Trade

Pistons receive:

• Chris Paul (18.7 points, 4.2 rebounds, 10.7 assists, 0.2 blocks, 2.1 steals)
• Emeka Okafor (10.4 points, 9.0 rebounds, 0.7 assists, 1.5 blocks, 0.7 steals)

Hornets receive:

• Tayshaun Prince (13.5 points, 5.1 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 0.4 blocks, 0.7 steals)
• Rodney Stuckey (16.6 points, 3.8 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 0.2 blocks, 1.4 steals)
• Greg Monroe (16.1 points, 9.6 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 1.5 blocks, 1.2 steals)
• Austin Daye (5.1 points, 2.5 rebounds, 0.5 assists, 0.4 blocks, 0.4 steals)
• Chris Wilcox (4.5 points, 3.4 rebounds, 0.4 assists, 0.4 blocks, 0.4 steals)
• 2012 first-round pick
• 2014 first-round pick
• 2011 Denver Nuggets second-round pick

Salaries

Data from ShamSports.com

Pistons receive:

Hornets receive:

• Player option/ early termination
• Team option
• Qualifying offer

Pistons’ perspective

Yes, just a couple months ago, I penned a post titled, “Pistons have NO chance of trading for Chris Paul.” A lot has changed since then. Mainly, Chris Paul has indicated a desire to leave New Orleans, and Detroit drafted Greg Monroe.

I still think the Pistons landing Paul is an extreme long shot, but let’s look at what it would take.

First off, would New Orleans even trade Paul? Ken Berger of CBSSports.com has the scoop on Paul’s meeting with the Hornets yesterday:

The Hornets are concentrating on Eastern Conference teams as trade partners in the event they decide it isn’t feasible to enter the 2010-11 season with their franchise player wanting out. And despite Monday’s optimistic spin, that is where things are headed, sources say.

Although Berger doesn’t mention the Pistons among the teams the Hornets are eyeing – and Paul didn’t include them on his list – they are in the Eastern Conference. So, that’s a plus.

The first move for Joe Dumars would be calling someone close to Chris Paul – as close as possible, to avoid Paul’s people squashing the idea based on Detroit’s reputation (the city’s, not the team’s) – and see if he would be receptive to joining the Pistons. I think winning is the biggest force behind Paul’s demands (although it may not be the biggest reason those close to him are pushing a trade, too), and Dumars could sell him on the fact that he already put together one championship team.

If Paul wouldn’t be content with a trade to Detroit, that’s the end of it. If he would be, Dumars should call the Hornets.

I think this a competitive offer the Hornets would have to take seriously if they’re actually willing to deal Paul.

Tayshaun Prince is a very good player, and Rodney Stuckey is already solid and still has potential to grow. Plus, both have expiring contracts, which would give New Orleans a lot of flexibility.

Greg Monroe and Austin Daye are talented players with skills in drove, and with a combined seven years left on their rookie contracts, they’re extremely affordable.

Chris Wilcox is 27, but talented enough that many believe he could still find his niche in the league. (For the record, I don’t.) Mostly, he’s there to make the numbers work, but for filler, he’s not bad.

Those two first-round picks could be valuable if Paul doesn’t help the Pistons win any more than he helped New Orleans. Even if he does, two picks are two picks.

Besides acquiring a player with a non-guaranteed contract (like Erick Dampier), this trade would save the Hornets about as much money this year as possible in a trade giving up only Paul and Okafor. And given Okafor’s hefty contract, the savings in future years would be significant, too.

By trading Paul, the Hornets would almost certainly be rebuilding. I doubt anyone will trade someone near Paul’s talent level to get him (meaning nobody like LeBron James, Dwight Howard or Kevin Durant will be on the move). This trade would give New Orleans a lot of young talent, draft picks and cap flexibility to start over.

But trading for Paul is tricky. Not only do you have to give up enough to satisfy the Hornets, you must have enough left to build a competitive team before Paul becomes a free agent in two years. I think this trade would give the Pistons a real shot doing that.

Check out this lineup:

• Paul
• Richard Hamilton/ Ben Gordon
• Jonas Jerebko
• Ben Wallace
• Emeka Okafor

For everyone who says Hamilton needs to play next to a traditional point guard, he’d get one. He and Gordon would be the team’s main scorers, and Paul would certainly help there, too.

The front line would do the dirty work/rebounding/etc. Plus, Paul could get those three their share of easy baskets.

Perhaps best of all, it would be a good group defensively. With a pair of athletic shot blocker in Wallace and Okafor, Hamilton could even play a fair share of his minutes at small forward.

The Pistons would have a solid reserves unit with Gordon, Charlie Villanueva, Jason Maxiell, Will Bynum and the mid-level exception (Josh Howard?).

I think that’s the type of team that could make a run deep into the playoffs. That’s only a ‘could,’ though, and there are long-term questions.

What happens when Wallace retires? Maybe Jerebko could take over that role, but Wallace is a big reason I think that team could do damage. Those would be mighty big shoes to fill.

How big of a burden would Okafor’s contract be? He’s overpaid, no doubt. But he’s still productive and plays a critical position. Obviously, the salary cap has yet to be determined for future seasons (and it’s especially unpredictable given the Collective Bargaining Agreement is set to expire), but if the new CBA is similar to the current one, I think the Pistons could avoid paying the luxury tax – even with this trade.

How costly will giving up those draft picks be? I designed the offer with 2012 and 2014 picks because those are the years Paul and Okafor will likely be free agents. If there are any years the Pistons would rather have the extra cap room than the picks, it would be those. So, the risk is still there, but I think it’d be hedged a little bit.

And of course, the big question: What if Paul leaves in 2012? That’s the risk I think you take to get a player whom I think has a good shot at becoming the second-best point guard of all time.

Hornets’ perspective

Ryan Schwan of Hornets247.com solicited Chris Paul trade ideas from several TrueHoop Network members and ranked them in reverse order. Guess which offer he listed last – or to be clear, won the competition. Yup, this one.

OK, the Pistons were 1B of the two teams in the “Let’s talk Business” group. The Magic were 1A – on the condition the Hornets could flip Jameer Nelson and Vince Carter. I think that’s much easier said than done, so I’m declaring the Pistons the winner.

Schwan on this offer:

It’s freakish that I’m picking the Pistons offer as one of the best ones.  I didn’t think they’d have enough talent to swing it, honestly.  Still – Monroe fills the hole at center, Prince/Daye fill the hole at the 3, and Stuckey is the perfect combo guard behind Collison and Thornton.  Oh – and since what’s left in Detroit won’t be world-shaking, the picks they are offering should at least still be mid-rounders.

My response

It surprised me, too, that the Pistons could be in position to land Paul. Even if the trade isn’t made, it’s just further evidence Monroe was an excellent draft pick. Without him, Detroit wouldn’t be in the discussion.

I’m not stunned by Schwan’s lack of confidence in a post-trade Pistons team. They’d be far from a sure thing. But like I said above, I think the players would complement each other well

A Hornets partisan believes this offer deserves consideration. That’s a good sign. Dumars, get on the phone.

Verdict

Make no mistake: this trade wouldn’t put the Pistons out of the woods yet. Paul can become a free agent in two years, and whoever acquires him must spend that time convincing him to stay. There is no guarantee the Pistons can do that.

Because they don’t play in a destination city, the Pistons must show Paul they can win a title with him. And even then, it might not be enough.

This trades calls for the Pistons to give up a huge amount of young, affordable talent – plus draft picks and taking Emeka Okafor’s contract. If Paul leaves in two years or decides he doesn’t want to be in Detroit a year from now, the trade could set the Pistons back nearly a decade.

