How Would You GRADE The Detroit Pistons Offseason? | Which Player Is The Biggest Key To Success?

How Would You GRADE The Detroit Pistons Offseason? | Which Player Is The Biggest Key To Success?

After just a few small moves in today’s episode of Locked On Pistons podcast, we will grade the Detroit Pistons off seasonason. Stay tuned. Today’s episode, Locked On Pistons podcast. Let’s go. You are Locked on Pistons, your daily Detroit Pistons podcast, part of the Locked On Network, your team every day. What’s the deal? Welcome back to another episode of the Locked On Pistons podcast. Per usual, I am your host Cucker Hill. You can find me over on Twitter, cuckill. I want to thank you guys for making lockdown on Pistons your first listen of every single day. We’re free and available on all your podcast platforms. I’ve been covering the Detroit Pistons for the lockdown network over the last four years. Have been a credential media member over the last three years. Again, I appreciate all of you guys, all the everydayers that make locked on Pistons your first listen of every single day. And today’s today’s episode, excuse me, is brought to you by Monarch Money. Take control of your finances with Monarch Money. Use code lockedmbba at monarchmoney.com for 50% off your first year. In today’s episode, we’ll be answering all the questions that you guys sent in for today’s mailbag episode. We’ll be discussing a grade for the Detroit Pistons off season, the key for the Pistons taking the next step and what is the Pistons answer at the backup four position. Something we’ve talked about a ton on the pockets that the Pistons desperately need. We’ll break it all down and a bunch of other questions that were asked as well from all of you guys. We did pass. I in the last episode I I got a little too ahead of myself. I realized that one of you guys said in the comments got a little too ahead of myself. I said we were a few subscribers away from 12,000 subs. That wasn’t the case. We were a few subscribers away from 11.2K subs. So, we’re 800 away from 12K. Help us get there. If you’re listening, watching, haven’t subscribed, hit that subscribe button. I would really appreciate. Let’s go ahead and get into today’s episode. Like I said, today is a mailbag episode. If you guys want to be a part of a mailbag episode in the future, follow me on Twitter, tweet me a question over there, comment down below, ask coup, or go in the community tab over on our uh YouTube channel and ask a question over there, participate with the community, all that good stuff. Um, but let’s go ahead and get into it. The first question that was asked was, “C, what would you grade the Detroit Pistons off season?” And this is good. This is a a fun a fun question because I see a lot of fans I see a lot of fans there’s like a section of the fan base that feels like this off season was not good at all and the Pistons didn’t didn’t didn’t do anything to really get better. So, and then there’s another part of the fan base that feels like this was great. So, there’s really a divide. So I want before I give Mike GR I just want to run through the whole Pistons the the Pistons whole off seasonason. You have to have the context. We have to start with this context that Malik Beasley a day before free agency the gambling stuff comes out. And if you haven’t listened or watched Pablo Torres um his like it was an hour plus long video on the investigation into Malik Beasley and the in the the gamblings. If you haven’t watched it, go watch it. It’s it’s it’s pretty crazy stuff. But you got to have the context that day before free agency started the whole thing with Malik Beasley blew up. And according to Shams and according to multiple reports and Tan himself when he was talking about it at summer league, it does not seem like the Pistons knew that this was going to get dropped the day before. They were ready to give Beasley a three-year uh contract with a team option on the last year. That’s what they were prepared to do. They were not expecting this to be dropped the day before and then had to pivot at the last second. He didn’t Tion didn’t have any time really to now I’m sure that they had some kind of you know backup plans you know break the safe kind of kind of plans but I don’t think they were they obviously weren’t expecting to lose Beasley and they had to pivot the day before. So with that said I think everything has to be taken into the context of that because that is un you know it’s it’s unlucky and you can’t really predict that. You can’t see that coming. There’s nothing you can really do about that. With that said, I think they went out and got the best possible replacement for Malik Beasley in Duncan Robinson. I think they did do that. They needed somebody could come in and have the movement shooting, provide some of the the same stuff that Malik did as a movement shooter and allow them to still run some of the actions that they ran, some of those DHOs’s, the the the pin downs, the flare screens, the double drags into a flare with their shooter. Like, they needed someone that is is capable of hitting those type of plays. guard on guard screens when the guy flaring out as a threat from deep. Now you can run some of that a little bit with Jay Naive. But the threat of Malik Beasy was so crazy this past year because how great he was. They needed someone else that could do it and they have it now in Duncan Robinson. And I think some people, myself included, outside