What the Heck Happened in the Pacific Division?
15 HRS AGO - Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
The Pacific Division Looks to Put Forth 4 Title Expand
15 HRS AGO - Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
The Pacific Division Looks to Put Forth 4 Title Contenders This Year The NBA’s Pacific Division is looking to have four championship contenders this year, but there are plenty of questions about the team building approach of each squad. There are plenty of elite players and a lot of banners in this division, but each team is also facing plenty of questions. Let’s dive in.
Phoenix Suns
Photo by Jim Poorten/NBAE via Getty Images
Offseason in 5 words or less: “Bland but fine.”
The Phoenix Suns did not have a very eventful offseason, but they didn’t really need to considering they are the reigning Western Conference champs. The Suns added a backup big with Javale McGee, but he might not even play if former 10th overall pick Jalen Smith is healthy and ready to contribute as a 3-and-D center.
Elfrid Payton and Landry Shamet were added as guard depth but neither are likely rotation players right out of the gate. Abdel Collapse
Killian Hayes’ story remains unwritten
18 HRS AGO - Photo by Jeff Bottari/NBAE via Getty Images
After a rocky rookie season, what does the Expand
18 HRS AGO - Photo by Jeff Bottari/NBAE via Getty Images
After a rocky rookie season, what does the Pistons’ longest-tenured player need to show in 2021-22? Contrary to what you may believe, Killian Hayes’ story is far from finished. It was a rough debut for the No. 7 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft. Coming to the Detroit Pistons from Germany, Hayes joined the fray without the typical rookie offseason. The pandemic wiped out the Las Vegas Summer League and preseason camp was abbreviated.
There wasn’t time to get acclimated to the NBA. There wasn’t time to get to know his new teammates and coaches. Hell, there wasn’t even a way to get acclimated to his new home in Detroit.
Hayes’ rookie year was baptism by fire mixed with being thrown in the deep end.
But when GM Troy Weaver chose him, the organization thought they had found their Point Guard of the Future™ — a guy with great size and an elite feel for the game who lacked natural athleticism and high-level scoring ability.
All of that — the Collapse
Film Don’t Lie: A closer look at what the game against the Sixers can tell us about what the Pistons will run in the regular season
1 DAY AGO - Photo by Chris Schwegler/NBAE via Getty Images
I take a look at some of the Sets and Expand
1 DAY AGO - Photo by Chris Schwegler/NBAE via Getty Images
I take a look at some of the Sets and Actions Dwayne Casey used in Pre-Season and how they may be used in the regular season Every Detroit Pistons fan is anxious to see the new team in action, see how the pieces fit together, see who’s stepped up their game, see who is gelling and who is on the outside looking in. It’s all great! In theory!
In practice, this preseason has made things a bit difficult to really understanding and unlocking these Pistons. First, we must admit we have absolutely no first-hand knowledge on whether Dwane Casey was “showing his cards” at all during pre-season action. Second, and even more distressingly, we did not see No. 1 pick Cade Cunningham for a single second of action. Third, other presumed starters Saddiq Bey and Killian Hayes were only seen for a short amount of time.
Even with both of those things in mind I could not help but want to take a look at the sets and actions used by Dwayne Casey and Collapse
5 takeaways from Detroit Pistons’ preseason performance
1 DAY AGO - Photo by Brian Sevald/NBAE via Getty Images
What have we learned about Detroit following Expand
1 DAY AGO - Photo by Brian Sevald/NBAE via Getty Images
What have we learned about Detroit following four preseason games? The Detroit Pistons wrapped up their preseason schedule with a 112-108 victory over the JV squad of the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday night. That pushed Detroit’s record to 2-2 with opening night slated for Oct. 20 against the Chicago Bulls.
As much as last offseason was about blowing up what Troy Weaver inherited, his second offseason was about continuity and continuing to build up the pieces he has in place. The roster stayed largely intact including surprise returns for veterans like Cory Joseph and Rodney McGruder to new deals.
