Re-Evaluating The Detroit Pistons In-Season Trades, Did These Moves Help Detroit At All?

Re-Evaluating The Detroit Pistons In-Season Trades, Did These Moves Help Detroit At All?

With the Detroit Pistons season coming close to an end in numerous players being ruled out for the year a lot of players missing quite a few of the last few games I want to get into grading the Pistons inseason moves and how effective they actually were we’ll talk about that

In today’s episode of the lockdown Pistons podcast you are locked on Pistons your daily Detroit Pistons podcast part of the locked on podcast Network your team every Day Johnson second what’s the deal welcome back to another episode of the lockdown Pistons podcast per usual I’m your host kahill you can find me over on Twitter at Cahill I want to thank you guys for being lockon Pistons your first list of every single day we’re free and

Available on all your podcast platforms if you haven’t already head to the YouTube channel at lockon Pistons hit that subscribe button or leave us a five star review on whatever podcast platform you’re listening to this on that’s another great way to support the podcast we’re on our road to 8,000 subscribers

We right there I think we’re like 40 50 subscribers away so please if you haven’t already please hit that subscribe on the YouTube channel support the community I really would appreciate it um in today’s episode we’ll be talking about rest versus ending the season strong something Monte Williams

Commented about earlier on today then at the end of the podcast I have a few just random thoughts that I’ve been thinking about over the last over the weekend I don’t think any of them really go anywhere and I don’t really know if like how much you know people really want to

Give wait to any of these random thoughts but it’s just some things that I’ve just been like quickly thinking of and I thought I’d just throw out there and see if anyone else is thinking the same stuff but to start off I want to grade the Pistons in season moves that

They made this season and the reason why I want to do that now is quite a few um well let’s just go ahead and say it so Simone fonio is ruled out again I’m in the piss his next game against the Memphis Grizzlies he’s missed the

Last handful of games and I’m not sure if we’re going to see him again for this year um another one of the Pistons in season moves was Quin Grimes who also just got uh ruled out for the season um and the Pistons got a few other you know

End of bench guys in their moves but a lot was made when the Pistons made those moves they changed basically the entire roster in a matter of like two three weeks um so with the main pieces I’d say being Simone fonio and Grimes both Grimes for sure but looking like fonio

As well being out for the rest of the year let’s go ahead and just grade the in season stuff the in inseason M moves that they made how effective they actually were was it worth it just let’s just give our thoughts on I I don’t know

If it’s going to get better or worse by the end of this year with the main ones basically probably not playing um so let’s start off I want I want to start off with the the Isaiah livers Marvin Bagley trade for uh denil gari and Mike

Muscala looking back on it was that deal was that a good deal was that an effective move um it more so just evens out to a eh okay move I think Marvin baggley was a better backup five for the Pistons this year if they were trying to

Win than James wisman but it was quite obvious and it’s been proven to be quite obvious that the prisons prioritized getting James wisman quite a bit of minutes over I’d say winning right now to get an idea of is he going is he going to improve can they bring him back

Next year so they got off of Marvin bagley’s contract um which was was was not a good contract but not necessarily sure I’d give him a pick to get two players that you then got rid of immediately like they they played denil gari for just a few games

And he was waved they played Mike muscala for a handful of games then he was waved and when they those two guys were on the floor the Pistons actually looked really good which I think will lend itself to the discussions we have during the offseason of should the

Pistons go out and get a stretch big at the five because when they played the five position next to assar Thompson the Pistons destroyed in their minutes I believe both lineups both Duos of assar and Danilo and assar and Mike muscala both of them net rating plus 18 or more

They were destroying teams on the floor and it gave enough space to now one pick and roll over and over with assara gave assara more driving Lanes to utilize his a finishing ability and kick out ability so I think that for those like two weeks handful of games its purpose that it

Served was to give the Pistons an idea of hey maybe we should go get uh a stretch big at the five position this off season maybe that is the best route to go if we are going to make assar Thompson such a priority I think that’s

The best that did as far as in season stuff the pist did win probably their most games in a single span they won like four games in their in the next like 10 12 games and remember we had that whole conversation of are the Pistons actually better without Cade

Because Kade wasn’t playing during that stretch even though it was ludicrous it had to do with d muscala and gar joining the team and and contributing veteran leadership and also the ability to space the floor out the Pistons all of a sudden started making threes when they

Showed up and that translated a lot uh to their whim so i’ I’d say this trade was eh but not didn’t do too much um probably would have done more I’d say if galinari and muscala remained on the Pistons because they actually were helping the team a lot and I really

