People are saying that Green is a tweener. We already have an undersized 4 (Maxiell), an underpolished 3/underweight 4 (Johnson), and a 2/3 hybrid (delfino). Green could totally fit in with a new pistons versatility or just be another player without a position on a team with no true positional players.
Green looked like he could be a bonafide 3 to me, and is a hell of a defender so that wouldn't be a concern to me. Do we really need these true positions as long as we can check them on the other end? Weren't Chauncey, Ben, Lindsey, Sheed, sCorliss all tweeners or at least multiple position players?
dunno. It could work out well. I just remember other commentaries in previous years (on other teams) about tweeners. Maybe it was about not having a true C and a plethora of 4/5's. Its fuzzy now. lol. I do remember long ago that Isiah said that the future of the league was the hybrid player...like a team with 4 Scotty Pippens and a Big man.
I figure in the Super Bowl Champs can draft/sign 4 Ohio State guys than we should try and get at least one; i.e., Mike Conley. I know he is only a freshman and would most likely go to the D-league for a year, especially if we resign C-Bill, but the guy is probably the best point guard available in the draft. Unfortunately I think he will be gone by the time we are up on the board, unless Joe D. feels he wants to trade up for him and is able to do that.
Conley is interesting. Higher stock than Law but only a freshman. Thats a toughie. I guess with the D league its ok. You get 2 years there. But then you got what 4 years in the rookie contract.
If Splitter did not have contract concerns, he would have already been drafted. He's a very experienced, very polished Int'l player. I would blow a late 2nd round pick on his rights, just to have them for future trade possibilities.
I'm hoping for a PG with that #15. Conley is probably the safest pick. Law is probably the best shooter. Collison probably has the most upside. If Collison could improve his shaky jumper, then he could be a star. He's a lock-down defender, an ankle breaker, and he's always looking to pass. Love that kid's game.
We already have a PG that can't shoot. We let one go. I don't think we want to take on another project of this nature.
Blalock doesn't have NBA talent. There is no comparison between Collison and Blalock. If he stays in the draft, and is still there at #27, then it would be tough to pass on him.
I am not overly concerned with the length of a rookie's contract. To me the question is: Which player in the draft will contribute the most over the next 10 years to the Pistons continual level of exceptionally high performance? It could be he doesn't go to the D-League. Jordan Farmar played only 1 or 2 games in the D-League this year as a rookie and for the most part he played pretty descent for the Lakers. Now, I realize it was the Lakers that he was playing for, but he did beat out Smush for a starting job by the end of the year, so that is pretty good. I figure Conley is at least as good as Farmar.
I don't see how the Detroit Pistons' draft pick should even be an issue. The Pistons NEED a PG and C point blank. Whether Billups and Webber come back or not we'll need to start developing players behind them. Rip and Tayshaun might be around for a while, but Billups and Webber might not. And Sheed already has Maxiell being groomed behind him, and while Maxiell might not be starting caliber he's playing very well right now. However, the PG position is very thin right now. Chauncy Billups might not even be with the Pistons next year and if he is Lindsay Hunter won't be. No way is Blalock good enough to be groomed into our next PG and neither is Alex Acker. The Center position is also up in the air with Cheik Samb still developing. That is why in my opinion the Detroit Pistons need to take either Hibbert @ Center or Acie Law @ PG hands down if they're still available with the 15th draft pick. And what would be great is if we traded Nazr Mohammed, our 2nd round pick, and our late first round pick for a top 15 pick also. That way we might have a shot at both Acie Law and Roy Hibbert. I don't get all the talk about which PG fits the Pistons the best. Acie Law (according to NBAdraft.net) has a similar gamestyle to Chauncy Billups, so why wouldn't he fit with the Pistons? He's a big guard (much bigger than Connelly) and would be able to use his size advantage much like Billups has been doing in the playoffs so far. I'll be very happy if we get Acie Law in this draft and it will redeem the Darko Milicic bust of 2003.
Any comments/responses? You guys had a 10 page thread going and as soon as I post my opinion the discussion comes to a halt. lol.
PG would be my priority as well. We're well stocked at the wing positions with Rip, Prince, Delfino, and maybe Acker. The guy that I'm liking right now is Javaris Crittenton. I've only seen him a couple times, but I liked what I saw. Also, I know a couple of basketball guys, whose opinions I respect, who are really high on him. I wouldn't mind a center either. Hawes might be available, but as good as he is offensively, he doesn't really bring the shotblocking that I like from that position.
I agree that we need a PG, and that should be a priority, unless Joe has some deals in mind. As far as center, that is going to be more difficult, but maybe there will be someone available as our 2nd pick rolls around.
Adpreston what got here is what a bunch of us have ran into over the past two years: You post a comment and immediately it becomes A thread killer as either no one comments on it again or it isn't resurrected for a few weeks. We even had a thread to discuss this last year
We got the 15th pick unless something crazy happens. Sounds like Acie Law maybe available as according to the JayBilas report he is about 14th or 15th on the selection depth chart. The question is who wants him more and selects him before our turn. Who is Joe looking at as his second PG if Law is gone. Agree that in addition to PG, we need a big man in the middle. Do we go outside the country ala the Darko disaster and look at the 7 footer from China -Yi Jianlian or the 6/11 Tiago Splitter, the guy from Brazil that has played professionally in Spain and brazil since he was 15. Both are considered power forwards so can they play the 5 and will they be able to come right in and start??? or will it be another project???
I'd go for tiago if Law is gone. He's in a contract bind and may not be available immediately but that fits us well. We got some young kids that need floor time without having to carry the big load.
