Detroit Pistons Free Agency and Draft Options | WP 107

Detroit Pistons Free Agency and Draft Options | WP 107

Up do people welcome back to wake up Woodward we got another segment with the legend Mr Detroit News Ro beard before we get into that drum roll for this next segment you guys heard what Mr flando Sam said like this stream we get to 125 likes and you guys comment Grand Slam in

The chat we will select the winner to attend the party for free this opening day party on Friday by the end of the show so definitely go on ahead let’s get those likes up to 125 before the end of the show and we will announce the winner

At the uh uh probably what during our mailbag segment yeah all right that sounds let’s do that let’s do that but hey I need you guys help getting this drum roll going you got anything in the in the uh sound Bank no yeah let’s R hey yo shout out and welcome again to

The legend Detroit News Rod beard it is Wednesday so that means it is Woodward Pistons Wednesday and we got to talk about these Detroit Pistons I know last week a lot of people especially when they saw the clip on the Woodward Pistons Channel they were like yo

Kool-Aid is just lost it man he is in panic mode I didn’t think I was necessarily in panic mode but I I you chuckling right but I know I brought a little bit different energy and a little bit different kind of take uh than I probably have had all season and really

It’s the culmination of a lot of different things seeing this team kind of go through what they are going through this year not really meeting the expectation um players getting injured for the year um you know it’s it’s tough to see what’s happening with assar Thompson as well with the blood clots

And whatnot I I’m still praying for him and I hope that they get that thing figured out but it was nice to see him on the practice floor the last practice I was at but uh Rod as always we got to start things off with Rod’s

Thoughts I’m gonna give a shout out to um to Mike Curtis who’s who put in his time his two years um but he’s moving on to another opportunity going to cover the uh the Mavericks for the Dallas Morning News uh and and certainly wish him all the best because uh he came in

Uh just kind of looking to to get some feedback looking to get some some mentorship and he certainly absorbed all of that and now he’s ready to move on to the next thing and that’s my role as a as a a sports editor is hey get guys

Ready for the next level of of what they’re doing and that’s his mentor too is to kind of get him ready for the next thing and not try to hold him back so certainly uh happy for him wish him well in in his next Endeavor but um we posted

The job out there and it it’s just um I think the the yesterday I put it on Twitter there might be 50 somewhere around 50 uh people who have sent their their work in their applications and everything else so it’ll be a process it’s a process to try to find the next

Person it’s a process man but you know what anything that they can do as it relates to being underneath your tutelage and your mentorship I can tell you firsthand as Mike Curtis will and has as well I you you do a great job man

Man you really do a great job um I just want to make sure again as much as I can that I definitely state that on any platform that I have R beard thank you for all that you do for a lot of us out there man thank you no I appreciate that

Appreciate that oh man now we got to talk about the Pistons you got to sell the job now sell it the Pistons they’re up and coming they got Kate Cunningham let’s go you sound like me from earlier in the season hey we can be optimistic even though they’re struggling we can be optimistic

All right I’m back man I’m back I’m back what’s good [Laughter] rod um I got nothing I mean I beat the wizard beat the wizard beat the Wizards um that’s all I got that’s all I got there’s nothing else and I think I said last week if we could fast forward to

The end of the season and just make sure nobody else gets hurt like a season ending injury or something let’s go to that no more of those season ending injuries it’s tough to see their best trade deadline acquisition and Simone fanto he’s out it was funny at the last

Practice he and mon Williams were on the treadmill I mean on the bikes together just kind of pedaling and it was just like man oh man oh man I wish we could see him playing with kind of this iteration of the team right now because Jay Navy and K Cunningham they’re

Getting a lot of playing time together um it was tough to see Jaylen Duran leave that last game he uh lost the tooth uh I think the Pistons would have won that game but the question that I’ve seen and continue to be baned about and

We said that we were going to ask you today Jay Navy Jaylen durren and the man himself K Cunningham is that a trio that you expect to see on this Pistons team next year yes yes unless there is unless there is some trade that you cannot turn down and they

Want they want Ivy and the number one two three whatever pick it is if they want those two things and it’s a a trade you just can’t turn down then yes I can’t see them trading Cade or Duren that I just can’t see it would have to

Be something magical for to throw Duran in and I just don’t think there is a deal that exists that they would trade Kade yeah that’s that’s yeah I don’t see any other way that works yeah and then the other question I’m seeing is for the people that are saying you know what I

Want to see them all back next year uh the Counterpoint to that that I’m seeing everybody get is is that a winning formula I I believe personally that you need to put obviously we all know this and we started to show with this they need a lot more help around them I’m

Hoping they use this free agency to go out there and grab not one but two solid free agents I don’t think that one kind of top tier free agent this year helps to push this this unit or this group into uh a a different Stratosphere than

Where they are currently but I want to see them go out there and get two of them so I won’t ask you is that a winning formula but what makes that a winning formula if those three return turn next year just another year of experience that we we’ve seen that the the level

