Detroit Pistons

C.J. McCollum tweeted about finding Game 6 of the NBA Finals on a Detroit radio station, and someone asked him about working out with the Pistons. McCollum replied: yessir that’s exactly wht I’m here for Then he tweeted to Michael Carter-Williams: See you in Motown So, it sounds like McCollum and Carter-Williams will work out for the Pistons at the same time, though it’s not clear whether they’ll actually compete with each other. Obviously, it would help the Pistons if they do, but prospects are often wary of losing these matchups, so they typically avoid them. Either way, the workout(s) should help the Pistons learn more about two prospects who are similarly rated and expected to get drafted near Detroit’s No. 8 pick. I hope the Pistons can do better than either of them, but in the event they’re the best prospects on the board at No. 8, Detroit must determine which of the two it prefers. That’s what this workout is all about.

A panel of ESPN experts picked the best fit for Michael Carter-Williams, and Fran Fraschilla named the Pistons: Fraschilla: Detroit Pistons. New coach Mo Cheeks has two young bigs, Greg Monroe and Andre Drummond who could take the lob passes Carter-Williams can throw. Cheeks would be a great role model for a young point guard, and he could help his rookie guard iron out an inconsistent jump shot. The Pistons might be the best landing spot for Carter-Williams – Fraschilla doesn’t even get into how his ability to defend shooting guards could get him on the court sooner if Brandon Knight is Detroit’s shooting guard – but I have major doubts Carter-Williams is the best choice for the Pistons. Those lob passes will be pretty difficult to get off if Carter-Williams can’t shoot, because Monroe’s passing can only do so much to space the floor if the Pistons are relying on three players without much range. There are also serious questions about Carter-Williams playmaking ability against good competition. The Pistons will likely have to pick a player with major question marks, and Carter-Williams could be the best of that bunch. Fraschilla thinks the Pistons could the best by him, and if they agree, that could give him the edge over a crowded group. But for a team with such a mixed record of developing young players, the Pistons might not be so appealing to Carter-Williams.

With just eight days to go until the draft and less than two weeks until free agency opens, Pistons fans are wondering what the roster will look like for the season ahead. On with Mailbag …

Darvin Ham, a former Pistons player and Saginaw native, will join Mike Budenholzer’s staff with the Hawks: “Darvin has a great feel for the game and knows what it takes for a team to be successful and compete at a high level," Budenholzer said. “He was a smart player who played with intensity and toughness every night and he has gone about coaching the same way.” Ham also served as an assistant coach with the Lakers for a couple years, and it seems he’s working his way up the ladder. I always like to see former Pistons – especially ones who worked and practiced as hard as Ham did – do well.

Brendan Savage of MLive: "Me, Khris and Kim were out there shooting and I had a couple flip-flops on, messing around, and he told us when you’re out there you have to put in work," Jerebko said. "He told us on Day 1 what he wanted. I definitely respect that. "That’s what you want as a player. You want somebody to tell you what to do. I won’t be wearing my flip-flops no more." Cheeks clearly wants accountability and respect from the players and that’s fine with Jerebko. "It doesn’t bother me at all," Jerebko said. "That’s what he should demand. We’re professional basketball players. He should demand that. And he should get that to from everybody." Although the message regarding attire was directed at Jerebko, it wasn’t lost on English, who understands there was more to it than just a teammate being called out for wearing a pair of flip-flops during an informal workout. "Whenever we’re in the facility, we’re to be wearing Detroit Pistons’ stuff," English said. "There should be a sense of pride in putting on those Detroit letters every time you take the court. That was the extent of (Thursday’s message). Every time you’re on the court, come to work and be in Detroit stuff. This is fine and good right now, but how will it go over when the Pistons are suffering through a six-game losing streak – most teams had least one this season – and a player arrives at practice in a non-Pistons shirt? Does Maurice Cheeks punish a player who’s likely already sour due to the losing? Does Cheeks let it go and erode his credibility? There are no easy answers once you walk down this road. Scott Skiles, who clashed with Bulls players after instituting a headband ban, comes to mind. Coaching in the NBA is more about picking battles than setting artificial standards just to foster discipline. This isn’t like demanding players arrive on time to practice, which actually improves results. I would love every player to take so much pride in playing for the Pistons that he wants to wear Pistons gear at all times, but that’s unrealistic and also won’t really affect the team’s record. Neither will Jonas Jerebko wearing flip-flops while shooting around at a time he wouldn’t have been shooting around seriously, anyway. If Cheeks sets this hard line, it could make his job harder at some point. If he can actually get his players to follow his orders this closely, good for him, but that’s a tall order in an NBA locker room full of players increasingly want to show their independence.