Would have liked to see them play the rest of the year with Cade with assar and just seeing you know what it looked like because it was looking good but I I’d rate it as an a trade um then the Pistons obviously they released a lot of

Players but they made a trade I think the the biggest trade obviously excuse me was for simoney fon they traded Kevin Knox in a few second round picks um for Simone fonio uh of the he was currently of the Utah Jazz um or he was at the

Time of the Utah Jazz Simone fanto that trade absolute home run that trade has been absolutely fantastic for the Detroit Pistons Simone has been exactly what the Detroit Pistons needed which was a guy who had a little bit more length to him was a lot defensively um provided spacing provided movement shooting

Provided the ability to score without the ball in his hands off ball provided the ability to attack Closeouts uh really well um Simone was just I think he was a godsend in every way possible for the Detroit Pistons he only played 16 games for them but in those 16 games

48% from the field 43% from Deep on six and a half attempts um per game showing 85% from the free throw line aage 15 points a game um and four and a half rebounds Simone fonio absolute home run of a trade he’s going to just upgrade clearly from his position I don’t think

That’s going to happen um but yeah I I think that was a home run of a trade easily one of the best trades the Pistons have made over the last was not very good for the Detroit Pistons like really at all in in the six games he played for

Them um he shot 21% from the field 14% from Deep that’s horrific um now look he provided some defensive stuff you know he looked cool on defense and he you can see how his archetype would fit and he that fourth quarter against the ball team um and I I I think that was

Something we watched with the Pistons when they were not hitting threes it was hard because they just were awful defensively and they soaked up the ball a lot when they hit threes obviously it was you know when Boon would go off for 30 randomly and Burks would have 30 Off

The Bench in 19 minutes like yeah obviously that would help but honestly think the the most positive thing you can say about that trade isn’t about Quin Grimes it’s simply about moving off of buan and Burks and giving all those minuts to Simone fanto basically that

Was the best part of that trade because Simone was so good for the Pistons after they got rid of those guys in the minutes he soaked up for them that he basically removed like any thought of boy anenberg for fan base like no one’s mentioned them at all at all in the

Pitton fan base because of how good fonio is and hopefully you know comes back next year if he’s on the team still comes back next year and is able to show you know why they traded for him and and is able to hit more than 14% of his

Three so um let me know what you guys think though comment section down below or over on Twitter at cuka Hill how do you guys grade the Pistons in season moves I guess my final grade of these moves would be like C+ like because the Pistons had to do something they had to

Make moves they couldn’t just sit around but then a lot of the moves they made were like Mo like releasing McAllan galinari like Flynn has been like Okay evan forier and then Grimes didn’t even play so like the real move that really affected anything was Simone Fu everything else was more so just

Shuffling pieces on the board so give it like a cc plus so again let me know in the comment section down below or over on Twitter at Cahill how you guys feel about the Pistons in the season moves when we come back rest versus ending the season strong I’ll give my thoughts on

That situation when we come back price picks is America’s number one fantasy sports app with more than three million members it’s the easiest and most exciting way to get in on the action while you watch your favorite sports and players you just pick more or less than on two or more player stats

And watch the winnings roll in March is over but the biggest moments in college basketball tip off the month of April be a part of the action on prize picks for both men’s and women’s college basketball getting on the playoff action and went up to 10 100 times I’m sorry

Your money on priz picks as you and the world’s best players take the game to a new level during basketball’s postseason you can now wi up to 100 times your money on prize picks with as little as four correct picks you can turn $10 into a thousand with basketball hockey

College basketball entries today on prize picks America’s number one fantasy sports app download the app today and use code locked in NBA for a first deposit match up to $100 Again download the app today and use code locked in NBA for a first deposit match up to $100

Pick more pick less it’s that easy with price picks Again download the app today and use code locked in NBA for a first deposit match up to $100 with prize picks so I want to thank you guys again for being locked on Pistons your first list of every single day we’re free and

Available on all your podcast platforms if you haven’t already head of the YouTube channel at lockon Pistons hit that subscribe button or leave us a festar review whatever podcast platform you’re listening to us on that’s another great way to support the podcast so over the last few games I think the fan base

Has witnessed it themselves without Monty Williams coming out and saying what he said today um by the way happy Easter everybody hope you guys had a great one um K Cunningham has missed a few games over the last two weeks Jane Ivy missed a previous game um Jaylen durran has