That Duran has been able to get to and a healthy Cade can get to um I think there’s something there but you you hit it you need to get that Allstar type guy who is going to come in and be able to augment what they already do we haven’t

Seen a lot of games where Kade takes over and Ivy takes over so with be Cade and Allstar X whoever this person ends up being I think that’s a little bit more likely because like I said Kade needs to for Kade to be the best him

That he can be he needs to be able to distribute the ball and kind of score secondarily I’ll say if Kate is your leading scorer he’s not Distributing the ball the way that you need to and he’s had few games like that where he’s had double doubles and I’ll try to look that

Up too how many double doubles with assists that he’s had this year and I think that’s the key when when when he’s able to be the the kind of free safety type guy in his approach and the way that he handles stuff that’s when he can

Be his best so Rod this is somewhat related I want you to uh tell me where maybe I’m right or where I’m wrong I’m worried about jayen Ivy I’m worried about the fact that in the month month of March he shot 23% from three I’m kind

Of getting a little bit tired of seeing games like like let like the like uh the Memphis game for example or even the uh Orlando game early on and the New York Nick game where bad calls helped costum but also Jaden Ivy playing playing poorly in games where Kade Cunningham

Played excellently costing them some games I’m just I’m I’m worried I’m worried am I are these fears Justified or do you think Jay Navy will be okay I think he’ll be okay because I think you’re you’re asking him to be a lot right now and again the that that we

Would want that All-Star Exon to do is what Ivy’s having to do right now and so I think he can if you slide him down and he’s like your third option I think that suits him a little bit more at this point in his career when he sorts when

He starts to figure it out I think that’s when this won’t be as much of a concern but I I I agree with you I think there’s something there that the way that he’s being utilized and what he feels like he has to do is a lot on his

Shoulders and It’s just tough no it’s for for me it’s just been kind of difficult to watch Kade Cunningham have I mean in terms of numbers obviously he’s not going to be an All-Star a season that we would have all have taken from him about what 224 and8 on you know

Solid efficiency and improv three-point shot all of that but then when you look at some of the guys around him and you know jayen Ivy his three-point percentage has gone down assar Thompson as much as we like everything else that he does I think he has a worse

Three-point shot than I do I mean that’s not really part of Jaylen duren’s game obvious prend half court half court half cour no but like I mean you saw you saw you know buan get hurt earlier Simone F Simone fonio is hurt right now Isaiah Stewart who’s actually been one of your

Best three-point Shooters is is out for the season as well I just I’m worried that even some of the young guys that we all have a lot of Hope in and have shown some positive things at least on an individual level may not fit with what would make Cade his best

Self I think they can fit but um again the the the days that that Cade may not have it are the days you need Ivy to be Cade essentially to be a 30-point scorer and it again I just don’t know that he has that in his bag yet to be a 20 25%

Or 20 25 Point scorer um every day uh when Kade is there and and so of his 62 games Kate had 13 games with double digit assists um and he that’s going to need to be a higher number he the the the average by itself seven and a half

Assists you love it but you want to see more games where he can just find other people to help him out and he doesn’t have to be that dude every single game and right now it feels like that so R uh something that Kool-Aid brought up over the last couple shows is

The possibility of possibly getting Paul George in free agency and I think he would be the perfect piece to this young core um he’s a veteran consistent scorer uh a wing that has done it on the biggest stages do you think he’s a good fit and how realistic do you think a

Move like that is or do you think that you know they need someone more like a demard de ro and a Tobias Harris or Zack LaVine they need two of of any of those players you just mentioned two of everything how realistic do you think a

Paul George move is you want the good news or bad news hey give me the bad news first uh I I think it’s imposs well I won’t even say impossible I think it’s highly unlikely there’s no PG still wants to win and so I think he’ll go to

A winning level team yeah um that’s the bad news the good news is I think it’s it’s the fit that you need it’s the type of player that you need who’s experienced who can do a lot of things and and we just keep talking about this

A 69 sort of versatile Wing who can play the three who can play the four who just play some some defense that’s the prototypical what you need to survive in this league that every team seems like they have a guy like that except the Pistons right now they just don’t have

Um an Allstar level guy I think he would bring that sort of thing that that sort of enthusiasm oh did we lose him oh no I think he’s Frozen like Elsa he was preaching two and I have one oh you’re back back yeah I’m back um no I I was

Saying that he does doesn’t need a lot of shots I think he can fit his game and mold his game to Kade and everybody else where I think that’s a really good fit offensively defensively everything else but there are only so many of those in

The league that you can go and get and I just don’t think he’s going to be get a yeah and you know what Rod I’m hoping at the very least I know that they’ve been connected to guys like Tobias Harris I I want them even though I know

It’s a slim chance I want them to take an opportunity to say you know what Paul George here’s our offer we’re going to try and give you the most money more money than anybody else out there is going to give you to at least show that

