The Pistons finished with the second worst record in the league, meaning they’ll slide no lower than sixth in the draft lottery. While the top five prospects in this year’s draft have been highly touted, GM Troy Weaver doesn’t want fans to automatically assume they’ll get a franchise player, Rod Beard of the Detroit News tweets.
“There’s definitely big potential in the top five. Franchise-changing? I don’t know,” Weaver said on Monday. “There’s no Shaq (Shaquille O’Neal) in this class…I’m not looking for someone in the top five to step in and change the franchise.”
We have more on the Pistons:
- Weaver blew up the roster in his first season with the franchise but he won’t be doing much wheeling and dealing this summer, according to Keith Langlois of Pistons.com. Beyond the lottery pick, the roster will have plenty of continuity. Weaver said the focus this offseason will be on internal growth. “I don’t anticipate having too many roster spots available,” Weaver said. “We like our group and we’re excited about the guys under contract and even our own free agents. I don’t anticipate much turnover at all.”
- In tune with that theme, Casey said his players won’t get much time off this summer, Langlois writes in a separate story. “Give the guys a couple of weeks off and get right back at it,” he said. “Like I told the team, this is probably one of the most important summers of their basketball-playing careers.”
- An essential part of the rebuild was retaining Casey to nurture the team’s growth, Beard writes. The extension runs he signed last week runs through the 2023/24 season. “It was extremely important that we extend Coach,” Weaver said. “It was an important part of everything we’re doing, we wanted him to be lined up with this restoration. He’s leading the cause on the floor.”
- When the Pistons traded with the Thunder for restricted free agent Hamidou Diallo, the expectation was that Detroit intended to hold onto the young wing. That remains the plan, Omari Sankofa II of the Detroit Free Press tweets. “It’s a young group that he fits and we need his talents,” Weaver said of Diallo. “If he can continue to buy into Coach Casey’s system, which he did … I think he can have a very bright future here in Detroit.”
- The Pistons sat out many of their veteran players to gave their rookies plenty of experience in the second half of the season. However, Weaver wants some seasoned players to round out the roster, James Edwards of The Athletic tweets. “Our roster construction is always going to have veterans,” he said.
We’re still waiting for Weaver to explain why he cornored the market for centers during the last offseason. By referring to Shaq, he must still believe he’s managing in the 90’s.
No he believes like most intelligent basketball minds. That a skilled doninant big man is still the ultimate force in basketball. And he is correct. Even now people act like the big man is obsolete. But I garauntee the final4 teams this year. 3 of them will have a top ten big man PF/C
I feel a little better about the team seeing how hard to had to work not to win. The FA pick-ups r crucial we need a lead guard a forward and a center our role players r set
Yeah Pistons need another person who can create their own offense. Need Hayes to have a huge offseason working on his shot, if he gets his offense down and learns how to finish well with his right hand, the sky is the limit on him.
Would love if Cade and Hayes was the starting backcourt next year. That is a young long potential playoff lineup: Hayes, Cade, Bey, Grant, Stewart.
Weaver is particular and he might trade a top5 pick. Predict Kuminga & Hart.
Killian needs to find his right hand and fast