Pistons: Because of the cap situation and the lack of overall talent, the Pistons are going to have to build through the draft to become compe ive again.
The Good:
Jonas Jerebko: He's a solid player in the mold of another small-forward on the Pistons roster, Tayshaun Prince. He is able to work on the block, rebounds the ball nicely, and he is active around-the-rim. He's a nice player and I think he's worthy of an MLE contract from anyone willing to pay him.
Will Bynum: Although injuries, his size, and turnovers remain a problem, Bynumite is a fantastic back-up. He is able to get to the lane, he's consistent at the line, he's got range of his shot, he's fearless--playing with reckless abandon. And just as important, he can dominate a game with passing as much as he can score. As I said, he does have some problems which is why he's best-suited as a back-up. But he's one of the best and cheapest options available in the free-agent class of 2010.
Ben Wallace: Once again, he's anchoring the Pistons big-men and he's underpaid, as usual, while doing it. I don't know if he plans to play beyond this year, but it is hard to imagine the Pistons winning as many games as they have without his interior play and communication on defense. He's been a pleasant suprise.
The mediocre:
Rip Hamilton: He has become a turnover nightmare and injuries have suddenly crept into his game. He is not great at in ating an offense and when he puts the ball on the floor and drives to the basket, I cringe. He's lost more than a couple of steps in terms of his quickness, but he's still a dead-eye shooter in the right system and cir stances.
Tayshaun Prince: He's so smart, which is what has stopped him from falling off the radar. He knows what play to make and when to make it. He looks like his body has wear-and-tear, especially in his first-step. He's slower on his release than before, and he doesn't play with the energy he used to. Still, he's an effective player most of the time, and I think playing him out-of-position the last two years has not helped him in terms of wear-and-tear.
Rodney Stuckey: When he is on, he's on. He's very streaky, however. He is a shooting guard--he doesn't see the floor particuarly well for a point-guard. His passing, when someone else in iates the offense and the focus of the defense is not on him, is a bonus. Still, his jump-shot is inconsistent, and he too often looks to the rim at 30-feet out, especially at the expense of looking for other options. In fact, while that carries with it its own ability to guard him, you don't want him peaking his head up to see if he has a better option because it usually results in a turnover. He lacks the first-step of a Grant Hill or Kobe Bryant to be able to create seperation to get to the rim. If there are down-hill runners and grind-it-out backs for two yards, he is the latter. He will play hard, but he's not terribly effective, especially as a first-option. And, too often, in crunch time, especially, he is inconsistent from the line. The two--driving to the rim and drawing contact, but not being able to hit free-throws--is frustrating.
The Bad:
Kwame Brown: A dumb basketball player with a big body who has shown flashes of some game. It would not suprise me, nor sadden me, if no team decided to sign him after this offseason.
Chris Wilcox: He's a big that doesn't like contact; he shies away from it. Not terribly athletic, and gets lost in games. His skill-set just doesn't let him get his shot-off all that effectively. Terrible rebounder.
Jason Maxiell: Terrible rebounder and his size is a big issue. While he has the athletic ability to meet someone at the rim and to throw down a monster-dunk, he has no post-game to speak-of. And his price-tag (5 million) is throwing him down on the bad list. If he were making what Jerebko was making, he'd be mediocre.
Ben Gordon: He plays hard, but he gets tired. His size is an issue on the defensive-end of the floor. He's a dead-eye shooter, but he's streaky. Injuries have been a problem and he never searches for other options in the offense. Price-tag is too high.
Charlie Villanueva: See Chris Wilcox, but with more post-game, more range, and a very streaky jump-shot. If he's hot, watch out. I've yet to see him finish an entire game in the zone, and when he's not hot, he gets lost. Price tag problems here, too.
Austin Daye: Essentially, showing flashes of Tayshaun Prince on a good day, becoming irrelevant the next. Not worthy of the 15th-pick. He's been sizeably out-played by Jonas Jerebko.
Irrelevant:
DaJaun Summers: NBDL fodder.
Chucky Atkins: Occasional starter and leader, has size and injury problems.
Reply With Quote
