it over then that’s a bigger problem than oh he has three turnovers in the first quarter Who cares right doesn’t matter Like those fourth quarter late game moments or whenever the the momentum is swinging for the opponent that’s when you want him locked in And he showed a lot of times where I don’t know if maybe he was just tired or not locked in but sometimes he was turning the ball over getting a little loose But I mean we all know what Kade is man He finished what seventh in MVP voting um All-Star season He’ll have another one coming up next year
And I think he’ll get his right due as an all-NBA selection above the guys who don’t deserve it ahead of him Steph Curry But I think uh we all know what Kade is and um I’m really excited to see what his trajectory looks like with a full healthy season around the guys hopefully Exactly That’s all I want to see I just want to see all these guys the young guys play together for a full season and and see what how it looks after that right so yeah 100% man Shout out to K man Great season Um yeah couldn’t ask for much more as a from a Pistons fan looking how last year went So
right
Yeah man Um I did have a question in here I wanted to get to separate from the quotes we talked about but just I saw the thought was interesting So Devon says “I hope Beasley doesn’t get paid.” Hm He’s solid for us but not worth no more than 12 defense I think that’s I think that’s a fair market though I mean because you think about it he only made six million this year which is a bargain Absolute bargain So double him up for sure I wouldn’t mind giving him 12 to 15 You know I don’t think you see too many guys you know even in sixth man bench roles getting you know that much more north of that So I think that’s fair What do you think what do you think about that
yeah I don’t I don’t mind the number at all And I know I’ve seen this followup He said he’s a bit one-dimensional just as a shooter You need that though this the NBA you need a guy that can just go on a heater They were how many times like we saw in the Sacramento game on the road
where they were down like damn near double digits and he just went on a heater of three straight and he’s not just hitting wide open shots where the defenders are forgetting about him He’s hitting these shots in their face like he’s contested He found the ability to kind of create his own shots or find space created from the other guards around him And again having that from a veteran I think is important Um Tjan talked a lot about you know in the draft that there are a lot of guards and wings that they have on their board that they’re interested in Yeah
And that’s cool but I feel like rushing them to be the immediate replacement of Beasley is kind of a big ask for a rookie So I feel like it’s important to kind of have some veterans that can kind of lead them in slowly and then maybe if you want to look at other options on how you handle Beasley and his contract in the next couple years I’m fine with that But I feel like for right now they don’t really have the ability to kind of just let him go Um I feel like maybe bringing him and THJ might be a little repetitive but I think Beasley has done enough especially you know with his uh campaign as six man of the year which he should have won
Um I feel like he’s done a lot in terms of leadership in terms of you know helping grow and establish the foundation of this team And he wants to be here too How many free agents have said “I want to be in Detroit.” I feel like you should capitalize on that instead of scrambling out for replacements hoping the grass is greener on the other side I feel like I feel like he’s you know worth what we’re asking for I don’t I don’t think it’s a problem at all
Yeah man It’s not going to be perfect It’s not going to be perfect but he was one of the most important players in this team last year
You have you have to bring him back As long as it’s not astronomical what he’s asking for which I don’t think is going to happen because he’s like you said he wants to be here
I think they’re going to come to an agreement And but but Devon I just I’m I’m gonna push back here bro because you said that we can’t talk about tech and act like Beasley is kind of the I think you meant to say they’re not the same Act like they’re not the same
They are Yeah Here’s the difference
Not the same Well here’s the thing He’s And he’s talking about as far as them being catchoot guys primarily
That is very true But the difference is that one guy made him and one didn’t
Yeah If Fontek was knocking down let’s just say you know let’s say he was shooting 37% 38% from three last year nobody would be upset even though he is onedimensional right so as long as you are a star in that role it doesn’t really matter because that’s like you said Be’s catch and shoot guy primarily tech catch and shoot but when you’re not effective at the thing that you’re best at
right
that’s when it becomes a problem Beasley was very very effective at the thing that he was best at