But I think Henry Abbott of TrueHoop said it best:

Here’s a rule of thumb I’ve developed to help you through it: If you’re getting Chris Paul, it’s a good deal.

The Hawks overpaid to keep Joe Johnson and could decide they can’t afford Josh Smith and Grand Ledge’s Al Horford. The Pistons asked about Smith in the summer of 2008, and Tayshaun Prince’s expiring deal could entice the Hawks to part with the 6-foot-9 guard/forward.

Since the Hawks turned down the trade in 2008, Smith’s value has risen and Prince’s has decreased. The trade is less likely today than it was then, and it was a no then.

In this year’s TrueHoop Network Awards, Smith had a wonderful showing:

• Most Valuable Player (eighth)
• Defensive Player of the Year (second)
• Most Improved Player (fifth)
• All-NBA third team
• All-Defensive first team

That’s not the résumé of someone traded for Tayshaun Prince, who didn’t receive any votes in any category. (For more on why Smith had such a great season, read Bret Lagree of Hoopinion’s explanation how Smith stopped shooting 3-pointers, which allowed him to take advantage of his passing skills.:

The Hawks gave Joe Johnson that massive contract because they knew had to keep him to contend. If they didn’t keep him, there was little point in paying guys like Smith and Horford. Johnson’s contract doesn’t make those guys more likely to be traded in the short term. Rather, it makes the Hawks more likely to keep them.

In short, not happening.

The Kings are also exploring trading picks, with one team (Detroit) squarely on the radar. If the Pistons would give up the No. 7 pick and Tayshaun Prince for the No. 5 pick and Andres Nocioni, I think they’d have a deal. But so far the Pistons have been adamant that they’re holding on to Prince, and I don’t think the Kings would do a Rip Hamilton-for-Nocioni swap.

Pistons receive:

• Andres Nocioni (8.5 points, 3.0 rebounds, 1.0 assists, 0.3 blocks, 0.4 steals)
• No. 5 pick in 2010 draft
• Sacramento’s second-round pick in 2013 or 2014 (Kings’ option in 2013)

Kings receive:

• Tayshaun Prince (13.5 points, 5.1 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 0.4 blocks, 0.7 steals)
• No. 7 pick in 2010 draft

Salaries

Pistons receive:

Kings receive:

Team option

Qualifying offer

Pistons’ perspective

Yahoo’s Adrian Wojnarowski provided the basis of this trade Sunday:

Sources say the Kings are also still open to trade possibilities, and Detroit and Utah are two teams eager to move up in the draft. The Pistons’ Tayshaun Prince could be intriguing to the Kings, who are eager to add a veteran small forward to the roster.

Zach Harper (Cowbell Kingdom) and I discussed the particulars last night, and we both believe this version makes the most sense.

Nocioni is overpaid, and you probably hate him. But he only has one more guaranteed season than Prince.

He’s a good defender, and he would inject some of the much-need toughness Joe Dumars has talked about finding. If he didn’t shoot so much, Nocioni would be a great role player. And his ability to swing to power forward makes him more ideal for this roster than Prince.

But really, he’s the bullet Detroit would have to bite to get DeMarcus Cousins. Dumars has been rumored to want to move up, and Cousins is often mentioned as the target. Cousins could be the Pistons’ starting center for the next 10 years, or he could flame out of the league in a few years. With the fifth pick, I think the risk presents a great value.

It appears the first four picks of the draft will be John Wall, Evan Turner, Derrick Favors and Wesley Johnson. That means Cousins would likely be available at No. 5.

I know one conclusion could be: if the Kings are willing to do this trade, they’d probably pass on Cousins, so Detroit would be better off staying at No. 7. But Golden State would likely take Cousins at No. 6. Logic like this doesn’t fly (from Vincent Goodwill Jr. of The Detroit News):

Although there’s a spot between Detroit and Sacramento, you can just about "X" the Golden State Warriors out of the equation. Don Nelson is running the show, and the last time he took a big man with a top-10 pick was in 1998, when he drafted the portly Robert "Tractor" Traylor from Michigan–then subsequently traded him for the big man he really wanted, Dirk Nowitzki.

I don’t understand how taking Stephen Curry over Jordan Hill last year proves the Warriors won’t take Cousins. That’s the only time Nelson has had a top-10 pick since 1998. It’s hardly a pattern.

I e-mailed Rasheed Malek of WarriorsWorld.net last night, and he believes Golden State would likely take Cousins if he’s available at No. 6. The Warriors need an interior presence, and Cousins would provide that. Besides, it’s not like Nelson’s future with the Warriors is guaranteed, so there’s no point of passing on the best player available for someone who fits his small-ball system.

If the Pistons want Cousins – and indications are they do – a trade like this is probably necessary to get him.

Kings’ perspective

Zach Harper of Cowbell Kingdom:

The Kings have two missions in retooling the roster this summer: 1) get better defensively and 2) cut long-term salary for the upcoming Collective Bargaining Agreement. This trade seems to solve both of these issues in one fell swoop and it’s almost too easy.

Tayshaun Prince seems to be the perfect mentor for guys like Donté Greene and Omri Casspi. A year under his tutelage could be invaluable. With the strides Donté Greene made between his rookie and sophomore years, being shown the ropes by Prince could help him go from very good role player to 10-year starter. For Omri, Prince could help curb some of the confidence in practice every day and make him learn how to be creative and crafty in the way he attacks the best defenders in the league.

Also, having his expiring contract at the trade deadline when contenders will be looking for a dynamic defender to complete their championship run could be even more valuable. With the year of contract lopped off the future, the Kings would get maximum roster flexibility. It would put the Kings nearly $30 million under the cap heading into the potential lockout and allow them to go on a deadline spending spree or a free agency spending spree once the CBA is hammered out.

The real question is whether or not the Kings can justify passing on DeMarcus Cousins if he’s there. He has the potential to be a huge bust because of attitude problems or to be the best player in the draft. Is giving that opportunity to find out worth some financial freedom and a defensive role player with the seventh pick (Udoh or Whiteside most likely)? How do you sell that to your fans in good conscience?

My response

Maybe the Pistons aren’t as public about it or maybe they’ll be ill-suited for the new NBA, but I’m glad they’re not overly concerned about cutting payroll.

I don’t think it was a coincidence Chauncey Billups was traded to his hometown of Denver. Prince is from California, and I think Dumars would try to accommodate him, too.

Prince’s attitude wavered at time this season, but I think it would improve in California. He still looks up to Ben Wallace and Richard Hamilton in Detroit. I think he would embrace being a leader with the younger Kings.

Zach also brings up one reason I’d hesitate to make the trade. Prince could have big value to a contender at the trade deadline.

Verdict

If the Pistons love Cousins and the Kings don’t (which both seem very possible), this trade makes a ton of sense for both sides.

NBA coaches aren’t nearly as intelligent as I thought they were.

and

But the league’s other 29 coaches? They’re a lot dumber than I thought.

… you’re off to a bad start. NBA coaches make plenty of mistakes, and I’m definitely prone to second-guessing them, too. But they’re not idiots. They all know a lot more about basketball than I do, and more often than not, their decisions are right – even the bad coaches’.

So, what’s so seriously objectionable that you’re so up in arms with nearly every coach (the exception is John Kuester, by the way)? Oh, you’re upset Ben Wallace didn’t make an All-Defensive team.

I thought Dwight Howard and Andrew Bogut deserved the recognition, but I definitely wouldn’t object to Wallace or Tim Duncan. I do object to your logic, though.

