Draft Picks / Free Agents / Trades; Let's talk targets

It looks like we're probably (hopefully) gonna end up with at least the 3rd worst record in the league. That gives us a realistic shot at the #1 or #2 pick. Probably #4 at the worst. So, basically, everyone's on the table.

McLemore - He's #1 on my board, for sure. He's more or less exactly what we need - a perimeter scorer at the 2 or 3. Even better, a shooter. Even better-er, a plus defender. He's not as great with the ball as you'd like to see at this point. And he sort of disappears at times. But he's #1.

Smart - He's #1a for me. The one issue with him is that he's not a true point, and he's a little undersized for a 2-guard. Aside from that, he's better with the ball than McLemore, and a little more intense. I'd love to have him.

Muhammad - He's #3 for me. I like Muhammad. I think he's going to be a plus wing defender. I think he's going to be a plus wing scorer. Needs to improve his shot a little. Needs to get a little better with the ball. Needs to become a little more assertive. And it appears there's a good chance he will do all of that.

Bennett - He's #4 for me. Probably would be better-suited as a 4, but we need him more as a 3, and I still like him better there than Porter. Just needs to keep working on that outside shot. Physically and athletically, a good match-up for LeBron (not as quick, but who is at that size).

Porter - I don't like him as a top-4 pick. I hated Tayshaun - and he sounds a lot like a Tayshaun who can't shoot or dribble. No thanks.

Oladipo - Seems like more of a defensive specialist in the league to me.

Noel/Zeller/Len/C-Stein - It'd be nice to have a great, third big man. But I'm hoping that we'll be able to land a full-time starter this high in the draft.

A front line of Andre Drummond, Greg Monroe, and Nerlens Noel would be pretty solid.

No thanks on Smart. We have no need for him. If you get a pick that early, you take sweet sweet Shabazz/McLemore/Oladipo.

This all started when Old Skool compared Burke to Jay Williams. Then Panda wondered if Burke's mind compared to CP3. I never said Stuckey was better than Burke. I believe quite the opposite. However, Burke has shown a tendency for collisions, and a tendency to hang on to the ball (a la Stuckey). Admittedly, his UofM teammates have failed to step up when needed. How Burke adjusts to the NBA is yet to be seen. Personally, I hope he becomes more like CP3. That possibility certainly exists.

I've watched about every game Burke's ever played.

He's not a natural point-guard, believe it or not. He's probably never going to be one of "those" play-making point guards. He just plain doesn't have the instincts, or the feel. And I don't know if one ever develops those so late. Darius Morris, just as one example, was a better play-making point guard (and while an unheralded 2nd round pick, he looks like he might actually end up carving out a decent lengthed NBA career).

Burke could, however, be a top-10 point guard in the league. His outside shot's not as great as it's been at times, but it's still good enough (and, as with all of these things, he's a very hard worker and he's going to improve a lot). He's got a great pull-up mid-range jumper. He's got a great handle. He's got tremendous quickness. He's pretty strong and well-built. He seems to get a lot of clutch steals when he needs to. He'll probably be a plus-defender of smaller guards with focus. He's more of a leader than a knucklehead.

But no. Not a tremendous play-maker. Doesn't seem to ever find people for easy buckets often. And he's sort of digressed taking it to the rim.

He's somewhere in between Jay Williams and Kemba Walker, imo. Could be the 3rd or 4th scorer for a good team.

Why don't we have a need for him?

Our starting point guard's a FA.

Brandon Knight's not a great point guard or shooting guard.

Stuckey's Stuckey.

Bynum's a FA. English is English.
I don't get it?

There is NO WAY Smart or McLemore drop below 3. If you were to agree with the BPA draft strategy, I don't think it's possible to pass on Noel, unless you have issues seeing past his injury.

Bennett is a player too, but ehhh, our needs man. Our needs...

The last time we drafted based on needs, we ended up with a guy named Darko...

The cool thing about drafting purely on talent is that you can trade that talent for what you need

Whoever drafts Marcus Smart in the top 3 will be sorry. If you think Anthony Bennett is going to be a SF in THIS league....dream on....and if you think he's a better player than Otto Porter......then there's no sense in even trying to wake you. As the season progresses, I think Muhammed will be a better pro than McClemore. Things to consider about Muhammed and Porter, they both are playing for coaches and teams that don't allow players to look good offensively. Think about Jrue Holiday, Afflalo and Westbrook at UCLA; and JT3 @ Georgetown has a horrible offensive philosophy, the players coming out of those programs tend to shine at the next level when the game is more open, and up and down.

