Trajan Langdon: “Detroit Pistons Ready To Compete!” | SWISH or BRICK segment

Trajan Langdon: “Detroit Pistons Ready To Compete!” | SWISH or BRICK segment

I I want to get his thoughts first. We’ll get Rod’s thoughts first, then we’ll do Trajan Landon because it kind of plays right into our Swisser break question. So Rod, it’s a lot going on with the Pistons or if you ask Willie B, not a lot going on with the Pistons, but with every everything that’s going on. He is for real bad. He’s for real bad over here. Take it away with Rod St. What did he want them to have the number five pick again? That we’re beyond that. We passed that. We graduated out of that that five pick. No, I think it’s it’s NBA’s in a weird space right now. Like Dame’s getting cut. That’s what we’re doing. And now we’re starting to see some of these signings and and things are gearing up. You you have to feel better about where the Pistons are, especially in the East that um just kind of staying pat and and adding the pieces that they did. And I don’t know where the hate for Caris Levert is coming from. You absolutely need crazy. You absolutely need a shot creator in that second unit. And if you’re not starting Duncan, then having that three-point shooter to go along with that and the kick out. And we know that Caris is a capable passer. Like that’s a combination that you absolutely missed last year. So I don’t know, but I I feel better about where the Pistons are going to be just based off of the things that they did. And here in Atlanta, there’s a lot of optimism about uh Porzingis and Naw and uh the additions that they made to Luke Canard, but it is the Pistons right are right there. They have that opportunity if things go their way that um they could be in the top three, top four in the East. Hey, you know what? And when you talk about just Atlanta real quick before we go to the Traion videos, I I they’ve made some improvements. I know there’s some people who feel bullish about what they can be next season. definitely better than where they finished last year. As you see some of these teams retooling, as you see some of them making some headcratching moves, uh you are confident that we’re going to see a top four Pistons team next year. I think top four. Top four. Top four. As long as they can avoid injury and they they have that internal improvement. U and and I saw the Jaylen Duran three-point. You saw it’s that time of Yeah, man. I mean, and it’s it’s it’s just deja vu to me taking the Andre Drummond videos and like, hey, this could be a thing. And it’s like, okay, here we go all over again. It’s funny because, you know, when we’re in practice, they he does that every practice, too, though. It’s just a part of their routine. So, it’s funny when in the off season when that same workout that I’ve seen him do the last two years in practices when it for some reason in offseason, it just sends people into a flurry. And but it is good to see Jaylen Duran trying to work on his game. I just hope that in addition to that, like we know he’s working on the other things as well, getting better defensively, getting stronger and such. And you know, I think that’s the perfect thing, the perfect way to segue into Trean Langden’s comments and such from the press conference yesterday because he did talk about the fact that we’re going to see a difference out of guys like Assar Thompson. He said Assar Thompson looks different. He said he looks muscular. He’s filled out. Uh, and that to me gets me excited because I do believe we need to see players like him, players like Jaylen Duran and even Jay Nivy come back strong next season. So, let’s hear from Trejan Land in the first video if we can. JB Smooth, let’s hear about that trade exception because that’s something everybody’s wondering, hey, what are the Pistons going to do with it? He explained exactly what this creates for the Pistons and their outlook ahead. Um, Sacramento will allow us different avenues to do things. Whether that’s now or later, uh, we don’t know, but we’re not in a rush to fill the 14th, but I think we’re excited about the rush put together. Hey, Willie B, you’re not going to like this. He said, “Hey, look, it gives us flexibility to have this trade exception, but we are not in a rush. We’re not in a rush at all to use this thing. It’s for the flexibility and we’ve been teeing this up for months even before the offseason hit that we believe that the Pistons are really gearing up and keeping themselves flexible for the trade deadline as well as next off season where they have a whole lot of decisions to make on three of their young players and Tobias Harris’s expiring contract in addition to the fact that realistically if they wanted to punt the players that they brought in this year to the moon after this season they could do that too. So, there’s a whole lot of decisions I have to make and I I wanted to be able to at least get your take on Tan Landon saying, you know what, we’re going to actually be patient and letting people know we’re in no rush to use this. We like the way that our team, his quote, is built right now. Same results next year. You heard it. Willie is upset, dog. Take take five, bro. It’s okay. Who Who do you want them to go get, Willie? Who do who who who can they go get? Who do you want them to go get? You gota who will Ro you need one for you need a big if it could be Bobo or they got to make it possible not impossible trade but they need I need something a stretch a stretch big he think big to boost a deterior and you’ll be satisfied after a stretch bed. Yes that’s it. That’s it. Need help. You need help