After pointing out 52 players received votes besides Wallace (irrelevant because the teams are position-specific), you lists some big men who received votes:

Jermaine O’Neal, Luis Scola (you’ve got to be kidding), Jared Dudley, Marc Gasol, Pau Gasol, Brendan Haywood and Ersan Ilyasova.

Scola, Dudley and Ilyasova are forwards, so they’re irrelevant to this discussion. And you’re right: Wallace had a better defensive year than O’Neal and the Gasols.

But here’s the kicker:

I’m not saying Ben Wallace should’ve been voted onto the prestigious first or second teams. Centers such as Dwight Howard (defensive player of the year) and Tim Duncan earned their spots.

But not one vote for Ben Wallace?

So, you wouldn’t have voted for Wallace, either? But you’re upset that nobody else did?

Basically, the issue isn’t that the voters are wrong. Your problem is a few votes that went to the Gasols and O’Neal – which actually should’ve gone to Duncan – didn’t go to Wallace.

I’m sorry. That’s absurd and overly homerish.

But one throwaway line is even more absurd:

Tayshaun Prince was the only Piston to get a vote. Which is fine.

No, that’s not fine.

Prince far from deserving. He wasn’t that good defensively this year. I’d say he was average, give or take. And he only played 49 games, meaning his overall defensive contributions were pretty lacking.

You can’t slam Scola (a pretty good defender, I think) and say Prince getting a vote is fine. Again, it’s overly homerish.

• Dave Pemberton, The Oakland Press
• Chris Iott, MLive.com/ Booth Newspapers
• Vince Ellis, Detroit Free Press
• Jamie Samuelsen, Detroit Free Press
• Keith Langlois, True Blue Pistons
• Eli Zaret, Detroit Pistons
• Patrick Hayes, Full-Court Press
• Justin Rogers, Full-Court Press
• Natalie Sitto, Need4Sheed
• Brian Packey, Detroit Bad Boys
• Kevin Sawyer, Detroit Bad Boys
• Mike Payne, Detroit Bad Boys
• Jesse Murphy, Pistons Nation
• Jon Young, Flagrant2
• Dan Feldman, PistonPowered

I  want to thank everyone listed above for participating. I think this year’s roundtable has gone great and the bar is set very high for next year.

For the final question, I ask each roundtable participant a separate question. So, please give your thoughts on the questions that interest you in the comments.

Dave Pemberton, The Oakland Press

A lot of Pistons fans want to draft Keith Benson. How do you evaluate his NBA potential? (Pemberton used to cover the Oakland men’s basketball team for The Oakland Press.

The two big knacks on Benson are strength and defense. Benson has to add strength to his 6-foot-11, 225-pound frame to be affective at the NBA level. Defensively, he can come up with the highlight-reel block, but has trouble defending stronger players one-on-one. He averaged 10.5 rebounds per game, but will have trouble getting in good position against NBA talent unless he adds strength.

Benson’s offensive game showed a lot of improvement this past season. He has good footwork and a nice touch around the basket. He has a solid mid-range game and shot 72.4 percent from the free-throw line. The one knack again is strength and being able to get good position against NBA talent.

Head-to-head against likely lottery pick Cole Aldrich of Kansas, Benson had 20 points, six rebounds and four blocks, while Aldrich had four points, nine rebounds and three blocks. The two were roommates at the Amar’e Stoudemire skills camp last summer.

My guess is Benson will return for his senior season, but if he comes out and is available in the second round he might prove to be a good pick. I don’t see him as an early lottery pick this season, which is where Detroit will be picking.

Chris Iott, MLive.com/ Booth Newspapers

What has surprised you most about your first season covering the Pistons?

It is shocking how good the chocolate chip cookies that get delivered each game to Rick Mahorn are, but I have had only one, so further testing is needed. The Pistons’ locker room is substantially smaller than I expected, especially when compared with the Tigers’ clubhouse. The officials yell at the coaches a lot more than I thought they did. Ben Wallace had a much bigger impact on the team than I thought he would.

Vince Ellis, Detroit Free Press

Which of the new Pistons is the best interview and why?

I actually like Ben Wallace. When he has something to say, he is very insightful and is a lot more gregarious than he lets on.

Jamie Samuelsen, Detroit Free Press

You’ve written that Pistons fans have become apathetic. Does it surprise you how disinterested they’ve been this year, and do you think their enthusiasm has room to go lower?

I’m not surprised. This was the convergence of a lot of different forces. The first and most obvious is the economy which has affected all of the local teams. The second is the long, sustained run of success that the team had. It was a terrific decade, but by the end, it had grown stale to the point where fans actually complained that the winning had gotten boring. Third was the wildly unpopular trade for Allen Iverson. Joe Dumars traded away the most popular player on the team (and maybe in the state) for a malcontent who submarined everything. And now we’re left with a bad team where the effort is easy to question on any given night. Can it go lower? I suppose anything is possible. What is there here to root for? There are no stars. There is no excitement. There is no trademark for the team. If ESPN were promoting a game, how would they do it? Come see Richard Hamilton and the Detroit Pistons? That won’t sell any seats.

Keith Langlois, Detroit Pistons

Who in the organization do you think has taken this season’s struggles the hardest?

Anybody who hates losing has absorbed the agony of this season, but John Kuester has to be the one who’s endured the most anguish. Veterans like Wallace, Prince and Hamilton haven’t experienced losing of this magnitude for years, if ever, but the success they’ve experienced has to mitigate this season’s disappointment to some degree. Joe Dumars knows the ebb and flow of the business. The rookies and young veterans have to focus as much on finding their niche as on the bigger picture of team success. But Kuester waited a long time for his shot at being a head coach and he knows this goes on his record. To have his shot undermined so thoroughly by injuries clearly has worn on him.

Eli Zaret, Detroit Pistons

Which current Piston do you think would make the best broadcaster after he retires and why?

Autin Daye wants to be a broadcaster and has a great grasp of the language; has an high basketball IQ and comes from a basketball family (Darren). He’s the obvious choice,seeing as he’s already doing man on the street interviews for the team website and in-arena show.

Patrick Hayes, Full-Court Press

As you’ve researched rookies for your Draft Dreams series, who has impressed you most compared to your initial impression and why?

Wall and Turner are obviously amazing and getting either of those guys could be potentially franchise-altering for Detroit. But there are a few less heralded players who I really like.

Feldman’s already made fun of me for this (I think it’s just the jilted UM fan inside him), so others will probably follow suit, but I love Ekpe Udoh. The knock on him as a prospect was the fact that his offensive game is not NBA ready. After watching about four Baylor games late in the season, including their tourney game against Duke, I think he’s much better offensively than people give him credit for. He’s a very good passer for a big man — Baylor was running their offense through him at times. He can turn and face up, put the ball on the floor a bit and he has range out to the college three-point line, something he didn’t have at Michigan. Udoh’s surged up draft projections as the season’s went on because of this.

Defensively, he’ll block shots. He needs to get stronger if he’s going to be the biggest player on a NBA team, but he’ll really help a team picking in the 10-15 range. The Big 12 was a good league for big men this year, and Udoh held his own.

I also love Georgetown’s Greg Monroe and Xavier Henry of Kansas. Monroe is one of the more polished bigs offensively in recent drafts and is a great passer. His defense is iffy, but he’s the most NBA-ready offensively of any college big.
Henry is raw, but he’s going to develop into an insanely good, physical and intense perimeter defender. He’s quick, he’s strong, he’s athletic and he’s competitive, all the traits in a lockdown defensive guy. I’m not as sold on his offense as his defense, but he’ll be a very good NBA player for a long time.
I like Patrick Patterson a lot as a late lottery/mid first round big who’s just solid in several facets of the game. Basically, I love everyone except Cole Aldrich.

