Detroit Pistons trade for Brandon Jennings

“Deeeeeetroooiiiit baaaaasketbaaaaall.”  There’s a phrase we can be excited about using again.  The Detroit Pistons made a huge blockbuster deal on Tuesday that will send Brandon Knight, Khris Middleton, and Vlacheslav Kravtsov to the Milwaukee Bucks for Brandon Jennings.  The Pistons meant business this offseason.  When Dumars and the organization said that there were big moves to be made, they were not lying.

Before I give you my take on the trade and new Piston roster, I’d just like to point out an interesting fact: the Pistons now have three lefties in their starting lineup (Jennings, Smith, Monroe).  I’m not sure if that has ever happened on a team before, but all three of these lefties are legit players.  Smith and Jennings are both all-star caliber players and Monroe is almost at that level.

Now, on to the trade: honestly, I don’t think Dumars had much thinking to do about this deal.  The Pistons, 100%, got an amazing deal that could change their whole future.  Forget about taking that next step from being a lottery team to a lower-seeded playoff team.  Detroit is sick and tired of playing games.  They’re ready to start embracing the culture of winning basketball again.

Courtesy of solecollector.com

Brandon Knight brought a nice amount of potential to the table and the Pistons were likely willing to be patient with him.  However, Dumars and the front office came across an opportunity they simply could not pass on.  Jennings is a point guard and a point guard’s main job is to control the floor and make their teammates better.  Although Jennings still has to work on his decision-making as a point guard, he can consistently score 20 points per game.  That is something this team has not had for a few years, probably since Rip Hamilton was slowed down by the departure of Chauncey.

Jennings gives Detroit a bonafide scorer who is willing to do a lot, from taking game-winning shots to being the point guard of the future.  Put him with Josh Smith, Greg Monroe, and Andre Drummond.  Now, this squad has a lot to work with.  The addition of Jennings and Smith adds much more funk and excitement to the offense.  Although both have trouble taking good shots at times, there is an upside to that: the previous team Detroit had was made up of players who were hesitant to shoot the ball.  Jennings and Smith sure aren’t shy when it comes to that department.

Now, let’s throw Smith aside and look at the trio of Jennings, Monroe, and Drummond.  Talented big men greatly benefit off good point guards and vice-versa.  As Drummond continues to develop his offensive game, he and Jennings have the potential to be the best point guard-center combo in the league, someday.  Jennings and Drummond may not click right away because it’s going to take some time.  But both are young players with very promising futures.  Because of that, don’t be surprised if we see Detroit back in the Conference Finals a couple years from now.

Now that the Pistons have a squad of a few young all-stars, I think quite a few fans will come back to support them.  Of course, the real fans such as myself, bear with them through their ups-and-downs.  We must understand that the NBA is a business.  Teams have times where they’re dominant, when they’re just average, and when they’re going through a period of struggle.  When the opening game of Detroit’s season kicks off, make sure to flip on those television sets and stay tuned.

Follow me on Twitter @ZJTbasketball11

Detroit Pistons: Chauncey Billups back where he belongs

Chauncey Billups never should have been traded in the first place.  In 2008, Billups, along with Antonio McDyess, was traded for Allen Iverson.  However, Dumars was most definitely premature on pulling the trigger.  Billups went to Denver and continued to play excellent basketball (2008-2011) as he arguably benefitted their team more than Iverson had.

Five years later, the beloved Chauncey Billups is returning to play at the Palace of Auburn Hills, where he commonly was referred to as “Mr. Bigshot.”  When Billups got traded to Denver, he expressed a strong interest in finishing his career in the mile-high city.  However, the five-time NBA All-Star’s wish was not granted as he later bounced around to the New York Knicks and Los Angeles Clippers.  Most of Billups’ tenure with the Clipps (2011-13) was plagued by injuries forcing him to miss months at a time.

You could not ask for much more out of Chauncey Billups in terms of both, individual accomplishments and the impact he’s had on his teams, throughout his outstanding career.  Mr. Bigshot has won his fair share of awards including Finals MVP in 2004.  But Billups has been a very unique player throughout his career.  Although he is a five-time All-Star, Billups was never the most talented point guard in the league, but Chauncey never feared any of his competition.

Courtesy of realclearsports.com

In Chauncey’s best years with Detroit, he was the ultimate teammate and one of the main reasons the Pistons were successful for so long.  If it weren’t for his exemplary leadership, the team never would have glued together like it did.  Billups made sure everyone was comfortable and playing their role, not only on the court, but in the locker room.  Billups was a class act and a role model for the city.  Other than coming through in the clutch and nailing huge shots, that is why the fans of Detroit love him.