Stil, there were some subtle and not-so-subtle changes. The biggest was the addition of Cade Cunningham, the No. 1 overall pick. He’s yet to play, but the franchise is in the hands of a 19-year-old kid from Texas. There was also a swap of Mason Plumlee for Kelly Olynyk in the big-man rotation and the team cut bait on the last vestige of Collapse
Pistons clip Sixers in preseason finale
2 DAYS AGO - Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images
Jerami Grant leads the way with 24 points With both Expand
2 DAYS AGO - Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images
Jerami Grant leads the way with 24 points With both teams resting the majority of their most important players, it’s difficult to say what there is to glean from Detroit’s 112-108 win over the Philadelphia 76ers in the preseason finale at Little Caesars Arena on Friday.
But in the end a win is a win, and those might be hard to come by for Detroit this season. Really, what Detroit was looking for is a sign that some of the players who have played throughout preseason but had struggled were beginning to right the ship.
The Sixers game delivered in that regard. Isaiah Stewart, the second-year big man pegged as this season’s starting center, had by far his best game of the preseason with 17 points, 12 rebounds and 2 blocks.
Josh Jackson continued his strong preseason play with 14 points thanks to four made threes, and he added six assists to just two turnovers.
Detroit led by as many as 22 points with the Sixers down key contributors Joel Collapse
DBB on 3: Let’s dissect the Ben Simmons rumors
3 DAYS AGO - Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images
The Pistons have been linked to the 76ers disgruntled Expand
3 DAYS AGO - Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images
The Pistons have been linked to the 76ers disgruntled star. Would a trade make sense for Detroit? Ben Simmons is unhappy.
After fizzling out in the playoffs last season, the angsty Aussie was the focus of criticism from Philadelphia 76ers coach Doc Rivers and star center Joel Embiid. Simmons’ skills are unique but flawed, just like his style of play. He’s demanding a trade and a number of teams have reportedly shown some interest—including the Detroit Pistons.
The DBB crew dives a little deeper:
1. Detroit has been rumored as a potential landing spot for Ben Simmons. In a vacuum, what are your feelings on Simmons and his overall game?
Laz Jackson: Offensively, Ben Simmons is the same player he was his rookie year. Points, rebounds, assists, FG%, TS%, eFG%, MOET all say the same thing - he’s roughly a 15-8-8 guy. He has overtly shrunk from big moments in the playoffs (not shooting in the fourth quarter - not just Game 7 either - against Collapse
Pistons Player Preview: Hamidou Diallo
4 DAYS AGO - Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports
Diallo is an ultra-athletic wing who figures to play Expand
4 DAYS AGO - Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports
Diallo is an ultra-athletic wing who figures to play significant minutes for the Pistons this season. The Detroit Pistons and Hamidou Diallo agreed to a two-year, $10.4 million deal this offseason. For a player like Diallo, this is as close to a “prove it” type of contract as it gets. What can we expect from Diallo? What will his role be this season? How does his role change from his limited sample of games with the Pistons last season?
When Troy Weaver traded Diallo midseason, it was clear he had a plan for the young wing. Diallo was in the last year of his rookie deal with the Oklahoma City Thunder, and teams don’t typically trade for expiring contracts unless they are: 1. trying to clear salary or 2. wants to get a player it believes is going to be part of its long-term plans additional time to acclimate to the system. Diallo falls into the latter.
The emergence of forwards Darius Bazley, and Lu Dort made Diallo an expendable asset for Collapse
Pistons vs. Knicks final score: Detroit can’t handle New York’s pressure
5 DAYS AGO - Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images
Detroit saw a big improvement from the Expand
5 DAYS AGO - Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images
Detroit saw a big improvement from the Memphis game, but they couldn’t deal with physicality at all The good news is that the Detroit Pistons looked like a professional basketball team Wednesday night in Madison Square Garden. That was a big step up from an absolutely abysmal performance against the Memphis Grizzlies.