interior. That’s what happened. So, you’re not buying the Jaylen Duran uh offseason three-point videos. He was switching them boys. I’m buy I’m buying them. I’m buying them. I’m not buying them either. And I, you know, I rock with I’m not doing if he can hit the 15 18 footer, I’ll be fine with that. Yeah. Just need help. Jaylen D needs help. That’s all he needs because Paul Reed is not enough. He needs another. Shout out Bball Ballpaw. Twoyear deal. My boy on the needs another big. It needs another big to help out on the defensive end. He could do He don’t have to do that much. long as he in interior or you shoot a three-pointer or they defend. That’s it. That’s all we Okay. So, so, so an interior interior presence who defends and who can stretch the floor. Let me introduce you to Isaiah Stewart who was playoff and and and did not play. That’s it checks all the boxes of everything that you just said and he was a little bit limited by the they need more help than Isaiah Stewart. I mean, I I I I don’t I don’t disagree. What a bubble. But I mean, yeah, his 32% is not going to be enough from three. You need somebody else, but I don’t know if that player is out there. Like, if you were going to get John Collins, are you going to pay John Collins? So I in dealing with a lot of these free agents that you want to go and get, not you, but people just want to go and get, one of the things that Tan Landon has done very well is to keep the the cap flexibility is no albatross uh Blake Griffin contract that you’re looking at. I hope I wish we could get up off of that contract. And even Isaiah Stewart at his 16 million is a bargain right now when you see what people just got paid that um you’re not you’re paying him a a a what was a bargain at the time and we said it that it was a bargain. It’s 15 mil a year but it’s something that as the the cap continues to increase and people start getting paid and getting getting re-uped that we’re going to consider that to be a good deal in a couple of years and it very much is that. Yeah, definitely man. And you know what that’s what he said too. What I like about Treasure and Landon as I like about Scott Harris and Brad Holmes and even Eisman is these people are actually true to what they say their plan is and Eisman was for real with us when he said hey look bro my goal is not the playoffs this year it’s to build for the right way. He said it. People can see that they’re still building somewhat the right way. But with the whole same face I was making there. He was trying to be nice. But Tan and Brad and and and and and you’re looking at Scott, these guys have been true to it. He said, “We’re not going to do anything that’s going to hamper the future for us.” And I understand why. They have a lot of decisions to make. And I think people have to just just even if we don’t understand how all the CBA works, just look at their situation next off season. It’s crazy the amount of cap space that the Detroit Pistons could create by next off season. It would be ridiculous for them to go and hamper themselves right now unless it’s for a player that you believe is going to be firmly a part of your future. And and you know what though? And yeah, talk to me. But e even even more, you keep that um trade exception and when you get to the deadline, you can bring in somebody so everybody feels like they’re in it right now and they have an opportunity and these free agents are happy because hey, we’re about to start the season, blah blah blah. When you get to the deadline, the teams realize that they’re out because of other injuries, because they just didn’t live up to expectations. Now, you have an exception that you can bring in a $14 million guy, and it’s hey, it it doesn’t cost you anything in order to do that. So, and to Will to Willie Bee’s point, you can wait it out. You don’t have to go into the season that way, but hey, they have some options in their bigs. Is Assar gonna come in and be shooting better? Those are the types of questions that we need to be asking. Um, and yeah, I would love another big, too. They’re not deep at that point at that position, but you have the opportunity to go and do some things. And with this depth, you can go and and and trade some of these younger guys that you have if you really feel like you’re close and there’s a guy that you want to go out and get. Exactly. And the thing is that I’m starting to gather, Rod, is that the young players value is not established to the tune that the Pistons are okay with. Like they’re not going to sell cheap on guys like Jaylen Dur Thompson or even a Jaden Ivy if they were going to sell them. And that to me is a sign of a healthy organization. These are your lottery picks. These are your top five picks. And during a top 13 pay cool, we know the Pistons organization had them on their top five on their draft board. you know, top five players period in that draft. So, we understand how they value these guys. And I actually do when you look at what the Tigers have done to go and bolster development in house before they went and started splashing cash everywhere. I actually appreciate the fact the Pistons, they’re not just assessing, but they’re trying to help guys get better. What did they go and do? They went before they even had a head coach in the Treasure Landing era and brought in Fred Vincent. Looking at what the Tigers are doing right now, they did those moves. Those equated to winning moves. I’m looking at the Pistons doing it. It’s equating to winning moves. I like the fact that they’re going to value put a lot of value on these draft picks. Other otherwise, what are