Missed a few games Simone fono obviously has missed all these games Queen Grimes has missed all these games Isaiah Stewart has rolled out for the season I’m not going to include assar Thompson any of this because how serious is like bigger than basketball Health concern is

So we’re just going to continue to send prayers his way and hopefully you know that he he gets better um and they figure everything out with him but we’re completely removing assar 100 again let me say very clear we are completely removing anything in regards to assar

And his his health concern from this conversation completely removing it um I think now removing him from it there’s been talk already about the Pistons basically shutting the season down a few like a week ago because they weren’t going to play Jaylen dur they weren’t going to play a k Cunningham they

Weren’t going to play Simone they weren’t gonna play um even after Ivy missed the game um Isaiah Stewart got shut down for the year second straight year like is he being shut down for the season because he actually could not play the rest of the year or is it

Because he’s hurt The Season’s lost it’s over with might as well not try to come back this year just go ahead and miss the rest of the year like that’s been a talk in the Pistons fan base in the Pistons community over the last I’d say

Like two weeks now now Cade did end up coming back and actually playing a few games um Jaylen Duran the same thing did come back and end up playing a few games um but today on Easter um Matty Williams was asked about if he plans to have players build momentum down the stretch

Or prioritize making sure guys are healthy by the way I’m getting this all from James Edwards third’s tweet um today he said he prefers guys to play and go into summer sord not hurt if that means the L minutes he wants guys to play so that brought the attention made

Me want to talk about the whole argument of rest versus ending the season strong and I think where where I where I find myself on this discussion I think it’s almost always going to be actually know let me take that back because there’s some situations where

I’m not going to be on that but I’d say mostly I would be on the side of ending the season Strong finish the year out and trying to go into the off on a good note like unless you are the Detroit Pistons rebuild one one year in two

Years in heck even three years in and you’re trying at the end of the year when B is in the upcoming draft you want to secure those top odds like okay you want to tank the end of the year so be it like a win in April two wins in April

Is not going to do anything for you the chance that Wy could change everything like that that kind of stuff and if you’re re if you’re just straight up tanking and rebuilding team anyways like like I said if you’re in the first or second year and that’s how you want to

End the season you want to just rest everybody make sure no one gets hurt take the L’s get the top odds like okay unfortunately that’s the something that happens in the NBA that’s what’s going to happen when you have a lottery system and heck you see it happen in other sports like the

NFL actually you didn’t see it as much especially well you still see it in the NFL but Houston definitely changed the changed it a little bit when they went out and won their final game and got CJ shroud instead of tanking for I I don’t think they knew at the time that they

Would be blessed like they did but you get what I’m saying either way but the Pistons are not in that situation anymore so if you’re in that situation Fair rest everybody lose you know it is what it is the Pistons are not in that situation anymore they are in year four

Coming off of what we just talked about in the first segment changing eight pieces on the team really making a million moves and having to make decisions on guys im as soon as the season ends like in a week and a half two weeks we are going to get immediate decisions I think

On the organization the front office and the head coaching staff and I think even as soon as the season ends you’ll start to hear rumors and you’ll start to hear Whispers And you’ll start to hear some leaks come out whether it’s on this podcast or another or through the beat

Riders about some decisions that the team is going to start making or is already leaning towards making on this roster once the season ends with that being the case I think you absolutely should end the season strong you want to play everybody that is available to play

And let them get as many minutes as they can in and I especially mean this for a guy like Kay Cunningham who I know a goal of his is to reach that 65 games threshold he wants to play 65 games at least this year now obviously he would have wanted to play

His every player’s goal most players goal i’ say Obviously God God willing it just don’t get hurt and play all 82 like obviously that’s a goal but a realistic goal knowing that injuries are going to happen you will get nicked up like stuff like that’s going to happen 65 games is

A goal and he’s four games away from that so I want Kade to get to that goal I want him to be able to get there that would be the most games he’s played in his in his uh in a season in his career obviously missed last year rookie season

He only played 64 four games and in in know any other like any other year in the future if the Pistons are good or whatever and cas’s having a good season 65 games where you have to get to to be eligible for the awards so that’s a place you really want to set

The goal for now moving forward um so I do think that’s pretty important and also Kate has had a good year let’s end the season strong let him end the season strong go into the offseason feeling good about his season whether the team won or not let him go into the offseason

Feel feeling good about how well he played because right now he’s coming off games of 33 points 32 points and after the All-Star break I’d say he mostly played pretty insane uh outside of this six game stretch after he started showing up on the injury report um where he was