this past year, believe Duncan Robinson is better than Malik Beasley. Now if Dun if Malik Beasley was going to show up this year and and shoot 300 threes again, make 300 threes again, then okay, that wouldn’t be the case. But for the majority of the careers out outside this pass, Duncan was better than Malik. He’s a better playmaker. He’s a better finisher at the rim. He moves within the offense a lot more and he knows how to utilize that movement to be a weapon a lot more, especially on back door cuts to keep the defense engaged. Um, so I thought they upgraded there at the maybe not upgrade, at the very least they stayed the same. Stayed the same at that position. again. Maybe Duncan Duncan’s probably not gonna replicate what Malik did this past year, but what you would have expected Malik to do this year, you hope I at least I think Duncan should be able to do that because I don’t think anyone was expecting Malik to be Klay Thompson again this year. So, there’s that. Then they got Caris Levert, which you guys know I’m not a fan of Caris Leverts. But if I want to look at it the most positive way, despite my feelings of Caris Levert through the majority of his career, this past season, he had a good season and was efficient. If he is the player he was this past year, especially the player he was for Atlanta and not the player you saw the first seven years of his career, then it could be a good signing. He has size. He does allow he does bring some self-creation in this in the half court. He does have some scoring ability. He played a lot better defense with the Atlanta Hawks this the back end of this last year. So if he’s able to bring some size, which he’s going to be able to do, but bring some size defensively, some efficient scoring within the half court and balance out some of the playmaking abilities and ball handling responsibilities that left with Dennis Shruder who went to the Kings. If that happens, that should also be a wash between him and Dennis Shruder. At the least, that should be a wash. At the very least, it should be if he is the player he was this past year. That’s free agency. Then you go into the draft and they took Chaz Laneir. Now, look, we’re we’re a few games in the summer league. I can be honest and tell you guys, I spoke with a few scouts, spoke with a few guys who do the draft, do draft uh uh content along with a few scouts. I can tell you guys right now talking to the people I talked to, they were not high on the pick of Chaz Laneir. Now, he is an incredible shooter, but almost everyone I talked to that does draft content and the three I talked to three scouts. The three scouts that I talked with, while they they spoke very highly of Chaz as a shooter, as an NBA prospect, they weren’t that high on him and they thought there were some other prospects that the Pistons could have utilized at that position. Now, we have to wait till the regular season plays out. We’ll see how Chaz’s career looks to really judge it, but if we’re being objective based on how, you know, draft boards and how these scouts felt. Now, obviously, Traan feels a different way or you wouldn’t have drafted Chaz. So, I guess you have to put that grade as incomplete. I guess like you can’t really grade until we actually see what Chaz looks like in the regular season. though I feel like through summer league you have started to see some of the concerns that these these scouts had with Chaz um when it comes to what he’s able to do with the ball in his hands attacking closeouts getting to the rim anything like that um hasn’t been able to really do it in summer league but it’s summer league that’s an incomplete grade we’re not going to grade that he did get traction that is get a TPE back for Dennis Shruder didn’t just lose him for nothing we’ll see if they use it. But they didn’t just lose him for nothing. They did get something in return for Shooter, which at the very least was somewhat savvy. I think with all that said, the Pistons off season, I think, and they brought back Paul Reed, but you know, I don’t think that’s, you know, truly matters at this point, um, or really is, you know, weighing the scales here with the grade. I would give the Pistons a C++. The only reason why I’m not giving those a flat C is because when you take into account them having to pivot from the Beasley stuff, them being able to to get what they did at the last last second pivoting, I I give them some credit for it. So, I’ll give them a C plus. The reason why I give them a C+ is I don’t think it was a bad off seasonason. Like, I don’t think they failed. I don’t think they went backwards. I don’t think they went backwards. I think at the very least they stayed the same. I also don’t know if you can make a strong argument that just from the offseason. I don’t know if you can make an argument that they’ve gotten better. Like I think you can make an argument that they basically are the same. They basically are the same team as they were last year. You can maybe make an argument they’re slightly better. You could maybe make an argument that they’re slightly worse just based off offseason movement. The Pistons taking the next step win loss-wise in the regular season will all come down to their young guys. If the young guys take a step forward, they’ll win more games this year. they don’t, you might see some, you know, you might see them fall backwards a little bit, but it’s all going to be about the young guys. So, while that is true