It's time! Ping-pong balls of doom. Sunday May 12th 3pm

[thesack12]

Yeah for a guy that's always injured and our leading scorer+ball handler resulting in 14 wins last season

People's opinion on Cade aside, saying Detroit will never get the 1st overall pick which insinuates the NBA is conspiring against the Pistons is just an emotional response, and not based in reality.

It was basically a 50/50 chance the Pistons got the #5 pick. #5 was far the most likely outcome.

I get it Pistons fans are sick of the team being terrible, but shenanigans or conspiracies aren't the reasons why the team sucks.

I'm not upset or think its a conspiracy we got the 5th pick. I'm just lost at the odds of us getting the 5th pick two years in a row.

I'm on the side of the aisle that think we should trade the pick for Ingram anyway. If we got the 1st overall pick I think we be overvaluing an offer for Ingram. But the 5th pick in this draft for Ingram is perfect value.

When you say "I'm done with the NBA" implies its an anger driven statement.

But I don't care either way, many Pistons fans are hurt with the results. Which I get, I'm just not personally phased by it this year.

My original response to you was just to point out that Detroit has indeed gotten a #1 overall pick recently. So they have beaten the odds (and the alleged conspiracies)

But don't take my posts as trying to diminish your right to vent. I'm just making observations

[BDM22]

OK, serious question... who here is STILL on the "Tank for Flagg" bandwagon?? I'm not saying to go out and trade for LaVine, but we have been PUNISHED for tanking 3 yrs in a row. We are at the literal definition of insanity.

So what is the plan to WIN games next season? ****.

We're the worst team in the league. We accomplished that this season, comfortably, without tanking at all. It's a moot issue.

We tanked.

We made no serious attempt to improve the roster last offseason.

The lottery is a crapshoot by design. There’s no conspiracy- tanking just isn’t a viable strategy anymore. We can make major strides next season without killing lottery odds.

Don't think they tanked. I think they thought Cade coming back would boost us by like 10 wins alone and Monty would also have a huge positive impact. Plus the 2nd and 3rd year players getting a little better. The opposite happened for most of those.

I think they were content with those things pushing us to like 30 wins, getting another lotto pick, and weren't serious about making a real push but I don't think they thought aimed to be the worst team in the league again by any stretch of the imagination.

Just look at what most people on here were expecting right before the season... Or Vegas. Pretty sure the Pistons line was set at 28.5.

[JNewton]

I’d offer Cade to San Antonio for 4 and 8, and maybe option to pick swap next year if I’m the new POBO. Need draft capital to kick off the re-rebuild.

[thesack12]

People's opinion on Cade aside, saying Detroit will never get the 1st overall pick which insinuates the NBA is conspiring against the Pistons is just an emotional response, and not based in reality.

It was basically a 50/50 chance the Pistons got the #5 pick. #5 was far the most likely outcome.

I get it Pistons fans are sick of the team being terrible, but shenanigans or conspiracies aren't the reasons why the team sucks.

I usually don't jump on the conspiracy bandwagon but when the Spurs "conveniently" land Wembanyama it really makes one think that conspiracies are possible. Everybody knew the Spurs would get him because it was the perfect fit for him and league and lo and behold it actually happened.

Why was San Antonio, which is probably the smallest NBA market, awarded Wemby?

Why was Atlanta, who might have the smallest fan base in the league and certainly not a globally revenue creating market awarded #1 this year?

[MortSahlfan]

I hope we trade it, but not for Ingram. Get a guy who plays great defense.

[Neptune]

People's opinion on Cade aside, saying Detroit will never get the 1st overall pick which insinuates the NBA is conspiring against the Pistons is just an emotional response, and not based in reality.

It was basically a 50/50 chance the Pistons got the #5 pick. #5 was far the most likely outcome.

I get it Pistons fans are sick of the team being terrible, but shenanigans or conspiracies aren't the reasons why the team sucks.

I'm not upset or think its a conspiracy we got the 5th pick. I'm just lost at the odds of us getting the 5th pick two years in a row.

I'm on the side of the aisle that think we should trade the pick for Ingram anyway. If we got the 1st overall pick I think we be overvaluing an offer for Ingram. But the 5th pick in this draft for Ingram is perfect value.

When you say "I'm done with the NBA" implies its an anger driven statement.

But I don't care either way, many Pistons fans are hurt with the results. Which I get, I'm just not personally phased by it this year.