you doing? Why pick these guys? Why dub them to restore? You know, why say that this is the help that we have? Because Traan, from my takeaway from this press conference, he 100% believes in these young players. Let’s start with Jay Nivey uh clip and then we’ll end it with the um the longer clip after that where he talks about he believes uh what he’s going to do, what they’re going to do in the East. I I’ll save his answer for that clip, but let’s go with the Jay Na’vi one right now. I think the one thing that does get lost in all this to be honest with you is is Ji’s return. I mean, a lot of people are saying, you know, who you fill and who you helping these guys are exiting. I said, well, we have a pretty good free pickup in and JI and so I think he’s going to fill a lot of those point guard roles and play making roles and but Carris will fill in fill in that loss of Dennis going away as well. Yeah. And in that one, you hear Traden talking about Jaden Ivy. This question wasn’t even prompted by how’s Jaden Ivy doing. This was a question prompted at do you believe you’ve effectively done enough to shore up this secondary ball handling role in the offseason. Trejan Langden is the one who went and offered up. So like Monty Williams a year ago or two years ago just unprovokably brought up Killian Hayes when we were trying to figure out about Marcus Sasser and Jay Ivy. This year we asked about the backup role and you know what? Jaden Ivy is the first name out of the out of the GM’s mouth, out of the president, I’m sorry, of basketball operations mouth. And he stated, you know, Jayen Ivy is a guy that we believe will and can handle all of this secondary facilitation, backup ball handling because I know there’s a lot of people who are worried about losing a Beasley, losing a Shruder, and have we done enough to replace that? Traan really believes in what Jay Ivy can be as a overall player to fill those voids. And you also mentioned you heard there Caris Levert. Caris LeVert. That that that was going to be my two words. Caris Levert is a backup ball handler. He’s not a point guard per se, but at that size at 66, you want another ball handler who can facilitate and create and he can do those things. That’s I I just think it’s going to end up being a very underrated It is a very underrated pickup right now, but we’ll start to see the fruits of that uh as we get into the season. Definitely. And we got one more video for you guys and this is Tan Landon on his assessment of this team and what they can do in the East because we continue to ask like I know Willie Beast over there scowling, have we done enough? Let’s let’s hear from Tra. I think we have a chance to compete next year. So when you say representative, I think we’re the main thing that for us is continuing to let these young guys develop and they’re in the gym and they’re working their butt off. So our thing is like I said from initially in the summer, if they get better, we’re going to get better. So, it was still finding pieces to complement our young players and their growth uh and their ability to reach their potential. So, um obviously put people around that’s going to continue to help Kate grow and develop as well. I think with our two additions, we got bigger and uh you know, we want to continue guys that can play make a little bit but also can shoot the ball. These two guys have postseason experience uh as well. So, I think in a way that you know, we we do get bigger. Will we be better? I’m not sure. But I obviously that comes from again the growth of our of our young guys being in the gym and development. And he continues to put this off season and what this team’s success will be this year right back on those young players. He continues to say if we’re going to be anything, it’s going to be about how we build around these guys. How we build around not just Cade, but all of these other young players that they’re saying these guys have to make the step. What they’re doing in the gym, and he’s continued to say this, they get better, we will get better. That’s that’s a crazy endorsement because this is not just the GM. This is the president of basketball operations in which they gave him singular voice of power in this whole entire basketball thing for the Pistons. And he’s stating that these young players can take such a leap between now and the start of next season that it’s as if they’ve went and added a couple good players to the SC squad. That’s how much belief he has in them that this team as currently constructed, even though they don’t even have all of the pieces they had last year. They haven’t even one to one replaced everybody. They just believe in that much in the young players and in the Jay Navy that this team is going to step up out of six seed and be a a team that has a potential to host a playoff series. Rod, right? And and the thing is that you’re not panicking. This was the summer that you could have panicked and said, you know what, let’s trade everybody. Let’s go get KD. Let’s go get one of these bigger names and we need a a a a guy who’s who’s going to be um Batman to Cage Robin or or or it’s it’s not that. And the fact that your front office isn’t panicking to try to make a move like that is a strong signal that they’re on the right path. You don’t have to to go all in and push all the chips in in order to be relevant. Sometimes you just get the right timing and and with all of these injuries in the East that we’ve been talking about, by virtue of that, you’re going to be better than you were. And you count on that internal improvement. And you we’ve seen the drive from Jaden