and we’ll see how it actually plays out in the regular season, as far as just the off season, I mean, yeah, I mean, it was fine, they stayed lateral, they didn’t get get worse, they lost some players, they did a good job at least replacing them. So, like, they didn’t do anything crazy in the draft. They didn’t trade up and get a great prospect. Like, they didn’t do nothing crazy. So, I’ll give him a a passing grade. You passed. You didn’t You didn’t wow me this off seasonason. You also didn’t really disappoint me this offseason. It was just like, okay, that’s fine. So, I’ll give it a C+ when you take into account that they had to do this off the heels of the Malik Beasley stuff. So, I’ll give it a C+. I think that’s a fine grade. And just because, again, just because I’m grading the offseason as a C+ doesn’t mean the Pistons can’t have an A+ season. If the young guys get better, that doesn’t have anything to do with the offseason. That has everything to do with them taking the next step in the regular season and they’ll get better. The team will get better and then we can grade the season as an A. Just because the offseason grants a C plus doesn’t mean the Pistons can’t have a great year. Doesn’t matter of the acquisitions. They were fine. They were fine. Nothing crazy. They were all right. So, let me know comment section down below over on Twitter. How do you feel about the Detroit Pistons offseason? What would you guys grade the Detroit Pistons offseason? Again, let me know in the comment section down below or over on Twitter, Cuckoo Hill. Coming up, next question that was asked a ton was, “What’s the biggest key to the Pistons taking the next step this upcoming season?” We’ll break it down coming up. If you’re running a business, you know that every mis call is money left on the table. Think about the last time you had an urgent need, maybe for a plumber or a service provider. If the first person didn’t answer, did you wait for them? Probably not. You moved on to the next person that could help you out. And that’s why you need Open Phone. Open Phone’s the number one business phone system built to streamline and scale your customer communications all from an app on your phone or computer. The shared inbox feature is a game changer. Your team can jump into any conversation instantly without missing a boat. And their AI agent handles afterhour calls, answers common questions, and captures leads so you never miss a customer. Open Phone is offering my listeners 20% off your first six months at openphone.com/locktonba. That’s oph.comlockmbba. If you have existing numbers with another service, open phone will port them over at no extra charge. Open phone. No missed calls, no missed customers with open phone. So I want to thank you guys again. Make lockdown pistons your first list of every single day. We are free to develop on all your podcast platforms. If you haven’t already, head to the YouTube channel at lockedonpistons. Hit that subscribe button or leave us a fivestar review on whatever podcast platform you’re listening to us on. That’s another great way to support the podcast. Go in the description down below. Check out the substack. Check out the playback. Check out the Twitch. I’ve been streaming the last few days every morning playing some games. You want to come join us over there. Talk to me some pistons. Talk to me about whatever while we play some games, head over there. I got some content coming to you guys with the subst. I know I told you guys we were going to do some film breakdowns of the summer league at the Substack and I’ve been trying but nowhere nowhere I’ve been able to find keeps uh clips of the summer league. Um and my PC won’t clip um anything that I watch on it through ESPN or anything because it just blacks out because copyright whatever. Um so I can’t find any clips to really do summer league. So unless I just only looked at the highlights which isn’t fun because that’s not really the players I really want to break down. I it doesn’t look like I’m gonna be able to do film breakdowns at the summer league, which I’m really disappointed by. That’s what I was really looking forward to do. So, we’ll probably just do some written breakdowns over there um over on Ron Holland’s summer league and you know, Dan Jenkins, etc. But I’m so I I I’m just wanted to apologize for not being able to do the film breakdown. I was really looking forward to it. I’ve been hyping you guys up. But literally, if you guys happen to know a site that’s keeping track of summer league highlights or plays, let me know. But NBA.com’s not doing it. Shot Creator isn’t doing it. um cleaning the glass isn’t doing it. I haven’t been able to find it anywhere. So, I apologize for that, but we’ll figure something else out. Anyways, let’s move forward. Um, one of the other questions that we got a lot, we got this question numerous times, um, was which player do you think is key to going further than last season? So, I’m gonna have three players here and I’ll rank them. And I want to hear you guys’ ranking. I know some of you guys are going to have this ranking completely flip-flop because I know the the fans of a certain player I that that listen to the podcast are very strong in their belief and good for them, but I know they’re gonna have this completely flipped. Um, number one, Assar Thompson. Assar Thompson is the biggest key to the Pistons taking the next jump. Assar Thompson is not perfect. He has things he has