Unfortunately, it still wasn’t enough as New York cranked up the defensive pressure in the second half and the Pistons couldn’t deal with it. After scoring 56 points and playing with pace and offensive flow in the first half, the Pistons were limited to 36 points until 1:16 was left in the game and the Knicks found themselves up 14.
Detroit scored eight garbage-time points, but it was clear who the better team was in MSG. The Knicks surge was powered by the irrepressible Julius Randle who scored 29 points to go with 11 rebounds and 5 assists.
Detroit was led by Jerami Grant with 18 points.
Early on things Collapse
Josh Jackson has always been a scorer, but can he be a mentor?
5 DAYS AGO - Photo by Chris Schwegler/NBAE via Getty Images
Year two of the Josh Jackson reclamation Expand
5 DAYS AGO - Photo by Chris Schwegler/NBAE via Getty Images
Year two of the Josh Jackson reclamation project brings new challenges for the homegrown high school standout. Few would disagree that Josh Jackson hasn’t quite met the expectations many had for the former fourth overall pick coming out of college. The former Jayhawk struggled to live up to these lofty expectations during his first two years with the Phoenix Suns. Jackson was then given a chance to restore his reputation in 22 games with Memphis, a stretch that saw improved efficiency and added value in his limited role for a young Grizzlies team.
He showed enough in that 22-game sample size to convince Troy Weaver to take a shot on a hometown kid on a modest two-year deal.
Jackson, a local star at Consortium College Prep School, was relatively productive in the first year of his homecoming with the Pistons. Given the opportunity to take on an expanded role, Jackson played more than 1,500 minutes, and in those minutes he Collapse
|
Cory Joseph is your reality-based point guard
16 HRS AGO - Photo by Chris Schwegler/NBAE via Getty Images
On a team of young players and wishful Expand
16 HRS AGO - Photo by Chris Schwegler/NBAE via Getty Images
On a team of young players and wishful thinking, the 10-year vet will provide consistency, leadership and steady production On the final day of the trade deadline, Troy Weaver sent combo guard Delon Wright to the Sacramento Kings for 10-year veteran Cory Joseph. At the time, it appeared the logic behind the move was to free cap space for the 2021 free agency period. However, in 19 games for the Detroit Pistons, Joseph posted career-high numbers across the board and provided the Pistons with savvy point guard play and much-needed leadership. Joseph’s late-season production earned him a new two-year $10.07 million contract, ensuring his services as a rotational guard in the team’s ‘restoration’ process (unless the upcoming trade deadline has anything to say about it).
In his brief stint with the team, Joseph’s stand-out play endeared him to Dwane Casey. Casey put the ball in Joseph’s hands, allowing the former Texas Longhorn to Collapse
DBB Podcast: Pushing past the preseason
20 HRS AGO - Ben and Laz recap the Pistons’ preseason Hey everyone. This is Laz Jackson of Detroit Bad Boys, Expand
20 HRS AGO - Ben and Laz recap the Pistons’ preseason Hey everyone. This is Laz Jackson of Detroit Bad Boys, and on this week’s episode we’re talking about your Detroit Pistons. Ben Gulker and I talk about why we wouldn’t want Ben Simmons to be a Piston, what’s stood out about Josh Jackson’s preseason play, and winning the battle on the boards.
As the preseason ends, and the regular season gets revved up, we hope to see Cade Cunningham play eventually. Ben and I also talk specifics of what we hope Cade brings to this Piston team, given what we’ve seen so far in the preseason.
As always, we appreciate your continued support of the podcast, and the best way to do that is to share, subscribe, and leave comments - please leave comments on this discussion post on Detroit Bad Boys, that’s the best way for us to have the conversation we want to have around the podcast.
Thanks for listening, y’all. Enjoy the podcast: Collapse
Film Don’t Lie: Jerami Grant proving once again he’s the best player on the Pistons
1 DAY AGO - Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images
I go to the film to see what we can learn from Expand
1 DAY AGO - Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images
I go to the film to see what we can learn from Grant’s 4 pre season games I imagine it is not often that a team’s leading scorer is one of the least talked about players on the roster coming into a season, but that just might be the case with Jerami Grant and the Detroit Pistons.
