This team needs a LEGIT center in the worst way

You really just need someone who rebounds well and provides some kind of defensive skill the meshes with the other frontcourt guys. Greg Monroe's strength isn't weak-side defense. The Pistons need someone on the roster that who can cover block/alter shots at the rim. They also need the right perimeter guys to put our bigs in the best situations. Right now that's only Zombie Tayshaun. Greg Monroe can peak at around 15-18ppg, which is fine for your top big man scoring option. But he's going to be most effective with complementary players around him. There aren't many of those on this roster.

Marreese Speights! He's in the last year of his rookie contract! He's hungry and he doesn't "fit" into what Doug Collins is doing in Philly! He can be had for a 2nd rd pick. He's 6-10, 245 with some offensive game. At a minimum he's better than Max and/or Ben.

Is Max still on the roster? I thought Gores bounced the Spare Tires when he upgraded the Palace.

He'd be the perfect low risk pick up right now so that we could test drive him.

Collins loves the the old school Pistons.
Can Tay be traded yet?

I can't believe that Joe couldn't put together some kind of package that would have sent Rip back home to Philly to play for Collins. Collins has always had a huge man-crush on Hamilton.

If that's really all it took then that would be great. Start him and Monroe and they'd actually have some size. He can play which probably puts him out of Joe's sights though.

Joe won't be interested unless he can also be a point guard.

Sounds good. A second round pick and Ben Gordon doesn't seem too unreasonable.

I would love to try something like that (Bengo and a 2nd for Speights). Taking a flier on a talented big guy seems like a new lose proposition to me. Maybe more importantly, that would commit the Pistons to playing time at the SG for Daye - which should be his best position.

Right now, Daye is blocked by Gordon, Tay and JJ.

I agree. I think that Bengo, Daye, and a 2nd round pick is a fair price for Speights. Get it done, Joe!

I just recently saw the movie "Moneyball" and once upon a time I think Joe was trying to do what Billy Beane did with the Oakland A's. Assemble a bunch of players that were undervalued to contend despite what talent scouts said or what the conventional wisdom was. In effect he was trying to reinvent the game. It netted us the 04 championship. I am not sure if he is on that path, although Billy Beane in Oakland is still trying to win the championship based on Sabermetrics. Boston did it twice with Bill James as a consultant. I thnik Joe may have lost his Peter Brand/Bill James once John Hammond left. He needs to find someone who can evaluate beyond the conventional and not be personally tied up with conventional wisdom. He also needs to be proactive with the coach and force him to play the players he has assembled. Billy Beane was never afraid to let his manager know who to play. Just my 2 cents for an analogy.

I'm not really sure that Dumars incorporates any type of analysis whatsoever in his approach other than personal observations. Weren't we one of the last teams to get a stats guy on board?

We have a stats guy?

I agree. I think that Maxiel, Bengo, Daye, and a 2nd round pick is a fair price for Speights.

If we decide to go after this Speights guy, here's what we should offer:

Max
"Bengo"
Daye
Stuckey
2nd rounder

I'd spice up that deal with Chaz and Tay too.

Good point. You'd probably have to throw those guys in to make it work.

So the Pistons would get Speights. In exchange, we would give up:

Chaz
Tay
1st round draft pick
Max
"Bengo"
Daye
Stuckey
2nd rounder

I checked it on the ESPN Trade Machine and the salaries do match. Make it happen, Joe.

Great post Walter. That second paragraph is an excellent insight.