My original response to you was just to point out that Detroit has indeed gotten a #1 overall pick recently. So they have beaten the odds (and the alleged conspiracies)

But don't take my posts as trying to diminish your right to vent. I'm just making observations

You're good bro, I was just pissed. I understand what you're saying

[Neptune]

I hope we trade it, but not for Ingram. Get a guy who plays great defense.

For who though?

[NYPiston]

Why was San Antonio, which is probably the smallest NBA market, awarded Wemby?

Why was Atlanta, who might have the smallest fan base in the league and certainly not a globally revenue creating market awarded #1 this year?

Because it was the best spot for their next star in terms of coach, market, history with French player and big men etc.
And, as much as people don't want to believe it, the NBA prefers that the small markets do well. That leads to a healthier league when small markets are succeeding.

Look, I'm not saying it's fixed or anything but I just found it funny that he landed with the Spurs when all the conspiracy theorists said that he would.

[A_dub06]

This is becoming a serious issue, they need to revert the changes to the draft lottery odds, flattening them was the dumbest thing on the first place. Tanking was not much worse than what it is now, such an aggressive move that penalises the worst teams harshly like us dropping to 5th 5 years in a row is not fair and makes it much harder to get better without getting a chance at a top player.

Completely disagree. I love that the NBA fixed the lottery. Wanna get better? Get people in here that know how to do their jobs.

Answer the question honestly, do you think the pistons have been consciously making decisions to be bad to get high draft picks or have they simply just been bad?

The pistons have been trying to get better, Troy openly stated before the season the goal was to play in meaningful games. They have just been really bad and not deliberately. There were teams blatantly tanking before the change but I don’t think it was any worse than what it is now. Teams like Portland recently have made an effort to start losing games after the all-star break in Ana tempt to get better positioning. The change has created a situation which while statistically unlikely has occurred with a bottom team dropping to 5th 3 years in a row. The draft was designed to help bad teams get better, we have been bad and we can’t get better players without the draft

[BDM22]

Probably best not to try and predict stuff like this.

What's this place for if not to speculate lol

Speculate sure.

But “almost certainly” does a bit more than that, right?

Spurs likely get a two man partner for Wemby IMO. Rockets I dunno.

That's what the "almost" part is for.

I'd heard on a podcast that mentioned Reed might go #1 if Houston somehow got the pick. They have too many wings to even count and Sengun/Jabari/Adams up front. Don't think a big really makes sense. They need a FVV replacement eventually and Reed fits perfectly with Amen.

Spurs could go Topic, but the spacing Reed would bring with Wemby can't be denied.

Just hard to see him falling past them. We'll see though! Houston could certainly trade out and that would open things up.

[NYPiston]

I’d offer Cade to San Antonio for 4 and 8, and maybe option to pick swap next year if I’m the new POBO. Need draft capital to kick off the re-rebuild.

No way in hell, why would the Pistons do that unless they have intel that Cade's injury issues are chronic?

[joedumars1]

Yeah nba made it to where the tanking team gets the 5th overall pick most the time,
Lmfao. Sad thing is we weren’t tanking lol

[Snakebites]

What's this place for if not to speculate lol

Speculate sure.

But “almost certainly” does a bit more than that, right?

Spurs likely get a two man partner for Wemby IMO. Rockets I dunno.

That's what the "almost" part is for.

I'd heard on a podcast that mentioned Reed might go #1 if Houston somehow got the pick. They have too many wings to even count and Sengun/Jabari/Adams up front. Don't think a big really makes sense. They need a FVV replacement eventually and Reed fits perfectly with Amen.

Spurs could go Topic, but the spacing Reed would bring with Wemby can't be denied.

Just hard to see him falling past them. We'll see though! Houston could certainly trade out and that would open things up.

I wouldn’t mind Reed but I also don’t think he’s a can’t-miss prospect either. We’ll need to hit right but this is a draft where it’s totally possible to get the best guy at 5.

Do I have faith we’re the team that can do that? No. But I wouldn’t have that faith at one either.

I’m obviously disappointed but this just isn’t a draft were the lottery was as important as it normally is.

I won’t say we’ll be fine. We already aren’t fine. But I dunno how much less fine we are than we were this morning.

[NYPiston]

I wouldn’t mind Reed but I also don’t think he’s a can’t-miss prospect either. We’ll need to hit right but this is a draft where it’s totally possible to get the best guy at 5.