Justin Rogers, Full-Court Press

Who will be a better defender with the Pistons, Ben Gordon or Charlie Villanueva?

This is a tough question to answer, but I’m leaning toward Gordon. He’s fairly strong for his size and he’s quick. If the Pistons offer solid help defense, Gordon’s deficiencies can be covered up. For his size and skill set it always surprises me how painfully slow Villanueva moves. His only serviceable defensive skill is the occasional blocked shot.

The number one thing I’d like to see both players work on is their pick-and-roll defense. Gordon has to be more physical working through screens and Villanueva has to be more efficient at both showing on the ball handler and recovering to his man.

Natalie Sitto, Need4Sheed

If you were going to reconstruct Sheed using elements of current Pistons, what traits would you take from whom?

I would rather focus on the Swede than Sheed right now, but here goes.

The new and improved Sheed would have:

• Jonas Jerebko’s heart and hustle.
• Ben Wallace’s shot blocking.
• Jason Maxiell’s ability to take on anyone and go after every board.
• Tayshaun’s wingspan.
• Will Bynum’s speed.
• Ben Gordon’s shot (from last season).
• Rip Hamilton’s training techniques.
• Austin Daye’s temperament.
• And nothing from Charlie Villanueva.

Brian Packey, Detroit Bad Boys

Your bio (on the left sidebar) says you took a charge from Shane Battier. What’s the story there?

There is no story – it’s just a joke. Battier went to my high school and was friends with my older brothers (he was a baseball teammate of one of my brothers). I played AAU basketball through ninth grade and attended the Duke basketball camp in 8th grade because Battier went there. We talked a lot and played one-on-one, but I never took a charge from him. In fact, I was terrified of him (6′8" vs. 5′10") and he blocked A LOT of my shots. I think I lost like 21-1. I know some people don’t like Duke very much, but there’s nothing to dislike about Battier – he’s an all-around class-act, a smart basketball player, and an even smarter person.

Kevin Sawyer, Detroit Bad Boys

You wrote at midseason, "I don’t think the Pistons are a playoff team with Jerebko playing 30 mpg." Do you still think that’s the case and why?

I do. First, I think he needs to grow into his role as a sort of enforcer on the defensive end. Second, I think he’s going to need those three fouls a game in order to maintain his effectiveness. He’s new to the league, so his profile could change, but I think he’s going to bring the bulk of his value at the defensive end. Again, I’ll cite Varejao as a comparison point.

Mike Payne, Detroit Bad Boys

Do you think Charlie Villanueva realizes how good he is inside? After writing that post, is it even more infuriating watching how he plays?

I think Charlie’s confidence has taken quite a hit, but I’m sure he realizes how good his inside game is (hey, he shared my article on Facebook).  Personally, I’m not bothered by Charlie’s offense.  Some may complain about his three point attempts, but this is as much a result of coaching as it is about Charlie’s preference on offense.  Pistons fans are still scarred from the Ways of Rasheed, and Charlie’s three point shots are not as welcome as a result.  If Kuester didn’t want Charlie taking perimeter shots, he’d draft plays accordingly.

The infuriating part about Charlie’s play is obviously his defense.  It’s absolutely painful to watch.  His non-existent D and bad fouls have led John Kuester to pull him out of the starting lineup and then limit him to less than 18 minutes a game.  Kuester’s philosophy with Charlie is that you can earn minutes and shot attempts by playing solid defense.  What’s ironic, however, is that Villanueva earned solid minutes under stern, defensive stalwart Scott Skiles.  Now, Villanueva has begun earning DNP-CDs and no one really notices.

I’m hoping, as he likely is as well, that Charlie can turn it around next year.  In a perfect world, Villanueva would spend the summer in Ben Wallace’s weight room, drinking Myoplex and guarding pick-and-rolls.  With our luck, he’ll likely end up in Sean May’s kitchen drinking mayo and eating dinner rolls.

Jesse Murphy, Pistons Nation

You always seem to enjoy highlighting former fringe Pistons. Who is your favorite and why?

Never thought about it that way. I guess more than anything I enjoy being a fan of Pistons basketball and the team’s history. It’s easy to root for players like Grant Hill, Chauncey Billups, Ben Wallace, etc., but real fans know that the stars need guys to fill roles to help the team excel.

I don’t know if I can point to a clear favorite but one guy I feel that was pretty underrated that I enjoyed was Zeljko Rebraca. Zelly was a rugged low post player who had a nice touch down low. Plus he had that cool Silver Surfer tatt on his left arm.

Jon Young, Flagrant2

With a relatively new blog, what do you add to the Pistons blogosphere?

I do a weekly top-5 countdown on Mondays. It can range from anywhere to top 5 ugliest players to top-5 dunks, blocks etc. I mix it up and do something different every week. I try to have a recap of each game before the morning, and give insight to every game.

Previous

• How good would the Pistons have been this season if they weren’t hit with so many injuries?
• If you had to build a team around a current Piston besides Rodney Stuckey or Jonas Jerebko, whom would it be and why? (Please note if you’d rather build around this player than Stuckey or Jerebko.)
• Rodney Stuckey has been a key part of the Pistons’ long-term plans. Should that status change?
• If you were Joe Dumars, would you be on a one-year plan, two-year plan, three-year plan, etc.? What does your answer mean for this offseason?

Like with the other questions, please post your answers in the comments. I’d like this roundtable to involve everyone reading, too.

• Dave Pemberton, The Oakland Press
• Chris Iott, MLive.com/ Booth Newspapers
• Vince Ellis, Detroit Free Press
• Jamie Samuelsen, Detroit Free Press
• Keith Langlois, True Blue Pistons
• Eli Zaret, Detroit Pistons
• Patrick Hayes, Full-Court Press
• Justin Rogers, Full-Court Press
• Natalie Sitto, Need4Sheed
• Brian Packey, Detroit Bad Boys
• Kevin Sawyer, Detroit Bad Boys
• Mike Payne, Detroit Bad Boys
• Jesse Murphy, Pistons Nation
• Jon Young, Flagrant2
• Dan Feldman, PistonPowered

I  want to thank everyone listed above for participating. But I don’t want to hear just from them. Please post your answers to the question in the comments.  We can make this an even larger collection of thoughts about the Pistons.

Here’s today’s question:

If you were Joe Dumars, would you be on a one-year plan, two-year plan, three-year plan, etc.? What does your answer mean for this offseason?

Dave Pemberton, The Oakland Press

My top priority this offseason would be to bolster the Pistons frontcourt and help get the team in position to compete for a playoff spot next season. Whether it be in the draft, free agency or a trade, the Pistons have to improve up front. It’s frightening to think how bad Detroit’s frontcourt would have been without Ben Wallace this season.

This all starts with the draft and depending on the pick is likely the best option. Free agency won’t bring anything more than a temporary solution. Signing someone like Brad Miller, Erick Dampier or Brendan Haywood would be an improvement, but not a long-term solution. Bringing back Wallace would be among my plans, but only with a deal similar to the one he had this season.
Re-signing Will Bynum would also be a priority this offseason. Bynum’s a young player that has shown he can provide a nice spark off the bench and fill in as the starting point guard if needed.

Adding young talent this offseason or during next season would be part of my long-term plan because I would be looking to compete for a championship two or three years down the road.

Tayshaun Prince will be an attractive option in trades because of his expiring contract, but I wouldn’t give him away. He’s shown he can still play and with the motivation of getting a new contract could be a nice piece for Detroit next season. I would actively shop other veterans, but make sure I get some value in return.