The 6-foot-7 Clyburn, who was a role player at Southfield High School, spent time at three different colleges -- and now has a shot at the NBA.

Tim Hardaway Jr. got to play at The Palace, where Michigan launched its run to the 2013 NCAA title game. He wouldn’t mind launching his NBA career with the Pistons, Keith Langlois writes as the True Blue Pistons draft series continues.

via cdn.bleacherreport.net Obviously this year is the make or break year for the Pistons. If you are underestimating this free agency look back a few year when we got Ben Gordon and Charlie V and look how much that has affected our team. Fast forward and now the Pistons have a very bright team and have actually been drafting pretty well in the last few years. The Pistons have to go big in this offseason because we traded next year's 1st round pick to the Bobcats and unless we make a blockbuster trade (highly unlikely), no team is going trade us their lottery 1st rounder for next year. With that out of the way, lets look at what I think we need to acquire. 1. A Point Guard who can make others better. 2. A shooting 2-guard who can even out the backcourt with either Stuckey or Knight. With point guards, I look strictly at assists because that is what we need. The only player on our team who can really create his own shot efficiently is Greg Monroe. Of course, I'm unlikely to pick them if they can't be a scoring threat at all, but assists are priority. The first goal might be the hardest, but could end up being the easiest. Obviously what comes to mind is Jose Calderon who was able to get 7 assist a night. The problem is, he is an unrestricted free agent this year and coming to the closing chapter of his career. Will he finish off in Detroit, or look to go a winning team for once and really push for a championship? Detroit has the money to spoil him a bit, but time and time again we have seen veterans take pay cuts just to have a shot a the title (i.e the 2003-2004 lakers, 2012-2013 Heat). In the case that he doesn't want to resign, we don't have many options but I did find 3 players that could fill the spot. Remember that other guy Will Bynum? The guy that played behind a slew of guards? He's actually pretty damn good. He never really got the minutes he deserved though, averaging only 19mpg but take a look at this:Game Log for Bynum. He was getting great assist numbers while managing to score in little time. Him and Andre had a great connection which is significant because Andre can't create his own shot (like the majority of the players on our team). Looking at his per 36 stats, he would be getting 19 point and 7 assist a game. It's unclear if those number will be able to hold up, but anything near that is still very good. Why not give him a chance? Another option has to be Mo Williams who will be an Unrestricted Free Agent this coming offseason. In 30 minutes he averaged 6.2 apg, an assist-turnover ratio slightly over 2, an 88% free throw shooter. Utah is going to get rid of one if their big men and maybe he won't want take a step back with their progress, and hope to take a step forward with the Pistons. Mo William's Stats The other player I was looking at which is more unlikely but who knows: Brandon Jennings. Milwaukee is in a very similar position with us, their guards are a mess. The only difference is that their guards have talent. It is a possibility for him to leave even though the consensus is Monta Ellis will be the one to leave. Jennings averaged 6.5 apg last year and chipped in 17.5 ppg. Is it a stretch? Yes. Could it happen? Yes. Brandon Jenning's Stats The second issue is our shooting guard situation. We first had Knight running the point and Stuckey running the 2, then Singler took over. After the Prince trade he went back to his natural position, Jose took over at the point and pushed Knight to play SG. Not once in that whole sequence was there a player playing the 2 who actually was a 2. Rodney Stuckey and Brandon Knight are undersized and Kyle Singler is right at the 3. It makes absolutely no sense to keep both Stuckey and Knight. They're the exact same player: A shooting guard stuckey in a point guard's body. They can score, but they're a liability playing against people like Dwayne Wade who is 6'6 and has 3 inches on both of them. Meanwhile, the Pistons have struggled from downtown after gett