Ivy that he he wants to be better with a lot of that stuff just coming back. And the pieces that they’ve added, they were very specific things like Caris Levert was not this, oh yeah, okay, yeah, maybe this is a guy that we could use. No, this is a it addresses a very specific need and the pivot to go Duncan Robinson after the Beasley stuff was very we know we need three-point shooting and and we know that he is a consistent proven playoff guy and as much as we we love Malik Beasley, you look at what they’ve done and it wasn’t nothing was super splashy, but if you thought you were losing um Shruder, they’ve kind of pivoted pretty well to cover that stuff up and and to not get a player back in that Shruder deal to still end up with a a a ball handler in Caris. I think they did pretty well with what the circumstances ended up. And you know what, we said this early on. We said, you know what, we’re going to call this the offseason of pivot and he had to do it twice in this offseason. I thought he came away quite well. And and you should put the onus on these young players. Rod, we’ve been sitting up here telling the W Pistons audience and Whooper Sports audience for a few years that this rebuild, this, you know, renaissance, this ascending to the next level, it has to be off of these young players and their energy and what they’re providing. You look at the the the magic right now. I’m sorry. Everybody thought that they were already I I guess healthy isn’t the right word. I was going to say healthy organization, but obviously they’re dealing with injuries uh to Paulo, to Franzo, about the only things that can trip them up. But we know if those young players are playing, those young players are leading that magic team to the playoffs. We haven’t been able to say that about our young players until this year with Cade Cunningham taking that next step up. We need the rest of these guys like who’s who’s Cad’s Paulo to Fran on this squad. You know, do we have that? And based on what I hear from Treasure Landon, it sounds like he does expect at least one of these young guys, whether it be Jaylen Duran or Sar Thompson or even a Jaden Ivy to take that step next year. But um I think we have some uh we ready for Swisser break. Oh, of course. Should we take a quick one JB Smooth or we just get through Swisser break? Let’s just hear from Vin Johnson. Come uh right back to you then. How about that? Hey, let’s do that and then uh we’ll throw the graphic up to make it official. So, we want the chat family to definitely be involved as well with Break. But if you’ve got a crisis, let Vin point the way. Step one. Hey, hey, Willie B, this is for you. You got a crisis right now in the Pistons world. Step one, verify with details and photos. Step two, engage your attorney. What you think? Step three, no, notify your insurance provider. Get justice with Vin. Vin Johnson law. Hey, and we are back. Let’s see that graphic. JB Smooth. Got to throw it up, man. I ain’t seen it in so long. Hey, Swisser break. God damn, that hits me right in the field. Pass over to KG. What up though, brother? Hey, y’all know what it is, man. Swisser break. We got some great questions constructed by Kool-Aid. I only got one to add to that if we have time. Would love to get that one off. But we will start here. Tan Langden deserves at least a B+ for the Pistons offseason. Swish or Brick. When we’re talking about the off season of Pivot, I do believe that this is a passing grade. I do believe that this is more than a passing grade. I think this is more than a C. I think that this is when you look at everything that he had, he kept the cap sheet clean. He kept their flexibility at the trade deadline wide open. So if there is a need that presents itself, they can actually go out and play with a lot of money without adding anything else to their books. They already have it already taken care of and they’ve gone and the positions of need that they lost, they were able to fill those things. I believe it is a B+. But what say ye Flamos? I’m going to say brick, but not by much. I think Dad with Tourette’s nails it in the chat. IDK, I don’t know about B+, but I’d say B or B minus. There’s one move in mind that I would like Trajan to make. We may get to it today. We may get to it later this week. That would make it a B+, a minus. But I am, as basketball players, I understand Caris Levert and I understand Duncan Robinson and I’ve been championing championing championing these moves on this show. I just right now I’d say B or B minus, not B+. Yeah, you got a lot of support for the B’s. I I see some swishes in the chat from Greg, but we’ll we’ll continue to go around. Hey, uh Willie B, I got to ask you, man. You’re giving us that B+ swish or brick. like a disappointed parent right now. This [ __ ] is crazy. A break. A break because they need One Piece. Like Flannel said, I’m I’m backing Flannel on this one. Is that you need a backup big for even Stewart and Jaylen Dur JB Smooth. Oh, JB Smooth. I was going to say Willie still has something else, but uh I don’t want to say it’s a brick. It’s like a a mis layup. I I’ll say that. It just rolls off the side of the rim because it’s not a B+ I’m giving it, but at least a B. A solid B. You still want to see him make some more moves. Uh hopefully you can get rid of Tobias and get another big, but that’s back on that. They back on that again. Not that the season over the [ __ ] But anyway, it’s a solid B. It’s a solid B. You’re still hoping that he makes some moves, but it’s a solid B. We still have Tobias F, right? JB F. JB, we’re not doing that. That man damn near like