Struggling there was a good like 11 12 games after the All-Star break he was the best three-point shooter in the league and he was playing absurd level basketball so the point is I would let Cade especially someone in his position coming off the injury he came off of

With that goal of 65 games how well he’s played let him play strong the end of the year also with Jaye Ivy and Jaylen durren I mean you need to get every look possible at those guys because Jaye Ivy like let’s just be let’s just be honest we’ll talk about this in

His uh season review Jaye Ivy has been pretty bad now for like a month month and a half like it’s been he’s been pretty bad now for a while I he had that one game where he exploded for 34 games and Kate had 30 but he has been pretty

Bad for a minute now since February 13th and you need to get every look as you can at him because I think this off season they’re going to make some decisions on some key guys I think that’s coming so you want to get as many looks as possible at these guys like

Over the last 21 games Ivy is shooting 36% from the field and 23% from Deep just isn’t isn’t good enough like it’s just not Harness moving forward like you need to get as many looks at this at this this this team this this core as possible especially Cade but the other guys as well so and then everyone else I I you know I don’t think there’s too many guys that that matter too much

Outside that but your three main guys you need to get as many looks as them as possible and let them try to finish the season strong especially Kade and then for the other two guys you’re basically the Pistons are in in does this guy fit

With the team or do we need to trade him mode that’s basically where they’re at they’ve been at that I think since February are we going to be trading this guy this offseason or are we keeping him like that’s the decision and they need as many games as possible to make that

Decision so I don’t get the and they’re really young I forgot that’s the main point like these guys are super super young it’s not like these guys are 30 31 32 these guys are in their second third season in the NBA they don’t need to be rested for the off season they’ll be

Straight okay if they go into the all season a little slore they’ll be all right okay give them two weeks they’ll be straight like come on but that that’s my thoughts on the rest first uh in the season strong argument let me know what you guys think in the comment section

Down below or over on Twitter at CER he when we come back I just have some random thoughts um about this team did Steph Curry just hit a dagg or three against the Spurs I got the Spurs game on the screen right next to me no Klay

Thompson just did oh my god um but I have some random thoughts for you guys when we come back um stay tuned for that Fire TV is your destination for sport Sports from live games to Highlights to in-depth analysis Fire tv offers amazing viewing experiences with

Smart TVs as well as a Fire TV stick that you can plug into your existing TV that provides access to millions of movies and TV episodes as well as free and live TV whether it’s opening week for baseball at the college basketball tournament you’re going to want to have

A fire TV Fire TV recently created Fire TV channels to deliver a constant supply of the latest videos from your favorite sports brands all for free that includes all of us at Lacon and most of the big Pro leagues and college conferences as well Fire TV channels let you dive into

All the game analysis highlights and more to keep up to date on all the latest in the World of Sports March Madness NBA ML and lots more not to mention great news entertainment gaming travel cooking videos as well check out Fire TV channels on Fire TV and Alexa

Devices if you haven’t checked out Fire TV channels you absolutely should trust me on this to learn more visit www.amazon.com locked on Fire TV today so I want to thank you guys again for being locked on Pistons your first listen of every single day fre and on all your podcast platforms if you

Haven’t already head to the YouTube channel at laon Pistons hit that subscribe button or leave us a five review on whatever podcast platform you’re listening to this on that’s another great way to support the podcast um so I have a I just have a quick um I I just have some like quick

Thoughts like random thoughts that been going through my head don’t really like plan on taking it anywhere like this this thought anywhere is just something that popped into my head and it keeps like popping into my head as I go you know throughout Piston’s Twitter or I

Read some piston articles or I look through some clips this past weekend um it’s a genuine like I guess it’s a question but something I noticed in I guess let me go ahead and just get out the way let’s not be around the bush so why when why just so many fans and

Why do so many people like when it comes to fit why are so many people drawn to forcing players to fit together I I like I I qu I I I just really like had a quick thought go through my head this past week I’m like

Huh like why like why is it such a big deal and the only the only like reason I can come up with is just getting attached to players emotionally like for example example it’s clear that the Detroit Pistons franchise player is Kate Cunningham once they got that first

Overall pick and Kate arrived and he played how he did at the end of his rookie season over the last few months of the season and he played how he played this year individually like he’s going to get a Max extension I would say this off season I I’d say that pretty

Confidently he’s going to get that this is the guy you’re building around once you get that player once you get him the one you want to build around your best player like the guy that you’re going to surround you’re going to surround your team with why does it matter if like