Detroit Sharp of the Detroit Free Press: Dumars drove Cheeks to his introductory news conference Thursday at the Palace. While in the car, both talked about how quickly now locker rooms are “lost” with young players not as good as they think are, and certainly not as great as their predecessors, exercising influence on front office decisions they haven’t earned yet. If you’re looking for anecdotal evidence Maurice Cheeks is Joe Dumars’ hire, this is it. Dumars and Cheeks definitely seem to be on the same page, which hopefully helps the Pistons right some of the issues that occurred under previous coaches. Really, it’s a cool scene to imagine – two all-time greats sharing stories in Dumars’ car. I would have loved to sit in the backseat and listen.

With Andre Iguodala opting out of the final year of his contract and a relative dearth of suitors with cap space, it's within the realm of possibility that Iguodala could be wearing a Pistons uniform next season. Mike Payne wrote a well-worded, reasonably argued piece on why Detroit shouldn't pursue him, but I'm still not convinced. Iguodala's versatility, defensive impact, and value as a tradeable asset -- as well as a few lesser factors -- would make him a great piece to help Detroit rebuild. Iguodala's Versatility Fits Several of Detroit's Needs Iguodala was -- by many metrics -- Denver's most important and effective player, despite not playing at his most effective position for most of the season. The Nuggets, because of Danilo Gallinari's value and a relative lack of options, were forced to play Iguodala at shooting guard for most of the season, rather than at his natural position. After Gallinari went down with an ACL injury, and Iguodala was shifted back to the three, he had arguably his best stretch of the entire season. In the six games after Gallinari went down -- a small sample size, admittedly -- Iguodala averaged 18 points, 7.5 boards, and 8.5 assists on 54/41.7/56.5 shooting splits. MFMP: Pass on Iggy Previously: Mike Payne disagrees, saying the Pistons should avoid Andre Iguodala at any cost. Conveniently, the Pistons' two biggest holes right now are at small forward and shooting guard. Iguodala would fill a gaping need at the three, which would be an absolutely massive upgrade over last year's aged Tayshaun Prince/Kyle Singler combo. He'd limit the amount of minutes Detroit would have to play Rodney Stuckey, and provide a reliable alternative to the unproven (if talented) Kim English, who would likely be forced into the rotation. One intriguing lineup possibility, in particular, stands out with Iggy hypothetically in the fold. Playing him and Brandon Knight together -- with Knight at point guard and Iguodala at either the two or three -- would allow Knight to play off ball offensively with Iguodala running the offense, while also allowing Knight to defend point guards. The defensive potential of that type of lineup (especially with, say, Victor Oladipo or Kentavious Caldwell-Pope at the two and Andre Drummond protecting the rim) is enormous, and inserting a stretch four into the mix could make things even more devastating. Iguodala is the NBA's Best Perimeter Defender Iguodala turned the Denver Nuggets from a below-average defensive team into an above-average-to-good one in one season. The Nuggets finished the season just outside the top 10 in defensive efficiency -- as "just outside" as you can be, since they ended ranked 11th. When Iguodala saw the court, they allowed over four fewer points per hundred possessions, while their fifth ranked offense didn't take a hit (and was actually just under a point better with him on the court). Since the league's rule changes on hand-checking, impact perimeter defenders have become something of a rarity and, as such, a valuable commodity. Iguodala is the guy when it comes to perimeter defense. He allowed an absolutely astonishing 0.53 points per possession as an isolation defender last season -- better than LeBron James, Paul George, Tony Allen, Avery Bradley, Luol Deng, and Kawhi Leonard, just to name a few -- despite consistently guarding the opposing team's best offensive players. Pairing Iguodala's defensive acumen with Andre Drummond's absurd quickness and rim-protection has absolutely explosive potential. Drummond is much quicker than Kosta Koufos, and already has a much higher basketball IQ than JaVale McGee -- the two guys protecting the rim for Iguodala in Denver -- and his defensive potential is almost limitless. The Pistons could go from a bottom-third defensive team to a top ten one almost overnight. This is Not Another Ben Gordon/Charlie Villanueva Situation It's tempting to draw comparisons between this type of signing and Detroit's d