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz...

Wait, people think Bennett will be a SF in the NBA?

His floor is Maxiell. He looks a lot like Larry Johnson, and his offense is just so much better. In fact it is better already. I am high on Smart, but Charlotte screwed themselves with Kemba Walker, who on top of not really being all that, keeps them from making McLemore an option.

Cleveland is god awful, but in better news we've dropped to #4 with Anthony Davis tip in against Boston.

Marcus Smart is a terrible top 3 pick, but a great 5-10 pick.

Bennett isn't the next manimal. I am not high on that guy at all.

McLemore is gone when we are drafting, although he is arguably the best fit. I would take Shabazz and Oladipo next. I am a bit worried about Shabazz's defense,

I've seen a few games from Oladipo, I don't recall If I said this before but that guy can't handle the ball.. he has no ball handling.. he is, I think, the best defender in the draft, but he is not a scorer, definetly not.

Nerlens Noel has no post game, no mid range shoot, he is a great athlete, has long, long arms but, at least for now, no head.

The picks for us, regardless of what pick do we have, if 3rd, 1st or 10th, should be, IMO, like this:

McLemore
Shabazz
Noel
Smart
Otto Porter
Oladipo
C.Zeller
Trey Burke
Anthony Bennet
Michael Carter-Williams

I like the sound of the "best defender in the draft". Does he handle the ball about like Artest?

I wouldn't take Zeller even if he fell to 10. There is no value in a 15mpg rotation big man. He goes early when someone reaches on him, or late.

I agree with your first 3, but I am not high on Marcus Smart at all. He is going to eventually slide into combo guard territory.

I also take Oladipo over Porter - and my reasoning is simple. Perimeter defense is transferable into the NBA. Offensive skills can be taught assuming that the basic mechanics are there.

I only put Porter over Oladipo because we need an offensive guy, a go-to-guy who can create his own offense.. I really don't know if Porter is that kind of player right now, but he is better offensively than Oladipo.

I'll be honest with you, I wouldn't mind picking him, but we have to know what we are getting, a great player in the defense but, in my ipinion, with not great offensive game.. Can he develop that, yes he can, but that doesn't mind he will. In that case we should draft by physical conditions over basketball skills...

I think Zeller is a Hansbrough but better.

Just to be clear... you're saying this, right Panda?

McLemore
Shabazz
Noel
Oladipo
Otto Porter

Probably, but Artest is not a shooting guard.
If my data is correct.

Ron Artest in 1999 in St. Johns - Sophomore - Height: 6-6 - Wieght: 244 - PPG: 14.5 - RPG: 6.3 - APG: 4.2 - SPG: 2.1 - BPG: 1.2
Right now Artest is 6-7 and 260 lb

Victor Oladipo - Junior - Height: 6-5 - Weight: 214 - PPG: 13.6 - RPG: 6.4 - APG: 2.1 - SPG: 2.2 - BPG: 0.8

There is a big difference, I don't see Oladipo being able to defend the forwards of the NBA like Carmelo, Lebron, Durant, Rudy Gay, Wilson Chandler, etc...
His position will be shooting guard, and having a shooting guard that can't create his own shot is though. Having a SG that can't do a 1 on 1 because of his poor ball handling ability will suck.
I like him, I really do, but I want the Pistons to score, and it can't seems to be a way to do that with out current roster... so, if we sign some SF with great offensive abilities, I would draft him without hesitation.

Letter perfect.

There will be many discussions about the seriousness of Noel's injury. Being young and obviously not needed for guard quickness, someone in the lottery will take a chance on him and it most likely will be within the top six picks.

The 1-2-3 positions are all challenges for the current directions on who the Pistons target in FA. Knight will stay around just because he has combinations (P-PG) that will help smooth out other deeper needs. Most likely the PG position will be highlighted during FA. Almost all of the lottery picks (except for Smart, McLemore)) are 3-4-5 combinations. Seems like a 2-3 combination will be landed by the Pistons. JD (and others in the front office) will have to move into multiple combinations with FA, trades and draft picks. The way the season is ending and except for the three untouchables (which may need re-thinking), many will be gone.

This time around, JD will not be able to be happy to leave the obvious talent from 8-10 lottery selections do his bidding.