Chris Iott, MLive.com/ Booth Newspapers

Joe Dumars has to be on an "every-year plan." Championship teams are not built overnight or even an offseason. Dumars has his work cut out for him, but no matter what he does, the Pistons are not going to win the 2010-11 NBA title. The Pistons can make a leap forward and make the playoffs next season, but Dumars will have to make one really good to great move in free agency and via a trade in addition to getting it right when it comes to the draft. But even a perfect offseason will leave another year or two of work to do. This truly is a team in transition.

Vince Ellis, Detroit Free Press

I wouldn’t necessarily put a time frame on when the Pistons could return to challenging for a title. I would just treat this season as hitting rock bottom and work from there. If it takes one, two, three or however long, that’s how I would treat it. As for this off-season, without even making a move you are looking at a top-five pick, a high second-rounder and the midlevel exception. That offers the potential for three nice pieces (two of those slots should be big guys). And you assume Rip or Tay will be moved so who knows how many more new players will be around.  I will say this off-season will be huge for the future.

Jamie Samuelsen, Detroit Free Press

It’s impossible to define how long a plan can be. Dumars made it clear last off-season that he wasn’t content to allow for a long rebuild. So he got aggressive and signed Ben Gordon and Charlie Villanueva to awful contracts. And with the future of the franchise so unclear, I wonder how aggressive Dumars will be allowed to be. But I’m sure he’d love to unload some contracts, so there will be a lot of proposals and phone calls and offers. But in this economy, what team is going to want Rip Hamilton for three more years at 12.6 mil per year? Dumars has had a very good run as the Pistons GM. And I think he deserves the chance to fix this mess. But he did create the mess. And I don’t see many ways out. At least not in the short term.

Keith Langlois, Detroit Pistons

My answer would be that I won’t limit the possibilities for next season but I also won’t do anything that limits the possibilities beyond next season. I think he’d say his intent is to put the Pistons in the best position to win as many games as possible next season without damaging their future beyond that. Get better now, but avoid the quick fix. He’s more likely to trade veterans for younger talent than vice versa, but I don’t think he’d rule out anything that would improve the Pistons now without recklessly endangering their future. As for what will shape his off-season, I think where the May 18 lottery places them will be a big piece of the picture.

Eli Zaret, Detroit Pistons

I think it’ll be at least a 2- if not a 3-year plan. This offseason he’ll get a top 5 pick; will probably try to trade some of his assets that need a change of scenery, like Rip Hamilton and Tayshaun Prince and use his midlevel exception wisely. Billups was a midlevel back in ‘02-’03 and that worked out pretty well.

Patrick Hayes, Full-Court Press

The Pistons aren’t far off. They need what most teams do – a star playmaker, regardless of position. You can’t win in the NBA right now without a guy who can get his own shot on any possession. If the Pistons luck out in the draft and end up with Wall or Turner, then sign a serviceable big for part of the midlevel or make a trade for one, they’ll be a middle of the pack playoff team in the East next year.

This rebuilding project is going to take as long as it takes for the Pistons to get a top two pick in the draft. If that happens this year, they’ll be back soon. If it doesn’t, next year they should be better with improved health, but not significantly enough to become a playoff threat.

Justin Rogers, Full-Court Press

The Pistons are at least two years away, but they can make significant strides this offseason. First and foremost the Pistons can start the turnaround process in the NBA draft.The team is likely to have a top-six-or-seven pick, hopefully top three. Second, Tayshaun Prince’s value is starting to peak again. He’s been fantastic on the last third of the season and he’s entering in the final year of his contract. Dumars should be able to get pretty good value in a trade. Finally, the MLE must be used wisely. Free agency is flooded with superstars, so Dumars should be able to find a bargain on the market. Obviously the goal is to find another player like Billups, a younger player who is hasn’t met their potential, but is willing to work hard. Clearly that’s easier said than done.

Natalie Sitto, Need4Sheed

Right now you want to get better every season. You don’t ever want to be on a two- or three-year plan. You focus around making your team the best you can every season. If it takes three years to make a championship push, so be it, but you need to go all out each year if you think you have the pieces that might work together.

As far as the offseason, Dumars needs size. Kwame Brown is gone, Ben Wallace might retire, and Chris Wilcox was like a ghost all season. That just leaves the undersized Jason Maxiell. If Austin Daye doesn’t go on a weightlifting, eating binge during the summer or gets blasted with whatever Bruce Banner did, the Pistons are in serious trouble.

Dumars also either needs to resign Will Bynum, who will get much more than his $825,000 salary next season, or find a point guard to take his place.

As for the current duo of Tayshaun and Rip, I’m sure he’ll take calls on both. Rip has a difficult contract to move, but Tayshaun’s 12 million will come off the books after the 2011 season, so the Pistons could get someone to make that deal.

Brian Packey, Detroit Bad Boys

Presumably, the Pistons are going to add 2-3 quality talents this off-season with the draft and the MLE. Hopefully, one of those will be the big-man, paint presence the Pistons so desperately need. Of course, whether this year was a result of all the injuries, or a true indication of the talent on this team will also affect Joe’s plan significantly.

Kevin Sawyer, Detroit Bad Boys

I’d look toward 2011-2012. Gordon and Villanueva will still be in their 20s, Stuckey will be hitting his stride, Austin Daye should be a major player and our lottery pick will have a year under his belt. I think Dumars needs to think about what he can do to move Hamilton. If that means moving an asset (like Jerebko, or even a draft pick), I think that he should consider doing so.

That said, economics being what they are, I wouldn’t hesitate to spend a few million toward a playoff push next year.   

Mike Payne, Detroit Bad Boys

Although I’d love to see Joe Dumars turn this ship around in one, two or even three years, I remain pessimistic about the future. The Pistons are locked into some serious contracts with under-performing players and a roster with no real identity. Sadly, my hope for this team’s future is entirely dependent on numbered balls in a lottery machine.

If Detroit winds up with any of the top three picks, the future will again be bright. I like DeMarcus Cousins and Evan Turner a lot more than I like John Wall, and would prefer either going forward. If we draft 4th or beyond, we’ll likely snag a role player and a longer wait for a turn-around.

Should we draft after the top three are taken, and Minnesota nets DeMarcus Cousins, we could find a trade partner in Wolves GM David Kahn. I suggested a trade scenario with Minny back in January, moving Tayshaun and Stuckey for Jefferson and Sessions. If Minnesota drafts Cousins they will most certainly move Jefferson, and Detroit should do whatever it can to bring him to Detroit. A starting line of Sessions, Gordon, Jerebko, Jefferson and Aldrich sounds quite attractive to me (well, any lineup with Jerebko is attractive, of course). Although some may question giving Sessions the keys at the point, he is precisely the kind of rare player that ends up making a GM look brilliant – just like Chauncey did of Dumars many years ago.

Jesse Murphy, Pistons Nation

That’s a tough question because of the salary commitments that Joe has made the past few seasons, see question #2.

Jon Young, Flagrant2

If I was Joe Dumars I would be on a one-year plan.

The Ben Gordon and Charlie Villanueva contracts look real bad right now, and the chance of shedding them is unlikely. If they could find any team willing to trade an above average big man for Rip I would jump on it.

The offseason depends a lot on the draft. If the Pistons get the #1 pick I think they would get John Wall at point guard and move Stuckey to the 2 guard. That would make trading Rip a lot easier. If they get a big man in the draft they could cut Chucky Atkins and go for a veteran point guard, not even necessary to start but to help run the team and manage the offense (Jason Williams for example).