right vontekia was very ineffective in the thing that he’s best at And that’s why it’s a stark contrast between those two guys Like you said you got to have guys who are going to bring that consistency in that role It’s very very important to have that stability and consistency And he brings you that He brings you the confidence He brings you the vibes man Like guys in this team like him They like playing with him And he supports these guys I think the off the court stuff too is pretty important too He’s actually he uplifts this team Go ahead No I was just about to say that Keep going You cooking
No no no Go ahead Go ahead
Yeah Go ahead
Yeah Yeah JB talked about that a lot Um again obviously the encore suspects for yourself He’s one of the best three-point shooters in the league last season but the preparation and the mental um the mental preparation for the playoffs Um the end of the season training you know how to keep your body right him Tobias THJ and Paul Reed they were huge in keeping the young guys basically prepared for that moment So now next season when they get to the playoffs they’re not going to have as many questions as they did coming in before
And I feel like he was instrumental in a lot of that Even the fun stuff like we all enjoyed like seeing them like do the little uh modeling runway stuff in the back playing football before the game Like that kind of stuff makes the fun Yeah The shimmy Like come on man Like I think he’s done a lot to kind of show that he’s a big foundational piece to what this team needs Like again you don’t want to be running around scrambling for guys thinking “Oh maybe we can just bring in KCP to fill him in.” And KCP was horrible last season Like you don’t want to be fishing around for those kind of guys Like again so if you were to bring him back it’s not like you would be doing it out of desperation We know what he’s capable of So maybe he doesn’t finish 40% from three next season but it’s at least warranted based on what he gave you last season He didn’t struggle He wasn’t injured a lot Like he was relatively healthy playing as a starter and a bench player So nah I I feel like he’s a huge priority piece that should be back next season for sure
Absolutely Absolutely bro Totally agree man They played him on a lot of stuff last year but between Anthony Edwards taking 17 threes in the last game to get the three-point title and them snubbing him for six man and then snubbing him for the three-point contest Like come on bro Like
y’all really did my man dirty last year bro
Big time Big time I know he got a lot of motivation in this back especially after how the playoffs ended as well He’s got a lot of motivation going next season For sure
Yeah for sure bro For sure Any more thoughts on the pre-draft presser today and then we one more thing we gonna get to and then we’ll get out of here
Um no I feel like he was pretty straightforward with a lot of it man I think a lot of people just need to kind of relax Um again Tanjan has done a great job He’s done you know he hasn’t he hasn’t gone above and beyond in terms of going doing too much in his position He’s gotten great value out of guys that we didn’t expect a whole lot from coming into the season Like I don’t think people thought Tobias was going to be one of the better defenders on the Pistons I don’t think a lot of people thought that um Beasley would be the or one of the best shooters in the NBA even though he’s already noted as a great shooter Um you just saw a lot from these guys and I feel like uh Tan did a really good job of keeping his mind open being transparent about what his um thoughts are with the front office in terms of the draft free agency and just offseason all together it feels like he’s pretty in sync with understanding that these guys do have value and potential and they want to see a little bit more of it especially when they haven’t been uh healthy for a full season yet So again it’s a lot to weigh in with this season and you know I’m pretty excited about to see what they can do
Yeah man It’s going to be nice to be able to kind of kick our kick our feet up a little bit as fans knowing that this team is in good hands
knowing that you know
Treasure Landing understands what he’s doing you understand what he’s doing and there’s a a synergy between coach and GM and owner That’s that’s one thing that I think is very very important is that they’re all on the same page He said today “We all feel this way about different various things.” He said “We all feel like that and we all see it that way.” Making reference to the other guys who are part of the decision-m process So yeah man It’s going to be nice to I’m looking forward with excitement to see what happens this off seasonason as opposed to with angst like I have in previous decades with this this team know it’s it’s going to be nice The PTSD is slowly dripping off me bro Slowly slowly but surely Slowly man You know what I mean one more thing we’ll get to when we got here separate So earlier today bro you tweeted out that the Pistons have been linked to having interest in Memphis Grizzlies center Um right The Pistons among other teams like the Nets the Wizards and the Hawks have all shown interest in him And last year I think he made about 2 million very uh reason He was in his rookie deal obviously So
he becomes a restricted free agent this off seasonason I think he’s going to be commanding somewhere around $11 million or something like that
But we’ll see because it’s unclear what the Grizzlies are going to do with him being a restricted free agent So we got to wait and see Um what was your reaction to that report bro you tweeted out early today Um is this somebody you will be interested in the Pissing Pistons adding or no