I even find myself getting lost in conversations and Summer League breakdowns of Cade Cunningham, Killian Hayes, Saddiq Bey and even our mythical hero Luka Garza. It seems like the only time Grant really came up was when another national sports publication was linking him to some potential trade that definitely isn’t going to happen.
Luckily enough for us, or at least me, it only took one pre-season game for Grant to remind us how good he was last season AND that this is a big season for him to show he is every bit as good as what he showed in 2020-21, if not even better.
Inside the Arc
We know Jerami Grant is a good 3-point shooter, and I believe we will Collapse
Pistons Point Guards: Cade Cunningham and Killian Hayes lead a young unit with plenty to prove
2 DAYS AGO - Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports
We examine the depth, rotation, and roles of the point guards Expand
2 DAYS AGO - Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports
We examine the depth, rotation, and roles of the point guards on the Detroit Pistons roster The Detroit Pistons didn’t make many changes to the roster this offseason, but the point guard room does look significantly different. Is different better? How will the point guard rotation look? How does this unit stack up against the other units (wings and bigs) on the team?
Let’s dive in.
Question 1: Are the Pistons better at point guard today, than they were last season?
Let’s review the players who played point guard for the Pistons last season vs the players who are slated to be on the team on opening day.
2020-21 point guards
Killian Hayes, Dennis Smith, Derrick Rose, Frank Jackson, Saben Lee, Cory Joseph.
2021-22 point guards
Killian Hayes, Cade Cunningham, Frank Jackson, Saben Lee, Cory Joseph.
IN: Cade CunninghamOUT: Dennis Smith, Derrick Rose
Is Cade Cunningham > than Dennis Smith and Derrick Rose?
Dennis Smith played only 23 games for the Collapse
What the Heck Happened in the Southeast Division?
2 DAYS AGO - Photo by Mark Brown/Getty Images
Atlanta Hawks
Offseason in 5 words or less: Trae Young — Expand
2 DAYS AGO - Photo by Mark Brown/Getty Images
Atlanta Hawks
Offseason in 5 words or less: Trae Young — star to superstar?
Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images
I’m not sure if there is any more room on the bandwagon, because it seems like the NBA world is a full believer in Trae Young, the Atlanta Hawks, and how they're building a contending team.
Atlanta spent huge money last year and once they upgraded to Nate McMillian, all their plans clicked into place. Young proved to be much more than a logo-level scorer with his passing and playmaking. Clint Capela is the defensive Robin to Young’s Batman, John Collins got his max deal and it’s hard to argue that he didn’t earn it, and the rest of the pieces fit into place as shooters and athletes and defenders.
The biggest difference this year? Expectations. They aren’t getting a pat on the head for winning 41 games like they did last season. People fully expect them to compete in the East. Can they?
Unsurprisingly, it all Collapse
What the Heck Happened in the Atlantic Division?
3 DAYS AGO - Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images
Ben Simmons, Kyrie Irving supply the drama while Kevin Expand
3 DAYS AGO - Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images
Ben Simmons, Kyrie Irving supply the drama while Kevin Durant and Jayson Tatum supply the hope Welcome to what is clearly the best division in the Eastern Confernce and perhaps the best division in the NBA. Maybe. The Sixers and Nets came into the season with NBA titles on their minds, but their mercurial stars, Ben Simmons and Kyrie Irving, respectively, could have snuffed out hope before it even really began.
But even without Simmons, the Sixers still have MVP candidate Joel Embiid, and even without Irving, the Nets still have MVP candidates Kevin Durant and James Harden.
Add that to the old young heads in Boston, who are somehow completely overlooked, the return to normalcy for the Toronto Raptors and the Broadway-adjacent New York Knicks looking for an encore.
It’s certainly a division living in interesting times.