The Pistons need to find a big man this offseason, preferably one who can shoot the ball maybe a Brad Miller type. The post has been very weak this year. I don’t see any point in resigning Kwame Brown, Chris Wilcox hasn’t done nearly as much as expected and Ben Wallace isn’t going to give you a scoring option. If the Pistons can draft a solid big man and keep Ben Wallace around for defense, the post situation will at the very least upgrade from this year. Tayshaun has been playing good lately and he might be the best option for acquiring a big man through trade, which if you’re Joe Dumars you have to be looking for.

Jonas is most likely going to improve next year, Charlie V has something to prove, and Ben Gordon can’t be any worse than this season. Through the draft, hopefully a trade, and development of the current roster the Pistons should improve in the next few seasons.

Dan Feldman, PistonPowered

I’d be on a one-year plan – almost completely.

I’d still draft the best player available rather than someone with limited upside who’s more apt to contribute right away. And I wouldn’t trade Rodney Stuckey, Jonas Jerebko or Austin Daye for someone much older.

But I’d be willing to trade Charlie Villanueva, Ben Gordon or Will Bynum for someone with less upside, but who would be better right now.

I’d also go for need over luxury in free agency – not what Joe Dumars did with Ben Gordon last summer.

Dumars isn’t stupid. He knows Gordon plays a similar role to Richard Hamilton. But I think he saw Gordon as the type of special player on whom you don’t pass. (Whether he’s right remains to be seen.)

I’d use the mid-level exception on the big man who can help Detroit most right now – regardless of his age. Luis Scola or Marcus Camby would be ideal, but they’re probably a stretch. Someone like Jermaine O’Neal, Udonis Haslem or Drew Gooden would likely make more sense.

The goal should be to get good right away, especially because it will increase the value of the expensive players the Pistons already have. Detroit’s high-priced players are good, but if they play for a loser too long, their value will plummet.

Look at Andre Iguodala, Elton Brandon and Samuel Dalembert in Philadelphia. They’re overpaid, but all three can still play. Their trade value is shot because the 76ers have been so miserable.

On the other hand, check out Rashard Lewis in Orlando or Kenyon Martin in Denver. They’re overpaid and productive, too. But their trade value is much higher than it should be because their teams are so good.

Winning masks a lot of issues, and the Pistons have plenty of those. Winning won’t make the problems completely disappear, but it will make them a lot easier to fix.

Previous

• How good would the Pistons have been this season if they weren’t hit with so many injuries?
• If you had to build a team around a current Piston besides Rodney Stuckey or Jonas Jerebko, whom would it be and why? (Please note if you’d rather build around this player than Stuckey or Jerebko.)
• Rodney Stuckey has been a key part of the Pistons’ long-term plans. Should that status change?

Like with the other questions, please post your answer in the comments. I’d like this roundtable to involve everyone reading, too.

• Dave Pemberton, The Oakland Press
• Chris Iott, MLive
• Vince Ellis, Detroit Free Press
• Jamie Samuelsen, Detroit Free Press
• Keith Langlois, True Blue Pistons
• Eli Zaret, Detroit Pistons
• Patrick Hayes, Full-Court Press
• Justin Rogers, Full-Court Press
• Natalie Sitto, Need4Sheed
• Brian Packey, Detroit Bad Boys
• Kevin Sawyer, Detroit Bad Boys
• Mike Payne, Detroit Bad Boys
• Jesse Murphy, Pistons Nation
• Jon Young, Flagrant2
• Dan Feldman, PistonPowered

I  want to thank everyone listed above for participating. But I don’t want to hear just from them. Please post your answers to the question in the comments.  We can make this an even larger collection of thoughts about the Pistons.

Here’s today’s question:

If you had to build a team around a current Piston besides Rodney Stuckey or Jonas Jerebko, whom would it be and why? (Please note if you’d rather build around this player than Stuckey or Jerebko.)

Dave Pemberton, The Oakland Press

That’s a tough question. The Pistons in my opinion don’t have a franchise player, and that includes Stuckey and Jerebko. There is not one guy you can point to and say he’s the guy. With that being said, I think Ben Gordon is a player that should be in the Pistons’ future plans.

Despite his struggles this season, Gordon has a proven track record. I don’t believe the Gordon we have seen in 2010 is the real Gordon because I don’t think he is at full strength. He is playing through a groin injury and not getting the minutes he is accustomed so his numbers are down.

He can provide instant offense whether it be off the bench or as a starter. He also showed last season that he can produce in the playoffs. Let Gordon get healthy and I think you’ll see the player the Pistons thought they were getting when they signed him.

Chris Iott, MLive

If you are going to build a team for the long haul and build it around a player currently on the roster, Rodney Stuckey would be the logical choice. The Pistons think he’s the real deal, a special young player with a ton of upside. Whether he is worthy of that praise, well, time will tell. If it’s not Stuckey or Jerebko – and as much as I like Jerebko, I don’t think you build a team around him – your only option would have to be Ben Gordon. It has been a strange season for Gordon, but if the Pistons deal Richard Hamilton in the offseason, it would clear up a logjam at the position and make Gordon’s role more important. The Pistons are not writing off Gordon. Fans shouldn’t either.

Vince Ellis, Detroit Free Press

I’m not saying I would try to start over from scratch, but I think of LeBron, Wade and Kobe as guys to build a team around. There are several solid pieces on the Pistons (Stuckey and Jerebko included). But they are just pieces, not cornerstones.

Jamie Samuelsen, Detroit Free Press

Slim pickings there. I suppose by process of elimination I’ll go with Ben Gordon, although he’s been a big disappointment in his first year here. But with so much money and so many years tied into him, there isn’t much choice. Gordon’s track record in the league shows he can score, and that can’t be dismissed after only one season. I’ll be very curious to see what he does next year assuming that A) he’s healthy and B) he’s the starter or is getting starter’s minutes.

Keith Langlois, Detroit Pistons

You have to at least be intrigued by Austin Daye’s potential. He’s never going to look significantly different that he did coming into the league – but if he gains functional strength, there’s every chance he’ll become a unique player capable of scoring in the high teens and up and holding his own defensively thanks to his freakish length. Will Bynum’s also a guy I’d like to have on my side.

Eli Zaret, Detroit Pistons

There really is no one to specifically build around. Even in the title season of 2004, they were considered a team without a star. The hope is they’ll get a top-5 pick this year who can be that guy.

Patrick Hayes, Full-Court Press

It’s probably a stretch, but I’d say Will Bynum. Bynum, more than anyone else on the roster, embodies the philosophy Joe Dumars built the championship with – a hidden gem with something to prove, fueled certainly by talent, but also carrying a significant chip on his shoulder. Bynum’s a guard version of Ben Wallace when it comes to energy, and he was the Pistons best player for a solid stretch early in the season. Now, that doesn’t mean I’d go out and lock Bynum up for $7 million a year, as Joe Dumars seems to want to do for everyone now, but if the Pistons re-sign him to a cheap deal (which is how they got Wallace), they could be getting a tough, energetic, lead-by-example guy who pushes people with higher pedigrees and bigger contracts for playing time, making the entire backcourt more competitive with each other and better in the games.

Justin Rogers, Full-Court Press

There isn’t a player on this roster that I would consider building a team around. The Pistons are a team full of complimentary players. I wouldn’t even build around a player like Stuckey or Jerebko. Stuckey is a second or third option at best. I just don’t see him developing to an on-the-court leader night in and night out. Jerebko is the type of player you want on any team, but you don’t build around hustle players. If pressed to answer, I’d go with Daye. He has plenty of potential, and he’s young. Of course that answer is equivalent to answering “C” straight down on a 100-question true/false test.