yeah I like him a lot I feel like his game is very um it’s very predicated on what they need based on what their bench looks like right now Um played what 25 minutes roughly for the Grizzly last season Um averaging what 12 and a half off the bench shooting 48% from the field 37% from three Um pretty good rebounder Um giving you six u off the glass And he’s a guy that I mean kind of like we talked about with Malik Beasley he’s a guy that you can play with your starting lineup and you’re not going to miss a beat with what he gives you Like if you bring like if Tobias is starting and then he comes off the bench and you know he sits for a minute he’s he can go on a heater and spread the floor and do a lot of other things as well He’s got a nice little creative handle to himself Um you know he’s well capable of creating his own shot and knocking down contested looks as well as a sevenfooter Like I think that’s very important for what they need They said they wanted to look for a stretch big and I felt like a lot of the names that were out there just kind of seemed a little far-fetched Like I don’t see Miles Turner being possible Um I like the idea of Nas Reed Um but yeah I don’t think Miles Turner is very possible in terms of luring him into the Pistons Um Brook Lopez is a Piston killer so he definitely don’t want to come here
Yeah
Um yeah I I like I like Santi Alama think he’s kind of a safe um acquisition that could be a stop gap kind of guy that to me elevates what you were supposed to have already with uh Fonteo I feel like he’s a much more improved version and um as a sevenfooter I think he would be huge here for this lineup
If he’s going to play in that Fonteo role then I I don’t have a problem with that Um especially at that amount One thing about Ponteko that I did notice is that defensively he does shade the ball well Like he he does he does he does play off ball defense pretty well
right he he doesn’t get caught on back doors and he he pretty much understands how to play defense He’s not the most athletic guy or flashy guy or glamorous guy but he does a solid job as far as ball denial you know not letting not allowing easy hoops and things like that So I do like that I don’t know if Aldama has that mobility being 7 feet you would have to kind of use him a little bit differently kind of shift your rotation as far as who’s guarding those wings Maybe a guy like Ron Holland you have that do something like that But he would it would it wouldn’t be a perfect fit um for that reason I do want to give Fontio some credit cuz he he was a willing defender and an active defender and pretty mobile as far as like I said pretty successful as far as playing off ball defense So I want to give him credit for that Um the positive I think adding a guy like Santi Alama is like you mentioned we just talked about it but for a different reason him being a true sevenfooter You know the Pistons don’t have a sevenfooter in the roster right now Stretch or nonstretch they don’t have a seven foot on the roster Um but personally you know I think if the Pistons were to add him I know you mentioned you know and you make a good point about him being able to start if needed I don’t I don’t want to see him as a as a permanent starter Um
even if you wanted to play him as you know as a big four next to JD at the four I’d rather do that instead of the five Um or have him play with Nas Reed something like that But if you want to add him as a backup four or five you know I’m I’m cool with that You know if you think he could be upgrade over like you said maybe a Fonteo and or maybe a Paul Reed or something like that I like Paul Reed but if you think you know Alama’s better and it makes sense Okay You know I but I personally think that the cap could be better spent if you’re looking to add a starter I don’t know if Santel Dama is a starter on a championship level team right
and that’s no shade to him I just don’t know if he fits that mold especially defensively in the playoffs H I saw some things that were a little bit alarming So you know not a huge sample size but I think I would look to have him kind of bolster that bench if you’re going to bring him in for that kind of role If you’re going to spend the money I think you know you said it Nas Reed makes more sense to me You know giving you that nice three big rotation I know he’s not a sevenfooter but it gives you a nice threeman rotation with him uh JD and Steu