Philadelphia 76ers
Offseason in 5 Words or Less: Every NBA GM: “Sorry, Daryl, no deal” *click*
Photo by Collapse
SB Nation Reacts: Pistons fans haven’t let injuries, preseason losses shake confidence
4 DAYS AGO - Photo by Chris Schwegler/NBAE via Getty Images
Cade hasn’t played, but Detroit Pistons Expand
4 DAYS AGO - Photo by Chris Schwegler/NBAE via Getty Images
Cade hasn’t played, but Detroit Pistons fans are ready for rebuild Year 2 to get underway The Detroit Pistons have an easy win, a horrific loss, and a run-of-the-mill loss under their belt three games through the preseason. With the regular season right around the corner, a lot of NBA fans are asking themselves how their hopes and dreams of offseason fantasy are clashing with the brutal, real-world reality of actual games with actual members of their teams.
For their part, Pistons fans weren’t much interested in the record, and even though the preseason has seen the complete absence of No. 1 overall pick Cade Cunningham and injuries to prospective starters Killian Hayes and Saddiq Bey, they still think the same about the Pistons as they did in the offseason.
This makes them a bit of an outlier, as if you canvas NBA-wide, the plurality of fans (47%) are actually feeling better about their teams now compared to the preseason. Collapse
Pistons vs. Knicks GameThread: Game Time, TV, Odds, and More
5 DAYS AGO - Photo by G Fiume/Getty Images
Game will not be broadcast in local Michigan markets If a Expand
5 DAYS AGO - Photo by G Fiume/Getty Images
Game will not be broadcast in local Michigan markets If a game happens and features almost no players of consequence and is not on local television, does it even really exist at all? We’re about to find out, because the Detroit Pistons are playing the New York Knicks tonight in preseason action, but the game is not being broadcast on Bally Sports Detroit.
Maybe that’s all for the best because Cade Cunningham is OUT, Killian Hayes is OUT, Saddiq Bey is OUT, Rodney McGruder is QUESTIONABLE. If Dwane Casey sticks to his guns and wants to keep the long-term bench unit intact, that could mean a bit of a hodge-podge starting lineup. We shall see (or not).
Game Vitals
When: 7:30 p.m. ESTWhere: Madison Square Garden, New York, New YorkWatch: MSG, WXYT (radio)Odds: Pistons +3
Projected Lineups
Detroit Pistons (1-1)
Saben Lee, Hamidou Diallo, Josh Jackson, Jerami Grant, Isaiah Stewart
New York Knicks (2-0)
Kemba Walker, Evan Fournier, RJ Barrett, Julius Collapse
Trey Lyles will make you happy he’s there when you need him
5 DAYS AGO - Photo by Chris Schwegler/NBAE via Getty Images
You won’t have to think much about Lyles, Expand
5 DAYS AGO - Photo by Chris Schwegler/NBAE via Getty Images
You won’t have to think much about Lyles, and that’s a feature and not a bug Trey Lyles was a shockingly divisive signing for the Detroit Pistons in the offseason. He earned the kind of vitriol not usually becoming of a completely marginal, completely acceptable bench player who has knocked around the league for six years.
Partly, the problem is that he’s had ample opportunity with some good franchises and good situations — Utah, Denver and San Antonio — and he’s never done much with each opportunity. Yeah, there was also that bit of history about him hating the city of Detroit because there is nothing to do. Whatever. He can figure out how to spend his money during his likely one-year stop in Motown. Speaking of money, he’s not making that much of it. He’s got $2.5 million coming to him this season and a $2.6 million team option next year.
Know Your Role
What are the Pistons getting with that money? They aren’t getting flash. Collapse
|
Pistons Wings: Detroit’s deepest position unit can be mixed and matched to create mismatch opportunities
17 HRS AGO - Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Wings Win Rings and the Pistons are full of ‘em Wings Expand
17 HRS AGO - Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Wings Win Rings and the Pistons are full of ‘em Wings win rings, baby. And the Detroit Pistons have a lot of depth at the wing this year. The Pistons’ roster is filled with youth, and the wing is full of bets at the most important position in basketball, so while no rings seem imminent, there are important building blocks in place.