carried us through this playoff run. We’re not going to do that. But um he carried the orange. I agree with Sam and KG. I mean Sam and K. Sam. Yeah, of course I agree with KG, but Sam and JB I do agree with it. Is a solid solid beef for me. But what a lot of people and and Ryan, I’m so glad you came on here and spoke the gospel about Caris Levert because the outrage in terms of that signing was like blasphemous to me. I know he’s not the bordering 20 point a game scorer that he once was, but that’s a very very good addition to this bench. Um I think most people just forgot that this Pistons team is ahead of schedule. Like and you know Kool-Aid, we kind of talked about it yesterday like that maybe the decision was always whatever happens this year happens, but we’re looking at 2026. We’re looking at 2027. So, I’m not mad at anything they’ve done. You were able to pivot from a male Malik Beasley situation and were able to get Duncan Robinson who is the same type of player. Literally, they are a wash. And you went out there and got Caris Levert to replace a Dennis Shruder and in some instances uh Simone Fonteo. So, I’m I’m cool, man. Could they do more? Yes, I still think there’s more to be done, but as of right now, I’m cool as a fan. Hey, you know what? The chat lit up with this one. Dante 151. He says a swish. Ad says brick. He gives him a B. Dad with Trett. You read that one earlier. He says uh he’d probably say a B. Charles Mlan. Brick. Hey. Dad with Tretz gives him what the maybe B minus. Greg though. He gives him a switch. John Effing Lord a Swiss. Terrell Lamar gives him an A. And I saw who was it? Uh somebody that stated I think it might have been a D but it stated that oh here it is. L actually he says he gives him an A+ because they have foresight. They had the foresight to keep money for the trade deadline. I actually uh I get it. And that trade exception could be huge in terms of a deal later on. We don’t know. What say ye Rod Beard? I’m going to say a solid B. So it’s a brick, but I’ll say a solid B. If they went and got Brook Lopez, I would go A+ all day. Oh yeah. Oh, that would have been that would have checked all of the boxes for what they needed. But I mean it it is um I I when you look at what free agency was and all of the names that we talked about, the Bobby Portorises, the Nas Reeds, the even the salty, all of those folks came off the board immediately before even the negotiating period was really open. They were all gone. So there wasn’t a big to go out there and get unless it was like a Brook Lopez. But he wanted to go to the Clippers. He thinks that’s a better deal. Hey, stay in the East and and join this Pistons team and they could be fire. But for what what they did in having to pivot last minute, I think that gives them a solid enough beat. Hey, shout out. Shout out. That’s fair. Absolutely. Rob, speaking the gospel and kind of to piggyback what Sam was talking about, I know what player you was referring to and we have a question for it. Uh, the Pistons should pursue one of PJ Washington or OB topping before the season starts, swish or break. Hey, listen. You’re talking about some players who with Obie Topping, you’ve seen this guy play in a lot of different situations. I do believe he brings some experience to you. And with the PJ Washington, I love the versatility that he brings to this thing and a little bit of that Detroit grit. And I do believe that PJ Washington got ko from here. I believe it’s his father who might be from the Sageno area. Uh and so I gotta start with you, Flannel Sam, because I do believe that one of those players would absolutely be a swish of a free agency for the Detroit Pistons. But what say ye? They got to pursue one of these two players, Swiss or Brick. Neither of them are actually my first choice, but I will go with Swish because I really like Obi Toppin. From everything that I’ve seen, he would fit under the trade exemption. Showed a lot in the playoffs in the finals. Has improved his three-point shot. Obviously is athletic, can rebound, can defend. I would love Obie Topphen on this team. Well, would that make you happy? Will he be? Oh, definitely. Uh I I’ll give a switch because I definitely Obie Toppin highf flyier 69 he been he been ath athletic he don’t play his role he could he could rebound he could bend a little he’s perfect I like PJ Washington a lot better because the way he does in Dallas and he’s athletic and he could guard both of positions so I lean to PJ on that one just one more extra thing about Obie Tophin wouldn’t require a lot of usage did a lot of damage on less than 20 minutes per game last year in the regular season. That’s that’s actually a huge point. What up though JB Smooth? Uh this definitely a switch. I I wouldn’t mind a PJ Washington. He did a lot for the Mavs as um Willie just stated as well too, but I think I prefer Obi Toppin a little bit more. Just as what Flannel said, you don’t have to use him a lot, but still he’s very athletic and you like what he’s you’ve seen out of him in the playoffs this past season. So give me Obby to a Swiss. What up though? Uh, I it’s a switch on one of these guys for me. I think PJ Washington would be the perfect addition to this team. Like the the way he defends, he can hit a three ball. He drives the paint. Like he he is everything that you would want in a player uh fitting the mold of this Pistons team. I’m still not sold on Obi Toppin and he did have a great year and Sam has done a great job of like trying to illustrate that. Maybe it’s just some of my bias from what I’ve seen from him, but he still seems a little bit limited to