Andrew Kasmarek, Mitch Pratt and Charlie Tritschler are getting you ready for the NBA season. The previews feature all sorts of information to get you ready for the start of the season.
What I know- Greg Monroe is a stud big man that gets no credit for being one because the Pistons have not been good for a couple of years. Look at his season last year. He averaged 16 points per game with 9.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists. Also factor into the equation he is only 22 years old and that makes him even more scary.
- Detroit has not been to the playoffs since 2008-2009. By making some of the biggest splashes, they are tired of being a lottery team. If this does not work in two years, Joe Dumars should not have a job.
- Andre Drummond has the best Internet game in all of the land. This summer, Drummond tried to get the attention of Jennette McCurdy the star of iCarly through Twitter and Instagram and now they are dating. Game respects game.
Besides his dating life, time to get giddy about Andre Drummond? - This could be the next in the long line of players who did not have ambition to play college basketball. If you can remember, Drummond had a mediocre campaign at UConn and did not have any sort of impact of the team. He is only 19 years old with a great deal of time to develop his skill. Drummond's per 36 last season was 13.8 points per game along with 13.2 with almost three blocks. One thing Drummond needs to get better at is shooting free throws. Dre is only a 37 percent free throw shooter and that is Dwight Howard bad. It is also something that can keep him on the bench in the fourth quarter.
X-Factor
Mo Cheeks keeping this team together - Detroit is not really the most put-together team out there. They have some new starters who bring new attitudes with them. Both of those men happen to be known around the league for not having the best ones. Josh Smith is consider moody around the league with some of a reckless nature about him. Jennings could also be grouped as moody and someone who does not take criticism well at all. If Cheeks can figure out a way to manage this team, Detroit might have a legitimate shot at making the playoffs this year. Yet things could end up very bad for this team. If Smith starts getting frustrated, it could lead to some dissension among this squad. Even with Jennings out for the first three weeks, it is important for this team to get off to a fast start.
Key Additions
PG Brandon Jennings, SF Josh Smith - No question about it, these two players are impact players. The question with both of them is 'What player am I going to get?' Both have multiple personalities on the basketball court. Jennings showed at different points of the season he could not only be a scorer but also a passer. He also moved his 3-point shooting up from 32 percent for his first three years to a 37 percent spike. Now he did shoot more threes, but he also made more. Jennings still need to work on getting to the free-throw line where he only averaged 3.5 free throws a game.
Smith is a different kind of bird too. He comes from Atlanta where there are times where he looks like the poor man's LeBron James. Someone needs to get inside Smith's head that he is not a 3-point shooter. I have no idea how this is possible unless they make him do push-ups after every 3-point attempt a la Willie 'Mays' Hayes. Last year, Smith's two-point percentage was nearly 50 percent while his 3-point percentage was a mere 30 percent. STOP SHOOTING JOSH. The big thing with both of these players is they are both pretty young meaning Smith and Jennings could change the way they play basketball.
Key Subtractions
PG Jose Calderon, PG Brandon Knight, PF Jason Maxiell - They are ready to give up a top ten pick with Knight sending him to Milwaukee and believing Jennings will be a better player. Calderon played well for them coming over in a trade. Maxiell is a solid backup big man who moved on to Orlando.
Pistons Draft
SF Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, PF Tony Mitchell, PG Peyton Siva - I love the Tony Mitchell pick maybe more so than the KCP pick. Mitchell had sort of a down year at North Texas as he was expected to be a top 15 pick to begin the year. Caldwell-Pope is a guy I am not sure if he is just the best player on a shitty team or he is actually a good player. No real read on Siva. There were moments where he could be play in the league and others where he looked like an adult recball player.
Prediction
I think Detroit makes the playoffs. Eastern Conference is pretty damn weak making Detroit a real possibility for the playoffs. I feel like they kept it together as a unit plus Drummond and Monroe become the next twin towers of basketball.
Charlie.
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