Focusing more on Billups’ style of play with the Pistons, Chauncey has always been known as a shoot-first point guard.  But at the same time, Chauncey still knows how to be one of the most unselfish players in the league.  Billups had the skill-set as well as personality to always keep his teammates satisfied.

Not to mention, CB’s return to Motor City is going to sell a few extra tickets this season.  Chauncey Billups’ comeback story to the Detroit Pistons is a thing of beauty.  I think just about everyone in town is thrilled to have him back where he belongs.

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Detroit Pistons land Josh Smith in hopes of better days

There are a LOT of mixed feelings about Josh Smith.  There are some Piston fans that are hopeful after this acquisition and there are others who may be disgusted.  Smith has been a controversial locker room-guy throughout much of his career but he has been pushing for a change of scenery the last couple years in Atlana.  My verdict: if the Pistons are trying to win now (and they are), signing 27-year-old Josh Smith is a very good move for them.

I love the potential of this future front-court: Josh Smith, Greg Monroe, and Andre Drummond.  That’s not just because it sounds good.  Let me give you a few reasons why this could give the Pistons a promising starting lineup:

Size, size, and more size: Do not ever over-think size.  Even through the rough few years this organization has had, the Pistons have tried hard to keep their physical defensive identity.  Monroe and Drummond are both very good at rebounding the ball and Josh Smith makes that front court even more intimidating.  Smith and Monroe both strive off of contact and they are not afraid to take a hit.  Just as you want big linebackers and linemen in football, you want big, powerful guys in basketball because they win games and, ultimately, championships.

Courtesy of zimbio.com

Smith brings leadership to a young squad: Smith definitely makes some questionable decisions here and there.  A lot of those decisions happen to be ill-advised shots.  But hey, at least he isn’t afraid to shoot the ball.  The Pistons haven’t had anyone in the past few years who was willing to take 15-20 shots a game.  Although Smith is a veteran, he is still only 27 years old and just starting the prime of his career.  Also, Smith is probably the best basketball brain on the team, now.  If you have watched his game closely over the years, you can see that he really knows the X’s and O’s of basketball.

Proven talent: Josh Smith may have never made the all-star team, but make no mistake: Josh Smith is a borderline all-star caliber player.  The 6-9 combo forward can do just about everything; although he isn’t a particularly efficient shooter, he finds many ways to score.  He is also an athletic freak and he uses that ability to block shots, play the passing lanes, and finish strong at the basket.  He has been an effective player long enough to know that he does bring a lot of value to a team in need of it.

There are plenty of fans that have been so disgruntled that they’ve turned their back on the team and stopped watching games.  Yes, Joe Dumars has made some very questionable decisions and he may have struck out on a few players he thought would succeed with the team.  Some of that may have been a result of him rushing and being so eager to make this team viable again.  However, it sure isn’t easy to run an NBA franchise considering how competitive the NBA is.  But I truly believe this move will put Detroit back on the map.

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NBA Draft Day Grades: Sixers, Kings, Pistons, Jazz, Blazers

(Being continued from my grades for CLE, ORL, WAS, CHA, and PHX.)

Every team was aware that Ben McLemore was the most talented player in the draft but somehow, someway, he slid all the way down to number seven.  The players picked six through ten could very easily make a better team than the first five picks when we compare them three years from now.  Not only did the most talented player slip to seven, but the favorite to be picked first for most of the time heading up to the draft went number six.  Goodness gracious.

Philadelphia 76ers:

Pick #6. 6-11 C Nerlens Noel (as well as Hornets 2014 first round pick in exchange for Jrue Holiday)

Ceiling: Dikembe Mutombo

Floor: Stromile Swift

I certainly did not see this coming.  The Sixers decided to wipe the whole slate clean as they gave up all-star point guard Jrue Holiday.  Noel could be the second coming of Andrew Bynum for the Sixers.  That’s the problem with big guys that have a history of a severe injury or more than one.  However, Noel has the potential to be a stand-out center, athletically and defensively.  All we can do now is wait and see how this trade turns out.

Pick #11. 6-5 PG Michael Carter-Williams 

Ceiling: Andre Miller

Floor: Shaun Livingston

Carter-Williams is a rare type of point guard that a lot of teams were actually high on.  His very good court vision as well as size gives him the potential to be a solid starter.  Nowadays, most point guards look to score more often than they used to.  Carter-Williams brings back the concept of the traditional point guard but he’ll eventually need pieces around him in order to succeed.