to work on. He has to become a better uh three-point shooter, obviously, a shooter from anywhere, even though the free throw shooting got better and better as the season went on. If you look at the numbers, we talked about that a few episodes ago, slowly started again up to 70, 70 plus, as you do like the last 20, last 15, last 10 games of the season, whatever. But he has to improve as a shooter. He has to improve his ball handling. That is true. What is also true that with him being this quote unquote, which by the way, I’ve been seeing this talk about the Thompson Twins being a project. Projects are I just have to go on this rant just real quickly, guys. projects are guys like Seek Dumbboya, guys like Tan Salon, guys like Alex Sar, guys like Bal Kulabali. It’s players like that that don’t as prospects don’t really have legit NBA skills yet, but just simply have tools that you believe you can craft them. They’re basically a ball of clay. You can craft them however you want. They’re young usually. I don’t think you see older pro projects. The reason why they’re called projects is because you can craft them. You can create whatever you want out of them because they have a bunch of tools that haven’t been developed at all yet. The Thompson Twins were not projects. the Thompson Twins. The only people who considered the Thompson Twins pro projects ahead of the draft were the ones who immediately pencled them as projects because they played at OT. Not because they looked at film, not because they actually scouted them. It was simply because of the idiotic rhetoric around the the the talk around them simply because they played at OT. And this was a bar from Troy Weaver. I’ll give it to him. Holly Berry is fine in a grocery store, in the dollar store, wherever you find her, she is fine. Doesn’t matter that the league they played in sucked. The Thompson twins, even more so on men, but even Assar, they had elite athleticism. They had elite feel, had really good play making uh playmaking abilities, processed the game extremely highly. Play had great feel and great processing. already showcased the elite defense combined with generational athleticism which allows them to not have to be so so tight on the margins. You combine elite processor, good passers and great defenders with generational athleticism. That is why and this is why we’ll tie it back into Assar being the key for the next step. That’s why I saw Thompson despite not having an off seasonason to improve, coming off a blood clot, not touching a basketball, being able to play basketball for nine months, being on low conditioning. That is why he is able to just be dropped in the NBA floor and instantly change a team’s defense. Projects don’t do that. You can’t. projects would not be able to have no offseason developing. Coming off a blood clot, never like going nine months without playing basketball and get dropped in the hardest league in the world and instantly change your team’s trajectory. That projects don’t do that. You can’t that doesn’t happen. If if that’s a project, every prospect is a project in the NBA draft. That was my rant. But you I I still tied it into why Assar is the biggest key because he came through through half season, half the season with no development, no training, no stamina, no no improvement because of the blood clot. Got dropped in the middle of the season. Turned the Pistons defense was 28th in the NBA in December defensive rating to a top six defensive rating the rest of the year out. The Pistons were playing at like a 50 win pace once the Assar became healthy and started in the lineup. They were ne they were below 500 before he came back. Assar Thompson simply being there even if like this is the thing I this this is the the strongest part of this argument for why Assar is number one even let’s just say Assar doesn’t get better which I don’t think is possible but let’s just say he is the exact same player that he was last year if you have that exact same player last year for 80 plus games this year instead of 40 40 plus and half the season you will play like you did in the back half of the season for an entire season this here. And that that right there already makes you take a jump. That’s if he just stayed the same. If you just if he just stayed the same, simply having Assar on the floor this year for 30 plus minutes and for the whole season will allow the Pistons to look like the team they looked like after January for an entire season. And they’ll win close to 50. They should win closer to 50 games. At least that was the pace they were on after January. Now, if Assar improves, they’ll take a leap. I don’t think there’s another player on this team that could take a leap that would have the largest as large of an impact as Aar Thompson. If Assar Thompson improved offensively, you have a top what 70 player or instantly top 60, maybe even a top 50 player. if he were to improve offensively as long with being one of the best defenders in the league all defensive caliber and now all of a sudden he’s able to handle the rack and run off and run the offense for you and do stuff like that. Like he’s he’s jumping literally like 60 spots that that like a two-way guy like that that is like 60 spot jump and the impact on the team would be absurd. It would be absurd. So Assaar is number one for me. The second player I actually will stun some people. I will go with Jane Ivy over Jaylen Durren. I think Jay Ivy simply, if he were to