The Detroit Pistons Next Steps | WP 103

The Detroit Pistons Next Steps | WP 103

Welcome back man what up do wake up Woodward family hit that like button for the legend Mr Rod beard Detroit news sports editor and Chief and he always brings the heat I’m so glad that we get him on every single Wednesday to talk all of Detroit sports always as usual we

Do have our wward Pistons segment if you have any questions for the legend of Mr ra beard or any statements or comments get them into the chat right now but we got to get this uh drum roll going yeah let’s go let’s roide hey hey yo shout out to the legend Detroit

News Rod beard and as always Mr legend himself we got to kick it off with Rod Beard’s thoughts on the Detroit Pistons take your time take your time that’s the whole [Laughter] chat I know it’s trying it’s just it’s just it’s just I won’t even say I can’t watch it

Anymore I don’t watch it anymore it’s just you’re speaking for a lot of people right now man I I just don’t there’s there’s always something else that that can grab my attention that is uh better it’s just not good basketball to watch blame as a whole because because even when the starters

Are in you know the bench has to come in at some point and it’s like it’s not even like a scary movie where you say don’t go down there don’t put in the bench because you have to but it’s just don’t do that it’s it’s it’s a

Weird existence I don’t even have a good thought for you today it’s just I tried I turned it on and then that I think is a great thought I think it’s a great thought because when you bring up the bench this is something that fans all over and even the numbers

Man even the numbers and I got a couple questions in the chat that I’m going to read a little bit later but people are wondering why these all bench lineups why certain players that are still playing are they trying to make sure that they don’t wind up with the uh with

The franchises low in wins a lot of fans are wondering what’s going on and a lot of it stems obviously with Monty Williams and he has some comments to say about why guys like James wisman are still playing and he says it’s because of the work ethic that he sees and

Practice behind the scenes but at some point in time you know where do the chances stop because of what’s going on on the actual game court and and I trust me when the numbers are out there about the starters plus minus versus the bench when they start to go to the bench it’s

Just polarizing you talk about Polar Opposites K Cunningham over when we covered this thing last week we did another segment K Cunningham was like plus 18 over five games but the team only had one win I just don’t understand what is going on in that regard and it’s

Tough especially when we do ask the coach these questions and the answers that are coming back are like hey you know what and I get it they’re not going to necessar be clued into to what’s going on on social media but the numbers just say that these bench units these

All bench lineups or even some of the lineups that they play they got to go away they got to go away I I don’t think that is fair to the team or to the supporters what you saying brother right but you you you you just have new guys

That you’re trying to work into the patchwork and it is just not doing it’s just not there whatsoever and it’s it’s frustrating for fans and I know and I I i’ I’ve been through it on the other side as a writer covering it it’s frustrating on that side but from a

Fan if you are watching it and you have that investment in it it’s just it’s tough and and these teams are good Miami’s good Orlando’s good some of these teams that they’re they’re they’re losing to are good but it’s just you want to see some movement where you feel

Like okay these are steps that they’re taking taking in the right direction um of these last so you look at the last 10 games and they’re one to nine in their last 10 is there another game in there they should have won Clippers Lakers Suns Pacers magic Nicks Bulls Cavs magic heat

Is there a game they should have won that they didn’t win in there maybe the the maybe the Knicks one but um that’s that’s probably about it arguably the first magic arguably the the first magic one but um yeah I get your point I mean I’m saying the caliber of team that

They’re playing they’re not going to go in there and win most of those going a little bit further back if you look at the Hornets the Wizards those are ones that you feel like yeah okay yeah they’ll they’ll win one or two of those so even coming up there just aren’t a

Lot of games they got the the Hornets and the Raptors coming up but they got Boston twice Indiana there just aren’t a lot of easy games in here that they should be winning where you say all right here’s they have to play extremely well their margin of error is so small

In these games that they’ve got to be in it up to the last crunch time of the last four minutes and that that’s just so hard to do with the bench unit and the way that they’re rotating these guys yeah yeah definitely you know and they

Started this year saying that it was an assessment year and then at the trade deadline they definitely got rid of a lot of players and brought in some other players that they’re going to take a look at and one of the questions that a lot of fans are starting to have is look

They want to see this team taking some major steps forward next year as it relates to what they bring on to this roster we saw a guy last night on Miami Heat and Thomas Bryant who I’ve been saying for about a year and a half to

Two years now we need more players like that those guys with that punch with that fire with that they never turn it off they play with a certain physicality that we when you go back to the beginning of the year Stuart and and Duran started the year off saying yeah

We want to play physical we want to make sure that everybody comes to the Lane they understand that this is our paint to own and they started off the season the first four or five games playing like that and then one of them got injured and it seemed like they never