me. As opposed to a PJ Washington that, you know, can play all over the floor, but um I would pursue PJ, but if it’s Obin, I wouldn’t be upset. I just don’t think that, you know, it’s it’s not a dire need to pursue him. Yeah. And I see the chat is split again, man. Uh I’m seeing some swishes here from John Fan Lord, from Mitten Made, from Greg. A says PJ was solid on the masks. P dad with Tourette’s. PJ is a big I want uh is a big wants a lot of Pistons fan. I guess a lot of Pistons fans definitely want PJ Washington here. I also saw some bricks in the chat too but largely it seems like people are for it but Terrell Lamar says brick. Dante 151 he wants to end and Weezy D 313 he says neither which I saw a couple of those in the chat. Neither. You don’t want neither of those. Run it back. You’re good to go. Hey, Rob Beard. What’s say? Uh, I don’t think Obi Toppin is getable. Um, because he’s in that 15 mil range. 14 this year, 15 to 16. This contract escalates over the next couple of years. You probably have to trade to go get him. What is PJ Washington’s salary for next year expiring? 14.15. What is the Pistons trade exception? 14.2. Oh, you could get that man. Go get that man on an expiry. And that was what I was alluding to. That’s what I was alluding to is that at the trade deadline cuz Dallas can say, you know what, we don’t really we don’t with Cooper flag, we don’t really need to have PJ, but that’s a guy at by the trade deadline if Dallas figures out, hey, we’re not in this like we thought we would be because AD needs another surgery for like I need Remember at the beginning of the season on AD what were they thinking on just it wouldn’t have been that bad of a move if he hadn’t got hurt though because that the way that front court was constructed defensively nobody. They would have had trouble in the playoffs. Like a lot of teams would have had trouble in the playoffs. They would have. Who gets hurt more Anthony Davis? It’s fair. Anthony Davis. Anthony Davis or Zion Williamson. Who gets hurt more? Zion. What the heck are you talking about with all Oh, here comes Sam. Sam for the top rope to defend his boy. That ad gets us hurt as much as Embiid and Zion is not proven by the fact. It’s every year. You can make one of those little skeletons with body parts of every of everything that AB has hurt in his career and it’s always something. He’s going to play through this in every year. It’s something you pick out more than Zion. Z 30% of the games his career. What are you guys talking about? He doesn’t play games. AD is going to the freaking Hall of Fame when he retires. He is. But at this stage, I don’t think at this every season though. That is not why. I think that that narrative does matter. If we’re talking his career, yes, there are things to like about AD, but at this stage in his career, I don’t feel comfortable with either one of those guys on the squad, especially with how much they’re going to command. And do I expect Anthony Davis to be injured before the trade deadline? Do I expect it to be an injury that makes him have to think, “Huh, do we have to go on ahead and do something different?” I do. I don’t expect him to be some pivotal figure for the freaking Dallas Mavericks. You I remember last year him going, “Oh yeah, I’m here.” And then that was just it. He was just an act like like just that and that was it. And that’s what I expect out of him going forward. I am going to go to every No, it’s it’s a detached ret it’s a detached retina now. is is is this thing from yesterday. Detached retina that he played through his eye. He played through it, man. He played through it, but it’s an injury every single year. That’s crazy, dog. I am going, you got to admit, dog, a detached friend does wild. It is wild. I am going to be at Anthony Davis’s Hall of Fame induction. Like, that’s my guy. That’s my guy. Nobody said he’s not a Hall of Fame player in the after. Absolutely. Absolutely. champion, you know, 2020 with the Lakers, you know, no big deal. Where did they play that? Played played 75 games or more three times in his career. I’m sure Zion’s done that. He won that on what? He went like on the road. He went home. The bubble doesn’t count now. Congrat. Oh my god. The bubble. I’m not on that train. I The bubble count. The bubble count. I’m sure if Dame Lillard and the and any other team would have won it, it would have been fine. But because it was LeBron and AD, people ate on it. That’s fine. That’s fine. Heavy. AD’s cool. I’m just saying which one of them is hurt more is like you can make up a press release with an Anthony Davis injury because you know it’s coming. He plays he plays through his injuries and I’ll give him credit for that. Zion is just he gets injured and he’s out for 10 games every single time. So I’m not saying that that one is more than the other. I’m just saying AD is off injured. Zion out with Bobby legs, right? Most of Zion [ __ ] came from weight, man. But I’m just saying. But um waiting habits. I ain’t think we was going to get caught up on just that question, but uh we’ll get to more often. Brought Anthony Davis to a flannel party. What did you think was going to happen? Yeah, that’s true. He going to defend this boy at all times. But uh the next CMU, you brought CMU to the party, too. And that kid, it’s so easy to irritate Flannel. We don’t know dayto day what might irritate. With all due respect for me, man, FL caught himself so quick. He looked at the monitor so like oh god Mr. glass. KG, save us, KG. KG, before you go on to the next question, I just wanted to add my input. Oh, let’s go. What up, Tom? PJ Washington. I