What makes Detroit’s rotation so interesting is the sheer number of players that Dwane Casey can have fill in from the 2 to the 4 as wings. It will be an interesting challenge for Casey to craft the best lineups with these players.
Are the Wings Better This Year?
The answer is a pretty unequivocal yes despite the fact the wings were the strongest positional group last year. However, the addition of Cade Cunningham to the wing group goes a long way toward improving the group as a whole.
Jerami Grant and Saddiq Bey both return as starters and they will be improved with another year together. With Cade added, they Collapse
What the Heck Just Happened in the Northwest Division?
1 DAY AGO - Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports
Taking a look at the offseason moves from all the teams in the Expand
1 DAY AGO - Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports
Taking a look at the offseason moves from all the teams in the Northwest Division What the hell happened in the Northwest division this offseason? In this post, we will take a look at each team in the division. We will answer if the team got better or worse, and we will also try to explain what the hell they are doing in 5 words or less.
Let’s dive in.
Oklahoma City Thunder
Offseason described in 5 words or less: Just tank baby, just tank.
IN: Josh Giddey, Derrick Favors, Trey Mann, Vit Krejci, Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, Aaron Wiggins
OUT: Tony Bradly, Moses Brown, Josh Hall, Jaylen Hoard, Al Horford, Svi Mykhailiuk
The Thunder find themselves in tanking purgatory. Sam Presti and company are doing all the things bad teams should be doing. They are taking on bad contracts in exchange for more lottery tickets, giving their young players meaningful minutes, and re-signing the players that A) Have a long-term place on the roster or B) Collapse
Saddiq Bey is never satisfied
1 DAY AGO - Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports
Pistons wing isn’t content to simply be a great 3-point Expand
1 DAY AGO - Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports
Pistons wing isn’t content to simply be a great 3-point shooter, Saddiq Bey has spent the offseason looking to add versatility to his game Saddiq Bey had a solid rookie season last year, averaging 12 points per game on 56.7% true shooting and he is looking to take a solid step forward in his sophomore season. At 6-foot-8, Saddiq Bey has an important role to play with this young Pistons squad as a 3-and-D wing with some upside to be more.
The first level of evolution for Saddiq will come if he can transition himself from a 3-and-D wing to a connector. Now, the difference between these two archetypes is seemingly small, but it is a huge step in effectiveness and importance for the next step in the evolution of this young core.
Offense
Part of this next step is going to involve Saddiq developing as a passer within his role. He does not need to learn to run a high-level pick and roll or anything, but passing well out of spot-ups and making the Collapse
Andre Drummond is many things, but a villain is not one of them
2 DAYS AGO - Photo by Brian Sevald/NBAE via Getty Images
Former Pistons big man booed in first game Expand
2 DAYS AGO - Photo by Brian Sevald/NBAE via Getty Images
Former Pistons big man booed in first game back in Detroit with fans in attendance Andre Drummond returned to Detroit as a member of the opposing team for the first time with fans in attendance, and perhaps predictably he was booed every time he touched the ball?
Why was he booed? It’s hard to say. All he did in Detroit was get drafted, show himself to be the best rebounder in the league, embrace the city and its fans, always remain positive, go to a couple All-Star games, sign a big contract he was offered and get traded.
And yet the boos rained down all the same. It’s almost as if the fans believe they have some part to play. Like they are some actors in a grand story just fulfilling their obligation.
Only, it’s all a bunch of crap. Drummond is many things and has many flaws as a basketball player. But he literally did nothing wrong in Detroit or to Detroit fans other than not live up to your expectations.
That doesn’t deserve Collapse
Pistons vs. Sixers GameThread: GameTime, TV, Odds, and More
3 DAYS AGO - Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images
Pistons fans get to welcome back Andre Drummond The Expand
3 DAYS AGO - Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images
Pistons fans get to welcome back Andre Drummond The Detroit Pistons face off against the Philadelphia 76ers in a preseason finale tonight, but it’s more about who won’t be playing than who will be. The looming specter of Ben Simmons and Cade Cunningham haunt this game two weeks before Halloween. Of course, those are just the biggest names MIA as both squads are sitting out nearly everyone who matters.