And hopefully a guy like Bobby Clintman you know getting opportunities We talked about that at the four maybe And you know try to use that cap to fill a bigger need You know that’s that’s kind of what direction I would go But if they’re looking to make him a backup guy and backup four or something like that I’m cool with that at the right price It’s not you know as long as you’re not breaking the bank for it a guy that I think I had a nice little comp earlier I got one more for Santi that he could possibly be Um who he wasn’t the best defender when he was a Piston but one thing that he was great at was taking charges and beating his defender or beating his opposition to the spot He could study a guy like Iliova Like if you have a guy like that that can just knock down some shots step in and take some charges every so often Like again he wasn’t a locked down guy and he kind of played starter until Tobias was traded for him I feel like he can be sufficient enough with that in a 20 minute span He’s definitely not a guy that you want to rely on for 30 plus minutes but if he can kind of stop some plays and change the momentum with a couple charges here and there knock down some threes I I don’t see why he can do that Obviously for a sevenfooter it’ll be a little tougher but I feel like you know that’s something he can work on with this game and his footwork Um you know as he’s learning the game No And my initial reaction was no But I have to remind myself I Silva started
Yeah
So he was going against starters consistently So if if you were to put him in a backup four role you know playing against not you know having not had him playing starters every single night all the time that would be something I would Okay I could get behind that Bro I think that’s actually a good comp now that I think about it The way they play the game pretty reliable from three I think Santi’s like 367 37 career something like that from three So that’s solid you know
Um but yeah I’m not mad at that And he’s actually What was I for like 610 he wasn’t even a sevenfooter I don’t think Yeah No he was like 69 610 Yeah
696 Okay Yeah So yeah So if you got a guy like that off your bench Yeah I’m with that for sure Yeah I like it
Anything else you got for us bro
uh I’m good man I’m excited for the draft to get here Um I think what free agency starts next week Um we got a lot of good stuff coming up this off seasonason Um hope y’all stay locked in with us Um really excited about where the team is going and uh it should be a lot of things to take out for it man It should be a pretty fun time
Yeah man Make sure you guys go subscribe to Eric’s YouTube channel Toptitle Sports Make sure you guys go over there Top title Detroit My bad Is it Detroit Sports what is it give me the official name
It was Toptitle Sports I changed it and just kind of kept it local for right now So yeah it’s back to Top Title Detroit
Title Detroit Okay Y’all go check him out man He’s got great content over there And as we get closer and closer to training camp and summer league he’s going to have exclusive for you guys Like I always mentioned a lot of the things you guys see on my YouTube comes from this man right here giving me access to it So y’all want to make sure y’all stay tapped in with him cuz you know you can get directly from him you want You won’t even need me you know Just go straight to him check it out For real It is what it is But anyway that’s a wrap on tonight’s episode guys Been great episode man I’m looking forward to getting deeper and deeper into the offseason and seeing what happens Um but yeah man it’s been great having you here We appreciate you guys always showing love and showing out as you guys always do It’s been great conversation and we will be back soon as soon as we have some more updates We will be back with you guys Make sure you guys subscribe to the Downtown Deuce channel Like comment subscribe show love to your boy as always and we will catch you guys on the next episode And y’all know what it is man Detroit verse everybody Peace And when you knock me down I’m getting back up Cuz when I step on the floor you know your time’s down I’m on my way up and I’m not going to stop We headed straight to the top And I know I got to waste it I got no time to waste Everything with with me through it’s Hit me with time Hit me with me Can’t be there with them
The Detroit Pistons held a pre-draft press conference for GM Trajan Langdon.
In this episode, Downtown Deuce is joined by Clutch Points beat writer Eric Vincent as he reveals his biggest takeaways from Langdon.
#detroitbasketball #pistons #detroitpistons
0:00: Intro
2:40: Initial Reacton To Pre-Draft Presser
6:05: Breaking Down Trajan Landgon’s Plan For Young Core
1:02:35: Pistons Interested In Santi Aldama?
12 Comments
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Fontecchio and sasser for Santi
we use the word “will” instead of “can” when it comes to our young guys reaching their potential a lot. Lord willing, all of them can stay healthy and prove that their hard work will pay off. i personally believe we only need a better or higher ceiling starting 4 and we’ll be golden for years to come.
I gotta skip the intro song everytime .. put some real Detroit music on the intro like everything king did !!!!
Change the song bro .. listen to my advice
Man I got no notification you went live smh
Soooo hoo we gettin????
Sacramento flirting with Dennis 😅
No way Danny Wolf isn't getting attention!
Glad we got a GM that's not rushing to do a dumb ass trade etc… I want an upgrade at PF though..
Why most these players mad where they goes this is nba change your life
I just wrote this on kings video, but, how do you feel about Johnathan Issac on this team off the bench? I know it probably isn't realistic, but come on now, him and stew defensively? would be nasty. I mean get naz Reid too, but, if we replaced fontecchio with Issac, I'd only imagine how great this team would be. his injury history is a concern, but, other than that, I'd be hoping for him to get on this team.