take a jump in regards of, okay, I can handle the backup point guard minutes. Our offense will not fall apart when I enter the floor and caves off of it. I’ve improved as a lead initiator. I’ve improved as a finisher at the rim. I think that helps more than a realistic improvement from Duran in my opinion because that means when K comes off the floor, your your offense isn’t falling off the face of the earth. If if Ivy is able to improve as a lead initiator to where Cage the non Cade minutes with Ivy is no longer a negative net rating, it was a minus 3.28. If that becomes a positive net rating and the offense doesn’t fall apart and and and Ivy is able to keep the offense afloat without without Kade on the floor, then I think that has a larger impact on what I believe is possible for Duran this year. The Pistons being able to survive with Kade off the floor makes it m I think that just has such a large impact on their ability to win games. There was so many times we watched this past year, especially at the beginning of the fourth quarter because Cade would rest at the beginning of the fourth, then he’d come in and then he’d come out a little bit like in the fourminute mark, five minute mark, rest for like a minute and a half, then come back. And those stretches right there, that’s where the P when the Pistons lost games, those stretches usually killed them. Those stretches usually killed them. If they have Ivy and Ivy has improved as a lead ball handler and a and a score individual scorer with the ball in his hands, the offense should float during those minutes. Doesn’t have to be dominant, but if they can just float and then Kate comes back in, you guys can keep winning that that’s that I think that would have a large impact on this team. So, I’ll put Ivy second and then I put Duran third simply because I don’t believe the what what Duran would have to improve on to have this enormous impact would he would have to become a really good defender. Like him becoming slightly better in the DHO or him being able to take more uh handoffs to the rim, DHO’s to the rim from the high post area. That’s cool. That’s cool. And it and it definitely would make the team better. I’m not trying to say it wouldn’t make the team better. I don’t think that those improvements are making the team are having as large of an impact as Assar improving offensively or Ivy becoming a legit lead initiator. I don’t think it it matches that. The only thing that would match that those two’s impact would be if Duran entered this season all of a sudden a really good defender and he’s anchoring your defense, which I don’t know is realistic. Could he get better? Yes, I expect him to get better. I hope he gets better, but he would have to become like a legit good defender in his own right. And I don’t know if that’s something that’s going to happen this year. So that’s why I’d put Darren in third. Um that doesn’t mean he him he doesn’t have an impact on the team. Doesn’t mean I don’t think he’s going to have an impact on them winning. That’s not the case at all. Just who of those three guys, who do I how would I rank their potential impact if they improve on the team’s win loss column? I put it as Ivy and Darren. So that’s where I’m at. Let me know comment section down below or over on Twitter, Cuckahill, how you guys would rank it. Or is there another player, maybe it’s not any of those three that you guys feel like. Maybe there’s another player that you guys maybe feel like is the biggest key for them taking the next step. Let me know again comment section down below or over on Twitter, Cuckoo Hill. Coming up, what what’s the Pistons answer to the back of four situation? Is it Bobby Clipman still despite what we’re seeing in summer league? Who is it? We’ll break it down coming up. Ever wish managing your money felt easier? With Monarch Money, it can. Whether you’re growing your savings or planning a big purchase, Monarch puts you in the driver’s seat. It’s like having your own personal CFO, giving you full visibility and control over your finances. Monarch Money is more than just a budgeting app. It’s complete financial command center. You can track all your accounts, investments, and spending all in one place. So, in addition to managing your money, you’re also building wealth. Have you ever looked at the spending that you’re spending, excuse me, and been surprised by how fast it adds up? I know I did. When I got Monarch Money, I saw just how much I was spending on Door Dash. I love Door Dash. It’s great. I still use it, but was using it maybe a little too much. Spending a little too much money on it. So, Monarch Money helped me budget that and cut back on the spending a little bit with the delivery food services. So, you can take control of your finances with Monarch Money. Use code lockedonmbba atmonarchmoney.com for 50% off your first year. That’s monarchmoney.com code locked onmbba for half off your first year with monarch money. So I want to thank you guys again. Make lockdown pistons your first listen of every single day. Free and available on all your podcast platforms. I appreciate all the everydayers out there. If you haven’t already, hit that subscribe button to YouTube channel. Leave us a five star review podcast platform you’re listening to this on. That’s another great way to support the podcast. Check out the description down below. Substack, playback, Twitch, all that good stuff. Um, let’s get into the next questions