Natalie Sitto, Need4Sheed

That’s a difficult question. I can’t think of a player besides the two that can foot the bill right now. Rip and Tayshaun, are great players, but I think they’re both past the point where you would want to build around. The rest of this current configuration are more role players than anything.

If you put a gun to my head and I had to pick someone besides Stuckey or the Swede, it would  have to be Ben Gordon. His miserable season aside, I know what kind of player he is, and to be quite honest, I think he may be more suited to be a starter. We saw what he could do when he had the chance early in the season when Rip Hamilton was out. His defense is almost non-existent, and he tends to turn the ball over, but he can put up 30 if you need him to and hit the big money shot all in the same game.

Brian Packey, Detroit Bad Boys

I really don’t think the Pistons have anyone, besides maybe those two, that are worthy of being built around. They have a lot of pieces that could be key to a contender, complementing pieces, but not center-pieces. Depending on how he develops, though, Austin Daye could potentially become one of those types of players.

Kevin Sawyer, Detroit Bad Boys

Ben Gordon is the guy you have to think about building around. His contract is untradeable, and he has a lot more talent than he displayed this year. Keep in mind that Stuckey and Jerebko are only a couple years younger. I think Stuckey will be a late bloomer, and will eventually gel with Gordon, but Jerebko’s ceiling seems to be Anderson Varejao. You don’t build around Anderson Varejao.

Mike Payne, Detroit Bad Boys

Right now, we’re a building without a foundation. Detroit doesn’t have that one player on this team that can score efficiently and prolifically, draw double teams and defend the other end of the court. If Detroit gets lucky and can snag DeMarcus Cousins or Evan Turner in the draft, ask me again in June?

Jesse Murphy, Pistons Nation

I don’t see any of these guys as players a GM could center a team around. Guys like Stuckey and Jonas can be very important pieces to the puzzle, but I just don’t see them as "the guy". Unless Joe can pull off a miracle trade the Pistons will need to be lucky and acquire a franchise-type guy in the draft. Because I don’t believe we have the team and we sure don’t have the money to lure someone in free agency that will right the ship.

Jon Young, Flagrant2

I would go with Austin Daye. He is only going to get stronger and come into his body more. Once he figures out how to use his height he will be a threat. He can post up on most 3 guards at 6’11 and if a big man is guarding him they have to account for his three-point shooting. He has natural jump shot. He could really benefit from playing behind Tayshaun for another year or two. I don’t think he will ever be as good at driving as Prince but if he could learn his baby hook he would become a mismatch nightmare. Daye still has a big upside and lots of potential. With that being said I would much rather build a team around Stuckey or Jerebko.

Dan Feldman, PistonPowered

I nearly said Ben Wallace, which should say something about the sad state of this team. He’s 35 and only a year removed from serious injury. But he’s still productive and would instill an attitude I’d want my team to have.

But my answer is Will Bynum. He’s so productive, and I love how he improved from last year. Before his ankle injuries, Bynum had become a much better all-around player – not just a scorer. He’s still regaining his form, but it doesn’t look like his early-season play was an aberration.

He has a lot to prove, and he plays like it. There are varying opinions about whether clutch stats are relevant, and honestly, I have mixed feelings. But I can see Bynum plays without fear when the game is on the line, and I know I like that.

He also plays point guard, which might be the most important position in the NBA right now. (I’d still say center, but you can make the case).

A hidden Bynum bonus: because he hasn’t played much in the NBA, he’s a young 27.

Previous

• How good would the Pistons have been this season if they weren’t hit with so many injuries?

Like with the first question, please post your answer in the comments. I’d like this roundtable to involve everyone reading, too.

Because there are so many participants, I’ve decided to split each question into a separate post. So, check back for four more installments later this week.

Here’s this year’s panel (subject to change):

• Dave Pemberton, The Oakland Press
• Chris Iott, MLive
• Vince Ellis, Detroit Free Press
• Jamie Samuelsen, Detroit Free Press
• Keith Langlois, True Blue Pistons
• Eli Zaret, Detroit Pistons
• Patrick Hayes, Full-Court Press
• Justin Rogers, Full-Court Press
• Natalie Sitto, Need4Sheed
• Brian Packey, Detroit Bad Boys
• Kevin Sawyer, Detroit Bad Boys
• Mike Payne, Detroit Bad Boys
• Jesse Murphy, Pistons Nation
• Jon Young, Flagrant2
• Dan Feldman, PistonPowered

I  want to thank everyone listed above for participating. But I don’t want to hear just from them. Please post your answers to the question in the comments.  We can make this an even larger collection of thoughts about the Pistons.

So, without further ado, here’s the first question of the 2010 Detroit Pistons roundtable:

How good would the Pistons have been this season if they weren’t hit with so many injuries?

Dave Pemberton, The Oakland Press

Before the season I thought the Pistons would be a playoff team or the last team out in the East. After watching them all season I’m not sure that is the case, even without all the injuries. Let’s say with everyone healthy (which never happens) the Pistons would have won 10-15 more games this season. Even with those wins Detroit is the No. 8 seed at best and likely still out of the playoffs.

The fact is the Pistons are a flawed team with no identity. If you don’t believe me just ask yourself two questions. First, what are the Pistons real strengths? Takes a minute to think of something, at least it did for me. Second, what are the Pistons flaws? The answers are endless. Where do you start, the poor frontline play, terrible defense, no outside shooting, lack of leadership, the list goes on.

To answer the question, I think even without all the injuries the Pistons would be right where they are now: out of the playoffs, just with a better record.

Chris Iott, MLive

Heading into the season, the Pistons appeared to be a borderline playoff team that wouldn’t be able to make much noise in the postseason. With all the injuries the Pistons had early and the twists and turns the season took after that, that original assessment appears to be right on. There is no guarantee the Pistons would have finished above .500 or made the playoffs, but they very likely would have been in the playoff hunt until the end had they not had to deal with so many injuries.

Vince Ellis, Detroit Free Press

Up until the latest losing streak I would have said it’s a no-brainer that the Pistons would have made the playoffs if not for the injuries.

Now, I’m not so sure. The problems are well-documented. But to answer your question, I will stay yes. I will buy the theory that the injuries robbed them of their mojo.

Jamie Samuelsen, Detroit Free Press

There is a good chance they would have had a better record for the simple reason that they would have gotten off to a better start. When you get off to a good start, it’s easier for players to stay interested and motivated. But when you are up against it early on, some players tend to check out and this team checked out big time. But even if they had been healthy, the best case scenario would have been sneaking into the playoffs and losing in the first round. There is no interior scoring. I thought Ben Wallace was a publicity stunt when he signed, and he ended up being the team’s most valuable big man. That is alarming!

Keith Langlois, Detroit Pistons

Coming into the season, I had the Pistons solidly in the middle of the East’s "middle class" – a group I thought would consist of Washington (ouch!), Miami, Toronto, Chicago and Philadelphia (oops!) in addition to Detroit – behind the big four of Cleveland, Orlando, Boston and Atlanta. (Charlotte’s success surprised me a little, Milwaukee’s a lot.) I felt after the preseason and the season opener the Pistons would be somewhere in the upper end of that group, a team that would win at least in the upper 30s and possibly into the mid 40s. I would have given them about a 65-75 percent chance of making the playoffs.

Eli Zaret, Detroit Pistons

Obviously, much better. They still would have lacked the low post presence they need so badly, but even as a guard-laden team they could have been a lower rung playoff team.