Do I have faith we’re the team that can do that? No. But I wouldn’t have that faith at one either.

I’m obviously disappointed but this just isn’t a draft were the lottery was as important as it normally is.

I won’t say we’ll be fine. We already aren’t fine. But I dunno how much less fine we are than we were this morning.

For me the disappointment isn't in the level of prospect available at 5 compared to 1, it's that the value of the pick is quite a bit lower at 5 than it is at 1 even in a draft like this one so it greatly diminishes their trade options.

[JNewton]

I’d offer Cade to San Antonio for 4 and 8, and maybe option to pick swap next year if I’m the new POBO. Need draft capital to kick off the re-rebuild.

No way in hell, why would the Pistons do that unless they have intel that Cade's injury issues are chronic?

He’s going to be requesting a trade inside of 18 months IMO. Might as well get out ahead of it and get some draft capital. The Pistons aren’t winning more than 25 games anytime soon either way.

[thesack12]

Why was San Antonio, which is probably the smallest NBA market, awarded Wemby?

Why was Atlanta, who might have the smallest fan base in the league and certainly not a globally revenue creating market awarded #1 this year?

Because it was the best spot for their next star in terms of coach, market, history with French player and big men etc.
And, as much as people don't want to believe it, the NBA prefers that the small markets do well. That leads to a healthier league when small markets are succeeding.

Look, I'm not saying it's fixed or anything but I just found it funny that he landed with the Spurs when all the conspiracy theorists said that he would.

Wemby is a transcendent, league altering talent. He would have "fit" everywhere.

As far as markets go, and if you beleive in the its rigged narrative, if anything the big market teams get the least favorable lottery treatment. The Knicks had many years in the lottery and they weren't getting top picks. It made a ton of sense for them to get #1 in the Zion year. You don't think the league would want a top marketable star in the world's biggest market?

Why was Orlando awarded #1, two years ago?

If you think hard enough you could come up with conspiracy theories both for and against every team in any given year.

[BDM22]

I wouldn’t mind Reed but I also don’t think he’s a can’t-miss prospect either. We’ll need to hit right but this is a draft where it’s totally possible to get the best guy at 5.

Do I have faith we’re the team that can do that? No. But I wouldn’t have that faith at one either.

I’m obviously disappointed but this just isn’t a draft were the lottery was as important as it normally is.

I won’t say we’ll be fine. We already aren’t fine. But I dunno how much less fine we are than we were this morning.

For me the disappointment isn't in the level of prospect available at 5 compared to 1, it's that the value of the pick is quite a bit lower at 5 than it is at 1 even in a draft like this one so it greatly diminishes their trade options.

****hits copium**** Honestly, I don't think it "greatly" diminishes it. As you've said, you aren't disappointed at the level of prospect drop from 1 to 5. Makes sense that GM's see it in a similar way. There are benefits of the #5 pick when it comes to salary and things like the added pressure of being #1 when you don't have #1 talent available. It's hard to explain to fans that your new #1 pick actually probably isn't that good lol

Reality is, none of the picks really have great value. Everyone has huge question marks.

[MortSahlfan]

I hope we trade it, but not for Ingram. Get a guy who plays great defense.

For who though?

I'm sure there's a list of players we can get, and I would take the best defensive player available..

[BDM22]

Even though I don't particularly care about this lottery, I do think it was incredibly stupid that the team was playing those ridiculous G-league lineups at the end of the year, clearly trying to stay below Washington in the standings. That's some bad basketball karma IMO, and offensive to the fans.

[theBigLip]

OK, serious question... who here is STILL on the "Tank for Flagg" bandwagon?? I'm not saying to go out and trade for LaVine, but we have been PUNISHED for tanking 3 yrs in a row. We are at the literal definition of insanity.

So what is the plan to WIN games next season? ****.

We're the worst team in the league. We accomplished that this season, comfortably, without tanking at all. It's a moot issue.

We tanked.

We made no serious attempt to improve the roster last offseason.

The lottery is a crapshoot by design. There’s no conspiracy- tanking just isn’t a viable strategy anymore. We can make major strides next season without killing lottery odds.

I disagree. Finally cutting the cord on Hayes, getting Fontecchio (and hopefully Grimes). Nothing spectacular but I think Fontecchio is a legit starter.

Regardless, still a lot of work to do this summer.