feel like at 26, he’d fit well with veterans like Tobias Harris and then also younger investments. And then also like the Pistons need uh power forward and getting some power forward youth is great. And if Haley Haley dropping facts. It’s Haley in the building. She’s uh learning the sound booth right now. Hey, we I see Terry Foster walking in here with a mean limp and and some pace this morning. Oh, I don’t know what happened. Shout out T F in the building, too, man. Going on. Give us the third question real quick. KG, young man. Young man, how you doing? Um, get him his emperor’s chair now. Right. I’m sorry. I’m in your chair. Yeah. No, but um next question. Jaylen Durren and Assar Thompson will prove Langden right. They will step towards stardom this season, swish or brick. He continued to talk about what these young guys have to be next year and that these guys are in the gym working that this is what the success is going to be built on and he says that they will be better because these young guys are going to be better. We’ll start with you Flannel Sam and it’s a pair. It’s a pair. It’s not an or it’s a pair. Jayen Duran and Assar Thompson brick. Oh, why? Oh, the pairing. Here’s what here here’s what I think they will do this season. I think Assar Thompson’s will get more offensive usage. I also think that he will be in the conversation for all defense NBA first team and I think Jaylen Duran will average about 14 and 11. I don’t think Jaylen Duran’s a star. Sue me. He He’s fine. He’s a good player. I think he’ll continue to develop. But you got a lot of people disagreeing with I think Assar Thompson has more star potential than Duran. I don’t think Duran has star potential. Not that get him off the team or anything, but I don’t think Dur has star potential. Oh, look at Willie. What up though? What say you? And this What the [ __ ] did you just love, but god damn you Jay, excuse my language. Sorry, Mr. Beer and sorry um inter Haley my language, but um I call it switch because Jaylen Dor has stardom. He has starter. He got a traditional big man role. He could double He’s athletic. He could grab rebounds. He could if his offense got better, he gone to starter. He could probably be his all-star next year. We saw Drummond step. We saw him get all NBA. We saw him become an all-star. Yeah, we saw Jay Durham. Why not Jaylen Durham? He deserve it and allar to Charleston. Yes, he could be a utility. He could be more offense. I think it would be a good chance for him both of them to both of them going to startle him. But I think Jaylen Jaylen Dur will be the first one. And the Assar will be Oh, you got Jaylen during the head of Assaar. Yeah, because Assar Assar is a Swiss army. I know you. We’ll get to you. Yeah, Aar is a Swiss Army knife. A Scotty Pippen type, but more muscular, more athletic if he got officer together. A better Scotty Pippel. I I I help you out with that, Flannel, you know. Oh [ __ ] Way. All right. Uh JB. Yeah, right. Moving right along. It’s a pair, Darren and Assar. They’re going to prove Langden right. They’re going to start stepping towards stardom next season. Uh give me Swiss on this one. Give me Swiss. Did no one see him doing the threes? Come on now. My man’s opening up his game right now. I definitely think both of these two take a huge step forward. At least in my opinion. I don’t I don’t know what Flannel or anyone else is thinking right now, but I at least got him taking a huge step forward. So, give me switch on this one. I can be hopeful, right? You can be hopeful. What up, though? KG. All right. So, I think this is a slight brick cuz it’s it’s hard to say. No, only slightly though. But hey, call call me what you will. I’ve been called a lot of things and I’m still here. So, uh No. But hey, but I think slightly because it’s hard to say that two players will take that step into stardom. I think that’s just asking, you know, just a bit much. If they both do, that’s great. Um, I would say just based on the nature of the position, I do agree with Willie B that Jaylen Duran could be that next one that can that can, you know, elevate to that level because all he got to do is just keep being aggressive, keep attacking the rim, get as many rebounds as you can. He you look up, he he’s 12 and 14 on the year. He can probably make a All-Star reserve spot. I can see that. Um, but with Assar Thompson, he’s still kind of limited offensively. Um, I would love for him to get a jump shot. It may take a little longer for him to develop a jump shot. And that’s why I would say during more than Assar, but they definitely both have the potential uh to do so. It’s just a lot to ask in one season. Man, the chat lit up with this one. Denver Blair Swiss. Uh, I’m going to just read some of these uh swishes here. I see you uh in the chat. Dixie, I’m not going to say your last name on this one. Dixie put a swish. Oh, yeah. I’m not reading that name. You almost got me. Pixie who? You almost got me. Denver player swish. Uh Dante 151 all caps. Major Swiss. Jay Hart swish. But we got Charles Mlan with the brick. And we got a couple people who don’t quite see it. Charles Mlan says Assar, yes. Duran, no. And that seems to be when I see there being a no and them putting somebody. I see there being a lot more support for Assar than Duran if one of these players are going to step towards it. But Rod, the pair, are they stepping towards stardom, Swiss or brick? Not both. I think Assar is going to take some steps to get there. Um, and I think Duran is right on the cusp of that, but it’s going to be hard because it there’s going to be so much more space for uh Jay