Recovered that physicality at all I don’t know if that has something to do with the depth or the lack thereof as it relates to the physicality that they can bring but a lot of people are wondering how does this thing shake out next year A lot of people are wondering like where

The Pistons going to go from here one of the questions I have is what do they do even if they do wind up with the number one draft pi a lot of people are down on this draft you’ve heard me for a long time State you know what I want them to

Trade that pick for a player that can come in and be an impact an impact and let me make sure I shout out who uh dropped that in the chat as well uh about the dad with Tourette he talked about it he talked about uh the number

One draft pick do you go and you draft somebody or are you looking more to establish something more like the Orlando Magic did they brought in kind of these these younger vets like Gary Harris like window harder or do you go the route of even the Houston Rockets

Who brought in more solidified vets like Dylan Brooks and Fred Van v to me personally it is time no more experimenting no more trying to see if this player if you can kick the tires on that player it is now time to go out there and bring in those guys we talked

About in the past how the Detroit Pistons have surrounded like Andre Drummond and Stanley Johnson with kind of these mid-tier free agent signings that then took this Detroit business team honestly to the playoffs to the playoffs and I’m I’m ready for that I’m ready for them to go out there and

Around these kind of low contracts low value contracts and your rookie guys or these rookie contract players for them to go out there and do the same it’s time to stop with these experiments it’s time to stop with these all bench lineups it’s time to stop bringing in players that realistically don’t bleed

That red white and blue of Detroit Pistons basketball of old it’s time to step forward the fans I I I applaud you guys I applaud you guys the fact that there’s still conversation and people they’ll joke and they say why are we talking about the Pistons why because everybody’s still talking about the

Pistons Detroit sports fans aren’t necessarily the most fickle or the most fan you know fair weathered fans out there they will have jokes because the Detroit Pistons deserve it but they hurt when they see this team lose they hurt when they see this team not playing up

To their full capacity they hurt when they don’t see this team going out there and putting forth what Detroit period is supposed to represent and we see the Lions they’re talking about going out there and intentionally going and getting people that identify with the city it’s time for the Detroit Pistons

To do that let’s s this restore thing up it’s or else and I continue to say this you would have failed Kade Cunningham Jaylen Duren assar Thompson what’s the point of going and getting these guys if you don’t think that they’re the ones worth surrounding and building around

Right now it just man I just continue to just scratch my head at it I just do I got a name for you I got a name for you oo speak Bry James oh bronnie James bronnie James call LeBron’s call LeBron’s bluff if he said

He wants to play with his kid call his bluff and see if he’s coming to Detroit I mean is there anybody in the draft that can change your fortunes any more than that no not really I’m I’m 100% with you trade the pick I I don’t care who you get trade

The pick because if you’re in Troy Weaver spot you have a ticking clock theoretically on when how long you’re here and how much more you can do with this roster so you have to trade the pick yeah yeah get get rid of the pick I’m I’m not for more young players being

Added to this squad I know kg uh you had some comments or some questions as well about this yeah so I mean one bright spot off the bench has been Simone fanto um the guy he he he plays on the defensive end uh he’s a really good shooter man and nothing against Isaiah

Stewart but but um Monty Williams continues to start him uh don’t you think Simone fonio deserves a starting spot on this team I mean what what do you have to lose really uh what are your thoughts on Simone fonio possibly uh starting for this team going forward he

Need he project as a long-term starter for you can you see a world where he’s starting at three probably not I don’t think I can yeah I don’t think I can I can see assar starting at three and that’s why you have to put him there and just let him

Take his his lumps there if he needs to um and fonio can be a sort of sixthman seventh man guy off the bench who provide some scoring for you and he’s excelling in that role put guys in the role that you project them to be and let

Them start um excelling there and doing well there and then that’s that’s more the roster construction that I’m looking for yeah hey Rod so I was watching or or getting ready to watch the Cavaliers Celtics game last night and they flashed this graphic on ESPN they showed the top

Three main lineups in the NBA in terms of their net rating and two of the three were were units that no one would have guessed would have been together two years ago 24 months ago it was Celtics jayen Brown Chris Taps porzingis and Derek white led the way at plus 16.4 you

Got the Nuggets joic Murray and Michael Porter Jr and then the Bucks jisan CMO Dame Lillard and Brook Lopez do you think there’s a threesome like that on this Detroit Pistons roster right now are there three guys on this team that maybe not to that level but can be that

That core to to build around where those three on the court good things are happening that’s a good question uh I’m gonna go back on what I just said and I’ll say Kade Duran and fono I mean there there’s no three right now who could who could be that but unnamed

Small forward or unnamed shooting guard who’s averaging 18 points a game could be something like that um but right now fono was probably the closest thing and when uh Ivy is playing at an optimal level shooting well then he could be that but he it’s the same thing with Ivy

