From yesterday’s Detroit News:
Pistons guard Alex Acker has agreed to a one-year contract to play in Greece next season. He will replace another former NBA player, Tyus Edney, on the Olympiakos team.
Acker, who saw action in five games for the Pistons last season and spent half the season with the team’s developmental league affiliate, will be paid one million Euros (about $1.27 million U.S.). He would have made $664,000 with the Pistons and again spent the bulk of the season in the developmental league.
The Pistons still retain rights to Acker and could bring him back for the 2007-08 season.
If you remember, Acker and Ronald Dupree were battling for the final spot on the roster last year until Dupree was traded to the Timberwolves just before the start of the season. So did Acker take a step back this year?
Hardly. He’s not playing in the NBA this year, but he’s making twice as much money
Pistons’ Acker signs deal to play in Greece [Detroit News]
I like Acker. I think him heading to Greece might be the best thing for him AND the Pistons. If he comes back with solid seasoning and a confidence to stick the shots he gets, he could be a contributor. Unfortunately, by this time next year, he could be battling the current roster plus two new first rounders.
We are squandering the youth on this team. With Ben gone now and Chauncey possibly opting out and Rasheed in his 30’s, we’ll need some young, fresh players. Where are they?
Rocky: I disagree. For one, we’re not “losing” Acker (23 years old) or Cheick Samb (21) — they won’t be on the Pistons roster this year, but that just means the Pistons get to “outsource” their development to European teams — if/when they ever come back to the NBA, the Pistons will still own their rights. Maybe they’re good enough to come back, maybe they’re not — Acker was the last pick of the 2005 draft and Samb was a low second-rounder this year.
But even without them, Detroit still have second-year guys like Jason Maxiell (23) and Amir Johnson (19), plus rookie Will Blalock (22). And Carlos Delfino (24 at start of season) is still relatively young.
And don’t forget: the Pistons will be adding at least one and possibly two first-round picks (their own plus Orlando’s conditional pick) next season in what’s expected to be a very deep draft.
So Assuming Maxiell and Johnson pan out, Delfino isn’t traded and we get those two first-rounders in 2007, this team could enter the 2007-08 season with at least six players 25 or younger — and that’s not even counting Acker or Samb.
1. If/when we get Samb and Acker. Possibility we won’t.
2. If Maxiell and Johnson pan out. They’ve barely played in the NBA, how can we tell?
3. Why keep Will Blalock and give away Acker? He’s had an extra year to bang around with the Pistons and learn something. Blalock hasn’t.
4. Why re-sign Dupree? Last time he was with the Pistons, didn’t he AVERAGE something like 1.3, 2.3 points a game for the season? If we’re that hard up for extra points, we need help.
5. The two (possibly) first-round picks next year: The previous draft picks we’ve gotten have seen less time than nearly any other rookie out there. I’m not saying put them in the starting lineup, but I keep hearing people saying how they’re still young and inexperienced, etc. You know how you get experience? One of the major ways is play time.
I’m not saying once our Core Five…I mean Core Four breaks up, we’ll be left high and dry. I just think we could’ve given our younger ones a little more time to shine and show us what they can do against real NBA players.
Rocky, you make good points. I agree completely that developing young players has been this team’s biggest weakness — it’s a shame to see guys like Memo Okur and Darko Milicic playing well for other teams now, which is why I’m such a big supporter of getting Delfino minutes and not trading him and watching him blossom elsewhere.
Here are some quick thoughts:
1. The only way we don’t get Acker or Samb back is if they’re not good enough. And if they’re not good enough, who cares if they left in the first place? Each of those guys are low second-round picks, those guys don’t always pan out into rotation guys.
2. We can’t tell yet if Maxiell or Johnson will pan out, but if Maxiell doesn’t at least get a chance to prove himself in the rotation this year, Joe Dumars needs to kick Flip Saunders in the pants. I’ll give Johnson another year just because he’s a prep-to-pros kid, but I’d like to see him at least being on the active roster in a few more games.
3. I haven’t seen enough on Blalock to answer. But I can say this: Acker was on the bubble until the last day of the exhibition season last year, while Blalock has already signed a multi-year contract. The front office must see something extra in him. It could just be that we need a young point guard, which the front office doesn’t consider Acker to be (he’s a natural two-guard who switched over to PG last year because Lindsey Hunter was hurt).
4. You resign Dupree because you need 15 guys on a roster. He hustles, so he’s a good practice guy, but he’s not talented enough to be a threat to Delfino. If all goes to plan, he won’t (er, shouldn’t) tempt Saunders into playing him over a guy with more promise.
5. I’m with you on this one 100%. Once you get the picks, you need to play the picks. We haven’t done enough of that, dating all the way back to the Rick Carlisle era (it was a pure fluke that Carlisle discovered Tayshaun could play in that Orlando series).
Yeah, Matt, what you say definitely makes sense. I may have been slightly hot-headed before. Thanks for explaining your opinions. Completely forgot about the 15-man rule now, so Dupree is understandable.
I thing you are missing the point. Alex Acker was never given a chance to play. Ever were he went from the pre season he blossomed, the Development league he stood out avg. 18pts. 6rebs. 4asist a game, and even this summer league he showed that he can play with the best. Basically, avgering the same he did in the development league. So, why in the hell is it that a last player picked proveals over every task. I think the kid can play but that really isn’t the issue. The issue is timing, and basically it’s not his time. So I think it will benifit himself by playing over there in Europe and the Pistons when he does come back and puts on that jersey. Believe me when I say this Alex Acker is going to be a great addition when needed.