Nivey to step into that role that it’s going to be hard for two guys to do it in the same year, much less three along with Ivy. Hold on. Hold on. What? Rod agrees with me on Jaylen Duran. What? What? Look at you. You’ve grown, man. You done went to Atlanta and grew up. Shocking. Blake posted. I haven’t had to do anything yet. So, respect for Mr. Duran just he just stepped into the number two all of a sudden. Huh. Well, last year he was the number two. Not this year, but last year he was the number two effectively. Here’s the question. Is it Jaylen Howard or Dwight Duran? Here we go. Here we go, man. But the learning curve for him is only slight. Like if he can develop a hook shot or some kind of, you know, mid-range jumper, that would be great. But all he has to do is keep playing the way that he played last year. Find a way to to to mentally turn this into reality. You are bigger than everybody else. You’re bigger, stronger. It’s his it’s his paint. And we see when he goes through those stretches where he’s playing like that, that’s where you saw him walking, strutting. We We hear it. Oh, Jaylen Duran’s here. No, we hear him strutting down the hall. You don’t got to tell us getting ready. put on our recorders for the press conference after the game and he stepped up like, “Yo, yeah, man. This is how I’m gonna be playing now because earlier, I’ll be real with y’all, I was on some soft stuff.” And it was interesting to kind of hear that this was something that the team from coaches to players are effectively telling each other, “Hey, you going to have to step up. This ain’t good enough.” And I absolutely love that about the the fact that this team responded. What did we hear from other guys? What do we hear from the Cleveland Cavaliers? Oh, JB Biggerstaff is a he just killed our our our momentum and just killed our morale, right? He’s too hard of a coach, not a player’s coach. I continue to tell people when you looked at what’s going on there behind the scenes, I think that there’s those guys aren’t necessarily put together the way to respond to a guy like JB Bickerstaff who’s going to hold you accountable, who’s going to walk in and tell you, I don’t care if you’re this star or that star, what you have to do to be able to fit into his system. And that’s what I want out of a coach to be able to do that. And you know what these guys did? They stepped up. They performed. They got better. I absolutely love that about this team because you know what, Rod? I feel like if a player like Ty Jerome was able to take that type of criticism rather than running his mouth about JB Bicker staff, I feel like he would have been a piston this off seasonason, bro. He What Tai Jerome do that didn’t fit? He I feel like he would because remember the rumors came out early. I’m like there’s no way when rumors come out is an agent or somebody associated with the team. The team Why would JB Bigger leaked that? So, it’s just like, Ty, you played yourself, bro. You played yourself, man. But I I love the fact that, you know, JB Bricker staff has been able to go out there and from an aspect of development be able to present responsibilities to these people and say, “You got to take the next step, and these players are wanting to do that.” I wanted to see uh intern Haley, did you have any any last words before I get last words from Rod Beard for Asar Thompson? The defense is there. He just needs to add a shot and then he’ll be pretty unstoppable. I love Jaylen Durham. Like I love watching him. He’s great in this in the paint. Yeah. Um his dunks are insane, but I think I would favor Assar over Durham. Oo. Okay. Got some more Asar love. It’s going to be interesting to see how this thing plays out because Tjan is really believing in these uh young guys. But Rod Beard, your last words. Uh we’re getting some static on Rods and so I don’t know if we’ll be able to hear him really. Yeah. Yeah, I can hear him. Oh yeah. Ah man. Rod, we’re going to wrap up now. It’s a little static. We’re going to wrapping up the show now. But thank you so much for your time every single week, man. It’s been a a crazy ride, man, for years now, uh, doing this Wolver Pistons podcast. And then we migrated it over here to Wake Up Woodward as well. But Rod, thank you so much. Senior sports editor at the Atlanta Journal Constitution. Thank you so much for your time today, Rod. Thank you, Rod. Appreciate you, Rod. And you see that he put the lights up, right? So go on ahead and smash that like button. Might as well. I know we gotta wrap up, but maybe we’ll just uh do we got time to just satisfy the like button real quick? Why not? Why not? Why not? JB back in the building. The Woo crew is whole again. Let’s do it, man. Hey. Hey. We appreciate y’all joining us out there today on this fine fine episode of Wake Up Woodward. And just go ahead and hit that like button on the way out. You know, you got a long day. It’s raining. You may be getting into some activities in the sheets, but just go ahead and hit that like button before you do that. Get that like button. We appreciate you. Shout out to KG back in the building. Shout out to that dude Justin too. You guys already know he’s usually more into this commentary, but he’s running around handling a lot right now and making sure that our interns are learning and that uh these are people that we believe are going to be part of this team for some time. So,

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!

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

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

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