Pick #54. 6-7 PF Arsalam Kazemi

Grade: A-

Sacramento Kings: 

Courtesy of usatoday.com

Pick #7. 6-5 SG Ben McLemore

Ceiling: Ray Allen

Floor: Doug Christie

McLemore will likely be looked at as a steal in this draft.  Sacramento felt they absolutely had to pull the trigger on him.  The Kings have drafted young, promising players in the last few years in hopes of revitalizing this franchise.  No improvements have been shown since the great squad of Bibby, Stojakavic, and Webber.  For the Kings, McLemore was simply too extraordinary a talent to pass on.

Pick #36. 6-2 PG Ray McCallum

Grade: A

Detroit Pistons: 

Pick #8. 6-5 SG Kentavious Caldwell-Pope

Ceiling: Joe Johnson

Floor: Rashad McCants

Depending on how large of an immediate impact this highly praised scorer can bring to Detroit, I think people will understand why they passed Trey Burke for him.  Although Burke had much more hype coming into the draft, K.C.P didn’t have the spotlight that Burke had in college.  He played for a cruddy Georgia team that relied on him to do everything.  Both are very talented scorers, but Caldwell-Pope fit their need better.

Pick #37. 6-8 PF Tony Mitchell

Mitchell is arguably a first round talent that was completely worth the risk for Detroit.  Although he doesn’t understand the game well enough yet and was somewhat disappointing at North Texas, Mitchell is being put into a good situation.  He just has to bring energy off the bench and provide the team with about 10 quality minutes a game.

Pick #56. 6-1 PG Peyton Siva

Grade: B+

Utah Jazz: 

Pick #9. 6-1 PG Trey Burke (traded for picks 14 and 21 – Shabazz Muhammad and Gorgui Dieng)

Ceiling: Chris Paul

Floor: Bobby Jackson

In my opinion, the Jazz made a very clever move by sending picks 14 and 21 to Minnesota for pick nine.  With enough talent to build off in the front court, Utah’s mind was set on getting a future point guard.  Burke was a picture perfect choice for them as he will greatly benefit from Utah’s core of young big men.

Pick #27: 7-1 C Rudy Gobert

This dude has a 9-7 standing reach.  That’s all I’m going to say about him for now.

Grade: A-

Portland Trail Blazers: 

Pick #10. 6-3 G C.J. McCollum

Ceiling: Jason Terry

Floor: Janerro Pargo

Some consider McCollum to be the purest shooter in this draft class.  Whether he is or not, it’s a well-known fact that he’s a sharpshooter.  I’m not quite sure if McCollum will start this season.  My guess is that they’ll keep Wes Matthews at the 2-spot and bring McCollum off the bench as a combo guard, similar to how Jason Terry found success.

Pick #31. 6-6 SG Allen Crabbe

This pick has great potential to be one of the biggest steals in the draft.  Portland sure isn’t being shy recruiting talented guards.  It’ll be interesting to see how they can balance out their roster.

Pick #39. 7-0 C Jeff Withey

Another potential steal.  It’s not like the last two prospects were unknown.  In fact, they were actually “safe steals,” meaning that there was no downside to picking them.

Pick #45. 6-11 Marko Todorovic

Grade: A

That’s where I wrap this section up.  Oh, and just in case you haven’t noticed, I never give out an A+.  Here’s why: nothing is for certain in this world except, of course, death and taxes.

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Grant Hill's Retirement

18-year NBA veteran Grant Hill finally calls a quits to his outstanding basketball career.  As a Pistons season ticket holder, I witnessed some of his best days.  However, I was so young that I can hardly remember watching the all-star.

Grant Hill played his first six seasons as a Detroit Piston.  I know the organization would have liked for him to stay longer.  Fortunately for Detroit, they used his departure to help them become a championship contender and the eventual NBA Champions.

Aside from that, Grant Hill was a tremendous all-around player.  Hill produced at an efficient rate immediately when he came into the league.  After six seasons averaging 20 points or higher, Hill never managed to score that much again because of an injury that disrupted his career.

However, Hill impressively was able to get back into the game and stick around for 12 more years.  Hill found other ways to be effective outside of scoring.  He was still known as a highly valuable player because of his hustle and teamwork.  Hill was a sound playmaker and he was one of the most efficient rebounders for his size.

We take this time to acknowledge and appreciate the impact Grant Hill made on this league.  Hill was widely respected throughout the league because of his sympathetic gestures for people.  If it wasn't for Hill's attitude off the court, he probably would not have made it this long.