Pistons fans are still anxious to see Cade Cunningham in action for the first time and seem to be getting more and more worried about what has always been termed a mild ankle injury. The team says it’s no big deal and they’re just being cautious. Guess we’ll find out who is right on opening night.
For the Sixers, Ben Simmons is a healthy scratch as he’s been cleared to play since arriving to the team unexpectedly a little over a week ago after ghosting (more Halloween themed phrasing!!!) the team this offseason. Simmons didn’t travel with Collapse
Kelly Olynyk brings a better, modern fit to the young Pistons
3 DAYS AGO - Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports
Meet the new center opposing fans will love to hate When the Expand
3 DAYS AGO - Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports
Meet the new center opposing fans will love to hate When the Detroit Pistons swapped out Mason Plumlee for Kelly Olynyk this offseason, they made a conscious decision to create more space for their young ball handlers. And if Olynyk’s time in Detroit mirrors his 27 games in Houston, it could be a consequential decision for the development of Cade Cunningham and Killian Hayes.
In Houston, Olynyk enjoyed perhaps the best stretch of his eight-year professional career. His efficiency was through the roof on more usage than he normally sees, and he added what would have been a career-high assist rate.
Olynyk did all of that in an offense designed around ball and player movement while spacing the floor. As a stretch big who is an above-average shooter from deep, Olynyk fits that modern style offense well. And when spacing provides him advantages, he exploits them via his good passing.
While Detroit will undoubtedly miss Mason Plumlee’s passing this Collapse
Frank Jackson is here to chew bubble gum and shoot 3s, and he’s all out of bubble gum
4 DAYS AGO - Photo by Chris Schwegler/NBAE via Getty Images
Meet Wayne Ellington 2.0, now 10 years Expand
4 DAYS AGO - Photo by Chris Schwegler/NBAE via Getty Images
Meet Wayne Ellington 2.0, now 10 years younger Frank Jackson is Wayne Ellington but 10 years younger. He’s the modern Microwave. He’s the new Langston Galloway. A born bucket getter. In layman’s term’s, he’s a modern-day 3-point specialist, and that might make him the most valuable bench piece on the Detroit Pistons’ young roster.
He came here to chew bubble gum and hit 3-pointers, and he’s all out of bubble gum. And if you don’t understand that reference, pleas enjoy this GIF from a 33-year-old movie. And if you’re still confused after watching the GIF, well, bless your heart, I can’t really help you.
But back to Frank Jackson. He was a bit of a revelation last year. A less splashy version of what the team experienced the year before with Christian Wood. Size gets you paid, and Wood jetted for a nice $14 million per year payday from the Houston Rockets. Jackson, meanwhile, had to settle for a two-year deal worth just over $3 Collapse
NBA Season Preview: What the heck happened in the Central Division?
5 DAYS AGO - Photo by Ron Hoskins/NBAE via Getty Images
The Bucks reign supreme, but storylines are Expand
5 DAYS AGO - Photo by Ron Hoskins/NBAE via Getty Images
The Bucks reign supreme, but storylines are plentiful in the Central Division Did you know the Eastern Conference champion has come out of the Central Division in five of the past seven seasons? The Detroit Pistons, Cleveland Cavaliers, Milwaukee Bucks, Chicago Bulls, and Indiana Pacers have all taken turns (some longer than others) atop the division over the past 15 years.
Currently, we’re living in Milwaukee’s world as the Bucks look to defend their first NBA title since 1971, but the rest of the division is steadily improving after a wild offseason:
MILWAUKEE BUCKS
Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images
Offseason in 5 Words: Kings Look to Protect Crown
The Bucks remain the cream of the crop in the division, which is hard to argue when you look at the duo of Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton. The whole story with Milwaukee — from fizzling out in the bubble to winning it all — really was Collapse
|
