Game 81: Grizzlies @ Pistons

[Sydney_Fife 368]

7:10 tip tomorrow.

Conley is questionable.

If the Pistons win this one and the one against the Knicks, they make the playoffs.

[Deleterious 2,137]

1 hour ago, Sydney_Fife said:

7:10 tip tomorrow.

Conley is questionable.

If the Pistons win this one and the one against the Knicks, they make the playoffs.

The Pistons missed their chance of going into the playoffs with both Blake and Conley hurt.

[Shelton 1,372]

Pistons can still reach the 7 seed. They need to win their next two games, the nets beat the heat, and hornets beat the magic. 

[kdog 264]

Quote

#Grizzlies injury report for Tuesday vs. #Pistons :

Mike Conley, Jaren Jackson Jr., C.J. Miles, Joakim Noah, Jonas Valanciunas, Dillon Brooks, Avery Bradley and Kyle Anderson all are OUT. 

 

[Deleterious 2,137]

 

[Buddha 868]

memphis is actively trying to lose this game.  pistons should win by 20.

[Sydney_Fife 368]

Memphis by 12 confirmed. 

[Deleterious 2,137]

Rest Blake.

[Casimir 1,285]

Want a headache?  Here, study these permutations:

 

[Sydney_Fife 368]

Regardless of what happens the next 2 nights, it's pretty obvious this team needs major changes. They going to end up .500 or below despite having full healthy seasons of Blake and Reggie. Ish got hurt and that was pretty much it. And they still aren't good.

But, they're capped out. They have no room to do anything. Going into the summer and then next season, they'll have $40 million in expiring money. Jackson, Leuer, Galloway, and Josh fricken Smith. 

So we are still going to have to sit through another season of this junk, so I am hopeful they can win these next 2 just so they can make the playoffs. Because I doubt it happens next season with this same group coming back.

[313DetroitCity 254]

45 minutes ago, Sydney_Fife said:

Regardless of what happens the next 2 nights, it's pretty obvious this team needs major changes. They going to end up .500 or below despite having full healthy seasons of Blake and Reggie. Ish got hurt and that was pretty much it. And they still aren't good.

But, they're capped out. They have no room to do anything. Going into the summer and then next season, they'll have $40 million in expiring money. Jackson, Leuer, Galloway, and Josh fricken Smith. 

So we are still going to have to sit through another season of this junk, so I am hopeful they can win these next 2 just so they can make the playoffs. Because I doubt it happens next season with this same group coming back.

What is the major change you recommend?

[313DetroitCity 254]

A loss tonight would be pathetic. This should be an easy win.

The Pistons are at home and have everything to play for against a franchise that is actively trying to lose. 

[Deleterious 2,137]

With the cap projected at $118M they will have some space that summer.  But Blake will be 32 years old at that time.  Also, I'm not sure how much cap space helps a team like Detroit.  Since you are limited to offering a guy 25%/30%/35% of the cap, you cant outbid other teams for a max contract type player.  So that means you start overpaying mid-tier type guys, and well, you get what you have now.  An expensive roster where the talent doesn't match the price tag.

So at $118M salary cap, the Pistons would have about $43M free to spend.  But not if Andre opts out of the last year of his deal.  Because he opts out his salary cap number changes from his salary of $28M to a caphold of $40.6M.  A caphold is 1.5x his previous years salary.  So they would have $31M.  I would say $10M less than that when you factor in signing their next two 1st round picks plus they will add a free agent or two.  

TL;DR The Pistons will have some cap space in two years.  Probably not as much as most think.  Doesn't matter though since Blake will be old and cap space isn't friendly to the Pistons anyway.  Since they have to overspend to attract players.  

[313DetroitCity 254]

7 minutes ago, Deleterious said:

With the cap projected at $118M they will have some space that summer.  But Blake will be 32 years old at that time.  Also, I'm not sure how much cap space helps a team like Detroit.  Since you are limited to offering a guy 25%/30%/35% of the cap, you cant outbid other teams for a max contract type player.  So that means you start overpaying mid-tier type guys, and well, you get what you have now.  An expensive roster where the talent doesn't match the price tag.

So at $118M salary cap, the Pistons would have about $43M free to spend.  But not if Andre opts out of the last year of his deal.  Because he opts out his salary cap number changes from his salary of $28M to a caphold of $40.6M.  A caphold is 1.5x his previous years salary.  So they would have $31M.  I would say $10M less than that when you factor in signing their next two 1st round picks plus they will add a free agent or two.  