Another guy in the team that’s currently on the team doesn’t fit why do it matter if another guy that’s currently on the team isn’t the cleanest fit like why why why is it stress people out why why do people get so like hellbent un forcing that fit to happen instead of just then

Going inquiring a player you know is going to fit like what what is the why do people do that yeah I think the easy answer the easy response that I get is um well these are young guys and they have upside so if you can force them to fit

They may turn into you know Superstars you don’t you don’t want to move off of them and they could be Superstars whatever like okay I can get that I get that to a certain extent but another I would come back with every fan base thinks every young player they have is

Going to become a superstar everybody thinks their young player is going to be Dwayne Wade every single one of their young play every single fan base thinks one of their players is going to be LeBron uh is going to be Dwight Howard is going to be you know a top 10 player

In the NBA everyone thinks that every fan base thinks every single one of their young core members is going to be a superstar the sad reality is 99.9% of those players are not going to be that so once you get a k Cunningham once you

Get a top overall pick once you get your franchise player why is everything not just about okay then we’re just going to go get players that fit around them and enable them to be the best selves they can possibly be can help them Reach their Peak as soon as possible and can

Help them Reach their Peak more easily rather than Force the fit guys because we have an emotional connection to them because really that’s the only argument I can see that’s the only argument I Can See For why so many people want to force certain players to fit even though maybe

It’s not the cleanest fit even though maybe it doesn’t make the even though if I I’ll leave it at that even if they’re not the cleanest fit and it doesn’t work the best instead of just going and getting players that you know would fit and you know would make your

Best player the best possible possible and you know what help him speed his development the best and quickest way possible and help him reach his Peak the only reason for not doing that is emotional connection I’d say like that’s where I’ve went with it right now that

And I haven’t put like I said it’s just some random thoughts I’ve had over the weekend we’ll probably dive into that a little bit deeper in the offseason um but I haven’t Dove any deeper than that into that into that topic that’s all I got on it just what’s been going through

My head recently so if you guys got any like uh answers or or feelings on those thoughts I’d love to hear from it have a back and forth about it because again this I haven’t Dove any deeper into it outside of my just instant thoughts on

It and just want to get it out on here so let me know in the comments section down below or over on Twitter at cill how you guys feel about that and what do you guys think about that topic and what side do you find your gu you yourself on

Um again let me know in the comments section down below or over on Twitter at cah Hill that’s all I’ve got for you guys today thank you guys for making lock down piss this your first listen of every single single day for freom podcast platforms hit that subscribe

Button to the YouTube channel leave us a five star review whatever podcast platform you’re listening to this on and until next time I’ll see you guys later stay safe out there and until next time peace out

The Detroit Pistons made many moves mid-season, completely reshaping their roster mid-season after a historically bad start to the season. With the season nearing its end, were the Pistons’ moves worth it, or were they moot?

Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!

Amazon Fire TVFire TV recently created Fire TV Channels to deliver a constant supply of the latest videos from your favorite sports brands, all for free. That includes all of us at Locked On and most of the big pro leagues and college conferences as well. To Learn More, visit www.amazon.com/LockedOnFireTV

NissanOur friends at Nissan have a lineup of SUV’s with the capabilities to take your adventure to the next level. Take the Nissan Rogue, Nissan Pathfinder, or Nissan Armada and go find your next big adventure. Shop NissanUSA.com.

eBay MotorsFrom brakes to exhaust kits and beyond, eBay Motors has over 122 million parts to keep your ride-or-die alive. With all the parts you need at the prices you want, it’s easy to bring home that big win. Keep your ride-or-die alive at EbayMotors.com. Eligible items only. Exclusions apply. eBay Guaranteed Fit only available to US customers.

BetterHelpThis episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Make your brain your friend, with BetterHelp. Visit BetterHelp.com/LOCKEDONNBA today to get 10% off your first month.

PrizePicksGo to PrizePicks.com/lockedonnba and use code lockedonnba for a first deposit match up to $100!

GametimeDownload the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDON for $20 off your first purchase.

FanDuelNew customers, join today and you’ll get TWO HUNDRED DOLLARS in BONUS BETS if your first bet of FIVE DOLLARS or more wins. Visit FanDuel.com/LOCKEDON to get started.

FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN)

Follow & Subscribe on all Podcast platforms…
🎧 https://link.chtbl.com/LOPistons?sid=YouTube

Locked On NBA League-Wide: Every Team, Fantasy, Draft, WNBA & More
🎧 https://linktr.ee/LockedOnNBA

#DetroitPistons #Pistons #NBA