Patrick Hayes, Full-Court Press

I had them down for low 40s win total, somewhere between a 5 and 8 seed in the East. It’s not that I necessarily thought they were that good, it’s just that I thought the East was even worse than it’s been lately. In reality, I probably underrated the East a bit (particularly Milwaukee, Atlanta and Miami). But I still think the Pistons would’ve been a contender for a low playoff seed had everyone been healthy. Injuries were simply devastating for this team. When everyone finally came back healthy, there was no cohesion and no time left to develop it on the fly.

Justin Rogers, Full-Court Press

At the start of the season I would have said 45 wins, but I’m not so sure now.  I’m guessing Detroit would be around .500 right now and competing with Chicago and Toronto for the final playoff spot.  On the bright side, the injuries opened the door for the emergence of Jonas Jerebko.

Natalie Sitto, Need4Sheed

They would have made the playoffs for one. They would be jockeying for playoff position rather than lottery position. They most likely wouldn’t have gone on a double-digit losing streak. Ben Gordon would have probably been the player we know he can be.

I don’t think they would be in the running for the championship, but they could at least get past the first round of post-season play. It would have been very different.

Brian Packey, Detroit Bad Boys

I was in the overly optimistic minority before the season started – I felt the Pistons were going to be a lot better than a lot of critics were predicting. There’s really no telling how good they would have been this season without the injuries, though. They weren’t good when finally healthy, but I kind of think that by the time they were completely healthy, the feeling in the air was that this season was already a major disappointment because of those injuries. By that time, the Pistons were probably not even close to where they were mentally on opening night (when they destroyed Memphis on the road) and that might have played a bigger role in their futility than some people might think.

Kevin Sawyer, Detroit Bad Boys

Prior to the season starting, I put the Pistons down for 43-47 wins. What’s strange is that I thought that rebounding and defense would be the biggest problems, while I expected a strong perimeter game. As it happened, rebounding was an area of relative strength, the Pistons were stronger up front than anyone could have expected, but the Pistons were the worst three-point shooting team in the league. As such, I think 43 wins would be the high end, were I to recalibrate.

Mike Payne, Detroit Bad Boys

To borrow the phrase from Nicholson, "What if this is as good as it gets?"  Before this season began, I suggested that the Pistons would not eclipse the 39 win record of the 2008-09 season. This roster, as currently constructed, does not have the scoring balance or defensive identity necessary to reach the playoffs, let alone contend. These injuries may serve only to mask how truly bad this Pistons team is, an unfortunate excuse for players, coaches and management to explain this season’s woes.

Jesse Murphy, Pistons Nation

Really I can’t see the Pistons being more than 10-15 wins better if not hampered by all the injuries. We’ve conceded that we’re not going to be that team that "goes to work" on defense, but the problem with that is that we’re not a team that wears out a scoreboard either. This team has no identity and the long season has revealed some gaping needs to have to be addressed.

Jon Young, Flagrant2

I think a healthy Pistons squad would have been in the playoff race somewhere around the Bulls or Raptors fighting for a spot. With Tayshaun and Rip being out at the beginning of the year it messed up the entire season. Stuckey had to shoulder the scoring load instead of focusing on running the point. Will Bynum started out this season strong, scoring fast and getting into the lane, but with all the injuries he was forced to play on bad ankles before missing 19 games. Since his return he has not had nearly the same impact and you can tell the injuries are still there. The preseason lineup looked like it had all the chances to be great offensively but injuries and a lack of rhythm have the team at the bottom of the league offensively. Ben Gordon and Charlie V are both playing below their career averages and Rip is shooting the worst field goal percentage of his career.

Even if healthy the Pistons would still be bad defensively, but would have looked a lot better on the offensive end. They have shown some signs of what they could have done. They beat the Magic, Celtics, and Spurs once and gave the Cavs a run. If Ben Gordon and Charlie Villanueva played up to their career numbers and stayed healthy you have to believe the Pistons would be at least competing. It’s easy to blame a bad season on injuries but if anyone had that excuse this year it would be the Pistons.

Dan Feldman, PistonPowered

Before the season, I thought the Pistons would win 44 games. I had them getting a bottom-half seed in the playoffs, probably closer to the No. 5 seed.

But even if they were healthy, I now think that’s too high.

Being healthy would’ve fixed a lot of flaws. Ben Gordon would be a good shooter. Charlie Villanueva would be a good rebounder. Tayshaun Prince would’ve played with more enthusiasm. And most importantly, the team’s defense would’ve been more cohesive.

And that all outweighs the one benefit of the injuries – getting Jonas Jerebko in the lineup.

But this team is just too flawed, too backcourt dependent. Besides Ben Wallace, they don’t have much inside. And he’s only valuable inside on defense.

I think the Pistons would have won 40 games, which puts them right on the edge of the eighth seed.

Late in the third quarter, Ben Gordon swung his elbows to clear space and may have hit A.J. Price. Gordon was called for an offensive foul – hardly a big deal.

Kuester went off the deep end, screaming at the official who made the call. Then storming to other end of the court, he went after another official and was ejected.

When asked about the incident after the game, Kuester paused before trying to put the words together.

“It was.. I was…,” he mumbled.

He talked about the foul difference in the game and how Price flopped.* The league probably won’t take kindly to those comments. But that’s not why I think he should be fined.

Kuester got out of watching the rest of the game.

Good for him. But I want him to pay. If the rest of us have to suffer through the end of this season, so should he. No early exits.

*Kuester also said Gordon’s offensive foul took away the Pistons’ momentum. I knew things had gotten low this year, but I didn’t realize it’s so bad the 5-0 run the Pacers were on, which expanded their lead to 11, when the foul occurred counts as momentum for Detroit.

The Pistons lost, 98-83 – and it was only that close because the Pacers are terrible. With Ben Wallace out, Detroit doesn’t have the players or fire to even compete with lottery teams.

I wish I could say the players should give full effort no matter what – like Tayshaun Prince, who had 14 points, nine rebounds and six assists. He’s seemingly gone back to the robot-like player who can do a little bit of everything as long as you don’t ask him to do too much. He just puts his head, doesn’t think about his role and does his job.

For the most part, I like players who think and share their feelings. But I prefer this Prince. When Prince thinks and shares his feelings, he’s been a malcontent and distracted by criticism. I don’t want him shut his brain off all the time, but it might serve him best to do it around basketball.

But he’s the exception. How can these players not be worn down by this season? It stinks. A lot of this team is used to winning, and this isn’t easy to deal with. It shouldn’t be easy to deal with.

I can’t take much more, either. I don’t want to hear George Blaha getting excited about the Pistons cutting a 16-point deficit to 11 or calling it a huge possession down 11 later in the game. I understand it’s job, and I don’t begrudge him, but it’s annoying – especially after he’s had to say similar things all season.

Before this game, Chris Iott of Mlive wrote:

If the Pistons cannot muster enough energy and effort to beat the Pacers, it means they have waved the white flag.

I’m not one for putting too much stock into a single game. But I’m ready to surrender, too. Let’s get past these final 11 games as quickly as we can.

Joe Dumars plans to use mid-level exception

Here’s the real news of the night:

Joe Dumars said in an interview with Eli Zaret that aired during tonight’s telecast he plans to use the mid-level exception this summer to acquire a quality player.

I was worried with the economy down in the area, coupled with his desire to sign Will Bynum, that Dumars wouldn’t use the MLE this year. Thankfully, it’s in the cards.

Dumars also said he plans to acquire a quality player through the draft and another via trade (which indicates he’s not looking to dump Richard Hamilton for an expiring contract – at least not as the only deal of the summer).

That’s a plan I can get behind.