Yesterday, we finished strong at the end of the first half of our hit list, listing Jose Calderon - possibly Detroit's best option at its highest priority position of need. Please check out the first part of this article, the 2013 Detroit Pistons Offseason Hit List (DPOHL) <-- (this is an Internet link I would like you to click upon if you haven't read the article yet), for more details. Find part 3 of the series here.
For reference's sake, here is a reminder of what I believe the Piston's player position priorities should be as they make moves.
Roster Priority Tree (RPT# - Ex., Jose Calderon is a roster priority tree position 1, or RPT1, player, because I believe we would want him to be our starting point guard. Sensible?)
- Starting PG
- Starting SF
- Backup PG
- Backup PF
- Backup SF
- Backup C
- Third SG
And here are the principles I think they should adhere to this year:
So, without further ado - haven't we all had ado enough? - back to:
The Hit List - Part II
- RPT1: Jarret Jack: Perhaps most valuable PG accessible to the Pistons outside Calderon or Rondo
- RPT2: Harrison Barnes: Good young scorer; likely would only be available in a total cap-clearing scenario if GS is getting Dwight Howard and if the Los Angeles Lakers, in a truly Lionsesque move, refused to trade a great player who is definitely leaving them while he still has value to their franchise, deciding instead to take nothing - unlikely, but it happens - twice
- RPT4: Carl Landry: Nice, bruising PF who plays bigger than he is, great excuse to show more Harrison Barnes highlights
- RPT7: Brandon Rush: Is athletic and has nice outside shot, if he can come back from the knee
- RPT3: Jeremy Lin: Still exciting, still expendable, still expensive, but Pistons have the room
- RPT6: Omer Asik: Dunks, gets boards, wins Oscars, makes free throws
- RPT6: Donatas Montiejunas: Possible stretch 5! *melts* Maybe Dwight + Smith requires all Houston's cash
- RPT7: James Anderson: Turned 24 in March, absolute beast (all 'lights, no music = serious biz) at OK St.
- RPT2: Danny Granger: I think he'll be ready for camp. If so, is likely best possible SF candidate for this team. I'm looking for at least the Antonio McDyess-comeback version of this guy.
- RPT4: Tyler Hansbrough: Because we must always have someone who might eat babies.
- RPT5: Gerald Green: As previously noted: athletic, cupcake - and worth a pick for taking his contract
- RPT7: Ian Mahinmi: Indiana may be feeling the pinch with his contract; as with Green, getting rid of it for them could possibly yield the Pistons a draft pick
Now that Bledsoe is gone, whom I didn't want here anyway (though I would have liked the Pistons to be in on a three-way deal and gotten two second-rounders to facilitate if we had something to contribute), no one from L.A. really seems to fit here. DeAndre Jordan costs too much with a contract that is a year too short for a guy to come of the bench to come off the bench to defend and rebound. Of course, if Doc were just giving him away to make room for Dwight, it would be interesting to think about - but still an ultimate "no."
Los Angeles Lakers
- RPT2: Earl Clark: Finally got a chance to shine for the Lakers; reminds me of in JJ in body type; I would want to see him start at the SF spot because I think that's where he presents a real advantage defensively
- RPT2: Tayshaun Prince: I kid, I kid.
- RPT4: Ed Davis: Lionel Hollins did not know what he had in Davis; I know we would have a nice third big man
- RPT5: Quincy Pondexter: I saw Quincy projected as Kentavious Caldwell-Pope's dark alt future - maybe if he eats Peyton Siva on a long road trip; still, QP (aka KCP-XL) can shoot it
- RPTX: (UN)RELATED BONUS: TONY MITCHELL IS BETTER THAN SHAWN MARION
Do YOU want to pay Mike Miller $5 M to be your third shooting guard? Do you want to pay Mike Miller $5 USD to be your third shooting guard? I didn't think so. Nothing to see here. Move along.
- RPT2: Ersan Ilyasova: Ah, John Hammond: graduated summa cum laude of the Joe Dumars School of "Could I BE Drafting Any More Forwards??", has a doozy in Ersan - 5-yr deal, defensively limited, no real position - but young, good rebounder, can score from anywhere; maybe John has a soft spot for Stuckey ... ?
- RPT2: Andrei Kirilenko: Ever hear of planned obsolescence? Well, AK-47, aka Kirilenko the Killer Pinko, hasn't played in all 82 since his rookie year and has NEVER started 82 games in a season; he would not get in the way of anyone's development, and we could structure his contract as a placeholder to make sure the money expires in time to hand it over directly to Greg Monroe or Andre Drummond - unlikely, as he probably wants to go to a contender, but perhaps the contenders still feel he has something to prove
- RPT3: Alexey Shved: I love tall point guards; the T-Wolves tried to convert him to a SG, but, no T-Wolves, you have nothing but PGs and PFs on your team
- RPT4: Derrick Williams: Do not let him dribble! But, as a third big, couldn't ask for better - well, except for the bit of commentary at 0:45 of this vide- WHAT?? lol I know no one's watching Timberwolves broadcasts, guys, but srsly
New Orleans Pelicans
- RPT1: Greivis Vasquez: Again, big PGs. Also, young, great passer, decent shooter, too many TOs, but damn
*** End Part II ***
Author's note: And again, the hour growth late, thus ends our Empire Strikes Back middle episode of The Hit List. One more session will get it done, so for the holiday here in the States (sorry, Rudy Gay), tune in tomorrow, our Independence Day (SORRY, RUDY GAY), for the epic conclusion (might be too epic, even for the most epic of you - but not as epic as this).
And thank you all for your even more epic comments and feedback so far. I say that having only read the first encouraging one. I only JUST saw that there are now 12 more. *gulp* I'm going to go change my shorts and hope Kriz doesn't beat me u-
Kriz:
Nevermind.