that were that were asked by you guys for today’s mailbag episode. Next question is, who do you believe will truly fill the backup four role for the Detroit Pistons? So, we we’ve went over this a little bit and I kind of crafted my rotation for the Detroit Pistons to you guys. This is how I picture this happening. So obviously the starting lineup I think you’ll have Cade, Ivy, Assaar, Tobias Durn. I think that’s your starting lineup right there. I think the Pistons will go nine deep. I think it will be Caris Levert, Duncan Robinson, Isaiah Stewart, and Ron Holland. I think that’s your fourman off the bench. Now I’m sure he’ll sprinkle in, you know, a tenth guy, assasser, maybe, you know, every now and then get them some minutes. Maybe they play like a seven minutes per game, like something like that. Kind of like how we saw with Font Techo. He play like maybe nine minutes some one game, next game maybe if he’s playing well, he’ll get 18 minutes, you know, and then sometimes he just be completely out the rotation. That kind of thing, but I think it’s going to be mainly a nineman rotation. And how I think the Pistons will handle this is obviously the starters will I think Cade will play like 30 plus minutes, etc. The minute totals don’t really matter. I think this is this is what I really care about. point guard. I think it will be Cade and then Caris and Jane Ivy will split their minutes. I think that’s where the three those three minutes come from at the point guard point guard position. Cade, Ivy, and Caris. Right. Then at the two guard position, I believe Ivy I believe Ivy, Caris, and even Duncan may split some minutes there. Right. Then at the three position, I think we’ll be split between Assar, Ron, and Duncan. Right. At the five position, I’ll be I think we’ll be split between Stu and Duran. And then at the four position, I think you will have a three-way split of Tobias, Assar, Ron. And the reason why I think Assar Ron will be taking up the back of four minutes because if you look at the rotation, so all the minutes of the point guard position are taken up. The two guard position is really going to be taken up maybe by Assar. Maybe Assar takes some minutes there or maybe Ron takes some minutes there, but I don’t see that happening too much. I think Ivy takes up a boatload of those minutes. I think Duncan may take up some of those minutes as well. I definitely think Carris will take a lot of those minutes. So, I think the one and two position are going to take up a lot of minutes. Assar, you want him to play 30 minutes this year. I think he you want him to play 30 plus minutes. So, I think Assar will probably play something like 16 minutes at the three, 14 minutes at the four. I think something like that will happen. You also want Ron to play more than 20 minutes a game this year. You want him to take another step and play him a lot more. So I think Ron will then play something like 16 minutes at the three, 10 minutes at the four, something like that, right? So then you have what are you looking at there? You got 22 minutes. Maybe cut it a little less at the four for Assar. Give him more minutes at the three and then give Van more minutes. But you guys get what I’m saying. Think the way in which because they want to give Ron more minutes and Assar has to play 30 plus minutes this year I think and the only way to make that work is if you have them both split minutes at the three. They basically split those in half maybe maybe Asar plays a little bit more there at the three and then they also split the minutes at the back of four position. Therefore you can fit Assar with 30 plus minutes and then Ron getting more than 20 plus getting like 25 try to get him 25 around there. So I think that’s the Pistons plan at the back of four position. My concern is not really about just the backup four at this point because I’ve accepted that they want to give Assar and Ron the those minutes. I I’ve accepted that. My concern is that they don’t have a third four and that in the case of not going Tobias goes down. I’m assuming if if that were to happen, I’m assuming the idea was okay, we move Assar up to the four in the starting lineup, we bring in Duncan Robinson, you play like that. That’s my assumption. But then so what is Assar playing all of his mints at the four and then Ron’s playing a majority of his mints at the four too like is that really just your your four rotation? Is that really what you want them spending most of their minutes if Tobias were to go down at any point? I don’t think so. I think you’d like to have another four. So I really hope they use their buying a little exception on getting just a third string for like it doesn’t have to be someone that wants to get minutes. Does someone if something were to happen you feel confident that they can soak up minutes and play big for you? That that’s that’s all I care about with that. But that’s how I think the backup four is going to go for the Detroit Pistons. Here’s a question I thought was really interesting. I really like this question. Um, this was on Twitter from Discomfort. Said, “Rank these as the most valuable to least valuable decade running mates.” So he says, “Elite defender, elite shooter, elite playmaker, elite vertical spacer, and elite play finisher.” So, and then the bonus question is, what combination of the two above into one player would be the ideal second fiddle to Cade? I I think this is a really cool question. Um, I think by far