Is he’s got to be able to hurt you off the dribble and be able to to make you respect his three-point shot because teams are just going to lag back and they can you can suit a defense to a guy who’s quicker than you and but you can’t

Do anything when he’s quicker than you and he’s shooting well you can’t lag back you can’t play too tight you can’t help too much to on a guy like that that’s why I think that’s the biggest step that Jay Navy can take is ba a and

I think what is he 37 38% from three this year something a little bit more respectable but I I just want to see that number go up a little bit more for you yeah that’s what stood out to me seeing that the Celtics are up there didn’t include Jason Tatum or Robert

Williams it was porus and Derek white both guys that can stretch the four shoot the three and Derek white that Wing who can play defense it it shows you kind of like the the the lack of talent lack of of like actual NBA experienced talent that the Detroit

Pistons have right now they need more guys like that I do believe in K Cunningham I do believe in Jaylen Duren I do believe like even in Simone fanto even if he’s not the long-term starting three I do believe that he’s a piece that you want on this team going forward

Uh even if it’s Off the Bench same that I feel with Isaiah Stewart I don’t necessarily believe that he should be starting at the four I’m never going to say that he shouldn’t be if he goes out there and he snags that position that starting spot then so so be it but but

Long term I’m really hoping this squad goes out there man like I said earlier I got to reiterate it and like you said as well they got to go out there and they got to get guys no more young experiments no more of this kind of uh

Kicking the tires on guys who probably didn’t work out in other places go out there and and even more to Monte Williams benefit go out there and get players that work within his scheme and within his style one word that I’ve kind of heard or the phrase that I’ve heard

Return back to Media availability and practices is a05 second offense he he said he absolutely loves what Sone fanto brings in that regard because he’s one of those guys that can put the ball on the floor if he needs to he can relocate along the three-point line if he needs

To and he can obviously hit the three and he makes his decisions very very quickly we’ve seen him get into the paint we’ve seen him play with physicality and then on the defensive side of the ball as well you’re not necessarily losing anything right now we have certain players before even they

Went through this trade deadline where we could say hey they got some good upside as relates to their offense but defensively they are struggling or hey they got some good off you know upside to their defense but offensively they are struggling they got to go out there

And and like you stated in these lineups that you brought up it’s not even like the Superstar players go out there and just get like like these impact contributors on both sides of the floor that can then give K Cunningham more room to operate in I’m going to continue

To say k Cunningham is a star when you see what this guy is going out there and doing with low free throws he’s not getting the respect that other number one overall draft picks have gotten at all and he’s still going out there and he’s putting in that work I want to see

The rest of these young guys that will move forward with them next year Step Up step it up it’s just time it’s time I I feel like I’ve seen previous teams with a little less Talent go out there and perform much better than this squad man

And it’s like I’m going to continue to say this it’s not fair to the fans they’re continuing to stay checked in they are and that’s that’s that’s been an amazing thing that’s been to me an amazing thing to go to the arena and it’s start slow in terms of people

Getting in there then you look around you see 40 50% capacity and I’m just sitting here like why why cuz it’s Detroit man it’s in our blood it’s in our DNA but uh Rod thank you for your time is there any last words from you gentlemen or no we good thank you Rod

Thank you R you take I got some numbers to help you I got some numbers to help you on C last seven games 23.9 points 4.4 rebounds 7.1 assists 48% from three 48% from three 49% from the field not bad ham J down dun Robinson last night K

Oh K man get that man some help you got it definitely you want R every Wednesday man you bring the help to this show as well the chat they appreciate you every single week they they’re like yo y’all gotta find a way to get uh Rod beard on more some people

Are calling you Rod goatee uh in the chat as well so I just had to to make sure you do that but uh thank you as always Rob we appreciate you and your time um as always guys check out the Detroit News the great work that they do

Over there it’s a lot of good people as well as good coverage of your Detroit sports teams we’re appreciative of your contributions every single week Rod thank you man thank you thank you R thanks Rod all right gentlemen have a good Wednesday all right you too brother

You too that awesome that’s that was good news man that K Cunningham stats at the end but um can I kick it we got some bad news as well we got good news coming up with a little U golden grizzli uh Insight or giving us a p some

Perspective on their postseason run but there is some bad news that you got to share first at least one of our sponsors who can help deal with the bad news yeah definitely and then we get some good news about probably our best basketball team in the state I yeah

Rod Beard (Detroit News) and Brandon @DetroitKoolAid Dent (Woodward Sports Network) join WAKE UP WOODWARD to discuss the Detroit Pistons at the NBA Trade Deadline. Like , Subscribe and leave your comment below!

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Woodward Sports Pistons beat reporter Brandon @detroitkoolaid1585 Dent and Detroit News assistant sports editor Rod Beard.

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