TL;DR The Pistons will have some cap space in two years.  Probably not as much as most think.  Doesn't matter though since Blake will be old and cap space isn't friendly to the Pistons anyway.  Since they have to overspend to attract players.  

The key from here is hitting on draft picks (in 1st & 2nd rounds) and swinging trades for young assets with room to grow.

Kennard has to improve, Khyri/Bruce/Svi have to become rotation quality players and the front office has to draft well in the mid 1st round. 

[Deleterious 2,137]

10 minutes ago, 313DetroitCity said:

A loss tonight would be pathetic. This should be an easy win.

The Pistons are at home and have everything to play for against a franchise that is actively trying to lose. 

Go to the game tonight.  Memphis might throw you in the rotation.  

[NYLion 195]

They will win this game tonight because Memphis won't put up any resistance. Any time a team gets in the Pistons face, they fold like a cheap lawn chair.  

 

[NYLion 195]

37 minutes ago, 313DetroitCity said:

The key from here is hitting on draft picks (in 1st & 2nd rounds) and swinging trades for young assets with room to grow.

Kennard has to improve, Khyri/Bruce/Svi have to become rotation quality players and the front office has to draft well in the mid 1st round. 

They need to dump the dead weight first and foremost.  This core is trash, they need to take the trash out before they can move forward. If there's any team that needs a fresh start, it's this one.

[Deleterious 2,137]

I dont know, tonight scares me a bit.

A bunch of guys who haven't played all season, with fresh legs, trying to put something on tape to show coaches they can/should play.  Detroit still wins, but it's a little scary.  

[Casimir 1,285]

26 minutes ago, Deleterious said:

I dont know, tonight scares me a bit.

A bunch of guys who haven't played all season, with fresh legs, trying to put something on tape to show coaches they can/should play.  Detroit still wins, but it's a little scary.  

Agree.

And then tomorrow night on the road, game two of a back-to-back, front office looking to lose but players looking to make names for themselves for their next contract.

[Casimir 1,285]

33 minutes ago, NYLion said:

They need to dump the dead weight first and foremost.  This core is trash, they need to take the trash out before they can move forward. If there's any team that needs a fresh start, it's this one.

For reference.

[NYLion 195]

7 minutes ago, Casimir said:

For reference.

Exactly, lots of trash that needs to be cleared out.  GRIII was another stellar signing too.

[NYLion 195]

36 minutes ago, Deleterious said:

I dont know, tonight scares me a bit.

A bunch of guys who haven't played all season, with fresh legs, trying to put something on tape to show coaches they can/should play.  Detroit still wins, but it's a little scary.  

They tend to beat up on teams that don't have a pulse so I think they'll take care of business tonight.

The Knicks game could very well be a loss especially if Blake is hobbled because they are a horrendous road team.

[Casimir 1,285]

8 minutes ago, NYLion said:

Exactly, lots of trash that needs to be cleared out.  GRIII was another stellar signing too.

Yuck, I thought that was only a one year deal.  I didn't mind at as a one year.  They didn't have much wiggle room, so, a one year, sure, why not?

Of the FA, Smith is the only one I would bring back, but I can see him going elsewhere to be the primary bench PG.

[Deleterious 2,137]

Robinson was a great move by the front office.  Cheap two year deal with the second year not guaranteed.  More of that please.

The problem with Robinson, and players like him, is Detroit has absolutely nobody to make him better.  Guys like him can't create their own shot so they depend on others to do it, and the Pistons have nobody to do that.  They need one,  probably two, perimeter players who can A)Shoot a high percentage from three and B)Take people off of the bounce.  When Reggie is rolling he does these things, and the Pistons win.  But he doesn't do it nearly consistent enough to make much of a difference over a season.

Get a guy or two like I just described and guys like GRIII look a lot better.  

 

[313DetroitCity 254]

5 minutes ago, Deleterious said:

Robinson was a great move by the front office.  Cheap two year deal with the second year not guaranteed.  More of that please.

The problem with Robinson, and players like him, is Detroit has absolutely nobody to make him better.  Guys like him can't create their own shot so they depend on others to do it, and the Pistons have nobody to do that.  They need one,  probably two, perimeter players who can A)Shoot a high percentage from three and B)Take people off of the bounce.  When Reggie is rolling he does these things, and the Pistons win.  But he doesn't do it nearly consistent enough to make much of a difference over a season.

Get a guy or two like I just described and guys like GRIII look a lot better.  

 

Yeah, GR3 was exactly the kind of move this FO needs to make. He is fairly young and has/had potential to be a rotation player. Signing him to a 1 year deal w/ a team option for cheap is excellent.