number one, so I’m I’mma combine four and five, the vertical spacer and play finisher because I that’s basically the same to me. The vertical spacer, the the lob finisher, that that’s a guy that you just that’s finishing plays. I understand there’s other ways to finish plays like cuts, catch and shoot. Like I get all that. I’m just basically play finishers are guys that are players that don’t create their own looks. They’re just they finish plays that others create for them. That’s basically what lob threats are. So I’m going to put the vertical spacer and play finisher into the same. And I think that’s number one for Kade probably. Kade loves throwing lobs. He loves having a lob threat on the floor. He loves utilizing vertical spacing, especially in the pick and roll, whether it’s Duran or Assar. Um I think that’s pretty important for K. So I’d probably put that one. Um, the second one I’d probably put I I wanted to say elite shooter, but we saw the impact of Assar this past year and how well the minutes with Assar and Cade were this past year and the Pistons whole identity and how they became great this or really good, let’s not say great, but really good this past year was because of their defense. So, that’s a close one. I’m going to say shooter just because spacing is so important for a player like Cade. Defenses, too. Having great defense with them obviously leads to success, but having elite shooting and spacing on the floor. This opens up the driving lanes way more and it makes to where he’s not playing in a foam booth anymore, which is such a big deal this past year and why his efficiency got better. I’d go lob threat, elite shooter, elite defender, and then elite playmaker. Those are the four. Uh that’s how I’d rank them. Lob or play finisher, shooter, defender, playmaker. If I had to compi combine the two to be the the the next second or the best possible second fiddle next to Cade, I think it has to be uh elite shooter and an elite playmaker. Or actually, I take that back. Take that back. Take that back. I said that wrong. That’s not what I meant to say. Meant to say elite shooter and elite defender. Ideally, you’d like to see if one of my options were elite shot creator and elite defense, that’s what I would have went with, but elite defender and play finisher is basically a SAR already. Um, and they don’t really have they don’t they haven’t had someone who’s an elite shooter and then also elite defender. They haven’t had a legit two-way scorer. So, I think that is by I think that’s the best um the best second fiddle next to Kade. Someone who can give some stuff offensively and then also be electric defensively, which is why everyone knows I’m super high in Assar, which is why I believe it doesn’t have to be shooting. I know like that with the while I was given I had to pick shooting but even if you just take Assar his elite defense and then you took like improved like good offensive game to where he’s playmaking. He’s taking playm responsibilities off of Cade. He’s getting into the paint. He’s finishing at the rim. Like that’s a two-way player right there. It doesn’t have two-way players are not just shooters. It’s not just three and D. It’s guys who can impact offensively, do their own thing offensively, and then also be great defensively. which is why I think Assar has the best chance to be a second fiddle and be great with Cade because I think those players are the most impactful ones. But that I I think that was a really interesting question. I love that question. It was fun. So, let me know what you guys’ answer to that. I I’d love to hear you guys’ answer to this one. Um, but that’s all I’ve got for you guys today. Thank you guys for making Locked on Pistons your first listen every single day. We’re free to develop on all your podcast platforms. If you haven’t already, hit that subscribe button to YouTube channel. Leave us a fivestar review whatever podcast platform you’re listening to us on. Appreciate all of you everydayers first listen every single day. I appreciate all of you guys. Before we wrap up, let me know in the comment section or over on Twitter. I’ve had a few of you guys or in the your reviews on Apple, on Spotify, wherever you guys are listening to this. Let me know. I’ve had a few people saying that they felt like the audio isn’t loud enough. Now, I’ve had people in the past, I lowered it because I’ve had people in the past say, you guys know I’m passionate and I talk loudly. Like my wife deals with this all the time. I talk loudly and it doesn’t feel like right now I don’t feel like I’m yelling but I’m assuming my wife came in she would say cool you’re talking too loud like it’s just how I’ve always like I’m just I guess passionate is the word but I’ve always just talked about like this way just had a loud voice so over my point is I lowered the audio over the last few weeks I’ve had a few of you guys say hey coup can you turn the volume back up I it’s kind of not it’s not loud enough for me so let me know I’m going to turn the volume up on this episode I’m bump it up just a little bit let me know if the audio is good enough for you guys is it I want to make sure I have it at the perfect spot Not. If you guys feel like it’s too loud, let me know. If it’s still not loud enough, let me know. Want to hear from you guys. But that’s all I’ve got for you guys today. Appreciate all of you guys. Stay safe out there. Until next time, everybody. Stay safe and peace out.