They do care about bringing in the right type of talent but I know that just been uh links to Tobias Harris I’ve heard like Demar D rozan um we’ve heard uh that they’ve been you know over the last few years they’ve been uh in some type

Of deals with the Utah Jazz a couple times Shaban banovich and then for someone fio I know that the Utah jazs have a couple players over there and John Collins as well as and Lorie marinin who’ve been on the trade blocks before I’m hoping that the Detroit Pistons aren’t resting on any Laurels

And that they’re going out there and they’re trying to turn over every single Stone because I do believe they need two impact players uh either through the trade market or through free agency to add to this squad for them to really take a not just a step forward but to

Really compliment these young players I do believe that right now if you get more players on this team it does reduce the responsibility of players like haay Navy and probably put them in a better position to succeed but um another area that they’re going to have an opportunity to to make something happen

Is in the draft as well and I know that you and I on record are saying it’s probably better for them to trade that pick because you don’t want to get younger but have there been any players and I saw you were active as well during

March Madness I was at the Purdue uh Tennessee game as well as the first one in the sweet 16 uh and just seeing Zack Edy and seeing the 66 Wing out of Tennessee Dalton connect goodness gracious and he’s more than just a three-point shooter uh has there been

Anybody that’s kind of impressed you uh during this March M this run as it relates to who the Pistons should look at in the draft no I was going to say it’s connect it’s absolutely connect to that yeah um he needed a little bit more

Help around him but he he shot the ball like uh local people will say Nick Stalin or D Duncan Robinson when they were at Michigan that’s the way the level that he shot the ball and it felt like um I think he had 16 of their first

21 points in that last game it’s just that’s a shooter that that’s a dude just give me the ball in the right spot now now again let’s let’s think that guy in the corner when Kade is is is driving and he’s got a kick it to the weak side

Dton connect in the in that corner yeah I like that a lot I like that a lot yep yeah I I like it a lot too he it was different you know you see these guys play on TV and um you see their talent but kind of being there in person it was

A pretty epic experience Zach Edy uh putting up the 40 and 16 but dton connect I feel like he had the more impressive game he showed um his skills on all three levels all three levels catch and shoot dribbl and shoot at the three-point line two three feet back

From the three-point line able to put the ball on the deck able to get into the uh into the paint able to hit from mid-range and uh even has a little bit of bunnies man to get up and put the ball down and and dunk it but uh I

That’s the guy that’s the guy for me I know there’s a lot of people out there who they wonder about Alex as well who’s probably the presumptive number one overall pick but there’s a lot of similarities as it relates to he and Duran I know that alexar he gives he he

He takes more threes he’s not making those threes but he is putting in that work right now and he does have a little bit of Wiggle he has a little bit of dribble to his game as well but largely he’d be the five on this squad where

Jaylen durren is and so if I am the Pistons I’m hoping they’re looking more if they’re going to draft the player with that first pick I’m hoping it’s somebody like adalon Keith who absolutely showed out uh in my opinion in this tour you know I wish we could

See more of him but uh Purdue got that win but it was a great game it was a great game anything else from the crew well Rod you uh you here there’s a reason why you’re why you’re so good at what you do you completely killed the

Paul George dreams for me because here’s the thing we were actually we were talking before the show about just spitballing some of the best players to never win a championship I mean Paul George he’s had a lot of he had some you know great runs with IND Indiana with

OKC and with the clippers but a ring is kind of what he’s missing and he’s not going to get it with these Pistons at least not in the next couple of years so uh that was a great Point by you and something that I didn’t even consider So

Yeah thank you for that and you know what before I let you PG is 30 he’ll turn 34 uh next month yeah it’s I don’t know how much tread has left on the tires for PG he’s still playing at an All-Star type level um what’s the salary number let me give

You let me give you some hope here okay he’s had some nice contracts over the years he’s not the most expensive star 45 and 48 all right close that window you can’t pay PG 45 and 48 that’s that’s um that is not no no I I’ll shut that dream down completely that’s fa

Jared golf money huh right give JG 49 you know what before I let you go rob CK says thanks robod always a pleasure listening to you it’s cool to see the people put legend in the chat and whatnot uh it’s a good image to who you

Are as a person and and who you are and have been as a professional I appreciate your time on the show man any last words no no I I I always try to brush that stuff off because I learned from from the Legends and the Terry Fosters

Of the world World um who really took me under there when it helped me out in the Rob Parker so I’m just paying it forward it’s all I can do oh thank you brother thank you as always man this has been a great segment I know you mentioned the

Good and the bad as it relates to Paul George I also have some good and bad news some of that bad news is insurance rates have gone up in the state of Michigan and none of us are surprised by that the good news though that Swiss

Insurance is here to help right now more than ever it is important

Via Wake Up Woodward featuring Matt Broder (credentialed WSN Lions+Tigers Reporter), Brandon @DetroitKoolAid Dent (credentialed WSN Pistons reporter), KG on sounds, JB in the TD booth and Flannel Sam

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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