Detroit Pistons’ offseason moves under the microscope. Can young talent propel them to new heights in the upcoming NBA season?

Host Ku Khahil grades the Pistons’ summer strategy, analyzing key acquisitions such as Duncan Robinson and Caris LeVert. He ranks Ausar Thompson as the team’s X-factor, highlighting his immediate defensive impact despite recent health challenges. The host explores the backup power forward situation, potential rotation adjustments, and the ideal attributes for Cade Cunningham’s running mate.

Tune in for expert insights on how Thompson, Jaden Ivey, and Jalen Duren could reshape Detroit’s fortunes on the court.

SUBSTACK: kukhahil.substack.com

PLAYBACK: playback.tv/watchpistons

TWITCH: twitch.tv/kukhahil7

Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!

OpenPhoneStreamline and scale your customer communications with OpenPhone. Get 20% off your first 6 months at www.openphone.com/lockedonnba

HungryrootWith Hungryroot, it’s like having a personal shopper and a nutritionist all in one.For a limited time, get 40% off your first box and a free item in every box for life! Just go to Hungryroot.com/lockedonnba and use codeLOCKEDONNBA.

Monarch MoneyTake control of your finances with Monarch Money. Use code LOCKEDONNBA at monarchmoney.com/lockedonnba for 50% off your first year

GametimeDownload the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDONNBA for $20 off your first purchase. Terms apply. Download Gametime today. What time is it? Gametime.

FanDuelRight now, new customers can get ONE HUNDRED FIFTY DOLLARS in BONUS BETS when your first FIVE DOLLAR BET WINS! Download the app or head to FANDUEL.COM to get started. Bet with FanDuel—Official Partner of the NBA.

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